1984 was a great year for music. In searching the net for all things '80s, I discovered this podcast from Slate Magazine's Mike Pesca and Chris Molanphy who talked about the greatest songs of 1984.
They do a pretty good job of encapsulating 1984 in music, but here's a brief overview.
The very '80s rockers Van Halen were riding high in 1984 with their album, appropriately named "1984", and their biggest hit off that, "Jump." How can anyone have gone through 1984 without remembering that memorable, and now classic, rock hit.
1984 was a great year for comebacks from classic musicians. Tina Turner, the soulful diva of the '60s and '70s, returned in a big way with "What's Love Got to Do with It," one of many hits off of her album Private Dancer.
The '70s progressive rock group Yes fine tuned its style for New Wave '80s, and had a major hit with "Owner of a Lonely Heart," off of the album 90125. The song was actually released the year before, but it was still pervading the airwaves in 1984 with its infectious and catchy style.
1984 was the year for Madonna's breakthrough hit "Like a Virgin," from the album of the same name.
And equally unforgettable, it was the year of Footloose, both the movie and the namesake song by Kenny Loggins.