Here are numbers 6-10:
10. Various Artists, The Breakfast Club Soundtrack
Easily the pinnacle of the Brat Pack movie craze, The Breakfast Club was one of many movies in the '80s whose soundtracks are like a time capsule of the pop music world at the time of their release. Although the track listing on this soundtrack isn't chock-full of singles like Footloose or Dirty Dancing, there's probably not a single song that evokes a movie more vividly than Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)." Just looking at the track list, you might not recognize the other songs by title--but if you give it a listen, you'll recognize most of them. Definitely a must-have soundtrack for your '80s movie music collection.--Dave
9. INXS, Listen Like Thieves
Despicable memories run through my brain at the mere mention of this album. It was INXS's fifth release and the record everyone considered to be their massive and well-deserved breakthrough, but all I could focus on was the most annoying person in the entire world who insisted that it be played on an endless loop while she sang along. What's that? You'd like to enjoy the sweet sound of Michael Hutchence crooning "Biting Bullets" or "Kiss The Dirt" in your ear as you fantasized you two were going to run away into the Austrailian wilderness together to vanquish dingos and save babies? NO! #1 INXS Fangirl couldn't have that, so she'd swoop in to help you "properly interpret" the lyrics and explain why Hutchence preferred blondes. After I'd managed to destroy this musical menace, I began to really enjoy this album and kept it straight through college until I met another superfan who stole it and then unceremoniously left me behind when she had front row seats during the Kick tour. Anyway, it was a toe tapper, a huge seller, and a hit machine for it seemed during this period that INXS and their brand of Aussie magic could not miss. Hutchence and his leading man swagger didn't hurt too much either.--Dufmanno
8. Motley Crue, Theatre Of Pain
Less heavy than the band's previous albums, Theatre Of Pain is the album that put Motley Crue on the map, led by the cover of Brownsville Station's "Smokin' In The Boys Room" and "Home Sweet Home," whose video set the standard for slo-mo live performance music videos and clocked in at #1 for 849 straight weeks on Dial MTV. The album also boasted kick ass songs like "Tonight (We Need A Lover)," "Keep Your Eye On The Money," and "Raise Your Hands To Rock."--Chris
7. Oingo Boingo, Dead Man's Party
This album makes me happy, even though it has a morbid theme to it. No one has ever made death, mad science, and potential breakups sound so cheerful, not to mention danceable. Thinking about it... they were WAY ahead of the zombie trend and this album may have been the inspiration for Dr. Horrible. I'm just saying. Not surprising because it's Danny Elfman! I'm pretty sure he's omniscient like that. But let's get back to the music. This album had so many great songs on it besides its title track: "Stay," "Weird Science," "No One Lives Forever," the energy just kept going and going. Some of the arrangements on this album blow my mind and should have clued the rest of us into the fact that someday he would be writing mind-blowing movie scores. I hated to see Oingo Boingo break up but the movie music have only gotten better because of it.--The Weirdgirl
6. Dire Straits, Brothers In Arms
There are a lot of things people think of when they think of the '80s, but MTV is certainly near the top of the list for anyone who spent their formative years in that decade. Although today it has become something that is a far cry from what it was when it launched in 1981, back then it was THE place to see new bands and immerse oneself in music. It is only natural that, by mid-decade, the music was commenting on the medium.All of this preamble is, of course, because Brothers In Arms will always be remembered first and foremost for the song "Money For Nothing," the song that echoed the sentiment of our generation: "I want my MTV." The video for the song was equally memorable, featuring some of the earliest computer animation seen in music videos. It's almost a shame that Brothers In Arms will be remembered almost exclusively for that song, though, because there are a couple of songs that are arguably better--both "Walk Of Life" and "So Far Away" are classics that can get a little lost in the shadow of "Money For Nothing." Overall, this is a solid album that has stood the test of time quite well.--Dave
