This Week in the 80s: June 30–July 6

Welcome back to the 1980s. Every week we travel through all ten years of the decade at once — same calendar dates, ten different years. This week covers across 1980 through 1989. Buckle up.

During the Decade of Decadence, this week ran from June 30 to July 9. We aim to list things as close to the date they happened, and each week may have overlaps with adjacent weeks due to this calendar nuance.

📰 The News That Shaped the Decade

1980

• July 1, 1980: 'O Canada' officially becomes the national anthem of Canada.
• July 1, 1980: The Los Angeles Unified School District adopts year-round schooling.
• July 2, 1980: The comedy film 'Airplane!' is released in the U.S. and Canada.

1981

• July 3, 1981: The New York Times reports on the existence of AIDS, initially called 'GRID'.
• July 4, 1981: John McEnroe defeats Björn Borg to win the men's singles championship at Wimbledon.
• July 6, 1981: President Ronald Reagan announces his intention to nominate Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court.

1982

• June 30, 1982: The Equal Rights Amendment fails to be ratified by the required number of states.
• July 2, 1982: Larry Walters, 'Lawnchair Larry', flies 16,000 feet in a lawn chair attached to weather balloons.
• July 6, 1982: A total lunar eclipse occurs, visible in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• July 9, 1982: Pan Am Boeing 727 crashes in Kenner, Louisiana, killing 153 people.

1983

• July 6, 1983: The American League ends an 11-year losing streak against the National League in the All-Star Game.
• June 1983: A severe drought affects many Midwestern American states, causing water shortages.
• July 19, 1983: The first 3-D reconstruction of a human head in a CT scan is published.

1984

• June 30, 1984: Pierre Trudeau officially steps down as Prime Minister of Canada.
• July 1, 1984: John N. Turner is sworn in as Prime Minister of Canada.
• July 13, 1984: Terry Wallis, a 19-year-old, falls into a deep coma after a severe automobile accident; he will later awaken after 19 years.

1985

• June 30, 1985: The TWA Flight 847 hostage crisis ends with the release of the remaining hostages.
• June 30, 1985: NASA launches the Intelsat VA F-11 communications satellite.
• July 2, 1985: Andrei Gromyko is appointed as the President of the USSR.

1986

• July 4, 1986: Operation Sail 1986, a celebration of tall ships, takes place in New York Harbor for the Statue of Liberty's centennial.
• July 1986: Queen becomes the first band to play a stadium show in the communist Eastern Bloc.
• July 6, 1986: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 1,900 for the first time.

1987

• July 3, 1987: Two men become the first hot-air balloon travelers to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
• July 4, 1987: Martina Navratilova wins her 8th Wimbledon singles title.
• July 1987: Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead begin a series of six concerts in the United States.

1988

• June 30, 1988: Chicago agrees to build a new stadium, preventing the White Sox from moving to Florida.
• July 3, 1988: Iran Air Flight 655 is shot down by the USS Vincennes in the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 on board.

1989

• June 30, 1989: A military coup led by Omar al-Bashir overthrows the government of Sudan.
• June 30, 1989: NASA closes down tracking stations in Santiago, Chile & Guam.
• June 30, 1989: The New York State Legislature passes a Staten Island secession bill.

🎵 Soundtrack of the Week

Here's a taste of what was climbing the charts this week across the decade. Paid members get the full Top 10 for every year — all 100 songs, every one linked so you can listen and watch right now.

1980 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Let's Get Serious — Jermaine Jackson
7. Biggest Part Of Me — Ambrosia
8. Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time — Spinners
9. Steal Away — Robbie Dupree
10. Against The Wind — Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

1981 — Songs #10 to #6

6. I Don't Need You — Kenny Rogers
7. Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
8. A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) — Ray Parker Jr., Raydio
9. Medley — Stars On 45
10. Elvira — The Oak Ridge Boys

1982 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Caught Up In You — 38 Special
7. Eye Of The Tiger — Survivor
8. Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me — Juice Newton
9. Let It Whip — The Dazz Band
10. Always On My Mind — Willie Nelson

1983 — Songs #10 to #6

6. She's A Beauty — The Tubes
7. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' — Michael Jackson
8. Family Man — Daryl Hall & John Oates
9. Too Shy — Kajagoogoo
10. Don't Let It End — Styx

1984 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Legs — ZZ Top
7. The Heart Of Rock 'N Roll — Huey Lewis & The News
8. Almost Paradise — Mike Reno & Ann Wilson
9. Time After Time — Cyndi Lauper
10. Eyes Without A Face — Billy Idol

1985 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Angel — Madonna
7. Voices Carry — Til Tuesday
8. Everytime You Go Away — Paul Young
9. You Give Good Love — Whitney Houston
10. Would I Lie To You? — Eurythmics

1986 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Danger Zone — Kenny Loggins
7. Sledgehammer — Peter Gabriel
8. On My Own — Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
9. Crush On You — The Jets
10. Invisible Touch — Genesis

1987 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Something Special — Steven Curtis Chapman
7. Luka — Suzanne Vega
8. Heart And Soul — T'Pau
9. In Too Deep — Genesis
10. I Want Your Sex — George Michael

1988 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Hand To Hold On To — George Michael
7. The Valley Road — Bruce Hornsby & The Range
8. Foolish Beat — Debbie Gibson
9. New Sensation — INXS
10. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp

1989 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Express Yourself — Madonna
7. Soldier Of Love — Donny Osmond
8. This Time I Know It's For Real — Donna Summer
9. Every Little Step — Bobby Brown
10. Patience — Guns N' Roses

🎵 Full Top 10 — All 100 Songs with Links

Every song. Every year. Click to listen and watch.

1980

1. 🏆 Coming Up — Paul McCartney
2. Funkytown — Lipps Inc.
3. The Rose — Bette Midler
4. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me — Billy Joel
5. Little Jeannie — Elton John
6. Against The Wind — Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
7. Steal Away — Robbie Dupree
8. Cupid/I've Loved You For A Long Time — Spinners
9. Biggest Part Of Me — Ambrosia
10. Let's Get Serious — Jermaine Jackson

1981

1. 🏆 Bette Davis Eyes — Kim Carnes
2. All Those Years Ago — George Harrison
3. The One That You Love — Air Supply
4. Jessie's Girl — Rick Springfield
5. You Make My Dreams — Daryl Hall & John Oates
6. Elvira — The Oak Ridge Boys
7. Medley — Stars On 45
8. A Woman Needs Love (Just Like You Do) — Ray Parker Jr., Raydio
9. Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
10. I Don't Need You — Kenny Rogers

1982

1. 🏆 Don't You Want Me — The Human League
2. Rosanna — Toto
3. Ebony And Ivory — Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder
4. Heat Of The Moment — Asia
5. Hurts So Good — John Cougar
6. Always On My Mind — Willie Nelson
7. Let It Whip — The Dazz Band
8. Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me — Juice Newton
9. Eye Of The Tiger — Survivor
10. Caught Up In You — 38 Special

1983

1. 🏆 Flashdance...What A Feeling — Irene Cara
2. Electric Avenue — Eddy Grant
3. Every Breath You Take — The Police
4. Time (Clock Of the Heart) — Culture Club
5. Never Gonna Let You Go — Sergio Mendes (with Joe Pizzulo & Leza Miller)
6. Don't Let It End — Styx
7. Too Shy — Kajagoogoo
8. Family Man — Daryl Hall & John Oates
9. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' — Michael Jackson
10. She's A Beauty — The Tubes

1984

1. 🏆 When Doves Cry — Prince
2. Dancing In The Dark — Bruce Springsteen
3. Jump (For My Love) — The Pointer Sisters
4. Self Control — Laura Branigan
5. The Reflex — Duran Duran
6. Eyes Without A Face — Billy Idol
7. Time After Time — Cyndi Lauper
8. Almost Paradise — Mike Reno & Ann Wilson
9. The Heart Of Rock 'N Roll — Huey Lewis & The News
10. Legs — ZZ Top

1985

1. 🏆 Sussudio — Phil Collins
2. A View To A Kill — Duran Duran
3. Raspberry Beret — Prince & The Revolution
4. Heaven — Bryan Adams
5. The Search Is Over — Survivor
6. Would I Lie To You? — Eurythmics
7. You Give Good Love — Whitney Houston
8. Everytime You Go Away — Paul Young
9. Voices Carry — Til Tuesday
10. Angel — Madonna

1986

1. 🏆 There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) — Billy Ocean
2. Holding Back The Years — Simply Red
3. Who's Johnny — El DeBarge
4. No One Is To Blame — Howard Jones
5. Nasty — Janet Jackson
6. Invisible Touch — Genesis
7. Crush On You — The Jets
8. On My Own — Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
9. Sledgehammer — Peter Gabriel
10. Danger Zone — Kenny Loggins

1987

1. 🏆 I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) — Whitney Houston
2. Alone — Heart
3. Shakedown — Bob Seger
4. Living In A Box — Living In A Box
5. Point Of No Return — Exposé
6. I Want Your Sex — George Michael
7. In Too Deep — Genesis
8. Heart And Soul — T'Pau
9. Luka — Suzanne Vega
10. Something Special — Steven Curtis Chapman

1988

1. 🏆 Dirty Diana — Michael Jackson
2. The Flame — Cheap Trick
3. Mercedes Boy — Pebbles
4. Nothin' But A Good Time — Poison
5. Make Me Lose Control — Eric Carmen
6. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp
7. New Sensation — INXS
8. Foolish Beat — Debbie Gibson
9. The Valley Road — Bruce Hornsby & The Range
10. Hand To Hold On To — George Michael

1989

1. 🏆 Good Thing — Fine Young Cannibals
2. Satisfied — Richard Marx
3. Buffalo Stance — Neneh Cherry
4. Baby Don't Forget My Number — Milli Vanilli
5. I'll Be There For You — Bon Jovi
6. Patience — Guns N' Roses
7. Every Little Step — Bobby Brown
8. This Time I Know It's For Real — Donna Summer
9. Soldier Of Love — Donny Osmond
10. Express Yourself — Madonna

🎬 Box Office #1 This Week

The biggest movie in America during this week, for each year of the decade.

📺 Primetime TV Spotlight

What America was watching in primetime this week across the decade.

Where to Watch 📺 Primetime TV Spotlight →

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