1980s: Albums

Sure, this has been done to death. We’ve even done this once or twice before ourselves - long before we started this website, even. But for the hell of it, here’s a list of Ze Catalist’s 50 Favorite Records from the 1980s.  

But wait! Before we start, please consider the following disclaimers: For some reason we’ve never really gotten into Echo and the Bunnymen, Husker Du, Gun Club, The Feelies or The Pogues, but figure we will eventually. Jesus and the Mary Chain? Well, we think they’re okay, but wouldn’t rank any of their albums with the 50 below. We didn’t include hip-hop for some reason and we’re only a fan of Prince's singles - same goes for The Cure. We don’t much care for Van Halen or Jane’s Addiction and we hate The Police/Sting. U2? We would be just fine if we never heard U2 again.

Okay, here’s the list …

50. Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights

49. Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 1

48. Minor Threat - Complete Discography

47. Marshall Crenshaw - Marshall Crenshaw

46. Neil Young - Freedom

45. Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches

44. Galaxie 500 - Today

43. The Flaming Lips - Hear It Is

42. Billy Bragg - Brewing Up with Billy Bragg

41.Morrissey - Viva Hate

40. Galaxie 500 - On Fire

39. Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues

38. Yo La Tengo - Ride the Tiger

37. Billy Bragg - Worker’s Playtime

36. Sonic Youth - EVOL

35. The Replacements - Let It be

34. John Lennon - Double Fantasy

33. R.E.M. - Murmur

32. X - Los Angeles

31. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth

30. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever

29. Dinosaur Jr. - Bug

28. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

27. The Replacements - Hootenanny

26. Talking Heads - True Stories

25. Sebadoh - The Freed Man

24. The Clash - Combat Rock

23. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones

22. Talking Heads - Remain In Light

21. R.E.M. - Document

20. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight

19. Brian Eno / David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

18. Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

17. Michael Jackson - Thriller

16. Joy Division  - Closer

15. Sonic Youth - Sister

14. Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction

13. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes

12. The Clash - Sandinista!

11. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me

10. The Replacements - Pleased To Meet Me

9. Pixies - Surfer Rosa

8. Bruce Springsteen - The River

7. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

6. R.E.M. - Reckoning

5. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

4. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

3. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

2. Pixies - Doolittle

1. The Replacements - Tim

Written by G. William Locke