1985: Top Songs, Movies, TV Shows, Sporting Events, World Events And More
Well, we made it! Through the 60’s, the 70’s and now it’s time to party! The decade started out with the U.S. defeating the Russians in hockey for the first time ever for Gold at the Olympics in Lake Placid NY. It was the decade that this thing called a ‘computer’ would begin to find its way into homes, music television would show you the music, cable and satellite TV would begin to find their way into people’s homes. Video games would become more or a regular thing in our homes, cell phones as big as bricks entered our lives, wireless telephones would find their way into our lives and push-button phones began to replace the rotary phone. The space shuttle program implemented by former President Richard Nixon became a reality, the 1985 Super Bowl champs, the Chicago Bears were the most interesting sports characters of the decade and had their own video to prove it. It was a decade of celebs coming together for good causes with U.S.A For Africa’s “We Are The World”, Band-Aid’s “Do They Know Its Christmas”, Farm-Aid and more.
Check out everything that was from this decade, year by year – from the sporting events to world events, the top TV shows, songs, movies and more.
As you’re going back in time, think about some of the things in our lives today that you don’t see appearing here because…. they didn’t exist yet. Things like the top selling computers, tablets, laptops, microwaves, cable provider, wireless company and more.
Let us know some of the things that come to mind below.
For more great memories from any of the years The Beat’s music focuses on, click a year below and we’ll transport you back in time to see everything you may remember or have forgotten.
TOP SONGS
1. Careless Whisper » Wham!
2. Like A Virgin » Madonna
3. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go » Wham!
4. I Want To Know What Love Is » Foreigner
5. I Feel For You » Chaka Khan
6. Out Of Touch » Daryl Hall & John Oates
7. Everybody Wants To Rule The World » Tears For Fears
8. Money For Nothing » Dire Straits
9. Crazy For You » Madonna
10. Take On Me » A-Ha
GRAMMY WINNERS
Album of the Year: No Jacket Required, Phil Collins
Best New Artist: Sade
Best Pop Duo or Group: “We Are the World,” USA for Africa
Best Pop Female Vocal: “Saving All My Love for You,” Whitney Houston
Best Pop Male Vocal: No Jacket Required, Phil Collins
Best Rock Duo or Group: “Money for Nothing,” Dire Straits
Best Rock Female Vocal: “One of the Living,” Tina Turner
Best Rock Male Vocal: “The Boys of Summer,” Don Henley
Record of the Year: “We Are the World,” USA for Africa
Song of the Year: “We Are the World,” Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie
TOP MOVIES
1 Back to the Future Uni. $210,609,762
2 Rambo: First Blood Part II TriS $150,415,432
3 Rocky IV UA $127,873,716
4 The Color Purple WB $94,175,854
5 Out of Africa Uni. $87,071,205
6 Cocoon Fox $76,113,124
7 The Jewel of the Nile Fox $75,973,200
8 Witness Par. $68,706,993
9 The Goonies WB $61,389,680
10 Spies Like Us WB $60,088,980
ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS
Winners in CAPS
Best Picture:
“OUT OF AFRICA”, “The Color Purple”, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, “Prizzi’s Honor”, “Witness”
Actor:
WILLIAM HURT in “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, Harrison Ford in “Witness”, James Garner in “Murphy’s Romance”, Jack Nicholson in “Prizzi’s Honor”, Jon Voight in “Runaway Train”
Actress:
GERALDINE PAGE in “The Trip to Bountiful”, Anne Bancroft in “Agnes of God”, Whoopi Goldberg in “The Color Purple”, Jessica Lange in “Sweet Dreams”, Meryl Streep in “Out of Africa”
Supporting Actor:
DON AMECHE in “Cocoon”, Klaus Maria Brandauer in “Out of Africa”, William Hickey in “Prizzi’s Honor”, Robert Loggia in “Jagged Edge”, Eric Roberts in “Runaway Train”
Supporting Actress:
ANJELICA HUSTON in “Prizzi’s Honor”, Margaret Avery in “The Color Purple”, Amy Madigan in “Twice in a Lifetime”, Meg Tilly in “Agnes of God”, Oprah Winfrey in “The Color Purple”
Director:
SYDNEY POLLACK for “Out of Africa”, Hecter Babenco for “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, John Huston for “Prizzi’s Honor”, Akira Kurosawa for “Ran”, Peter Weir for “Witness”
TV SHOWS
The Cosby Show / Family Ties / Murder She Wrote / 60 Minutes / Cheers / Dallas
Dynasty / The Golden Girls / Miami Vice / Who’s the Boss?
EMMY AWARD WINNERS
Best Drama – Cagney and Lacey
Best Actor – William Daniels, St. Elsewhere
Best Actress – Sharon Gless, Cagney and Lacey
Supporting Actor – John Karlen, Cagney and Lacey
Supporting Actress – Bonnie Bartlett, St. Elsewhere
Best Comedy – The Golden Girls
Best Actor – Michael J. Fox, Family Ties
Best Actress – Betty White, The Golden Girls
Supporting Actor – Rhea Perlman, Cheers
Supporting Actress – John Larroquette, Night Court
Best Variety – The Kennedy Center Honors
SPORTS
Kentucky Derby Winner: Spend a Buck – Trainer: C. Gambolati – Jockey: A. Cordero Jr.
Football: Chicago Bears 46 New England Patriots 10
Pro MVP: Marcus Allen, LA Raiders, RB & Walter Payton, Chicago, RB
College Football: #1 Oklahoma
Heisman Trophy: Bo Jackson, Auburn, RB
Rose Bowl: UCLA 45, Iowa 28
Orange Bowl: Oklahoma 25, Penn St. 10
Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M 36, Auburn 16
Sugar Bowl: Tennessee 35, Miami-FL 7
Baskteball:
NBA Championship: Boston Celtics Vs. L.A. Lakers
Winner: L.A. in 6
L.A.Coach: Pat Riley
Boston Coach: K.C. Jones
MVP: Larry Bird, Boston, F Average Points Per Game, 28.7
NCAA Champions: Villanova 25W -10L, Coach: Rollie Massimino
World Series
Kansas City Royals Vs. St. Louis Cardinals
Winner: Kansas City in 7
Kansas City Coach: Dick Howser
St. Louis Coach: Whitey Herzog
National League
MVP: Willie McGee, St. Louis (OF)
Rookie of the Year: Vince Coleman, St. Louis. (OF)
American League
MVP: Don Mattingly, NY (1B)
Rookie of the Year: Ozzie Guillen, Chi White Sox (SS)
TOP NEWS STORIES
Reagan Asks Renewed Aid To Contra “Freedom Fighters”
Soviet Leader Chernenko, 73 dies, Mikhail Gorbachev, 54 Takes Over
Reagan Says US Will Abide By Unratified SALT II Agreement
Earthquake Hits Mexico, 10,000 Die
Treaty With Great Britain Gives Ireland Role In North Ireland
Reagan Signs Gram-Rudman Bill Mandating Budget Control
20 Are Killed In Arab Terrorist Attacks At Vienna And Rome Airports
Ex-Navyman John Walker, son , and brother are arrested for espionage
Prime rate drops to 10%, Dow tops 1300 for first time
Palestinian Terrorists Seize “Achille Lauro” Cruise Ship, Kill Leon Klinghoffer In Wheelchair
US Air Force intercepts “Lauro” hijackers over Mediterranean
Columbia volcano erupts, 25,000 are killed
Died, Rock Hudson, Phil silvers, Orson Wells
Sylvester Stalone makes “Rambo” movies popular
Pete Rose breaks Ty Cobb’s record with his 4,192nd hit
Barbie Dolls surpass in number, the American population
New words, (takeover jargon) white knight, golden parachute, poison pill, junk bonds
The “Live Aid” concert in Philadelphia and London is viewed by 1.6 billion on TV
After 99 years, Coca-Cola markets “New Coke”, three months later after consumer objection it reinstates Coca-Cola Classic.
Wendy’s Hamburgers fires Clara Peller, 84 (Where’s the beef?) after her Prego spaghetti sauce ad (I finally found it)
Salad bars and taking calcium to prevent osteoporosis are in.
Photos of missing children are put on milk cartons for the first time.
Wrestlemania is introduced
Reports indicate the potential health hazards of food additives such as artificial sweeteners, dyes, sulfites, and caffeine.
Rock Hudson acknowledges his battle with AIDS.
Barbie dolls sold surpass in number the American population
A Nielson survey reports that children will have spent more time in front of the TV than in a classroom when they graduate High School.
Video cassette movie-rental income equals movie theater receipts
President: Ronald W. Reagan
Vice President: George Bush
Population: 237,923,795
Life expectancy: 74.7 years
Dow-Jones
High: 1,553
Low: 1,184
Federal spending: $946.39 billion
Federal debt: $1,817,500,000
Inflation: 3.6%
Consumer Price Index: 107.6
Unemployment: 7.5%
Cost of a new home: $100,800.00
Cost of a new car: $
Median Household Income: $23,618.00 (went to 22 cents in April)
Cost of a gallon of regular gas: $1.20
Cost of a dozen eggs: $0.80
Cost of a gallon of Milk: $2.26