In this thread the year is 1985.

[Savonarola]

After my time for music () but I would pick:

I was in Junior High in 1985 and just discovering pop music (I wouldn't listen to The Replacements until quite a bit later.)  Tears for Fears had a solid radio presence; although it paled in comparison to Whitney Huston or Mötley Crüe. 

[Syt]

Had a look at the annual German singles charts 1985. Bit surprised to see two Austrian acts (Opus and Falco) in the top 5. And surprised to see 19 on #3, considering its theme and novelty factor.

The remaining Top 10:
6. Tina Turner: We Don't Need Another Hero
7. Murray Head: One Night In Bangkok
8. Tears for Fears: Shout
9. Baltimora: Tarzan Boy
10: Modern Talking: You Can Win If You Want

Remainder: https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1985

[Syt]

I had to look up Baltimora's Tarzan Boy, because it rang no bell. Listening to it, though, I do remember the song.

[Syt]

For completeness' sake, the top 20 singles from this week in West Germany in 1985:

[grumbler]

The best concert I ever went to was the Mike and The Mechanics tour in 1987.  The best song was probably

I never heard this one in concert, but it was probably M+TM's biggest hit, from 1989:

Loved that band.  Genesis at their best was only as good as average M+TM, and couldn't touch their best stuff (even though they shared many members).

[Sophie Scholl]

I was 3 in 1985, so I wasn't big into much of anything other than playing with miniatures and stuffed animals. In terms of music, I was probably enjoying some early Tina Turner Private Dancer listening when visiting my aunt. My sister and I wore that cassette out along with Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album (and the follow-up just titled Whitney) when we visited her. They're still personal favorites of mine. 

[Josquius]

Before I had entered this existence but checking up what actual good stuff was released 1985

[grumbler]

"In 1984, Giorgio Moroder restored and produced the 80-minute 1984 re-release, which had a pop soundtrack written by Moroder and performed by Moroder, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Tyler, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Cycle V, Loverboy, Billy Squier, and Freddie Mercury." (Wikipedia).

An instrumental version of the soundtrack is available on YouTube

But the vocal versions of the songs are only available individually, like

And the outstanding Freddy Mercury in

It's worth checking out.  The album is one of my all-time favorites.

[crazy canuck]

Can't Get There From Here by REM

Driving to a party that summer I heard it played on the radio.  Everybody in the car loved it.  But we didn't know who the band was.  The DJ played a game getting people to guess who it was.  Nobody could guess (most callers thought it was Simple Minds) so the DJ had to tell the listening audience it was REM.

I had never of them, but bought all their albums after that.

[Norgy]

Can't Get There From Here by REM

Driving to a party that summer I heard it played on the radio.  Everybody in the car loved it.  But we didn't know who the band was.  The DJ played a game getting people to guess who it was.  Nobody could guess (most callers thought it was Simple Minds) so the DJ had to tell the listening audience it was REM.

I had never of them, but bought all their albums after that.

Man, that was a good song. I heard it years later on the radio. And thought, who are these guys? REM became a bit boring, or maybe full of themselves, later in the 1990s, but they always managed a hit and some good ear candy.

[crazy canuck]

Can't Get There From Here by REM

Driving to a party that summer I heard it played on the radio.  Everybody in the car loved it.  But we didn't know who the band was.  The DJ played a game getting people to guess who it was.  Nobody could guess (most callers thought it was Simple Minds) so the DJ had to tell the listening audience it was REM.

I had never of them, but bought all their albums after that.

Man, that was a good song. I heard it years later on the radio. And thought, who are these guys? REM became a bit boring, or maybe full of themselves, later in the 1990s, but they always managed a hit and some good ear candy.

Yeah, all that is accurate

[Norgy]

And then there was this abomination.

[Savonarola]

I've been listening to Motown a bit lately and I came across this gem from 1985:

I love the very old school Motown dance at the end.  In the golden age the dance master constructed the dances around a series of simple steps that anyone could remember.  Even something that looks as cool as opening to the Temptations Walk was just all of them pretending to dig twice on one side and then switch to the other.

I remember the song being a hit, but I thought it was a love song to a woman named Jackie ().  I didn't know who Marvin Gaye or Jackie Wilson were (they had both died the year before.)  I also didn't know who the Commodores were and, as far as I knew, Lionel Richie had always been a solo artist.  I'm glad they were able to go on without him, and actually make one of the Commodore's best songs.

[grumbler]

I've been listening to Motown a bit lately and I came across this gem from 1985:

(snip)

I love the very old school Motown dance at the end.  In the golden age the dance master constructed the dances around a series of simple steps that anyone could remember.  Even something that looks as cool as opening to the Temptations Walk was just all of them pretending to dig twice on one side and then switch to the other.

I remember the song being a hit, but I thought it was a love song to a woman named Jackie ().  I didn't know who Marvin Gaye or Jackie Wilson were (they had both died the year before.)  I also didn't know who the Commodores were and, as far as I knew, Lionel Richie had always been a solo artist.  I'm glad they were able to go on without him, and actually make one of the Commodore's best songs.

Great choice.  I'd remembered that as a 1970s song, but was out of the country when released so wasn't really aware of it until the late 80s, by which time it was "old."

[Syt]

Ozzy Osbourne (and Sharon) in 1985.