Can you believe its already been twenty five years (a quarter of a century) since these were popular? Of course we were only in seventh grade back then but I'm sure we all remember. Of course anyone more than five years younger than us will have problems remembering.
Music
This was the year that John Lennon of the Beatles was murdered. While we were too young to remember them while they were together, this event was the big topic of the day - all over radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines.
Ok. Moving on the well known music artists of the era.
Blondie had the #1 hit of the year with the song "Call Me". It was actually a part of the American Gigolo soundtrack, so I chose to post her next album.
Billy Joel released "Its Still Rock and Roll to Me".
Christopher Cross released "Ride Like the Wind". Several years later, in 10th grade, our band played this song during half-time. It was certainly one of my favorite songs to play on the field.
We all remember "Funkytown" by Lipps Inc. Its one of the last big hits of the disco era. One year after we graduated, a group called Pseudo Echo hit the charts with a remake of this song by replacing the disco beat with guitars and a keyboard. Just a few months ago I was playing a 70s/80s trivia game with some friends (nearly all of them younger) and I was the only one who knew who performed "Funkytown".
Olivia Newton John was a huge star in both movies and music. She was the star of the 70s hit movie "Grease". Her single "Magic" was the #7 hit of the year. She later released "Physical" which also skyrocketed on the charts.
Heres a group that you will hear frequently on any classic rock station. This is perhaps their most controversial hit "Another Brick In the Wall". Many teachers and parents took this to be an anti-education song. However it didn't bother us - its Pink Floyd!! Theres an article about it
here. I must admit this certainly belongs on the "Songs I liked but my parents hated when they heard it" CD.
Heres another popular group from that era. During 1980 they released their album "The Game" which included one of our favorite songs "Another One Bites the Dust". This was the first record I bought as a 45. This song also deserves a spot on the "Songs I liked but my parents hated when they heard it" CD. It is heard frequently on classic rock stations. Their 1975 hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" became huge again later in 1992 when it appeared on the soundtrack of "Wayne's World". Their lead singer, Freddie Mercury, passed away in 1991.
Now lets talk a little Motown. The Spinners released "Working My Way Back to You, Girl" which also scored big on the charts.
Video Games
Before there were Nintendos and Sony Playstations, there were Atari 2600s. While it was not the first video game system it certainly was the first highly popular one. I couldn't wait to get mine and I finally did. My friends up the street had one. Nothing like a relaxing evening playing Atari.
As great as Atari was, the graphics and sounds quality were not as good as what the arcade games had. Back in the early 80's it was common to play arcade games at Seark Lanes, Jingle's Ice Cream Parlor, Top Ten Arcade, and Hog Heaven Arcade. It was also common back then to find an arcade game or two at Wal-Mart, Safeway, and Magic Mart. Back then each game cost only a quarter to play. This game was known as "Pac-Man" which was probably the most popular arcade game of all time.
Heres another popular game. This one was called Missile Command. The objective was to protect up to six cities from nuclear missiles. Unfortunately the missles kept moving faster and faster until it was impossible to protect your cities.
Beginnings
7-11 introduced the "Big Gulp" during this year. We didn't have a 7-11 in our town but we all knew what it was. We had "Super Tankers" at E-Z Mart which were basically the same thing, just a different name.
Sony introduced the walkman, a lightweight casette player with headphones.
Television
Perhaps the most popular TV show of this era was "Dallas". I can't say much about it since it was one of the shows I was not allowed to watch at home. I do remember the much-hyped line "Who Shot J.R.?" which referred to a season cliffhanger.
Diff'rent Strokes. Heres a TV show that was funny and had very little if any objectionable content. This was one of my family's favorite shows. Remember the famous line "Whatcha talkin' about Willis?" Unfortunately Dana Plato who played Kimberly Drummond passed away in 1999 due to suicide. Todd Bridges and Gary coleman, who played Willis and Arnold respectively, have had problems with the law.
The Dukes of Hazzard. This was a show that followed the adventures of two southern good ol' boys - Bo and Luke Duke, along with their cousin Daisy Duke and their uncle Jesse Duke and sometimes with their friend Cooter to put a halt to the plans of the corrupt Boss Hogg and Sheriff P. Coltrane. While this was a fun TV show to watch it didn't require much thinking. Anyone wanting an overly complex storyline would be disappointed in this show. In 2005, the Dukes of Hazzard movie was released. After watching the previews and reading about all the stupid sex jokes I decided not to watch it. Even the original Cooter (Ben Jones) was disgusted with the movie and encouraged Duke fans not to see it.
The Love Boat was another hugely popular TV series during that era. I admit I didn't watch it for two different reasons. The premise didn't appeal to me (it wasn't geared to the young males market) and it also was another TV show I wasn't allowed to watch at home. There was nothing about the TV show that made me want to protest that.
Movies
The Empire Strikes Back. This is the second Star Wars movie made but it is episode 5, which certainly confused a few moviegoers. Instead of it being simply Star Wars rehashed, it expanded the storyline and gave us a shocking revelation. While it left much unresolved, you couldn't wait to see the next Star Wars movie.
9 to 5. Here's a movie where three ladies in an office environment get tired of their boss's antics so they tie him up in his own house then assume control of the department and then productivity leaps. Keeping him tied up turns out to be a chore.
Airplane. This movie starred Lloyd Bridges and Leslie Nielsen in one of the funnier comedies of the era. The writers and directors later made the "Hot Shots" and "Naked Gun" series. This movie put the gag-o-meter off the scale. For those who like puns, there are lots of them. People liked those puns but most people I know hate puns when they come directly from another person - somehow they like puns when they come from movies. You can see this movie every once in a while on a UHF channel.
Any Which Way you Can. This was the sequel to "Any Which Way But Loose". Clint Eastwood returns as the main character. He and his sidekick Clyde the Orangutan have to use wits and their fists to get out of a jam. Hey what could be better than an orangutan in a fist fight?
The Coal Miner's Daughter. This is a biography of the country singer Loretta Lynn. It stars Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn, Beverly D'Angelo as Patsy Cline, and Tommy Lee Jones as Dolittle Lynn (Loretta Lynn's husband).
Flash Gordon. This science fiction movie was based on a comic strip that began in the 1930s. While the acting has much to be desired, I didn't care - I always loved Science Fiction. But the soundtrack by Queen is incredible. When you watch this movie, just crank it up so the guitars will make the ground rattle. There is a good possibility that another Flash Gordon movie will be made, In 2004, Stephen Sommers, director of Van Helsing and The Mummy, purchased the movie rights to Flash Gordon.
Private Benjamin. This is about a woman who's husband dies on their wedding night, so she decides to join the army. Goldie Hawn stars in this comic fairy tale.
Smokey and the Bandit 2. A sequel to the original Smokey and the Bandit. Burt Reynolds, Jackie Gleason, and Sally Field return to play the main characters. This time Bandit is washed up and living in the past, until Big Enos and Little Enos make him another offer: Transport a live Elephant across country in 24 hours or less.
Stir Crazy. Starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. They play Skip and Harry, who are framed for a bank robery and end up in a western prison. The two eastern boys are having difficulty adjusting to the new life until the warden finds that Skip has a natural tallent for riding broncos with the inter-prison rodeo coming up.
Superman 2. Wow still another big sequel in the same year. Christopher Reeve returns as Clark Kent/Superman, Margot Kidder as Lois Lane, and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor. This time the man of steel has to battle three villains from his home planet (who were imprisoned before the planet was destroyed). Sadly, Christopher Reeve passed away in 2004 due to cardiac arrest, which probably had much to do with his paralysis resulting from an equestrian accident back in 1995. For years after the accident he became a vocal spokesman for funding paralysis research. Perhaps his last notable appearance was playing "Dr. Virgil Swann" in episode "Legacy" on the Smallville TV show that aired April 2004.
The Shining. Starring Jack Nicholson and based upon a novel by Stephen King. Danny sees disturbing visions of a hotel's past using a telepathic gift known as The Shining. His father, Jack Torrance, is underway in writing project when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of cabin fever and former guests of the hotels ghost's. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" the family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is The Shining.
