Top Albums of the 1980s (Pt. 1)

Like I said in the previous post, this is the First Annual '80s Week here at Il Buono. (I don't think I actually did say that.) Though some of the most terrible and ridiculous things came out of the '80s, it was still a great decade for music and pop culture. I can only wish I lived through those ten years, but, through VH1, John Hughes movies, and post-punk records, I think I've gotten the general gist of the decade--what made it excessive, flashy, bizarre, and awesome.

This list functions exactly like its '90s counterpart, but with different albums. It will include my 120 favorites from the decade. This part (Part 1) will be a list of #120-#31. Part 2 will have 30-16 with written explanations, and Part 3 will have 15-1 with slightly longer written explanations. (Those will come hopefully by this weekend.) "Post-punk" and "indie rock" seem to be the genres that I enjoy most from the 1980s. Thus, a majority of the albums fall in or near one of those two categories. However, there are enough synth-pop/new wave albums there to satisfy most fans of the that stuff, and there are a few hip-hop albums. I've said it before, but as with all lists I make, there are things that I simply haven't heard. (For example, I've never heard all of Sign O The Times by Prince, so it's not on this list.) Enjoy.

120. Angry Samoans--Back From Samoa

119. Sparks--Angst In My Pants

118. The Cure--Pornography

117. Anti-Nowhere League--We Are The League

116. Robert Ashley--Improvement

115. Galaxie 500--Today

114. Naked Raygun--Jettison

113. The Cure--Faith

112. The Raincoats--The Kitchen Tapes

111. Wipers--Is This Real?

110. The Lounge Lizards--Voice Of Chunk

109. Echo & The Bunnymen--Crocodiles

108. Ry Cooder--Paris, Texas

107. Scientist--World At War

106. Simply Saucer--Cyborgs Revisited

105. The John Carter Octet--Dauwhe

104. David Bowie--Let's Dance

103. Tippa Irie--Is It Really Happening To Me

102. Can--Rite Time

101. Cameo--She's Strange

100. Jandek--Staring At The Cellophane

99. Slint--Tweez

98. Christian Marclay--More Encores

97. Archie Shepp--Trouble In Mind

96. XTC--English Settlement

95. Pylon--Gyrate

94. Wipers--Over The Edge

93. Einsturzende Neubauten--Haus Der Luge

92. Fugazi--13 Songs

91. Metallica--Kill 'Em All

90. The Smiths--Strangeways, Here We Come

89. Wipers--Youth Of America

88. Sonic Youth--Bad Moon Rising

87. Kate Bush--Hounds Of Love

86. Brian Eno--Ambient 4: On Land

85. Big Daddy Kane--Long Live The Kane

84. Scott Walker--Climate Of Hunter

83. Tom Tom Club--Tom Tom Club

82. The Stone Roses--The Stone Roses

81. The Replacements--Tim

80. Black Flag--Damaged

79. John Zorn--The Big Gundown

78. Cocteau Twins--Treasure

77. X--Los Angeles

76. Dinosaur Jr.--You're Living All Over Me

75. R.E.M.--Murmur

74. Ministry--The Land Of Rape And Honey

73. The Birthday Party--Prayers On Fire

72. Rapeman--Two Nuns And A Pack Mule

71. The Gun Club--The Las Vegas Story

70. Arthur Russell--World Of Echo

69. Public Enemy--Yo! Bum Rush The Show

68. The Misfits--Walk Among Us

67. Talk Talk--The Colour Of Spring

66. Glenn Branca--The Ascension

65. Crass--Penis Envy

64. Tears For Fears--Songs From The Big Chair

63. Gang Of Four--Songs Of The Free

62. Pixies--Come On Pilgrim

61. The Cure--The Head On The Door

60. Big Black--Atomizer

59. Boogie Down Productions--Criminal Minded

58. Leonard Cohen--I'm Your Man

57. Dexy's Midnight Runners--Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

56. The Cure--Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

55. The Pogues--Rum, Sodomy, and The Lash

54. Michael Jackson--Thriller

53. Husker Du--New Day Rising

52. New Order--Brotherhood

51. David Bowie--Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

50. Nurse With Wound--Homotopy To Marie

49. ESG--Come Away With ESG

48. New Order--Movement

47. Beat Happening--Jamboree

46. Bad Brains--Bad Brains

45. Spacemen 3--Playing With Fire

44. New Order--Technique

43. Adam and The Ants--Kings Of The Wild Frontier

42. The Human League--Dare

41. Prince--Dirty Mind

40. King Crimson--Discipline

39. Young Marble Giants--Colossal Youth

38. Minor Threat--Out Of Step

37. Mission Of Burma--Vs.

36. John Zorn--Naked City

35. Talking Heads--Stop Making Sense

34. The Smiths--The Queen Is Dead

33. Eric B. & Rakim--Paid In Full

32. Talk Talk--Spirit Of Eden

31. The Cure--Disintegration

That's what I think. If some of your favorites aren't there, don't worry. Either they're really good (and will be ranked higher) or they're really bad. Stay tuned.