My Favorite Albums from the 1980s
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Forum Name: General Music Discussions
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=122857
Printed Date: March 12 2025 at 15:54
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Topic: My Favorite Albums from the 1980s
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Subject: My Favorite Albums from the 1980s
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 17:38
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These are 25 of my favorite albums from the 1980s--pretty much in order, top to bottom. Choose a one or a few of the ones that you love, too. The 80s weren't so bad, were they? ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Replies:
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 17:52
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why is this under prog polls? Solaris I guess |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 18:16
| Ponty was 78, but I'll vote for that. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 19:10
| ^Yep. I was just going to point out that Cosmic Messenger was from 78. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 19:12
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I don’t know most of these (bar the Prog titles) - but - someone here likes Swing Out Sister ?? I had the hots for Corrine D in the 80’s. It’s better to travel - very good album. Communion was my fave song, though I haven’t listened to this for over 20 years. Oh, Eskaton is my pick from those I’m familiar with. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 20:11
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Based on this list, yeah they were. lol Discipline, easy. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 21:22
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Solaris followed by King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, and The Fixx. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 23:08
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I thought I would give the Fixx a shout out here with a vote. Several favorites of mine are on this list too. ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: judahbenkenobi
Date Posted: April 28 2020 at 23:27
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I haven't heard most from the list, so my opinion about the 80's remains not too good. Since I ignore most of those albums I didn't vote. KC's Discipline is one of the few I know, and is not a favorite of mine from their discography. The other one I know is Ghost in the Machine, and I love it. Fact is, my favorite Police albums are Ghost and Synchronicity. Perhaps the 80's weren't that bad, indeed 
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Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 00:20
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Ok, the 80s were not thoroughly bad. My choices: Rickie Lee Jones, U2 and Simple Minds. ------------- 
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Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 00:25
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Lots of brilliant albums to chose from...and I eenie-meenie-miny-moe’d myself into picking the Tears For Fears debut. Still my fave from the band. Could’ve gone for quite a few others though...also really dig Treasure from Cocteau Twins. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: geekfreak
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 00:34
 ------------- Friedrich Nietzsche: "Without music, life would be a mistake." Music Is Live Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. Keep Calm And Listen To The Music… < |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 00:39
| ^ Very impressive ! I only have Reggada de Blanc on vinyl, the rest on official cassette. |
Posted By: Rick1
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 00:54
| The wonderful Cocteau Twins.... |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 02:57
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Born in 1970 so a big '80s fan....yet I am very unfamiliar with most on this list so went with the Tears For Fears debut... And actually I don't have many of what you might call "classic '80s" albums, I was into buying singles/12" singles as a youth; but would include Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears as an absolute belter! Then I got into rock/classic rock/metal; so amazing albums I bought from the '80s would include those by King's X, Metallica, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Bryan Adams, etc. A couple of my favourite less well known recommendations would be Memory In The Making by John Kilzer, and King Swamp by King Swamp. And, of course, many of my favourite prog albums are from the '80s: particularly by IQ and Marillion... Never got into a lot of popular mainstream bands, like U2, Simple Minds, The Cure, Springsteen, Prince, The Police...
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 03:03
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Discipline, The Dreaming, and Brilliant Trees are among my top 10 of all time. And then The Cure get into my selection on a wild card. Not quite up to the other three (and not my favourite Cure album either, by some distance), but in need of some love. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 04:05
Arh nuts! I missed the part about multivoting  I have effectively remedied that with some sugar for Kate Bush, Crimson, Simple Minds, Solaris, The Police and The Cure. I love all these albums for quite different reasons. Oh and Drew. I would have taken you for a Siouxsie fan as well with your affinity for female vocals  Hyæna and A Kiss In The Dreamhouse are two of my faves. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 06:44
| There were quite many great albums in the eighties specially in the alternative/Indie (for example Sonic Youth, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits, Beefheart, the Pop Group, Pere Ubu, Meat Puppets, Wipers, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus), but there are not many of those my faves in this poll. I choose only Bush and the Cure (I would have put Seventeen Seconds, Faith or Pornography instead of Disintegration). I like quite much Japan three eighties albums, but haven´t heard any Sylvian solos. Should I? |
Posted By: digdug
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 07:00
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Solaris for me PG would be next ------------- Prog On! |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 09:07
Not that I know your taste very well, but yes you should, definitely! Brilliant Trees is absolutely wonderful. Secrets of the Beehive is about as good, and the two in between are not bad either. Later he becomes very experimental and sometimes atonal and structureless. I love much of his later stuff as well (how much more do I treasure those who start in pop music and then, more mature, go into adventurous territory than those who take the other direction), although surely it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Speaking of Japan, Rain Tree Crow and Mick Karn's solo work are also not to be ignored!
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Mortte wrote:Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 09:15
I did a thread similar to this.  When it comes to prog it was best to look towards new artists than to the old ones. The mellotron on The Hurting made me a Tears For Fears Fan. Lots of good albums in the poll that I love and are in my collection and a few I should probably check out. But yeah, for me it's Steve Tibbetts Yr. I kinda hate to say it but his first two before he got on ECM are my favorites. I think that the started to get better as his ECM albums went on. Cosmic Messenger, The Dreaming, Discipline, Mummer, Wichita Falling (heheheheh), Ghost In The Machine, Security. Some great artists from the '70's did not succumb to commericalitis and some great new artists were out there to be enjoyed. BTW it was Synchronicity that converted me to The Police. That and I Advanced Masked.------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:04
I noticed that, too (my affinity for female vocalists--and boys who chose to look like women)! But Siouxsie's music never hooked me in (though her rendition of "Trust in Me" is INCREDIBLE!) Plus, I just realized that I left off Bruce Cockburn and Jane Siberry! AAARGH! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:08
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Bart, did you mean Ponty's 1980 album, Civilized Evil? That's my favorite of his. Some great albums in that list by Crimson, Fixx, Tibbetts, Solaris, Kate Bush, The Police. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:10
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Many good ones there... Cocteau twins (Treasure is my favorite Cocteau lp) Bush Crimson XTC (one of my favorite non prog bands) Metheny (been rediscovering his music and buying all the original early vinyl) Police Gabriel ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:13
I can never hear "Surrender" enough times--especially the "Stuff Gun Mix"! Corrine's laughs! The trumpet! The beats! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:20
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I actually meant that Jean-Luc Ponty release to be Individual Choice but would gladly replace it with Bruce Cockburn's Stealing Fire or Big Circumstance. ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:27
Sorry for calling you Bart. I thought Slartbartifast posted the poll.  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Olape
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 10:29
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My favorites from the list: Tears for Fears - The Hurting The Police - Ghost in the machine ------------- 
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 11:46
Yeah I thought Cosmic Messenger wasn't an '80's album. It's 1978 and you know I am a stickler for those kind of things. Ponty's first '80's album that I have was Mystical Adventures followed by Individual Choice, Open Mind, Fables (saw him live on that tour), The Gift Of Time, and Storytelling. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Braka1
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 12:01
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There's almost nothing on that list which I particularly like or dislike. Which perhaps says something about the 80's or me, or both.
------------- Believe me Pope Paul, my toes are clean |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 13:41
Funny, that, as the first time I saw Jean-Luc it was on the Cosmic Messenger tour--as a warmup to The Police! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 14:38
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The Police and Kate Bush certainly. Ghost In The Machine is a special album. Would have gone for Simple Minds it was Sparkle In The Rain . Up On The Catwalk and Waterfront are the tracks I really love by them. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 15:02
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Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 15:11
My 80’s picks, outside of Prog, are Sade, Kajagoogoo, Haircut One Hundred, Japan and a handful of Thrash bands. |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 15:19
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Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 15:20
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I do like Ghost In the Machine, but my favourite Police albums are Zenyatta Mondatta and Synchronicity. Ghost has some really great tracks (its hit singles first and foremost, as well as "Rehumanise Yourself" and "Secret Journey"), but overall I think it is rather inconsistent. Synchronicity, in comparison, is a much more cohesive journey in my view, and it probably represents Sting's peak as a songwriter (the only track I struggle to appreciate is Andy Summers' "Mother"). |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 17:33
| of these, Simple Minds, though if it was either of David Sylvian's subsequent 2 albums he would have won easily |
Posted By: jamesbaldwin
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 18:30
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Voted for Prefab Sprout: Steve McQueen was a good album. Not the best on the list but... 1) Springsteen all the albums: The River/Nebraska/Born in the Usa/Tunnel of Love 2) John Hiatt Bring The Family /Slow Turning 3) U2 October /The Unforgettable Fire/ The Joshua Tree / Rattle and Hum 4) Simple Minds Empire and Dance /New Gold Dream /Street Fighting Years 5) Bryan Adams Reckless 6) Toto Toto IV /Isolation 7) Fabrizio De Andrè Creuza de Ma 8) CCCP Etica Etnica Epica Pathos 9) Peter Gabriel IV 10) Yes 90125 11) Marillion Misplaced Childhood 12) The Smiths The Queen Is Dead 13) The Housemartins London 0 - Hull 4 14) Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen 15) Suzanne Vega I /Solitude Standing 16) Tracy Chapman I / Crossroads 17) REM: Life's Rich Pageant 18) Nick Cave: From Her to Eternity 19) Police: Synchronicity 20) Sting: The dream of the Blue Turtles / Nothing like the Sun 21) Noiseworks : Touch 22) The The : Dusk 23) King Crimson: Beat 24) Dire Straits: Making Movies /Brothers in Arms 25) Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring / Spirit Of Eden
------------- Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 29 2020 at 20:04
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man... trying to come up with a list of favorite albums from that decade.. impossible man.. even a top 5 is rough. Nice list Drew.. you were close on one one of top 5's so I'll shoot it a vote Talking Heads - Remain in Light... what better album to usher in the 80's.. and for many in the know.. it was considered the single best album of the 80's Def Leppard - HIgh and Dry.. back when they rocked.. and good god almighty this album ruled... this was one of the favorite put on before heading out on a night of sacking and pillaging... Tears for Fears - Song From the Big Chair.. the debut was good Drew.. but this was their masterpiece no doubt and one of the best albums of the decade. can't have a top 5 80's album list.. or a top 3 IMO without this gem Talk Talk - Sprit of Eden.. .while everyone else was playing musical checkers.. even if much was high quality.. this was chess to everyone's checkers.. so ahead of everyone else.. it took the genre it inspired another decade to form up and if Remain in Light was the perfect album to usher out the 70's and bring in the 80's this one was the perfect exit to the joy and general happiness that was the 80's and into the much darker 90's Jane's Addiction - Nothing Shocking.. again.. years ahead of were everyone else would be going. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: iluvmarillion
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 00:02
| If it wasn't for the King Crimson I wouldn't have voted for the Police album. Kate Bush is a really good album as well. And U2 Boy is just about their best album although maybe not as good as Joshua Tree. |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 01:55
That is one stunning list of albums (on top of the already great one that was originally given). So good that I've got to listen to the Jane's Addiction album that I don't know yet.
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 05:30
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Voted for King Crimson, Steve Tibbets & Eskaton on this list. It was a great decade for Avant, I also have Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden This Heat - Deceit Univers Zero - Ceux De Dehors Cardiacs - A Little Man ... Zamla Mammaz Manna - Familjesprickor Shub Niggurath - Les Mort Vont Vite Thinking Plague - In This Life Art Zoyd - Pase IV ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Rick1
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 05:33
Most of these bands were off the radar in the UK during the 80s, despite the inaugural RIO festival in 78. I only became aware of many of these albums decades later. However, I first saw the Cardiacs at Stonehenge in 84...
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 05:46
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multiple votes allowed? ok, Simple Minds and The Fixx then.
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Posted By: PhideauxFan
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 06:50
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Solaris, The Cure and King Crimson. From that period, I prefer listening to hard-rock/heavy-metal albums.
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Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:04
What XTC isn't prog?!?!?!? (I honestly thought all of these albums and bands were carrying the progressive rock torch!) ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:09
Merde! Pelican West is one that should be on that list--somewhere near the top as it currently sits at #26 on my list of 600 ALL-TIME FAVORITE ALBUMS! Damn! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:15
To my mind and ears (and soul) Ghost in the Machine is the band's only album that nears the realm of progressive rock. It was, in my opinion, Andy Summers' album. Note his concurrent work with Robert Fripp (I Advance Masked) All those sustained MIDI-guitar chords, etc. Even the lyrical content is more sci-fi / supernatural / spiritual than their other stuff (which I was really into at the time). I think I own everything The Police and Sting did up to about 1994 and Ghost remains the only one I go back to. ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:30
Thanks, Micky! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 09:50
You stuck with the hard-core prog, I went after the "prog lite," jazz, and classical. All of the albums you list here from the Avant world I've only gotten to know since I joined PA in 2008. Many have impressed and climbed into favor, I just don't think I'll ever be as much of fan of the Avant-RIO world as I am of "Prog Lite." ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 12:10
I won't disagree with that, but the Police are not really a prog band anyway. Ghost probably stands as their most experimental album overall, but there are other cases too where a band's most experimental album isn't necessarily one of their best. This is f.e. the case with Their Satanic Majesties Request (which I actually enjoy despite the harsh criticism of it, but it is by no means one of the Stones' greatest albums).
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Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 12:18
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These are probably my favourite albums from the 80's (international): The Clash: Sandinista and Combat Rock Talking Heads: Remain in Light The Police: Zenyatta Mondatta and Synchronicity David Bowie: Scary Monsters David Byrne and Brian Eno: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts R.E.M.: Murmur and Document Paul Simon: Graceland U2: The Joshua Tree Sting: Nothing Like the Sun
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 12:19
Your list of options are excellent, loads of good music there. ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: April 30 2020 at 13:27
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Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: May 03 2020 at 08:42
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Great list. Voted The Cure, KC, The Police and PG. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: May 03 2020 at 09:42
| Eskaton's 4 Visions is the one that I can be most confident would make my top 25. I adore that album. It was the first Zeuhl album that I loved, and I still like to return to it regularly. I'm also voting for Kate Bush's The Dreaming which I've appreciated more and more over time. And I'm also voting for the Cure's Disintegration. It's been a while since I last listened to it in full, I have it on cassette, but I used to really love that album and feel like listening to it again. I played it so much back in the day, but right now I'm going to put on another 80s album that I haven't listened to in a long while, Bauhaus In the Flat Field, and then some of my usual Art Zoyd fare. I really love the 80s. I also like Cocteau Twins, but I've never heard Treasure in full. That I will soon rectify. |