Your Favorite Albums Of 1985

A fine list! Lots of terrific albums!

 

I bought my first CD player that year, and the dealer offered me four free discs with it. He didn't have much to choose from, but three of my four picks are still great favorites of mine. One is classical and seems to be outside the purview of this thread. The others are Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms and John Fogerty's Centerfield. I don't remember what my fourth pick was, but 3 for 4 is a good batting average.

 

Good deal!

 

An odd year, apparently.

I remember listening to a lot of great music in 1985, but until I checked my notes I didn't realize not much of it was released in 1985.

Some I don't think have been mentioned yet:

The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The First Born Is Dead
The Birthday Party - It's Still Living (afaik the release year was '85)
Cocteau Twins - The Pink Opaque
The Colour Field - Virgins And Philistines
Giant Sand - Valley Of Rain
Various Artists - Town Hall Concert / One Night With Blue Note

.

 

Very nice picks! Great albums!

 

Arcadia - So Red The Rose
Cabaret Voltaire - The Covenant, The Sword, and The Arm Of The Lord
Pseudo Echo - Love An Adventure
Platinum Blonde - Alien Shores
Mr. Mister - Welcome To The Real World
Midge Ure - The Gift
A-Ha - Hunting High And Low
The Power Station - Power Station
Robert Palmer - Riptide
Sade - Promise
The Cure - The Head On The Door
Corey Hart - Boy In The Box

 

Terrific picks! Awesome albums!

 

Rush - Power Windows
Prince - Around the World in a Day
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley
Kiss - Asylum
AC/DC - Fly On The Wall

I can't think of many more. 1985 always feels like a "weak" year to me.

 

Rush - Power Windows
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
The Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC) - 25 O'Clock
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Soul to Soul

 

Somehow forgot two of my hands-down favorites from that year, Tim by The Replacements, and Hey Day by The Church!

 

Good picks! Terrific albums!

 

Fantastic picks! Awesome albums!

 

R.E.M. Fables, that’s really about it, this was a low year in music for me, once we hit the early ‘90s I’m all in

 

Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles
The Power Station - The Power Station
Arcadia -So Red The Rose
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche ‘85
a-ha - Hunting High And Low
Rush - Power Windows
Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
Sade - Promise
Adam Ant - Vive Le Rock
The Dream Academy - The Dream Academy
Squeeze - Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time
Wham! - Make It Big
‘til Tuesday - Voices Carry

 

Very solid picks! Great albums!

 

Oh, that year!

• Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
• John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
• Mike Marshall - Gator Strut
• Mike Marshall and Daryl Anger - Chiaroscuro
• Sade - Promise
• Simply Red - Picture Book
• Stevie Ray Vaughan - Soul To Soul
• Sting - The Dream Of The Blue Turtles
• Talking Heads - Little Creatures

 

Excellent choices! Awesome albums!

 

Sawyer Brown - Shakin'
Aerosmith - Done with Mirrors
Dokken - Under Lock and Key
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
David Lee Roth - Crazy From the Heat
Highwayman

 

a-ha Hunting High and Low
Kate Bush Hounds of Love
Dire Straits Brothers In Arms
John Fogerty Centerfield
Iron Maiden Live After Death
Marillion Misplaced Childhood
Microdisney The Clock Comes Down the Stairs
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Southern Accents
R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction
The Smiths Meat Is Murder
Sting The Dream of the Blue Turtles
Talking Heads Little Creatures
Tears For Fears Songs from the Big Chair
Tom Waits Rain Dogs
"Weird Al" Yankovic Dare to Be Stupid
ZZ Top Afterburner

 

The Style Council - "Our Favourite Shop"
Prefab Sprout - "Steve McQueen"
Marshall Crenshaw - "Downtown"
The Velvet Underground - "VU"
Prince - "Around The World In A Day"
Radio Futura - "De Un País En Llamas"
Tom Waits - "Rain Dogs"
Everything But The Girl - "Love Not Money"
The Smiths - "Meat Is Murder"
Tears For Fears - "Songs From The Big Chair"

 

Phil Collins No Jacket Required
David Lee Roth Crazy From The Heat
The Power Station - S/T
Slayer Hell Awaits
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
Richard Thompson Across A Crowded Room
Suzanne Vega S/T
Megadeth Killing Is My Business
Marillion Misplaced Childhood
Motley Crue Theatre Of Pain
iron Maiden Live After Death
Anthrax Spreading The Disease
Joni Mitchell Dog Eat Dog
W.A.S.P The Last Command
Mr Mister Welcome To The Real World
Robert Palmer Riptide
Jethro Tull Original Masters

 

Jesus and Mary chain Psychocandy
Dinosaur (first LP)
Sonic Youth Bad Moon rising
Smiths Meat is murder
Waterboys This is the sea
Husker Du New day rising and Flip your wig
Chesterfield Kings Stop!

 

A strong year, '85 though maybe not quite as mind blowing as the two previous years. I've got 14 5/5 rated albums:

Loudon Waiwrigh III - I'm Alright

Dan Fogelberg - High Country Snows

Fairport Convention - Gladys' Leap

Rick Springfield - Tao

Magnum - On A Storyteller's Night

Tommy Shaw - Girls With Guns

Asia - Astra

Half Man Half Biscuit - Back In The DHSS

The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & The Lash

Streets - Crimes In Mind

Randy California - Restless

Night Ranger - Seven Wishes

Uriah Heep - Equator

Katrina & The Waves - S/T

 

I forgot about these two gems. Big ones for me in '85.

 

Centerfield - John Fogerty
Crazy from the Heat - David Lee Roth
King of Rock - Run DMC
Armed and Dangerous - Anthrax
Southern Accents - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Hell Awaits - Slayer
Feel the Fire - Overkill
Around the World in a Day - Prince & The Revolution
Low-Life - New Order
Fables of the Reconstruction/Reconstruction of the Fables - REM
Little Creatures - Talking Heads
Killing is My Business... and Business is Good! - Megadeth
Invasion of Your Privacy - Ratt
Dare to Be Stupid - Weird Al
Theatre of Pain - Motley Crue
Fly on the Wall - AC/DC
Big Lizard in My Backyard - The Dead Milkmen
Heart - Heart
Freaky Styley - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Scarecrow - John Cougar Mellencamp
The Head on the Door - The Cure
Listen Like Thieves - INXS
Live After Death - Iron Maiden
Afterburner - ZZ Top
Spreading the Disease - Anthrax
Done with Mirrors - Aerosmith
Pack Up the Plantation: Live! - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers