We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 1997, check that out after you're done here. Let's go back 37 years - when Sarah and I were in the first grade (!!!) - to the year 1980. While Jimmy Carter was President of the United States, people freaked out over who shot J.R. on Dallas. On May 18th, devastation occurred on both sides of the pond with the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State and the self-inflicted death of Joy Division's Ian Curtis in England. The Cable News Network (CNN) premiered as the first 24 hour cable news channel, and Pac-Man gobbled its way across arcade screens becoming one of the most popular video games of all time. The Empire Strikes Back, 9 to 5, The Blues Brothers, Any Which Way You Can (right turn Clyde), Airplane! and The Shining were all being viewed by these eyes on the big screen. Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter Chelsea, New Girl Zooey Deschanel, Christina Ricci and Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin were all born in 1980. The world was left a sadder place with the departure of John Lennon, Alfred Hitchcock, Steve McQueen, Peter Sellers, Led Zeppelin's John Bonham and AC/DC's original frontman Bon Scott.
As always, Sarah and I enlisted the help of our regular contributors & friends to select Top 10 albums. In addition, everyone handpicked a track from each album for you to enjoy in our Best Albums of 1980 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 1980 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!
Life on this Planet | Audra
10. Roxy Music - Flesh and Blood
09. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Organisation
08. The Sound - Jeopardy
07. The Psychedelic Furs - s/t
06. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
05. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
04. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - s/t
03. Gary Numan - Telekon
02. Joy Division - Closer
09. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Organisation
08. The Sound - Jeopardy
07. The Psychedelic Furs - s/t
06. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
05. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
04. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - s/t
03. Gary Numan - Telekon
02. Joy Division - Closer
01. U2 - Boy
Life on this Planet
10. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Organisation
09. Ultravox - Vienna
08. ABBA - Super Trouper
07. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - s/t
06. Magazine - The Correct Use of Soap
05. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
03. The Jam - Sound Affects
02. The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro
09. Ultravox - Vienna
08. ABBA - Super Trouper
07. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - s/t
06. Magazine - The Correct Use of Soap
05. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
04. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
03. The Jam - Sound Affects
02. The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro
01. Roxy Music - Flesh and Blood
New Orleans, Louisiana
10. Billy Joel - Glass Houses
09. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
08. Queen - The Game
07. The Pretenders - s/t
06. The Psychedelic Furs - s/t
05. The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us
04. AC/DC - Back in Black
03. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
02. Joy Division - Closer
01. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
10. The B-52's - Wild Planet
09. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
08. Killing Joke - s/t
07. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
06. U2 - Boy
05. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
04. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
03. Cabaret Voltaire - Voice of America
02. The Durutti Column - The Return of the Durutti Column
01. Chrome - Red Exposure
Western Massachusetts
10. The Durutti Column - The Return of the Durutti Column
09. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Uprising
08. Eskaton - Ardeur
07. The Sound - Jeopardy
06. Harold Budd / Brian Eno - Ambient 2: The Plateux of Mirror
05. Harald Grosskopf - Synthesist
04. Joy Division - Closer
03. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
02. The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
01. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois
Tim Brown
London, England
John Magness
Uttoxeter, England
Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan
Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan
10. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
09. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
08. U2 - Boy
07. Ultravox - Vienna
06. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
05. The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
04. The (English) Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
03. The Pretenders - s/t
02. XTC - Black Sea
01. Peter Gabriel - (Melt)
London, England
10. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
09. AC/DC - Back in Black
08. The Pretenders - s/t
07. Dexys Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
06. Joy Division - Closer
05. The (English) Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
04. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
03. The Jam - Sound Affects
02. UB40 - Signing Off
01. Bruce Springsteen - The River
Uttoxeter, England
10. The Pretenders - s/t
09. The (English) Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
08. Rush - Permanent Waves
07. John Cooper Clarke - Snap, Crackle & Bop
06. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - s/t
05. Peter Gabriel - (Melt)
04. Ultravox - Vienna
03. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
02.The Teardrop Explodes - Kilimanjaro
01. Bruce Springsteen - The River
Okinawa, Japan
10. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Uprising
09. Bruce Springsteen - The River
08. U2 - Boy
07. Joy Division - Closer
06. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
05. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
04. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
03. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
02. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
01. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
09. Bruce Springsteen - The River
08. U2 - Boy
07. Joy Division - Closer
06. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
05. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
04. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
03. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
02. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
01. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
Okinawa, Japan
10. Killing Joke - s/t
09. The Durutti Column - The Return of the Durutti Column
08. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
07. The Psychedelic Furs - s/t
06. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
05. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
04. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
03. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
02. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
01. Joy Division - Closer
Jesse Deitermann
Saturday Night Music Club
10. The Specials - More Specials
09. Gary Numan - Telekon
08. Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
07. David Bowie - Scary Monsters
06. Joy Division - Closer
05. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
04. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
03. The Jam - Sound Affects
02. Echo & the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
01. U2 - Boy
STATS
47 different albums appeared in this feature
Which ones made it onto the most lists?
Joy Division (7), Bauhaus (6), The Cure (5), David Bowie (5), Echo & the Bunnymen (5), Siouxsie and the Banshees (5) and U2 (5)
If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)
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