1. A Gallon of Gas Cost $1.24
2. Hidden Valley, French’s, and Jell-O Added New Products
3. Mario Brothers Step onto the Scene
4. The First US Woman Goes to Space
5. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Dominates the Box Office
6. The Police Notice “Every Breath You Take"
7. Shoulder Pads Were All the Rage
8. #1 1983 Baby Names Were Jennifer and Michael
9. Cabbage Patch Kids Were Poised to Take Over the Toy World
10. Washington Wins Its First Super Bowl
11. Thor Was Born
1983 was a pop culture turning point.
- The median household income in 1983 was a little over $20,000, but your money went father with 1983 prices.
- A gallon of milk cost $2.24, ground beef was $1.05 per pound, a movie ticket cost was $2.25, and a first-class stamp was 20 cents.
2. Hidden Valley, French’s, and Jell-O Added New Products
- In 1983 Hidden Valley introduced ranch dressing that did not have to be refrigerated, and America went crazy for ranch!
- It opened the doors for a host of ranch snack foods like Cool Ranch Doritos, buttermilk-ranch Snyder’s Pretzels, and ranch-infused mashed potatoes.
- Other new products on the shelves in 1983? French’s Dijon mustard and Jell-O’s sugar-free jello.
3. Mario Brothers Step onto the Scene
- The inimitable Mario and Luigi begin their video game dynasty in 1983 with an arcade game released in Japan.
4. The First US Woman Goes to Space
- Sally Ride made history in 1983 when she became the first American woman (and third woman ever) to go to space.
- The American physicist crewed the space shuttle Challenger on the STS-7 mission.
- She helped operate the shuttle’s robotic arm, and she aided in the launch of two satellites.
- When asked about the experience, she said, “The thing I’ll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I’m sure it was the most fun I’ll ever have in my life.”
5. Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Dominates the Box Office
- Episode VI of the Star Wars saga raked in around $250 million in the US alone, dwarfing other movies released that year.
- Other popular films included Tootsie with Dustin Hoffman, Flashdance with Jennifer Beals, and Trading Places with Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy.
6. The Police Notice “Every Breath You Take"
- Rock n’ roll legendary band The Police hit it big with the number 1 song in 1983: “Every Breath You Take.”
- Michael Jackson landed two singles in the top five songs of the year: “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.”
- Other hit songs from 1983 included “Flashdance…What a Feeling” by Irene Cara, “Down Under” by Men at Work, and “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler.
7. Shoulder Pads Were All the Rage
- When it came to 1983 fashion, bigger was better. Women’s styles featured shoulder pads and large belts that cinched the waist.
- Oversized sweaters (especially off the shoulder) and large overcoats dotted the pages of the magazines.
- Young women wore Guess jeans, lace everything (thanks to trend-setting Madonna), and jellies shoes.
- For casual wear, they all wanted to look like Tom Selleck in Magnum, PI; they wore Hawaiian shirts.
- And for the ultimate 1983 preppy look, just pop the collar.
8. #1 1983 Baby Names Were Jennifer and Michael
- Rounding out the list of popular girl baby names in 1983 were Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, and Sarah.
- For boys, Michael continued his reign at the top of the list, followed by Christopher, Matthew, David, and Joshua.
9. Cabbage Patch Kids Were Poised to Take Over the Toy World
- The humble idea of baby dolls born in cabbage patches took root in 1983 with the invention of Cabbage Patch Dolls.
- These dolls eventually churned out 1.2 billion dollars in revenue.
- Other amazing items that got their start in 1983? Chicken McNuggets, the Choco Taco, Hot Pockets, Nerds candy, and Axe body spray.
10. Washington Wins Its First Super Bowl
- The Washington Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins to claim their first Super Bowl title.
- It capped a historically short season of only 9 regular games (due to a players’ strike).
- The score was 27-17, and Washington running back John Riggins was named the Super Bowl MVP.
- Some notable commercials from Super Bowl XVII were Gillette razor’s short basketball player, the Burger King meal deal, NBC’s show The Invisible Woman, and Disney’s Epcot.
11. Thor Was Born
- Okay, okay, maybe Thor wasn’t born, but actor Chris Hemsworth was.
- Other famous celebs born in 1983 are Amy Winehouse, Future the Rapper, Mila Kunis, Carrie Underwood, Donald Glover, Aaron Rodgers, Emily Blunt, Macklemore, Miranda Lambert, and Jonah Hill.
1983 was a pop culture turning point.
- Michael Jackson dropped his Thriller album, demand for chicken spiked with the invention of the Chicken McNugget, and the M*A*S*H finale became the most-watched TV show of all time.
Top 10 Songs for the Week Ending:
June 11, 1983 1 FLASHDANCE…WHAT A FEELING –•– Irene Cara 2 LET’S DANCE –•– David Bowie 3 TIME (Clock Of the Heart) –•– Culture Club 4 OVERKILL –•– Men At Work 5 MY LOVE –•– Lionel Richie 6 BEAT IT –•– Michael Jackson 7 SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE –•– Thomas Dolby 8 ALWAYS SOMETHING THERE TO REMIND ME –•– Naked Eyes 9 DON’T LET IT END –•– Styx 10 AFFAIR OF THE HEART –•– Rick Springfield |
Top 10 Country Songs for the Week Ending: June 11, 1983
1 Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton ►Islands In The Stream 2 Sheena Easton ►Almost Over You 3 Dolly Parton ►Save the Last Dance for Me 4 Eddie Rabbitt ►You Can't Run From Love 5 B.J. Thomas ►Whatever Happened To Old Fashioned Love 6 Alabama ►Lady Down On Love 7 John Anderson ►Swingin' 8 Crystal Gayle ►The Sound of Goodbye 9 Alabama ►The Closer You Get |