I despised 80's/90's pop/"modern rock"at the time, but Sinead's debut "The Lion and the Cobra" is now equally listenabale.
Her LP's are now found in the 3 for $10 bins in great condition.
Add any of the 4 Smith's.
Stray Cats debut.
Pop album that has stood the test of time
I found a used CD copy of Sinead O’Conner’s “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” in Easy Street Records and snatched it up. I remember liking it in the 90s when it came out and may have a lousy cassette copy somewhere, but I had not seriously listened to it with the better systems I have now. Listening now, I am impressed by the material, the performance, and the recording quality, and it occurs to me that as an overall concept, it could have come out in 2024 and still sound poignant. There are a few rock hangovers from the 80s, but even those are well delivered.
I am wondering what pop albums you have that you think have aged well in terms of material, performance and production.
kn
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@slaw I was just getting ready to mention Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing. I've been playing it all morning. |
"Held up well" is of course very subjective, but I was blown away ~15 years ago when I bought an OG vinyl copy of A-Ha’s "Hunting High and Low" JUST for the huge hit "Take on Me". That’s the only song I knew, at that time - but the whole album, from start to finish, is incredibly emotional and powerful. Beautifully done. One of my top favorites to this day. Also check out their "Unplugged - Summer Solstice" LP; it’s amazing. It has a stunning rendition of "The Sun Always Shines on TV" from that OG album - among other stunning tracks. Almost every time I’ve demoed that Unplugged for a local audiophile, they’ve gone out and bought a copy. Also agree The Smiths material has held up well - timeless alt rock / indie. |
@slaw thats funny cause the first name that popped into my head was Suzanne Vega. I got on a kick a while ago listening to several of her early albums. Very good. |
Here's a few from 80s/90s everyone should have. |
Great topic and way too many to name for me. But here are the ones that I have that come to mind: The Smiths - (any of them) but The Queen is Dead Pet Shop Boys - Please New Order - Technique Madonna - Erotica FGTH - Welcome to the Pleasuredome Yaz - Upstairs at Erics Brian Ferry - Boys and Girls ABC - The Lexicon of Love Grace Jones - Nightclubbing I could go on and on. |
+ 1 @tooblue - big EC fan... love Joe Jackson, Talk Talk, XTC, The Cure so much great 80s music. Wasn't all Madonna & Duran Duran. I found Alt County at this time too, Lone Justice, The Jayhawks, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, etc. Really a ton of great music in the 80s lots of genres that got started in the 70s flourished (Rap & Hip Hop, New Jack) and got deep traction in the 80s |
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Richard Barone - "Cool Blue Halo" Billy Bragg - "Workers Playtime" Lloyd Cole & Commotions - "Rattlesnakes" Concrete Blonde - "Concrete Blonde" Elvis Costello - "Get Happy" Go - Betweens - "16 Lovers Lane" Hoodoo Gurus - "Stoneage Romeos" House of Freaks - "Tantilla" Housemartins - "London 0, Hull 4" Hunters & Collectors - "Human Frailty" Joe Jackson - "Beat Crazy" Robin Lane & Chartbusters - "Imitation Life" Prefab Sprout - "Steve McQueen" (AKA - Two Wheels Good) I'm not sure how you can pick just one Smiths album; so, I didn't. |
I'd add the following LPS as well: New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies, Technique, Brotherhood Echoes and the Bunnymen - self titled, Porcupine The The's - Mind Bomb and Dusk Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour, Please, The Cars - Heartbreak City Blondie - Autoamerican The Clash - Combat Rock Depeche Mode - Black Celebration and Music for the Masses The Cure - Disintegration, Seventeen Seconds |
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@slaw + 1 |
I’m inspired now...a few Timbuk 3 "Eden Alley" Paula Cole "This Fire" Shawn Colvin "Steady On" Neko Case "Middle Cyclone" Toad the Wet Sprocket "Dulcinea" Tanita Tikaram "Closer to the People" Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians "Shooting Rubber bands @ the Stars" Fountains of Wayne "Welcome Interstate Managers" Joan Osborne "Relish" |
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Many of those old, especially pre-digital, albums are infinitely better recorded than what is usually available today, and this trend goes back into the 50's, as most of you would know from the latest high-priced re-releases. Don't, however, forgo original pressings, usually well-graded and much less expensive, available on Discogs and other sources. You need a vinyl cleaning machine anyway, should you not have one. That's for those who know what they want. If you don't, used record sales are lots of fun! |
Has to have three properties. So, my number one choice: A few others not far behind: Ralph Mctell "Streets" Played on a fine music system of course.
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Love Easy Street! Spend most of my disposable income there. Not sure Sinead O'Conner is pop? How do we even design pop anymore? Pop to me is Britney Spears, that kind of stuff. Yes, Sinead has held up, anything my 14yo listens to has stood the test of time. Cranberries, kids love them and so do I! New Order Depeche Mode took my kid to the concert last year Cure, same as above, great show! The Smiths just timeless, as long as there is teen angst, they will sell records Trying to get my kid to like Hendricks, Zeppelin, Doors and some other classics that my Dad taught me to love as a kid.
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