Tampabay.com
FEBRUARY 06, 2010

80 must-own albums for '80s fans, part 2: Duran Duran to Men at Work

Duranduranrio The official Stuck in the '80s list of 80 Albums Every '80s Fan Should Own continues with part 2 today. (Click here to read part 1.)

As mentioned yesterday, I followed certain rules for the list:No band has more than a single album on the list. No soundtracks were considered. No live albums were considered. No greatest-hits CDs are included.

Today's list: I own (or owned) 13 of the albums listed today. One I'll never part with? Duran Duran obviously. One I'll never buy: Guns N' Roses. Sorry, Axl.

I'd like to thank the dozens of Stuck in the '80s fans who helped nominate the albums you'll see listed (20 at a time, alphabetically by band name) over these next four days. Any omissions or mistakes are my own.

80 ALBUMS FOR '80s FANS - PART 2:

DURAN DURAN: RIO (1982): Just nine tunes, but all great, including Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Hold Back the Rain, New Religion, Save a Prayer, The Chauffeur. [Listen to our interview with Andy Taylor]

ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN: OCEAN RAIN (1984): The band played played the album in full a few times live in 2008.

ELVIS COSTELLO: GET HAPPY (1980): Rated No. 11 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.

THE ENGLISH BEAT: SPECIAL BEAT SERVICE (1982): The third and final album by the English Beat (aka the Beat outside the U.S.).

FOREIGNER: 4 (1981): The band's only No. 1 album features the handiwork of a young Thomas Dolby. [Listen to podcast with Mick Jones.]

FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD: WELCOME TO THE PLEASUREDOME (1984): Thanks to three No. 1 singles and advance sales exceeding 1 million, their debut album started at the top of the charts.

GENESIS: INVISIBLE TOUCH (1984): The title track is the only Genesis song to hit No. 1 in the U.S. [Listen to podcast]

GEORGE MICHAEL: FAITH (1987): His debut solo album had six top 5 singles.

THE GO-GO'S: BEAUTY AND THE BEAT (1981): The first album entirely written and performed by an all-female band to top the charts.

GUNS N' ROSES: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION (1987): The fastest-selling debut album in music history.

HOWARD JONES: DREAM INTO ACTION (1985): Side one is full of hits: Things Can Only Get Better, Life in One Day, No One Is to Blame, Dream into Action, Like to Get to Know You Well.

HUEY LEWIS: SPORTS (1983): Ranked No. 2 on Billboard's 1984 year-end album chart, after Michael Jackson's Thriller, and spawned four top 10 hits. [Listen to our Huey Lewis interview]

THE HUMAN LEAGUE: DARE (1981): Under Philip Oakey's creative direction, it marked the band's move into commercial pop. [Listen to our Phil Oakey interview]

HUSKER DU: ZEN ARCADE (1984): A concept album about a young lad who runs away from home, only to find the outside world is even worse.

INXS: KICK (1987): Four top 10 singles, including Need You Tonight/Mediate, Devil Inside, New Sensation, and Never Tear Us Apart.

JOHN MELLENCAMP: SCARECROW (1985): Three Top 10 hits, a record for a Mellencamp album: R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A., Lonely Ol' Night and Small Town.

JOURNEY: ESCAPE (1981): How great is an album when Don't Stop Believing isn't even the best song? [Listen to our interview of Ross Valory]

JOY DIVISION: CLOSER (1980): The only '80s album by the band was released two months following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis.

KATE BUSH: THE HOUNDS OF LOVE (1985): In 2002, Q Magazine ranked it No. 3 on the its list of greatest albums of all-time by female artists.

MEN AT WORK: BUSINESS AS USUAL (1982): Spent an unprecedented 15 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. album charts from late 1982 to early 1983. [Listen to our Colin Hay interview]

Tomorrow's list: Metallica to The Replacements.

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About the blogger

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times entertainment news editor Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.

E-mail Steve Spears:
stuckinthe80s@tampabay.com
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