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 Classical music
5 Musical theater
6 Musical films
7 Births
8 Deaths
9 Awards

9.1 Grammy Awards
9.2 Country Music Association Awards
9.3 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
Widespread Panic forms

Albums released

Fly on the Wall - AC/DC
Metal Heart - Accept
Reckless - Bryan Adams
Done With Mirrors - Aerosmith
Hunting High And Low - A-Ha
Disturbing The Peace - Alcatrazz
Armed and Dangerous EP - Anthrax
Spreading the Disease - Anthrax
Backwaxed - Anvil
Delirious Nomad - Armored Saint
Without Love - Black N' Blue
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
Love - The Cult (debut)
The Head on the Door - The Cure
Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys
Sacred Heart - Dio
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
Under Lock and Key - Dokken
No Quarter Pounder - Dread Zeppelin
Code Of Honor EP - Mark Edwards
The Firm - The Firm
Bonded by Blood - Exodus
Waiting For The Roar - Fastway
Centerfield - John Fogerty
Who's Zooming Who - Aretha Franklin
Unguarded - Amy Grant
Fear No Evil - Grim Reaper
Heart - Heart
Long Way to Heaven - Helix
New Day Rising - Husker Du
The Night of the Crime - Icon
Live After Death - Iron Maiden
Original Masters - Jethro Tull
A Classic Case - Jethro Tull
Ice on Fire - Elton John
The Right to Rock - Keel
Killer Dwarfs - Killer Dwarfs
Ready to Strike - King Kobra
Asylum - KISS
Midnite Dynamite - Kix
Radio - LL Cool J
Love You To Pieces - Lizzy Borden
Thunder in the East - Loudness (american debut)
Off The Board - Ludichrist
Like a Virgin - Madonna
Marching Out - Yngwie Malmsteen
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good - Megadeth(debut)
Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
Three-Way Tie for Last - Minutemen
Theatre of Pain - MÃÂ¶tley CrÃÂ¼e
Low-Life - New Order
The Firstborn is Dead - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Feel The Fire - Overkill
I Am The Night - Pantera
Riptide - Robert Palmer
Shaken N' Stirred - Robert Plant
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
Invasion of your Privacy - Ratt
Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M
Tim - The Replacements
Crazy from the Heat EP - David Lee Roth (solo debut release)
Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt
World-Wide Live - Scorpions
Cupid & Psyhe '85 - Scritti Politti
First and Last and Always - The Sisters of Mercy
Hell Awaits - Slayer
The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
Soldiers Under Command - Stryper
Little Creatures - Talking Heads
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
Rescue You - Joe Lynn Turner (solo debut)
Come Out And Play - Twisted Sister
Fight to Survive - White Lion
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
The Last Command - W.A.S.P
Hellbound - Warlock
Make it Big - Wham
Open Fire - Y&T
Down for the Count - Y&T
No Tellin' Lies - Zebra

Top hits

"The Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & the News
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" - Simple Minds
"Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen
"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
"Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" - REO Speedwagon
"Private Dancer" - Tina Turner
"Indianapolis" - Menudo
"I'm Going Down" - Bruce Springsteen

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1985

Classical music

Witold Lutoslawski - Symphony No. 3
Robert Ward - Raleigh Divertimento

Musical theater

Big River Broadway production
Dames at Sea off-Broadway revival
The King and I Broadway revival
Me and My Girl London revival
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

Deaths

January 9 - Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer
February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld
February 11 - Ulysses Simpson Kay
February 12 - Leslie Sarony, English singer, comedian and songwriter
February 28 - David Byron, Uriah Heep
March 31 - Jeanine Deckers, known as The Singing Nun and had a hit record, "Dominique"
July 23 - Kay Kyser, US bandleader
September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery
October 6 - Nelson Riddle, US conducter, composer and arranger
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 The Minutemen
December 31 - Ricky Nelson, singer, former teen idol