Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1985…
#2 – Brothers in Arms – Dire Straits
More than a decade ago, I counted down my favorite albums of the 1980s. On that list, Tom Petty’s Southern Accents appeared at #17 with Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms just below it at #18.
Now they’ve swapped places, which is as good an indication as any of the arbitrary nature of these rankings.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1985…
#3 – Southern Accents – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I’ve written a lot about Southern Accents, the sixth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
I’ve covered how it was meant to be a concept album about life in the South before changes in the track list muddied up that idea. I’ve mentioned that the band had frequent arguments over the sound and direction of the album, leading Petty to punch a wall in frustration, breaking his hand.
I’ve noted that the album received mix reviews from critics and divided fans.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1985…
#4 – Little Creatures – Talking Heads
Like The Smiths, Talking Heads’ influence far outpaces their longevity and output. The band recorded for 15 years and released eight studio albums, but that was enough to achieve legendary status.
Little Creatures is the band’s sixth record, and its first after the successful concert album Stop Making Sense. It became their biggest hit, going double platinum in the U.S.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1985…
#5 – Meat is Murder – The Smiths
The Smiths released just four studio albums in their five-year existence, a remarkably small footprint for a band with such a huge and passionate fan base.
Meat is Murder was the band’s sophomore release and the one I rank lowest of the four. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t great enough to be #5 on my list of 1985 albums.
The week of November 17, 1973, saw former Temptations member Eddie Kendricks in his second week at #1 with ‘Keep On Truckin’ (Part 1),’ an abbreviated version of an 8-minute album track.
Kendricks had left The Temptations on bad terms two years earlier, and received some musical shade from his former band through a song called ‘Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are).’ This song, his only solo #1, gave him some measure of revenge. Kendricks even name-drops his former band during the song’s final verses.
Meet Me In Montauk 