The 25 best albums of 1985

13 May 2026, 08:00 | Updated: 13 May 2026, 13:04

Turn back the clock to the year of Hounds Of Love, Meat Is Murder, The Head On The Door, Brothers In Arms, Low-Life and more...

By Radio X

@RadioX

• Midway through the decade and the sound of the 80s was as eclectic as ever. On the one hand, the rock aristocracy were creating some of their slickest work yet, from Kate Bush and her ambitious Hound Of Love album to Prince's journey into new styles and sounds on Around The World In A Day.
• Plus, the indie and alternative section saw a new-found maturity, with The Smiths improving on their disappointing debut via the socially-conscious lyrics of Meat Is Murder and The Cure's Head On The Door seeing the British band reach pop nirvana at last.
• Meanwhile, advances in technology meant that people were investigating the clear, digital world of the Compact Disc: millions of copies of Brothers In Arms were bought to put millions of CD players through their paces...

1. Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising: release date 14th January 1985

   The third album from Bob Mould, Grant Hart and Greg Norton saw the band move further away from their hardcore punk roots with tracks like Celebrated Summer, Books About UFOs and I Don't Know What You're Talking About. The title track was an influence on a young Dave Grohl (see the lyrics of Times Like These).

   

2. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder: release date 11th February 1985

   The second album from Morrissey, Marr, Rourke and Joyce featured the provocative title track, Barbarism Begins At Home and That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. In the US, Meat Is Murder came with an additional track: How Soon Is Now?

   

3. Killing Joke - Night Time: release date 25th February 1985

   Recorded at Berlin's Hansa Studio's, this was Jaz Coleman and co's commercial peak in Britain, with the album making Number 11 and the single Love Like Blood rising to Number 16 on the charts. The album also includes Kings And Queens and Eighties, the track that inspired Nirvana's Come As You Are.

   

4. The Sisters of Mercy - First And Last And Always: release date 11th March 1985

   The debut album from the Leeds goth rock legends featured the short-lived line-up including Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams, who'd later jump ship to The Mission and Gary Marx, who founded Ghost Dance, leaving frontman Andrew Eldritch to continue under the Sisters name. Tracks include Walk Away and No Time To Cry, while the album peaked at Number 14 in the UK.

   

5. Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising: release date 29th March 1985

   The second album from the New York alternative rock icons included the tracks Death Valley '69, Glower and Satan Is Boring.

   

6. New Order - Low-Life: release date 13th May 1985

   The Manchester band's third album included the singles Sub-culture and The Perfect Kiss and came housed in a very nice tracing paper-covered sleeve.

   

7. New Model Army - No Rest For The Wicked: release date 13th May 1985

   The Bradford folk punk collective issued their seconds album, having signed to EMI after the indie success of their debut Vengeance. Tracks included the Top 30 hit No Rest and Better Than Them.

   

8. The Chameleons - That Does Anything Mean? Basically: release date 20th May 1985

   The second album from the hugely underrated Manchester post-punk band included the tracks Singing Rule Britannia (While The Walls Close In), Perfume Garden and PS Goodbye.

   

9. R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction: release date 10th June 1985

   The US alternative band's third album was made in the London with folk producer Joe Boyd and included the singles Can't Get There From Here, Driver 9 and Wendell Gee.

   

10. The Style Council - Our Favourite Shop: release date 8th June 1985

    The second album from Paul Weller's post-Jam band included the singles Boy Who Cried Wolf and Walls Come Tumbling Down.

    

11. Talking Heads - Little Creatures: release date 10th June 1985

    The sixth album from David Byrne's art rockers included tAnd She Was and the classic Road To Nowhere.

    

12. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen: release date 10th June 1985

    The second studio album from Paddy McAloon and co included their hit When Love Breaks Down, plus Faron Young and Johnny Johnny.

    

13. Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche '85: release date 10th June 1985

    The second album from the British band saw frontman Green Gartside pursue a more commercial sound, which spawned the hist Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin) and The Word Girl.

    

14. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & The Lash: release date 5th August 1985

    Shane MacGowan's band issued their second studio album which included the standard Dirty Old Town, A Pair Of Brown Eyes and Sally MacLennane.

    

15. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley: release date 16th August 1985

    The Chilis' second album was the first to feature guitarist Hillel Slovak, but the last to include Cliff Martinez on drums. While failing to achieve much success in the USA, Freaky Styley has sold enough copies in Britain to be certified Silver by the BPI! Tracks include Jungle Man and a cover of The Meters' Hollywood (Africa).

    

16. The Cure - The Head On The Door: release date 30th August 1985

    The sixth album from Robert Smith's alternative rock legends was one of their commercial high spots: singles included In Between Days and Close To Me.

    

17. The Waterboys - This Is The Sea: release date 16th September 1985

    The third album from Mike Scott included the singles Don't Bang The Drum and The Whole Of The Moon.

    

18. The Fall - This Nation’s Saving Grace: release date 23rd September 1985

    Mark E. Smith's eighth album with his ever-evolving project is one of the Manchester band's more accessible works, including the tracks Spoilt Victorian Child, I Am Damo Suzuki and Paint Work.

    

19. Half Man Half Biscuit - Back In The DHSS: release date 7th October 1985

    The satirical Merseyside band issued their debut album which included some of their classic songs, including Venus In Flares, F**kin' 'Ell It's Fred Titmus and 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd.

    

20. The Cult - Love: release date 18th October 1985

    The second album from the British band saw them embrace gothic rock, with singles like Rain, Revolution and the classic She Sells Sanctuary.

    

21. The Alarm - Strength: release date 18th October 1985

    The Welsh rockers, fronted by Mike Peters, released their second album which included their Top 30 hit Spirit Of '76.

    

22. Big Audio Dynamite – This Is Big Audio Dynamite: release date 1st November 1985

    The first album from Mick Jones' post-Clash band included the hits Medicine Show and E=MC².

    

23. The Clash - Cut The Crap: release date 4th November 1985

    Frontman Joe Strummer is the last man standing on the punk legends' final album, which received a pasting by contemporary critics, but has since been re-assessed as the first Strummer solo LP. Standout tracks include This Is England, North And South and Three Card Trick.

    

24. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy: release date 18th November 1985

    The ground-breaking debut album from the Scottish band included Never Understand, You Trip Me Up and Just Like Honey.