IMHO it goes for "Playground" by "The Truth". This is one of the most undeservedly unknown albums of this decade. Why? I don't know, but those uplifting and soulful songs halfway between Hall & Oates and Spandau Ballet are wonderful. I never get tired of listening them. Highly recommended for everyone. 8)

Has anybody of you heard about it?

Unfortunately they didn't achieve good reviews with the next albums, despite their album "Weapons of Love" still has some great tunes, but they had left their soulful style by now and went more obscure. The others are dispensable. :-\

I'm going to say either

Depeche Mode: Black Celebration

or

The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
8) 8) 8)
Those are MY best, according to MEEEE!!!  The best according to "objective" critical criteria is a question I won't bother with.
:P

Wow, you read my mind, Maxwell!! ;D However, I would put either The Smiths or Meat Is Murder in place of Louder Than Bombs. (I do like the album though.) :)

Absolutely Vile

Michael Jackson-Thriller

Howard

being the headbanger that i was i'd say metallica's ...and justice for all. next would be guns n roses appetite for destruction.

Best '80s albums?

A Secret Wish - Propaganda
Tin Drum - Japan
Dare - Human League
Computer World - Kraftwerk

I love the sound of synths in the morning!

Tears for Fears "Songs From The Big Chair"

Wow, you read my mind, Maxwell!! ;D However, I would put either The Smiths or Meat Is Murder in place of Louder Than Bombs. (I do like the album though.) :)

Absolutely Vile

THE SMITHS
Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead work better as albums unto themselves, but Louder Than Bombs includes SOOOO many of their BEST songs that it's a notch above the others.  I mean, there are 24 songs on LTB, and not a dud among them!
:)

Felix wrote
I love the sound of synths in the morning!
Me too, Felix!  Actually, I love the sound of synths any time of the day.  I currently have Human League's "Dare" in my car stereo.  It's amazing how cool those synths still sound after all these years.

The Time's Ice Cream Castle, which is very underrated.

"Knee Deep in the Hoopla" by Starship . :P

Michael Jackson-Thriller

Howard


I agree!!

Black Celebration - Depeche Mode

or

Rio - Duran Duran

Hall and Oates Rock and Soul Part I & II
or
Huey Lewis and The News Sports

Rio- Duran Duran and why because it's Duran Duran. ;)

I'm curious as to which albums will get mentioned for the '80s. I'm always on the look out for some good "forgotten" or "missed" music.

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems albums were less important in the '80s, because it was the singles that mattered more - especially the MTV '80s of 1983 on up. Maybe I'm wrong, but when you bought a record album things were different than say with an '80s cassette tape.

Anyway, for the '80s I'll go with...

The Lexicon of Love - ABC (1982)
Diva movie soundtrack (1981)
Heaven - BeBe & CeCe Winans (1988)
Cinema Paradiso movie soundtrack (1989)
Alexander O'Neal (1985)
Original Musiquarium I - Stevie Wonder (1982)

Why do I think these are some of the best from the '80s? Because they are the ones I liked listening to back then and I still like listening to even today.

;) ;D


:o :o
*** I just noticed you had asked for the best album (only one!) of the '80s. In that case, make it ABC's "The Lexicon of Love".

:)

:o :o
*** I just noticed you had asked for the best album (only one!) of the '80s. In that case, make it ABC's "The Lexicon of Love".

:)


I don't think people understand what a masterpiece Lexicon of Love is.  Since it's in the dance/disco genre, critics are prejudiced against it, and don't take it as seriously as, say, U2, "The Joshua Tree."  The songwriting, instrumentation, and arrangements onf Lexicon are simply fantastic.
:)

IMO, the best... Just because they're good!!!


Depeche Mode "Black Celebration"
The Cure "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me"
Beastie Boys "License To Ill"
Duran Duran "Seven & The Ragged Tiger"
Michael Jackson "Thriller"
Madonna "Like A Vigin"
Bon Jovi "Slippery When Wet"
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense"
Prince "Purple Rain"
Devo "Freedom of Choice"
INXS "Kick"
The Go-Go's "Beauty & The Beat"


...finally... U2 "The Joshua Tree"  :)

Propaganda - A Secret Wish

It's got that pure 80's sound...

It looks like Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration" is getting the most recommendations (unless  Starship's "Knee Deep in the Hoopla" can pick up more support... ;D)

BC:
http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?userid=qZI3SO1zsN&ean=75992542920

LoL:
http://music.barnesandnoble.com/search/product.asp?userid=qZI3SO1zsN&ean=731453825024


LyricBoy, that bear looks sort of demented. What's the story with "the bear"? ???

:) ;D

My choices -

Purple Rain by Prince
Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads
Rock & Soul by Hall & Oates
Thriller by Michael Jackson

None of these are masterpieces, their just favorites of mine  ;D

My best album: "Rio" by Duran Duran - All tunes are excellent. IMO, when the original group is together they can do no wrong. 8) The cover art is fantastic and considered one of the best of the time.

Metallica - Ride The Lightning
RATT - Out Of The Cellar
Guns -n- Roses - Appetite for Destruction


Tim
RATT-n-ROLL

Propaganda - A Secret Wish

It's got that pure 80's sound...


That's a cool album, I've also got the extended mix of The Nine Lives of Dr. Mabuse, which is great!  "Sell him your soul, sell him your soul, sell him your soul, NEVER LOOK BECK!"
;D

"Synchronicity" - The Police

"The Joshua Tree" - U2

"Love" - The Cult

"Street Talk" - Steve Perry

Although I tend to think that unfortunately he is a pedophile and if he really gets proven to be a pedophile I won't be able to listen to any of his music any more, I think in the 80's Michael Jackson was really huge. His music was very enjoyable, his dance moves unique, his concerts fantastic (no miming like he often does today!). So my favourite album from the 80's has to be a MJ album but it isn't Thriller like for many people it is. I preferred Bad. Maybe because this was my the first music album I've owned by my own choice....

Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction : Axl grew up about 30 minutes from me, and to see him make it big was cool. This is an album I can still listen to from start to finish, and not have to skip a track.

Run DMC - Raising Hell : the album that introduced me to rap

Metallica - And Justice for All... : the first cassette I ever bought with my own money

The Smiths/Morrissey had one of the best albums for me.  i played it the most.  its poetically punk tone speaks to me. 

however i also liked heaven 17, blancmange, plimsouls, general public, new order, depeche mode, the cure, adam ant, rodney on the ROQ compilations, psychedic furs, the clash, big audio dynamite...oh the list goes on.

The Smiths/Morrissey had one of the best albums for me.  i played it the most.  its poetically punk tone speaks to me.

1. The Smiths and Morrissey are two separate entities although Morrissey did front The Smiths once upon a time.

2. Which album by whom?

3. The Smiths were never "punk." Deep and poetic, yes...but definitely not punk!!

Absolutely Vile

its hard for sum to see it, but thats how i do... with his concerts you can always see people moshing and slamming, however some may have flowers in hand.  the concert he held here in l.a. in the 80's got cancelled just because of that.   many of his videos show punkers.  its a very mellow version.  well, whatever it means to you. 




1. The Smiths and Morrissey are two separate entities although Morrissey did front The Smiths once upon a time.

2. Which album by whom?

3. The Smiths were never "punk." Deep and poetic, yes...but definitely not punk!!

Absolutely Vile

its hard for sum to see it, but thats how i do... with his concerts you can always see people moshing and slamming, however some may have flowers in hand.  the concert he held here in l.a. in the 80's got cancelled just because of that.   many of his videos show punkers.  its a very mellow version.  its not what you look like but your actions that define who you are.

Erm...OK...

People moshing and slamming? Have you been to a Smiths concert? Were you around when The Smiths were? People did not "mosh" or "slam" but there were hoards of people rushing to the stage to climb on to embrace their idol! Have you been to a Morrissey concert? I have. People did not "mosh" or "slam." They did the same thing that fans did when he was with The Smiths. Rush the stage to hug him.

And this concert you speak of...when in the 80's was it? And I highly doubt it got cancelled because of supposed impending "moshing" or "slamming."  Did you know of it firsthand or did you read about it in the pop history books?

About Morrissey/Smiths videos: They do? (Show punkers, that is.) Which ones? I don't think I've ever seen one with a punk in it. I can guarantee that there is no punk to be found in a Smiths video! And I haven't seen on in any of the Morrissey videos I've seen. Point is, I don't know what your definition of "punk" is, but I don't think it's the same as mine (which I think would be the same as most people of my generation...the ones who were there). To me, The Smiths nor Morrissey were punk...not even aesthetically!

Absolutely Vile

Well said Vile!!!! ;D :)

As for me, my favorite albums of the 80s are-

Rio- Duran Duran
Black Celebration- Depeche Mode
So Red the Rose- Arcadia
Prince Charming- Adam and the Ants
Synchronicity- The Police
Louder than Bombs- The Smiths

And of course-----

Kings of the Wild Frontier- Adam and the Ants


For obvious reasons!!

Rio

"Brother in Arms"- Dire Straits

Well said Vile!!!! ;D :)

Some people just need to learn never to argue facts with someone who's been there when they haven't! :)

Anyway...I don't know if I've mentioned what I think are the best albums of the 80's but here's my list:

The Smiths - The Smiths
Meat Is Murder - The Smiths
The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
Lament - Ultravox
Vienna - Ultravox
Rage In Eden - Ultravox
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
Some Great Reward - Depeche Mode

There might be more, but those are tops on my list at the moment. :)

Absolutely Vile

ya i know of it first hand.  was at the concert  that is kind of silly to ask.  if u dont see punkers in his videos or misfits wearing heals or people slamming on stage at his concert or even names of his video such as suedehead then i dont know what to tell u. of course on of his influences being new york dolls is a punk band, i dont really care what u see or dont or if you agree with me.   



Erm...OK...

People moshing and slamming? Have you been to a Smiths concert? Were you around when The Smiths were? People did not "mosh" or "slam" but there were hoards of people rushing to the stage to climb on to embrace their idol! Have you been to a Morrissey concert? I have. People did not "mosh" or "slam." They did the same thing that fans did when he was with The Smiths. Rush the stage to hug him.

And this concert you speak of...when in the 80's was it? And I highly doubt it got cancelled because of supposed impending "moshing" or "slamming."  Did you know of it firsthand or did you read about it in the pop history books?

About Morrissey/Smiths videos: They do? (Show punkers, that is.) Which ones? I don't think I've ever seen one with a punk in it. I can guarantee that there is no punk to be found in a Smiths video! And I haven't seen on in any of the Morrissey videos I've seen. Point is, I don't know what your definition of "punk" is, but I don't think it's the same as mine (which I think would be the same as most people of my generation...the ones who were there). To me, The Smiths nor Morrissey were punk...not even aesthetically!

Absolutely Vile

I'm with Gwen, sort of. Huey Lewis & The News had the coolest albums, but I think instead of Sports, she should've said FORE!. other contenders should include Phil Collins's No Jacket Required, U2's The Joshua Tree, Sting's Nothing Like The Sun, Glenn Frey's The Allnighter, and for you techno-dudes out there like me, Jan Hammer's Escape From Television. Anyone want to back me up?

its poetically punk tone speaks to me.   



The Smiths - NOT Punk
Morrissey - NOT Punk

Black Flag - PUNK
Sex Pistols - PUNK
Dead Kennedy's - PUNK

Do you see the difference here? ???  If not, then you must not be familiar with Punk music or crowds.  You show me punks moshing at a Smiths show & I'll show you flying pigs in the sky.

I never released an album in the 80's, much less several which would require me to pick amoungst them. As for my favorites by other people, that's too hard to choose. Probably something by a-ha, although I AM a big fan of When in Rome's album...

Kryllith

Either The Cure’s “Head On the Door” or The Smiths “Queen Is Dead”…wouldn’t have gotten through high school without these two albums. I remember wearing out the cassettes of both of these albums (back in the time before I could afford a CD player).

Honorable mentions go to Love & Rockets “Express” & Prince’s “1999”.

I liked The Cars album with the song  Drive, etc., and also all of Foreigner's albums.

The Smiths - NOT Punk
Morrissey - NOT Punk

Black Flag - PUNK
Sex Pistols - PUNK
Dead Kennedy's - PUNK

Do you see the difference here? ???  If not, then you must not be familiar with Punk music or crowds.  You show me punks moshing at a Smiths show & I'll show you flying pigs in the sky.



Generally no, but I couldn't say they never did.  What makes a punk a punk anyway?

Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction- Just a good album, IMO
Queensryche- Operation Mindcrime- to me, this is classical music for the rock fan
Love and Rockets- Express- brings back good memories
INXS- The Swing- one of my favorite bands in the 80's and this is my favorite album by them
U2- War- another amazing album
REM- Reckoning- this was back when I still liked them (I don't like anything by them after Life's Rich Pageant) I love every song off this album and I used to see them play in Athens and they always put on a good show.
Ozzy Osbourne- Blizzard of Ozz- Randy was amazing!
Missing Persons- Spring Session M- another album that brings back really good memories for me

One Word Hysteria!

I don't think people understand what a masterpiece Lexicon of Love is.  Since it's in the dance/disco genre, critics are prejudiced against it, and don't take it as seriously as, say, U2, "The Joshua Tree."  The songwriting, instrumentation, and arrangements onf Lexicon are simply fantastic.
:)



Lexicon of Love is an example of bubblegum music done right.  I still listen to it driving to and fro work on occasion.  I may be the ONLY person who drives down SW 104th between Meridian and Rockwell in far southwest Oklahoma City who does this.

Beauty Stab (also ABC) is easily the best album of the 1980s IMO.

Metallica - Master Of Puppets - Because it kicks ass  8)

:)

One of my votes (for now)  goes to:

The Cars - Heartbeat City.  (1984)
Produced by Robert John (Mutt) Lange

Some of the brilliant songs on that album include:
'Drive'
'You Might Think'
'Magic'
'Hello Again'

Also..

ZZ Top  - Eliminator
Duran Duran - Seven & The Ragged Tiger

Some of my personal faves:

Def Leppard - High And Dry
Metallica - Master Of Puppets
A-Ha - Hunting High And Low
Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
Mr. Mister - Welcome To The Real World
Journey - Frontiers
Prince - Purple Rain

Joshua Tree by U2 and GNR Lies

Love from The Cult

My sister turned me on to "Upstairs at Eric's" by Yaz.  Anyone know them?

Here's a random sampling of some of my favorites in no particular chronological order:

Devo, Freedom of Choice, 1980
Blondie, Best of Blondie, 1981
Stray Cats, Built for Speed, 1982
Metallica, Kill 'em All, 1983
Elvis Costello, The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions, 1985
Husker Du, Zen Arcade, 1987
Beastie Boys, Paul's Boutique, 1989

Is it wrong to list two greatest hits albums?  I don't know...

english settlement....XTC

broadsword and the beast......jethro tull

crest of a knave.......jethro tull

For me it would be the Don't Be Cruel album by Bobby Brown. It just had so many hits on one album. Included were instrumentals, slow songs, dance songs.

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time around. Oh well.

Here's a quick list of my faves from the 80s:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Bon Jovi - New Jersey
Cold Chisel - East
Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
Split Enz - True Colours
Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Duran Duran - Rio
Slayer - Reign in Blood
Prince - Purple Rain
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Jimmy Barnes - Freight Train Heart
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood
Def Leppard - Hysteria

My Super-80s album is "Scorpions - World Wide Live" because of the songs "Holiday" and "Still Loving You" recorded in Paris, the sound of the audience singing along is just mind blowing.

Depeche Mode - 101 Live In Pasendena (1988)
Pet Shop Boys - Actually (1987)
ZZ Top - Eliminator (1983)
The Police - Ghosts In The Machine (1981)
Alphaville - Forever Young (1984)

)¦nbsp

What does this mean? I see it some replies.

Guns N Roses- Appetite For Destruction. Not just the best album of the 80's, but possibly one of the greatest albums ever. Nothing had ever came out that sounded like them. They were a blend of the Stones, Nazareth, and Led Zep, but had their own style. 18 years after its release, it still sounds relevant. A truly timeless record. One of the only 80's albums that doesn't sound dated. If you played this album to a teenager today, they wouldn't know if it had been recorded in the 80's, 90's, or today.

My favourite 80s album is "Fantastic" by Wham!

It is quite cheesy I know, but I loved every song on it.  This album was such an International hit, that a non-album single was released titled "Club Fantastic Megamix" which was tracks from the album mixed into a medley.  It became their 5th hit single in the UK

  Back In Black ~ AC/DC

  Probably my most listened to album of the decade.  At no point, as I recall, was I without a copy of this album since I received it on vinyl in 1980...


 

My favorites are:

Seven and the Ragged Tiger- Duran Duran. Exposer- Expose
Slippery When Wet- Bon Jovi
Rio- Duran Duran
Appetite For Destruction- Guns n Roses
Heart- Heart
Love Life- Berlin
Exposer- Expose
Heartbeat City- The Cars

Roxy Music - Avalon.

Sheer musical perfection, light years ahead of it's time and not one bad track on it.

Has the added advantage of never having failed to uh, erm, get ladies in the 'mood'.  :P