4 Standout 1986 Albums That Were Bounce-Back Efforts for the Men Who Delivered Them

Pop music was changing rapidly circa 1986, so much so that established acts were struggling to hold tight to their status. In some cases, however, artists who had perhaps stumbled in their most recent efforts came back with a vengeance.

The four solo male acts listed here came into the year perhaps needing a little something special. And they all delivered unforgettable albums that revived their reputations.

‘Parade’ by Prince & The Revolution

Many of us have a deep appreciation for Around In The World In A Day, Prince’s 1985 venture into the world of baroque pop. But considering it was following up the unmitigated triumph of Purple Rain, the album disappointed a lot of fans and critics. Prince then went back to his movie-making ways in 1986, spearheading the film Under The Cherry Moon. While that flick in no way captured the public imagination in the same way that Purple Rain had three years earlier, the soundtrack album, titled Parade, put Prince firmly back in hit-making territory. From the shuddering funk of “Kiss” to the aching balladry of “Sometimes It Snows In April”, Parade proved the Prince LPs dabbling in all genres generally outpaced those hyper-focused on a single one.

‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon

Paul Simon attempted and scratched a studio reunion with Art Garfunkel before releasing his 1983 album Hearts And Bones. The singer-songwriter gentility of the LP’s music seemed out of touch in the MTV era, even as Simon delivered a stellar set of songs. You certainly couldn’t accuse Simon of doing any musical settling on Graceland. The sounds of South Africa inspired him on the album. They sparked in him a kind of rhythmic resurgence. For the first time since perhaps his first few solo albums, the words and melodies were almost secondary to the music that conveyed them along. Give credit also to the brilliant musicians, many being heard in America for the first time, who helped make that happen.

‘Back In The High Life’ by Steve Winwood

After working his way through three different influential groups, Steve Winwood found his solo footing on the excellent 1980 album Arc Of A Diver. Two years later, Winwood delivered Talking Back To The Night, which didn’t quite recapture the same magic as its predecessor. He then sat out of the game for four years before returning with Back In The High Life. The title of the record signified that Winwood knew that he was rejuvenating his career to some degree. Taking on the frontman role, especially in terms of the videos from the singles, helped Winwood hit new commercial heights. Meanwhile, the music, slick and affecting, sealed the deal.

‘King Of America’ by Elvis Costello

The other albums on this list contained hit singles. Elvis Costello, meanwhile, had tried for hit singles on his previous few albums and didn’t like the end results. For King Of America, Costello mostly jettisoned his backing band The Attractions. (They only played on “Suit Of Lights” on the record.) Instead, he and producer T Bone Burnett went with the rootsiest session players they could find, all the better to render Costello’s musings, many of which had to do with his (and his characters’) wanderings in America. The story songs here, à la “Indoor Fireworks” and “American Without Tears”, sneak in some confessional angst among the rich narratives.

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