Here Are Our Favorite New Wave and Alternative Albums of 1985
Hard to believe that 1985 was forty years ago, but what an awesome year for New Wave Music! This was the year that alternative music was the mainsteream. Even the bottom half of our Top 26 albums of 1985 was filled with great records like a-ha’s Hunting High and Low and The Duran Duran spinoff The Power Station’s debut album. There were so many great albums this year it was hard to rank them, but here it goes with the rest of our countdown….
#13 Big Audio Dynamite – This is Big Audio Dynamite
After getting fired from the Clash, Mick Jones formed this band which like the Clash, incorporated numerous musical styles. This debut album featured three singles all which charted in the UK. “E=MC2” was the band’s only Top 20 hit although “Medicine Show” reached the Top 40 while “Bottom Line” barely squeaked onto the charts.
David: After getting bumped from The Clash, Mick Jones new band shows promise with their debut album. The notable songs were all pretty good, most of the rest is filler though.
Colton: After being fired from The Clash, Mick Jones formed BAD, releasing their first album only three days before Joe Strummer released The Clash’s final album – the crappy Cut the Crap. Although The Clash’s album performed better, BAD’s was actually favoured in a positive light, unlike Cut the Crap.
#12 Sting – Dream of the Blue Turtles
Some thought Sting was crazy when he left The Police to launch a solo album that was heavily jazz influenced. It worked out well for him, however, as the album bolstered by five singles reached the Top 3 in both the US and UK. The album also received multiple Grammy nomiations, including Album of the Year. The singles included “If You Love Somebody Set the Free”, “Russians”, “Moon Over Bourbon Street”, “Love is the Seventh Wave” and “Fortress Around Your Heart”
Colton: Sting’s debut solo album, and his most real/mature album featuring the cold war inspired “Russians”
David: After leaving the biggest rock band in the world, Sting veers off into a jazz oriented sound with layers of horns and other texture. Definitely the most mature album, I really like “Shadows in the Rain” and “Consider Me Gone” that weren’t released as singles. My 2nd favorite Sting album.
#11 The Smiths – Meat is Murder
The Smiths second album showed some of the glimpses of greatness seen on their next album. The US version of this album included their signature song “How Soon is Now”. Also included on the album was the “Headmaster Ritual” and “Barbarianism Begins at Home”.
David: Not my favorites Smiths album but enough decent stuff on here leading into the masterpiece the Queen is Dead. Many of their non-album singles during this period were superior songs to many on the album.
Colton: The Smiths’ second album, from one of the greatest British bands of all time, Meat Is Murder is a bit underwhelming failing to really capture the future attention that they would receive with their next two albums and two compilations that were released before they broke up.
#10 Oingo Boingo – Dead Man’s Party
The fifth album by the So Cal stalwarts features the only two songs to ever chart for the band; “Weird Science” at number 45, and “Just Another Day” at number 85. “No One Lives Forever” and “Stay” were also popular on the alternative station like KROQ.
Colton: Right from a little known city called Los Angeles, Oingo Boingo gives their album the quirky Elfman charm with ‘Dead Man’s Party,’ and the theme to John Hugh’s Weird Science.
David: So Cal’s favorite party band’s commercial breakthrough. More mature sounding than their earlier releases with “Just Another Day” and “Stay” as other standout songs. I miss some of the punk elements from their previous albums but still a fine album by Elfman and crew.
#9 New Order – Low-Life
This album showed that the transition from post-punk to dance oriented rock was complete. For the first time, New Order issued singles from an album, “Perfect Kiss” and “Subculture”. The album also features the classic “Love Vigilantes” which has a country sound to it. Jonathan Demme, who directed the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense movie, directed the music video for “Perfect Kiss” which shows the band playing the song live in a studio setting.
David: Low Life incorporated both the synth and guitar sides of New Order. “Love Vigilantes” even veers towards a country sound and is a great pop song. “This Time of Night” is also very good as a non-single. New Order is one of my favorites of all time.
Colton: The New Order album that makes you marvel at the musicality of random electrical signals that makes synthesizers. Starring the song ‘Love Vigilante,’ which in New order fashion never mentions its title, however, it departs all other New Order fashion by telling a ballad story of a soldier returning from Vietnam.
#8 Howard Jones – Dream Into Action
This album was huge for Ho Jo reaching #2 in the UK and the Top 10 in the US becoming a platinum selling album. Buoyed by the singles “Things Can Only Get Better” and “Life in One Day”, the album also featured a re-recorded version of “Like to Get to Know You Well”.
Colton: HoJo’s Dream into Action went go-jo into action of the US top 10 on its release. With some tracks showing the glory of Howard Jone’s lovely character, from ‘Things Can Only Get Better,’ ‘No One Is To Blame,’ and the title track.
David: Howard Jones shows off his songwriting and musical talents on this breakout album of mostly upbeat pop songs. “Look Mama” is also very good. Having seen Howard live, he genuinely seems like one of the nicest people in music business.
#7 ABC – How to be a Zillionaire
Martin Fry and gang’s third album was much more successful that their previous release Beauty Stab. Featuring the Top 10 single, “Be Near Me” and Top 20 single “(How to Be A) Millionaire” the album also had the singles “Vanity Kills” and “Ocean Blue”.
David: Although not as good as Lexicon of Love, ABC went back to that sound after veering away on their previous two releases. I really enjoyed the four singles on this album. “Tower of London” is also a good song.
Colton: ABC’s third album takes much in the same steps as their debut album: being an absolute masterpiece, however, unlike ‘Lexicon of Love,’ this album departs from love songs and shows the zaniness of the Sheffield chaps.
#6 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Crush
OMD‘s sixth album and their only one to reach the Top 40 in the US. “So in Love” became the duo first American Top 40 single. The other singles from the album were “Secret” and “La Femme Accident”. This album was less experimental and more polished than their earlier releases. OMD just announced a 40th anniversary special edition of the album on vinyl.
Colton: From the Edward Hopper inspired album cover to the horns throughout the album, Crush has always given a sense of nostalgia, even when it was first released fourty years ago.
David: OMD has become my favorite band and this album is one of their masterpieces. More pop-oriented than its experimental predecessor Dazzle Ships. “Bloc, Bloc, Bloc” and “Women III” are also great songs on this album.
#5 Talking Heads – Little Creatures
The Heads sixth album became their best selling of their career and also features one of the iconic album covers of the 80’s. The album features a lot of Americana motifs and steel guitar which was a different bent for them. The album includes the classics “Road to Nowhere”, “And She Was” and “Stay Up Late”. It also featured the single “The Lady Don’t Mind” and includes “Creatures of Love”.
David: The Heads most consistent album. A pop masterpiece that incorporates a bit of country into their signature funky sound. “Road to Nowhere” is a top song of the 80’s.
Colton: The best album from the catalogue of the Heads, ridden with so much genius that it boggles your mind.
#4 INXS – Listen Like Thieves
The album that broke through internationally for the lads from Australia showed glimpses of what was to come a few years later on Kick. The album reached #11 on the US charts. Featuring the singles “What You Need”, “This Time”, “Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” and the title track.
Colton: Straight from Australia, just like the giant deadly spiders, INXS doesn’t miss. With the album immediately preceeding their opus, Kick, this album shows its jazzy influences, with ‘(Falling Down the Mountain) Kiss the Dirt’ being my favourite INXS song.
David: Big breakthrough for INXS and one of my favorite albums of the 1980s. In addition to the singles, “Shine Like it Does” is also great tune and “Same Direction” is a fun pop song.
#3 The Cure – Head on the Door
The Cure‘s sixth album was their first to go in a pop direction as well as the first to have all the songs written by Robert Smith. These paid off as the album reached #7 in the UK as well as the top 10 in several countries. However, the album only reached #59 in the US. While promoting the album, Smith stated that The Head on the Door was inspired by the albums Kaleidoscope by Siouxsie and the Banshees and Dare by the Human League. He wanted the album to be eclectic with lots of different styles and moods: “It reminds me of the Kaleidoscope album, the idea of having lots of different sounding things, different colours.” “In Between Days” and “Close to Me” both were mainstays on alternative radio.
David: The album that made me a Cure fan back in 85. Not as brooding as a lot of the earlier music. “Six Different Ways” is a fun pop song, “Push” is guitar driven and also a great song. Of course, the two singles are classics.
Colton: The ultimate goth album without a doubt, recorded after Robert Smith toured in the Banshees from ’82-’84, partly inspired by Siouxsie’s Kaleidescope album. With such a good album, some great songs get hidden, like the underrated ‘Push’
#2 Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time
Simple Minds seventh studio album reached #1 in their native UK and was in the US Top 10 for five weeks. On the heels of their massive hit “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” the album yielded four singles all of which reached the Top 15 in the UK and which two reached the Top 15 in the US. “Alive and Kicking” was a Top 10 hit in both countries while “Sanctify Yourself” reached the Top 15 in both. “All the Things She Said” was another Top 10 UK hit while reaching #28 in the US. The fourth single, “Ghost Dancing” only charted in the UK. “Oh Jungleland” was initially slated to be released as a single but was passed over.
Colton: One of the most iconic albums, from the featuring ‘(Don’t You) Forget About Me’ in the Breakfast Club to the pure musicianship on the rest of the album. With such a recognizable album cover that calls a generation.
David: Maybe the most underrated album of the 80’s with great anthems like “Alive and Kicking” and “Sanctify Yourself.” “Oh Jungleland” and “Come a Long Way” are also great songs. Shocked that this album didn’t translate to long-term success for Jim Kerr and the boys in the US. Over time, it has become one of my absolute favorite albums of the 80’s.
#1 Tears for Fears – Songs From the Big Chair
The second studio album by the duo from Bath skyrocketed them to success. Propelled by two #1 Singles – “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” the album also reached the top of the pop charts in the US, while peaking at #2 in the UK. The album is a 5X certified Platinum album in the US. Three other singles were released off of the album “Mothers Talk”, “Head Over Heels”, and “I Believe” all of which were in the Top 25 on the British Charts. The album was also a critical success, generally getting positive reviews from the critics.
David: Nearly a perfect album that explores multiple musical styles with not a bad song to be found. “Shout” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” were massive hits, though “Mothers Talk” and “Head over Heels” are my favorites. Might be controversial to say this….but I actually like The Hurting better.
Colton: The greatest album from 1985, featuring one of my all-time favourite songs – ‘Broken/Head Over Heels’
This concludes our countdown of the best New Wave and 80’s Alternative albums from 1985. 1985 was definitely a great year for our favorite genre with many of heavyweights of the genre releasing epic albums. The top 10 of 1985 included all of the bands just known by letters: OMD, ABC, and INXS.
