1985 in music

See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of 'years 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 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
• 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" - 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 (UK)
• "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

Awards

Grammy Awards

• Grammy Awards of 1985

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

• Eurovision Song Contest 1985