Best Music Movies of 1984

"This Is Spinal Tap" shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

Harlem's legendary Cotton Club becomes a hotbed of passion and violence as the lives and loves of entertainers and gangsters collide.

A victim of his own anger, the Kid is a Minneapolis musician on the rise with his band, the Revolution, escaping a tumultuous home life through music. While trying to avoid making the same mistakes as his truculent father, the Kid navigates the club scene and a rocky relationship with a captivating singer, Apollonia. But another musician, Morris, looks to steal the Kid's spotlight -- and his girl.

A struggling young dancer joins forces with two breakdancers and together they become a street sensation.

In 1984, Duran Duran toured Canada and America. It was their first major tour as headliners in these two countries. Over 79 days, they travelled approximately 18,000 miles and played 51 shows in 43 cities to over 550,000 fans. The entire tour was filmed for this behind the scenes documentary which offers some fascinating and intriguing glimpses into the fun, glamour, agony, ecstasy and ultimate glory of three months on the road. The band is shown thriving on the pressures, psyching themselves up pre-stage and then delivering their all to a thunderous response. The production manager, tour manager, road crew are frequently caught fraught with last minute panics and touring nerves. Hoards of hysterical fans are seen chasing down and beating on the band's limo and with a camera placed inside the car it gives the viewer an insight into how loud and sinister that must have been. And in between all of this comes the great music.

Miles buys himself a state-of-the-art computer that starts expressing thoughts and emotions after a having champagne spilled on him. Things start getting out of hand when both Miles and Edgar, the computer, fall in love with Madeline, an attractive neighbour.

A concert by King Crimson recorded at the Arena Frejus, France on August 27th, 1982. Track Listing: Waiting Man, Matte Kudasai, The Sheltering Sky, Neil and Jack and Me, Indiscipline, Heartbeat, Larks' Tongues In Aspic Part II and more.

Filmed at Maple Leaf Gardens on the IRON FIST tour on May 12, 1982. Songs: Overkill / Heart of Stone / Shoot You in the Back / The Hammer / Jailbait / America / (Don't Need) Religion / Capricorn / (Don't Let 'em) Grind Ya Down / (We Are) The Road Crew / No Class / Bite the Bullet / The Chase is Better Than the Catch / Bomber

When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society. The runaways hold on to each other like a family until a tragedy tears them apart.

Synchronicity tour by the Police, recorded at the Omni in Atlanta, GA, Nov. 1983.

First official live video from KISS. Recorded at Detroit Cobo Hall 1984 during their Animalize tour. Synopsis: with 11 cameras capturing each moviment, the Kiss impresses once more with this great concert. Recorded at Cabo Hall, Detroit, United States, December 1984, Paul Stanley, Genne Simmons, Eric Car e Bruce Kulick play hits by the Kiss as "Rock and Roll All Night" and "Lick it Up", "Heaven's On Fire" etc, and songs from the album Animalize (84). As if we were sitting next to the stage, this concert is a singular experience.

An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.

Chorus, Corpse de Ballet, Orchestra of the Minnisota Opera, the Whole Schmeer, under the direction of Professor Peter Schickele Based on several of Mozart's most famous Operas including The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutti and making fun of everything from Star Wars to the Maltese Falcon this is an Opera only PDQ Bach could have written.

00 - Intro (Saturday Night At The Movies) 01 - Once Upon a Time in the West 02 - Expresso Love 03 - Romeo & Juliet 04 - Private Investigations 05 - Sultans of Swing 06 - Two Young Lovers 07 - Tunnel of Love 08 - Telegraph Road 09 - Solid Rock 10 - Going Home - Theme from 'Local Hero'

Genesis Live - The Mama Tour is a 1985 home video featuring footage from a Genesis concert in February 1984. It was filmed at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, and directed by Jim Yukich.

1984 Live Recording from campus of New York University.

By 1984, Rush were becoming the world's most popular 'underground' band. The world was also in a sombre mood, perhaps reflecting on George Orwell's 1984 thoughts. Rush's music from the Grace Under Pressure album captured this mood well, and their footage of the Maple Leaf Gardens concert in their home town Toronto on 21 September 1984 covers many of the stunning tracks from that album.

A compilation of promos from The Stranglers, chronicling the five year period in which their sleazy pub rock launched them to worldwide success, culminating in their biggest hit 'Golden Brown'.

The Divine Miss M is featured in a concert filmed at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, at the culmination of her most recent cross-country tour which was known as "De Tour". This live recording was a combination of footage from both September 10 and 11, 1983. Set against a Renaissance art background and outfitted in a rainbow array of costumes, Midler sings and performs her uninhibited stage antics.

Video Rewind by The Rolling Stones is a compilation of video clips recorded between 1972–1984. Instead of just presenting unrelated clips and videos just strung together, it uses a framing 'story', featuring Bill Wyman and Mick Jagger, directed by Julien Temple and includes some video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. It was first released in 1984 on the VHS, Laserdisc, and CED Videodisc format by Vestron home video.

An opera for television by Robert Ashley. Set in the American Midwest, it is “about” bank robbery, cocktail lounges, geriatric love, adolescent elopement, the changing of the light at sundown, et al. One of the definitive text-sound compositions of the late 20th century, it has been called "the most influential music/theater/literary work of the 1980s".

An ambient video of seven "video-paintings." Presented in vertical format (the television or monitor needs to be turned on its side for proper viewing).

Another State of Mind is a documentary film made in the summer of 1982 chronicling the adventure (and misadventure) of two punk bands – Social Distortion and Youth Brigade – as they embark on their first international tour. Along the way they meet up with another progressive punk band, Minor Threat, whom they hang out with at the Dischord house for about a week near the end of their ill-fated tour.

Colorful hallucinogenic trip in a cartoon fantasy world, or, as Timothy Leary put it, "Cheery pop images and mellow lyrics".

Educational video where Mr. T attempts to instill good values (honor thy mother, don't give in to peer pressure, etc.) to kids through rapping and breakdancing, among other things.

Shot during Maiden's historic tour of Poland and other parts of the Eastern Bloc in 1984, featuring interviews, live and offstage footage, capturing the atmosphere of this remarkable journey behind the Wall at the height of the Cold War.

A joyous romp through the dance, food, music, friendship, and even religion of the Polka. The explosive energy and high spirits of the polka subculture are rendered with warmth and dedication to scholarship in this journey through Polish-American celebrations. Polka stars like Jimmy Sturr, Eddie Blazonzyck and Walt Solek are featured.

A man taking the train to work one morning is overcome by melancholy memories and morbid fantasies.

One of the few films about Italo Disco, this Riccardo Sesani film follows two young males -- Tom Hooker and Russel Russel as DeeJay and Hi-Fi -- in a quest to find find a financial backer for the biggest disco party ever!

When his unmarried mother dies, custody of 13-year-old Job is assumed by his alleged father, Chris, whom he has never seen. Job is an enthusiastic cadet at a military academy, and Chris turns out to be a top-grossing rock star who removes Job from his beloved school to keep him company on tour. Getting acquainted is fraught with culture shock for both father and son. Written by Paul Emmons

The dance crew from "Breakin'" bands together to save a community center from a greedy developer bent on building a shopping center in its place.

When the mastertape of McCartney's latest album is misplaced, he must discover its whereabouts in less than 24 hours or else risk losing his recording company to the lowlife Mr. Rath.

A short animation set to and inspired by The Cure's One Hundred Years. Max Anderssons debut animation film won 1st Prize at Melbourne international Film Festival, 2nd Prize at Los Angeles Animation Celebration and a special prize at Berlin Film Festival.

Susan is a professional flautist who has been handicapped since childhood and is forced to wear a leg brace to get around. After breaking up with her boyfriend, she accepts the offer to travel to Europe on a concert tour. While in Paris, she comes up with an idea to disguise her leg by putting it in a cast and travel on her own to the French Alps to be treated without pity. Not looking to find romance, Susan however has become the interest of Peter, a news photographer. They soon fall in love and Susan is forced to decide if she should tell Peter the truth about herself.

Aliens land in the mythical town of "Speelburgh, U.S.A" searching for the source of rock & roll. What they find is a gang of teenagers, led by Dee Dee and Frankie, along with Frankie's posse/rock band, the Pack. The leader of the aliens takes a shine to Dee Dee and all sorts of trouble breaks out.

Recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon December 1983 1 - I'll Tumble 4 Ya 2 - Mister Man 3 - It's A Miracle 4 - Karma Chameleon 5 - Black Money 6 - Love Twist 7 - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me 8 - Miss Me Blind 9 - Church Of The Poision Mind 10 - Victims 11 - Time 12 - White Boy 13 - Melting Pot.

Set during the Crusades, the story of Lombardi opens with the rivalry of two brothers -- Arvino and Pagano -- who vie with one another for the love of Viclinda. Pagano attempts to kidnap Viclinda and commit a fratricide, extinguishing Arvino, but succeeds only in murdering his father in error; circumstances force him into exile in the Holy Land. Thus begins a complex and harrowing series of events that will ultimately lead to the reconciliation of both men, followed by the death of one.

The story of R&B singer Al Green, who gave up a successful singing career to become a gospel minister.

A short film from Tom Corboy about devoted fans of Elvis Presley in the years after his death.

Doc Jenkins may be one of country music's most beloved stars, but his private life is a wreck. He's split up with his longtime partner, Blackie Buck, a country outlaw with a heart of gold. Doc's singer-wife, Honey Carder, has thrown him out of the house. And now he's gotten involved with a sleazy music manager, Rodeo Rocky, who's out to steal his material. Teaming up with Blackie, Doc takes drastic measures to win back his family and reclaim his songs.

His first film shot with sound, Feelings is a two and a half minute movie made as an NYU film school assignment in 1984. Solondz himself takes the lead role of a sensitive young man who finds he can no longer endure life without his beloved. Photographed by Andy Day, the film is set to Todd Solondz's personal rendition of the song "Feelings" by Morris Albert.

A boy from a wealthy family is always socializing with the wrong group of friends. He is very mischief and always involved in gang fights. One day he met a girl and falls in love with her. The girl, Azura, later changed the boy's character and he became a good and well mannered boy. He proposed to Azura but thier marriage was objected by his parents because Azura comes from a poor family. Despite of his parents objection, he marries Azura and leaves behind all his family's wealth. He works as a laborer to support Azura. Everything was perfect until one day Azura is found to be pregnant. Her husband suspects that the baby she is carrying does'nt belong to him. Misunderstanding then arise between them...

In Australia, four teenagers in a Sydney theater are astounded to hear the news that a nuclear war has broken out in Eastern Europe. They try to figure out the best way they can survive the coming conflagration.

Mesmerist Jonathan Sage escapes Nazi Germany via a cryogenic tube. In the 1980s, a group of Fascist Americans thaw him out, hoping to use him as a way to rid their community of homosexuals, free-thinkers, and other "radicals." The story is interspersed with many rock dance numbers. -Joe Arthur(via imdb)

Funny woman Carol Burnett teams with tenor Placido Domingo in this musical comedy special.

A retelling of the story of John the Baptist, Salome, Herod Antipas and Herodias, but strikingly less psychological and bloody than Richard Strauss's opera "Salome".

Lynda Carter's fifth musical TV special, with guest stars Eddie Rabbit and Ben Vereen.

Ballet performance by The Royal Ballet, recorded at Covent Garden, London, United Kingdom, July 1984.