Loudersound's Ten Essential 80s Prog albums

I think by essential, I mean essential when they were released. People were buying a lot of records, tapes, and CDs back then and waiting on pins and needles for next albums to come out. I don’t mean essential looking in the rearview mirror. Nowadays it’s a giant Spotify haystack.

Rick1 wrote: ELPowell easily the best of this bunch. Just listening to Camberwell Now's Ghost Trade - such a fine album from 86.

Re ELPowell, which isn't saying much to be honest from this selection -- at least per my tastes. I'm totally with you on Camberwell Now. That is one of my favourite albums.

I really love the 80s. I prepared this list of some of my favourites early last year for a topic of David_D's (course probably too much quantity for his wonts). So many of my favourites are not in the list because I tried to mostly limit to ones in PA: see topic: 1980s' other Progressive Rock than Neo-Prog?


Or as I put it there:

I've read that the 80s sucks by more than one person, but I love the 80s. Focusing on what is in PA (and there is a heck of a lot that I love and think progressive outside of PA)...

1980-1984

    Abus Dangereux - Le quatrième mouvement (1980, Jazz-Rock, Zeuhl)
    Laurie Anderson - Big Science (1982, Art Pop, Experimental, Electronic)
    Aksak Maboul - Un peu de l'âme des bandits (1980, Rock in Opposition)
    Art Bears - The World as It Is Today (1981, RIO/ Avant Prog)
    Art Zoyd - Génération sans futur (1980, Rock in Opposition)
    Art Zoyd - Symphonie pour le jour où brûleront les cités (1981, R.I.O.)
    Art Zoyd - Phase IV (1982, R.I.O.)
    Art Zoyd - Les espaces inquiets (1983, R.I.O.)
    Adrian Belew - Lone Rhino (1982, Art Rock)
    Bobby Beausoleil and The Freedom Orchestra - Lucifer Rising (1980, Psych Rock)
    David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980, Art Rock)
    Glenn Branca - The Ascension (1981, No Wave) (don't think he is in PA, but felt kind of weird leaving this out)
    Kate Bush - Never for Ever (1980, Art/Progressive Pop)
    Kate Bush - The Dreaming (1982, Art/Progressive Pop)
    Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Doc at the Radar Station (1980, Exp./Art Rock)
    Cardiacs - The Seaside (1984, Art Punk)
    Codona - Codona 2, 1981, Jazz Fusion/ Indo Prog/Raga Rock)
    Codona - Codona 3 (1983, Jazz Fusion/ Indo Prog/Raga Rock)
    Lindsay Cooper - The Gold Diggers (1983, Avant Prog)
    Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble & Jaki Liebezeit - Full Circle (1982, Krautrock)
    Dead Can Dance - Dead Can Dance (1984, Darkwave, Gothic Rock)
    Dün - Eros (1981, Avant-Prog, Zeuhl)
    Eskaton - Ardeur (1980, Zeuhl)
    Eskaton - 4 Visions (1981, Zeuhl)
    Eskaton - Fiction (1983, Zeuhl)
    Fabio Frizzi - L'aldilà/ The Beyond (1981, Horror Synth/ RPI)
    Fabio Frizzi - Paura nella città dei morti viventi (1982, Film Score, RPI)
    Peter Gabriel - 3/Melt (1980, Art Rock)
    Patrick Gauthier - Bébé Godzilla, 1981, Zeuhl)
    Goblin - Tenebre, 1982, Film Score, Electro-Disco, RPI)
    Peter Hammill - A Black Box (1980, Art Rock)
    Itoiz - Ezekiel, 1980, Prog Folk)
    Kitaro - Silk Road II (1980, Electronic)
    Kraftwerk - Computerwelt (1981, Synth Pop, Electronic)
    Kultivator - Barndomens Stigar (1981, Avant-Prog, Zeuhl)
    Magma - Rétrospective Vol. 1 & 2 (1981, Zeuhl, Jazz-Rock)
    News From Babel - Work Resumed on the Tower (1984, Avant-Prog)
    Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Penguin Cafe Orchestra (1981, Chamber Jazz)
    Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Broadcasting From Home (1984, Chamber Music)
    Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo tutti i suoi problemi (1980, Avant-Prog, Canterbury Sound)
    Jean-Paul Prat - Masal (Jazz-Rock, Zeuhl)
    Present - Triskaidékaphobie (1980, RIO/Avant Prog)
    Rahmann - Rahmann (1980, Avant Prog, Jazz-Rock, Zeuhl)
    The Residents - Mark of the Mole (1981, Experimental)
    The Residents - The Tunes of Two Cities (1982, Art Pop, Experimental)
    The Residents & Renaldo and The Loaf - Title in Limbo (1983, Exp. Rock)
    Terry Riley "Celestial Valley" (Shri Camel, 1980, Minimalism, Electronic)
    Slapp Happy "Charlie 'n Charlie" (Slapp Happy or Slapp Happy, 1980, Art Pop)
    Snakefinger - Greener Postures (1980, Zolo, Exp. Rock)
    David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees (1984, Art Pop)
    Tangerine Dream - Tangram (1980, Berlin School, Progressive Electronic)
    A Thinking Plague - ...A Thinking Plague, 1984, Avant-Prog
    This Heat - Deceit (1981, Exp. Rock, Post-Punk)
    Univers Zéro - Ceux du dehors (1982, Rock in Opposition)
    Univers Zéro - Uzed (1984, R.I.O.)
    Von Zamla - Zamlaranamma (1982, R.I.O.)
    Wha-Ha-Ha - Shinutokiwa Betsu (1981, Avant Prog)
    Yog Sothoth - Yog Sothoth (Avant Prog, 1984)
    Zamla Mammaz Manna - Familjesprickor (1980, Rock in Opposition)
    Zanov - In Course of Time (1983, Progressive Electronic, Berlin School)

1985-1989:

    After Dinner - Paradise of Replica (1989, Art/Avant Pop/Folk, Japan)
    Art Zoyd - Le mariage du ciel et de l'enfer (Rock in Opposition, 1985, France)
    Art Zoyd - Berlin (1987, Rock in Opposition, 1985, France)
    Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985, Art Pop, England)
    Kate Bush - The Sensual World (1989, Art Pop, England)
    Camberwell Now - The Ghost Trade (1986, Avant Prog, Art Punk, England)
    Cardiacs - Big Ship (1987, Art Punk, England)
    Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988, Art Punk, US)
    Cardiacs - On Land and in the Sea (1989, Art Punk, England)
    Coil - Horse Rotorvator (1986, Industrial, England)
    Current 93 - Earth Covers Earth (1988, Neofolk, England)
    Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal (1985, Neoclassical Darkwave, Gothic Rock, Australia)
    Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (1987, Neoclassical Darkwave, Australia)
    Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg (1988, Neoclassical Darkwave, Australia)
    Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Ecophony Rinne (1986, Tribal Ambient, Japan)
    Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Symphonic Suite AKIRA (1988, Tribal Ambient, Japan)
    Hellebore - Il y a des jours (1985, Avant Prog, France)
    Miriodor - Rencontres (1986, Progressive Jazz/Rock, Canada)
    Miriodor - Miriodor (1988, Avant Prog/Jazz, Canada)
    News From Babel - Letters Home (1986, Avant Prog, England)
    Present - Le poison qui rend fou (1985, Rock in Opposition, Belgium)
    The Residents - God in Three Persons (1988, Exp./Avant Rock, US)
    Shub-Niggurath - Shub-Niggurath (1985, Zeuhl, Avant Prog, France_
    Shub-Niggurath - Les morts vont vite (1986, Zeuhl, Avant Prog, France)
    Swans - Children of God (1987, Exp./ Gothic, Rock, US)
    Swans - The Burning World (1989, Neofolk/ Gothic Ruck, US)
    David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive (1987, Art Pop, England)
    Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (1988, Post/Art Rock, England)
    Thinking Plague - Moonsongs (1986, Avant Prog, US)
    Thinking Plague - In This Life (1989, Avant Prog, US)
    Univers Zéro - Heatwave (1986, Rock in Opposition, Belgium)
    Robert Wyatt - Old Rottenhat (1985, Canterbury Scene, England)
    John Zorn - Spillane (Avant-Garde, 1987, US)

Edited by Logan - May 14 2025 at 09:54

Jaketejas wrote: Kraftwerk Computer World is amazing! I forgot King’s X, too. Anyone remember Zebra?

Compuer World is indeed! I've heard of the American band, Zebra. Hard rock/AOR acoording to RateYourMusic which, prog or not, might be be right up the alley of the guy who prepared the list for Loudersound used in the poll.