Tag: 1980sPage 1 of 25

UB40, Rat in the Kitchen, 1986 on A&M

Seventh UB40 full length, on A&M in the US and DEP International / Virgin elsewhere. Love the title track as well as “Sing our Own Song,” with the…

Peter Gabriel, So, 1986 on Geffen

One of the foundational albums of my youth – not just the “In Your Eyes” boombox scene from Say Anything, but really every track here. Sounds fantastic on…

Cyndi Lauper, True Colors, 1986 on Portrait

Second studio LP from Lauper, following the massively successful She’s So Unusual which had already gone four times platinum. Covering “What’s Going On” was, well, a choice. But…

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, Conscious Party, 1988 on Virgin

Third LP from Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which included Stephen, Sharon and Cedella plus Ziggy, all children of Bob and Rita Marley (who also adds backing…

Neil Young and the Shocking Pinks, Everybody’s Rockin’, 1983 on Geffen

Credited (as you can see on the cover and the labels) to Neil Young but also to Neil and the Shocking Pinks, this was Neil’s rockabilly album, with…

Talking Heads, Remain in Light, 1980 on Sire

Fourth studio LP from Talking Heads, and the third produced by Brian Eno. I’d say the whole Talking Heads discography is “must have,” and this is no exception….

R.E.M., We Are Having a Heavenly Time!, 1985 on P.F.M.

Bootleg recording from R.E.M.’s September 26th, 1984 gig at Durham North Carolina’s Page Auditorium (on Duke’s campus). Also available in the Internet Archive – R.E.M. Live – 1984-09-26…

UB40, Labour of Love, 1983 on A&M

Fourth studio LP from UB40 – a collection of covers including their giant hit “Red Red Wine” – but don’t hold that against them. It’s really a fantastic…

The Pursuit of Happiness, Love Junk, 1988 on Chrysalis

Debut full length from Canada’s The Pursuit of Happiness, with their big hit “I’m an Adult Now.” Produced by Todd Rundgren and recorded at Utopia in the Hudson…

Japan, Japan, 1982 on Epic

Compilation album released (in the US) on Epic in 1982, bringing together most of Tin Drum plus some from Gentlemen Take Polaroids. (Neither of those was formally released…

Michelle Shocked, Captain Swing, 1989 on Mercury

This was Shocked’s third LP and the follow up to the massively successful Short Sharp Shocked which came out in 1988. It’s (deliberately) all over the place in…

Public Enemy, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1987 on Def Jam

Debut studio album from Public Enemy, recorded at Spectrum City Studios and produced by Bill Stephney (of The Bomb Squad, with co-producers Carl Ryder and Hank Shocklee) with…

David Byrne, Rei Momo, 1989 on Luaka Bop / Sire / WB

David Byrne’s first “solo” album which “transforms and pays tribute to the music of Latin America.” (Solo in the sense of not with Talking heads, but with a…

The League Unlimited Orchestra, Love and Dancing, 1982 on A&M

Remix album by The Human League, released in 1982 on Virgin in the UK, Europe and Canada and on A&M in the US. (Name inspired by Barry White’s…

Boogie Down Productions, By All Means Necessary, 1988 on Jive

Second album from KRS-One under the Boogie Down Productions moniker, after the 1987 killing of Scott La Rock. Arguably the birth of socially conscious hip-hop, undeniably a key…

The Cure, Faith, 1981 on Fiction

The Cure’s third full length, between Seventeen Seconds and Pornography, released in 1981 on Fiction records in the UK, and later in the US on Elektra in 1988….

Echo And The Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here, 1981 on Sire/Korova

Second album from Echo & the Bunnymen, produced by Hugh Jones (and the band) and recorded in Wales. It was put out by Korova in the UK and…

Joy Division, Substance, 1988 on Factory

Posthumous collection of Joy Division singles put out in 1988 as a 1xLP and reissued in 2015 as a 2xLP by Rhino (a digital remaster). Substance was also…

Modern English, Mesh & Lace, 1981 on 4AD

Debut album from Modern English on the 4AD label. This wasn’t released in the US formally until the 2012 CD reissue and then 2016 on vinyl. The debut…

X, See How We Are, 1987 on Elektra

This was the sixth studio album from Exene Cervenka, John Doe, and D.J. Bonebrake, and the first after the departure of Billy Zoom. He was replaced by Dave…