An ongoing ranking and rating of my favorite albums of 1985. Items in bold are part of my personal CD collection.
THE TOP TEN
1. The Outfield ~ Play Deep (10.5)
2. John Cougar Mellencamp ~ Scarecrow (10.0)
3. Dire Straits ~ Brothers In Arms (9.8)
4. Kick Axe ~ Welcome To The Club (9.8)
5. Phil Collins ~ No Jacket Required (9.6)
6. Sting ~ The Dream Of Blue Turtles (9.6)
7. John Fogerty – Centerfield (8.6)
8. Dokken ~ Under Lock And Key (8.1)
9. Mike + The Mechanics ~ Mike + The Mechanics (8.0)
10. ZZ Top ~ Afterburner (7.8)
THE REST: ALPHABETICAL BY RATING
Heart ~ Heart (7.6)
Mötley Crüe ~ Theatre Of Pain (7.5)
The Firm ~ The Firm (7.1)
Kiss ~ Asylum (6.8)
Ratt ~ Invasion Of Your Privacy (6.5)
Bon Jovi ~ 7800° Fahrenheit (6)
Y&T ~ Open Fire: Live (6)
Accept ~ Metal Heart (5)
Aerosmith ~ Done With Mirrors (5)
David Lee Roth ~ Crazy From The Heat [EP] (5)
Eric Clapton ~ Behind The Sun (5)
Kix ~ Midnite Dynamite (5)
Iron Maiden ~ Live After Death [Live](4)
Megadeth ~ Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good! (4)
Christopher Cross ~ Every Turn Of The World (3)
The Hooters ~ Nervous Night (3)
Lizzy Borden ~ Love You To Pieces (3)
Rush ~ Power Windows (3)
Stryper ~ Soldiers Under Command (3)
The V.U. ~ Phoenix Rising (3)
Vandenburg ~ Alibi (3)
Warlock ~ Hellbound (3)
Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force ~ Marching Out (3)
Autograph ~ That’s The Stuff (2)
Enuff Z’nuff ~ 1985 (2)
The Jon Butcher Axis ~ Along The Axis (2)
Mick Jagger ~ She’s The Boss (2)
Eric Martin ~ I’m Only Fooling Myself (1)
Lizzy Borden ~ The Murderess Metal Road Show (1)
CURRENTLY UNRATED
AC/DC ~ Fly On The Wall
The Alan Parsons Project ~ Stereotomy
Alcatrazz ~ Disturbing The Peace
Aldo Nova ~ Twitch
Angel Witch ~ Screamin’ N’ Bleedin’
Anthrax ~ Spreading The Disease
April Wine ~ Walking Through Fire
Armored Saint ~ Delirious Nomad
Asia ~ Astra
The Beach Boys ~ The Beach Boys
Black ‘N Blue ~ Without Love
Blue Cheer ~ The Beast Is… Back
Blue Öyster Cult ~ Club Ninja
Celtic Frost ~ To Mega Therion
Cheap Trick ~ Standing On The Edge
The Cult ~ Love
Dio ~ Sacred Heart
Elton John ~ Ice On Fire
Exodus ~ Bonded By Blood
Fates Warning ~ The Spectre Within
The Fools ~ World Dance Party
Grim Reaper ~ Fear No Evil
Helix ~ Long Way To Heaven
Helloween ~ Walls Of Jericho
Hurricane ~ Take What You Want [EP]
Icon ~ Night Of The Crime
Joe Lynn Turner ~ Rescue You
Joe Walsh ~ The Confessor
Keel ~ The Right To Rock
Keith Emerson ~ Honky
King Kobra ~ Ready To Strike
Loverboy ~ Lovin’ Every Minute Of It
Magnum ~ On A Storyteller’s Night
Marillion ~ Misplaced Childhood
Men At Work ~ Two Hearts
Neil Young ~ Old Ways
Night Ranger ~ Seven Wishes
Overkill ~ Feel The Fire
Pantera ~ I Am The Night
Pat Benatar ~ Seven The Hard Way
R.E.M. ~ Fables Of The Reconstruction
Raven ~ Stay Hard
Rick Springfield ~ TAO
Robert Plant ~ Shaken ‘N’ Stirred
Running Wild ~ Branded And Exiled
Saga ~ Behaviour
Savatage ~ Power Of The Night
Saxon ~ Innocence Is No Excuse
Scorpions ~ World Wide Live [Live]
Sinner ~ Touch Of Sin
Slade ~ Rogues Gallery
Slayer ~ Hell Awaits
Stevie Nicks ~ Rock A Little
Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble ~ Soul To Soul
Supertramp ~ Brother Where You Bound
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers ~ Southern Accents
Twisted Sister ~ Come Out And Play
Tygers Of Pan Tang ~ The Wreck-Age
U2 ~ Wide Awake In America [EP]
Uriah Heep ~ Equator
Vicious Rumors ~ Soldiers Of The Night
Virgin Steel ~ Noble Savage
W.A.S.P. ~ The Last Command
“Weird Al” Yankovic ~ Dare To Be Stupid
Y&T ~ Down For The Count
[Last updated: 2020.05.23]
ROCK IN A HARD PLACE 