#1 Songs in America
(January 21st)
1980 - "Rock With You"
Michael Jackson
1/19 - 2/15
1981 - "(Just Like) Starting Over"
John Lennon
12/27 - 1/30
1982 - "Physical"
Olivia Newton-John
11/21 - 1/29
1983 - "Down Under"
Men at Work
1/15 - 2/4
1984 - "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
Yes
1/21 - 2/3
1985 - "Like a Virgin"
Madonna
12/22 - 2/1
1986 - "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne & Friends
1/18 - 2/14
1987 - "Shake You Down"
Gregory Abbott
1/17 - 1/23
1988 - "Got My Mind Set On You"
George Harrison
1/16 - 1/22
1989 - "Two Hearts"
Phil Collins
1/21 - 2/3
Click Here For Music Fun Facts and Awards
Other Notable Birthdays
Telly Savalas (Actor)
January 21, 1922 - January 22, 1994
Passed Away at Age 72 from Bladder and Prostate Cancer
Won an Emmy Award in 1974 For His Role as Kojak
Benny Hill (Actor and Comedian)
January 21, 1924 - April 20, 1992
Passed Away at Age 68 from Kidney Failure
Best Known For The Benny Hill Show
Ann Wedgeworth (Actress)
January 21, 1934 - November 16, 2017
Passed Away at Age 83 (Long Illness)
Played Lana on Three’s Company
Wolfman Jack (Disc Jockey)
January 21, 1938 - July 1, 1995
Passed Away at Age 57 from a Heart Attack
Famous For His Gravelly Voice
Edwin Starr (Singer)
January 21, 1942 - April 2, 2003
Passed Away at Age 61 from a Heart Attack
Best Known For the 1969 Anti-Vietnam War Song "War"
Paul Allen (American Businessman)
January 21, 1953 - October 15, 2018
Passed Away at Age 65 from Septic Shock Caused by Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Co-Founder of Microsoft
Jam Master Jay (Rapper and DJ)
January 21, 1965 - October 30, 2002
Shot and Killed at Age 37
Member of Run D.M.C.
WWF Tag Team Championship
"Owner of a Lonely Heart" Became the #1 Song in America
On January 21, 1985 The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) Beat The North-South Connection (Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch) For the WWF Tag Team Championship
1984 - Production of the DeLorean Began in Northern Ireland
* Made Popular in Back to the Future as the Time Machine
Other Notable Dates
(January 21st)
1908 - New York City Passed a Law Making it Illegal For Women to Smoke in Public
* The Sullivan Ordinance
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1989 - “Two Hearts” by Phil Collins Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 song in America from January 21 - February 3
Also Hit #1 in Canada, Denmark and Japan
Happy 80s Birthdays
1940 - Jack Nicklaus (Golf)
1941 - Ivan Putski (Wrestler)
1942 - Michael G. Wilson (Producer) James Bond Movies
1947 - Jill Eikenberry (Actress) L.A. Law
1950 - Billy Ocean (Singer)
1955 - Jeff Franklin (Producer) Full House
1956 - Robby Benson (Actor)
1956 - Geena Davis (Actress) The Fly
1958 - Michael Wincott (Actor) Radio Days
1963 - Hakeem Olajuwon (Basketball)
1968 - Charlotte Ross (Actress) Days of Our Lives
Fun Fact!
Hakeem Olajuwon Was the #1 Overall Pick in the 1984 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets
2. Sam Bowie
3. Michael Jordan
January 21st in 80s History
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1983 - Treasure of the Four Crowns
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Starring: Tony Anthony, Ana Obregón, Gene Quintano and Francisco Rabal
Budget: N/A
Box Office: N/A
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80s Television
(On This Day)
1984 - Michael Palin Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: The Motels
Michale Palin’s Mom Showed Up and Surprised Him During His Opening Monologue
1987 - The American Civil Rights Documentary Eyes on the Prize Premiered on PBS
Episodes: 14
1989 - John Malkovich Hosted Saturday Night Live
Musical Guest: Anita Baker
Mike Myers Made His SNL Debut
1989 - Dolphin Cove Premiered on CBS
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 8
1989 - Nightingales Premiered on NBC
Seasons: 1
Episodes: 13
Starring Kristy Swanson
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80s Music
(Released On This Day)
1983 - The Law of Devil's Land
Loudness (3rd Album)
1984 - Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi (Debut Album)
Reached #43 on the US Billboard 200 Charts
1985 - Real Love
Dolly Parton (27th Solo Album)
Reached #9 on the Country Charts
Singles Released
1983 - “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”
Eurythmics
#1 Song in America from September 3 - 9
1984 - “Sunglasses At Night”
Corey Hart
Reached #7 on the US Billboard Charts
* First Single from His Debut Album (First Offense)
Fun Fact!
Corey Hart Wrote “Sunglasses At Night” Because the Studio Air Vents Blew Directly Into the Faces of the Control Room Workers and Wore Glasses to Protect Their Eyes
In Other 80s Music News
1982 - B. B. King Donated His Personal Record Collection to the University of Mississippi's Center for the Study of Southern Culture
* Included Nearly 7,000 Rare Blues Records
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80s Sports
(On This Day)
1985 - The U.S. Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) Beat The North-South Connection (Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch) For the WWF Tag Team Championship
1986 - Ivan Lendl Defeated Boris Becker to Win the ATP Masters Grand Prix Title For a 3rd Time
Locati0n: Madison Square Garden
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In Other 80s News
(On January 21st)
1985 - Galaxy Airlines Flight 203 Crashed Near Reno, Nevada
* 70 People Died
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<- January 20th January 22nd ->
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Headlines
(January 21st)
1984 - Singer Jackie Wilson Passed Away at Age 49 From Pneumonia
* Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement
Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
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1984 - “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes Became the #1 Song in America
* #1 Song in America from January 21 - February 3
Passed Away
(On This Day)
Jackie Wilson (Singer)
Passed Away on January 21, 1984 at Age 49 of from Pneumonia
Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987
Jack Lord (Actor)
Passed Away on January 21, 1998 at Age 77 from Congestive Heart Failure
Played Capt. Steve McGarrett on Hawaii 5-O
Louie Anderson (Actor and Comedian)
Passed Away on January 21, 2022 at Age 68 from Large B-Cell Lymphoma (Cancer of the B-Cells)
Played Maurice, The Fast Food Worker in Coming to America
* Hosted Family Feud From 1999 to 2002
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80s Movies
(Released On This Day)
1983 - The House on Sorority Row
Director: Mark Rosman
Starring: Eileen Davidson and Katherine McNeil
Budget: $425,000
Box Office: $10.6 Million
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