Sunday, December 3, 2017

The Best Albums of 1985


We are back with another Best Albums feature from a year gone by - if you missed 1980, check that out after you're done here. Let's go back 32 years - when I was quarterback for the third year running on my Pop Warner football team, the Melrose Park Gaels. Back in 1985, Ronald Reagan began his second term as President of the United States. The Video Hits One Network (VH-1) premiered on January 1st, while later in the year the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) hit store shelves (and appeared under our Christmas tree). Back to the Future, Rocky IV, Rambo: First Blood Part II, The Color Purple and The Goonies were reeling in huge crowds at the theatre. It was a massive year for uniting people for great causes: Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie collaborated on the 'We Are the World' charity single, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide; Bob Geldof and Midge Ure organized the Live Aid concerts to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief. It was the end of Van Halen (version 1), as original singer David Lee Roth left the band. Pete Rose surpassed Ty Cobb as the all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball. Lily Allen, Lana Del Rey and Bruno Mars were all born in 1985. The world was left a sadder place with the deaths of actors Rock Hudson, Yul Brynner & Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra's bandleader Nelson Riddle and musician Ricky Nelson.

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 1985 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 1985 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

10. New Model Army - No Rest for the Wicked
09. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea
08. The Church - Heyday
07. The Sound - Heads and Hearts
06. R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction
05. The Cult - Love
04. The Chameleons - What Does Anything Mean? Basically
03. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
02. The Cure - The Head on the Door
01. Psi Com - s/t

Sarah Quarrie
Life on this Planet

10. Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls
09. INXS - Listen Like Thieves
08. Clan of Xymox - s/t
07. Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal
06. Red Lorry Yellow Lorry - Talk About the Weather
05. The Damned - Phantasmagoria
04. The Chameleons - What Does Anything Mean? Basically
03. The Cult - Love
02. The Cure - The Head on the Door
01. Love and Rockets - Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven

Rob Clark
Rockford, Illinois

10. New Order - Low-life
09. R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction
08. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
07. Simple Minds - Once Upon a Time
06. Killing Joke - Nighttime
05. The Cure - The Head on the Door
04. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
03. Shriekback - Oil and Gold
02. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea
01. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Japan

10. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Crush
09. a-ha - Hunting High and Low
08. The Chameleons - What Does Anything Mean? Basically
07. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
06. The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always
05. The Cure - The Head on the Door
04. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
03. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
02. New Order - Low-life
01. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Japan

10. The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always
09. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Crush
08. The Cure - The Head on the Door
07. a-ha - Hunting High and Low
06. Prince and the Revolution - Around the World in a Day
05. New Order - Low-life
04. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
03. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
02. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
01. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

Tim Brown
London, England

10. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
09. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
08. The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop
07. The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash
06. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
05. a-ha - Hunting High and Low
04. B-Movie - Forever Running
03. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
02. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
01. Sade - Promise

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

10. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
09. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
08. Big Audio Dynamite - This Is Big Audio Dynamite
07. Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles
06. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea
05. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
04. New Order - Low-life
03. Everything But the Girl - Love Not Money
02. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen
01. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Jason DeWolfe Barton
Audra

10. Strawberry Switchblade - s/t
09. Stewart Copeland - The Rhythmatist
08. New Order - Low-life
07. China Crisis - Flaunt the Imperfection
06. Chrome - Another World
05.Slayer - Hell Awaits
04. Venom - Possessed
03. Dif Juz - Extractions
02. Death In June - Nada!
01. Cabaret Voltaire - The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, Louisiana

10. Live Skull - Bringing Home the Bait
09. Love and Rockets - Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven
08. R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction
07. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
06. The Cult - Love
05. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
04. Christian Death - Ashes
03. The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always
02. Killing Joke - Night Time
01. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy

STATS
51 different albums appeared in this feature
Which ones made it onto the most lists?
The Cure (5), Kate Bush (5), New Order (5), The Smiths (5), The Jesus and Mary Chain (4) and Tears for Fears (4)



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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