Discipline- King Crimson

What I love about these threads is how they lead me to discover new stuff. Even though my musically formative years were in the 80s, there are so many bands I hadn’t heard of before today.

What I love about these threads is how they lead me to discover new stuff.

Yep. Also, I overlooked at the time how impressive Madonna was, plus haven’t listened to “Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash” in years.

The OP’s question was “The Greatest”, i.e. one album, not a list.

Well the OP can pick one from my list

Can’t argue with statistics. (no idea who It was by though 😉 )

https://bestsellingalbums.org/decade/1980#:~:text=The%20best%2Dselling%20album%20relesased,JACKSON%20which%20sold%2066%2C000%2C000%20copies.

Except it was released in 1980, which was technically part of the 1970s. So, if you’re a math pedant, “Thriller.”

1980 was the final year of the 8th decade, but the OP referred to “1980s” which we might reasonably assumes to the ten years starting with 198x, irrespective of which decade they’re technically in.

Same with “Stop Making Sense” by Talking Heads, which was probably the most influential musical experience of my teen years, I went to the movie and it was like nothing I had ever experienced before or since, like seeing a different world. But it wasn’t an album, just a greatest hits collection.

Hmmmmm it’s more than a collection of songs tho isn’t it? As a film and an album the songs are chosen and arranged (my daughter would say curated) to build up and impact on you as a whole. Or something like that.

Appetite for destruction – Guns’n’Roses
Joshua Tree – U2
Born in the USA – Springsteen
Sign o’the times – Prince

Hmmmmm it’s more than a collection of songs tho isn’t it?

So is “Best of the Beatles”.

It’s too difficult. I’ve been half thinking about this all afternoon and, amongst the bullshit pop garbage, there are gems, like “It takes a nation of millions to hold us back” by Public Enemy and “Tour de France” by Kraftwerk.

But, how do you define “greatest”? Most sales? Most awards? on sales alone (UK only) the following are the top 10:

Madonna: True Blue
U2: The Joshua Tree
Phil Collins: No Jacket Required
Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night
Whitney Houston: Whitney
Kylie Minogue: Kylie
Queen: Greatest Hits
Michael Jackson: Thriller
Michael Jackson: Bad
Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms

Are any of those great? I mean, really? Popular sure, but not greatest.

Queen: Greatest Hits

FFS. A greatest hits compilation is not an album.

Also, a list is not a vote on the best album.

Also, the 1980s began on 1st January, 1981. 1980 belongs to the 1970s.

I’m going to throw the cat right in with the pigeons…

Now That’s What I Call Music 2

The original may have been a new thing, but 2 has the best tracks. i still love just about every one of them.

You need some serious sources to back up that Hols2 because every source I’ve checked says the 1980s started on 1/1/1980 and greatest hits albums are albums.

On a thread limited to one album I wouldn’t post because I don’t think there is one greaters album but many great albums to suit varying tastes, moods, settings, audiences etc..

FFS. A greatest hits compilation is not an album.

If it’s a collection of songs committed to a record/cd/cassette/8 track/ sequenced collection…then it’s an album. And Queen Greatest Hits is a fantastic album.

And Queen Greatest Hits is a fantastic album.

That’s a matter of opinion, as is my opinion that compilations don’t count.

What’s a fact is that most of the songs on that “album” were released in the 1970s.

That’s a matter of opinion, as is my opinion that compilations don’t count

Thankfully, your opinion means as little as mine.

Thankfully, your opinion means as little as mine.

Sure. You’re absolutely entitled to believe that a compilation of 1970s tracks is a 1980s album.

not the greatest but deserve a mention

Sade – Diamond Life
and
Three Man Army – A Third of a Lifetime, because rules are there to be broken…

thanks for all the contributions will be checking them out 🙂

Best Punk – Subhumans “From the Cradle To The Grave”

Best Non Punk – New Model Army “Thunder and Consolation”

No Wham? Am disappointed.

Marillion-Fugazi
Goodbye Mr MacKenzie -Good Deeds and Dirty Rags
Cure – Disintegration
Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime
ABC-Lexicon of Love
ZZtop-Eliminator

Sure. You’re absolutely entitled to believe that a compilation of 1970s tracks is a 1980s album

Me and the rest of the internet.

Best Punk – Subhumans “From the Cradle To The Grave”

Best Non Punk – New Model Army “Thunder and Consolation

Now we’re talking. I was going to pick Impurity by NMA (or No Rest). If we were going for Dick Lucas I would have gone for Go Wild! But not sure if a mini album would count with some of the mad rules that people are making up 😂

Me and the rest of the internet.

At least two people on the internet disagree, so I’m afraid you’re wrong on that one.

Though if you’re going to use the logical fallacy of popularity, I’d suggest a 1970s compilation:

No worries, Have a great evening 🍻

Jeez, some people could have an unnecessary row in solitary confinement 🤣

I’m with bunnyhop on this,songs from the big chair
By tears for fears is the perfect 80s album.

The Stone Roses.

As produced by my mates father in law, I’m sure he’ll be so chuffed for being bigged up on STW 🤣

Surprised by the number saying Doolittle over Surfer Rosa?

Can’t argue with statistics. (no idea who It was by though 😉 )

Well you can. That’s a list of most popular, not the greatest. I got into the 700s before I found a “great” one. Of course that’s just my opinion, but that’s the point.

Not the greatest I know but at the time it was great because it was fun. Men at work… Business as Usual. Cargo was good too.

Of course 1980 is in the 80’s. Say it out loud, does it say ‘eighty’ somewhere in there? Does nineteen ninety contain the sound ‘eighty’

Cosmic Thing – B-52’s

Oh and the Joshua Tree

No way is Songs from the big chair a better album than the Hurting.

Seven and the Ragged Tiger – Duran Duran

Could name 50 great albums but no 1 would be First and last and always – sisters of mercy

I was born in 80, from the back seat of our Gold Austin Meastro, it was either Please, or Actually by The Pet Shop Boys, or Tears For Fears as the greatest album of the 80s.

Actually I go with Tears for Fears the big chair

These threads are great, I’ve just listened to a few Grace Jones records having only known the obvious tracks previously

Oh my, I love Grace Jones’s work. Possibly my favourite track of hers:

Dare is ace.

We can all pick four/maybe five that’s the easy choice. It’s just one folks. Just one.

Just not possible. I wouldn’t even attempt it, there are so many great albums from so many great bands across so many different genres it’s daft to even consider it.

U2 The Joshua Tree, Peter Gabriel had three terrific albums out through the 80’s, one of them was the first CD I bought, because the vinyl version was so badly made, I returned three copies because they were unlistenable, and that was PG4: Security, from 1984 but there was PG3: Melt from 1980 and So from1986.
Then there’s Talk Talk – It’s My Life: 1984, The Colour Of Spring: 1986, Spirit Of Eden: 1988 – three extraordinary albums across a decade that are still cited as a huge influence on many artists, not least because Mark Hollis refused to bow to record company demands for hits and wouldn’t compromise his vision for what the band should create.
That now requires that I pour a large shot of Woodford Reserve bourbon, stick my headphones on, and put on some Talk Talk.

’Night all.

Greatest effect on me – Reflections, Gil Scott-Heron

My brother bought this record, but i played it to death – it was literally unlike anything i’d ever heard before. It was an opening up of what music was

Greatest effect on and beyond the 80’s – Graceland, Paul Simon

Graceland was problematic, but ultimately it was a beginning of love over hate, and i genuinely think a contributory factor in the beginning of the end of Apartheid.

Also it tapped in to a growing feel for a musical world outside of the US and Europe, making ‘World Music’ a new genre.

It’s also a fantastic piece of work, which helps.