1984

Most of the things you're aware of came from the year 1984...

═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════ 1984: HITS, CULTS & POP CULTURE ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

▶ MOVIES — HITS ───────────────── • Ghostbusters • Beverly Hills Cop • Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom • Gremlins • The Karate Kid • Footloose • Splash • Police Academy • Romancing the Stone • Star Trek III • Amadeus (Oscar BP) • The NeverEnding Story • Red Dawn

▶ MOVIES — CULT CLASSICS ───────────────────────── • The Terminator • A Nightmare on Elm St. • This Is Spinal Tap • Repo Man • Sixteen Candles • Dune (Lynch) • The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai • Once Upon a Time in America • Paris, Texas • Blood Simple • Stranger Than Paradise • Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind

▶ MUSIC — ICONIC ALBUMS ──────────────────────── • Purple Rain – Prince (soundtrack) • Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen • Like a Virgin – Madonna • 1984 – Van Halen • The Smiths – The Smiths • The Unforgettable Fire – U2 • Ride the Lightning – Metallica • Powerslave – Iron Maiden • Defenders of the Faith – Judas Priest • Ocean Rain – Echo & the Bunnymen • The Top – The Cure • Double Nickels on the Dime – Minutemen • Zen Arcade – Hüsker Dü

▶ MUSIC — HIT SINGLES ────────────────────── • "When Doves Cry" – Prince • "What's Love Got to Do with It" – Tina Turner • "Ghostbusters" – Ray Parker Jr. • "Footloose" – Kenny Loggins • "Jump" – Van Halen • "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" – Wham! • "Careless Whisper" – George Michael • "Hello" – Lionel Richie • "Against All Odds" – Phil Collins • "The Reflex" – Duran Duran • "99 Luftballons" – Nena • "Relax" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood • "Two Tribes" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood • "Blue Jean" – David Bowie

▶ TV & POP CULTURE PHENOMENA ───────────────────────────── • Apple Macintosh launched (1984 Super Bowl ad) • George Orwell's "1984" hysteria • MTV becomes a cultural juggernaut • The Cosby Show debuts (Sept) • Miami Vice debuts (Sept) – style revolution • Night Court debuts • The Transformers & Voltron animated series • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic \#1 (Mirage) • "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid • Los Angeles Summer Olympics (Carl Lewis, Mary Lou Retton) • Ronald Reagan re-elected (49-state landslide) • Rubik's Cube mania peaks • Tetris created (though still in USSR) • The Terminator's "I'll be back" enters lexicon • Madonna's "Like a Virgin" VMA performance • Michael Jackson's hair catches fire (Pepsi commercial) • Ghostbusters theme becomes a novelty hit • "Where's the beef?" (Wendy's ad campaign) ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════