Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Madness announce reissues of first five studio albums
Madness are reissuing their first five studio albums, spanning their rise from their 1979 debut to 1984’s *Keep Moving*, their final album for Stiff Records. The releases revisit a formative period for the North London band and include new vinyl editions and CDs.
The albums are due on January 29, with vinyl pressed from a new 2026 remaster made using transfers from the original quarter-inch master tapes. Coloured vinyl will be limited to a single pressing, in violet, blue, silver, red and white; each edition also reproduces the original artwork, and the releases include the complete lyrics to the band’s songs for the first time. Between 1980 and 1986, Madness singles spent 214 weeks on the UK singles chart, a joint record for a group during the decade.
In short
- Madness are reissuing their first five studio albums.
- Vinyl editions use a new 2026 remaster.
- Coloured pressings will not be repressed.
Explained simply
Madness are a band from north London who emerged in the late 1970s, blending pop with ska, a style influenced by Jamaican music. Their first album arrived in 1979, and their early records helped establish the group as a prominent British band.
The first five albums cover the years up to 1984, when the band’s contract with the independent label Stiff Records ended. Stiff was known for releasing music by artists including Elvis Costello and Ian Dury. Madness’s singles were a regular presence on the UK charts in the 1980s, making this period central to the band’s history.