Tag Archives: Decades 1985

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Song of the Day #5,620: ‘Wendell Gee’ – R.E.M.

Concluduing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1985…

#1 – Fables of the Reconstruction – R.E.M.

After making this list, I looked back to see my lineups for 1983 and 1984. To my surprise, the same band was on top of all three. R.E.M.’s debut Murmur claimed the #1 spot in ’83, and their sophomore effort Reckoning pulled off the feat for ’84.

So I guess it’s both no surprise and a testament to the greatness of R.E.M. that they pull off the trifecta and hit #1 yet again with 1985’s Fables of the Reconstruction.

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Song of the Day #5,619: ‘One World’ – Dire Straits

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.

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Song of the Day #5,618: ‘Spike’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

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.

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Song of the Day #5,617: ‘Television Man’ – Talking Heads

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.

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Song of the Day #5,616: ‘That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore’ – The Smiths

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.

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