80s albums

[purple]

love The Blue Mask and Jamboree! haven't heard of the Jungle Brothers, The Wake, or Feel before though...

[sleepwalker87]

You said you're looking for albums that aren't on major lists, so I won't bother with U2 recommendations. But two albums I feel are often left out of lists for the '80s are:

Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy (1989)
The Icicle Works - The Icicle Works (1984)

The former is one of my favorite Dylan albums, probably right behind Highway 61 and Bringing It All Back Home (and yes, I've heard Blonde On Blonde and Blood on the Tracks).

The latter is an LP I picked up a few years ago simply because the cover looked cool, but they've got a nice sound. Also, I had no idea their drummer was the drummer for Oasis (and now for Beady Eye).

[Guest]

I second 'Rum, Sodomy and The Lash' and 'Oh Mercy'. Would also add 'Imperial Bedroom'.

In terms of hip-hop:
Eric B & Rakim - 'Paid In Full', 'Follow The Leader'
BDP - 'Criminal Minded', 'By All Means Necessary'
Queen Latifah - 'All Hail The Queen'
Kool G Rap - 'Road To The Riches'
3rd Bass - 'The Cactus Album'
EPMD - 'Strictyly Business', 'Unfinished Business'
Slick Rick - 'The Great Adventures of...'
The DOC - 'No-one Can Do It Better'

Obviously Public Enemy, the Beasties, Run DMC and NWA go without saying.

[purple]

this is what I was looking for; haven't even heard of Kool G Rap, 3rd Bass, or the Doc, and it never ocurred to me to give Queen Latifah a chance, thanks (and, have heard the others).

[CellarDoor]

Slint..... "Tweez"

Heavy stuff. Steve Albini sound-checking everything.
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I'll be your plastic toy.

[sonnyleith]

The Smiths The Queen is Dead
Rush Moving Pictures
Cocteau Twins Treasure
Janes Addiction Nothings Shocking
The Stone Roses self titled
The Cure Disintegration
Yes 90125
Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Talking Heads Remain In Light
Pixies Doolittle
Tom Waits Rain Dogs
Kraftwerk Computer World
Beastie Boys Pauls Boutique

[CellarDoor]

LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Though some tracks were recorded as early as 1977, this reissue is definitely an 80s album.
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I'll be your plastic toy.

[purple]

yeah, I Can Change is a classic of the 80s, but I can't include it because it's got that alternate take off the Idiot

[19loveless91]

Well if you're not limited to english (-speaking) artists, check Odbrana i Poslednji Dani (1982) by a Serbian band Idoli (I actually have more to recommend, but this is the one I've been listening the most lately + it's been voted once as the best ex-yugoslavian album)..
1. Kenozoik
2. Poslednji Dani
...
6. Nebeska Tema
7. Rusija
...

Looking at my chart though, my favourite 80s albums are Isn't Anything (My Bloody Valentine), You're Living All Over Me (Dinosaur jr.), Boy, War (both U2), Treasure (Cocteau Twins)...

[Bork]

Ten top moments of the 80s, excluding the most obvious choices:

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood (83)
The Blues Brothers - OST (80)
Steve Earle - Guitar Town (86)
John Mellencamp - American Fool (82)
George Thorogood - Bad to the Bone (82)
Tina Turner - Private Dancer (84)
John Fogerty - Centerfield (85)
Robert Earl Keen - No Kinda Dancer (84)
Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett (86)
The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (85)