A Look Back at the Entertainment Hits of the Past

In 2026, fans can look forward to new music, movies, TV shows, and books. Artists like A$AP Rocky, Mumford and Sons, and The All-American Rejects are set to release new albums. Movie buffs have a lot to look forward to, with highly anticipated films like "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, " "The Devil Wears Prada 2, " and "Avengers: Doomsday" hitting the screens. TV lovers will see new seasons of popular shows like "The Pitt" and "Bridgerton, " along with exciting new series like "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" and reboots of classics like "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Baywatch. " But what about the entertainment that captivated audiences in the past? Let's take a trip down memory lane to see what was popular in 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986, and 1976. In 2016, Adele's album "25" topped the charts, and Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" was the most popular song. The highest-grossing film was "Captain America: Civil War, " while "The Big Bang Theory" was the most-watched TV show. The best-selling book was "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, " with over 4. 1 million copies sold. Looking back further, in 2006, the "High School Musical" soundtrack was the most popular album, and "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter was the top song. The highest-grossing film was "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, " and "American Idol" was the most popular TV show. The best-selling fiction book was "For One More Day" by Mitch Albom, while "Marley and Me" by John Grogan was the top nonfiction book.In 1996, Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" was the most popular album, and "Macarena (Bay Side Boys Mix)" by Los Del Rio was the top song. The highest-grossing film was "Independence Day, " and "ER" was the most-watched TV show. The best-selling fiction book was "The Runaway Jury" by John Grisham, and "Make the Connection" by Oprah Winfrey and Bob Greene was the top nonfiction book. Going even further back, in 1986, Whitney Houston's self-titled album was the most popular, and "That's What Friends are For" by Dionne Warwick and Friends was the top song. The highest-grossing film was "Top Gun, " and "The Cosby Show" was the most-watched TV show. Stephen King's "It" was the best-selling fiction book, while "Fatherhood" by Bill Cosby was the top nonfiction book. In 1976, Peter Frampton's "Frampton Comes Alive" was the most popular album, and "Silly Love Songs" by Wings was the top song. The highest-grossing film was "Rocky, " and "Happy Days" was the most-watched TV show. The best-selling fiction book was either "Trinity" by Leon Uris or "Interview with a Vampire" by Anne Rice, while the top nonfiction book was either "The Final Days" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein or "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins. These milestones remind us how entertainment evolves over time, reflecting the cultural and social changes of each era. It's fascinating to see how tastes and trends have shifted, yet some classics remain timeless.