Featuring the best 80s music videos, TV shows, 80s celebrities and more!
Joan Rivers was on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1986, and she and Johnny reminisced about their early careers, and Rivers told some of the funniest jokes you’ll ever hear. She had the audience and Johnny rolling with laughter with lines like, “No man ever put his hand up a woman’s dress looking for a library card.” and “I went to buy sexy underwear and they gift wrapped it.”.
Enjoy this look back at Joan Rivers on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson!
Iron Man was written and released on Black Sabbath’s 1970 album Paranoid. The song tells the story of a man who time travels into the future and sees the apocalypse. In the process of returning to the present he is turned into steel by a magnetic field, and his attempts to warn the public are ignored and mocked. Feeling shunned and alone, Iron Man plans his revenge on mankind, causing the apocalypse seen in his vision.
In 2007, VH1 ranked Iron Man as the Greatest Heavy Metal Song of All Time! Enjoy this look back at Ozzy Osbourne performing Iron Man live during the US Festival that took place over Memorial Day weekend in 1983. The four-day festival featured a New Wave Day, Heavy Metal Day, Rock Day, and Country Day.
Ozzy performed on Sunday, May 29th, the Heavy Metal Day along with Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Triumph, Scorpions, and Van Halen. That would have been one helluva lineup to see in one day!
One Vision was the first single released from Queen’s 1986 album, A Kind of Magic. It was a top ten hit in the UK, peaking at number seven in 1985. The song was inspired by the life and exploits of Martin Luther King Jr. In the U.S. the song was a minor hit on the Hot 100 charts peaking at number 61, but it gained popularity when it was included on the Iron Eagle movie soundtrack in 1986.
Enjoy this look behind-the-scenes with Queen and the making of One Vision!
In 1982, Marvin Gaye released his 17th and final studio album called Midnight Love. The album became his most successful album of his career due to the tremendous success of the first single Sexual Healing, which peaked at number three on the Hot 100 charts, and hit number one on the R&B charts. In 2021, Rolling Stone ranked Sexual Healing as number 198 on it’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Sadly, Gaye was killed two years later by his father, Marvin Gaye Sr. when he intervened in a fight between his parents on April 1, 1984. Gaye’s father shot him twice, once in the chest, and once in his shoulder. Marvin Gaye was only 44 years old.
Enjoy this look back at Marvin Gaye’s music video for his hit song Sexual Healing from 1982!
If you were a fan of MTV’s Headbangers Ball, you’ll remember All We Are from the German heavy metal band Warlock led by Doro Pesch. The music video received a lot of rotation on Headbangers Ball and the song received a decent amount of airplay on metal stations in the U.S. It’s one of their most remembered songs, and Pesch stills plays the song regularly during her concerts today.
Enjoy this look back at Warlock’s music video for All We Are from 1987!
In 1987, LL Cool J scored his first number one song when I Need Love topped the Billboard Dance charts. It was also his first top 20 hit on the Hot 100 charts when it peaked at number 14 in ’87. I Need Love was the second single released from his second studio album Bigger and Deffer. The first single, I’m Bad, was a hit on the Dance charts as well, peaking at number four in ’87.
Enjoy this look back at LL Cool J’s music video for I Need Love as well as a look at his video for I’m Bad as well!
During the ’80s, Eddie Murphy’s two stand-up comedy films, Delirious and Raw, are the funniest stand-up comedy routines we’ve ever seen. During both films, Murphy showed off his incredible impressions of celebrities like Elvis, James Brown, Mr. T, Stevie Wonder, Bill Cosby, and more.
Enjoy this look back at the best of Eddie Murphy’s funniest impressions!
Commando was a 1985 action movie that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as retired U.S. Special Forces Colonel John Matrix who lives with daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano) in isolation, but his privacy is disturbed by former commander Franklin Kirby (James Olson), who warns him that his fellow soldiers are getting killed one by one. After Kirby leaves, Jenny is kidnapped by former Latin American dictator Arius (Dan Hedaya), who wants Matrix to restore him to power. Instead, Matrix sets out to take down the rogue leader and rescue his daughter.
Commando was a success at the box office grossing over $57 million with a budget of only $9 million. The movie starred:
Enjoy this look at what the cast of Commando looked like then, and what they look like now in 2021 from YouTube’s BIG STAR-X channel!
On January 4, 1989, legendary actor Jimmy Stewart appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. During the interview, Stewart was delightfully funny discussing playing the accordion, his funny New Year’s resolutions, learning to fly airplanes, and his daughter’s work with mountain gorillas. Jimmy Stewart was such a sweet man.
Enjoy this look back at Jimmy Stewart on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1989!
Check out more interviews from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the ’80s:
On July 13, 1985, Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne at the helm performed during Live Aid 1985, a benefit concert that raised funds for the Ethiopian famine disaster. The event was seen by over 100,000 people in John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, PA, and according to the Live Aid channel on YouTube, it was seen by over 40% of the global population via satellite link-ups.
Enjoy this look back at Ozzy and Black Sabbath performing one of their biggest hits, Paranoid, live at Live Aid 1985!
George Carlin had Johnny Carson in stitches during his visit on November 26, 1986. Carlin talked about his wacky health problems, his family, and everything else that was on his mind that tonight. If you need a good laugh, enjoy this look back at George Carlin’s appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson!
On January 15, 1987, Richard Pryor made his only appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. The two seemed to really get along, and Pryor was his usual humble yet hilarious self. Dave actually seemed a little nervous during the interview, but Pryor was as cool as ever.
Enjoy this look back at the great Richard Pryor’s only appearance on Letterman in 1987!
Don Rickles, the king of insult comedy was on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1980, and he ripped into anyone and everyone, and it was hilarious! Enjoy this look back at the one-and-only Don Rickles on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson back in 1980!
As a bonus, we’ve also got one of our all time favorite clips of Don Rickles on the Tonight Show. In 1976, Rickles surprised Frank Sinatra on the show, and what ensued was five minutes of comic genius!
Check out more interviews from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in the ’80s:
Legendary singer/songwriter Rod Stewart has been releasing music since 1964, and in the ’80s, he scored a number of top ten hits on the charts including Passion, Young Turks, Infatuation, Some Guys Have All The Luck, Love Touch, My Heart Can’t Tell You No, This Old Heart of Mine, and Downtown Train, his last top ten hit of the ’80s when it peaked at number three on the Hot 100 charts and number one on both the AC and Rock charts..
Stewart is back and is releasing a new album on November 12th titled The Tears of Hercules. The first single from the album is a catchy and cheeky tune called One More Time. In the sleeve notes about the album, Stewart proudly states,
“I’ve never said this before about any previous efforts, but I believe this is by far my best album in many a year.”
He also said about the song One More Time:
The story behind the song is you know when you break up with somebody and the sex was amazing and you just want to do it one more time? That’s what the song is about. It’s happened to all of us I’m sure.
via TheScottishSun.co.uk
Enjoy this look at ’80s rock legend Rod Stewart’s new music video for his latest single One More Time!
Johnny Carson always treated his guests with respect, and Boy George’s first interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a perfect example of how great Carson was. Even though he wasn’t quite sure what to make of Boy George, he treated him with respect and asked some pretty bold questions at the time. They seemed to get along well, and this was a really good interview. George was also calm, respectful, and answered his questions openly and honestly.
If you’ve got a few minutes, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. Enjoy this look back at Boy George’s first interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson back in 1984!
Talk Talk are one of those bands who released some great music in the ’80s, but for some unknown reason, their songs never picked up much traction on the mainstream charts. Their biggest hit in the U.S. was It’s My Life, the lead single from their 1984 album of the same name. While it only made it to number 31 on the Hot 100 charts, it did top the Dance charts in the U.S. in 1984.
The official music video for It’s My Life was released as a statement against the banality of lip-synching, and consists almost entirely of footage from the 1979 BBC wildlife documentary Life on Earth, interspersed with shots of Talk Talk lead singer Mark Hollis standing in various places throughout the London Zoo. It’s definitely an interesting music video to watch!
The second video below is an awesome live performance of the song. Enjoy this look back at one of our favorite songs from the ’80s, It’s My Life from Talk Talk!
Shattered Dreams was the lead single released from Johnny Hates Jazz’s 1988 debut album Turn Back the Clock. It was a top five hit in the UK, and in the U.S. it peaked at number two on the Hot 100 charts and number one on the AC charts. The band scored one more top 40 hit in the U.S. with their next single I Don’t Want to Be a Hero, which peaked at number 31.
Enjoy this look back at the UK color version of the music video for Shattered Dreams as well as the B/W version shot for the U.S.!
In 1986, the late Eddie Money released his sixth studio album titled Can’t Hold Back. The lead single from the album was Take Me Home Tonight. The chorus interpolates the Ronettes’ 1963 hit Be My Baby, and original vocalist Ronnie Spector provided the vocals, and she also appeared in the official music video.
Take Me Home Tonight was Money’s second number one song on the Mainstream Rock charts, and it was his highest charting song of his career on the Hot 100 charts when it peaked at number four in 1986. His first number one on the Rock charts was 1982’s Think I’m In Love. He scored one more number one on the Rock charts in 1989 with The Love In Your Eyes.
Enjoy this look back at the music video for Take Me Home Tonight as well as a look at the music videos for his other two number one rock hits as well!
1985 was a big year for Michael J. Fox. His role as Marty McFly in Back to the Future changed his life forever. In this clip from the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Fox talks about buying his first house and his current love life. The exchange between Johnny and Michael regarding their latest “lady friend” is priceless. They both keep throwing it back to the other.
Enjoy this look back at Michael J. Fox’s first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1985!
In 1988, Henry Lee Summer released a self-titled album that produced one of 1988’s biggest rock hits. I Wish I Had a Girl topped the Mainstream Rock charts in ’88, and it peaked at number 20 on the Hot 100 charts. He scored three more top 30 hits on the Rock charts in ’88 and ’89 with Darlin’ Danielle Don’t, which peaked at number nine, Hands on the Radio, which peaked at number 28, and Hey Baby which peaked at number six on the Rock charts and number 18 on the Hot 100 charts.
Enjoy this look back at Summer’s music video for I Wish I Had a Girl as well as videos for Darlin’ Danielle Don’t and Hands on the Radio!
In 1981, Van Halen released their fourth studio album, Fair Warning. The album produced four top 30 hits on the Mainstream Rock charts. The fourth single was Unchained, which peaked at number 13 on the Mainstream Rock charts in 1981.
Chuck Klosterman of Vulture.com named it the second-best Van Halen song, writing that it “merely feels like insatiable straight-ahead rock, but the lick is freaky, obliquely hovering above the foundation while the drums oscillate between two unrelated performance philosophies.”
We agree! Simply put, Unchained is a damn good rock song!
Enjoy this incredible live performance of Unchained from Van Halen in Oakland Coliseum Stadium back in 1981!
During season eight of The Voice Australia in 2019, Vendulka Wichta performed her own version of Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon in front of the four judges. One of the judges happened to be Boy George, and his reaction when he realizes she is covering Karma Chameleon is priceless.
In his words, “All my favorite singers always say that if you’re gonna cover one of my songs, take it somewhere else. I don’t want to hear a repeat of what I did. I want to hear someone twist it up.”
Twist it up she did in a wonderful way. I think you’re gonna love this. Boy George even goes up and does a quick impromptu duet with her. This really is a beautiful cover of Karma Chameleon.
Just for fun, we’ve also got Culture Club’s music video for Karma Chameleon below as well! Enjoy both versions of one of the ’80s greatest songs!
Saturday Night Live alum Norm Macdonald’s comedy career began in his native Canada where he performed in stand-up clubs in Ottawa in 1985. His appearance at the 1986 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal was heralded by the Montreal Gazette as “One of the country’s hottest comics.”
He would go on to appear on Saturday Night Live from 1993-1998. Sadly Macdonald passed away on September 14, 2021 after a nine year battle with cancer that he kept private from his family, friends, and the public. Only a few trusted friends knew about his illness.
To honor Macdonald, we’ve got a really cool and rare video below of his appearance at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in ’86 as well as our favorite skit from SNL featuring Macdonald as Burt Reynolds (or is that Turd Ferguson) on Celebrity Jeopardy. We’ll miss you. RIP Norm…
A Different Corner was a 1986 single released by George Michael. It was included on WHAM!’s compilation album titled Music from the Edge of Heaven released in 1986 in Japan and North America only. The song was a huge hit in the UK where it peaked at number one on the charts. It was also a top ten hit the Hot 100 charts in the US when it peaked at number seven in 1986.
According to Wikipedia, Michael was at a really low point in his life when he wrote A Different Corner:
“I felt like shit. I went in and recorded exactly the way I felt, and that’s the way it sounds. It was partly Wham! and partly the end of a relationship. It was the farthest I’d ever fallen, and in a very short period of time. I had to get rid of it somehow, I had to write about it. That’s a really perverse side that I’m sure a lot of writers have -‘I feel like shit, but maybe I’ll get a good song out of it.’”
George Michael
Enjoy this look back at George Michael’s music video for A Different Corner from 1986!
The intro scene of season 4, episode 20 of Miami Vice called A Bullet for Crockett is a great scene. Like the pilot episode, the entire scene is shot with Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight in the background. If you loved Miami Vice, you’ll love this look back at the intro scene to Miami Vice’s A Bullet for Crockett episode. Enjoy!
On February 3, 1988, Merritt Heaton, a 97-year old farmer from Toulon, Illinois appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. This has to be one of my all time favorite interviews. Mr. Heaton talks to Johnny about why he initially declined the invitation to come on the show, the biggest change he’s seen since he’s been born, and his younger girlfriend he visits when he’s in California.
You’ll also love the end of the video when his girlfriend joins them on the set. This interview is a breath of fresh air and will definitely leave you with a smile on your face.
On September 4, 1980, Mr. Rogers made his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Before he came out, Johnny played a snippet of a past skit called Mr. Codgers’ Neighborhood. If you never saw this, you’re gonna love this one. Mr. Rogers was such a genuine human being who took it all in stride.
Enjoy this look back at Mr. Rogers making his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson back in 1980!
The Running Man was a 1987 action film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Richard Dawson, Yaphet Kotto, and Jesse Ventura. It also had a large ensemble cast that included football legend Jim Brown and ’80s guitarist Dweezil Zappa.
The film took place in a dystopian United States between 2017 and 2019 and centered around a television show called The Running Man where convicted criminal “runners” must escape death at the hands of professional killers with nicknames like Buzzsaw, Fireball, Captain Freedom, Dynamo, and Professor Subzero.
Enjoy this look at the cast of The Running Man then and now from YouTube’s BIG STAR-X!
Reverend Jim is our favorite character from the sitcom Taxi. There are so many great scenes featuring Reverend Jim, and this is just one of them. If you didn’t already know, Jim’s a genius! LOL
If you haven’t scene the Reverend Jim takes his driving test scene, you’ve gotta check it out as well. It’s one of the funniest scenes we’ve ever seen!
Enjoy this look back at Reverend Jim from Taxi!
Let’s take a video trip back to 1988 with Len Enders. Len recorded the video below on October 9, 1988 in Port Hadlock and Port Townsend, MA. Like most bored ’80s rocker teens, his day consisted of going to an arcade, driving around town, walking around town, going to a record store, going to a video rental store, visiting his friend Scott’s house, going to McDonald’s, throwing eggs at cop cars, and jamming with his buddies!
Enjoy this trip down memory lane with an ’80s rocker teenager whose dad was away, so the boys went out and played! Oh, and just a head’s up, their language and behavior isn’t exactly rated PG.
This video was summed up perfectly by one of the comments under the video: “What I appreciate most about pre social media days is that people didn’t record things for other people to see. We recorded things for ourselves to see later. So it was NEVER FAKE!”
