1984 in Music

Given the fact we are now in Labor Day Weekend, and that I will actually have a thread for that date (this one runs two days), I wanted to come up with a blog topic that is a bit of a break from politics. (Well, politics is everywhere.)

I recently drove by my middle school, in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and connected how long it has been. I was reminded of the specific year 1984.

It was 35 years ago. 

It was the first year I started buying music. 

I thought it was the best year in music specifically from the decade of the 1980s.

It was Tina Turner’s comeback year, with her album Private Dancer and her No. 1 and Record of the Year and Song of the Year Grammy winner “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” It was also the year of Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA. It was also the year Cyndi Lauper won the Grammy for Best New Artist for her She’s So Unusual which also garnered her Record of the Year and Song of the Year nominations for “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time.” It was also the year The Pointer Sisters became greatly appreciated with their Break Out No. 1 hit, and the Grammy winner for Best Duo or Group Pop Vocal Performance, “Jump (For My Love).” It was the year Lionel Richie performed at the 1984 Summer Olympics, in Los Angeles, California, and experienced five hits from eight tracks from Can’t Slow Down, which went on to win the Grammy for Album of Year. (Source: Wikipedia — ‘“Can't Slow Down” (Lionel Richie album)’.)  It was also a good year for R&B singers Billy Ocean, for “Carribbean Queen,” and Chaka Khan, for “I Feel for You,” which was written by Prince who, with his Prince and the Revolution, had their huge hit Purple Rain. It was a good year for motion-picture soundtracks. Not just Purple Rain, but also Stevie Wonder with his “I Just Called to Say I Love You,” from The Woman in Red, but also from the film which was my first album purchase, Footloose.

1984 was a great year in music.

Here are five videos, although I am tempted to post more, from “1984 in Music”: