Featuring the best 80s music videos, TV shows, 80s celebrities and more!
‘You Might Think’ was released by The Cars in March 1984. It was their first number one song on the Billboard Rock charts. It was the first single released from their album ‘Heartbeat City’, which also spawned another number one rock hit with ‘Magic’ and a top five hit on the pop charts with ‘Drive’.
In 1984, John Waite released his second solo studio album ‘No Brakes’. It was a top ten album, and it spawned his first solo number one song ‘Missing You’. ‘Missing You’ was number one for the week of September 16-22, 1984.
Later in 1989, as the lead singer of Bad English, they scored a number one hit for ‘When I See You Smile’!
Some songs and lyrics transcend generations, and Faster Pussycat’s ‘House Of Pain’ is just as relevant today as it was back in 1989!
“House Of Pain” Lyrics:
A little past suppertime
I’m still out on the porch step sitting on my behind,
Waiting for you.
Wondering if everything is alright.
Momma said, “Come in boy, don’t waste your time.” I said, “I’ve got time.
Well, he’ll be here soon.”
Five years old and talking to myself.
Where were you? Where’d you go?
Daddy, can’t you tell?
I’m not trying to fake it
And I ain’t the one to blame.
There’s no one home
In my house of pain.
I didn’t write these pages
And my script’s been rearranged.
No, there’s no one home
In my house of pain
Wasn’t I worth the time?
A boy needs a daddy like a dance to mime and all the time
I looked up to you.
I paced my room a million times.
And all I ever got was on big line, the same old lie.
How could you?
Well, I was eighteen and still talking to myself.
Where were you? Where’d you go?
Daddy can’t you tell?
I’m not trying to fake it
And I ain’t the one to blame.
There’s no one home
In my house of pain
I didn’t write these pages
And my script’s been rearranged.
No, there’s no one home
In my house of pain
[Repeat]
And I’m alone again.
Well, if I learned anything from this…it’s how to live on my own
As a huge fan of the ’80s and hair metal bands, it pains me to feature this video, but the late Jani Lane’s comments at the end about how and why he wrote ‘Cherry Pie’ are heartbreaking considering how quickly Warrant and other hair bands of the day disappeared from the charts almost over night.
In 1989, supergroup Bad English scored two top five hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The first was ‘When I See You Smile’, which hit number one, and the second was this one, ‘Price of Love’, which peaked at number five!
‘Bad Medicine’ was Bon Jovi’s third number one song of the 80’s when it hit number one for two weeks in November 1988. There were two music videos for the song. The first below was the band live in concert, and the second video features the late comedian Sam Kinison and a group of fans who are given hand-held cameras and invited onstage to help shoot the video!
In February 1992, Motley Crue fired lead singer Vince Neil, and subsequently hired The Scream’s lead singer John Corabi as their new lead singer. In 1994, the Crue with Corabi on lead vocals recorded Mötley Crüe, an eponymous album. The first single was Hooligan’s Holiday, which definitely has a different sound than what Crue fans were used to. While critically-acclaimed, the album was a commercial failure, and alienated the band’s long time fans. Corabi was fired in 1996, and Neil came back to the band in 1997.
Many Crue fans never really gave the Corabi-era album a fair chance, but if you just listen to the songs and enjoy it for what it is, a hard rock album by a kick ass rock band, it’s actually pretty good. It’s not the Crue we all know and love, but it was never going to be. Enjoy a look back at the music video for ‘Hooligan’s Holiday’!
Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey. She was a singer, actress, producer, and model, and in 2009, Guinness World Records cited Houston as the most awarded female act of all time. A huge accomplishment considering she was only in her mid-40’s at the time.
Among her many achievements, Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. She is also remembered by many for ‘The Bodyguard’, a 1992 movie starring Houston and Kevin Costner.
In 2005, she starred in the reality show ‘Being Bobby Brown’ with her then-husband Bobby Brown, but even though the show was very highly-rated, Houston did not agree to appear in the second season. The show was ultimately cancelled when Brown and Bravo could not reach an agreement to do the show without Houston.
Tragically, Houston was found submerged in the bathtub in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 11, 2012. At first, the cause of death was not immediately known, but a month later it was determined she had drowned from the effects of heart disease and cocaine use. A truly sad ending to one of the most popular and beloved singer/entertainers the world has ever known.
RIP Whitney Houston… You are truly missed.
Poison released their debut album Look What the Cat Dragged In on May 23, 1986. The first single released was Cry Tough, which failed to chart in the US, but the second single, Talk Dirty To Me became their first top ten hit on the Hot 100 charts when it peaked at number nine in 1987. The fourth single released was I Won’t Forget You, which did very well on the charts as well when it peaked at lucky number 13 on the Hot 100 charts. In between those two songs, their third single I Want Action didn’t make it into the top 40, peaking at number 50 on the Hot 100 charts, but the music video was very popular on MTV as were all of Poison’s music videos from the ’80s.
Enjoy this look back at Poison performing their single Talk Dirty To Me live on MTV back in 1987. And, for nostalgia sake, check out their official music videos for all four singles below as well!
If you miss 80’s hard rock music as much as we do, you’ve gotta check out L.A. Guns’ 2017 album ‘The Missing Peace’. It’s one of the better albums released by a “former” hair band/hard rock band from the 80’s that truly honors the great sound of the 80’s, but with just enough modern flare to appeal to modern day rock fans. The video below is for a song called ‘Speed’, and we’re pretty sure you’re gonna love this one. Well done L.A. Guns!
The Super Bowl Shuffle was a rap song performed by players from the 1985 Chicago Bears football team. They recorded the song in December, 1985, and they went on to beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl a couple of months later. The video features Bears all time greats Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, William “The Fridge” Perry, Richard Dent and Willie Gault. And, of course, their flamboyant and infamous quarterback, Jim McMahon!
Enjoy this look back at the Chicago Bears and their 1985 music video for The Super Bowl Shuffle!
In 1988, Genesis won the Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video for their video for ‘Land of Confusion’. The video features caricature puppets of various political and celebrity figures including Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, Benito Mussolini, Auyatollah Khomeini, Mikhail Gorbachev, Muammar Gaddafi and many more. The song peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Enjoy!
In the ’80s, metal music ruled the airwaves, MTV and L.A.’s sunset strip. Here’s the story of what the sunset strip was like in the ’80s as told by the band members who were there. This quote by former MTV Headbangers Ball host Riki Rachtman summed it up pretty well:
Every excess you could possibly think of was not only available, but encouraged and accepted!
via Riki Rachtman
Enjoy this look back to when metal ruled the Sunset Strip, MTV, and the radio!
Freddie Mercury was the iconic lead singer of Queen. During the 70’s and 80’s, Queen were one of the most popular bands on the planet. They released 15 studio albums, nine live albums, 15 compilation albums, 72 singles and numerous music videos.
They also scored number one hits in the United States for 1979’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love and 1980’s Another One Bites The Dust.
Mercury was only 45 years old when he passed away on November 24, 1991. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Just 24 hours before his death, Mercury released the following statement to the world:
Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.
RIP Freddie Mercury… You are truly missed.
