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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 5, 2023 15:04:20 GMT 1
I'm rather disappointed Genesis finished as low as 14th on your list, they were the act of the year in my chart in 1986, although I wouldn't make that my album of the year.
There are 2 massive ones to go, one of them being one of my former Haven Factor acts.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 5, 2023 15:33:49 GMT 1
14 is not low it is a 9/10 album. I listened to about 140 albums for this list. It is was never going to touch my top 8 but probably not much between it and 13-9.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 5, 2023 18:55:09 GMT 1
12 Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
Their fifth album and according to many, it is one of their best albums, it is rated #2 at RYM. It was never a record I was that familiar with as it falls between 81-85 and 'Music For The Masses' which was the first studio album I heard by them. So I am maybe underrating it after only hearing it once but I thought it was close to perfect. Just a couple of weaker tracks bring it down. The must be at least 5 album tracks that are as strong as the singles if not better, to be fair I only rate 'A Question of Time' as a brilliant single, the other two are relatively weak singles from 80s Depeche Mode. The record reached #4 in the UK and just #90 in the US probably due to their not being a real killer single. 4.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 5, 2023 19:00:31 GMT 1
So what album misses the top 10, well every other album in the top 10 I have heard multiple times, so it was only right that the one that misses is one that I never heard till this year. It was also wrongly placed in 1985 so we will add it here with comments from 1985. 11 Pet Shop Boys - Please
How to get banned from Haven, I admit I have never heard a Pet Shop Boys album but I do have about 15 singles on various formats including two 7" from this album. So this was going to be interesting and considering this has 4 brilliant singles, I thought It would be safe to assume this would be excellent, and it was. Just can't fault it all, 'West End Girls; and 'Suburbia' are both timeless and even deep cuts like 'Why Don't We Live Together?' are banging pop anthems. The only reason this is not getting 5 stars is their albums that I love still to come that don't deserve 5/5 so I couldn't give them that, but the whole top 15 are brilliant. This was a #3 in the UK and #7 in the US and sold 3 million worldwide. Although I haven't heard it yet either, I have a feeling that 'Actually' will do even better. 4.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 5, 2023 19:07:57 GMT 1
So it is top 10 preview and prediction time
We have 6 US acts, 3 UK acts and 1 Canadian act.
There are two debut albums and four acts making my top 10 for the first time, that of course leaves 4 acts that have made my top 10 before.
As for predictions with a combination of thinking what is missing and knowing my taste I think you can probably get 8 or 9, one I am not so sure that you will get.
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Post by smokeyb on Jun 5, 2023 21:03:36 GMT 1
16 XTC - Skylarking
Back in the top 20 after a 4-year absence with their ninth album. For me this is them back at their best produced by Todd Rundgren, it is not unusual for anyone to say this is their best record. I wouldst go that far, but it is totally great with some of their best ever singles. It is a long album though and side A is noticeably better than B, if B was as brilliant as side 1. This would be a 5 star top 10 album. The version I listened to had a trick of its sleeve by including "Dear God" as a last track that was left off the album in 1986 but then included in 1987. I will count it as it is probably their second-best ever song. The album still flopped in the UK reaching only #90 but did better in US reaching #70 thanks to "Dear God" which was a hit there. 4.5/5 I'm a big fan of XTC, I have this one on vinyl, not much I don't like by them.
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Post by smokeyb on Jun 5, 2023 21:07:28 GMT 1
14 Genesis - Invisible Touch
Their thirteenth album and wow things have changed. This may not be their most experimental or inventive album but omg the hits. They are on fire right now with pop rock bangers, look at all these "Invisible Touch","Tonight, Tonight, Tonight", "Land of Confusion", "In Too Deep" and to a lesser extent "Throwing It All Away". Those first four tracks are side 1, that is 5/5 quality. Side two does dapple a little with prog but only one track. Phil solo career has improved his songwriting so much when he returned to Genesis you just could not stop making hits. That is what this is a hits album, I know Genesis aficionados are quite snobby about it but I am not one of them, this is just 80s pop rock at its best. 4.5/5 I have quite a few of their albums, including this one, so many great songs on here, I have no problems listening to this and their 70's albums, I like them all.
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Post by smokeyb on Jun 5, 2023 21:14:10 GMT 1
So what album misses the top 10, well every other album in the top 10 I have heard multiple times, so it was only right that the one that misses is one that I never heard till this year. It was also wrongly placed in 1985 so we will add it here with comments from 1985. 11 Pet Shop Boys - Please
How to get banned from Haven, I admit I have never heard a Pet Shop Boys album but I do have about 15 singles on various formats including two 7" from this album. So this was going to be interesting and considering this has 4 brilliant singles, I thought It would be safe to assume this would be excellent, and it was. Just can't fault it all, 'West End Girls; and 'Suburbia' are both timeless and even deep cuts like 'Why Don't We Live Together?' are banging pop anthems. The only reason this is not getting 5 stars is their albums that I love still to come that don't deserve 5/5 so I couldn't give them that, but the whole top 15 are brilliant. This was a #3 in the UK and #7 in the US and sold 3 million worldwide. Although I haven't heard it yet either, I have a feeling that 'Actually' will do even better. 4.5/5 Like most of their albums,in my collection.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 5, 2023 21:24:28 GMT 1
3 of them might be:
BJ - SWW S - TQID HL&TN - F
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Post by smokeyb on Jun 5, 2023 21:27:32 GMT 1
So it is top 10 preview and prediction time We have 6 US acts, 3 UK acts and 1 Canadian act. There are two debut albums and four acts making my top 10 for the first time, that of course leaves 4 acts that have made my top 10 before. As for predictions with a combination of thinking what is missing and knowing my taste I think you can probably get 8 or 9, one I am not so sure that you will get. not sure what you might have in your top 10, possible solo singer connected to number 14? A band from Manchester ,maybe
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 6, 2023 7:19:46 GMT 1
thanks some very accurate guesses there, only one wrong 10 The The - Infected
Their second album and objectively it has to be their best, just not my favourite. It is slightly deceiving as the title track is not reflective of the general sound being closer to Killing Joke. Most of the album are tracks with just amazing production and playing with some incredibly heavy and serious lyrics but the thing is you don't even have to pay attention to them as the hooks are so good, on tracks like 'Heartland' and the album highlight 'Slow Train to Dawn' featuring Neneh Cherry on vocals. Can't imagine how much bigger that song could have been if released after her breakthrough, now it is a pleasant surprise hearing her. So the highs maybe not as high but it is a brilliant album all the way through. The record reached #14 in the UK.
4.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 6, 2023 7:28:19 GMT 1
9 R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant
Back in my top 10 with their fourth album and this album features the first song I ever heard by them "Superman" which was a cover but their version is way more well known. This is what I would call the first album in the 2nd phase of R.E.M. This will be their sound pretty much up until 'Automatic For The People' when the more introspective R.E.M era starts with one exception of course. Not a weak track on this record but it is my least played album in the top 10 and side 2 especially I am not as familiar with as later R.E.M. 'Fall On Me' is the highlight for sure. They keep getting more successful, with their highest charting album yet in the US at #21 and #43 in the UK. Things will really take off with the next one.
4.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 6, 2023 7:36:10 GMT 1
8 Madonna - True Blue
Finally making my top 10 with her third album. I really think this album gets overshadows by 'Like A Prayer' these days but it is just as good. Yes there are a couple of cheesy bubblegum pop songs but I can let them pass due to the quality of the rest of the album especially side 1 which includes 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Open Your Heart' and my favourite Madonna song 'Live to Tell'. Side 2 is maybe not for everyone so I see why 'Like A Prayer' would be viewed as better but I still enjoy the more fun singles like 'True Blue; and 'La Isla Bonita' as well. My most played album so far in the top 10, my sister had the LP and I must have played it around 20 times over the next 2 years. As for stats well they are obvious number one everywhere, probably even Antarctica and total sales over 25 million worldwide.
4.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 6, 2023 7:48:06 GMT 1
7 Eddie Money - Can't Hold Back
This was so close between this and my #6 I actually swapped them as overall I have to admit it is the better album but they are so different, it's like apples and oranges. Eddie Money who sadly died in 2019 is one of my all time favourite AOR rockers and this is his best album. This was his sixth album and he was having a good career but the first single from this 'Take Me Home Tonight (Be My Baby)' featuring Ronnie Spector exploded on US radio becoming his biggest ever hit reaching #4, where did it get here #200!!, you can see why I was realising there was life outside the top 40. That song was incredible enough but I thought the follow-up was even better "I Wanna Go Back" is my most played retro song on my Spotify. Introduced to me by Casey Kasem but it was 'No Limits' that made this an all-time favourite. I finally heard the album in the download era and I totally loved it, I finally bought it physically about 10 years ago on vinyl. It is one of the best examples of the genre and will always be special to me. The record peaked at #20 in the US.
5/5 yes we have gone there!
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 7, 2023 7:39:47 GMT 1
6 The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Their third studio album and now it's my favourite, although I still prefer 'Hatful Of Hollow'. It is a 5 star album but it is by no means perfect. there are a couple of tracks that I am not so keen on "Vicar in a Tutu" and "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" but they are both thankfully short, and they do had to the feel of the record. But the rest is totally brilliant, especially side 2 excluding the track I mentioned. "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" especially. 'Bigmouth' is a special song to me as my wife had it on a mixtape, and she called it 'Sweetness' I thought that was what it was called until she bought this CD, it was definitely one of our songs. Should have been our wedding song, but not sure 'bludgeoned in your bed' would be taken in the right spirit hehe. Anyway, the album reached #2 in the UK and #60 in the US.
5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 7, 2023 7:54:15 GMT 1
What five albums could possibly be better than that, well it's not about being better it is about being more loved by me. The next two bands I have seen live but many years apart. 5 Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Their third album and it has to be their best, surely. I never bought this one either as again my sister had it. Trying to think what Bon Jovi I actually own, 'Bad Medicine' and 'It's My Life' I think are the only singles and I am sure I have a really random 00s album 'Lost Highway' maybe. But that doesn't change how important this album was to me. It was a brilliant rock band who made radio friendly music that were just as big here as the US which was amazing to me at the time. As for the music, it is pretty much perfect, there is nothing I would skip although a couple are a bit mid like "Without Love" or "Social Disease" but they are fine. But 4 brilliant singles , 3 of which are all-time favourites and even album tracks that I know by heart like "Raise Your Hands" or "Wild in the Streets" over 35 years later. It was a US number one of course and #6 in the UK and sold over 12 million in the US alone, can't be far from a million here.
5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 7, 2023 8:10:07 GMT 1
4 Glass Tiger - The Thin Red Line
Well it had to be here. Glass Tiger were the first band I was a proper fan of. I bought all the singles eventhough I had the cassette of the album. Why did I love them so much and this debut album. Glass Tiger were for me a cross between Big Country and Duran Duran with a bit of AOR thrown into the mix, how could it fail. Of course it started with their pop rock classic 'Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)', their first of only two hits in the UK. But it just exploded from there, the next single 'Some Day; I thought was a gorgeous ballad, it got roasted on 'Radio 1 Roundtable' by John Lydon if I remember rightly and that just made me even more of a fan. Then I bought the album and the album tracks and future singles were brilliant, a celtic feel on some and a kind of military feel to the music, it gave me Big Country vibes well not surprising as their frontman was an immigrant who was brought up in Glasgow. Like it should be for a fan, the singles are not even my favourites now I think 'I Will Be There' and 'You're What I Look For' are my favourite songs now. non uk singles in fact It again is not perfect 'Ecstasy' is a bit wishy-washy and a poor choice of single but I love it all anyway.
So the debut album from the Canadian band was a massive success in their home country, yes i know Canada's promote your own ethos but to be fair the BBC has a similar policy and sneaking Bryan Adams on backing vocals on your debut single is as devious as features are today but with all that the music has to be great. The album went to #27 in the US and #3 in Canada going 4x platinum there. It never charted here as Radio 1 hated them and apart from Radio Luxembourg no station I could hear played them.
5/5
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Post by greendemon on Jun 7, 2023 10:03:45 GMT 1
Obviously I knew TQID would be here! Probably my favourite album of this year (though it is close between this and Crowded House) and definitely in my 80s top 10 although I have heard far fewer 80s albums in their entirety than you (especially since you've done this )
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Post by TheThorne on Jun 7, 2023 12:43:38 GMT 1
Ok top 3 time and this was not quite the top 3 I had planned and certainly not in this order. 3 Bruce Hornsby and The Range - The Way It Is
In 1986 I think I could safely say that 'The Way It Is' was my song of the year, it isn't any more and maybe isn't my favourite on the album either now. In many ways this should be my number one as it is a perfect album, not a single weak track. One of the reasons it isn't is that unlike my 1 and 2, this record starts to wash over you by the last 3 tracks kind of merging into one whereas my top 2, hold your attention more with their changes of style and genre. But Side A especially is heaven mainly because of the singles but all the album tracks hold their own as well. I would say 'Every Little Kiss' is my favourite at the moment. This was a debut album and it peaked at #3 in the US and #16 in the UK. Not a big seller here but over 3 million in the US.
5/5
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Post by smokeyb on Jun 7, 2023 20:16:34 GMT 1
6 The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Their third studio album and now it's my favourite, although I still prefer 'Hatful Of Hollow'. It is a 5 star album but it is by no means perfect. there are a couple of tracks that I am not so keen on "Vicar in a Tutu" and "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" but they are both thankfully short, and they do had to the feel of the record. But the rest is totally brilliant, especially side 2 excluding the track I mentioned. "Bigmouth Strikes Again", "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" especially. 'Bigmouth' is a special song to me as my wife had it on a mixtape, and she called it 'Sweetness' I thought that was what it was called until she bought this CD, it was definitely one of our songs. Should have been our wedding song, but not sure 'bludgeoned in your bed' would be taken in the right spirit hehe. Anyway, the album reached #2 in the UK and #60 in the US.
5/5 I only got round to acquiring this album in 2016, but it is good, should have bought it 30 years earlier.
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