For this week's Ranked!, we went back in time thirty years and ranked the twenty best albums released in 1982. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!
Here are Numbers 11-15:
15. Stray Cats, Built For Speed
I predict that I will be the crazy old cat lady in our neighborhood. Not only that but I will also be the crazy cat lady who starts blaring "Stray Cat Strut" while throwing walnuts at pesky teenagers. When Built For Speed came out, it had a sound I couldn't name but I knew it with a gut-deep recognition. It was all about the roots of rock and roll, simple yet full of anarchy and a fierce joy. But although I didn't know it at the time, this Stray Cats album became more than that... it opened up the floodgates to other punk and rockabilly-influenced music, and with every jangly chord I became more firmly entrenched in the alternative scene until it flourished into a full-on love affair. Rocked my world and it was good.--The Weirdgirl
14. Adam Ant, Friend Or Foe
I loved Adam Ant and Friend Or Foe was by far his crowning achievement. With its sexed-up music video, "Goody Two Shoes" (the first of only two US Top 20 singles for Ant) led the way for Friend Or Foe's success. But don't think this album was a one-trick pony. You also had a cover of The Doors' "Hello, I Love You," as well as the excellent "Place In The Country" and "Desperate But Not Serious." But the main standout on the album is my favorite Adam Ant song of all time, "Friend Or Foe," the ultimate bite-me-if-you-don't-like-me track.--Chris
13. Asia, Asia
Asia was one of those groups that burst onto the American music scene in a pretty high profile way and then disappeared without a trace. Despite the fact that two of the band's songs happen to be two of my favorite songs of the '80s, I was shocked to see that they had more than two albums. (I knew about Asia and Alpha, but I thought that was it... they have 15, the last of which is set to be released this year!)At any rate, Asia's self-titled first album made a big impact on me. As a geeky high school kid, I was drawn to the album cover immediately--a cool looking serpent rising from a surreal aqua-scape. And when I heard "Heat Of The Moment" and "Only Time Will Tell," I was an instant fan of their sound. Those songs stand as two of my favorite all-time '80s tunes.
I'm gonna have to look up their other albums. Maybe they're worth a listen.--Dave
12. Toto, Toto IV
Two words: "Rosanna." "Africa." Funky jazz-influenced rhythms, bright bold brass, finger snaps, slamming guitar solos, and catchy as hell, this album actually sounds totally different than the other albums on this list, and that works in its favor. When I was in college in the late '90s, I was training for a new job in a computer lab. My mentor was showing off a new technology called an empeethree and he demoed it, randomly, with the song "Africa." And we just started singing and dancing behind the help desk. As students walked by, they invariably stopped and joined in. By the end of the song there were about ten of us, total strangers, just wailing at the help desk. That's the power of Toto.--Archphoenix
11. Rick Springfield, Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet
Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a fan of bubblegum pop. I mean, it's not like it's ALL I listen to, but there are certain artists--almost exclusively from the '70s and '80s--that I always found to be fun to listen to. By far, Rick Springfield's best album was his first (Working Class Dog, 1981), but Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet has one major hit that makes it a close second ("Don't Talk to Strangers"). I still have the album today, but it's been a long time since I've listened to any of the other songs. I'm sure I knew them all at one time, but most of them I can't remember at this point. I still rock out to "Don't Talk to Strangers," though, every time it plays on the radio or comes up in my iPod '80s shuffle.By the way, you really should see Rick Springfield live if you get the opportunity. I'm not sure if he's still as good as he was in the '80s and '90s, but he was awesome both times I saw him on stage. (Yes, I saw Rick Springfield in concert twice. I saw Jack Wagner in concert a couple of times back then, too. I had a little sister and she couldn't go to the concert by herself. Leave me alone. Don't judge me!)--Dave
| << Nos. 16-20 | Nos. 6-10 >> |
