25 From ‘84

[RJhog (Admin)]

In this post I will be offering some stats and a couple of brief thoughts regarding 25 albums from 1984. This is not meant to be a Top 25 list of that year, it is just twenty-five albums from 1984 that I pulled out to listen to.  I will offer my personal ranking of the 25 albums as well and I encourage you to follow along and do the same...if you want.  I will be ranking as I go and shuffling as needed.  I will start here and add each successive album in the comments.  As a disclaimer, all of the Billboard charting and RIAA type info is pulled from Wikipedia so I don’t even know if it’s accurate.

Album Title: The Blitz

Artist: Krokus

Release Date: 8/22/84

Billboard: 31

RIAA Certification: Gold

Charting Singles: Midnite Maniac #71

Notable Deep Cuts:

Our Love
Rock The Nation
Hot Stuff

Brief Thoughts: Fair album. Our Love is a really good song, even though it did not chart in the US. Midnite Maniac and the cover of Ballroom Blitz are both pretty good.

Ranking:

1. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

I like this album a lot and I'm glad to see we share a mutual love for "A Month Of Sundays".

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: Street Talk

Artist: Steve Perry

Release Date: April 1984

Billboard: 12

RIAA Certification: 2 X Platinum

Charting Singles:

Oh Sherrie #3
She’s Mine #21
Strung Out #40
Foolish Heart #18

Notable Deep Cuts:

It’s Only Love
You Should Be Happy
Captured By The Moment

Brief Thoughts: This is another album I didn’t purchase until a few years ago. Another mistake. R&B influence is apparent and several songs could have easily been Journey tracks. I would love to hear She’s Mine with Neal Schon on the guitar (Michael Landau sounded great as is). Fine set of music here.

Ranking:

1. Out Of The Cellar
2. Reckless
3. Street Talk
4. Honeymoon Suite
5. VOA
6. Agent Provocateur
7. Building The Perfect Beast
8. Sign In Please
9. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

Absolutely love this album.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: Desert Moon

Artist: Dennis DeYoung

Release Date: September 1984

Billboard: 24

RIAA Certification: ?

Charting Singles:

Desert Moon #10
Don’t Wait For Heroes #83

Notable Deep Cuts:

Please
Suspicious

Brief Thoughts: Dennis DeYoung’s first solo had the massive, awesome song Desert Moon on it. It’s a good album but a bit uneven for me. The song Boys Will Be Boys is not very good time and his cover of Fire, while different, didn’t win me over. But Please and Suspicious are good deep cuts and at leas DeYoung was releasing music.

Ranking:

1. Out Of The Cellar
2. Reckless
3. Street Talk
4. Honeymoon Suite
5. VOA
6. Agent Provocateur
7. Building The Perfect Beast
8. Desert Moon
9. Sign In Please
10. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

Never listened to this one.

So my current rankings of the albums (minus the four I haven't listened to) would be.

1. Street Talk

2. Reckless

3. Out of the Cellar

4. Building The Perfect Beast

5. Honeymoon Suite

6. Sign In Please

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: Slide It In

Artist: Whitesnake

Release Date: 4/16/84

Billboard: 40

RIAA Certification: 2 X Platinum

Charting Singles:

None on the Billboard Hot 100

Notable Deep Cuts:

Standing In The Shadow

Brief Thoughts: Whitesnake was not on my radar in 1984. They really didn’t hit with me until 1987. That being said, there are some good songs on this album. The first three out of the gate are well known even though they didn’t chart here in the States. That would be the title track, Slow An’ Easy and Love Ain’t No Stranger. There is a bit of filler here, but overall it’s a decent album.

Ranking:

1. Out Of The Cellar
2. Reckless
3. Street Talk
4. Honeymoon Suite
5. VOA
6. Agent Provocateur
7. Building The Perfect Beast
8. Desert Moon
9. Slide It In
10. Sign In Please
11. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

Like you, I didn't discover Whitesnake until the self-titled 1987 album. But I went back afterwards and got the band's previous releases. I like this album.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: Vital Signs

Artist: Survivor

Release Date: 8/1/84

Billboard: 16

RIAA Certification: Platinum

Charting Singles:

I Can’t Hold Back #13
High On You #8
The Search Is Over #4
First Night #53

Notable Deep Cuts:

Broken Promises
Popular Girl
It’s The Singer Not The Song

Brief Thoughts: This is an awesome melodic rock album. It’s got more hooks than Bill Dance’s tackle box. The first four song are smashes and everything else is good as well. End of story.

Ranking:

1. Out Of The Cellar
2. Reckless
3. Vital Signs
4. Street Talk
5. Honeymoon Suite
6. VOA
7. Agent Provocateur
8. Building The Perfect Beast
9. Desert Moon
10. Slide It In
11. Sign In Please
12. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

I love everything about this album!

My list would now be:

1. Vital Signs

2. Street Talk

3. Reckless

4. Slide It In

5. Out of the Cellar

6. Building The Perfect Beast

7. Honeymoon Suite

8. Sign In Please

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: No Brakes

Artist: John Waite

Release Date: 6/15/84

Billboard: 10

RIAA Certification: Gold

Charting Singles:

Missing You #1
Tears #37
Restless Heart #59

Notable Deep Cuts:

Dark Side Of The Sun
Euroshima
For Your Love

Brief Thoughts: No Brakes is a really another terrific melodic rock album. John Waite has an awesome voice. There isn’t a bad song here and the three deep cuts above are fantastic. If you have never heard it you owe it to yourself to check it out.

Ranking:

1. Out Of The Cellar
2. Reckless
3. No Brakes
4. Vital Signs
5. Street Talk
6. Honeymoon Suite
7. VOA
8. Agent Provocateur
9. Building The Perfect Beast
10. Desert Moon
11. Slide It In
12. Sign In Please
13. The Blitz

[TageRyche]

AWESOME album!

[RJhog (Admin)]

Album Title: Born In The U.S.A

Artist: Bruce Springsteen 

Release Date: 6/4/84

Billboard: 1

RIAA Certification: Diamond (15 X Platinum)

Charting Singles:

Dancing In The Dark #2
Cover Me #7
Born In The U.S.A. #9
I’m On Fire #6
Glory Days #5
I’m Goin’ Down #9
My Hometown #6

Notable Deep Cuts:

Darlington County
Working On The Highway
Downbound Train
No Surrender
Bobby Jean

Brief Thoughts: Some people love Springsteen, some people can’t stand him. Count me closer to the former than the latter. The dude can write great songs and this album proves it. Seven Top 10 singles and 5 very good album cuts makes this a masterpiece for me.

Ranking:

1. Born In The U.S.A.
2. Out Of The Cellar
3. Reckless
4. No Brakes
5. Vital Signs
6. Street Talk
7. Honeymoon Suite
8. VOA
9. Agent Provocateur
10. Building The Perfect Beast
11. Desert Moon
12. Slide It In
13. Sign In Please
14. The Blitz