The '80s Ruled

Featuring the best 80s music videos, TV shows, 80s celebrities and more!

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30 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘Full Metal Jacket’

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Photo via The Why on YouTube

Full Metal Jacket is one of the most intense Vietnam-era movies we’ve ever seen. It gives you an up-close and personal look at what basic training was like back then as well as a realistic look at the hell soldiers when through in Vietnam. In this video, you’ll learn 30 things about the movie that you probably didn’t know. I certainly didn’t know these things. The first thing you’ll learn is that Matthew Modine had to threaten to cut his own hand with a knife in order to leave the set to be with his wife who was in the hospital about to have a c section. Reportedly, Stanley Kubrick used every excuse in the world to try and keep Modine from leaving the set before finally relenting, and the crazy part was, Modine wasn’t even scheduled to film on that day. Crazy!

That’s just one of the 30 things you didn’t know, so enjoy this look back at the 29 other things you didn’t know about Full Metal Jacket!

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Top 10 Christmas Vacation Moments

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When it comes to great Christmas movies from any decade, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is probably tied with A Christmas Story as the best ever, and they both just happen to be from the ’80s, which makes them even more special to us. The entire movie is great, but here’s a look at ten awesome moments from Christmas Vacation from 1989!

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Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmastime Music Video

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Wonderful Christmastime was written and recorded by Paul McCartney for his 1980 solo album McCartney II. The song was released in late November of 1979, and it was McCartney’s first solo single in eight years since his 1971 single Eat at Home. The song charted in the top 40 on the Billboard Holiday 100, the Adult Top 40, the AC chart, and it peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

It’s been covered many times over the years, but McCartney’s original version is still the best! Enjoy this look back at Paul McCartney’s music video for Wonderful Christmastime.

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Quiet Riot – ‘I Can’t Hold On’ – Music Video for Lost Song with Footage Featuring the late Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali

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Photo via Quiet Riot’s YouTube channel

In 2003, Quiet Riot’s Kevin DuBrow and Alex Grossi wrote and recorded a demo song called I Can’t Hold On, but the song was lost until 2021 when it was found on a iPod. The music video below was made as a tribute to Quiet Riot’s lost members as well as it documents how the band and family members brought this posthumous reunion video together. If you’re a fan of Quiet Riot, this song and video will instantly become one of your favorites.

Enjoy this look at Quiet Riot’s music video for I Can’t Hold On featuring footage of late members Kevin DuBrow and Frankie Banali.

More Great Music Videos from Quiet Riot

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Morris Day and The Time – ‘The Bird’ Music Video from ‘Purple Rain’

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The Bird is a song from Morris Day and The Time’s third album, Ice Cream Castle. The song was also performed live in Prince’s movie Purple Rain. The Time continue to perform The Bird live in concert to this day. It’s definitely a fan favorite in concert.

Enjoy this look back at both the music video and the live performance of The Bird in Purple Rain!

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Then and Now (1987 – 2022)

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Photo via Nostalgia Hit on YouTube

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is one of our all time favorite ’80s movies. We always make sure we watch it every Thanksgiving and usually Christmas as well. It’s always fun to find out what the actors have been up to since making the film. Sadly, John Candy passed away on March 4, 1994 at the young age of 43. What about the rest of the cast?

Enjoy this then and now look back at the cast of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles from our friends at Nostalgia Hit!

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Prince – ‘Baby I’m A Star’ Live in 1984

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Baby I’m A Star was written and recorded by Prince for his Purple Rain album. It was never released as an official single, but it’s one of our favorite songs from the Purple Rain album.

Enjoy this look back at Prince performing Baby I’m A Star live in concert in 1984!

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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – The Wheelchair Con Scene from 1988

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Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is one of our favorite comedies of the late ’80s, and this scene is one of our favorites! In this scene Steve Martin’s character is pretending to be paralyzed from the waist down, and Michael Caine’s character is hellbent on proving otherwise. When Caine backs way up and then runs toward Martin for a running slap with the switch, I lose it every time!

Enjoy this look back at a hilarious scene from 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!

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The Best Fight Scenes from 1989’s ‘Road House’

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They just don’t make movies like this anymore. One of our favorite things about movies like Road House from the ’80s is the fight scenes, and Road House certainly had a lot of them. Whether it was Dalton (Patrick Swayze) or Wade Garrett (Sam Elliott) doling out the punishment, you were always left wanting to see more!

Enjoy this look back at the best fight scenes from 1989’s Road House starring Patrick Swayze and Sam Elliott!

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The People’s Court featuring Letterman vs. Carson with Judge Wapner in 1986

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During an episode of The Tonight Show in 1986, Judge Wapner presided over a dispute between David Letterman and Johnny Carson. Letterman alleged that Johnny stole his old pickup truck from his home. What follows is one of the funniest episodes in Tonight Show history!

Enjoy this look back at this hilarious episode from 1986!

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Journey Performing ‘Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’ Live in Concert in 1981

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At the beginning of the ’80s, Journey were putting out some of the best rock songs of the decade. In ’79, they released their Evolution album, which included this song Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’, a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in 1980, they released their Departure album, which included Any Way You Want It, one of the all time great rock songs of the last 50 years. Then in 1981, they released their Escape album, which included three of Journey’s biggest hits of all time, Who’s Crying Now, Don’t Stop Believin’, and Open Arms.

Enjoy this look back at a classic live performance of Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’ from 1981!

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Sandra Bernhard’s First Appearance on Late Night With David Letterman in 1983

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In February of 1983, Sandra Bernhard made her first appearance on Late Night with David Letterman. She was on the show promoting her new movie, The King of Comedy, which also starred Robert De Niro and Jerry Lewis. Critics loved the movie, but it bombed at the box office pulling in only $2.5 million on a $19 million budget. However, this was Bernhard’s big break when she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as stalker/kidnapper Masha in the movie.

This was her first of 28 appearances on with Letterman, making her one of his most frequent guests of all time. Enjoy this look back at Sandra Bernhard’s first appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in 1983!

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Visiting a Hollywood Celebrity Autograph Show Featuring Cast Members from Back to the Future, CHiPs, The Addams Family, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and more!

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Photo via German in Venice on YouTube

If you’ve never attended a Hollywood Celebrity Autograph Show, here’s your chance. Youtube’s German in Venice visited a Hollywood Show in Burbank, CA and he documented his visit in the video below. The video is really well done, and the number of celebrities he sees is pretty impressive for one show. At the beginning, he makes a smart decision to stand around the side of the building where the celebrities enter rather than the long line out front for the public. In doing so, he gets some great footage of Back to the Future cast members Lea Thompson (Lorraine), Christopher Lloyd (Doc), and Thomas Wilson (Biff).

Some of the other celebrities he sees from our childhood are Erik Estrada (Ponch) from CHiPs, Lisa Loring (Wedneday) from the original The Addams Family, Charo, and a quick glimpse of a character we loved in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Richard Edson, who played one of the parking attendants who took Cameron’s dad’s car for a joyride in Chicago. This is just a small sampling of the 90 celebrities he saw at the show.

Richard Edson in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

So, tag along with the German in Venice as he visits a Hollywood autograph show featuring a ton of celebrities you’ll recognize from the ’70s and ’80s!

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KISS – ‘Are You Always This Hot’ – Listen to this Unreleased Song from 1987

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Are You Always This Hot was originally intended to be released on Kiss’ Crazy Nights album. It was written by Gene Simmons and Scottish singer-songwriter Adam Mitchell, but wasn’t included on the album. For years, this song was unique because it wasn’t been found in collector’s circles nor re-recorded by another artist. Luckily for us, we found it tonight!

Enjoy Are You Always This Hot, an unreleased track from Kiss’ 1987 Crazy Nights album!

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David Lee Roth’s Crazy Music Video for ‘California Girls’ from 1985

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In January of 1985, David Lee Roth released his first solo EP called Crazy from the Heat. Roth was still the lead singer of Van Halen at the time, but would officially part ways with the band in August 1985, although there’s an urban legend that he left the band on April 1st.

Crazy from the Heat is made up of covers songs that were decidedly different than the types of songs Van Halen had released to date. The four songs were:

  • Easy Street – Written by Dan Hartman
  • A medley of Just a Gigolo and I Ain’t Got Nobody written by Irving Caesar, Leonello Casucci / Roger Graham, Spencer Williams
  • California Girls – Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love
  • Coconut Grove – Written by John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky

Roth made music videos for Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody and for California Girls. California Girls was the first single released from the album, and it was a hit on both the pop and rock charts, peaking at number three on both the Hot 100 and Rock chart. Easy Street was the second single released, and it peaked at number 14 on the rock chart, and the last single was Just a Gigolo/I Ain’t Got Nobody, which peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 chart, and number 25 on the Rock chart. The following year, he released his first solo album called Eat ‘Em and Smile, which produced another top 20 song on the Hot 100 chart for Yankee Rose.

Enjoy this look back at Roth’s “crazy” music video for California Girls from 1985!

More “Crazy” Music Videos from David Lee Roth:

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The Opening to the 1988 Crystal Light National Aerobic Championship

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While this may look like a skit from Saturday Night Live, it’s actually the real thing. Aerobics was huge in the ’80s, and who better to host the 1988 Crystal Light National Aerobics Championship than Alan Thicke, everybody’s favorite dad from Growing Pains.

Host Alan Thicke

I can sum this video up by sharing a comment that was made on the video: “I would just like to point out that: 1. someone actually taped this when it was on. 2. they saved the tape for 23 years.” (Their comment was made in 2011 if you’re wondering why the math doesn’t make sense.)

Yes they did, and we are eternally grateful because there’s no way you can’t smile while watching this whether it’s out of admiration or humiliation, you can’t help but smile! Enjoy!

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Classic ‘Soul Train’ Dance Off to Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’

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Soul Train aired from 1971 – 2006, but it’s heyday was the ’70s and early ’80s. I remember watching the show in the late ’70s as a kid and being enthralled by the amazing dancers as well as the awesome music. One of my favorite memories from the show was when they would all line up and have a dance off. In this scene, they’re all dancing to Michael Jackson’s Beat It, and it’s awesome!

Enjoy this look back at a classic scene from Soul Train featuring a dance off to Michael Jackson’s Beat It!

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Fletch – The Police Chase

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In 1985, my best friend and I saw Fletch at least ten times in the movie theaters because there were so many hilarious scenes, and we wanted to make sure we saw/remembered them all. We’ve featured a number of those scenes on the site already, and today, we’re featuring the famous police chase scene where Fletch jumps into a convertible that a hapless teenager is trying to steal. What ensues is an awesome police chase complimented with a barrage of one-liners from Fletch.

Fun fact: If the guy trying to steal the car looks familiar, it’s because he played Jim-Bob Walton on The Waltons from 1972-1981. His real name is David W. Harper, and the character he played in Fletch was named… David Harper.

David Harper (front left) in The Waltons

Enjoy this look back at the police chase scene from 1985’s Fletch featuring Chevy Chase and David W. Harper.

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Coming To America – McDowell’s Stick Up Scene Featuring Samuel L. Jackson

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There are so many memorable scenes in 1988’s Coming To America. The barber shop scenes are hilarious, and all the scenes in McDowell’s are priceless. One of our favorite scenes from the restaurant is this one when Samuel L. Jackson tries to rob the restaurant, and Akeem comes to the rescue with a mop stick!

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Peter Billingsley Talks About the Return of “Ralphie” in ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel

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It’s been 39 years since we were introduced to Ralphie and his quest to get a red rider bb gun for Christmas, and the wait is finally over for the sequel. A Christmas Story Christmas premiered on HBO Max on November 17, 2022, and currently has a 77% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty darn good. I’m watching it with my family tonight. I’m hoping it will be like Top Gun, which also took over three decades before the sequel was released, and it was as good or better than the original. I can’t see how it will be better, but if it’s half as good as the original, it’ll be a success to me since the original A Christmas Story is one of the funniest movies of all time, in my opinion.

Enjoy this interview from the Today Show with Peter Billingsley, aka “Ralphie” as he talks to the hosts about the movie and why it took so long for a sequel, and we’ve got the official trailer below as well for those of you like me who haven’t seen it yet. Enjoy!

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Rocky vs. Thunderlips from Rocky III

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One of my favorite scenes from all of the Rocky movies is the charity match in Rocky III between Rocky and Thunderlips, played by Hulk Hogan. Rocky’s trainer Micky has so many great one-liners in this one scene. Two of my favorite lines from the scene are:

When Rocky asks Micky how much he thinks Thunderlips eats, Micky says, “About 202 pounds”, and then the ring announcer says “weighing in at 202 pounds… Rocky Balboa!” The smile on Micky’s face after this back and forth is priceless.

My other favorite line is when Micky asks Rocky why is he doing this and Rocky says “It’s for charity.” Then Micky says “No one does this much for charity!!”, and Rocky replies, “Bob Hope would”, and Micky says agree “This is true.”

Enjoy this look back at Rocky vs. Thunderlips from Rocky III!

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Billy Squier – ‘Lonely Is The Night’ Live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1981

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Rock Star! If you want to know what a rock star looks like in concert, you’ve gotta check out this live performance of Lonely is the Night from Billy Squier back in 1981 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. This is why we miss the ’80s. Great songs performed live by great artists! Classic rock at its finest. Enjoy!

Enjoy the full concert below from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1981!

Setlist:
0:00:00 – In The Dark
0:04:18 – Rich Kid
0:09:15 – My Kinda Lover
0:13:29 – Whadda You Want From Me
0:18:01 – Lonely Is The Night
0:25:54 – Young Girls
0:30:01 – I Need You
0:36:05 – The Stroke
0:39:42 – You Should Be High
0:46:12 – Too Daze Gone
0:53:43 – Extended Applause
0:54:12 – Big Beat
0:58:48 – You Know What I Like

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Molly Ringwald’s Transformation Since the ’80s is Stunning

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We all remember Molly Ringwald from John Hughes’ iconic ’80s movies Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club, but her career transformation from playing Molly Parker on Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life at the beginning of the ’80s to now is quite stunning. Enjoy this look at the career of one of our favorite ’80s actors, Molly Ringwald!

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Toto – ‘I’ll Be Over You’ Music Video from 1986

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Toto’s I’ll Be Over You was the first single released from Toto’s 1986 album Fahrenheit. It topped the AC charts as well as peaked at number 11 on the Hot 100 chart. Michael McDonald was a guest musician on the song and provide the vocal counterpoint on the recording with lead vocals from guitarist Steve Lukather. Another huge hit for Toto with Lukather on lead vocals was 1982’s Rosanna where he shared lead vocal honors with Bobby Kimball.

Enjoy this look back at Toto’s music video for I’ll Be Over You from 1986!

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Tim Conway and Johnny Carson Have Nothing To Talk About on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1982

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Oh my goodness, there will never be another Tim Conway. On May 18, 1982, Conway was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Tim and Johnny had nothing to talk about… LOL I’m not going to say anything else. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but needless to say, this segment will leave you in stitches! Enjoy this look back at Tim Conway on the Tonight Show in 1982!

We can’t feature a video of Tim Conway without also showing the funniest video we’ve ever seen. It’s Tim Conway as the Dentist from The Carol Burnett Show with Harvey Korman, who could not stop laughing during the skit. Too funny! Enjoy!

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The Fabulous Life of Motley Crue

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Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll… plus expensive sports cars, houses, parties, and more… Welcome to the fabulous life of Motley Crue in the ’80s!

Enjoy this look back at the fabulous life of Motley Crue!

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One Man Dances Like Nobody’s Watching to Bon Jovi’s ‘Living On A Prayer’ and Becomes a Legend

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Live in the moment… dance like nobody’s watching… live your life your way… who cares what anybody else thinks… Every one of these statements apply to this young man who became a one man music video at a Boston Celtics game back in the day when Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer started playing. If you’ve never seen this video, please take a few minutes out of your day and just sit back and watch. I guarantee you’ll have a smile on your face. I have no idea how this guy is, but he made my day, and I’m sure he’s about to make yours after you watch.

Enjoy this look back at a guy who dances like nobody’s watching to Bon Jovi’s Living On A Prayer at a Celtics basketball game.

P.S. The best thing about this video to me is the fact that the crowd is watching and cheering him on as opposed to today where they would all be recording him on their cell phones and not actually living in the moment themselves.

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Tom Wilson Tells The Story of Auditioning for “Biff” from ‘Back to the Future’

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Actor Tom Wilson talks about auditioning for the role of “Biff” in Back to the Future with a group of students from the John Paul the Great Catholic University. He talks about how he almost missed the audition because he had tickets to a Bruce Springsteen concert, and his story of how he messed up the audition is classic. Enjoy!

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Funniest ‘Love Connection’ Ever – A Must See Episode from the ’80s!

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We loved watching Love Connection back in the day, and this “love connection” from the ’80s is one of the funniest we’ve ever seen. From the moment Ray walked on stage with his jeans tucked into his boots, you knew this was going to be a good one! Chuck couldn’t believe some of the answers Ray gave to his questions, and when Ray talked about his date, the crowd and Ray could hardly believe what they were hearing.

Enjoy this look back at a classic ‘Love Connection’ from the ’80s!

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Black Sabbath Live at the University of Maine in 1970

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Photo via Zwolf Smub on YouTube

Every now and then, we stumble across a piece of rock n’ roll history, and that’s exactly what this is. On November 7, 1970, Black Sabbath played live at the University of Maine in Portland, Maine. Can you imagine what it was like to see Ozzy and the boys live in such an intimate setting?

Enjoy this little piece of rock n’ roll history featuring Black Sabbath live at the University of Maine!

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