40 Albums Turning 40 in 2024

1984 brought its share of highlights, both new and old. There were beginnings and in some cases, endings — though not all of the participants were aware of that.

The year began on a good note with the arrival of Van Halen’s sixth album, 1984. Eddie Van Halen traded guitars for synthesizers on some songs — a move which would prove to be controversial with fans. But that would be the least of their concerns in time, as the album also marked the end of the group’s working relationship with David Lee Roth — something which revealed itself the following year.

Foreigner kept their streak of success going with the arrival of their fifth studio album, Agent Provocateur.  Though the process of creating the record drove a wedge between the band’s Lou Gramm and Mick Jones, things held together long enough for them to land another massive hit with “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which became their only No. 1 single in early 1985.

Tina Turner Had a Major Comeback

While 1984 was a banner year for music in general, Tina Turner had one of the better stories, finding major success with her Private Dancer album after a number of lean years that began in the late ’70s.  She scored four Top 40 singles — including the title track, which had been written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits. A massive tour followed and all of the hard work paid off with Private Dancer winning four out of six Grammy Awards it was nominated for.

Metallica, U2 and R.E.M. were just a few of the bands that continued to evolve as they filed their next chapters. In the case of Prince, he took the expectations that had been mounting since his success with 1982’s 1999 album and smashed them with the arrival of the film and soundtrack for Purple Rain, which remains a stunning achievement on every level.

As you’ll see from our list of 40 Albums Turning 40 in 2024, it was a really good year for music.