The Most Popular Movie the Year You Graduated High School
Film has certainly evolved over the past 50 years.
The special effects that captivated audiences in 1975's Jaws are a far cry from those in 2022's Top Gun: Maverick. Today, video and projection are digital, and computer-generated imagery (CGI) dominates the screen. Yet, these advancements don't make earlier films any less special; if anything, they make them more classic, though we appreciate the technological mastery of modern filmmaking.
Do you remember the movies that came out the year you donned your cap and gown and walked across the stage for your high school diploma? If you graduated before the turn of the century, you probably had to visit a movie theater in person to see what all the fuss was about, then wait months before grabbing the VHS tape for your home collection.
Franchises like Rocky and Star Wars dominated the '70s, while cult classics such as E.T. and Back to the Future became synonymous with '80s pop culture. The '90s were a string of box-office blockbusters that remain household names into the millennium: Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, Independence Day, and Titanic, to name only a few cinematic sensations of the decade.
Similarly, the early 2000s brought a collection of films we still revisit and quote today: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Finding Nemo, Spider-Man, Shrek, and the first films in both The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter franchises. By this decade, you could rent a DVD copy of the film at your local video store.
Recent high school graduates can stream the latest box-office hits from the comfort of their homes when they become available via Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, etc., though many still prefer an extra-large, extra-buttered popcorn and the big-screen experience. While each decade saw different approaches to filmmaking, no matter when you graduated or what kind of movies you enjoy, there was always one film that ruled the box office every year (and a legendary score or soundtrack that's likely still in your head).
Let’s fast-forward through the previews and press play on the most popular movie from the year you graduated high school.
1977 Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
1980 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
1983 Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
1985 Back to the Future
1987 Beverly Hills Cop II
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit
1991 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1996 Independence Day
1999 Star Wars: Ep. I – Phantom Menace
2000 Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2001 Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone
2003 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2005 Star Wars: Ep. III – Revenge Of The Sith
2006 Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
2008 The Dark Knight
2009 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
2011 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows II
2014 Guardians of the Galaxy
2015 Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi
2019 Avengers: Endgame
2020 Bad Boys For Life
2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home
2022 Top Gun: Maverick
2025 A Minecraft Movie