1984 was a banner year for music in the eighties, and 1985 somehow topped it. Of course, the midway point of the decade didn’t have a Like a Virgin or Purple Rain, but it didn’t need titles like those ...

Ronald Reagan was president. The Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the U.S., along with the Sony Walkman. The Titanic wreckage was discovered. The ill-fated New Coke made its debut. So did ...