«« Mini-Rewind ««

• Coming to America starring Eddie Murphy & Arsenio Hall debuted in theaters June 28, 1988.

• “Sports” by Huey Lewis and the News was the #1 album on the charts this week in 1984. The album features the hit singles “I Want a New Drug”, “Heart of Rock & Roll” and “If This is It”.

• After 253 episodes, The Jeffersons aired their series finale July 2, 1985 making it one of the longest running sitcoms in t.v. history.

• The king of cool, Bob Ross passed away on July 4, 1995. Ross became a pop culture icon with his hit show “The Joy of Painting”. Remember, we don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.

• The wacky comedy “Airplane!” hit the big screen on July 2, 1980. The movie was the 4th highest grossing film of 1980 and is one of the funniest movies of all-time.

• St. Elmo’s Fire, starring the core members of the ‘80s Brat Pack hit theaters back on June 28, 1985.

• Kim Wilde released her debut album on June 28, 1981. The album features her hit single “Kids in America”.

• July 4, 1986 Run-DMC released “Walk this Way” and features Steven Tyler & Joe Perry (of Aerosmith fame) guesting on vocals and guitar.

Madonna’s True Blue album was released on June 30, 1986 (her 3rd album). The album marked a major evolution in her sound and image. Packed with hits like “Papa Don’t Preach” and “La Isla Bonita,” the album blended pop, ballads, and Latin rhythms. It topped the charts in a record breaking 28 countries with sales of more than 25 million worldwide. The album was also the top seller of 1986 and the best selling by a female artist in the 1980’s - this cemented her status as the Queen of ’80s pop. A total of 5 singles were released from the album, all five landed in the top 5 of the charts, with 3 becoming #1 hits. Is Madonna a top 5 performer all-time??? It’d be tough to put many ahead of her.

The Sony Walkman, iconic throughout the 1980’s, revolutionized how we listened to music. Long before your phone had an unlimited playlist, this pocket-sized cassette player brought personal, portable tunes to the masses, turning mixtapes and headphones into daily essentials. Whether clipped to your belt or stashed in a fanny pack while you roller skated down the street, the Walkman made music mobile—and totally rad.

Adventures in Babysitting is a wild, hilarious ride through 1980’s Chicago. When teen babysitter Chris Parker’s (played by ‘80s crush Elisabeth Shue) night goes off the rails, she and her crew face car thieves, gang fights, and blues clubs—all before curfew. It’s chaotic, charming, and packed with that perfect blend of heart and hilarity. If you haven’t checked this one out, it’s definitely a must add to your weekend playlist. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

🎧 Retro Picks of the Week

📺 T.V. Show: Kate & Allie, remember this sitcom on CBS? So many people don’t, despite the fact it ran for 6 seasons and aired 122 episodes. The show stars Susan Saint James and Jane Curtin as two divorced mothers who decide the live together and raise their children.

📼 Movie: Big Trouble in Little China, starring Kurt Russell & Kim Cattrall was released in theaters July 2, 1986. Despite it’s popularity now, the film was considered a box office bomb back in the day, racking up a measly $11.1M in North American ticket sales.

🎵 Song: “I Want a New Drug” - Huey Lewis & the News (1984). Did you know Huey Lewis filed suit against Ray Parker Jr. claiming he stole the melody for the title track from the movie Ghostbusters? The case was eventually settled out of court.

🕹️ Video Game: Pitfall (1982) by Activision for the Atari 2600 gaming system. Pitfall Harry gave us one of the most entertaining video games of the ‘80s - heck of all-time!

👾 Cartoon: 1985 was a good year to be a kid on Saturday mornings. ThunderCats made us look up from our bowls of cereal in January of ‘85. As wildly popular as Lion-O and the crew were, the animated series ran for only 4 seasons airing 130 episodes.