Album of The Year - Endgame

Raffi's "Baby Beluga" came out in 1980. I'm surprised I haven't seen it in more lists.

Redoing my list and checked my Discogs for records this time.
  1. Ultravox - Vienna
  2. Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
  3. The Sound - Jeopardy
  4. Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark - Organisation
  5. Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow
  6. Devo - Freedom of Choice
  7. Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette
  8. The Pretenders - The Pretenders
  9. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
  10. Visage - Visage
 
I posted a version of this in the dying hours of the forum that shall not be named but I'm sure this order is slightly different. Anyway, 1980 was truly a golden year for west African music, especially from Senegal. The Baobab record is in my all-time top 10 with an incredibly haunting title track. Les Volcans and Gnonnas Pedro are just fantastic from Benin, and I have so many albums from Franco - Congolese music at its best. (Links to each album included)

1. Orchestre Baobab - Mohamadou Bamba
2. Etoile de Dakar - Tolou Badou N'Diaye
3. Orchestre Les Volcans du Benin - Vol 1
4. Number One Du Senegal - Jiko-Nafissatu Njaay
5. Pat Thomas - 1980
6. Gnonnas Pedro - Kalapchap
7. Eskill & Vicky - 152kg de Voix
8. Franco - On Entre OK, On Sort KO (link isn't to the album but a great compilation)
9. Balla et Ses Balladins - Objectif Perfection
10. Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers - Music of Many Colours
Thanks for posting these. I'd heard of Orchestra Baobab from the Day of the Dead compilation but had never listened more. Most of the way done this first album now and I'm really liking it. Will check out the others, too.
 
1. Prince - Dirty Mind
2. Steely Dan - Gaucho
3. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
4. George Benson - Give me the Night
5. Bruce Springsteen - The River
6. Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette
7. Peter Gabriel - Melt/3/st
8. Black Uhuru - Sensimillia
9. Genesis - Duke
10. Blondie - Autoamerican
 
I posted a version of this in the dying hours of the forum that shall not be named but I'm sure this order is slightly different. Anyway, 1980 was truly a golden year for west African music, especially from Senegal. The Baobab record is in my all-time top 10 with an incredibly haunting title track. Les Volcans and Gnonnas Pedro are just fantastic from Benin, and I have so many albums from Franco - Congolese music at its best. (Links to each album included)

1. Orchestre Baobab - Mohamadou Bamba
2. Etoile de Dakar - Tolou Badou N'Diaye
3. Orchestre Les Volcans du Benin - Vol 1
4. Number One Du Senegal - Jiko-Nafissatu Njaay
5. Pat Thomas - 1980
6. Gnonnas Pedro - Kalapchap
7. Eskill & Vicky - 152kg de Voix
8. Franco - On Entre OK, On Sort KO (link isn't to the album but a great compilation)
9. Balla et Ses Balladins - Objectif Perfection
10. Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers - Music of Many Colours
Oh man @Poly-Rythmo this is super! Thanks for taking the time to add the links!
 
I always feel that London Calling should be included in any list of top LPs from the 80s. The fact that it was released in Dec 1979 always seems like a technicality that I'm willing to overlook.

technicalities are there for a reason and must NEVER be overlooked! as such...

1: joy division - closer
2: talking heads - remain in light
3: bruce springsteen - the river
4: the clash - sandinista
5: young marble giants - colossal youth
 
Here's another list from the boy who makes lists with questionable choices!

1. Kate Bush - Never For Ever
2. Peter Gabriel - III
3. Abba - Super Trouper
4. Queen - The Game
5. Tom Waits - Heartattack and Vine
6. Yoko Ono & Her Husband - Double Fantasy
7. Bruce Springsteen - The River
8. Olivia Newton John - Xanadu (I think it's a soundtrack but anyway)
9. U2 - Boy
10. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (I really don't care, I needed one more to complete the top ten)
 
Thanks for posting these. I'd heard of Orchestra Baobab from the Day of the Dead compilation but had never listened more. Most of the way done this first album now and I'm really liking it. Will check out the others, too.
They're a bit all over the place on Spotify. Haven't checked it out but expect most of the OGs I have are in the Belle Epoque compilations. Pirates Choice is great too (from 82). They are an incredible band and still touring. Saw them a few weeks ago in Oslo and they've still got it
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I feel like I could hit random on the top half and bottom half and still be good with the order on different days but here goes:

1. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
2. Elvis Costello - Get Happy!!
3. Joy Division - Closer
4. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
5. The Sound - Jeopardy
6. The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
7. Steve Reich - Octet/Music for a Large Ensemble/Violin Phase
8. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
9. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
10. Killing Joke - Killing Joke

Honorable mentions: Wipers - Is This Real?, X - Los Angeles, Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth, Fall - Grotesque (After the Gramme), Tom Waits - Heartattack and Vine

For some reason I never pick The River when I think of Springsteen. I probably under-rate it in my memory.

If the Misfits - Beware EP/Comp counted, it would definitely be up there.

Also, even though the albums as a whole drag and/or grate on me, The Cramps - T.V. Set and Dead Kennedys - California Uber Alles/Holiday in Cambodia are some of the best individual tracks.

Sorry, too much extra rambling. I need to get the albums of these that I'm missing.
 
The N+G Top 20 Albums of 1980

  1. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
  2. Joy Division - Closer
  3. Bruce Springsteen - The River
  4. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (III)
  5. Kate Bush - Never for Ever
  6. X - Los Angeles
  7. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (tie 7)
  8. Prince - Dirty Mind(tie 7)
  9. AC/DC – Back in Black (tie 7)
  10. David Bowie - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
  11. The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
  12. Tom Waits - Heartattack & Vine
  13. U2 - Boy
  14. The Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (tie 14)
  15. The Sound - Jeopardy (tie 14)
  16. The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
  17. The Clash - Sandinista!
  18. Queen - The Game
  19. Steely Dan – Gaucho
  20. Brian Eno - Ambient 2: The Plateaux Of Mirror
 
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Let's get it!

1995:
1. The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
2. AFI - Answer That And Stay Fashionable
3. Van Halen - Balance
4. Silverchair - Frogstomp
5. Seven Mary Three - American Standard
6. Green Day - Insomniac
7. DC Talk - Jesus Freak
8. Elastica - Elastica
9. Garbage - Garbage
10. Rammstein - Herzeleid
 
1995 Top 10

1-Pulp - Different Class
2-Björk - Post
3-Tricky - Maxinquaye
4-Blur - The Great Escape
5-GZA - Liquid Swords
6-Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
7-Cibo Matto - Viva La Woman!
8-Elastica - S/T
9-Oasis - What’s The Story Morning Glory?
10-Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes

HM:
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban...
Elliott Smith - S/T
Radiohead - The Bends
The Boo Radleys - Wake Up!
Bomb The Bass - Clear
 
Incredible year for me. My top 10 are all-time classics.

1. Pulp - Different Class
2. Radiohead - The Bends
3. Oasis - (What's the Story) Morning Glory
4. Teenage Fanclub - Grand Prix
5. Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut
6. Scott Walker - Tilt
7. Elastica - S/T
8. Bjork - Post
9. Supergrass - I Should Coco
10.The Verve - A Northern Soul

Honorables:
Blur - The Great Escape
Black Grape - It's Great When You're Straight...Yeah
Genius/GZA-Liquid Swords
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness
 
1. Ulver- Bergtatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler
2. Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
3. David Bowie - Outside
4. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
5. Scott Walker - Tilt
6. Bjork - Post
7. Eightball & MJG - On Top Of The World
8. KRS-One - KRS One
9. MonumentuM - In Absentia Christi
10. GZA - Liquid Swords

Honorable mentions go to

Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane
Goodie Mob - Soul Food
Swans - The Great Annihilator
Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez
At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul
AZ - Doe Or Die

Fuck that was a good year for music! Not a whole ton of definitive best albums of all time or anything, but a wide array of really great projects. I can't imagine this year having a super strong unanimously voted-upon album, which makes it a lot more interesting
 
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