Matt OsbornIt’s the dreaded 13th week of the year – at least maybe in 2020. But in 1987, it was glorious. We had Bruce Willis on the big screen, the Price Is Right breaking records, “The Final Countdown,” George and Aretha, and then, on Sunday, March 29, 1987, the greatest sports extravaganza of all time, WrestleMania III. Having a bad week this week? Well, read along, close your eyes, and travel back to simpler, non-quarantined time This Week . . . 33 Years Ago.
Welcome to This Week . . . 33 Years Ago where every week we’ll take a step back to this week 33 years ago to remember just how great it was as we review the top music and movie charts, as well as anything else that happened in TV, sports, the news, you name it.
Music
Singles Chart – Top 10
This week, we find Club Nouveau still atop that singles chart, but Starship is edging ever so closer to the #1 spot. In other movement in the Top 10, Janet Jackson peaks at #2 as “Let’s Wait Awhile” slips one spot to #3. “Mandolin Rain” also has peaked at #4 and has started its fall.
Falling completely out of the Top 10 are “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Big Time,” and “Respect Yourself.” You’re gonna like what takes their place.
- Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
- Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now – Starship – ⬆ 1
- Let’s Wait Awhile – Janet Jackson – ⬇ 1
- Tonight, Tonight, Tonight – Genesis – ⬆ 2
- Mandolin Rain – Bruce Hornsby & The Range – ⬇ 1
- Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram – ⬇ 1
- Come Go With Me – Expose – ⬆ 2
- The Final Countdown – Europe – ⬆ 3
- Ah yes – the staple to any late ’80s/early ’90s high school football coach’s Thursday practice tape mix (that also included “Eye of the Tiger” and half of the Rocky IV soundtrack). Though the album The Final Countdown was the band’s 3rd studio album, “The Final Countdown” is the first international hit for the Swedish band Europe. And you recognize it as soon as the first note hit – the opening keyboard riff that repeats throughout is unmistakable. And now that they made a Geico commercial with it, a whole new generation knows it as well. My brother and I wore this cassette slap out. And little did I know that their follow-up power ballad single would be about my future bride. “The Final Countdown” will peak here this week. Check the video . . . and the commercial.
- Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House – ⬆ 5
- Another cassette (thank you BMG and your penny taped to the page deals) that my brother and I wore out. Out of Australia, Crowded House is one of those bands that sometimes gets lost in the ’80s mix, mainly I think because they were about 5 years too early. When you hear them, there is a sound that would get quite popular in the early ’90s mellow alternative rock scene – think Toad the Wet Sprocket, who sounds so similar (and who, coincidence or not, formed in ’86 right as Crowded House released their debut album). In any case, the 2 hits they have this year are all-timers on my playlist. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” starts off with a great guitar riff and never checks up. It’s beautiful.
- I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) – George Michael and Aretha Franklin
- And now I’m gonna get weepy. Two favorites that have left us in the last few years, George and Aretha here are on fire. Aretha, after having tremendous success throughout the ’60s and ’70s, was experiencing renewed success thanks to her 1985 platinum album Who’s Zoomin’ Who? and songs like “Freeway of Love” and the title track. Following it up with Aretha in ’86, she recorded this song with George, who by this time was right on the edge of extreme superstardom. Yes, he was already quite popular with Wham, but his solo career was just getting started and a little album called Faith is set to be released later this year – you know, the one that’ll go on to sell over 20 million copies. Enjoy this!
Albums Chart – Top 5
The album charts continue to remain steady (or stagnant for our purposes) as the Top 4 remain the same and Genesis flip-flops with Janet Jackson at the 5 and 6 spots and reenters the Top 5 yet again. There was an album released a few weeks ago though that will be making some headway soon. Until then, here’s our chart.
- Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
- As they continued to hold the #1 spot, we continue our look at the singles from the album. Though it won’t be officially released until May, “Girls” is the 7th and final cut from the album that will get released. No video for it, unfortunately, so you’ll just have to listen for its just over two-minute length.
- Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
- The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby & The Range
- Graceland – Paul Simon
- I mean since it’s still here, why not.
- Invisible Touch – Genesis – ⬆ 1
Movies
Box Office Top 10
And so it begins. For the past two years, America had fallen in love with Bruce Willis as David Addison in Moonlighting. The comedic foil to Cybill Shepherd, Willis had won an Emmy and a Golden Globe and, now with Blind Date, he started the transition to the big screen in another comedic role. By next year, and using a bit of that dry, sarcastic humor that had already become his staple, he’d be well on his way to be the next big action movie star.
As I write this, I’ve got in playing on the computer – it’s currently streaming for free through Crackle – and the first line of the movie is Rick Dees talking on the radio. Plus, Bruce drives a sweet, white 300Z and has a Monopoly Water Works shower curtain. Don’t tell me you’re not already in.
If you’ve never seen it, the basic premise is Walter (Bruce) needs a date for a company function and gets set up on a blind date by his brother – played by this guy:
Kim Basinger is the blind date. Because that would ever happen in real life. Soon enough though, we find out why she’s having to be set up on blind dates. And that she has a nutcase for an ex – perfectly played by John Larroquette (remember him from Night Court and, more importantly, Stripes).
The movie only has a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes but critics are stupid and should never be listened to. Willis, Basinger, Larroquette, and Hartman, and directed by the man behind the Pink Panther movies, Blake Edwards. Go spend 90 minutes watching it – you’ve got nothing better to do.
- Blind Date – New Release
- Lethal Weapon – ⬇ 1
- Platoon
- Black Widow – ⬆ 11
- Tin Men – ⬇ 1
- Burglar – ⬇ 4
- A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors – ⬇ 2
- Hoosiers
- Mannequin – ⬆ 1
- Outrageous Fortune – ⬆ 1
Television
Last week, we ended our review of the nightly television schedules for the Spring of 1987. On daytime TV, meanwhile, we have a huge accomplishment for the game show that so many ’80s kids watched during those summer break months – The Price is Right. This is pretty cool to watch – especially seeing Bob with dark hair and the creator Mark Goodson (you know how Rod Roddy ended this show every time – “A Mark Goodson Television Production”). So many summer mornings watching this show on CBS.
We also had the 1st Soul Train Music Awards hosted by Dione and Luther.
And the series finale of The Colbys, the not-so-successful spin-off of Dynasty.
But as that nighttime soap left, CBS added a new daytime one that was sandwiched in between my grandmother Irene’s favorite, The Young and the Restless, and As the World Turns.
Sports . . . Entertainment
You really only need to see this poster:
33 years ago this Sunday, March 29th, WrestleMania III took place in the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Billed as being Bigger! Better! Badder!, WMIII came at the absolute height of popularity for wrestling in the ’80s. Since Hulk Hogan won the WWF title in 1984, the company had exploded – two WrestleManias that had mainstream figures like Mr. T, Muhammad Ali, and Cyndi Lauper, Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC, Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling on Saturday morning cartoons, and more.
And then there was WMIII – over 93,000 (the billed number at least) packed into the Silverdome – an indoor record that would stand until 1999 when the Pope’s visit to St. Louis drew a little over 100,000. And the show had everything – Aretha singing “America, the Beautiful,” carts that looked like wrestling rings to carry the participants to the ring, Alice Cooper chasing Jimmy Hart and the Honky Tonk Man with Damien, and two of the biggest matches in WWF/E history – Savage vs, Steamboat and, of course, Hulk vs. Andre.
If you have the WWE Network, go watch the whole thing. If not, here’s the recap in 60 seconds and Mean Gene announcing the crowd.
And then there’s the two biggest matches – the first is Savage/Steamboat, a match many consider the best match of all time. It’s the standard that every other match is compared to.
Even though he lost, Savage, along with Miss Elizabeth, would soon become a fan favorite and ride his increasing popularity to the ultimate glory next year at WMIV.
And then there was Hogan and Andre. It all started right here.
As an 8-year-old, this was the ultimate betrayal. I mean he ripped his chain. And it all led up to the biggest main event of all time at WMIII. As the great Gorilla Monsoon put it, it was the “irresistible force meeting the immovable object.”
The match started bad for Hogan as he immediately went for the body slam and Andre fell on him and almost got the three count. From there, it was just constant pounding on Hogan by Andre including his unbreakable bear hug.
But then . . .
Just the greatest. I couldn’t watch it live because I had no idea what pay-per-view was, but for some reason our cable box unscrambled the replay that happened immediately after the airing. So in went the VHS tape and we had WMIII to watch whenever.
The Pontiac Silverdome came down in 2018 after closing in 2006 and falling into horrible disrepair. But on this night 33 years ago, it was the grandest place on Earth.
And that’ll do it for now on This Week . . . . 33 Years ago. Be sure to check out the new DN33 Jukebox on Friday with all the music mentioned here plus more. And as always, be sure to share if you like what you see!
If you missed any of the past weeks in review, click below and catch up. And if you’re liking them, be sure to share through the social media of your choice below or to the side.
Past This Week . . . 30 Years Ago Reviews:
1987: Week One | Week Two | Week Three | Week Four | Week Five | Week Six | Week Seven | Week Eight | Week Nine | Week Ten | Week Eleven | Week Twelve |
Acknowledgments:
Embedded tweets come from various Twitter accounts dedicated to all things ’80s (not just 1987), including a special thanks OldSchool80s, LandofThe80s, and RetroNewsNow. All provide fantastic content. We follow all of them and recommend you do too!
Duck Newton
