Top 40 Albums of 1985

As expected from the midpoint of a decade, the center year of the ’80s, 1985, was caught between movements, styles and trends.

Change has always been the nucleus of any great music; to keep art interesting, it must always look forward while not completely forgetting its past. 1985 was like that: a centerpoint focused on change that wasn’t sure which direction it was heading for the next few years.

As the list of the Top 40 Albums of 1985 below shows, there were shifts in how fans received and listened to music. MTV had altered how people consumed music – for the eyes and ears – and what they heard. Veteran artists shared airtime with new faces. Artists previously on the outskirts of mainstream Top 40 were now selling records in the millions; metal, punk and electronic were suddenly rubbing shoulders with traditional pop stars on the charts.

READ MORE: Top 40 Songs of 1985

These best albums from 1985, which were voted on by UCR’s staff, mirror fans’ varied tastes and styles then and now. In what world do Motley Crue and Husker Du exist together? The answer here is one shaped by a growing music base that wasn’t limited to only Top 40 playlists. Did the world get bigger or smaller because of this? Maybe the answer can be found in these 40 records.

All these years later, these albums still find ways to excite and captivate. New fans discover them, and old fans revisit them for memories and to recall why they mattered so much. There are stories to each of these records, but significantly, a bigger picture points to a more inclusive future.