«« Mini-Rewind ««

• Purple Rain starring Prince was released in theaters July 26, 1984. The film won an Oscar for Best Original Song Score - the last to receive that award.

• Madonna burst onto the music scene with the release of her first studio album “Madonna”. The 5x platinum album featured ‘80s hit singles “Lucky Star”, “Borderline” and Holiday”.

• “Never Gonna Give You Up” hit the airwaves and pop culture hall of fame status on July 27, 1987. The single was a major success hitting #1 in 25 countries. Although closing in on 40 years old, “Rickrolling” is still with us to this day.

• Tom Hanks and Beasley the dog teamed up to solve a crime in the movie Turner & Hooch (1989).

• Miss Elizabeth made her WWF debut on July 30, 1985 as manager of “Macho Man” Randy Savage. The segment was taped and didn’t air until August 24th on WWF Prime Time Wrestling.

• “Escape”, the 7th studio album by Journey was released July 31, 1981. The album went 9x platinum on the strength of smash singles “Don’t Stop Believin”, “Open Arms” and “Who’s Crying Now?”.

• Howard the Duck starring Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins hit the big screen August 1, 1986. The movie was nominated for 7 Razzie Awards (not a good thing) and won 4 (again, not a good thing).

• “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (1987) by Starship was featured in the movie Mannequin which starred Andrew McCarthy & Kim Cattrall.

• Flight of the Navigator flew into US theaters August 1, 1986.

The Lost Boys is pure ’80s vampire perfection. Set in the gritty beach town of Santa Carla, it follows two brothers who stumble into a world of leather-clad, motorcycle-riding vampires. The style, the soundtrack, the Coreys - everything about it screams cool. Kiefer Sutherland’s chilling performance as David stuck with me, and that saxophone guy? Still iconic. It was creepy, funny, and effortlessly stylish. As a kid, I didn’t just want to watch the vampires—I wanted to be one. And the soundtrack? Cry Little Sister, People Are Strange, Lost in the Shadows… all legendary.

MTV launched, and music changed forever. I still remember the excitement of seeing that rocket blast off and hearing, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” Suddenly, music wasn’t just something you listened to - it was something you watched. The first video? “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. How perfect is that? MTV became our cultural compass, introducing us to new artists, wild fashion, and iconic videos. It felt like the future had arrived right in our living rooms. For an ’80s kid, MTV wasn’t just a channel - it was a lifestyle. We didn’t just watch music - we lived it.

When Nintendo launched the Game Boy in 1989, it completely blew my mind. Suddenly, I could take my games anywhere - on road trips, to school (sorry, Mom), even under the covers with a flashlight. That green screen, those chunky buttons, and the endless hours of Tetris - it felt like pure magic in my hands. It wasn’t just a toy; it was freedom. Everyone I knew either had one or desperately wanted one. Nintendo didn’t just launch a handheld console - they launched a movement. The Game Boy wasn’t flashy, but it was perfect. Today, our phones do everything and then some, but nothing felt quite like that first Game Boy.

🎧 Retro Picks of the Week

📺 T.V. Show: Premiering July 29, 1983 on NBC, Friday Night Videos brought music videos to a national audience without cable. This was long before YouTube videos and while MTV was in its early years.

📼 Movie: “Cocktail” was released July 29, 1988 and stars Tom Cruise as a flashy bartender from New York City. Although it won a Razzie for worst picture of 1988, it was a box office hit, pouring in $170M on a budget of just $20M.

🎵 Song: “We Built This City” - Starship (1987). This was the lead single from their debut album. Despite being labeled as the “worst single of all time” by Blender magazine, it was a #1 hit for the band. Check out the link above to watch them perform live at MTV Spring Break 1986.

🕹️ Video Game: Space Invaders launched the golden age of arcade video games. Who didn’t love to control the laser cannon side to side to blast those alien invaders? It was also one of the first games to feature a high score system.

👾 Cartoon: The Get Along Gang was a cartoon based on a line of greeting card characters from American Greetings - the same company behind Care Bears. The fun cartoon aired on CBS from 1984-1986.