Tia Carrere​

General Hospital

General Hospital was the highest rated Soap Opera during the 1980s

Demi Moore

Top Rated Soap Operas from

The 1980s

1980 - General Hospital

2    All My Children

3    The Young and the Restless 
4    One Life to Live 
5    Guiding Light 
6    As the World Turns 
7    Search for Tomorrow 
8    Another World
9    Ryan's Hope 
10  Days of our Lives

1981 - General Hospital 
2    All My Children
2    One Life to Live 
4    Guiding Light 
5    As the World Turns 
6    The Young and the Restless 
7    Ryan's Hope 
8    Search for Tomorrow 
9    Days of our Lives 
10  Another World

1982 - General Hospital
2    All My Children
3    One Life to Live

4    Guiding Light

T5    The Young and the Restless
T5    As the World Turns
7    Ryan's Hope
8    Search for Tomorrow
9    Capitol
10  Days of our Lives

1983 - General Hospital
2    All My Children
3    One Life to Live
4    The Young and the Restless
5    As the World Turns
6    Guiding Light
7    Capitol
8    Days of our Lives
9    Ryan's Hope
10  Another World

1984 - General Hospital
2    All My Children
3    The Young and the Restless
4    One Life to Live
5    Guiding Light
6    As the World Turns
7    Days of our Lives
8    Capitol
9    Another World
10  Ryan's Hope

1985 - General Hospital
2    All My Children
3    The Young and the Restless
4    Guiding Light
5    One Life to Live
T6  As the World Turns
T6  Days of Our Lives
8    Capitol
9    Another World
10  Loving

1986 - General Hospital
2    The Young and the Restless
3    All My Children
4    One Life to Live
5    Days of our Lives
6    Guiding Light
7    As the World Turns
8    Capitol
8    Another World
10  Loving

1987 - General Hospital
2    The Young and the Restless
3    One Life to Live
T4 All My Children
T4  Days of our Lives
T4  As the World Turns
7    Guiding Light
8    The Bold and the Beautiful
9    Capitol
10  Another World

1988 - General Hospital
2    The Young and the Restless
T3  One Life to Live
T3  All My Children
5    Days of our Lives
6    As the World Turns
7    Guiding Light
8    The Bold and the Beautiful
9    Another World
10  Santa Barbara

1989 - The Young and the Restless
2    General Hospital
3    One Life to Live
4    All My Children
5    Days of our Lives
6    As the World Turns
7    Guiding Light
8    The Bold and the Beautiful
9    Another World
10  Santa Barbara

Elizabeth Taylor signed on to played Helena Cassadine so she could appear on the Luke and Laura Wedding episode  

"Jesse's Girl" played a doctor on General Hospital?  That's right Rick Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake from 1981-83

John Stamos, best know for playing Uncle Jesse on the hit show Full House played Blackie Parrish on General Hospital from 1982-84

John Stamos

Luke and Laura's Wedding

Tia Carrere, co-star of Wayne's World played Jade Soong Chung from 1985-87 

Demi Moore played Jackie Templeton on General Hospital from 1982-83 

On November 17, 1981 30 million viewers tuned in to General Hospital to witness the wedding of Luke and Laura.  The wedding remains the highest rated episode in Soap Opera history and TV Guide ranked it as the Greatest Soap Opera Moment of all time.

Rick Springfield

Elizabeth Taylor