The 25 best indie rock debut albums of the '80s in Radio X's chart

21-05-2025

The '80s were the launchpad for many of the leading new wave acts. A new generation of bands emerged, updating the sounds of punk and early post-punk with a fresh style. But that's not all. That decade also laid the groundwork for new genres that would explode with even greater force in the following one, from industrial to shoegaze to the grunge movement that would dominate the 90's. And often the seeds were planted in indie and alternative circles, only to blossom later at the mainstream level.

Il magazine online Radio X è andato a rispolverare i 25 migliori album d’esordio in ambito indie/alternative usciti in quel magico decennio. Un’ottima occasione per scoprire (o riscoprire) i primi passi di gruppi che, di lì a poco, sarebbero diventati istituzioni dell’intera storia del rock: U2, R.E.M., Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen, Pixies, My Bloody Valentine e tanti altri.

Ecco i 25 migliori album d’esordio degli the '80s secondo Radiox (the full feature here). Su OndaRock, invece, potete consultare la nostra Best albums of the '80s ranking.

  1. The Psychedelic Furs – The Psychedelic Furs (7 marzo 1980)
  2. Echo & The Bunnymen – Crocodiles (18 luglio 1980)
  3. The Associates – The Affectionate Punch (1 agosto 1980)
  4. U2 – Boy (20 ottobre 1980)
  5. Depeche Mode – Speak And Spell (5 ottobre 1981)
  6. New Order – Movement (13 novembre 1981)
  7. Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (27 novembre 1981)
  8. Yazoo – Upstairs At Eric’s (20 agosto 1982)
  9. R.E.M. – Murmur (12 aprile 1983)
  10. The Smiths – The Smiths (20 febbraio 1984)
  11. Everything But The Girl – Eden (4 giugno 1984)
  12. The Cult – Dreamtime (31 agosto 1984)
  13. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Rattlesnakes (12 ottobre 1984)
  14. The Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy (18 novembre 1985)
  15. The Housemartins – London 0, Hull 4 (27 giugno 1986)
  16. The Wedding Present – George Best (12 ottobre 1987)
  17. Morrissey – Viva Hate (14 marzo 1988)
  18. Pixies – Surfer Rosa (21 marzo 1988)
  19. The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good (25 aprile 1988)
  20. The House Of Love – The House Of Love (16 maggio 1988)
  21. The Wonder Stuff – The Eight Legged Groove Machine (15 agosto 1988)
  22. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (21 novembre 1988)
  23. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (2 maggio 1989)
  24. Nirvana – Bleach (15 giugno 1989)
  25. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine (20 ottobre 1989)
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This article is an English translation of the original Italian text by Claudio Fabretti, published on OndaRock.it. It was translated with the help of artificial intelligence, under the editorial responsibility of OndaRock's editor-in-chief, Claudio Fabretti.

Read the original in Italian · About the English edition