By Bryanne Salazar
8:25am PST, Dec 26, 2019
As the New Year nears, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at all the pop culture anniversaries coming our way in 2020… starting with the confusing, controversial final episode of the hit series "Lost" that aired nearly a decade ago on May 23, 2010. The final episode of the show, which starred Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Jorge Garcia, Josh Holloway, Naveen Andrews, Terry O'Quinn, Daniel Dae Kim and more, drew 13.5 million viewers who were eager to uncover the answers to some of the show's biggest mysteries. But fans were left divided over the outcome, with some loving the characters' supernatural reunion and others angry that certain plot holes — like why the numbers were cursed for Hurley — were never really explained. Ten years later, the "Lost" finale remains one of TV's most talked-about series endings. Keep reading to see more pop culture anniversaries on the horizon…
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On Oct. 31, 2020, the British rock band Queen's hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody" turns 45. Conceived as a "mock opera," the song was unlike anything the world had heard before, which helped it shoot to No. 1 on the U.K. music charts and stay there for nine long weeks. It later became the inspiration for — and the name of — the 2018 biopic focused on the band's late lead singer, Freddie Mercury.
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Who can forget the poignant episode that kicked off season 2 of "Black-ish" on Sept. 23, 2015? The episode titled "The Word," which turns five in 2020, made headlines as the comedy became one of the first sitcoms to tackle the use of the N-word. When Andre and Rainbow Johnson's son Jack repeats it while quoting the song "Gold Digger" by Kanye West while at school, he's faced with suspension while his parents unpack who they feel can and can't say it.
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On Oct. 11, 2020, "Saturday Night Live" — the longest running sketch-comedy series in history — turns 45. It's still overseen by its original producer and creator, Lorne Michaels. Over the years, "SNL" has earned an incredible 71 Primetime Emmys, featured Hollywood and music's biggest talent and launched the careers of countless comedians including Chevy Chase (seen here on the show's "Weekend Update" segment in 1975).
On Feb. 1, 2020, Blondie's catchy hit "Call Me" hits middle age as it turns 40. The song — which was released on that date in 1980 — stayed at No. 1 for six weeks and earned the band, which is fronted by Debbie Harry, their first Grammy nomination. It was also the theme song for the movie "American Gigolo."
"Cast Away" starring Tom Hanks turns 20 in 2020, and we're not sure how that much time has passed. The 2000 film — which is about a FedEx executive who survives a plane crash only to end up spending three years on a deserted island — was a hit that pulled in almost $500 million at the box office. It also spawned endless "Wilson!" jokes that will never, ever get old.
Sept. 12, 2020, marks 10 years since Lady Gaga arrived on the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet wearing her infamous meat dress. The getup was, according to the pop star, a protest of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" stance on homosexuality. It was later preserved by a taxidermist and displayed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
On June 1, 2020, the long-running reality competition series "Dancing With the Stars" celebrates its 15th anniversary. The first season featured celebrities Trista Sutter, Evander Holyfield, Rachel Hunter, Joey McIntyre (seen here), John O'Hurley and Kelly Monaco, who ultimately won the show's first Mirrorball Trophy.
Katy Perry has a few big anniversaries coming in 2020. Her mega-hit album "Teenage Dream" (which includes the songs "California Gurls" and "Firework") debuted on Aug. 24, 2010. And Oct. 23, 2020, marks a decade since Katy married comedian Russell Brand in a lavish wedding ceremony in Rajasthan, India, following a whirlwind romance. They split 14 months later.
It's hard to believe that Disney's animated adventure "Lady and the Tramp" turns 65 in 2020! When film arrived in theaters on June 22, 1955, it captured the hearts of audiences and would continue to for generations to come. In 2019, Disney+ released a live-action remake of the film that made us all remember why we loved the original in the first place.
On Dec. 17, 2020, the dramatic thriller "Black Swan" starring Natalie Portman (seen here) and Mila Kunis will celebrate its 10th anniversary. The movie about a ballerina's crumbling sanity while performing as the lead in Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" pulled in more than $329 million at the box office and won Natalie a best actress Oscar.
March 31, 2020, marks 25 years since acclaimed Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla Perez, better known simply as Selena, was killed in a Corpus Christi, Texas, motel room by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldivar. Selena, the first Tejano singer to win a Grammy, was a major force in the Latin music world before her death and was preparing to cross over into mainstream American music with the release of her fifth studio album, "Dreaming of You" — the first she'd ever recorded in English. The album debuted four months after her murder and immediately reached No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Latin music charts.
Are you ready for this? On July 14, 2020, "X-Men" — the movie that kicked off the franchise — celebrates its 20th anniversary. The original film, which starred Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, James Marsden and Hugh Jackman, spawned 12 more movies including the April 2020 final installment, "The New Mutants."
2020 marks a decade since the British boy band One Direction took the world by storm after being put together on a reality TV show. Its five members — Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan — were actually solo singers auditioning independently of each other on season 7 of Britain's "The X Factor." But judge Simon Cowell had the brilliance to put them together as a group instead on July 23, 2010. The boys finished in third place and signed to Simon's Syco Records, soon becoming one of the biggest boy bands in history. Dec. 31, 2020, is another anniversary for One Direction: It marks five years since their last televised performance as a group ahead of their unofficial breakup.
Elton John has a few big anniversaries on the horizon. April 10, 2020, marks 50 years since the debut of his eponymous Grammy-nominated second studio album, which included his hit single "Your Song" made famous again thanks to the success of the 2019 biopic about Elton's life and career, "Rocketman." The same year that album was released — 1970 — Elton was also working on his third album, "Tumbleweed Connection," which turns 50 on Oct. 30, 2020.
Prepare to feel old. On Nov. 22, 2020, the beloved animated adventure "Toy Story" turns 25! Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and more, the movie — about toys that come to life and get into trouble when humans aren't around — earned three Oscar nominations and spawned three sequels.
March 26, 2020, marks 20 years since Angelina Jolie famously won an Oscar for best supporting actress and told the audience during her acceptance speech, "I'm so in love with my brother right now." Later that night at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, Angie made headlines again when she kissed brother James Haven on the lips. It all contributed to one of the most talked-about Oscar nights ever.
On Jan. 11, 2020, *NSYNC's hit single "Bye Bye Bye" turns 20! The since-split boy band — which included members Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake — released the song in 2000 three months ahead of their chart-topping third studio album, "No Strings Attached," which came out on March 21, 2000. Although *NSYNC has long since parted ways, the album and song remain a shining monument to their musical greatness.
On June 2, 2020, the romance to end all romances, "The Bridges of Madison County," turns 25. The movie, which debuted in 1995, stars Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep (who scored a best actress Oscar nomination for her performance) as a National Geographic photographer and an Italian war bride living in Iowa who engaged in a passionate, secret four-day love affair in the 1960s that kindled a fire in their hearts for the rest of their lives.
The song that made us all want to wear Hammer pants is turning 30. That's right, on Jan. 13, 2020, MC Hammer's hit single "U Can't Touch This" marks three decades since its release. The song was the lead single on the music star's second studio album, "Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em," which debuted a month later on Feb. 12, 1990. The track, which samples the opening riff of Rick James' "Super Freak," was an instant success that climbed to No. 1 on the R&B and hip-hop charts in multiple countries and earned Hammer three Grammys the following year.
Two important pop culture anniversaries on our list both have to do with one of our favorite Latin music star, Ricky Martin. On Oct. 10, 2020, Ricky's hit single "She Bangs" — from his double platinum sixth studio album, "Sound Loaded" — turns 20. The song featuring uptempo salsa beats spent five weeks at the No. 1 spot on the tropical music chart. Another anniversary we can't forget is the brave moment Ricky publicly came out as a gay man after years of speculation about his sexuality. On March 29, 2010, Ricky wrote on his website, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man." He later revealed that working on his memoir, "Me" — which was released on Nov. 2, 2010 — helped him speak his truth.
On Aug. 8, 2020, the song that defined 1995 turns a quarter century old. We're talking, of course, about rapper Coolio's hit single "Gangsta's Paradise," the lead track off his album of the same name that was also released that year. The song, which was first featured on the soundtrack of the critically acclaimed 1995 drama "Dangerous Minds," became the bestselling single of the year.
March 7, 2020, marks 20 years since Julia Roberts starred in the critically acclaimed biographical drama "Erin Brockovich." The film — about a struggling single mother's work as a legal assistant that helped expose dangerous pollution by a California power company — earned Julia a best actress Oscar.
One of the most beloved songs from the queen of pop is turning 30 in 2020. On March 27, 2020, Madonna's hit single "Vogue" — the track that taught us all how to strike a pose — will celebrate three decades since its release. The lead single off her "I'm Breathless" soundtrack album from the 1990 crime caper "Dick Tracy" (in which she co-starred alongside Warren Beatty) became an instant hit worldwide, reaching No. 1 in more than 30 countries and going double platinum in the States. Today, it's still considered one of the best songs of Madonna's career.
On Feb. 23, 2020, the Walt Disney Pictures original "Pinocchio" turns an astounding 80 years old. The 1940 animated adventure about a wooden boy who longs to be real went on to win two Academy Awards. Although the story has been retold many times since, the classic remains one of Disney's most beloved cartoon movies.
