The Best Albums of 1982: Honorable Mentions

We hope that you enjoyed our huge feature on The Best Albums of 1982. If you happened to miss it, please click here.

There were so many great releases that didn't get included in the Best Albums of 1982 feature - since we limited ourselves to the Top 15. In this post you will find 15 more albums that Sarah and I selected that needed to be represented. A track from each album is added to the playlist at the bottom - and we threw in 60 extra songs that we thoroughly enjoy. We hope you do too! So without further delay, here are our Honorable Mentions for 1982.

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Adam Ant - Friend or Foe

Au Pairs - Sense and Sensuality

Bad Brains - s/t

The Birthday Party - Junkyard

The Damned - Strawberries

The Danse Society - Seduction

A Flock of Seagulls - s/t

Gang of Four - Songs of the Free

The Gun Club - Miami

Killing Joke - Revelations

The Lords of the New Church - s/t

Lou Reed - The Blue Mask

Redd Kross - Born Innocent

Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster

X - Under the Big Black Sun

Afrikka Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force - 'Planet Rock' from Planet Rock single

The B-52's - 'Nip It in the Bud' from Mesopotamia EP

Bauhaus - 'Ziggy Stardust' from Ziggy Stardust single

Bertie Higgins - 'Key Largo' from Just Another Day in Paradise

Billy Idol - 'White Wedding' from Billy Idol

Blancmange - 'Living on the Ceiling' from Happy Families

Blondie - 'For Your Eyes Only' from The Hunter

The Boomtown Rats - 'Never in a Million Years' from V Deep

Bow Wow Wow - 'I Want Candy' from The Last of the Mohicans EP

Cabaret Voltaire - 'Yashar' from 2X45

The Chameleons - 'In Shreds' from In Shreds single

Devo - 'Peek-A-Boo' from Oh, No! It's Devo

Dexys Midnight Runners - 'Come On Eileen' from Too-Rye-Ay

The Dream Syndicate - 'Tell Me When It's Over' from The Days of Wine and Roses

The (English) Beat - 'Save It for Later' from Special Beat Service

The Fixx - 'Red Skies' from Shuttered Room

Frida - 'I Know There's Something Going On' from Something's Going On

Front 242 - 'Operating Tracks' from Geography

Fun Boy Three - 'The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)' from Fun Boy Three

Gang of Four - 'I Love a Man in Uniform' from Songs of the Free

Gary Numan - 'Music for Chameleons' from I, Assassin

Gene Loves Jezebel - 'Shaving My Neck' from Shaving My Neck EP

Giorgio Moroder - 'Cat People (Putting Out Fire) feat. David Bowie' from Cat People Soundtrack

The Go-Go's - 'Vacation' from Vacation

Grace Jones - 'My Jamaican Guy' from Living My Life

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - 'The Message feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee' from The Message

Haircut One Hundred - 'Love Plus One' from Pelican West

Iggy Pop - 'Run Like a Villain' from Zombie Birdhouse

Kim Wilde - 'Cambodia' from Select

Kiss - 'I Love It Loud' from Creatures of the Night

Led Zeppelin - 'Bonzo's Montreux' from Coda

The Legendary Pink Dots - 'Amphitheatre' from Premonition cassette

Marshall Crenshaw - 'Someday, Someway' from Marshall Crenshaw

Marvin Gaye - 'Sexual Healing' from Midnight Love

Men Without Hats - 'The Safety Dance' from Rhythm of Youth

Merle Haggard / Willie Nelson - 'Pancho & Lefty' from Pancho & Lefty

Mission of Burma - 'Trem Two' from Vs.

Modern English - 'I Melt With You' from After the Snow

The Motels - 'Only the Lonely' from All Four One

New Order - 'Temptation' from Temptation single

Nick Lowe - 'My Heart Hurts' from Nick the Knife

Nico & The Invisible Girls - 'Procession' from Procession single

Oingo Boingo - 'Wild Sex (in the Working Class)' from Nothing to Fear

Queen - 'Under Pressure feat. David Bowie' from Hot Space

The Replacements - 'Kids Don't Follow' from Stink EP

Robyn Hitchcock - 'Fifty Two Stations' from Groovy Decay

Romeo Void - 'Never Say Never' from Benefactor

Rush - 'Subdivisions' from Signals

The Sisters of Mercy - 'Alice' from Alice single

Southern Death Cult - 'Moya' from Moya single

Sparks - 'I Predict' from Angst in My Pants

Squeeze - 'Black Coffee in Bed' from Sweets from a Stranger

Thomas Dolby - 'Europa and the Pirate Twins' from The Golden Age of Wireless

Tones on Tail - 'There's Only One' from There's Only One single

Toto - 'Africa' from Toto IV

Toto Coelo - 'I Eat Cannibals' from I Eat Cannibals single

U2 - 'A Celebration' from A Celebration single

The Waitresses - 'I Know What Boys Like' from Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?

Wall of Voodoo - 'Mexican Radio' from Call of the West

Willie Nelson - 'Always on My Mind' from Always on My Mind

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The Best Albums of 1982

We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 2002, check that out after you're done here. Let's go back 35 revolutions around the sun to the year 1982. Ronald Reagan was in his first term as President of the United States, while the compact disc was commercially debuting in Japan with 50 titles. The Commodore 64 personal computer hit the store shelves and Pitfall! for the Atari 2600 immediately became a favorite after school adventure. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Rocky III, Tootsie, Blade Runner, Poltergeist and Annie were tearing it up at the box office. 1982 was a year of some notable births, including rappers Lil Wayne & Nicki Minaj, future American Idol successes Adam Lambert & Kelly Clarkson, actresses Lacey Chabert (whose father invented Toaster Strudels), Anne Hathaway, Full House's Jodie Sweetin and Kirsten Dunst. The world sadly lost the talents of actors John Belushi & Grace Kelly, jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, guitarist Randy Rhoads and science fiction writer Philip K. Dick.

As always, Sarah and I enlisted the help of our regular contributors & friends to select Top 15 albums. In addition, everyone handpicked a track from each album for you to enjoy in our Best Albums of 1982 Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page (unfortunately there are a few albums not available on Spotify - we encourage you to locate those elsewhere). If you'd like to share your own 1982 favorites, please comment below. We will be back later in the week with a list of our Honorable Mentions. Stay tuned to see which year is coming next!

Bret Helm

Life on this Planet | Audra

15. Misfits - Walk Among Us

14. The Wake - Harmony

13. Talk Talk - The Party's Over

12. Grease 2 Soundtrack

11. The Associates - Sulk

10. Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame

09. Modern English - After the Snow

08. R.E.M. - Chronic Town EP

07. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now

06. The Sound - All Fall Down

05. The Church - The Blurred Crusade

04. Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain

03. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out

02. The Cure - Pornography

01. Virgin Prunes - ...If I Die, I Die

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

15. Stray Cats - Built for Speed
14. The Jam - The Gift
13. INXS - Shabooh Shoobah
12. Ultravox - Quartet
11. Visage - The Anvil
10. Berlin - Pleasure Victim

09. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now

08. Modern English - After the Snow

07. The Clash - Combat Rock

06. Siouxsie and the Banshees - A Kiss in the Dreamhouse

05. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out

04. Duran Duran - Rio

03. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's

02. The Cure - Pornography

01. Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame

Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

15. Madness - The Rise & Fall

14. Duran Duran - Rio

13. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out

12. Ultravox - Quartet

11. Modern English - After the Snow

10. Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

09. Laurie Anderson - Big Science

08. Talk Talk - The Party's Over

07. The Clash - Combat Rock

06. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now

05. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

04. Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom

03. Peter Gabriel - (Security)

02. XTC - English Settlement

01. Kate Bush - The Dreaming

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

15. Judy Nylon & Crucial - Pal Judy

14. Missing Persons - Spring Session M

13. The Comsat Angels - Fiction

12. The Dream Syndicate - The Days of Wine and Roses

11. The Unknowns - s/t

10. Lydia Lunch - 13.13

09. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now

08. Cocteau Twins - Garlands

07. Crispy Ambulance - The Plateau Phase

06. The Wake - Harmony

05. Virgin Prunes - ...If I Die, I Die

04. Duran Duran - Rio

03. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour

02. The Cure - Pornography

01. Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain

Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan

15. Culture Club - Kissing to Be Clever
14. Orange Juice - You Can't Hide Your Love Forever
13. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's
12. Duran Duran - Rio
11. Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
10. Virgin Prunes - ...If I Die, I Die
09. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
08. Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame
07. Christian Death - Only Theatre of Pain
06. Cocteau Twins - Garlands
05. Siouxsie and the Banshees - A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
04. Roxy Music - Avalon
03. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out
02. Kate Bush - The Dreaming
01. The Cure - Pornography

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan

15. Billy Idol - s/t
14. Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse
13. Burning Spear - Farover
12. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's
11. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
10. Duran Duran - Rio
09. Roxy Music - Avalon
08. Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
07. Siouxsie and the Banshees - A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
06. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
05. Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame
04. Prince - 1999
03. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out
02. The Cure - Pornography
01. Kate Bush - The Dreaming

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

15. Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going
14. Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
13. Talk Talk - The Party's Over
12. Dexys Midnight Runners - Too-Rye-Ay
11. Roxy Music - Avalon
10. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
09. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
08. Joe Jackson - Night and Day
07. Siouxsie and the Banshees - A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
06. Cocteau Twins - Garlands
05. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly
04. The Cure - Pornography
03. Jethro Tull - Broadsword and the Beast
02. Peter Gabriel - (Security)
01. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

15. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Long After Dark
14. Kate Bush - The Dreaming
13. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's
12. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
11. Evelyn 'Champagne' King - Get Loose
10. Michael Jackson - Thriller
09. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out
08. Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
07. INXS - Shabooh Shoobah
06. Depeche Mode - A Broken Frame
05. XTC - English Settlement
04. The Cure - Pornography
03. Prince - 1999
02. Fad Gadget - Under the Flag
01. Grease 2 Soundtrack

Tim Brown
London, England

15. John 'Cougar' Mellencamp - American Fool
14. Culture Club - Kissing to Be Clever
13. Yazoo - Upstairs at Eric's
12. The Cure - Pornography
11. The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
10. Bauhaus - The Sky's Gone Out
09. Orange Juice - Rip it Up
08. China Crisis - Difficult Shapes and Passive Rhythms...
07. ABC - The Lexicon of Love
06. Tracey Thorn - A Distant Shore
05. Kate Bush - The Dreaming
04. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
03. The Jam - The Gift
02. The Clash - Combat Rock
01. Fleetwood Mac - Mirage

STATS

66 different albums appeared in this feature

Which ones made it onto the most lists?

The Cure (8), The Psychedelic Furs (8), Bauhaus (7), Depeche Mode (5), Duran Duran (5), Kate Bush (5) and Yazoo (5)

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Planet Rotations #241

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. We are huge fans of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like all music lovers, we love to share what we're listening to and discover some new things from friends.

This week, Sarah and I each highlighted 6 albums that we played in full. Make sure to tune into the Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This is an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

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Bret's 6

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold as Love

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane

The Doors - Morrison Hotel

The Rolling Stones - Flowers

Tears for Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

Sarah's 6

Kissing is a Crime - s/t

Lowly - Heba
The Moonlandingz - Interplanetary Class Classics
Hundredth - Rare
The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
Goldfrapp - Silver Eye

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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Saturday Night Music Club #41: Best Albums of 2017... so far

We are back with a new edition of Saturday Night Music Club! The SNMC started up as an idea I had years ago - to recapture the feeling of being a kid and getting together with your friends in the basement to listen and discuss music. Over the last few years we've re-capped our monthly get-togethers with a video feature. For the time being, we are replacing the video aspect of the SNMC with a blog feature, where each member of the club will briefly discuss their record. A track from each album (when available) is collected in an ongoing SNMC Spotify playlist at the bottom of this post. So please listen in and enjoy the tunes along with us.

This month's theme: Each member of the SNMC was tasked with sharing a record released this year that they've been thoroughly enjoying. Let's take a look at what everyone brought...

Modern English - Take Me to the Trees

Self-Released | 2017

Favorite Song:

Come Out of Your Hole

Why did you add this record to your collection:

I've always really enjoyed Modern English, especially in their original 4AD run. Was so impressed with this album - their first with the OG lineup in 30 years - that I had to have it in the collection. The striking artwork was done by acclaimed 4AD designer Vaughan Oliver

Describe this album in one sentence:

Stripped-down, raw-ly produced post-punk - showcasing solid songwriting from a band that millions have heard but perhaps didn't know their name

Alexandra Savior - Belladonna of Sadness

Columbia | 2017

Favorite Song:

'Til You're Mine

Why did you add this record to your collection:

I'm a sucker for the sultry singer-songwriter style. I also swoon over everything Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys / The Last Shadow Puppets) - who co-wrote / co-produced & played on this album - so it was a must-have!

Describe this album in one sentence:

Smoky, cinematic lady-crooning in an old Hollywood lounge warming the crowd up for Lana Del Rey

Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet

Secretly Canadian | 2017

Favorite Song:

Machinist

Why did you add this record to your collection:

I already owned the first 3 albums on cassette and really enjoyed her progression as a musician. This album sees even more maturity and skill

Describe this album in one sentence:

Dreamy pop for any day - you need it!

Ride - Weather Diaries

Wichita | 2017

Favorite Song:

Cali

Why did you add this record to your collection:

I will add anything by Ride to my collection. This is an excellent release from my favorite shoegaze band

Describe this album in one sentence:

More killer melodies and beautiful harmonies from the seasoned musicians who helped pioneer the shoegaze sound

The Babe Rainbow - s/t

Flightless | 2017

Favorite Song:

Peace Blossom Boogy

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Nice grooves

Describe this album in one sentence:

Boogy Psych!

Kevin Morby - City Music

Dead Oceans | 2017

Favorite Song:

Come To Me Now

Why did you add this record to your collection:

The production sounds so good on vinyl

Describe this album in one sentence:

"Hi, I'm Psychedelic Sunset aka Sir Grails"

Tei Shi - Crawl Space

Downtown / Interscope | 2017

Favorite Song:

Creep

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Didn't. Jaymz bought it - he buys everything

Describe this album in one sentence:

Chill songs that you can sway to

Helado Negro - Private Energy (Expanded)

Rvng Intl | 2017

Favorite Song:

Runaround

Why did you add this record to your collection:

Heard it being used in end of a TV show, but I can't recall what show, then searched for it all around - and just loved it

Describe this album in one sentence:

Last time you saw your love and had to say goodbye until next time - those feels

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