Top 50 albums of the 1980s as picked by you
 

i figure if i am gonna do this list, it better be now, before i get too busy with other things

interestingly i am rather surprised more people are ready to jump onto this list then the last one, maybe more time has passed to appreciate this decade, but to each their own

same deal as before

-> only albums released from January 1st, 1980 to December 31st 1989 included! No reissues, deluxe editions or whatever. No singles either, only albums...and EPs are fine

-> Points will be: 25 for #1, 24 for #2, 23 for #3, etc.

-> if you wish to do less then 25, it's fine, but i totally recommend doing as much many as you can

alright designers, make it work

"doing as much many"...you're lucky tim gunn doesn't have a guide to
grammar, yo.

still love you, somehow.

1. john fahey - god, time, and causality (for real this time!)
2. captain beefheart - ice cream for crow
3. the fall - grotesque (after the gramme)
4. dun - eros
5. pixies - surfer rosa
6. sonic youth - confusion is sex
7. captain beefheart - doc at the radar station
8. big black - songs about fucking
9. glenn branca - the ascension
10. renaldo and the loaf - arabic yodeling
11. wipers - over the edge
12. melvins - gluey porch treatments
13. thinking fellers union local # 282 - tangle
14. misfits - walk among us [fixed!]
15. the fall - hex enduction hour
16. birthday party - junkyard
17. napalm death - scum
18. minutemen - what makes a man start fires?
19. big black - atomizer
20. my bloody valentine - isn't anything
21. husker du - zen arcade
22. the residents - title in limbo
23. rapeman - two nuns and a pack mule
24. bad religion - no control
25. the smiths - louder than bombs


That was REALLY hard. So many great albums! You all might be surprised by my inclusion of the smiths at the bottom, but man that album has so many great songs on it.. and I can't think of the 80's without thinking of the smiths.. so they had to be on there.

i actually don't want to do 50 but i'll do 35.

edit since comps might be allowed!
35. chrome- 3rd from the sun
34. the jesus and mary chain- psychocandy
33. the vaselines- son of a gun ep
32. big black- songs about fucking
31. fugazi- s/t
30. mudhoney- superfuzz bigmuff
29. minor threat- salad days ep
28. big black- bulldozer ep
27. conflict- it's time to see who's who
26. beat happening- black candy
25. faith/void split
24. flex your head
23. sonic youth- bad moon rising
22. sonic youth- sister
21. redd kross- born innocent
20. discharge- see nothing hear nothing say nothing
19. fugazi- margin walker
18. nirvana- bleach
17. black flag- my war
16. husker du- zen arcade
15. the minutemen- double nickels on the dime
14. beat happening- s/t
13. beat happening- jamboree
12. crass- christ the album
11. sonic youth- evol
10. minor threat- out of step
9. the shop assistants- the shop assistants aka will anything happen
8. gorilla biscuits- s/t ep
7. sonic youth- daydream nation
6. negative approach- s/t ep
5. young marble giants- colossal youth
4. black flag- damaged
3. crass- penis envy
2. rites of spring- s/t
1. minor threat- first two eps on one record

I hate to nit-pick, but I will (as I found myself dealing with same problem with the same album). Static Age was recorded in 1978 and not released until 1997.

Also, I was severely pissed to learn that Unknown Pleasures came out in 1979.

Oh fuck, really? Thanks for that then. I seriously thought it was recorded in the year 1980. I'll change it to walk among us!

opps i forgot closer on my list. oh well. and the minutemen now that's a big opps. can't go back now though.

sure you can, i ain't gonna start tabulating for a while, give people more time ti edit it

when's the deadline? i have some re-listening to do

Okay, my 25

#1 Daydream Nation-Sonic Youth
#2 Walk Among Us - Misfits
#3 You Made Me Realise - My Bloody Valentine
#4 Doolittle - Pixies
#5 Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
#6 Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
#7 Psychocandy - The Jesus and Mary Chain
#8 Closer - Joy Division
#9 In The Flat Field - Bauhaus
#10 You're Living All Over Me - Dinosaur Jr
#11 Isn't Anything - My Bloody Valentine
#12 Surfer Rosa - Pixies
#13 Bad Moon Rising - Sonic Youth
#14 Earth A.D. - Misfits
#15 Damaged - Black Flag
#16 First Two 7" on a 12" (Minor Threat/In My Eyes) - Minor Threat
#17 Sister - Sonic Youth
#18 Double Nickels on the Dime - Minutemen
#19 Album-Generic Flipper - Flipper
#20 Ocean Rain - Echo and the Bunnymen
#21 Combat Rock - The Clash
#22 Rites of Spring - Rites of Spring
#23 Group Sex - Circle Jerks
#24 Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me - The Cure
#25 The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths

i think i shall go about til this time next week, or a day over

[quote=Sonic Youth 37]Okay, my 25


#16 First Two 7" on a 12" (Minor Threat/In My Eyes) - Minor Threat


that would've been my number one but i thought we couldn't include comps or anything.

I'm going to stick to one album per group, or else I would have far too much Sonic Youth compared to everybody else.

1) Bad Moon Rising - Sonic Youth
2) Zen Arcade - Husker Du
3) Halber Mensch - Einsturzende Neubauten
4) Youth of America - The Wipers
5) Atomizer - Big Black
6) This Nation's Saving Grace - The Fall
7) Double Nickels On the Dime - Minutemen
8) Los Angeles - X
9) Prayers on Fire - The Birthday Party
10) Sun City Girls - Sun City Girls
11) Dreams Less Sweet - Psychic T.V.
12) Symphony No. 1 (Tonal Plexus) - Glenn Branca
13) Chrome - 3rd from the Sun
14) Let it Be - Replacements
15) Damaged - Black Flag
16) It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
17) Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
18) Children of God - Swans
19) Ride the Lightning - Metallica
20) Heaven Up Here - Echo & the Bunnymen
21) Gang of Four - Solid Gold
22) Gone Fishing - Flipper
23) Rembrandt Pussyhorse - Butthole Surfers
24) Chair Beside a Window - Jandek
25) Dial M for Motherfucker - Pussy Galore

[quote=uhler]
Hmm...might have to get panto to clarify this. It was released as a single LP in 84, so I'm not sure how it'll work out.

[quote=Sonic Youth 37]
I'm sure he'll probably accept any comps. or whatever, because realistically they won't carry over to the compiled chart anyway. By nature of a lot of people not thinking of them as albums, they probably won't acquire enough points for his final list.

25. Glenn Branca - The Ascension
24. Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa
23. Prince - Sign o the Times
22. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
21. Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II
20. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
19. The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me
18. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
17. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour
16. Pixies - Surfer Rosa
15. The Cure - Disintegration
14. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
13. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
12. The Cure - Pornography
11. R.E.M. - Reckoning
10. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
9. The Cure - Faith
8. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
7. The Fall - Perverted by Language
6. Pixies - Doolittle
5. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
4. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
3. Joy Division - Closer
2. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
1. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

[quote=Sonic Youth 37]
i'm going to include flex your head and the dischord year in 7 inches collection in my list if comps are allowed.

1. Einstuerzende Neubauten - Haus der Luege
2. Laughing Clowns - Ghosts of an Ideal Wife
3. Ed Kuepper - Electrical Storm
4. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
5. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
6. The Verlaines - Bird-Dog
7. Haunted Henschel - Child
8. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
9. Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising
10. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
11. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
12. The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland
13. Ed Kuepper - Everybody's Got To
14. Einstuerzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch
15. The Gordons - First Album + Future Shock EP
16. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
17. The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
18. The Wedding Present - George Best
19. The Scientists - Blood Red River
20. Circle Jerks - Group Sex
21. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
22. Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
23. The Saints - Casablanca
24. The Smiths - Meat is Murder
25. Candlemass - Nightfall

I'm not going to be getting much work done over the next few days...

1 Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
2 Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
3 New Order - Power Corruption Lies
...
I could find 50 but it's too hard to rank them ( even my top 3 is loose ).

I'm sure I'm overlooking some stuff, but oh well

01. Sonic Youth- EVOL
02. Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation
03. Sonic Youth- Sister
04. Mission of Burma- Vs.
05. Big Black- Atomizer
06. Rites of Spring- S/T
07. Mission of Burma- Signals, Calls, and Marches
08. My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
09. Talking Heads- Remain in Light
10. Violent Femmes- S/T
11. Hüsker Dü- Zen Arcade
12. Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime
13. Rapeman- Two Nuns and Pack Mule
14. Jesus and Mary Chain- Psychocandy
15. The Wipers- Youth of America
16. Big Black- Songs About Fucking
17. Spacemen 3- Sound of Confusion
18. Glenn Branca- The Ascension
19. The Pixies- Surfer Rosa
20. Game Theory- Lolita Nation
21. Sonic Youth- Confusion is Sex
22. Sonic Youth- Bad Moon Rising
23. Daniel Johnston- Songs of Pain
24. Beat Happening- Black Candy
25. Dead Milkmen- Physical Graffitti

Honorable mentions:
Gang of Four- Solid Gold
Prince- Around the World in a Day
Mekons- Fear and Whiskey
Misfits- Walk Among Us

is this real? came out in 79. i would've def. chose that one.

oh shit, I didn't realize that. List wasn't quite finished yet anyways. . .

1) Sonik Yoof - DDN (by far)
2) Big black - Songs about Fucking
3) Pixies - Surfer Rosa
4) Sonik Tooth - Sister
6) The Ex - Aural Guerilla
7) Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
8) nirvana- bleach
9) Fugazi - s/t
10) Sonic boom - evol
11) birthday party - junkyard
12) Sonic Youth - Confusion is sex
13) MBV - Isn't anything
14) The cure - Pornography
15) rapeman - two nuns and a pack mule
16) Sonic Youth - Bad moon rising

only 1 for me. 5-Star, Silk and Steal.

70's

fuck!

...Um, actually, someone mentioned the ascension by branca and I totally forgot about that, so I'm going to go back and use this as a chance to add that in red's place. :)

Yeah, I forgot Branca too, but for me it's Symphony 1 - Tonal Plexus (featuring both Thurston & Lee). I've gone back and changed my list 3 times now to fit in Psychic TV and Gang of Four as well.

Nobody put Tweez on his list, intriguing, no ?
Where are the Slint fans ?

I have the same problem putting Slint on my list that I do My Bloody Valentine - my favorite records by each are clearly in the '90s.

man this is going to be impossiblle, the majority of my favorite records came out in the 80s.

1. Game Theory-Lolita Nation
2. The Fall-This Nation's Saving Grace
3. Metallica-Kill em All
4. Minutemen-Double Nickels on the Dime
5. Swans-Filth
6. The Bad Brains-ROIR Casette
7. The Angry Samoans-Inside my Brain
8. The Wipers-Over the Edge
9. Sonic Youth-Confusion is Sex
10. Napalm Death-Scum
11. Pussy Galore-Dial M for Motherfucker
12. Black Flag-Damaged
13. The Misfits-Walk Among Us
14. Smegma-Smell the Remains
15. Hellhammer-Demon Entrails
16. Half Japanese-Half gentleman/Not Beasts
17. MDC-Millions of Dead Cops
18. Minor Threar-Out of Step
19. Crass-Chris the Album
20. Black Flag-Damaged
21. Whitehouse-Psychopathia Sexualis
22. The Butthole Surfers-Locust Abortion Technician
23. Big Black-Atomizer
24. Celtic Frost-To Mega Therion
25. Saccharine Trust-Surviving You Always (when people refer to early saccharine trust as a bad band and late saccharine trust as a decent band, I wanna smack the fuck out of them. The early stuff was incredible; raw as shit, dissonant, noisy, Prog Hardcore. Even funky in a wierd skronky way. They truly were amazing, and live, religious. Thier later albums got increasingly lame, but early Saccharine Trust was the most innovative and easily the wierdest band on the SST roster).
26. Boredoms-Soul Discharge
27. The Birthday Party-Junkyard
28. Borbetomagus-Barbed Wire Maggots
29. This Heat-Deceit
30. Flipper-Generic
31. Hanatarash-We are Hardcore
32. Glenn Branca-The Ascension
33. The Void side of the The Faith/Void-Split (the faith is decent, but whenever i listen to thier side its like, "i could be listening to void right now")
34. Husker Du-Zen Arcade
35. Spacemen 3-Perfect Prescription
36. Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation
37. Captain Beefheart-Ice Cream for Crow
38. Tom Waits-Rain Dogs
39. Swell Maps-Jane From Occupied Europe
40. The Dead Kennedys-Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
41. Discharge-Why?
42. The Ex-Joggers and Smoggers
43. John Fahey-God, Time, and Casuality
44. Jandek-Interstella Discussion
45. Jandek-God, Time, and Casuality
46. Game Theory-Two Steps from the Middle Ages
47. Cabaret Voltaire-Red Mecca
48. Current 93-Dawn
49. Beat Happening-Jamboree
50. Fang-Where the Wild Things Are
51. D.O.A.-Hardcore 81
52. Crass-The Penis Envy
53. Sonic Youth-Bad Moon Rising
54. Naked City-Torture Garden
55. Joy Division-Closer
56. Eric B and Rakim-Paid in Full
57. D.O.A.-Hardcore 81
58. Butthole Surfers-Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac
59. Einsturzende Nebauten-Halber Mensch
60. The Gories-House Rockin
61. Negative Approach-Tied Down
62. Sonic Youth-Bad Moon Rising
63. The Meatmen-We're The Meatmen....And You Suck!!!
64. The Melvins-Gluey Porch Treatments
65. The Pop Group-How Long do we Tolerate Mass Murder
66. The Jesus and Mary Chain-Psychocandy
67. The Fall-Perverted by Language
68. The Fall-Hex Enducation Hour
69. The Cure-Pornography
70. John Zorn-The Big Gundown
71. James Blood Ulmer-Freelancing
72. Mudhoney-Touch me I'm Sick
73. The Killing Joke-Revelations
74. Dinosaur Jr.-You're Living All Over Me
75. Slayer-Reign in Blood
76. Terrorizer-S/T
77. Lustmord-Paradise Disowned
78. Motorhead-Ace of Spades
79. Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation of Millions
80. Venom P. Stinger-Meet my Friend Stinger
81. Derek Bailey-Aida
82. Incapacitants-REPO
83. Feedtime-Shovel
84. Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded
85. Sonic Youth-EVOL
86. Big Black-Songs About Fucking
87. Black Flag-My War
88. Hijokaidan-King of Noise
89. The Smiths-Strangeways Here We Come
90. Prince and the Revolution-Purple Rain
91. Nirvana-Bleach (still makin the cut)
92. The Cure-Faith
93. DRI-The Dirty Rotten LP
94. Bathory-Blood, Fire, Death
95. Metallica-Master of Puppets
96. The Descendents-Milo Goes to College
97. Iron Maiden-Power Slave
98. Half Japanese-Our Solar System
99. Death-Leprosy
100. GG Allin and the Jabbers-Always Is, Was, and Always Shall Be (I listen to GG shitloads, but this and "murder junkies" are the only full lengths i listen to all the way through)

the 80s was the best time for wierd and underground rock, period. even the mega pop stars like prince and madonna made very interesting and unique music. *sighs*, nostalgia for a time period i was barely alive for.

That said, SST is probably with ESP my pick for all time greatest record label/movement. SST was a movement, much more than a label. They defined what Underground Rock would be. People recording in shitty spaces, sleeping on floors, making records with pennies, traveling across the country in a van and sleeping not only on the floor but under toilets, and making music for none other than the love of it. They also established that "Indie Rock" wasn't a sound, just an idea. None of the SST bands sounded alike. Black Flag was the ultimate brutal and mysterious and captivating Hardcore Punk Rock band. The Descendents made melodic Power Pop that was appealing to people just getting into underground stuff. Dino Jr. brought in Classic Rock Riffs and Melodies to ther agressive guitar driven Hardcore sound. Saccharine Trust was the most insane band in California, period. I still think people don't really know how to rank Saccharine Trust in the scope of the 80s underground because they were just so damn wierd and hard to get. Sonic Youth introduced Noise, No Wave, and Avant sounds to a generation of most pit loving white kids with DOA shirts. Then there was Husker Du who could write melodies played faster than speeding bullets. The Meat Puppers, brining Psychedelia and Americana back into American Punk Rock. Speaking of Americana, The Minutemen was everything good about American Music since its inception; from old country Blues to CCR to Funk to Punk Rock and everything in between. It's kind of hard to fathom the amazing music produced by that tiny label in such a short span of time.

sy- daydream nation
the fall- hex enduction hour
the cure- pornography
the clash- combat rock
joy division- closer
the fall- perverted by language
sy- bad moon rising
young marble giants- colossal youth
negativland- escape from noise
laurie anderson- big science
pixies- surfer rosa
mbv- isnt anything
dinosaur - youre living all over me
sy - evol
einsturzende neubauten- haus der luege
the fall- this nations saving grace
the smiths- the queen is dead
depeche mode- black celebration
big black- atomizer
prince and the revolution- around the world in a day
birthday party- junkyard
stump- a fierce pancake
new order- power corruption and lies
happy mondays - bummed
prince- sign of the times
buthole surfers- locust aborion technician
nick cave and the bad seeds- tender prey
beastie boys- pauls boutique
cocteau twins- treasure
r.e.m. -document
new order- movement
the feelies- crazy rhythms
kraftwerk- computer world
de la soul- 3 feet high and rising
public enemy- it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
adam and the ants- kings of the wild frontier
sy- sister
dead kennedys- fresh fruit for rotting vegetables
theoretical girls- theoretical record
pixies- doolittle
glenn branca- the ascension
mission of burma- vs
galaxie 500- ON FIRE
new order- lowlife
swell maps- jane from occupied europe
einsturzende neubauten- fuenf auf der nach oben offenen richterskala
the wedding present- george best
mudhoney- superfuzz bigmuff
nick cave and the bad seeds- the good son
spacemen 3- the perfect prescription

fuck that was a tough call!!!!

tweez aint that good.. its genius in parts but on the whole i think its a poor album.

tweez isn't a very good record.

Whoa, we timed that almost perfectly pauly!

sensibility in transatlantic stereophonic glory!

i think i'll just have ONE SY album to be fair

1. sonic youth - evol
2. sun city girls - horse cock phepner
3. king crimson - discipline
4. wipers - over the edge
5. captain beefheart - doc at the radar station
6. the fall - this nation's saving grace
7. flipper - generic
8. black flag - my war
10. beat happening - jamboree
11. big black - songs about fucking
12. descendents - milo goes to college
13. pixies - surfer rosa
14. steaming coils - breaded
15. minutemen - double nickels on the dime
16. swans - filth
17. my bloody valentine - isn't anything
18. husker du - new day rising
19. glenn branca - the ascension
20. tom waits - rain dogs
21. joy division - closer
22. john zorn - naked city
23. napalm death - scum
24. meat puppets - meat puppets II
25. half japanese - charmed life

I'm pretty sure this was released in either 1990 or 1991. I voted for it on the 90's list.

i don't like tweez either.

Tweez is horrible.

How did the band who made Tweez (horrible) make Spiderland (one of the greatest albums ever) just a few years later? It's crazy.