1985 in music

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Albums released
3 Top hits
4 Musical theater
5 Musical films
6 Births
7 Deaths
8 Awards

8.1 Grammy Awards
8.2 Country Music Association Awards
8.3 Eurovision Song Contest

Events

January 28 - Various artists, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon (musician), Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are The World". The single arrived in record stores on
February - Whitney Houston releases her first album
March 3 - A wax likeness of Michael Jackson is unvieled at London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

April 1 - David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen to begin a solo career.

August 1 - Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights for most of the Beatles' music for $47 million, much to the dismay of the surviving members of the band.

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.

Eric B. & Rakim meet and begin making music together

Albums released

Reckless - Brian Adams
Hunting High And Low - A-Ha
7800 Fahrenheit - Bon Jovi
Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
Telephone Free Landslide Victory - Camper Van Beethoven
To Mega Therion - Celtic Frost
No Jacket Required - Phil Collins
The Head on the Door - The Cure
Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
The Firm - The Firm
Centerfield - John Fogerty
Who's Zooming Who - Aretha Franklin
Unguarded - Amy Grant
Heart - Heart
New Day Rising - Husker Du
Original Masters - Jethro Tull
A Classic Case - Jethro Tull
Ice on Fire - Elton John
Defenders of the Faith - Judas Priest
Radio - LL Cool J
Off The Board - Ludichrist
Like a Virgin - Madonna
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good - Megadeth
Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
Three-Way Tie for Last - Minutemen
Low-Life - New Order
The Firstborn is Dead - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Riptide - Robert Palmer
Diamond Life - Sade
Rum Sodomy and the Lash - The Pogues
Two Wheels Good - Prefab Sprout
Power Station - Power Station
Around the World in a Day - Prince
Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M
Tim - The Replacements
Cupid & Psyhe '85 - Scritti Politti
The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
Little Creatures - Talking Heads
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
We are the World - USA for Africa
Soul To Soul - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega
Rain Dogs - Tom Waits
Make it Big - Wham
No Tellin' Lies - Zebra

Top hits

"Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & the News
"Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Minds
"We Built This City" - Jefferson Starship
"Oh Sheila" - Ready for the World
"Shout" - Tears for Fears
"I Want to Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
"Careless Whisper" - Wham
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" - Judas Priest
"Crazy for You" - Madonna
"Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits
"19" -- Paul Hardcastle
"Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie
"We Are the World" - USA for Africa
"West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys
"Take On Me" - a-ha
"Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
"Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" - REO Speedwagon
"Private Dancer" - Tina Turner
"Indianapolis" - Menudo

Musical theater

Big River Broadway production
Dames at Sea off-Broadway revival
The King and I Broadway revival
Me and My Girl London revival
Les Misérables London production
Mystery of Edwin Drood Broadway production
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers London production
Singin' in the Rain Broadway production
Song and Dance Broadway production

Musical films

A Chorus Line
That's Dancing

Births

October 22 - Zachary Hanson, Hanson

Deaths

February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld
February 11 - Ulysses Simpson Kay
February 28 - David Byron, Uriah Heep
September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery
December 12 - Ian Stewart, The Rolling Stones, cerebrovascular accident
December 22 - D. Boon, lead singer of The Minutemen