The Top Songs of 1985, from Careless Whisper to Take On Me

What was the number one song of 1985?

"Careless Whisper" by George Michael, credited in the US to Wham! featuring George Michael, was the number one song of 1985 on Billboard's year-end Hot 100. "Like a Virgin" by Madonna was second and Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" third. The songs with the most weeks at number one during 1985 were "Like a Virgin" and USA for Africa's "We Are the World", with four weeks each.

The top 20 songs of 1985

1. "Careless Whisper", George Michael: the sax-led ballad that topped the year.
2. "Like a Virgin", Madonna: her breakthrough number one.
3. "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", Wham!: an irresistible, bright pop hit.
4. "I Want to Know What Love Is", Foreigner: a power ballad backed by a gospel choir.
5. "I Feel for You", Chaka Khan: a Prince song with a rap intro by Grandmaster Melle Mel.
6. "Out of Touch", Daryl Hall and John Oates: a synth-driven blue-eyed soul hit.
7. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", Tears for Fears: a shimmering number one.
8. "Money for Nothing", Dire Straits: the MTV-era rock smash with Sting on backing vocals.
9. "Crazy for You", Madonna: a ballad from the film Vision Quest.
10. "Take On Me", a-ha: the Norwegian hit with a famous pencil-sketch video.
11. "Everytime You Go Away", Paul Young: a soulful cover of a Hall and Oates song.
12. "Easy Lover", Philip Bailey and Phil Collins: a punchy pop-rock duet.
13. "Can't Fight This Feeling", REO Speedwagon: a classic power ballad.
14. "We Built This City", Starship: a glossy number one.
15. "The Power of Love", Huey Lewis and the News: the theme from Back to the Future.
16. "Don't You (Forget About Me)", Simple Minds: the anthem of The Breakfast Club.
17. "Cherish", Kool and the Gang: a gentle love song.
18. "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)", John Parr: the film theme that became a number one.
19. "The Heat Is On", Glenn Frey: the driving theme from Beverly Hills Cop.
20. "We Are the World", USA for Africa: the all-star charity single for famine relief.

More top songs of 1985 (21 to 40)

21. "Shout", Tears for Fears
22. "Part-Time Lover", Stevie Wonder
23. "Saving All My Love for You", Whitney Houston
24. "Heaven", Bryan Adams
25. "Everything She Wants", Wham!
26. "Cool It Now", New Edition
27. "Miami Vice Theme", Jan Hammer
28. "Loverboy", Billy Ocean
29. "Lovergirl", Teena Marie
30. "You Belong to the City", Glenn Frey
31. "Oh Sheila", Ready for the World
32. "Rhythm of the Night", DeBarge
33. "One More Night", Phil Collins
34. "Sea of Love", the Honeydrippers
35. "A View to a Kill", Duran Duran
36. "The Wild Boys", Duran Duran
37. "You're the Inspiration", Chicago
38. "Neutron Dance", the Pointer Sisters
39. "We Belong", Pat Benatar
40. "Nightshift", the Commodores

Every number one song of 1985

Twenty-seven songs reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 during 1985, in this order: "Like a Virgin" (Madonna), "I Want to Know What Love Is" (Foreigner), "Careless Whisper" (Wham! featuring George Michael), "Can't Fight This Feeling" (REO Speedwagon), "One More Night" (Phil Collins), "We Are the World" (USA for Africa), "Crazy for You" (Madonna), "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (Simple Minds), "Everything She Wants" (Wham!), "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Tears for Fears), "Heaven" (Bryan Adams), "Sussudio" (Phil Collins), "A View to a Kill" (Duran Duran), "Everytime You Go Away" (Paul Young), "Shout" (Tears for Fears), "The Power of Love" (Huey Lewis and the News), "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" (John Parr), "Money for Nothing" (Dire Straits), "Oh Sheila" (Ready for the World), "Take On Me" (a-ha), "Saving All My Love for You" (Whitney Houston), "Part-Time Lover" (Stevie Wonder), "Miami Vice Theme" (Jan Hammer), "We Built This City" (Starship), "Separate Lives" (Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin), "Broken Wings" (Mr. Mister) and "Say You, Say Me" (Lionel Richie).

Phil Collins and the British invasion of 1985

Phil Collins had more number ones than anyone in 1985, with "One More Night", "Sussudio" and "Separate Lives", and his album No Jacket Required became one of the year's biggest. He was part of a wave of British acts, including Wham!, Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, Paul Young and Simple Minds, that dominated the American charts: British artists scored a record 13 number ones that year.

We Are the World and Live Aid

In January 1985, inspired by Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", more than 40 American stars gathered after the American Music Awards to record "We Are the World", written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones. It spent four weeks at number one and raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia. On July 13, Live Aid brought the cause to a worldwide television audience with concerts in London and Philadelphia, featuring Queen, U2, Madonna, Phil Collins and many more.

The movie songs of 1985

1985 was a huge year for soundtrack hits. "The Power of Love" came from Back to the Future, "Don't You (Forget About Me)" from The Breakfast Club, "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" from St. Elmo's Fire, "Crazy for You" from Vision Quest, "The Heat Is On" from Beverly Hills Cop and "A View to a Kill" from the James Bond film of the same name, the only Bond theme to reach number one in America. For more, see our 80s songs.

The sound of 1985

The biggest songs of 1985 were built on synthesizers, drum machines and big, echoing drums, and MTV turned videos into events: a-ha's hand-drawn "Take On Me", Dire Straits' computer-animated "Money for Nothing" and Jan Hammer's theme from the stylish TV series Miami Vice. Whitney Houston arrived with her debut album and her first number one, "Saving All My Love for You", and Madonna became the year's defining pop star.

Songs of 1985 for a 40th anniversary or a birthday

If you are celebrating a 1985 wedding anniversary or a birthday for someone born that year, build a playlist from the year's hits. For a slow dance, "Can't Fight This Feeling", "Heaven", "Saving All My Love for You" and "Cherish" are lovely, and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go", "Take On Me", "The Power of Love" and "Rhythm of the Night" bring the party. For more, see our 80s wedding songs.

More music from the 80s

For deeper dives, see our George Michael songs, Mark Knopfler songs and 80s female singers.

Top songs of other years

For more year-by-year hits, see our top songs of 1991, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2012 and 2013.

A song as unforgettable as 1985

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