This Week in the 80s: September 1–7

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 September 1-7 across 1980 through 1989. Buckle up.

During the Decade of Decadence, this week ran from September 1 to 10. 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

• September 1: Chun Doo Hwan inaugurated as President of South Korea.
• September 1: Terry Fox ends his Marathon of Hope due to cancer.
• September 5: Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) founded.
• September 5: Gotthard Road Tunnel opens in Switzerland.
• September 6: Edward Gierek removed from office as leader of Poland.
• September 7: Hua Guofeng resigns as Premier of China.
• September 7: John McEnroe defeats Björn Borg in the U.S. Open tennis final.

1981

• September 1: Typhoon Agnes strikes South Korea.
• September 1: David Dacko resigns as President of the Central African Republic.
• September 3: UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) goes into effect.
• September 3: Egyptian President Anwar Sadat orders mass arrests of Islamist activists.
• September 4: USDA proposes classifying ketchup and pickle relish as vegetables for school lunches (later withdrawn).
• September 4: Mine explosion in Czechoslovakia kills 65.
• September 4: French ambassador to Lebanon, Louis Delamare, assassinated.
• September 4: Los Angeles experiences a 5.8 magnitude earthquake.
• September 5: Pope Shenuda III of the Coptic Christian Church of Egypt deposed by President Anwar Sadat.
• September 7: The People's Court debuts on syndicated television.
• September 7: Malaysian government takes over British-owned Guthrie Group Ltd.

1982

• September 1: The United States Air Force Space Command is established.
• September 2: The Israeli army surrounds West Beirut.
• September 3: The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) completes its withdrawal from Beirut.
• September 4: The first annual MTV Video Music Awards are held.
• September 5: The Solidarity trade union in Poland calls for a nationwide strike.
• September 6: The Israeli cabinet approves the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Beirut.
• September 7: The United States and Israel sign a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation.

1983

• September 1: Korean Air Lines Flight 007 shot down by Soviet interceptor, killing all 269 on board.
• September 2: The United States announces sanctions against the Soviet Union in response to the downing of KAL 007.
• September 3: The Soviet Union admits shooting down KAL 007, claiming it was on a spy mission.
• September 4: The first episode of the popular children's animated series "Inspector Gadget" airs.
• September 5: The United States begins broadcasting anti-Soviet propaganda to the Soviet Union.
• September 6: The Soviet Union vetoes a UN Security Council resolution condemning the downing of KAL 007.
• September 7: The United States announces it will provide military aid to South Korea.

1984

• September 1: The first episode of the popular animated series "The Transformers" airs.
• September 2: The first episode of the popular animated series "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" airs.
• September 3: The first episode of the popular animated series "Muppet Babies" airs.
• September 4: The first episode of the popular animated series "Challenge of the GoBots" airs.
• September 5: The first episode of the popular animated series "Heathcliff and the Catillac Cats" airs.
• September 6: The first episode of the popular animated series "Pink Panther and Sons" airs.
• September 7: The first episode of the popular animated series "Pole Position" airs.

1985

• September 1: The wreck of the RMS Titanic is discovered by a joint French-American expedition.
• September 2: Hurricane Elena makes landfall in Mississippi, causing widespread damage.
• September 3: The first episode of the popular animated series "Jem and the Holograms" airs.
• September 4: The first episode of the popular animated series "ThunderCats" airs.
• September 5: The first episode of the popular animated series "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" airs.
• September 6: The first episode of the popular animated series "The Care Bears Family" airs.
• September 7: The first episode of the popular animated series "The Wuzzles" airs.

1986

• September 1: Jordan University of Science and Technology is established.
• September 5: Pan Am Flight 73 is hijacked in Karachi, Pakistan, by four Abu Nidal terrorists.
• September 6: The Big Mac Index is introduced in The Economist.
• September 6: Two Abu Nidal terrorists kill 22 and wound 6 inside the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, Turkey.
• September 7: Bishop Desmond Tutu becomes Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa.

1987

• September 1: Smoking is forbidden in public buildings in Belgium.
• September 1: Honda announces plans to build a second U.S. assembly plant.
• September 2: Trial begins in Moscow for Mathias Rust, who flew his Cessna into Red Square.
• September 3: President Jean-Baptiste Bagaza of Burundi is deposed by Major Pierre Buyoya in a coup d'état.
• September 4: An 18-year-old widow, Roop Kanwar, is burned alive on her husband's funeral pyre in Rajasthan, India, in a banned practice known as Sati.
• September 7: Erich Honecker makes the first visit by an East German head of state to West Germany.

1988

• September 1: Luis Walter Alvarez, American experimental physicist and Nobel laureate, dies.
• September 5: The United States and Canada sign the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.
• September 7: Two nuclear-missile rockets are destroyed in Karnack, Texas, at an army ammunition plant.

1989

• September 1: Braniff Incorporated files for bankruptcy for the second time.
• September 6: The 1989 South African general election, the last held under the apartheid system, returns the National Party to power with a much-reduced majority.
• September 7: Representatives of the government of Ethiopia and Eritrean separatists meet in Atlanta, with former U.S. President Jimmy Carter attempting to broker a peace settlement.

🎵 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. Could I Have This Dance — Anne Murray
7. Drivin' My Life Away — Eddie Rabbitt
8. Give Me the Night — George Benson
9. All Out of Love — Air Supply
10. Late in the Evening — Paul Simon

1981 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Urgent — Foreigner
7. Slow Hand — The Pointer Sisters
8. The Beach Boys Medley — The Beach Boys
9. Theme from 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
10. Lady (You Bring Me Up) — Commodores

1982 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Wasted on the Way — Crosby, Stills & Nash
7. Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) — Donna Summer
8. You Should Hear How She Talks About You — Melissa Manchester
9. Who Can It Be Now? — Men at Work
10. Hold Me — Fleetwood Mac

1983 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Making Love Out of Nothing at All — Air Supply
7. Human Nature — Michael Jackson
8. China Girl — David Bowie
9. Puttin' on the Ritz — Taco
10. Stand Back — Stevie Nicks

1984 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Drive — The Cars
7. Let's Go Crazy — Prince and The Revolution
8. If This Is It — Huey Lewis and the News
9. The Glamorous Life — Sheila E.
10. I Just Called to Say I Love You — Stevie Wonder

1985 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Pop Life — Prince and The Revolution
7. Shout — Tears for Fears
8. Summer of '69 — Bryan Adams
9. Freeway of Love — Aretha Franklin
10. Cherish — Kool & the Gang

1986 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Sweet Freedom — Michael McDonald
7. Throwing It All Away — Genesis
8. Walk This Way — Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith
9. Stuck with You — Huey Lewis and the News
10. Glory of Love — Peter Cetera

1987 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Can't We Try — Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard
7. Don't Mean Nothing — Richard Marx
8. Only in My Dreams — Debbie Gibson
9. Heart and Soul — T'Pau
10. I Want Your Sex — George Michael

1988 — Songs #10 to #6

6. If It Isn't Love — New Edition
7. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp
8. The Flame — Cheap Trick
9. Hands to Heaven — Breathe
10. I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love — Chicago

1989 — Songs #10 to #6

6. Cold Hearted — Paula Abdul
7. Hangin' Tough — New Kids On The Block
8. 18 And Life — Skid Row
9. Shower Me With Your Love — Surface
10. Angel Eyes — The Jeff Healey Band

🎵 Full Top 10 — All 100 Songs with Links

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

1980

1. 🏆 Magic — Olivia Newton-John
2. Upside Down — Diana Ross
3. Sailing — Christopher Cross
4. Emotional Rescue — The Rolling Stones
5. Fame — Irene Cara
6. Late in the Evening — Paul Simon
7. All Out of Love — Air Supply
8. Give Me the Night — George Benson
9. Drivin' My Life Away — Eddie Rabbitt
10. Could I Have This Dance — Anne Murray

1981

1. 🏆 Endless Love — Diana Ross & Lionel Richie
2. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around — Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3. Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) — Christopher Cross
4. Who's Crying Now — Journey
5. Jessie's Girl — Rick Springfield
6. Lady (You Bring Me Up) — Commodores
7. Theme from 'Greatest American Hero' (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
8. The Beach Boys Medley — The Beach Boys
9. Slow Hand — The Pointer Sisters
10. Urgent — Foreigner

1982

1. 🏆 Abracadabra — Steve Miller Band
2. Eye of the Tiger — Survivor
3. Hard to Say I'm Sorry — Chicago
4. Even the Nights Are Better — Air Supply
5. Hurts So Good — John Cougar
6. Hold Me — Fleetwood Mac
7. Who Can It Be Now? — Men at Work
8. You Should Hear How She Talks About You — Melissa Manchester
9. Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger) — Donna Summer
10. Wasted on the Way — Crosby, Stills & Nash

1983

1. 🏆 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Eurythmics
2. Every Breath You Take — The Police
3. Maniac — Michael Sembello
4. Tell Her About It — Billy Joel
5. She Works Hard for the Money — Donna Summer
6. Stand Back — Stevie Nicks
7. Puttin' on the Ritz — Taco
8. China Girl — David Bowie
9. Human Nature — Michael Jackson
10. Making Love Out of Nothing at All — Air Supply

1984

1. 🏆 What's Love Got to Do with It — Tina Turner
2. Ghostbusters — Ray Parker Jr.
3. Missing You — John Waite
4. Stuck on You — Lionel Richie
5. She Bop — Cyndi Lauper
6. I Just Called to Say I Love You — Stevie Wonder
7. The Glamorous Life — Sheila E.
8. If This Is It — Huey Lewis and the News
9. Let's Go Crazy — Prince and The Revolution
10. Drive — The Cars

1985

1. 🏆 St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion) — John Parr
2. Money for Nothing — Dire Straits
3. Power of Love — Huey Lewis and the News
4. We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) — Tina Turner
5. Don't Lose My Number — Phil Collins
6. Cherish — Kool & the Gang
7. Freeway of Love — Aretha Franklin
8. Summer of '69 — Bryan Adams
9. Shout — Tears for Fears
10. Pop Life — Prince and The Revolution

1986

1. 🏆 Higher Love — Steve Winwood
2. Venus — Bananarama
3. Take My Breath Away — Berlin
4. Sledgehammer — Peter Gabriel
5. Papa Don't Preach — Madonna
6. Glory of Love — Peter Cetera
7. Stuck with You — Huey Lewis and the News
8. Walk This Way — Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith
9. Throwing It All Away — Genesis
10. Sweet Freedom — Michael McDonald

1987

1. 🏆 La Bamba — Los Lobos
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For — U2
3. Who's That Girl — Madonna
4. Didn't We Almost Have It All — Whitney Houston
5. Luka — Suzanne Vega
6. I Want Your Sex — George Michael
7. Heart and Soul — T'Pau
8. Only in My Dreams — Debbie Gibson
9. Don't Mean Nothing — Richard Marx
10. Can't We Try — Dan Hill and Vonda Shepard

1988

1. 🏆 Monkey — George Michael
2. Sweet Child o' Mine — Guns N' Roses
3. Simply Irresistible — Robert Palmer
4. Perfect World — Huey Lewis and the News
5. Roll with It — Steve Winwood
6. I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love — Chicago
7. Hands to Heaven — Breathe
8. The Flame — Cheap Trick
9. Just Got Paid — Johnny Kemp
10. If It Isn't Love — New Edition

1989

1. 🏆 Don't Wanna Lose You — Gloria Estefan
2. Heaven — Warrant
3. Keep On Movin' — Soul II Soul Featuring Carolyn Wheeler
4. Girl I'm Gonna Miss You — Milli Vanilli
5. If I Could Turn Back Time — Cher
6. Angel Eyes — The Jeff Healey Band
7. Shower Me With Your Love — Surface
8. 18 And Life — Skid Row
9. Hangin' Tough — New Kids On The Block
10. Cold Hearted — Paula Abdul

🎬 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.

1980 — Mr. And Mrs. . . And Mr. (CBS)

Comedy pilot. The late husband of a recently remarried woman turns up at her new home very much alive.

📺 Where to Watch Mr. And Mrs. . . And Mr. →

1981 — Universe (CBS)

A science documentary series exploring various aspects of the cosmos and scientific discoveries.

📺 Where to Watch Universe →

1982 — CBS News Special: Guatemala (CBS)

A report on the civil war in Central America"s richest nation, and why the United States can no longer ignore it.

📺 Where to Watch CBS News Special: Guatemala →

1983 — The A-Team (NBC)

The second season of The A-Team premiered in September 1983. The show continued its popular format of a group of ex-Special Forces soldiers working as mercenaries for good, helping people in need while on the run from the military.

📺 Where to Watch The A-Team →

1984 — Call to Glory (ABC)

The series follows the lives of a U.S. Air Force pilot and his family during the early 1960s, set against the backdrop of the Cold War and the burgeoning space race. The show premiered in August 1984, so new episodes would have been airing in early September.

📺 Where to Watch Call to Glory →

1985 — MacGyver (ABC)

MacGyver premiered in the fall of 1985. The series follows secret agent Angus MacGyver, who works as a problem solver for the Phoenix Foundation in Los Angeles and as an agent for the Department of External Services (DXS).

📺 Where to Watch MacGyver →

1986 — Our House (NBC)

Our House premiered in September 1986. The series follows the life of a widowed mother and her three children who move in with her late husband"s estranged father, a stern but loving patriarch.

📺 Where to Watch Our House →

1987 — Full House (ABC)

Full House premiered on September 22, 1987. The series follows a widowed father who enlists his brother-in-law and best friend to help raise his three daughters in San Francisco.

📺 Where to Watch Full House →

1988 — The Cosby Show (NBC)

Due to the 1988 Writers Guild of America strike, many new and returning series premieres were delayed. The Cosby Show, a highly popular sitcom, would have been airing reruns or special programming during this week, with its new season likely starting later in the fall.

📺 Where to Watch The Cosby Show →

1989 — Life Goes On (ABC)

Life Goes On premiered in the fall of 1989 as a new series on ABC. It was a drama that focused on the Thatcher family, particularly their son Corky, who has Down syndrome, and his experiences navigating high school and life.

📺 Where to Watch Life Goes On →

📺 Commercial Spotlight: Wendy's (1984)

The iconic 'Where's the Beef?' commercial for Wendy's featured three elderly women examining a competitor's hamburger bun, with one exclaiming the famous catchphrase. It became a pop culture phenomenon, highlighting Wendy's larger patties.

▶ Watch the commercial on YouTube

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