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List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 1984

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Purple Rain by Prince and The Revolution stayed twenty-two weeks at number one and sold more than nine million copies.

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][15] which make it the most pop-oriented album Prince has ever made.[16] The album topped the chart for the last twenty-two weeks of the year, sold more than nine million copies,[15] 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

[edit]
Key
† Indicates best performing album of 1984
Issue date Album Artist(s) Label Ref.
January 7 Thriller Michael Jackson Epic [19]
January 14 [20]
January 21 [21]
January 28 [22]
February 4 [23]
February 11 [24]
February 18 [25]
February 25 [26]
March 3 [27]
March 10 [28]
March 17 [29]
March 24 [30]
March 31 [31]
April 7 [32]
April 14 [33]
April 21 Footloose Soundtrack Columbia [34]
April 28 [35]
May 5 [36]
May 12 [37]
May 19 [38]
May 26 [39]
June 2 [40]
June 9 [41]
June 16 [42]
June 23 [43]
June 30 Sports Huey Lewis and the News Chrysalis [44]
July 7 Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen Columbia [45]
July 14 [46]
July 21 [47]
July 28 [48]
August 4 Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution / Soundtrack Warner Bros. [49]
August 11 [50]
August 18 [51]
August 25 [52]
September 1 [53]
September 8 [54]
September 15 [55]
September 22 [56]
September 29 [57]
October 6 [58]
October 13 [59]
October 20 [60]
October 27 [61]
November 3 [62]
November 10 [63]
November 17 [64]
November 24 [65]
December 1 [66]
December 8 [67]
December 15 [68]
December 22 [69]
December 29 [70]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Ropin' the Charts SoundScan System Good for Music and for Listeners ..." The Fresno Bee. The McClatchy Company. December 2, 1991. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen (June 2, 1991). "Billboard's New Charts Roil the Record Industry". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  3. ^ Goldstein, Patrick (September 2, 1991). "Hype, Hokey-Pokey and the Hot 100". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  4. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. March 3, 1984. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  5. ^ "The Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. May 2, 1984. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Album Review: Footloose Original Soundtrack". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  7. ^ "Grammy Nominees". The Dallas Morning News. Associated Press. February 2, 1985. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  8. ^ Hoerburger, Rob (October 9, 1986). "Huey Lewis and the News". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  9. ^ "The Billboard 200 – 1984". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1984. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  10. ^ Miller, Debby (July 1, 1984). "Bruce Springsteen: Born In The U.S.A.: Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  11. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Album Review: Born In The U.S.A." Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  12. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 1, 1985). "Bruce Springsteen – Rock's Popular Populist". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  13. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Album Review: Purple Rain". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  14. ^ Loder, Kurt (April 1, 2000). "Prince: Purple Rain: Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. RealNetworks, Inc. Archived from the original on July 18, 2007. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  15. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (January 1, 1985). "Critic's Notebook; Rock Music, or Songs on The End of The World". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  16. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince > Biography". Allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved January 26, 2009.
  17. ^ "Grammy Awards Winners: Purple Rain". The Recording Academy. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  18. ^ "27th Grammy Awards – 1985". February 2, 1985. Retrieved January 18, 2009.
  19. ^ "January 7, 1984". Billboard 200.
  20. ^ "January 14, 1984". Billboard 200.
  21. ^ "January 21, 1984". Billboard 200.
  22. ^ "January 28, 1984". Billboard 200.
  23. ^ "February 4, 1984". Billboard 200.
  24. ^ "February 11, 1984". Billboard 200.
  25. ^ "February 18, 1984". Billboard 200.
  26. ^ "February 25, 1984". Billboard 200.
  27. ^ "March 3, 1984". Billboard 200.
  28. ^ "March 10, 1984". Billboard 200.
  29. ^ "March 17, 1984". Billboard 200.
  30. ^ "March 24, 1984". Billboard 200.
  31. ^ "March 31, 1984". Billboard 200.
  32. ^ "April 7, 1984". Billboard 200.
  33. ^ "April 14, 1984". Billboard 200.
  34. ^ "April 21, 1984". Billboard 200.
  35. ^ "April 28, 1984". Billboard 200.
  36. ^ "May 5, 1984". Billboard 200.
  37. ^ "May 12, 1984". Billboard 200.
  38. ^ "May 19, 1984". Billboard 200.
  39. ^ "May 26, 1984". Billboard 200.
  40. ^ "June 2, 1984". Billboard 200.
  41. ^ "June 9, 1984". Billboard 200.
  42. ^ "June 16, 1984". Billboard 200.
  43. ^ "June 23, 1984". Billboard 200.
  44. ^ "June 30, 1984". Billboard 200.
  45. ^ "July 7, 1984". Billboard 200.
  46. ^ "July 14, 1984". Billboard 200.
  47. ^ "July 21, 1984". Billboard 200.
  48. ^ "July 28, 1984". Billboard 200.
  49. ^ "August 4, 1984". Billboard 200.
  50. ^ "August 11, 1984". Billboard 200.
  51. ^ "August 18, 1984". Billboard 200.
  52. ^ "August 25, 1984". Billboard 200.
  53. ^ "September 1, 1984". Billboard 200.
  54. ^ "September 8, 1984". Billboard 200.
  55. ^ "September 15, 1984". Billboard 200.
  56. ^ "September 22, 1984". Billboard 200.
  57. ^ "September 29, 1984". Billboard 200.
  58. ^ "October 6, 1984". Billboard 200.
  59. ^ "October 13, 1984". Billboard 200.
  60. ^ "October 20, 1984". Billboard 200.
  61. ^ "October 27, 1984". Billboard 200.
  62. ^ "November 3, 1984". Billboard 200.
  63. ^ "November 10, 1984". Billboard 200.
  64. ^ "November 17, 1984". Billboard 200.
  65. ^ "November 24, 1984". Billboard 200.
  66. ^ "December 1, 1984". Billboard 200.
  67. ^ "December 8, 1984". Billboard 200.
  68. ^ "December 15, 1984". Billboard 200.
  69. ^ "December 22, 1984". Billboard 200.
  70. ^ "December 29, 1984". Billboard 200.
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