Well, here we are. My top twelve of 1989. It's been a journey getting to this point, and along the way, I've picked up numerous contenders for the seventeen spaces available on my wall to frame albums. So far, the list consists of:
Prince - 1999 (1982)
Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)
Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual (1983)
Ghostbuster (1984)
The Cars - Heartbeat City (1984)
Jacksons - Victory (1984)
"Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D (1984)
Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party (1985)
USA For Africa - We Are The World (1985)
Prince And The Revolution - Around The World In A Day (1985)
Falco - Falco 3 (1985)
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid (1985)
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)
Europe - The Final Countdown (1986)
Top Gun (1986)
Michael Jackson - Bad (1988)
Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation (1987)
Def Leppard - Hysteria (1987)
Prince - Sign 'O' The Times (1987)
Roxette - Look Sharp (1988)
Bon Jovi - New Jersey (1988)
Today, we'll get the final nominations, and from there, make a decision.
It all starts with the last couple honorable mentions for the decade, which are Skid Row's self titled debut, and "Weird Al" Yankovic's studio album / soundtrack, UHF. The latter definitely has a cool cover, and I'm still considering getting all of Al's 80's albums for the wall. But, I haven't really committed in full to that yet.
Queen's The Miracle gets flack for not packing the punch of prior releases from the band. For me though, it contains a ton of my favorites. Plus, it's Queen...So, you know, bias opinions are going to come into play.
I have a love / hate relationship with Mötley Crüe. Frankly, I skip their songs every time they come on because of personal reasons about the band members. This in turn makes it difficult for me to sit through their music these days. On the other hand, I acknowledge they're iconic to the era, and when you strip away personal feelings, I do think they have a lot of good music, most of which comes from their 1989 released Dr. Feelgood.
The Bee Gees were struggling to catch a break in the 80's. For some reason, people just didn't want them to exist, musically. Regardless, One is a solid album, showcasing that the brothers still had it in them to deliver fantastic pop hits, and amazing vocals.
I learned about Billy Joel with his music videos from An Innocent Man. However, it was Storm Front that got me to start paying attention. This album is masterfully crafted, and features my all time favorite from him, The Downeaster Alexa.
Also among my favorites are Something Happened On The Way To Heaven, and I Wish It Would Rain Down from Phil Collins. Legacy artists were closing out the 80's on top of their game, and Collin's was no exception when he released ...But Seriously.
Okay, I get it. Milli Vanilli were just an act, lip syncing to music from someone else. Put that aside, and ask yourself one question. Was the music good? If you said yes, then who cares who sang it? Without the act we would have never gotten Blame It On The Rain, Baby Don't Forget My Number, the title track, Girl You Know It's True, and more! At the end of the day, I'll take that.
A mature Madonna emerged in 1989 with Like A Prayer, an album originally cut with patchouli oil in the actual vinyl to add to the church-type feel" and a sensual experience for the listener. Plus, what young boy on the cusp of puberty didn't enjoy watching the Express Yourself music video on MTV?
I believed Alice Cooper was a new artist, born of the hair metal craze which was taking the world by storm. I would have never guessed that his 1989 Trash was his eleventh studio outing as a solo artist, not including the additional seven he had as a band by the same name. Trash introduced me to a whole new world of music, and quickly became one of my favorites that I would listen to from start to finish.
The original Ghostbusters is an icon unto itself, but still, I like the second movie. I also favor its soundtrack to the originals. Ghostbusters II, the album, features awesome songs from start to finish. If I had one regret about it, that would be choosing not to pay the $20 I found a brand new sealed copy for on vinyl a couple years ago. Vinyl wasn't my thing back then...I suppose it's still not. I mean, I am, after all, just looking for wall art. I'll stick with my CD for listening purposes.
Another soundtrack, Prince's Batman. Say what you will about this one, I dig it...a lot! I dare say that if it weren't for this album, I probably wouldn't have bothered with anything further in his discography.
When Janet Jackson released Control, I personally didn't care much. However, when she hit 1989 with Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, I took notice. Who didn't? How could you not? This album single handedly kept the 80's on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 90's with continuous hits reaching number one.
Which brings me to number one, Aerosmith's Pump. Who would have thought Aerosmith would make such a massive comeback, and become one of the greatest selling artists of all time for a second time? Perfect from start to finish, and featuring some great music videos to boot, Pump definitely helped send off the 80's on a high note.
With that, we have our final contenders for a spot on the wall. Aerosmith's Pump, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, Prince's Batman, and Alice Cooper's Trash. Yes, we're skipping on Ghostbusters II.
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