#1 Songs in America
(October 29th)
1980 - "Woman in Love"
Barbra Streisand
10/24 - 11/14
1981 - "Arthur's Theme"
Christopher Cross
10/17 - 11/6
1982 - "Jack & Diane
John Cougar Mellencamp
10/2 - 10/29
1983 - "Islands in the Stream"
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
10/29 - 11/11
1984 - "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
Stevie Wonder
10/13 - 11/2
1985 - "Saving All My Love For You"
Whitney Houston
10/26 - 11/1
1986 - "True Colors"
Cyndi Lauper
10/25 - 11/7
1987 - "Bad"
Michael Jackson
10/24 - 11/6
1988 - "A Groovy Kind of Love"
Phil Collins
10/22 - 11/4
1989 - "Miss You Much"
Janet Jackson
10/7 - 11/3
1984 - Frankie Goes to Hollywood Released His Debut Solo Album
Title: Welcome to the Pleasuredome
U.S. Billboard Charts: 33
UK: #1
New Zealand: #1
Featuring “Relax”
Fun Fact!
The BBC Banned “Relax” For Suggestive Lyrics But Still Hit #1 on the UK Charts
1983 - “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from October 29 - November 11
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Austria and Australia
1988 - Moonwalker Premiered in Theaters
Starring: Michael Jackson
Fun Fact!
Michael Jackson Learned the Moonwalk From Michael Chambers AKA "Boogaloo Shrimp"
NBA Fun Facts
(#1 Overall Picks)
1980 - Joe Barry Carroll (Center)
Team: Golden State Warriors
College: Purdue
1981 - Mark Aquirre (Forward)
Team: Dallas Mavericks
College: DePaul
1982 - James Worthy (Forward)
Team: Los Angeles Lakers
College: North Carolina
1983 - Ralph Sampson (Center)
Team: Houston Rockets
College: Virginia
1984 - Hakeem Olajuwon (Center)
Team: Houston Rockets
College: Houston
1985 - Patrick Ewing (Center)
Team: New York Knicks
College: Georgetown
1986 - Brad Daugherty (Center)
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
College: North Carolina
1987 - David Robinson (Center)
Team: San Antonio Spurs
College: Navy
1988 - Danny Manning (Forward)
Team: Los Angeles Clippers
College: Kansas
1989 - Pervis Ellison (Center)
Team: Sacramento Kings
College: Louisville
Headlines
(October 29th)
1981 - Gimme a Break Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 137
Starring: Nell Carter
Fun Fact!
Nell Carter Sang the “Gimme a Break" Theme Song
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Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Richard Dreyfuss (Actor) Jaws, Stakeout
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
1948 - Kate Jackson (Actress) Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama
1953 - Denis Potvin (Hockey)
Birthplace: Vanier, Ontario, Canada
1957 - Dan Castellaneta (Voice Actor) Homer Simpson
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
1959 - Mike Gartner (Hockey)
Birthplace: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
1961 - Randy Jackson (Singer) The Jackson 5
Birthplace: Gary, Indiana
1961 - Joel Otto (Hockey)
Birthplace: Elk River, Minnesota
1966 - Tyler Collins (Singer)
Birthplace: Harlem, New York
1971 - Winona Ryder (Actress) Lucas, Beetlejuice
Birthplace: Winona County, Minnesota
Fun Fact!
Winona Ryder Made Her Film Debut in the 1986 Film Lucas
* Also Courtney Thorne Smith and Jeremy Piven's Film Debut
Did You Know?
The Opposing Cheerleaders in the Final Football Game Were Real Chicago Bears Cheerleaders
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Other Notable Birthdays
Bob Ross (Painter)
October 29, 1942 - July 4, 1995
Birthplace: Daytona Beach, Florida
Passed Away at Age 52 From Lymphoma
* Was a Heavy Cigarette Smoker
Host of the TV Show The Joy of Painting From 1983 to 1994
Peter Green (Guitarist)
October 29, 1946 - July 25, 2020
Birthplace: Bethnal Green, London, England
Passed Away at Age 73
* Unknown Cause of Death
Co-Founded Fleetwood Mac in London, England in 1967
Paul Orndorff (Wrestler)
October 29, 1949 - July 12, 2021
Birthplace: Winchester, Virginia
Passed Away at Age 71 From Dementia
* Voted the Most Hated Wrestler of 1986 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Elected to the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005
Kevin DuBrow (Singer)
October 29, 1955 - November 19, 2007
Birthplace: Hollywood, California
Passed Away at Age 52 From a Drug Overdose
* Cocaine, Painkillers and Alcohol Was Found in His System
The Lead Singer For Quiet Riot From 1975 to 1987
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
John Witherspoon (Actor)
January 27, 1942 - October 29, 2019
Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
Passed Away at Age 77 From a Heart Attack
* Best Known For the Film, Hollywood Shuffle, House Party and the Friday Series
Wrote and Produced Jimmy Ruffin's 1966 Hit Song, "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted"
Teri Garr (Actress)
December 11, 1944 - October 29, 2024
Birthplace: Los Angeles, CA
Passed Away in Her Los Angeles Home at Age 79 From Complications of Multiple Sclerosis
* Best Known For Her Roles in the Movies Tootsie (1982) and Mr. Mom (1983)
Nominated For an Academy Award For Her Role as Sandy Lester in Tootsie
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1982 - Class Reunion
Director: Michael Miller
Starring: Gerrit Graham, Fred McCarren, Miriam Flynn, Stephen Furst, Shelley Smith, Michael Lerner and Chuck Berry
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $10.1 Million
Written by John Hughes
1982 - Q
Director: Larry Cohen
Starring: Michael Moriarty, Candy Clark. David Carradine and Richard Roundtree
Budget: $1.1 Million
Box Office: N/A
1988 - Moonwalker
Director: Jerry Kramer
Starring: Michael Jackson
Budget: $22 Million
Box Office: $64 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1981 - Gimme a Break Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 137
1981 - Lewis & Clark Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1982 - The New Odd Couple Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 18
1983 - Final Episode of The Dukes (Animation)
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 20
Network: CBS
1986 - Final Episode of Better Days
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 17
Network: CBS
1988 - Dirty Dancing Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 11
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1980 - Hawks & Doves
Neil Young (10th Album)
Billboard Charts: #30
1981 - Exit...Stage Left (Live Album)
Rush
Billboard Charts: #10
* #6 in the UK
1982 - Choose Your Masques
Hawkwind (13th Album)
* Reached #29 in the UK
1984 - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Debut Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #33
* Hit #1 in the UK and New Zealand
Featuring “Relax”
1987 - Got Any Gum?
Joe Walsh (8th Solo Album)
Billboard Charts: #113
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1982 - The Cleveland Cavaliers Lost Their 20th Straight Game Dating Back to the Previous Season
* The Celtics Beat the Cavs 104 - 93 in Cleveland
Attendance: 8,633
Robert Parish (Celtics) 22 points 12 rebounds
James Edwards (Cavs) 25 points 16 rebounds
The Cavs Went on to lose 24 Straight Games
1986 - San Diego Padres Pitcher LaMarr Hoyt Was Arrested For Drug Possession
1987 - Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns KO’d Juan Roldán in the 4th Round to Win the WBC Middleweight Title
* Hearns Won 4 Titles in 4 Different Division
1989 - Ozzie Newsome Streak of 150 Consecutive Games With a Catch Was Snapped
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1986 - British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Opened the Last Stretch of the M25 Motorway
* The Most Important and Busiest Roads in Great Britain
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Other Notable Dates
(On October 29th)
1390 - The First Witchcraft Trials in Paris Took Place
* 3 People Died
1921 - Centre College Ended Harvard Football's 25 - Game Winning Streak
* Considered One of the Biggest Upsets in College Football History
1960 - Cal Poly’s Football Team's Airplane, Crashed After Takeoff in Ohio
* 22 of the 48 Passengers Died Including the 2 Pilots
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<- October 28th October 30th ->
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Gimme A Break Premiered on NBC
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October 29th in 80s History