Best of 1989

1989 was the year BEFORE the year I began buying my own music. However, the #10 album on this list I did hear in full as Batman was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw. My parents were extremely hesitant, but I begged and begged and finally got to see it in the theater. I turned 13 in 1989, so it was only fitting, right?! 

And I got the Lego Batmobile for Christmas just last month, which was definitely the most fun (and longest--almost 9 hours!) Lego build of my life. My Batman obsession is going on strong now since watching the 60's show reruns as a young kid in the 80's.

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Top 10 albums of 1989:

1. The Innocence Mission- The Innocence Mission

2. The Connells- Fun & Games

3. The Cure- Disintegration

4. Lifesavers Underground- Wakin' Up the Dead

5. Toad The Wet Sprocket- Bread And Circus

6. The Violet Burning- Chosen

7. The Crucified- The Crucified

8. 10,000 Maniacs- Blind Man's Zoo

9. The Choir- Wide-Eyed Wonder

10. Prince- Batman Motion Picture Soundtrack

Best of 1988

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While I know and love a ton of music from 1986 and 1987, 1988 is a challenging year. Even finding 10 albums I "know" and enjoy is a challenge. I only own three on vinyl, and none on CD or cassette. 

In 1988, the year I turned 12, I didn't really listen to music, except what my parents listened to and random top-40 radio in carpools to school and practices. And what my parents listened to was: Sandi Patti, Bill Gaither, Michael Card, GLAD, etc. Even my favorite album of 1988 I didn't listen to at the time. I was vaguely familiar with Amy Grant, but I definitely did not hear Lead Me On in full until probably the early 90's. The only other artist listed below that I definitely heard in 1988 was R.E.M.'s singles on the radio. The top 5 below I had all heard and knew by the end of the 90's, but then numbers 6-10 I didn't even discover until after Y2K.

Top 10 albums of 1988:

1. Amy Grant- Lead Me On

2. R.E.M.- Green

3. Tracy Chapman- Tracy Chapman

4. Adam Again- Ten Songs by Adam Again       

5. The Choir- Chase the Kangaroo

6. The Church- Starfish

7. The Pixies- Surfer Rosa

8. Cowboy Junkies- The Trinity Session

9. My Bloody Valentine- Isn’t Anything

10. Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation

Best of 1985

As 2022 begins, seems only fitting my first blog post of the year is my top albums of 1985--ha! But I do have some gaps to fill in with my lists--notably 1988 and 1989. While those are coming, I am going to start with 1985 as I actually have "a lot" of vinyl albums from that year, at least compared to much of the 80's. Just pulled these off my shelves:

What's weird about writing these eighties lists is that I heard almost none of this music at the time. I turned nine in 1985, and the only artist below I was remotely aware of was Amy Grant--but even with her I didn't become a fan until I was 12 or so. I might have heard a Tears for Fears and a-ha song on the radio, but most of these artists and albums I didn't discover until the late 90's or later. Also, I only really "know" three of these albums in full. I have listened to them all, but this year in music is still largely a mystery to me and may always will be.

Top 10 albums of 1985:

1. Tears For Fears- Songs From The Big Chair

2. Steve Taylor- On The Fritz

3. Amy Grant- Unguarded

4. R.E.M.- Fables Of The Reconstruction

5. The Connells- Darker Days

6. The Jesus & Mary Chain- Psychocandy

7. Kate Bush- Hounds of Love

8. Til Tuesday- Voices Carry

9. Stevie Nicks- Rock A Little

10. a-ha- Hunting High And Low