#1 Songs in America
(March 18th)
1980 - "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Queen
2/23 - 3/21
1981 - "9 to 5"
Dolly Parton
3/14 - 3/20
1982 - "Centerfold"
J. Geils Band
2/6 - 3/19
1983 - "Billie Jean"
Michael Jackson
3/5 - 4/22
1984 - "Jump"
Van Halen
2/25 - 3/30
1985 - 'Can't Fight This Feeling"
REO Speedwagon
3/9 - 3/29
1986 - "Sara"
Starship
3/15 - 3/21
1987 - "Jacob's Ladder"
Huey Lewis and the News
3/14 - 3/20
1988 - "Never Gonna Give You Up"
Rick Astley
3/12 - 3/25
1989 - "Lost in Your Eyes"
Debbie Gibson
3/4 - 3/24
Click Here For More Music Fun Facts and Awards
March 18th in 80s History
On March 18, 1981 Asia Released Their Debut Album Featuring "Heat of the Moment"
Other Notable Birthdays
Grover Cleveland (Former U.S. President)
March 18, 1837 - June 24, 1908
Birthplace: Caldwell, New Jersey
Passed Away at Age 71 From a Heart Attack
* His Last Words Were “I Have Tried So Hard To Do Right”
The 22nd and 24th President of the United States
In Office: 1885 - 1889
1893 - 1897
Rudolph Diesel (German Engineer)
March 18, 1858 - September 29, 1913
Birthplace: Paris, France
Passed Away at Age 55
* Unknown From Murder or Suicide
Invented the Diesel Engine
Peter Graves (Actor)
March 18, 1926 - March 14, 2010
Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Passed Away at Age 83 From a Heart Attack
* Played Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 Film Airplane!
Irene Cara (Singer)
March 18, 1959 - November 25, 2022
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 63 From Heart Disease
* Best Known For the 1980 Song "Fame" and Flashdance "What a Feeling" (1983)
“What a Feeling” Won 2 Academy Awards
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Robin Harris (Comedian)
August 30, 1953 - March 18, 1990
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
Passed Away at Age 36 From a Heart Attack
* Best Known For “Bebe’s Kids”
John Phillips (Singer)
August 30, 1935 - March 18, 2001
Birthplace: Paris Island, South Carolina
Passed Away at Age 65 From Heart Failure
* The Leader of the Mamas and the Papas
Chuck Berry (Singer)
October 18, 1926 - March 18, 2017
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri
Passed Away at Age 90 From Cardiac Arrest
* Best Known For the 1958 Hit Song “Johnny Be Good”
Nicknamed the “Father of Rock and Roll"
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - High Road to China
Director: Brian G. Hutton
Starring: Tom Selleck and Bess Armstrong
Budget: $15 Million
Box Office: $28.4 Million
1988 - D.O.A.
Directors: Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Daniel Stern, Charlotte Rampling and Jane Kaczmarek
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $12.7 Million
1988 - The Milagro Beanfield War
Director: Robert Redford
Starring: Ruben Blades, Richard Bradford, Sônia Braga, Julie Carmen, James Gammon, Melanie Griffith, John Heard, Carlos Riquelme, Daniel Stern, Chick Vennera, and Christopher Walken
Budget: $22 Million
Box Office: $13.8 Million
1988 - Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach
Director: Alan Myerson
Starring: Bubba Smith, David Graf, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, Janet Jones, Lance Kinsey, Matt McCoy, G. W. Bailey and George Gaynes
* Steve Guttenberg (Mahoney) Couldn't be in the Movie Because He Had scheduling Conflicts With Three Men and a Baby
Budget: $14 Million
Box Office: $54.5 Million
1988 - Stars and Bars
Director: Pat O’Connor
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Harry Dean Stanton, Joan Cusack, Keith David and Martha Plimpton
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $7.5 Million
1988 - Pound Puppies (Animation)
Director: Pierre DeCelles
Starring: Brennan Howard, B.J. Ward and Tony Longo (Voices)
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $586,000
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - The Greatest American Hero Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 45
Considered One the Greatest TV Intros of All-Time
1981 - The 8th Daytime Emmys Aired on CBS
Hosts: Army Archerd and John Forsythe
Favorite All-Around Male Entertainer: Burt Reynolds
Favorite All-Around Female Entertainer: Barbara Mandrell
1985 - Safe at Home Premiered on WTBS
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 96
1989 - Final Episode of Murphy’s Law
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Dreams
Grace Slick (2nd Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #32
1982 - Asia
Asia (Debut Album)
Hit #1 in the US Billboard 200 Charts
Also Hit #1 in Canada
* Featuring “Heat of the Moment”
1985 - Birdy (Soundtrack)
Peter Gabriel
Billboard Charts: #162
Singles Released
1985 - "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
Tears for Fears
#1 Song in America from June 8 - 21
* Also Hit #1 in Canada and New Zealand
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - The Buffalo Sabres Set an NHL Record With 9 Goals in One Period Against the Toronto Maple Leafs
1985 - Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth Reinstated Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle After They Were Banned From Major League Baseball After Accepting Jobs With Atlantic City Casinos
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Headlines
(March 18th)
1980 - Elvis Presley's Autopsy Was Subpoenaed During the Trial of Dr. George Nichopoulous
* Dr. Nichopoulos Was Found Guilty of Over-Prescribing Drugs to Elvis Presley
Happy 80s Birthdays
1950 - Brad Dourif (Actor) The Voice of Chucky (Child’s Play)
Birthplace: Huntington, West Virginia
1956 - Rick Martel (Wrestler)
Birthplace: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
1960 - Thomas Ian Griffith (Actor) Karate Kid Part III (Terry Silver)
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut
1963 - Vanessa Williams (Singer) Miss America (1984)
Birthplace: Terrytown, New York
1964 - Bonnie Blair (Speed Skater)
Birthplace: Cornwall, New York
Fun Fact!
In 1984 Vanessa Williams Became the First African-American to Win Miss America
* Also Had the #1 Song in America in 1992 “Save the Best For Last"
Other Notable Dates
(On March 18th)
1850 - American Express was Founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo in Buffalo, New York
* Started as an Express Mail Business
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1982 - Singer Teddy Pendergrass Was Paralyzed From the Chest Down After a Car Accident in Philadelphia
* Passed Away on January 13, 2010 at Age 59 From Respiratory Failure After Colon Cancer Surgery
1988 - Gilda Radner Made Her Last TV Appearance on The Garry Shandling Show
* Passed Away On May 20th at Age 42 From Ovarian Cancer
Radner Was an Original Cast Member On Saturday Night Live
Asia
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The Greatest American Hero Premiered on ABC
1981 - The Greatest American Hero Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 3
Episodes: 45
Fun Fact!
The Greatest American Hero's Theme Song is Considered One of the Best Opening Theme Songs of All-Time
* Performed by Joey Scarbury
Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays in a Blue Bonnet Commercial
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