This is a summary of 1985 in music in the United Kingdom, including the official charts from that year.
Summary The biggest British musical event of 1985 was the Live Aid concert in London's Wembley Stadium on 13 July. Held to follow up the previous year's charity record "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the biggest-selling single ever at the time, popular acts such as The Who, U2 and Queen performed in front of an estimated audience of 1.9 billion viewers. It raised £150 million to help famine in Ethiopia, and a similar event would happen 20 years later in 2005, with Live 8.
After the huge success of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", several more charity songs reached number 1 this year. USA for Africa, inspired by Band Aid, released "We Are the World", a song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, while David Bowie and Mick Jagger released a cover of "Dancing in the Street", the music video being premiered at Live Aid and all proceeds going to the charity. In May, a fire at a football stadium in Bradford killed 56 people, and supergroup The Crowd released a charity cover of popular football anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" in tribute.
British rock band Dire Straits released their album Brothers in Arms in May, one of the first ever albums to be released on compact disc and the format's first million-seller. It went on to become the UK's best-selling album of the entire decade and remains one of the top ten best-selling albums of all time in the UK. Four singles were released from the album, including the UK number 4 hit and US number 1 "Money for Nothing", which referenced American music channel MTV and had a groundbreaking video featuring early computer-generated imagery. When a European version of MTV launched in 1987, it was the first video ever played on the channel.
Jennifer Rush entered the top 75 in June with the power ballad "The Power of Love", which remained in the chart for months without entering the top 40. When it finally did in September, it quickly hit number 1, where it remained for five weeks and was the biggest selling single of the year. It sold over a million copies, however it would be the last single of the decade to do so, and there would not be another million-seller until 1991.
Many songs this year competed for the Christmas number one single, and the entire top 3 from 1984 re-entered the chart this year; Paul McCartney's "We All Stand Together" at number 32, Wham!'s "Last Christmas" at number 6, and Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" at number 3. There were also attempts from Bruce Springsteen with a cover of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and ventriloquist Keith Harris released a cover of "White Christmas" with his green puppet Orville the Duck.
However, the Christmas number one went to Shakin' Stevens with the song "Merry Christmas Everyone". It had been intended to be released in 1984, but was kept back a year due to the Band Aid charity single. Still a widely known Christmas song in the 21st century, it re-entered the chart in Christmas 2007 on downloads alone, at number 22.
John Rutter, hitherto best known for his popular modern carols, acknowledged his classical roots with his Requiem, which was premièred in October in Sacramento, California. Less than eight months earlier, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem had its première in New York. Paul Miles-Kingston, the boy soprano who won a silver disc for his recording of the "Pie Jesu" from that work, became Head Chorister of Winchester Cathedral in the same year. The prolific Peter Maxwell Davies (who had moved to Orkney in 1971) produced one of his most popular works, An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise, notable for featuring the bagpipes as a lead instrument, as well as the Symphony No 3, which like its predecessors shows the influence of Sibelius. Veteran Welsh composer Daniel Jones, produced his 12th symphony, at the age of 73, whilst 80-year-old Michael Tippett began work on his last opera, New Year.
Events 19 February – The first performance of Peter Maxwell Davies' Symphony No 3 takes place at Manchester's Free Trade Hall, by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Edward Downes conducting. 24 February – The first performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem takes place in St Thomas Church, Manhattan, conducted by Lorin Maazel, with soloists Plácido Domingo, Sarah Brightman and Paul Miles-Kingston. 10 March – An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise by Peter Maxwell Davies is premiered in Boston by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 14 March – Movements 1, 2, 4 and 7 of John Rutter's Requiem receive their first performance in Sacramento, California, conducted by the composer. 15 March – Jesus & Mary Chain perform a gig at North London Polytechnic which lasts less than 20 minutes after they appear late on stage. A riot ensues, resulting in audience members storming the stage and smashing up the band's equipment, causing £8000 worth of damage. 15 March – Song Offerings for soprano and eight players by Jonathan Harvey is performed for the first time at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. 2 May – The last surviving member of the family of Savoy opera directors, Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte, dies of cancer at the age of 77. 13 July – The benefit concert Live Aid is held at London's Wembley Stadium and Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium. 72,000 people attend at Wembley and the event raises over £150 million in aid of famine relief. 7 September – The first performance of Robin Holloway's Viola Concerto takes place at the Proms, with soloist Rivka Golani and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conductor Vernon Handley. 26 September – The Symphony No 12 by Daniel Jones is premiered at St David's Hall, Cardiff by the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Erich Begal. 13 October – The first complete performance of John Rutter's Requiem takes place in Dallas, Texas, conducted by the composer.
Charts Number one singles
Chart date(week ending) Song Artist(s) Weeks Sales 5 January "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 2 170,306 12 January 92,769 19 January "I Want to Know What Love Is" Foreigner 3 73,882 26 January 119,901 2 February 105,383 9 February "I Know Him So Well" Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson 4 101,728 16 February 112,285 23 February 108,494 2 March 78,693 9 March "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" Dead or Alive 2 86,802 16 March 85,918 23 March "Easy Lover" Philip Bailey and Phil Collins 4 85,442 30 March 98,651 6 April 77,979 13 April 60,724 20 April "We Are the World" USA for Africa 2 58,582 27 April 80,767 4 May "Move Closer" Phyllis Nelson 1 85,102 11 May "19" Paul Hardcastle 5 141,950 18 May 135,558 25 May 92,327 1 June 84,014 8 June 60,129 15 June "You'll Never Walk Alone" The Crowd 2 85,816 22 June 134,538 29 June "Frankie" Sister Sledge 4 93,007 6 July 109,854 13 July 78,863 20 July 62,628 27 July "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" Eurythmics 1 90,933 3 August "Into the Groove" Madonna 4 112,846 10 August 139,060 17 August 111,792 24 August 84,371 31 August "I Got You Babe" UB40 and Chrissie Hynde 1 78,795 7 September "Dancing in the Street" David Bowie and Mick Jagger 4 103,428 14 September 163,557 21 September 105,179 28 September 72,658 5 October "If I Was" Midge Ure 1 62,441 12 October "The Power of Love" Jennifer Rush 5 120,513 19 October 184,382 26 October 161,942 2 November 133,484 9 November 103,343 16 November "A Good Heart" Feargal Sharkey 2 86,139 23 November 115,923 30 November "I'm Your Man" Wham! 2 100,895 7 December 90,219 14 December "Saving All My Love for You" Whitney Houston 2 80,325 21 December 109,157 28 December "Merry Christmas Everyone" Shakin' Stevens 1 186,949
Number one albums
Chart date(week ending) Album Artist(s) Weeks 5 January Hits 1 Various Artists 2 12 January 19 January Alf Alison Moyet 1 26 January Agent Provocateur Foreigner 3 2 February 9 February 16 February Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen 1 23 February Meat Is Murder The Smiths 1 2 March No Jacket Required Phil Collins 5 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 March 6 April The Secret of Association Paul Young 1 13 April Hits 2 Various Artists 6 20 April 27 April 4 May 11 May 18 May 25 May Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 2 1 June 8 June Our Favourite Shop The Style Council 1 15 June Boys and Girls Bryan Ferry 2 22 June 29 June Misplaced Childhood Marillion 1 6 July Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen 4 13 July 20 July 27 July 3 August Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 2 10 August 17 August Now 5 Various Artists 5 24 August 31 August 7 September 14 September 21 September Like a Virgin Madonna 1 28 September Hounds of Love Kate Bush 2 5 October 12 October Like a Virgin Madonna 1 19 October Hounds of Love Kate Bush 1 26 October The Love Songs George Benson 1 2 November Once Upon a Time Simple Minds 1 10 November The Love Songs George Benson 1 16 November Promise Sade 2 23 November 30 November The Greatest Hits of 1985 Various Artists 1 7 December Now 6 2 14 December 21 December Now – The Christmas Album 2 28 December
Year-end charts Best-selling singles Based on sales from 5 January to 28 December 1985. Title Artist Peakposition 1 "The Power of Love" 1 2 "I Know Him So Well" and Barbara Dickson 1 3 "Into the Groove" Madonna 1 4 "19" 1 5 "Frankie" Sister Sledge 1 6 "Dancing in the Street" and Mick Jagger 1 7 "Move Closer" 1 8 "A Good Heart" 1 9 "Take On Me" a-ha 2 10 "Love & Pride" King 2 11 "I Want to Know What Love Is" Foreigner 1 12 "Easy Lover" and Phil Collins 1 13 "Axel F" 2 14 "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Band Aid 1 15 "I Got You Babe" UB40 and Chrissie Hynde 1 16 "Crazy for You" Madonna 2 17 "Saving All My Love for You" 1 18 "Solid" Ashford & Simpson 3 19 "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" Dead or Alive 1 20 "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)" Eurythmics 1 21 "I'm Your Man" Wham! 1 22 "Trapped" 3 23 "Cherish" Kool & the Gang 4 24 "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Tears for Fears 2 25 "Merry Christmas Everyone" 1 26 "You'll Never Walk Alone" 1 27 "If I Was" 1 28 "Nikita" 3 29 "Dancing in the Dark" 4 30 "1999"/"Little Red Corvette" Prince 2 31 "Holding Out for a Hero" 2 32 "Kayleigh" Marillion 2 33 "Last Christmas"/"Everything She Wants" (Remix) Wham! 2 34 "A View to a Kill" Duran Duran 2 35 "We Are the World" USA for Africa 1 36 "Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo)" Red Box 3 37 "Part-Time Lover" 3 38 "Money for Nothing" Dire Straits 4 39 "Don't Break My Heart" UB40 3 40 "We Close Our Eyes" Go West 5 41 "Nightshift" 3 42 "That Ole Devil Called Love" 2 43 "We Don't Need Another Hero" 3 44 "Tarzan Boy" Baltimora 3 45 "See the Day" 3 46 "Kiss Me" 4 47 "I Feel Love (Medley)" Bronski Beat and Marc Almond 3 48 "Welcome to the Pleasuredome" Frankie Goes to Hollywood 2 49 "Suddenly" 4 50 "Shout" Tears for Fears 4
Best-selling albums Based on sales from 5 January to 28 December 1985.Scaping (1986). "Top 100 Albums: 1985". pp. 50–51.