Howard Jones Albums Ranked

John Howard Jones (born 22 February 1955) is a Welsh musician, singer, and songwriter. He had ten top 40 hit singles in the UK between 1983 and 1986; six of those 10 singles reached the top ten, including, “What Is Love?”, “New Song”, and “Things Can Only Get Better”. His 1984 album Human’s Lib reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. Around the world, Jones had 15 top 40 hit singles between 1983 and 1992. The 1986 hit single “No One Is to Blame” reached no. 4 on the US charts. Four others placed in the US top 20. Jones is associated with the 1980s Second British Invasion of the US. He has been described by AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine as “one of the defining figures of mid-’80s synth-pop.” He performed at the historic Live Aid concert in 1985. Here are all of Howard Jones’ albums ranked.

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10. In The Running (1992)

“Howard Jones,respected synthesizer pop artist and successful hitmaker was releasing an album in 1992. All of a sudden the music world,whether it still wants to admit it or not,declared an all out cold war on anything associated with the previous decade. Out with tall,gelled hair and bright colorful clothing and in with the unwashed hair and distressed slacks and sweaters. It was the official end of the “get up and get involved” era and the beginning of the (apparently) long gestating “get real” era that American society hasn’t yet fully moved past even today.”

9. Greatest Hits (2002)

“I’ve loved Howard Jones in the 80’s and was excited to find this Greatest Hits CD. It’s very good; but, it took a couple times listening to adjust to this more acoustic version of every song. I didn’t see this change noted anywhere when I bought it. Like I mentioned, it only took a couple times to grow to love these Hits all over again.”

8. One To One (1986)

“Howard did not have as many fast techno-dance oriented tracks on this one, but the technology still shows up masterfully. There are several synth?-tricks on this album I’ve never heard elsewhere. He uses horns wonderfully on the firsts track “You know..” and the songwriting is still masterful and original. No two songs sound alike.”

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7. The 12″ Album (1984)

“The album starts off with a completely original track called Always Asking Questions. The music style is in the same vein as songs like Equality and Pearl in the Shell. An aggressive beat with an upbeat flair to it. Another original song… at least for its time… is Like to Get to Know You Well.”

6. Live Acoustic America (1996)

“Every once in a while you come across a musician who seems to have integrity and a genuineness. For me, Howard Jones has been that artist. Mostly written off by critics and the general public, Howard has managed to survive musically, doing music his way, even losing his record deal with Elektra in 1992.”

5. The Best Of Howard Jones (1993)

“A distinctively 1980s artist with a lot of charm, Howard Jones chalked up an impressive chain of pop hits throughout the decade. This successful ‘Best Of’ package contains a glorious helping of key singles and album cuts which Howard recorded on the Warner label from 1983 – 1992, making it a very comprehensive compilation.”

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4. Cross That Line (1989)

“On his fourth album of what turned out to be a fruitful decade for him,he found himself several years from his previous release. 1989 turned out to be a crucial year for changes in music. Various embellishments not withstanding,the music world at this point was witnessing the official end of the pop revolution and the beginning of the what was essentially the modern music era. “

3. Transform (2019)

“Howard Jones went back to his roots in pop music and did it very well. Some of his albums have been a bit more soft rockish but this one has his classic beats and great lyrics we all fell in love with in the 80’s. Much like his 2006 album Revolution of the Heart, which I think is his best album yet. But this is close.”

2. Dream Into Action (1985)

“The album is full of very good tracks, eg, in particular the title track “Dream Into Action”( Very bassy),Assault And Battery”, which is also good, with like an acoustic piano sound in the mix,(especially most evident at the start)The bass notes really flow with the music. “Hunger For The Flesh” has a very musical sound to it.(Bass notes go very low), and “Bounce Right Back” has a really dramatic, forceful sound, especially right at the start .This is in addition to the songs “Things Can Only Get Better”, “Is There A Difference”, and “Like To Get To Know You Well” which were the most popular tracks played “

1. Human’s Lib (1984)

“One of the best synth-pop debuts of all time, Human’s Lib brought a much-needed warmth to a genre often relegated to the dance floor or black spray-painted art lofts. The material on the album is uneven – which in this case is a strength. Best songs – “What is Love,” “New Song,” “Pearl in the Shell,” “Equality,” “Conditioning” and the title track. Oddly rare in this genre were his optimist-traditionalist lyrics.”