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1984

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>>New Exhibit Celebrates the Music of 1984 - Opening July 29th

“Pop Music’s Best Year Ever.”

1984 – a landmark year in music. Described by journalist Alan Light as “Pop music’s best year ever,” there was a perfect storm that spanned diverse cross sections of listeners, genres, and radio formats. The tumultuous sociopolitical environment of Reaganomics, the AIDS crisis, and fear of nuclear destruction generated musical creativity from both established and up-and-coming artists like never before. 

In the featured 1984 exhibit opening July 29th, fans can come back in time with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to experience the era-defining songs and genre-defying artists.

“I Want My MTV”

1984 saw the release of masterworks from superstars like Prince, Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner, and Madonna. It was also the year that MTV went nationwide, and a new wave of musicians including Duran Duran, Eurythmics, and Culture Club used the medium of music video to explore gender identity, sexuality, and race in their music and style. 

This pivotal year also saw artists like Run-D.M.C. and LL COOL J usher in the golden age of hiphop out of its NYC confines and take the culture coast-to-coast. Our 1984 exhibit uses artifacts, audio, and video to revisit milestones from this landmark year that changed music forever! 

>>Featured Artifacts

>>Related Inductees

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Prince