The Best Folk and Singer-Songwriter Albums of the 1980s

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links below are affiliate links.

1. 1
   I'm Your ManLeonard Cohen

   I'm Your Man

   Leonard Cohen · 1988 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   Cohen reinvents himself with synths and dark wit, from 'Everybody Knows' to 'Tower of Song'. Funny, bleak and brilliant. A late-career high.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
2. 2
   Various PositionsLeonard Cohen

   Various Positions

   Leonard Cohen · 1984 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A warm, melodic record now famous for introducing 'Hallelujah'. Tuneful and beloved. A quiet landmark.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
3. 3
   SwordfishtrombonesTom Waits

   Swordfishtrombones

   Tom Waits · 1983 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A radical reinvention into clanking, experimental art-song that redefined his career. Bold and strange. A pivotal record.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
4. 4
   Rain DogsTom Waits

   Rain Dogs

   Tom Waits · 1985 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A wild, junkyard-orchestra masterpiece of broken ballads and barroom experiments. Singular and brilliant. His defining record.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
5. 5
   Tracy ChapmanTracy Chapman

   Tracy Chapman

   Tracy Chapman · 1988 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   A spare, powerful debut of social conscience, home to 'Fast Car'. Direct and beloved. A landmark.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
6. 6
   Shadows and LightJoni Mitchell

   Shadows and Light

   Joni Mitchell · 1980 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   The live document of her jazz period — Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny in the band, her voice and phrasing at peak sophistication.

   Vinyl →CD →More →
7. 7
   Time of No ReplyNick Drake

   Time of No Reply

   Nick Drake · 1986 · Folk & Singer-Songwriter

   The posthumous collection of outtakes and demos that deepened the canon — raw versions that show the craft behind the finished recordings.

   Vinyl →CD →More →