«« Mini-Rewind ««

• WWF Superstars of Wrestling debuted September 6, 1986 - it became the flagship program for the WWF’s syndicated programming.

• Lenny Kravitz released his debut solo album “Let Love Rule” (September 6, 1989). The album featured the single “Mr. Cab Driver”

• New Kids on the Block released their wildly successful second album “Hangin’ Tough” on September 6, 1988. The album featured the singles “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” and “I’ll Be Loving You Forever”.

• On September 6, 1985 The King of Pop, Michael Jackson bought the publishing rights for most of The Beatles catalogue of music for $47M.

• July 14, 1988 Eddie Van Halen makes a special guest appearance at a concert by The Jacksons in Dallas, TX playing solo guitar for “Beat It”.

• “Star Wars: Ewoks” debuted (September 7, 1985) on Saturday mornings. The cartoon ran for two seasons and 26 episodes.

• Another animated gem, “SilverHawks” debuted in 1986 and aired 65 episodes.

• “She-Ra: Princess of Power”, the spin-off of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe debuted (September 9, 1985).

• Another childhood favorite cartoon, Inspector Gadget hit the airwaves on September 12, 1983. Surprisingly, the cartoon only lasted 2 years and aired 86 episodes.

• Michael Jackson’s “Bad Tour” launched on September 12, 1987. The tour lasted 16 months, 132 concerts and a mind-boggling 4.4 million fans attended across 15 countries!

• Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends debuted on NBC Saturday mornings (September 12, 1981).

• The Chicago Bulls signed the greatest to lace them up, Michael Jordan - their #1 draft pick (September 12, 1984).

• Billy Ocean released his album “Suddenly” on September 12, 1984. The album featured hit singles “Caribbean Queen”, “Loverboy” and “Suddenly”.

Back in 1983, Cyndi Lauper burst onto the music scene with a song that instantly became an anthem: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. On the surface, it was a bubbly pop single with a catchy chorus you couldn’t help but sing along to - but it was also more than that. The track flipped the idea of a “party song” on its head by celebrating female independence and joy. Instead of being about romance or heartbreak, it was about women simply wanting the same freedom to have fun as anyone else.

The song’s quirky, playful energy matched Lauper’s unique style perfectly. Her colorful fashion, wild hair, and signature voice made her stand out in a decade full of pop stars. The music video - complete with neon colors, goofy dance moves, and appearances from Lauper’s real-life mom - was all over MTV, helping the song climb the charts. It quickly hit the Top 10 around the world and became one of the defining tracks of the ’80s.

What’s cool is that Girls Just Wanna Have Fun has never really gone away. It’s still played at parties, in movies, and on playlists that celebrate good vibes. For many, it remains a timeless reminder that fun, freedom, and self-expression never go out of style.

If you were flipping through channels in the late ’80s, American Gladiators was one of those shows you couldn’t miss. Premiering in 1989, it took the idea of an athletic competition and cranked it up to full-on spectacle. Regular contestants - everyday people - went head-to-head against larger-than-life “Gladiators,” who looked like comic book heroes come to life. With names like Nitro, Blaze, and Gemini, these Gladiators weren’t just athletes, they were characters, complete with flashy outfits and bigger-than-life personalities.

The show was built around wild, over-the-top events. You had things like “Joust,” where competitors tried to knock each other off platforms with giant padded sticks, or “Powerball,” where players sprinted to drop balls into baskets while Gladiators tackled them. And who can forget “The Eliminator,” the grueling obstacle course that closed out every episode? It was part sports, part theater, and part pure chaos - but that’s what made it so fun to watch.

What really clicked with viewers was the mix of intensity and camp. You never knew if you were watching serious competition or just pure entertainment, but either way, it was addictive. American Gladiators perfectly captured that late ’80s vibe: loud, colorful, and unapologetically over the top.

If you grew up in the 1980s, chances are you remember G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. It wasn’t just a cartoon - it was a full-on cultural phenomenon. Premiering in 1983, the show followed the elite G.I. Joe team, a group of soldiers with unique skills, as they battled the evil terrorist organization Cobra. Every episode was packed with action, over-the-top villains, cool gadgets, and vehicles that made kids want to run straight to the toy store.

What made G.I. Joe stand out was its mix of colorful characters - like Duke, Snake Eyes, and Scarlet - each with their own personality and backstory. Cobra Commander and his crew of villains were just as unforgettable, often hatching outrageous plots that only the Joes could stop. The show was fast-paced, loud, and fun, but it also tried to sneak in lessons. At the end of many episodes, kids got a quick PSA, like “don’t talk to strangers” or “look both ways before crossing the street,” capped off with the iconic line: “Now you know, and knowing is half the battle!”

Between the cartoon, comics, and toys, G.I. Joe became one of the defining brands of the 1980s. It wasn’t just a show - it was part of being a kid in that era.

🎧 Retro Picks of the Week

📺 T.V. Show: Little House on the Prairie (1974–1983) brought Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved books to life, following the Ingalls family as they built a life on the American frontier. With its mix of heartwarming stories, family struggles, and lessons about resilience, it became a staple of classic television..

📼 Movie: Released in 1989, Kickboxer stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as a martial artist who trains in Muay Thai to avenge his brother’s crippling defeat at the hands of the brutal fighter Tong Po. Packed with intense fight scenes, training montages, and Van Damme’s signature splits, it became a cult classic of late ’80s action cinema. 

🎵 Song: “You Got It (The Right Stuff)” by New Kids on the Block became one of the group’s signature hits when it was released in 1988. With its catchy chorus and energetic dance vibe, it helped cement NKOTB as teen pop icons of the late 1980s.

🕹️ Video Game: Tetris, first released in 1984, is a simple yet addictive puzzle game where players rotate and stack falling blocks to clear lines. Its straightforward gameplay and endless replayability (is that even a word???) made it a global phenomenon and one of the most iconic video games of all time.

👾 Cartoon: The Smurfs, which debuted in 1981, followed the adventures of tiny blue creatures living in a magical village, each with their own quirky personality. With its catchy theme song and colorful stories, the cartoon became a beloved staple of Saturday morning TV throughout the ’80s.