1984 in British music
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| 1980s in music in the UK |
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This is a summary of 1984 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary
1984 was a year of several huge selling releases, including at the time the biggest selling single ever. Six singles this year sold over a million copies, the joint highest number ever along with 1998. Out of the top 10 biggest selling songs of the 1980s, six of them all peaked in 1984 including the entire top 4.
One of the biggest bands of the year was Frankie Goes to Hollywood, a five-piece from Liverpool fronted by Holly Johnson. Their debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC for sexually suggestive content, and was number 1 for five weeks. Their second single "Two Tribes" referenced the ongoing cold war and featured a music video of lookalikes of American president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Konstantin Chernenko violently fighting, and was number 1 for nine weeks in the summer, both songs selling over a million. In November they made chart history when their third single, "The Power of Love", also made number 1. They were only the second band in chart history to have their first three releases all go to number 1, following Gerry & The Pacemakers twenty years earlier, however it would be their last. Their album "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" also reached number 1.
Wham! had their first number 1 single this year after four earlier top 10 hits, the upbeat "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go". This would soon be followed by their second, "Freedom" later in the year, and their second album Make It Big also reached the top. One of the members of the band, George Michael, also released a solo single this year, the ballad "Careless Whisper" co-written by his bandmate Andrew Ridgeley. It was number 1 for three weeks and sold over a million.
A big-selling singer who would go on to have many hits over the next two decades first appeared this year, American singer Madonna. Her debut hit "Holiday" reached number 6, and "Like a Virgin" charted three places higher at number 3. From the same country came Prince, who had his first two top 10 hits with "When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain". For both artists, 1985 would bring even more hits as would the rest of the decade.
After eighteen years, Stevie Wonder achieved his first solo number 1 single with "I Just Called to Say I Love You", from the soundtrack of the film "The Woman in Red", selling over a million. He had first charted at the age of 15 with "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" in 1966, and had previously had a number 1 in 1982 with a duet with Paul McCartney, "Ebony and Ivory". In 1985 his harmonica playing featured in Eurythmics' number 1 hit "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)".
The Christmas number one single contained over 40 artists. "Do They Know It's Christmas?", written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, was made in response to ongoing famine in Ethiopia, so the supergroup Band Aid was formed to sing a charity record about it, all proceeds from the song going to the charity to raise money for help. Popular acts of the day such as Wham!, U2, Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran and Boy George sung on the record.
Not only did the song become the Christmas number one, it sold over three million copies and became the biggest selling single of all time, a record that held for the next thirteen years. The song at number 2, Wham!'s Last Christmas, sold over a million (making it the highest selling song ever not to be number 1) and proceeds from that also went to the charity. Further Band Aid singles would be released in 1989 (Band Aid II) and 2004 (Band Aid 20), both also Christmas number one.
Charts
Number-one singles
| Issue Date | Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 January | "Only You" | Flying Pickets |
| 14 January | "Pipes of Peace" | Paul McCartney |
| 21 January | ||
| 28 January | "Relax" | Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
| 4 February | ||
| 11 February | ||
| 18 February | ||
| 25 February | ||
| 3 March | "99 Red Balloons" | Nena |
| 10 March | ||
| 17 March | ||
| 24 March | "Hello" | Lionel Richie |
| 31 March | ||
| 7 April | ||
| 14 April | ||
| 21 April | ||
| 28 April | ||
| 5 May | "The Reflex" | Duran Duran |
| 12 May | ||
| 19 May | ||
| 26 May | ||
| 2 June | "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" | Wham! |
| 9 June | ||
| 16 June | "Two Tribes" | Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
| 23 June | ||
| 30 June | ||
| 7 July | ||
| 14 July | ||
| 21 July | ||
| 28 July | ||
| 4 August | ||
| 11 August | ||
| 18 August | "Careless Whisper" | George Michael |
| 25 August | ||
| 1 September | ||
| 8 September | "I Just Called to Say I Love You" | Stevie Wonder |
| 15 September | ||
| 22 September | ||
| 29 September | ||
| 6 October | ||
| 13 October | ||
| 20 October | "Freedom" | Wham! |
| 27 October | ||
| 3 November | ||
| 10 November | "I Feel For You" | Chaka Khan |
| 17 November | ||
| 24 November | ||
| 1 December | "I Should Have Known Better" | Jim Diamond |
| 8 December | "The Power of Love" | Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
| 15 December | "Do They Know It's Christmas" | Band Aid |
| 22 December | ||
| 29 December |
Number-one albums
| Issue Date | Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 January | Now That's What I Call Music | Various Artists |
| 14 January | No Parlez | Paul Young |
| 21 January | Now That's What I Call Music | Various Artists |
| 28 January | Thriller | Michael Jackson |
| 4 February | Touch | Eurythmics |
| 11 February | ||
| 18 February | Sparkle in the Rain | Simple Minds |
| 25 February | Into the Gap | Thompson Twins |
| 3 March | ||
| 10 March | ||
| 17 March | Human's Lib | Howard Jones |
| 24 March | ||
| 31 March | Can't Slow Down | Lionel Richie |
| 7 April | ||
| 14 April | Now That's What I Call Music II | Various Artists |
| 21 April | ||
| 28 April | ||
| 5 May | ||
| 12 May | ||
| 19 May | Legend | Bob Marley and the Wailers |
| 26 May | ||
| 2 June | ||
| 9 June | ||
| 16 June | ||
| 23 June | ||
| 30 June | ||
| 7 July | ||
| 14 July | ||
| 21 July | ||
| 28 July | ||
| 4 August | ||
| 11 August | Now That's What I Call Music 3 | Various Artists |
| 18 August | ||
| 25 August | ||
| 1 September | ||
| 8 September | ||
| 15 September | ||
| 22 September | ||
| 29 September | ||
| 6 October | Tonight | David Bowie |
| 13 October | The Unforgettable Fire | U2 |
| 20 October | ||
| 27 October | Steeltown | Big Country |
| 3 November | Give My Regards to Broad Street | Paul McCartney |
| 10 November | Welcome to the Pleasuredome | Frankie Goes to Hollywood |
| 17 November | Make It Big | Wham! |
| 24 November | ||
| 1 December | The Hits Album | Various Artists |
| 8 December | ||
| 15 December | ||
| 22 December | ||
| 29 December |
Charts
Top 40 Singles of 1984
| Position | Song Title | Artist | Sales | Highest Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do They Know It's Christmas? | Band Aid | 1 | |
| 2 | I Just Called to Say I Love You | Stevie Wonder | 1 | |
| 3 | Relax | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1 | |
| 4 | Two Tribes | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1 | |
| 5 | Careless Whisper | George Michael | 1 | |
| 6 | Last Christmas / Everything She Wants (Remix) | Wham! | 2 | |
| 7 | Hello | Lionel Richie | 1 | |
| 8 | Agadoo | Black Lace | 2 | |
| 9 | Ghostbusters | Ray Parker Jr. | 2 | |
| 10 | Freedom | Wham! | 1 | |
| 11 | Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go | Wham! | 1 | |
| 12 | I Feel For You | Chaka Khan | 1 | |
| 13 | White Lines (Don't Do It) | Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel | 7 | |
| 14 | We All Stand Together | Paul McCartney & the Frog Chorus | 3 | |
| 15 | 99 Red Balloons | Nena | 1 | |
| 16 | The Power Of Love | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1 | |
| 17 | The Reflex | Duran Duran | 1 | |
| 18 | Like A Virgin | Madonna | 3 | |
| 19 | Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) | Phil Collins | 2 | |
| 20 | What's Love Got To Do With It? | Tina Turner | 3 | |
| 21 | I Should Have Known Better | Jim Diamond | 1 | |
| 22 | No More Lonely Nights | Paul McCartney | 2 | |
| 23 | I Want To Break Free | Queen | 3 | |
| 24 | Hole In My Shoe | Neil | 2 | |
| 25 | Time After Time | Cyndi Lauper | 3 | |
| 26 | Radio Ga Ga | Queen | 2 | |
| 27 | Together In Electric Dreams | Giorgio Moroder with Philip Oakey | 3 | |
| 28 | When Doves Cry | Prince | 4 | |
| 29 | Doctor, Doctor | The Thompson Twins | 3 | |
| 30 | Self Control | Laura Branigan | 5 | |
| 31 | The War Song | Culture Club | 2 | |
| 32 | Girls Just Want To Have Fun | Cyndi Lauper | 2 | |
| 33 | The Wild Boys | Duran Duran | 2 | |
| 34 | I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me | Nik Kershaw | 2 | |
| 35 | Like To Get To Know You Well | Howard Jones | 4 | |
| 36 | Nellie The Elephant | The Toy Dolls | 4 | |
| 37 | Pride (In The Name Of Love) | U2 | 3 | |
| 38 | Automatic | The Pointer Sisters | 2 | |
| 39 | Joanna | Kool & the Gang | 2 | |
| 40 | That's Living Alright | Joe Fagin | 3 |
Music awards
BRIT Awards
The 1984 BRIT Awards winners were:
- Best British producer: Steve Levine
- Best classical recording: Kiri Te Kanawa - "Songs of the Auvergne"
- Best international artist: Michael Jackson
- British breakthrough act: Paul Young
- British female solo artist: Annie Lennox
- British group: Culture Club
- British male solo artist: David Bowie
- Best Selling Single: Culture Club - "Karma Chameleon"
- Outstanding contribution: George Martin
- The Sony award for technical excellence: Spandau Ballet