Radio 2 Best Albums of the 1980's list (October 9, 2020)

In the 80's I was probably listening to more records from the 60's and 70's but this is a list of current 80's records I listened to a lot. I'm sure there are some I'm forgetting. Most of these are good records unless you hate the band or the style.
For the first five years of the 80's I lived in a small town with one "rock" station that played Huey Lewis and the News twelve times a day. That's why I was mostly listening to older records by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and The Beatles, plus many random discoveries because I had friends that listened to things like Brian Eno and Fela Kuti.
1980 - Neil Young - Hawks and Doves, Talking Heads - Remain In Light, AC/DC - Back in Black, The Pretenders, Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz, Rush - Permanent Waves, Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue, David Bowie - Scary Monsters and Super Creeps
1981 - The Police - Ghost In The Machine, Rolling Stones - Tattoo You, The Pretenders - Pretenders II, Agent Orange - Living In Darkness, The Cars - Shake It Up, Neil Young - Re.act.or, Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman. New Order - Movement, Van Halen - Fair Warning, King Crimson - Discipline
1982 - Prince - 1999, Judas Priest - Screaming For Vengeance, Pink Floyd - The Final Cut, Rush - Signals, Van Halen - Diver Down
1983 - New Order - Power, Corruption, and Lies, Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues, David Bowie - Let's Dance, The Police - Synchronicity, Bob Dylan - Infidels, U2 - War, Suicidal Tendencies
1984 - Prince - Purple Rain, The Smiths, Van Halen - 1984, Roger Waters - The Pros And Cons of Hitchhiking, The Cars - Heartbeat City, Rush - Grace Under Pressure, U2 - The Unforgettable Fire, King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
1985 - Bob Dylan - Empire Burlesque, The Smiths - Meat Is Murder, New Order - Low-Life, Run-DMC - King Of Rock
1986 - The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead. Pet Shop Boys - Please, Neil Young - Landing On Water, New Order - Brotherhood, Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill, Run-DMC - Raising Hell, Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987 - Depeche Mode - Music For The Masses, The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come, Guns'N'Roses - Appetite For Destruction, R.E.M - Document, Pet shop Boys - Actually, U2 - The Joshua Tree, Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me, Sonic Youth - Sister
1988 - Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, Morrissey - Viva Hate, R.E.M. - Green, Depeche Mode 101, Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, Dinosaur Jr - Bug, Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today
1989 - Neil Young - Freedom, The Cure - Disintegration, Madonna - Like A Prayer, New Order - Technique, Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique

Nice list!!
 
Interesting to see Judas Priest on your list: my brother’s favourite band when I was growing up. They had a modest but committed following in early 80s east Manchester.
British Steel and that record were very popular in the US and are still played on hard rock stations.
 
You’re the only person I’ve ever ‘known’ to have seen Berlin, live. To really make my day, tell me everyone left the gig disappointed because they refused to play Take My Breath Away.
I’m afraid i can’t hovis, as far as I can remember they played it.....and a jolly good night was had by all
 
Who the hell is ABC? Some Brit thing that never made it over the pond?

Joshua Tree is a solid choice for #1, but most of the rest of the top 10 is bollocks. If limiting to just one album per band/artist (otherwise U2's "War" should be in there too), then The Cure's "Disintegration", The Clash's "London Calling", Joy Division's "Closer", and REM's "Green" must also be in any sane Top 10 of the '80s (I'd also put in the The Pogues, though hard to choose between "Red Roses for Me" and 'Rum, Sodomy, & The Lash").
 
You couldn't make Graceland these days, they'd call it cultural appropriation.

Indeed. I'm surprised Pual Simon didn't take more flak also for recording in South Africa during Apartheid. People like Moz, Nick Cave, and Radiohead get so much stick these days from Israel bashers, yet I don't recall much negative press for Simon at the time about working and recording in SA.
 
Indeed. I'm surprised Pual Simon didn't take more flak also for recording in South Africa during Apartheid. People like Moz, Nick Cave, and Radiohead get so much stick these days from Israel bashers, yet I don't recall much negative press for Simon at the time about working and recording in SA.
It's because it was a rubbish album..."I can call you Betty and Betty when you call me, you can call me Al....aaahhh!!! Christ on a bike! 🙄
 
It's because it was a rubbish album..."I can call you Betty and Betty when you call me, you can call me Al....aaahhh!!! Christ on a bike! 🙄
That line and song may be the wost on the album, but overall the album and lyrics are brilliant.
 

Trending Threads

Back
Top Bottom