#262 - Revisiting 1986: 40th Anniversary LPs Pt. 2

Concluding 1986, WorkTape looks at a year caught between what was still ruling the charts and what was beginning to bubble underneath. Anita Baker's Rapture, Madonna's True Blue, Prince's Parade, and Van Halen's 5150 capture just how much star power was still driving the decade, while records from R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Bad Brains, and Hüsker Dü offer an early glimpse of where rock would head next. There's plenty in between, too, from quiet storm and synth-pop to hair metal, changing frontmen, unlikely samples, and artists either hitting their stride or beginning to lose it. By the time Candy Apple Grey enters the picture, 1986 starts sounding less like a destination and more like the setup for an entirely different decade. Give this one a spin as we close out '86 to make our way toward 1996.🎧 Episode Highlights:Was Parade Prince at the height of his creative powers, even if it wasn't his best album?Did Van Halen handle a lead-singer change better than most major rock bands ever have?Has Bruce Hornsby become one of the '80s' most underappreciated singer-songwriters?Are Pet Shop Boys largely responsible for modern synth-pop?Is there a point when a band's commercial evolution starts sounding more like creative exhaustion?Was 1986 the moment hair metal peaked just as alternative music began planting its roots?