18 best albums turning 40 this year

After George Orwell published his now legendary (and often prophetic) novel bearing just the name of this year from the previous century, it sparked the minds of so many artists, including musicians that referred to it directly in their music - from Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie to Stevie Wonder and Radiohead.

In reality, it turned out that, like any other year before and after it, it had its ups and downs, with the music that came out of that year turned quite a few goodies, including some bona fide classics and some buried gems that surely need to be re-assessed. 

Here are 18 such albums from 1984 listed here in alphabetical order, as they have passed the time test after four decades.

18 albums released in 1984 that are still brilliant to listen to

Blue Nile -  A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Glasgow band seemingly appeared out of nowhere with this, their debut album, which, consciously or unconsciously, started a number of new pop trends, including immaculate production, and it worked. It wouldn’t have if the songs were below par, but those like “Tinseltown In The Rain” are now considered classics.

Bruce Springsteen - Born In The U.S.A.

Books and academic studies have written about this one, and deservedly so. Whether it is the debate about the true meaning of the title song, or the overall quality of the music and lyrics on the album itself, makes no difference, as this album is certainly one of the legend’s best.

Leonard Cohen - Various Positions

There’s a strange story about the original release of this album, as it originally didn’t get as much attention it really deserved. Cohen’s songwriting was its high, his voice was acquiring new timbres, and if not for anything else, it included the original version of ‘Hallelujah.’

Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain

When your album is credited as one of the keys to the development of dream pop it certainly deserves full attention. ‘Ocean Rain’ presented the band’s sound at its fullest, with or without the 35-piece orchestra that also plays on it. After all, it includes gems like “The Killing Moon” and “Seven Seas.”

Husker Du - Zen Arcade

Here, the songwriting (and singing) duo of Bob Mould and Grant Hart (not forgetting bassist Greg Norton) turn their full-on hardcore into something truly special, flavoring it with some incredible melodies, fitting the two together like a hand in a silk glove. Everything dubbed alternative rock has roots here.

Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes

Another debut album coming out of Scotland that brought brilliant songwriting that took the elements of folk rock tossed them up in the air, picked them up, and arranged them in a different order. To this day, with Cole coming up with some great music with or without the band, this is probably his best.

Los Lobos - How Will The Wolf Survive

If you ask the members of the band how many bars, restaurants weddings (possibly funerals too) they played on, they might not be able to give you a full count. Yet that experience and the musical touch it can give you (if you have talent) reflects here, where the band shows that anything roots music is no mystery to them. Nor it ever was.

Minutemen - Double Nickels on A Dime

In the brief history of this incredible band, cut short by the premature death of D. Boon, this album stands as its best and definitely one of the best with anything connected with punk and hardcore. Yet limiting it just to these two would be a definite misnomer as Boo, Mike Watt, and George Hurley pack in here everything from folk to jazz and all as a trio.

Prefab Sprout - Swoon

Yet another debut album, brought along the songwriting of Paddy McAloon, who became a musical face for sophisticated pop rock. The critics loved it right away, but it remains a sort of a hidden gem compared to the wide acclaim its follow-up “Steve McQueen” (“Two Wheels Good”) received.

Prince -  Purple Rain 

Many would put this one at the top of their yearly lists, and to this day it remains one of the perfect rock/soul/R&B combinations around and one of the best the late legend recorded. Still sounds fresh as it did when it was released.

The Psychedelic Furs - Mirror Moves

Picking up cues from David Bowie and then turning them into something quite individual is a feat in itself.  But this album includes possibly the strongest work Richard Butler and company came up with, including  classics like “The Ghost In You” and “Heaven.”

R.E.M. - Reckoning

Riding on the surprise success of Murmur the band didn’t try to simply retrace its steps here, but to try to develop their music as much as they could, and they certainly did, coming up with some incredible songwriting and performances that stand the test of time. “So. Central Rain” and “Don’t Go Back to Rockville” are among the band’s best still.

The Replacements - Let It Be

It seems that in 1984 all the key purveyors of hardcore started moving their music in new directions, and so did Paul Westerberg and The Replacements. Here’s where Westerberg started presenting his visions of The Beatles and Big Star and how they fit in within the band’s music. Quite well, to say the least.

Sade - Diamond Life

Some called Sade the queen of suave, although she was just the singer of the band of the same name (at least in the beginning) and one of the progenitors of smooth pop-soul (jazz). Yet with all the initial negative views from the critics, it turned into the huge success it deserved to be.

The Style Council - Cafe Bleu

By the sound of this album, many fans of punk/new wave legends The Jam would think that Paul Weller was involved here. Yet, it seems that in 1984 Weller had similar musical ideas as Sade did, coming up with some slick, smooth pop-soul.

The Smiths - The Smiths

Yes, it is jangle (but not all the way), but it is a great jangle, with Johnny Marr showing why he is such a revered guitarist, and it was also the time when Morrissey was coming up with his best lyrics. The debate among the fans is still on whether this is the band’s best or is it any other of the other three.

Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

No wonder this one is being reconsidered over and over again, with a documentary and a special tribute album, as it just might be one of the best live albums in rock music, period. Not much else needed to be said.

XTC - The Big Express

By this time Andy Partridge and co. were at their album number seven, and all the punk and new wave seem to have become things of the past with the band turning fully to try to exceed in the melody and harmony side of their songwriting, and they did so here.

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