I Love the Eighties: My Top 100 Albums of 1982

When it comes to the years 1982 through 1987, I have been having all kinds of trouble editing my lists down to 40 albums. I simply love too many albums from each of those years. Of course, 1982, 1983 and half of 1984 all represent the college years BEFORE I met my wife. So, they all represent me while I was attempting (or NOT) to grow up. Those years flew by and represent me at the pinnacle of irresponsibility: no career, no family, no nothing. Simply, that time was spent packing as much fun into those years as possible. Additionally, that time period represented the time period during which my album collection ballooned from a modest 50 albums to a very obsessive 200 or so LPs. As a matter of fact, my 200th album was purchased by a fraternity brother and given to me during a silly ceremony at a house meeting during the Spring of 1982, also the end of my freshmen year. The 200th album? The classic 1979 album by the ever-brilliant Neil Young, Rust Never Sleeps, a gift that continues to keep on giving. By the time I got married in early 1985, my collection was a very healthy 350 albums, while today the collection now pushing 2500 albums, picture discs, 12-inch and 7-inch singles and CDs, most of which were purchased “on sale” or used or back in my Columbia House days.

Simply put, 1982 was a great and diverse year for music. First off, MTV reached Central Indiana, momentarily changing the type of music played on radio here. Next, we were living through the opening salvos of hip hop from the likes of Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force. Additionally, we were living through the last gasps of AOR, which seemed to have just peaked in popularity during the previous two years as Asia, Survivor, Saga and Aldo Nova all releasing great albums in the genre. Hoosier legend John Mellencamp rose to prominence under the moniker “John Cougar” after his outstanding performance on Saturday Night Live with his mega-hits “Hurts So Good” and “Jack and Dianne.”

However, 1982 will probably be most remembered for the release of not just one but THREE unforgettable and huge-selling albums known throughout rock history: Michael Jackson’s Thriller, 1999 by Prince and Men at Work’s debut album, Business as Usual. Usually, a year is lucky to have a single classic album released during it, but to have two bonafide classics and a debut album that ended the year with the most sales. Needless to say, 1982 was a robust year for albums, as well as singles.

So, without any more pretense, let’s get this party going. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you my list of the Top 100 Albums of 1982. Start the countdown!

1. Prince – 1999
2. Michael Jackson – Thriller
3. Queen – Hot Space
4. Talking Heads – The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
5. The Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now
6. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
7. Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (aka IV: Security)
8. E.M. – Chronic Town
9. Daryl Hall & John Oates – H2O
10. Dexys Midnight Runners – Too Rye Aye
11. ABC – The Lexicon of Love
12. Pete Townshend – All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
13. Rush – Signals
14. Yazoo – Upstairs at Eric’s
15. George Clinton – Computer Games
16. The Jam – The Gift
17. Duran Duran – Rio
18. Dire Straits – Love Over Gold
19. Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw
20. Marvin Gaye – Midnight Love
21. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Imperial Bedroom
22. Men at Work – Business as Usual
23. Utopia – Swing to the Right
24. Roxy Music – Avalon
25. The (English) Beat – Special Beat Service
26. The Alan Parsons Project – Eye in the Sky
27. The Clash – Combat Rock
28. Billy Joel – The Nylon Curtain
29. The Time – What Time Is It?
30. Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast
31. Toto – Toto IV
32. Utopia – Utopia
33. XTC – English Settlement
34. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Long After Dark
35. Wall of Voodoo – Call of the West
36. Adam Ant – Friend or Foe
37. Cheap Trick – One on One
38. Billy Squier – Emotions in Motion
39. Culture Club – Kissing to Be Clever
40. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – The Message
41. Joe Jackson – Night and Day
42. Kiss – Creatures of the Night
43. Donald Fagen – The Nightfly
44. Frida – Something’s Going On
45. John Cougar – American Fool
46. A Flock of Seagulls – A Flock of Seagulls
47. Laurie Anderson – Big Science
48. Led Zeppelin – Coda
49. Haircut One Hundred – Pelican West
50. INXS – Shabooh Shoobah
51. Lionel Richie – Lionel Richie
52. Modern English – After the Snow
53. Pat Benatar – Get Nervous
54. Paul McCartney – Tug of War
55. Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
56. Split Enz – Time and Tide
57. Phil Collins – Hello, I Must Be Going
58. X – Under the Black Sun
59. Squeeze – Sweets from a Stranger
60. Stray Cats – Built for Speed
61. Graham Parker – Another Grey Area
62. Supertramp – “…Famous Last Words…”
63. Talk Talk – The Party’s Over
64. The Gap Band – The Gap Band IV
65. The Go-Go’s – Vacation
66. The Waitresses – Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful
67. Asia – Asia
68. Huey Lewis & the News – Picture This
69. Berlin – Pleasure Victim
70. Richard & Linda Thompson – Shoot Out the Lights
71. The Who – It’s Hard
72. Aldo Nova – Aldo Nova
73. Robert Plant – Pictures at Eleven
74. Eddie Money – No Control
75. .38 Special – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
76. Missing Persons – Spring Session M
77. Blondie – The Hunter
78. Fleetwood Mac – Mirage
79. Eddie Grant – Killer on the Rampage
80. Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance
81. Billy Idol – Billy Idol
82. Don Henley – I Can’t Stand Still
83. George Thorogood & the Destroyers – Bad to the Bone
84. Van Halen – Diver Down
85. Vanity 6 – Vanity 6
86. Rick Springfield – Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me
87. Warren Zevon – The Envoy
88. Devo – Oh No! It’s Devo!
89. Scorpions – Blackout
90. Lou Reed – The Blue Mask
91. The Dream Syndicate – The Days of Wine and Roses
92. The Misfits – Walk Among Us
93. Fear – The Record
94. Thomas Dolby – The Golden Age of Wireless
95. Elton John – Jump Up
96. Flipper – Album (Generic Album: Flipper)
97. The Descendents – Milo Goes to College
98. Bad Brains – Bad Brains
99. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Daylight Again
100. Survivor – Eye of the Tiger

And, there you go fans! That’s it – My Top 100 Albums for 1982. I hope you enjoyed it. Let the criticism begin!

Author: ifmyalbumscouldtalk

I am just a long-time music fan who used to be a high school science teacher and a varsity coach of several high school athletic teams. Before that, I worked as a medical technologist at three hospitals in their labs, mainly as a microbiologist. I am retired/disabled (Failed Back Surgery Syndrome), and this is my attempt to remain a human. Additionally, I am a serious vinyl aficionado, with a CD addiction and a love of reading about rock history. Finally, I am a fan of Prince, Cheap Trick, Tom Petty, R.E.M., Hall & Oates, Springsteen, Paul Weller & his bands and Power Pop music. View all posts by ifmyalbumscouldtalk