It’s a CLASS OF 1985 Reunion Weekend! What HIT, and what missed?

As we kick off our CLASS OF 1985 Reunion Weekend tonight on Throwback Nation Radio, we decided we’d take a look at the top 3 things that HIT BIG in 1985… and the top 3 that MISSED THE MARK… BIG.

THE TOP 3 HITS…

3) FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF.  Although the movie wasn’t out until 1986, his actual “DAY OFF” was documented by movie buffs as June 5, 1985, based upon the baseball game he went to see with the Cubs against the Braves.  No word on whether or not Abe Frohman got his reservation back, though.

2) The “PACKAGE SAVER,” or “PRESSURE GUARD is invented for pizzas.  You may not know the name, but it’s the thing on top of your pizza that keeps the box from falling down on top, scraping off your cheese, and turning it into a gooey mess.  (And, if you’re anything like my sister, these also became PERFECT end tables in your Barbie set.)  The inventors may not have known it at the time, but they left a big mark on the pizza and fast food world for years to come!

1) ALL THINGS MICHAEL J. FOX.  Whether it was “Back To The Future,” “Family Ties,” “Teen Wolf,” or anything else, if Michael was in it… it was BIG… including this appearance on Johnny Carson’s tonight show!

AND… THE TOP 3 MISSES.

3) MICHAEL JACKSON BUYS THE BEATLES’ CATALOG.  Michael reportedly joked with Paul McCartney about buying their masters for years, but Paul assumed it was just that – a JOKE.  When he pulled the trigger and purchased them in August of 1985, it set off a lot of animosity between the once-friendly stars (who had performed on many duets together).

2) MADONNA AND SEAN PENN GET HITCHED.  What an ’80s storyline; meet on the set of the “Material Girl” music video, fall in love, and live happily ever after**!    (**They did not live happily ever after, of course.)  They had frequent run-ins with the press, and Madonna filed divorce papers FIRST in 1987, then rescinding them, only to file again in 1989 and call it quits for good.  And while no one likes divorce, this probably WAS for the good of both of them.

1) NEW COKE.  As Pepsi’s “IT factor” grew with youth, Coke decided to give itself a sweeter, bolder taste to appeal to more young people and regain its market share.  Unfortunately, the new Coke had WAY more fizzle than fizz, and the company re-released COCA-COLA CLASSIC within 3 months.  The good news, from a business perspective: Coke did grow, but at the expense of a major blunder in the process.  So, let’s learn from this mistake and NEVER let it happen again, k?