http://www.rollingstone.c...r-20140917

And I agree! The variety and quality of pop music in 84 was top notch and at an all time high thanks to the creative resurgence in the music industry that occurred the previous year and was in full bloom when December 83 gave way to January 84.

Let's talk about how awesome this year was!

[Edited 9/26/14 5:25am]

All I can say is I 100% AGREE!!!! It would take me too long to list all the reasons why. Prince, Chaka and Tina were the main reasons for me. So many artists, who were already considered veterans at that point, made landmark records that year. I don't remember a lot about 1984 but I remember the musical landscape like it was yesterday. It was musical heaven for me.

I've been saying that. Hell, I knew it in 1984 and I was only 9 years old! (LOL)

The earliest year of my living memory, and a lot of music from 1983 was still being played in 1984. It is no wonder music captured my complete attention.

Rolling Stone? huh... Guess a broken clock really is right twice a day.

Because of a little guy named M I C H A E L J O S E P H J A C K S O N

[Edited 9/26/14 14:04pm]

All because of a little guy called Prince you mean

I was gonna say, a #bitch like Madonna, but her year was more 1985.

the Rolling Stone magazine is so full of shit that at this point is not even irritating anymore

not even ridiculous

just a big...meh

1967, in my opinion

WorldofPeace said:

JoeTyler said:

JoeTyler said:

1967, in my opinion

It can't be 67 to me , i was not born

MotownSubdivision said:

JoeTyler said:

1967, in my opinion

Why so?

Just take a gander at the roster of albums dropped that year. It's awe-inspiring almost.

Disreali Gears, AreYouExperienced, The Doors debut album, Love Again Or, Gilberto Gil's debut album etc.

Jagar said:

absolutely...no question about it........

everyone u turned, another great artist unleashed unforgettable music

from all genres too

from MJ, to PRINCE, to BRUCE, to CYNDI LAUPER, to VAN HALEN, to LISA/LISA CULT JAM, to DENNIS EDWARDS, to TINA TURNER, MADONNA, to GENESIS (PHIL COLLINS), LIONEL RICHIE, THE POINTER SISTERS, APPOLONIA 6, THE TIME, DURAN DURAN, WHAM, RUN DMC

it was awesome....

PATTY SMITH..THE WARRIOR.......LOVED THAT SONG

[Edited 9/26/14 15:52pm]

1984 is indeed pop's greatest year. It's like 1994 for movies (Even though I think 1999/2007 are great years for films in general).

look at that top10, you have ten albums that created or at the very least shaped the music that was made afterwards (at least until the mid-'90s), with the only exceptions of dance-pop and electronica (I consider psychodelia to be the electronica of that time, anyway): psychodelia/experimentation, hard-rock, R&B/soul, alternative rock, blues-rock, singer-songwriter, british pop-rock...

1984 was probably the best year of the '80s decade (1987 comes close), but, of all time?? J.H.C.

[Edited 9/26/14 16:44pm]

MotownSubdivision said:

While it may be true that all those albums set the stage for the next 2-3 decades and that they are excellent in their own right, I still disagree. I am admittedly not that knowledgable about 60s music outside of Motown, The Beatles, and a few other exceptions or music at large like many on here seem to be including yourself but I think the 1980s took all the many awesome things the 60s presented and expanded upon that stage set. 1984 is just the highlight year when it comes to 80s pop music as the entire decade is chock full of amazing, memorable, colorful, diverse songs and albums with just as amazing, memorable, colorful, diverse, and very talented people of various cultures and musical backgrounds. The 1960s were more "black and white" but the 80s (specifically 84) was that and much more; it was a rainbow composed of countless shades and tints of the many colors that made it up. If nothing else, 1984 was just fun. This is not a diss toward the 60s at all but the originator of a style is not automatically better than those that were influenced by it and can be superceded.

Well personal taste is subjective, but I'd say purely on historical significance 67 was bigger than 84.

Got to remember there was southern rock, southern soul, girl groups, the motown sound, baroque pop, psychedelic rock, blues rock, acid rock etc. kicking around in the 60's. The longer ago a period is, the more homogenous it appears because not much survives on radio play.

[Edited 9/26/14 19:09pm]

This is one thing Rolling Stone got right. 1984 was downright magical.

I was 17 in 1984 and a music junkie. I lived in the record/music stores that year. What a great year, and the last year before CD's were introduced to the public in mass quantity in 1985. Then we got to live 1984 all over again...musically.

Jagar said:

If we're talking about 80s music,I would say that 1983 was a superior year.

But my personal favorite music year is 1978.

SoulAlive said:

MotownSubdivision said:

SoulAlive said:

If we're talking about 80s music,I would say that 1983 was a superior year.

But my personal favorite music year is 1978.

1983 was excellent for being the year things began turning around for pop music as the influence of MJ and Thriller began to set in as the album began to soar. I'd probably put 83 just behind 84 as far as the 80s go and maybe still in the Top 5 as far as best years for music go. [Edited 9/27/14 6:16am]

I'm sort of partial for 1983 myself being one of the best years ever for pop music, but an argument can be made that both 1983 and 1984 were one continuous period of great music. It began with Michael Jackson's Thriller and the height of the British New Wave with The Police, Culture Club, Duran Duran, etc., the breakout of U2, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, and other rock and metal acts, the breakout success of Prince's 1999, continued from the end of 1983 into 1984 with Lionel Richie's Can't Slow Down and the debut of both Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, and went even further with Prince's Purple Rain, Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA, and Tina Turner's comeback album Private Dancer. The culmination came with the release of Wham!'s Make It Big which introduced most of the world to George Michael. The following year (1985) had some good moments but wasn't as momentous as the two years proceeding it, and subsequent years would get more generic.

728huey said:

SoulAlive said:

Can we all agree there seems to be many good years of music back in the day