1985 was a fantastic year for music, featuring a diverse mix of pop, rock, R&B, and emerging new wave sounds.

Here are the major hits and trends:

Top Songs of 1985: "Careless Whisper" by Wham! was the biggest hit of the year, followed by "Like a Virgin" by Madonna and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!

Dominant Artists:

Madonna had a breakthrough year with five songs on the Year-End Hot 100, the most of any artist in 1985, including "Like a Virgin," "Crazy for You," "Material Girl," "Angel," and "Dress You Up."

Wham! dominated with four songs on the Year-End Hot 100, including "Careless Whisper," "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Everything She Wants," and "Freedom."

Phil Collins had multiple hits, including "Easy Lover" (with Philip Bailey), "One More Night," "Sussudio," "Separate Lives," and "Don't Lose My Number."

Other Major Hits:

"We Are the World" by USA for Africa was one of the longest-running number-one singles of 1985, staying at #1 for four weeks

"Take On Me" by a-ha became a massive international hit.

"Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits was a rock radio staple.

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds (from The Breakfast Club soundtrack)

Breakthrough Artists:

Whitney Houston scored her first major hits with "Saving All My Love for You" and "You Give Good Love."

New Order completed their transformation from Joy Division to synth-pop with hits like "The Perfect Kiss."

Movie Soundtrack Hits: 1985 was notable for its movie tie-ins, including "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr, "The Heat Is On" by Glenn Frey (Beverly Hills Cop), and "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer.

Musical Trends: The year marked the height of MTV's influence, with synth-pop, new wave, and dance-pop dominating alongside traditional rock and emerging hip-hop genres. The blend of electronic instruments with pop sensibilities defined much of 1985's sound, making it a pivotal year in 1980s music.

1985 was a year marked by significant political, technological, and cultural events. Here are some of the major happenings:

Political and International Events:

Ronald Reagan was sworn into office to begin his second term as President of the United States on January 20.
The United States and the Soviet Union held the Geneva Summit, marking the first meeting between U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mikhail Gorbachev became the leader of the Soviet Union, introducing policies that ultimately led to the end of the Cold War.
The Achille Lauro cruise ship was hijacked by Palestinian terrorists in the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in the death of American passenger Leon Klinghoffer.

Disasters and Tragedies:

On August 2, 1985, strong and sudden wind gusts caused a plane crash at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in Texas that killed 135 people.
The Heysel Stadium Disaster occurred during a football match.
A Japan Airlines flight crashed, becoming one of the deadliest aviation accidents.

Technology and Innovation:

The Internet's Domain Name System was created.
Steve Jobs resigned from Apple Computer to found NeXT on September 13.
Compact Discs (CDs) were introduced to the consumer market.
The Free Software Foundation was founded in Massachusetts on October 4.

Sports:

Pete Rose becomes the all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball, with his 4,192nd hit at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati on September 11.
Mike Tyson made his professional boxing debut, defeating Hector Mercedes by TKO in 107 seconds.

Cultural Events:

The song We Are the World was recorded by an ensemble group titled USA for Africa to raise money for African famine relief on January 28.
Live Aid concerts were organized, raising millions for African famine relief.
Coca-Cola introduced "New Coke," which proved to be a marketing failure.
The wreck of the Titanic was discovered.

Other Notable Events:

The year 1985 was designated as the International Year of Youth by the United Nations.
Greenland withdrew from the European Economic Community.
The Unabomber killed his first victim.
The Rainbow Warrior, a Greenpeace ship, was bombed by French agents.
1985 was a particularly significant year in the Cold War, marked by new leadership in the Soviet Union and improved dialogue between the superpowers, setting the stage for significant changes in the late 1980s.

Here's what things cost in 1985 - prepare to be amazed at how affordable everything was!

Housing: The average single-family home cost $82,800 in 1985 (equivalent to about $214,000 today)

Transportation:

Gasoline cost $1.12 per gallon (about $2.73 in today's money).
New cars averaged around $9,000-$12,000, depending on the model.
A typical economy car, like a Honda Civic, costs around $6,995.

Food & Dining:

Bananas cost 33 cents a pound.
McDonald's Big Mac Value Pack (Big Mac, supersize fries, and Coke) costs just $2.59.
A regular hamburger at McDonald's was around 60-65 cents.
Milk costs about $2.20 per gallon.
Bread was around 50-60 cents per loaf.
Coffee was about $2.85 per pound.

Other Everyday Items:

Movie tickets: $3.55
Postage stamp: 22 cents
Gallon of milk: $2.20
Dozen eggs: 80 cents
Newspaper: 25 cents

Income Context:

The average household income was around $23,618
Minimum wage was $3.35 per hour
The average new car payment was about $159/month

The Big Picture: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1985 has the same purchasing power as $51.85 in 2025, indicating that prices have increased by approximately 160% over the past 40 years.

Those McDonald's prices are particularly shocking - imagine getting a full meal for under $3! It puts into perspective how much the cost of living has changed since our graduation year.