Top 38 Music Albums of 1985
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 12/07/2025 01:15
- (Created: 04/11/2012 18:38).
- Chart size: 38 albums.
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1985 – WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By NEIL DORFSMAN & MARK KNOPFLER
1. So Far Away
2. Money For Nothing
3. Walk Of Life
4. Your Latest Trick
5. Why Worry
6. Ride Across The River
7. The Man’s Too Strong
8. One World
9. Brothers In Arms
The greatest commercial achievement for Dire Straits also turned out to be the beginning of the end of the band. The last five years had been a struggle for Mark Knopfler and company following the excellent Making Movies. Love Over Gold had the exceptional 14 minute track “Telegraph Road”, but not much else. This had been followed by a somewhat lame extended play and a disappointing live album (Alchemy). So, when Brothers In Arms exploded in 1985, it was actually something of a surprise. That they became the poster band for MTV was even more surprising. “Money For Nothing”, with its cheesy slick animated video and backup vocals by Sting, became ridiculously enormous. The better tracks fared not as well, but don’t disappoint. “So Far Away” is a fine song, but points the way to more mellowness to come. “The Man’s Too Strong” and “Your Latest Trick” are better representative of what Dire Straits was now about…this was fast turning into one of the mellowest bands in the world…had they continued on, they may have gotten even softer.
The two tracks that people identify most with the album are actually the two that don’t fit in. “Money For Nothing” is that huge guitar riff over some badly recorded snare shots and “I want my MTV”. The other is “Walk Of Life”, which (thankfully) sounds nothing like anything the band ever recorded. The rest is Knopfler maturing, and even though the sound is sometimes so quiet you can barely hear it, it’s pretty strong work. The tracks are long…five of the nine are over six minutes long. It’s the stuff that didn’t get hammered into the radio over and over that will stick with you. The hits are disposable and dated, and the album would be better without them. But songs like the title track, “Why Worry”, and “Ride Across The River”, while sounding like whispers compared to earlier Dire Straits tracks, have a definite beauty about them. The band made only one more album, six years after this, and then they were gone. But there’s enough to make you smile here. You just won’t spend much time rocking out to it. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced By NEIL DORFSMAN & MARK KNOPFLER
1. So Far Away
2. Money For Nothing
3. Walk Of Life
4. Your Latest Trick
5. Why Worry
6. Ride Across The River
7. The Man’s Too Strong
8. One World
9. Brothers In Arms
The greatest commercial achievement for Dire Straits also turned out to be the beginning of the end of the band. The last five years had been a struggle for Mark Knopfler and company following the excellent Making Movies. Love Over Gold had the exceptional 14 minute track “Telegraph Road”, but not much else. This had been followed by a somewhat lame extended play and a disappointing live album (Alchemy). So, when Brothers In Arms exploded in 1985, it was actually something of a surprise. That they became the poster band for MTV was even more surprising. “Money For Nothing”, with its cheesy slick animated video and backup vocals by Sting, became ridiculously enormous. The better tracks fared not as well, but don’t disappoint. “So Far Away” is a fine song, but points the way to more mellowness to come. “The Man’s Too Strong” and “Your Latest Trick” are better representative of what Dire Straits was now about…this was fast turning into one of the mellowest bands in the world…had they continued on, they may have gotten even softer.
The two tracks that people identify most with the album are actually the two that don’t fit in. “Money For Nothing” is that huge guitar riff over some badly recorded snare shots and “I want my MTV”. The other is “Walk Of Life”, which (thankfully) sounds nothing like anything the band ever recorded. The rest is Knopfler maturing, and even though the sound is sometimes so quiet you can barely hear it, it’s pretty strong work. The tracks are long…five of the nine are over six minutes long. It’s the stuff that didn’t get hammered into the radio over and over that will stick with you. The hits are disposable and dated, and the album would be better without them. But songs like the title track, “Why Worry”, and “Ride Across The River”, while sounding like whispers compared to earlier Dire Straits tracks, have a definite beauty about them. The band made only one more album, six years after this, and then they were gone. But there’s enough to make you smile here. You just won’t spend much time rocking out to it. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,112
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 11/27/2013]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,599
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2015]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,221
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 05/10/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 02/14/2014]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,346
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,011
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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- #Sponsored
1985 – SIRE / WARNER BROS.
Produced By ROBIN MILLAR
1. When All’s Well
2. Heaven Help Me
3. Are You Trying To Be Funny?
4. Ugly Little Dreams
5. Shoot Me Down
6. Sean
7. Ballad Of The Times
8. Kid
9. Anytown
10. This Love (Not For Sale)
11. Trouble And Strife
12. Angel
Everything But The Girl was a duo from England consisting of the eventually married couple Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn. Their first album was mostly lounge music, an element that was already mostly gone by the time of their second album, Love Not Money. The first track, “When All’s Well”, sounds like it could have been from the debut, but the change after that is almost immediate. Taking advantage of Thorn’s gentle vocals and their ability to write dreamy sounding pop, the duo moves into music that was, in 1985, a breath of fresh air compared to the New Wave, hair metal and dance pop of the day. Different versions were released in America and the UK…the US version is better, thanks to the addition of two tracks: “Heaven Help Me” is a keeper, and maybe the best track here, a subtle and gorgeous cover of Pretenders’ “Kid”.
The final track, “Angel”, is beautiful, showing that when they stretch things out even a little bit, that Watt is capable of creating a solid and lovely landscape. This is definitely the high point of their early career. The duo would have a big hit later on in 1994 with the song ”Missing” (from Amplified Heart), but this period deserves a chance as well. After their 1999 album Temperamental, Everything But The Girl called it a day, with both Watt and Thorn having released solo albums and both have also written a pair of books each. They have not ruled out recording together again, so who knows…there may be some Everything But The Girl music in the future. Love Not Money stands as a nice little piece of 1985, a softer side of a musical landscape that was all over the map and pretty loud. This one is well worth a listen. [First added to this chart: 11/11/2012]
Produced By ROBIN MILLAR
1. When All’s Well
2. Heaven Help Me
3. Are You Trying To Be Funny?
4. Ugly Little Dreams
5. Shoot Me Down
6. Sean
7. Ballad Of The Times
8. Kid
9. Anytown
10. This Love (Not For Sale)
11. Trouble And Strife
12. Angel
Everything But The Girl was a duo from England consisting of the eventually married couple Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn. Their first album was mostly lounge music, an element that was already mostly gone by the time of their second album, Love Not Money. The first track, “When All’s Well”, sounds like it could have been from the debut, but the change after that is almost immediate. Taking advantage of Thorn’s gentle vocals and their ability to write dreamy sounding pop, the duo moves into music that was, in 1985, a breath of fresh air compared to the New Wave, hair metal and dance pop of the day. Different versions were released in America and the UK…the US version is better, thanks to the addition of two tracks: “Heaven Help Me” is a keeper, and maybe the best track here, a subtle and gorgeous cover of Pretenders’ “Kid”.
The final track, “Angel”, is beautiful, showing that when they stretch things out even a little bit, that Watt is capable of creating a solid and lovely landscape. This is definitely the high point of their early career. The duo would have a big hit later on in 1994 with the song ”Missing” (from Amplified Heart), but this period deserves a chance as well. After their 1999 album Temperamental, Everything But The Girl called it a day, with both Watt and Thorn having released solo albums and both have also written a pair of books each. They have not ruled out recording together again, so who knows…there may be some Everything But The Girl music in the future. Love Not Money stands as a nice little piece of 1985, a softer side of a musical landscape that was all over the map and pretty loud. This one is well worth a listen. [First added to this chart: 11/11/2012]
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1985-ATLANTIC
Produced By PHIL COLLINS & HUGH PADGHAM
1. Sussudio
2. Only You Know And I Know
3. Long Long Way To Go
4. I Don’t Wanna Know
5. One More Night
6. Don’t Lose My Number
7. Who Said I Would
8. Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore
9. Inside Out
10. Take Me Home
11. We Said Hello Goodbye
It’s always been strange how Phil Collins stepped from behind the drum kit of Genesis to the microphone and turned them into an even bigger band than they were with Peter Gabriel at the helm. But what’s even more of a mystery is how Phil Collins made the transition from being the frontman of Genesis to a big time successful solo career. That he did it during the MTV heyday of the mid 1980’s, when it was almost a prerequisite that you be pretty to be a star, is even more mind blowing. Collins was short, doughy, and balding. He looked like your mom’s accountant. And yet, during the first half of the 80’s, Phil Collins was everywhere. His first two albums, Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going, (each with an extreme close up of his face), featured one of each of his best songs, “In The Air Tonight” from the former, and “I Don’t Care Anymore” from the latter. No Jacket Required, his third album, doesn’t have any songs on that level, but it’s overall his best album. Even with all of it’s flaws, No Jacket Required is a sturdy work, and marks the peak (and pretty much the end) of Collins as a force in the solo artist market.
The album starts with a dud. “Sussudio” is the beginning of a strange obsession with Motown that would eventually sink him. But the album gains momentum, and includes some of the higher points in Collins’ career. “Take Me Home”, irritating at first, will grow on you and become a favorite. “One More Night” is probably his most beautiful song, a sweet and earnest ballad that shows he could successfully write from the heart. “Don’t Lose My Number” is Collins rocking the best he can, and it works just fine. Phil shows a lot of variety here, straying far from the sound of Genesis to show that he really can stand on his own. There’s a bit of filler, but he mostly succeeds. After No Jacket Required, Collins made some missteps and retreated back into his role with Genesis, mostly ending both phases of his career by 1991. This would be the album to get by Collins, as it’s his most consistent, but you’d be better off ultimately with a good compilation album that will give you the highlights from here along with “In The Air Tonight” and “I Don’t Care Anymore”. [First added to this chart: 05/26/2014]
Produced By PHIL COLLINS & HUGH PADGHAM
1. Sussudio
2. Only You Know And I Know
3. Long Long Way To Go
4. I Don’t Wanna Know
5. One More Night
6. Don’t Lose My Number
7. Who Said I Would
8. Doesn’t Anybody Stay Together Anymore
9. Inside Out
10. Take Me Home
11. We Said Hello Goodbye
It’s always been strange how Phil Collins stepped from behind the drum kit of Genesis to the microphone and turned them into an even bigger band than they were with Peter Gabriel at the helm. But what’s even more of a mystery is how Phil Collins made the transition from being the frontman of Genesis to a big time successful solo career. That he did it during the MTV heyday of the mid 1980’s, when it was almost a prerequisite that you be pretty to be a star, is even more mind blowing. Collins was short, doughy, and balding. He looked like your mom’s accountant. And yet, during the first half of the 80’s, Phil Collins was everywhere. His first two albums, Face Value and Hello, I Must Be Going, (each with an extreme close up of his face), featured one of each of his best songs, “In The Air Tonight” from the former, and “I Don’t Care Anymore” from the latter. No Jacket Required, his third album, doesn’t have any songs on that level, but it’s overall his best album. Even with all of it’s flaws, No Jacket Required is a sturdy work, and marks the peak (and pretty much the end) of Collins as a force in the solo artist market.
The album starts with a dud. “Sussudio” is the beginning of a strange obsession with Motown that would eventually sink him. But the album gains momentum, and includes some of the higher points in Collins’ career. “Take Me Home”, irritating at first, will grow on you and become a favorite. “One More Night” is probably his most beautiful song, a sweet and earnest ballad that shows he could successfully write from the heart. “Don’t Lose My Number” is Collins rocking the best he can, and it works just fine. Phil shows a lot of variety here, straying far from the sound of Genesis to show that he really can stand on his own. There’s a bit of filler, but he mostly succeeds. After No Jacket Required, Collins made some missteps and retreated back into his role with Genesis, mostly ending both phases of his career by 1991. This would be the album to get by Collins, as it’s his most consistent, but you’d be better off ultimately with a good compilation album that will give you the highlights from here along with “In The Air Tonight” and “I Don’t Care Anymore”. [First added to this chart: 05/26/2014]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
948
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/14/2012]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/31/2021]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
585
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 18. Page 1 of 2
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Top 38 Music Albums of 1985 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Little Richard | 1 | 3% | |
| Pete Townshend | 1 | 3% | |
| The Cult | 1 | 3% | |
| Robert Palmer | 1 | 3% | |
| LL Cool J | 1 | 3% | |
| The Replacements | 1 | 3% | |
| Aretha Franklin | 1 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 38 Music Albums of 1985 chart changes
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Top 38 Music Albums of 1985 ratings
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Showing all 2 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 04/01/2021 14:49 | DJENNY | 4,365 | 100/100 |
| ! | 11/02/2012 00:20 | strawberryfields | 273 | 95/100 |
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From Romanelli 01/09/2014 22:04 | #100313
Romanelli 01/09/2014 22:04 | #100313
I dig The Replacements a lot, but I admit that I haven't gotten around to adding much of them to my collection. They're one of those bands that just keep getting pushed back. I've always had Let It Be as a favorite, though. This may get me moving to add more of them!
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From 
Mercury 01/09/2014 21:34 | #100311
Mercury 01/09/2014 21:34 | #100311
This is cool. I came here because I was curious to see Pete Townsend's album as your #1 of '85 yet lower than 250 overall. I personally have Tim, Hounds of Love and Rain Dogs all in my overall top 40.
What are your thoughts on The Replacements?
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