Top 49 Music Albums of 1986
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 6 hours ago
- (Created: 04/12/2012 02:48).
- Chart size: 49 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 04/12/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,792
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
81
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1986 – SIRE
Produced By MORRISSEY & JOHNNY MARR
1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly
3. I Know It’s Over
4. Never Had No One Ever
5. Cemetry Gates
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
8. Vicar In A Tutu
9. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
The Smiths were probably the greatest band of the eighties, and The Queen Is Dead was their finest album. Led by the strange, unusual and pompous singer Morrissey and the excellent guitar work of Johnny Marr, the band hit their creative peak on their third album, before things got weird and they started hating each other. Morrissey’s flair for the dramatic, Marr’s hugely underrated guitar work, and the band’s ease with utilizing strings and winds make their best batch of songs exceptional. And there is some really great stuff here. “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side”, “Frankly Mr. Shankly”, “Cemetry Gates” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again” may not have been hits here in the US, but that’s more a testament to how misguided the American music tastes were at the time than anything negative about the quality of The Queen Is Dead. In short, a lot of us were missing out. Big time.
Remember…this was 1986. Pretty much everything, especially from England, was buried in plastic beats and synthesizers. The Smiths were different. They were a very guitar based band, and their songwriting was light years ahead of their contemporaries. On The Queen Is Dead, everything about this band was working on all cylinders. Hard to believe that they would be gone for good just a year later, but they were. The rooms got too small for Morrissey and Marr to be in together. They haven’t made any music together since 1987, but the magic of The Queen Is Dead lives on. There is not a weak track on this, not a wasted note, not a bad lyric, or a piece of it that you’d want done differently. This is the shining moment of a great band that was only here for a short time. The Smiths were the class of a decade, and their legacy lives with this extraordinary album. Must have! [First added to this chart: 08/07/2012]
Produced By MORRISSEY & JOHNNY MARR
1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly
3. I Know It’s Over
4. Never Had No One Ever
5. Cemetry Gates
6. Bigmouth Strikes Again
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
8. Vicar In A Tutu
9. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
The Smiths were probably the greatest band of the eighties, and The Queen Is Dead was their finest album. Led by the strange, unusual and pompous singer Morrissey and the excellent guitar work of Johnny Marr, the band hit their creative peak on their third album, before things got weird and they started hating each other. Morrissey’s flair for the dramatic, Marr’s hugely underrated guitar work, and the band’s ease with utilizing strings and winds make their best batch of songs exceptional. And there is some really great stuff here. “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side”, “Frankly Mr. Shankly”, “Cemetry Gates” and “Bigmouth Strikes Again” may not have been hits here in the US, but that’s more a testament to how misguided the American music tastes were at the time than anything negative about the quality of The Queen Is Dead. In short, a lot of us were missing out. Big time.
Remember…this was 1986. Pretty much everything, especially from England, was buried in plastic beats and synthesizers. The Smiths were different. They were a very guitar based band, and their songwriting was light years ahead of their contemporaries. On The Queen Is Dead, everything about this band was working on all cylinders. Hard to believe that they would be gone for good just a year later, but they were. The rooms got too small for Morrissey and Marr to be in together. They haven’t made any music together since 1987, but the magic of The Queen Is Dead lives on. There is not a weak track on this, not a wasted note, not a bad lyric, or a piece of it that you’d want done differently. This is the shining moment of a great band that was only here for a short time. The Smiths were the class of a decade, and their legacy lives with this extraordinary album. Must have! [First added to this chart: 08/07/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
34,265
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1986-GEFFEN
Produced By DANIEL LANOIS & PETER GABRIEL
1. Red Rain
2. Sledgehammer
3. Don't Give Up
4. That Voice Again
5. In Your Eyes
6. Mercy Street
7. Big Time
8. We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)
9. This is The Picture (Excellent Birds)
After leaving Genesis, Peter Gabriel released four solo albums called Peter Gabriel. Not big on album titles, he called his 5th album So (to be followed by Us and Up). So is where Gabriel finally got everything right. Mixing his maturing songwriting with world beats and his strong political sense, he found his way to three memorable hits ("Sledgehammer", "Big Time", and the beautiful "In Your Eyes"). And the rest isn't bad, either. "Red Rain" is powerful. "Mercy Street" and "We Do What We're Told" are in no way filler. And lastly, he fills it out with not one but two excellent duets: with Kate Bush on "Don't Give Up" and Laurie Anderson on "This Is The Picture".
So is the high mark of Gabriel's career. Since, he has released only two albums of new songs (plus one album of covers and one that is orchestral reworkings of previously released songs). But he was on the mark here. Too bad the songs dried up so quickly. [First added to this chart: 04/14/2012]
Produced By DANIEL LANOIS & PETER GABRIEL
1. Red Rain
2. Sledgehammer
3. Don't Give Up
4. That Voice Again
5. In Your Eyes
6. Mercy Street
7. Big Time
8. We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)
9. This is The Picture (Excellent Birds)
After leaving Genesis, Peter Gabriel released four solo albums called Peter Gabriel. Not big on album titles, he called his 5th album So (to be followed by Us and Up). So is where Gabriel finally got everything right. Mixing his maturing songwriting with world beats and his strong political sense, he found his way to three memorable hits ("Sledgehammer", "Big Time", and the beautiful "In Your Eyes"). And the rest isn't bad, either. "Red Rain" is powerful. "Mercy Street" and "We Do What We're Told" are in no way filler. And lastly, he fills it out with not one but two excellent duets: with Kate Bush on "Don't Give Up" and Laurie Anderson on "This Is The Picture".
So is the high mark of Gabriel's career. Since, he has released only two albums of new songs (plus one album of covers and one that is orchestral reworkings of previously released songs). But he was on the mark here. Too bad the songs dried up so quickly. [First added to this chart: 04/14/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,061
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1986-MCA
Produced By EMORY GORDY JR & TONY BROWN
1. Guitar Town
2. Goodbye's All We've Got Left
3. Hillbilly Highway
4. Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough)
5. My Old Friend The Blues
6. Someday
7. Think It Over
8. Fearless Heart
9. Little Rock 'N' Roller
10. Down The Road
From the opening track of his debut album on, it was clear that Steve Earle was not going to be your typical country artist. And he's been proving that ever since. Earle has more twang than the most Southern of rock bands, and enough rock and roll to make his contemporaries in the country community cringe. Earle's songs are about real life, and his songs cut deep.
"My Old Friend The Blues" "Think It Over", "Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' tough)" and the title track are what made, and have always made him since, simply great. Guitar Town is a fine debut album, and a good starting point for a career that only got better and better. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Produced By EMORY GORDY JR & TONY BROWN
1. Guitar Town
2. Goodbye's All We've Got Left
3. Hillbilly Highway
4. Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough)
5. My Old Friend The Blues
6. Someday
7. Think It Over
8. Fearless Heart
9. Little Rock 'N' Roller
10. Down The Road
From the opening track of his debut album on, it was clear that Steve Earle was not going to be your typical country artist. And he's been proving that ever since. Earle has more twang than the most Southern of rock bands, and enough rock and roll to make his contemporaries in the country community cringe. Earle's songs are about real life, and his songs cut deep.
"My Old Friend The Blues" "Think It Over", "Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' tough)" and the title track are what made, and have always made him since, simply great. Guitar Town is a fine debut album, and a good starting point for a career that only got better and better. [First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
463
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Produced by Daniel Van Patten. This underrated punk band has been around since 1979, yet they've made exactly 3 studio albums. This Is The Voice, from 1986, is a great mix of surf and punk, and is one of rock's lost classics. Should be huge, but it's not. Too melodic for punk, too heavy for surf, the Agents found their audience in skateboarders. This is their best work, pulling from a variety of influences and sounding better and more cohesive with each listen. Long live Agent Orange!
[First added to this chart: 04/11/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
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1986-GEFFEN
Produced By TODD RUNDGREN
1. Summer's Cauldron
2. Grass
3. The Meeting Place
4. That's Really Super, Supergirl
5. Ballet For A Rainy Day
6. 1000 Umbrellas
7. Season Cycle
8. Earn Enough For Us
9. Big Day
10. Another Satellite
11. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
12. Dear God
13. Dying
14. Sacrificial Bonfire
XTC was always an underrated band flying under the radar, mainly because of their inability to tour to promote their albums (Andy Partridge has terrible stagefright). On Skylarking, they got everything right. This is easily their best work, a beautiful stream of songs that showcases all the best things about the band. Partridge and Colin Moulding do their best Lennon-McCartney impersonation with the songwriting, and the continuity of the music, implemented by producer Rundgren, makes this a non stop beautiful ride. Everything goes right for the band...they even got a bona fide hit in the surprising "Dear God".
XTC never matched Skylarking, although they made some great records (and some great misses). Former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince plays on this (XTC had been without an official drummer for years). This is their best work, and unlike anything else in their catalog. Oh...and "Grass" is one great tune to chill out to as well! [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Produced By TODD RUNDGREN
1. Summer's Cauldron
2. Grass
3. The Meeting Place
4. That's Really Super, Supergirl
5. Ballet For A Rainy Day
6. 1000 Umbrellas
7. Season Cycle
8. Earn Enough For Us
9. Big Day
10. Another Satellite
11. The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
12. Dear God
13. Dying
14. Sacrificial Bonfire
XTC was always an underrated band flying under the radar, mainly because of their inability to tour to promote their albums (Andy Partridge has terrible stagefright). On Skylarking, they got everything right. This is easily their best work, a beautiful stream of songs that showcases all the best things about the band. Partridge and Colin Moulding do their best Lennon-McCartney impersonation with the songwriting, and the continuity of the music, implemented by producer Rundgren, makes this a non stop beautiful ride. Everything goes right for the band...they even got a bona fide hit in the surprising "Dear God".
XTC never matched Skylarking, although they made some great records (and some great misses). Former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince plays on this (XTC had been without an official drummer for years). This is their best work, and unlike anything else in their catalog. Oh...and "Grass" is one great tune to chill out to as well! [First added to this chart: 04/13/2012]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,458
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 02/06/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,586
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 04/03/2018]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
544
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 02/12/2023]
Total albums: 49. Page 1 of 5
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Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 composition
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| Madonna | 1 | 2% | |
| Paul Simon | 1 | 2% | |
| The Mamas And The Papas | 1 | 2% | |
| The Georgia Satellites | 1 | 2% | |
| Europe | 1 | 2% | |
| Hank Williams | 1 | 2% | |
| The Smiths | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 chart changes
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Other year charts by Romanelli
(from the 1980s)| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 78 Music Albums of 1989 | Romanelli | 1989 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 73 Music Albums of 1988 | Romanelli | 1988 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 52 Music Albums of 1987 | Romanelli | 1987 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 | Romanelli | 1986 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 37 Music Albums of 1985 | Romanelli | 1985 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 38 Music Albums of 1984 | Romanelli | 1984 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 1983 | Romanelli | 1983 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 38 Music Albums of 1982 | Romanelli | 1982 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 26 Music Albums of 1981 | Romanelli | 1981 year chart | 2025 | |
| Top 35 Music Albums of 1980 | Romanelli | 1980 year chart | 2025 | |
Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 ratings
86/100 (from 4 votes)
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 05/06/2018 17:53 | TrekkiELO | | 88/100 |
| 85/100 | 04/20/2015 11:35 |  calsper | | 71/100 |
| 85/100 | 04/30/2014 09:42 | PauloPaz | | 89/100 |
| 70/100 | 11/23/2012 20:44 | Johnnyo | | 80/100 |
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Top 49 Music Albums of 1986 comments
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85/100
From calsper 04/20/2015 11:35
calsper 04/20/2015 11:35
Great chart, but not too fond of Genesis, sorry, my own faulty aversion. =) Please check uot my charts if you like.
Best Casper
#139888 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
70/100
From Johnnyo 11/23/2012 20:44
Nice start.
#55743 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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