3 Legendary Albums From the 1980s That Sound Like Their Own Little World

These 1980s albums are much more than a collection of songs. Each track helps build a world. Listening to these records is a full-bodied experience, rich in atmosphere and visceral imagery. Revisit these albums below. You’ll step out of the real world and into a fictitious one, courtesy of these legendary artists.

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‘Hounds Of Love’ — Kate Bush

Kate Bush’s originality makes everything she touches sound like its own world. Her vocals are larger than life; as is her instrumentation. So, when we listen to one of her biggest albums, Hounds Of Love, we’re easily transported somewhere new.

From “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to “Cloudbusting”, this record is full of conceptual pieces. In the former, she sings, “You don’t wanna hurt me / But see how deep the bullet lies / Unaware I’m tearin’ you asunder / Oh, there is thunder in our hearts,” proving her ability to transport the listener somewhere else. This album has a 1980s fingerprint, but it doesn’t really align with anything else from that era. It is its own beast, putting Bush in a rare sect of artists with no easy comparisons.

‘Graceland’ — Paul Simon

Paul Simon’s Graceland is a transportive work. It lives somewhere between Simon’s native New York and South Africa. After visiting the region, he fell in love with the sounds of local music. He infused those influences into his singer-songwriter sensibilities. It was a somewhat controversial decision, but no one can deny it made this record singular.

The title track feels like a buoyant road trip with African tinges, while “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” features the male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. “O kodwa u zo-nge li-sa namhlange / Si-bona kwenze ka kanjani / Amanto mbazane ayeza,” they sing in the intro to the latter track, lending credibility to Simon’s pastiche on this record. Every song on this album is a multicultural experience, making it an immersive listen.

‘Disintegration’ — The Cure

Listening to any Cure song puts us in a particular mood. This band has transformative powers. They can turn the brightest sunny days into a doom-and-gloom-ridden experience. This 1980s album, Disintegration, is one of the finest examples of their mood-setting abilities.

From “Pictures Of You” to “Lovesong”, this album is full of stunningly morose tracks. Robert Smith’s vocals instantly orient the listener into the world The Cure builds with every record, but the atmosphere is particularly potent on this album.

(Photo by Angelo Deligio\Mondadori via Getty Images)