Matt OsbornEvery 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.
The Jets, Ready for the World, Growing Pains, a video game that can get you 30 lives if you play it just right, and how to watch 3 movies and hit that Shoney’s buffet within 9 hours and all for under 20 bucks. All this week . . . 33 years ago.
Video Games
We start off this week a little different because the arcade version of an all-time classic was released this week – Contra. And you already know about our love for the arcade.
By Konami, Contra is a scrolling shooting game set in the year 2633 with two commandos looking to save the world from aliens and an evil army. The wildly successful Nintendo version of the game won’t be released until next year, but when it does, it’ll come with a cheat code that all true NESers remember to this day. Even 30+ years later, it’s spawned t-shirts and is the inspiration for WWE wrestler Xavier Woods’ YouTube channel, which only has about 2.1 million subscribers. Here’s an ad for the arcade release and the classic opening graphics.
Alright, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Music
Singles Chart – Top 10
Another week, another #1 landing spot for “Livin’ On a Prayer.” Meanwhile, “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” rises another 3 spots to #2 where it will stall. Same goes for Chicago at #3. Falling fast are Madonna (down 6) and Cyndi Lauper (down 7). After a strong run, Billy Vera and “At This Moment” drop down to #16. Boston also exits, falling 11 spots to #20 with “We’re Ready.” Who will fill those two open Top 10 spots? Let’s find out.
- Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi – ⬆ 2
- Keep Your Hands to Yourself – The Georgia Satellites – ⬆ 3
- Will You Still Love Me? – Chicago – ⬆ 3
- Jacob’s Ladder – Huey Lewis & The News – ⬆ 4
- Touch Me (I Want Your Body) – Samantha Fox – ⬇ 1
- You Got It All – The Jets – ⬆ 5
- Up 5 from #11 last week, the Jets score their 2nd Top 10 hit with the slow jam “You Got It All.” Following up the outstanding “Crush On You” from last year, “You Got It All” will rise all the way to #3 in the coming weeks and peak at #2 on the R&B chart. Over the course of the next two years, the Jets will have three more Top 10 hits, including their best – “Rocket 2 U.” In the meantime, here’s “Crush On You” (keytar included) and “You Got It All.”
- Ballerina Girl – Lionel Richie – ⬆ 3
- Open Your Heart – Madonna – ⬇ 6
- Love You Down – Ready For The World – ⬆ 3
- Speaking of slow jams, my goodness! I forgot how much I needed Ready For The World in my life. Two years ago, Ready For The World scored their one and only #1 hit with their debut, “Oh Sheila.” A 45 I may have played until the needle broke. Here they return for a 2nd and final time to the Top 10 with the Midnight Storm special, “Love You Down.” While the song will peak right here at #9 on this chart, “Love You Down” has already spent two weeks at #1 on the R&B chart in December of last year. Oh, and for you mid-’90s R&B fans, you might remember INOJ’s cover that featured more bass and a faster beat. Pretty sure there might have been some dancing to this at Senor Frogs in Tuscaloosa. Right in between “Da Dip” and the Quad City DJs.
- Change of Heart – Cyndi Lauper – ⬇ 7
Albums Chart – Top 5
For the 2nd week in a row, nobody falls out of the Top 5, so no newcomers to talk about. But I did forget last week to give you more Beasties. So at least there’s that.
- Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
- Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
- A couple of weeks ago, we looked at the first single from the album, “Hold It Now, Hit It.” This week we get the tall tale of how the Beasties met – “Paul Revere.” Such a dope beat. No official video for this one so watch the Boys live in 1992.
- Night Songs – Cinderella – ⬆ 1
- The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby & The Range – ⬆ 1
- Different Light – The Bangles – ⬇ 2
Last part on the music front this week . . . it’ll make it’s way up the charts soon enough, but this got released this week.
Movies
Box Office Top 10
After a killer Friday opening last week with Mannequin and Over the Top, this week we get . . . Death Before Dishonor. Well alright. And that’s why the top 5 movies all stay in the same spots. Because of that, why not take a look at my hometown newspaper, The Tuscaloosa News, and how the movie listings looked this week 33 years ago.
Man alive, there is a lot to take in here. First off, check out the costs of seats at the Bama Six – $1.50 all day for all seats. Now, this was a Monday special, but still. For reference, AMC right now does a Tuesday special nationwide that is $6 all day. Next, Budget Rental. $1 a movie during the week, $1.50 on the weekend. Not bad, though who knows if they ever had anything in stock that you’d want to see. And then there’s Shoney’s. America’s Dinner Table had that Country Style Buffet for only $3.39. Hamburger steak, fried chicken, and fried okra. I’m in.
If I got the times right, it looks like on Monday, February 16, 1987, I could have gone to see Over the Top at 3:05 at the Bama Six, hit the Shoney’s Buffet at 5, and end up at Fox 6 to see Mannequin at 7:30 and The Color of Money at 9:30. All for less than $20. Never tell me the ’80s was not the greatest decade.
Oh yeah . . . the charts.
- Platoon
- Outrageous Fortune
- Mannequin
- Over the Top
- Black Widow
- Crocodile Dundee – ⬆ 1
- Death Before Dishonor
- Your guess is as good as mine. If you remember it, I’m not sure I believe you. Here’s the poster.
- Critical Condition – ⬆ 8
- Radio Days – ⬆ 3
- Light of Day – ⬇ 1
Television
It’s now Tuesday on our look back on the Spring ’87 network television schedules. Hopefully, we’re getting away from the neverending Movies of the Week that crammed up Sunday and Monday nights. And let me tell you, it gets great over at ABC.
- 7pm – 8pm
- ABC: Who’s the Boss?/Growing Pains
- CBS: West 57th
- NBC: Matlock
- 8pm – 9pm
- ABC: Moonlighting
- CBS: CBS Tuesday Night Movie
- NBC: Gimme a Break/Easy Street
- 9pm – 10pm
- ABC: Max Headroom
- CBS: CBS Tuesday Night Movie (cont.)
- NBC: Remington Steele/Hill Street Blues
If you needed me on Tuesday nights, you could find me tuned straight into ABC. I mean . . . Who’s the Boss, Growing Pains, Moonlighting, Max Headroom. I may have even forgotten to eat my Chef-Boy-R-Dee that night. Just so so good. And talk about tackling some subjects. I don’t seem to recall this episode from last week but gracious.
You might have also seen that Remington Steele was soon to be replaced by Hill Street Blues. Well, that happened this week.
And another week down in our look back on all that was 1987. Remember that Thursday equals a new Spotify playlist on the new DN33 Jukebox chock full of songs mentioned here. 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 |
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
