85. The Psychedelic Furs - Talk, Talk, Talk (1981)
Somewhere before 80s/90s' shoegaze and Britpop and after the 60s' Beat and 70s' Punk groups came The Psychedelic Furs, moody and magnificent. A band that molded their own sound with a raspy vocalist singing over a phasey guitar and bluesy sax.
The music: sheer genius, it will knock you off your feet, and you will need a muscle man to pick you off floor.
The lyrics: they're making up things like we all heard before like romance, engage and divorce.
Don't dismiss it because the opening track is associated with John Hughes movie of the same title.
86. R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)
R.E.M. had a sound that was their own: a singer with a pocketful of mumbles whose droning vocal only allowed you to catch a glimpse of what his lyrics meant, and whether or not it was significant you felt it was. A well blended sound with a mixture of a little bit of everything: Country, Folk, Post-Punk, Post Modern Rock, Surf, 60s & 70s Rock. Even with their own distinctive style every song has it's own personality: urgent, laid-back, moody, mysterious, thought provoking. Radio Free Europe, Talk About the Passion, Perfect Circle, 9-9, all classics.