Six remarkable and unforgettable debut albums from the 1980s

Sade - Diamond Life

How about some cool R&B with a touch of jazz to kick off the list of six albums? Diamond Life by Sade is exactly that and more. First off though, did you know that Sade is a band, not a solo artist? Sure, the lead singer is Sade Adu, but having been a backing singer in the UK group Pride, she and three of that band left. They added a drummer and formed Sade.

That band then released Diamond Life in July 1984 as an astonishingly successful and brilliant-sounding debut album. It hit number five on the US album charts and hit second place in the UK. Total sales of over seven million worldwide make it one of the top debut albums.

You don't get that sort of commercial, success from an average album, especially not for a debut band. Diamond Life is nowhere near average. It's full of great songs in that cool, chilled, sophisticated style the band developed. Two singles from the album brought chart success. “Smooth Operator” and “Your Love Is King” exemplify the album and band superbly. Another two, “When Am I Going To Make A Living” and “Hang On To Your Love” were also released to more limited success.

Adu has joint writing credits on all but one of the album tracks, primarily with fellow band member Stuart Matthewman. The only track she didn't write on is the closing number. A cover of  “Why Can’t We Live Together” a 1972 hit for Timmy Thomas. Combined with her terrific voice it’s a great contribution from Adu to this stunning and successful debut album.