Best Non-Hip Hop Albums of the 1980s

The 80's are like the 90's, except hip hop didn't really break through until the last three years, and there's even fewer non-hip hop artists that I like. In other words, it was the worst decade for albums since the 50's, and albums were still pretty uncommon in the 50's. Seven of my #1s are by The Cure, Michael Jackson or Prince, so there's not much diversity at the top. The best non-hip hop album of the 80's is The Head on the Door by The Cure.

Albums highlighted in yellow are DD-Cup/5 Mech classics

1980

1. James Blood Ulmer - Are You Glad to Be in America? (Jazz Fusion)
2. Motörhead - Ace of Spades (Metal)
3. Sun Ra Arkestra - Sunrise in Different Dimensions (Jazz)
4. Moebius & Plank - Rastakraut Pasta (Krautrock)
5. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (Post-Punk)
6. The Cure - Seventeen Seconds (Gothic Rock)
7. Fela Kuti - Authority Stealing (Afrobeat)
8. Johnny Osbourne - Truth & Rights (Reggae)
9. Tom Waits - Heartattack & Vine (Blues Rock)
10. Sun Ra - Strange Celestial Road (Jazz)

1981

1. The Cure - Faith (Gothic Rock)
2. Eloy - Planets (Progressive Rock)
3. Billy Bang - Changing Seasons (Free Jazz)
4. The Mighty Diamonds - Reggae Street (Reggae)
5. The Lounge Lizards - The Lounge Lizards (Avant-Garde/Free Jazz)
6. McCoy Tyner - 13th House (Jazz)
7. Black Uhuru - Red (Reggae)
8. King Crimson - Discipline (Progressive Rock)
9. Miles Davis - The Man with the Horn (Jazz)
10. Bernard Wright - 'Nard (Funk)

1982

1. Michael Jackson - Thriller (Pop)
2. Ted Hawkins - Watch Your Step (Soul/Folk)
3. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (Folk Rock/Americana)
4. Ornette Coleman - Of Human Feelings (Free Jazz)
5. Lou Reed - The Blue Mask (Rock)
6. Michael Garrison - Eclipse (Berlin School)
7. The Cure - Pornography (Gothic Rock)
8. Earthstar - Humans Only (Electronic/Krautrock)
9. Kate Bush - The Dreaming (Art Rock)
10. Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble & Jaki Liebezeit - Full Circle (Krautrock)

1983

1. Prince - 1999 (Funk/Pop)
2. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (Experimental Rock/Blues Rock)
3. The Hooters - Amore (Rock)
4. The Triffids - Treeless Pain (Folk Rock)
5. Billy Bang - Outline No. 12 (Free Jazz)
6. Dave Holland Quintet - Jumpin' In (Modal Jazz)
7. Madonna - Madonna (Pop)
8. Popol Vuh - Agape - Agape (Love - Love) (Krautrock)
9. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Texas Flood (Blues)
10. Mercyful Fate - Melissa (Metal)

1984

1. Prince - Purple Rain (Funk/Pop)
2. James Blood Ulmer - Odyssey (Jazz Fusion)
3. The Smiths - The Smiths (Alternative Rock)
4. Madonna - Like a Virgin (Pop)
5. Danielle Dax - Jesus Egg that Wept (Post-Punk)
6. Pat Metheny Group - First Circle (Jazz Fusion)
7. Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath (Metal)
8. The Time - Ice Cream Castles (Funk)
9. Sade - Diamond Life (Soul)
10. Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains (Psychedelic Folk)

1985

1. The Cure - The Head on the Door (Gothic Rock)
2. Ted Hawkins - Happy Hour (Soul/Folk)
3. Kate Bush - Hounds in Love (Art Rock)
4. John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow (Rock)
5. Pharoah Sanders - Shukuru (Free Jazz)
6. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (Rock)
7. Sade - Promise (Soul)
8. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (Experimental Rock/Blues Rock)
9. Heart - Heart (Rock/Pop)
10. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion (Black Metal)

1986

1. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (Alternative Rock)
2. Billy Bragg - Talking with the Taxman About Poetry (Folk Rock)
3. The Triffids - In the Pines (Folk Rock)
4. Last Exit - Last Exit (Free Jazz)
5. The Triffids - Born Sandy (Folk Rock)
6. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Your Funeral…My Trial (Post-Punk)
7. Henry Threadgill Sextett - You Know the Number (Jazz)
8. Madonna - True Blue (Pop)
9. The Moody Blues - The Other Side of Life (Progressive Rock)
10. Cameo - Word Up! (Funk)

1987

1. Michael Jackson - Bad (Pop)
2. Prince - Sign o' the Times (Funk/Pop)
3. Henry Threadgill - Easily Slip Into Another World (Jazz)
4. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (Alternative Rock)
5. George Michael - Faith (Pop)
6. Peter Tosh - No Nuclear War (Reggae)
7. Terence Trent D'Arby - Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby (Contemporary R&B)
8. The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (Gothic Rock)
9. Sun Ra Arkestra - Reflections in Blue (Jazz)
10. Ornette Coleman - In All Languages (Jazz)

1988

1. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey (Post-Punk)
2. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (Folk)
3. Dave Holland Trio - Triplicate (Jazz)
4. Billy Bragg - Workers Playtime (Folk Rock)
5. The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane (Indie Pop)
6. The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues (Folk Rock)
7. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (Progressive Metal)
8. Morrissey - Viva Hate (Alternative Rock)
9. Mike Stern - Time in Place (Jazz Fusion)
10. Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man (Folk)

1989

1. The Cure - Disintegration (Gothic Rock)
2. Ted Hawkins - I Love You Too (Soul/Folk)
3. Madonna - Like a Prayer (Pop)
4. Sun Ra - Blue Delight (Jazz)
5. Faith No More - The Real Thing (Alternative Metal)
6. Henry Threadgill Sextett - Rag, Bush and All (Jazz)
7. Aldo Romano - To Be Ornette to Be (Jazz)
8. Bob Dylan - Oh Mercy (Folk Rock/Blues Rock)
9. Kate Bush - The Sensual World (Art Rock)
10. Tangle Edge - In Search of a New Dawn (Krautrock)