The Best Albums 1980-2006
OK, they're just
my personal choices but the following list gives you at least an
indication of where my music tastes are at. I was only 5 at the
turn of the 80s and even though I'm still discovering music from
earlier than this period I'm not sure I can do justice to it yet. Please note, I occasionally make changes to this list as I catch up on releases from previous years.
Shortcuts for
specific years:-
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
1980
Comsat Angels, The -
Waiting For A Miracle
Joy Division -
Closer
Modern English - Mesh And Lace
Monochrome Set,
The - The Strange Boutique
Teardrop Explodes, The - Kilimanjaro
1981
Comsat Angels, The - Sleep No More
Durutti Column -
LC
Kraftwerk -
Computer World
Orchestral
Manouevres In The Dark - Architecture & Morality
Siouxsie And The
Banshees - JuJu
Soft Cell - Non-Stop
Erotic Cabaret
The Sound - From The Lion's Mouth
1982
Associates - Sulk
China Crisis -
Difficult Shapes And Passive Rhythms : Some People Think It's Fun
To Entertain
Comsat Angels, The -
Fiction
Elvis Costello And
The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom
Fagen, Donald -
The Nightfly
Rowland, Kevin & Dexys Midnight
Runners - Too-Rye-Ay
Thorn, Tracey - A Distant Shore
1983
Blue Nile, The - A Walk Across The Rooftops
Chameleons, The -
Script Of The Bridge
Cocteau Twins -
Head Over Heels
Durutti Column - Another Setting
Echo And The
Bunnymen - Porcupine
Eyeless In Gaza - Rust Red September
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
Tears For Fears - The Hurting
The The - Soul
Mining
This Mortal Coil -
It'll End In Tears
Watt, Ben - North Marine Drive
1984
Cole, Lloyd And
The Commotions - Rattlesnakes
Depeche Mode -
Some Great Reward
Echo And The
Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Lotus Eaters, The - No Sense Of Sin
Orange Juice - Texas Fever
Prefab Sprout -
Swoon
Room, The - In Evil Hour
Sylvian, David - Brilliant Trees
U2 - The
Unforgettable Fire
1985
Breathless - The Glass Bead Game
Bush, Kate -
Hounds Of Love
China Crisis -
Flaunt The Imperfection
Killing Joke -
Night Time
New Order - Low-Life
Prefab Sprout -
Steve McQueen
Scritti Politti -
Cupid & Psyche 85
1986
Cocteau Twins -
Victorialand
New Order -
Brotherhood
Talk Talk - The
Colour Of Spring
XTC - Skylarking
1987
Christians, The -
The Christians
Jesus And Mary
Chain, The - Darklands
That Petrol Emotion - Babble
Triffids, The -
Calenture
1988
All About Eve -
All About Eve
A. R. Kane - 'Sixty Nine'
Cocteau Twins -
Blue Bell Knoll
For Against - December
Momus - Tender
Pervert
Morrissey - Viva
Hate
Pet Shop Boys - Introspective
Prefab Sprout -
From Langley Park To Memphis
Talk Talk - Spirit
Of Eden
1989
A. R. Kane - 'i'
Blue Nile, The -
Hats
Kitchens Of Distinction - Love Is Hell
New Order -
Technique
Prefab Sprout -
Protest Songs
Shelleyan Orphan - Century Flower
Stone Roses, The - The Stone Roses
Sundays, The -
Reading, Writing And Arithmetic
1990
Beloved, The -
Happiness
Cocteau Twins -
Heaven Or Las Vegas
Depeche Mode -
Violator
Fall, The -
Extricate
Happy Mondays, The
- Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches
Jellyfish -
Bellybutton
Kitchens Of Distinction - Strange Free
World
La's, The - The La's
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
Prefab Sprout -
Jordan The Comeback
1991
Breathless - Between Happiness And Heartache
Eg & Alice -
24 Years Of Hunger
Fall, The - Shift-Work
Massive Attack -
Blue Lines
My Bloody
Valentine - Loveless
Nirvana -
Nevermind
P.M. Dawn - Of The Heart, Of The Soul
And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience
Talk Talk -
Laughing Stock
U2 - Achtung Baby
1992
Comsat Angels - My
Minds Eye
Cranberries, The -
Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?
Cure, The - Wish
Fall, The - Code
Selfish
Kitchens Of Distinction - The Death Of
Cool
Laibach - Kapital
Lang, K. D. - Ingénue
Momus - The
Ultraconformist
Momus - Voyager
Pale Saints - In Ribbons
1993
Auteurs, The - New
Wave
Björk - Debut
Boo Radleys, The -
Giant Steps
Chicane - Firebombs
Cocteau Twins -
Four Calendar Café
Depeche Mode -
Songs Of Faith And Devotion
Devlins, The -
Drift
Divine Comedy, The
- Liberation
En Vogue - Funky
Divas
Momus - Timelord
P.M.Dawn - Jesus Wept
Slowdive -
Souvlaki
1994
Bark Psychosis -
Hex
Cardigans, The -
Emmerdale
Collins, Edwyn -
Gorgeous George
Cranes, The -
Loved
dEUS - Worst Case
Scenario
Electronic -
Electronic
Hall, Terry - Home
Kitchens Of Distinction - Cowboys And
Aliens
Lush - Split
Massive Attack -
Protection
Morrissey -
Vauxhall And I
Nordenstam, Stina
- And She Closed Her Eyes
Orbital -
Snivilisation
Portishead - Dummy
Pulp - His 'N'
Hers
Suede - Dog Man
Star
Wolfgang Press -
Funky Little Demons
1995
Björk - Post
Cardigans, The -
Life
Earthling - Radar
Matthews, Eric -
It's Heavy In Here
Molly Half Head -
Dunce
Momus - The
Philosophy Of Momus
Octopus - From A
To B
Radiohead - The
Bends
Slowdive -
Pygmalion
Stereolab - Music
For The Amorphous Body Study Centre
Swervedriver -
Ejector Seat Reservation
Tindersticks -
Tindersticks
Whipping Boy -
Heartworm
1996
Aloof, The -
Sinking
Babybird - Ugly
Beautiful
Beck - Odelay
Blue Nile, The -
Peace At Last
Bluetones, The -
Expecting To Fly
Boo Radleys, The -
C'Mon Kids
Cardigans, The -
First Band On The Moon
Cocteau Twins -
Milk And Kisses
Divine Comedy, The
- Casanova
Earl Brutus - Your
Majesty... We Are Here
Eels - Beautiful
Freak
808 State - Don
Solaris
Everything But The
Girl - Walking Wounded
His Name Is Alive
- Stars On ESP
Jack - Pioneer
Soundtracks
Manic Street
Preachers, The - Everything Must Go
Placebo - Placebo
Puressence -
Puressence
Sneaker Pimps -
Becoming X
Strangelove - Love
And Other Demons
1997
Alpha - Come From
Heaven
Ben Folds Five -
Whatever And Ever Amen
Dawn Of The
Replicants - One Head, Two Arms, Two Legs
Depeche Mode -
Ultra
Experimental Pop
Band - Discgrotesque
Gene - Drawn To
The Deep End
Geneva - Further
Labradford - Mi
Media Naranja
Mansun - Attack Of
The Grey Lantern
Prefab Sprout - Andromeda Heights
Radiohead - OK
Computer
Ragga And The Jack
Magic Orchestra - Ragga And The Magic Orchestra
ROC - Virgin
Scarfo - Luxury
Plane Crash
Stereolab - Dots
And Loops
Strangelove -
Strangelove
Sundays, The -
Static & Silence
1998
Aloof, The -
Seeking Pleasure
Babybird - There's
Something Going On
Blake, Perry -
Perry Blake
Cardigans, The -
Gran Turismo
Cornelius -
Fantasma
Devlins, The -
Waiting
Eels - Electro-Shock
Blues
Gastr Del Sol -
Gastr Del Sol
Hood - Rustic
Houses And Forlorn Valleys
Kent - Isola
Manic Street
Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours
Mercury Rev -
Deserter's Songs
Pecadiloes, The -
Caught On Venus
Placebo - Without
You I'm Nothing
Puressence - Only Forever
Six.By Seven - The
Things We Make
Smashing Pumpkins,
The - Adore
1999
Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized
Biography Of Reinhold Messner
Breathless - Blue Moon
Dawn Of The Replicants - Wrong Town,
Wrong Planet, Three Hours Late
dEUS - The Ideal Crash
Experimental Pop Band, The - Homesick
Flaming Lips, The - The Soft Bulletin
Garbarek, Anja - Balloon Mood
Hood - The Cycle Of Days And Seasons
Luscious Jackson - Electric Honey
Merz - Merz
Mogwai - Come On Die Young
Scritti Politti - Anomie & Bonhomie
Sneaker Pimps - Splinter
2000
A-ha - Minor Earth | Major Sky
Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Death Cab For Cutie - We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
Doves - Lost Souls
Elbow - Asleep In The Back
Experimental Pop Band, The - The Tracksuit Trilogy
Geneva - Weather Underground
Hyplar - Artificially Flavoured
Labradford - Fixed::Context
Lisp - Cycles
Mansun - Little Kix
McCue, Anne - Amazing Ordinary Things
Montgolfier Brothers, The - Seventeen Stars
Piano Magic - Artists' Rifles
Radiohead - Kid A
Rialto - Girl On A Train
Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
Sea And Cake, The - Oui
Tarwater - Animals, Suns & Atoms
Ulver - Perdition City
Yellow6 - Overtone
2001
Arnold - Bahama
Avalanches, The - Since I Left You
Björk - Vespertine
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - B.R.M.C.
Chameleons, The - Why Call It Anything
Chikinki - Experiment With Mother
Desert Hearts - Let's Get Worse
Divine Comedy, The - Regeneration
Hawley, Richard - Richard Hawley
Hawley, Richard - Late Night Final
Hood - Cold House
King Louis - Generation I Want
King Of Woolworths - Ming Star
Kings Of Convenience - Quiet Is The New Loud
Lift To Experience - The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads
Lotus Eaters, The - Silentspace
Mercury Rev - All Is Dream
Theselah - No Sleep, More Fun
Travis - The Invisible Band
(The Real) Tuesday Weld - When Cupid Meets Psyche
2002
Beck - Sea Change
Boards Of Canada - Geogaddi
Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Delgados, The - Hate
Epic45 - Reckless Engineers
Faultline - Your Love Means Everything
Flaming Lips, The - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
For Against - Coalesced
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
July Skies - Dreaming Of Spires
Leaves - Breathe
Montgolfier Brothers, The - The World Is Flat
My Computer - Vulnerabilia
Phobos 3 - Melody For Sleep
Pony Club - Home Truths
Puressence - Planet Helpless
Portal/Yellow6 - -Split-
Radio 4 - Gotham!
Sand - Still Born Alive
Saso - Big Group Hug
Silence Kit - Silence Kit
Sneaker Pimps - Bloodsport
Snowblind - The Falls
Soft Cell - Cruelty Without Beauty
Styrofoam - I'm What's There To Show That Something's Missing
Theselah - Nice International
2003
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Falling Through A Field
British Sea Power - The Decline Of British Sea Power
Broadcast - Haha Sound
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Colder - Again
Dream Into Dust - The Lathe Of Heaven
Fiel Garvie - Leave Me Out Of This
Gahan, Dave - Paper Monsters
Goldfrapp - Black Cherry
Gramophone - Gramophone
Great Depression, The - Unconscious Pilot
Hawley, Richard - Lowedges
Her Space Holiday - The Young Machines
Immense - Hidden Between Sleeves
Keys, The - The Keys
Kirk, James - You Can Make It If You Boogie
Lansing-Dreiden - The Incomplete Triangle
Lowgold - Welcome To Winners
Medium 21 - Killings From The Dial
Meeting Places, The - Find Yourself Along The Way
Mountaineers - Messy Century
Piano Magic - The Troubled Sleep Of Piano Magic
Portal - Promise
Questionnaires, The - Arctic Circles
Re:Cooperation - TransCollaboration
Sweet Trip - Velocity : Design : Comfort
William Hut - Road Star Doolittle
Workhouse, The - The End Of The Pier
Yellow6 - Merry6mas2003
2004
Adom - Idiot Savant
Argentine - In Other Fictions
Bark Psychosis - ///CODENAME:Dustsucker
Color Filter - Silent Way
Dawn Of The Replicants - The Extra Room
Dear, Matthew - Leave Luck To Heaven
Delays, The - Faded Seaside Glamour
Engineers - Folly
French Kicks - The Trial Of The Century
Girl Called Eddy, A - A Girl Called Eddy
Grand National - Kicking The National Habit
Junior Boys - Last Exit
Khonnor - Handwriting
Interpol - Antics
Keane - Hopes And Fears
Mice Parade - Obrigado Saudade
Organ, The - Grab That Gun
Radio Dept., The - Lesser Matters
Secret Machines - Now Here Is Nowhere
Stills, The - Logic Will Break Your Heart
This Is A Process Of A Still Life - This Is A Process Of A Still Life
Vladislav Delay - Demo(n) Tracks
Waiting Room - Catering For Headphones
Windsor For The Derby - We Fight Til Death
2005
Ambulance Ltd - Ambulance Ltd
Burning Effigies, The - Pipe Dream
Colder - Heat
Coldplay - X&Y
Davis, Richard - Details
Diefenbach - Set & Drift
DK7 - Disarmed
Editors - The Back Room
Engineers - Engineers
Field Music - Field Music
Goldspot - Tally Of The Yes Men
Junkboy - Lost Parade
Merz - Loveheart
Michaels, Drayton - Low Stress In The Deep End
Misty Roses - Komodo Dragons
Motodestra - Motodestra
National, The - Alligator
Silent League, The - The Orchestra, Sadly, Has Refused
Skippy And The Bellbottoms - What Happened To Turn Signals?
Tahiti 80 - Fosbury
Thin Cities - Thin Cities
Vek, Tom - We Have Sound
Windsor For The Derby - Giving Up The Ghost
2006
Angel Tech - Angel Tech
Beauty Room, The - The Beauty Room
Bossanova - Hey, Sugar
Captain - This Is Hazelville
Eisenhowers, The - Almost Half Undressed
Great Depression, The - Preaching To The Fire
Hot Chip - The Warning
Hotels - Thank You For Choosing...
In Civilian Clothing - We Made A Killing, We Made A Mess
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
Keane - Under The Iron Sea
Kennedy, Inigo - Transaction
Lansing-Dreiden - The Dividing Island
Mahogany - Connectivity!
Mystery Jets - Making Dens
O'Rourke, Declan - Since Kyabram
Radio Dept., The - Lesser Matters
Riding Paper Airplanes - Riding Paper Airplanes
Royce - Tuff Love
Televise - Songs To Sing In A & E
Walkmen, The - A Hundred Miles Off
Workhouse, The - Flyover
Yorke, Thom - The Eraser