Notable pop culture anniversaries of 2022: 'The Godfather,' 'Thriller,' 'Titanic' and many more
Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone in "The Godfather."
In 2022, we'll be celebrating many significant pop culture anniversaries from the premieres of "The Godfather" (50!) and "Titanic" (25!) to Billy Joel's "Nylon Curtain" (30!) and Harry Chapin's biggest hit (50!) Here's our annual, extremely subjective list of notable anniversaries designed, as always to make you say out loud, "I can't believe it's been that long!"
1972 (50th Anniversary)
MOVIES
THE GODFATHER, James Caan, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, John Cazale, 1972 Credit: Everett Collection
Jan. 27 Last Tango in Paris
Feb. 13 Cabaret
March 24 The Godfather
May 4 Play It Again Sam
June 29 The Candidate
July 30 Deliverance
Aug. 4 Ben
Aug. 4 Super Fly
Aug. 25 Blacula
Dec. 13 The Poseidon Adventure
Dec. 17 The Heartbreak Kid
TV
Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson in "Sanford and Son." Credit: Everett Collection/NBC
Jan. 14 Sanford and Son
Sept. 12 Maude
Sept. 14 The Waltons
Sept. 16 The Bob Newhart Show
Sept. 17 M*A*S*H
Oct. 4 ABC Afterschool Specials
Oct. 14 Kung Fu
MUSIC
Harry Chapin plays the guitar and sings on stage during a performance, 1970s. Credit: Getty Images/Hulton Archive
American Pie (Don MacLean)
Eat a Peach (Allman Brothers Band)
Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones)
Oh Girl (The ChiLites)
Talking Book (Stevie Wonder)
Taxi (Harry Chapin)
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)
The Harder They Come (movie soundtrack)
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (David Bowie)
Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed)
TURNING 50
US actress Cameron Diaz poses for the media prior to the Germany premiere of the movie 'Sex Tape' in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) Credit: AP/Michael Sohn
May 2 Dwayne Johnson
Aug. 15 Ben Affleck
Aug. 30 Cameron Diaz
Sept. 6 Idris Elba
Oct. 17 Eminem
1982 (40th anniversary)
MOVIES
Henry Thomas in "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial." Credit: Universal/Everett Collection
May 21 Annie
May 28 Rocky 3
June 4 Poltergeist
June 4 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
June 11 ET: The Extra-terrestrial
July 28 An Officer and A Gentleman
Oct. 22 First Blood
Dec. 6 Gandhi
Dec. 8 48 HRS
Dec. 17 Tootsie
TV
The cast of "Family Ties," from left: Michael J. Fox, Meredith Baxter, Tina Yothers, Michael Gross, Justine Bateman Credit: NBC/Everett Collection
Jan. 7 Fame
Feb. 1 Late Night with David Letterman
March 4 Police Squad!
Sept. 22 Family Ties
Sept. 26 Knight Rider
Sept. 27 Square Pegs
Sept. 30 Cheers
Oct. 26 St. Elsewhere
MUSIC
Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo/CBW
Beauty and the Beat (The Go-Gos)
Don't You Want Me (Human League)
Ebony and Ivory (Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder)
Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
I Love Rock & Roll (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
1999 (Prince)
The Message (Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five)
The Nylon Curtain (Billy Joel)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
TURNING 40
Nicki Minaj attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy
Apr. 15 Seth Rogen
Apr .24 Kelly Clarkson
Sept. 27 Lil Wayne
Nov. 12 Anne Hathaway
Dec. 8 Nicki Minaj
SHOCKING CELEBRITY DEATHS
This July 27, 1978 file photo shows John Belushi at the opening night party for "Animal House" at the Village Gate in New York City. Credit: AP
March 5 John Belushi
July 23 Vic Morrow
Sept. 24 Grace Kelly
1992 (30th anniversary)
MOVIES
Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X." Credit: Warner Bros/Everett Collection
Feb. 14 Wayne's World
March 13 My Cousin Vinny
June 16 Batman Returns
July 1 A League of Their Own
Oct. 2 Glengarry Glen Ross
Oct. 8 Reservoir Dogs
Nov. 15 Home Alone 2
Nov. 18 Malcolm X
Nov. 27 The Crying Game
TV
Talk show host Johnny Carson, with his personalized coffee cup in front of him, watches clips from earlier shows during the last taping of the "Tonight Show" in front of family and friends in Burbank, Ca., May 22, 1992. Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS/DOUGLAS C. PIZAC
Apr. 6 Barney & Friends
May 21 The Real World
May 22 Johnny Carson's final "Tonight" show
June 3 Bill Clinton plays sax on "Arsenio"
July 8 Melrose Place
Aug. 15 The Larry Sanders Show
Aug. 27 Martin
Sept. 23 Mad About You
Nov. 18 Seinfeld "The Contest" episode
Dec. 28 Amy Fisher: My Story
MUSIC
TLC performing at the MTV 20th Anniversary party, "MTV20: Live and Almost Legal" at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Aug. 1, 2001. Credit: Getty Images/Scott Gries
Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus)
Automatic for the People (R.E.M)
Baby Got Back (Sir Mix-a-Lot)
Creep (TLC)
End of the Road (Boyz II Men)
I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston)
Rage Against the Machine (Rage Against the Machine)
The Chronic (Dr. Dre)
TURNING 30
In this Jan 11, 2020 file photo, Selena Gomez attends the premiere of "Dolittle" in Los Angeles. Credit: Invision/AP/Richard Shotwell
July 22 Selena Gomez
Aug. 20 Demi Lovato
Sept. 16 Nick Jonas
Oct. 11 Cardi B
Nov. 23 Miley Cyrus
SHOCKING CELEBRITY DEATH
April 10 Sam Kinison
1997 (25th anniversary)
MOVIES
Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in "Titanic." Credit: 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection
March 7 Private Parts
May 9 The Fifth Element
July 2 Men in Black
Aug. 22 G.I. Jane
Sept. 19 L.A. Confidential
Oct. 10 Boogie Nights
Nov. 20 Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Dec. 5 Good Will Hunting
Dec. 6 As Good As It Gets
Dec. 19 Titanic
TV
Clockwise from top: Kenny McCormick (voice: Matt Stone), Kyle Broflovski (voiced by Matt Stone), Stan Marsh (voiced by Trey Parker), Eric Cartman (voice: Trey Parker), of "South Park." Credit: Comedy Central/Everett Collection
Jan. 3 Matt Lauer starts on "Today"
March 2 Daria
March 10 Buffy, the Vampire Slayer
April 30 "Ellen" coming out episode
July 12 Oz
Aug. 11 The View
Aug. 13 South Park
Sept. 8 Ally McBeal
MUSIC
Spice Girls perform during the Billboard Music Awards, Dec. 8, 1997, in Las Vegas. Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS/LENNOX MCLENDON
Come on Over (Shania Twain)
I Believe I Can Fly (R Kelly)
MMMBop (Hanson)
Mo Money Mo Problems (The Notorious B.I.G.)
OK Computer (Radiohead)
Sevens (Garth Brooks)
Tubthumping (Chumbawamba)
Un-Break My Heart (Toni Braxton)
Wannabee (Spice Girls)
TURNING 25
Kylie Jenner attends the 61st Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Credit: Getty Images for The Recording Academy/Matt Winkelmeyer
Feb. 10 Chloe Grace Moretz
March 3 Camila Cabello
Aug. 10 Kylie Jenner
Oct. 8 Bella Thorne
SHOCKING CELEBRITY DEATHS
Notorious B.I.G. at the Billboard Music Awards in New York, on Dec. 6, 1995. Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS/MARK LENNIHAN
March 9 Notorious B.I.G.
Aug. 31 Princess Diana
Oct. 12 John Denver
Nov. 22 Michael Hutchence
Dec. 18 Chris Farley
2002 (20th anniversary)
MOVIES
May 3 Spider-Man
May 16 Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
June 6 The Bourne Identity
June 16 Lilo & Stitch
Aug. 2 My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Nov. 6 8 Mile
Nov. 14 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Dec. 18 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Dec. 20 Gangs of New York
Dec. 27 Chicago
TV
In this Sept. 4, 2002 file photo, Kelly Clarkson, 20, of Burleson, Texas, sings "A Moment Like This," after winning in the final episode of the first season of Fox's television competition "American Idol," in Los Angeles. Credit: AP/Lucy Nicholson
March 12 The Shield
March 25 The Bachelor
June 2 The Wire
June 11 American Idol
July 12 Monk
Sept. 16 Dr. Phil
MUSIC
Ashanti attends the "2021 Soul Train Awards" Presented By BET at The Apollo Theater on Nov.r 20, 2021 in New York City. Credit: Getty Images for BET/Paras Griffin
A Moment Like This (Kelly Clarkson)
Ashanti (Ashanti)
Complicated (Avril Lavigne)
Don't Know Why (Norah Jones)
Hot in Herre (Nelly)
The Blueprint (Jay-Z)
The Eminem Show (Eminem)
The Rising (Bruce Springsteen)
SHOCKING CELEBRITY DEATH
April 25 Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
2012 (10th anniversary)
MOVIES
Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games." Credit: Lions Gate/Everett Collection
March 23 The Hunger Games
May 4 The Avengers
July 3 The Amazing Spider-Man
July 20 The Dark Knight Rises
Oct. 12 Argo
Nov. 9 Skyfall
Nov. 16 Silver Linings Playbook
Dec. 19 Zero Dark Thirty
Dec. 25 Les Miserables
TV
Julia Louis-Dreyfus in "Veep." Credit: HBO/Everett Collection
April 5 Scandal
April 14 Girls
April 22 Veep
Nov. 25 Liz & Dick (Lindsay Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor)
Dec. 17 Gossip Girl ends
Dec. 20 Jersey Shore ends
MUSIC
2FY67J9 Adele music album on vinyl record LP disc. This album is titled 21. Album cover Credit: Alamy Stock Photo/Blueee
21 (Adele)
Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen)
Gangnam Style (Psy)
Locked out of Heaven (Bruno Mars)
Red (Taylor Swift)
Somebody That I Used to Know (Gotye)
Thrift Shop (Macklemore and Ryan Lewis)
12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief
SHOCKING CELEBRITY DEATH
Whitney Houston performs in Paris Bercy on May 18, 1988 In Paris,France. Credit: Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images/Frederic REGLAIN
Feb. 11 Whitney Houston
Andy Edelstein, Newsday's entertainment editor, supervises coverage of TV, celebrities, movies and pop music. He has written three books on popular culture, including "The Brady Bunch Book."
