TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:23:02 GMT 1
Into the 75 and I always like to support Scottish talent 75 Average White Band - ShineThe last hit album from the boys from Dundee and eventhough this album contains 'Let's Go Round Again' their second biggest single here, it was a relative flop in US and that album did badly as well. Maybe due to the 'Disco Demolition' in the US which just happened a few months earlier. I found this very enjoyable as I suspected. This their 8th album reached #14 in the UK 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:29:10 GMT 1
74 The Selecter - Too Much Pressure
One of the key bands in the 2Tone scene at the time, although they were never one of my favourites, didn't like Pauline Black' s voice in general but can't deny its great ska. This was their debut album but does not include their 1979 singles which are two of their most iconic songs. If 'On My Radio' and 'Gangsters' were on this, it would probably have jumped about 20 places higher. The album still did very well reaching #5 in the UK. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:34:41 GMT 1
73 Sugarhill Gang - Sugarhill Gang
Keeping the genres well mixed in this batch, we have one of the most iconic albums ever. This was the debut album from the hip hop act who scored the first Billboard top 40 hit for that genre with the title track. This is also considered to be the first hip hop studio album. Always enjoyed playing them in my DJing days. The album did not chart in the US though. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:42:32 GMT 1
72 George Benson -Give Me the Night
Yes we are doing it all tonight. The US Jazz guiratist and singer has been in the business since 1964 but only in 1976, he had his mainsttream breakthrough success in the US with a charttopper. That run of success carried on for his next 3 albums all US top 10 and this album was his biggest so far in the UK, thanks mostly to the title track reaching #3. You can always make time for a bit of George Benson, we might see him again but I think 1986 will be too stacked. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:52:44 GMT 1
71 The Clash - Sandinista!
This is the Clash's fourth album, I will be allowing their third album to count for 1980 as it was released just before xmas 79 in the UK and January 1980 in the US, so close enough. It is of course still to come. The only reason this album is so low is it has way too many songs. Its a 36 track triple album. Yes its great all the different genres and sounds they use but really you can lose their 3rd disc completely and not really miss it much. Trimming down the remaining tracks to around 16 would have made this a 4/5 album. But I am sure the fans loved it. It went to #19 in the UK. 3/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 24, 2023 22:59:33 GMT 1
70 Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Get Happy
Another fourth album and another with lots of tracks which again may have counted against it. Its also not on the level of his three previous 70s albums but its good but I think we may have better to come from him. Mini spoiler, he might have 2 albums in 1981! It was though one of his joint highest charting albums peaking #2 in the UK and #11 in the US. He has never had a number one but he still has time to do it, especialy with the low sales these days. 3/5
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Post by Earl Purple on Jan 25, 2023 11:47:38 GMT 1
My favourite track on Get Happy is "New Amsterdam" but it wasn't a big hit and I think I ended up not playing it although it was on my list of possible songs to play. I didn't think much of "High Fidelity". I did play "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" of course, but that was my first round choice as I wasn't confident on that either.
From "Almost Blue" I played "Good Year For The Roses", which is a great cover version.
"Imperial Bedroom" is back to the normal Elvis Costello & The Attractions, except it feels a bit like it isn't. "You Little Fool" didn't reach the top 40 but is on my 1982 playlist now, but it won't be a big hit for me either.
The only songs I played from this point on are "Every Day I Write The Book" from Punch The Clock, but "Shipbuilding" is also a great song from that album, and "Veronica" from "Spike".
So I wonder which albums appeal to you, but I'd say Punch The Clock is his best 80s album.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 25, 2023 18:27:21 GMT 1
69 The Whispers - Imagination
This may seem a bit random but weirdly 'It's A Love Thing' was one of the first singles I bought with my own money, I got it at the Barrowlands market in Glasgow, thats something you never will get with downloads or streaming, the memories. Anyway this was their 10th album and a very solid soul album it is. It reached #63 in the US. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 25, 2023 18:35:21 GMT 1
68 Martha and The Muffins - Metro Music
Before this month, I had never heard anything by them apart from 'Echo Beach' but I had a feeling I would like their other stuff and I do. Bordering new wave and post punk its not far away from stuff I listened to in the 00s. This was their debut album featuring their most famous song but defintely going to listen to their later records now. It reached #34 in the UK 3/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 26, 2023 17:54:40 GMT 1
67 Hazel O'Connor - Breaking Glass
This was her debut album and it was a soundtrack album also, the big singles on this record are the only songs I remember by her but that will change as we go through future years. But I suspect nothing will come close to this album. It reached #5 in the UK. 3/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 26, 2023 18:03:11 GMT 1
66 Killing Joke - Killing Joke
Another debut album and I think if I was a few years older than I was then, Killing Joke would have been a band I was into. Like many records here it's harder to appreciate them with 2023 ears. But for a post-punk album from 1980 this is one of the best produced I have heard so far but no surprises when one of the members is Youth. It is all a bit dark though but I know thats what you get with this band. I think tehy will have better albusm to come. It reached #38 in the UK. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 26, 2023 18:11:48 GMT 1
65 Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette
But the production on that record has nothing on this, take Grace of this record and it would still be really good as instrumental. This was Grace's 4th album and she was still a cult artist but this album really shows why she will soon be a huge star. Wasn't into her at the time but enjoyed this, looking forwrad to her next album. It areched #45 in the UK. 3/5
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Post by Earl Purple on Jan 26, 2023 19:28:32 GMT 1
Breaking Glass is an incredible album, and of course includes the wonderful Will You.
My favourite song on the album that wasn't a single is "Writing On The Wall"
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 9:50:23 GMT 1
64 Gary Numan - Telekon
Listening to Gary Numan as a kid was both scary and wonderful at the same time, he sounded like the future would music be made by robots in the future I thought??, that day is just about here. But in 1980 the closest we had was Gary. This album doesn't have any singles as catchy as his 1979 hits but they are still very good, although it seems the two top 10 hits were not on the orginial LP. This was his second solo album and was a UK number one and #64 in the US. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 9:55:32 GMT 1
64 Billy Joel - Glass Houses
I know Billy has some big fans here but I am quite hit and miss with him, some songs I love, others I have to skip after a minute. This seventh album of his was very well recieved though, it features his first US number one "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" and spent 6 weeks at number one in the US, it reached #9 here. It is now one of his 3 biggest selling records. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 10:28:47 GMT 1
Still in the good section of the list, won't be long till we get some great albums but not yet. 63 Devo - Freedom of Choice
How can you approach Devo, only knowing one of their songs and the reputation they had. It was hard, 'Whip It' is a classic but to really get this record, I would probably have to play this album several times and I really can't do that. Its everything i expected but I hoped more of it would be instant. This was their 3rd album and it reached #22 in the US and #57 in the UK. 3/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 10:41:57 GMT 1
61 Prince - Dirty Mind
This was Prince's third album but I wasn't aware of him until 1983 when one of my class mates talked about him nonstop, and was raving about all the sexy lyrics on his songs. I was like 'whatever' then I heard 'Let's Go Crazy' and that was it I got it! Now I have have listened to most of Prince's albums but this one and his debut I never got round to. It is very classy and a bit more laidback but the lyrics, wow you need a cold shower after it hehe It reached #45 in the US. 3/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 10:46:58 GMT 1
60 Thin Lizzy - ChinatownLike Status Quo, Thin Lizzy were another stalwart of my local pub's jukebox. This was their 10th album and only has a couple of songs I heard before but I love Phil's voice so much, I can listen to anything they do. Probably one of my favourite 70s bands. This album reached #7 in the UK. More to come from Phil a bit higher up. 3/5
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Post by Whitneyfan on Jan 28, 2023 10:52:26 GMT 1
61 Prince - Dirty Mind
This was Prince's third album but I wasn't aware of him until 1983 when one of my class mates talked about him nonstop, and was raving about all the sexy lyrics on his songs. I was like 'whatever' then I heard 'Let's Go Crazy' and that was it I got it! Now I have have listened to most of Prince's albums but this one and his debut I never got round to. It is very classy and a bit more laidback but the lyrics, wow you need a cold shower after it hehe It reached #45 in the US. 3/5 This is definitely one of my favourite Prince albums.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 28, 2023 10:54:41 GMT 1
59 Ambrosia - One Eighty
This is probably the last act on the list that are pretty unknown to most here. they are a Californian rock band who had been going since 1970, who had several top 5 and top 20 hits in the US. I discovered them through a Spotify playlist focused on AOR a few years ago. This was their fourth album and biggest success let by the top 3 US hit "Biggest Part of Me". The album reached #25 in the US. As an Air Supply/Styx fan, did you know these guys as well Earl Purple ? 3/5
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