With 15 UK Top 10 singles between 1979 and 1986, global smashes including Our House, and a place at the heart of British pop culture, Madness remain the original Nutty Boys of Camden. Today, the band and West Village Music Management announce the reissue of their first five studio albums, the records that built the legacy: One Step Beyond… (1979), Absolutely (1980), 7 (1981), The Rise & Fall (1982) and Keep Moving (1984). All five will be released on Friday 29th January 2027 on 180g black vinyl, strictly limited edition 180g coloured vinyl and CD. Pre-order here.
The five albums chart the rise of Madness, from the debut that introduced the band to the nation, through a run of era-defining singles, to the ambitious Rise & Fall and Keep Moving, their last album for Stiff Records. Between 1980 and 1986 their singles spent 214 weeks on the UK singles chart, a joint record for a group in that decade.
Speaking on the release, the band said “Five albums, a fair few dodgy haircuts and more than a couple of tunes that have stood the test of time! It’s quite something to look back at those early records and realise how much mischief we managed to get up to. We’re chuffed to be giving them a new lease of life and hope they bring back a few memories for those who were there the first time around, as well as hopefully finding their way into the collections of a new generation of Nutty Boys and Girls.”
Each vinyl edition has been pressed using a brand new 2026 vinyl remaster, cut from transfers from the original quarter-inch master tapes that were used for previous reissues. The CDs present the previous remasters in mini-LP replica sleeves. For the first time, the complete lyrics to the Madness-composed songs are included on every reissue, printed on a 12″ x 12″ insert (One Step Beyond…, Absolutely, 7) or the inner sleeve (The Rise & Fall, Keep Moving) on vinyl, and in the CD booklet. Each reissue also reproduces the original artwork from the album’s first release.
The coloured vinyl editions are each a one-time pressing, never to be repressed, and together form a collectable set:
One Step Beyond… (1979, violet vinyl)
Absolutely (1980, blue vinyl)
7 (1981, silver vinyl)
The Rise & Fall (1982, red vinyl)
Keep Moving (1984, white vinyl)
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