JANUARY
Top hit
Say Say Say · Paul Mccartney And Michael Jackson
Top album
Thriller · Michael Jackson
Year
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One moment while we pull together the music from this year.
Maximalist pop peak
1984
Big hooks, bigger hair, and anthems built for singalongs — Prince, Madonna, and Springsteen deliver landmark albums while hip-hop knocks louder on the door.
Pop Turns Maximal
Big hooks, bigger hair, and anthems built for singalongs — the year when pop learned to fill every inch of the screen and every watt of the PA system. Prince, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen deliver landmark albums while hip-hop starts knocking louder on the mainstream door. Excess isn't a bug; it's the whole aesthetic. Excess isn't a bug in the system — it's the whole aesthetic, from shoulder pads to guitar solos.
- maximal pop
- Prince
- Madonna
- Born in the U.S.A.
- eighties anthems
- Prince's 'Purple Rain' and Madonna's 'Like a Virgin' reshape pop
- Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' becomes a cultural flag
- Van Halen's 'Jump' brings synths to hard rock
- Wham!'s 'Make It Big' exports British pop globally
Hot 100 · weeks at #1
Top songs
Album chart · weeks at #1
Top albums
Through the year
Tap a month to drill into chart weeks.
FEBRUARY
Top hit
Karma Chameleon · Culture Club
Top album
Thriller · Michael Jackson
MARCH
Top hit
Jump · Van Halen
Top album
Thriller · Michael Jackson
APRIL
Top hit
Footloose · Kenny Loggins
Top album
Thriller · Michael Jackson
MAY
Top hit
Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now) · Phil Collins
Top album
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JUNE
Top hit
Let's Hear It For The Boy · Deniece Williams
Top album
—
JULY
Top hit
When Doves Cry · Prince
Top album
Born In The U.S.A. · Bruce Springsteen
AUGUST
Top hit
When Doves Cry · Prince
Top album
Purple Rain (Soundtrack) · Prince And The Revolution
SEPTEMBER
Top hit
What's Love Got To Do With It · Tina Turner
Top album
Purple Rain (Soundtrack) · Prince And The Revolution
OCTOBER
Top hit
Let's Go Crazy · Prince And The Revolution
Top album
Purple Rain (Soundtrack) · Prince And The Revolution
NOVEMBER
Top hit
Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run) · Billy Ocean
Top album
Purple Rain (Soundtrack) · Prince And The Revolution
DECEMBER
Top hit
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go · Wham!
Top album
Purple Rain (Soundtrack) · Prince And The Revolution