Here are numbers 6-10:
10. Roxette, Look Sharp!
I didn't own a ton of cassettes in the '80s because I had a pretty small allowance and only made a $1/hour babysitting. (Yeah, $1 an hour for a 12 year old girl to watch your kids for hours. Seems like you're really getting what you paid for, doesn't it?) But Look Sharp! was one that I saved up my money to get. I loved that album! It came with me on our month long summer camping trips. It came with me to the fishing resort in Louisiana. Frankly, Roxette took me to my happy place. Only four good things have ever come from Sweden: ABBA, Absolut, Alexander Skarsgard, and Roxette. And only one of those doesn't start with the letter A so you know it's got to be good to make it on that list.--Archphoenix
9. Van Halen, OU812
The second album of the "Van Hagar" era, this Van Halen album is arguably one of the most Sammy Hagar-like. Although the Van Halen sound still comes through in Eddie's riffs, someone with only passing knowledge of Sammy and Van Halen would likely identify songs like "Cabo Wabo" and "Mine All Mine" as Sammy Hagar songs and not Van Halen songs. My wife and I once stayed in a hotel that had a Cabo Wabo Cantina (Sammy Hagar's restaurant/bar chain) on the premises. We hit happy hour there every afternoon, and the music was all Hagar, all the time--including his Van Halen days. When you hear a constant mix of Hagar tunes and Hagar-era Van Halen, you get a good idea of how the sound of the band changed during that time to reflect its lead singer--especially on OU812.--Dave
8. They Might Be Giants, Lincoln
Although I preferred their self-titled debut, Lincoln was the album that broke the band into the public eye (although it wouldn't be until 1990's Flood when they would achieve wide scale appeal). Boosted by lead single "Ana Ng," Lincoln received a fair amount of college radio airplay (or at least it did at the little college radio station in my hometown). Standout tracks include "Purple Toupee," "Cage & Aquarium," "Kiss Me, Son of God," and my favorite song on Lincoln, "They'll Need A Crane." If you're compiling a list of important alternative albums of the '80s, Lincoln has earned its place on your list.--Chris
7. U2, Rattle and Hum
Even though U2 had been around for a few years, they seemed like a relatively new band for there to be a movie. But the idea of an Irish band performing classic American rock by exploring the country that inspired the songs was a profoundly interesting one. The album that accompanied the doc was an energetic double album that was part live, part studio. The radio played "Angel Of Harlem," which sounded great with horns. But I was drawn in by U2's raucous cover of "Helter Skelter." In a time when I was just starting to love this band, Rattle & Hum helped further my infatuation with them.--Daddy Geek Boy
