Best 80s records by 60s-70s rock bands?

[astorian]

I rather liked…

“Perfect Strangers” by the Mach 2 edition of Deep Purple

“Long Distance Voyager” by the Moody Blues

“Emerson, Lake and Powell”

[AHunter3]

Alan Parsons Project made their debut in the 70s but put out a string of phenomenal albums in the 1980s: Turn of a Friendly Card, Ammonia Avenue, and Gaudi in particular were strong offerings.

[EinsteinsHund]

@Shoeless

Richard and Linda Thompson’s final album together, Shoot Out The Lights.

Oh, good one. A masterpiece.

[drad_dog]

There are two: “Brian Wilson” from 1987, his first solo LP; and A Capella, by Todd Rundgren, which has only synthesized and sampled sounds of his voice.

To my ears they are the only ones who made it from the 60s to the 80s.

[Tim_R.Mortiss]

ELO had their heyday in the seventies, but I think of *Time *(1981) as their masterpiece, and Secret Messages (1983) and Balance of Power (1986) as excellent albums as well.

[Charlie_Tan]

@astorian

“Perfect Strangers” by the Mach 2 edition of Deep Purple

Mk II.

Anyway, Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night was hugely successful, spawning four hit singles and is their second best selling album to date. One can argue whether it’s truly a Fleetwood Mac album or an album by Lindsey Buckingham, ft. Fleetwood, McVie, McVie and Nicks. I still think it holds up pretty well, as compared to a lot of pop music from the era that sound really dated.

[breezman]

Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut was a great album.

[adaher]

I wouldn’t say it lives up to past material, but for me, the Four Tops’ Invincible(1988) is just so cool.

[nightshadea]

does starship who started as Jefferson airplane count?

[RealityChuck]

Bob Seger started out in the 60s and was doing his best work in the 1980s.

[WordMan]

@nightshadea

does starship who started as Jefferson airplane count?

The fact that you feel the need to ask this question scares me a bit

[Channing_Idaho_Banks]

1984 by Van Halen
90125 by Yes
Numbers were popular in the 80’s.

[Mangosteen]

@Reddy_Mercury

The 80s are generally considered a time when many rock bands who originated in the 1960s or 1970s lost the plot and put out subpar material.

What are some 80s records by 60s/70s bands that actually live up to the band’s past work?

“Records” meaning individual songs or albums?

CSNY’s song *Wasted on the Way * from their 1982 album “Daylight Again” hit number 9 on Billboard. This Graham Nash song is at or near the level of music quality the group put out in the 60’s and 70’s.

[Reddy_Mercury]

@Mangosteen

“Records” meaning individual songs or albums?

CSNY’s song *Wasted on the Way * from their 1982 album “Daylight Again” hit number 9 on Billboard. This Graham Nash song is at or near the level of music quality the group put out in the 60’s and 70’s.

Albums is what I intended. But thanks for the song.
A little off-topic but I soo wish Led Zeppelin had made even just ONE 80s record.

[Mangosteen]

@JKellyMap

As for the Stones … none of the three albums worth mentioning at all were close to their “best work”: I find Tattoo You (1981) overrated; Steel Wheels (1989) was a happy surprise, but no great shakes. That leaves Emotional Rescue (1980), which I really like – but it barely fits your criteria.

I think the Kinks’ Word of Mouth (1984) comes closer to what the OP is after.

The Stones were putting out some good music in the 80’s. Maybe the albums as a whole weren’t great, but “Mixed Emotions”, “Waiting on a Friend”, “Start Me Up” and a few others were songs that at least showed they could still write quality material.

[Reddy_Mercury]

@Mangosteen

The Stones were putting out some good music in the 80’s. Maybe the albums as a whole weren’t great, but “Mixed Emotions”, “Waiting on a Friend”, “Start Me Up” and a few others were songs that at least showed they could still write quality material.

I agree, the only Stones album I don’t like from the 80s is Emotional Rescue.
Waiting on a Friend is actually a 70s song you know. The song was recorded in 1972 during the Goat’s Head Soup sessions; Jagger only added vocals to it in 1981. Look up an instrumental demo - it’s the same as the released version instrumentally. Mick Taylor plays on it.

[JKellyMap]

@Mangosteen

The Stones were putting out some good music in the 80’s. Maybe the albums as a whole weren’t great, but “Mixed Emotions”, “Waiting on a Friend”, “Start Me Up” and a few others were songs that at least showed they could still write quality material.

I agree (though, note that Start Me Up was written and mostly recorded in 1978, and Waiting… was from the 70s, as has been noted).

But this is still small potatoes compared to their 1965-72 stuff.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@The_Tooth

Rush put out Power Windows, Permanent Waves, Grace Under Pressure, Signals, Exit…Stage Left, and A Show of Hands in the 1980’s. Others too, but not as strong as these. I think Roger Waters’ The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking is his masterpiece, that came out in 1984. Both Rush and Pink Floyd were around in the 60’s in one form or another.

Moving Pictures wasn’t as strong as the titles you mentioned? I think it’s one of their very best albums with tons of strong songs. Signals was also very good, and really the last Rush album I liked as they transitioned to what to me sounded like a very clinical sound that I didn’t care for. Dammit Alex and your GK amps!

@EinsteinsHund

I have one more to add. Neil Young’s eighties albums were a string of erratic and strange affairs, culminating in being sued by his own label (David) Geffen for being uncommercial, but he returned to form with one of his classic albums “ Freedom“ in 1989, which also included the biggest hit of his later career, “Rockin’ In The Free World“.

I always had a soft spot for “Mansion On The Hill” as well.

@SykoSkotty

1981 = Moving Pictures, the best of the bunch.

Ninja’d!

@breezman

Pink Floyd’s The Final Cut was a great album.

If a bit pretentious and overwrought. Roger dominated that entire album, it was really a Gilmour and Waters record…not really a Pink Floyd one. Still, a great headphone album with all the Floydian sound effects.

[Penfeather]

Ooh, I’ve got a good one. Wire were best known for spiky minimalist late 70s art-punk blasts like “12XU”, but spent the 80s fizzling into irrelevance - until 1988’s A Bell Is A Cup Until It Is Struck, which was a kind of spiky lush dream-pop, and one of the best received albums of their career.

[Albert_Rose]

I get to be the one who brings up Van Morrison!

So, in 1967 he recorded Astral Weeks, widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. Not really Rock & Roll; more Jazz Mysticism.

In the 70s he had many strong albums, including
[ul]
[li]Moondance[/li][li]Tupelo Honey [/li][li]Saint Dominic’s Preview[/li][li]Veedon Fleece[/li][li]Wavelength[/li][li]Into the Music[/ul][/li]
In the 80s, he put out a few stink-bombs (just like he did in the 70s - Hard Nose the Highway, anyone?), but he also released some very good CDs:
[ul]
[li]Beautiful Vision[/li][li]No Guru, No Method, No Teacher[/li][li]Irish Heartbeat (with the Chieftans)[/li]Avalon Sunset[/ul]