1985 in music
See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music and the list of 'years in music'.
Events
- January - 90 Contemporary Christian music artists, including Larry Norman, Amy Grant, Randy Stonehill and Steve Camp, join together to record "Do Something Now"
- 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". The single arrived in record stores on
- February 1 - The Eagles' Glenn Frey appears in an episode of the popular US television series Miami Vice. The episode is based on Frey's song, "Smuggler's Blues."
- 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.
- March 7 - Menudo hits the United States charts with "Indianapolis" and "Like a Cannonball", both of which were on the soundtrack of Cannonball Run 2. Ironically, this would be the beginning of the end of Menudo's golden era.
- March 23 - Billy Joel marries model Christy Brinkley in New York.
- April 1 - David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen to begin a solo career.
- July 13 - Live Aid superconcert raises funds for famine relief
- August - Fleetwood Mac records Tango in the Night, which will be a blockbuster album in 1987
- 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.
- August 11 - the sailboat Drum capsizes during the Fastnet yacht race; Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran and others are trapped beneath the hull
- September 19 - The Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) testifies at a hearing before the United States Senate about "alarming new trends" in rock music; leading to the labeling of "offensive" recordings. One of the organizations most outspoken leaders is Tipper Gore, wife of Tennessee Senator, and future Vice President Albert Gore.
- 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.
- December 27 - Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran marries 20-year-old supermodel Yasmin Parveneh
- Mark Heard's Mosaics album is released - the album's cover artwork was created by dozens of musicians including Heard himself, Bill Batstone, T-Bone Burnett, Tim Chandler, Dave de Coup-Crank, Terry Scott Taylor, David Edwards, Tom Howard, Tonio K, Ed McTaggart, John Mehler, Leslie Phillips, Randy Stonehill, and Pat Terry. Actor Jerry Houser also worked on the artwork.
- They Might Be Giants career begins in earnest; playing weekly sold-out shows in New York's East Village and garnering a review in People magazine
- Eric B. & Rakim meet and and begin making music together
- The Offspring form in Garden Grove, California
- Duran Duran splits into two side projects (Power Station and Arcadia); Live Aid is the last time Duran performs in its original five-member incarnation.
Albums Released
- Reckless - Brian Adams
- Hunting High And Low - A-Ha
- 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
- The Head on the Door - The Cure
- Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys
- Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
- The Firm - The Firm
- Centerfield - John Fogerty
- Who's Zooming Who - Aretha Franklin
- Unguarded - Amy Grant
- Heart - Heart
- New Day Rising - Husker Du
- Original Masters - Jethro Tull
- A Classic Case - Jethro Tull
- Ice on Fire - Elton John
- Defenders of the Faith - Judas Priest
- Radio - LL Cool J
- Off The Board - Ludichrist
- Like a Virgin - Madonna
- Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! - Megadeth
- Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
- Three-Way Tie for Last - Minutemen
- Low-Life - New Order
- Riptide - Robert Palmer
- 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
- Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M.
- Tim - The Replacements
- Cupid & Psyhe '85 - Scritti Politti
- The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
- Little Creatures - Talking Heads
- Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
- 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
- Make it Big - Wham!
- No Tellin' Lies - Zebra
Top Hits
- "Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & the News
- "Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Minds
- "We Built This City" - 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 (UK)
- "Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie
- "We Are the World" - USA for Africa
- "West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys
- "Take On Me" - A-Ha
- "Born In The U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
- "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" - REO Speedwagon
- "Private Dancer" - Tina Turner
- "Indianapolis" - Menudo
- "Big River"
- "Dames At Sea" Broadway revival
- "Me And My Girl" London revival
- "Les Misérables" London production
- "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" London production
Births
Deaths
- February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld
- February 11 - Ulysses Simpson Kay
- February 28 - David Byron, Uriah Heep
- September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery
- December 12 - Ian Stewart, The Rolling Stones, cerebrovascular accident
- December 22 - D. Boon, lead singer of The Minutemen