This is a tough one,but I'm gonna choose 1983.So much was happening in that year!

Michael Jackson's Thriller was on fire! Michaelmania was taking control.

Prince was riding high with his "1999" singles.

MTV finally began showing R&B artists.

A young lady named Madonna burst onto the pop music scene in 1983

Actually,several innovative new artists debuted in 1983: Eurythmics and Culture Club,to name a few.

On the R&B side of things,you had bands like Mtume,Midnight Star,and a new boy band called New Edition......they all released excellent albums in 1983.

Rick James was still "hot"....his 'Cold Blooded' album explored some new sounds,and this is the year when he debuted his girl group,The Mary Jane Girls.

Big fan of both, have always a special place for 1984 though, just so many epic albums and artists and singles etc...But lately I have realized that 1985 was mega too and I tended to give it the cred it deserved, because to me it was one of the last amazing years overall.

Big fan of both, have always a special place for 1984 though, just so many epic albums and artists and singles etc...But lately I have realized that 1985 was mega too and I tended to give it the cred it deserved, because to me it was one of the last amazing years overall.

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SoulAlive said:

^^

lastdecember said:

badujunkie said:

It could also be said that 1983 was the year that freestyle music took off.Shannon's "Let The Music Play" is considered one of the first big freestyle hits.

Great thread!

That is actually a tough question.

1984 has always been my favourite year in music (and movies). But 1983 was an amazing year.

It was THE year of Thriller and Madonna released her debut album, which I think is superior to Like a Virgin.

And many great albums - Flashdance soundtrack, Huey Lewis and the News' Sports, Def Leppard's Pyromania, Men at Work's Cargo, Billy Joel's An Innocent Man, Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down, Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual, Culture Club's Colour By Numbers. Many of these albums dominated the latter part of 1983 and then continued to hold up with consectuive hit singles and defined 1984.

And one of my favourite singles and videos came from '83: Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefied".

I would still pick 1984 but 1983 is almost on par. And I agree with lastdecember that 1985 in retrospect is a fantastic year.

1984 is "the" year of music for me. Even now, 31 years later, I have a 1984 playlist that I listen to all the time.

Se7en said:

1984 is "the" year of music for me. Even now, 31 years later, I have a 1984 playlist that I listen to all the time.

Now that you mention it, why don't music sites and streaming services have search functions where you can find music via the year it was released? Compiling every album by their years of release shouldn't be a challenge.

torontodj said:

Great thread!

That is actually a tough question.

1984 has always been my favourite year in music (and movies). But 1983 was an amazing year.

It was THE year of Thriller and Madonna released her debut album, which I think is superior to Like a Virgin.

And many great albums - Flashdance soundtrack, Huey Lewis and the News' Sports, Def Leppard's Pyromania, Men at Work's Cargo, Billy Joel's An Innocent Man, Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down, Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual, Culture Club's Colour By Numbers. Many of these albums dominated the latter part of 1983 and then continued to hold up with consectuive hit singles and defined 1984.

And one of my favourite singles and videos came from '83: Pat Benatar's "Love is a Battlefied".

I would still pick 1984 but 1983 is almost on par. And I agree with lastdecember that 1985 in retrospect is a fantastic year.

Thanks!

I'm in the 1984 camp but over time I've realized more and more how significant 1983 was for music in setting a foundation to be built upon by various acts in 1984. The way I see it 1983 is the movie that kicked off its series in a great way while 1984 is the much anticipated sequel that more than delivered and though comparable in quality, the sequel is more fondly remembered and enjoyed because of the elaboration on the original. 1983 was a colorful year itself but the color and panache of 1984 was more saturated.

1985 I'm not well-versed in outside of it being the year Whitney debuted. I know it's a great year for music as well but can someone be so kind as to tell me why they think so?

1984 definately. Prince, Chaka, Tina, The Pointer Sisters, Deniece, Lionel and so many other great albums too numerous to name. 1983 was great, too. But, 1984 will always be the most memorable for me.

1983 for the Thompson Twins album, a quick step and a side kick and the first singles off "Into the Gap", The Eurythmics had touch, Culture Clubs- Colour by numbers, Let's Dance by David Bowie, She's so unusual by Cyndi Lauper, Too Low for Zero by Elton John, Madonna's first album with cuts like Borderline, Lucky Star and Burning Up. An Innocent Man by Billy Joel featuring Longest time/Uptown girl and the Title cut.

.

Ironically Prince and MJ were riding high with Thriller and 1999, but both albums are 1982 releases and Thriller would go on into 1984, but for British Electro Pop which I love and post disco 1983 was a better year than 1984.

.

Some more 1983 classics in addition to the albums and artists named above.

She works hard for the money - Donna Summer

Juicy Fruit - Mtume

IOU - Freez

No parking on the dancefloor - Midnight starr

Can't slow Down (Album) - Lionel Richie

Send me an angel - Reel Life

Blue Monday - New order

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

Heart Attack - Olivia Newton John

Mad World - Tears for fears

Style Council - Long Hot Summer

Cold Blooded - Rick James

Too Shy - Kajagoogoo

Safety Dance - Men without hats

Doot Doot - Freur

.

1983 was a ground breaking year for the big 3 too, Prince, MJ and Madonna, plus Cyndi Lauper. I just love that year, I mean I was all of 7 but just love the music of 1983 and it was my favourite 80s year followed closely by 1985, but for me the whole 1982 - 1987 period is essential in music and of course Thriller/Bad and 1999/Sign o the times make great book ends for that period.

[Edited 9/30/15 3:58am]

Adorecream said:

MotownSubdivision said:

It really is interesting how 1983 was a big year for the Big 3 of the decade. MJ had Thriller garnering the monstrous success it's known for in earnest, Prince had 1999 which was the first actual album that garnered him a mainstream audience, and Madonna had her debut. I never looked at it that way. So not only were the Big 3 of the 80s born in the the same year and in the same region but but they also had notable career success the same year as well. That's amazing.

Exactly! 1983 was a very important year for pop music.So many amazing things were happening.

a look back at 1983.....

***1983 was the year that MTV began diversifying their playlists.It was a trip to turn it on and all of a sudden,you were seeing videos by Prince ("1999","Little Red Corvette"),Michael Jackson ("Billie Jean","Beat It"),Donna Summer ("She Works Hard For The Money"),Shalamar ("Dead Giveaway"),Eddy Grant ("Electric Avenue)",etc.Hell,if Rick James hadn't started a 'war' with them by calling them "racist" a few years earlier,they might have even aired his own 1983 music video "Ebony Eyes",lol.

***Although we didn't know it at the time,1983 was the beginning of LA and Babyface's careers.They were in the R&B band The Deele,who debuted in late '83 with the catchy,funky "Body Talk".

***Breakdancing was all the rave in 1983 and many of the songs that came out that year seemed like they were talilor-made for that type of dancing: "Jam On It" by Newcleus,"Radio Activity" by Royalcash,"Space Cowboy" by the Jonzun Crew,"Freak-A-Zoid" by Midnight Star,"etc.

***In the summer of '83,Chaka Khan had her final hit single with Rufus: "Ain't Nobody".From that point on,she was a solo artist.

***1983 was the year that we first heard the amazing vocals of Anita Baker ("Angel").

***speaking of R&B....1983 also brought us excellent singles from Atlantic Starr ("Touch A Four Leaf Clover"),Pieces Of A Dream ("Fo-Fi-Fo"),Maze featuring Frankie Beverly ("We Are One"),DeBarge ("Time Will Reveal"),Stacy Lattisaw ("Million Dollar Babe"),Kool & The Gang ("Joanna"),New Edition ("Is This The End?"),Mtume ("Juicy Fruit"),Lionel Richie ("You Are"),O'Bryan ("I'm Freaky"),Angela Bofill ("Too Tough"),Hall and Oates ("Say It Isn't So"),etc..

MotownSubdivision said:

lastdecember said:

Big fan of both, have always a special place for 1984 though, just so many epic albums and artists and singles etc...But lately I have realized that 1985 was mega too and I tended to give it the cred it deserved, because to me it was one of the last amazing years overall.

Why do you like 1985 so much? Just asking.

a-ha came on the scene, Tears for Fears "songs from the big chair", Live Aid, Corey Hart "Never Surrender" Rick Springfield "tao" album, Howard Jones "Dream into Action" album, Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms", Prince ATWIAT, Sting "Blue turtles", LIVE AID concert, John Mellencamp "Scarecrow" his best and one of the great records of the decade, LISA LISA "debut", INXS "listen like thieves", just to name a few. It was a year of new artists on the scene.

lastdecember said:

They're both stellar years, and my favorite two years of pop music. 1983 might have been a bit deeper, but I enjoy '84 more. Ruling the radio that year: Purple Rain, She's So Unusual, Private Dancer, Born In The USA, Into The Gap, Rebel Yell, Madonna (self-titled)/Like A Virgin, Heartbeat City, Van Halen's 1984, Sports, soundtracks to Footloose & Ghostbusters....plus continued singles from Can't Slow Down, the Thriller single, the Pointer Sisters, and one-off hits "Somebody's Watching Me," "99 Luftballoons," John Waite's "Missing You," "Talking In Your Sleep," Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days"...soundtrack hits from Phil Collins ("Against All Odds") and Stevie Wonder ("I Just Called To SAy I Love You"). A magical year for pop music.

I think we can all agree that both years (83 and 84) were incredible! We had a ridiculous amount of great music during those years!!

renfield said:

They're both stellar years, and my favorite two years of pop music. 1983 might have been a bit deeper, but I enjoy '84 more. Ruling the radio that year: Purple Rain, She's So Unusual, Private Dancer, Born In The USA, Into The Gap, Rebel Yell, Madonna (self-titled)/Like A Virgin, Heartbeat City, Van Halen's 1984, Sports, soundtracks to Footloose & Ghostbusters....plus continued singles from Can't Slow Down, the Thriller single, the Pointer Sisters, and one-off hits "Somebody's Watching Me," "99 Luftballoons," John Waite's "Missing You," "Talking In Your Sleep," Wang Chung's "Dance Hall Days"...soundtrack hits from Phil Collins ("Against All Odds") and Stevie Wonder ("I Just Called To SAy I Love You"). A magical year for pop music.

1984 also had the dope Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack although it was released in December and the singles registered in 1985.

Any artist or group who dropped an album, had singles on the charts, was on tour, had presence or worked in some capacity in the music industry any time from January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1984 can say that they contributed to an amazing time period for music.

[Edited 10/3/15 7:56am]

SoulAlive said:

I think we can all agree that both years (83 and 84) were incredible! We had a ridiculous amount of great music during those years!!

Yeah. So much so that it's impossbile to get bored talking about them. Every time these years come up in a conversation on music, I almost always learn something new or get curious about something else each time.

Speaking of years in music, this year has been pretty good in terms of output. While Top 40 is still just as bad as last year, the album releases of non-pop genres (specifically hip hop) have been enough to almost disregard how awful mainstream music has been. I'll even say that 2015 is comparable to 1984 in that it seems everybody is dropping something. I mean Janet Jackson just dropped her first album in 7 years and then we got releases from various others in the music game. This year is pretty much a 180 from last year for hip hop as a genre with releases all across the board; I got to put 2015 up there with the 90s as one of the best years in the genre.

It's far from even being close to 1984 but by sheer volume, 2015 has been good.

speaking of Janet....in 1983 she was enjoying hits like "Say You Do" and the new wav-ish "Come Give Your Love To Me"

But will there ever be another?

CynicKill said:

SoulAlive said: