For this week's Ranked!, we compiled the twenty-five greatest albums from 1980. Tell us what you think of our list when you get down to #1. And let us know if you would've ordered them differently.
Here are Numbers 11-15:
15. Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel
Also sometimes known as Melt due to its trippy cover photo, Peter Gabriel's third and best solo album was deemed at one point by some moronic record executive as not commercial enough to sell. With the benefit of hindsight and what I'm sure was a big ass slice of humble pie, I'm sure that bigwig came to understand the error of his judgement. Featuring the mind-bending "Intruder," the Lord Of The Flies-tinted "Games Without Frontiers," and the moving tribute "Biko," this was one of those records you could spend hours listening to without fully hearing everything that Gabriel had laid out for you until months and months later. My original copy sustained water damage while in storage and I'm still not over it.--Dufmanno
14. Pat Benatar, Crimes Of Passion
Oh Pat, you will always have a place in my heart as a kick-ass rock chick who set the stage for so many to come. I actually laughed a little after writing that and taking a look at the album cover because she seems so sweet. But there's an attitude held in there, with a definite performing range. Pat's rooted as a lounge singer, and shows it off in a few numbers, including "Wuthering Heights" and "Hell Is For Children." But she, as I said, is most respected for that killer attitude displayed in tougher songs like "Out-A-Touch." Of course, the real reason this one tops the charts in my heart? "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" STILL provides the best pissed-off-girl song pre-Jagged Little Pill that I know I'll be sharing with my daughter for her first big break-up.--J-Hawke
13. Billy Joel, Glass Houses
Is Billy Joel a respected artist outside of Long Island? Don't know. But I do know he put out a lot of hits in the '70s and '80s, several of which can be found on his his seventh album, Glass Houses. You've got "You May Be Right," a song about a disapproving friend or lover; "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me," a look at the changing landscape of the music industry through Joel's old school eyes; and "Don't Ask Me Why," my favorite song on the album, due in part to the awesome musical breakdown in the middle.--Chris
12. Adam And The Ants, Kings Of The Wild Frontier
I've always thought Adam Ant should've been bigger than Duran Duran. But to be perfectly honest, I had no idea who the hell Adam Ant was in 1980. It wasn't until two years later, when "Goody Two Shoes" was everywhere, that I became a fan. Kings Of The Wild Frontier didn't do much in the states, but it should have. It is quite simply a gloriously strange album. Two drummers! Several of the songs have a spaghetti western feel to them ("Kings Of The Wild Frontier," "Los Rancheros," "Killer In The Home"). There's also the near-dance of "Don't Be Square (Be There)" and the sheer brilliance of "Antmusic." Go dust off the album and give it another listen. There's a reason Nine Inch Nails decided to cover Frontier's "Physical (You're So)." --Chris
