1987
U2: The Joshua Tree
Easy choice. Though I ended up overplaying it - along with the rest of the world - I played it that much because it was nearly a religious experience for me. Seeing the band live that year at Tampa Bay Stadium was a religious experience. I only thought I loved U2 before this album came out.
I remember that I liked this New Wave girl at the time and our second date was the night after The Joshua Tree came out. She was also a big U2 fan, so I didn't listen to the album as soon as I bought it. I saved it and the two of us went out to a cemetery that night to listen to it together. (Incidentally, our first date had been to see Sid and Nancy; our third date was watching Clockwork Orange - her favorite movie; my first time seeing it - on the VCR at my house. Such a cool, strange girl.)
I don't play The Joshua Tree a lot anymore. Although I still like U2, they never reached this pinnacle again for me and it makes me kind of sad to listen to it knowing that later on they'd be writing songs for Batman and Robin and making albums like Pop.
But then I hear something like this and I'm transported again:
Runners up:
Belinda Carlisle: Heaven on Earth
The Cult: Electric
The Cure: Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Cutting Crew: Broadcast
Def Leppard: Hysteria
Echo & the Bunnymen: Echo & the Bunnymen
Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night
Guns n' Roses: Appetite for Destruction
Icehouse: Man of Colours
Men Without Hats: Pop Goes the World
George Michael: Faith
Midnight Oil: Diesel and Dust
Sinead O'Connor: The Lion and the Cobra
Pet Shop Boys: Actually
Prince: Sign o' the Times
R.E.M.: Document
The Smiths: Louder than Bombs
Some Kind of Wonderful soundtrack
Sting: ...Nothing Like the Sun
Singles:
Aerosmith: "Dude Looks Like a Lady"
Aerosmith: "Ragdoll"
The Bangles: "Hazy Shade of Winter"
Georgia Satellites: "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"
INXS: "Never Tear Us Apart"
M/A/R/R/S: "Pump Up the Volume"
Simply Red: "The Right Thing"
Sisters of Mercy: "This Corrosion"
10,000 Maniacs: "Peace Train"
T'Pau: "Heart and Soul"
2 comments:
I 100% agree with you on this. I got into U2 a little late. It wasnt until I heard Auchtung Baby that I even knew they mattered. After that I discovered the rest of their work Josh tree, War (My fav), Rattle and hum. And I even thought zooropa was amazing. But then came POP, and after that its like they keep pissing in my soup.
This particular set so reminds me of university. My roomie turned me onto the Smiths and you gotta love their combination of snappy music with the most depressing lyrics. This year is just about the richest is music history with many many of the greatest most varied ,music ever. Loved me some 10,000 Maniacs. Peace Train was the first to start my love affair with Natalie Merchant. Who can forget the impace Guns and Roses made when they first came on the stage. For my money SLASH is a guitar god and Axel, with his voice like a 'coyote trapped in barbed wire' was one of rock's great vocal talents - well until he lost his friggen mind. Welcome back Brother May...missed ya
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