Top 20 Albums Of 1986 (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1986. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. The Bangles, Different Light

In the '80s, I was a singles kind of guy--not as in "bar" but as in "45s" (if any of you youngsters out there are still familiar with those). As such, I never actually owned Different Light, just two of the singles from the record: "Manic Monday" and "Walk Like An Egyptian." When it comes to girl groups of the '80s, I'll always be more of a Go-Go's fan than a Bangles fan--loved those two songs, though--and still do today. But if I owned a Bangles album, this would be my favorite one.--Dave

Top 20 Albums Of 1986 (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1986. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. Depeche Mode, Black Celebration

It's 1986 and I'm 15. Which is reason enough for how I listened to this album over and over again. I had been introduced to Depeche Mode with Some Great Reward and I went right out and bought their follow up, Black Celebration. Super moody and full of concepts (like sexuality and (shocker) death) that felt new and subversive to a 15-year-old who couldn't yet drive, Black Celebration was one of the first full-length vinyl albums I owned. And I hearted it hard sitting in my room heavy with the scent of lit candles and melodrama. To be honest, I still like "Question Of Lust," "Stripped," and "Question of Time," all classic Depeche Mode. There is angst, there are synthesizers flying. In retrospect, I can't say it was the best Depeche Mode album over their career. I think both Some Great Reward and Music For The Masses were stronger, but I'm still fond of it and the time it represents. --The Weirdgirl

Top 20 Albums Of 1985 (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1985. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 1-5:

5. R.E.M., Fables Of The Reconstruction

It's hard to figure out how a town as small as Athens, Georgia gave birth to so many wonderful musicians, quality albums, and classic stories. Granted, very few rose to the lofty heights attained by the illustrious R.E.M., but if I'd only known one thousandth of what I know now, I would have stuck around the area to watch it all unfold in person instead of packing my bags. In 1985, however, I was still a plucky, metal-mouthed high school sophomore with great musical taste and a brand new Walkman. I'd purchased all of R.E.M.'s releases up to that point and was prepared to be wowed by my new Fables Of The Reconstruction cassette as I slipped it gingerly into the waiting tape deck. Much to my horror, I found the entire second side played in reverse and was completely unlistenable. Not sure if it was some sort of artistic joke that I wasn't getting or just a manufacturing defect, I sprang up and demanded to be brought back to the mall record store where I'd made my purchase. After making mince meat of my sales associate, I returned home with a proper album and the listening commenced. We'd spend endless hours arguing if the official title of the album was Reconstruction Of The Fables or Fables Of The Reconstruction (A and B sides made it a hotly debated topic) and while it contained the insanely popular hits "Driver 8" and "Can't Get There From Here," there were endless favorites like "Green Grow The Rushes" and "Auctioneer" that we memorized and sang with wild abandon.

This was the album that made you want to take a drive straight down into the heart of Athens and see what inspired such sultry southern jangly goodness. Thankfully, some of us did just that.--Dufmanno

Top 20 Albums Of 1985 (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1985. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

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

Top 20 Albums Of 1985 (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1985. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. Camper Van Beethoven, Telephone Free Landslide Victory

I have been a major admirer of David Lowery for quite some time now. I have seen him play live countless times. With Camper Van Beethoven. With Cracker. Acoustic. You name it.

This is Camper Van Beethoven's debut disc and contains such classics as "The Day That Lassie Went To The Moon," "Ambiguity Song," and "Take The Skinheads Bowling."--Chris

Top 20 Albums Of 1985 (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1985. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. John Cougar Mellencamp, Scarecrow

Scarecrow is the album that cemented Mellencamp as the Voice of Middle America. Every song feels like it's written for the kids in Footloose or Dazed & Confused, with a strident, rebellious voice that wears its love for small towns, fast cars, and kissing under the bleachers like a superhero's cape. It's also Mellencamp's strongest batch of songs overall, with highlights like "Lonely Ol' Night" and "Small Town" punctuated by minor but equally brilliant tunes like "Rumbleseat" and "Justic & Independence '85." You could easily see these songs playing at a political rally, a state fair, or out of the tinny speakers in a '69 Buick Skylark. Tremendous fun.--CroutonBoy

Top 20 Albums Of 1984 (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1984. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 1-5:

5. Wham!, Make It Big

It seems that Wham! titled their album as this in order to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. They had already tested the waters with their lukewarm first album, and they came out, pop-music guns-a-blazin' with Make It Big. I don't even need to describe this album because almost every song is burned into the mind of anyone who lived through the eighties: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Everything She Wants," "Freedom" (which, in my opinion is pop perfection), and "Careless Whisper" with the saxophone solo heard 'round the world. Despite being pure pop, George Michael's fantastic, smooth singing voice is one of the best of this era. My only question is: what's Andrew Ridgely up to these days?--Robin

Top 20 Albums Of 1984 (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1984. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 6-10:

10. Twisted Sister, Stay Hungry

From the moment I first saw the video for "We're Not Gonna Take It," I was hooked. But how could I not be? The video had huge hulking guys dressed in drag, cartoon violence, Animal House references, cowbell, and featured a song about questioning authority. It was crack for a fourteen year old. Truth be told, I probably played this album more than any other on the list, save our #1. I still know the lyrics to every song, from opener "Stay Hungry" to closer "S.M.F.," and every song in between. In fact, I'm going to dig the CD out right now and give it another spin.--Chris

Top 20 Albums Of 1984 (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1984. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. Don Henley, Building The Perfect Beast

Aside from "Good Vibrations," I consider the "The Boys Of Summer" the greatest summer song of all time. Maybe it's because I heard it all the time the summer of '85 (when it and the video were everywhere) with my cheap Walkman knock-off with the orange-foam covered headphones. But frankly, I think it's a glorious song, an ode to love and loss that masks its poignancy with its sun-drenched production, only catching up to you when you pause to consider what's being sung. Henley was obviously the most talented ex-Eagle, and he eschewed the Miami Vice bullshit of his bandmates for catchy, observant ruminations within his music. Building The Perfect Beast is his strongest set, and it's not limited to just "The Boys Of Summer." The other hits, "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" and "Sunset Grill," are both excellent, and although the rest of the album suffers from a few too many mid-'80s synthesizers, the songs themselves are great explorations of the southern California lifestyle and its sometimes unseemly underbelly. And it's a million times better than anything Glen Frey ever did, so there.--CroutonBoy

Top 20 Albums Of 1984 (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1984. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. Various Artists, Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack

Beverly Hills Cop was a monster hit in 1984, and its soundtrack is also pretty damn good. Harold Faltermeyer, king of the '80s action movie score, wrote the instant classic "Axel F" for the film. The soundtrack also had "The Heat Is On" written by Faltermeyer and performed by Glenn Frey. It's a song that came to define the summer jam. Follow that up with "Neutron Dance" and "Stir It Up," and you've got an instantly awesome soundtrack.--Archphoenix