Yikes, like the 1979 list, it doesn't include a ton of classics or all-time favorites for me. And like 1979 with In Through the Out Door, I look at the Rush album on par with most of their catalog. But it's not like Moving Pictures is a go-to album really for them, for me, over many others.
But comparing it to the rest of the releases of 1981, it kind of is.
I do enjoy Ghost in the Machine quite a bit too, but #2 for the year? dunno about that.
I guess I'm learning with many years, especially from the period of time, my taste and knowledge is only so deep. And it's mostly artists I know/like releasing albums that are okay to good, but hardly even in the upper half of their catalog.
Which it sort of hit me that my love and depth of interest in the last 15 or 20 years even is justified at least to the point there was MORE music made, per more quality. Now, that argument doesn't correlate fully with many of those years in the 70's, but alas, that's when a lot of the best stuff in my taste was 1st made, so go figure.
At the same time, of course there are many albums I only vaguely know on this Calendar list, and also many I don't know but may discover down the road.
But at least in 1981 it was the year Rush kind of broke through commercially and it actually is the #1 ranked album on rym's chart, which is rare for My Own List and their chart for any of these years (maybe I'll do a tally once I finish this whole project).
1. Rush - Moving Pictures
2. The Police - Ghost in the Machine
3. Al Di Meola John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia - Friday Night in San Francisco
4. Rush - Exit...Stage Left
5. Fuse One - Fuse One
6. King Crimson - Discipline
7. Van Halen - Fair Warning
8. Robert Fripp and the League of Gentleman - The League of Gentleman
9. Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
10. Iron Maiden - Killers
11. Journey - Escape
12. Prince - Controversy
13. Hall and Oates - Private Eyes
14. Phil Collins - Face Value
15. Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
16. Genesis - Abacab
17. The Dregs - Unsung Heroes
18. Duran Duran - Duran Duran
19. Bob and Doug McKenzie - The Great White North
20. Renaissance - Camera Camera
Iron Maiden - Killers
rel February 2, 1981
Rush - Moving Pictures
rel February 12, 1981
Phil Collins - Face Value
rel February 13, 1981
Rick Springfield - Working Class Dog
rel February 24, 1981
Jack Bruce Bill Lordan and Robin Trower - B.L.T.
rel February 1981
Robert Fripp and the League of Gentleman - The League of Gentleman
rel February 1981
Spandau Ballet - Journeys to Glory
rel March 6, 1981
Gang of Four - Solid Gold
rel March 9, 1981
Roger Taylor - Fun in Space
rel April 6, 1981
Billy Squier - Don't Say No
rel April 13, 1981
Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays - As Falls Wichita, so Falls Wichita Falls
rel April 27, 1981
Van Halen - Fair Warning
rel April 29, 1981
Nick Mason - Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports
rel May 3, 1981
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
rel May 11, 1981
The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
rel May 15, 1981
Squeeze - East Side Story
rel May 15, 1981
Robyn Hitchcock - Black Snake Diamond Role
rel May 1981
Duran Duran - Duran Duran
rel June 8, 1981
Oingo Boingo - Only a Lad
rel June 19, 1981
Motorhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
rel June 27, 1981
Red Rider - As Far as Siam
rel June 30, 1981
ELO - Time
rel July 2, 1981
Foreign - 4
rel July 2, 1981
The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat
rel July 7, 1981
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
rel July 27, 1981
Journey - Escape
rel July 31, 1981
Jon and Vangelis - The Friends of Mr.Cairo
rel July 1981
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
rel July 1981
Chick Corea - Three Quartets
rel July 1981
Jaco Pastorius - Word of Mouth
rel July 1981
Artie Fart - The Wonderful Smell of Artie Fart
rel August 2, 1981
Friday Night in San Francisco
rel August 10, 1981
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
rel August 28, 1981
Hall and Oates - Private Eyes
rel September 1, 1981
Genesis - Abacab
rel September 18, 1981
King Crimson - Discipline
rel September 22, 1981
Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is
rel September 23, 1981
Saga - Worlds Apart
rel September 1981
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
rel October 2, 1981
U2 - October
rel October 12, 1981
Prince - Controversy
rel October 14, 1981
Rush - Exit...Stage Left
rel October 29, 1981
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
rel November 4, 1981
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman
rel November 7, 1981
Men at Work - Business as Usual
rel November 9, 1981
The Buggles - Adventures in Modern Recording
rel November 11, 1981
Japan - Tin Drum
rel November 13, 1981
Neal Schon and Jan Hammer - Untold Passion
rel November 1981
Venom - Welcome to Hell
rel December 1981
Cardiacs - Toy World
rel 1981
Billy Cobham - Stratus
rel 1981
The Dregs - Unsung Heroes
rel 1981
Fuse One - Fuse One
rel 1981
Kenso - Kenso
rel 1981
Bob and Doug McKenzie - The Great White North
rel 1981
Renaissance - Camera Camera
rel 1981
Serú Girán - Peperina
rel 1981