Faith – George Michael – 1987 Claimed Sales: 20m First listen?: No Format Listened?: Apple Music The debut solo album from the lead star of a pop band is a funny thing to consider. Much like Off The Wall earlier in this series, Faith technically wasn’t George Michael’s true ‘debut’ into the public consciousness, his debut … Continue reading
Hysteria – Def Leppard – 1987 Claimed Sales: 20m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: CD Conceived as the ‘Metal version of Thriller’ by producer Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange, Hysteria at least has the same level of consistency across its tracks as the biggest album of all time. Whether you could possibly describe this 80s Pop Rock album as … Continue reading
Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses – 1987 Claimed Sales: 30m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: Apple Music Guns N’ Roses are what happens when yo combine just about everything in Rock music that was selling during the 70s and 80s. Aerosmith meets AC/DC with radio friendly hooks and a vocal performance from Axl Rose on the right … Continue reading
Whitney – Whitney Houston – 1987 Claimed Sales: 20m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: Apple Music It’s no surprise that the follow up to one of pop’s biggest debut albums would see a similar level of success and in so many ways Whitney feels like a tighter, more polished version of that debut self titled record. The … Continue reading
Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi– 1986 Claimed Sales: 28m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: Apple Music I’ve never been a fan of Bon Jovi. There’s something about that big hair and the ridiculous hooks in their songs that has just never been on my list of things I enjoy. There’s nothing inherently bad about You Give … Continue reading
True Blue – Madonna – 1986 Claimed Sales: 25m First listen?: No Format Listened?: Vinyl Papa Don’t Preach, Open Your Heart, La Isla Bonita, Live To Tell, True Blue. 5 transatlantic #1 hits and all but one are standout tracks in Madonna’s lengthy discography. The opening strings of Papa Don’t Preach instantly set the tone for an album … Continue reading
No Jacket Required – Phil Collins – 1985 Claimed Sales: 25m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: Apple Music No Jacket Required is one of those albums that just sounds like the 80s. Full of bombastic horns and saxophone, thudding drums and driving stabs of synth. For the most part No Jacket Required sticks to the format of … Continue reading
Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston – 1985 Claimed Sales: 30m First listen?: Yes Format Listened?: Apple Music Before this series, for whatever reason, the only Whitney Houston album I had heard all of the way through was her 2009 final studio album I Look To You. On first listen, the thing that amazed me about Whitney Houston … Continue reading
Like A Virgin – Madonna – 1984 Claimed Sales: 25m First listen?: No Format Listened?: Apple Music/Vinyl Like A Virgin is probably my least favourite 80s Madonna album. It was the record that helped her become the biggest female artist in the world, singles such as the title track, Material Girl and Dress You Up were inescapable … Continue reading
Purple Rain – Prince and the Revoltion – 1984 Claimed Sales: 20m First listen?: No Format Listened?: Apple Music ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life’ is an opening statement that has been heard countless times in the year since Prince’s untimely death in April of 2016. It just about sums … Continue reading
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