Top 100 Albums Of The '80s (Nos. 61-70)

For this week's Ranked!, we've got one of our most epic editions ever: the Top 100 Albums Of The '80s. Did we get it right? Let us know!

Here are Numbers 61-70:

70. The Who, Who's Last

I've written many times about how I discovered many of my favorite classic rock bands through their '80s work and then worked my way back through their catalogs to hear their earlier stuff. In the case of The Who, my task of discovering their classics was pretty easy. After Face Dances (1981) and It's Hard (1982) got me interested, the band decided to break up after doing a farewell tour (the first of many). The result was Who's Last which, for me, served as an excellent live introduction to classic Who, with 17 tracks that spanned pretty much their entire career. Although it's not always the case when I buy a greatest hits-type collection, Who's Last whet my appetite for more classic Who, and started me on a buying spree of Who albums so that I could hear what else they had to offer. If you're a fan of the band and you never got a chance to see them live (which I did, twice), you should really pick up Who's Last. It's the next best thing to being there.--Dave

Top 100 Albums Of The '80s (Nos. 71-80)

For this week's Ranked!, we've got one of our most epic editions ever: the Top 100 Albums Of The '80s. Did we get it right? Let us know!

Here are Numbers 71-80:

80. Indigo Girls, Indigo Girls

Two chicks, two acoustic guitars, and killer blended harmonies. For a girl who was doing a lot of singing at the time, this album was pretty extraordinary. I listened to it the other day and I still wanted to sing along. Fun fact: this album got the Indigo Girls nominated for the Best New Artist Grammy, which they lost to... Milli Vanilli. (You know, the Grammy was later revoked when it came out that they didn't actually sing.)--Archphoenix

Top 100 Albums Of The '80s (Nos. 81-90)

For this week's Ranked!, we've got one of our most epic editions ever: the Top 100 Albums Of The '80s. Did we get it right? Let us know!

Here are Numbers 81-90:

90. ZZ Top, Eliminator

Without question, the hottest car on the road in 1983 was made 50 years earlier. The iconic 1933 Ford Coupe that graced the cover of Eliminator and served as a chariot for hot women on MTV was easily the coolest thing on wheels and no keychain was complete without a shiny "ZZ" hanging from it. You wouldn't think three dude with Rip Van Winkle beards would become music video celebrities, but you cannot discount the awesome hat trick of "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs." Although those are the songs most people remember best, the rest of the album is all killer and no filler, packed to the brim with stunning Texas boogie like "Dirty Dog," "I Got the Six," and my personal favorite, "You Got Me Under Pressure." I'd still hop in that Ford Coupe if it pulled up in front of my house without hesitation. Wherever it's going is someplace I'd want to be.--CroutonBoy

Top 100 Albums Of The '80s (Nos. 91-100)

For this week's Ranked!, we've got one of our most epic editions ever: the Top 100 Albums Of The '80s. Did we get it right? Let us know!

Here are Numbers 91-100:

100. Social Distortion, Mommy's Little Monster

I love a good debut album. It's the music you play when nobody is watching, before the pundits and pigeonholes set in. Mommy's Little Monster announced Social Distortion to the world as a tough-talking punk band with a straightforward attack. Yet there's skill behind that raucous noise; the guitar in "Hour Of Darkness" is proof.

What's really interesting is that the evolution to their signature sound had already begun. It would be another album before they nailed it, but stronger melodies are emerging, along with a little bit of country twang. "Another State Of Mind" is the first sign of the heart of gold that has always lurked beneath Mike Ness's rough edges.

1983 was a weird year for punk. Into The Unknown saw Bad Religion go pretty badly awry, while the Clash were slowly falling apart. Mommy's Little Monster had no such issues. It was loud, obnoxious and all kinds of fun.--Amanda

Top 20 Albums Of 1989 (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we completed our look back at the '80s with our our twenty favorite albums released in 1989. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 1-5:

5. Motley Crue, Dr. Feelgood

This album is just a fantastic album from start to finish. It was also the real end of the greatness of the Crue - Vince Neill left the band (or got fired, depending on who you talk to) after the album and the rise of grunge kind of killed metal. It's a shame because this is certainly the best album that Motley Crue ever put out. And now I have the title track firmly lodged in my head. Anyone else?--Archphoenix

Top 20 Albums Of 1989 (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we completed our look back at the '80s with our our twenty favorite albums released in 1989. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 6-10:

10. Tom Petty, Full Moon Fever

Full Moon Fever has a special place in my heart. It was the first music I ever bought on CD, and I listened to it repeatedly just to enjoy the (probably imagined) clarity of this new and exciting medium. The CD even had a clever interlude where Petty, with what sounds like a lively farm in the background, offers a moment of silence for the people who have to stand up and flip their LPs and cassettes over. Of course that isn't what gets you on a list of the best of 1989... it's the music, and it's Tom Petty's finest album by far. Clearly energized by their year with the Traveling Wilburys, Petty and producer Jeff Lynne pulled together a batch of songs looser and more relaxed than anything Petty had done with the Heartbreakers to date. "I Won't Back Down" is simple but effective, vignettes like "The Apartment Song" and "Yer So Bad" conjure amusingly human stories that would make Dylan proud, and the propulsive "Runnin' Down a Dream" was so much fun that I actually had a 'routine' that I would act out with a buddy whenever it came on the radio. (It was college... you do what you can to stand out). The highlight for me is "Free Fallin'," which can make a legitimate case for being the best song of the last 25 years, with evocative lyrics and a chorus that both giveth and--with a well-timed pause--taketh away. I still have that original CD, it's jewel case warn and chipped, and you know what? It does sound a hell of a lot better than my cassettes.--CroutonBoy

Top 20 Albums Of 1989 (Nos. 11-15)

For this week's Ranked!, we completed our look back at the '80s with our our twenty favorite albums released in 1989. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 11-15:

15. Skid Row, Skid Row

Let's face it--bands like Skid Row simply aren't bands that are destined to leave an indelible mark on the musical world. Although there was a short window (about 1988-1992) during which bands like this didn't look utterly ridiculous on stage, looking back now it's hard to believe that anyone ever took them even remotely seriously.

That said, I used to hang out at strip clubs and at a mega-venue in Baltimore called Hammerjacks back in the late '80s and early '90s, and hair bands were high on the playlist at that time. Even then, Skid Row was somewhere in the middle of the pack at best as far as I was concerned, but I did love to rock out to several of the songs on the Skid Row album--especially "18 And Life," "Youth Gone Wild," and "I Remember You" (the last being the obligatory power ballad of the bunch). Skid Row was one of the first CDs I ever bought, along with albums by Poison, Mötley Crüe, and Guns N' Roses, all of whom are going to be better remembered than Skid Row.

I was surprised to see that Skid Row has released five albums, the most recent of which came out in 2006. Maybe their new stuff is good... I don't know. For me, Skid Row was the beginning and the end of my interest in the band. They were a product of their time--and, at the time, I thought they were pretty decent.--Dave

Top 20 Albums Of 1989 (Nos. 16-20)

For this week's Ranked!, we completed our look back at the '80s with our our twenty favorite albums released in 1989. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 16-20:

20. Camper Van Beethoven, Key Lime Pie

This was Camper's last album before they broke up (until they reformed a decade later). But Camper fans were not sad for long: David Lowery formed (the superior, IMHO) Cracker two years later. Key Lime Pie's best tracks: "When I Win the Lottery," "Jack Ruby," and the band's biggest hit, a cover of Status Quo's "Pictures Of Matchstick Men."--Chris

Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 1-5)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

Here are numbers 1-5:

5. Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking

Jane says... this album rocks hard. Between Perry Farrell's trademark yowl and Dave Navarro's sinuous guitar, Nothing's Shocking never loses energy. That energy is the driving force behind songs like "Ocean Size" and "Had A Dad". In contrast is the almost childlike "Summertime Rolls," which sounds like a summer night spent stretched out on the hood of a car, staring up at the sky. But the quieter moments are never too quiet, and "Pigs In Zen" proves that the album holds together even when it's spinning out of control. This is how you make a statement.--Amanda

Top 20 Albums Of 1988 (Nos. 6-10)

For this week's Ranked!, we compiled our twenty favorite albums released in 1988. Did we get it right? Let us know in the comments!

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