Retroverse Year

1985

Two continents tune in for one day of stadium-sized charity — rock royalty shares a stage and the world discovers that pop can still feel like a communal event. Madonna, Prince, and Springsteen keep ruling the charts while hip-hop's golden age accelerates in the boroughs and beyond. The year proves that spectacle and sincerity can share a microphone. The year proves spectacle and sincerity can share a microphone without either one flinching.