Top 100 Best Selling Albums Of The 80s

[Eric Generic]

Isn't ABBA Gold close to surpassing it now anyway?

In terms of weeks on chart? Yes, I think it's catching up all the time, although even ABBA Gold has been helped by multiple versions - not sure if the CD/DVD edition and/or the Gold/More Gold doublepack were counted in with the original. They say water finds it own level, and certainly two of the biggest acts of all-time have eventually risen to the very top with their (arguably) definining Best Ofs.

Bad was released on Tuesday, 1st September 1987. One of the first times (at that point) where a new release did not come out on a Monday in the UK. True, it was a Bank Holiday week, but the bigger stores in London would still stock most things that day if they were open. I think it was kept back to tie in with the US release day of a Tuesday. I certainly tried to nab a copy on the Monday, without success. Bad is also quite unique in that it actually had a big hit with one of the CD-only bonus songs! So if you had the tape or LP, you only had 8 of the singles.

Hey, less of the Straits bashing, haha. They haven't left as much of a legacy for various reasons. No musical in the West End and/or Film about them, nobody in the band died, the press hated them (big part of it, this), and as mentioned Mark Knopfler actively sabotaged their success post-Brothers In Arms because he didn't like the demands and lifestyle of unit-shifting stadium rockstars. He wanted to do as he pleased, away from the spotlight of the (then) biggest band in the world. On Every Street was as far as he was prepared to go in terms of compromise. Dire Straits could have sold millions of anything if they'd made another album between 1987 and 1989. I expect they were offered a lot of money to do just that. But he walked away from it, which takes some guts. He did what he felt was right. A lot of his 90s and 00s work is sublime.

[Eric Generic]

Yikes, so in the end I had all of the 100 except these:

22 LOVE SONGS BARBRA STREISAND 1,276,000
32 LIVE- UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY U2 1,202,000
35 COMPLETE MADNESS MADNESS 1,133,000
42 THE KIDS FROM FAME KIDS FROM FAME 1,050,000
57 GUILTY BARBRA STREISAND 942,000
67 DOUBLE FANTASY JOHN LENNON 858,000
81 THE COLLECTION JOHN LENNON 801,000
89 MANILOW MAGIC BARRY MANILOW 774,000
96 LABOUR OF LOVE UB40 734,000

Thanks to everyone who commented and contributed the the thread! A pleasure to do!

Well thank YOU! I loved this thread, obviously. One of my very favourite things in the history of PJ.

[Baby Clyde]

I don't own a single Queen album, by the way.

Me either. And I own albums by EVERYONE!!!

They're one of the few bands that I just can't stand. I can appreciate how good they are and even like some of their records but something about them rubs me up the wrong way.

[Baby Clyde]

Yikes, so in the end I had all of the 100 except these:

22 LOVE SONGS BARBRA STREISAND 1,276,000
32 LIVE- UNDER A BLOOD RED SKY U2 1,202,000
35 COMPLETE MADNESS MADNESS 1,133,000
42 THE KIDS FROM FAME KIDS FROM FAME 1,050,000
57 GUILTY BARBRA STREISAND 942,000
67 DOUBLE FANTASY JOHN LENNON 858,000
81 THE COLLECTION JOHN LENNON 801,000
89 MANILOW MAGIC BARRY MANILOW 774,000
96 LABOUR OF LOVE UB40 734,000

You don't have any of Babs' albums??? Sort it out Eric.

Having said that I own 66/100 but that doesn't include a single one by Dire Straights, Phil Collins or Queen and only 1 by U2 (Although I really like 80's U2)

Fabulous thread. If we could just think of about 20 more 80's lists to do I'll be happy for the rest of this decade.

[gezza76]

I'm working on something in that vein at the moment though it won't be ready until july time.

[Booers]

that was really interesting - thanks for doing it. I own a third of the list, which is surprising as I don't feel like I own many 80s studio/GH albums (more compilations).

[Eric Generic]

You don't have any of Babs' albums???

I have (or have had at some point) the Essential Streisand, Duets, All I Ask Of You and Guilty Too. Just not any of the older comps or albums.

[hudweiser]

That Queen cover always reminds me of Superman and the phantom zone prison thing the three baddies get put in. I don't own a single Queen album, by the way.

Hahaha!! I just spat out some Pepsi reading that! Yes, yes, yes!

[marie_05]

I wouldn't say Dire Straits have no legacy at all. I know quite a few people who still listen to them and their songs still pop up in many 'Best Of' polls. It's not like the songs were forgotten a year after the release. Also, I've never understood why they appear to be such a Marmite band. I actually don't mind them at all.

Anyway, I missed most of this thread, but I'm definitely going to read it properly. So many iconic acts in there! Thanks for doing this.

[Baby Clyde]

I have (or have had at some point) the Essential Streisand, Duets, All I Ask Of You and Guilty Too. Just not any of the older comps or albums.

What random selection???

I know you're not a homosexualist but every pop fan should own "Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits", "Stoney End", "Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits Vol. 2", "Guilty" and possibly "The Broadway Album" just because it's AMAZING!!!

Having said that "The Essential..." does great job of covering a lot of her best and biggest stuff.

[Eric Generic]

Haha! I got the name of her 1988 album wrong, I'm always doing that - it's got that ALW song on there, but of course it's called Til I Loved You!

Yeah, I need to get the whole Guilty album, I know. And I would've probably got The Broadway Album for her (minor hit) single Somewhere, which I needed for my 80s Singles Log project, but happily The Essential did that job for me.

[MollieSwift21]

I've been quietly reading along to this too.

These are the ones that I own from the list...
5 WHITNEY WHITNEY HOUSTON 1,910,000

Doing better in the top 200 singles haha.

[bichard]

Haha! I got the name of her 1988 album wrong, I'm always doing that - it's got that ALW song on there, but of course it's called Til I Loved You!

Yeah, I need to get the whole Guilty album, I know. And I would've probably got The Broadway Album for her (minor hit) single Somewhere, which I needed for my 80s Singles Log project, but happily The Essential did that job for me.

I HATE Barbra Streisand, except for Guilty. It's a great album, and would be worth getting for The Love Inside alone. It makes me cry!!!

Promises is amazing too. The best of the uptempos.

[marie_05]

The only Streisand CD I own is a Greatest Hits collection. I love her version of All I Ask Of You, by the way.

[invertedbutterfly]

The only Streisand album I own is Stoney End, which I love. Unfortunately, pretty much everything else she's done isn't for me.

[Baby Clyde]

I HATE Barbra Streisand.

YOU FOOL!!!

[Baby Clyde]

What are you people talking about???

Babs is 100% AMAZING!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...vx8jhu48#t=28s

[bichard]

I'm disputing she can sing. She has a great voice, and I like Guilty because that voice is combined with music that I like. But the whole mega-ballad/musical thing makes me want to vom. I hate it.

[The Still Major On Sheets]

I have owned 20 out of 100. I'm surprised Pink Floyd's The Wall (released at the end of 1979) isn't on the list.


4 GREATEST HITS QUEEN 2,222,000 [as part of the 3CD Platinum Collection]
11 NO JACKET REQUIRED PHIL COLLINS 1,675,000 [Sold it on since]
20 BAT OUT OF HELL MEAT LOAF 1,317,000 [Bought twice on CD as first copy I sold on, then I saw a making of doc and bought it again. I shouldn't have as it really isn't any good.]
21 BORN IN THE USA BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 1,277,000
24 INVISIBLE TOUCH GENESIS 1,253,000 [free MP3 download from mFlow]
25 DARE HUMAN LEAGUE 1,248,000 [Sold it on since]
31 BUT SERIOUSLY PHIL COLLINS 1,207,000 [Sold it on since]
39 KICK INXS 1,055,000
47 RATTLE AND HUM U2 1,030,000
56 FACE VALUE PHIL COLLINS 959,000 [Sold it on since]
58 ELIMINATOR ZZ TOP 925,000
63 THE LEXICON OF LOVE ABC 889,000
66 THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE U2 862,000 [free MP3 download from mFlow]
70 FAITH GEORGE MICHAEL 845,000 [Sold it on since]
71 LET'S DANCE DAVID BOWIE 842,000
72 THE WHOLE STORY KATE BUSH 839,000
75 ZENYATTA MONDATTA POLICE 823,000
76 REVENGE EURYTHMICS 821,000
80 GENESIS GENESIS 803,000 [free MP3 download from mFlow]
95 BE YOURSELF TONIGHT EURYTHMICS 739,000


I bought a 3CD Phil Collins solo box set for £4. It was awful, so I sold it on. It had the three albums in it.

FYI mFlow was a download service that gave out free music credits a few years ago.

[Eric Generic]

Ouch, poor Phil. I love No Jacket Required; the others are a bit patchy (esp. But Seriously), but No Jacket is the apex of transatlantic adult pop - for my money, at least. The only shame is it doesn't include Easy Lover. These days it would have been reissued with Easy Lover and Separate Lives tacked on.

[Baby Clyde]

'Separate Lives' is wonderful.

[phoenix123]

I remember listening to "No Jacket Required" (and Billy Joel's "An Innocent Man") incessantly on my way to horse riding lessons when i was a kid. I honestly can't name a track on it now but I'm sure hearing it would bring back so many memories....*wanders off to Amazon*.

[marie_05]

Why do people hate Phil Collins so much? I've never been a fan at all, but his songs are inoffensive at worst. Some are actually quite good.

[Eric Generic]

I've always rated him, unfashionable as it is and regardless of his personality.

[Baby Clyde]

Why do people hate Phil Collins so much? I've never been a fan at all, but his songs are inoffensive at worst. Some are actually quite good.

By all accounts he's a bit of a twat. Dumping his wife for the babysitter/Threatening to leave the UK if Labour won the election etc.

It also doesn't help that even at his height he looked like a middle aged odd job man. Never has there been such an unlikely popstar. He made some great records but there is nothing else memorable about him and I can't help thinking that every single one of his songs would have been improved if they'd been sung by someone else.