Honeymoon Suite - Honeymoon Suite

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of the self-titled debut album from Honeymoon Suite. It spent seventeen weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, peaking at number 60. In Canada, it climbed all the way to number 38.

The band included Ray Coburn (keyboards and vocals), Dermot Gehan (lead guitar and vocals), Johnny Dee (lead vocals and guitar), Gary Lalonde (bass and vocals) and Dave Betts (drums).

Special AKA - In the Studio

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of In the Studio, the third album from English ska band the Specials which charted at number 34 in the UK.

Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground

A year after their self-titled debut album (click here for my review of that 1983 release), the Violent Femmes (Gordon Gano, Brian Richie and Victor DeLorenzo) returned to the studio to record Hallowed Ground. Release thirty years ago this month, today we'll take a look at this record which charted at number 56 in Australia.

Mike Oldfield - Discovery

This week (June 25th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Discovery, the ninth studio album from English progressive-rock musician Mike Oldfield. The 1984 album charted at number 47 in New Zealand, number 15 in the UK, number 3 in Austria, Norway and Sweden, number 2 in the Netherlands, and number 1 in Germany and Switzerland.

Assisting Oldfield on the record were Maggie Reilly and Barry Palmer on vocals, and producer Simon Phillips on Tama Drums.

Icehouse - Sidewalk

Today (June 26th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Sidewalk, the third studio album from the Australian band Icehouse. The 1984 release charted at number 39 in Germany and number 8 in Australia.

Performing on the record were Iva Davies (guitar, vocals, oboe, synthesizer and drum programming), Robert Kreschmer (guitar and backing vocals), John Lloyd (drums and backing vocals), Guy Pratt (bass and backing vocals), Andy Qunta (keyboards), and Joe Camilleri (saxophone).

Purple Rain (soundtrack) (30th anniversary)

Today (June 25th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Purple Rain, the sixth studio album from Prince and the soundtrack to the 1984 film of the same name. The record spent seventy-two weeks on the US Billboard Album chart, including twenty-four weeks at the number 1 spot.

Click here for my full album review.

For the many blog posts that include music by Prince, click here.

Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales

Today (June 24th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Morbid Tales, the debut album from the Swiss metal band Celtic Frost. The band initially included Tom Gabriel Fischer (guitars and vocals), Martin Eric Ain (bass) and Stephen Priestly (drums). Additional performer on the 1984 record included Horst Mueller (vocals), Hertha Ohling (vocals) and Oswald Spengler (violin).