What events made 1985 a banner year in music history?

The 1980s were a pivotal time in the music industry as the decade served as a transition period, saw the emergence of new genres, and the music video reigned supreme. However, many consider 1985 to be the high point of the decade due to significant events, music releases, and more.

In January 1985, VH1(Video Hits One), the sister music video channel to MTV, began broadcasting. This channel was established to appeal to an older demographic of music listeners, which opened its broadcasting with Marvin Gaye's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Over time, VH1 has evolved into something much different than what was originally intended, but it made headlines in 1985 for being something new and exciting.

The year also introduced the first Rock in Rio event to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was held Jan. 11-20. This launched one of the largest music festivals in the world with an audience of 1.5 million. Headliners for the show included Queen, George Benson, Rod Stewart, AC/DC, James Taylor, and Yes. Other notable artists who performed include Iron Maiden, Nina Hagen, The B52's, and the Go-Go's, and also featured several Brazilian artists, Gilberto Gil, Elba Ramalho, Barão Vermelho, and Paralamas do Sucesso.

The supergroup USA for Africa was formed to record the song "We Are The World," written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, two of the 20th century's most notable musicians. This single, released in March, was created to draw attention to people living in Ethiopia and Sudan who desperately needed food and supplies. Within four months, sales of the album raised $10.8 million, with other donations of $1.3 million. The song was inspired by "Do They Know It's Christmas," another charity song written by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, performed by the British supergroup Band Aid.

In July, the two-venue benefit concert Live Aid was held in Wembley Stadium, London, UK, and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, USA. This event was coordinated by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to continue efforts to bring famine relief to Ethiopia. Headliners for the performances included Queen, David Bowie, U2, The Who, Duran Duran, and many more.

1985 Movie Soundtracks

Movie soundtracks from 1985 made headlines as most movies featured singles charting that year. These include Back to the Future, A View to a Kill, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, The Goonies, and more. The soundtrack for Beverly Hills Cop tops the list, boasting five hits. In another notable statistic, three instrumental songs, “Axel F,” “The Love Theme To St. Elmo’s Fire,” and “Miami Vice Theme,” charted that year.

The year also saw many notable band members branching out into solo careers. David Lee Roth departed Van Halen with Crazy From the Heat. Sting, former frontman for The Police, released his debut solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Former Eagles bandmates Don Henley released his summer anthem "Boys of Summer," and Glenn Frey released "You Belong To The City," a song written for Miami Vice. Others striking out on their own include Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty (“Centerfield”), Rolling Stone's Mick Jagger (Just Another Night"), and more.

There were numerous "team-ups" in 1985, including Power Station featuring Robert Palmer and John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and Bad Company's Paul Rodgers teamed up to create The Firm, known for their song "Radioactive." Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight collaborated on "That's What Friends Are For."

One Hit Wonders didn't disappoint this year with several great ones, including Teena Marie's “Lovergirl”, Karina and the Waves' (“Walking on Sunshine”), Murray Head's “One Night in Bangkok”, Scritti Politti's “Perfect Way“, and Paul Hardcastle's “19”.

The above is only a sampling of the incredible events of 1985, which helped to solidify the 1980s as a notable decade in music history.