# List of The New York Times number-one books of 1984

The American daily newspaper The New York Times publishes multiple weekly lists ranking the best-selling books in the United States.

## Changes to the list

Beginning on January 1, 1984, The New York Times Book Review introduced revised and expanded best seller lists to "clarify categories of book buying". The hardcover books list was previously divided into two lists: fiction (15 titles) and general (15 titles). The hardcover fiction list remained the same, but the hardcover general list was divided into two new lists: nonfiction (15 titles) and advice, how-to, and miscellaneous (5 titles). The nonfiction list would be reserved for "serious nonfiction" while the advice list would be dedicated to the self-improvement genre. This change to the list was made because advice best sellers were sometimes crowding the general nonfiction list. The inaugural number one bestseller of the advice list, The Body Principal by Victoria Principal, had been number 10 and number 12 on the general nonfiction lists for the two preceding weeks.
The paperback books list previously consisted of two categories: mass market and trade. Both categories were eliminated because the editors believed the distinction was "less important to the general reader than to the industry". Mass market and trade were replaced by three new categories: fiction (15 titles), nonfiction (5 titles) and advice, how-to and miscellaneous (10 titles). The miscellaneous category would accommodate cartoon books, joke books and other titles that were not listed before, including "road atlases, tax preparation guides and computer handbooks".

## Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books, in the hardcover fiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 1 | Poland | James Michener |
| January 8 | Poland | James Michener |
| January 15 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| January 22 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| January 29 | Who Killed the Robins Family? | Thomas Chastain |
| February 5 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| February 12 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| February 19 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| February 26 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| March 4 | Pet Sematary | Stephen King |
| March 11 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| March 18 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| March 25 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| April 1 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| April 8 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| April 15 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| April 22 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| April 29 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| May 6 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| May 13 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| May 20 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| May 27 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| June 3 | Full Circle | Danielle Steel |
| June 10 | Full Circle | Danielle Steel |
| June 17 | Full Circle | Danielle Steel |
| June 24 | Full Circle | Danielle Steel |
| July 1 | The Aquitaine Progression | Robert Ludlum |
| July 8 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| July 15 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| July 22 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| July 29 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| August 5 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| August 12 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| August 19 | "...And Ladies of the Club" | Helen Hooven Santmyer |
| August 26 | First Among Equals | Jeffrey Archer |
| September 2 | First Among Equals | Jeffrey Archer |
| September 9 | First Among Equals | Jeffrey Archer |
| September 16 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| September 23 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| September 30 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| October 7 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| October 14 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| October 21 | The Fourth Protocol | Frederick Forsyth |
| October 28 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| November 4 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| November 11 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| November 18 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| November 25 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| December 2 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| December 9 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| December 16 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| December 23 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |
| December 30 | The Talisman | Stephen King and Peter Straub |

## Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books, in the hardcover nonfiction category.
| Date | Book | Author |
| January 1 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| January 8 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| January 15 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| January 22 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| January 29 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| February 5 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| February 12 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| February 19 | In Search of Excellence | Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. |
| February 26 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| March 4 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| March 11 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| March 18 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| March 25 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| April 1 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| April 8 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| April 15 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| April 22 | Mayor | Edward I. Koch with William Rauch |
| April 29 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| May 6 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| May 13 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| May 20 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| May 27 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| June 3 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| June 10 | Motherhood: the Second Oldest Profession | Erma Bombeck |
| June 17 | First Lady from Plains | Rosalynn Carter |
| June 24 | Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi | Bob Woodward |
| July 1 | Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi | Bob Woodward |
| July 8 | Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi | Bob Woodward |
| July 15 | Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi | Bob Woodward |
| July 22 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| July 29 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| August 5 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| August 12 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| August 19 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| August 26 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| September 2 | The Kennedys: an American Drama | Peter Collier and David Horowitz |
| September 9 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| September 16 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| September 23 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| September 30 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| October 7 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| October 14 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| October 21 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| October 28 | Loving Each Other | Leo Buscaglia |
| November 4 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| November 11 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| November 18 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| November 25 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| December 2 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| December 9 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| December 16 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| December 23 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |
| December 30 | Iacocca: An Autobiography | Lee Iacocca with William Novak |