1984 in music

See also: 1983 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in music, 1980s in music and the list of 'years in music'

Table of contents

1 Events
2 Albums released
3 Top hits
4 Published popular 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 - singer Michael Jackson's hair catches fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial.
February 14 - Elton John marries studio engineer Renate Blauel.
February 16 - Jerry Lee Lewis surrenders to federal authorities on charges of income tax evasion. Lewis is later acquitted.
February 29 - KMFDM's first live performance.
March - Sting plays his last concerts with The Police at the end of the Synchronicity tour; the band takes a "pause" after the tour and only play a few special events together after this.
April 1 - In Los Angeles, California, Marvin Gaye is shot and killed during an argument with his father.
May 1 - Mick Fleetwood, of Fleetwood Mac, files for bankruptcy in the United States.
May - Tipper Gore forms the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in response to the "filth" she hears on her daughter's Prince album Purple Rain.
May 5 - The Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde marries Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr.
July - During his performance at the first ever Cornerstone Festival in Grayslake, Illinois, Steve Taylor falls from the stage, breaking his ankle. Taylor hopped back on stage and finished his show. The next few shows on Taylor's tour were performed from a wheel chair.
October - The Jesus & Mary Chain release their first single, "Upside Down".
October 19 - A-Ha's career begins with the release of the "Take On Me" single in the UK.
December 3 - Bob Geldof and Band Aid release the single "Do They Know It's Christmas".
Menudo and Menudomania reach Asia. Ricky Martin substitutes Ricky Melendez in the group.

Albums released

Fistful of Metal - Anthrax (debut)
All Over the Place - The Bangles
Bon Jovi - Bon Jovi
Box of Frogs - Box of Frogs
Heartbeat City - The Cars
17 - Chicago
Arena (live album) - Duran Duran
The Wonderful and Frightening World of the Fall - The Fall
Big Bam Boom - Hall & Oates
The Art of Defense - Nona Hendryx
Building the Perfect Beast - Don Henley
I Often Dream of Trains - Robyn Hitchcock
Zen Arcade - Husker Du
Powerslave - Iron Maiden
Under Wraps - Jethro Tull
Breaking Hearts - Elton John
Defenders of the Faith - Judas Priest
She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper
How Will the Wolf Survive - Los Lobos
Like a Virgin - Madonna
Yngwie J. Malmsteen/Rising Force - Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force (debut)
- Bob Marley & the Wailers
Meat Puppets II - Meat Puppets
Revolution -Menudo
Ride the Lightning - Metallica
Out of Step - Minor Threat
Double Nickels on the Dime - The Minutemen
From Her to Eternity - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
- Robert Plant
Learning to Crawl - The Pretenders
Purple Rain - Prince
Reckoning - R.E.M
''Grace Under Pressure - Rush
Hatful of Hollow - The Smiths
Born in the U.S.A - Bruce Springsteen
Soul Mining - The The
Private Dancer - Tina Turner
- her breakthrough solo album
Thunder Seven - Triumph
The Unforgettable Fire - U2
1984 - Van Halen
When In Rome Do As The Vandals - The Vandals
Hallowed Ground - Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (debut)
Couldn't Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
The Woman in Red - (cinematic soundtrack by Stevie Wonder)
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc - Dwight Yoakam (debut)
No Tellin' Lies - Zebra
No Brakes - John Waite

Top hits

"Automatic" - Pointer Sisters
"Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
"Dancing In the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen
"Defenders Of Faith" - Judas Priest
"Drive" - The Cars
"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" - Cyndi Lauper
"Gone Daddy Gone" - Violent Femmes
"Heart Of Rock And Roll" - Huey Lewis & the News
"Hot For Teacher" - Van Halen
"I'm So Excited" - Pointer Sisters
"I Just Called to Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
"Jump" - Van Halen
"Jump (For My Love) - Pointer Sisters
"Kiss Off" - Violent Femmes
"Let's Go Crazy" - Prince & the Revolution
"Like a Virgin" - Madonna
"Love Bites" - Judas Priest
"1984" - Van Halen
"Neutron Dance" - Pointer Sisters
"No More Lonely Nights" - Paul McCartney
"Neverending Story" - Limahl
"Missing You" - John Waite
"Sea of Love" - Robert Plant
"The Reflex" - Duran Duran
"Time After Time" - Cyndi Lauper
"Tu Sabes a Chocolate" - Menudo
"Wake Me Up Before You Go" - Wham
"What's Love Got to Do with It?" - Tina Turner
"When Doves Cry" - Prince & the Revolution

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1984

Published popular music

"After All These Years" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander from the musical The Rink
"Cover Me" w.m. Bruce Springsteen
"Ghostbusters" w.m. Ray Parker Jr
"I Just Called To Say I Love You" w.m. Stevie Wonder
"Let's Go Crazy" w.m. Prince
"Like A Virgin" w.m. Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly
"Lights Out" w.m. Peter Wolf & Don Covay
"Missing You" w.m. John Waite, Chaz Sanford & Mark Leonard
"No More Lonely Nights" w.m. Paul McCartney
"Rock You Like A Hurricane" w.m. Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine & Herman Rarebell
"Time After Time" w.m. Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman
"To All The Girls I've Loved Before" w. Hal David m. Albert Hammond
"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" w.m. George Michael
"What's Love Got To Do With It" w.m. Terry Britten & Graham Lyle
"When Doves Cry" w.m. Prince

Musical theater

Forty-Second Street London production

The Rink Broadway production

Sunday in the Park with George Broadway production

Musical films

The Cotton Club

Births

April 10 - Mandy Moore

Deaths

February 15 - Ethel Merman
April 1 - Marvin Gaye
April 26 - Count Basie, jazz musician
September 6 - Ernest Tubb country western musician

Awards

Grammy Awards

Grammy Awards of 1984

Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

Eurovision Song Contest 1984