#1 Songs in America
(September 16th)
1980 - "Upside Down"
Diana Ross
9/6 - 10/3
1981 - "Endless Love"
Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
8/15 - 10/16
1982 - "Hard To Say I'm Sorry"
Chicago
9/11 - 9/24
1983 - "Maniac"
Michael Sembello
9/10 - 9/23
1984 - "What's Love Got To Do With It"
Tina Turner
9/1 - 9/21
1985 - "St. Elmos Fire"
John Parr
9/7 - 9/20
1986 - "Take my Breath Away"
Berlin
9/13 - 9/19
1987 - "La Bamba"
Los Lobos
8/29 - 9/18
1988 - “Sweet Child o’ Mine"
Guns N’ Roses
9/10 - 9/23
1989 - "Don't Want to Lose You"
Gloria Estefan
9/16 - 9/22
Click Here For More 80s Music Fun Facts and Awards
Happy 80s Birthdays
1947 - Sonny LeMaire (Singer) Exile
1948 - Ron Blair (Bassist) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
1948 - Kenney Jones (Drummer) The Who
1948 - Susan Ruttan (Actress) L.A. Law
1949 - Ed Begley Jr. (Actor) St. Elsewhere
1950 - David Bellamy (Singer) The Bellamy Brothers
1952 - Mickey Rourke (Actor) Rumble Fish
1953 - Kurt Fuller (Actor) Ghostbusters II
1955 - Robin Yount (Baseball)
1956 - David Copperfield (Magician)
1958 - Orel Hershiser (Baseball)
1958 - Jennifer Tilly (Actress) The Fabulous Baker Boys
1959 - Peter Keleghan (Actor) Screwballs
1959 - Tim Raines (Baseball)
1961 - Bilinda Butcher (Guitarist) My Bloody Valentine
1963 - Richard Marx (Singer)
1964 - Dave Sabo (guitarist) Skid Row
Fun Fact!
Robin Yount (Milwaukee Brewers) Won the American League MVP in 1982 & 1989
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Other Notable Birthdays
B.B. King (Blues Singer)
September 16, 1925 - May 14, 2015
Passed Away at Age 89 from Vascular Dementia
Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
Peter Falk
September 16, 1927 - June 23, 2011
Passed Away at Age 83 from Pneumonia with Complications of Alzheimer's Disease
Played Lieutenant Columbo on the TV Series, Columbo
Elgin Baylor (Basketball)
September 16, 1934 - March 22, 2021
Passed Away at Age 86 from Natural Causes
* 11x All-Star
10x All-NBA First Team
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Norman Whitfield
Passed Away on September 16, 2008 at Age 68 from Diabetic Complications
One of the Creators of the Motown Sound
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80s Movies
(On This Day)
1983 - Strange Invaders
Director: Michael Laughlin
Starring: Paul Le Mat, Nancy Allen, Diana Scarwid, Michael Lerner and Louise Fletcher
Budget: $5.5 Million
Box Office: $1.4 Million
1983 - Vigilante
Director: William Lustig
Starring: Robert Forster and Fred Williamson
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $5 Million
1988 - Messenger of Death
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Charles Bronson, Trish Van Devere, Laurence Luckinbill, Daniel Benzali, Marilyn Hassett, John Ireland
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $3 Million
1988 - Tougher Than Leather
Director: Rick Rubin (director)
Starring: Run-D.M.C., Richard Edson, Jenny Lumet, The Beastie Boys
Budget: $ N/A
Box Office: $3.5 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1983 - Webster Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 6
Episodes: 150
1984 - Miami Vice Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 112
1984 - Punky Brewster Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 88
1984 - E/R Premiered on CBS and
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 22
* Featuring George Clooney and Mary McDonnell
Fun Fact!
George Clooney and Mary McDonnell Also Starred in NBC's Long-Running Drama ER
1985 - America (Talk Show) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
1985 - Break the Bank (Game Show) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 180
1985 - The Jetsons (Animation) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 51
Did You Know?
The Jetsons Aired 1 Season In 1962
1986 - Jack and Mike Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 16
1986 - Final Episode of the Superfriends (Animation)
Seasons: 13
Episodes: 109
Network: ABC
1987 - Wiseguy Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 4
Episodes: 73
1987 - The Oldest Rookie Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 14
1989 - Teen Summit (Talk Show) Premiered on BET
Seasons: 11
1989 - Sister Kate Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 19
Co-Starring Jason Priestly
1989 - Dink, the Little Dinosaur (Animation) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 2
Episodes: 21 (42 Segments)
1989 - The California Raisin Show (Animation) Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1989 - Rude Dog & the Dweebs (Animation) Premiered CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1989 - Homeroom Premiered on ABC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
1989 - Ring Raiders (Animation) Premiered in Syndication
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 5
1989 - The Pilot for the X-Men (Animated Series) Aired
* Premiered 3 Years Later
1989 - Final Episode of Simon & Simon
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 156
Network: CBS
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80s Music
(Albums Released On This Day)
1983 - Warriors
Gary Numan (5th Solo Album)
* Reached #12 in the UK
1983 - Little Robbers
The Motels (4th Album)
Billboard Charts: #22
1984 - Perfect Strangers
Deep Purple (11th Album)
Billboard Charts: #12
* Hit #1 in Switzerland
1985 - Alabama Christmas (Christmas Album)
Alabama
Billboard Charts: #75
1985 - Hounds of Love
Kate Bush (5th Abum)
Billboard Charts: #30
* Hit #1 in the UK and Netherlands
1985 - This Is the Sea
The Waterboys (3rd and Final Album)
Billboard Charts: #37
* #4 in The Netherlands
1988 - Spirit of Eden
Talk Talk (4th Album)
* Reached #19 in the UK
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1987 - Bob Boone Set a Major League Record With 1,919 Games Played as a Catcher
1988 - Cincinnati Reds, Pitcher Tom Browning Pitched a Perfect Game Against the Los Angeles Dodgers
* The Reds Beat the Dodgers 1 - 0 at Riverfront Stadium on a Friday Night
Attendance: 16,591
Tim Belcher (Dodgers) Pitched a Complete Game 3-Hitter in the Losing Effort
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1987 - The Montreal Protocol Was Signed to Protect the Ozone Layer From Depletion
* Phasing Out the Production of Substances That Are Responsible for Ozone
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Other Notable Dates
(On September 16th)
1620 - The Pilgrims Set Sail On The Mayflower, Heading From England to the New World of America
1908 - General Motors Was Founded By William C. Durant
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<- September 15th September 17th ->
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1989 - “Don’t Want to Lose You” by Gloria Estefan Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from September 16 - 22
September 16th in 80s History
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Headlines
(September 16th)
1984 - Punky Brewster Premiered on NBC
* Ran 4 Seasons with 88 Episodes
Did You Know?
The Theme Song Was Sung by Gary Portnoy, Who Also Sang the Theme Song For the TV Series, Cheers
Also Sang the Theme Song for Cheers
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Fun Fact!
Cherie's Grandmother on Punky Brewster Was Played by Her Real Grandma, Susie Garrett and the Show Was Created by Here Uncle, David W. Duclon
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1984 - Miami Vice Premiered on NBC
* Ran 5 Seasons with 112 Episodes
Did You Know?
After Season 2 Don Johnson Became The Highest Paid TV Actor After He Threatened To Leave The Show
* Currently Worth Over $50 Million Dollars
Punky Brewster Premiered on NBC
1988 - Cincinnati Reds Pitcher, Tom Browning Pitched a Perfect Game Against the Los Angeles Dodgers