I picked ten because I think five is too few. For me I’m going to choose what I think are best, but I’m going to throw a couple in that I think are “Best” but wouldn’t be something I’d collect personally. I’ll asterisk those. In no particular order:
Kate Bush Hounds of Love
Peter Gabriel So
Pink Floyd The Final Cut
Frankie Goes to Hollywood Welcome to the Pleasuredome
[ul]
[li]Prince & The Revolution: Purple Rain[/li][li]Peter Gabriel: Melt[/li][li]Kate Bush: Hounds of Love[/li][li]Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms[/li][li]Roxy Music: Avalon[/li][li]Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever[/li][li]The Police: Synchronicity[/li][li]Elton John: Too Low for Zero[/li][li]Phil Collins: No Jacket Required[/li][li]Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night[/li][/ul]
I know everyone hates Collins, but that album sounds like pure '80s, and it’s enjoyable from beginning to end.
*Pretenders - Pretenders (though this just barely sneaks in–The first three or four albums I thought of were all released in 1979. This one was Jan of '80.)
*Joy Division - Closer
*Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
*Public Enemy - It Takes a Milliion to Hold Us Back
*Michael Jackson - Thriller
*Pixies - Doolittle
*Metallica - Kill 'Em All
*De La Soul - Three Feet High and Rising
*The Stone Roses - Stone Roses
*Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique
U2 - War
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
U2 - The Joshua Tree
Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Prince - Purple Rain
The Police - Synchronicity
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
REM - Murmur
Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The Cure: Pornography Metallica: Ride the Lightning Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms The Sisters of Mercy: First and Last and Always Kate Bush: Hounds of Love Slayer: Reign in Blood Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction Depeche Mode: Music for the Masses Siouxsie and the Banshees: *Peepshow * Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever
My favourite Kate Bush songs are on other albums but as a whole, it may be the best thing she wrote so it’s no wonder it’s been mentioned several times.
Gah. I missed number 8, so I’ll add in “Full Moon Fever” by Tom Petty.
And go back to sleep.
Although Alan Parsons’ “Eye in the Sky” could easily be on my list too.
Yes. U2 was one of the best live acts of the period. Also, I wanted to include something with my favorite U2 song, “Gloria,” but the studio album that song is from (October) is hit and miss.
I don’t enjoy a lot of music from the 1980s, so I couldn’t come up with a list of ten. Of all the 1980s albums in my collection, only the following I’d say are really good:
[ol]
[li]The Beatles - Past Masters, Vol. 2[/li][li]Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Volume 1[/li][li]Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Pack up the Plantation – Live![/li][li]Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever[/li][li]Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms[/li][/ol]