Calendar Search Results: na songs
January 22, 1985 In his annual list of the Worst-Dressed Women, designer/fashion critic Mr. Blackwell names Cher the Worst of 1984, writing that she "has little or less respect for being a woman." Cyndi Lauper comes in at #4 ("looks like the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake"), and rounding out the list in a tie for #10 are Dee Snider of Twisted Sister ("a car crash in a whorehouse) and Prince ("a toothpick wrapped in a purple doily").
January 11, 1985 Queen, Iron Maiden and Whitesnake play on Day 1 of the first Rock In Rio festival.More
December 4, 1984 The singer Jelly Roll is born Jason DeFord in Antioch, Tennessee (his mom gives him his nickname because he's a chubby kid). He starts off as a rapper and ends up both selling and using drugs, leading to a series of arrests. He starts turning his life around after getting out of jail in 2008, and as a country singer makes his mark with songs about struggle and redemption based on his own story.
November 18, 1984 T.J. Osborne is born in Deale, Maryland. He follows his older brother John to Nashville and they form the Brothers Osborne in 2012.
October 9, 1984 The extraordinarily popular children's show Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends begins its run on BBC-TV, featuring a narrator by the name of Ringo Starr.
October 4, 1984 Lena Katina (of t.A.T.u.) is born Elena Sergeevna Katina in Moscow, Russia.
September 19, 1984 At a whistle-stop in Hammonton, New Jersey, campaigning president Ronald Reagan praises singer Bruce Springsteen, saying: "America's future rests in a thousand dreams inside your hearts; it rests in the message of hope in songs so many young Americans admire: New Jersey's own Bruce Springsteen. And helping you make those dreams come true is what this job of mine is all about." This leads to widespread criticism in the press because Springsteen's recent hit, "Born In The U.S.A.," is in fact a bitter cry of outrage at how poorly the United States treats its veterans, which Reagan had apparently mistaken for a straight-forward patriotic anthem - an easy mistake to make if you listen to the chorus only and not the lyrics.
September 1, 1984 Tina Turner completes her comeback as "What's Love Got To Do With It" hits #1 in America.More
July 23, 1984 MTV broadcasts the WWF Women's Championship match live from Madison Square Garden, where Wendi Richter, managed by Cyndi Lauper, takes the title. Part of the "Rock And Wrestling Connection," it's the most-watched program in the history of MTV. Lauper returns to manage Richter the following year at the first WrestleMania.
June 1, 1984 R&B singer Nate Nelson (of The Flamingos, The Platters) dies at age 52 of heart disease.
March 2, 1984 This Is Spinal Tap is released in theaters, chronicling the hapless heavy metal band with exploding drummers and an amp that goes to 11. It leaves some in laughter and some in tears. Ozzy Osbourne is just confused.More
February 14, 1984 Elton John marries studio assistant Renate Blauel in Sydney, Australia, shocking many of his fans and associates by choosing a woman as his life partner. Attendees include Olivia Newton-John and Rod Stewart. The couple split in 1987 and divorce a year later.
January 27, 1984 At the peak of his popularity, Michael Jackson films an ad for Pepsi that goes horribly wrong when some stray pyro sets his hair on fire.More
December 16, 1983 Hoping to jumpstart her flagging acting career after the box-office bomb Xanadu, Olivia Newton-John reunites with Grease co-star John Travolta in the fantasy film Two of a Kind. It flops, but yields the Top 10 hit "Twist Of Fate."
December 11, 1983 Run-D.M.C. release their second single, "Hard Times," a song about financial struggles. It's the first rap song to get covered by another rap group, having first appeared on Kurtis Blow's debut album in 1980.
November 14, 1983 Michael Jackson's 14-minute film Thriller debuts at the Metro Crest Theater in Los Angeles. Directed by John Landis, the short film will become the most popular video in MTV history when the network begins airing it in December. Many of Jackson's famous friends show up at the premiere, including Diana Ross, Eddie Murphy and Warren Beatty. The film gets a standing ovation and the crowd demands an encore, which is granted.
September 25, 1983 Donald Glover is born in Edwards, California, raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He writes for the TV series 30 Rock and stars in the sitcom Community before making music as the rapper Childish Gambino. His 2016 hit "Redbone" popularizes the phrase "stay woke," and his 2018 #1 "This Is America" wins Grammys for Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year.
September 17, 1983 Star Search debuts on CBS. Hosted by Ed McMahon, the TV talent competition introduces scores of future superstars, many from the music realm, including Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Alanis Morissette, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, Tiffany, LeAnn Rimes, Usher, Aaliyah, and Destiny's Child.
September 1, 1983 Encouraged by his wife, Kathleen Brennan, Tom Waits releases Swordfishtrombones, the first album the songwriter produced himself. The album represents a significant break from mainstream norms, both musically and lyrically.
July 15, 1983 The Saturday Night Fever sequel Staying Alive debuts in theaters, starring John Travolta. The Bee Gees also return for the soundtrack, introducing five new songs, including "The Woman In You."More
May 31, 1983 After a break in which David Byrne and Jerry Harrison release solo albums and Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth form Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads return with their fifth album, Speaking In Tongues. It contains their biggest hit, "Burning Down The House."
May 28, 1983 Apple's Steve Wozniak hosts the second US Festival, intending it to be the "Super Bowl of rock." The lineup is even more impressive than that of its 1982 predecessor, and the attendance is substantially larger. Wozniak splurges on David Bowie with two million dollars of his own money, simply because he "really loves him."More
May 16, 1983 Michael Jackson does the Moonwalk for the first time on TV when he breaks out the move on the Motown 25th anniversary TV special.More
April 30, 1983 The original lineup of Manfred Mann re-forms to play the 25th anniversary celebration of the Marquee Club in London, where they played when they were just starting out.
April 15, 1983 The Bad Brains' second full-length album, Rock for Light, is released. Produced by The Cars' Ric Ocasek, the album features both new compositions (such as the title track and "How Low Can a Punk Get?"), as well as re-recordings of tunes that originally appeared on the group's debut ("Sailin' On," "Banned in D.C."). Years later, Kurt Cobain would list Rock for Light as one of his all-time favorite records.
April 11, 1983 Dave Mustaine is kicked out of Metallica because of his drug and alcohol addictions. Soon after, he forms Megadeth, which becomes one of the most successful metal bands of the era.More
April 6, 1983 Ronald Reagan's secretary of the Interior, James Watt, cancels an appearance by The Beach Boys at Washington DC's Independence Day festivities, infamously stating that the band would attract "an undesirable element."
April 1, 1983 Exodus guitarist Kirk Hammett gets a phone call from manager Mark Whitaker, asking him to audition for Metallica. Hammett accepts, and several days later, is on a plane to New York for his tryout.
March 26, 1983 Thanks to heavy rotation on MTV, Duran Duran have their first American hit when "Hungry Like The Wolf" hits #3 on the Hot 100.More
March 25, 1983 The Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special is recorded at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium; it is broadcast on NBC in May. Highlights of the show include Michael Jackson's Moonwalk and a The Supremes reunion. A lowlight is no mention of the label's house band, The Funk Brothers. Bass player James Jamerson, who played on many of the hits performed this evening, has to buy his own ticket. He dies a few months later.
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