Favorite Albums of the 1980s

On the heels of posting my Favorite CDs of the 1990s last week, my friend Matthew in CA threw another challenge my way to come up with my Favorite CDs of the 1980s. Of course, I am not one to back down from one of his challenges. Because the 80s was when I was in high school and college, it is probably the one decade that formed and developed my love for and taste in music. These CDs are not necessarily the most popular from an artist or the most critically acclaimed. They are merely the CDs that I go to again and again, and am always finding something new. I can't imagine my life without having heard them.

1. Talking Heads - Remain In Light



2. The Cure - Disintegration



3. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden



4. Cocteau Twins - Treasure



5. Joy Division - Closer



6. Prince - Sign O' The Times



7. The Go-Betweens - Sixteen Lover's Lane



8. The Smiths - The Smiths



9. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation



10. R.E.M. - Murmur



11. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen/Two Wheels Good



12. The The - Soul Mining



13. Talk Talk - Colour of Spring



14. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead



15. Brian Eno and Harold Budd - The Pearl



16. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything



17. Japan - Tin Drum



18. Duran Duran - Rio



19. David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive



20. Skinny Puppy - Vivisect VI



21. This Mortal Coil - Filigree and Shadow



22. Sisters of Mercy - Floodland



23. R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction



24. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire



25. Laurie Anderson - Big Science



26. Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy



27. New Order - Substance



28. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses



29. 808 State - Newbuild



30. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back



31. Prince - 1999



32. The Cure - Head On The Door



33. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine



34. Pixies - Surfer Rosa



35. Prince - Purple Rain



36. Depeche Mode - Construction Time Again



37. R.E.M. - Reckoning



38. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking



39. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique



40. Clan of Xymox - Medusa



41. Pixies - Doolittle



42. Sonic Youth - EVOL



43. U2 - War



44. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream



45. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love



46. Coil - Horse Rotorvator



47. Caterwaul - Pin & Web



48. Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here



49. New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies



50. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Rattlesnakes




51. Depeche Mode - Black Celebration



52. The Chameleons UK - Strange Times



53. The Wolfgang Press - Birdwood Cage



54. Echo and the Bunnymen - Porcupine



55. U2 - The Joshua Tree



56. XTC - English Settlement



57. Roxy Music - Avalon



58. Tears For Fears - The Hurting



59. Dead Can Dance - Within The Realm of a Dying Sun



60. Ministry - Twitch



61. Lonely Is An Eyesore - 4AD Compilation



62. David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees



63. Sade - Promise



64. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward



65. Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi



66. Scritti Politti - Cupid and Psyche '85



67. New Order - Technique



68. Nitzer Ebb - Belief



69. Crowded House - Temple of Low Men



70. The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me



71. ABC - Lexicon of Love



72. The Blue Nile - Hats



73. David Sylvian - Gone To Earth



74. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Tinderbox



75. Pet Shop Boys - Introspective



76. Sinead O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra



77. B-52s - Wild Planet



78. Kitchens of Distinction - Love Is Hell



79. Yaz - Upstairs at Eric's



80. Soul II Soul - Keep On Movin'



81. Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain



82. The Replacements - Tim



83. Public Image Ltd. - Second Edition



84. Culture Club - Kissing To Be Clever



85. The Church - Heyday



86. Shriekback - Oil and Gold



87. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime



88. Pretenders - Pretenders



89. David Bowie - Scary Monsters



90. Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk



91. Husker Du - Zen Arcade



92. Dinosaur Jr. - Bug



93. Michael Jackson - Thriller



94. George Michael - Faith



95. The Police - Synchronicity



96. Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription



97. Husker Du - New Day Rising



98. Luxuria - Unanswerable Lust



99. The Colourfield - Virgins and Philistines



100. Kraftwerk - Computer World



101. Camper Van Beethoven - Telephone Free Landslide Victory



102. Cabaret Voltaire - Code



103. The House of Love - The House of Love



104. Run D.M.C. - Raising Hell



105. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Your Funeral....My Trial



106. De La Soul - Three Feet High and Rising



107. Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy



108. Let's Active - Cypress



109. Felt - Forever Breathes The Lonely Word



110. The Triffids - Calenture



111. Easterhouse - Contenders



112. Blue In Heaven - Explicit Material



113. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace



114. Swans - Greed



115. Big Country - Steeltown