The Best Albums of 1985: Honorable Mentions

We hope that you enjoyed our feature on The Best Albums of 1985. 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 1985 feature - since we limited ourselves to the Top 10. In this post you will find 12 more albums / EPs / compilations 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 45 extra songs that we thoroughly enjoy. We hope you do too! So without further delay, here are our Honorable Mentions for 1985.

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Cocteau Twins - Aikea-Guinea EP

Dead or Alive - Youthquake

Depeche Mode - Catching Up with Depeche Mode

Echo & the Bunnymen - Songs to Learn and Sing

Felt - Ignite the Seven Cannons

Fishbone - s/t EP

Gene Loves Jezebel - Immigrant

Mekons - Fear and Whiskey

Nice Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Firstborn is Dead

Nico & the Faction - Camera Obscura

The Replacements - Tim

The Wake - Here Comes Everybody

10,000 Maniacs - 'Scorpio Rising' from The Wishing Chair

ABC - 'Be Near Me' from How to Be A...Zillionaire!

Adam Ant - 'Vive Le Rock' from Vive Le Rock

a-Ha - 'The Sun Always Shines on TV' from Hunting High and Low

The Alarm - 'Strength' from Strength

Arcadia - 'Election Day' from So Red the Rose

Belouis Some - 'Some People' from Some People

Big Audio Dynamite - 'The Bottom Line' from This is Big Audio Dynamite

Camper Van Beethoven - 'Take the Skinheads Bowling' from Telephone Free Landslide Victory

The Cars - 'Tonight She Comes' from Greatest Hits

Clannad - 'In a Lifetime feat. Bono' from Macalla

The Clash - 'This is England' from Cut the Crap

The Colourfield - 'Thinking of You' from Virgins and Philistines

David Bowie and Mick Jagger - 'Dancing in the Street' from Dancing in the Street single

Dead Kennedys - 'Soup is Good Food' from Frankenchrist

Divinyls - 'Pleasure and Pain' from What a Life!

The Dukes of Stratosphear - 'The Mole from the Ministry' from 25 O'Clock

Duran Duran - 'A View to a Kill' from A View to a Kill soundtrack

Eurythmics - 'There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)' from Be Yourself Tonight

Faith No More - 'We Care a Lot' from We Care a Lot

Hoodoo Gurus - 'Bittersweet' from Mars Needs Guitars

Husker Du - 'Makes No Sense at All' from Flip Your Wig

James - 'Hymn from a Village' from Village Fire EP

Killing Joke - 'Eighties' from Night Time

The Legendary Pink Dots - 'Golden Dawn' from Asylum

Madonna - 'Crazy for You' from Vision Quest soundtrack

Midge Ure - 'If I Was' from The Gift

Oingo Boingo - 'Weird Science' from Weird Science soundtrack

Pat Methany Group - 'This Is Not America feat. David Bowie' from The Falcon and the Snowman soundtrack

The Pogues - 'Sally MacLennane' from Rum Sodomy & the Lash

The Power Station - 'Some Like It Hot' from The Power Station

Propaganda - 'p:Machinery' from A Secret Wish

Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Catholic School Girls Rule' from Freaky Styley

The Replacements - 'Kiss Me on the Bus' from Tim

Run-D.M.C. - 'You Talk Too Much' from King of Rock

Scritti Politti - 'Perfect Way' from Cupid & Psych 85

Simple Minds - 'Don't You (Forget About Me)' from The Breakfast Club soundtrack

Skinny Puppy - 'Assimilate' from Bites

Sonic Youth - 'Death Valley '69 feat. Lydia Lunch' from Bad Moon Rising

Til Tuesday - 'Voices Carry' from Voices Carry

U2 - 'Loves Come Tumbling' from Wide Awake in America EP

UB40 - 'I Got You Babe feat. Chrissie Hynde' from Baggariddim

USA for Africa - 'We Are the World' from We Are the World

Wang Chung - 'To Live and Die in L.A.' from To Live and Die in L.A. soundtrack

X - 'Burning House of Love' from Ain't Love Grand!

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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)

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Song Of The Day 1985: Psi Com - Ho Ka Hey

Here is Day 4 of our step back in time. The year = 1985 A.D.

1985 was a pretty great year for music. In particular, this little gem came out. The band is called Psi Com. Known for being the first band of Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell, Psi Com officially released only a 5 song, self-titled EP. You can read more about my thoughts on Psi Com in my 15 Albums That Changed My Life article. 

Today's featured song is called Ho Ka Hey. I just love the sound of this record, and if you have a turntable - it sounds amazing. Unfortunately it's not available for download and is out of print. However, you can grab used copies on Amazon:  CD, Vinyl. Do it.