Summer Albums of 1986: R.E.M., Genesis, the Cure and More Turn 40

Episode 791: Forty years ago, the summer of 1986 came with its own soundtrack.

It was a season when some of the biggest artists in music were reinventing themselves, while other bands were just beginning to find the audiences that would follow them for decades. Turn on the radio, walk into a record store or press play on your cassette deck, and you might hear something polished and enormous one minute—then something jangly, strange or wonderfully underground the next.

In this episode of Stuck in the ’80s, Steve and Brad return to the summer of 1986 to celebrate some of the albums turning 40 years old this season.

Among the records up for discussion are works by R.E.M., Genesis, the Smithereens and the Cure—four bands that occupied very different corners of the musical landscape.

Genesis was becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, filling arenas and dominating radio and MTV. R.E.M. was continuing its transformation from college-radio secret into one of the most important American bands of its generation. The Smithereens arrived with a sound that felt both fresh and familiar, filled with ringing guitars, sharp hooks and echoes of the music that inspired them. Meanwhile, the Cure continued building its own mysterious musical universe—dark, romantic, beautiful and unsettling, sometimes all within the same song.

These albums did more than give us music for one particular summer. They became part of the soundtrack of our lives. We bought them on vinyl or cassette, studied the artwork, memorized the lyrics and played them until we knew exactly where every song began and ended.

Some of these records sounded timeless from the beginning. Others may have taken years to fully reveal themselves. And a few might bring back memories of a particular friend, road trip, summer job or bedroom stereo the moment the first note begins.

Steve and Brad share their memories of these albums, revisit some favorite tracks and consider how well the music has survived four decades later. As always, there may be a few disagreements along the way. That is part of the fun.

The episode also includes a couple of our favorite “seggies,” along with the latest news about The ’80s Cruise and Steve’s book, Stuck in the ’80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade.

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So grab your headphones, dust off the old cassette case and join us for another trip back to one of the greatest summers in music history.

Which album from the summer of 1986 still means the most to you? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.