This is a meander through the fabulous 80s; as seen though the eyes of an Australian Generation Xer.

Be it hereby known that this is NOT an exhaustive list of everything 80s (for that, try these sites), but my personal take on what was important or memorable from those years. It's a work in progress, as well. Basically, don't use this site for any school projects or any High Court challenges.

Notwithstanding; if there's a glaring omission, please forgive me, then email me here

On The Charts

• ASHES TO ASHES: David Bowie
• ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Queen
• CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC: Village People
• BAGGY TROUSERS: Madness
• I GOT YOU: Split Enz
• MAGIC: Olivia Newton-John
• FUNKYTOWN: Lipps, Inc.
• ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL: Pink Floyd
• COMING UP: Paul McCartney and Wings
• IT'S STILL ROCK AND ROLL TO ME: Billy Joel
• LOST IN LOVE: Air Supply
• LITTLE JEANNIE: Elton John
• RIDE LIKE THE WIND: Christopher Cross
• UPSIDE DOWN: Diana Ross
• PLEASE DON'T GO: K.C. and the Sunshine Band
• STEAL AWAY: Robbie Dupre
• SAILING: Christopher Cross
• POP MUZIK: M
• BRASS IN POCKET (I'm Special): The Pretenders
• TIRED OF TOEIN' THE LINE: Rocky Burnette
• EMOTIONAL RESCUE: The Rolling Stones
• COOL CHANGE: The Little River Band
• FAME: Irene Cara

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Flying High
• The Empire Strikes Back

In The Arcades

• Space Invaders
• Asteroids
• Centipede
• BattleZone
• Rally X
• Crazy Climber
• Pac Man

On The Box

• M*A*S*H
• The Dukes of Hazzard
  Just the good ol' boys, never meanin' no harm. Beats all you've ever saw, been in trouble with the law since the day they was born. Straight'nin' the curve, flat'nin' the hills. Someday the mountain might get 'em, but the law never will. Makin' their way, the only way they know how, that's just a little bit more than the law will allow. Just good ol' boys, wouldn't change if they could, fightin' the system like a true modern day Robin Hood.
• That's Incredible
• Eight Is Enough
• Happy Days
• Little House On The Prairie
• CHiPs
• Charlie's Angels

On The Charts

• BETTE DAVIS EYES Kim Carnes
• ENDLESS LOVE Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
• (Just Like) STARTING OVER John Lennon
• JESSIE'S GIRL Rick Springfield
• KISS ON MY LIST Daryl Hall and John Oates
• I LOVE A RAINY NIGHT Eddie Rabbitt
• 9 TO 5 Dolly Parton
• THE THEME FROM "GREATEST AMERICAN HERO" (Believe It Or Not) Joey Scarbury
• MORNING TRAIN (Nine To Five) Sheena Easton (or vice versa)
  It's probably timely to rattle off the track list of the biggest 'various artists' albums of the early 80s, at least in Australia: '1981... The Sound'

  • Counting The Beat / The Swingers
  • One Step Ahead / Split Enz
  • Baggy Trousers / Madness
  • Walls / Flowers (Icehouse)
  • Stop The Cavalry / Jona Lewie
  • Banana Republic / Boomtown Rats
  • I Want To Be Straight / Ian Dury & The Blockheads
  • Young Parisians / Adam & The Ants
  • Rock & Roll Ain't Noise Pollution / Acdc
  • 9 To 5 (Morning Train) / Sheena Easton
  • Girls Can Get It / Dr. Hook
  • Every Woman In The World / Air Supply
  • Angel Of The Morning / Juice Newton
  • Long Jumping Jeweller / Little River Band
  • Too Much Too Soon / John Farnham
  • Looking For Clues / Robert Palmer
  • Tunnel Of Love / Dire Straits
  • Spend The Night / Cheetah
• THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Abba
• HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT Pat Benatar
• DE DO DO DO, DE DA DA DA The Police
• STOP DRAGGIN' MY HEART AROUND Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• ARTHUR'S THEME (Best That You Can Do) Christopher Cross
• ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST Queen
• WHILE YOU SEE A CHANCE Steve Winwood
• ALL THOSE YEARS AGO George Harrison
• I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN Barry Manilow
• YOU'VE LOST THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' Daryl Hall and John Oates
• SUDDENLY Olivia Newton-John/Cliff Richard
• FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Sheena Easton
• THE BEACH BOYS MEDLEY The Beach Boys
• WHIP IT Devo

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Superman II

In The Arcades

• Frogger
• Galaga
• Donkey Kong

On The Box

• The Love Boat
• Private Benjamin
• The Greatest American Hero
• Magnum, P.I.
• Diff'rent Strokes

On The Charts:

• PHYSICAL Olivia Newton-John
• EYE OF THE TIGER Survivor
• CENTERFOLD The J. Geils Band
• DON'T YOU WANT ME The Human League
• JACK AND DIANE John Cougar (Mellencamp)
• HURTS SO GOOD John Cougar (Mellencamp)
• CHARIOTS OF FIRE - TITLES Vangelis
• ROSANNA Toto
• I CAN'T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do) Daryl Hall and John Oates
• WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU Foreigner
• WHO CAN IT BE NOW Men At Work
• EYE IN THE SKY The Alan Parsons Project
• PRIVATE EYES Daryl Hall and John Oates
• YOUNG TURKS Rod Stewart
• HOOKED ON CLASSICS The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Louis Clark
• BLUE EYES Elton John
• OUR LIPS ARE SEALED The Go-Go's
• I RAN (So Far Away) A Flock Of Seagulls
• TAKE IT AWAY Paul McCartney
• GLORIA Laura Branigan
• EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC The Police
• KIDS IN AMERICA Kim Wilde

In The News:

• West Indies beat Australia 3-1 to win World Series Cup (Cricket)

In The Flicks:

• E.T.
• Rocky 3

In The Arcades

• Dig Dug
• Joust
• Pengo

On The Box

• Joanie Loves Chachi
• Hart to Hart
  "This is my boss, Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire, he's quite a guy. This is Mrs H., she's gorgeous, she's one lady who knows how to take care of herself. By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them, which ain't easy, 'cause when they met it was MURDER!"

On The Charts

• EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE The Police
• BILLIE JEAN Michael Jackson
• FLASHDANCE...WHAT A FEELING Irene Cara
• DOWN UNDER Men At Work
• BEAT IT Michael Jackson
• TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HEART Bonnie Tyler
• MANEATER Daryl Hall and John Oates
• MANIAC Michael Sembello
• SWEET DREAMS (Are Made Of This) The Eurythmics
• DO YOU REALLY WANT TO HURT ME Culture Club
• COME ON EILEEN Dexy's Midnight Runners
• HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF Duran Duran
• LET'S DANCE David Bowie
• ELECTRIC AVENUE Eddy Grant
• SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE Thomas Dolby
• AFRICA Toto
• LITTLE RED CORVETTE Prince
• DER KOMMISAR After The Fire
• PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ Taco
• THE SAFETY DANCE Men Without Hats
• MICKEY Toni Basil
• YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE Phil Collins
• 1999 Prince
• ALLENTOWN Billy Joel
• ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME Naked Eyes
• ROCK THE CASBAH The Clash
• OUR HOUSE Madness
• I'M STILL STANDING Elton John
• STEPPIN' OUT Joe Jackson
• WHAT ABOUT ME Moving Pictures
• PASS THE DUTCHIE Musical Youth
• TRUE Spandau Ballet

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Return of the Jedi
• Superman 3
• WarGames

In The Arcades

• Krull
• Mario Brothers
• Star Wars

On The Box

• Simon & Simon
• The A-Team
  Ten years ago a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem and no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A-team.
• Newhart

On The Charts

• FOOTLOOSE Kenny Loggins
• JUMP Van Halen
• OWNER OF A LONELY HEART Yes
• GHOSTBUSTERS Ray Parker Jr.
• KARMA CHAMELEON Culture Club
• LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY Denise Williams
• GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN Cyndi Lauper
• THE REFLEX Duran Duran
• TIME AFTER TIME Cyndi Lauper
• 99 LUFTBALLONS Nena
• SHE BOP Cyndi Lauper
• BORDERLINE Madonna
• SUNGLASSES AT NIGHT Corey Hart
• EYES WITHOUT A FACE Billy Idol
• HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN The Eurythmics
• UPTOWN GIRL Billy Joel
• CARIBBEAN QUEEN (No More Love On the Run) Billy Ocean
• I WANT A NEW DRUG Huey Lewis and the News
• LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD Pat Benatar
• AN INNOCENT MAN Billy Joel
• DANCE HALL DAYS Wang Chung
• THRILLER Michael Jackson
• HEAD OVER HEELS The Go-Go's

In The News:

• Michael Jackson is burned during filming for Pepsi commercial

In The Flicks:

• Beverly Hills Cop
• Ghostbusters
• Gremlins
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

In The Arcades

• 1942
• Hypersports
• Pac-Land
• Punch-Out

On The Box

• Cagney & Lacey
• AfterMASH

On The Charts

• LIKE A VIRGIN Madonna
• WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO Wham!
• I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS Foreigner
• EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD Tears For Fears
• MONEY FOR NOTHING Dire Straits
• TAKE ON ME A-Ha
  From The First Album I ever bought: Hunting High and Low
• WE BUILT THIS CITY Starship
• THE POWER OF LOVE Huey Lewis and the News
• ST. ELMO'S FIRE (Man In Motion) John Parr
• THE HEAT IS ON Glenn Frey
• WE ARE THE WORLD USA For Africa
• SHOUT Tears For Fears
• MIAMI VICE THEME Jan Hammer
• THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER Howard Jones
• SUSSUDIO Phil Collins
  What the heck does 'Sussudio' mean? Apparrently Phil made the word up.
• ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK Murray Head
• WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER HERO (Thunderdome)
• MATERIAL GIRL Madonna
• HEAD OVER HEELS Tears For Fears
• AXEL F Harold Faltermeyer
• DON'T LOSE MY NUMBER Phil Collins
• WOULD I LIE TO YOU The Eurythmics
• SUMMER OF '69
• WALKING ON SUNSHINE Katrina and the Waves
• SOME LIKE IT HOT The Power Station
• I'M ON FIRE Bruce Springsteen
• CALIFORNIA GIRLS David Lee Roth
• BORN IN THE U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Back to the Future
• Rambo: First Blood, Part 2
• Rocky 4

In The Arcades

• Gauntlet
• Ghosts and Goblins

On The Box

• The Cosby Show
• Family Ties
• Murder, She Wrote
• Highway to Heaven
• Night Court

On The Charts

• BROKEN WINGS Mr. Mister
• KYRIE Mr. Mister
• ADDICTED TO LOVE Robert Palmer
• WEST END GIRLS The Pet Shop Boys
• HIGHER LOVE Steve Winwood
• SLEDGEHAMMER Peter Gabriel
• PAPA DON'T PREACH Madonna
• WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING Billy Ocean
• VENUS Bananarama
• DANCING ON THE CEILING Lionel Richie
• TRUE COLORS Cyndi Lauper
• DANGER ZONE Kenny Loggins
• NO ONE IS TO BLAME Howard Jones
• MANIC MONDAY The Bangles
• WALK OF LIFE Dire Straits
• INVISIBLE TOUCH Genesis
• WHAT YOU NEED INXS
• R.O.C.K. IN THE U.S.A. (A Salute To 60's Rock) John Cougar Mellencamp
• SILENT RUNNING (On Dangerous Ground) Mike + the Mechanics
• ALL I NEED IS A MIRACLE Mike + the Mechanics
• LIFE IN A NORTHERN TOWN The Dream Academy
• TONIGHT SHE COMES The Cars
• WALK THIS WAY Run-D.M.C.
  

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Crocodile Dundee
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home
• Top Gun

In The Arcades

• Double Dragon
• Bubble Bobble

On The Box

• Cheers
• The Golden Girls
• Miami Vice
• Who's The Boss?
• Growing Pains

On The Charts

• WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN The Bangles
• I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (Who Loves Me) Whitney Houston
• NOTHING'S GONNA STOP US NOW Starship
• THE WAY IT IS Bruce Hornsby and the Range
• LIVIN' ON A PRAYER Bon Jovi
• DON'T DREAM IT'S OVER Crowded House
• WITH OR WITHOUT YOU U2
• I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR U2
• I WANT YOUR SEX George Michael
• LEAN ON ME Club Nouveau
• TOUCH ME (I Want Your Body) Samantha Fox
• HIP TO BE SQUARE Huey Lewis and the News
• LUKA Suzanne Vega
• BAD Michael Jackson
• MANDOLIN RAIN Bruce Hornsby and the Range
• BIG TIME Peter Gabriel
• SOMETHING SO STRONG Crowded House

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Good Morning, Vietnam
• Lethal Weapon
• Three Men and a Baby

In The Arcades:

• Tetris

On The Box:

• 'The Simpsons' is first shown as a half-hour show
• Moonlighting

On The Charts

• FAITH George Michael
• NEED YOU TONIGHT INXS
• NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP Rick Astley
• HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH Belinda Carlisle
• THE FLAME Cheap Trick
• GET OUTTA MY DREAMS, GET INTO MY CAR Billy Ocean
• WILD, WILD WEST The Escape Club
• SIMPLY IRRESISTABLE Robert Palmer
• SHATTERED DREAMS Johnny Hates Jazz
• HAZY SHADE OF WINTER The Bangles
• DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY Bobby McFerrin
• RED RED WINE UB40
• KOKOMO The Beach Boys
• THE LOCO-MOTION Kylie Minogue
• DESIRE U2
• PERFECT WORLD Huey Lewis and the News
• NEW SENSATION INXS
• CANDLE IN THE WIND Elton John
• PINK CADILLAC Natalie Cole
• FAST CAR Tracy Chapman
• ELECTRIC BLUE Icehouse
• ALWAYS ON MY MIND The Pet Shop Boys
• VALERIE Steve Winwood

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Coming to America
• Crocodile Dundee 2
• Die Hard
• Rain Man
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

In The Arcades

• Cabal

On The Box

• A Different World
• ALF
• The Wonder Years
• My Two Dads
• Valerie's Family

On The Charts

• THE LOOK Roxette
• SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY Fine Young Cannibals
• TWO HEARTS Phil Collins
• LIKE A PRAYER Madonna
• TOY SOLDIERS Martika
• THE LIVING YEARS Mike + the Mechanics
• ETERNAL FLAME The Bangles
• WHEN I SEE YOU SMILE Bad English
• IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME Cher
• BATDANCE Prince
• LOVE SHACK The B-52's
• YOU GOT IT (The Right Stuff) The New Kids On the Block
• EXPRESS YOURSELF Madonna
• SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE Tears For Fears
• CHERISH Madonna
• FUNKY COLD MEDINA Tone Loc

In The News:

In The Flicks:

• Batman
• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

In The Arcades

• Final Fight

On The Box

• Roseanne

This section contains various recollections and notes which I can't fit into a particular year through design, bad planning or apathy (or all three).

On The Box

• Battlestar Galactica
• Blake 7
• Benson
• BJ and the Bear
  Hey there where ya goin', not exactly knowin', who says you have to call just one place home. He's goin' everywhere, B.J. McKay and his best friend Bear. He just keeps on movin', ladies keep improvin', every day is better than the last. New dreams and better scenes, and best of all I don't pay property tax. Rollin' down to Dallas, who's providin' my palace, off to New Orleans or who knows where. Places new and ladies, too, I'm B.J. McKay and this is my best friend Bear.
• Charles in Charge
• The Day After (the TV movie)
• Eddison Twins
• Facts of Life
• The Fall Guy
• Fame
• Fantasy Island
• Fraggle Rock
• Hardcastle & McCormick
• Hill Street Blues
• Incredible Hulk
• Knight Rider
  Knight Rider, a shadowy fight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless in a world of criminals who operate above the law.
• Max Headroom
• Mork & Mindy
• Muppet Show
• My Sister Sam
• Punky Brewster
• Quantum Leap
• Remington Steele
• T.J. Hooker
• 21 Jumpstreet
• Webster
• The Young Ones

The following information sources were invaluable in kick-starting my grey matter:

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