1001 Albums Books: 1980

So this Sunday morning is my very first 1001 book/list post of 2021! Last time was a while ago with this post but jumping back another ten years to 1980, I’m doing the music from the something zero years, if you wanna know what the hell is happening? Really it’s yet another chance to embedded my own playlist just above plus off course, adding more tracks to it! Somehow my own playlist of 56 songs has only five songs from the albums listed by this book/list so all those 1001 newly added songs does start at #57 and now adding up to grand total of 75 songs, who’s going to listen to all that? Trying again myself to be less harsh because it was the 80’s so I’m adding something from everything below. I think, that’s my little intro almost over. So asking you again, who’s listened to all these albums?

Kings Of The Wild Frontier by Adam And The Ants is one of my fave childhood records, I wrote a whole blog post about it a very long time ago somewhere? Antmusic is already on my playlist at #33 so I guess, got to be the very first highly recommend album today. I’ll got on to say it’s still one of Pop music greatest achievements!

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels by Dexys Midnight Runners adding at #57 on my playlist is the album’s closer There There My Dear.

Back In Black by AC/DC I don’t think, in truth I can really count by 1980 AC/DC as still a totally Aussie band because after Bon Scott died, with Brian Johnson on vox who’s an Englishman joining and the band themselves moved/based overseas from then on. Did you know this album was recorded in Bahamas? Anyway the title track is also already on my playlist at #29. It’s one of the highest selling albums of all-time so has everyone on Earth already heard it by now?

Songs The Lord Taught Us by The Cramps I Was A Teenage Werewolf track is already #36. As you can see I’ve picked the album cover as feature image today naming it as my fave/the best of this pile of music so gotta be second highly reco album today!

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys Holiday in Cambodia song is also #37. I think, DK just missed out at that very top spot so that means gotta be third highly reco album!

Melt or 3 by Peter Gabriel well, it’s his third solo album. I’m picking opening song called Intruder, now at #58 and it’s his old band’s drummer Phil Collins playing those epic drums tooo, you know?

Underwater Moonlight by The Soft Boys choosing Vegetable Man which is a Syd Barrett cover at #59 now. This was only on reissues and not really on the original album itself but I’m still going to include anyway because I love that track so much. Kind-of sound like hippies but it’s 1980, this is Robyn Hitchcock’s band so he’s always a bit psychedelia.  

Seventeen Seconds by The Cure sometimes this book has quotes, Robert Smith says: “We’ve never been a part of any movement. We don’t follow fashions.” So with that in mind, it’s the ultimate Goth rock music anthem A Forest as #60.

Crocodiles by Echo And The Bunnymen it’s yet more Goth rock music really, maybe not as good as see just above but picking their song called All That Jazz for #61.

Ace Of Spades by Motorhead I’m just going to add the title track at #62, maybe that’s a braindead selection but it’s a total classic, isn’t it?

Self-titled by Killing Joke debut album is the only one in this book/list for them, unlike almost all the other English acts above and possibly below too. It’s The Wait at #63.

British Steel by Judas Priest that’s very easy and braindead because it’s yet another total classic, it’s got to be the album’s opening track/hit single Breaking The Law at #64.

Group Sex by The Circle Jerks insanely great punk record only goes for a little over 15 mins. but has 14 songs on it! The title track is co-written by The Gun Club’s Jeffrey Lee Pierce so picking that at #65. I’m going to say it’s my fourth highly reco album today, OK?

Remain In Light by Talking Heads Once In A Lifetime hit single/video clip is remember for a reason, I guess? That’s now at #66.

Closer by Joy Division Decades song is already #38 so that would be my very top four, of all these albums listed here. Off course, that’s all the songs from albums I’d already had on my little playlist. Also the fifth highly reco album for me today!

Self-titled by Iron Maiden might just have to be the opening track yet again, it’s called Prowler which has been added at #67.

Hypnotised by The Undertones one of John Peel’s fave bands but this is their second album, the There Goes Norman video clip now at #68.

Sound Affects by The Jam I’m picking a few big hits, sometimes I go for non-single/album tracks but not so this time, That’s Entertainment is #69.

Heartattack And Vine by Tom Waits ‘Til the Money Runs Out as #70. I’ll say it’s final and my sixth high reco albums today so gotta ask, what’s your fave albums of 1980?

Signing Off by UB40 said before but I’m very disappointed by the very few reggae albums selected in this book/list, almost nothing from Jamaica but here’s another one from England! I’m picking I Think It’s Going to Rain Today at #71 but it’s Randy Newman cover, you know?

Kilimanjaro by The Teardrop Explodes It’s Julian Cope’s band and adding his/their song called Reward to #72.

More Specials by The Specials it’s going have to be Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think) on #73 which is another old song, originally from 1949.

Arc Of A Diver by Steve Winwood OK, I was trying not to be negative about all this but this might be the worst of this pile of albums or it could be I’ve hit my limit with 1001 book/list again? But let’s still have his song called Second-Hand Woman at #74.

Self-titled by The Pretenders that’s easily, got to be Private Life for #75 plus it’s good/great way to end of year 1980 but really this album was released in Dec. 1979, you know?

Outro: doesn’t really count any Aussies act’s albums because if I am? Or not? Counting AC/DC as an Aussie band at this point? I guess, at worst/best they’re by this stage are expats with an English singer. I’ll say on my embedded playlist at the top of the post, opening songs are all the Aussie songs and it’s around tracklisting number 30 is where Aussie songs ending but they again, the music for Xanadu was written by Electric Light Orchestra who are English. Split Enz who are really a New Zealand act so that really should be number 27 is the last totally Aussie song! Starting with a lot of indie music and slowly moving into more mainstream stuff by the end of those 30/27 tracks. Does anyone out there really care about Aussie music, according to this book/list? Not much at all, I don’t why sometimes, I care so much really? Has anyone even listened to my little/long playlists or shouldn’t I bother to editing/re-post them? I guess, it does show everyone out there looking at this post, what else was released then, even if no one listens tooo it! Maybe, you might want to have a listen this Sunday sometime or not?

My very own top albums NOT listed in this book would have to be: Warm Leatherette by Grace Jones. That’s once again yet another artist NOT even included anywhere in this bloody book/list! Off course, it comes totally very, very highly reco by me, if means anything? So gotta ask you, what’s your very own favorite album/s of 1980?

I’ll say my favorite/the best album of 1980 is The Cramps’ Songs The Lord Taught Us, OK?

Cheers! 🙂