1985 in music
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See also: 1984 in music, other events of 1985, 1986 in music, 1980s in music and the list of 'years in music'
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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
- The former Beatles producer George Martin works with Country music legend, Kenny Rogers on the album 'The Heart Of The Matter,' which tops the Billboard album charts in the USA and makes #4 in the UK.
- 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
- Halber Mensch (or ˝ Mensch; English: "Half Man") - Einstürzende Neubauten
- Bonded by Blood - Exodus
- Horror Epics - The Exploited
- The Firm - The Firm
- 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
- Bites - Skinny Puppy
- 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
- "Atmosphere" - Russ Abbott
- "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
- "Faron Young" - Prefab Sprout
- "Merry Christmas Everyone" - Shakin' Stevens
- "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
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
Musical films
Births
- January 20 - Bonnie McKee, singer-songwriter
- February 20 - Yulia Volkova, Russian musician (t.A.T.u.)
- May 22 - Vangie Tang, singer
- June 15 - Nadine Walsh, Girls Aloud
- August 1 - Dina, singer
- October 15 - Nicola Roberts, Girls Aloud
- October 22 - Zachary Hanson, Hanson
- December 10 - Raven-Symoné, actress and singer
Deaths
- January 9 - Anton Karas, Austrian zither player and composer
- February 11 - Heinz Eric Roemheld
- February 11 - Ulysses Simpson Kay
- February 12 - Leslie Sarony, English singer, comedian and songwriter
- February 18 - Gábor Darvas, composer and musicologist
- February 22 - Efrem Zimbalist, violinist
- February 28 - David Byron, Uriah Heep
- March 31 - Jeanine Deckers, known as The Singing Nun and had a hit record, "Dominique"
- May 19 - Hilding Rosenberg, composer
- July 23 - Kay Kyser, US bandleader
- September 6 - Little Brother Montgomery
- October 6 - Nelson Riddle, US conducter, composer and arranger
- October 11 - Tex Williams, US country singer
- October 14 - Emil Gilels, pianist
- October 21 - Ricky Wilson, founding member of The B-52's
- December 12 - Ian Stewart, The Rolling Stones, cerebrovascular accident
- December 22 - D. Boon, lead singer of The Minutemen
- December 31 - Ricky Nelson, singer, former teen idol