Once again, here's a starting point for a list. I will edit the list as the day goes on, and then I will sort it over the weekend. Thanks for your help in revising it, I'm sure there are tons of omissions.

# Talking Heads * Remain In Light (Sire)
# The Feelies * Crazy Rhythms (Line)
# Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Doc At The Radar Station (Virgin)
# Joy Division * Closer (Factory)
# The Birthday Party * The Birthday Party (Missing Link)
# X * Los Angeles (Slash)
# David Bowie * Scary Monsters (RCA)
# The Sound * Jeopardy (Korova/Renascent)
# The Jam * Sound Affects (Polydor)
# Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Sire)
# Colin Newman * A-Z (Restless/Beggars Banquet)
# The Fall * Grotesque (Rough Trade)
# Killing Joke * Killing Joke (EG)
# The Pretenders (Sire/Rhino)
# Joy Division * Substance (Factory/WB)
# The Soft Boys * Underwater Moonlight (Rykodisc)
# English Beat * I Just Can't Stop It (Sire)
# Magazine * The Correct Use of Soap (Virgin)
# The Comsat Angels * Waiting For A Miracle (Polydor/Renascent) 80
# Motörhead * Ace Of Spades (Roadracer)
# Michael Prophet * Serious Reasoning (Island)
# The Ruts * Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit)
# The Pop Group * For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? (Rough Trade)
# The Associates * The Affectionate Punch (Fiction)
# The Damned * The Black Album (Big Beat)
# John Cooper Clarke * Snap, Crackle & Bop (Epic)
# Cornell Campbell * I Shall Not Remove 1975-80 (Blood & Fire)
# Ryuichi Sakamoto * B 2 Unit (A&M/Alfa)
# New Age Steppers (On-U Sound/Statik)
# Fela Kuti * I.T.T. (Polygram)
# Martha & the Muffins * Metro Music (Dindisc)
# Urban Verbs (WB/Wounded Bird)
# Tetrack * Let's Get Started (Greensleeves)
# Hugh Mundell * Time And Place (Jet Star/Rockers)
# The Chords * So Far Away (Polydor/Captain Mod)
# Stiff Little Fingers * Nobody's Heroes (EMI)
# Joy Division * Still (Factory)
# Dead Kennedys * Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (Alternative Tentacles)
# Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark * Organisation (Virgin)
# The Clash * Sandinista! (Epic)
# Squeeze * Argybargy (A&M)
# Siouxsie & the Banshees * Kaleidoscope (Polydor/Geffen)
# The Teardrop Explodes * Kilimanjaro (Mercury)
# Yellow Magic Orchestra * Solid State Survivor (Restless)
# XTC * Black Sea (Geffen)
# Willi Williams * Messenger Man (Blood & Fire)
# Swell Maps * Jane From Occupied Europe (Rough Trade/Secretly Canadian)
# Knowledge * Straight Outta Trenchtown 1975-80 (Makasound)
# Pylon * Gyrate (DB)
# Japan * Gentlemen Take Polaroids (Virgin)
# Pink Military * Do Animals Believe In God? (Eric's)
# MX-80 * Out Of The Tunnel (Ralph)
# Subway Sect * What's The Matter Boy? (MCA)
# Bauhaus * In the Flat Field (Beggars Banquet)
# Ultravox * Vienna (Chrysalis)
# The Cramps * Songs the Lord Taught Us (I.R.S.)
# The Royals * Ten Years After (Tamoki?Wambesi)
# Tuxedomoon * Half Mute (Ralph)
# Iron Maiden (Capitol)
# The Specials * More Specials (Chrysalis)
# Bob Marley & The Wailers * Uprising (Tuff Gong/Island)
# Joe Jackson * Beat Crazy (A&M)
# Nick Lowe * Labour Of Lust (Demon)
# Lydia Lunch * Queen Of Siam (Triple X)
# Prince * Dirty Mind (WB)
# Fingerprintz * Distinguishing Marks (Virgin)
# Tony Allen * No Discrimination (P-Vine)
# James Chance & The Contortions * Soul Exorcism (ROIR/Danceteria)
# Chrome * Red Exposure (Siren)
# AC/DC * Back In Black (Epic)
# Gary Numan * Telekon (Beggars Banquet)
# The Ruts * Grin & Bear It (Virgin)
# The Monochrome Set * Love Zombies (Virgin)
# The Clash * Black Market Clash (Epic)
# Devo * Freedom Of Choice (WB)
# Sugar Minott * Black Roots (Black Roots)
# Yello * Solid Pleasure (Ralph/Mercury)
# Black Uhuru * Sinsemilla (Mango)
# The Passage * Pindrop (Ltm)
# Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (Virgin)
# Judas Priest * British Steel (Columbia)
# Burning Spear * Hail H.I.M. (Heartbeat)
# Gang of Four * The Yellow EP (WB)
# The Cure * Seventeen Seconds (Elektra)
# Wall Of Voodoo * Wall Of Voodoo (The Index Masters) (Restless)
# The Monochrome Set * A Strange Boutique (Virgin)
# Dexys Midnight Runners * Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (EMI)
# Judy Mowatt * Black Woman (Island/Shanachie)
# The Undertones * Hypnotised (Sire/Rykodisc)
# New Musik * From A To B (Epic/Edsel)
# The Psychedelic Furs (Columbia)
# John Foxx * Metamatic (Virgin)
# Clock DVA * White Souls In Black Suits (Industrial Records)
# Ozzy Osbourne * Blizzard Of Ozz (Jet)
# U2 * Boy (Island)
# Angel Witch (Castle)
# The Twinkle Brothers * Countrymen (Front Line/Virgin)
# Girlschool * Demolition (Bronze)
# Cristina * Doll In The Box (Ze)
# Rubber City Rebels (Capitol)
# Peter Gabriel * 3 (Geffen)
# Alan Vega * Jukebox Babe (Infinite Zero)
# Defunkt (Hannibal/Ryko)
# Pauline Murray & The Invisible Girls (Illusive/Griffin)
# Fela * Authority Stealing (Universal)
# The Gears * Rockin' At Ground Zero (Bacchus/Playgems)
# Purple Hearts * Beat That! (Fiction/Captain Mod)
# The Lambrettas * Beat Boys in the Jet Age (Dojo)
# Secret Affair * Behind Closed Doors (I Spy/Captain Mod)
# Johnny Guitar Watson * Love Jones (Collectables)
# Dire Straits * Making Movies (WB)
# D.A.F. * Die Kleinen und die B?sen (Mute)
# The Only Ones * Baby's Got A Gun (Columbia)
# Grace Jones * Warm Leatherette (Island)
# Nina Hagen Band EP (Columbia)
# This Heat * Repeat 1979-1980 (These)
# The Human League * Travelogue (Virgin/Caroline)
# Minutemen * Paranoid Time EP (SST)
# UK Subs * Brand New Age (Gem)
# Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy! (Columbia)
# Simple Minds * Empires And Dance (Virgin)
# The Cars * Panorama (Elektra)
# Kate Bush * Never For Ever (EMI)
# Bob Marley * Uprising (Tuff Gong)
# Lene Lovich * Flex (Stiff/Rhino)
# Bad Manners * Ska 'n' B (69 REcords)
# Subhumans * Incorrect Thoughts (CD Presents)
# Various * Dance Craze: Best Of 2-Tone (Chrysalis)
# Big Boys * Live At Raul's Club (Rat Race/Touch & Go)
# The Dickies * Great Dictations (A&M)
# The Only Ones * Peel Sessions (Strange Fruit)
# The Ramones * End of the Century (Sire)
# Saxon * Strong Arm of the Law (Carrere)
# Saxon * Wheels of Steel (Carrere)
# Black Sabbath * Heaven And Hell (WB)
# The Blasters * American Music (Slash/Hightone)
# Suburbs * In Combo (Twin/Tone)
# Iggy Pop * Soldier (Arista)
# The Plimsouls * Zero Hour EP (Beat)
# Cabaret Voltaire * Live At the YMCA (Rough Trade)
# Mission of Burma * Forget (Taang!)
# Crass * Stations of the Crass (Crass)
# Madness * Absolutely (Sire)
# Rush * Permanent Waves (Mercury)
# Van Halen * Women And Children First (WB)
# The Vapors * New Clear Days (UA/Liberty)
# Yellow Magic Orchestra * Xoo Multiples (EMI)
# Tom Waits * Heart Attack And Vine (Elektra)
# Mission Of Burma * Mission Of Burma (Taang!)
# Kid Creole & The Coconuts * Off The Coast Of Me (Ze/Universal/Island)
# The Members * Sound Of the Suburbs 78-80 (Virgin)
# Specials * The Special A.K.A. Live! EP (Chrysalis)
# Rockpile * Seconds Of Pleasure (Columbia)
# Rolling Stones * Emotional Rescue (Virgin)
# Angel City * Dark Room (Epic)
# The Buzzcocks * Lest We Forget 77-80 (ROIR)
# Various * The Moonlight Tapes (Danceville)
# Angel City * Face To Face (Epic)
# Quartz * Stand Up And Fight (MCA)
# Tygers Of Pan Tang * Wild Cat (MCA)
# The B-52's * Wild Planet (WB)
# The Buzzcocks * Parts 1-3 EP (Restless)
# Blondie * Autoamerican (Chrysalis)
# Pere Ubu * The Art Of Walking (Rough Trade)
# The Dickies * Stukas Over Disneyland (A&M)
# The Selecter * Too Much Pressure (Chrysalis)
# Madness * Work Rest & Play EP (Stiff)
# Telex * Neurovision (Sire)
# The Boys * Boys Only (Safari)
# Peter Gabriel * Peter Gabriel (Mercury)
# The Police * Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M)
# Merton Parkas * The Complete Mod Collection (Cherry Red/Anagram)
# Adam & the Ants * Kings of the Wild Frontier (Epic)
# Def Leppard * On Through The Night (Polydor)
# Circle Jerks * Group Sex (Frontier)
# 999 * Biggest Tour In Sport EP (Polydor)
# Queen * The Game (Elektra)
# Billy Joel * Glass Houses (Columbia)
# Joan Jett * Bad Reputation (Blackheart)
# Roxy Music * Flesh + Blood (Virgin)
# Pete Townsend * Empty Glass (MCA)
# Loverboy (Columbia)
# Paul McCartney * McCartney II (Capitol)

omissions:

Pell Mell - Rhyming Guitars
Genesis - Duke
Daryl Hall - Sacred Songs
Kiss - Unmasked

Lots of good ones already listed...how 'bout these...

Kurtis Blow: Kurtis Blow (first rap full LP)
Sugar Hill Gang: Rappers Delight (biggest rap hit of the era)

And best song on an otherwise mundane album for Lou Reed's Power of Positive Drinking off Growing Up in Public

Some like wine and some like hops
But what I really love is my scotch
Its the power, the power of positive drinking

Some people ruin their drinks with ice
And then they, they ask you for advice
They tell you, Ive never told anyone else before

They say, candy is dandy but liquor makes quipsters
And I dont like mixers, or sippers or sob sisters
You know, you have to be real careful where you sit down
In a bar these days

And then some people drink to unleash their libidos
And other people drink to prop up their egos
Its my burdon, man, people say
I have the kind of face you can trust

The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking

Some people say, alcohol makes you less lucid
And think thats true if youre kind of stupid
Im not that kind that gets himself burned twice

And some say liquor kills the cells in your head
And for that matter so does getting out of bed
When I exit, Ill go out gracefully, shot in my hand

The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive
The pow-pow-pow-pow-power of positive drinking

Here's an initial list, but I'll probably be changing it soon once I listen to a few things some more.

1. Talking Heads * Remain In Light (Sire)
2. David Bowie * Scary Monsters (RCA)
3. Magazine * The Correct Use of Soap (Virgin)
4. The Fall * Grotesque (Rough Trade)
5. Swell Maps * Jane From Occupied Europe (Rough Trade/Secretly Canadian)
6. Minutemen * Paranoid Time EP (SST)
7. XTC * Black Sea (Geffen)
8. Gang of Four * The Yellow EP (WB)
9. The B-52's * Wild Planet (WB)
10. Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy! (Columbia)

11. X * Los Angeles (Slash)
12. Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Sire)
13. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Doc At The Radar Station (Virgin)
14. Joy Division * Substance (Factory/WB)
15. Colin Newman * A-Z (Restless/Beggars Banquet)
16. Devo * Freedom Of Choice (WB)
17. This Heat * Repeat 1979-1980 (These)*

*I don't think this was actually released until sometime in the '90s.

My ranking, of those that I currently own...

1 Joy Division * Closer
2 The Feelies * Crazy Rhythms
3 Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy!
4 Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles
5 Siouxsie & the Banshees * Kaleidoscope
6 The Cure * Seventeen Seconds
7 English Beat * I Just Can't Stop It
8 The Jam * Sound Affects
9 Talking Heads * Remain In Light
10 The Sound * Jeopardy
11 The Psychedelic Furs
12 The Pretenders
13 Peter Gabriel * 3
14 The Clash * Black Market Clash
15 David Bowie * Scary Monsters
16 XTC * Black Sea
17 Stiff Little Fingers * Nobody's Heroes
18 The Clash * Sandinista!
19 Joy Division * Still
20 Adam & the Ants * Kings of the Wild Frontier
21 Dexys Midnight Runners * Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
22 Gang of Four * The Yellow EP
23 The Cramps * Songs the Lord Taught Us
24 The Teardrop Explodes * Kilimanjaro
25 Colin Newman * A-Z
26 Dead Kennedys * Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
27 The Undertones * Hypnotised
28 Ultravox * Vienna
29 Killing Joke * Killing Joke
30 U2 * Boy
31 Martha & the Muffins * Metro Music
32 The Passage * Pindrop...(Anybody else have this album?)
33 Magazine * The Correct Use of Soap
34 Simple Minds * Empires And Dance
35 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark * Organisation

I didn't include Substancs, though I have it, it's a compilation so I don't think it counts

#1, baby

Joy Division: Closer
Joy Division: Substance/ Still
Dead Kennedy’s
OMD: Organisation
Devo: Freedom of Choice
The Psychadelic Furs
Magazine: The Correct use of Soap
The Cure: Seventeen Seconds

I have Still by Joy Division as a 1981 release. I couldn't really give an order, but these are my faves.

Edit: Include Talking Heads too, that was a horrible omission on my part.

1. Talking Heads “Remain in Light”
2. English Beat “I Just Can’t Stop It”
3. Echo and the Bunnymen “Crocodiles”
4. The Ramones “End of the Century”
5. Clayton Downie “Black Slavery Days”
6. Bauhaus “In the Flat Field”
7. XTC “The Black Sea”
8. Squeeze “Argybargy”
9. The Clash “Sandinista”
10. Rockpile “Seconds of Pleasure”
11. U2 “Boy”
12. The B-52’s “Wild Planet”
13. Bob Marley & the Wailers “Uprising”
14. David Bowie “Scary Monsters”
15. The Jam “Sound Affects”
16. The Cure “Seventeen Seconds”
17. Devo “Freedom of Choice”
18. Elvis Costello & the Attractions “Get Happy”
19. The Psychedelic Furs S/T
20. Magazine “The Correct Use of Soap”
21. The Specials “More Specials”
22. Teardrops Explode “Kilimanjaro”
23. The Lambrettas “Beatboys in the Jet Age”
24. Stiff Little Fingers “Nobody’s Heroes”
25. The Sound “Jeopardy”
26. The Vapors “New Clear Days”
27. Tony Allen “No Discrimination”
28. Joy Division “Closer”
29. X “Los Angeles”
30. The Police “Zenyatta Mondatta”
31. Split Enz “True Colours”
32. Bruce Springsteen “The River”
33. The Cramps "The Songs the Lord Taught Us"

I don't have the Fall, Blondie, Swell Maps, Monochrome Set, Pretenders Japan and Ultravox albums or they might make it have made it. I always thought that those Feelies and Softboys albums were terribly overrated. Probably forgetting a bunch of things...it was a very good year.

No ranking, just stuff I like:

Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Get Happy!!
Peter Gabriel: 3
Iron Maiden: Iron Maiden
Killing Joke: Killing Joke
Queen: The Game
Rush: Permanent Waves
Talking Heads: Remain In Light
Pete Townsend: Empty Glass
Van Halen: Women And Children First
XTC: Black Sea

This thread should be helpful...this is an era I need some schooling on.

from what i actually own (which is a lot less than i would've thought, especially given that i just got the sound and comsat angels albums this year):

1 U2 * Boy (Island)
2 Joy Division * Closer (Factory)
3 Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Sire)
4 The Cure * Seventeen Seconds (Elektra)
5 English Beat * I Just Can't Stop It (Sire)
6 The Jam * Sound Affects (Polydor)
7 Talking Heads * Remain In Light (Sire)
8 The Sound * Jeopardy (Korova/Renascent)
9 The Comsat Angels * Waiting For A Miracle (Polydor/Renascent)

Is the Sound record hard to find? I've never looked but it's been something I've been meaning to get.

i kinda splurged and got the remasters from the Renascent site....i think they ended up being around $18/album.

1. Black Flag-Damaged
2.Prince- Dirty Mind
3. Bad Brains-Pay to Cum
4.Peter Gabriel-s/t (3)
5. Dk-Fresh Fruit...
6. Killing Joke-s/t
7. Black Uhuru-Sinsemilla
8. U2-Boy
9. The Selecter-Too Much Pressure
10. Bob Marley-Uprising

edit--wait was Damaged 80 or 81. I thought it was late 80. If its 81, shift everything up, and add English Beat to #10.

'81 according to AMG.

Def Leppard * On Through The Night (Polydor)

This heralded the coming of a whole new age. They didn't have the production yet, nor the polish, but there were hints of it. This was the distant rumbling of that spandex-clad behemoth house guest who came and stayed on our couch for 8 or 9 more years.

ok, yeah wiki has the same thing.

I have a pretty big record collection but when I look at these old year lists I never seem to have very many from them. Maybe 5 or 6 from each year.

It makes you wonder what's in those racks.

about 100 discs from each of the last six years

My top 30 (ones in bold are ones I didn't find on SK's list):

1. Artful Dodger - Rave On
2. Jim Carroll - Catholic Boy
3. The Brains - The Brains
4. The Cramps * Songs the Lord Taught Us (I.R.S.)
5. The Heats - Have An Idea
6. Carlene Carter - Musical Shapes
7. Bruce Cockburn - Humans
8. Tom Waits * Heart Attack And Vine (Elektra)
9. The Soft Boys * Underwater Moonlight (Rykodisc)
10. Teenage Head - Frantic City
11. The Pretenders (Sire/Rhino)
12. Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons - Screaming Targets
13. The Undertones * Hypnotised (Sire/Rykodisc)
14. The Psychedelic Furs (Columbia)
15. Wreckless Eric - Big Smash
16. The Vapors * New Clear Days (UA/Liberty)
17. Joan Jett * Bad Reputation (Blackheart)
18. English Beat * I Just Can't Stop It (Sire)
19. The Iron City Houserockers - Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive)
20. The Jags - Evening Standards
21. Bruce Springsteen - The River
22. Rockpile * Seconds Of Pleasure (Columbia)
23. The Hollywood Brats - The Hollywood Brats
24. Willie Nile - Willie Nile
25. XTC * Black Sea (Geffen)
26. Joe Ely - Live Shots
27. The Saints - Monkey Puzzle
28. Graham Parker and the Rumour - The Up Escalator
29. Ian Dury - Laughter
30. The Only Ones * Baby's Got A Gun (Columbia)

Plus all the rest that I own that aren't on the SK list (and was too lazy to rank):

The Fleshtones - Up Front (ep)
John Hiatt - Two Bit Monsters
Tav Falco's Panther Burns - Behind the Magnolia Curtain
Ian Hunter - Welcome To The Club
The Inmates - Shot In The Dark
Robin Lane and the Chartbusters - Robin Lane & The Chartbusters
The Payolas - Introducing the Payolas
The Photos - The Photos
The Piranhas - The Piranhas
Pointed Sticks - Perfect Youth
Lou Reed - Growing Up In Public
The Roches - Nurds
The Romantics - The Romantics
The Secret V's - The Secret V's (ep)
Bob Segarini - Vox Populi
Skafish - Skafish
Ronnie Spector - Siren
Split Enz - True Colors
The Troggs - Live At Max's Kansas City
UJ3RK5 - UJ3RK5 (ep)
Any Trouble - Where Are All The Nice Girls?
Joe "King" Carrasco - Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns
Wayne (Jayne) County - Rock 'n' Roll Resurrection
The Cretones - Thin Red Line

And all the rest that I own that I'm too lazy to rank:

# Talking Heads * Remain In Light (Sire)
# The Feelies * Crazy Rhythms (Line)
# Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band * Doc At The Radar Station (Virgin)
# Joy Division * Closer (Factory)
# X * Los Angeles (Slash)
# David Bowie * Scary Monsters (RCA)
# The Jam * Sound Affects (Polydor)
# Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Sire)
# Killing Joke * Killing Joke (EG)
# John Cooper Clarke * Snap, Crackle & Bop (Epic)
# Martha & the Muffins * Metro Music (Dindisc)
# Urban Verbs (WB/Wounded Bird)
# Stiff Little Fingers * Nobody's Heroes (EMI)
# Dead Kennedys * Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (Alternative Tentacles)
# Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark * Organisation (Virgin)
# The Clash * Sandinista! (Epic)
# Squeeze * Argybargy (A&M)
# The Teardrop Explodes * Kilimanjaro (Mercury)
# The Specials * More Specials (Chrysalis)
# Bob Marley & The Wailers * Uprising (Tuff Gong/Island)
# Joe Jackson * Beat Crazy (A&M)
# Nick Lowe * Labour Of Lust (Demon)
# Lydia Lunch * Queen Of Siam (Triple X)
# Prince * Dirty Mind (WB)
# AC/DC * Back In Black (Epic)
# The Clash * Black Market Clash (Epic)
# Devo * Freedom Of Choice (WB)
# The Cure * Seventeen Seconds (Elektra)
# Dexys Midnight Runners * Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (EMI)
# U2 * Boy (Island)
# Peter Gabriel * 3 (Geffen)
# The Lambrettas * Beat Boys in the Jet Age (Dojo)
# Secret Affair * Behind Closed Doors (I Spy/Captain Mod)
# Dire Straits * Making Movies (WB)
# Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy! (Columbia)
# Kate Bush * Never For Ever (EMI)
# The Ramones * End of the Century (Sire)
# The Blasters * American Music (Slash/Hightone)
# Suburbs * In Combo (Twin/Tone)
# Iggy Pop * Soldier (Arista)
# Madness * Absolutely (Sire)
# Rolling Stones * Emotional Rescue (Virgin)
# The B-52's * Wild Planet (WB)
# The Selecter * Too Much Pressure (Chrysalis)
# The Boys * Boys Only (Safari)
# Roxy Music * Flesh + Blood (Virgin)
# Pete Townsend * Empty Glass (MCA)

Talking Heads * Remain In Light
AC/DC * Back In Black
Joy Division * Closer
English Beat * I Just Can't Stop It
Peter Gabriel * 3
X * Los Angeles
U2 * Boy
The Clash * Sandinista!
Bob Marley * Uprising
XTC * Black Sea
The Pretenders
Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy!
Echo and the Bunnymen * Crocodiles
Popol Vuh * Tantric Songs
The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
Teardrop Explodes * Kilimanjaro
The Psychelic Furs
B-52's * Wild Planet

1. Joy Division * Closer (Factory)
2. The Feelies * Crazy Rhythms (Line)
3. Talking Heads * Remain In Light (Sire)
4. Echo & the Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Sire)
5. David Bowie * Scary Monsters (RCA)
6. Magazine * The Correct Use of Soap (Virgin)
7. The Soft Boys * Underwater Moonlight (Rykodisc)
8. X * Los Angeles (Slash)
9. Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy! (Columbia)
10. Tom Waits * Heart Attack And Vine (Elektra)

1. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
2. Ramones - End Of The Century
3. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
4. The B-52's - Wild Planet

1. The Police * Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M)
2. Dire Straits * Making Movies (WB)
3. AC/DC * Back In Black (Epic)
4. Devo * Freedom Of Choice (WB)
5. The Pretenders (Sire/Rhino)
6. Elvis Costello & the Attractions * Get Happy! (Columbia)
7. Judas Priest * British Steel (Columbia)
8. Ozzy Osbourne * Blizzard Of Ozz (Jet)
9. Pete Townsend * Empty Glass (MCA)
10. U2 * Boy (Island)

This was a fantastic year, at least when retroactively placing it in the context of FT's formative years (the year I turned 14).