Retro Albums of the Year 2010's: 2020

[KevShmev]

The Nylon Curtain is another phenomenal record.

It made my list, so I dig it.  Allentown has stood firm as my favorite Billy Joel song for close to 40 years now. 

[Stadler]

The Nylon Curtain is another phenomenal record.

It made my list, so I dig it.  Allentown has stood firm as my favorite Billy Joel song for close to 40 years now. 

GREAT lyric. 

Side one is where the hits are - and they are great - but side two is where it's at for me.  Love each of those songs.  I call this his "Beatles" album, because there are so many moments that strike me as Beatle-esque.

[Trav86]

Delete. I already posted for this year. 

Must’ve been that good stuff…

[SoundscapeMN]

1983

allmediareviews

1983, like with Baseball Cards, was really maybe the 1st Calendar year I have memories of music. Songs on the radio and maybe even Friday Night videos. Some others came the next year in 1984 certainly, and '83 didn't have Michael Jackson nor Prince, but it had both many of my nostalgic favorites like Lionel Ritchie, Duran Duran and Huey Lewis and the News, and many I came to love like The Police's Synchronicity and obviously Marillion's debut album Script from a Jester's Tear.

And while that album I won 't deny is very influenced by Peter Gabriel-Genesis, it still has a lot of great songs/songwriting on it. Garden Party, The Web and the title track were always my favorites. But I can't lie, among Marillion's catalog, it is only in the middle which maybe says more about my love and the quality I see in their history.

I guess looking at the calendar and rankings, 1983 had a lot of enjoyable albums from Metal to Pop to early prog. I guess I wouldn't say it's Top Heavy, but at the same time it is not without depth for at least nostalgia if not just artists putting out good albums or with multiple good songs. Even The Pointer Sisters who I just saw live last week, put out an album with a few 80's Pop classics.

How it fares compared to the rest of the decade? I kind of suspect it won't be at the top, but definitely not at the bottom at this point. Nostalgia points and depth as opposed to say 1981 or 1979 which at this point I see as 2 of the thinnest years for albums in my taste. 1983 though, I don't see as quite as thin though.

1, Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
2, The Police - Synchonicity
3. Tears for Fears - The Hurting
4. Queensryche - Queensryche [EP]
5, Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
6. Pat Metheny - Travels
7. Huey Lewis and the News - Sports
8, Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger
9. David Bowie - Let's Dance
10. Dio - Holy Diver
11. Metallica - Kill'Em All
12. Genesis - Genesis
13, Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
14, U2 - War
15. Lionel Ritchie - Can't Slow Down
16. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
17. XTC - Mummer
18. Madonna - Madonna
19. The Pointer Sisters - Break Out
20. Savatage - Sirens
21. Yes - 90125

[HOF]

1983 is a short list for me, but some really good ones. The top 3 are especially strong (could go in any order probably). I’ve never ranked Script highly relative to the rest of Marillion’s catalog either.

1. Yes - 90125
2. Genesis - Genesis
3. Journey - Frontiers
4. Marillion - Script for a Jester’s Tear
5. U2 - WAR

Just looked back at my rankings for 1983 in the albums of the year over time thread that inspired this one, and I had Frontiers first then. Been listening to a lot of Yes including 90125 lately so maybe that's why it gets the edge (I did have as a close runner up on that list). Really love all three of those albums.

[MirrorMask]

An year with some legendary albums, hard to rank. Picking number one, however, it's so easy:

1. IRON MAIDEN - Piece of Mind

One of the undisputed masterpiece of heavy metal and my personal favorite from the guys along with Seventh Son. Pure perfection.

2. METALLICA - Kill 'em All
3. MANOWAR - Into Glory Ride
4. DIO - Holy Diver
5. SAVATAGE - Sirens

Also honorable mention for:

VIRGIN STEELE - Guardians of the Flame
QUEENSRYCHE - Queensryche EP

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Let's see how many albums I can name off from 1983  
#1 kind of surprised me when I compiled my list. I went into this thinking Kill 'em All would be first, but I totally forgot Script was released in 83 as well. Regardless, so many fantastic albums released this year. I'm guessing my lists are going to grow larger as we approach the 90's and beyond.

1. Marillion - Script for a Jester's Tear
2. Metallica - Kill 'em All
3. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
4. Def Leppard - Pyromania
5. Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
6. Journey - Frontiers
7. The Police - Synchronicity
8. Tears for Fears - The Hurting
9. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Texas Flood
10. Dio - Holy Diver
11. Queensrÿche - Queensrÿche
12. Bad Brains - Rock for Light
13. Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues
14. IQ - Tales from the Lush Attic
15. Savatage - Sirens
16. Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning
17. Triumph - Never Surrender
18. Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
19. Genesis - Genesis
20. Alcatrazz - No Parole from Rock 'n Roll
21. Huey Lewis and the News - Sports
22. Big Country - The Crossing
23. Saga - Heads or Tales
24. Yes - 90125
25. Elton John - Too Low for Zero
26. UB40 - Labour of Love

Some notable albums that are intentionally left off the list because they are not good or I just don't like them:
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut (I hate this album, it's by far the worst Pink Floyd album)
"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Weird Al" Yankovic (same deal as the Pink Floyd album)
Black Sabbath - Born Again
Rainbow - Bent Out of Shape
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Slayer - Show No Mercy

[TAC]

1983 is a fantastic year. It's probably second to 1981 for me, but only because being a bit younger, 1981 basically cleared my musical path. But 1983 laid the brick!

1983 included the end of my freshman year of HS in the spring, and the beginning of my sophomore year. I turned 15 in September.

I saw my first two concerts in 1983:

1. Def Leppard/Krokus/Gary Moore June 25th
2. Iron Maiden/Fastway/Coney Hatch  August 27th


Everyone of these albums is excellent. I had the 33 of these 36 albums as a kid, but I have all of them on CD now.

Metallica-Kill 'Em All
Dio-Holy Diver
Iron Maiden-Piece Of Mind
Saxon-Power And The Glory
Accept-Balls To The Wall
Ozzy Osbourne-Bark At The Moon
Queensryche-EP
Loudness-Live Loud Alive
Michael Schenker Group-Built To Destroy
Heavy Pettin' Lettin' Loose
Thin Lizzy-Thinder And Lightning
Twisted Sister-You Can't Stop Rock n Roll
Y&T-Mean Streak
Blackfoot-Siogo
Gary Moore-Dirty Fingers
Gary Moore-Victims Of The Future
UFO-Making Contact
Riot-Born In America
Motorhead-Another Perfect Day
Motley Crue-Shout At The Devil
Quiet Riot-Metal Health
AC/DC-Flick Of The Switch
Alcatrazz-No Parole From Rock n Roll
Krokus-Headhunter
Alice Cooper-DaDa
Black Sabbath-Born Again
KISS-Lick It Up
Cobra-First Strike
Talas-Live Speed On Ice
Triumph-Never Surrender
Fastway-s/t
Slayer-Show No Mercy
Marillion-Script For A Jester's Tear
Molly Hatchet-No Guts No Glory
Helix-No Rest For The Wicked
Def Leppard-Pyromania


Loudeness' Live Loud Alive is a Top 5 Live album for me.

[KevShmev]

01 The Police - Synchronicity (first album I ever owned on vinyl!!)
02 Yes - 90125
03 R.E.M. - Murmur
04 U2 - War
05 Triumph - Never Surrender
06 Blue Oyster Cult - The Revolution by Night (a criminally underrated record, even by fans of the band)
07 Tears for Fears - The Hurting
08 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Texas Flood
09 Zebra - Zebra
10 Genesis - Genesis

A lot of albums that year that for me are some good, some average stuff, by Ozzy, Billy Joel, ZZ Top, XTC, Def Leppard, Bowie, Journey, Night Ranger, The Fixx, Styx and New Order.

[Zoom E]

Was trying to keep my list to a minimum but ended up with 21 albums anyway.

1983

Diamond Head - Canterbury
Queensryche - EP
Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
U2 - War
Metallica - Kill Em All
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Alcatrazz - No Parole from Rock’n’Roll
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Raven - All for One
Savatage - Sirens
Anvil - Forged in Fire
Grim Reaper - See You in Hell
Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning
Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil
Saxon - Power and the Glory
Marillion - Script for a Jester’s Tear
The Police - Synchronicity
Dio - Holy Diver
Yes - 90125
UFO - Making Contact
Krokus - Headhunter

[wolfking]

1983

Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
Black Sabbath - Born Again
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
UFO - Making Contact
Savatage - Sirens
Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning
Queensryche - EP
Gary Moore - Victims of the Future
Dio - Holy Diver
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Accept - Balls to the Wall
Y&T - Mean Streak
Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon
Saxon - Power and the Glory
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Journey - Frontiers
Dokken - Breaking the Chains
Slayer - Show No Mercy

[ReaperKK]

Forgot about a few albums for 1983:

1. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble - Texas Flood - 4/5
2. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual - 3/5
3. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut - 2.5/5
4. U2 - War - 2/5
5. Eurythmics - Touch - 2/5

[hefdaddy42]

No particular order:

The Police - Synchronicity
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Texas Flood
Herbie Hancock - Future Shock
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Journey - Frontiers
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Lionel Richie - Can't Slow Down
David Bowie - Let's Dance
Billy Joel - An Innocent Man

[Lowdz]

1983 was a huge music year for me. I was 15 and I can’t lose any of these albums (exhaustive list incoming)

1983

Bryan Adams - Cuts like A Knife

Def Leppard- Pyromania

Triumph- Never Surrender

Journey- Frontiers

UFO - Making Contact

Rock Goddess- s/t, Hell Hath No Fury

Thin Lizzy - Thunder & Lightning - Live/Life

Helix - No Rest For The Wicked

Marillion- Script For A Jester’s Tear

Europe - s/t

Saxon - Power & Glory

ZZ Top - Eliminator

Frank Zappa - Man From Utopia

Le Roux - So Fired Up

Krokus - Headhunter

Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind

DIO - Holy Diver

Blackfoot- Siogo

ManOwaR - Into Glory Ride

Coney Hatch - Outta Hand

Queensryche- EP

KISS x Lick It Up

Motley Crue- Shout At The Devil

MSG - Built To Destroy

Y&T- Mean Streak

Aldo Nova - Subject

Merciful Fate - Melissa

Bryan May & Friends - Starfleet

Survivor - Caught In The Game

Alcatrazz- No Parole From Rock n Roll

Ozzy - Bark At The Moon

Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

Accept- Balls To The Wall

Steeler (Yngwie) - s/t

Gary Moore - Victims of the Future

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood

[Stadler]

Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind
DIO - Holy Diver
KISS x Lick It Up
MSG - Built To Destroy
Alcatrazz- No Parole From Rock n Roll
Ozzy - Bark At The Moon
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

I listened to those albums endlessly.  Many - Dio, MSG, NR - are still my band favorites.

[hefdaddy42]

Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind
DIO - Holy Diver
KISS x Lick It Up
MSG - Built To Destroy
Alcatrazz- No Parole From Rock n Roll
Ozzy - Bark At The Moon
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

I listened to those albums endlessly.  Many - Dio, MSG, NR - are still my band favorites.

No love for An Innocent Man?

[Stadler]

Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind
DIO - Holy Diver
KISS x Lick It Up
MSG - Built To Destroy
Alcatrazz- No Parole From Rock n Roll
Ozzy - Bark At The Moon
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

I listened to those albums endlessly.  Many - Dio, MSG, NR - are still my band favorites.

No love for An Innocent Man?

LOVE the song (one of his best).  The rest is very good as an artistic statement, but not something I listen to very much.

[hefdaddy42]

Iron Maiden- Piece of Mind
DIO - Holy Diver
KISS x Lick It Up
MSG - Built To Destroy
Alcatrazz- No Parole From Rock n Roll
Ozzy - Bark At The Moon
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness

I listened to those albums endlessly.  Many - Dio, MSG, NR - are still my band favorites.

No love for An Innocent Man?

LOVE the song (one of his best).  The rest is very good as an artistic statement, but not something I listen to very much.

OK.

[SoundscapeMN]

1984

allmediareviews:

1984, now looking at it, was not all that great of a year, I guess for ALBUMS for my taste. It was it seemed a good year for SONGS. It was amidst the MTV craze and 80's singles. Friday Night Videos, icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Huey Lewis, Springsteen, Wham!, Duran Duran, The Police, Phil Collins..80's icons and huge names that were known for songs and their videos.

The top 40 on Sunday mornings, and cassette tapes. I bought my 1st tape as a little kid in 1983 and 1984. Weird Al's album In 3-D namely. And often at the Great American Music store in the Highland Village store.

But as time as gone by and looking at Albums, 1984 has some very good albums, like what I consider my favorite Pat Metheny record in First Circle and my favorite U2 album in The Unforgettable Fire.

Rush's Grace Under Pressure is an album I do enjoy a lot, but I guess I don't see it greater than most of their classic catalog (Caress of Steel-Presto). But it's a great record, thus par for their course. And given the quality of the albums from 1984, it places quite high.

And Prince, I bought Purple Rain on tape and it was such a big deal and rival to Michael Jackson and Thriller then, even though the release dates were like 18 months apart.

But I was a sports kid, so 1984 was most remembered by me for that, but as a year, compared to other years from the 80's, I'm thinking it may not compare. But then again, I suspect a lot of the mid to late 80's albums were not too different.

That also being said, I do have a soft spot for 80's pop, and I included some albums with some of those songs. Also early Metal albums, Thrash, NWOBHM, Prog and Soundtracks.

1. Pat Metheny Group - First Circle
2, Rush - Grace Under Pressure
3. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
4. Marillion - Fugazi
5. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain OST
6. "Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D
7. Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
8. Van Halen - 1984
9. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
10. Queensryche - The Warning
11. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
12. NRG - No Reasons Given
13. Marillion - Real to Reel
14. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
15.Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
16. Duran Duran - Arena
17. Wham! - Make it Big
18. XTC - The Big Express
19. David Gilmour - About Face

[TAC]

I have a big list for 1984. I turned 16 in 1984 and I bought a tons of albums.  On my list I have 49 albums. Of the list, there's probably 6-8 that I owned as a kid, but didn't replace, and there's 6-8 that I bought after my teenage years, but I'd say that I owned at least 35 of these as a kid, and replaced them on CD.

1. Queensryche-Warning
2. Waysted-EP
3. Saxon-Crusader
4. Iron Maiden-Powerslave
5. Dio-The Last In Line
6. Scorpions-Love At First Sting
7. Accept-Balls To The Wall
8. Jack Starr-Out Of The Darkness
9. Michael Schenker Group-Rock Will Never Die
10. Gary Moore-We Want Moore
Judas Priest-Defenders Of The Faith
KISS-Animalize
Yngwie Malmsteen-Rising Force
Armored Saint-March Of The Saint
Twisted Sister-Stay Hungry
Dianno-s/t
Deep Purple-Perfect Strangers
Metallica-Ride The Lightning
WASP-s/t
Anthrax-Fistful Of Metal
Rush-Grace Under Pressure
Van Halen-1984
Hanoi Rocks-Two Steps From The Move
Motorhead-No Remorse
Y&T-In Rock We Trust
Triumph-Thunder Seven
Fastway-All Fired Up
Dokken-Tooth And Nail
Whitesnake-Slide It In
Bon Jovi-s/t
Fates Warning-Night On Broken
Stratus-Throwing Shapes
Rhett Forrester-Gone With The Wind
Helix-Walkin' The Razor's Edge
Manowar-Hail To England
Blackfoot-Verticle Smiles
Molly Hatchet-The Deed Is Done
Stone Fury-Burns Like A Star
Kick Axe-Vices
Slayer-Haunting The Chapel
Legs Diamond-Out On Bail
Quiet Riot-Condition Critical
Steve Vai-Flex-able
Stryper-The Yellow And Black Attack
Merciful Fate-Don't Break The Oath
Phenomena-s/t
Ratt-Out Of The Cellar
The Rods-Let Them Eat Metal

I saw three concerts in 1984..

1984-3/18..Van Halen, Autograph..Providence Civic Center
1984-6/7…Scorpions, Bon Jovi.. Providence Civic Center
1984-8/20..Dio, Twisted Sister.. Providence Civic Center

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1984 was a great year! Going through all these lists made me realize how much awesome music came out in the 80's. Big list incoming, which is sure to piss off those that don't like big lists... And yes Spinal Tap made my top 10 

1. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
3. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
4. Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain
5. Univers Zero - Uzed
6. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
7. Marillion - Fugazi
8. Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap
9. Scorpions - Love At First Sting
10. The Cars - Heartbeat City
11. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand the Weather
12. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
13. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
14. Triumph - Thunder Seven
15. W.A.S.P - W.A.S.P.
16. Queensrÿche - The Warning
17. Scott Walker - Climate of Hunter
18. Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast
19. Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops
20. Whitesnake - Slide It In
21. Wham! - Make It Big
22. Europe - Wings of Tomorrow
23. Weird Al Yankovic - In 3D
24. Pallas - The Sentinel
25. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
26. Van Halen - 1984
27. Steve Perry - Street Talk
28. Chicago - 17
29. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Rising Force
30. David Gilmour - About Face

[TAC]

And yes Spinal Tap made my top 10 

I don't remember if I ever bought This Is Spinal Tap. I did see the movie in the theaters the night before I saw the Scorpions.

[King Postwhore]

Tim, love seeing Stone Fury on your list.

[Stadler]

I have a big list for 1984. I turned 16 in 1984 and I bought a tons of albums.  On my list I have 49 albums. Of the list, there's probably 6-8 that I owned as a kid, but didn't replace, and there's 6-8 that I bought after my teenage years, but I'd say that I owned at least 35 of these as a kid, and replaced them on CD.

1. Queensryche-Warning
2. Waysted-EP
3. Saxon-Crusader
4. Iron Maiden-Powerslave
5. Dio-The Last In Line
6. Scorpions-Love At First Sting
7. Accept-Balls To The Wall
8. Jack Starr-Out Of The Darkness
9. Michael Schenker Group-Rock Will Never Die
10. Gary Moore-We Want Moore
Judas Priest-Defenders Of The Faith
KISS-Animalize
Yngwie Malmsteen-Rising Force
Armored Saint-March Of The Saint
Twisted Sister-Stay Hungry
Dianno-s/t
Deep Purple-Perfect Strangers
Metallica-Ride The Lightning
WASP-s/t
Anthrax-Fistful Of Metal
Rush-Grace Under Pressure
Van Halen-1984
Hanoi Rocks-Two Steps From The Move
Motorhead-No Remorse
Y&T-In Rock We Trust
Triumph-Thunder Seven
Fastway-All Fired Up
Dokken-Tooth And Nail
Whitesnake-Slide It In
Bon Jovi-s/t
Fates Warning-Night On Broken
Stratus-Throwing Shapes
Rhett Forrester-Gone With The Wind
Helix-Walkin' The Razor's Edge
Manowar-Hail To England
Blackfoot-Verticle Smiles
Molly Hatchet-The Deed Is Done
Stone Fury-Burns Like A Star
Kick Axe-Vices
Slayer-Haunting The Chapel
Legs Diamond-Out On Bail
Quiet Riot-Condition Critical
Steve Vai-Flex-able
Stryper-The Yellow And Black Attack
Merciful Fate-Don't Break The Oath
Phenomena-s/t
Ratt-Out Of The Cellar
The Rods-Let Them Eat Metal

I saw three concerts in 1984..

1984-3/18..Van Halen, Autograph..Providence Civic Center
1984-6/7…Scorpions, Bon Jovi.. Providence Civic Center
1984-8/20..Dio, Twisted Sister.. Providence Civic Center

There's a lot of overlap with my list too. I even saw two of those three shows (Scorps and Dio/TS).  I also saw Kiss twice (with Accept and Queensryche), Yes twice (no opener) and The Cars (with Wang Chung, who SUCKED).

[HOF]

1984 was a great year! Going through all these lists made me realize how much awesome music came out in the 80's. Big list incoming, which is sure to piss off those that don't like big lists... And yes Spinal Tap made my top 10 

1. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
3. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
4. Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain
5. Univers Zero - Uzed
6. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
7. Marillion - Fugazi
8. Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap
9. Scorpions - Love At First Sting
10. The Cars - Heartbeat City
11. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand the Weather
12. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
13. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
14. Triumph - Thunder Seven
15. W.A.S.P - W.A.S.P.
16. Queensrÿche - The Warning
17. Scott Walker - Climate of Hunter
18. Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast
19. Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops
20. Whitesnake - Slide It In
21. Wham! - Make It Big
22. Europe - Wings of Tomorrow
23. Weird Al Yankovic - In 3D
24. Pallas - The Sentinel
25. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
26. Van Halen - 1984
27. Steve Perry - Street Talk
28. Chicago - 17
29. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Rising Force
30. David Gilmour - About Face

Heck yeah, The Blue Nile for the win.

[HOF]

What I have for 1984:

1. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
2. The Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops
3. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
4. Talk Talk - It's My Life
5. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
6. Camel - Stationary Travelers
7. The Europeans - Recurring Dreams
8. Marillion - Fugazi

How's that for a Hogarth over Fish moment. :-)

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1984 was a great year! Going through all these lists made me realize how much awesome music came out in the 80's. Big list incoming, which is sure to piss off those that don't like big lists... And yes Spinal Tap made my top 10 

1. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
3. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
4. Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain
5. Univers Zero - Uzed
6. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
7. Marillion - Fugazi
8. Spinal Tap - This Is Spinal Tap
9. Scorpions - Love At First Sting
10. The Cars - Heartbeat City
11. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand the Weather
12. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
13. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
14. Triumph - Thunder Seven
15. W.A.S.P - W.A.S.P.
16. Queensrÿche - The Warning
17. Scott Walker - Climate of Hunter
18. Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast
19. Blue Nile - A Walk Across the Rooftops
20. Whitesnake - Slide It In
21. Wham! - Make It Big
22. Europe - Wings of Tomorrow
23. Weird Al Yankovic - In 3D
24. Pallas - The Sentinel
25. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
26. Van Halen - 1984
27. Steve Perry - Street Talk
28. Chicago - 17
29. Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Rising Force
30. David Gilmour - About Face

Heck yeah, The Blue Nile for the win.

I'm pretty sure it was you that turned me on to them back in the MP.com days.

[HOF]

Heck yeah, The Blue Nile for the win.

I'm pretty sure it was you that turned me on to them back in the MP.com days.

Oh, yeah, if that's where you were introduced to them it probably was me. 

[MirrorMask]

Boy, what a year.

1. METALLICA - Ride the Lightning

It won't be many times that Metallica will get the best of Maiden in the '80s, but this is one of those occasion. Masterpiece of an album. I will never say anything against those who claim Master is Metallica's best album, but Ride is my personal favorite. One of the defining albums of a generation.

2. IRON MAIDEN - Powerslave

Well, when Maiden fail to win, they get second anyway. Aces High, 23:58, Powerslave, the lesson about what not do if your bird shits on you.... another landmark album.

3. MANOWAR - Sign of the Hammer

It's hard to pick the third place with so many glorious albums, but this is epic as fvck and edges out Priest just a tiny little bit. Impossible to choose however.

4. JUDAS PRIEST - Defenders of the Faith

5. MANOWAR - Hail to England

6. DIO - The Last in Line
7. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Born in the USA
8. QUEENSRYCHE - The Warning
9. JAG PANZER - Ample Destruction
10. BON JOVI - Bon Jovi

Honorable mention for Savatage's The Dungeons are Calling and Queen's The Works.

[KevShmev]

01 Van Halen - 1984
02 Prince and The Revolution - Purple Rain
03 Metallica - Ride the Lightning
04 Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
05 Rush - Grace Under Pressure
06 Tommy Shaw - Girls with Guns
07 Triumph - Thunder Seven
08 U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
09 Queensryche - The Warning
10 XTC - The Big Express
11 Talk Talk - It's My Life
12 Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand the Weather
13 INXS - The Swing
14 The Cars - Heartbeat City
15 Roger Hodgson - In the Eye of the Storm
16 The Bangles - All over the Place

Plus, some of my favorite songs from this year are from albums I do not rate very high, like The Boys of Summer (Don Henley), Careless Whisper (Wham!), Run Runaway (Slade), Out of Touch (Hall & Oates), Hammer to Fall (Queen), Smuggler's Blues (Glenn Frey), Infatuation (Rod Stewart), Easy Lover (Phil Collins & Philip Bailey) and Two Sides of Love (Sammy Hagar).

[ReaperKK]

So many great albums listed for '84 that I need to check out, my very thin list:

1984:

1. Stevie Ray Vaughn And Double Trouble - Couldn't Stand The Weather - 4/5
2. Queen - The Works - 2.5/5
3. Rush - Grace Under Pressure - 2/5

[Volante99]

It’s 1984; how about a lil hair metal love
(probably the two best examples of the genre)
Ratt - Out of the Cellar
Dokken - Tooth and Nail

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade (gotta give a shout-out to my hometown heroes- talk about a band 10 years ahead of their time! Rumor has it even the Mighty Hetfield took notice and became a fan around this period)

Oh yeah, also…
Prince - Purple f-ing Rain
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Van Halen - 1984
Rush - Grace Under Pressure
Miami Vice Season 1   

Seriously- does it get any better than 1984?
(No…no it does not)

[Zoom E]

1984

Queensryche - The Warning
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Scorpions - Love at First Sting
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
Kick Axe - Vices
Accept - Balls to the Walls
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Manowar - Sign of the Hammer
Marillion - Fugazi
Van Halen - 1984
Rush - Grace Under Pressure
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
Saxon - Crusader
Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
W.A.S.P. - W.A.S.P.
Manowar - Hail to England
Triumph - Thunder Seven
Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
Sortilege - Metamorphose
Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown
Armored Saint - March of the Saint

[WildRanger]

Top 10 from 1983:

1. Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind
2. Dio - Holy Diver
3. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood
4. REM - Murmur
5. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
6. Thin Lizzy - Thunder and Lightning
7. Accept - Balls to the Wall
8. Motörhead - Another Perfect Day
9. The Police - Synchronicity
10. Metallica - Kill 'em All

[WildRanger]

Top 10 from 1984:

1. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
2. Prince - Purple Rain
3. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
4. Husker Du - Zen Arcade
5. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand the Weather
6. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
7. Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
8. Whitesnake - Slide It In
9. Rush - Grace Under Pressure
10. Queensryche - The Warning

Honorable mentions: Dio - The Last in Line
WASP - WASP
Trouble - Psalm 9
Saint Vitus - Saint Vitus