1984 has been voted the best year for music by Brits, with the likes of Prince’s Purple Rain album, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers’ debut and Band Aid record helping to secure its place.
Beating off stiff competition, the ‘best’ year saw George Michael achieve five top 10 singles and Frankie Goes to Hollywood spent five weeks at number one with “Relax”.
Second place went to 1985 with 45 per cent also choosing the colourful eighties as the top decade overall for music.
Among the top bands and artists from the winning decade were Queen, Madonna and U2.
Almost two thirds of fans believe music ‘peaked’ during a certain era, and a further one in four said that era was 1981-1985.
One third of respondents said their favourite year stood out to them because of ‘personal memories’ while over half said they remember it ‘purely because of the music’.
Of those who voted 1984 as the best year, many said this was because it was either the year they left school, their teenage years and it was a memorable, hot summer.
The study was commissioned by Greatest Hits Radio.
Presenter Mark Goodier said: “The results prove how defining the 80s were as a decade for music, artists such as Queen, Wham! and Madonna were at their peak and of course the Band Aid release bought together some of the biggest acts.
“Songs released in the crucial year of 1984 are still recognised and celebrated today, as many respondents stated, the eighties was a time for classics.
“At Greatest Hits Radio we know music and particularly great songs from individual’s formative years make you feel good and we want to acknowledge some of the biggest songs of the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
Greatest Hits Radio presenter Pat Sharp added: “1984 was an amazing year, I’m not surprised it has been voted the greatest for music and memories, and Band Aid gave us a Christmas to never forget.”
The study of 1,488 adults also found eight in 10 said music helps bring back nostalgic memories for them.
When it comes to the seventies 1970 came out top as the nation’s favourite year, while 1999 dominated the nineties.
Queen reigned both the 1970’s and 1980’s, with one in five voting them as the top band of each decade.
The rock quartet beat the likes of Blondie and Pink Floyd to the best single of the 1970’s with Bohemian Rhapsody, which stayed at the top of the charts for nine weeks.
And 65 per cent said Queen’s Live Aid performance in 1985 was the ‘best’ live event from the three decades.
Oasis came out as the top artist from the 1990’s showing the memorable rise in Brit-pop during that time, and many respondents who selected the nineties as their favourite decade did so because of the Oasis v Blur battle.
1. 1984
2. 1985
3. 1970
4. 1999
5. 1987
6. 1996
7. 1976
8. 1980
9. 1977
10. 1986
11. 1979
12. 1983
13. 1995
14. 1982
15. 1994
16. 1974
17. 1975
18. 1981
19. 1998
20. 1988
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