Best Album Of 1981?

And this is a total gem

 

I used to make a top ten list every year, so back in early 1982 I would have said...

Genesis - Abacab
The Jam - Sound Affects
Willie Nile - Golden Down
The Police - Ghost In The machine
J Geils Band - Freeze Frame
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Tom Petty - Hard Promises
Phil Collins - Face Value
The Cars - Shake It Up
Neil Young - Re.Ac.Tor

 

Controversial one, but Parallel Lines aside, my favourite album featuring Deborah Harry.

 

.....and YET!... when we complain about TODAY'S music.... we're old men, yelling "Get off my lawn!"
Well..... looking at all these RECORDS.............., that's ONE AWESOME LAWN!!!!

 

TOO FAST FOR LOVE, Motley Crue

Came out November on their own 'Leathur' label & was rereleased & remixed by Elektra next year when the band signed with them.
Folks who don't like Motley Crue are likely to enjoy this raw, youthful, punky classic rock record.

 

Certainly one of the best album sleeves of 1981.

 

My Faves of 1981:
Bruce Cockburn - Inner City Front
Bruce Cockburn - Mummy Dust
Dan Fogelberg - The Innocent Age
Del Shannon - Drop Down & Get Me
Di Meola, De Lucia & McLaughlin - Friday Night in San Francisco
Durutti Column - LC
Electric Light Orchestra - Time
Eno & David Byrne - My Life in The Bush of Ghosts
Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is
Johnny Clegg & Juluka - African Litany
Kate Wolf - Close To You
Kitaro - Silk Road 1
Klaatu - Magentalane
Leo Kottke - Guitar Music
Neil Young - Reactor
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - The Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Phil Collins - Face Value
Sally Oldfield - Playing in The Flame
Santana - Zebop
The Church - Of Skins & Heart
The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
The Who - Face Dances
Tim Hardin - The Homecoming Concert (Live 1980)
Tim Hardin - Unforgiven

 

1. Squeeze- East Side Story
2. Elvis Costello and The Attractions-Trust
3.Echo and The Bunnymen-Heaven Up Here
4.Psychedelic Furs-Talk Talk Talk
5. Poco-Blue and Gray
6. The Pretenders-Pretenders II
7. King Crimson-Discipline
8. The Poloce-Ghost in The Machine
9. David Byrne-The Catherine Wheel
10. The Go-Go's-We Got The Beat
11. Mink Deville- Coup de Grâce
12. Joy Division-Still
13. Phil Collins-Face a Value
14. The Eurythmics-In The Garden
15. Tthe Rolling Stones-Tattoo You
16. The J. Geils Band- Freeze Frame
17. 10cc-Ten Out of 10
18. Joan Arma trading-Walk Under Ladders
19.Simple Minds-Sons and Fascination/Sister afrelings
20. Wall of Voodoo-Dark continent
21. The Tubes-The a completion Backwards Principle
22. RickI've Lee Jones-Pirates
23. 20/20-Look Out
24. Split Enz-Waiata
25. The Vapors-Magnets
26. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers-Hard Promises

 

Zappa - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar

 

Black Uluru
Red

 

I completely agree; alongside 'Oil On Canvas', it is their greatest album IMO, and definitely one of the best albums of the year in 1981, despite the strong competition.

 

The Stranglers - Gospel According to The Meninblack:


John Foxx - The Garden.

 

Olivia Newton-John - Physical
ELO - Time
Bee Gees - Living Eyes
Elton John - The Fox
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
Human League - Dare
Hall & Oates - Private Eyes
Kim Wilde - Kim Wilde
Kim Carnes - Mistaken Identity

 

Probably EC's "Trust" or the Police's "Ghost".

Good year for music but there aren't any albums that I think are super-dee-duper classics from that year. A whole lotta "B+" releases, though!

 

I LOVE this post!!

 

Some of my favourites from that year include:

The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
The Jam - Sound Affects
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Hard Promises
ABBA - The Visitors
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
Kraftwerk - Computer World
Japan - Tin Drum
Neil Young and Crazy Horse- Re-ac-tor
Devo - New Traditionalists
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
Squeeze - East Side Story
The Pretenders - Pretenders 2
Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Trust
Bee Gees - Living Eyes
Lindsey Buckingham - Law And Order
The Who - Face Dances
ELO - Time
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
Phil Collins - Face Value
The Human League - Dare
Klaatu - Magentalane
George Harrison - Somewhere In England

Special mention for Ringo's 'Stop And Smell The Roses'.

 

...among others.

 

Top 3

 

A recent discovery (thanks to this forum) that I can't stop listening to, recorded in '80 but released in '81, is Lizzy Mercier Descloux "Mambo Nassau."

 

I can't mention the Duran debut without also including their New Romantic arch rivals

 

Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman was where I was at in 1981.Stationed in Baumholder Germany age 20.