I'm always looking for different ways to make mixes for myself and so I came up with a fun new way to make a mix. I went to besteveralbums.com and went to 1982 and looked over the top 200 albums. I listed out the ones I've owned in my life, back when I used to buy albums and then made notes as to whether I listened to the album back in 1982 and whether or not I still listen to the album now. And I don't mean listen to one or two songs off the album, I mean actually put the album on and listen to it on occasion.
Here is my list rated from the one I listen to most often now to the one I would be least likely to listen to now.
Albums I Still Listen to Today
1. Lexicon of Love by ABC. I bought this album in 1982 and listened to it then and it is still one of my favorites.
2. The Dreaming by Kate Bush. I didn't discover Kate Bush until later so did not listen to this back in 1982.
3. Avalon by Roxy Music. A woman I worked with at Wendy's introduced me to this album back in 1988. A classic.
4. Lover Over Gold by Dire Straits. My brother introduced me to this album, probably around 1985 or so, another classic.
5. All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes by Pete Townshend. One of my favorites in spring of 1987, still listen to it today.
6. December by George Winston. Who doesn't still listen to this album today.
Albums I No Longer Listen to Today
7. Shabooh Shoobah by INXS. Got this album in college before they broke out to be so successful.
8. A Distant Shore by Tracey Thorn. It's Tracey Thorn. I don't listen to this now only because I have so much better Tracey Thorn to listen to.
9. Beach Party by Marine Girls. It's Tracey Thorn. I don't listen to this now only because I have so much better Tracey Thorn to listen to.
10. 1999 by Prince. This was never my favorite Prince album.
11. Nebraska by Springsteen. There is only one Springsteen album I still listen to today and this would have never been it.
12. Night and Day by Joe Jackson. I bought this album for 2 songs and I still listen to those 2 songs.
13. The Nightfly by Donald Fagen. Every time I went into a fancy stereo shop around 1988 they were always playing this album.
14. Chronic Town by REM. My brother introduced me to these guys in 1985 as well.
15. Pelican West by Haircut One Hundred. Bought this album to see if it was any good. It was OK.
That's the list for me. What were your favorites in 1982 and what are they today? Maybe Thriller, or The Number of the Beast. I remember that one being a big hit at our school.
It was always a delight whenever "Love Plus One" would turn up on MTV, and it's amazing that we live in an age now when we can access that video whenever we want to.
ReplyDeleteI made this point about "The Unforgettable Fire" today on the 1983 post, and I didn't remember making it three days earlier about "Love Plus One."
DeleteOnce owned and listened to from the top 500:
ReplyDeleteThe Dreaming, Kate Bush
Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen
1999, Prince
Upstairs at Eric’s, Yaz
The Concert in Central Park, Simon and Garfunkel
Phil Collins, Hello I Must Be Going
Asia, Asia
Chronic Town, R.E.M.
Marshall Crenshaw, Marshall Crenshaw
Beautiful Vision, Van Morrison
December, George Winston
Midnight Love, Marvin Gaye
All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, Pete Townshend
Singles—45’s and Under, Squeeze
It’s Hard, The Who
Emotions in Motion, Billy Squier
Kissing To Be Clever, Culture Club
Vacation, Go-Go’s
Lionel Richie, Lionel Richie
Stevie Wonder’s Original Musiquarium, Stevie Wonder
Records, Foreigner
Time Pieces, Eric Clapton
Chicago 16, Chicago
Men Without Women, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
Picture This, Huey Lewis and The News
The ones of these that I actually bought in 1982 (or maybe 1983, while they would still be considered new releases) were The Concert in Central Park, Hello I Must Be Going, Asia, Emotions in Motion, Vacation, Lionel Richie and Chicago 16. I feel certain listened to Chicago 16 the most at the time.
Over time, I’ve listened most to Nebraska, December and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes. The ones I’ve listened to in the last year are The Dreaming, Nebraska, The Concert in Central Park, Asia, Beautiful Vision, December and Lionel Richie.
All This Love by DeBarge came in at 209, and you have no mention in this post. The DeBarge disrespect continues.
I only did the top 200. I'm not as ambitious as you. If I went top 500 I would have to add In Transit by Saga, Emotions in Motion by Billy Squier, Straight Between the Eyes by Rainbow, Bad to the Bone by George Thorogood, Eagles Greatest Hits V 2 by The Eagles, Dawn Patrol by Night Ranger, La Variete by Weekend an album I still listen to today, and Vinyl Confessions by Kansas.
DeleteI was having fun flipping through each new set of 10 records. Could hardly stop at 500.
DeleteI have listened to "The Lexicon of Love" more than all the rest of the albums from 1982 put together. Lately I've been listening to "Avalon."
ReplyDelete"Slit Skirts," by Pete Townsend, and "Telegraph Road," by Dire Straits, are the two best songs that sound like they could have been Springsteen songs. It's interesting that they both came out in 1982 -- it really underscores the point that the insiders all knew how great he was and that he was about to explode as soon as he put out another rock album.
ReplyDeleteI'm embarrassed to say I made a big mistake on this list. I listed The Dreaming by Kate Bush as an album I still listen to and it is not. I was thinking of Hounds of Love as the night before I had been working on my 1985 mix. Now I need to go fix the playlist I made for 1982.
ReplyDelete