Every spring for the last three years, The 80s Cruise collects a group of amazing acts from our beloved decade and puts them on a ship with 2,000 crazy ’80s fans. It’s surreal. Every. Single. Time.
While most ’80s fans know the words to each artist’s top hits by heart – “And don’t it feel good?!?” – sometimes trying to pick their best album is a bit tougher.
If you’re trying to decide which CDs or albums to bring along with you on the trip for the artist to sign, here are my picks for the best album by each artist performing on The 80s Cruise.
RICK SPRINGFIELD: Rick would probably be impressed if you brought a copy of 1974’s Mission Magic! with you. But we’e talking ’80s today. During the decade, Rick had four albums go platinum, so you really can’t go wrong. (Plus, each albums has at least two hits on it.) Still, I’ll opt for 1981’s Working Class Dog (with a photo of his beloved dog Ronnie on the front). BUY IT HERE
LOVERBOY: Like Springfield, Loverboy had four platinum albums in the ’80s (along with one gold album). Ultimately, I have to pick 1981’s Get Lucky, with the signature red leather pants album cover. It contains four hits you’re likely to hear them play on the ship: Working for the Weekend, When It’s Over, Lucky Ones and Take Me To The Top. BUY IT HERE
MIKE + THE MECHANICS: The side project of Genesis’ Mike Rutherford gave us eight albums (so far), but only two were in the ’80s. Their 1988 album Living Years has the band’s biggest hit on it, but I’m going to tap their 1985 self-titled album Mike + The Mechanics for the honor for featuring the tunes Silent Running, All I Need is a Miracle and Taken In. BUY IT HERE
BILLY OCEAN: Wow, Billy gave us six albums in the ’80s. The first three didn’t make huge dents on the radio, but the next three are dotted with the hits we remember seeing on MTV. I’m going with 1985’s Love Zone, featuring There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) and When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going (also on the Jewel of the Nile soundtrack). BUY IT HERE
LOU GRAMM: Tough choice here – do we pick a solo album or a Foreigner album? If we pick a Foreigner album, it’s obviously Foreigner 4, right? If you pick a solo album, I’m suggesting 1987’s Ready or Not, featuring the title song and, of course, Midnight Blue. BUY IT HERE
THE TUBES: This band has enjoyed a cult following for decades, with albums dating back to the mid-1970s. Their 1981 album The Completion Backward Principle is a concept album (with the song Talk To Ya Later), so if you’re looking for something more mainstream, 1983’s Outside Inside (with She’s a Beauty) is a better bet. BUY IT HERE
BERLIN: This is getting tough. I’d be happy to bring any Berlin album up for Terri to sign, including 2013’s Animal. Ultimately, if forced to make one pick, it’s 1982’s Pleasure Victim, featuring Sex, Masquerade and The Metro. BUY IT HERE
KATRINA: Katrina and the Waves gave us six albums in the ’80s – giving her plenty of material to rock The 80s Cruise. Walking on Sunshine from 1983, though, gives us their signature hit along with Going Down to Liverpool. Good luck finding the disc – it appears to be out of print. But their greatest hits CD has everything you’d want and more. BUY IT HERE
THOMAS DOLBY: This is a bit of a trick question. Dolby’s 1982 EP had She Blinded Me With Science (along with the excellent One of Our Submarines and Windpower.) For an LP, I adore 1992’s Astronauts & Heretics (with I Love You Goodbye and I Live in a Suitcase). For the ’80s, I’d go with 1982’s The Golden Age of Wireless. BUY IT HERE
TOMMY TUTONE: Hopefully by now you know that Tommy Tutone is the name of the band, not the singer. (He’s Tommy Heath.) For studio albums, you can’t go wrong with 1981’s Tommy Tutune 2, featuring his biggest hit 867-5309/Jenny. BUY IT HERE