18 albums from 40 Years Ago that still matter

The 1980s, as a decade in rock music, was maligned for quite a while, mainly by rock critics. As time passed, the impressions started settling down, and the music created then became compared to the one before, and after it, it became clear that that first opinion just might have been a bit too harsh.

No exception there with the decade’s mid-year – 1985. Sure, MTV was in full swing, and looking good in your videos was often more important for some artists than what their music sounded like. It was also the year when various streams of alternative rock were taking hold, and the popularity of some big artists and the albums they created then still persists, whether it is Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A., Direr Straits Brothers in Arms or the Cure’s The Head on the Door.

Nevertheless, there were numerous other rock albums that came out around the same time, 40 years ago, which held equal significance. Some of these have gained cult status, while others were overlooked and eventually rediscovered, and yet others simply didn’t receive the recognition they deserved initially. Here are 18 such albums that remain relevant four decades later.

These albums from 1985 still matter

Meat Is Murder – The Smiths

Forget all the controversies and idiosyncrasies Morrissey creates these days; back then, he, Johnny Marr, and the whole band were in full swing at creating some of the more inventive alt-rock out there.

Tim – The Replacements

Paul Westerberg was becoming too good a songwriter and the band themselves were becoming, well, more polished, but their sound was turning into something quite special for their first release on a big label.

Flip Your Wig – Hüsker Dü

Another Minneapolis band like the Replacements, whose sound was moving away from hardcore to more sixties-influenced sound, but the cleaner sound only showed how good songwriters both Bob Mould and Grant Hart were.

Around The World In A Day – Prince

When you release an album that’s a tribute to 60s psychedelic rock after the success of your most renowned album like “Purple Rain”, it may attract criticism from critics and some disappointed fans. However, surprisingly, it could well turn out to be one of the finest examples of such homages.

Fables of the Reconstruction – R.E.M.

During that period, R.E.M. stood out as pioneers in the alternative rock genre, even though this particular album was eclipsed by a few others in their discography, it features some of the finest compositions from their initial stage.

Hounds of Love – Kate Bush

In the past, progressive rock wasn’t particularly popular, so the exceptional songs and vocals Bush produced didn’t create a massive impact initially. However, many years later, Stranger Things emerged…

Centerfield – John Fogerty

The times when Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of the rulers of rock were gone, but that didn’t mean that John Fogerty, the band’s mastermind, was done and out with great songwriting, which he proved with this, probably his best solo effort.

Rain Dogs – Tom Waits

With this album, it was quite clear that Tom Waits’ beatnik days were truly over, that he was fully immersed in some left-field experimental rock, and that he was possibly coming up with some of his best work on this album.

This Is the Sea – The Waterboys

Mike Scott and The Waterboys went through a number of phases in their career, but it is this first phase and this, their third album where they came up with their most renowned work, and all for the right reasons, with that multilayered, expansive sound.

Steve McQueen – Prefab Sprout

Forget all the legal trouble this album had in the U.S. with its original title (Two Wheels Good there at the time); it was, and still is, a prime example of what a great sophisticated pop/rock should sound like with a band’s songwriter Paddy McAloon at his best.

3-Way Tie (For Last) – Minutemen

The Replacements and Hüsker Dü might have moved on elsewhere for hardcore, but late D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley were still there, but they were just getting better at it in every sense, something that was cut short by D. Boon’s premature passing.

25 O’Clock – The Dukes of Stratosphear

Many have passed by this one at the time, not realizing that it was just a moniker for XTC, who decided to create another tribute to sixties psych rock as a pastiche. For a pastiche to work it has to exhibit a full exhibit of understanding the originals, and this one surely does.

Low-Life – New Order

With their third album marking the end of Joy Division, the band showcased masterfully the ideal blend of rock and electronic music, positioning themselves as pioneers in the development of what is now known as electro-pop/rock.

Hallelujah All the Way Home – The Verlaines

Given that the lead singer of this New Zealand band (Graeme Downes) earned his PhD in Gustav Mahler’s music and created a sound that was intricate and wide-ranging, it might not have been surprising if the band gained mainstream popularity. However, it appears the wider audience didn’t respond much to their music, resulting in the band primarily building a dedicated cult following instead.

Boys and Girls – Bryan Ferry

To achieve greatness in creating polished, elegant pop music, one must possess a deep understanding of the craft, and on this particular album, Bryan Ferry demonstrated mastery with tracks such as “Don’t Stop The Dance,” “Slave To Love,” and the title song taking the lead.

Valley Of Rain – Giant Sand

The debut album from Giant Sand, their initial release, remains deeply cherished by the band’s dedicated fanbase, as well as that of its founder, Howe Gelb. It’s filled with energetic and boisterous references to Neil Young’s electrifying music.

Psycho Candy – Jesus & Mary Chain

If you are looking at the roots of shoegaze and/or dream pop (its louder side), you have to look no further than Jesus & Mary Chain’s first album, with its opener, “Just Like Honey,” an absolute classic for either (or both) genres.

Exploring The Axis – Thin White Rope

This one is possibly the most overlooked album in this whole batch. Maybe it was the very dark side of Guy Kyser’s lyrics, but the band’s intensity and brilliant guitar work were possibly the spark that created what we now know as desert rock.

2025-03-18 13:10