Featuring the best 80s music videos, TV shows, 80s celebrities and more!
A couple of days ago, the cast of Back to the Future reunited together online for an episode of Reunited Apart with Josh Gad. This was such a cool episode and it was so neat to see the cast together again on one screen talking about their lives and the ’80s movie that united them all, Back to the Future!
Still Loving You was the second single released from the Scorpions’ 1984 album Love at First Sting, which also included their biggest hit of the ’80s in America, Rock You Like a Hurricane. Still Loving You peaked at number 64 on the Hot 100 charts and number 36 on the Mainstream Rock charts. It’s since become one of their signature songs and one of the most popular songs they sing live in concert.
Enjoy this look back at the music video for Still Loving You as well as some of our favorite live performances of Still Loving You from the Scorpions including their iconic performance at the Moscow Peace Festival in 1989!
Watch as Steven Tyler from Aerosmith, Slash from Guns N’ Roses, Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters, and Train perform Aerosmith’s classic rock anthem ‘Walk This Way’ live during Howard Stern’s 60th birthday bash back in 2014!
In addition to these superstars of rock, Cyndi Lauper and Rob Zombie also came on stage to sing along. If you like good ole fashioned live rock n’ roll, this performance is for you!
Oh, if only these walls could talk… How would you like to own the home of Motley Crue’s drummer Tommy Lee? If you’ve got $4.6 million lying around, it’s yours! Check out the video tour below of Tommy’s home, which is back on the market for $4,599,000! If you’re interested in buying this little piece of rock n’ roll heaven, contact The Agency.
Manic Monday was The Bangles‘ breakthrough hit! It was the first single released from their 1986 album Different Light, and it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. They would go on to score their first number one hit on the Hot 100 charts with Walk Like an Egyptian from the same album.
The Cannonball Run was an awesome early ’80s movie that starred Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, and many more stars of the day. Check out this collection of some of the funniest moments from the first Cannonball Run!
The one-and-only Hulk Hogan made his debut in the WWF on November 17, 1979. He would become one of the ’80s greatest wrestling icons, but his first match was against the powerhouse known as Harry Valdez… LOL
Enjoy this look back at the first time Hulk Hogan was introduced to the WWF!
If you’re quarantined at home, bored, and perhaps an ’80s rock fan, then you might want to do what the Heller family of Maple Valley, Washington did. They recreated Journey’s music video for Separate Ways shot-by-shot, and they did an incredible job!
Watch as Steven and Jan Heller and their kids, Lily (15), Jackson (14), Asher (12), and Violet (9) go Separate Ways!
Former Journey frontman and rock n’ roll legend Steve Perry shared the video below from his home singing an amazing cover of the Beach Boys’ song ‘In My Room’.
On Perry’s YouTube channel, he said about this song and video:
When I was a teenager in my room, this song gave me comfort.
Stay safe,
Steve
Poison have been rocking the stage since the mid-80’s, and Nothin’ But A Good Time is one of their signature songs, and was an anthem for 80s rock fans everywhere back in the day!
We thought we’d take a look at Poison performing the song live in the ’80s as well as recently in 2018. One thing is certain, whether it was back in the ’80s, or today, Bret and the boys are having nothin’ but a good time and putting on one heck of a show!
Former President Donald Trump appeared on the David Letterman show a number of times during the shows run, but his first time on the show was in a remote segment in 1986 when Dave visited Trump’s office in Trump Tower.
Trump then appeared on the Letterman show in an episode that aired on December 22, 1987. It’s fascinating to watch, and very interesting around the 16:00 minute mark when Letterman asks Trump if he plans on running for President of the United States at some point.
Enjoy this look back at former President Trump on with Letterman in the late ’80s!
Frank Drebin is one of the funniest characters that Leslie Nielsen ever played. We were first introduced to Detective Frank Drebin in 1988 with the release of The Naked Gun – From the Filed of Police Squad!, and we’ve never laughed so hard! Here are 25 of Frank Drebin’s best quotes from The Naked Gun series courtesy of PonAdidas on YouTube.
REO Speedwagon’s Time For Me To Fly has always been our favorite REO song. They first released it as a single in 1978 as the second single from their ’78 album You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can’t Tuna Fish. They then re-released it in 1980 as a single from their compilation album, A Decade of Rock and Roll: 1970 to 1980.
Here they are performing this fan favorite live!
We all wish we could sing like Jon Bon Jovi, but what if you were singing karaoke with Jon Bon Jovi, but you didn’t know it? Watch as unsuspecting karaoke singers get pranked by a long-haired, bearded, cowboy hat wearing bartender who happens to be Jon Bon Jovi in disguise.
Video courtesy of Omaze on YouTube.
Watch every Bon Jovi music video from the beginning!
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was released on December 26, 1987 and starred John Candy and Steve Martin. It grossed over $49.5 million at the box office, and is still one of our all time favorite movies from the ’80s.
YouTube’s CineFix put together 7 things you (probably) didn’t know about Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and they did a great job as this was the first time we had heard five of the seven things. Enjoy!
When Harry Met Sally was released on July 21, 1989 and starred Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. It’s a great movie, but by far the greatest scene is when Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal are eating lunch, and Meg Ryan does what has become one of the greatest fake orgasm scenes in movie history!
Caddyshack is one of our favorite movies of all time, and it’s definitely one of the greatest comedies of the ’80s. And, there are more great one-liners in this movie than any other movie we’ve ever seen. Enjoy a look back at all of the best quotes from Caddyshack in one video!
YouTube user “Some random guy” put together the excellent video below featuring 100 songs that kids in the ’80s grew up with. The list of songs runs from pop classics like Prince’s ‘1999’ to hard rock ballads like Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Patience’ to modern rock hits like Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’.
Take a trip back in time with 100 songs that kids in the ’80s grew up with!
The Breakfast Club was released on February 15, 1985, and was an instant hit among teenagers and college students everywhere. It has since become one of the most memorable movies from the ’80s and is still as popular as ever.
Below are 10 movie secrets about The Breakfast Club that you might not know. For instance, did you know that Anthony Michael Hall’s mom and sister were the actors who were in the car when his character Brian arrived for detention school?
While the ’60s and ’70s tested the boundary with many controversial songs, it wasn’t until the ’80s and the debut of MTV that all of these types of songs came to life. Here’s a look at eight of the most controversial music videos from the ’80s:
(1) Madonna’s Music Video for ‘Just Like A Prayer’
Madonna released the song Like A Prayer on March 3, 1989, and the accompanying music video created a ton of controversy.
“The music video, directed by Mary Lambert, portrays Madonna witnessing a young white woman being killed by a group of white men. While a black man is arrested for the murder, Madonna hides in a church for safety, seeking strength to go forth as a witness. The clip depicts a church and Catholic symbols such as stigmata.
It also features Ku Klux Klan’s burning crosses and a dream about kissing a black saint. The Vatican condemned the video, while family and religious groups protested against its broadcast. They boycotted products by soft drink manufacturer Pepsi, who had used the song in their commercial. The company canceled their sponsorship contract with Madonna, but allowed her to retain the fee.”
via Wikipedia
(2) Olivia Newton-John’s Music Video for ‘Physical’
Olivia Newton-John released Physical on September 28, 1981, and the song was a massive hit on the charts, spending 10 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
The music video for Physical was just as popular, but for other reasons besides just the song. The video depicts Newton-John in a tight leotard trying to help several large and out-of-shape men lose weight. Her efforts don’t help, and after men fail hilariously, she leaves the room to take a shower. After she leaves, the men transform into good-looking, muscular men, and they start working out together.
When she returns to the room, she is surprised and starts flirting with the men. However, two of the guys leave the room holding hands (implying they are gay), and two more leave with their arms around each other. She is surprised and left with one overweight man who is straight and she leaves with him to play tennis. Check out the video below:
(3) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Music Video for ‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released Don’t Come Around Here No More on February 28, 1985, and the song was a top 20 hit on the Hot 100 charts, peaking at lucky number 13.
The music video below was set to the theme of Alice in Wonderland, with Petty dressed as The Mad Hatter. From large mushrooms to hookah water pipes, the video has a deliciously psychedelic, and the climax of the video is Petty and Alice’s friends eating Alice who had turned into a cake. At the end of the video, Petty pats his mouth dry and gives a small burp.
(4) Carly Simon’s Music Video for ‘You Know What To Do’
Carly Simon released You Know What To Do in 1983. It wasn’t one of her biggest hits, but the accompanying music video definitely created a buzz. At the time, Simon was one of the last artists who were still holding out on making music videos for MTV. But, her children persuaded her to make a video for her song You Know What To Do.
That is probably why this video is so shocking as it is one of the sexiest music videos of the early ’80s. The video depicts Simon seductively swimming in her pool while being spied upon by a peeping tom. She emerges from the pool and goes into her house. Later, she chases down the creep who was spying on her, only to make out with him since he was a good-looking creep.
(5) Laura Branigan’s Music Video for ‘Self Control’
Riding high off the success of Gloria, Laura Branigan’s top two hit single from her self-titled debut album, Branigan released Self Control as the lead single from the album of the same name in 1984. The song was a top five hit on the Hot 100 charts, peaking at number four. However, the music video was in a league of its own back then. MTV actually wouldn’t air the music video until several edits had been made to it.
To say it’s a little out there is an understatement. Considering Branigan wasn’t really known for making sexy songs or videos, it certainly created quite a buzz on MTV. The video depicts Branigan going from club to club only to end the video with her walking through a group of dancers who are touching her before she gets into bed with a masked man. The video might not be that controversial today, but in the ’80s, it was taking it about as far you could go!
(6) George Michael’s Music Video for ‘I Want Your Sex’
By today’s standards, George Michael’s 1987 music video for I Want Your Sex isn’t that racy. However, in 2002, the video ranked #3 on MTV’s Most Controversial Videos Ever to Air on MTV.
The music video, directed by Andy Morahan,[2] featured Michael’s girlfriend Kathy Jeung to emphasize that he was in a monogamous relationship; at one point, he is shown using lipstick to write the words “explore” and “monogamy” on her back, which is photographed and retouched at the end of the video to reveal the phrase “explore monogamy”. A Spanish model was also used for naked scenes in a way that allowed the audience to assume they were the same woman; these shots are interspersed with intentionally blurred footage of George Michael dancing and singing the song.
In a 2004 interview with Adam Mattera for UK magazine Attitude, Michael reflected: “It was totally real. Kathy was in love with me but she knew that I was in love with a guy at that point in time. I was still saying I was bisexual…She was the only female that I ever brought into my professional life. I put her in a video. Of course she looked like a beard. It was all such a mess, really. My own confusion and then on top of that what I was prepared to let the public think.”
via Wikipedia
(7) Michael Jackson’s Music Video for ‘Thriller’
Michael Jackson’s music video for Thriller is considered one of the most popular music videos of all time. The video debuted on MTV on December 2, 1983, and every time it aired, MTV would advertise when it would air again right after it played. With shows like the Walking Dead and other zombie movies of today, the video is pretty tame, but in the ’80s, this was not the norm on TV.
In fact, Jackson ordered his assistant John Branca to destroy all the negatives of the video for Thriller because the church leader’s of the Jehovah’s Witness church, whom Jackson was a devout follower, told him he would be excommunicated if he didn’t. Little did they know about the power of the internet and how the video is still one of the most popular music videos on YouTube.
(8) Madonna’s Music Video for ‘Open Your Heart’
Before Madonna released the aforementioned music video for Like A Prayer she had already created quite a lot of talk and controversy over her music video below for Open Your Heart, released in 1986. The video features Madonna as an exotic dancer who performs for a series of spectators, while an adolescent boy lingers outside the theater trying to get in and sneak a peek.
Some of the most iconic movie scenes in history came from the ’80s! From the graduation scene in Stripes to the final dance scene in Footloose to Wade Garrett rescuing Dalton in Roadhouse, the ’80s had it all!
Enjoy 21 of the most awesome movie scenes from the ’80s!
(1) Stripes – Graduation Scene
(2) Footloose – Final Dance Scene
(3) Roadhouse – Meet Wade Garrett
(4) Caddyshack – “Looks Good on You Though”
(5) Cannonball Run – Captain Chaos
(6) An Officer and a Gentleman – Put Your Toes on the Edge of this Chalk Line!
(7) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Cameron Prank Calls Principal Rooney
(8) Back to the Future – Marty McFly Plays “Johnny B. Goode” and ‘Earth Angel”
(9) The Breakfast Club – Don’t Mess With the Bull…
(10) When Harry Met Sally – “I’ll have what she’s having…”
(11) Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back – “I Am Your Father!”
(12) Rocky III – Training Scene on the Beach with Apollo Creed
(13) Steel Magnolias – M’Lynn’s Breakdown
(14) Stand and Deliver – A Negative Times a Negative Equals a Positive
(15) The Karate Kid – Final Showdown with Johnny
(17) Dead Poet’s Society – O Captain, My Captain!
(18) Say Anything… – Boombox Serenade
(19) Ghostbusters – He Slimed Me…
(20) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – Bueller… Bueller… Bueller…
(21) European Vacation – “Look kids… Big Ben… Parliament!”
If there’s one song and video that screams 80’s, it’s this one! The song was a massive hit peaking at number one on numerous charts around the world including the Billboard charts in America. The video won six awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards! Enjoy A-ha’s music video for Take On Me!
And, on February 18, 2020, the band announced via Twitter that the music video surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. The only other music video from the ’80s to surpass 1 billion views is Guns N’ Roses’ music video for ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’!
Kenny Rogers was born on August 21, 1938 and passed away peacefully at home in Georgia on March 20, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 national emergency, Rogers’ family is planning a small private service at this time, and a public memorial will be announced at a later date.
We’ve been fans of Rogers since we were kids back in the ’70s and teenagers in the ’80s. In memory of this musical legend, here’s a look at all of Kenny Rogers music videos from the ’80s starting with his 1983 duet with Sheena Easton, ‘We’ve Got Tonight’.
And, because it’s the very first Kenny Rogers song that we loved, we have a bonus video below for his 1978 number one song ‘The Gambler’.
Rest in peace Kenny. You will be sorely missed by us and by all your fans worldwide…
Lethal Weapon was released on March 6, 1987, and was a huge hit at the box office grossing over $120 million. It’s become one of the greatest action movies of the entire decade and beyond. It’s also one of our favorite movies from the ’80s, and one of our favorite Mel Gibson flicks of all time.
Check out some of our favorite scenes from Lethal Weapon below!
In 1988, I was a senior in high school, and watching music videos on MTV was one of my favorite things to do. 1988 was a great year for music, and the top ten songs on the Hot 100 year end charts contained hits from rock legends Guns N’ Roses, pop icons George Michael and Whitney Houston, and many more ’80s superstars like INXS, Rick Astley, Tiffany, Belinda Carlisle, Breathe, Steve Winwood, and Beatles legend George Harrison!
Without further ado, here are the music videos for the top ten pop songs of 1988!
