Nerd History

The no. 1 song on this day in 1983

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June 21 in Nerd History

Here are 5 things that happened on June 21 that matter to those of us who know all the soundtracks that are better than the movies.

I.

Birthdays of honor: Chris Pratt (1979), Juliette Lewis (1973), Michael Gross (1947).

II.

Columbia announced a major new technological breakthrough on this day in 1948 — a phonographic vinyl record that is “long-playing”, meaning up to 23 minutes per side, AKA the vinyl LP.

III.

Remember Wizard of Oz? One of the all-time great family films? One of the most influential films in movie history?

Well, on this day in 1985, millions of children were traumatized for life when their parents took them to see Return to Oz.

The Oz sequel featured a character that has a pumpkin for a head with a creepy smile permanently carved into it and a gallery of severed heads that are alive, among other pleasantries.

IV.

The guitar that Kurt Cobain played for Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged episode sold for $6 million in 2020.

V.

The no. 1 song on this day in 1983 was “Flashdance… What a Feeling” by Irene Cara.

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