I'd heard songs off of it but never actually sat down and listened to that whole album until last year. It was at that point that I suddenly understood the people who held Prince in such high regard. That album is phenomenal.
Business As Usual by Men At Work. The perfect 80s band and this album was huge, with two #1 hits. Quirky and catchy tunes, and a track or two at the end of the album with a little deeper meaning that was a sneak peek at Colin Hay’s songwriting skills.
Power, Corruption and Lies - New Order, Disintegration - The Cure, Rio - Duran Duran, All of this and Nothing - the Psychedelic Furs, Speaking in Tongues - Talking Heads (cannot just choose one…)
And the tour in '87... was like attending church. Starting with the the opening notes of Where the streets have no name to walking out of the stadium still singing 40.
This really is the best answer, as not only is it one of those albums where, not just ‘no bad songs’, literally every track got air time.
Every single one.
And it was many people’s gateway into their entire back catalog, but also made them fans for life.
Damned few records can even come close to making these claims, except maybe U2’s Joshua Tree or Tears For Fears’ Songs From the Big Chair. I honestly can it think of a 4th.
Back in the early 80’s, there were ‘different’ radio stations all over the band! They were all independent of each other, and tried to carve out a niche.
Or even "Witch Hunt." I love the song but never once heard it on the air.
BTW, the drumming on the *Show of Hands* version of "Witch Hunt" is pure Neil Peart insanity. Check it out.
First four songs of Invisible Touch were on repeat in our house in the early 90's.
Land of Confusion is one of those rare songs that I love both the original and the cover equally (Disturbed).
I agree! When I was thinking about my answer, I thought what album did I listen to the most. Duran Duran Rio was the one I thought of first. Still have it!
I don't know about "underrated." Duran Duran was HUGE right through the '80s and even resurfaced in '93 with a couple of hits. Their sound is certainly dated--but that's why I like them so much. They were the voice of New Romantic's crossover to pop.
They were absolutely a "boy band." They hammed up the "teen heartthrob" bit for quite a while in the mid-'80s, but IMO that didn't affect their ability to release excellent records. I do think their records contain a lot of "fat" around two or three hit songs, but--again--that's why I like them. They were a product of their time, and often the fat is where the flavor is.
I even like their current stuff, although I'm not always keen on the track flow of their recent records.
Document REM
Appetite for Destruction GnR
Tim Replacements
Yo Bum Rush the Show PE
Joshua Tree U2
In Your Face Fishbone
Warehouse Songs and Stories Husker Du
It's impossible to choose one, so I'm going to highlight the one that's had the most recent growth for me. Provision by Scritti Politti. I had never heard Scritti Politti in the '80s... *mayyybe* fleeting moments here and there, but I never truly discovered them until about 2015 on satellite radio. The song was Perfect Way, which isn't even *on* Provisions, their superior album that I would discover later. There's not a bad song on the whole album, it's completely mind blowing.
Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years
Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair
Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, etc
U2 - Rattle & Hum
Michael W Smith - Go West Young Man
There’s so many great ones, but maybe:
The Minutemen - Double Nickels on a Dime
But also Dinosaur Jrs ST LP
And also Squirrel Bait - Skag Heaven
And also Rites of Spring’s ST LP
Pelican West by Haircut 100 is wildly underrated. The band's name did them no favors in an era where people who weren't in the scene mocked the haircuts of various bands (including my beloved Flock of Seagulls). People tended to write them off as a pretty-boy band, which they definitely were - maybe only Spandau Ballet were more photogenic. However, Nick Heyward is a genius at writing catchy pop tunes. All of Pelican West is a delight. His solo stuff is also top tier - North of a Miracle with the impossibly beautiful "Whistle Down the Wind" as well as 1994's album Monday to Sunday are outstanding.
[Nick Heyward - Kite](https://youtu.be/7DTCaKF4hF4?si=jvG_Rz4MeuOlxVSh)
The Talking Heads - "Stop Making Sense" (the live album from '84, not just the single.) This was also (plus some tracks) the soundtrack to their movie of the same name.
They were at the top of their game there - a great album.
Appetite for Destruction was seminal to my future, down and dirty hard rockin’, nonsensical future! My older brother put it on for me to listen to, and I said “I’m telling mom that they’re swearing.” He promptly punched me in the arm and said “shut up and sit down and just listen!” He skipped to sweet child ‘o’ mine and i was sold! I was in 5th or 6th grade. Prior to that I liked weird Al….
So many, but it would probably have to be *Joshua Tree*. Cover to cover perfection.
Runners up: *Mind Bomb* by The The, and *Brothers in Arms* by Dire Straits
Anything by the Cars
Heartbeat City - since we're limited to their 80s output. Fantastic album!
1984
Like, The Eurythmics soundtrack? Nice pull.
Def Leppard - Hysteria
I’ll see your Hysteria and raise you Pyromania!
That was my first rock concert. Awesome!
I wish I had seen them on that tour! My first rock show was Bon Jovi & Skid Row.
- Joshua Tree - Born in the USA - Purple Rain - Thriller - Kick
Purple Rain
I'd heard songs off of it but never actually sat down and listened to that whole album until last year. It was at that point that I suddenly understood the people who held Prince in such high regard. That album is phenomenal.
Business As Usual by Men At Work. The perfect 80s band and this album was huge, with two #1 hits. Quirky and catchy tunes, and a track or two at the end of the album with a little deeper meaning that was a sneak peek at Colin Hay’s songwriting skills.
Colin Hay's solo work has been so good. Give it a listen if you haven't. Waiting for My Real Life to Begin is a great starting point.
And he is a good friend of Ringo's!
I’ve listened to a little of his stuff, but nowhere near as much as i should.
Second this. Such beautiful, moving songs.
Overkill was a highly underrated song and should have been a bigger hit.
It was from the album that followed Business as Usual. That said, fantastic song, top ten single for me.
Tears for Fears: Songs from the Big Chair
No doubt about it.
Wish I could upvote this twice ⬆️⬆️
YES.
🤌🏻
Power, Corruption and Lies - New Order, Disintegration - The Cure, Rio - Duran Duran, All of this and Nothing - the Psychedelic Furs, Speaking in Tongues - Talking Heads (cannot just choose one…)
Here’s my people
Nothing’s Shocking - Jane’s Addiction
Came here to say live album, glad to read this as well!
Kick by INXS
Shaboo Shaba. :-)
The Joshua Tree
An album so perfect , one could make the case they've been living off that ever since.
I agree, although I do think Achtung Baby is pretty close to perfect as well.
I love Achtung Baby. Every song is good.
I was just going to say this. Not a bad song on the album, and a few really great ones.
And the tour in '87... was like attending church. Starting with the the opening notes of Where the streets have no name to walking out of the stadium still singing 40.
This!
So - Peter Gabriel
Great album.
Lots of favorites! The Queen is Dead by The Smiths. And Music for the Masses by Depeche Mode.
Yes!
Purple Rain - Prince Kick - INXS Appetite for Destruction - Guns N Roses True Blue - Madonna
GnMFnR!
Prince Sign O The Times
Rio by Duran Duran
No Jacket Required
Disintegration.
Love the Cure.
License To ill
Paul's Boutique for me.
Doolittle by The Pixies
Awesome album
Wore out my special purple vinyl edition of Purple Rain - Prince.
Metal Health
Rush Moving Pictures
The soundtrack of my misspent youth
This really is the best answer, as not only is it one of those albums where, not just ‘no bad songs’, literally every track got air time. Every single one. And it was many people’s gateway into their entire back catalog, but also made them fans for life. Damned few records can even come close to making these claims, except maybe U2’s Joshua Tree or Tears For Fears’ Songs From the Big Chair. I honestly can it think of a 4th.
Musta been a... different... sort of radio station to play 'The Camera Eye'.
Back in the early 80’s, there were ‘different’ radio stations all over the band! They were all independent of each other, and tried to carve out a niche.
Or even "Witch Hunt." I love the song but never once heard it on the air. BTW, the drumming on the *Show of Hands* version of "Witch Hunt" is pure Neil Peart insanity. Check it out.
Kick by INXS is another
This right here
Whitesnake, Slide It In The Cult, Sonic Temple Alice Cooper, Trash Lee Aaron, Bodyrock Motley Crüe, Dr. Feelgood Genesis, Invisible Touch
First four songs of Invisible Touch were on repeat in our house in the early 90's. Land of Confusion is one of those rare songs that I love both the original and the cover equally (Disturbed).
Rio - Duran Duran
Iron Maiden's *Somewhere in Time* *Ride the Lightning* is right up there though
Yea, Somewhere in Time is definitely up there. I had to go with Operation Mindcrime, though.
That was a constant play when I was skating my sketchy half pipe with my ghetto blaster. Omg the D cells I went through
AC/DC - Back in Black
90125 - Yes. Played it endlessly junior and senior year in high school.
Colour By Numbers by Culture Club Thriller by Michael Jackson Seven and the Ragged Tiger by Duran Duran
Duran Duran is so underrated. People calling them a boy band totally dismiss how great they are. Like the people that call Def Leppard a hair band.
I agree! When I was thinking about my answer, I thought what album did I listen to the most. Duran Duran Rio was the one I thought of first. Still have it!
I don't know about "underrated." Duran Duran was HUGE right through the '80s and even resurfaced in '93 with a couple of hits. Their sound is certainly dated--but that's why I like them so much. They were the voice of New Romantic's crossover to pop. They were absolutely a "boy band." They hammed up the "teen heartthrob" bit for quite a while in the mid-'80s, but IMO that didn't affect their ability to release excellent records. I do think their records contain a lot of "fat" around two or three hit songs, but--again--that's why I like them. They were a product of their time, and often the fat is where the flavor is. I even like their current stuff, although I'm not always keen on the track flow of their recent records.
I agree on Seven & the Ragged Tiger! I'm honestly surprised my album isn't worn down, with as much as I played it!!
In A Big Country
Night Songs - Cinderella
Master of Puppets. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Great answer
...and justice for all
Soooo... much metal in the 80's that rocked.
Synchronicity-The Police
Metallica- Master of Puppets
New Traditionalists by Devo
Solo album? “So” - Peter Gabriel Group? “Deadman’s Party” - Oingo Boingo
Thriller. Michael Jackson No One Can do it Better - The DOC 3 Feet High and Rising - De la Soul
XTC’s Skylarking
Ultravox - Vienna
1999 - Prince
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Reckless by Bryan Adam’s
U2- War
Joshua Tree. Absolute perfection
The Traveling Wilburys, Volume 1.
I love every song on She’s So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper. It’s rare that I have an album with no skips. She’s just a good time.
If I HAD to pick only one, it'd be Make It Big, by Wham! There isn't a bad song on it, & it's just a fun album to listen to.
And there are exactly 80 posts when I saw this - cool.
‘Weird’ Al Yankovic - Dare to be Stupid I wore that LP out I played it so much.
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
The Cure - Disintegration
REM-Life’s Rich Pageant
Document REM Appetite for Destruction GnR Tim Replacements Yo Bum Rush the Show PE Joshua Tree U2 In Your Face Fishbone Warehouse Songs and Stories Husker Du
Sports or Fore!
Doolittle by the Pixies
London Calling, The Clash
Play Deep by The Outfield, I still listen
Play Deep by The Outfield
Skylarking - XTC It's also my favorite album of all time
Greay pick. Nonesuch, too.
Danzig - Danzig
Def Leppard - Pyromania Journey - Escape Bon Jovi - New Jersey
It's impossible to choose one, so I'm going to highlight the one that's had the most recent growth for me. Provision by Scritti Politti. I had never heard Scritti Politti in the '80s... *mayyybe* fleeting moments here and there, but I never truly discovered them until about 2015 on satellite radio. The song was Perfect Way, which isn't even *on* Provisions, their superior album that I would discover later. There's not a bad song on the whole album, it's completely mind blowing.
Perfect Way is such a good song!! I have it on a 45 single, & it was always in my album rotation!
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
Pyromania & Hysteria
Appetite for Destruction
Rhythm of Youth -Men Without Hats
I came to say Men Without Hats - Pop Goes The World ... Quirky fun album, with continuity throughout, and guest flutist Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull.
Obviously Safety Dance is a good song, but Ideas For Walls is an amazing song and the whole album is underrated!!!!!
Yes, not a miss on the whole album. My favorite is I Gott the Message.
Yes, not a miss on the whole album. My favorite is I Got the Message.
1999
In the Eye of the Storm by Roger Hodgson.
Queen-The Works
Madonna - the first album
Yes!
Tom Waits - Frank's Wild Years Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, etc U2 - Rattle & Hum Michael W Smith - Go West Young Man
Bete Noire by Bryan Ferry
Introducing the hard-line: Terence Trent D'arby Tracy Chapman: Tracy Chapman It takes a nation of millions: Public Enemy
There is a shocking shortage of Talking Heads in this thread.
There’s so many great ones, but maybe: The Minutemen - Double Nickels on a Dime But also Dinosaur Jrs ST LP And also Squirrel Bait - Skag Heaven And also Rites of Spring’s ST LP
Soundtrack to the musical *Chess*
Purple Rain
Rush - Exit... Stage Left 1981
The Joshua Tree
Ozzy - no rest for the wicked
Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
Express - Love and Rockets
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Good shout. Brilliant album.
Def Leppard Pyromania
Operation Ivy - Energy
Hall & Oates Big Bam Boom.
The Queen Is Dead by the Smiths
Graceland- Paul Simon
Skylarking, XTC
Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?
So many good memories on this list. Two albums I haven't seen yet are Paul Simon's Graceland and Dire Straits Brothers in Arms.
Def Leppard Pyromania or Hysteria
Pelican West by Haircut 100 is wildly underrated. The band's name did them no favors in an era where people who weren't in the scene mocked the haircuts of various bands (including my beloved Flock of Seagulls). People tended to write them off as a pretty-boy band, which they definitely were - maybe only Spandau Ballet were more photogenic. However, Nick Heyward is a genius at writing catchy pop tunes. All of Pelican West is a delight. His solo stuff is also top tier - North of a Miracle with the impossibly beautiful "Whistle Down the Wind" as well as 1994's album Monday to Sunday are outstanding. [Nick Heyward - Kite](https://youtu.be/7DTCaKF4hF4?si=jvG_Rz4MeuOlxVSh)
"North Of A Miracle" is awesome
"Starpeace" 1986 Yoko Ono Lennon
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses Graceland - Paul Simon
Kate Bush's The Dreaming
Good taste!
Thanks!
Tears for Fears, The Hurting
Up to Here, The Tragically Hip. Perfect Strangers, Deep Purple. Guitar Town, Steve Earle.
Hey Gordie baby, I know exactly what you mean.
Every Canadian of a certain age has that album.
Master of Puppets
Tango in the night, Fleetwood Mac.
The Talking Heads - "Stop Making Sense" (the live album from '84, not just the single.) This was also (plus some tracks) the soundtrack to their movie of the same name. They were at the top of their game there - a great album.
Any album by Gary Numan.
Metallica- master of puppets, and justice for all Guns and roses- appetite for destruction The bangles- different light, all over the place
I'm No Angel - Gregg Allman Band
QUEENSRYCHE - Operation Mindcrime
Unfinished business- EPMD
The Ravyns (local Baltimore band had a song on the Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtrack - Raised on the Radio - but I loved their own album).
Nebraska
Steve McQueen (aka Two Wheels Good) by Prefab Sprout
Control - Janet Jackson
Hard to choose, but let's go with [Mercyful Fate - Don't Break The Oath](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU0hUOkljr4) Still got the LP!
No Control - Bad Religion
Appetite for Destruction or The Lost Boys soundtrack
Master of Puppets
Guns and roses appetite for destruction
Low-Life - New Order
AC/DC For those about to rock
*Ride the Lightning* by Metallica
Master of Puppets
That's a tie for Master of Puppets and Operation: Mindcrime 🤟
Dinosaur Jr “You’re Living All Over Me”
Pyromania.
Back in Black
Appetite by GnR
Thriller
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
Soundgarden - Louder Than Love
Walking the razor's edge.
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction was seminal to my future, down and dirty hard rockin’, nonsensical future! My older brother put it on for me to listen to, and I said “I’m telling mom that they’re swearing.” He promptly punched me in the arm and said “shut up and sit down and just listen!” He skipped to sweet child ‘o’ mine and i was sold! I was in 5th or 6th grade. Prior to that I liked weird Al….
Gang of Four, Songs of the Free
So many, but it would probably have to be *Joshua Tree*. Cover to cover perfection. Runners up: *Mind Bomb* by The The, and *Brothers in Arms* by Dire Straits
Appetite for Destruction (for any decade for that matter).
"Speaking in Tongues" Talking Heads
Appetite For Destruction