3. It Was Almost Made Into Office Space in the 1970s
Radio City Music Hall functioned primarily as a movie theater for much of the ’40s through the ’70s. Later in the 20th century, changing film distribution laws made it more difficult for the venue to book film openings. There was talk, during this time, of converting the entire space into offices or demolishing it all together.
Naturally, there was uproarious opposition to this plan, even from within Rockefeller Center itself. A scathing monologue on Saturday Night Live’s nearby set from then-Weekend Update anchor John Belushi combined with public discontent resulted in the music hall’s preservation as a New York City landmark in 1978.