1984 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.

Specific locations

 * 1984 in British music
 * 1984 in Norwegian music

Specific genres

 * 1984 in country music
 * 1984 in heavy metal music
 * 1984 in hip hop music
 * 1984 in jazz

January–March

 * In January 1984, Iain Williams & the 1984 Project recorded the dance track Love Is Suicide at Trident Studios in Soho, London. The track features Hans Zimmer on Fairlight CM and Alan Murphy on guitar.
 * January 11 – BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read announces on air that he will not play the single "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood because of its suggestive lyrics. The BBC places a total ban on the record at about the same time.
 * January 17 – The SING BLUE SILVER tour continues on to Japan and North America as Duran Duran becomes the first act to utilize live video cameras and screens in their show. They break every existing merchandise record during this tour.
 * January 21 – "Relax" reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite the BBC ban; it will spend a total of 42 weeks in the Top 40.
 * January 27 – Michael Jackson's scalp is burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial and he is admitted to hospital. Around this time, Jackson also releases the title track from his album Thriller as the LP's final single.
 * February 14
 * Elton John marries studio engineer Renate Blauel.
 * Joe Perry and Brad Whitford attend an Aerosmith concert and re-join the band, which embarks on a reunion tour "Back in the Saddle" later in the year.
 * February 16 – Jerry Lee Lewis surrenders to federal authorities on charges of income tax evasion. Lewis is later acquitted.
 * February 25 – Thompson Twins debuts at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart with Into the Gap. The album would also top the chart the two following weeks and remain on the chart for 38 consecutive weeks until November.
 * February 28
 * Recovering from the scalp burns sustained a month earlier, Michael Jackson wins eight Grammy Awards out of twelve nominations at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards, breaking the record for the most Grammys won in a single year. He wins seven for the album Thriller (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Beat It") and one for his work on the audiobook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
 * Hosted by John Denver, this year's Grammys ceremony receives the highest ratings in the awarding body's history, a record currently unmatched. Along with the awards received by Michael Jackson, The Police's "Every Breath You Take" wins Song of the Year, while Culture Club win Best New Artist.
 * February 29 – German industrial band KMFDM is founded, and holds its first performance at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
 * March 1
 * Sting plays his last concerts with The Police at the end of the Synchronicity tour; the band takes a "pause" after the tour and only play a few special events together after this, until 2007, when they would organize a reunion tour.
 * Alice Cooper, who has not toured for his last two albums, parts ways with his longtime label Warner Bros. and goes on hiatus from the music industry. Cooper begins mulling over plans for a comeback, which he would carry out in 1986.

April–June

 * April 1
 * New York rock and roll magazine Trouser Press folds after a decade, publishing its 96th and final issue.
 * In Los Angeles, Marvin Gaye is shot and killed during an argument with his father.
 * May 1 – Mick Fleetwood, of Fleetwood Mac, files for bankruptcy in the United States.
 * May 2 – Lionel Richie's hit "Hello" becomes Motown's first ever UK million-selling single.
 * May 5
 * Duran Duran achieve their second UK number 1 single with "The Reflex" and remain at number 1 for four consecutive weeks.
 * The Pretenders singer Chrissie Hynde marries Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr.
 * In Luxembourg, the Eurovision Song Contest 1984 is won by the Swedish entry, "Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley", performed by the Herreys.
 * June 8 – Billy Joel performs at Wembley Arena; the concert is later broadcast on BBC Television in two parts.
 * June 16 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood begin a nine-week stay at the top of the UK singles chart with "Two Tribes".
 * June 18 – At the climax of a Judas Priest concert at Madison Square Garden, fans begin ripping out the cushions from the seats and throwing them on stage. Judas Priest pay damages through insurance and are banned from Madison Square Garden for life over the incident.
 * June 23 – Duran Duran earn their first US number 1 single with "The Reflex", making it their first single to top both the UK and US charts.
 * June 25 – Prince releases his sixth album Purple Rain; the album sells over 20 million copies and gives Prince two US number one singles with "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy".

July–September

 * July 1 – During his performance at the first ever Cornerstone Festival in Grayslake, Illinois, Steve Taylor jumps off the stage, breaking his ankle. Taylor hops back on stage and finishes his show. The next few shows on Taylor's tour were performed from a wheel chair.
 * July 10 – The last original member of Menudo, Ricky Meléndez, leaves the group and is replaced by Ricky Martin. Meanwhile, Menudomania reaches Asia in 1984.
 * July 14
 * Eddie Van Halen makes a special guest appearance at a concert by The Jacksons in Dallas, Texas, playing the guitar solo for "Beat It" live.
 * Selena y los Dinos release their first album Mis Primeras Grabaciones.
 * Boothill Foottappers enter the UK Singles Chart with their single released on the Go! Discs label.
 * August 9 – Iron Maiden kicks off the World Slavery Tour in Warsaw, Poland, with shows in Hungary and Yugoslavia soon to follow. This marks the first time a Western band has ever brought a full concert production behind the Iron Curtain.
 * August 10 – Red Hot Chili Peppers release their debut album The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
 * August 25 – Kathleen Battle makes her solo recital debut at the Salzburg Festival.
 * August 31 – Canadian music video channel MuchMusic begins broadcasting. The first video played is Rush's "The Enemy Within".
 * September 2 – Van Halen concludes its 1984 world tour with a show in Nuremberg, Germany as part of the Monsters of Rock festival tour. This would be the band's last concert with David Lee Roth as lead singer until 2007.
 * September 7 – Janet Jackson elopes with fellow singer James DeBarge. The marriage would be annulled in 1985.
 * September 11 – Country singer Barbara Mandrell suffers serious injuries in a head-on automobile collision on a Tennessee highway. She will make a comeback after spending over a year rehabilitating.
 * September 14 – The first annual MTV Video Music Awards are held in New York City. Herbie Hancock wins the most awards with five, and The Cars take the highest prize of Video Of The Year for "You Might Think". Much attention is garnered by Madonna's controversial performance of her hit single "Like a Virgin" in which she rolls around on the stage, revealing lacy stockings and garters, and grinds her crotch against her veil.
 * September 21 – The first compact disc manufacturing plant in North America opens in Terre Haute, Indiana. CDs have previously had to be expensively imported from Japan or West Germany. Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. is designated as the first CD ever made in the United States.

October–December

 * October 1 – The Canadian music video series Video Hits premieres on CBC Television.
 * October 23 – A report on the Ethiopian famine by BBC journalist Michael Buerk is broadcast in the UK and receives an unprecedented public response. Among those watching is Bob Geldof, who is inspired to release a charity record to raise money to help with famine relief.
 * October 26 – Turner Broadcasting System launches Cable Music Channel, a music video channel intended to compete directly with MTV. The first video played is "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman. The channel would only last 34 days.
 * November 5 – Bryan Adams releases his breakout album called Reckless, spawning multiple hit singles, achieving diamond certification in Canada and topping the charts in the United States.
 * November 20 – Michael Jackson receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame directly in front of Mann's Chinese Theater. Jackson leaves after only three minutes at the request of security, as the crush of 5,000 onlookers becomes a safety concern.
 * November 23 - Tears for Fears releases the single Shout, from their second studio album, Songs From the Big Chair. Shout hit the US 1# Billboard Hot 100 in August 1985.
 * November 25 – The Band Aid single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" is recorded at SARM Studios in Notting Hill, London, by a gathering of performers that includes Paul Young, Simon Le Bon, Bono, Phil Collins, Paul Weller, Sting, Boy George and Tony Hadley.
 * November 28 – The Bring Me Sunshine charity concert at the London Palladium, in memory of Eric Morecambe, includes musical performances by Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen, Des O'Connor and Ernie Wise.
 * December – Tipper Gore forms the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) in response to the "filth" she hears on her daughter's copy of Prince's Purple Rain.
 * December 1 – Frankie Goes to Hollywood become the first act to take their first three singles to the UK #1 position since Gerry & The Pacemakers in 1963, when "The Power of Love" tops the chart.
 * December 3 – Bob Geldof and Band Aid release the single "Do They Know It's Christmas?", which becomes the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK.
 * December 8
 * Razzle (Nicholas Dingley) of Hanoi Rocks is killed in a car crash. Mötley Crüe member Vince Neil was the driver of the car and was drunk at the time.
 * Cyndi Lauper, with the fourth single from her 1983 debut She's So Unusual, "All Through the Night", becomes the first woman in the 26-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have four singles from one album in the top five.
 * December 9 – The Jacksons conclude their Victory Tour with the last of six concerts at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. At the end of their final show, lead singer Michael Jackson surprises not only his fans, but also his band members with the announcement that he would be permanently leaving the Jacksons, stating that this would be the last time that they all performed together. The tour, which consisted of 55 shows over five months, has reportedly grossed $75 million, a new industry record. As for the Jacksons, they would release one more album in 1989 before splitting up, occasionally regrouping in the years afterward for reunion performances with and without Michael.
 * December 11 – While on tour, Bucks Fizz's tour bus crashes. All members of the group are injured and member Mike Nolan suffers brain damage after falling into a coma.
 * December 13 – George Harrison makes a rare public appearance, joining Deep Purple on stage in Sydney, Australia for their encore rendition of "Lucille".
 * December 31
 * Def Leppard's drummer Rick Allen loses his left arm in a car wreck.
 * The thirteenth annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special airs on ABC, with appearances by Jermaine Jackson, Ronnie Milsap, Night Ranger, Scandal, John Waite and Barry Manilow.
 * UK singles sales this year are the second highest ever, after 1978.

Bands formed

 * See Musical groups established in 1984

Bands disbanded

 * See Musical groups disestablished in 1984

Bands reformed

 * Deep Purple*

Release date unknown

 * 1984 – Ebiet G. Ade
 * Acousticity - David Grisman
 * Aimless Love – John Prine
 * Animotion – Animotion
 * Akimbo Alogo – Kim Mitchell
 * American Band-ages – Nash the Slash
 * The Art of Defense – Nona Hendryx
 * Back & Forth – Skinny Puppy
 * Born in Captivity – Roy Harper
 * Box of Frogs – Box of Frogs
 * Cal – Mark Knopfler – Soundtrack
 * Can't Wait All Night – Juice Newton
 * Caribbean Sunset – John Cale
 * Centipede – Rebbie Jackson
 * Change Your Mind – Raf
 * Cinema – Elaine Paige
 * Climate of Hunter – Scott Walker
 * Country Boy – Ricky Skaggs
 * Dali – Dalida
 * Dancin' on the Edge – Lita Ford
 * A Dancing Foot and a Praying Knee Don't Belong on the Same Leg – Scattered Order
 * E2-E4 – Manuel Göttsching
 * E.M.F – GG Allin
 * EB 84 – The Everly Brothers
 * Electric Eye – Prodigal
 * Every Man Has a Woman – Various Artists – Yoko Ono tribute
 * Faith – H2O
 * Fans – Malcolm McLaren
 * Flex-Able – Steve Vai
 * Folk of the 80s (Part III) – Men Without Hats
 * Fried – Julian Cope
 * Ghostbusters Soundtrack – Various Artists
 * Gone Fishin' – Flipper
 * The Grapes of Wrath – The Grapes of Wrath
 * Greatest Hits – Juice Newton
 * Greatest Love Classics – Andy Williams
 * Guardian Angel – The Shadows
 * Gum Tree Canoe - John Hartford
 * Heart Don't Lie – La Toya Jackson
 * Heart over Mind – Anne Murray
 * Heavy Heart – Carla Bley
 * Hits Out of Hell – Meat Loaf
 * Honeymoon Suite – Honeymoon Suite
 * Horizen – Jade Warrior
 * Hostage – Rez Band
 * How Will the Wolf Survive? – Los Lobos
 * I Often Dream of Trains – Robyn Hitchcock
 * If the Price is Right – Bonnie Pointer
 * Inside the Fire – Rita Coolidge
 * Intellectuals Are The Shoeshine Boys Of The Ruling Elite – Killdozer
 * It's All in the Game – Merle Haggard
 * The Las Vegas Story – The Gun Club
 * John Parr – John Parr (debut)
 * Knights of the New Thunder – TNT
 * Legend – Clannad (soundtrack)
 * Lights Out – Peter Wolf (debut)
 * Live Bootleg – Rez Band
 * Live at the Inferno – Raven


 * Mama – Becket
 * Mast Nazren -Ecstatic Glances Live in London, 1984 – Ghulam Ali
 * Meat Puppets II – Meat Puppets
 * Meeting in the Ladies Room – Klymaxx
 * Moving – The Raincoats
 * Nave Maria – Tom Zé
 * Neil's Heavy Concept Album – Nigel Planer
 * No Brakes – John Waite
 * No Kinda Dancer – Robert Earl Keen
 * Once in a Very Blue Moon – Nanci Griffith
 * Only You – Steve Monite
 * Opium – KMFDM (debut)
 * Optimystique – Yanni
 * Plain Dirt Fashion - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
 * The Politics of Time – Minutemen
 * Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat – Sparks
 * Reflexiones – José José
 * Read My Lips – Fee Waybill
 * Remote Luxury – The Church
 * Riders in the Sky, Live – Riders in the Sky
 * Rita Mitsouko – Rita Mitsouko
 * The Rock Connection – Cliff Richard
 * Scatology – Coil
 * Schizophrenic Circus - Red Rockers
 * Seasons – Dion DiMucci
 * Sonic Death – Sonic Youth
 * The Splendour of Fear – Felt
 * Starchild – Teena Marie
 * The Stockholm Concert, 1966 – Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington
 * Straight Ahead – Amy Grant
 * The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories – Felt
 * These Things Happen – David Van Tieghem
 * Tocsin – Xmal Deutschland
 * Touch Sensitive – Bruce Foxton
 * United States Live – Laurie Anderson – Live
 * Velocity – The Vels
 * Victim in Pain – Agnostic Front (debut)
 * Vital Signs (White Heart album) – White Heart
 * The Voice – Bobby McFerrin
 * Youth Anthems for the New Order – Reagan Youth
 * Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man – Guadalcanal Diary
 * Walpurgis Night – Stormwitch
 * We Hate You South African Bastards! – Microdisney
 * When in Rome Do as The Vandals – The Vandals
 * Windows and Walls – Dan Fogelberg
 * Wired to the Moon – Chris Rea
 * Wonderful World – Telex
 * Work Resumed on the Tower – News from Babel
 * World Shut Your Mouth – Julian Cope
 * You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd – The J. Geils Band (final album)

Biggest hit singles
The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the charts of 1984.

Other Chart hit singles
• "Baby You're Dynamite"/"Ocean Deep" – Cliff Richard (released in 1983)

• "Back for More" – Ratt

• "Be My Number Two" – Joe Jackson

• "Better Be Good to Me" – Tina Turner

• "Big City Nights" – The Scorpions

• "Big In Japan" – Alphaville

• "Body Electric" – Rush

• "Borderline" (1983) – Madonna

• "Born in the U.S.A." – Bruce Springsteen

• "Blue Jean" – David Bowie

• "Breakdance" – Irene Cara

• "Breakin'... There's No Stoppin' Us – Ollie & Jerry

• "Break My Stride" – Matthew Wilder

• "Careless Whisper" – Wham!

• "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)" – Billy Ocean

• "Catch My Fall – Billy Idol

• "Centipede" – Rebbie Jackson

• "Cherry Oh Baby" – UB40

• "Cool It Now" – New Edition

• "Cover Me" – Bruce Springsteen

• "Crazy" – Kenny Rogers

• "Cruel Summer" – Bananarama

• "Cry and Be Free" – Marilyn

• "Dance Hall Days" – Wang Chung

• "Dance Me Up" – Gary Glitter

• "Dancing in the Dark" – Bruce Springsteen

• "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" – Ultravox

• "Desert Moon" – Dennis DeYoung

• "Distant Early Warning" – Rush

• "Doctor! Doctor!" – Thompson Twins

• "Don't Blame It on Love" – Shakatak

• "Don't Tell Me" – Blancmange

• "Down on the Street" – Shakatak

• "Dr. Beat" – Miami Sound Machine

• "Drive" – The Cars

• "Easy Lover" – Phillip Bailey duet with Phil Collins

• "Eighties" – Killing Joke

• "Eye to Eye" – Jermaine Stewart

• "Eyes Without a Face" (1983) – Billy Idol

• "Fade to Black" – Metallica

• "Femme libérée" – Cookie Dingler

• "Flame Trees" – Cold Chisel

• "Flesh for Fantasy" (1983) – Billy Idol

• "Footloose" – Kenny Loggins

• "For Whom the Bell Tolls" – Metallica

• "Forest Fire" – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

• "Forever Young" – Alphaville

• "Freedom" – Wham!

• "The Ghost in You" – The Psychedelic Furs

• "Ghostbusters" – Ray Parker Jr.

• "God Bless the USA" – Lee Greenwood

• "Had a Dream (Sleeping with the Enemy)" – Roger Hodgson

• "Half A Boy Half A Man" – Nick Lowe

• "Hammer to Fall" – Queen

• "Heart from the Start" – Classix Nouveaux

• "Heaven's on Fire" – Kiss

• "Hello" (1983) – Lionel Richie

• "Here Comes the Rain Again" – Eurythmics

• "High on Emotion" – Chris De Burgh

• "Highly Strung" – Spandau Ballet

• "The Heart of Rock and Roll" (1983) – Huey Lewis and the News

• "Heaven" – Bryan Adams (charted in 1985 in the U.S.)

• "Heaven (Must Be There)" – Eurogliders

• "Hold Me Now" – Thompson Twins

• "Hold on to Love" – Gary Moore

• "Hot Water" – Level 42

• "House of Salome" – Kim Wilde

• "Human Touch" – Rick Springfield (released in 1983)

• "I Feel for You" – Chaka Khan

• "I Just Called to Say I Love You" – Stevie Wonder

• "I Scare Myself" – Thomas Dolby

• "I Wanna Rock" – Twisted Sister

• "I Want a New Drug" (1983) – Huey Lewis and the News

• "I Want to Break Free" – Queen

• "I Want to Know What Love Is" – Foreigner

• "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – Nik Kershaw

• "If This Is It" (1983) – Huey Lewis and the News

• "I'll Fly for You" – Spandau Ballet

• "I'll Wait" – Van Halen

• "Illegal Alien" (1983) – Genesis

• "In Jeopardy" – Roger Hodgson

• "In Neon" – Elton John

• "Infatuation" – Rod Stewart

• "An Innocent Man" (1983) – Billy Joel

• "Invisible" – Alison Moyet

• "It's a Hard Life" – Queen

• "It's My Life" – Talk Talk

• "Joanna" – Kool & the Gang

• "Jokerman" – Bob Dylan

• "Jump" – Van Halen

• "Jump (For My Love)" – The Pointer Sisters

• "Jungle Love" – The Time

• "Just Another Woman in Love" – Anne Murray

• "Kalimba De Luna" – Dalida

• "Karma Chameleon" – Culture Club

• "Keeping the Faith" (1983) – Billy Joel

• "The Killing Moon" – Echo & the Bunnymen

• "Leave a Tender Moment Alone" (1983) – Billy Joel

• "Legs" (1983) – ZZ Top

• "Let's Go Crazy" – Prince and the Revolution

• "Let's Hear It for the Boy" – Deniece Williams

• "Like a Virgin" – Madonna

• "Lights Out" – Peter Wolf

• "L'Innamorata" – Dalida

• "A Little Love" – Juice Newton

• "Locomotion" – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

• "The Longest Time" (1983) – Billy Joel

• "Love Somebody" – Rick Springfield

• "Lovergirl" – Teena Marie

• "The Lucky One" – Laura Branigan

• "Lucky Star" (1983) – Madonna

• "Madam Butterfly" – Malcolm McLaren

• "Magic" – The Cars

• "Master and Servant" – Depeche Mode

• "Message to My Girl" – Split Enz

• "Michael Caine" – Madness

• "Middle of the Road" – The Pretenders

• "Missing You" – John Waite

• "Missing You" – Diana Ross

• "Miss Me Blind"- Culture Club

• "Mistake No. 3" – Culture Club

• "The More You Live, the More You Love" – A Flock of Seagulls

• "Mr. Telephone Man" – New Edition

• "My Ever Changing Moods" – The Style Council

• "My Oh My" – Slade

• "The NeverEnding Story" – Limahl

• "New Moon on Monday" – Duran Duran

• "No Mercy" – The Stranglers

• "No More Lonely Nights" – Paul McCartney

• "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do" – Anne Murray and Dave Loggins

• "Obsession" – Animotion

• "Oh Sherrie" – Steve Perry

• "On a Night Like This" – The Shadows

• "One Love/People Get Ready" – Bob Marley & The Wailers

• "One Night in Bangkok" – Murray Head

• "Only When You Leave" – Spandau Ballet

• "Original Sin" – INXS

• "Out of Touch" – Hall & Oates

• "Panama" – Van Halen

• "Passengers" – Elton John

• "Pearl In The Shell" – Howard Jones

• "Pearly Dewdrops' Drops" – Cocteau Twins

• "Penny Lover" (1983) – Lionel Richie

• "People Are People" – Depeche Mode

• "Perfect Skin" – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

• "Pour te dire je t'aime" – Dalida

• "The Power of Love" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood

• "Pretty in Pink" – The Psychedelic Furs

• "Pride (In the Name of Love)" – U2

• "Purple Rain" – Prince and the Revolution

• "Radio Ga Ga" – Queen

• "Rattlesnakes" – Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

• "Read 'Em and Weep" – Barry Manilow

• "Rebel Yell" (1983) – Billy Idol

• "Red Sector A" – Rush

• "The Reflex" – Duran Duran

• "Relax" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood

• "The Riddle" – Nik Kershaw

• "Robert De Niro's Waiting..." – Bananarama

• "Rock You Like a Hurricane" – The Scorpions

• "Round and Round" – Spandau Ballet

• "Round and Round" – Ratt

• "Run Runaway" – Slade

• "Runaway" – Bon Jovi

• "Run to You" – Bryan Adams

• "Running with the Night" (1983) – Lionel Richie

• "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" – Elton John

• "Saturday Night" – Cold Chisel

• "The Second Time" – Kim Wilde

• "Self Control" – Laura Branigan

• "Seven Seas" – Echo & the Bunnymen

• "Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)" – Eurythmics

• "She Bop" (1983) – Cyndi Lauper

• "She Was Hot" – The Rolling Stones

• "Shooting From the Heart" – Cliff Richard

• "Shout" – Tears for Fears

• "Shout to the Top" – The Style Council

• "Silver" – Echo & the Bunnymen

• "Sister Christian" – Night Ranger

• "Skin Deep" – Stranglers

• "Soul Kind of Feeling" – Dynamic Hepnotics

• "Smalltown Boy" – Bronski Beat

• "Smooth Operator" – Sade

• "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" – R.E.M.

• "So Tired" – Ozzy Osbourne

• "Soleil" – Dalida

• "Somebody's Watching Me" – Rockwell featuring Michael Jackson

• "Some Guys Have All the Luck" – Rod Stewart

• "Sounds Like a Melody" – Alphaville

• "Special Girl" – America

• "Standing in the Shadow" – Whitesnake

• "State of the Nation" – Industry

• "Stranger in Town" – Toto

• "Strut" – Sheena Easton

• "Stuck on You" – Lionel Richie

• "Sugar Walls" – Sheena Easton

• "Summer of 69" – Bryan Adams

• "Sunglasses at Night" – Corey Hart

• "Take On Me" (1984 European version) – a-ha

• "Taking It All Too Hard" (1983) – Genesis

• "That's All" – Genesis (released in 1983)

• "That's Not the Way (It's S'posed to Be)" – Anne Murray

• "Thieves Like Us" – New Order

• "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" – The Pretenders

• "Thriller" (1982) – Michael Jackson

• "Ti Amo" – Laura Branigan

• "Time After Time" (1983) – Cyndi Lauper

• "Tinseltown in the Rain" – The Blue Nile

• "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson

• "To France" – Mike Oldfield

• "Together in Electric Dreams" – Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder

• "Too Young to Fall in Love" (1983) – Mötley Crüe

• "Torture" – The Jacksons

• "The Touch" – Kim Wilde

• "TV Dinners" (1983) – ZZ Top

• "Twist of Fate" – Olivia Newton-John

• "Two Tribes" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood

• "Up on the Catwalk" – Simple Minds

• "Very Personal" – Ian Dury

• "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" – Wham!

• "Wanted Man" – Ratt

• "The War Song" – Culture Club

• "We Belong" – Pat Benatar

• "We Rock" – Dio

• "We're Not Gonna Take It" – Twisted Sister

• "What About Me?" – Kenny Rogers, Kim Carnes and James Ingram

• "What Difference Does It Make?" – The Smiths

• "What's Love Got to Do with It" – Tina Turner

• "When Am I Going to Make a Living" – Sade

• "When Doves Cry" – Prince

• "When Love Breaks Down" – Prefab Sprout

• When the Lady Smiles" – Golden Earring

• "Where the Rose Is Sown" – Big Country

• "Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly)" – Icicle Works

• "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)" – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (released in 1983)

• "Who Wears These Shoes?" – Elton John

• "The Wild Boys" – Duran Duran

• "William, It Was Really Nothing" – The Smiths

• "Wood Beez" – Scritti Politti

• "Wouldn't It Be Good" – Nik Kershaw

• "You Don't Love Me" – Marilyn

• "You Might Think" – The Cars

• "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" – Dead or Alive

• "You Think You're a Man" – Divine

• "You Were Made for Me" – Irene Cara

• "You're the Best Thing" – The Style Council

• "Young at Heart" – The Bluebells

• "Your Love Is King" – Sade

Other Notable singles
• "Doledrums" - The Chills

• "Dum Dum Girl" - Talk Talk

• "Part Company" - The Go-Betweens

Christmas songs

 * "Another Rock N' Roll Christmas" – Gary Glitter
 * "Do They Know It's Christmas?" – Band Aid
 * "Last Christmas" – Wham!
 * "Thank God It's Christmas" – Queen

Published popular music

 * "After All These Years" w. Fred Ebb m. John Kander from the musical The Rink
 * "The Cosby Show theme song" m. Stu Gardner and Bill Cosby
 * "Cover Me" w.m. Bruce Springsteen
 * "Every Time I Turn Around" w.m. Judy Hart Angelo & Gary Portnoy, theme from the TV series Punky Brewster
 * "Friends" m. John Leffler, theme from the TV series Kate and Allie
 * "Ghostbusters"    w.m. Ray Parker Jr.
 * "Hallelujah" w.m. Leonard Cohen
 * "I Just Called to Say I Love You"    w.m. Stevie Wonder
 * "Let's Go Crazy" w.m. Prince and the Revolution
 * "Like a Virgin" w.m. Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly
 * "Lights Out" w.m. Peter Wolf & Don Covay
 * "Missing You" w.m. John Waite, Chaz Sanford & Mark Leonard
 * "Murder, She Wrote theme song" m. John Addison
 * "No More Lonely Nights" w.m. Paul McCartney
 * "Rock You Like a Hurricane" w.m. Rudolf Schenker, Klaus Meine & Herman Rarebell
 * "Time After Time" w.m. Cyndi Lauper & Rob Hyman
 * "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" w. Hal David m. Albert Hammond
 * "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" w.m. George Michael
 * "What's Love Got To Do With It?" w.m. Terry Britten & Graham Lyle
 * "When Doves Cry" w.m. Prince

Classical music

 * Samuel Adler – Sonata for viola and piano
 * Elliott Carter
 * Canon for 4, Homage to William, for flute, bass clarinet, violin and cello
 * Esprit rude/esprit doux, for flute and clarinet
 * Riconoscenza per Goffredo Petrassi, for violin
 * Brian Cherney – Into the Distant Stillness
 * George Crumb
 * A Haunted Landscape for orchestra
 * The Sleeper for soprano and piano
 * Mario Davidovsky – Divertimento for cello and orchestra
 * Peter Maxwell Davies – Symphony No. 3
 * Ludovico Einaudi – Altissimo
 * Lorenzo Ferrero
 * My Blues
 * Ombres, for orchestra and live electronics
 * Frans Geysen
 * A + B = A/B, for keyboard instrument
 * Kataloog in grijs 1, for marimba
 * Late spiegels, for flute, oboe, piano and double bass
 * Omtrent a-b-c, for recorder quintet
 * Tonen-Trappenhuisje voor Hanne, for keyboard instrument
 * Twee orgels, for two organs
 * Karel Goeyvaerts
 * Aquarius-Tango, for piano
 * Zum Wassermann, for chamber orchestra (14 musicians)
 * De Zang van Aquarius, for 8 bass clarinets
 * Daron Hagen – A Walt Whitman Requiem
 * John Harbison – String Quartet no. 1
 * Robin Holloway – Concerto for Viola
 * Mauricio Kagel – Der Eid des Hippokrates, for piano 3 hands
 * Wojciech Kilar – Angelus, cantata for soprano, mixed choir and symphony orchestra
 * Ian McDougall – Concerto for Clarinet
 * Elizabeth Maconchy – String Quartet no. 13, Quartetto Corto
 * Ingram Marshall – Voces Resonae
 * Henri Pousseur
 * Chronique canine, for 2 pianos
 * Cortège des belles ténébreuses au jardin boréal, for cor anglais, viola, horn, tuba and 2 percussionists
 * L'étoile des langues, for narrators and 4 singers
 * Litanie du cristal des fleurs, for piano left hand
 * Litanie du miel matinal, for high melody instrument
 * Les noces d'Icare et de Mnémosyne, for variable forces
 * Patchwork des tribus américaines, for wind orchestra
 * Sixième vue sur les jardins interdits, for string trio
 * Sonate des maîtres viennois (‘Dicté par ... no.4’), for piano
 * Tango de Jeanne-la-Sibylle, for piano left hand
 * Steve Reich – The Desert Music
 * Wolfgang Rihm
 * Vorgefühle for orchestra
 * Schattenstück for orchestra
 * Fusées for orchestra
 * Blaubuch: String Quartet No. 6
 * John Serry Sr. – Elegy for Organ
 * Tōru Takemitsu – riverrun for piano and orchestra
 * Robert Ward – Saxophone Concerto
 * Malcolm Williamson
 * A Pilgrim Liturgy – for soloists, mixed choir & orchestra
 * Cortège for a Warrior for orchestra
 * Hymna Titu for piano solo
 * Symphony No. 7

Ballet
See List of 1984 ballet premieres

Opera

 * Philip Glass
 * Akhnaten
 * the CIVIL warS (Rome section)
 * Luigi Nono – Prometeo
 * Krzysztof Penderecki – The Black Mask
 * Peter Schickele – The Abduction of Figaro, attributed to P. D. Q. Bach.
 * Karlheinz Stockhausen – Samstag aus Licht (produced by La Scala, Milan)

Musical theater

 * Starlight Express – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe - London production opened and ran for 7.409 performances
 * Forty-Second Street – London production
 * The Rink – Broadway production opened at the Martin Beck Theatre on February 9 and ran for 233 performances
 * Sunday in the Park with George (Stephen Sondheim) – Broadway production opened at the Booth Theatre on May 2 and ran for 604 performances.

Musical films

 * Amadeus
 * Asha Jyoti
 * Beat Street
 * Breakin'
 * Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo
 * Conexión Caribe
 * The Cotton Club
 * Footloose
 * The Girl from Moonooloo, TV starring Jacki Weaver and David Atkins
 * Give My Regards to Broad Street
 * Hard to Hold
 * The Muppets Take Manhattan
 * Purple Rain
 * Streets of Fire
 * Sunny
 * Then Sings My Soul
 * This Is Spinal Tap

Births

 * January 2 – Jocelyn Oxlade, English-Filipino singer-songwriter and model (Kitty Girls)
 * January 9 – Drew Brown, American pop rock musician (OneRepublic)
 * January 17
 * Calvin Harris, Scottish electronic musician, DJ, producer (Taylor Swift, Rita Ora, Dua Lipa)
 * Sharaya J, Hawaiian-born American female rapper and choreographer.
 * January 18
 * Kristy Lee Cook, American Idol finalist
 * Benji Schwimmer, Winner of So You Think You Can Dance 2006
 * January 20
 * Toni Gonzaga, Filipina actress and singer
 * Bonnie McKee, American singer-songwriter
 * January 24 – Witold Kiełtyka, Polish musician (died 2007)
 * January 26 – Wu Qian, pianist
 * January 27 – Davetta Sherwood, American actress and singer
 * January 29 – Diana Rouvas, Australian singer-songwriter and The Voice Australia contestant, later winner
 * January 30 – Kid Cudi, American rapper
 * February 9 – Han Geng, Chinese singer in Korea (Super Junior)
 * February 11 – Aubrey O'Day, American singer-songwriter, dancer and actress (Danity Kane, Dumblonde)
 * February 12 – Jamie Scott, English singer-songwriter
 * February 14 – Víkingur Ólafsson, Icelandic pianist
 * February 15 – Dorota Rabczewska, Polish singer and model
 * February 18 – Daniel Cohen, Israeli conductor, music director and violinist
 * February 19 – Chris Richardson, American singer
 * February 20 – Audra Mae, American singer-songwriter
 * February 23 – Grieves, American hip hop artist
 * February 25 – Lovefoxxx (Cansei de Ser Sexy)
 * February 26 – Natalia Lafourcade, Mexican pop-rock singer and songwriter
 * February 29
 * Kiyoe Yoshioka, Japanese singer (ikimono-gakari)
 * Mark Foster, American singer and guitarist (Foster The People)
 * March 3 – Tim Maddren, New Zealand entertainer (Hi-5)
 * March 6 – Chris Tomson, American drummer (Vampire Weekend)
 * March 9 – Priscilla Ahn, American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
 * March 12 – Shreya Ghoshal, Indian singer
 * March 18 – Vonzell Solomon, US singer
 * March 20 – Christy Carlson Romano, American actress and singer
 * March 24 – Evan Felker, American singer-songwriter and guitarist
 * March 25 – Katharine McPhee, American Idol finalist, American singer and actress
 * March 26 – Stéphanie Lapointe, Canadian singer
 * March 31 – Jack Antonoff, American prolific musician, multi instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. (Taylor Swift (1989/ Sweeter than Fiction onwards), Lorde (Melodrama, Solar Power), St. Vincent (Masseduction, Daddy's Home),  Lana Del Rey(NFR, Chemtrails Over The Country Club, DYKTATUOB), Florence And The Machine (Dance Fever)), (Member of Bleachers, Fun.)
 * April 3 – Chrissie Fit, American actress and singer
 * April 6 – Max Bemis, American musician (Say Anything)
 * April 7 – Belly (rapper), Palestinian-Jordanian-Canadian[1] rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.
 * April 8
 * Andrew Huang (musician), Canadian YouTube personality, musician, music producer, video producer and music teacher
 * Ezra Koenig, American singer/songwriter of (Vampire Weekend}
 * April 10 – Mandy Moore, American singer-songwriter, actress and musician
 * April 14 – Adán Sánchez, American-Mexican musician (d. 2004)
 * April 22 – Amelle Berrabah, British singer (Sugababes)
 * April 23 - Lil Eazy-E, American rapper
 * April 24 – Tyson Ritter American singer/songwriter of (The All-American Rejects)
 * April 27 – Patrick Stump, American singer, songwriter and musician (Fall Out Boy)
 * May 1 – Keiichiro Koyama, Japanese singer (NEWS) and actor
 * May 2 – Rose Falcon, American singer-songwriter
 * May 3 – Cheryl Burke, American dancer, model and TV host.
 * May 4 – Little Boots, British, singer, Musician, DJ, record producer, songwriter
 * May 5
 * Wade MacNeil, Canadian guitarist
 * Jaime Brooks, Canadian-American songwriter and musician. (Elite Gymnastics, Grimes)
 * May 10 – Pe'er Tasi, Israeli singer
 * May 11 – Gerald Clayton, Dutch-American pianist and composer (The Clayton Brothers)
 * May 14 – Olly Murs, English, singer-songwriter, television presenter and X Factor competitor
 * May 15 – Mr Probz, Dutch singer, musician and actor (Robin Schulz)
 * May 17 – Passenger, English singer-songwriter
 * May 25
 * Marion Raven, Norwegian singer-songwriter (M2M)
 * May 27 – Rachel Parris, British comedian, musician and singer
 * May 29 – Ina Wroldsen, Norwegian singer-songwriter
 * June 4 – Rainie Yang, Taiwanese singer
 * June 13 - Luke James (singer), American singer-songwriter and actor
 * June 17 – John Gallagher, Jr., American actor, singer and dancer
 * June 20 – Sherman Chung, Hong Kong singer
 * June 23 – Duffy, Welsh singer-songwriter
 * June 29
 * Han Ji-hye, Korean actress/singer
 * June 30 – Fantasia (singer), American singer
 * July 1 – Jason Reeves (songwriter), American singer-songwriter and musician
 * July 2 – Eugent Bushpepa, Albanian singer, songwriter
 * July 4 - Gina Glocksen, American Idol finalist
 * July 5
 * AJ Gil, American singer
 * Elisabeth Schwarz, Austrian operatic soprano.
 * July 7 – Marie-Mai, Canadian singer
 * July 9 – Jacob Hoggard, Canadian singer/lead singer of Hedley
 * July 12
 * Gareth Gates, English singer
 * Jack Conte, American musician
 * July 15 – Vice Cooler, American singer-songwriter (Hawnay Troof and XBXRX)
 * July 17 – Asami Kimura, Japanese singer
 * July 21 – Blake Lewis, American Idol runner- up
 * July 24
 * Dhani Lennevald (A*Teens)
 * Tyler Kyte, Canadian actor/singer
 * July 25 – Dong-Hyek Lim, pianist
 * July 26 – Alex Parks, English singer-songwriter
 * July 30 – Gina Rodriguez, American actress, rapper, dancer, model, writer, producer and director.
 * August 3
 * Carah Faye Charnow, American singer for the band Shiny Toy Guns
 * Whitney Duncan, American country music singer and songwriter, Survivor Contestant
 * August 5
 * Helene Fischer, Soviet-born German singer
 * Taylor Locke (Rooney)
 * August 20 - Carminho, a Portuguese fado and popular music singer.
 * August 21
 * Alizée, French singer, dancer and voice actress.
 * Melissa Schuman, singer (Dream)
 * August 24 – Yesung, Korean singer (Super Junior)
 * August 31 – Will Martin, New Zealand-born classical crossover singer
 * September – Di Wu, Chinese-American pianist
 * September 1 – Joe Trohman, American musician
 * September 3 - Garrett Hedlund, American actor, model and singer
 * September 10 – How To Dress Well, Tom Krell, American singer-songwriter
 * September 16
 * Sabrina Bryan, American actress and singer
 * Katie Melua, Georgian-British singer, songwriter and musician
 * September 18 – Jimmy Napes, English songwriter and record producer
 * September 22 – Theresa Fu, Hong Kong singer and actress
 * September 23 – Louie Stephens, American rock keyboardist (Rooney)
 * September 26 – Keisha Buchanan, English singer-songwriter (Sugababes)
 * September 27 – Avril Lavigne, Canadian rock singer-songwriter, voice actress and musician
 * September 28 – Melody Thornton, American singer-songwriter, dancer and television personality (Pussycat Dolls)
 * October 3 – Ashlee Simpson, American singer-songwriter, actress
 * October 4 – Lena Katina, Russian singer (t.A.T.u.)
 * October 5 – Naima Adedapo, American singer
 * October 8 – Emily Williams, New Zealand singer, songwriter and actress
 * October 10 – Stephanie Cheng, Cantopop Hong Kong singer
 * October 12 – Matthew Dewey, Australian composer
 * October 15 – Jessie Ware, English singer and songwriter
 * October 16 – Shayne Ward, English singer and winner of reality TV show The X Factor
 * October 20 – Balqees, Emirati singer
 * October 25
 * Sara Lumholdt (A*Teens)
 * Katy Perry, American singer/songwriter, advocate
 * October 26 – Amanda Overmyer, American singer
 * October 27 – Kelly Osbourne, British singer
 * October 29 – Chris Baio, American musician (Vampire Weekend)
 * November 2 – Anastasia Karpova, Russian singer
 * November 6 – Patina Miller, American actress and singer
 * November 9
 * Delta Goodrem, Australian singer-songwriter, writer, musician, philanthropist and actress
 * Se7en, South Korean singer
 * November 10 – Naoki Kobayashi, Japanese singer, dancer, actor, choreographer, and model (Sandaime J Soul Brothers)
 * November 12 – Sandara Park, member of South Korean girl group 2NE1, previously actress
 * November 14 – Luiz Filipe Coelho, violinist
 * November 18 – Johnny Christ, American heavy metal rock bassist (Avenged Sevenfold)
 * November 21
 * Lindsey Haun, American actress and singer
 * Willy Mason, American singer-songwriter
 * November 22 – Scarlett Johansson, American singer and actress
 * November 25 - Bo Bruce, Lady Catherine Anna Brudenell-Bruce, known as Bo Bruce, is an English singer-songwriter
 * November 27 – Sanna Nielsen, Swedish singer
 * November 28 – Trey Songz, American singer
 * December 12 – Gabrielle Ruiz, American actress, Broadway performer and musician (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend)
 * December 15 – Joshua Hayward, English rock guitarist (The Horrors)
 * December 17
 * Asuka Fukuda, Japanese singer
 * Mikky Ekko, American singer
 * December 18 – Julia Holter, American singer, songwriter, record producer, composer and artist
 * December 20 – David Tavaré, Spanish singer
 * December 22 – Jonas Altberg, Swedish singer, record producer and DJ
 * December 23 – Alison Sudol, American singer-songwriter, actress and writer
 * December 24 - Jehnny Beth, a French musician, singer-songwriter, producer, presenter and actress (half of the duo John & Jehn and front woman of the English rock band Savages)
 * December 25 – The Veronicas (Lisa and Jess Origliasso) Australian singer-songwriters, activists, musicians and advocates
 * December 30
 * Andra Day, American singer and songwriter
 * Dalia Stasevska, Ukrainian-born Finnish conductor
 * Unknown – DY, Canadian rapper
 * Troy Kingi, A New Zealand actor and musician
 * Cassandra Jenkins, American musician, singer and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York, United States.
 * Dana Stephensen, Australian ballet dancer. She is a soloist of The Australian Ballet.

Deaths

 * January 1 – Alexis Korner, blues musician, 55 (lung cancer)
 * January 18 – Vassilis Tsitsanis, Greek composer, 69
 * January 21 – Jackie Wilson, singer, 49 (pneumonia)
 * January 23 – Samuel Gardner, violinist and composer, 92
 * January 30 – Luke Kelly, member of The Dubliners, 43 (brain tumour)
 * February 1 – Ada "Bricktop" Smith, singer and dancer, 89
 * February 15
 * Avon Long, American actor and singer, 73
 * Ethel Merman, singer and actress, 76
 * March 9 – Imogen Holst, conductor and composer, 76
 * April 1 – Marvin Gaye, singer/songwriter, 44 (gunshot)
 * April 6
 * Jimmy Kennedy, Irish-born British songwriter, 81
 * Hryhory Kytasty, composer, 77
 * April 20 – Mabel Mercer, cabaret singer, 84
 * April 23 – Juan Tizol, trombonist and composer, 84
 * April 26 – Count Basie, jazz musician, 79
 * April 27 – Z.Z. Hill, blues singer, 48
 * May 1 – Gordon Jenkins, US conductor, songwriter and pianist, 73
 * May 29 – Sanford Gold, jazz pianist, 72
 * June – Mohamed Mooge Liibaan, singer and instrumentalist
 * June 8 – Gordon Jacob, composer, 88
 * June 15 – Meredith Willson, US songwriter, 82
 * June 28 – Mischa Spoliansky, Russian born composer and conductor
 * July 4 – Jimmie Spheeris, American singer-songwriter, 34
 * July 14
 * Bill Stapleton, jazz trumpeter, 49 (alcohol-related)
 * Philippé Wynne, R&B singer, 43
 * July 19 – Madeleine Sibille, operatic soprano, 89
 * July 25 – Big Mama Thornton, R&B singer, 57
 * July 29 – Lorenz Fehenberger, operatic tenor, 71
 * July 31 – Paul Le Flem, composer, 103
 * August 4 – Babe Russin, saxophonist, 73
 * August 5 – Tuts Washington, R&B pianist, 67
 * August 12 – Margaret Sutherland, composer, 86
 * August 30 – Emil Newman, conductor and composer, 73
 * August 31 – Carlo Zecchi, pianist, music teacher and conductor, 81
 * September 3
 * Dora Labbette, operatic soprano, 86
 * Arthur Schwartz, composer and film producer, 83
 * September 6 – Ernest Tubb, country & western musician, 70
 * September 10
 * Herman Sherman, jazz saxophonist and bandleader, 61
 * Trummy Young, swing trombonist, 72
 * September 15 – Charles Lynch, Irish concert pianist, 77
 * September 20 – Steve Goodman, singer/songwriter best known for "City of New Orleans", 36 (leukaemia)
 * October 3
 * Lina Bruna Rasa, operatic soprano, 67
 * Harrison Potter, pianist, 93
 * October 4 – Carl von Garaguly, violinist and conductor
 * October 12 – Jesús María Sanromá, pianist, 81
 * October 16 – Jiří Jelínek, jazz trumpeter, singer and artist, 62
 * October 20 – Budd Johnson, jazz musician, 73
 * October 26 – John Woods Duke, composer, 85
 * November 8 – Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen, violinist and composer, 81
 * November 16 – Leonard Rose, cellist, 66
 * November 20 – Alexander Moyzes, Slovak composer, 78
 * December 7 – Jon B. Higgins, American Carnatic musician, 45 (road accident)
 * December 9
 * Ivor Moreton, British pianist, singer and composer, 76
 * Razzle (Nicholas Dingley), drummer of Hanoi Rocks, 24 (car accident)
 * December 10 – Charlie Teagarden, jazz trumpeter, 71
 * December 13 – Max Schönherr, conductor and composer, 81
 * December 15 – Jan Peerce, operatic tenor, 80
 * December 21 – José Luis Rodríguez Vélez, Panamanian composer, orchestra director, saxophonist, clarinetist and guitarist, 69
 * December 25 – Ron Tabak, lead singer of Prism, 31

Grammy Awards

 * Grammy Awards of 1984

Country Music Association Awards

 * 1984 Country Music Association Awards

Eurovision Song Contest

 * Eurovision Song Contest 1984

List of no. 1 hits

 * List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1984 (U.S.)
 * Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1984
 * List of number-one singles from the 1980s (UK)

List of no. 1 albums

 * List of number-one albums of 1984 (U.S.)