This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1985.

Specific locations

Specific genres

Events

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Also in 1985

Bands formed

Bands disbanded

Albums released

January–March

April–June

July–September

October–December

Release date unknown

Biggest hit singles

The following songs achieved the highest in the charts of 1985.

Top 40 Chart hit singles

Other Chart hit singles

• "A View to a Kill" – Duran Duran • "Better Be Good To Me" (1984) – Tina Turner • "Body & Soul" – Mai Tai • "Body Rock" (1984) – Maria Vidal • "Born in the U.S.A." (1984) – Bruce Springsteen (released in 1984) • "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" – The Smiths • "The Boys of Summer" (1984) – Don Henley • "Broken Wings" – Mr. Mister • "Brothers in Arms" – Dire Straits • "Borderline" (1983) – Madonna (UK release) • "Call Me" – Go West • "Cannonball" – Supertramp • "Can't Fight This Feeling" (1984) – REO Speedwagon • "Careless Whisper" (1984) – Wham! • "Centerfield" – John Fogerty • "C'était mon ami" – Dalida • "Chain Reaction" – Diana Ross • "Change Your Mind" – Sharpe & Numan • "Cheri, Cheri Lady" – Modern Talking • "Cherish" – Kool & the Gang • "Close to Me" – The Cure • "Cloudbusting" – Kate Bush • "Color My Love" – Fun Fun (Released in 1984) • "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love" – David Grant and Jaki Graham • "Crazy for You" – Madonna • "Dancing in the Street" – David Bowie and Mick Jagger • "Devuélveme a mi chica" – Hombres G • "Dirty Old Town" – The Pogues • "Don't Come Around Here No More" – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers • "Don't You (Forget About Me)" – Simple Minds • "Dress You Up" – Madonna • "Duel" – Propaganda • "Eaten Alive" – Diana Ross • "E=MC²" – Big Audio Dynamite • "Election Day" – Arcadia • "Éthiopie" – Chanteurs sans Frontières • "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (1984) – Tears for Fears • "Everything She Wants" (1984) – Wham! • "Everytime You Go Away" – Paul Young • "Faron Young" – Prefab Sprout • "Find A Way" – Amy Grant • "Fortress Around Your Heart" – Sting • "Frankie" – Sister Sledge • "Freak A Ristic" – Atlantic Starr • "Freaks Come Out at Night" (1984) – Whodini • "Fresh" (1984) – Kool & the Gang • "Freeway of Love" – Aretha Franklin • "Gambler" – Madonna • "Get It On" – The Power Station • "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" – Narada Michael Walden and Patti Austin • "Glory Days" (1984) – Bruce Springsteen • "Goodbye Is Forever" – Arcadia • "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" – Cyndi Lauper • "(Gotta Be) Wrong Way To Love" – Dynamic Hepnotics • "Head Over Heels" (1984) – Tears for Fears • "Heart User" – Cliff Richard • "The Heat Is On" – Glenn Frey • "Heaven" – Bryan Adams • "History" – Mai Tai • "Hold Me" – Menudo • "Holding Back The Years" – Simply Red (charted in 1986 in the U.S.) • "Home Sweet Home" – Mötley Crüe • "Hounds of Love" – Kate Bush • "How Soon Is Now?" – The Smiths (originally released in 1984 as a B-side) • "How Will I Know" – Whitney Houston • "Hurt" – Juice Newton • "I Don't Think I'm Ready for You" – Anne Murray • "I Miss You" – Klymaxx • "I Want to Know What Love Is" (1984) – Foreigner • "I Was Born to Love You" – Freddie Mercury • "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" – Peabo Bryson • "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" – Sting • "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" – Sandra • "I'm On Fire" (1984) – Bruce Springsteen • "In Between Days" – The Cure • "In My House" – Mary Jane Girls • "In The Heat Of The Night" – Sandra • "Innocent" – Alexander O'Neal • "Into the Groove" – Madonna • "Invincible" – Pat Benatar • "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" – Eurythmics • "Je te donne" – Jean-Jacques Goldman and Michael Jones • "Johnny Come Home" – Fine Young Cannibals • "Johnny, Johnny" – Jeanne Mas • "Just Like Honey" – The Jesus and Mary Chain • "Kayleigh" – Marillion • "Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)" – INXS • "Lay Your Hands on Me" – Thompson Twins • "Le temps d'aimer" – Dalida • "Le Vénitien de Levallois" – Dalida • "Lean on Me (ah-li-ayo)" – Red Box • "Let's Go Crazy/Take Me With U" – Prince and the Revolution (released in 1984) • "Listen Like Thieves" – INXS • "Life in a Northern Town" – The Dream Academy • "Live Is Life" – Opus • "Living on My Own" – Freddie Mercury • "Love Like Blood" – Killing Joke • "Lovergirl" – Teena Marie • "Lover Why" – Century • "Loverboy" – Billy Ocean • "Lovin' Every Minute of It" – Loverboy • "Madhouse" – Anthrax • "Manhattan Project" – Rush • "Marcia baila" – Rita Mitsouko • "Material Girl" – Madonna • "Miami Vice Theme" – Jan Hammer • "Merry Christmas Everyone" – Shakin' Stevens • "Method of Modern Love" – Hall & Oates (released in 1984) • "Money Changes Everything" – Cyndi Lauper • "Money for Nothing" – Dire Straits • "Mothers Talk" – Tears For Fears (released in 1984) • "Move Closer" – Phyllis Nelson • "Mystic Rhythms" – Rush • "Neutron Dance" – The Pointer Sisters (released in 1984) • "Never" – Heart • "Never Surrender" – Corey Hart • "A New England" – Kirsty MacColl • "Ni tú ni nadie" – Alaska y Dinarama • "Nightshift" – The Commodores • "Nikita" – Elton John • "Obsession" – Animotion • "Oh Sheila" – Ready for the World • "The Old Man Down The Road" – John Fogerty • "One More Night" – Phil Collins • "One Night in Bangkok" – Murray Head • "One Of The Living" – Tina Turner • "One Vision" – Queen • "Only the Young" (recorded 1983) – Journey • "Out Of Mind Out Of Sight" – Models • "Part-Time Lover" – Stevie Wonder • "Party All the Time" – Eddie Murphy • "Point of No Return" – Exposé • "The Power of Love" – Huey Lewis and the News • "Private Dancer" – Tina Turner • "Rage to Love" – Kim Wilde • "Raspberry Beret" – Prince and the Revolution • "Reviens-moi" – Dalida • "Running Up that Hill" – Kate Bush • "Russians" – Sting • "Samurai" – Michael Cretu • "Saving All My Love for You" – Whitney Houston • "Say I'm Your Number One" – Princess • "Say You, Say Me" – Lionel Richie • "Secret Lovers" – Atlantic Starr • "See the Day" – Dee C. Lee • "Separate Lives" – Phil Collins with Marilyn Martin • "Shake the Disease" – Depeche Mode • "Shout" – Tears for Fears • "So Far Away" – Dire Straits • "So In Love" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark • "Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" (1984) – Judas Priest • "Some Like It Hot" – The Power Station • "Somebody" (1984) – Bryan Adams • "Something About You" – Level 42 (charted in 1986 in the U.S.) • "Square Rooms" – Al Corley • "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" – John Parr • "Suddenly" – Billy Ocean • "Summer of '69" (1984) – Bryan Adams • "The Sun Always Shines on TV" – a-ha • "The Super Bowl Shuffle" – 1985 Chicago Bears • "Sussudio" – Phil Collins • "Take On Me" (1985 version) – a-ha • "Tarzan Boy" – Baltimora • "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" – The Smiths • "That's What Friends Are For" – Dionne Warwick (duets with Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder) (#1 in Australia, UK, PQ) • "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" – Eurythmics feat. Stevie Wonder • "Things Can Only Get Better" – Howard Jones • "This Is England" – The Clash • "This Time" – INXS • "Time Don't Run Out on Me" – Anne Murray • "Too Late For Goodbyes" – Julian Lennon • "Venezia" – Hombres G • "Walk of Life" – Dire Straits • "Walls Come Tumbling Down" – The Style Council • "We Are the World" – USA for Africa • "We Built This City" – Starship • "We Belong" – Pat Benatar (released in 1984) • "We Close Our Eyes" – Go West • "We Don't Need Another Hero" – Tina Turner • "West End Girls" (second release) – Pet Shop Boys • "What You Need" – INXS • "Who's Zoomin' Who?" – Aretha Franklin • "The Whole Of The Moon" – The Waterboys • "Working Class Man" – Jimmy Barnes • "Would I Lie To You?" – Eurythmics • "Wrap Her Up" – Elton John • "You Belong to the City" – Glenn Frey • "You Give Good Love" – Whitney Houston • "You Make Me Want to Make You Mine" – Juice Newton • "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" – Dead or Alive • "Your Personal Touch" – Evelyn "Champagne" King • "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" – Modern Talking • "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" – Billy Joel • "You're the Inspiration" – Chicago (released in 1984)

Notable singles

Other Notable singles

• "Man Overboard" – Do-Re-Mi • "Yummer Yummer Man" – Danielle Dax

Classical music

Opera

Ballet

Jazz

Musical theater

Musical films

Births

Deaths

Awards

Charts

US Top 100 Hits of 1985