Post your top 10 albums from the 80's

In no order:

Sonic Youth - Goo
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Bad Brains - s/t
The Stone Roses - s/t
Minor Threat - The First Two 7 Inches (comp)
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
The Cure - Disintegration
Black Flag - My War
New Order - Low Life
Husker Du - Zen Arcade

*Bonus*
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures ('79)
Megadeth - Rust In Peace ('90)

 

1. George Harrison - Cloud Nine, "When We Was Fab"
2. AC/DC - Back in Black, "You Shook Me All Night Long"
3. Steve Winwood - Back in the Highlife, "Back in the High Life Again"
4. Paul McCartney - Tug of War, "Here Today"
5. Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, "End of the Line"
6. Brian Wilson - S/T, "Love and Mercy"
7. Rush - Moving Pictures, "Limelight"
8. Lou Reed - New York, "Dirty Blvd."
9. Bob Dylan - "Oh Mercy"; "Everything is Broken"
10. Paul McCartney - Flowers in the Dirt, "My Brace Face"

 

Eloy - Colours
Rush - Moving Pictures ("The Camera Eye")
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
Foreigner - 4 ("Girl on the Moon")
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream 81-82-83-84
Tears for Fears - The Hurting
Bacamarte - Depois do fim
Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
Alphaville - Forever Young ("Sounds Like a Melody")
Spinal Tap -This Is Spinal Tap ("Stonehenge")
Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun ("Anywhere out of the World")

Oops, that's more than ten.

 

1. Pretenders - II* : Birds of Paradise
2. Prince - 1999: Lady Cabdriver
3. David Bowie - Let's Dance* : Cat People
4. The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs : Sweet and Tender Hooligan
5. Men At Work - Business As Usual: Catch A Star
6. Gregory Isaacs - Private Beach Party - Private Beach Party
7. Max Roach - Collage : Circles
8. The Nails - Dangerous Dreams : Things You Left Behind
9. XTC - Skylarking : Big Day
10. Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom : Beyond Belief

Not ranked.

* Leaving off Scary Monsters , Soldier (Pop) and Pretenders S/T. I don't count the first year of a decade since often the material was written in the previous decade.

 

What I listen still today, not what I may think is the best of the decade
Pretenders- private life
Avalon-the main thing
Dire Straits-Romeo
Freedom-Eldorado
White City-Crashing by design
BAD-Medicine show
Tattoo You-Worried about you
Hysteria-title song
Knocked Out Loaded-Under your spell
If That What It Takes-Love Lies

 

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring - Give It Up
XTC - Skylarking - Ballet for a Rainy Day
R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant - Fall On Me
The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane - Clouds
Talking Heads - Remain In Light - The Great Curve
Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade - Chartered Trips
Kate Bush - The Hounds of Love - Cloudbusting
The Replacements - Let It Be - Answering Machine
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead - The Boy With The Thorn in His Side
Paul Simon - Graceland - Under African Skies

 

Especially For You - The Smithereens
The Lonsone Jubilee - John Mellencamp
Scarecrow - John Mellencamp
All Over The Place - The Bangles
Learning To Crawl - The Pretenders
The Nightfly - Donald Fagen
The Joshua Tree - U2
Big Daddy - John Mellencamp
Graceland - Paul Simon
A Walk Across The Rooftops - The Blue Nile

 

Steve Reich - Tehillim
John Foxx - Metamatic
Prince - Dirty Mind
Wipers - Youth Of America
Roedelius - Wenn Der Südwind Weht
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Naughty Boys
Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses
Pixies - Doolittle
Hiroshi Yoshimura - Music For Nine Post Cards
Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll
Steely Dan - Gaucho

 

The Smiths - Meat is Murder ("The Headmaster Ritual")
Cocteau Twins - Treasure ("Pandora")
The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express ("Twin Layers of Lightning")
Felt - The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories ("Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow")
Siouxsie & the Banshees - Kaleidoscope ("Desert Kisses")
Joy Division - Closer ("Atrocity Exhibition")
Associates - Fourth Drawer Down ("White Car in Germany")
Microdisney - Everybody Is Fantastic ("Dolly")
Japan - Tin Drum ("Still Life in Mobile Homes")
Sad Lovers and Giants - Feeding the Flame ("Vendetta")

 

Husker Du - zen arcade single disc promo with "Pink turns to Blue" and "turn on the news"
Husker du - New Day Rising with title track, the girl who lives in heavens hill, celebrated summer
Rush - moving pictures
Replacements - please to meet me with "Alex chilton" And "the ledge"
R.E.M. - all 80s albums with driver 8, Rockville, orange crush, etc
Cure - disintegration with "pictures of you"
U2 -war ("40" and the hits and Joshua tree
Cars - heartbeat city with "drive"
Laurie Anderson - strange angels With "beautiful red dress"
Van Halen - 1984
Smiths - the queen is dead with "there's a light that never goes out"

 

Kate Bush: Hounds of Love (1985)
Favorite Track: "And Dream of Sheep"

Cowboy Junkies: The Trinity Session (1988)
Favorite Track: "Misguided Angel"

Donald Fagen: The Nightfly (1982)
Favorite Track: "New Frontier"

Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy (1989)
Favorite Track: "Ring Them Bells"

Genesis: Duke (1980)
Favorite Track: "Heathaze"

R.E.M.: Reckoning (1984)
Favorite Track: "Pretty Persuasion"

Rolling Stones: Tattoo You (1981)
Favorite Track: "Tops"

U2: The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
Favorite Track: "MLK"

Traveling Wilburys: Vol. 1 (1988)
Favorite Track: "Dirty World"

Sting: ...Nothing Like the Sun (1987)
Favorite Track: "Englishman in New York"

 

In order by year:

1980: Steely Dan: Gaucho ("Babylon Sisters")
1981: ABBA: The Visitors ("When all is Said and Done")
1982: Michael Jackson: Thriller ("Human Nature")
1983: Naked Eyes: Naked Eyes ("Emotion in Motion")
1984: Tina Turner: Private Dancer ("Private Dancer")
1985: Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms ("The Man is Too Strong")
1986: Peter Gabriel: So ("Mercy Street")
1986: Steve Winwood: Back in the High Life ("Freedom Overspill")
1987: INXS: Kick ("Devil Inside")
1988: Crowded House: Temple of Low Men ("Into Temptation")
1989: None

 

In no order:

OU812: Black and Blue
Fly on the Wall: Sink the Pink
Defenders of the Faith: Jawbreaker
August: It´s in the way that you use it
Pyromania: Rock of Ages
One on One: She´s Tight
Eliminator; Sharp Dressed Man
Bark at the Moon; Bark at the Moon
Tuff Enough: Wrap it up
Pump: Love in an elevator

 

Kate Bush - The Dreaming (Night of the Swallow)
Peter Gabriel IV (The Rhythm of the Heat)
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (Ride Across the River)
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going! (Through These Walls)
Genesis - Duke (Man of our Times)
Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life (Back in the High Life again)
Genesis - Invisible Touch (Domino)
The Cure - Disintegration (Fascination Street)
Kate Bush - The Sensual World (The Sensual World)
Paul Simon - Graceland (Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes)

 

Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath (Heaven And Hell)
Operation:Mindcrime - Queensryche (Spreading The Disease)
No Respect - Vain (Down For The 3rd Time)
Floodland - The Sisters Of Mercy (Lucretia My Reflection)
Under Lock And Key - Dokken (Jaded Heart)
The Final Countdown - Europe (On The Loose)
Dancing Undercover - Ratt (Looking For Love)
Vandenberg - Vandenberg (Burning Heart)
Mask Of Smiles - John Waite (Welcome To Paradise)
Hurricane Eyes - Loudness (S.D.I.)

 

1. Rock Steady With Flo & Eddie, song: Pearl
2. Hot Space, song: Las Palabras De Amor
3. Double Fantasy, song: Cleanup Time
4. Old Wave, song:I Keep Forgettin
5. Shell Shock, song:Can I Go On
6. Somewhere In England, song:Blood From A Clone
7. The Miracle, song: Was it All Worth It
8. Chalon Road, song:The Last Thing I Remember
9. Milk and Honey, song:Forgive Me
10. Stop and Smell the Roses, song: Private Property

 

Joe Jackson - Night And Day (Steppin' Out)
Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom (Town Cryer)
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (There Is A Light That Never Goes Out)
XTC - Skylarking (Ballet For A Rainy Day)
Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Listening Wind)
Dire Straits - Making Movies (Tunnel Of Love)
Jane Siberry - The Walking (The Bird And The Gravel)
REM - Life's Rich Pageant (These Days)
Peter Gabriel - 3 (Family Snapshot)
King Crimson - Discipline (Matte Kudasai)

 

Sandinista!- The Clash
Give the People What They Want- The Kinks
90125- YES
Pleased to Meet Me- The Replacements
Flip Your Wig- Hüsker Dü
Piece of Mind- Iron Maiden
Discipline- King Crimson
Paul's Boutique- Beastie Boys
II- Meat Puppets
Love Over Gold- Dire Straits

So many others, though.

 

1980 | Back In Black -- AC/DC ("Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution")

1980 | The River -- Bruce Springsteen ("Two Hearts")

1981 | Moving Pictures -- RUSH ("Witch Hunt")

1983 | War -- U2 ("Surrender")

1984 | Diamond Life -- Sade ("Cherry Pie")

1985 | Songs From The Big Chair -- Tears For Fears ("The Working Hour")

1985 | Love -- The Cult ("Love")

1986 | The Ultimate Sin -- Ozzy ("Shot In The Dark")

1987 | Wendy & Lisa -- Wendy & Lisa ("Light")

1988 | Savage Amusement -- The Scorpions ("Passion Rules The Game")

 

The Police - Synchronicity (King of Pain)
Dio - Holy Diver (Caught in the Middle)
Iron Maiden - Powerslave (Aces High)
Rush - Permanent Waves (Spirit of the Radio)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (With or Without You)
Genesis - Genesis (Mama)
Black Sabbath - Heaven & Hell (Children of the Sea)
David Bowie - Scary Monsters (Fashion)
King Crimson - Discipline (Elephant Talk)
Talking Heads - Remain In Light (Once in a Lifetime)

 

Great album (and song, too)! Wish I'd remembered that one.

 

I don't know why the OP said ten is easier. So many great albums that I had to exclude to get to ten. Picking out one song from each of these is almost harder because they all have so many great songs on them.

1. Let It Be - The Replacements ("I Will Dare")
2. New Day Rising - Husker Du ("Celebrated Summer")
3. Black Sea - XTC ("Rocket From a Bottle")
4. Double Nickels on the Dime - The Minutemen ("This Ain't No Picnic")
5. You're Living All Over Me - Dinosaur Jr. ("Raisans")
6. Vs. - Mission of Burma ("Trem Two")
7. Sound Affects - The Jam ("That's Entertainment")
8. Meat Puppets II - Meat Puppets ("Plateau")
9. You - Government Issue ("Man in a Trap")
10. Life's Rich Pageant - REM ("Just a Touch")

Without duplicating any of the groups above, some that just missed the cut....

Youth of America - The Wipers
Change Today - TSOL
Milo Goes to College - The Descendents
Out of Step - Minor Threat
Mommy's Little Monster - Social Distortion

 

10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe "Verdi Cries"
R.E.M. - Reckoning "Time After Time (Ann Elise)"
Ramones - Pleasant Dreams "You Didn't Mean Anything To Me"
The Replacements - Let It Be "Favorite Thing"
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes "Add It Up"
Richard Thompson - Daring Adventures "A Bone Through Her Nose"
The Unforgiven - The Unforgiven "The Preacher"
Tom Petty - Southern Accents "Rebels"
Steve Earle - Copperhead Road "Even When I'm Blue"

 

Talking Heads - Remain in Light (Born Under Punches)
The Cure - Disintegration (Pictures of You)
R.E.M - Murmer (Perfect Circle)
Pixies - Doolittle (Debaser)
The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come (Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me)
Brian Eno - Apollo (Always Returning)
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Pyschocandy (In a Hole)
Joy Division - Closer (The Eternal)
David Bowie - Scary Monsters (Ashes to Ashes)
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You ( Waiting on a Friend)

 

Phil Collins - Hello I Must Be Going
Terence Trent D'Arby - Introducing The Hardline
Slayer - South Of Heaven
Motorhead - Rock N Roll
Bob Dylan - Saved
Huey Lewis & The News - Fore
Paul Simon - Graceland
Motley Crue - Theatre Of Pain
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
The Rolling Stones - Steel Wheels