On September 14, 1984, MTV held its first Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall, and pop music quietly changed shape. That was the night the image and the song became one product. Here is what was number one the week of September 14 across the 1980s, including the exact week the VMAs were born.
The number one song the week of September 14, 1985 was "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr, the David Foster co-write from the Brat Pack film. One year earlier, the first MTV Video Music Awards aired September 14, 1984, hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler, the night Madonna rolled across the stage in a wedding dress singing "Like a Virgin" while Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It" sat at number one on the radio.
1980 to 1983
Diana Ross held the middle of September 1980 with "Upside Down," in the back half of its four-week run, the Chic-produced single that became the biggest hit of her solo career. In 1981 the week still belonged to "Endless Love," Diana Ross and Lionel Richie refusing to leave the top on their way to a nine-week reign. September 1982 handed the week to Chicago and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry," the band's first number one in years and the start of their David Foster produced comeback that pulled the veteran group back to the top of the charts. And in 1983 the top went to Michael Sembello and "Maniac," the "Flashdance" single in the second week of its run, the second number one that blockbuster soundtrack produced that year.
The night the VMAs began: 1984
The week of September 14, 1984 had Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do with It" at number one, but the bigger story was on television. That night MTV staged its first Video Music Awards from Radio City Music Hall, with Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler hosting. Madonna's floor-rolling "Like a Virgin" performance became instantly legendary, and the ceremony announced that the music video was now the main event, not a promotional afterthought. Radio and video were now in open competition for the same songs.
1985 to 1989
John Parr ruled the week of September 14, 1985 with "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)," in the second week of its run. In 1986 the top belonged to Berlin and "Take My Breath Away," the Giorgio Moroder ballad from "Top Gun," the summer's biggest film, and the song would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Los Lobos held the week in 1987 with "La Bamba," and Guns N' Roses had it in 1988 with "Sweet Child o' Mine," their only number one. In 1989 the week went to Gloria Estefan and "Don't Wanna Lose You," her first number one under her own name after years of hits leading Miami Sound Machine.
The honest bottom line
The first VMAs get remembered as a triumph, but they were also the moment radio started losing its monopoly on making stars. Before that night, a great song on the air was enough. After it, you also needed a look, a video, a performance people would talk about the next morning. The songs on this list survived the shift because they were strong records first. But the week of September 14 marks the exact point where the picture began to matter as much as the sound, and pop was never purely a radio game again.
FAQ
What song was number one on September 14, 1985? "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr, the theme from the film "St. Elmo's Fire," co-written by David Foster.
When were the first MTV Video Music Awards? The first MTV Video Music Awards were held September 14, 1984, at Radio City Music Hall in New York, hosted by Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler.
What made the first VMAs famous? Madonna's performance of "Like a Virgin," in which she rolled across the stage in a wedding dress, became one of the most talked-about moments in television and remains the ceremony's defining image.
What Top Gun song was number one in 1986? "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin, written by Giorgio Moroder, reached number one in September 1986 and later won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Was Take My Breath Away Gloria Estefan's first solo number one? No. Gloria Estefan's first number one billed under her own name was "Don't Wanna Lose You," which topped the chart the week of September 16, 1989.
September, sourced to the week.
Part of This Week in 80s Music. Next: the week of September 21.