"Like a Prayer" Became the #1 Song in America
#1 Songs in America
(April 22nd)
1980 - "Call Me"
Blondie
4/19 - 5/30
1981 - "Kiss on My List"
Hall & Oates
4/11 - 5/1
1982 - "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
3/20 - 5/7
1983 - "Billie Jean"
Michael Jackson
3/5 - 4/22
1984 - "Against All Odds"
Phil Collins
4/21 - 5/11
1985 - "We Are the World"
USA for Africa
4/13 - 5/10
1986 - "Kiss"
Prince
4/19 - 5/2
1987 - "I Knew You Were Waiting"
Aretha Franklin and George Michael
4/18 - 5/1
1988 - "Get Out of Dreams, Get Into My Car"
Billy Ocean
4/9 - 4/22
1989 - "Like a Prayer"
Madonna
4/22 - 5/11
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1970 - The First Earth Day Was Celebrated
1977 - Optical Fiber Was First Used to Carry Telephone Traffic
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1988 - Casual Sex? Premiered in TheatersDirector: Geneviève Rober
Starring: Lea Thompson, Victoria Jackson, Andrew Dice Clay, Jerry Levine, and Sandra Bernhard
Fun Fact!
The Guinness Book of World Records Ranks Madonna as the Best-Selling Female Recording Artist of All-Time With Over 300 Albums Sold
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Other Notable Birthdays
Aaron Spelling (TV Executive)
April 22, 1923 - June 23, 2006
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Passed Away at Age 83 From a Stroke
* Diagnosed With Oral Cancer in 2001
Created Charlie’s Angels, The Love Boat, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210 and Other Popular TV Shows
Charlotte Rae (Actress)
April 22, 1926 - August 5, 2018
Birthplace: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Passed Away at Age 92 From Bone Cancer
* Diagnosed in 2017
Played Mrs. Garrett on Diff’rent Strokes and The Facts of Life
Estelle Harris (Actress)
April 22, 1928 - April 2, 2022
Birthplace: New York City
Passed Away at Age 93 From Natural Causes
* Died in Her Palm Desert, California Home
Best Known For Playing Mrs. Costanza on Seinfeld
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Passed Away
(On This Day)
Albert Salmi (Actor)
March 11, 1928 - April 22, 1990
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
Passed Away on April 22, 1990 at Age 62 From a Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound
* Played Mr. Noonan in Caddyshack
Richard Nixon (Former President)
January 9, 1913 - April 22, 1994
Birthplace: Yorba Linda, California
Passed Away at Age 81 From a Cerebral Edema
* Impaired Nerve Function
The 37th President of the United States
Term: 1969 - 1974
Did You Know?
Richard Nixon Was Impeached on August 9, 1974 For the Watergate Scandal
Erin Moran (Actress)
October 18, 1960 - April 22, 2017
Birthplace: Burbank, CA
Passed Away at Age 56 From Complications of Stage Four Squamous Cell Carcinoma (Throat Cancer)
* Played Joanie on Happy Days
Guy Lafleur (Hockey)
September 20, 1951 - April 22, 2022
Birthplace: Thurso, Quebec, Canada
Passed Away at Age 70 From Lung Cancer (Heavy Smoker)
* 5x Stanley Cup Champion With the Montreal Canadiens (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
Elected to the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - Exposed
Director: James Toback
Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Rudolf Nureyev, Harvey Keitel, Ian McShane and Bibi Andersson
Budget: $18 Million
Box Office: $1.3 Million
1983 - The Deadly Spawn
Director: Douglas McKeown
Starring: Charles George Hildebrandt
Tom DeFranco
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $25,000
1988 - Casual Sex?
Director: Geneviève Rober
Starring: Lea Thompson, Victoria Jackson, Andrew Dice Clay, Jerry Levine, and Sandra Bernhard
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $12.2 Million
1988 - Return of the Killer Tomatoes
Director: John De Bello
Starring: Anthony Starke, Karen Mistal, John Astin and George Clooney
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $5 Million
1988 - The Unholy
Director: Camilo Vila
Starring: Ben Cross, Ned Beatty, Hal Holbrook, and Trevor Howard
Budget: N/A
Box Office: $6.3 Million
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1988 - Final Episode of Beverly Hills Buntz
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Network: NBC
A Spin-Off From Hill Street Blues
1989 - Geena Davis Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: John Cougar
* Ben Stiller (Final Episode)
1989 - Jesse Hawkes Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 6
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80s Music
(On This Day)
1980 - Seventeen Seconds
The Cure (2nd Album)
Billboard Charts: #186
* #20 in the UK
Fun Fact!
The Cure's Most Successful Album Was Wish in 1992
* Reached #2 on the US Billboard 200 Charts and Hit #1 in the UK
1985 - Around the World in a Day
Prince and the Revolution (7th Album)
Hit #1 on the US Billboard 200
* Also Hit #1 in Sweden and Netherlands
Featuring “Raspberry Beret”
1985 - Backwaxed (Compilation Album)
Anvil
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1981 - Los Angeles Dodgers Rookie Sensation, Fernando Valenzuela Threw His 3rd Shutout in 4 Starts to Begin the Season
* Fernando Outdueled Former Dodger Don Sutton in 1 - 0 victory over the Astros in Houston on a Wednesday Night
Attendance: 22,830
1982 - Atlanta Braves 13-Game Winning Streak to Start the Season Was Snapped by the Cincinnati Reds
* The Reds Beat the Braves 2 - 1 at Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta on a Thursday Night
Attendance: 20,701
1988 - New Jersey Devils Set an All-Time Playoff Record with 32 Penalties Against the Washington Capitals
* The Devils Beat the Capitals 10 - 4 to Win the Playoff Series 4 - 3
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In Other 80s News
(On This Day)
1983 - The German Magazine, Stern Claimed the "Hitler Diaries" Were Found in Some Wreckage in East Germany
* Found to be Forgeries on May 6th
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In Other News
(On April 22nd)
1876 - The First Major League Baseball Game Was Played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia Between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Baseball Club
* Boston Won 6 - 5
Headlines
(April 22nd)
1981 - "Fernando Mania" Was Off and Running After the Los Angeles Dodgers Rookie Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela Threw His 3rd Shutout in 4 Starts to Start the Season
* Fernando Only Got the Start on Opening Day Because the Original Starting Pitcher, Jerry Reuss Pulled His Hamstring
Fun Fact!
In 1981 Fernando Valenzuela Became the Only Player to Win the Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award in the Same Season
Happy 80s Birthdays
1937 - Jack Nicholson (Actor) The Shining
Birthplace: Neptune City, New Jersey
1950 - Peter Frampton (Singer)
Birthplace: Beckenham, Kent, England
1959 - Terry Francona (Baseball)
Birthplace: Aberdeen, South Dakota
1964 - Chris Makepeace (Actor) My Bodyguard (Clifford)
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
1965 - Lauri Hendler (Actress) Gimme a Break (Julie)
Birthplace: Fort, Belvoir, Virginia
Fun Fact!
In 1974 Jack Nicholson Found Out That the Person He Though Was His “Sister” Turned Out to be His Biological Mother
1988 - Return of the Killer Tomatoes Premiered in Theaters
Director: John De Bello
Starring: Anthony Starke, Karen Mistal, John Astin and George Clooney
1989 - "Like a Prayer" by Madonna Hit #1 on the US Billboard Charts
* #1 Song in America from April 22 - May 12
Also Hit #1 in the UK, Canada, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan
April 22nd in 80s History