1984: The Year of Music in Review
The Year of Prince, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper and Madonna
May 20, 2009
Even though 1984 passed us twenty five years ago, it is still impossible to not hear the year's musical influences. It's as if "When Dove's Cry," "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "Born in the USA" and "Like a Virgin" came out just yesterday.
A year of musical change
1984 was the year Prince graduated from superstardom into megastardom. It was the year when people actually discovered Madonna is white. It was the year that gave us unforgettable albums by Tina Turner (Private Dancer), Cyndi Lauper (She’s So Unusual), Bruce Springsteen (Born in the USA), The Cars (Heartbeat City), and many others.
Releases from Previous Years Continue Success
Unlike many of the other musical years of the 1980s, some of the biggest splashes came from albums, released the year before, that continued to make waves. Michael Jackson’s Thriller was actually released at the end of 1982, but continued pouring hit singles throughout the spring of 1984.
Huey Lewis & The News released Sports in 1983, but the album continued to produce hits all through the end of 1984. The same can be said about Lionel Richie’s Can’t Slow Down, with the final single, "Penny Lover" being released in the Fall of 1984.
Dance Music Makes a Comeback
1984 was a year that upset many of the “Disco Sucks” fanatics of the late 1970s. Hardcore club music became mainstream again thanks to such classics as “Holiday,” by Madonna, “Let the Music Play,” by Shannon, “Lets Here it For The Boy,” by Denise Williams,” “Breakin’,” by Ollie and Jerry, “Jump,” by the Pointer Sisters and many others.
Many classic rock fans consider 1984 the beginning of “bubblegum” music, but to others, the diversity on the pop music scene was welcoming. Classic rock fans can still find several noteable releases in 1984: Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen, Eliminator by ZZ Top, Tonight by David Bowie, Undercover by the Rolling Stones, and many others.
Prince: 1984's Number One Superstar
If one person could claim the crown for 1984, it would have to be Prince, who released his hit movie, Purple Rain. This classic movie spawned a mega-successful soundtrack, several hit singles and the beginning of the PMRC, a group that tried to censor the type of music people could listen to. Michael Jackson, who held 1983’s crown, started the year off well but made a major career miscalculation when recording Victory with his brothers.
Girl Power
1984 was also known as the year of “girl power” as many female acts dominated the industry all at the same time. Cyndi Lauper was the biggest female star of 1984 with her She’s So Unusual album, while Madonna was a brewing superstar waiting to explode after her self-titled debut, originally released in 1983, started spawning hit after hit.
Tina Turner was the comeback queen after her Private Dancer album made her the first post-40 year old woman to score a number one hit, “What’s Love Got to Do with It.” Tina would end up winning several Grammy awards the next year for her work in 1984.
An Influential Year1984 was a year that not only changed the world musically, but continues to be important. Several songs that are played on the radio today are influenced by the sounds from this year Even George Orwell couldn't have predicted what a milestone year in music this would become.
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