Albums That Are 40 Years Old in 2025: Day 25

Join Pete Pardo as he looks back on his favorite albums from 1985 that are celebrating their 40th birthdays here in 2025.

[markwilburn]

4 - Dio, Sacred Heart
I know this is not a lot of peoples favorite album from Dio but this is where I came in with the band. I got this and The Last in Line at the same time after borrowing this one from a friend in HS. This is one that I still love and listen to a lot.

[gaznathemoon]

Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair. Favorite track..Head Over flies:)

[monte.olson]

John Mellencamp - Scarecrow
Growing up on a Midwest farm, this album hit me hard. John knocked it out of the park on this one.

//Trouble - The Skull
//Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
//Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars
//The Replacements - Tim
//Slayer - Hell Awaits
//Alan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue
//Pentagram - Relentless

[mikedavies]

Marillion - Misplaced Childhood, their 3rd album. I was a huge Marillion fan in the early days, less so now as far as the Fish-era stuff is concerned. But this is a classic album, Kayleigh, Lavender, Heart of Lothian, Childhoods End, White Feather all great songs.

[davidholmes]

4. Meat Is Murder by the Smiths

Choice cuts: "The Headmaster Ritual, " "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"

5. Fables of the Reconstruction by R.E.M.
6. The Firstborn Is Dead by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
7. Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
8. Low-Life by New Order
9. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
10. Psychocandy by the Jesus and Mary Chain
11. Around the World in a Day by Prince and the Revolution
12. Asylum by Kiss
13. Boys and Girls by Bryan Ferry
14. Legacy of Brutality by Misfits
15. Phenomena by Phenomena
16. Que Sera, Sera by Johnny Thunders
17. Rogues Gallery by Slade
18. She's the Boss by Mick Jagger
19. Empire Burlesque by Bob Dylan
20. Gladys' Leap by Fairport Convention
21. Mars Needs Guitars! by Hoodoo Gurus
22. Old Ways by Neil Young
23. Our Favourite Shop by the Style Council
24. Pentagram by Pentagram
25. Phantasmagoria by the Damned
26. Power of the Night by Savatage
27. Astra by Asia
28. Noble Savage by Virgin Steele

[robmlisanti]

My Pick today is Power of the Night is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Savatage, released in 1985.

[ScottBerry-ynrw]

Day 25 (#4): The Cure - The Head On The Door
One of my top three Cure albums. A great mix of the morose goth they are known for and a few more catchy, quirky pop leaning tunes. At 10 songs and 38 minutes, it’s just the perfect length. Standouts include In Between Days, Push, Kyoto Song and Close To Me.

5. Hüsker Dü - Flip Your Wig; New Day Rising
6. Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
7. Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles
8. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
9. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
10. Iron Maiden - Live Before Death
11. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
12. John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
13. The Cult - Love
14. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
15. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
16. Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Soul To Soul
17. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
18. Prince - Around The World In A Day
19. Pat Benatar - Seven The Hard Way
20. Rush - Power Windows
21. Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
22. INXS - Listen Like Thieves
23. Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time
24. Megadeth - Killing Is My Business
25. Waterboys - This Is The Sea
26. The Reivers - Translate Slowly
27. John Fogerty - Centerfield
28. Eric Clapton - Behind the Sun

[garyjoyce]

DIO/8️⃣5️⃣. Sacred HEART ❤️. Pete, thanks again for your time 👍💯

[markfurru]

My Day 25 Pick:

The Cult - Love

The band's sophomore album, and the last one with their early new wave influences, as they were transitioning to a more hard rock sound. An excellent album from "Nirvana" to closer "Black Angel." Other highlights for me include the hits "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain, " along with "Brother Wolf, Sister Moon, " "Phoenix, " and "Revolution." And yes, Ian Astbury is a badass frontman, somewhere between Jim Morrison and Glenn Danzig!

[harizonflamingice]

Pick #25: Talking Heads' Little Creatures. While probably a little too commercial for some Talking Heads' fans, it does have some absolute favorites of mine such as And She Was and Road to Nowhere. Little Creatures and the three albums that came before are usually the three Talking Heads releases I reach for.

Honorable Mention: The Dead Milkmen's Big Lizard
#1: Asia's Astra
#2: Sonic Youth's Bad Moon Rising
#3: Exodus's Bonded by Blood
#4: Megadeth's Killing Is My Business...And Business is Good!
#5: Blue Oyster Cult's Club Ninja
#6: Kate Bush's Hounds of Love
#7: The Replacements' Tim
#8: Rush's Power Windows
#9: Hüsker Dü's New Day Rising
#10: Marillion's Misplaced Childhood
#11: Dio's Sacred Heart
#12: The Cult's Love
#13: Ratt's Invasion of Your Privacy
#14: Slayer's Hell Awaits
#15: Dokken's Under Lock and Key
#16: Savatage's Power of the Night
#17: Helloween's Walls of Jericho
#18: Fates Warning's The Spectre Within
#19: Tears for Fears' Songs from the Big Chair
#20: The Cure's The Head on the Door
#21: Manilla Road's Open the Gates
#22: Kreator's Endless Pain
#23: 'Til Tuesday's Voices Carry
#24: Heart's Heart
#25: Talking Heads' Little Creatures

[garyh.]

Day 25 / Pick #4 = GARY MOORE - Run For Cover. This album was my introduction to the guitar prowess and songcraft of Gary Moore. I arrived at this record via a local music magazine review which sang the praises of Moore's melodic rock approach, and especially the mention that ex-Deep Purple bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes was playing and singing on a number of the tracks. Thin Lizzy's frontman Phil Lynott sings on a couple of songs too. It has been written that this was Moore's "breakthrough" album, and admittedly there are a couple of poppy, commercial type songs on it, as well as a reworked version of Empty Rooms. However the rest of the songs are good, solid, melodic rockers with tasty guitar soloing by Moore and a couple of shred moments too. Highlights: Nothing To Lose; All Messed Up; Run For Cover; Reach For The Sky; and Out Of My System.

[carl-johanfougstedt]

My pick for day 25 is R.E.M. : Fables of The Reconstruction. The lyrics are obscure and deeply meaningful at the same time. It´s amazing when the lyrics are introspective but the whole band stands behind them and it feels like they are working together as a collective mind. Great musicianship, nothing too much and nothing too little. I´m not a huge Doom fan and I haven´t listened to Pentagram. Sure I like Black Sabbath, but they are obviously much more than just doom.

[andrewcarr]

Kreator - Endless Pain
Another excellent Thrash debut from this year and almost all of them are still making albums and touring today.

[planetbarrett]

For my pick today I went with Songs From The Big Chair, by Tears For Fears. Can't believe this album turns 40 today.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World is still my favorite track.

[ziggyzagzi]

#4: iRon MaiDen, Live after Death
The metal machine took over the world!
One of the reminders of the greatest concert ever.
My brother and I saw them in 85 at merriwether Post pavilion in Maryland. All the great songs from the first five albums. Spectacular ending as we all burned our paper products on the hill at the end of the show, holding them high as Instant torches.

[lukatts]

Great pick Pete! Pentagram
Day 25 The Cure – The Head On The Door

Song rating:

In Between Days 4.60 / 5.00
Kyoto Song 4.52
The Blood 4.53
Six Different Ways 4.55
Push 4.45
The Baby Screams 4.53
Close To Me 4.65
A Night Like This 4.45
Screw 4 .52
Sinking 4.55

The Cure (still lead by Robert Smith) Songs Of A Lost World - their last album is one of the best from 2024.

Honorable mention :
W.A.S.P. - The Last Command

Day 25 The Cure – The Head On The Door
Day 24 New Order - Low Life
Day 23 Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue
Day 22 Gary Moore – Run For Cover
Day 21 The Chameleons - What Does Anything Mean? Basically
Day 20 Pentagram - s/t (Relentless)
Day 19 Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
Day 18 Meat Puppets – Up On The Sun
Day 17 Savatage - Power of the Night
Day 16 The Dukes Of Stratosphear – 25 O'Clock
Day 15 The Cult - Love
Day 14 10, 000 Maniacs - The Wishing Chair
Day 13 Scott Henderson And Tribal Tech – Spears
Day 12 Hawkwind - The Chronicle of the Black Sword
Day 11 Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
Day 10 Loudness - Thunder in the East
Day 9 Rush - Power Windows
Day 8 The Fuzztones - Lysergic Emanations
Day 7 Tuxedomoon - Holy Wars
Day 6 Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace
Day 5 The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
Day 4 Savage Grace – Master of Disguise
Day 3 Oingo Boingo - Dead Man’s Party
Day 2 Helloween - Walls of Jericho
Day 1 Plasticland – Wonder Wonderful Wonderland

[Thefilou]

25. Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time
Perfect pop album. No filler
24. Pendragon - The Jewel
On the same level as Marillion imo
24bis. Ponty Jean-Luc - Fables
23. Ozric Tentacles - Erpsongs
Space-Rock
22. Outer Limits - Misty Moon
21. Night Ranger - 7 Wishes
Picked on day 6
20. Moore Gary - Run For Cover
Picked on day 11
19. Molly Hatchet - Double Trouble Live
18. Mellencamp John Cougar - Scarecrow
17. Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
16. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
Picked on day 4
15. Malmsteen Yngwie - Marching Out
Picked on day 8
14. Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night
Picked on day 5
13. Killing Joke - Night Time
12. Joshua - Surrender
11. Kenso - Kenso III
10. Jason & The Scorchers - Lost And Found
9. Iron Maiden - Live After Death
8. IQ - The Wake
7. Georgia Satellites - Keep The Faith [EP]
6. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
5. Dio - Sacred Heart
4. (The) Cult - Love
3. Barnes Jimmy - For the Working Class Man
2. Autograph - Sign In Please
1. Accept - Metal Heart
Picked on day 13

[kevinbrown]

4. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

5. Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force - Marching Out
6. Scorpions - World Wide Live
7. Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
8. Megadeth - Killing is My Business
9. Universe - Universe
10. Accept - Metal Heart
11. Virgin Steele - Noble Savage
12. Savatage - Power of the Night
13. Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue
14. Misfits - Legacy of Brutality
15. Armored Saint - Delirious Nomad
16. Loudness - Thunder in the East
17. Blue Oyster Cult - Club Ninja
18. Heart - Heart
19. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
20. Pentagram - Pentagram (Relentless)
21. Dokken - Under Lock and Key
22. Overkill - Feel the Fire
23. Slayer - Hell Awaits
24. Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace
25. Dio - Sacred Heart
26. Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
27. ZZ Top - Afterburner
28. Saxon - Innocence is No Excuse

[lucasbrown]

4. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love


5. Megadeth - Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!
6. New Order - Low-Life
7. Talking Heads - Little Creatures
8. Exodus - Bonded By Blood
9. The Sisters Of Mercy - First And Last And Always
10. Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist
11. Nico - Camera Obscura
12. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
13. Rush - Power Windows
14. Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
15. Sepultura - Bestial Devastation
16. White Zombie - Gods On Voodoo Moon
17. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force - Marching Out
18. Possessed - Seven Churches
19. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Psychocandy
20. Faith No More - We Care A Lot
21. Joe Lynn Turner - Rescue You
22. Slayer - Hell Awaits
23. Killing Joke - Night Time
24. Black Flag - Loose Nut
25. Kreator - Endless Pain
26. S.O.D. - Speak English Or Die
27. Pentagram - Pentagram
28. Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising

[christophercoles]

25) IQ - The Wake
The Wake is IQ's first masterpiece. Distilling the Genesis-influenced approach of their excellent debut, Tales From The Lush Attic into tighter, more carefully composed tracks and showing an adept ability to incorporate a few mainstream Rock elements into their sound without compromising the emotional or conceptual integrity of the piece, the album shows a far greater diversity of sound and mood than its predecessor.
With songs ranging from the foreboding "Outer Limits" to the relaxing "Corners" (one of the few Neo-Prog tracks I'm aware of which features sitar) to the uplifting, soaring "The Thousand Days" and "Headlong".
Overall, the band's performance is outstanding. Mike Holmes's guitar and Martin Oxford's synths has rarely been equalled, while Peter Nicholls' dramatic, theatrical vocal delivery is excellent on this album. Even if he had never returned to the band after leaving for a time, I'd go so far as to say that he'd still have a strong claim to being IQ's best vocalist based on his work on this record.
Indeed, if IQ had vanished into obscurity after this album, they'd still have a stellar reputation in Neo-Prog circles. But luckily for us, they had a few more classics up their sleeve.

1) Pentagram - S/T
2) Pete Townshend - White City: A Novel
3) Emmylou Harris - The Ballad Of Sally Rose
4) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
5) The Cult - Love
6) Saint Vitus - Hallow's Victim
7) The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
8) R.E.M. - Fables Of The Reconstruction
9) Prince & The Revolution - Around The World In A Day
10) Fates Warning - The Spectre Within
11) Iron Maiden - Live After Death
12) King Kobra - Ready To Strike
13) Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
14) John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
15) Run-D.M.C. - King Of Rock
16) ZZ Top - Afterburner
17) John Fogerty - Centerfield
18) Husker Du - New Day Rising
19) Slade - Rogues Gallery
20) Megadeth - Killing Is My Business....And Business Is Good
21) Aerosmith - Done With Mirrors
22) The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
23) Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
24) The Replacements - Tim
25) IQ - The Wake