The year 1984 inspired numerous song titles, only because of George Orwell’s futuristic novel that made us fear that Big Brother was watching. David Bowie, who wrote several space tunes, composed one called 1984 for his Diamond Dogs album.
The hard rock band Van Halen called an entire album 1984, which included the title track as its opener. Pop star Katy Perry also recorded a song with the same title, as did the sixties rock band Spirit.
Paul McCartney, instead of addressing that 365 day span immortalized by Orwell, chose to write a song about the following year. His “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” is arguably the best track from his number one album Band on the Run.
Two other groups titled songs about the same year McCartney so enthusiastically discussed. The power pop band Bowling For Soup lamed a Top Ten single with “1985” and the Cincinnati indie group Minor Leagues included a song with the same title on their most recent album, North College Hill.
In most songs a specific year might be mentioned, but it is not the title. The most famous exception of course is Prince, who passed away just a few months ago, and his smash single “1999.”
Here are seven popular songs that make mention of a random year, either in the past or in the future. Unlike “In the Year 2525” by Zager and Evans, the specific year does not appear in the title.
Hotel California by the Eagles
While they carve their dinner “with their steely knives” the guests are looking for a particular drink, to which the captain replies, “We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969.”
On a Balcony by Okervill River
Will Sheff and his indie rock band look back at 1983 in this song from their latest album, The Silver Gymnasium.
Knock Knock Knock by Spoon
Brit Daniel sings, “You said you were living in a button up world, living in 1892” on this track from 2015’s They Want My Soul.
The Summer Place by Fountains of Wayne
The first line on the Sky Full of Holes album tells us that “She ‘s been afraid of the Cuisinart since 1977.”
Cemetery Gates by the Smiths
Morrissey finds joy in the graveyard while pondering the plagiarism of his lover, who has just stolen an inane line from “Some dizzy” 인천다국적 dame back in 1804.
Bellboy by the Who
The title character is portrayed by Sting in the film for Quadrophenia, and the mod singing the tune says to him, “I suppose you won’t remember me but I used to follow you back in ’63.