Welcome back to the Fantastic 40:
My personal journal of the artists whose work dominated Billboard’s Top 40 for a calendar year between 1980 and 1991.
This time around, we’re looking at 1985.
What were the stories of 1985’s Fantastic 40?
The trend:
Charity collaborations.
Spurred by late 1984’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid, several collaborations made the news and the charts in 1985 including the Live Aid concert and singles by:
USA for Africa,
Artists United Against Apartheid,
Dionne and Friends,
The USA for Africa collaborative does not rack up enough weeks to make the Fantastic 40…
But six of its artists do:
Hall and Oates (16),
Billy Joel (24),
The Pointer Sisters (23),
Bruce Springsteen (4),
Tina Turner (8)
and Stevie Wonder (26).
Two others lose out on technicalities:
- Lionel Richie’s “Say You Say Me” enters too late in the year to earn enough weeks
- And Huey Lewis and the News’ “Trouble in Paradise” and “Back in Time” weren’t commercial singles, leaving “The Power of Love” as their sole chart hit for 1985.
New names:
On the strength of a No. 3 hit and two No. 1 hits, Whitney Houston enters at No.15.
Formerly of the Police, Sting begins his solo career at No. 14.
Ex-Eagle Don Henley pulls four Top 40 hits from one album to land at No. 10.
Howard Jones makes his debut at No. 31.
While Simple Minds comes in a little higher, at No. 27.
And way up in the Top 10 is Wham! at No. 3.
Final bows:
The Pointer Sisters finish their hit streak by placing 23rd.
As do Eurythmics, at No. 36.
Corey Hart ranks 34th on the strength of three singles.
Night Ranger bid goodbye with the top 20 hit “Goodbye.”
It’s also the final year for Pat Benatar (30),
Stevie Wonder (26),
REO Speedwagon (17) and…
Aretha Franklin (22). Although, all continue to turn out Top 40 hits for a while.
Kool and the Gang have their best year ever, placing No. 5 on the strength of four one-word-titled hits:
- “Misled,”
- “Fresh,”
- “Cherish,”
- and “Emergency…”
…but they’re done on the Fantastic 40, with two top 10 hits left in their collection.
Only in 1985:
Tears for Fears will follow up the success that placed them at No. 7, but the singles from the next album are spread out enough that the duo won’t return.
Glenn Frey’s No. 9 placement marks his only year in the Fantastic 40, although he has hits throughout the decade.
All having their moment in the sun:
- Paul Young (28)
- David Lee Roth (35)
- Dire Straits (38)
- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band (39)
- Freddie Jackson (40)
- John Parr (32)
- Julian Lennon (25)
- and the Power Station (20)
Time and again:
Among Fantastic 40 perennials:
- John Cougar Mellencamp ranks 37th
- Foreigner places 29th
- Duran Duran ranks 18th
- Prince is 13th
- and Phil Collins returns in 6th.
Survivor…
and Billy Ocean are back.
And ’70s stalwarts Heart make a comeback at No. 21.
If anyone thought it was impressive in 1983 for the top three acts to be represented by five hits?
This year goes one better:
Bryan Adams, Wham and Bruce Springsteen place 2nd through 4th on the strength of five songs…
And Madonna’s No. 1 ranking is especially impressive: given that it does *not* include one of the year’s biggest hits, the 12-inch-single B-side “Into the Groove.”
Stay tuned… because coming up in 1986:
The wealth is more spread out.
to be continued…
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The Fantastic 40 of 1985
1. Madonna
2. Bryan Adams
3. Wham!
4. Bruce Springsteen
5. Kool and the Gang
6. Phil Collins
7. Tears for Fears
8. Tina Turner
9. Glenn Frey
10. Don Henley
11. Billy Ocean
12. Survivor
13. Prince and the Revolution
14. Sting
15. Whitney Houston
16. Daryl Hall and John Oates
17. REO Speedwagon
18. Duran Duran
19. Debarge
20. Power Station
21. Heart
22. Aretha Franklin
23. Pointer Sisters
24. Billy Joel
25. Julian Lennon
26. Stevie Wonder
27. Simple Minds
28. Paul Young
29. Foreigner
30. Pat Benatar
31. Howard Jones
32. John Parr
33. Night Ranger
34. Corey Hart
35. David Lee Roth
36. Eurythmics
37. John Cougar Mellencamp
38. Dire Straits
39. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
40. Freddie Jackson
The Fantastic 40 of 1985 including collaborations. This year, we’re looking not just at named collaborations but also participation in Top 40 charity collaboratives. This makes a big difference for several acts, marked with an asterisk.
1. Phil Collins*
2. Bruce Springsteen*
3. Madonna
4. Bryan Adams*
5. Tina Turner*
6. Daryl Hall and John Oates*
7. Wham!*
8. Kool and the Gang*
9. Stevie Wonder*
10. Tears for Fears
11. Prince and the Revolution*
12. Glenn Frey
13. Pointer Sisters*
14. Billy Joel*
15. Sting*
16. Don Henley
17. Billy Ocean
18. Survivor
19. Aretha Franklin*
20. Duran Duran*
21. Cyndi Lauper*
22. Whitney Houston
23. Eurythmics*
24. Paul Young*
25. Huey Lewis and the News*
26. REO Speedwagon
27. Debarge
28. Power Station
29. Heart
30. Julian Lennon
31. Simple Minds
32. Foreigner
33. Pat Benatar*
34. Howard Jones
35. John Parr
36. Night Ranger
37. Corey Hart
38. Mick Jagger*
39. David Lee Roth
40. Kim Carnes*
Was wondering why Phil was only 6th, then remembered that you didn’t count collaborations.
Maybe it’s because I wasn’t born until after this decade, but in my brain Phil ’85 is synonymous with “utterly dominant year” – not as much as Beatles ’64, Bee Gees ’78, MJ ’83, or Usher ’04, but still gigantic.
I was just about to lament the absence of bright synth or dance pop tunes this year, and then wham! Madonna comes and saves the day… 😎
Combining yesterday’s article with today’s, I’ve seen exactly one of the Fantastic 40 live. I saw Springsteen twice, both long before 1985.
However, if you count The Police and Eagles, I’ve also seen two of the solo acts listed.
My initial thought was “that’s 2 more than me”, but then I realized I have seen Billy Joel, Wham! (first concert ever), and Paul Young, whom I saw on a beach in Abu Dhabi!
I’m at 8 with:
Springsteen
Don Henley
Sting
Hall and Oates
John Cougar Mellencamp
Billy Joel
Pat Benatar
REO Speedwagon
I can squeeze in a couple more if you count Glenn Frey with the Eagles, and Lou Gramm solo for Foreigner.
Just two for me (Madonna & Sting)
When I did my Irrational Love countdown of the 1980s, I made sure I only included songs I’d purchased.
If I included songs I never bought (and I can’t remember why I didn’t), “Love Light in Flight” would be in the Top 5.
“Naughty, Naughty” would also make the list.
…and just like that I’ve created a playlist of my favorites from 1985. Thanks!
To spoil an as-of-yet unpublished post of mine, the highest-ranking act from ’85…and they rank quite high…is an act with what appears to be only one top 20 hit in their entire career, so they’re obviously not on here.
Almost there, only the one name that means nothing to me; John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band.
Based on the name alone it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t make it over here. If I saw it on Bill’s list it wouldn’t have surprised me.
I have heard of Eddie & The Cruisers which they soundtracked though my memory of whether I’ve watched that or not is another matter.
I turned 9 in 1985 and the heady whiff of nostalgia is strong with this selection.
Productive year for Duran Duran with The Power Station side project also making it in. I was looking for Robert Palmer to complete the triangle but I’m a year early.
In 84-85, Springsteen was so hot (take that any way you want) at that time that even tangential work like knockoff John Cafferty or Rick Springfield’s (hilarious) novelty “Bruce” were hits.
That was always the weird thing about the film and its soundtrack. Why does a band from the ’60s sound like Springsteen? It kind of ruined one’s suspension of disbelief.
I never saw the movie, which might be why I liked the songs from it. I liked “Tough All Over” and “C-I-T-Y” even more. Derivative, definitely. Also fun!
1985 was a big year for soft drinks. Hansen’s got Stevie Wonder to be their pitchman. I like the taste of natural is one for the time capsule. Wonder was a neutral observer of the rock and roller cola wars.
AI-generated music scares me. But I’d be interested to hear interpretations of “Don’t You Forget About Me” by all the musical artists who passed on it. I thought Nik Kershaw said no, but I can’t find any evidence to verify my remembrance of the song’s history. Bryan Ferry passed. Who knows what the demo sounded like. It must’ve been unremarkable. Maybe Simple Minds should get a co-writing credit. I love the backup vocals on “Alive and Kicking”.
Don’t say goodbye, don’t say goodbye/In the final seconds who’s gonna save you? Jim Kerr, that’s who. Great buildup.
Once Upon a Time probably annoyed his old fans, but Kerr didn’t want to be remembered only for a song he didn’t write. He needed a smash of his own. Bono must’ve gone ballistic. And wrote “With or Without You”. Kinda amazing that “Pride(In the Name of Love)” stopped ascending at #33.
Oh, wow. Hansen’s metamorphosed into Monster. I didn’t know that.