FunkshaII said:

Yes, Faces comes to mind but it was done in the 70s (and mathematically released in the 70s, 1980)) Raise and Electric Universe are not on par with the greats of the 70s.
80s Maze stuff was cool but no masterpieces (the lyrics are rather, well, not "masterpiecesque" )

Those 70s funk'nsoulmeister who didn't sink had to make a pact with the devil, selling the soul in favor of 0s and 1s and MTV etc (think Lionel Richie etc).
Happens every time. Jazz, Rock (n Roll), Soul, HipHop
Who invented it? Benny Goodman, Bill Haley, Michael Bolton and Eminem
don't think so!

Only thing that has never really been taken over (mutiny?) is da FUNK, it's too close to the truth (too close to the sun the Greek would say), it's the M-theory of music (Brian Greene, do you hear me?)
White man is too dumb for (making) the funk (no racism intended, just fact )
and the DX-7 just wasn't funky thus no great funk in the 80s instead we got SOS Band and later Babyface-stuff ala Bobby Brown and shit.

Oh, one masterpiecy record from the 80s:

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

FunkshaII said:

Guess y'all have never heard of this guy...

If Street Songs is not a Black music masterpiece, then I don't know what is.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I send that, plus we can add CAMEO - Word up to that list. What a peice of great 80s funk that was!

Black artists in the 80s?? cant think of any?


just off the top of my head...
Whitney Houston
Billy Ocean
Chaka Khan
Musical Youth (Bobby Brown)
Jody Whatley
Janet Jackson
Alex Oneill
Terence Trent Darby.. need I say more??

[Edited 5/29/07 7:42am]

Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani
Songs from the Big Chair - Tears for Fears
[Edited 5/29/07 8:00am]

vinx98 said:

Yeah but no masterpieces in my opinion except for TTD's According...

I was referring to the thread topic, not that there wasn't any good black music
or do you wanna say Ray Parker jr or Rockwell,
some made some good stuff but nearly no classic and essential albums like those in the 70s or the mentioned Prince 1s (esp. 1999!! and SOTT!)

the temptation to go to MTV and sell more just was bigger than will to do sth essential (mostly), those who did, didn't get thru the wall of plastic-sound
(look at Al Jarreaus POPstuff of the 80s, makes you wanna throw out when comparing this to his 70s stuff)
thank you Yamaha and Roland

[Edited 5/29/07 10:26am]

Reading these replies confirms my belief that most Prince fans have very broad musical tastes, which is always refreshing.

Prince is great, but there is much, much more to the musical world in regards to all styles and genres of music.

Waltervandenvogelwejde said:

Wow, an XTC fan. Really one of the great groups of the past 2 decades. Came close to being mainstream a couple of times, but for the most part was always just under radar.

Too much good material to discuss in full right now. I just wanted to give a "shout out" to a fellow fan of XTC.

There's A Riot Going On - Sly & The family stone
What's going on - Marvin Gaye
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
Mothership Connection - Parliament
Fullfillness's First finale - Stevie Wonder
Axis: Bold As Love - Jimi hendrix
Band Of gypsys - Jimi hendrix
....

There's plenty better than Purple rain. Better than Sign "O" the times? I don't think so.
[Edited 5/29/07 11:19am]
[Edited 5/29/07 11:20am]

Thibaut said:

re-read the title of the thread. none of these are from the 80's.

coltrane3 said:

Shout out back! Esp. as I do not come from the UK I have never ever met anybody who was an xtc fan when I met them (or did at least know them), but I converted (well, the music did) a whole lot of them, believe me!

yeah, my taste is very "spread", I like the Dukes of Stratosfear too

Looking 4ward to going to London because there are wreckastows where every xtc album has (or has had?) its own separate section whereas in my country they don't even have a group section.

Fuzzy Warbles to you,
back on topic

Some of the albums listed here are classics but not masterpieces.

Thibaut said:

Looks like you missed the point of this thread

Raze said:

No, "The Girl Is Mine" and "Lady in My Life" are both complete dirge. This album isn't worth the praise it gets.

Moonbeam said:

The Lady In My Life is lovely. And The Girl Is Mine is not nearly as crap as Girlfriend.

Raze said:

"The Lady in My Life": 2
"The Girl Is Mine": 0
"Girlfriend": 5

I'd take off The Wall of Thriller.

There were loads of great albums from 1980's.

I'd say Zapp's first album and probably 2,3 and 4 could compete with the best of Prince and I'd agree with Street Songs.

there are loads more.

ABC Lexicon Of Love
Scritti Politti Songs To Remeber
Fine Young Cannibals The Raw And The Cooked
Prefab Sprout Steve Mcqueen
Hall And Oates Private Eyes
The Cure Head On The Door/Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Frankie Goes To hollywood Welcome to the Pleasure Dome.

to name just a few

Moonbeam said:

wouldn't be the first time.

U2 - War
The Police - Syncronicity
The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
PE - Nation of Millions
Rush - Moving Pictures
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
RHCP - Uplift Mofo Party Plan/Mother's Milk
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
Living Color - Vivid
Stevie Wonder - The Original Musiquarium
Tattoo You - Rolling Stones
The Cult - Love


Some would argue Springsteen, and certainly, say what you want about Thriller, but it's rock solid straight through. Van Halen's '1984' might get a mention. Surprised to see Scritti Pollitti!. I listened to a lot of Art School crap back then, and prided myself too much on listening to art rock that no one had ever heard of, but I'd give personal honorable mention to:

Metallica - Master of Puppets
The Cure - Head on the Door
Love & Rockets - Express
Bad Brains - I Against I
Peter Gabriel - (Melting Face album...'three, I believe)
Fishbone - Truth and Soul
ICE T - Freedom Speech (Just Watch What You Say)
Howard Jones - Dream Into Action
Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman

...


But Prince was always my fave. I'll put 1999, PR, and SOTT up against any of these. Throw in 'Lovesexy' and that's a hell of a run. The real question might be who had a greater combo of material back then.

coltrane3 said:

I agree very much so

Raze said:

Flowerz said:

Rhythm Nation was released in 1989.

That was going to be my answer yesterday

I'd forgotten about De la Soul and Faith No More (Though I'd say Album of the Year is better than The Real Thing - but that's just me).

vinx98 said:

GREAT to see Nirvana get mention here...I am a HUGE fan!

I can't front....Thriller

FuNkeNsteiN said:

Glow was great 2!!!

U2 - The Joshua Tree, (also Unforgetable Fire and War).

INXS - Kick

Police - Synchronicity

Tina Turner - Private Dancer

Peter Gabriel - So

Melissa Etheridge - 1st album.

Queen - The Game