Musicwhore.org Music and memory

A decade ago, I wrote a series of entries ranking my favorite albums from 1985 to 2004. My collection has expanded greatly since then, particularly in the last five years. So I wanted to see what has changed in 10 years.

From here on out, you’ll see a lot of names repeat on these lists. These selections reflect my tastes as an adult rather than what I would have been listening to at the time.

1. Duran Duran, Rio
2. Clannad, Fuaim
3. ABC, The Lexicon of Love
4. Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska
5. Kate Bush, The Dreaming
6. The Waitresses, Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful
7. Roxy Music, Avalon
8. X, Under the Big Black Sun
9. Soundtrack, Tron
10. Midnight Oil, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The only album on this list I actually listened to in 1982 was the soundtrack to Tron. I was all about the video game, and I dug the special effects in the movie. I was, however, too young to understand how awful the screenplay was.

I saw the Waitresses on Solid Gold and absolutely loved “I Know What Boys Like.” By the time I would start collecting music, the Waitresses had already recessed into one-hit wonder memory. But the song left such an indelible print, I would seek it out in my first year of college.

Duran Duran’s Rio was released that year, but I had no inkling of it at the time. Music was a passive activity. The car radio or my siblings’ boomboxes keep me informed of the days’ hits, but my passion lie with video games — an activity my parents curtailed because they equated it with gambling.

Tags: abc, bruce springsteen, clannad, duran duran, favorite edition, kate bush, midnight oil, rewind, roxy music, soundtrack, the waitresses, x