Peter Ruzicka becomes director of the Hamburg State Opera and State Philharmonic Orchestra.
February 13 - Michael Jackson purchases a ranch in Santa Ynez, California. He calls his new home "Neverland".
February 17 - A 12-year old Mötley Crüe fan in Florida is badly burned while trying to imitate a stunt in the band's "Live Wire" music video. The boy suffered burns over ten percent of his body. Mötley Crüe issued a statement saying the band's stunts should not be tried at home.
March 12 - Record producer Jimmy Iovine presents the Special Olympics with a donation of $5 million, which was raised with the release of the A Very Special Christmas album.
April 19 - Former rock and roll singer Sonny Bono is inaugurated as the Mayor of Palm Springs, California
May 1 - Citing the 1st Amendment, a judge drops all charges filed against singer Billy Joel. Joel was being sued by Jack Powers for defamation following an interview with Playboy in which he called Powers a "creep".
November 1 - Bad Religion releases Suffer, which is considered one of the band's best known works in the history of punk music, along with its follow-up No Control, which came out a year later.
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" experiences a surge in popularity sparked by television commercials featuring claymation raisin figures dancing to the song. The California Raisins version of the song peaks at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.
