1984 in music

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
• 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
• Self-Titled - 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
• The Honeydrippers: Volume One - 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

• "Cover Me" - 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" - The Pointer Sisters
• "I Just Called to Say I Love You" - Stevie Wonder
• "Jump" - Van Halen
• "Kiss Off" - Violent Femmes
• "Let's Go Crazy" - Prince & the Revolution
• "Like a Virgin" - Madonna
• "Love Bites" - Judas Priest
• "1984" - Van Halen
• "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

Published popular music

• "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

Referenced By