TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 14:27:21 GMT 1
42 Van Halen - Women and Children First
Third album for the hard rockers and it's very low on hits and very low on fun, not what you expect from a Van Halen record. Its really good but I expect it will be my least favourite of the 80s. It reached #5 in the US and #15 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 14:33:58 GMT 1
41 Dire Straits - Making Movies
First appearance for an act in the current Haven Factor so need to briefer and not give too much opinion. But I will say it is very short with just 7 tracks, but those 3 on side A especially are all classics. This was their third album and probably their best so far. It reached #3 in the UK and #19 in the US and has sold over 2 million worldwide. 3.5/5 but so nearly a 4!
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 14:40:49 GMT 1
40 Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing
Another third album and another thats nearly a 4/5. The only reason it isn't is the lyrics. They are so funny every song is about what a great lover he is and sex and women basically but unlike Prince who makes it sexy, David is a bit cringe but thats maybe in this 21st century world. Some angry people on Twitter really would love a good 'talkin to' from David but will never admit it hehe But yes I kinda miss this, its not toxic mascullnity or any of that crap , he just loves women and why not? thats what its all about it in the end hehe. It reached #6 in the UK and just #90 in the US. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 19:14:48 GMT 1
39 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
First of two entries for OMD on this list. This is their debut album and you feel they are just trying to find themselves on this record, it has some great songs but a bit of filler as well. It got to just #27 but it became a bit of a sleeper hit. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 19:19:14 GMT 1
38 The Specials - More Specials
This is their second album and I knew a lot more of this than I thought, think I was constantly saying oh its that one when I played it but it did peter off as it got to the end, the debut record is much better. Anyay its still very good and reached #5 in the UK and #98 in the US. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 30, 2023 19:36:54 GMT 1
37 Yes - Drama
I have always meant to go back and listen to early Yes and I still havent but this one was new to me as well. I actually loved it, even on first listen. Its not as much to my liking as their next record but its still really good, and again i wonder if i had been a few years older would I have been a prog fan hehe. This is their 10th album and has Trevor Horn on vocals for a one off. The album went to #3 in the Uk and #18 in the US. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 20:45:30 GMT 1
36 Squeeze - Argybargy
Ooh it's another current HF act and it's their third album, won't name any tracks due to the game but this has two exceptional tracks and the rest of the album is great as well, its probably not my favourite Squeeze album but due to less competition this could be their highest finish, we will see. It reached #32 in the Uk and their first hit in US peaking #71. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 20:50:52 GMT 1
35 Echo and The Bunnymen - Crocodiles
And it's a similar situation here, this is Echo & The Bunnymen's debut album and is definitely not my favourite but it has a very high finish in 1980. It reached #17 in the UK. It is still a very good debut but they will get much better. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 20:56:38 GMT 1
34 Queen - The Game
I have stated before I am not really a Queen fan so for this to be in my top 40 albums of 1980 is pretty impressive. Thanks mostly to 'Another One Bites the Dust' which gives it a 1/5 all by itself. But yeh its very good not many songs I wasn't keen on. It was a Uk and US number one and has sold over 4 million in the US alone, a massive hit there. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 21:03:08 GMT 1
33 AC/DC - Back In Black
Shouts of too low, echo everywhere!! But considering I never really paid much attention to ACDC in the 80s at all, this is a great result. But what makes this a special album is the track order, you think that listening to an ACDC album is quite samey, not this one so much, just when you start too tire of their sound, another rock classic comes along and brings you back in. This was their 7th album and a UK number one and US #4. It has sold over 25 million in the US alone, over 30 million worldwide 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 21:09:06 GMT 1
32 Genesis - Duke
Not quite their first pop album, they are still very much in prog land but you can tell that they are ready to start unloading pop rock bangers. And their first is for sure 'Turn It On Again' probably one of their top 5 singles of the 80s. This was their 10th album and 2nd with Phil Collins as vocalist. It was a UK number one, another one and #11 in the US. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jan 31, 2023 21:16:01 GMT 1
So who misses out on a top 30 place an artist who will being doing much better with at least their next 3 albums. 31 Huey Lewis and The News - Huey Lewis and The News
Huey Lewis & The News are one of my favourite bands of the 80s. This was their debut album which failed to chart narrowly in the US. To say I have listened to this album less than anything they did after until maybe 1994 is too true. Which means I am judging this on only the 2nd time I have heard it. But it has all the ingredients you want, only lacks the familiarity of big hits to power up your enthusiasm. But I will play this again . 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 1, 2023 8:58:52 GMT 1
Let' s kick off the top 30 with another personal favourite 30 The J. Geils Band - Love Stinks
A band who will have my song of the year in 1981 with 'Centerfold' but this preceding album their 8th is very good as well. I have yet to listen to their 70s music which goes way back to 1970. Up until this album they seem to have a loyal following but not really dangering the upper ends of the US charts often, with just one top 20 single and album. This one gives them their first platinum seller but it will be the next record where the rest of the world really find out about them, including me. This record went to #18 in the US, 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 1, 2023 9:06:39 GMT 1
29 Joy Division - Closer
Confession time, I have never heard this album in full until this month, I should be barred from any indie cabals or whatever we were called. But to say I loved this album way more than I expected is an understatement. I am not the hugest fan of Ian Curtis's voice but really that did not matter, the band sound amazing, the production on this is just top drawer, Hooky's bass work stunning, not that I should have expected any less from the band who would become New Order. I think if I played this 5 more times, it would be in my top 10!! This was their 2nd and last album sadly and it reached #6 in the UK. BTW I have heard 'Unknown Pleasures' in full but not for a long time, I'm not a total poser, think I better revisit it !! 4/5 but so nearly 4.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 1, 2023 14:45:28 GMT 1
28 REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity
I know this is starting to read like those Rolling Stone lists, how can this be better than Joy Division? Well it's not, its a totally different thing, most of these sonsgs I grew up listening to and were my first intro into AOR which I still love today and this has a very strong case to be their best album not just because of the two big hit power ballads. Actually looking at Wikipedia, that point is hard to dispute, it is by far their most succesful album yet, reaching #1 in the US and giving them their first hit in the UK peaking at #6. It has sold over 10 million in the US alone. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 1, 2023 14:53:41 GMT 1
27 The Clash - London Calling
Another classic and this sneaks into the 80s as most lists seem to count it that way eventhough it was technically released in last week of 1979. And yes I have never heard this in full till a month ago either and it has climbed a lot already amd if I was to do this list in 5 or 10 years, it would probably be higher still. There are a couple of nostalgia picks that shouldn't really be above it. Anyway this was their third album and peaked #6 in the Uk and #27 in the US. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 2, 2023 14:24:24 GMT 1
26 Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Japan were another band that passed me by at the time but I think I knew way more of their songs than I realized but I hadn't haerd most of this, and its not surprising as Japan were still releasing singles from their previous album out in 1979 and moving on to new ones fom their 1981 album and they even threw in some single only releases as well. So this album only had one minor hit. So yes this was technically their fourth album but really it was just 2 EPs joined together. The album reached #61 in the UK. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 2, 2023 14:40:04 GMT 1
25 Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 3Just getting into my big favourites now, I lost this post so I wont go into so much detail just this was my introduction to him through the song 'Games Without Frontiers' that I didnt get the meaning of at the time. This his 3rd album reached #1 in the UK and #22 in the US. This also could have been a 4/5 think there was a couple of tracks that were just too weird. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 2, 2023 14:44:56 GMT 1
24 Simple Minds - Empires and Dance
This was their third album and like Peter Gabriel contains the first song I ever heard by them and its still one of my absolute favourites. 'I Travel' is just an awesome track, they even played it when I saw them live a few years ago. Still an indie band this record peaked #41 but they will be getting bigger very soon. 4/5
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Post by TheThorne on Feb 3, 2023 14:19:35 GMT 1
23 Rush - Permanent Waves
Rush are a band I always wanted to dig deeper into, really enjoying all the singles I have heard. And this is a great place to start with their 7th album, their first to make the top 10 in the UK and US. Like many prog bands in this time, they were starting to include more radio friendly music and they did this with their most well known song 'The Spirit Of Radio' and like Genesis they still had a good bit of prog on this record but it is very accessible for the genre. The album went to #3 in the UK and #4 in the US. 4/5
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