Music: Best Albums of the Year Series: 1983

[Saturated Fats]

1965: The Beatles - Rubber Soul
1966: The Beatles - Revolver
1967: The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
1968: The Beatles - The White Album
1969: The Beatles - Abbey Road
1970: Black Sabbath - Paranoid
1971: Led Zeppelin - IV
1972: Neil Young - Harvest
1973: Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
1974: Supertramp - Crime of the Century
1975: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
1976: Eagles - Hotel California
1977: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
1978: (TIE) The Police - Outlandos d'Amour / The Cars - The Cars / Van Halen - Van Halen
1979: Pink Floyd - The Wall
1980: AC/DC - Back in Black
1981: Rush - Moving Pictures
1982: Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast
1984: Metallica - Ride the Lightning
1985: Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
1986: Metallica - Master of Puppets
1987: Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
1988: Metallica - ...And Justice for All
1989: Pixies - Doolittle
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
1992: Alice in Chains - Dirt
1993: Nirvana - In Utero
1995: Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
1996: (TIE) Soundgarden - Down on the Upside // Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
1997: (TIE) Radiohead - OK Computer // Foo Fighters - The Color and the Shape
1998: (TIE) Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill // System of a Down - System of a Down
1999: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
2000: Radiohead - Kid A
2001: The Strokes - Is This It
2002: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
2004: (TIE) Madvillain - Madvillainy // The Killers - Hot Fuss // Green Day - American Idiot
2005: Coldplay - X & Y
2006: Tool - 10,000 Days
2007: Radiohead - In Rainbows
2009: Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
2010: The National - High Violet
2011: No definitive winner
2012: (TIE) Kendrick Lamar - good kidd, M.A.A.D. city // Deftones - koi no yokan
2014: Behemoth - The Satanist
2015: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

2003: The White Stripes - Elephant (11 votes)

A thoroughly deserving winner, and a modern rock classic. Perhaps that term is oxymoronic these days, but if any band can and has achieved it with their canon, it's Jack and Meg. I put Elephant as my #2 of their work, behind De Stijl.

1983 is a weird year, and I'm hesitant to catalogue as strong or poor. On one hand, there are some albums I love - on the other hand, I didn't get a lot of depth for polling options. Some monster bands with albums that are generally considered middling in their discographies.

The remaining years, in order:
1990
2008
2013
1994
2016 - Now
1900 - 1964

Click to read more...

 

[Chili]

Some great music...

Synchronicity
Let's Dance
War
Rebel Yell
Touch

Added:

Big Country-The Crossing
Yes-90125
Lionel Ritchie-Can't Slow Down
The Fixx-Reach The Beach
Robert Plant-The Principle of Moments
Eurthymics-Sweet Dreams
Huey Lewis & The News-Sports
Red Rider-Neruda
Re-Flex-The Politics of Dancing

 

[Langdon Alger]

Just a question about years where there were ties. Any chance you’ll go back and do a poll with the ones that were tied as the options to try and determine a winner?

 

[Mescaleroman]

Big Country - The Crossing
Aztec Camera - High Land , Hard Rain

Echo & The Bunnymen - Porcupine
Billy Bragg - Life's a Riot With Spy vs Spy
the the - Soul Mining

Tears For Fears - The Hurting
the Style Council - Introducing the Style Council
China Crisis - Playing With Fire & Steel
Heaven 17 - The Luxury Gap
Fun Boy Three - Waiting

HM's
Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1
New Order - Power , Corruption & Lies
the Stranglers - Feline
Spandau Ballet - True
the Lords of the New Church - Is Nothing Sacred

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

 

[Cas]

On the ballot, I voted for Bark at the Moon, Holy Diver, Kill 'Em All, Piece of Mind, and Show No Mercy. That's a pretty massive haul right there, but then we also have:

Hellhammer - Satanic Rites demo
Jag Panzer - Jag Panzer EP (later re-released as Tyrants with an additional song, which is the version I have)
Manilla Road - Crystal Logic
Mercyful Fate - Melissa
Queensryche - Queensryche EP
Satan - Court in the Act
Sortilège - Sortilège EP
Witchfinder General - Friends of Hell

Three EPs and a demo might be stretching things a bit. This is on top of a bunch of stuff I know of but haven't really given their due (220 Volt, Raven, Saxon, Accept, Riot, Exciter, Tank, Savatage, Virgin Steel, Thin Lizzy) and a couple decent releases by older bands (Black Sabbath's Born Again with Ian Gillan, which isn't terrible but is definitely subpar, and Motorhead's Another Perfect Day), plus some of the metal/glam bands (Quiet Riot, Motley Crue, Def Leppard). It's a big year if you like guitars.

I really want to vote for Crystal Logic or Melissa, but both are dragged down a bit by one song ("Feeling Free Again" and "Satan's Fall", respectively). I know Kill 'Em All and Show No Mercy will have supporters, as debut albums of huge bands. But I'm going to vote for the huge, consistent quality of Holy Diver. If the guitars had been mixed at a normal volume, this wouldn't even be a question.

If this were a ranked choice ballot, I'd vote:

1. Holy Diver
2. Crystal Logic
3. Show No Mercy
4. Melissa
5. Kill 'Em All
6. Piece of Mind
7. Queensryche
8. Court in the Act

Also, never forget:

Spoiler: They want you to forget this:

 

[Ceremony]

The single best drumming performance you will ever see:

 

[plank]

1. s/t - Violent Femmes
2. Murmur - R.E.M.
3. Uh-huh - John Mellencamp
4. Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
5. Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue
6. Pyromania - Def Leppard
7. Eliminator - ZZ Top
8. War - U2
9. Cuts Like a Knife - Bryan Adams
10. White Shoes - Emmylou Harris
11. The Wild Heart - Stevie Nicks
12. Lawyers in Love - Jackson Browne

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

1. John Zorn – Locus Solus
2. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
3. Borbetomagus – Barbed Wire Maggots
4. Joe McPhee Po Music – Oleo
5. Renaud – Morgane de toi (some of the music is a little weaker, but Renaud manages to be hilarious, touching, smart and relevant like nobody did before or since, especially in this and the following album)
6. Plume Latraverse – Autopsie Canalisée
7. Anthony Davis – Variations in Dream-Time
8. :zoviet*france: – Mohnomishe / :zoviet*france: – Norsch
9. Danielle Dax – Pop-Eyes
10. Lol Coxhill & Fred Frith – French Gigs
11. Swans – Filth
12. John Zorn, Derek Bailey, & George Lewis – Yankees
13. Virginia Astley – From Gardens Where We Feel Secure (another type of ambient music, really different from what I normally listen to, supposed to be soothing, but damn me some of it is a lot more unnerving than the darkest stuff out there – the title track and A Summer Long Since Passed feel like they're straight out of a horror film)
14. Fred Frith - Cheap at Half the Price
15. Einstürzende Neubauten – Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T. (really amazing stuff in here, probably my favorite by Neubauten – crap vocals come ruin it a few times, but it's more often good than not)

HMs:
Philip Glass – The Photographer / Philip Glass – Kooyanisqatsi
René Lussier – Fin du travail (first album by one of the greatest guitarists of all time)
Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies
The Golden Palominos – The Golden Palominos (a little uneven, but when it's good, it's amazing – quite a lineup too, with Laswell and Zorn amongst others)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) / Eurythmics – Touch
Henry Kaiser & Fred Frith – Who Needs Enemies?
Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno Apollo – Atmospheres & Soundtracks

Curiosities:
Alice Cooper – Dada (Alice doesn't remember recording this album and has never played its songs in his shows – it has its moments, but it's overall very bad – I Love America is still a fun little piece of irony)
Rip Rig + Panic – Attitude
Bill Laswell – Baselines (first solo album by one the greatest bass players of all time)
Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album (I love Daniel Johnston but this one, even though with flashes of genius here and there, is not something I go back to – it's still a necessary listen if you're a fan)
Herbie Hancock – Future Shock (this is really bad, and I think mostly forgotten, but it had some kind of impact)
Holger Hiller – Ein Bündel Fäulnis in der Grube (I think I should like this, but it just doesn't stick with me)
Daniel Ponce – New York Now
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Dazzle Ships
Ensemble Pittoresque – For This Is Past

If you weren't around in the 80s, do you really know this stuff? It was huge when it came out...




edit: can't believe I missed Suicidal Tendencies...

 

[Cas]

If you weren't around in the 80s, do you really know this stuff? It was huge when it came out...

Thank you for providing fuel for my nightmares.

 

[Oxbow Lakes]

REM - Murmur
The Fall - Perverted by Language
Wipers - Over the Edge
U2 - War
The Replacements - Hootenanny

 

[Sleemans]

The Police - Synchronicity
U2 - War
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
R.E.M. - Murmur

 

[frisco]

Other than War, Shout At The Devil, Pyromania, Murmur:
10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1-Midnight Oil
Another Page-Christopher Cross
Frontiers-Journey
Kilroy Was Here-Styx
Branigan 2-Laura Branigan
Living In Oz-Rick Springfield
The Wild Heart-Stevie Nicks
Staying Alive-Soundtrack (Bee Gees)
Johnny 99-Johnny Cash
Lawyers In Love-Jackson Browne
Little Robbers-The Motels

My Best-Carey

 

[kihei]

U2: War/Under a Blood Red Sky
REM: Murmur
Robert Plant: The Principle of Moments
The Police: Synchronicity
David Bowie: Let's Dance
Eurythmics: Touch/Sweet Dreams
The The: Soul Mining
UB40: Labour of Love
The Rolling Stones: Undercover
New Order: Power, Corruption and Lies

Very good year.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The single best drumming performance you will ever see:

Stephen Morris is and has always been the greatest thing about JD/NO. Yes, including Ian Curtis.

 

[Saturated Fats]

Stephen Morris is and has always been the greatest thing about JD/NO. Yes, including Ian Curtis.

Sumner, Hook, and Morris carried both bands. I appreciate what Ian Curtis did, but he was the weak link in JD. Hook and Morris are gods at their craft.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

From the list:
Billy Idol: Rebel Yell
Tom Waites: Swordfish Trombone
Bowie: Let’s Dance
Police: Synchronicity

Other:
Jackson Brown: Lawyers in Love
Big Country: The Crossing
Journey: Frontiers
Eurythmics: Sweet Dreams
Eliminator: ZZ Top
Cyndi Lauper: She’s so Unusual

 

[Eisen]

Manowar -Into Glory Ride

 

[Eisen]

1. John Zorn – Locus Solus
2. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
3. Borbetomagus – Barbed Wire Maggots
4. Joe McPhee Po Music – Oleo
5. Renaud – Morgane de toi (some of the music is a little weaker, but Renaud manages to be hilarious, touching, smart and relevant like nobody did before or since, especially in this and the following album)
6. Plume Latraverse – Autopsie Canalisée
7. Anthony Davis – Variations in Dream-Time
8. :zoviet*france: – Mohnomishe / :zoviet*france: – Norsch
9. Danielle Dax – Pop-Eyes
10. Lol Coxhill & Fred Frith – French Gigs
11. Swans – Filth
12. John Zorn, Derek Bailey, & George Lewis – Yankees
13. Virginia Astley – From Gardens Where We Feel Secure (another type of ambient music, really different from what I normally listen to, supposed to be soothing, but damn me some of it is a lot more unnerving than the darkest stuff out there – the title track and A Summer Long Since Passed feel like they're straight out of a horror film)
14. Fred Frith - Cheap at Half the Price
15. Einstürzende Neubauten – Zeichnungen des Patienten O.T. (really amazing stuff in here, probably my favorite by Neubauten – crap vocals come ruin it a few times, but it's more often good than not)

HMs:
Philip Glass – The Photographer / Philip Glass – Kooyanisqatsi
René Lussier – Fin du travail (first album by one of the greatest guitarists of all time)
Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies
The Golden Palominos – The Golden Palominos (a little uneven, but when it's good, it's amazing – quite a lineup too, with Laswell and Zorn amongst others)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) / Eurythmics – Touch
Henry Kaiser & Fred Frith – Who Needs Enemies?
Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno Apollo – Atmospheres & Soundtracks

Curiosities:
Alice Cooper – Dada (Alice doesn't remember recording this album and has never played its songs in his shows – it has its moments, but it's overall very bad – I Love America is still a fun little piece of irony)
Rip Rig + Panic – Attitude
Bill Laswell – Baselines (first solo album by one the greatest bass players of all time)
Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You: The Unfinished Album (I love Daniel Johnston but this one, even though with flashes of genius here and there, is not something I go back to – it's still a necessary listen if you're a fan)
Herbie Hancock – Future Shock (this is really bad, and I think mostly forgotten, but it had some kind of impact)
Holger Hiller – Ein Bündel Fäulnis in der Grube (I think I should like this, but it just doesn't stick with me)
Daniel Ponce – New York Now
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Dazzle Ships
Ensemble Pittoresque – For This Is Past

If you weren't around in the 80s, do you really know this stuff? It was huge when it came out...




edit: can't believe I missed Suicidal Tendencies...

Yeah, I remember that song. They played it up and down the playlists.

 

[Ceremony]

Sumner, Hook, and Morris carried both bands. I appreciate what Ian Curtis did, but he was the weak link in JD. Hook and Morris are gods at their craft.

Unfair on Gillian imo

 

[Babe Ruth]

A lot of good albums in '83..

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

REM - Murmur
The Fall - Perverted by Language
Wipers - Over the Edge
U2 - War
The Replacements - Hootenanny

 

[Teemu]

R.E.M. - Murmur
Minutemen - Buzz or Howl Under Influence of Heat
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues

 

[reckoning]

Murmur is my favorite album of all-time, although it didn't really click for me until maybe the 15th or 20th time I heard it. Over 35 years later, it still sounds fresh.


Top 5 Albums
1. Murmur - R.E.M.
2. War - U2
3. Synchroncity - Police
4. Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits
5. More Fun In The New World - X


Top 5 Songs
1. "Radio Free Europe" - R.E.M.
2. "Sunday Bloody Sunday " - U2
3. "China Girl " - David Bowie
4. "Love Is A Stranger" - Eurythmics
5. "Undercover Of The Night" - Rolling Stones

 

[Roo Returns]

Metallica is probably going to run away with this. They are my #2 favorite band ever but in terms of best album, did it have the biggest impact during 1983 or is it revisionist because they'd become the biggest band in their genre, one of the biggest bands of their generation, and of the biggest bands of all time?

Take that into consideration.