5 Amazing Albums Released 40 Years Ago This Month

You can point to just about any year in history and find a lot of wonderful music that came from that 12-month stretch. But some years seem a little more momentous than others in that regard, and 1984 is one of those.

Look back at November 1984, and you’ll find a treasure trove of albums that can certainly claim classic status. Here are five of the best LPs released 40 years ago this month.

Building the Perfect Beast by Don Henley

Henley got his feet wet as a solo artist in 1982 with I Can’t Stand Still, which found him tentatively embracing the sounds of the day. He went all-in with modernity on Building the Perfect Beast, mostly putting the country touches of the Eagles behind and instead embracing synths and dance beats. It seemed to enliven his songwriting. “Sunset Grill” is a majestic look at the fading impact of small-town institutions, “All She Wants to Do is Dance” satirizes geopolitical wrangling, and “The Boys of Summer,” music courtesy of Mike Campbell, is one of the decade’s sharpest singles.

Make It Big by Wham!

It’s kind of amazing to note the massive leap in quality and sophistication this duo made in just a year from their first to second album. As it turned out, Make It Big would also be a sort of swan song for them, since George Michael’s talents were just exploding and a solo career would soon beckon. Let’s give some credit to Andrew Ridgeley for helping pen the sultry “Careless Whisper.” But this is mostly Michael’s show, as he was already proving himself to be a writer of pop music that could be heartfelt (“Freedom”) or biting (“Everything She Wants”), but always exciting and engaging.

Like a Virgin by Madonna

Her 1983 debut album laid the groundwork, but she didn’t have quite the same kind of artistic control on that one that she would soon exert. That would change on Like a Virgin. Even though she still had some top collaborators in producer Nile Rodgers and top songwriters, Madonna was clearly calling most of the shots. She wrote or co-wrote five of the nine tracks. Even though the two big hits (the title track and “Material Girl) were donated by other writers, she imbued them with the combination of provocation and playfulness that would so distinguish her own songwriting efforts in later years.

Reckless by Bryan Adams

If you‘re listening to it for the first time, you’ll likely note the consistency in the songwriting and energy on this, Bryan Adams’ fourth album. But those who were there when it first arrived will tell you how effortlessly Adams was able to sound at home with both the pop and the rock of the day. He and his songwriting partner Jim Vallance pumped in just enough variety from song to song. You get a little bit of bombast on the Tina Turner duet “It’s Only Love,” some grit on “Run To You,” lighter-waving balladry on “Heaven,” and evocative storytelling from “Summer of ’69.” And it’s all well executed and full of passion.

Word of Mouth by The Kinks

The Kinks beat the odds by scoring one of their biggest hits some two decades into their career with “Come Dancing” in 1983. That gave them some momentum heading into Word of Mouth, although chief songwriter Ray Davies changed up the formula from what had been working. Whereas the best songs on the previous album were musically restrained and lyrically wistful, this record is forceful and aggressive. It’s one of their band’s best overall sets in their arena rock era, including two tracks that can hold up with their best: Ray’s bopping opener “Do It Again” and brother Dave’s piercing “Living on a Thin Line.”

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