Last Updated on December 1, 2025 by Black Sunshine Media
There was never really a bad year for rock music or rock set lists; some years were just more exciting than others. 1984 was a turning point in my concert-going career because I turned 16, got my driver’s license, kept my grades up, and made Eagle Scout, which was an incredibly important beacon of trust for my parents, so they let me attend any concert of my choosing, even if it was a “school night.”
Most of these performances took place in the Chicagoland area (where I grew up), and I was present at most of the shows on this list, and the few I didn’t attend were shows I wish I could have attended. At least one of my close friends got to go and reported back to the crew. And a few of these shows are among the greatest rock set lists of all time.
The Cure at the Bismarck Theatre, Chicago, IL
| Date: | November 9, 1984 |
| Tour: | The Top (North American Leg) |
The Cure was still very much an “underground” or “cult” alternative rock band at this time, but they had the loudest buzz of all up-and-coming acts. MTV was playing “Let’s Go to Bed”. Local radio station WXRT (93.1 FM) would drop “Boys Don’t Cry” or “The Lovecats” every so often. Robert Smith was becoming the reluctant, anti-gothic pin-up star we never knew we needed.
My friends and I had been into The Cure for at least two years when The Top was released, but this was their first-ever appearance in Chicago, and technically, their first “real” North American Tour. The Top was not considered the band’s finest work when it came out, but it was by far the #1 record of the summer for me. Nothing could stand between my crew and this show.
The Bismarck Theater (1984–1999) is now called the New Cadillac Theater, and it’s an important part of downtown Chicago history. The place was packed, and I specifically remember the main floor started quaking from the mass of bodies moving to “A Forest”. Twenty days later, on November 29, 1984, that same main floor collapsed during a Frankie Goes to Hollywood show. Nobody died, but it made the news.
I was 16 years old, and this was my first Cure concert. The so-called “goth rock movement” of the early 1980s was a reaction to the 1970s, when it was cool for David Bowie and Alice Cooper to play “dress-up”, wearing makeup and women’s clothing while prancing around the stage like a drag queen, but God forbid you, as a civilian, tried leaving the house with eyeliner a pierced left ear.
For fuck’s sake, Elton John sold more records than anybody else in the 1970s. Freddie fucking Mercury couldn’t have been any gayer, but somehow, he got a free pass from the classic rock enthusiasts. Why? Because he was really good at what he does. That’s how it works. Kind of.
In the U.S., we had a major sexual denial/oppression system that was spearheaded by the greedy hypocrisy of Nancy Reagan and the Republican apparatus. Artists could cosplay because it was a show. We couldn’t do it because you’re just a common peon, and it would bring shame upon our families.
All that started to change in the early 1980s when people said, “Fuck it” and went full goth. Somehow, The Cure brought a certain type of androgyny into mainstream U.S. audiences. This is one of my favorite rock set lists.
| The Cure at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL November 9, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Shake Dog Shake M Secrets Wailing Wall Primary Cold The Hanging Garden Charlotte Sometimes The Walk One Hundred Years Play for Today Let’s Go to Bed Give Me It A Forest Encore1: Happy the Man The Caterpillar Encore 2: Three Imaginary Boys Boys Don’t Cry 10:15 Saturday Night Killing an Arab Forever |
Billy Idol at Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, IL
| Date: | June 1, 1984 |
| Tour: | Rebel Yell |
I saw Billy Idol twice this year. The first show happened in February at the Aragon Ballroom, and the set list was almost identical. Both shows were great. I had spiked blond hair, an earring in my left lobe, a sleeveless T-shirt, and wristbands, walking around like Billy Idol Junior. Cringe-level memories.
| Billy Idol at Poplar Creek Music Theater, Hoffman Estates, IL June 1, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Ready Steady Go (Generation X song) Baby Talk Blue Highway Untouchables (Generation X song) Eyes Without a Face (Do Not) Stand in the Shadows Love Calling Flesh for Fantasy Hot in the City White Wedding Rebel Yell Encore: Dancing With Myself (Generation X song) Encore 2: Kiss Me Deadly (Generation X song) Mony Mony (Tommy James & the Shondells cover) |
The Jacksons at Comiskey Park, Chicago, IL
| Date: | October 14, 1984 |
| Tour: | Victory |
The Jacksons played three consecutive sold-out shows at Comiskey Park. My mom got four free tickets from her boss. I don’t know why she wanted the tickets because nobody in our family listened to the Jacksons or Michael Jackson. I think her boss just said, “Here, get rid of these.” She wound up giving the seats to one of the neighbors. All I remember is her asking me, “Do you want to see the Jacksons?” and saying, “Absolutely not. Look at me. I’m Billy Idol Junior. I’ll get murdered down there.”
The Victory Tour was the only tour with all six Jackson brothers, spanning 55 concerts to an audience of approximately 2.5 million. Most came to see Michael, whose album Thriller (1983) dominated the charts and MTV. It probably should have been called the Thriller Tour because the set list mainly contains songs from Thriller and Off the Wall (1979). The tour was choreographed by Paula Abdul and promoted by Don King (with financial backing from Chuck Sullivan, whose father owned the New England Patriots).
The Jacksons released the Victory album just a few days before the tour started, but none of the album’s songs were performed on the tour. Michael refused to rehearse or perform any of the songs from Victory and reportedly didn’t want to do the tour. Despite breaking attendance records, the tour was a financial disaster. The Jacksons and Don King still made money, but the Sullivans had to sell the Patriots after Foxboro Stadium lapsed into bankruptcy.
| The Jacksons at Comiskey Park, Chicago, IL October 14, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Sword in the Stone Introduction Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ Things I Do for You Off the Wall Human Nature This Place Hotel She’s Out of My Life Let’s Get Serious / Dynamite / Tell Me I’m Not Dreamin’ (Too Good to Be True) I Want You Back / The Love You Save / I’ll Be There Rock With You Lovely One Working Day and Night Encore: Beat It Billie Jean Encore 2: Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) |
Duran Duran at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | February 23, 1984 |
| Tour: | Sing Blue Silver |
By far the most embarrassing and unfortunate concert I ever attended in the 1980s. I still think about it before I fall asleep at night sometimes.
A week earlier, I saw Billy Idol at the Aragon. I was not a Duran Duran fan at all—this was their second album, Seven & the Ragged Tiger-era. “The Reflex” and “New Moon on Monday” were big hits. Their first album was okay, but I wasn’t about to pay to see them live. They were strictly ‘for chicks’.
Not coincidentally, I was seeing a girl we’ll call “Sandy” from school who loved Duran Duran, and her parents bought four tickets to this show. Sandy organized a “double date” with me, her friend (a girl), and my buddy John, whose older brother had dated my sister. Sandy’s father drove to and from the show.
My parents were out for the evening, so John and I decided to pre-game at my crib with a bottle of blackberry brandy he lifted from his house. We were chugging it as Sandy’s dad rolled up into my parents’ horseshoe driveway, and we somehow managed to continue sneaking pulls from the bottle on the 30-minute drive to the Rosemont Horizon.
About five songs into Duran Duran’s set, call it “New Moon on Monday”, I began projectile vomiting. We were up in the second balcony, so these were shitty seats and nobody else was around, but Sandy, John, and her friend were not happy. That’s all I know.
I’m not sure how the rest of the night went except for two things:
• I didn’t get into any trouble, so all’s well that ends well
• Sandy broke up with me the next day
| Duran Duran at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL February 23, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Tiger Tiger Is There Something I Should Know? Hungry Like the Wolf The Reflex New Moon on Monday Union of the Snake New Religion (I’m Looking for) Cracks in the Pavement Friends of Mine The Seventh Stranger The Chauffeur Save a Prayer Encore: Planet Earth My Own Way Careless Memories Rio Girls on Film |
Adam Ant at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
| Date: | March 17, 1984 |
| Tour: | Strip |
There’s no reliable source for this show, but I was there, and this is based on the average setlist for the Strip tour.
We saw him the year before on the Friend or Foe tour, and this show was just as good, but I remember walking out of the venue thinking, “Well, that’s the end of that.”
| Adam Ant at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL March 17, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Scorpios (Adam and the Ants song) Baby, Let Me Scream at You Dog Eat Dog (Adam and the Ants song) Puss ‘n Boots Navel to Neck Ants Invasion (Adam and the Ants song) Antmusic (Adam and the Ants song) Strip Friend or Foe Playboy Desperate But Not Serious Beat My Guest (Adam and the Ants song) Stand and Deliver (Adam and the Ants song) Encore: Goody Two Shoes Vanity Physical (You’re So) (Adam and the Ants song) |
Van Halen at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | March 13, 1984 |
| Tour: | 1984 |
Man, I was busy during the first half of 1984. So far, I’ve seen Billy Idol and Duran Duran. I went to this Van Halen show on a Tuesday, and I’d see Adam Ant on Saturday. It’s only March. Summer concert season is several months away.
Several takeaways from this show. First, it had to be the loudest concert of my career thus far. The whole crowd took a step back after the intro of “Unchained” when the band kicked in. A visceral wave of sound and force.
Second, David Lee Roth was really good at doing karate kicks, but he maybe hit 50% of his vocal cues, and I’m being generous.
Third, I love Van Halen more than life itself sometimes, but the bass, drum, and guitar solos were tedious. I learned to hate solos from this show. Finally, their T-shirt prices were outrageous. I bought one, of course, but it was like $25! Most concert T-shirts were under $20 unless you went for the fancy stuff.
| Van Halen at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL March 13, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Unchained Hot for Teacher Drum Solo On Fire Runnin’ With the Devil Little Guitars Cathedral House of Pain Bass Solo Jamie’s Cryin’ I’ll Wait Everybody Wants Some!! Girl Gone Bad 1984 Jump Guitar Solo Oh, Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison cover) Panama Encore: You Really Got Me (The Kinks cover) Ain’t Talkin’ ’bout Love |
The Smiths at Savoy Theatre, Cork, Ireland
| Date: | November 18, 1984 |
| Tour: | Hateful of Hollow |
The Smiths didn’t play North America until 1985’s Meat Is Murder Tour, but they had slowly become one of my favorite bands, and this set list is here for nostalgia, nothing more.
| The Smiths at Savoy Theatre, Cork, Ireland November 18, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want William, It Was Really Nothing What She Said Nowhere Fast Reel Around the Fountain Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now Rusholme Ruffians How Soon Is Now? Still Ill I Want the One I Can’t Have Miserable Lie Encore: Hand in Glove What Difference Does It Make? |
Black Flag at Music Machine, Los Angeles, CA
| Date: | July 22, 1984 |
| Tour: | Tour ’84 |
Black Flag played three all-ages shows at Cabaret Metro in Chicago in 1984, and I went to one of those shows, most likely July 25. It might have been my first show at Metro, but it was definitely the first concert that made me think, “You know, I probably don’t belong here.” Standing against the back wall of the balcony, me and my buddy John were reconsidering our life choices. We weren’t prepared for the level of violence in the mosh pit. We felt lucky to get out of there alive. I didn’t go to another punk show for many years.
| Black Flag at Music Machine, Los Angeles, CA July 22, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Obliteration The Process of Weeding Out Nervous Breakdown Can’t Decide Slip It In My Ghetto Black Coffee I Won’t Stick Any of You Unless and Until I Can Stick All of You! Forever Time Six Pack My War Jealous Again I Love You The Swinging Man Three Nights Nothing Left Inside Fix Me Wound Up Rat’s Eyes |
Scorpions at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | May 20, 1984 |
| Tour: | Love at First Sting |
Scorpions were big enough to sell out three nights at Rosemont Horizon, capacity 16,000. Touring on the release of Love at First Sting, they had three major hits on the radio and MTV: “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, “Still Loving You”, and “Big City Nights”. three of the band’s most famous songs. They weren’t as loud as Van Halen, but very close. The drum solo was atrocious and I was bummed they didn’t play my favorite cut from Blackout, “China White”.
| Scorpions at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL May 20, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Countdown Coming Home Blackout Bad Boys Running Wild Loving You Sunday Morning Make It Real Big City Nights Coast to Coast Holiday Still Loving You Rock You Like a Hurricane Can’t Live Without You Drum Solo Another Piece of Meat Dynamite Encore: The Zoo No One Like You Encore 2: Can’t Get Enough Six String Sting Can’t Get Enough (Reprise) |
R.E.M. at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
| Date: | July 7, 1984 |
| Tour: | Reckoning |
I missed this show because I was on a Boy Scout camping trip. Those days were coming to an end, real quick! I made Eagle Scout a year earlier, so there wasn’t any motivation to sit around.
| R.E.M. at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL July 7, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Femme Fatale (The Velvet Underground cover) Radio Free Europe Gardening at Night 9-9 Windout Letter Never Sent Sitting Still Driver 8 So. Central Rain 7 Chinese Bros. Voice of Harold Harborcoat Cushy Tush Hyena Pretty Persuasion Little America Second Guessing (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville King of the Road (Roger Miller cover) Walk, Don’t Run! (Johnny Smith cover) |
Violent Femmes at Stache’s, Columbus, OH
| Date: | May 15, 1984 |
| Tour: | Hallowed Ground |
I saw the May 13, 1984, show at the Aragon Theater in Chicago, but the setlist is remarkably consistent with what I remember. I could have sworn they did “Gone Daddy Gone”, but…I couldn’t find a reliable setlist.
| Violent Femmes at Stache’s, Columbus, OH May 15, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Entrance March (Horns and drums only) I Ain’t Gonna Wait Prove My Love Country Death Song I Hear the Rain Hallowed Ground Promise Jesus Walking on the Water Confessions Faith Johnny Gimme the Car Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple cover) (Snippet) Black Girls Add It Up Encore: Blister in the Sun Kiss Off / Pipeline (The Chantays cover) |
Bruce Springsteen at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | July 17, 1984 |
| Tour: | Born in the U.S.A. |
I returned from the Boy Scout camping trip just in time to see Springsteen at Rosemont Horizon. He put on a two-set performance with a four-song encore. Like running a marathon. That was enough Springsteen for me. Never had an itch to see him again.
| Bruce Springsteen at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL July 17, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Set 1: Born in the U.S.A. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out Prove It All Night Darkness on the Edge of Town Johnny 99 Highway Patrolman Out in the Street Glory Days The Promised Land Used Cars The River Badlands Thunder Road Set 2: Hungry Heart Dancing in the Dark Cadillac Ranch Sherry Darling No Surrender (acoustic) Pink Cadillac Fire Because the Night (Patti Smith Group cover) Bobby Jean Encore: Jungleland Born to Run Street Fighting Man(The Rolling Stones cover) Twist and Shout (The Top Notes cover) |
Prince & The Revolution at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | December 9, 1984 |
| Tour: | Purple Rain |
The Purple One played five sold-out shows at Rosemont Horizon, and I was there for one of ’em, can’t say which. Probably the December 14 show because it was a last-minute add-on. The demand for tickets was insane. I wasn’t familiar with half of the songs he played, but he did “Darling Nikki” and “Take Me With U”, and that’s all I cared about.
| Prince & The Revolution at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL December 9, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Let’s Go Crazy Delirious 1999 Little Red Corvette Condition of the Heart Free Take Me With U How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore Dirty Mind Do Me, Baby Let’s Pretend We’re Married International Lover Father’s Song God Computer Blue Darling Nikki The Beautiful Ones When Doves Cry Encore 1: I Would Die 4 U Baby I’m a Star Encore 2: Purple Rain |
Iron Maiden at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
| Date: | December 21, 1984 |
| Tour: | World Slavery |
I had just seen Prince, and this show put me off metal for a long time. I didn’t go to another metal show for several years. It wasn’t a bad concert. They played most of the hits. I was bummed they didn’t play “Die With Your Boots On”, but the stage presentation was fantastic. I dunno. I just remember looking around and saying, “This isn’t my crowd,” which was 95% teenage males in denim jackets. As opposed to, say, the Psychedelic Furs, which was 75% female, many of them on the promiscuous side of the spectrum.
| Iron Maiden at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL December 21, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Aces High 2 Minutes to Midnight The Trooper Revelations Flight of Icarus Rime of the Ancient Mariner Powerslave Guitar Solo The Number of the Beast Hallowed Be Thy Name Iron Maiden Encore: Run to the Hills Running Free Sanctuary |
The Psychedelic Furs
| Date: | October 19, 1984 |
| Tour: | Mirror Moves |
My second Furs show, and a great one, too.
| The Psychedelic Furs at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL October 19, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| Here Come Cowboys My Time President Gas Sleep Comes Down The Ghost in You Pretty in Pink Heaven Like a Stranger Alice’s House Heartbeat Forever Now Encore: Love My Way |
U2 at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, USA
| Date: | December 11, 1984 |
| Tour: | The Unforgettable Fire |
Somehow, I managed to squeeze Prince and U2 into the same week of a busy concert-going schedule. I saw U2 again at the UIC Pavilion, and that show was much better. I don’t remember why, but this one was a letdown.
| U2 at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL, USA December 11, 1984 |
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| Setlist |
| 11 O’Clock Tick Tock I Will Follow Seconds MLK The Unforgettable Fire Wire Sunday Bloody Sunday The Cry The Electric Co. A Sort of Homecoming Bad October New Year’s Day Pride (In the Name of Love) Encore: Trash, Trampoline, and the Party Girl Gloria 40 |
Did you see any great shows in 1984? Tell us about it in the comments!
