As I was hanging some of the very few vinyl records I have on the wall, I started contemplating what additional ones I could pick up to fill out a specific strip of space. The more I thought about it, the more albums sprung to mind. However, there was just one issue. I didn't want to just buy anything just to fill a space. If I was going to, it would need to be of utmost relevance to me. An album that on any day of the week I could see myself wanting to listen to.
Despite this criteria, whittling down a list was still proving to be difficult. I found myself mentally picking albums that had songs I liked, but still weren't what I would call perfect from start to finish. While many of these were iconic in their own right, they just weren't going to be good enough to, first and foremost, invest the money into, then on top of that pick up a frame, and adhere it to the wall. No. The ones going on my wall had to be held in utmost regard.
This led me to going back to an old format I once posted called, The Dirty Dozen. Yes, it's clearly taken from the film of the same name, but serves its purpose as a format for me to compile a manageable favorite list of twelve (insert topic here).
For some years this proved a struggle because I couldn't come up (initially) with a full twelve which met my standards of being a perfect album. As such, I had to broaden my spectrum to include albums which contained songs which meant something to me personally, or which I felt had a strong impact on the decade. I then took it one final step by looking at soundtracks.
The end goal was that once I had compiled theses lists that this would in turn help me to then hone in on the select few albums which I would then purchase, and bestow the honor of a frame to hang on my wall.
Taking this year by year, it kicks off with 1980. In total, there were fifteen albums which I selected. Starting off, we'll look at the runner ups which didn't make the final cut.
I have fond memories of sitting on the floor with my brother in his room building Legos while listening to Cheech and Chong's Let's Make A New Dope Deal. We would keep it down low enough that mom and dad wouldn't hear, while giggling to our heart's content.
Blue Angels self titled debut was selected for being the world's introduction to a young Cyndi Lauper. While it has good tracks on it, it's really here for its historical aspect.
History also plays the part in why The Romantics self titled album was considered. Though it contains the hit, What I Like About You, what drove my decision to consider it was for being the first album to be released in 1980.
Number 12 is not among the favorites of many Queen fans. In fact, it's often ranked dead last when comparing all their studio work. For me, Flash Gordon holds a special place in my heart for the vinyl record my dad owned. We would play it often as kids, and in particular loved to run around the room to The Football Fight. As a whole, I find it to be solid. The addition of excerpts from the film add a depth of fun that a lot of soundtracks don't seem to want to include. Add in the main theme, and finale, The Hero, and you've got an album worthy of playing through.
You can't think of MTV without immediately going to Buggles' Video Killed The Radio Star. Its cemented in the history of the 80's for being the first video to air, and for that reason alone makes their album, The Age Of Plastic, which the tune is from, a contender for the wall.
Prince and Michael Jackson run neck and neck for the spot of my favorite 80's artist. While I'd be lying if I said Dirty Mind was one of my favorites, I won't deny it has a solid lineup of tracks, which includes the title track, Uptown, Sister, and Party Up. I suppose at the end of the day, my bias opinion of the artists as a whole is what really steered me towards this one.
Ozzy Osborne was an artist I listened to frequently for a period of time in the early 90's. Not a week would go by that I wasn't blaring Blizzard Of Oz. However, then one day, I just turned him off, and never looked back. It was odd. Like a switch was flipped, and I was on to something else. That something else was Rush, in case you were wondering. Still, I won't deny that period of time in my life were I used to play this one back to back, a lot.
Laugh if you will, but the soundtrack to Xanadu is amazing. Electric Light Orchestra and Olivia Netwon-John bring their A-game, and deliver back to back tunes that are among the best of the year. It's sad to think that Olivia isn't with us any longer, which makes it all the more great to be able to go back tot his classic for a reminder of what she left behind.
Maywood was a gem uncovered when I opted to pick up their albums a few years back. I had known little to nothing of the duo with exception of their song, Rio, which my sister used to play frequently when we were kids. While that song led me to the albums, their self titled debut stands on its own merit. Alice's solid writing is perfectly complimented by sister Caren's haunting vocals.
If you told me as a kid The Police were a band from the 70's, you would have blown my young mind. I only equated them to the 80's, and was surprised to ultimately learn that they'd been jammin' since '77. Zenyatta Mondatta continues this trend while delivering staple tracks such as, Don't Stand So Close To Me, Canary In A Coalmine, and De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da. This not only was the sound of the early 80's, but also MTV's bread and butter.
Dire Straits wasn't a band I listened to much, if at at all in the 80's. Well, with exception of when they came on the radio. No, I wouldn't really discover the band until a few years back, and in doing so, get poetic songwriting, and masterful guitar work which would blow my mind. Moving pictures includes the hits Romeo and Juliet, and Tunnel Of Lover. However, it also includes a song that I can listen to every time it comes around on my shuffle, Expresso Love.
The Jacksons were on the top of their game with Triumph. With exception of a few, the majority of the album was solid, perhaps even leaving one thinking that the brothers were at the top of their game. Obviously, that wasn't the case by a longshot. Still, for the year, treats like This Place Hotel, Can You Feel It, Your Ways, Walk Right Now, and Lovely One delivered in spades.
1980 was a tough year for ABBA. Benny and Frida had separated, and the groups overall unhappiness seemed to come through the writing of songs. Still, the four were able to deliver solid tracks, and massive hits, all while pivoting away from the dying disco era, back to their more pop oriented roots. Super Trouper, the song), The Winner Takes It All, On And On And On, Me And I, Happy New Year, Lay All Your Love On Me, and The Way Old Friends Do are all staples on the group's subsequent best of compilations.
When my teenage mind first heard Rush, I didn't know what the song was, but I knew I wanted the album. As I tried to describe the sound to a worker at Waxie Maxie, a local record shop, he pointed me to the band's 1993 album, Counterparts. His conclusion was that if it was something I just heard on the radio, it had to be from their latest album. It wasn't, but I ended up loving it, and digging in further to the band, finally coming across The Spirit Of Radio, the song I was initially after, from Permanent Waves. It's one of their last prog rock recordings before going mainstream, and ultimately adopting synthesizers as a mainstay, and as a whole, it's solid from start to finish.
At number one, we have Queen's The Game. I often feel like Queen can do no wrong, and as such, I can happily listen to The Game from start to finish on any given day of the week. I wish I could tell you what songs are better than the others, but that simply doesn't exist for me here. I dig the whole thing. I suppose for the casual listeners out there, I'll say, This is the one that has Another One Bites The Dust, and Crazy Little Thing Called Love. However, if you stop there, you're missing out. Just saying.
With 1980 wrapped up, we have two contenders for the wall, Queen's The Game, and Rush's Permanent Waves. These two fall under the perfect category for me. However, I'm not going to make any decisions yet. At best, I have space for eight or nine albums. Once I get through all the years, I'll then go back through the top contenders, and see who gets the coveted spots.
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