Q: Was there good music in the 1980s? A: YES.

[Junkenstein]

LMNO - Will you be including early industrial as you continue? Ministry, KMFDM and a few other mainstays will be coming up shortly.

[LMNO]

Some, but this is pretty much a YMMV thread, and most industrial doesn't/didn't do much for me.  Might have some Psychic TV, though.

[Junkenstein]

No problem, I was guessing Black Metal isn't exactly your bag either and I'd bet Twid/Waffles could round out that stuff. I can think of a couple offhand. Will chip in when relevant if that's OK/anyone cares?

[carnival]

Maxine

[LMNO]

Maxine

Get out.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

 

[LMNO]

Especially as we're nowhere near 1988 yet.

No problem, I was guessing Black Metal isn't exactly your bag either and I'd bet Twid/Waffles could round out that stuff. I can think of a couple offhand. Will chip in when relevant if that's OK/anyone cares?

If you want.  I know I've passed over some Iron Maiden, and some other Priest albums, etc etc.  If you want to add some commentary, please do, but make sure there's actually some commentary there.  Otherwise, it's just another "What are you listening to" threads.  Which pretty much suck.

[Junkenstein]

Eh, seeds come before '88. I'll be sure to add appropriate historical commentary and colour.

[LMNO]

oh, the 88 reference was to carnival posting a Travelling Wilbury's track.

[LMNO]

Looks like I had some time in a phone conference to bang out another year.

1982

Well, look.  I have to be honest.  This year wasn't very prolific when you want to talk about good music.  But maybe, just maybe, that's because the collective psychic creative energies had been sucked up by these albums:

1) Make way for Bad Brains.  Their ROIR (cassette only) release of Bad Brains is fucking amazing.  Songs like Banned in DC, Big Takeover, and I are amazingly well balanced by honest to Jah reggae like I Luv I Jah.  Yeah, that's right: The fastest, hardest punk band of the 80s were a bunch of stoned Rastas.  Listen to this album three times in a row, and you will hate Sublime, if you don't already.

If Bad Brains was the newcomer, The Clash's Combat Rock was clearly the mark of the seasoned veteran.  Coming out the gates with Know Your Rights, they take a turn to less aggressive sound with Car Jamming and Ghetto Defendant (with guest vocals by Allen Ginsberg!).  But the jewel in the crown has to be Straight to Hell, with it's haunting drone and mournful lyrics.

If you shift about 180 degrees, you'll find Big Science, Laurie Anderson's debut.  This is a weird album, but it kind of sticks with you.  Minimalist as hell, but that sparseness allows for the dreamlike quality of her voice.  Known best for O Superman (and rightly so), tracks like Born, Never Asked and Let X = X are also fabulous.  If you can't get into it, it's at least ambitious, and like nothing you've ever heard.  It always sounds forlorn, and can instantly put me into a wistfully nostalgic mood.

Ok, that was a nice palette cleanser.  Back to the noise.  1982 saw the first EP by Sonic Youth, and introduces all of us to the NYC No Wave scene.  Heavily experimental, with odd sounds and obscure sonic jabs to the face, the importance of the scene is underscored by how tracks like Burning Spear and I Dreamed a Dream sounds current these days, and almost underwhelming.  Don't worry, we'll see them again later this decade.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, interesting things were happening.  Fear were known as the hardcore band that got kicked off of Saturday Night Live, but if you listen to The Record, it's kind of weird.  Odd rhythms, saxophones, messed up lead lines, and even a song about breaking up with your girlfriend.  Sure, they were also really great at pissing people off and kinda being dicks about it, but let's face it, as far as trolling goes, they were pretty damn good at it.

At the same time, X was shifting onto higher ground, with an album produced by Ray Manzarek, no less.  Under the Big Black Sun is a magnificent snapshot of a band climbing out of the punk scene and trying to write something different.  The energy behind Hungry Wolf is different than Bad Brains or Fear, but the urgency is compelling.  There's a rockabilly sound going on in Because I Do, and Blue Spark almost croons.  This is one of those classic albums that, once it gets in your head, it will stay with you.

Oh, and The Birthday Party did something amazing. Again.

And what did Top 40 give us?

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" – Daryl Hall & John Oates
"Centerfold" – The J. Geils Band
"I Love Rock 'N Roll" – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
"Ebony And Ivory" – Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
"Don't You Want Me" – The Human League
"Eye Of The Tiger" – Survivor
"Abracadabra" – Steve Miller Band
"Hard To Say I'm Sorry" – Chicago
"Jack And Diane" – John Cougar
"Up Where We Belong" – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
"Truly" – Lionel Richie
"Mickey" – Toni Basil
"Maneater" – Daryl Hall & John Oates

[hooplala]

also in 1982:

Ice Cream For Crow

[LMNO]

Yeah. Not my favorite Beefheart, but I suppose honorable mention is needed.

[hooplala]

Yeah. Not my favorite Beefheart, but I suppose honorable mention is needed.

Not mine either, but if I had to listen to that or Up Where We Belong...

[P3nT4gR4m]

"Mickey" – Toni Basil

Guilty pleasure. Like - war criminal - guilty. Like - blowjob from god - pleasure.

No shit, srsly, I fucking love this track. For no discernable reason 

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

The 90's were a lot worse than the 80's. The 90's were what made me stop listening to the radio forever.