365 Albums from 1986 - Side 1

    I was in a little bit of a mental rut at the end of last year as I was recuperating from two hip replacement surgeries. I decided I wanted to set some goals of things to do in 2026. 

    One of those things was to taste and learn about wines (not really going that well, wine is just not my thing). 

    One of those things was to try my hand at gardening (going better, in fact I got my first bloom this weekend on my sunflowers). 

    One of those things was to try and listen to 365 albums from 1986. 

    Why 1986? Well, it's the 40th anniversary for one. It's also the year I graduated HS. It was a great time in life. You'll never get that feeling of freedom again like you did the summer you left HS and stepped out into the world and I wanted to feel a little bit of that again.

    Since my budget did not allow me to buy 365 albums in 1986, and now that my budget allows me to easily afford a monthly music subscription, it just seemed like a fun thing to do, and oh how it has been. 

    I've been posting these daily on Blue Sky (if you're reading this you're likely to be on Blue Sky yourself) and I'm now through a full third of the year. 

    I found a list on wikipedia that's sorted by release date and I've been trying to follow as close as I can to listening to them around the same time this year that they were that year. Certainly for the big albums. 

    But what fun is listening to music without sharing a completely subjective poll that no one will agree with?!? 

    Without further ado, here is my Top 10 list from the 1st four months:

1. Bruce Hornsby & the Range - The Way It Is

2. Jackson Browne - Lives In The Balance

3. Janet Jackson - Control

4. Nancy Griffith - The Last of the True Believers

5. Prince & The Revolution - Parade

6. Van Halen - 5150

7. Chris Rea - On The Beach

8. The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional

9. Hunters & Collectors - Human Frailty

10. The Blow Monkeys - Animal Magic

    Before this started I would've said that Van Halen would easily be in my year end Top 10. It's been a nostalgic favorite of mine for 40 years. Well, knowing what's still coming, it won't even be close. In fact, I don't think there's an album on this list that's a lock for the final Top 10. There are a lot of great albums still to come. 

    I'm going to do 3 separate lists, each covering a 4 month period, so that I can give as many albums as possible their moment in the sun, and then do a final year end Top 10. 

    So look for my next poll to be at the end of August. It's gonna be a great summer and keep in touch!!!