The Grammys - Album of the Year - 1980s

[RRA]

The 90s SOTY line-up sucked, right? Well I hope Album of the Year from the earlier Reagan Decade (when I was born!) will be better.

The AOTY winners, with credited artists in parentheses.

1980 - 52nd Street (Billy Joel)
1981 - Christopher Cross (Christopher Cross)
1982 - Double Fantasy (John Lennon & Yoko Ono)
1983 - Toto IV (Toto)
1984 - Thriller (Michael Jackson)
1985 - Can't Slow Down (Lionel Ritchie)
1986 - No Jacket Required (Phil Collins)
1987 - Graceland (Paul Simon)
1988 - The Joshua Tree (U2)
1989 - Faith (George Michael)

My thoughts:

*I'm reminded that I've actually never explored Billy Joel. Someday I'll give him and his immaculate driving record a chance.

*The problem with DOUBLE FANTASY, a good album mind you, is that you can't seperate it from its link to Lennon's murder since it casts a macabre shadow over it. His death, and the album selling incredibly well and I believe (if I remember correctly) three #1 hits from it, is why DF won that Grammy. We must remember that before he died, the album flopped in UK charts (but bubbling under the Top 10 in America) and got mixed reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. I'm kinda surprised that the touching and tragic "Beautiful Boy" wasn't considered for a single. Hit too close to home perhaps? I really liked some of the remixed tracks when the album was put out in a "Stripped Down" edition, especially "(Just Like) Starting Over."

Here's a controversial opinion that will annoy some Lennon fans: Alot of John's stuffin DF, and the subject material he was inspired by, it felt like he was making a Paul McCartney record in trying to make appealing songs. (And on that flipside, Paul's own New Wave/Electronica flavored MCCARTNEY II out that same year was for him an experimental sketchbook that reminds one of what John tried and experimented with in the late 60s/early 70s.)

*Cross beat Pink Floyd's THE WALL? Fuck. That.

*I think I'll vote THRILLER, I believe still the all-time best selling album ever. For that decade its kinda like SGT. PEPPER in that it's got a bulletproof reputation as a monster creature of its time that makes you by instinct revolt against it as overrated. Yet can you really go wrong with it? It's still a wonderful spin. Several great singles which are among the best and most well-known songs of the 80s, and probably among all of pop music. I admire how sonically married the whole album is together, even the weak corny as hell track like "The Girl is Mine" he did with McCartney (unbelievably the first single from THRILLER) fits in like a glove and not an awkward earsore as it probably should've been otherwise. I'm also fond of especially "P.Y.T.," which I like to think could've been a big hit itself if it had been written/produced in 60s Motown. (Supremes doing that? Definately.)

*On that note, Lionel Ritchie winning is where I especially take out my bullshit yellow penalty card. You know who what 2 nominees he beat that year? Bruce Springsteen's BORN IN THE U.S.A. and Prince's PURPLE RAIN. Both would've been much more superior and appropriate winners, and Prince of those 2 probably should've won considering he was having his own Michael Jackson/THRILLER phenomenon moment with RAIN. He was the first pop star since the Beatles to simultaneously have a #1 single, #1 album, and #1 movie. I'm certain a good portion of the Whitey voting Grammy bloc found Ritchie to be a gentler, more friendly alternative to His Royal Badness and talking about Darling Nikki masturbating in the hallway.

*Prince later that decade would again lose AOTY when his SIGN O THE TIMES (along with Jackson's BAD and Whitney Houston's WHITNEY) lost to JOSHUA TREE. I can't say I'm a U2 fan, but really that defeat doesn't bother me since JOSHUA TREE was pretty good. It deserves its rep. I would say the same for GRACELAND a year later. Those two are essential 80s records.

*On that last fan note of mine, Prince not getting nominated for 1999 is bullshit.

*I'm surprised lookingat the 80s AOTY nominees that Madonna wasn't nominated, not once. I would've thought she was.

[BTN]

Grammys totally rejected madonna until ray of light!

I think u2 is going to win but I am going to vote thriller

[lazarus]

Not sure why you think U2 will win. Almost everyone drinks the Michael Jackson kool-aid. Thriller is plastic soul, IMO. Some good singles but little weight and lacking in depth.

Most of the other winners here don't deserve to be mentioned alongside the majesty that is The Joshua Tree, let alone get a vote over it. Go listen to other rock albums from that year. What the band, Eno, and Lanois were doing in relation to current trends can not be undervalued, even if some of those songs sound mainstream today.

Graceland is the only one that I'd put on that level, Faith is another great one too.

[RRA]

Most of the other winners here don't deserve to be mentioned alongside the majesty that is The Joshua Tree, let alone get a vote over it. Go listen to other rock albums from that year. What the band, Eno, and Lanois were doing in relation to current trends can not be undervalued, even if some of those songs sound mainstream today.

I'm curious. You're a Prince fan like me. If you were a Grammy voter back then, would you vote TJT over SOTT?

[VannVicente]

Considering I've only listened to five albums in that lineup, I'll pick Thriller.

From the ones I've listened to, it'd be:
1. Thriller
2. Double Fantasy (people bag on Yoko too much, personally, I think she's a great musician, especially Plastic Ono Band)
3. The Joshua Tree
4. 52nd Street
5. No Jacket Required

All of them are great albums though.

[lazarus]

I'm curious. You're a Prince fan like me. If you were a Grammy voter back then, would you vote TJT over SOTT?

No. This may be Prince's masterpiece, but on average the songs on TJT rate higher for me. And I think it's one of the best albums ever recorded. That was U2's year, in every way. Prince's was 1984.


Funny, I always thought Purple Rain won AOTY and was shocked to see it was Lionel Richie. That's ridiculous.

[Aurelius]

Not sure why you think U2 will win. Almost everyone drinks the Michael Jackson kool-aid. Thriller is plastic soul, IMO. Some good singles but little weight and lacking in depth.

It sounds a bit harsh on Thriller, but in essence I agree. I think it's more of a producer's album anyway. On the other hand, my three favorite tracks were all written by MJ himself (the fourth, The Girl Is Mine, is rubbish) .

I voted for The Joshua Tree .

[RRA]

2. Double Fantasy (people bag on Yoko too much, personally, I think she's a great musician, especially Plastic Ono Band)

My biggest pet peeve with other Beatles fans (other than they become insensitive assholes when anybody anywhere actually has the gall to criticize them in any form) is that many of them still buy into that myth that she "broke up" the Beatles.

(Its a myriad of major and minor problems just snowballing over the years until they split. If she was never around, they would've probably had the same outcome. If you have to blame one person the most for the break-up, blame Alan Klein.)

No. This may be Prince's masterpiece, but on average the songs on TJT rate higher for me. And I think it's one of the best albums ever recorded. That was U2's year, in every way. Prince's was 1984.

Fair enough.

Funny, I always thought Purple Rain won AOTY and was shocked to see it was Lionel Richie. That's ridiculous.

Would've made this poll more interesting if PR had won, yet I still would probably vote THRILLER over it since I do consider that a considerable greater "high" than PR. Then again I'm apparently one of the few Prince fans who will gladly admit that I'm not enamored with PR. Not saying it's bad or overrated or doesn't deserve its accolades. But...I love 1999, I love DIRTY MIND (my favorite album of his), I love SOTT (along with the never-released DREAM FACTORY), I love the Black Album, I love THE GOLD EXPERIENCE, and so forth...but I don't love PR.

It sounds a bit harsh on Thriller, but in essence I agree. I think it's more of a producer's album anyway. On the other hand, my three favorite tracks were all written by MJ himself (the fourth, The Girl Is Mine, is rubbish) .

I voted for The Joshua Tree .

I like that anecdote that MJ was drivving and got so caught up with the rhythm he was hasing out for "Billie Jean" that he didn't realize his car was on fire.

[Eternal]

Double Fantasy, easily. Perhaps for only Lennon's tracks. I don't consider Yoko being good singer-songwriter. She was Lennon's inspire. Album was and is so underrated. It took boost after Lennon's death but became underrated again.

[RRA]

Oh FYI folks, I will do Song/Album polls for the 2000s but only after the upcoming Grammys because I want to roll the 2010s in with the 2000s. Might even give everybody TWO votes because of that expanded field.

[Donezo]

No other love for George Michael? That album is an all-time favorite of mine! The Joshua Tree is a close second for me from this list, and I also adore Graceland.

Count me in with those who are not huge fans of Thriller. There are some great singles, but it doesn't really come together as a solid album to me. And "The Girl is Mine" is unforgivably terrible.

[RRA]

No other love for George Michael? That album is an all-time favorite of mine!

Growing up I'm sure my generation knew him more for the endless jokes at his troubles (especially the bathroom arrest) and less his greatest hits. I guess?

[Donezo]

Growing up I'm sure my generation knew him more for the endless jokes at his troubles (especially the bathroom arrest) and less his greatest hits. I guess?

Oh I am totally in the same boat. I didn't listen to Faith until much later in life and I was blow away by how great it was. It's a shame that George Michael's legacy has been tainted by his personal life. He's one of the great pop talents of the 80s/90s.

[RRA]

Believe it or not, January 2nd was actually the 30th anniversary of the release of "Billie Jean."

Oh I am totally in the same boat. I didn't listen to Faith until much later in life and I was blow away by how great it was. It's a shame that George Michael's legacy has been tainted by his personal life. He's one of the great pop talents of the 80s/90s.

I'll be honest: I've never heard any of his music, solo or WHAM or whatever. Its why I didn't comment on him or Toto or that Phil Collins album either.

[CINNAMON]

Faith