1984: The Year in Pop Music
1984 was a great year in pop music, with a wide variety of artists and genres represented. This blog will take a look at some of the best music from that year.
The Biggest Hits
1984 was a banner year for pop music. Madonna released her first album, Michael Jackson’s Thriller album was released, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. album was released, and Prince’s Purple Rain soundtrack was released. All of these albums went on to become HUGE hits. Let’s take a look at the biggest hits of 1984.
“Like a Virgin” – Madonna
“Like a Virgin” by Madonna was one of the biggest hits of 1984. The song debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and eventually peaked at number one, where it stayed for six weeks. It also topped the charts in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Italy. The song helped to make Madonna one of the most successful pop stars of the 1980s and cemented her status as a sex symbol.
“Footloose” – Kenny Loggins
“Footloose” is a song co-written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. It was released in January 1984 as the first of two singles from the film of the same name. The song was a massive commercial success. In the United States, “Footloose” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in February 1984, and also spent one week atop the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart that spring. In the United Kingdom, “Footloose” reached number three on the UK Singles Chart in May 1984.
Loggins wrote the song with his writing partner and co-producer Dean Pitchford. The two were commissioned to write songs for the film Footloose, and Loggins was asked to provide a uptempo song that would be suitable for use in a montage sequence featuring characters Kevin Bacon and John Lithgow dancing around a cane field. The pair wrote “Footloose” in just one day, and Recorded it soon afterwards.
The song features a prominent synthesizer Hook, which was performed by Loggins’ keyboardist Greg Mathieson Sr.. The synthesizer part has since been sampled or covered by other artists, including M/A/R/R/S on their 1987 hit “Pump Up the Volume”, Girl Talk on his 2010 album All Day, and Lil Yachty on his 2016 mixtape Summer Songs 2.
The song’s guitar solo was performed by Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
“When Doves Cry” – Prince
“When Doves Cry” is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his 1984 album Purple Rain. It was a worldwide hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, and number two on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written, produced and performed entirely by Prince. According to Billboard magazine, it was the top-selling single of 1984.
Rolling Stone ranked it as the 145th greatest song of all time. In 2016, the song was voted by listeners of BBC Radio 2 as Prince’s best song.
The Breakthrough Artists
1984 was a great year for pop music. There were many breakthrough artists, including Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Prince. These artists changed the sound of pop music and made it into the mainstream.
Bruce Springsteen
Few artists had as big a year as Bruce Springsteen, who released his anthemic album Born in the U.S.A. to massive critical and commercial success. The record spawned a record-tying seven top ten singles, propelling Springsteen to superstardom. He won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for several more, cementing his place as one of the biggest names in music.
Madonna
By the end of 1984, it was impossible to escape the phenomenon known as Madonna. The Material Girl’s every move was front-page news, her music was inescapable on radio and MTV, and young girls everywhere adopted her fashion sense and dance moves. It all started with her self-titled debut album, released in July 1983. The album quickly went double platinum on the strength of the singles “Holiday” and “Borderline.” But it was 1984’s Like a Virgin that made Madonna a true superstar.
The title track, which topped the pop charts for six weeks, set the stage for an incredible year that included two more No. 1 singles (“Like a Prayer” and “Borderline”), a hugely successful six-week concert tour, and roles in two movies (Desperately Seeking Susan and Vision Quest). By the end of 1984, Madonna had become not only the biggest pop star in the world, but also one of the most controversial. Her sexually suggestive lyrics and onstage antics caused many to label her a bad role model for young girls, but millions of fans continued to flock to her concerts and buy her records. Madonna would go on to enjoy an even longer string of hits in the years to come, cementing her place as one of the most successful pop stars of all time.
Prince
By late 1983, Prince was well on his way to becoming a breakout star. His self-titled second album had yielded the top 10 hit “Little Red Corvette” and established him as a radio presence. But it was 1984’s Purple Rain that made him a true superstar. The album, which served as the soundtrack to his semi-autobiographical film of the same name, was a massive critical and commercial success. It spent 24 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and produced three No. 1 singles: “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” and the title track. Thanks to Purple Rain, Prince won an Academy Award for Best Original Score and took home two Grammys, cementing his place as one of the most successful artists of the 1980s.
The Most Influential Albums
1984 was an incredible year for music. Some of the most influential albums were released, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., and Madonna’s Like a Virgin. These albums defined a generation and continue to influence pop music today.
“Born in the U.S.A.” – Bruce Springsteen
Released in June 1984, “Born in the U.S.A.” is Bruce Springsteen’s seventh studio album and his first to achieve mainstream success outside of North America. The album features some of Springsteen’s most well-known and popular songs, including “Dancing in the Dark,” “Glory Days,” and the title track. “Born in the U.S.A.” was a commercial and critical success, selling over 30 million copies worldwide and spawning seven top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. The album won two Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and was nominated for six others. In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked “Born in the U.S.A.” at #22 on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time
“Like a Virgin” – Madonna
Madonna had already made a name for herself with her first two albums, but it was with 1984’s “Like a Virgin” that she truly broke into the mainstream. The album’s title track was a massive hit, topping the charts for six weeks and becoming one of the most iconic songs of the ’80s. Madonna followed up with another huge hit, “Material Girl,” and the album went on to sell over six million copies in the US. “Like a Virgin” cemented Madonna’s status as a pop icon, and paved the way for her continued success in the years to come.
“Purple Rain” – Prince
Released in June 1984, “Purple Rain” was Prince’s sixth studio album, and the first to be credited to Prince and the Revolution. It was also the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name.
“Purple Rain” was a massive commercial success, spending 24 consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart and selling over 20 million copies worldwide. The album won Prince an unprecedented six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums of all time.
The Legacy of 1984
1984 was a watershed year for pop music. It was the year that Madonna released her first album, “Like a Virgin,” and Prince released his album “Purple Rain.” These two albums would go on to have a profound impact on the music industry and pop culture.
The birth of MTV
In 1984, MTV launched its first permanent channel in Europe, broadcasting to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The following year, it began airing in the UK and Ireland. MTV quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, helping to shape the image of a new generation and leading the way for a wave of music videos that would dominate the airwaves for years to come.
The network’s impact was immediate and far-reaching. In the US, its arrival coincided with a boom in popularity for music videos, which had been struggling to find a home on television up until that point. In the UK, meanwhile, MTV helped to spur a new wave of interest in American pop culture, with many young people becoming obsessed with all things American thanks to the channel’s 24/7 diet of music videos and celebrity gossip.
MTV’s influence would only grow in the years that followed, as it expanded into new markets around the world and began branching out into original programming. Today, it remains one of the most powerful forces in popular culture, capable of launching careers and propelling songs to the top of the charts.
The explosion of pop music
It was a year of big changes in the pop music world, as a new breed of artists began to break through to mainstream success. This group, which would come to be known as the “Brat Pack,” included Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Whitney Houston, and Billy Idol, among others. They ushered in a new era of pop music that was more youthful and rebellious than the previous generation.
In addition to the Brat Pack, 1984 was also a big year for established artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen. Prince continued his domination of the charts with his fourth album, “Purple Rain,” which spent 24 weeks at number one and produced five top-ten singles. Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album also continued its record-breaking ways, becoming the best-selling album of all time. And Bruce Springsteen released his iconic album “Born in the U.S.A.,” which would go on to become one of the best-selling albums in history.
1984 was truly a watershed year for pop music. The artists who broke through in that year would go on to define the sound and style of pop music for years to come.
The rise of the superstar artist
In 1984, the pop music landscape was dominated by a new breed of superstar artist. These artists were defined by their massive commercial success and their ability to cross over into different genres. Artists like Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, and Bruce Springsteen were able to achieve massive popularity by appealing to a wide range of listeners. This new breed of artist changed the way that the music industry operated and ushered in an era of unprecedented commercial success.
