1981

/ Rev. Patti

~ Welcome to 1981 ~

Believe it or not, it’s 1981 and things are going pretty good. So let’s just get up with a smile and turn on the stereo and see what’s hot on the charts this year.

Top 10 Billboard Hits of 1981

10.) Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon

9.) 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton

8.) I Love a Rainy Night by Eddie Rabbit

7.) Kiss on My List by Hall & Oates

6.) Celebration by Kool & the Gang

5.) Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield

4.) Just Like Starting Over by John Lennon

3.) Lady by Kenny Rogers

2.) Endless Love by Diana Ross & Lionel Richie

And here’s what you’ve been waiting for……the number one song of 1981……

Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes

Top Headlines of 1981

  1. US-Iran agreement frees 52 hostages held in Teheran since 1979 on Jan. 10th, hostages welcomed back in US on Jan. 25th.
  2. Pope John Paul III wounded by gunman on May 14th.
  3. Israel annexes the disputed Golan Heights territory on Dec. 14th.
  4. Egyptian president Anwar el-Sadat is assassinated by Islamic extremists during a military parade in Cairo.
  5. Ronald Reagan takes oath as 40th President.
  6. President Reagan wounded by gunman, with press secretary and two police officers on March 30th.
  7. US Supreme Court rules, 4-4, that former President Nixon and three top aides may be required to pay damages for wiretap of home telephone of former national security aide.
  8. Reagan nominates Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, 51, of Arizona as first woman on the US Supreme Court.
  9. Air controllers strike, disrupting flights; government dismisses strikers.
  10. Federal debt has reached $994.8 billion.
  11. MTV goes on the air running around the clock music videos, debuting with “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
  12. The Supreme Court rules to allow television cameras in the courtroom.
  13. Pacman-mania sweeps the country.
  14. AIDS is first identified.
  15. IBM introduces its first personl computer, running the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS).
  16. The 236 mph TGV, Europe’s first high-speed passenger train, begins operating out of Lyons, France.
  17. The FDA approves the use of the artificial sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet).

Prices in 1981

  • Avg. Home Cost – $83,000
  • Avg. Yearly Income – $19,074
  • Avg. Cost of New Car – $6,680
  • Minimum Wage – $3.35 hr
  • Postage Stamp – $.18
  • Gallon of Gas – $1.31
  • Dozen Eggs – $.90
  • Loaf of Bread – $.53
  • 1 lb Bacon – $1.67
  • Round Steak – $2.86 lb
  • 10 lbs Potatoes – $1.85
  • 1/2 Gallon Milk – $1.12
  • Newspaper – $.25
  • 32 oz Kraft Mayo – $1.39
  • 5 lbs Flour – $.89
  • Bananas  – 3 lbs for $1.00
  • Apples – 3 lbs for $1.19
  • Sirloin Filet Beef – $1.86 lb
  • Butter – $.89 1/2 lb
  • 16 oz Hershey’s Chocolate – $.69
  • 1lb Coffee – $1.49
  • Canned Vegetables – $.89 for two
  • 16 oz Box Keebler Crackers – $1.29
  • Smoked Ham – $.89 lb
  • Honey – $.99 lb jar
  • 32 oz Jar Jelly – $.99
  • 64 oz Ocean Spray Juice – $1.69
  • 24 oz Henize Ketchup – $.89
  • Kraft Mac & Cheese – 3 for $1.00
  • 1lb Margarine – $.39
  • Yellow Onions – 4 pounds $1.00
  • 10 Navel Oranges – $1.00
  • 100 Count Lipton Tea – $1.69
  • Swanson TV Dinner – $.79
  • Yogurt – $.25

Top Toys of 1981

Light Cycle was produced by Tommy Toys in 1981 and was super popular and was actually part of the merchandising for the 1982 upcoming film “Tron”.

The AT-AT (All-Terrainn Armored Transport) featured in the Empire Strikes Back, it’s the robot vehicle that also looked like a giant animal. For a lot of kids in 1981, it was the holy grail of all Star Wars toys with its movable legs, battle lights and sounds and a cockpit that opens. The thing was massive and spendy, if a kid had one of these in 1981 they would have been the envy of the neighborhood.

Strawberry Shortcake – First released in 1979 but were still going strong by 1981 and   they continued to add new characters each year until 1985.

Simon – Even though it was released in 1978 it was still at the top of the electronic toys list in 1981.

Atari 2600 – Even though this gaming system came out in 1977, it improved each year and by 1981 and 1982 it was the most popular gaming system in the country.

Tabletop Mini-Arcade Pac-Man- If you couldn’t afford the Atari 2600 you could always buy this super popular game Pac-Man. The best thing is that it looked just like the full sized arcade video game and kids just loved that plus it played quite a bit like the full sized arcade game.

Dark Tower – Game that combined medieval themes of brigands, dragons and plague with a computer facilitated gameplay. For it’s time it was pretty technologically advanced and highly immersive. Was a great role playing game as well.

(Sorry couldn’t find any of the prices for the above list of toys.)

Top TV Shows of 1981

  1. 60 Minutes
  2. 60 Minutes
  3. The Jeffersons
  4. Three’s Company
  5. Alice
  6. The Dukes of Hazzard
  7. Too Close for Comfort
  8. ABC Monday Night Movie
  9. M*A*S*H
  10. One Day at a Time
  11. Monday Night Football
  12. Archie Bunker’s Place
  13. Falcon Crest
  14. The Love Boat
  15. Hart to Hart
  16. Trapper John, M.D.
  17. Magnum, P.I.
  18. Happy Days
  19. Dynasty
  20. Laverne & Shirley

Top Movies of 1981

  1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  2. The Evil Dead
  3. An American Werewolf in London
  4. Body Heat
  5. Blow Out
  6. Mad Max 2: The Road
  7. Das Boot
  8. Thief
  9. Southern Comfort
  10. Time Bandits
  11. Escape From New York
  12. Prince of the City
  13. Gallipoli
  14. Scanners
  15. The Incredible Shrinking Woman
  16. For Your Eyes Only
  17. Ragtime
  18. Excalibur
  19. The Postman
  20. Heavy Metal

Well, that’s it. Will see you tomorrow when we zoom into 1982. See you there. Don’t get lost along the way now. :-)

 

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