1985 in music

December 5 - The first fully digital reggae single, Wayne Smith 's 'Under Me Sleng Teng ', is recorded at Prince Jammy 's studio; it is the beginning of ragga style reggae.

Eric B. & Rakim meet and begin making music together
Phranc solo career starts
Widespread Panic forms
The Feelies reunites
Hall & Oates' last song charts in Billboard magazine.
The Modern Art releases its debut single

Albums released

Fly on the Wall - AC/DC
Metal Heart - Accept
Reckless - Bryan Adams
Done With Mirrors - Aerosmith
Hunting High And Low - A-Ha
Disturbing The Peace - Alcatrazz
Armed and Dangerous EP - Anthrax
Spreading the Disease - Anthrax
Backwaxed - Anvil
Delirious Nomad - Armored Saint
Without Love - Black N' Blue
7800 Fahrenheit - Bon Jovi
Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
Telephone Free Landslide Victory - Camper Van Beethoven
Greatest Hits - The Cars (debut compilation)
To Mega Therion - Celtic Frost
No Jacket Required - Phil Collins
Love - The Cult (debut)
The Head on the Door - The Cure
Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys
Youthquake - Dead or Alive
Sacred Heart - Dio
Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
Under Lock and Key - Dokken
Code Of Honor EP - Mark Edwards
The Firm - The Firm
Bonded by Blood - Exodus
Waiting For The Roar - Fastway
Centerfield - John Fogerty
Who's Zooming Who - Aretha Franklin
Unguarded - Amy Grant
Fear No Evil - Grim Reaper
Heart - Heart
Long Way to Heaven - Helix
New Day Rising - Hüsker Dü
The Night of the Crime - Icon
Live After Death - Iron Maiden
Original Masters - Jethro Tull
A Classic Case - Jethro Tull
Ice on Fire - Elton John
The Right to Rock - Keel
Killer Dwarfs - Killer Dwarfs
Ready to Strike - King Kobra
Asylum - KISS
Midnite Dynamite - Kix
Radio - LL Cool J
Love You To Pieces - Lizzy Borden
Thunder in the East - Loudness (American debut)
Off The Board - Ludichrist
Like a Virgin - Madonna
Marching Out - Yngwie Malmsteen
Despite Straight Lines - Marilyn
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! - Megadeth(debut)
Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
Three-Way Tie for Last - Minutemen
Theatre of Pain - Mötley Crüe
Low-Life - New Order
The Firstborn is Dead - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Feel The Fire - Overkill
I Am The Night - Pantera
Riptide - Robert Palmer
Folksinger - Phranc
Shaken N' Stirred - Robert Plant
Diamond Life - Sade
Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash - The Pogues
Steve McQueen (US Title: Two Wheels Good) - Prefab Sprout
Power Station - Power Station
Around the World in a Day - Prince
Invasion of your Privacy - Ratt
Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M.
Tim - The Replacements
The Heart Of The Matter - Kenny Rogers
Crazy from the Heat EP - David Lee Roth (solo debut release)
Rough Cutt - Rough Cutt
World-Wide Live - Scorpions
Cupid & Psyhe '85 - Scritti Politti
First and Last and Always - The Sisters of Mercy
Hell Awaits - Slayer
The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
Soldiers Under Command - Stryper
Little Creatures - Talking Heads
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
Rescue You - Joe Lynn Turner (solo debut)
Come Out And Play - Twisted Sister
VU - The Velvet Underground
Fight to Survive - White Lion
Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
We are the World - USA for Africa
Soul To Soul - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Suzanne Vega - Suzanne Vega
Rain Dogs - Tom Waits
The Last Command - W.A.S.P.
Hellbound - Warlock
Make it Big - Wham!
Open Fire - Y&T
Down for the Count - Y&T
Dare to Be Stupid - "Weird Al" Yankovic
Stella - Yello
No Tellin' Lies - Zebra

Top hits

"Baby U Left Me" - Marilyn
"The Power of Love" - Huey Lewis & the News
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" - Simple Minds
"Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen
"We Built This City" - Jefferson Starship
"Oh Sheila" - Ready for the World
"Shout" - Tears for Fears
"I Want to Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
"Careless Whisper" - Wham!
"Some Heads Are Gonna Roll" - Judas Priest
"Crazy for You" - Madonna
"Reviens-moi" - Dalida
"C'était mon ami" - Dalida
"Le temps d'aimer" - Dalida
"Le Vénitien de Levallois" - Dalida
"Money for Nothing" - Dire Straits
"Find A Way" - Amy Grant
"Wise Up" - Amy Grant
"19" -- Paul Hardcastle
"Say You, Say Me" - Lionel Richie
"Walk Like a Man" - Divine
"We Are the World" - USA for Africa
"West End Girls" - Pet Shop Boys
"Take On Me" - a-ha
"Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" - REO Speedwagon
"Private Dancer" - Tina Turner
"Indianapolis" - Menudo
"I'm Going Down" - Bruce Springsteen
"Freeway of Love" - Aretha Franklin

See also: Hot 100 No. 1 Hits of 1985

Classical music

Mario Davidovsky - Capriccio for two pianos
Jacques Hétu - Missa pro trecentisimo anno
Nicholas Jackson - Organ Sonata
Witold Lutoslawski - Symphony No. 3
John Rutter - Requiem
Joan Tower - Concerto for Piano
Robert Ward - Raleigh Divertimento

Opera

Dorothy Rudd Moore - Frederick Douglass

Musical theater

Big River - Broadway production
Dames at Sea - off-Broadway revival
The King and I (Rodgers & Hammerstein) - Broadway revival
Me and My Girl (Noel Gay) - London revival
Les Misérables - London production
Mystery of Edwin Drood - Broadway production
Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Saul Chaplin, Gene de Paul and Johnny Mercer) - London production
Singin' in the Rain - Broadway production
Song and Dance - Broadway production