My Top Favorite Albums per Year.
1985
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"My Top Favorite Albums per Year", will be a brief list of the albums I actually own and have in my personal vinyl, cassette, CD and mp3 collection. These will mostly be short reviews on full length albums, not just singles from the album. Maybe some of my favorites are your favorites too.
The Year was 1985.
1) Sade - Promise
Oh, I remember this album very well. The big hit was "The Sweetest Taboo". I used to listen to this album in the living room of my first apartment. It would be freezing cold, dead of winter in Wisconsin. I would close my eyes and dream about far away exotic island beaches in the tropics where it was always warm. I always loved Sade Adu's voice. This one of those albums that has stood the test of time.
2) The Outfield - Play Deep
"Josie's on a vacation far away..." Everyone remembers those lyrics to the Outfield's hit song "Your love". One of the guys I grew up with, bought the album. I borrowed it and recorded the vinyl to cassette tape. This became one of the most played albums for that summer. Every song was great. I think a lot of the success of this album came from the production. It was a very high quality vinyl record. So much so that it made all of us turn our heads.
3) Heart - Heart
The comeback album to beat all comeback albums. Prior to this album, Heart had pretty much fallen off the radar. Ann and Nancy Wilson rediscovered themselves and opted to agree to change their look, their sound and their style. Big hair was all over MTV in the mid1980's, Heart led the way with hits like "What about love", "Never", "These dreams" and "Nothin' at all" that shot them back into the mainstream music limelight and to a whole new level of fame.
4) Van Zant - Van Zant
I still have this vinyl album. "I'm a fighter" and "You've got to believe in love" were all over rock radio that year. Such a great rock album from the infamous Van Zant brothers, Donnie and Johnny from the Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special camps.
5) Mr. Mister - Welcome to the real world
Everyone remembers the two hits off of this amazing album: "Kyrie" and "Broken wings". Again, another high quality production album. Lots of washing "80's" keyboards, high vocals and guitars. Classic 80's music!
6) Night Ranger - 7 Wishes
Remember "Four in the morning", "Sentimental street" and "Goodbye"? Classic Night Ranger 80's rock ballads. Everyone knew and liked these songs back then.
7) Dream Academy, the - The Dream Academy
Everyone wondered what it was like to live a "Life in a northern town", and what the stories were behind the lyrics. I remember seeing this band on MTV one afternoon. They were a very unique sound for the time. Even though The Dream Academy released two more albums after this debut release, this first album was their biggest score.
8) Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
Gees, how many hits were on this album? "Don't lose my number", "Inside out", "One more night", "Sussudio", and "Take me home". Such a typical 80's sound that truly represents pop music of the time. Phil Collins is an absolute legend as a drummer, singer/songwriter and solo artist.
9) Loverboy - Lovin' every minute of it
Remember this band? The chicks certainly did. For me, it was all about the guitars. Pop-rock 80's personified. The title track "Lovin' every minute of it" was really the only hit on this album, but the rest of the album was classic Loverboy rock.
10) Dan Fogelberg - High Country Snows
This is one of my absolute favorite Fogelberg albums. It is a significant departure from his pop radio songs from the late 70's and early 1980's. This album was a gathering of country and bluegrass artists who were top-end musicians in their genre. I don't remember any of the songs on this album making it to pop radio, but who cared? Every song was classic Fogelberg. They were about stories, old and new. It's also a fun album to play the guitar to, if you can keep up with your bluegrass chops!
11) Bangles, the - Different Light
I think that this is my favorite album for 1985. I love every song on this album. I mean, who didn't have a mad crush on Susanna Hoffs? Actually, I thought the bassist "Michael Steele '' was hot with her big hair. "Manic Monday", "Walk like an Egyptian" and "If she knew what she wants" were all over the radio and MTV that year. Such a great 80's album!
12) Spyro Gyra - Alternating Currents
Okay, so Spyro Gyra isn't pop music. It's 80's mainstream jazz/fusion. Nevertheless, I have been a huge fan of Spyro Gyra since the late 1970's. This album, like all Spryo Gyra albums, is all instrumental. This genre of jazz music is something I could listen to all the time. I hear music in color, so there are a lot of colors to be heard in this music.
So, there you have it, my list of favorite albums from 1985. What are some of your favorite albums from that year?