5 Wonderful Albums Released 40 Years Ago This Month

Many music historians mention 1984 as a seminal year in music. That might be true, but a quick perusal of the evidence reveals 1985 was pretty strong as well. For example, look back at the albums released in March of that year.

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We picked out five excellent albums from that month, and we couldn’t even get to important releases by Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Bon Jovi, and many others. Let’s look back at the cream of the album crop from 40 years ago this month.

Southern Accents by Tom Petty

It says something about Petty’s talents that he was able to deliver an excellent record even when things got away from him a bit. Southern Accents was supposed to be a concept album, but Petty got a bit distracted by the exciting pop approach signaled by “Don’t Come Around Here No More” and bailed on the theme. The remnants of it are there, however, and they’re stunning. “Rebels” rocked with fire and venom, “The Best of Everything” is a bittersweet beauty, and “Southern Accents” can lay a legitimate claim to being the best song ever by one of rock’s all-time greats.

Dream Into Action by Howard Jones

The British New Wave was largely defined by artists who leaned into the arch and ironic. Howard Jones flew in the face of that with his earnest positivity, and it’s as refreshing to hear it now as it was back then. Dream Into Action starts off with “Things Can Only Get Better,” one of the finest singles of the era, and the album often rises to the standard set by that brilliant song. Jones and producer Rupert Hine constantly deliver inventive synth-based arrangements, and the lyrics are always thoughtful. Bonus points for including the restrained early version of “No One Ever Is to Blame,” before Phil Collins gussied it up for the masses with his production.

Lost & Found by Jason & the Scorchers

The idea of mashing up genres often sounds better in theory than execution. But this quartet managed to take country songwriting tropes and combine them with punkish energy, resulting in a thriller of a debut album. Speaking of the songwriting, Jason & the Scorchers benefited from multiple writers who could contribute to the mix, while lead guitarist Warner Hodges could bring down the house. Highlights include the surging, catchy “White Lies,” the power-popping “Shop It Around,” and a swaggering cover of the ‘50s country chestnut “I Really Don’t Want to Know.”

The Secret of Association by Paul Young

Many American fans might remember Young only from his No. 1 blue-eyed soul hit “Everytime You Go Away” (and maybe his participation in Band Aid). The album that contains that huge Daryl Hall-penned track is actually quite fine from start to finish. Young wasn’t afraid of making bold decisions in the selections and arrangements of his covers, which led to exclamatory versions of the Ann Peebles’ soul smash “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” and Tom Waits’ brooding “Soldier’s Things.” Originals like “Everything Must Change” and “One Step Forward” also stood out as literate, daring pop.

The Power Station by The Power Station

Duran Duran made the unique decision to briefly split apart at the highest point of their popularity to form two splinter bands. Simon LeBon and Nick Rhodes formed Arcadia, which focused on fussy pop. Meanwhile, John Taylor and Andy Taylor hooked up with singer Robert Palmer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson to bust out heavy R&B. Thompson’s smashing beat is integral to the stellar cover of “Get It On (Bang a Gong),” while Palmer’s measured delivery teases all the sultry attitude out of “Some Like It Hot.” Go beyond the hit singles, and there are still some gems to find courtesy of this memorable side project.

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