[edit] Events
[edit] January-March - January 28 - Various artists, under the group name USA For Africa, including Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Perry, Kenny Loggins, Willie Nelson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Diana Ross, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Tina Turner, Sheila E., Harry Belafonte, Lindsey Buckingham, Kim Carnes, Dionne Warwick, Waylon Jennings, Bob Geldof and Stevie Wonder, record the song "We Are the World".[1]
- February 21 - Whitney Houston releases her first album after signing to Arista Records.[citation needed]
- March 27 - The South African Broadcasting Corporation bans Stevie Wonder's music in response to Wonder dedicating the Oscar he had won the night before to Nelson Mandela. [2]
- March 28 - A wax likeness of Michael Jackson is unveiled at Madame Tussaud's wax museum in London, UK. [3]
[edit] April-June [edit] July-September - July 13 - The Live Aid concert takes place in Wembley Stadium, London, UK and Philadelphia, USA. The headlining acts at the latter venue included a Led Zeppelin reunion, the first since their 1980 disbandment. [6]
- August 16 - On her 27th birthday, Madonna marries actor Sean Penn. They divorce on September 14, 1989.
- September 6 - Michael Jackson purchases the publishing rights for most of the Beatles' music for US$47 million, much to the dismay of Paul McCartney, whom he is bidding against. [7]
- September 19 - The Parents Music Resource Center's (P.M.R.C.) United States Senate hearing on rock censorship begin in Washington, D.C., USA. Heavy metal singer Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, rock star Frank Zappa and country singer John Denver testify against the P.M.R.C.[citation needed]
- September 22 - The Farm Aid concert is held in Champaign, Illinois, USA.
[edit] October-December [edit] Undated [edit] Bands formed [edit] Bands disbanded [edit] Albums released [edit] January [edit] February [edit] August [edit] September [edit] October [edit] November [edit] December [edit] Unknown release date [edit] Biggest hit singles The following songs achieved the highest in the charts of 1985.[8] | # | Artist | Title | Year | Country | Chart Entries | | 1 | USA For Africa | We Are the World | 1985 |  | UK 1 - Apr 1985, US BB 1 - Mar 1985, US CashBox 1 of 1985, Canada 1 - Apr 1985, Holland 1 - Mar 1985, Sweden 1 - Mar 1985, Sweden (alt) 1 - Apr 1985, Switzerland 1 - Apr 1985, Norway 1 - Mar 1985, Poland 1 - Mar 1983, Australia 1 of 1985, Italy 1 of 1985, Éire 1 - Apr 1985, New Zealand 1 for 7 weeks Apr 1985, Australia 1 for 9 weeks Dec 1985, Grammy in 1985, Austria 2 - Apr 1985, Germany 2 - Apr 1985, Global 4 (20 M sold) - 1985, South Africa 8 of 1985, US BB 40 of 1985, POP 71 of 1985, RIAA 121, Germany 263 of the 1980s, OzNet 418, Acclaimed 1371 | | 2 | a-ha | Take On Me | 1985 |  | US BB 1 - Aug 1985, Canada 1 - Aug 1985, Holland 1 - Oct 1985, Sweden (alt) 1 - Oct 1985, France 1 - May 1985, Switzerland 1 - Nov 1985, Norway 1 - Nov 1984, Poland 1 - Dec 1985, Germany 1 - Jan 1986, Australia 1 for 2 weeks Aug 1986, Scrobulate 1 of 80s, UK 2 - Sep 1985, Sweden 4 - Aug 1985, Austria 4 - Dec 1985, Italy 7 of 1986, KROQ 7 of 1985, RYM 8 of 1984, Australia 12 of 1985, US CashBox 15 of 1985, Europe 20 of the 1980s, POP 31 of 1985, Global 33 (5 M sold) - 1985, US BB 36 of 1985, Germany 81 of the 1980s, Party 133 of 2007, OzNet 795, Acclaimed 2396 | | 3 | Foreigner | I Want to Know What Love Is | 1985 | /  | UK 1 - Dec 1984, US BB 1 - Dec 1984, Canada 1 - Dec 1984, Sweden 1 - Dec 1984, Sweden (alt) 1 - Dec 1984, Norway 1 - Jan 1985, Poland 1 - Mar 1983, Éire 1 - Jan 1985, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Feb 1985, Australia 1 for 5 weeks Oct 1985, Switzerland 2 - Jan 1985, Germany 4 - Jan 1985, Australia 5 of 1985, Holland 6 - Dec 1984, Austria 7 - Feb 1985, US CashBox 8 of 1985, South Africa 12 of 1985, POP 17 of 1985, US BB 34 of 1985, Europe 38 of the 1980s, OzNet 180, RYM 186 of 1984, Germany 255 of the 1980s, Rolling Stone 476, Acclaimed 659 | | 4 | Tears For Fears | Shout | 1985 | | US BB 1 - Jun 1985, Canada 1 - Feb 1985, Holland 1 - Jan 1985, Switzerland 1 - Feb 1985, Germany 1 - Jan 1985, New Zealand 1 for 3 weeks Mar 1985, Australia 1 for 1 weeks Nov 1985, France 3 - Dec 1984, Poland 3 - Mar 1983, UK 4 - Dec 1984, Sweden 5 - Dec 1984, Norway 5 - Mar 1985, KROQ 5 of 1985, Austria 6 - Mar 1985, US CashBox 13 of 1985, Australia 14 of 1985, Sweden (alt) 16 - Feb 1985, South Africa 16 of 1985, Italy 20 of 1985, RYM 27 of 1984, Scrobulate 36 of 80s, Germany 104 of the 1980s, Acclaimed 974 | | 5 | Madonna | Into the Groove | 1985 | | UK 1 - Jul 1985, Holland 1 - Aug 1985, Éire 1 - Aug 1985, New Zealand 1 for 6 weeks Aug 1985, Australia 1 for 4 weeks Mar 1986, Sweden 2 - Aug 1985, Switzerland 2 - Aug 1985, Australia 2 of 1985, Italy 2 of 1985, Sweden (alt) 3 - Aug 1985, Germany 3 - Aug 1985, Norway 4 - Aug 1985, US BB 7 of 1985, Austria 7 - Sep 1985, France 9 - Aug 1985, RYM 9 of 1985, POP 13 of 1985, Poland 19 - Sep 1985, Scrobulate 73 of 80s, Party 193 of 1999, OzNet 200, Acclaimed 235, Germany 271 of the 1980s | [edit] Top hits
[edit] Classical music [edit] Ballet [edit] Musical theater [edit] Musical films [edit] Births - February 20 - Yulia Volkova, Russian singer, (t.A.T.u.)
- April 3 - Leona Lewis, singer
- May 10 - Ashley Poole, singer Dream
- May 22 - Vangie Tang, singer
- June 15 - Nadine Coyle, Girls Aloud
- July 17 - Tom Fletcher, McFLY
- August 1 - Dina, singer
- August 3 - Holly Arnstein, singer Dream
- September 23 - Diana Ortiz, singer Dream
- October 15 - Nicola Roberts, Girls Aloud
- October 22 - Zac Hanson, Hanson
- October 25 - Ciara, singer
- December 10 - Raven-Symoné, actress and singer
- December 23 - Harry Judd, McFLY
[edit] Deaths - January 4 - Lovro von Matačić, Croatian conductor
- January 10 - Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer
- February 7 - Matt Monro (54), English singer (liver cancer)
- February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld, American composer
- February 12 - Leslie Sarony, English singer, comedian and songwriter
- February 18
- February 22 - Efrem Zimbalist, violinist
- February 28 - David Byron (38), vocalist of Uriah Heep (alcohol-related)
- March 1 - Eugene List, American classical pianist
- March 16 - Roger Sessions, American composer
- March 23 - Zoot Sims (59), jazz saxophonist
- March 31 - Jeanine Deckers (51), known as The Singing Nun (suicide)
- May 2 - Bridget D'Oyly Carte, opera impresario
- May 8 - Karl Marx, composer and conductor
- May 19 - Hilding Rosenberg, composer
- July 23 - Kay Kyser, US bandleader
- August 11 - Nick Ceroli (45), jazz drummer
- August 24 - Paul Creston, American composer
- September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery, jazz and blues pianist and singer
- September 11 - William Alwyn, English composer
- September 18 - Ed Lewis, jazz trumpeter
- October 6 - Nelson Riddle, US conductor, composer and arranger
- October 11 - Tex Williams, US country singer
- October 14 - Emil Gilels, pianist
- October 18 - Stefan Askenase, pianist
- October 20 - Boris Lisanevich, dancer
- October 21 - Ricky Wilson (32), founding member of The B-52's (AIDS)
- November 15 - Seán Ryan, Irish fiddler and whistler
- December 12 - Ian Stewart (47), The Rolling Stones (heart attack)[9]
- December 22 - D. Boon (27), lead singer of Minutemen (car accident)
- December 31 - Ricky Nelson (45), singer, former teen idol (plane crash) [10]
- date unknown - Rodolfo Arizaga, Argentinian composer
[edit] Awards [edit] Charts [edit] References - ^ unattributed (undated). "We Are The World by U.S.A. For Africa". Songfacts. http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1560. Retrieved 2008-04-18.
- ^ Associated Press (March 27, 1985). "Stevie Wonder Music Banned in South Africa". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E4DD1438F934A15750C0A963948260. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Unattributed (2005). "Michael Jackson, 1985". Michael Jackson in the Early 1980's. http://www.mj-in-the-early-80s.com/1985.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Dan Halen (undated). "Chronology". Archived from the original on 2009-10-21. http://www.webcitation.org/5khD6jYpx. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Madonnatribe (undated). "The Virgin Tour". http://www.ultimatemadonna.com/the_virgin_tour/. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ mdh (1995). "Live Aid Programme". http://www.herald.co.uk/local_info/live_aid.html#prog. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ MJ Cafe (2008). "When did Michael buy the Beatles' songs?". http://www.mjcafe.net/the%20legend%20speeches%20&%20faq/b4.htm. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ Hawtin, Steve (2007). "Songs from the Year 1985". Steve Hawtin/TsorT. http://tsort.info/music/yr1985.htm. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
- ^ Ray Connelly (2003). "Stu". Out-Take Limited. http://www.out-take.co.uk/ot/ray_connelly.php. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
- ^ unattributed (1987). "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Ricky Nelson". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/ricky-nelson. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
[edit] See also |
