Best Albums of 1984

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1.

Purple Rain 
Soundtrack

 Prince And The Revolution

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"it took me til my 30s before I learned of prince’s virtuosity, but the dude was absolutely electric and it feels like he’s sometimes overlooked on all-time lists for best guitarists/musicians/artists. Even As a lifelong rock music audiophile his music eluded me until i saw a super fun prince cove...""it took me til my 30s before I learned of prince’s virtuosity, but the dude was absolutely electric and it feels like he’s sometimes overlooked on all-time lists for best guitarists/musicians/artists. Even As a lifelong rock music audiophile his music eluded me until i saw a super fun prince cover band, the purple ones, who woke me the F up to the man’s music. prince was enigmatic, prolific, musically eclectic and wildly talented, and it hurts to realize that it took his untimely death to fully appreciate the man’s musical and cultural contributions to this world. there’s something in his catalogue for everyone’s musical tastes, and this album is his magnum opus by most standards. but i kind of agree with other commenters that newcomers to prince’s music may be best served working their way up to this one. the evolution of his style, his taste, his artistic genius and his sensibilities in acoustic production are all pretty wild to behold in retrospect, and the way his career led up to and crescendoed with purple rain is a thing of beauty to behold. rest in power, purple one, for you were too good for this world. "  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

1,458 charts

Rank Score:

15,727

Rank in 1984:

1

Rank in 1980s:

9

Overall Rank:

72

Average Rating:

 83 (1,674 votes)

Comments:

132

2.

Ride The Lightning 

 Metallica

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"This record is just pure power and energy right from the start. Metallica never really give you any time to rest on their releases and that is very true on their two best records which is this album and Master Of Puppets. They just go from banger to banger on here with every song feeling unique a...""This record is just pure power and energy right from the start. Metallica never really give you any time to rest on their releases and that is very true on their two best records which is this album and Master Of Puppets. They just go from banger to banger on here with every song feeling unique and they all have a high level of quality to them. There is absolutely no filler on this record at all in my opinion. The instrumentation is just electric with the guitar work feeling like it is truly harnessing the power of lightning. It is tough to not get completely lost in the guitar on here as well with the closing track always managing to almost put me in a trance like state with how good it is. Then there is the drum work which is phenomenal and is some of the greatest I have heard on a thrash metal album. To add to this, there is the passion and emotion that drives these tracks that are so easily conveyed to the listener and I can't help but fall in love with their energy and power. You have to play this album loud to truly appreciate the masterpiece that is on display though and I can only imagine how mesmerising it would be to hear this live. This is especially true for For Whom The Bell Tolls as that just perfectly encapsulates their sound for me and is a stunning piece of music. Overall, this is peak Metallica with basically every song being elite which makes it their most consistent release and it feels like the album where they held nothing back and we are rewarded greatly because of that. "  [+]  Reply

- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

930 charts

Rank Score:

9,144

Rank in 1984:

2

Rank in 1980s:

20

Overall Rank:

152

Average Rating:

 84 (1,388 votes)

Comments:

80

3.

Born In The U.S.A. 

 Bruce Springsteen

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"Bruce Springsteen's record company must have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he delivered his new album to them after the lo-fi bleakness of the all acoustic, Nebraska. Born in the USA, was Springsteen's shot at the title, his pop record, his ticket to superstardom. I'm sure Springsteen had p...""Bruce Springsteen's record company must have breathed a huge sigh of relief when he delivered his new album to them after the lo-fi bleakness of the all acoustic, Nebraska. Born in the USA, was Springsteen's shot at the title, his pop record, his ticket to superstardom. I'm sure Springsteen had promised Colombia a more accessible record this time, but nobody could have been prepared for the way this album took off. It's a typical Springsteen LP lyrically, blue collar guys, the hopes and fears of the ordinary working man, but this was smothered in a slick pop sheen, it was undoubtedly Bruce Springsteen, but now he wasn't just competing with Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, and Tom waits, now he was fighting it out with Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince. The title track was originally one of the demo's recorded for the Nebraska album, but fortunately Springsteen held it back. It's a much misunderstood song, although the version here, could easily be misinterpreted, as Ronald Regan famously did, because it was delivered in it's anthemic, bombastic incarnation. It's a Springsteen classic. Other highlights on the album are, the rocking, cover me, the rockabilly, working on the highway, the cool sweat of, I'm on fire, and friendship anthems, no surrender, and, Bobby Jean. Dancing in the dark, is one of Bruce's all time great songs, and his biggest ever hit in the U.S. There's no weak tracks here, from the brooding, downbound train,to the reminiscing, glory days, and the closing track, my hometown. This would be the last record Springsteen would record with the E street band for 18 Years, when they would eventually reconvene for the 9/11 inspired, the rising. The success of, born in the USA, gave Springsteen what he wanted, the guarantee to be able to sell out stadiums for the rest of his career. It's his greatest pop moment, an eighties classic. "  [+]  Reply

- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

947 charts

Rank Score:

7,926

Rank in 1984:

3

Rank in 1980s:

24

Overall Rank:

186

Average Rating:

 78 (1,347 votes)

Comments:

82

4.

The Smiths 

 The Smiths

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"I've reviewed this album once already, listened to it too many times to count and I still keep coming back to it. Forget the slightly rough production, this is The Smiths laying out their mantra and their manifesto, and it is wonderful from start to finish. I grew up with this album and it helped...""I've reviewed this album once already, listened to it too many times to count and I still keep coming back to it. Forget the slightly rough production, this is The Smiths laying out their mantra and their manifesto, and it is wonderful from start to finish. I grew up with this album and it helped make me who I am today. I bought it from HMV on CD in 2014, right at the start of Sixth Form for me. Few albums could have provided a better soundtrack, with the themes of youth, loneliness and discontent with the world contextualised against the sound of early-80s Manchester that is so vividly captured in the songs on this record embodying what I myself was going through. Contrary to what some believe, it's not depressing. Far from it. It's filled with a melancholic hope, that despite how rubbish the world is, you are not alone and you certainly don't have to feel sad about it. The Smiths' debut is a friend, an accomplice and an advisor. And the more you listen, the more you realise how accurate and relevant it is. And just how good it is; this is Jangle Pop like no other, and I could wax lyrical about all the tracks on here. The real highlight is the second half, from This Charming Man (on CD versions) to What Difference Does It Make?, which really is one amazing song after another. Summarising what The Smiths' debut means to me is hard, because it's so personal and so integral both to who I am and the music I've since gone on to explore. And indeed, I feel like it's one of those albums that everyone has their own personal experience with. That's what makes it truly special. For me, its greatest strength is the message it lays out: the world is rubbish, and there's not much you can do about it. So, rather than getting wallowed down in its sadness, embrace it. Because the music that kind of attitude produces is what makes life worth living for."  [+]  Reply

- DeusExMackia | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

975 charts

Rank Score:

7,814

Rank in 1984:

4

Rank in 1980s:

25

Overall Rank:

191

Average Rating:

 83 (1,486 votes)

Comments:

86

5.

Let It Be 

 The Replacements

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"the greatest album called let it be youll ever hear."  Reply

- Juan Schwartz | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +17 votes (17 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

837 charts

Rank Score:

7,356

Rank in 1984:

5

Rank in 1980s:

26

Overall Rank:

207

Average Rating:

 82 (947 votes)

Comments:

74

6.

Hatful Of Hollow 

 The Smiths

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"I like this album more than their debut, is it wrong for me to say that?"  Reply

- F1Aaron | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

635 charts

Rank Score:

6,047

Rank in 1984:

6

Rank in 1980s:

35

Overall Rank:

272

Average Rating:

 86 (1,050 votes)

Comments:

48

7.

Double Nickels On The Dime 

 Minutemen

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"One of the most brilliant punk records- or just any record, ever. It's hard to comprehend how expansive of a reach the trio of D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley on this album. Stretching across many fields to create some of the most creative, energetic, and flat line rockin'. After listening ...""One of the most brilliant punk records- or just any record, ever. It's hard to comprehend how expansive of a reach the trio of D. Boon, Mike Watt, and George Hurley on this album. Stretching across many fields to create some of the most creative, energetic, and flat line rockin'. After listening to 43 songs in 75 minutes, your mind opens undiscovered doors- kicking them down, disloding hinges and replacing what you thought rock was. The most feeling from a guitar since Hendrix himself, the bass is more free than America, and the drums compliment the High-Low duo, being the gravity of the group, a very groovin', gravity you grow love for. "Our band could be your life"- and with the purest of hope from my heart, I believe than I can achieve that greatness."  [+]  Reply

- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

586 charts

Rank Score:

4,590

Rank in 1984:

7

Rank in 1980s:

48

Overall Rank:

363

Average Rating:

 80 (645 votes)

Comments:

47

8.

Stop Making Sense 
Live soundtrack

 Talking Heads

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"The Special Edition, which includes more live versions, is amazing! I would recommend listening to that one"  Reply

- lleon79 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +8 votes (8 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

490 charts

Rank Score:

4,337

Rank in 1984:

8

Rank in 1980s:

53

Overall Rank:

383

Average Rating:

 83 (708 votes)

Comments:

32

9.

Zen Arcade 

 Hüsker Dü

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"Because, Timtooky, it's a little more cerebral than your beloved Toy Dolls LP. I hope you didn't read that it was a concept album and were expecting another Dark Side... And yes, having looked at your chart, your music taste is disastrous. Maybe giving this album more than 3 minutes would help ad...""Because, Timtooky, it's a little more cerebral than your beloved Toy Dolls LP. I hope you didn't read that it was a concept album and were expecting another Dark Side... And yes, having looked at your chart, your music taste is disastrous. Maybe giving this album more than 3 minutes would help address that (and starting with Turn On The News rather than Dreams Recurring). Otherwise it's Europe LPs and sodding Life is Live by Opus until you shuffle off, I'm afraid."  [+]  Reply

- Jimmy Dread | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

510 charts

Rank Score:

4,126

Rank in 1984:

9

Rank in 1980s:

55

Overall Rank:

403

Average Rating:

 79 (603 votes)

Comments:

33

10.

Treasure 

 Cocteau Twins

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"This 1984 album laid the groundwork for the development of post-rock electronica for the next 25 years and you can hear the Cocteau Twin's influence on nearly every contemporary electronica/dance band. The atmospheric sound, crafted around Robin Guthrie's creative use of distorted guitars, tape l...""This 1984 album laid the groundwork for the development of post-rock electronica for the next 25 years and you can hear the Cocteau Twin's influence on nearly every contemporary electronica/dance band. The atmospheric sound, crafted around Robin Guthrie's creative use of distorted guitars, tape loops,and echo boxes; and the hypnotic, ethereal vocal stylings of Liz Frazier have become so common in electronic music that we often foget it all started with the Cocteau Twins. "  [+]  Reply

- GavinB | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

573 charts

Rank Score:

4,038

Rank in 1984:

10

Rank in 1980s:

57

Overall Rank:

413

Average Rating:

 82 (656 votes)

Comments:

38

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1984 composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Artist	Albums	%
Various Artists	21	2%
Black Flag	4	0%
The Milkshakes	4	0%
Frank Zappa	4	0%
Kazumi Watanabe	3	0%
The Residents	3	0%
Touré Kunda	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	350	35%
	264	26%
	46	5%
	41	4%
	36	4%
	31	3%
	26	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	934	93%
Yes	66	7%

Live?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	972	97%
Yes	28	3%