80's albums that hold up on any level

Discussion in 'TV & Media' started by Dale Sams, Mar 13, 2013.

  1. Dale Sams

    Dale Sams Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I would vote for:

    Thomas Dolby's "The Golden Age of Wireless" and, surprisingly, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome".
     
  2. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    "Blizzard of Ozz" and "Diary of a Madman" by Ozzy Osbourne.
     
  3. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    I never heard the first. The second I heard a few times.
     
  4. Kirby

    Kirby Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Haven't heard it in quite a while, but I can see that one holding up well. I'd also add Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever, and The Traveling Wilburys. Ok, I may get crucified for this one, but I listened to Survivor's Vital Signs last weekend and it sounds great. Much better than when I listened to it in High School.
     
  5. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    More generally, I suspect the albums mentioned on this thread will most likely be very subjective to a particular person's musical tastes and whatever stuff one has listened to over the last 20-30+ years.

    For example back in the 1980's, I use to really hate bands like Duran Duran. Back in the day, I use to hang out with "headbanger" type crowds, where it was a "cardinal sin" to listen to stuff that wasn't heavy metal (or punk rock). Peer pressure at its utmost silliest extremes, back in school. :guffaw:

    Fast forward to the early-mid 2000's, I picked up several Duran Duran albums on impulse, and was listening to them almost non-stop for several months. (I found them at a garage sale for $2 each).

    This may be very subjective, but these days I think the first several Duran Duran albums have held up very well over the last 30 years. Back in the 80's and 90's, I wouldn't have thought of Duran Duran in this manner.
     
  6. Pingfah

    Pingfah Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Every album I have ever liked holds up now, if it was good 30 years ago, then it's still good. It is the same album, after all.
     
  7. Dale Sams

    Dale Sams Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Well, same for me. Which is why I put 'on any level'...meaning it doesn't sound dated (still subjective of course) and that you think it would appeal to a lot of people.

    But yes, I agree with your sentiment. *I* love all of my 80's albums, but I see how my Altered Images albums sound much like the time they were made in.

    Thomas Dolby is just a frigging genius, and as for Frankie Goes to Hollywood...well, I know they resisted doing so many covers, but it serves to give the album an eclectic feel so between that and Holly Johnson's great vocals, it's a hell of an album.

    edit: Not to say "The Golden Age of Wireless" doesn't sound like it wasn't made in the 80's, but there's a hell of a lot more to it than keyboardmania.
     
  8. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    One could ask what types of albums/songs have held up even longer, which may possibly sound almost "timeless".

    Besides popularity, what makes many Beatles songs hold up over the last 40-50 years?
     
  9. Dale Sams

    Dale Sams Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    A number of things: eclecticism, each member having a distinctive personality...each singing...their movies being damn good. An actual arc to the bands career.
     
  10. auntiehill

    auntiehill The Blooness Premium Member

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    ^Skillful songwriting, I would imagine, but even that is incredibly intangible. It would be interesting to see some psychological or even neurological study that investigates why certain songs appeal to the masses.

    As for albums from the 80s that still hold up, I'll nominate Journey's Escape. I know...big surprise.
     
  11. sovereign

    sovereign Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is in my opinion one of the most cohesive and strong pop albums of all time. No filler on this one guys. Still has records yet to be broken. It basically created the blueprint for the American female "pop star" for the next 25 years.
     
  12. marksound

    marksound Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Van Halen's 80s catalog is still great.

    Women and Children First (1980)
    Fair Warning (1981)
    Diver Down (1982)
    1984 (1984)
    5150 (1986)
    OU812 (1988)
     
  13. Kirby

    Kirby Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Agreed. VH put out some great stuff in the 80s, but if I never hear Jump again, it will be alright with me.
     
  14. jayceee

    jayceee Commander Red Shirt

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    By a measure of albums with no "filler" songs, my very subjective list would be:

    Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
    Metallica - Kill 'Em All
    Metallica - Ride The Lightning
    Metallica - Master of Puppets
    Def Leppard - Pyromania
    Bryan Adams - Reckless
    Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil

    From different time periods outside of the 80's, my very subjective list of "no filler" albums would also include:

    Singles - soundtrack (of 1992 movie)
    Pearl Jam - Ten
    Beatles - Sgt Pepper
    Saturday Night Fever - soundtrack
    KISS - Destroyer
    KISS - Alive 1

    These are albums I use to listen to over and over again on auto-replay, which I thought didn't have any "fillers".
     
  15. stoneroses

    stoneroses Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The stone roses - The stone roses 1989
     
  16. the G-man

    the G-man Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    There are certain 80s albums I still find enjoyable but which sound a bit dated because of certain "faddish" musical flourishes, most notably the synthesizer.

    That being said, there are many more records which don't sound dated at all because they were done by enduring artists who either defined genres or never got too faddish.

    For example: U2, REM and Springsteen all had huge albums in the 80s but I wouldn't consider any of their music dated.
     
  17. Davros

    Davros Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Combat Rock -The Clash
    New Traditionalists - DEVO
    Shout - DEVO
    Oh No It's DEVO - DEVO
     
  18. Avon

    Avon Commodore Commodore

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    Dare! - Human League

    i'll admit it does sound a bit cheesy, but its sheer awesomeness overcomes that
     
  19. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The Police & Peter Gabriel's 80's catalogs hold up pretty well
     
  20. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Add to this Genesis and U2 from the 80's.