TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 10:13:05 GMT 1
69 Utopia - Swing to the Right
I really don't know where to start with this record. One of two albums released for Todd Rungren's band in this year, I missed the other which was more successful so might add that in later. This was their sixth album and Wikipedia says its a Beatles-parody-homage, erm ok. You just need to listen for yourself, so many genres, so many themes. It' s good but totally mad at the same time. The album reached #102 in the US. A very interesting record. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 10:17:19 GMT 1
68 REO Speedwagon - Good Trouble
From a record that was totally unpredictable , to one that you know excatly what you are going to get. This is their tenth album and they can do this in their sleep now. Some really good songs and some very forgettable ones just as you would expect. But its REO, you can just stick it on and it washes over you and leaves you with good feelings. The album reached #7 in the US and #29 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 10:27:55 GMT 1
67 Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!
The second solo album from Phil and I thought I would like it more but it is marketely a decline from his debut album, just too much fake soul and Motown, and a couple of songs that are play bad. The best two are 'I Don't Care Anymore' which trys to be 'In The Air Tonight' but doesnt quite manage to repeat the magic and 'Like China' which is the most Genesis like song on the record. Of course it was huge reaching #2 in the UK and #8 in the US selling over 6 million worldwide. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 10:36:53 GMT 1
66 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message
I just loved rap from this era and this is one of the finest examples. 'The Message' itself is a great song even out with the genre but in hip hop, its close to the pinnacle. It was Faith No More that introduced me to them bizzarely. This wa stheir debut album and reached #53 in the US and #77 in the UK where 'The Message' was a top 10 hit. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 14:49:46 GMT 1
65 INXS - Shabooh Shoobah
Their third album and their best yet, they really sound like the INXS we know and love now, all the rest of the records I already know so it just get sbetter from here. So totally solid but not their best, It reached #46 in the US and is their biggest seller so far. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 14:55:04 GMT 1
64 Dollar - The Dollar Album
Ahh bet none of you expected to see this. I loved Dollar at the time and this album is by far their best and it really holds up way more than I expected with plenty other good songs not just the singles. This was their third and final album not sure why they didn't release one in the late 80s of the back of their comeback hit "O L'amour". The album peaked at #18 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 15:00:09 GMT 1
63 Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 4
His fourth album and my least favourite of his pre 90s releases. It is still good just not as inventive, impactive or as catchy as his other releases. It's just like more of '3', think he needs to shake things up a bit for his next album. The album still did well though and reached #6 in the UK and #28 in the UK without any big hits. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 15:04:53 GMT 1
62 Associates - Sulk
Back with their second album and it is their most successful of all. It is also their most accessible record but that doesn't say much as much of it is still an aquired taste but it does have two proper pop bangers on it 'Party Fears Two' and 'Club Country'. Our local village disco used to play 'Party Fears Two' all the time long before I knew who they were.But anyway thsi did really well reaching #10 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 12, 2023 15:09:04 GMT 1
61 Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra
Now up to their 12th album, they were barely known in the UK with probably a cult following. That all changed with the title track of this record, it was never off the radio and reached #2 in the UK. The rest of the record is not that different from what he has been peddling for years just with a bit more new wave influence. The album reached #10 in the UK and #3 in the US. 3.5/5
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Post by Earl Purple on Mar 12, 2023 15:51:53 GMT 1
I wouldn't have expected to see Dollar but musically it could have been "The Buggles" because essentially it was Trevor Horn's songs.
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Post by smokeyb on Mar 12, 2023 20:15:45 GMT 1
70 John Waite - IgnitionAnother of my favourite rock vocalists and this is the debut album for the English singer. He was the front man for The Babys which I don't know, need to check them out, but he will go on to front the group Bad English at the end of the decade. This record wasn't really a success for him even with the Holly Knight penned 'Change' which is a graet AOR track. The album went to #68 in the Us, his followup will do much better. 3.5/5 I first heard him when the Babys released "Isn't it Time" in 1977, great song, then "Every Time I Think Of You" in 1979. Great voice.
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Post by smokeyb on Mar 12, 2023 20:18:50 GMT 1
62 Associates - Sulk
Back with their second album and it is their most successful of all. It is also their most accessible record but that doesn't say much as much of it is still an aquired taste but it does have two proper pop bangers on it 'Party Fears Two' and 'Club Country'. Our local village disco used to play 'Party Fears Two' all the time long before I knew who they were.But anyway thsi did really well reaching #10 in the UK. 3.5/5 I think this is the first one I own from your selection for this year,I have it on vinyl, he had a very distinctive voice for sure.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 14, 2023 8:42:28 GMT 1
60 Whitesnake - Saints & Sinners
A lower peak for Whitesnake but this is no worse than previous records and actually has some great songs on it but maybe suffers from his annual album cycle mixed with touring and the rest. It was their fifth album and reached #9 in the UK. Two of the best songs "Crying in the Rain" and "Here I Go Again", were later re-recorded for their self-titled 1987 album and are so much better then. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 14, 2023 8:46:38 GMT 1
59 The Go-Go's - Vacation
This was their second album and its not as great as their debut but it is still very fun and listenable, I am certain I would have been a fan if I had known about them then. The record peaked #8 in the US and #75 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 14, 2023 8:53:44 GMT 1
58 Billy Joel - The Nylon Curtain
This was his eighth album and much more downbeat than his releases either side, in some ways I prefer that I dont like him as much when he goes to jazzy or hokey but this record is pretty bleak. So a solid record for him and it reached #7 in the US and #27 in the UK. We are going up to a 4/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 14, 2023 9:02:55 GMT 1
57 The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky
Now a band I don't know much about, have seen their name on US charts for years but never checked them out until quite recently and this is the first album I played in full. This was their sixth studio album and their last platinum album in the US. Well I knew they were prog but I never knew how electronic they were. I played this record and 'Sirius' came on, I went wow!! I know this , this is an awesome track. If you like music like Stranger Things Theme or Kavinsky, here where that influence came from. The album continues to be amazing after that. Really need to hear more, maybe the 1980 album that I missed. It reached #7 in the US and #27 in the UK.
4/5 and you know what have a clip
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 15, 2023 8:22:47 GMT 1
More than any decsde I have done, I love the 80s as it is throwing up so many surprises, in the 90s and 00s I already was pretty familiar with nearly all of the albums on my lists, here I maybe only knew one or two tracks by that band before. One such band is my 56 All Four One - The Motels
I only knew two songs by them but this album was great. The Californian new wave band fronted by Martha Davis are most famous for their US hit 'Only The Lonely'. I just instantly enjoyed this album, to give you an idea imagine No Doubt without the ska tracks and that's pretty much their sound. This was actually their third album and their biggest hit although all their previous albums charted in the US and OZ, so shame I missed their 1980 album 'Careful'. This one though reached #22 in the US. 4/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 15, 2023 8:30:29 GMT 1
55 Aldo Nova- Aldo Nova
Now we have a debut album from a Canadian hard rocker although I think this steps a bit into AOR as well. This is just a great representation of the best of 80s rock, you will either love this or hate it. And like Motels abobe another record that has forced me to add future records to the list. Aldo is now more famous as a skngwriter, for Celine Dion especially. This album reached #8 in the US. 4/5
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Post by Whitneyfan on Mar 15, 2023 8:32:55 GMT 1
The Associates are not my cup of tea at all, I'm afraid. I find his voice more grating than anything.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Mar 15, 2023 8:34:09 GMT 1
54 Cocteau Twins - Garlands
Their first appearance of mamy on these lists with their debut record. Having heard three of their future records I suspect this will be my least favourite. They have not quite found their sound yet and its maybe a bit too post-punk but all the ingredients are there and I know they will get it all together for the next one. This album didn't chart but reached #4 in the UK indie chart. 4/5
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