5 Outstanding Albums Released 45 Years Ago This Month

When we do these anniversary album posts, we sometimes must dig deep into the work of unheralded artists. That’s actually not the case for June of 1980. The five albums we’re spotlighting here came from some of the biggest names in the music scene at the time.

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It’s an interesting batch because some of these records didn’t get much critical love at the time. But they’ve aged pretty well. Let’s look back at five standout albums from 45 years ago this month.

‘The Game’ by Queen

While many fans tend to cite A Night At The Opera as this band’s best overall album, we’re here to tell those folks that they should give another listen to The Game. It’s the record where Queen proved they could do just about anything. We already knew they could handle high-flying rock (represented here by the title track “Need Your Loving Tonight”) and gripping balladry (“Save Me” and “Sail Away Sweet Sister”). But they also proved their deft touch on this record with funk (“Another One Bites The Dust” and “Dragon Attack”) and rockabilly (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”). An absolute peak for this quartet.

‘Emotional Rescue’ by The Rolling Stones

The Stones were heading into their power struggle era around this time. Mick Jagger wanted dance grooves, while Keith Richards, reasserting himself after years of personal problems, pushed for trad rock. Jagger mostly won out on Emotional Rescue. The title track finds him making excellent use of his preening falsetto. “Dance (Pt. 1)” stakes its claim for the clubs even more brazenly than “Miss You” had a few years before. Keith at least gets to do a little guitar weaving with Ronnie Wood on “She’s So Cold”. And he has the last laugh while singing the soulful closer “All About You”, a not-so-thinly veiled swipe at Jagger.

‘Hold Out’ by Jackson Browne

Little by little as the 70s progressed, Jackson Browne made the switch from singer-songwriter mode to rocking frontman. He pretty much completed that transition on Hold Out, his first album of the new decade. His songs are still as articulate as ever on the record. But crunching guitars on tracks like “Boulevard” and “That Girl Could Sing” allowed Browne to slide into radio playlists right alongside the arena rockers of the day, something that few of the guitar-wielding troubadours of the early 70s even attempted. On “Call It A Loan” and “Of Missing Persons”, Browne reached back for some softer vibes to prove he hadn’t lost that touch.

‘Saved’ by Bob Dylan

Of the three albums that Bob Dylan released during his so-called “Born Again” period, Saved is the weakest. But that’s not a disqualifying statement, because Slow Train and Shot Of Love (which is sort of half-secular anyway) are standouts. It just felt like the inspiration wasn’t quite as strong on this one. But the music, like it was on Slow Train, is solid throughout. The best songs here are the ones that keep it simple. “Solid Rock” steams along on a gritty rhythmic bed, while “Pressing On” features some of the most moving singing of Dylan’s career.

‘Xanadu’ by Olivia Newton-John And ELO

Hear us out on this one. Yes, we know that the movie puts the capital “C” in campy. But the album offers a fascinating mixture of delights. On Side One, you get Olivia Newton-John fronting songs that also feature Cliff Richard, Gene Kelly, and The Tubes. (Because why not?) She also delivers the dreamy single “Magic”, one of her best. On Side Two, Newton pops up again on the title track with ELO piping in behind her. The rest of the side is devoted to Jeff Lynne and his merry band. They offer up the airtight pop of “I’m Alive” and “All Over The World”, while also sneaking in “Don’t Go Away”, one of their most underrated weepers.

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