RPM was a Canadian magazine that published the best-performing singles of Canada from 1964 to 2000. Thirty-two songs peaked at number one this year, starting with "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid and ending with "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie. Not counting the number-one single from the magazine's first issue, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was the first song to debut at number one on the RPM Singles Chart. Excluding the musical acts composing Band Aid, Northern Lights, and USA for Africa, 19 different artists reached the top spot for the first time in 1985.
This year, three artists earned more than one chart-topping single: Phil Collins, Madonna, and Tears for Fears. The three Canadian acts that peaked atop the chart in 1985 were supergroup Northern Lights, Corey Hart, and Platinum Blonde. Hart's single "Never Surrender" spent four weeks at number one and was the best-selling hit of the year. Foreigner, Tears for Fears, John Parr, and supergroup USA for Africa each topped the magazine's chart for three issues with their singles. Phil Collins spent the most weeks at number one, five, with "Easy Lover", "One More Night", and "Separate Lives".
+Key Indicates best-performing single of 1985
Chart history
Issue dateSongArtistReference5 January"Do They Know It's Christmas?"Band Aid12 January19 January"Like a Virgin"Madonna26 January"Careless Whisper"George Michael2 February9 February"Easy Lover"Philip Bailey and Phil Collins16 February23 February"I Want to Know What Love Is"Foreigner2 March9 March16 March"Neutron Dance"The Pointer Sisters23 March"One More Night"Phil Collins30 March"Shout"Tears for Fears6 April13 April"Can't Fight This Feeling"REO Speedwagon20 April"Tears Are Not Enough"Northern Lights27 April4 May"We Are the World"USA for Africa11 May18 May25 May"Crazy for You"Madonna1 June"Don't You (Forget About Me)"Simple Minds8 June"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"Tears for Fears15 June"Everything She Wants"Wham!22 June29 June"A View to a Kill"Duran Duran6 July"Never Surrender"Corey Hart13 July20 July27 July3 August"Every Time You Go Away"Paul Young10 August"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"Dead or Alive17 August24 August"The Power of Love"Huey Lewis and the News31 August"We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)"Tina Turner7 September"Crying Over You"Platinum Blonde14 September"St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)"John Parr21 September28 September5 October"Dancing in the Street"David Bowie and Mick Jagger12 October19 October"Cherish"Kool & the Gang26 October"Money for Nothing"Dire Straits2 November"Part-Time Lover"Stevie Wonder9 November16 November"Oh Sheila"Ready for the World23 November"Separate Lives"Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin30 November7 December"We Built This City"Starship14 December"Broken Wings"Mr. Mister21 December"Say You, Say Me"Lionel Richie28 December
See also 1985 in music List of RPM number-one adult contemporary singles of 1985 List of RPM number-one country singles of 1985 List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1985 List of Cashbox Top 100 number-one singles of 1985 List of Canadian number-one albums of 1985
References
External links Read about RPM Magazine at the AV Trust Search RPM charts here at Library and Archives Canada