1985 in music

List of years in music (table)
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See also:

• Musical groups established in 1985
• Record labels established in 1985

Events

January

• January 28 - Various artists, under the group name USA For Africa, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis and The News, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are the World".

February

• February 21 - Whitney Houston releases her first album after signing to Arista Records.

March

• March 3 - A wax likeness of Michael Jackson is unveiled at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London, UK.
• March 26 - South African radio stations ban Stevie Wonder's music in response to Wonder dedicating the Oscar he had won the night before to Nelson Mandela.

April

• April 1 - After months of talks, David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen to begin a solo career.
• April 10 - Madonna begins her very first tour, The Virgin Tour (named after her Like a Virgin album) in Seattle, Washington, USA.

June

• June 11 - Madonna ends The Virgin Tour at Madison Square Garden in New York, USA.

July

• July 13 - The Live Aid concert takes place in Wembley Stadium, London, UK and Philadelphia, USA. The headlining acts at the latter venue included a Led Zeppelin reunion, the first since their 1980 disbandment.

August

• August 1 - Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights for most of the Beatles' music for US$47 million, much to the dismay of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
• August 16 - On her 27th birthday, Madonna marries actor Sean Penn. They were later divorced, on September 14, 1989.

September

• September 19 - the Parents Music Resource Center's (P.M.R.C.) United States Senate hearing on rock censorship began in Washington, D.C., USA. Heavy metal singer Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, rock star Frank Zappa and country singer John Denver testified against the P.M.R.C.
• September 22 - The Farm Aid concert was held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.

December

• December 5 - The first fully digital reggae single, Wayne Smith's "(Under Me) Sleng Teng", is recorded at Prince Jammy's studio; it is the beginning of ragga style reggae.

Undated

• Eric B. & Rakim meet and begin making music together.
• The former Beatles producer George Martin works with country music legend Kenny Rogers on the album The Heart of the Matter.
• Several hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars in publishing royalties are released to the surviving members, and families of the deceased members, of the British music group, Badfinger. Two band members, Pete Ham and Tom Evans, previously committed suicide due to financial problems.
• John Farnham became a famous Australian celebrity when his hit, "You're The Voice' went to the top of the charts at #1 for a record-breaking seven weeks.

Bands formed

• Aria
• Brainbombs
• Crowded House
• Erasure
• Fecal Matter
• The Feelies reunite
• Guns N' Roses
• Hootie & the Blowfish
• The Mad Capsule Markets
• Majesty (subsequently renamed Dream Theater)
• The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
• Mr. Bungle
• Phranc - solo career starts
• Pizzicato Five
• Private Domain
• Stabbing Westward
• Totalitär
• Widespread Panic

Bands disbanded

• Cheech & Chong
• Chic
• Devo (reformed in 1987 and disbanded again in 1990)
• Dr. Hook
• Duran Duran (reformed in 1986 as a trio of original members John Taylor, Simon Le Bon, and Nick Rhodes)
• The Go-Go's
• Hanoi Rocks
• The J. Geils Band
• Men at Work
• Mercyful Fate (reformed in 1993)
• Minutemen
• Orange Juice
• The Police
• Quarterflash
• The Specials
• Split Enz
• The Sugarhill Gang
• Weather Report

Albums released

• 3-Way Tie (For Last) - Minutemen
• 7800 Fahrenheit - Bon Jovi
• A Cappella - Todd Rundgren
• A Classic Case - Jethro Tull
• A Diamond Hidden in the Mouth of a Corpse - Giorno Poetry Systems
• A Sense of Wonder - Van Morrison
• Across a Crowded Room - Richard Thompson
• Ancient Artifacts - D.I.
• Armed and Dangerous - Anthrax
• Around the World in a Day - Prince and the Revolution
• Asylum - Kiss
• Auf rote Rosen fallen Tränen - Die Flippers
• Backwaxed - Anvil
• Bad Moon Rising - Sonic Youth
• Beat Happening - Beat Happening
• Begegnungen II - Eno Moebius Roedelius Plank
• Behind the Sun - Eric Clapton
• Bites - Skinny Puppy
• Bo Diddley & Co. - Live - Bo Diddley
• Bonded by Blood - Exodus
• Boy in the Box - Corey Hart
• Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
• Clan of Xymox - Clan of Xymox
• Company Of Justice - Play Dead
• Centerfield - John Fogerty
• Come Out and Play - Twisted Sister
• Cupid & Psyche 85 - Scritti Politti
• Cut the Crap - The Clash
• Dare to Be Stupid - "Weird Al" Yankovic
• Delirious Nomad - Armored Saint
• Despite Straight Lines - Marilyn
• Diamond Life - Sade
• Disturbing the Peace - Alcatrazz
• Done with Mirrors - Aerosmith
• Don't Stand Me Down - Dexys Midnight Runners
• Down for the Count - Y&T
• Dream Into Action - Howard Jones
• The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
• Eaten Alive - Diana Ross
• Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M.
• Falco 3 - Falco
• Father's House - Dreams So Real
• Fear and Whiskey - Mekons
• Fear No Evil - Grim Reaper
• Feel the Fire - Overkill
• Fight to Survive - White Lion
• The Firm - The Firm
• First and Last and Always - The Sisters of Mercy
• The Firstborn Is Dead - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
• Fly on the Wall - AC/DC
• For The Working Class Man - Jimmy Barnes
• Folksinger - Phranc
• Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys
• Freaky Styley - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Futile Combat - Skeletal Family
• Garista (re-release) - zoviet*france:
• Go West - Go West
• Greatest Hits - The Cars
• Halber Mensch (or ½ Mensch; English: Half Man) - Einstürzende Neubauten
• Hallelujah All the Way Home - The Verlaines
• The Head on the Door - The Cure
• Heart - Heart
• The Heart of the Matter - Kenny Rogers
• Hell Awaits - Slayer
• Hellbound - Warlock
• Hold Me - Laura Branigan
• Horror Epics - The Exploited
• Horse Bites Dog Cries - D.I.
• Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
• Hunting High and Low - a-ha
• I Am The Night - Pantera
• Ice on Fire - Elton John
• Into The Fire Live - Play Dead
• Into the Groove - Madonna
• Invasion of Your Privacy - Ratt
• Kingdom In The Streets - Dion DiMucci
• Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! - Megadeth
• Lands End - various artists
• The Last Command - W.A.S.P.
• Listen Like Thieves - Inxs
• Little Creatures - Talking Heads
• Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide - Guns N' Roses
• Live After Death - Iron Maiden
• Long Way to Heaven - Helix
• Loose Nut - Black Flag
• Love - The Cult
• Love Bomb - The Tubes
• Love You to Pieces - Lizzy Borden
• Low-Life - New Order
• Luxury Of Life - Five Star
• Mad Not Mad - Madness
• Marching Out - Yngwie Malmsteen
• Make it Big - Wham!
• Messages from the Boys -The Boys
• Meat Is Murder - The Smiths
• Metal Heart - Accept
• Midnite Dynamite - Kix
• Misplaced Childhood - Marillion
• New Day Rising - Hüsker Dü
• The Night I Fell in Love - Luther Vandross
• The Night of the Crime - Icon
• Night Time - Killing Joke
• No Jacket Required - Phil Collins
• No Muss...No Fuss - Donnie Iris
• No Tellin' Lies - Zebra
• Off The Board - Ludichrist
• Old Land - Cluster & Brian Eno
• One for the Road - April Wine
• One in a Million - Aaliyah
• Open Fire - Y&T
• Original Masters - Jethro Tull
• Oironaoshi (The Change) - Miyuki Nakajima
• Power Station - Power Station
• Power Windows - Rush
• Project: Mersh - Minutemen
• Promise - Sade
• Psychocandy - The Jesus and Mary Chain
• Radio - LL Cool J
• Rain Dogs - Tom Waits
• Ready to Strike - King Kobra
• Rescue You - Joe Lynn Turner
• The Right to Rock - Keel
• Riptide - Robert Palmer
• Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt
• Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash - The Pogues
• Run for Cover - Gary Moore
• Sacred Heart - Dio
• Say You Love Me - Jennifer Holliday
• Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
• Scream for Help - John Paul Jones
• Seven the Hard Way - Pat Benatar
• Shaken 'n' Stirred - Robert Plant
• She's the Boss - Mick Jagger
• Silvertone - Chris Isaak
• So Red the Rose - Arcadia
• Soldiers Under Command - Stryper
• Some Of My Best Jokes Are Friends - George Clinton
• Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
• Soul to Soul - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
• Spleen and Ideal - Dead Can Dance
• Spoiled Girl - Carly Simon
• Spreading the Disease - Anthrax
• Stella - Yello
• Steve McQueen (US title: Two Wheels Good) - Prefab Sprout
• Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega
• Machine Age Voodoo - SPK
• Syirin Farthat - Elvy Sukaesih
• The Best Of Elvy Sukaeish - Elvy Sukaesih
• Talk about the Weather - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
• Telephone Free Landslide Victory - Camper Van Beethoven
• Three-Way Tie for Last - Minutemen
• Theatre of Pain - Mötley Crüe
• The Pacific Age - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
• This Is A Recording - David Persons and the Instruments of Grace
• This is Big Audio Dynamite - Big Audio Dynamite
• This Nation's Saving Grace - The Fall
• Thunder in the East - Loudness
• Thursday Afternoon - Brian Eno
• Tim - The Replacements
• To Mega Therion - Celtic Frost
• (untitled) - :$OVIET:FRANCE:
• Under Lock and Key - Dokken
• Unguarded - Amy Grant
• Up on the Sun - Meat Puppets
• VU - The Velvet Underground
• Waiting for the Roar - Fastway
• Walls of Jericho - Helloween
• We Are the World - USA for Africa
• Welcome to the Real World - Mr. Mister
• Whispering Jack - John Farnham
• Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
• Who's Zooming Who - Aretha Franklin
• Without Love - Black N' Blue
• World Machine - Level 42
• World Wide Live - Scorpions
• Youthquake - Dead or Alive
• Zaman - Ebiet G. Ade

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest in the charts of 1985.

#	Artist	Title	Year	Country	Chart Entries
1	USA For Africa	We Are the World	1985		UK 1 - Apr 1985, US BB 1 - Mar 1985, US CashBox 1 of 1985, Canada 1 - Apr 1985, Holland 1 - Mar 1985, Sweden 1 - Mar 1985, Sweden (alt) 1 - Apr 1985, Switzerland 1 - Apr 1985, Norway 1 - Mar 1985, Poland 1 - Mar 1983, Australia 1 of 1985, Italy 1 of 1985, Éire 1 - Apr 1985, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Apr 1985, Australia 1 for 9 weeks Dec 1985, Grammy in 1985, Austria 2 - Apr 1985, Germany 2 - Apr 1985, Global 4 (20 M sold) - 1985, South Africa 8 of 1985, US BB 40 of 1985, POP 71 of 1985, RIAA 121, Germany 263 of the 1980s, OzNet 418, Acclaimed 1371
2	a-ha	Take On Me	1985		US BB 1 - Aug 1985, Canada 1 - Aug 1985, Holland 1 - Oct 1985, Sweden (alt) 1 - Oct 1985, France 1 - May 1985, Switzerland 1 - Nov 1985, Norway 1 - Nov 1984, Poland 1 - Dec 1985, Germany 1 - Jan 1986, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Aug 1986, Scrobulate 1 of 80s, UK 2 - Sep 1985, Sweden 4 - Aug 1985, Austria 4 - Dec 1985, Italy 7 of 1986, KROQ 7 of 1985, RYM 8 of 1984, Australia 12 of 1985, US CashBox 15 of 1985, Europe 20 of the 1980s, POP 31 of 1985, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1985, US BB 36 of 1985, Germany 81 of the 1980s, Party 133 of 2007, OzNet 795, Acclaimed 2396
3	Foreigner	I Want to Know What Love Is	1985	/	UK 1 - Dec 1984, US BB 1 - Dec 1984, Canada 1 - Dec 1984, Sweden 1 - Dec 1984, Sweden (alt) 1 - Dec 1984, Norway 1 - Jan 1985, Poland 1 - Mar 1983, Éire 1 - Jan 1985, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Feb 1985, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Oct 1985, Switzerland 2 - Jan 1985, Germany 4 - Jan 1985, Australia 5 of 1985, Holland 6 - Dec 1984, Austria 7 - Feb 1985, US CashBox 8 of 1985, South Africa 12 of 1985, POP 17 of 1985, US BB 34 of 1985, Europe 38 of the 1980s, OzNet 180, RYM 186 of 1984, Germany 255 of the 1980s, Rolling Stone 476, Acclaimed 659
4	Tears For Fears	Shout	1985		US BB 1 - Jun 1985, Canada 1 - Feb 1985, Holland 1 - Jan 1985, Switzerland 1 - Feb 1985, Germany 1 - Jan 1985, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Mar 1985, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Nov 1985, France 3 - Dec 1984, Poland 3 - Mar 1983, UK 4 - Dec 1984, Sweden 5 - Dec 1984, Norway 5 - Mar 1985, KROQ 5 of 1985, Austria 6 - Mar 1985, US CashBox 13 of 1985, Australia 14 of 1985, Sweden (alt) 16 - Feb 1985, South Africa 16 of 1985, Italy 20 of 1985, RYM 27 of 1984, Scrobulate 36 of 80s, Germany 104 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 974
5	Madonna	Into the Groove	1985		UK 1 - Jul 1985, Holland 1 - Aug 1985, Éire 1 - Aug 1985, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks Aug 1985, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Mar 1986, Sweden 2 - Aug 1985, Switzerland 2 - Aug 1985, Australia 2 of 1985, Italy 2 of 1985, Sweden (alt) 3 - Aug 1985, Germany 3 - Aug 1985, Norway 4 - Aug 1985, US BB 7 of 1985, Austria 7 - Sep 1985, France 9 - Aug 1985, RYM 9 of 1985, POP 13 of 1985, Poland 19 - Sep 1985, Scrobulate 73 of 80s, Party 193 of 1999, OzNet 200, Acclaimed 235, Germany 271 of the 1980s

Top hits

• "A View to a Kill" - Duran Duran
• "Alive And Kicking" - Simple Minds
• "All I Need" - Jack Wagner
• "Angel" - Madonna
• "Barbados" - The Models
• "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
• "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" - The Smiths
• "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley
• "Broken Wings" - Mr. Mister
• "Brothers in Arms" -Dire Straits
• "Borderline" - Madonna (UK only)
• "Can't Fight This Feeling" - REO Speedwagon
• "Centerfield" - John Fogerty
• "C'était mon ami" - Dalida
• "Close To Me" - The Cure
• "Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush
• "Crazy for You" - Madonna
• "Dancing in the Street" - David Bowie and Mick Jagger
• "Dirty Old Town" - The Pogues
• "Don't Come Around Here No More" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Don't Lose My Number" - Phil Collins
• "Don't You (Forget About Me)" - Simple Minds (released in 1984)
• "Dress You Up" - Madonna (released in 1984)
• "Duel" - Propaganda
• "E=MC²" - Big Audio Dynamite
• "Eighties" - Killing Joke
• "Éthiopie" - Chanteurs sans Frontières
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" - Tears for Fears
• "Everything She Wants" - Wham!
• "Everytime You Go Away" - Paul Young
• "Find A Way" - Amy Grant
• "Faron Young" - Prefab Sprout
• "Fortress Around Your Heart" - Sting
• "Freeway of Love" - Aretha Franklin
• "Gambler" - Madonna
• "Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen
• "(Gotta Be) Wrong Way To Love" - Dynamic Hepnotics
• "Head Over Heels" - Tears for Fears
• "The Heat Is On" - Glenn Frey
• "Heaven" - Bryan Adams
• "Hold Me" - Menudo
• "Hounds of Love" - Kate Bush
• "How Soon Is Now?" - The Smiths
• "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" - Peabo Bryson
• "If You Love Somebody (Set Them Free)" - Sting
• "I'm Goin' Down" - Bruce Springsteen
• "I'm On Fire" - Bruce Springsteen
• "In Between Days" - The Cure
• "Into the Groove" - Madonna
• "Indianapolis" - Menudo
• "I Want to Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
• "Je te donne" - Jean-Jacques Goldman and Michael Jones
• "Jealous Guy" - John Lennon
• "Johnny Come Home" - Fine Young Cannibals
• "Johnny, Johnny" - Jeanne Mas
• "Kayleigh" - Marillion
• "Le temps d'aimer" - Dalida
• "Le Vénitien de Levallois" - Dalida
• "Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" - Red Box
• "Let's Go Crazy/Take Me With U" - Prince and the Revolution
• "Live Is Life" - Opus
• "Love Like Blood" - Killing Joke
• "Lover Why" - Century
• "Lovergirl" - Teena Marie
• "Loverboy" - Billy Ocean
• "Live To Tell" - Madonna
• "Miami Vice Theme" - Jan Hammer
• "Material Girl" - Madonna
• "Merry Christmas Everyone" - Shakin' Stevens
• "Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits
• "19" - Paul Hardcastle
• "Never Surrender" - Corey Hart
• "Oh Sheila" - Ready for the World
• "One Lonely Night" - REO Speedwagon
• "One More Night" - Phil Collins
• "One Night in Bangkok" - Murray Head
• "Only the Young" - Journey
• "Out Of Mind Out Of Sight" - The Models #1
• "Party All the Time" - Eddie Murphy
• "Part-Time Lover" - Stevie Wonder
• "Piece By Piece" - The Tubes
• "Private Dancer" - Tina Turner
• "The Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & the News
• "Reviens-moi" - Dalida
• "Running Up That Hill" - Kate Bush
• "Saving All My Love for You" - Whitney Houston
• "Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie
• "Separate Lives" Phil Collins with Marilyn Martin
• "Shout" - Tears for Fears
• "So Red The Rose" - Arcadia
• "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" - Judas Priest
• "Some Like It Hot" - Power Station
• "Somebody" - Bryan Adams
• "Something About You" - Level 42
• "Spanish Eddie" - Laura Branigan
• "Square Rooms" - Al Corley
• "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" - John Parr
• "Suddenly" - Billy Ocean
• "Summer of 69" - Bryan Adams
• "The Super Bowl Shuffle" - 1985 Chicago Bears
• "Sussudio" - Phil Collins
• "Take On Me" - a-ha
• "Tarzan Boy" - Baltimora
• "True Blue" - Madonna
• "The Big Money" - Rush
• "The Big Sky" - Kate Bush
• "The Sun Always Shines on T.V." - a-ha
• "The Whole Of The Moon" - The Waterboys
• "Walk Like a Man" - Divine
• "Walk of Life" - Dire Straits
• "We Are the World" - USA for Africa
• "We Built This City" - Jefferson Starship
• "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys
• "Wise Up" - Amy Grant
• "What You Need" - Inxs
• "When the Rain Begins to Fall" - Pia Zadora and Jermaine Jackson
• "Who's Zoomin' Who?" - Aretha Franklin
• "Working Class Man" - Jimmy Barnes
• "You Give Good Love" - Whitney Houston
• "You're The Voice" - John Farnham (#1 in Australia, UK, and Quebec; not released in the rest of North America until 1990)

Classical music

• Mario Davidovsky - Capriccio for Two Pianos
• Henri Dutilleux - L'arbre des Songes violin concerto
• Jacques Hétu - Missa pro trecentisimo anno
• Nicholas Jackson - Organ Sonata
• Witold Lutosławski - Chain 2
• Witold Lutosławski - Chain 3
• John Rutter - Requiem
• Alfred Schnittke - String Trio
• Joan Tower - Piano Concerto
• Robert Ward - Raleigh Divertimento

Opera

• Dominick Argento - Casanova's Homecoming
• Dorothy Rudd Moore - Frederick Douglass

Musical theater

• Big River - Broadway, New York, USA production
• Dames at Sea - off Broadway revival
• The King and I (Rodgers & Hammerstein) - Broadway revival
• Me and My Girl (Noel Gay) - London, UK revival
• Les Misérables - London production
• Mystery of Edwin Drood - Broadway production
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Saul Chaplin, Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer) - London production
• Singin' in the Rain - Broadway production
• Song and Dance - Broadway production

Musical films

• A Chorus Line
• That's Dancing!

Births

• February 20 - Yulia Volkova, Russian singer, (t.A.T.u.)
• April 3 - Leona Lewis, singer
• May 10 - Ashley Poole, singer Dream
• May 11 - Obi Cittie, lead guitar, Triple Chin
• May 22 - Vangie Tang, singer
• June 15 - Nadine Coyle, Girls Aloud
• July 29 - Nate Lautier, The Revolvers
• August 1 - Dina, singer
• August 3 - Holly Arnstein, singer Dream
• September 23 - Diana Ortiz, singer Dream
• October 15 - Nicola Roberts, Girls Aloud
• October 22 - Zachary Hanson, Hanson
• October 25 - Christopher Sean Friel, actor, singer
• November 15 - Patrick Lew, guitarist, singer, synthesizers (Band of Asians)
• December 10 - Raven-Symoné, actress and singer

Deaths

• January 9 - Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer
• February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld, American composer
• February 12 - Leslie Sarony, English singer, comedian and songwriter
• February 18 - Gábor Darvas, composer and musicologist
• February 22 - Efrem Zimbalist, violinist
• February 28 - David Byron, Uriah Heep
• March 16 - Roger Sessions, American composer
• March 31 - Jeanine Deckers, known as The Singing Nun
• May 19 - Hilding Rosenberg, composer
• July 23 - Kay Kyser, US bandleader
• August 24 - Paul Creston, American composer
• September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery, jazz and blues pianist and singer
• September 11 - William Alwyn, English composer
• October 6 - Nelson Riddle, US conductor, composer and arranger
• October 11 - Tex Williams, US country singer
• October 14 - Emil Gilels, pianist
• October 21 - Ricky Wilson, founding member of The B-52's
• December 12 - Ian Stewart, The Rolling Stones, cerebrovascular accident
• December 22 - D. Boon, lead singer of Minutemen
• December 31 - Ricky Nelson, singer, former teen idol, plane crash.

Awards

• Eurovision Song Contest Main article: Eurovision Song Contest 1985
• Grammy Awards Main article: Grammy Awards of 1985

Charts

• Billboard (USA) Main article: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1985

See also

• Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1985