1985 in music

1 Events
2 Albums released
3 Top hits
4 Classical music
5 Opera
6 Musical theater
7 Musical films
8 Births
9 Deaths
10 Awards
11 Charts
- 11.1 List of No. 1 Hits
- 11.2 KROQ

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, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are The World".

February – Whitney Houston releases her first album
March 3 – A wax likeness of Michael Jackson is unveiled at London's Madame Tussaud's wax museum.

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

July 13 – Live Aid concert in Wembley and Philadelphia.

August 1 – Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights for most of the Beatles' music for US$47 million, much to the dismay of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

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
Phranc solo career starts
Widespread Panic forms
The Feelies reunites
Hall & Oates' last song charts in Billboard magazine.
The Modern Art releases its debut single

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
Seven The Hard Way – Pat Benatar
Without Love – Black N' Blue
7800 Fahrenheit – Bon Jovi
Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
Telephone Free Landslide Victory – Camper Van Beethoven
Greatest Hits – The Cars (debut compilation)
To Mega Therion – Celtic Frost
No Jacket Required – Phil Collins
Love – The Cult (debut)
The Head on the Door – The Cure
Frankenchrist – Dead Kennedys
Youthquake – Dead or Alive
Sacred Heart – Dio
Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
Under Lock and Key – Dokken
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
Say You Love Me – Jennifer Holliday
New Day Rising – Hüsker Dü
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
Despite Straight Lines – Marilyn
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! – Megadeth(debut)
Scarecrow – John Cougar Mellencamp
Three-Way Tie for Last – Minutemen
Theatre of Pain – Mötley Crüe
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
Folksinger – Phranc
Shaken N' Stirred – Robert Plant
Diamond Life – Sade
Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash – The Pogues
Steve McQueen (US Title: 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
The Heart Of The Matter – Kenny Rogers
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
VU – The Velvet Underground
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
Dare To Be Stupid – "Weird Al" Yankovic
Stella – Yello
No Tellin' Lies – Zebra

Top hits

"I Wanna Know What Love Is" – Foreigner #1
"Out Of Mind Out Of Sight" – The Models #1
"Baby U Left Me" – Marilyn
"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
"Reviens-moi" – Dalida
"C'était mon ami" – Dalida
"Le temps d'aimer" – Dalida
"Le Vénitien de Levallois" – Dalida
"Money for Nothing" – Dire Straits
"Find A Way" – Amy Grant
"Wise Up" – Amy Grant
"19" — Paul Hardcastle
"Say You, Say Me" – Lionel Richie
"Walk Like a Man" – Divine
"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
"Freeway of Love" – Aretha Franklin

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1985

Classical music

Mario Davidovsky – Capriccio for two pianos
Jacques Hétu – Missa pro trecentisimo anno
Nicholas Jackson – Organ Sonata
Witold Lutoslawski – Symphony No. 3
John Rutter – Requiem
Joan Tower – Concerto for Piano
Robert Ward – Raleigh Divertimento

Opera

Dorothy Rudd Moore – Frederick Douglass

Musical theater

Big River – Broadway production
Dames at Sea – off-Broadway revival
The King and I (Rodgers & Hammerstein) – Broadway revival
Me and My Girl (Noel Gay) – London revival
Les Misérables – London production
Mystery of Edwin Drood – Broadway production
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Saul Chaplin, Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer) – London production
Singin' in the Rain – Broadway production
Song and Dance – Broadway production