Best Album of the '80s - And the winner is ... on page 14

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

Interesting call on Duran Duran, another band that had a lot of really good songs, but didn't have a single standout album...

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

Add Moving Pictures by Rush to the list of albums that probably should have been on here.

There was no way I wasn't going to take War over Number of the Beast, but that was an influential Maiden album, and the first one with Bruce Dickinson singing. War is tremendous, though ... Two Hearts Beat As One ... they don't make them like that anymore. U2 had another pretty tough draw with Unforgettable Fire going up against Master of Puppets.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

Leppard was a hair band as far as packaging and appearance ... but far better songwriters than most of of the hairband rabble. That's where they separate themselves.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

I'm in:

East
1 Thriller (Michael Jackson) vs. 16 Nebraska (Bruce Springsteen)
8 Rhythm Nation 1814 (Janet Jackson) vs. 9 Brothers In Arms (Dire Straits)
5 1999 (Prince) vs. 12 Rain Dogs (Tom Waits)
4 Like A Virgin (Madonna) vs. 13 Faith (George Michael)
6 Doolittle (Pixies) vs. 11 Pretenders (Pretenders)
3 Born in the USA (Bruce Springsteen) vs. 14 Psychocandy (The Jesus and Mary Chain)
7 Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth) vs. 10 1984 (Van Halen)
2 Raising Hell (Run-D.M.C.) vs. 15 Private Dancer (Tina Turner)

South
1 It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (Public Enemy) vs. 16 Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi)
8 Like A Prayer (Madonna) vs. 9 Tracy Chapman (Tracy Chapman)
5 Remain In Light (Talking Heads) vs. 12 The Message (Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five)
4 Synchronicity (The Police) vs. 13 The Smiths (The Smiths)
6 Master of Puppets (Metallica) vs. 11 The Unforgettable Fire (U2)
3 Sign O' The Times (Prince) vs. 14 She's So Unusual (Cindi Lauper)
7 Paid In Full (Eric B. & Rakim) vs. 10 So (Peter Gabriel)
2 Appetite For Destruction (Guns N' Roses) vs. 15 Document (R.E.M.)

Midwest
1 Purple Rain (Prince and the Revolution) vs. 16 Nick of Time (Bonnie Raitt)
8 Hysteria (Def Leppard) vs. 9 Closer (Joy Division)
5 Whitesnake (Whitesnake) vs. 12 Let It Be (The Replacements)
4 Graceland (Paul Simon) vs. 13 King Of Rock (Run-D.M.C.)
6 Paul's Boutique (Beastie Boys) vs. 11 The River (Bruce Springsteen)
3 Straight Outta Compton (N.W.A) vs. 14 Ride The Lightning (Metallica)
7 Number Of The Beast (Iron Maiden) vs. 10 War (U2)
2 Back In Black (AC/DC) vs. 15 Hounds Of Love (Kate Bush)

West
1 The Joshua Tree (U2) vs. 16 Reign In Blood (Slayer)
8 Radio (LL Cool J) vs. 9 Bad (Michael Jackson)
5 3 Feet High and Rising (De La Soul) vs. 12 Dirty Mind (Prince)
4 The Queen Is Dead (The Smiths) vs. 13 Beauty And The Beat (The Go-Go's)
6 The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses) vs. 11 Disintegration (The Cure)
3 Murmur (R.E.M.) vs. 14 Dare! (The Human League)
7 Run-D.M.C. (Run-D.M.C.) vs. 10 Ace Of Spades (Motorhead)
2 Licensed To Ill (Beastie Boys) vs. 15 Nothing's Shocking (Jane's Addiction)

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

I think their Rio album (that broke them big in the U.S.) had more standout songs than their self-titled album.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

bump

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

As far as their albums go .. Arena is my favorite and there is no close second.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

Any list of top albums of the 1980s with tHe Violent Femmes first album is not a good list.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

I have to agree that an 80s Album Bracket without Duran Duran is hard to picture, but there isn't that clear standout album for them.

I'm a huge Springsteen fan, but no way Nebraska should beat Thriller.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

People are really, honestly voting against Thriller?

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

No love for John Mellencamp. Uh-Huh's a pretty damn good album.

 

Re: Best Album of the '80s - A Tournament

In '87, Huey released Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip to be Square", a song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself.