25 of my favourite releases from 1980

These are 25 of my favourite albums from 1980. I'm sure I am missing favourites and Present should have been in here but it went into the 1981 poll before instead. I still have not done 1982 because I could not decide on what full 25 options to add. While it still has many albums I love, 1981 and 1980 are particularly strong years for me, and I plan to add some non-1982 albums to the poll that covers 1982. A couple of personal faves came up in the 1981 poll that would have been there had I not missed them and those will go in my 1982 poll.

The numbers are not very meaningful, fairly arbitrary, reflects on what my more interests have been as well as long term interests, but not accurately. The numbers are a feature of Awesome Prog where I made my list and it does help me to organise these lists and think about what is meaningful to me. If it made the list, that album has been important to me and remains significant to me, be it at number one spot or at 25. I just don;t want people reading too much into the numbers (and I know Moshkito has some issues with numbers, preferences, greatest hits...). I like to share what is and has been special to me with others and I wish I did had more in my personal life (that I physically get together with) to do that with, but at the same time as an introvert I commonly do avoid getting together with people as I find it exhausting.

Please try to vote for five of these options if you can (more if you want to). I am happy to hear about other releases not in the poll provided that you comment on the choices. This commenting could be by voting and mentioning a release or releases in your post, saying what you know that does not appeal, or saying that you know none of the albums in the poll. That context is, those kind of details are, important to me. Helps me to make sense of and appreciate where people are coming from and creates a more enjoyable and warmer atmosphere for me (not that we need more global warming).

1. Joy Division - Closer (not in PA)
2. Art Zoyd - Génération sans futur
3. Bobby Beausoleil - Lucifer Rising (OST)
4. Siouxsie and The Banshees - Kaleidoscope (not in PA)
5. Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
6. Eskaton - Ardeur
7. Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1 (not in PA)
8. Terry Riley - Shri Camel
9. Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo tutti i suoi problemi
Present - Triskaidekaphobie (left out as had been in 1981 poll)
10. Tuxedomoon - Half-Mute (not in PA)
11. Zamla Mammaz Manna - Familjesprickor (Family Cracks)
12. Kate Bush - Never for Ever
13. Douji Morita - Un, deux, trois (not in PA)
14. Gary Numan - Telekon (not in PA)
15. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field (not in PA)
16. Snakefinger - Greener Postures
17. Tangerine Dream - Tangram
18. Kitaro - Silk Road Volume 2
19. Peter Hammill - A Black Box
20. Aksak Maboul - Un peu de l'âme des bandits
21. Peter Gabriel - Melt
22. Itoiz - Ezekiel
23. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
24. Kitaro - Silk Road Volume 1
25. Slapp Happy or Slapp Happy (archival, recorded in 1973)

EDIT: Realised I forgot to include David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps). It was in my longer list, will remove Slapp Happy. I really like the album but generally I prefer not to include archival releases in these yearly things.

Edited by Logan - March 08 2025 at 10:56

Gary Numan - Telekon

^ Thanks, Jeff.    I have listened to most of your other choices. The one with the music that has meant the most to me that you mentioned is APP's Turn of a Friendly Card, and I have adored "Time" of it. It's nowhere near been my like for I Robot which I have loved since I was like seven or eight, or the debut, or even Pyramid, actually, but it's an album I enjoyed (especially in my late teens or early 20s).

Here is the rest of my list at Awesome Prog, no doubt missing many albums I like. I was careless not to put David Bowie higher and in the poll (been in my longer list) even though it's not a particular favourite of mine of his. I am going to add that as an other option. I really liked that Rush album at one time, and would still like it I expect, but a super enthusiastic Rush friend kind of turned me off the band over three decades ago and so Rush has not been played much in a very long time. Still, I have listened to every Rush studio album. I liked Gaucho, not as much as Aja, but only heard it the once.

27. Captain Beefheart - Doc At The Radar Station
28. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
29. Tangerine Dream - Quichotte [AP Prog-Adj]
30. The Sound - Jeopardy [AP Non-Prog]
31. Wipers - Is This Real? [AP Non-Prog]
32. The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta [AP Non-Prog]
33. Alan Parsons - The Turn of a Friendly Card
34. Rush - Permanent Waves

I also wish I had included that Beefheart. I did some bad shuffling...

Edited by Logan - March 08 2025 at 11:06

Logan wrote: ^ Thanks, Jeff.    I have listened to most of your other choices. The one with the music that has meant the most to me that you mentioned is APP's Turn of a Friendly Card, and I have adored "Time" of it. It's nowhere near been my like for I Robot which I have loved since I was like seven or eight, or the debut, or even Pyramid, actually, but it's an album I enjoyed (especially in my late teens or early 20s). Here is the rest of my list at Awesome Prog, no doubt missing many albums I like. I was careless not to put David Bowie higher and in the poll (been in my longer list) even though it's not a particular favourite of mine of his. I am going to add that as an other option. I really liked that Rush album at one time, and would still like it I expect, but a super enthusiastic Rush friend kind of turned me off the band over three decades ago and so Rush has not been played much in a very long time. Still, I have listened to every Rush studio album. I liked Gaucho, not as much as Aja, but only heard it the once. 27. Captain Beefheart - Doc At The Radar Station 28. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) 29. Tangerine Dream - Quichotte [AP Prog-Adj] 30. The Sound - Jeopardy [AP Non-Prog] 31. Wipers - Is This Real? [AP Non-Prog] 32. The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta [AP Non-Prog] 33. Alan Parsons - The Turn of a Friendly Card 34. Rush - Permanent Waves I also wish I had included that Beefheart. I did some bad shuffling...

Logan,

Good call on the Police's Zenyatta Mondatta. Bowie is like Zappa in that I respect them more than I like their music. Agreed on APP. I would rate I Robot and their debut ahead of Turn of a Friendly Card.

Interestingly, last night I was umpiring a High School baseball game and during the introduction of the home team's lineup they played the instrumental Sirius. Second team this year to use Sirius as their introduction music. Safe to say that APP will not be forgotten a hundred years from now as Sirius will stayed be played at sporting events.

Super fans can turn you off on bands. And Rush has their fair share. In particular, any suggestion that Peart and Lee are not the greatest drummer and bassist ever will get you ran out of town.

Tangerine Dream – Tangram
Kitaro – Silk Road Volume 1
Kitaro – Silk Road Volume 1
Gary Numan – Telekon
Glenn Branca – Lesson No. 1
Kate Bush – Never for Ever
Art Zoyd – Génération sans futur

BrufordFreak wrote: I voted for five from your list, Greg, but my own personal list looks quite different: <div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">1. U2 Boy 2. BRIAN ENO with Harold Budd Ambient Two: Plateaux of Mirror 3. TALKING HEADS Remain in Light <font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">4. LARAAJI Ambient 3: Day of Radiance 5. GEORGE WINSTON Autumn <font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">6. FLAIRCK <i -original-attrs=""style":""" style="font-weight: bold;">Gevecht met de Engel 7. STEELY DAN Gaucho <div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">8. THE BUGGLES The Age of Plastic<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times" style="">9. AC/DC <i style="">Back in Black<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">10. STEVE TIBBETTS Yr <div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">11. KATE BUSH Never For Ever <font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">12. BRIAN ENO & JON HASSELL Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics <font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">13. SBB Memento Z Banalnym Tryptikiem<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" size="3">14. GENESIS Duke 15. ITOIZ Ezekiel<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">16. ANTHONY PHILLIPS Private Parts & Pieces II: Back to the Pavillion<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">17. PAT BENETAR Crimes of Passion<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">18. PERERIN Haul Ar Yr Eira<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">19. PETER GABRIEL Peter Gabriel ("Melt")<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">20. THE POLICE Zenyattà Mondatta<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times"> <div style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><font -keep-original-tag="false" -original-attrs=""style":""" face="times">Those entries emboldened represent albums in the PA database.

Good Call on AC/DC and Pat Benatar (as well as others on your list previously mentioned in above posts). Back in Black is a classic. Very tough shoes to fill with Bon Scott's death, but Brian Johnson does indeed fill them. I really like Benatar's first 3 albums. First saw her in concert in 81 I think. Great singer. Her husband Neil Geraldo is very good guitarist.

Not a fan of U2, but I do have an appreciation for their first three albums. War, I actually do quite like. I have that in my CD collection. After that, they don't hold much interest.

Voted for five:
Abus Dangereux
Zammla
Eskaton
Picchio Dal Pozzo
Tuxedomoon
Of those I would rate Abus Dangereux as my favourite.
In the same area code is Noa and their self titled release. I'm a big fan of that one.
7 others from this year not on the list:
Rush- Permanent Waves
Black Sabbath- Heaven And Hell
AC/DC- Back In Black
Rahmann- s/t
Jean Philippe Goude- Drones
Hugh Hopper & Alan Gowen- Two Rainbows Daily
Hawkwind- Levitation

1 Art Zoyd - Génération sans futur
2 Abus Dangereux - Le Quatrieme Mouvement
3 Kate Bush - Never for Ever
4 Bobby Beausoleil - Lucifer Rising (OST)
5 Peter Hammill - A Black Box
6 Aksak Maboul - Un peu de l'âme des bandits
7 Joy Division - Closer (not in PA)
8 Siouxsie and The Banshees - Kaleidoscope (not in PA)
9 Bauhaus - In the Flat Field (not in PA)
10 Eskaton - Ardeur
11 Peter Gabriel - Melt
12 Slapp Happy or Slapp Happy (archival, recorded in 1973)
13 Talking Heads - Remain in Light
14 Tangerine Dream - Tangram
15 Zamla Mammaz Manna - Familjesprickor (Family Cracks)

Don't remember:

Terry Riley - Shri Camel
Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo tutti i suoi problemi
Itoiz - Ezekiel

Do not know:

Tuxedomoon - Half-Mute (not in PA)
Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1 (not in PA)
Douji Morita - Un, deux, trois (not in PA)
Gary Numan - Telekon (not in PA)
Snakefinger - Greener Postures
Kitaro - Silk Road Volume 1
Kitaro - Silk Road Volume 2

Ten albums I would have included:

Rahmann - Rahmann
The Residents - Commercial Album
Yello - Solid Pleasure
The John Renbourn Group - The Enchanted Garden
Bobb Trimble - Iron Curtain Innocence
Bobby Hutcherson - Patterns (archival release, recorded in 1968)
McCoy Tyner - Horizon
Barre Phillips - Journal Violone II
Between - Stille über der Zeit: Silence Beyond Time
Noa - Noa

^ I should have paid more attention to my ordering when making my list. I put your twelfth spot act (Slapp Happy) that was replaced by Bowie in this poll in a 17 albums from 1982, 5 from 1981 and 3 from 1980 (CLICK) poll, by the way. Just in case anyone might miss it and as a kind of status update.

Now that I have gone through all of the 80s years, although because of how I did it I missed putting in many favourites of mine (and forgot others), I just want to stress that to me it is fantastic decade for music, and a very "progressive" decade at that. Some people accuse everything about the 80s as being so slick and shallow, but then maybe one is digging too shallow a furrow to ferret. Plenty of gems to unearth.

Edited by Logan - 17 hours 51 minutes ago at 09:32

One of my favourite T. Dream albums, that.  Anyone else see the Gabriel tour before the album came out? Ably supported by Bill Macormick's Random Hold if memory serves.