List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1984 explained

The Billboard 200, published in Billboard magazine, is a weekly chart that ranks the highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States. Before Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, Billboard estimated sales from a representative sampling of record stores nationwide, using telephone, fax or messenger service.[1] Data were based on rankings made by the record stores of the best-selling records, not on actual sales figures.[2] [3]

There were only five number-one albums in 1984, the fewest in history. Michael Jackson's Thriller, which spent twenty-two weeks in 1983 at number one, stayed an additional fifteen weeks at the top in 1984 and was the best-selling album of the year. Thriller was the only album to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984) in the United States until 21 by Adele in 2011 and 2012. Footloose, the original soundtrack of the Paramount motion picture, Footloose, which included the two number one hits, "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins and "Let's Hear It for the Boy" by Deniece Williams,[4] [5] spent ten weeks at number one, sold over seven million copies and received a nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture at the 27th Grammy Awards.[6] [7] Rock band Huey Lewis and the News released their third album Sports in 1983. Despite the limited expectations of their record company and the blockbuster competition from other albums like Thriller and Born in the U.S.A, Sports managed to top the chart for one week and sold six million copies,[8] reaching the second position of the year-end chart of 1984.[9]

In 1984, singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen released his seventh studio album Born in the U.S.A. Springsteen ignored the musical movements of the Second British Invasion, instead he embraced the legacy of Phil Spector's and the garage bands releases with more radio-friendly arrangements, the use of synthesizers and incorporating new electronic textures while keeping the American rock & roll from the early 1960s.[10] [11] The album stayed four weeks at number one, yielded seven top ten singles and sold more than seven and a half million copies.[12] Purple Rain, the soundtrack from the film of the same name, was the first Prince album to be recorded with and credited to his backing group The Revolution. The album was loaded with life, invention, pure rock & roll, with synthesizer touches that pushed heavily into psychedelic music,[13] and have constant reminders of Sly Stone in the bass lines,[14] which make it the most pop-oriented album Prince has ever made.[15] The album topped the chart for the last twenty-two weeks of the year, sold more than nine million copies,[16] won the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture and received a nomination for Album of the Year.[17] [18]

Chart history

style="background-color:#FFFF99"
Indicates best performing album of 1984
scope=colIssue datescope=colAlbumscope=colArtist(s)scope=colLabelscope=col class="unsortable"
bgcolor=#FFFF99 style="text-align: center;" rowspan=15ThrillerEpic[19]
[20]
[21]
[22]
[23]
[24]
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
[30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
FootlooseSoundtrackColumbia[34]
[35]
[36]
[37]
[38]
[39]
[40]
[41]
[42]
[43]
SportsChrysalis[44]
Born in the U.S.A.Columbia[45]
[46]
[47]
[48]
Purple RainPrince and the Revolution / SoundtrackWarner Bros.[49]
[50]
[51]
[52]
[53]
[54]
[55]
[56]
[57]
[58]
[59]
[60]
[61]
[62]
[63]
[64]
[65]
[66]
[67]
[68]
[69]
[70]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Ropin' the Charts SoundScan System Good for Music and for Listeners .... December 2, 1991. The Fresno Bee. The McClatchy Company. January 25, 2009.
  2. News: Billboard's New Charts Roil the Record Industry. June 2, 1991. Holden, Stephen. The New York Times. January 25, 2009.
  3. News: Hype, Hokey-Pokey and the Hot 100. https://web.archive.org/web/20110525144125/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/61496075.html?dids=61496075:61496075&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+22,+1991&author=PATRICK+GOLDSTEIN&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Hype,+Hokey-Pokey+and+the+Hot+100&pqatl=google. dead. May 25, 2011. September 2, 1991. Goldstein, Patrick. Los Angeles Times. January 25, 2009.
  4. The Billboard Hot 100. March 3, 1984. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 16, 2010.
  5. The Billboard Hot 100. May 2, 1984. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 16, 2010.
  6. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r113171|pure_url=yes}} Album Review: Footloose Original Soundtrack]. Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. January 18, 2009.
  7. News: Grammy Nominees. February 2, 1985. Associated Press. The Dallas Morning News. January 18, 2009.
  8. Huey Lewis and the News. https://web.archive.org/web/20090505195543/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/196652/review/5942216/fore. dead. May 5, 2009. October 9, 1986. Hoerburger, Rob. Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. January 18, 2009.
  9. The Billboard 200 – 1984. https://web.archive.org/web/20061020163125/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=The+Billboard+200&g=Year-end+Albums&year=1984. dead. October 20, 2006. 1984. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. January 18, 2009.
  10. Bruce Springsteen: Born In The U.S.A.: Music Reviews. https://web.archive.org/web/20070529061357/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/brucespringsteen/albums/album/109854/review/5944816/born_in_the_usa. dead. May 29, 2007. July 1, 1984. Miller, Debby. Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. January 18, 2009.
  11. Web site: Ruhlmann. William. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r18766|pure_url=yes}} Album Review: Born In The U.S.A.]. Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. January 18, 2009.
  12. News: Bruce Springsteen – Rock's Popular Populist. August 1, 1985. Pareles, Jon. The New York Times. January 18, 2009.
  13. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r15804|pure_url=yes}} Album Review: Purple Rain]. Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. January 18, 2009.
  14. Prince: Purple Rain: Music Reviews. https://web.archive.org/web/20070718184114/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/prince/albums/album/210211/review/5945476/purple_rain_sdtk. dead. July 18, 2007. April 1, 2000. Loder, Kurt. Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. January 18, 2009.
  15. Web site: Erlewine. Stephen Thomas. [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p5182|pure_url=yes}} Prince > Biography]. Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. January 26, 2009.
  16. News: Critic's Notebook; Rock Music, or Songs on The End of The World. January 1, 1985. Holden, Stephen. The New York Times. January 18, 2009.
  17. Web site: Grammy Awards Winners: Purple Rain. The Recording Academy. January 18, 2009.
  18. Web site: 27th Grammy Awards – 1985. February 2, 1985. January 18, 2009.
  19. Web site: January 7, 1984. .
  20. Web site: January 14, 1984. .
  21. Web site: January 21, 1984. .
  22. Web site: January 28, 1984. .
  23. Web site: February 4, 1984. .
  24. Web site: February 11, 1984. .
  25. Web site: February 18, 1984. .
  26. Web site: February 25, 1984. .
  27. Web site: March 3, 1984. .
  28. Web site: March 10, 1984. .
  29. Web site: March 17, 1984. .
  30. Web site: March 24, 1984. .
  31. Web site: March 31, 1984. .
  32. Web site: April 7, 1984. .
  33. Web site: April 14, 1984. .
  34. Web site: April 21, 1984. .
  35. Web site: April 28, 1984. .
  36. Web site: May 5, 1984. .
  37. Web site: May 12, 1984. .
  38. Web site: May 19, 1984. .
  39. Web site: May 26, 1984. .
  40. Web site: June 2, 1984. .
  41. Web site: June 9, 1984. .
  42. Web site: June 16, 1984. .
  43. Web site: June 23, 1984. .
  44. Web site: June 30, 1984. .
  45. Web site: July 7, 1984. .
  46. Web site: July 14, 1984. .
  47. Web site: July 21, 1984. .
  48. Web site: July 28, 1984. .
  49. Web site: August 4, 1984. .
  50. Web site: August 11, 1984. .
  51. Web site: August 18, 1984. .
  52. Web site: August 25, 1984. .
  53. Web site: September 1, 1984. .
  54. Web site: September 8, 1984. .
  55. Web site: September 15, 1984. .
  56. Web site: September 22, 1984. .
  57. Web site: September 29, 1984. .
  58. Web site: October 6, 1984. .
  59. Web site: October 13, 1984. .
  60. Web site: October 20, 1984. .
  61. Web site: October 27, 1984. .
  62. Web site: November 3, 1984. .
  63. Web site: November 10, 1984. .
  64. Web site: November 17, 1984. .
  65. Web site: November 24, 1984. .
  66. Web site: December 1, 1984. .
  67. Web site: December 8, 1984. .
  68. Web site: December 15, 1984. .
  69. Web site: December 22, 1984. .
  70. Web site: December 29, 1984. .

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