The Year 1985 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1985: the Mid 1980's, and the age of Pop/Synth-Pop/Pop-Rock/New Romantic/New Wave among other styles.

Thrash Metal, Blue Eyed Soul, supergroups and songs getting played on MTV of course.

1985, while probably not the best year of the 1980's, still has a lot of depth. The 80's hits were possibly around if not at their peak. My wife may look at the artists from this year that were big as 1 of her favorites. Prince, Robert Palmer, Power Station, Whitney Houston, Sade, Laura Branigan, Corey Hart, Sheila E, Sheena Easton.

As for my favorites, Misplaced Childhood was the 1st Marillion album I ever heard and while maybe among their perfect albums, I put it 3rd or 4th, it still is a lifer record for me. Power Windows, while not my favorite Synth-era Rush album, still holds up and has a bunch great deeper tracks (Middletown Dreams). I will say, a few years back, I found in revisiting it, the synths to be a little dated at points, to the point I probably prefer some of the other synth/80's Rush more for that reason (Hold Your Fire namely, which I at 1 time saw as slightly worse, but now feel the opposite).

And of course Rush and Marillion toured the US right around this time, in 1986? Had I known them and been into the music I am now, back then as a 8-9 y/o, I likely would have ranked them 1 and 2 then like now.

The 1st proggy Fates Warning album The Spectre Within, and 1 that gets overshadowed by the album that followed.

Songs from the Big Chair from Tears for Fears certainly holds up and compares very favorably to many of the best albums of the 1980's, especially in Pop/Pop-Rock and music that was mainstream enough.

1. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
2. Rush - Power Windows
3, Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
4. Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
5. Various Artists - Back to the Future Soundtrack
6. The Dukes of Stratosphear - 25 O'Clock
7. Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles
8. Prince - Around the World in a Day
9. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
10. Annie Haslam - Still Life
11. a-ha - Hunting High and Low
12. INXS - Listen Like Thieves
13. Blue Canoe - Blue Canoe
14. Mike + the Mechanics - Mike + the Mechanics
15. Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
16. "Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare to Be Stupid
17. Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
18. Peter Gabriel - Birdy
19, The Power Station - The Power Station
20. Savatage - Power of the Night
21. Heart - Heart
22. Phil Collins - No Jacket Required




Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
rel January 25, 1985


Watchtower - Energetic Disassembly
rel February 2, 1985


Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston
rel February 14, 1985


Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
rel February 25, 1985


Roy Harper and Jimmy Page - Whatever Happened to Jugula?
rel March 4, 1985


Alexander O'Neal - Alexander O'Neal
rel March 8, 1985


Peter Gabriel - Birdy
rel March 18, 1985


The Power Station - The Power Station
rel March 25, 1985


Paul Young - The Secret of Association
rel March 25, 1985


Katrina and the Waves - Katrina and the Waves
rel March 1985


The Dukes of Stratosphear - 25 O'Clock
rel April 1, 1985


Prince - Around the World in a Day
rel April 22, 1985


Freddie Mercury - Mr. Bad Guy
rel April 29, 1985


Richard Thompson - Across a Crowded Room
rel April 1985


Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
rel May 13, 1985


Savatage - Power of the Night
rel May 20, 1985


a-ha - Hunting High and Low
rel June 1, 1985


Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles
rel June 1, 1985


Talking Heads - Little Creatures
rel June 10, 1985


Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
rel June 12, 1985


Corey Hart - Boy in the Box
rel June 14, 1985


Jerry Goodman - On the Future of Aviation
rel June 16, 1985


Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
rel June 17, 1985


"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare to Be Stupid
rel June 18, 1985


Heart - Heart
rel July 6, 1985


Various Artists - Back to the Future Soundtrack
rel July 8, 1985


Laura Branigan - Hold Me
rel July 15, 1985


Miami Sound Machine - Primitive Love
rel August 13, 1985


The Family - The Family
rel August 19, 1985


Sheila E - Romance 1600
rel August 26, 1985


Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
rel September 16, 1985


Jane Siberry - The Speckless Sky
rel September 24, 1985


Hall and Oates - Live at the Apollo (with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick)
rel September 30, 1985


Mike + the Mechanics - Mike + the Mechanics
rel October 5, 1985


INXS - Listen Like Thieves
rel October 14, 1985


Iron Maiden - Live After Death
rel October 14, 1985


Rush - Power Windows
rel October 15, 1985


Simple Minds - Once Upon a Time
rel October 21, 1985


Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
rel October 28, 1985


Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
rel October 1985


Sade - Promise
rel November 4, 1985


Hawkwind - The Chronicle of the Black Sword
rel November 11, 1985


Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal
rel November 25, 1985


Mr, Mister - Welcome to the Real World
rel November 27, 1985


Sheena Easton - Do You
rel November 1985


Robert Palmer - Riptide
rel November 1985


Blue Canoe - Blue Canoe
rel 1985


Boiled in Lead - Boiled in Lead
rel 1985


Jerry Goodman - On the Future of Aviation
rel 1985


Annie Haslam - Still Life
rel 1985


Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue
rel 1985


Stanley Jordan - Magic Touch
rel 1985


Pat Metheny - The Falcon and the Snowman
rel 1985


Oregon - Crossing
rel 1985


Ozric Tentacles - Erpsongs
rel 1985