Best albums of the 80s
Murumur- R.E.M.
The Real Thing- Faith No More
Pretty Hate Machine- Nine Inch Nails
Back to the Known- Bad Religion
Dead Man’s Party- Oingo Boingo
Night and Day- Joe Jackson
Asia- Asia
Synchronicity- The Police
Age of Consent- Bronski Beat
Blind Man’s Zoo- 10,00 Maniacs
Appetite For Destruction- Guns ‘n’ Roses
Frontiers- Journey
Hounds of Love- Kate Bush
KIlroy Was Here- Styx
Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars- Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians
(I just downloaded Nebraska the other day and need to really sit down and listen to it straight through)
This is in rough order for me. One album per band or artist.
1. Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen (His only good album, imo)
2. Recoking – R.E.M.
3. Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth
4. The Trinity Session – Cowboy Junkies
5. In My Tribe – 10,000 Maniacs
6. The Head on the Door – The Cure
7. Telephone Free Landslide Victory – Camper Van Beethoven
8. Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys
9. Meat Puppets II – Meat Puppets
10. If I Should Fall from Grace with God – The Pogues
11. On Fire – Galaxie 500
12. Doolittle – Pixies
1. Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (third)
2. King Crimson – Discipline
3. David Bowie – Scary Monsters
4. Talking Heads – Remain In Light
5. Husker Du – Zen Arcade
6. Neil Young – Freedom
Has anyone here listened to the album “Playing With A Different Sex” from Au Pairs? I enjoy it, it’s from ’81.
There’s another thread here for this
Springsteen — The River and Nebraska
Donald Fagen – The Nightfly
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique
John Mellencamp – The Lonesome Jubilee
Prince – Purple Rain and 1999
Paul Simon – Graceland
Rush – Permanent Waves
Queen – The Game
Police – Synchronicity
Michael Jackson – Thriller
The Traveling Wilburys
Talking Heads – Remain in Light
Greatest decade for music ever! A quick glance through my best of record/CD/casette collection from the 80ies (main focus on post-punk, no wave, cold wave, shoegaze, German underground & minimal electronics):
Faith · Pornography · Disintegration
– by The Cure
Closer · Unknown Pleasures
– by Joy Division
Algorythmes
- by Charles de Goal
VPRO RadioNome – April 2 1982
- by Kaa Antilope
Johnny Johnny · Echo, bravo
- by Edith Nylon
The pilgrim’s progress
- by Clair Obscur
Hamburg Paris Catania · Metamorphose
- by Bal Paré
Untitled
- by Pavillon 7B
Ego eyes · By pass · Try out
- by Kas Product
L’aventurier · Le péril jaune
- by Indochine
Passions divisées · Le repos des enfants heureux
- by Trisomie 21
S/T
- by Leitmotiv
Seven Songs · The Culling Is Coming
- by 23 Skidoo
The Graveyard and the Ballroom · I’d Like To See You Again
- by A Certain Ratio
Holland In Not · Maverick Intention
- by Surplus Stock
The Secret Like Crazy · Big Skin
- by Algebra Suicide
Happy Birthday
- by Altered Images
And Also The Trees
- by And Also The Trees
Playing with a Different Sex · Live In Berlin
- by Au Pairs
I Am A Horse · Solid Glass Spine
- by Ausgang
In the Flat Field · The Sky’s Gone Out · Burning from the Inside
- by Bauhaus
Prayers on Fire
- by The Birthday Party
Isn’t Anything
- by My Bloody Valentine
Some Bizzare Album
- by B-Movie
Lindy’s Party
- by The Bolshoi
Too Many Creeps · Snakes Crawl · You Taste Like the Tropics
- by Bush Tetras
Red Mecca
- by Cabaret Voltaire
Script of the Bridge · What Does Anything Mean? Basically · Strange Times
- by The Chameleons
Psychocandy · Darklands
- by The Jesus and Mary Chain
Live in New York
- by James Chance and the Contortions
Sax Maniac
- by James Chance
Lesson No.1 For Electric Guitar
- by Glenn Branca
Garlands
- by Cocteau Twins
Die Puppe
- by Die Form
Horse Rotorvator · Scatology
- by Coil
Room of Lights
- by Crime and the City Solution
Dreamtime
- by The Cult
The Rhythm Section Sticks Together
- by The Dancing Did
Dark Adapted Eye
- by Danielle Dax
Dead Can Dance · The Serpent’s Egg
- by Dead Can Dance
Mind Your Own Busines
- by Delta 5
Zulu Rock
- by Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lies To Live By
- by Del Byzanteens
Oh, No! It’s Devo
- by Devo
Alles ist gut · Für immer
- by DAF
Der Karibische Western
- by Die Haut
A Taste of DNA
- by DNA
Echo & the Bunnymen
- by Echo & the Bunnymen
Kollaps · Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T. · Halber Mensch · Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala
- by Einstürzende Neubauten
Fireside Favourites
- by Fad Gadget
Flesh for Lulu
- by Flesh for Lulu
Entertainment!
- by Gang of Four
Grauzone
- by Grauzone
Monarchie und Alltag · Glut und Asche
- by Fehlfarben
Die Letzte Rache
- by Der Plan
Palais Schaumburg
- by Palais Schaumburg
Kein MenscH!
- by Kein MenscH!
X-Quadrat
- by X-Quadrat
Portrait
- by Guyer’s Connection
Untitled
-by Sprung Aus Den Wolken
The Wirtschaftswunder
- by Wirtschaftswunder
Everything
- by Die Tödliche Doris
Nunsexmonkrock
- by Nina Hagen
When Cherished Dreams Come True
- by In the Nursery
The Bridge
- by Thomas Leer & Robert Rental
Night Of The Reptiles
- by Ptôse
Mother’s Little Helper
- by Polyphonic Size
Februari – April ’81
- by Plus Instruments
Animals From Outer Space
- by Ende Shneafliet
Klaus Nomi · Simple Man
- by Klaus Nomi
Kleenex/LiLiPUT
- by LiLiPUT
The Eye
- by KUKL
Optimo
- by Liquid Liquid
No Man’s Land
- by Lene Lovich
Everything
- by Lydia Lunch + Teenage Jesus & the Jerks + 8-Eyed Spy
Malaria!
- by Malaria!
John Gavanti
- by Mars
Minimal Compact
- by Minimal Compact
Mesh and Lace
- by Modern English
Signals, Calls and Marches
- by Mission of Burma
The Early Years
- by Moev
No Rest for the Wicked
- by New Model Army
Movement · Low-Life
- by New Order
T.V.O.D. / Warm Leatherette
- by The Normal
Rewind / T-Vision
- by Norma Loy
Dependence / 49 Second Romance
- by P1/E
Talk Talk Talk
- by The Psychedelic Furs
Flowers of Romance · This Is What You Want… This Is What You Get
- by Public Image Ltd.
I Can’t Live In A Living Room
- by Red Zebra
Siglo XX
- by Siglo XX
It’s a Condition
- by Romeo Void
Meat is Murder · The Queen Is Dead
- by The Smiths
Epic Garden Music
- by Sad Lovers & Giants
Kaleidoscope
- by Siouxsie & the Banshees
The Slits
- by The Slits
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
- by Soft Cell
Jeopardy
- by The Sound
Filth · Cop · Greed
- by Swans
Speaking in Tongues
- by Talking Heads
Westworld
- by Theatre of Hate
Theoretical Girls
- by Theoretical Girls
Greatest Hits
- by Throbbing Gristle
Tones on Tail
- by Tones on Tail
Half Mute · Desire
- by Tuxedomoon
For Madmen Only
- by UK Decay
Baby Turns Blue
- by The Virgin Prunes
Violent Femmes
- by Violent Femmes
Alien Boy · Youth of America
- by Wipers
Incubus Succubus · Qual
- by X-mal Deutschland
Demystification
- by Zounds
Computer World
- by Kraftwerk
Black Celebration · Music for the Masses
- by Depeche Mode
Liaisons Dangereuses
- by Liaisons Dangereuses
Lounge Lizards
- by The Lounge Lizards
Sonic Youth · Confusion Is Sex
- by Sonic Youth
Suicide
- by Suicide
Bruce Springsteen – The River, Nebraska, Born in the USA, Tunnel of Love
Elvis Costello – Get Happy, Imperial Bedroom, King of America
REM – Murmur, Life’s Rich Pageant Document
Prince – Purple Rain, Sign of the Times
Guns n Roses – Appetite for Destruction
The Police – Zenyatta Mondatta, Syncronicity
Midnight Oil – Place Without a Postcard, Red Sails in the Sunset, Diesel and Dust
Billy Joel – Glass Houses, The Nylon Curton, An Innocent Man, The Bridge
U2 – Boy, The Joshua Tree
Pete Townshend – Empty Glass
The Replacements – Let it Be, Tim
Tom Petty – Hard Promises, Full Moon Fever
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (3), Security, So
Husker Du – Warehouse: Songs & Stories
Rush – Moving Pictures, Grace Under Fire
Metallica – Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, And Justice for All
Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation, Pump
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, If I Should Fall from Grace with God
The Rolling Stones – Tatoo You, Steel Wheels
Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues, Little Creatures
Lou Reed – The Blue Mask, New York
Neil Young – Freedom
Duran Duran – Rio
Def Leppard – Pyromania, Hysteria
The Traveling Wilburys – Vol. 1
My favourites:
David Sylvian- Secrets of the Beehive, Gone to Earth
Talk Talk- Spirit of Eden
New Order- Substance, Technique
Kraftwerk- Computer World
Also loved:
David Bowie- Scary Monsters
Laurie Anderson- Big Science
Lou Reed- Blue Mask, New York
Neil Young- Trans
Joy Division- Closer
Talking Heads- Remain in Light
Stone Roses- Stone Roses
Kate Bush- Hounds of Love
Pixies- Surfer Rosa, Doolittle
Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation
Smiths- The Queen is Dead
The Cure- Disintegration
The Replacements- Let it Be
Echo & The Bunnymen Porcupine
Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones
Dagmar Krause Tank Battles
Bauhaus Mask
Ladysmith Black Mambazo Shaka Zulu
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark Architecture And Morality
Abdullah Ibrahim Water From An Ancient Well
Dinosaur Jr. You’re Living All Over Me
Ziad Rahbani Abu Ali
Coldcut What’s That Noise?
808 State 808:90
The Pogues Run, Sodomy and The Lash
The Jesus & Mary Chain Psychocandy
1. American Music Club, “Engine” and “The Restless Stranger” (tie)
2. The Pogues, “If I Should Fall from Grace with God”
3. REM, “Murmur”
4. Gun Club, “The Las Vegas Story”
5. Talking Heads, “Remain in Light”
Elvis Costello – Spike
Monochrome Set – Eligible Bachelors
Husker Du – Candy Apple Grey
Let’s Active – Cypress
My Nation Underground – Julian Cope
Imperial Bedroom – Elvis Costello
Talking with the Taxman about Poetry – Billy Bragg
Vienna – Ultravox
Especially for You – The Smithereens
How do make some text bold?
City Slang by Lars H.U.G.:
“Okay Okay Boys” and “Supertanker” by Kliché:
It’s been a year since I made this topic, so let’s see how my tastes have changed:
1. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (4)
2. Pixies – Surfer Rosa (9)
3. The Replacements – Let It Be (6)
4. The Smiths – Queen Is Dead (3)
5. The Stone Roses (7)
6. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1)
7. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (10)
8. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones (2)
9. Pixies – Doolittle (5)
10. Prince – Sign O The Times (8)
11. Guns N Roses – Appetite For Destruction (13)
12. The Cure – Disintegration (12)
13. Prince – Purple Rain (11)
14. This Heat – Deceit (18)
15. Talking Heads – Remain In Light (17)
16. Joy Division – Closer (UR)
17. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (UR)
18. Tom Waits – Frank’s Wild Years (UR)
19. Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full (UR)
20. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (19)
I’m a little surprised how little my tastes changed in a year. No turnover in the top 10 or top 13.
I, too, stick to my list above.
u thought they would change?? these albums came out 30 YEARS AGO!!!!!
also: uli³cain —journey, styx, asia?? best left in the 80s ;)
Van Morrison-Common One
Kris Kristofferson-Repossession
Ruby, the 80s were a special time for music
AR Kane – 69
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
Mary Margaret O’Hara – Miss America
The Birthday Party – Junkyard
23 Skidoo – Seven Songs
Grace Jones – Nightclubbing
Lydia Lunch – Queen Of Siam
Rickie Lee Jones – Pirates
Various – Mutant Disco
Various – The House Sound Of Chicago
Alan Vega – Collision Drive
Coil – Horse Rotovator
Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love
REM- Murmur
Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth- Sister
Prince- Sign O the Times
Prince- Dirty Mind
The Smiths- The Queen is Dead
The Smiths- Louder than Bombs
Husker Du- Zen Arcade
Husker Du- New Day Rising
Talking Heads- Remain in Light
Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime
The Pixies- Surfer Rosa
Lou Reed- The blue Mask
King Crimson- Discipline
Suzanne Vega- Solitude Standing
The English Beat- I Just Can’t Stop It
Metallica- Ride the Lightning
Gang of Four- Entertainment!
The Pretenders- 1st Album
Beastie Boys- Paul’s Boutique
Power, Corruption & Lies – New Order
Scary Monsters – David Bowie
Metal Box – PiL
Die Donnergötter – Rhys Chatham
Flip Your Wig – Husker Du
Candy Apple Grey – Husker Du
Surfer Rosa – Pixies
Doolittle – Pixies
Instincts – Romeo Void
Wild Planet – B-52s
Songs to Learn & Sing – Echo & the Bunnymen
Colossal Youth – Young Marble Giants
Solid Gold – Gang of Four
Avalon – Roxy Music
Flesh+Blood – Roxy Music
Technique – New Order
Closer – Joy Division
Still – Joy Division
Viva Hate – Morrissey
East and West – Anna Domino
Aikea Guinea – Cocteau Twins
2×45 – Cabaret Voltaire
Disco – Pet Shop Boys
Remain in Light – Talking Heads
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts – Eno/Byrne
Speaking in Tongues – Talking Heads
Psychocandy – Jesus and Mary Chain
Disintegration – The Cure
13.13 – Lydia Lunch
Queen of Siam – Lydia Lunch
The Stones Roses – The Stone Roses
EVOL – Sonic Youth
Dreams Less Sweet – Psychic TV
Tunnel of Love – Bruce Springsteen
Gentlemen Take Polaroids – Japan
Field Day – Marshall Crenshaw
The Smiths – The Smiths
The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Gaucho – Steely Dan
A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls
Strange Weather – Marianne Faithfull
John Somebody – Scott Johnson
Fade to Grey – Visage
1. Rain Dogs — Tom Waits
2. Guitar — Sonny Sharrock
the rest, in no particular order…
Köln — Last Exit
Prayers on Fire — The Birthday Party
Tender Prey — Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Rock for Light — Bad Brains
Flowers of Romance — Public Image Ltd.
Double Nickels on the Dime — Minutemen
Over the Edge — The Wipers
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables — Dead Kennedys
Bug — Dinosaur Jr.
Complete Discography — Minor Threat
New Day Rising — Hüsker Dü
Meat Puppets II — Meat Puppets
Remain in Light — Talking Heads
Tim — Replacements
Unknown Pleasures — Jpy Division
Paid in Full — Eric B. and Rakim
Adolescents — Adolescents
Daddy has a Tail! — Cows
Sandinista! — The Clash
The Stone Roses — The Stone Roses
During the late 1980s when I was a record fiend I was gathering up EPs, 12-inch singles, club mixes, Peel Sessions, and Flexi discs like crazy, so I think of countless bands as singles acts (even Bauhaus).
In other words, not many great ALBUMS came out of the 1980s, in my view. Not much you could drop a needle on and just sit back.
In that context, I should say that I listened to most of what is listed in Grey Daisies’ daunting list, but not so much via albums.
In any case, not in order of preference:
KALEIDOSCOPE Siouxsie and the Banshees
GET HAPPY Elvis Costello
CLOSER Joy Divsion
EMOTIONAL RESCUE The Rolling Stones
HONI SOIT John Cale
PORCUPINE Echo and the BunnyMen
THE SKY’S GONE OUT Bauhaus
ALWAYS NOW Section 25
KILLING JOKE Killing Joke
ALL THE GODS’ MEN Blue in Heaven
THE IDEAL COPY (and SNAKEDRILL EP) Wire
MOVEMENT (and related singles) and POWER, CORRUPTION, and LIES New Order
MISHIMA Phillip Glass
MEAT PUPPETS II and UP ON THE SUN Meat Puppets
PORNOGRAPHY and HAPPILY EVER AFTER The Cure
THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT…THIS IS WHAT YOU GET (and COMMERCIAL ZONE, bootleg alternate version of TIWYW) Public Image Ltd.
GARLANDS and HEAD OVER HEELS The Cocteau Twins
SLATES and THIS NATION’S SAVING GRACE The Fall
FIRESIDE FAVORITES Fad Gadget
CONTROVERSY Prince
BIRD WOOD CAGE The Wolfgang Press
SONGS THE LORD TAUGHT US and PSYCHEDELIC JUNGLE The Cramps
PAINT YOUR WAGON Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
FORCE OF HABIT Leather Nun
BUMMED Happy Monday
8 CREPUSCULE TRACKS and CODE Cabaret Voltaire
omg, i forgot about Wire.
A Bell Is a Cup – Wire
The Ideal Copy – Wire
Scoundrel Days – a-ha
Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth
Surfer Rosa – Pixies
Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
New Gold Dream – Simple Minds
Full Moon Fever – Tom Petty
Avalon – Roxy Music
Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
Graceland – Paul Simon
Like A Prayer – Madonna
Double post.
ok a few that i love that haven’t been listed yet. cuz my list would be the usual pixies, sonic youth, smiths, talking heads, replacements and prince :P
shoot out the lights -richard and linda thompson
penguin eggs -nic jones
skylarking -XTC
3 feet high and rising -de la soul
fear & whiskey -the mekons
los angeles -X
playing with fire -spacemen 3
Jirin
We’ve discussed the best albums of the 60s. But, in the 60’s consensus faves are easy to find, and a large percentage of the best stuff is right on the surface.
In the 80’s on the other hand, synth pop and hair bands ruled the radio while alternative played on college stations, post-punk and garage rock were brewing the underground scene that led to both grunge and indie in the 90s, and rap was evolving from r&b and turning political. And the only one anyone can agree on is Prince.
My list:
1. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
2. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
3. The Smiths – Queen Is Dead
4. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
5. Pixies – Doolittle
6. The Replacements – Let It Be
7. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. Prince – Sign O The Times
9. Pixies – Surfer Rosa
10. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
11. Prince – Purple Rain
12. The Cure – Disintegration
13. Guns N Roses – Appetite For Destruction
14. Minutemen – Double Nickels On The Dime
15. Sonic Youth – Sister
16. Madonna – Like A Prayer
17. Talking Heads – Remain In Light
18. This Heat – Deceit
19. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
20. U2 – War