These are my twenty most recommended albums of 1980 (in no specific order).

1980 was a great year- a year dominated by great heavy metal bands- especially the New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead & Diamond Head.  Punk music morphed into the more eclectic radio-ready New Wave & Post-punk which would help set the tone for the alternative music movement of the late 80’s-early 90’s.

U2 & The Pretenders released their first full length albums- both New Wave/Post-Punk masterpieces. Xdefined L.A. Hardcore with their brilliant debut “Los Angeles”.  Rap music was still bubbling underground while black music was dominated by the Funk by groups like the Gap Band & The Brothers Johnson.  Prince released his first fully great album with “Dirty Mind” which combined Funk with New Wave and would set the course for his many great albums to come later in the decade.  The Talking Heads released perhaps their best album and Joy Division sadly their last before becoming the more Techno group New Order after the very unfortunate suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis.

In my opinion an amazing year and one of the best, if not THE best, music years of the 80’s.

AC/DC/Back in Black

Buy Amazon Back in Black

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band/the River

Buy Buy AmazonThe River

David Bowie/Scary Monsters

Buy Buy Amazon Scary Monsters

Dexys Midnight Runners/Searching for the Young Soul Rebels

Buy Buy Amazon Searching for the Young Soul Rebels

Elvis Costello & the Attractions/Get Happy!!

Buy Buy Amazon Get Happy!!

Iron Maiden/Iron Maiden

Buy  

Joy Division/Closer

Buy    Buy Amazon Closer

Motorhead/Ace of Spades

Buy  Buy Amazon Ace of Spades

Prince/Dirty Mind

Buy   Buy Amazon Dirty Mind

The Talking Heads/Remain in Light

Buy  Buy Amazon Remain in Light

The English Beat/I Just Can’t Stop It

Buy   Buy Amazon I Just Can’t Stop It

The Feelies/Crazy Rhythms

Buy   Buy Amazon Crazy Rhythms

The Jam/Sound Affects

Buy  Buy Amazon Sound Affects

The Police/Zenyatta Mondatta

Buy  Buy Amazon Zenyatta Mondatta [Digipak]

The Pretenders/The Pretenders

Buy   Buy Amazon Pretenders

The Raincoats/The Raincoats

Buy Amazon The Raincoats

The Soft Boys/Underwater Moonlight

Buy Amazon Underwater Moonlight . . . And How It Got There

U2/Boy

Buy   Buy Amazon Boy

Young Marble Giants/Colossal Youth

Buy   Buy Amazon Colossal Youth

X/Los Angeles

Buy  Buy Amazon Los Angeles