Sophisticated Ladies
Jan 2 Duke Ellington's musical "Sophisticated Ladies" closes at Lunt-Fontanne, NYC after 767 performances
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
Jan 4 Eurythmics release their breakthrough second studio album "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
10th American Music Awards
Jan 17 10th American Music Awards: John Cougar, Rick Springfield, and Olivia Newton-John win
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Feb 11 "Weird Al" Yankovic records "Ricky" & "Buckingham Blues" to complete his debut LP, at Scotti Brothers Studio in Santa Monica, California
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Feb 11 Single "Total Eclipse of the Heart" sung by Bonnie Tyler and composed by Jim Steinman is released
Thriller
Feb 26 Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album goes #1 and stays #1 for 37 weeks
On Your Toes
Mar 6 Revival of George Abbott, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart's musical "On Your Toes" opens at Virginia Theater, NYC; runs for 505 performances
- Mar 13 Peter Stone's musical "Woman of the Year" closes at Palace Theater, NYC, after 770 performances
Music History
Mar 25 Motown 25, a concert celebrating the anniversary of Motown records is taped for broadcast at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California; performers include: The Miracles; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Diana Ross and the Supremes; The Jackson 5; and Michael Jackson, who unveils his "moonwalk" dance move
Music History
Apr 14 EMI America Records releases David Bowie's 15th studio album, "Let's Dance"; co-produced by Bowie and Nile Rodgers, it becomes his biggest commercial success with sales of nearly 11 million units, topping the charts in 9 countries, and introduces guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan to a larger audience
- Apr 23 28th Eurovision Song Contest: Corinne Hermes for Luxembourg wins singing "Si la vie est cadeau" in Munich
- Apr 24 "Show Boat" opens at Uris Theater NYC for 73 performances
- May 1 "My One & Only" opens at St James Theater NYC for 767 performances
- May 9 18th Academy of Country Music Awards: Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, and Sylvia win
Dance a Little Closer
May 11 Alan Jay Lerner and Charles Strouse's musical "Dance a Little Closer" opens & closes at Minskoff Theater, NYC, after 1 performance
- May 14 "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby hits #5
- May 16 NBC broadcasts "Motown 25", a concert celebrating the anniversary of Motown Record held in Pasadena, California in March; performers include: The Miracles; The Temptations; The Four Tops; Diana Ross and the Supremes; The Jackson 5; and Michael Jackson, who unveils his "moonwalk" dance move
- May 19 Weird Al Yankovic gives live performance at Wax Museum in Washington, D.C.
- May 20 "Every Breath You Take" single released by The Police (Billboard Song of the Year, 1983)
- May 21 "Bang The Drum All Day" single by Todd Rundgren hits #63
- May 21 David Bowie's "Let's Dance" single goes #1
Return of the Jedi
May 25 "Return of the Jedi" (Star Wars Episode VI), produced by George Lucas first released
- May 28 "Ricky", parody song by Weird Al Yankovic hits #63
- Jun 3 Prolific studio drummer Jim Gordon murders his mother, Osa Marie Gordon in North Hollywood, California. [1]
- Jun 5 37th Tony Awards: "Torch Song Trilogy" (play) and "Cats" (musical) win
- Jun 6 17th Music City News Country Awards: Marty Robbins & Roy Acuff win
- Jun 11 "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes peaks at #8
- Jun 11 "Cool Places" by Sparks & Jane Wiedlin peaks at #49
- Jun 11 "Faithfully" by Journey peaks at #12
Music History
Jun 11 "My Love" by Lionel Richie peaks at #5
- Jun 11 "Theme From Doctor Detroit" by Devo peaks at #59
- Jun 11 "When I'm With You" by Sheriff peaks at #61
Old Wave
Jun 16 Ringo Starr releases album "Old Wave" album in West Germany; soon after releases follow in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, and Brazil
Glastonbury Festival
Jun 17 Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, England opens: UB40, Melanie, and Curtis Mayfield headline; other performers include: The Beat, Marillion, King Sunny Adé, The Chieftains, Dr. John; Tom Paxton, Dennis Brown, The Enid, Incantation, and Aswad
- Jun 18 "Pump Boys & Dinettes" closes at Princess Theater NYC after 573 performances
Music History
Jun 25 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical "Evita", starring Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin, and Bob Gunton, closes at Broadway Theater, NYC, after 1568 performances abd 7 Tony Award wins
- Jun 26 "Show Boat" closes at Uris Theater NYC after 73 performances
The Pirates of Penzance
Jul 15 Film version of "The Pirates of Penzance", starring Kevin Kline, Linda Ronstadt, and Angela Lansbury premieres in US
- Jul 21 Thunder storm cuts short Diana Ross' free concert in Central Park, NYC
- Jul 24 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury, opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 41 performances
- Aug 5 American rock singer David Crosby sentenced to 5 years in Texas state prison on drug and weapons convictions
- Aug 7 Richard Levinson, William Link, Elmer Bernstein. and Don Black's musical "Merlin", starring magician Doug Henning and Chita Rivera, closes at Mark Hellinger Theater, NYC, after 199 performances
An Innocent Man
Aug 8 Columbia Records releases "An Innocent Man", singer-songwriter Billy Joel's ninth studio album; it featured three Billboard Top 10 hit singles: "Tell Her About It", "Uptown Girl". and the title track
- Aug 14 Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone suffers a fractured skull from a kick to the head in a fight about a woman in Queens, NYC, and undergoes brain surgery
- Aug 21 Jerry Herman's musical "La Cage aux Folles", based on Jean Poiret's French play of the same name, opens at Palace Theater, NYC; runs for 1761 performances, wins 6 Tony Awards
- Aug 28 Revival of Jerry Herman's musical "Mame", starring Angela Lansbury, closes at the George Gershwin Theater, NYC, after 41 performances
Music History
Sep 4 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's biblical rock opera "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" closes at Royale Theatre, NYC, after 747 performances
Music History
Sep 17 Vanessa Williams (20), Miss New York is crowned 56th Miss America 1984; 1st winner of African-American descent
Music Concert
Sep 22 The Everly Brothers reunite after 10 years apart in concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London
- Sep 29 "A Chorus Line" with 3,389 performances becomes the then longest-running Broadway show
- Oct 3 Parlophone releases Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson's duet single "Say, Say, Say" (from Paul's "Pipes of Peace" album) in UK
- Oct 10 17th Country Music Association Awards: Alabama wins
- Oct 11 "Can't Slow Down" second studio album by Lionel Richie is released
- Oct 16 "Zorba" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 362 performances
Music History
Oct 27 Larry Flynt pays hitman $1M to kill Hugh Hefner, Bob Guccione, Walter Annenberg, and Frank Sinatra; Flynt's business manager immediately stops payment; Flynt claims he was just joking
Pipes of Peace
Oct 31 Paul McCartney releases "Pipes of Peace" album
- Nov 2 "Thriller" single released worldwide by Michael Jackson
Hearts and Bones
Nov 4 Warner Bros. Records releases "Hearts and Bones", the sixth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Paul Simon
Amen Corner
Nov 10 Garry Sherman and Peter Udell's musical "Amen Corner", based on James Baldwin's drama "The Amen Corner", opens at Nederlander Theatre; runs for 28 performances
- Nov 17 "La Tragedie de Carmen" opens at Beaumont Theater NYC for 187 performances
Yentl
Nov 17 Film "Yentl" produced, directed by Barbra Streisand, starring Streisand and Mandy Patinkin premieres, based on play and story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
- Nov 19 Robert Whitney (79) conducts his final concert, leading the Louisville Orchestra at the opening of the Whitney Concert Hall at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in Louisville, Kentucky
Marilyn: An American Fable
Nov 20 Musical "Marilyn: An American Fable", loosely based on life of Marilyn Monroe, starring Alyson Reed and Scott Bakula, opens at Minskoff Theater, NYC; runs for 17 performances
- Nov 21 "Doonesbury" opens at Biltmore Theater NYC for 104 performances
- Dec 3 Musical "Marilyn: An American Fable", loosely based on life of Marilyn Monroe, starring Alyson Reed and Scott Bakula, closes at Minskoff Theatre, NYC, after 17 performances
- Dec 4 David Shire & Richard Maltby, Jr.'s musical "Baby" opens at Barrymore Theater, NYC; runs for 241 performances
- Dec 4 Garry Sherman and Peter Udell's musical "Amen Corner", based on James Baldwin's drama "The Amen Corner", closes at Nederlander Theatre after 28 performances
Sikwood
Dec 14 Biographical drama film "Silkwood", directed by Mike Nichols, and starring Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, and Cher premieres
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