My next 1985 album is the self-titled release by hard rock band Heart, their eighth studio album and first to fully embrace a glam metal makeover well-suited to the MTV era.
The transition worked, giving the band their only #1 album and the best-selling record of their career. Four singles reached the top ten, including ‘These Dreams,’ the band’s first #1 hit. The album also earned the band their first Grammy nomination, for Best Rock Performance.
I knew this album’s singles quite well. ‘What About Love,’ ‘Never,’ ‘These Dreams,’ and ‘Nothin’ At All’ were staples on radio and MTV, and every one is an 80s classic. I remember crushing on Nancy Wilson, with her massive blonde hair and ample cleavage.
The rest of Heart is in the same vein as those hits, though less immediately catchy. Album opener ‘If Looks Could Kill’ kicks things off with a hard rock wallop from which the rest of the album diverges quickly. ‘Nobody Home’ is a lovely power ballad that’s one big chorus away from giving the band another top ten hit.
When I hear albums like this, I wish I was more into music in my early teens. I feel like I missed out on the album experience in those years, and if things were different I’m sure I’d have great nostalgic associations with a host of great records to this day.
Ooh, oh, yeah, yeah
Woah, woah, woah, woah
Woah, woah, woah, woah
[Verse 1]
Hey, baby, I’m talkin’ to you
Stop yourself and listen
Some things, you can never choose
Even if you try, yeah
You’re bangin’ your head again
‘Cause somebody won’t let you in
One chance, one love
Your chance to let me know
[Pre-Chorus]
We can’t go on just runnin’ away
If we stay any longer, we will surely never get away
Oh, oh, anything you want, we can make it happen
Stand up and turn around, never let them shoot us down
[Chorus]
Never
Never
Never
Never run away
[Verse 2]
Hey, baby, you know it’s true
Why you bother lyin’
When you know that, that you want it too?
Don’t you dare deny me
Now walk those legs right over here
Give me what I’m dying for
One chance, one love
Hold me down, never let me go
[Pre-Chorus]
We can’t go on just runnin’ away
If we wait any longer, we will surely never get away
Oh, oh, anything you want, we can make it happen
Stand up and turn around, never let them shoot us down
[Chorus]
Never (Oh)
Never (Oh, no)
Never
Never run away
Never (No, never)
Never
Never (No, no, no, no)
Never run away
[Verse 3]
Hey, baby, I’m talkin’ to you
Stop yourself and listen
Some things, you can never, never choose
Even if you try, yeah
You’re bangin’ your head again
‘Cause somebody won’t let you in
One chance, one love
Your chance to let me know
[Pre-Chorus]
We can’t go on just runnin’ away
If we stay any longer, we will surely never get away
[Chorus]
Oh, oh
Never
Oh, oh
Never
We can’t go on
Never
We can’t go on
Never
Oh, oh
Ne-ne-ne-never
Oh, oh
Never, never, never
We can’t go on, we can’t go on, we can’t go on
Never (Oh, baby)
We can’t go on, we can’t go on, we can’t go on
Never (Oh, baby)
Oh, oh
Ne-ne-never
Oh, oh
Never (Never, never, never)
Meet Me In Montauk 
I was a pretty big fan of the hits from this album, and my college band even covered “Never.” I don’t recall listening to the rest of the album, though I did at some point make a mix tape of classic Heart songs, which included “Dog and Butterfly,” “Baracuda,” etc…