Top Ten Albums Of The 80s

In my quick and glancing tally, The Joshua Tree "won".

 

In my book, and I'm no naming albums, U2, The Police, Van Halen, Prince and The Cure should be in there.

 

These may not be your cup of tea, but I would have difficulty choosing 10 from some of these latter years, much less the whole decade. Just from 1988 and 1989:
1989
Bonnie Raitt - Nick of Time
Chris Gaffney & the Cold Hard Facts
Chris Isaak Heart Shaped World
Chris Rea Road to Hell
Daniel Lanois Acadie
Indigo Girls Indigo Girls
James McMurtry Too Long in the Wasteland
John Lee Hooker The Healer
Laurie Anderson Strange Angels
Loudon Wainwright III Therapy
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
Poi Dog Pondering self-titled
Poi Dog Pondering Wishing Like a Mountain & Thinking Like the Sea
Rickie Lee Jones Flying Cowboys
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. West Textures
Shawn Colvin Steady On
Stevie Ray Vaughan In Step
The Neville Brothers Yellow Moon
The Rolling Stones Steel Wheels
Timbuk 3 Edge of Allegiance
Warren Zevon Transverse City
1988
Bruce Cockburn Big Circumstance
Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Sessions
Darden Smith self-titled
David Lindley El Rayo-X
Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking
Jimmie Dale Gilmore Fair & Square
K.D. Lang Shadowland
Keith Richards Talk is Cheap
Little Feet Let it Roll
Los Lobos La Pistola y el Corazon
Lucinda Williams self-titled
Michelle Shocked Short Sharp Shocked
Midnight Oil Diesel & Dust
Nick Cave & the Wild Seeds Tender Prey
Randy Newman Land of Dreams
Robert Plant Now and Zen
Tanita Tikaram Ancient Heart
The Waterboys Fisherman’s Blues
Timbuk 3 Eden Alley
Toni Childs Union
Tracy Chapman self-titled
Traveling Wilburys Vol 1
U2 Rattle and Hum
Ziggy Marley Conscious Party

 

A few that mattered to me:
Judas Priest- British Steel
The Feelies-Crazy Rhythms
Tina Turner-Private Dancer
Klaus Nomi
Adam & The Ants-Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Public Enemy- Yo, Bum Rush The Show.
The Last Dragon- Soundtrack
Def Leppard-Pyromania
Billy Ocean- Suddenly
Echo & The Bunnymen- Ocean Rain
Beastie Boys- License To Ill
Beverly Hills Cop- Soundtrack
Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly- Can't Stop The Love
Pointer Sisters- Break Out
Steve Winwood- Arc Of A Diver
Eric Clapton- August
Grandmaster Flash- The Message
Talking Heads- Remain In Light
Love And Rockets- Express
B-52s- Party Mix/Mesopotamia
Ennio Morricone- The Untouchables Soundtrack
Alice Cooper- Trash
Lou Reed- New York
Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique
The Smiths- Louder Than Bombs
Suicidal Tendencies- Join The Army
All the Killing Joke albums.
Siouxie and the Banshees- Hyaena
Oingo Boingo- Dead Man's Party
Friday The 13th Part 6: Jason Lives Soundtrack

 

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Terra Brasilis (1980)
The Packards - Pray for Surf (1980)
Roy Orbison - Mystery Girl (1989)
Laurindo Almeida & Charlie Byrd - Brazilian Soul (1981)
Brian Wilson - s/t (1988)
Dave Edmunds - D.E. 7th (1982)
Paul McCartney - Flowers in the Dirt (1989)
Vaya Con Dios - s/t (1988)
Frank Sinatra - Trilogy (1980)
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)

 

I can come up with a list of likes from the late 80s quite easily. In fact, several of my lists have late 80s albums in them.

 

Judy Mowatt - Black Woman
Joe Ely - Live Shots
Fabulous Thunderbirds - Butt Rockin'
Gil Scott-Heron - Moving Target
Robert Cray - Strong Persuader
Wagoneers - Stout And High
Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Soul Searching
Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy
Doug Sahm - Juke Box Music
Neville Brothers - Yellow Moon

 

I thought.. 10 albums from a decade. Hey, that's one a year! See how quick thinking I am? And as per usual, I make my own rules up and look at it from the angle of my year-by-year pick of albums that were and still are important to me. Although a few have not that much love to a lot of people, I'd hate to be without any one of these and still play them all often.

1980: Visage - Visage
1981: Madness - Seven
1982: Duran Duran - Rio
1983: David Bowie - Let's Dance
1984: Level 42 - True Colours
1985: Paul Young - The Secret Of Association
1986: Genesis - Invisible Touch
1987: Whitesnake - Whitesnake 1987
1988: Happy Mondays - Bummed
1989: Elvis Costello - Spike

In similar threads, I have included a few different ones than the above because when I've really looked at it, there are so many more great albums from that decade that I could mention and would never be completely happy trying to do 'definitive' list.

One strange thing has struck me... there are only UK acts on there but there was a lot of US stuff I had then that I enjoy to this day. Looking online of lists of albums from the 80s, there was a lot of rock in there of course - that might be why! I do like and own the 'obvious' ones from Michael Jackson and Madonna but just not enough to include them. Toto IV would be a strong contender too. I think I was a lot more pop and later, soul orientated in those days. I did buy Cameo's albums Single Life and Word Up and Janet Jackon's Control and have copies in my collection of the last two and still think they're really good albums. I'd have put Robert Cray's Strong Persuader on, but I have on other lists and Invisible Touch did lead to get into me to one of my all-time favourite bands.

 

Elvis Costello - "Imperial Bedroom"
The Clash - "London Calling"
Sting - "Nothing Like the Sun"
The Smiths - "The Smiths"
Tom Waits - "Swordfishtrombones"
Pretenters - "Pretenters" ...if you think this is 79, please insert Springsteen's -"The River"
The Cure - "Disintegration"
Pete Townsend - "Scoop"
XTC - ?
U2 - "Joshua Tree"

 

The other 10

Pat Metheny -"As Falls Wichita....."
Dave Holland - "Extentions"
Charlie Haden -"Quartet West"

Public Enemy -"It takes a nation"
EPMD -"Strictly Business"
Run D.M.C.
NWA -"Straight Outta Compton"
L.L. Cool J -"Radio"
Too Short all
2 Live Crew - Big Daddy Kane - Eazy E -Eric B. & Rakim......

 

Heck, I'm doing a second top 10 as well:

Donald Fagen: The Nightfly
R.E.M: Murmur
Psychedelic Furs: Talk Talk Talk
Richard and Linda Thompson: Shoot Out the Lights
Talking Heads: Remain in Light
Bruce Springsteen Tunnel of Love
Prince: Purple Rain
Public Enemy: it Takes a Nation of Millions
Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams
Michael Jackson: Thriller

 

I believe it's the first mention for Sheena Easton on these pages too! Do You is a beautifully produced album, but I think I'd have gone with A Private Heaven as her best. Great eclectic list!

 

If there was a way for you guys to see my current upload of my Google Play album collection, you would see just how diverse my taste in music is.

 

OK..sorry...2 more please

Cheap Trick -"One on One"
B-52s -"Bouncing of Satellites"

 

Great list. I forgot all about the Pursuit of Happiness. I liked One Sided Story back in the day. "Well she's , Two girls in one...!"

 

1. Fisherman's Blues - the Waterboys
2. Daydream Nation - sonic youth
3. Rain Dogs - tom waits
4. The Joshua tree - U2
5. The queen is dead - the smiths
6. War - U2
7. This is the sea - Waterboys
8. The lion and the cobra - sinead o'connor
9. Remain in light - talking heads
10. Swordfishtrombones-tom waits

A lot of great music in the 80s its hard to reflect in a list like this cuz the top acts were great and have multiple spots

Heck I could've thrown a pagan place here too

 

R.E.M. - Chronic Town
The Dream Syndicate - The days of wine and roses
The Gun Club - Fire of love
The Long Ryders - Native Sons
Minutemen - Double nickels on the dime
Miracle Legion - Surprise surprise surprise
X - Los Angeles
The Young Fresh Fellows - The men who loved music
The Soft Boys - Underwater moonlight
Nikki Sudden - The bible belt

 

Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Lone Justice - Lone Justice
X - Under the Big Black Sun
Bangles - All Over the Place
Roxy Music - Avalon
Sade - Diamond Life
Dire Straits - Making Movies
Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session
The Alan Parsons Project - Turn of a Friendly Card

 

Paul Simon - Graceland
Bonnie Tyler - Faster Than the Speed of Night
Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
Paul McCartney - Pipes of Peace
Tom T. Hall - Natural Dreams
Bruce Cockburn - Humans
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire
Ricky Skaggs - Country Boy
Culture Club - Colour By Numbers
John Lennon and Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy

 

REM
Murmur
Reckoning
Fables
Lifes Rich Pageant
Document
Green

Julian Cope - St Julian
The Jam - Sound Affects
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
XTC - Skylarking

 

Talk Talk - It's my life
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Peter Gabriel - So
Dire Straits - Alchemy
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Pink Floyd - A Momentary lapse of reason
Marillion - Clutching at Straws
Pet Shop Boys - Please
Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls

 

Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
London Calling – The Clash (This was not released until January 1980 in the U.S.)
Scarecrow – John Cougar Mellencamp
Document – R.E.M.
Graceland – Paul Simon
Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
Born In The U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen
Remain In Light – Talking Heads
Shoot Out The Lights – Richard and Linda Thompson
Joshua Tree – U2

 

Alphaville - Forever Young (1984)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (1985)
Roxy Music - Avalon (1982)
Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1986)
Clannad - Macalla (1985)
Frank Duval - Living Like A Cry (1984)
A-ha - Scoundrel Days (1986)
Talking Heads - Little Creatures (1985)
Icehouse - Primitive Man (1982)

 

I never realized that Frank Sinatra had one of the best albums of the 80s. Too bad it didn't come out a few years later so we could hear some 808 kick drum behind the crooning.

 

Ok, I'll play. These are in no particular order.

Tears for Fears - The Seeds of Love
Robbie Robertson - Robbie Roberson
Genesis - Invisible Touch
Bee Gees - Living Eyes
Peter Gabriel - "Melt"
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going
Barbra Streisand - Guilty
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

I had some pretty mainstream tastes back in the day.