1985 Grammy Awards Album of the Year poll

Cyndi was my first idol and that album is amazing.

"I Might Have Been Queen" is another fine PD album track.

She's So Unusual breaks down after "All Through the Night," but rights itself with "I'll Kiss You."

There's great stuff about all these albums (esp BITUSA) but sometimes I think Purple Rain has the most amazing filler in the history of music.

Purple Rain is a near flawless pop album that stripped away the excesses of the excellent 1999.

"Beautiful Ones", the legendary title track, "When Doves Cry"...hell, "Computer Blue" might be my least favorite and it's still a solid track.

Bruce > Prince > Cyndi > Lionel > Tina

I like all five, though.

Weird thing, though, is that it's not outlandish at all to think both Bruce and Prince have several better albums (for me, a bunch for each proceeding their '84 ones), but most everybody agrees that Cyndi's, Lionel's, and Tina's '84 albums represent career peaks (in Tina's case, it's certainly her most acclaimed album, even by people who think she peaked as an artist years earlier. She never came close to Pazz & Jop otherwise, did she?)

just to bring a note of orneriness into this festive thread, the only one of these albums I would rep for at all is Purple Rain, and I still don't think it's as good a record as Dirty Mind

Sadly, the only one of the artists whose next album was a total dud is Lauper. I dislike Around the World in a Day, but it's not the farrago that True Colors is.

Dancing on the Ceiling and Break Every Rule are okay holding-pattern albums that I never feel the urge to listen to.

Actually, I guess somebody could convincingly argue that Lionel had peaked in the Commodores -- I might even believe that myself; I'd have to think about it more. But I don't think even then he ever made an album as good as All Night Long, unless All The Great Hits counts. (Plus, "Stuck On You" crossed over to the country chart; "Sail On" didn't.)

As good as Can't Slow Down, I meant!

Prince, Bruce, Lionel, Cyndi, Tina and the last 3 are pretty much tied.
Jeez, this is one year the Grammy's actually got something right. Interesting, all these were each artists biggest selling albums.

"Stuck On You" crossed over to the country chart; "Sail On" didn't.)

My Joel Whitburn tells me that someone by the name of Tom Grant had a #16 hit with "Sail On" in 1979 on the Country charts.

I think Purple Rain is probably my least favorite of Prince's 80s albums (except for the Batman sdtrk, at least). So it's out.

The Bruce album has great singles, and "I'm on Fire" is one of my favorite songs of all time, but no.

Private Dancer is a really good record.

I've never heard Can't Slow Down outside of its singles (which is probably most of it, right?).

She's So Unusual is an album I still pull out and play all the time, or several times a year at least. It's so good the whole way through.

But yeah, this pool of nominees is REALLY strong.

I don't really get the point of calling Purple Rain worse than Lovesexy or Around the World in a Day, et al.

I'm not saying it's not good. Maybe I've just heard it 1000 times too many.

Lovesexy and Around the World in a Day are solid albums tho.

I second that Dirty Mind might be as good or better though...

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Lionel Richie, [i]Can't Slow Down (Motown) 0[/i]

oh come ON.

nice turnout! thanks all. 1971 is next.

Prince > Bruce > Cyndi > Tina > Lionel

lol nice work matos.

hahaha I hadn't even realized

Lol Lionel was the Ross Perot of this competition