Sophie's Choice (1982)

Mike Oldfield was back into the extended composition game with Five Miles Out, continuing the "Taurus" series with the mammoth "Taurus II," an entertaining enough romp with references to Irish music, brass bands and Oldfield's beloved Morris. The true standout, though, was the title track, a paean to flying in bad weather that could easily double for Oldfield's feelings about the sort of monumental critical drubbing he was accustomed to receiving. "Family Man" became a huge worldwide hit for Hall & Oates.

As a solo artist, Ian Gillan had his share of fine moments in the studio, but it was on-stage where he was at his best – a fact underscored by Live at the Budokan. First released as a two-LP set in 1982 and reissued on a single CD in the early '90s, Budokan boasts strong extended versions of Purple classics like "Smoke on the Water," "Woman from Tokyo," and the moody ballad "Child in Time," as well as some songs he'd recorded for his solo projects, including "Clear Air Turbulence," "Money Lender," and "Over the Hill." The CD's liner notes are atrocious (no personnel are listed), but the performances themselves – though not in a class with Purple's Made in Japan – are generally impressive. If you acquire only one of Gillan's post-Purple recordings, this would be the best choice.

With the new romantic movement they'd helped spearhead on the way out, futurist icons Spandau Ballet began thinking seriously about the future on their second album. The seeds of the group's transition to a slick, MOR soul outfit can be heard in hits like "Chant No. 1," the best song Spandau Ballet had come up with…