Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

Great Albums of ....... 1981

The untimely death of Steve Strange suggested a year from the 80s

A quick look brings up

I just can't stop it - The Beat

Red - Black Uhuru

Faith - The Cure

Trust - Elvis Costello

Dare - Human League

Penthouse and Pavement - Heaven 17

Nightclubbing - Grace Jones

The Poet - Bobby Womack

and the classic My Life in the Bush of Ghost - Brian Eno and David Byrne

Any others?
«1

Comments

  • Movement - New Order
  • Postman Pat the Album. Bought for my first birthday and still on the shelf at my Dads house.
  • Face Value - Phil Collins
  • If my collection is anything to go by (and it probably isn't) that was a lean year.
  • East Side Story - Squeeze
    Heaven Up Here - Echo & The Bunnymen
    Sons and Fascination - Simple Minds
  • Not a classic year - but not bad either.

    Ghost in the Machine - The Police
    East Side Story - Squeeze
    Pleasant Dreams - Ramones
    Party - Iggy Pop
    La Folie - The Stranglers
    Abacab - Genesis
    Killers - Iron Maiden
    There goes the Neighbourhood - Joe Walsh
    Sandinista - The Clash
    Hard Promises - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
    Diary of a Madman - Ozzy
    Tattoo You - Rolling Stones
    Dad loves his Work - James Taylor
    Point of Entry - Judas Priest
    Moving Pictures - Rush
  • Architecture & Morality-OMD
    Speak & Spell-Depeche Mode
    Eddie, Old Bob, Dick and Gary-Tenpole Tudor
  • some decent singles

    Track listing from NOW 1981


    Disc: 1
    1. Under Pressure - Queen And David Bowie
    2. Vienna - Ultravox
    3. Ghost Town - The Specials
    4. One In Ten - UB40
    5. The Tide Is High - Blondie
    6. Girls On Film - Duran Duran
    7. Tainted Love - Soft Cell
    8. Love Action (I Believe In Love) - Human League
    9. Abba Medley - Starsound
    10. Chant No.1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On) - Spandau Ballet
    See all 18 tracks on this disc
    Disc: 2
    1. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
    2. Jealous Guy - Roxy Music
    3. A Good Year For The Roses - Elvis Costello
    4. Labelled With Love - Squeeze
    5. That's Entertainment - The Jam
    6. The Return Of The Los Palmas 7 - Madness
    7. Kids In America - Kim Wilde
    8. Reward - The Teardrop Explodes
    9. Gloria - U2
    10. Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me) - XTC
  • edited February 2015
    lots of classic music but not so many albums strangely
    Movement - New Order
    Heaven Up Here - Echo & The Bunnymen
    Faith - The Cure
    Penthouse & Pavement - Heaven 17
    Red - Black Uhuru
    Speak & Spell - Depeche Mode
  • Now, I'm nothing if not predictable, but this really is my favourite album, full stop. The Scottish comedian Robert Florence wrote a very moving article about how it literally saved his life. Mentions it frequently, in fact. And it is:

    Healing - Todd Rundgren

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUk1CTLeuLE
  • Sponsored links:


  • At last a year I know something about.

    A couple of my all time faves from this year:
    Heaven Up Here - Echo and the Bunnymen
    From the Tearooms of Mars - Landscape
    The Church - The Church (different tracks on the US/Aus release called Of Skins and Heart)
    Wilder - Teardrop Explodes

    There's quite a few mentioned above that I have and like, but I still regularly listen to these 4.
  • La Folie - The Stranglers
    Juju - Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell
    Penthouse & Pavement - Heaven 17
  • Mikey Dread - World War 111
    Change - Miracles
    Kraftwerk - Computer world
    Miles Davis - The man with the horn
    DAF - Alles ist gut
  • Can I be the first to say you're all old ;-)
  • Wha'appen - The Beat
    Paradise Theater - Styx

    Not a vintage year in my opinion but perhaps it's just my musical tastes not particularly catered for in 1981.
  • Not a good year, IMHO. A number of bands released sub-standard albums that year.

    Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
    Scars - Author Author
    Splodgenessabounds - Splodgenessabounds
    Joan Armatrading - Walk under ladders
    Joe Walsh - There Goes the Neighbourhood
    Nils Lofgren - Night Fades Away
  • La Folie - The Stranglers
    Juju - Siouxsie and the Banshees
    Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell
    Penthouse & Pavement - Heaven 17

    Got all of them.
  • Red Mecca - Cabaret Voltaire
    Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call - Simple Minds
    Tin Drum - Japan
    Anywhere - New Musik
    Love Byrd - Donald Byrd's 125th Street Band
    Drivin' Hard - Shakatak
    Level 42 - Level 42
  • Absolutely fantastic year. As well as some of the great albums above, I'd suggest:

    Nash The Slash - Children of the Night
    Japan - Tin Drum
    Nick Mason - Fictitious Sports
    Joy Division - Still
    Frank Zappa - You are what you is
    Fad Gadget - Incontinent
    Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here

    and not an album but the Slates 10" EP by The Fall
  • Neil Young - Re-...oh actually, maybe not.
  • Sponsored links:


  • Okay, so nobody's going to admit to liking Dare - Human League

    Alright then, better be: Give the People what they Want - The Kinks

    I agree with the view not a great year for albums
    Chock full of shite hot singles though
  • Simple minds - sons and fascination
    Simple minds - sisters feelings call
    Depeche mode - speak and spell
  • Okay, so nobody's going to admit to liking Dare - Human League

    Alright then, better be: Give the People what they Want - The Kinks

    I agree with the view not a great year for albums
    Chock full of shite hot singles though

    Actually someone did vote for Dare, and so will I. Funny how I and friends felt vaguely guilty playing it so much yet it has stood the test of time and become a reference album.

    Otherwise you are right. Keep looking up favourite albums to find they were 80 or 82.

    But I offer you "Tattoo You" by the Stones. I'm not a huge fan but that one was a different quite subtle album after you got past "Start Me Up"
  • Dare's pretty good, favourite song is Darkness.
  • I think "Dare" might have been in the first post :wink:
  • I think "Dare" might have been in the first post :wink:

    Oops!
  • Dare was fantastic. Martin Rushent and a Linn drum machine, superb. Best track for me: The Things That Dreams Are Made Of.
  • 7 - Madness
    East Side Story - Squeeze
    Computer World - Kraftwerk
    Burning Blue Soul - Matt Johnson
    Go for it - Stiff Little Fingers
  • Japan - Tin Drum
    Speak and Spell - The Human league
    Architecture and Morality - OMD
    Dare - The Human league
    Non Stop Erotic Cabaret - Soft Cell
    Wilder - Teardrop Explodes

    And look at all the goodies on NOW!
  • John Martyn - Glorious Fool (think it was 81)
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!