Top Albums of 1985





Rank All Time Rank Artist Album Genres
1
86
The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy Noise Pop, Post-Punk
2
105
Tom Waits Rain Dogs Experimental Rock, Singer/Songwriter
3
163
Kate Bush Hounds of Love Art Pop, Progressive Pop
4
317
The Pogues Rum, Sodomy & the Lash Celtic Rock
5
322
Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen/Two Wheels Good Pop Rock, Sophisti-Pop
6
431
Hüsker Dü New Day Rising Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore
7
542
The Replacements Tim Alternative Rock, Power Pop
8
549
New Order Low-Life Alternative Dance, New Wave, Synthpop
9
551
The Fall This Nation's Saving Grace Post-Punk
10
600
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms Pop Rock
11
614
The Cure The Head on the Door Alternative Rock, Post-Punk
12
666
The Smiths Meat Is Murder Indie Pop, Jangle Pop
13
746
Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 Southern Soul
14
927
LL Cool J Radio Hardcore Hip Hop
15
1091
The Waterboys This Is the Sea Folk Rock, Pop Rock
16
1254
Tears for Fears Songs from the Big Chair New Wave, Pop Rock, Synthpop
17
1279
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Contemporary R&B, Pop
18
1324
R.E.M. Fables of the Reconstruction Jangle Pop
19
1418
Sting The Dream of the Blue Turtles Pop Rock, Sophisti-Pop
20
1439
Prince and The Revolution Around the World in a Day Neo-Psychedelia, Pop Rock, Psychedelic Soul
21
1510
Einstürzende Neubauten 1/2 Mensch Industrial
22
1546
Talking Heads Little Creatures Art Pop
23
1550
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds The Firstborn Is Dead Post-Punk, Punk Blues
24
1563
Dexys Midnight Runners Don't Stand Me Down Blue Eyed Soul, New Wave
25
1595
The Velvet Underground VU Art Rock
26
1666
Suzanne Vega Suzanne Vega Folk Pop, Singer/Songwriter
27
1740
John Cougar Mellencamp Scarecrow Heartland Rock
28
1771
Hüsker Dü Flip Your Wig Alternative Rock, Post-Hardcore
29
1784
The Cult Love Alternative Rock, Post-Punk
30
2056
Bérurier Noir Concerto pour détraqués Punk Rock
31
2133
Scritti Politti Cupid & Psyche 85 Sophisti-Pop, Synthpop
32
2193
Mekons Fear and Whiskey Cowpunk, Post-Punk
33
2234
John Fogerty Centerfield Heartland Rock, Roots Rock
34
2256
Ry Cooder Paris, Texas Acoustic Blues, Film Score
35
2280
Meat Puppets Up on the Sun Alt-Country, Alternative Rock, Cowpunk
36
2350
The Sisters of Mercy First and Last and Always Gothic Rock
37
2411
Eurythmics Be Yourself Tonight New Wave, Pop
38
2436
Marillion Misplaced Childhood Neo-Prog
39
2593
The Blasters Hard Line Rockabilly, Roots Rock
40
2648
Simple Minds Once Upon a Time Pop Rock
41
2698
Wynton Marsalis Black Codes (from the Underground) Post-Bop
42
2744
Chris Isaak Silvertone Pop Rock
43
2749
Barbra Streisand The Broadway Album Show Tunes, Standards
44
2794
Simply Red Picture Book Blue Eyed Soul, Pop Soul
45
2875
Sonic Youth Bad Moon Rising No Wave, Noise Rock
46
2974
Youssou N'Dour Nelson Mandela Mbalax

Albums "bubbling under" the all-time top 3000:
Run-D.M.C. King of Rock Hardcore Hip Hop
Bryan Ferry Boys and Girls Pop Rock, Sophisti-Pop
Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland Showdown! Electric Texas Blues
Mantronix The Album Electro
Sade Promise Smooth Soul, Sophisti-Pop
Scraping Foetus Off the Wheel Nail Experimental Rock, Industrial
A-ha Hunting High and Low New Romantic, Synthpop
The Style Council Our Favourite Shop / Internationalists Sophisti-Pop
Luther Vandross The Night I Fell in Love Smooth Soul
Miles Davis & John Coltrane Live in Stockholm 1960 Hard Bop
Red Hot Chili Peppers Freaky Styley Alternative Rock, Funk, Funk Rock
Dead Can Dance Spleen and Ideal Darkwave
The Chameleons What Does Anything Mean, Basically? Post-Punk
Grant Green Born to Be Blue Cool Jazz, Hard Bop
Robert Palmer Riptide Pop Rock
Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians Fegmania! Jangle Pop, Neo-Psychedelia, Psychedelic Pop
Green on Red Gas Food Lodging Paisley Underground, Roots Rock
Artists United Against Apartheid Sun City Pop Rock
Anthrax Spreading the Disease Thrash Metal
Iron Maiden Live After Death NWOBHM
The Golden Palominos Visions of Excess Alternative Rock
Camper Van Beethoven Telephone Free Landslide Victory Indie Rock
Big Audio Dynamite This Is Big Audio Dynamite New Wave, Post-Punk
Level 42 World Machine Funk, Pop
Lone Justice Lone Justice Country Rock, Pop Rock
Aretha Franklin Who's Zoomin' Who Pop Soul
INXS Listen Like Thieves Pop Rock
Tina Brooks Back to the Tracks Hard Bop