Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

Whoa, this E2-E4 thing is awesome.

downloading e2-e4 now. never so much as heard of it. youtube clips are amazing, downloading now. thx, ilm!

I had no idea that people liked ABC this much

You guys and this thread are making me so excited to get back to having broadband access. Although I think a lot of these are also pretty widely available in the $5 bin, which is sweet too.

34. The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow [1984] (173 points, 16 votes)

http://themorrisseyhouse.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/the-smiths-hatful-of-hollowm-4315941.jpg

'Hatful of Hollow' definitely. 'Louder than Bombs' never felt like anything other than an arbitrary collection of songs from various periods of the Smiths to me, particularly since it shares so many of the songs with 'The World Won't Listen' (which I probably prefer).

The songs on 'Hatful..' all come from the same period, and mostly have the same production, thrillingly basic and brutal. It feels like a document of the first months of the Smiths, an outrageous demonstration of pure talent. It says, "We started this band last year. Since then, we've knocked out a couple of dozen classic songs. Here are our b-sides!" It feels like a proper album.

― Eyeball Kicks, 27. elokuuta 2002 18:29

But Louder than Bombs has 'Half a Person' which is about as perfect as music gets.

I dunno. The lyrics are so repetitive...

Mozz's downfall as a lyricist is that he abuses his punchlines -- instead of writing a plaintive song with one really ace punchline at the end, or writing something with MANY MANY good jokes, he just recycles the same jokes throught the song and assumes they'll be as funny/potent each time.

Hatful is my fave Smiths record -- it just sounds wonderful, a bit wirier and more postpunk-perturbed than the others.

― Jody Beth Rosen, 27. elokuuta 2002 20:05

Louder than Bombs was a compilation for the American market, wasn't it? I am not even 100% sure if I have it, I guess yes, but bloody hell it's a compilation.
Hatful of Hollow is my second favourite Smiths album after The World Won't Listen (which is a comp as well but a comp which flows better than 99,9% of all albums ever released). Hatful basically is only second as it is too short and doesn't represent the Smiths well enough.
But it has this garage sound (B-sides!) and my favourite Smiths song Girl Afraid which really was an obsession around 1985 (I came late to the party as so often) for me. On Hatful The Smiths sound so unpolished and rough. It is the least typical Smiths album and that's why I love it. The freshest of their albums. Like Boy was for U2.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), 27. elokuuta 2002 21:15

I listen to Hatful of Hollow more than any other Smiths album.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), 28. elokuuta 2002

And here we go with the massive overratement.

fav smiths album

also morrissey was on dessert island discs this morning, would hate that dude if it werent for this record

Morrissey spent a lot of time on Dessert Island these last 20 years huh?

Those concerned this is ranking too high might consider an alternate world without vote-splitting; I don't know Hatful but threw a good-sized vote to Louder Than Bombs, one of the first five or so CDs I ever bought and jam-packed with classics. Intellectually I do kind of agree with Eyeball Kicks' quote above - LtB is miscellaneous and over-long, but it's my go-to Smiths whatnot collection and I do love it.

louder than bombs was high on my list too, def the best smiths cd imo

33. The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs [1987] (174 points, 20 votes)

http://i42.tinypic.com/27xdt1e.jpg

yeah it's odd, i know alot of people that really really prefer hatful to bombs and almost without fail they had/heard hatful first. suffice it to say 'sheila take a bow' is terribly special to me (terribly terribly special to me when i was fifteen), so ymmv obv. the smiths hits comps have always looked like poorly done cash-ins to me.

― j blount (papa la bas), 29. tammikuuta 2005 9:46

if someone says; "hey you like that band that morrissey was in what were they like" all that one needs do is stick louder than bombs on a tape top and tale it with this charming man and how soon is now and possibly and i keep mine hidden or jeanne just to show hey y'know i know and really it's a pretty much perfect intro to smithdom

― elwisty (elwisty), 30. tammikuuta 2005 3:14

An American compilation but a fairly regular fixture of UK HMV sales, so my first Smiths purchase and probably still the one that gets played most. Love all of the first half (my attention wanders a bit from "Golden Lights" on) but will probably vote for "Ask".

― a passing spacecadet, 1. syyskuuta 2008 13:22

What amazes me is that, 17 years after buying this on tape, a new song surprises me with a zinger I never heard, or a guitar curlicue I missed, or a rhythm more beatwise than expected. The surprise this year is "Rubber Ring," which rarely gets much love: note the cello underpinning every other verse. "Oscillate Wildly" is one of my favorite instrumentals, "Ask" is Moz oscillating wildly, with an ear to ear grin, And I wish more snark was as wise as "You Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby."

The Queen is Dead is mighty fine, but LTB is maybe all the Smiths you need own.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, 2. syyskuuta 2008 18:49

(Nice timing, don't you think?)

If you've gots to be on the Smiths' jock in the 09 then this album is 1000 times better bet than Hatful.

What did Morrissey pick? Eight Buju Banton tracks?

2 x Rhubarb Crumble
Bread Pudding
Treacle Pud & Custard
Tiramisu
Cheese Platter
Summer Pudding
Tapioca

I voted for rhubarb crumble over tiramisu.

No Trifle, no credibility.

oh boring, smiths

RIGHT here I confess: I voted Hex Enduction Hour quite highly but because I voted for Perverted By Language too, and because I haven't fully imbibed the ALBUM that is TNSG, I didn't actually put that one on my list of 20, despite absolutely loving several songs therein. I ought to rectify that pronto.

How the fuck is Pornography so low? Blast it. I stand by my quote which Tuomas selected, although now I really love 'The Hanging Garden' too. Unbelievably brilliant album, almost matched by The Top.

I had no idea that people liked ABC this much

― iatee, Sunday, November 29, 2009 3:35 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i think this was one of my first thoughts when i came to this board 8 years ago

Louder Than Bombs was the very first thing I bought with the name The Smiths on it (oh wait, maybe it was Rank?). Loved it, but didn't vote for it here. Went with Hatful of Hollow instead. Surprised to see them outside th etop 30, even with some vote splitting. QiD should still do well?

Strangeways is the best proper album, ergo it won't place.

The Smiths is the best album proper, ergo it wasn't even nominated.

I might've had Louder and Strangeways at the lower end of my ballot but the Smiths have just gotten so tired with age. Maybe this is a voter demographics thing, but I was pretty much done with them by 1990, just too familiar and lacking much power to surprise or delight any more. I could draw up a POX or maybe even POXV that I'd still want to listen to now but compared to a lot of the albums on this list, and a lot of the nominations that no doubt won't make the cut, I think the Smiths are very much of their time and mostly best left there.

huh, the smiths have always seemed kinda 'out of time' to me and that's one of the reasons i like them

but i didn't start listening to them till mid-90s so that prob makes a difference

Louder Than Bombs was the very first thing I bought with the name The Smiths on it (oh wait, maybe it was Rank?). Loved it, but didn't vote for it here. Went with Hatful of Hollow instead.

^^Exact same for me. Couldn't even find Hatful until I went to college; it is so much better sounding than Louder - there's an energy and roughness that was lost by the time of some of the later singles. My go to Smiths when I'm in the mood for any Smiths.

I started listening to the Smiths when I was maybe 15 or 16, under the influence of my college-grad brother who brought them home...this would have been in 1995 basically, so I completely missed "their time" -- and yet I still kinda know what Noodle Vague is saying, insofar as I've listened to them and listened to them and listened to them and now kinda feel no real need to do so again. Classic band burnout I guess. Checking my ballot, it looks like Louder Than Bombs made my #3 slot, which is funny to me since I almost never put it on, but clearly I was honoring its lifelong impact on me. I also voted for Strangeways, the one I got into most recently (like five or six years ago), but not The Queen Is Dead, which I would have spent several high school years swearing as one of the all-time classic albums, etc etc.... the two dreary songs early on really knock the wind out of it for me, even though the rest are just undeniable classics.

Is Louder than Bombs a bit bloated? Hatful seems more coherent, more winsome.

Quick Tuomas, post another entry!

I like their later period songs better is the main reason I think. With the possible exception of Side 1 of Meat is Murder which in and of itself is perhaps their best single side.

Louder Than Bombs is the only one I voted for. Even though it runs out of steam towards the end, it's just loaded with hits. The some of the slow ones on Queen Is Dead are momentum killers.

isn't louder than bombs just the us version of hatful of hollow?

No no, TQID gets weak after the two dreary ones, and only picks up at the end. I gave it a minor vote for old times' sake, but it's only the unpopular albums that do anything for me now. Hatful of Hollow's still great though. Agree with NV.

Trivial comment, but wau do I love the color of this album cover.

When I was in college (1989-93) the records that were in essentially EVERYONE's dorm room were Marley: Legend and Joshua Tree. Among the 40% who ascribed to themselves any amount of musical sophistication, add Louder than Bombs. Not sure this is an argument for or against LtB but yes I voted for this big satchel of hits that defined a way of being for many.

I did grow up in The Smith's "time," and their appeal has never dimmed for me. They're among the greatest rock acts ever. I hope Strangeways charts here, tho I doubt it will. I'd bet The Queen Is Dead will be Top 5. Curious about which songs on The Queen Is Dead Dr. C and Kornrulz consider "dreary" and "momentum killers," respectively.

I Know It's Over / Never Had No One Ever

Glad that that Grady story about E2-E4 made it; i was thinking of that when i put it on my ballot.

xpost Yeah, those. I like the campiness of a line like "Oh Mother, I can feel the soil falling over my head" but it isn't enough to really save a song for me. Much prefer them in full jangle mode.

32. Prince - 1999 [1982] (191 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote)

http://img.imeem.com/ai/6WZ7QEGYF43VDTOVVJ5U4HP3HBF4QDIB.jpg

i have been listening to 1999 a lot lately. the hits -- "1999," "Little Red Corvette," "Delirious" -- are all great, but the rest (the stuff that was "too weird" when i was a teenager) is absolutely stunning almost twenty years hereafter. esp. "lady cabdriver" and "something in the water (does not compute)."

it also must be the anti-Geir album ever made.

― Tad (llamasfur), 2. joulukuuta 2002 14:47

Call me a popists, but most of the tracks go on a bit long for me. "Free" and "International Lover" are just too silly. The singles rock though, and I can see why technoids love this album. But I'll take Purple Rain, Dirty Mind and especially Sign O' The Times over this one. I might even take Controversy over it too.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), 3. joulukuuta 2002 1:17

But of course they go on long--they are robo-sex!

― Ben Williams, 3. joulukuuta 2002 2:56

Well my dick starts chafing before they're done. So I'm right to complain.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), 3. joulukuuta 2002 3:05

29. The end of "1999" when it strips down to just the rhythm guitar you never noticed was there all along even though you've heard this damn song 800 thousand times and one and it's all like EPIPHANY!

― The Reverend, 26. marraskuuta 2007 8:57

The great thing about LtB (and, I guess, Hatful and/or World Won't Listen) is being a teenager and wanting to check out this band, and buying this weird kitchen-sink collection that just has these amazing songs on it, and then you realize that none of these songs are on their albums and oh man, how much more great music like this must there be? The answer is a lot, but it's tough to find the equals of some of the songs on here. In hindsight you realize a lot of them are kind of weird one-offs or digressions or whatever, but in an alternate reality where this was the only Smiths compilation you could believe these were all their smash hits on one disc. "Panic," "William," "Is It Really So Strange?" "Sweet & Tender Hooligan," "Hand In Glove," etc - great stuff. And then the material in between, which has lots of good slow-growers eg "Rubber Ring" and "Golden Lights."

The last five or so tracks are real slow-growers, though, and I still haven't really fall in love with "Please, Please, Please..." Love "Stretch Out and Wait" though - It's the Eskimo blood in my veins!

I dunno, this is just one of those comps that's hard-hitting enough to be plausible as someone's only needed Smiths record, but sprawling enough to give you lots of things to pick over after the first wave of excitement.

One of these days I really should check out Prince.

Double Nickels in the top 5 or I'm permabanning somebody at random.

― Bob Saget's "Night Moves": C or D (WmC), Saturday, November 28, 2009 4:26 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

ayo tuoma count my #1 vote for 2xnickels dawg yeah

That's 2 for Prince. Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times are sure to make an appearance too. I wonder if he'll get 5.

1999 is the second best of 1980s Prince albums, after SotT. It's where he took the approach he'd started on Dirty Mind and Controversy to its logical conclusion: like Chicago house producers around the same time, he realized that stripped-down synth grooves that go on and on, backed by a relentless 4/4 beat, can be just as appealing and sexy as songs with a traditional beginning and ending. It's also where he truly found his freaky, experimental edge (which had been hinted on previous songs like "Annie Christian")... Tunes like "Something in the Water" and "Lady Cab Driver" are sociopsychosexual mini-epics that are queer both sonically and in their unresolved drama. It's kinda understandable that after an extreme statement like this Prince would go on to a more maximalist direction, but the three albums that followed 1999 can't really reach the same heights as this one. With those albums Prince expressed his experimental side in a more rockist-traditional, "progressive" way, but ironically they aren't quite as progressive as the detached, nervous robot sex of 1999.

i am listening to 1999 and so far so sexy

29. The end of "1999" when it strips down to just the rhythm guitar you never noticed was there all along even though you've heard this damn song 800 thousand times and one and it's all like EPIPHANY!

― The Reverend, 26. marraskuuta 2007 8:57

^^^^^
as true today as it was in marraskuuta 2007

In a world where 1999 doesn't crack the top 30...

just listened to 1999 in its entirety for the first time - pretty sweet, uplifting record...am feeling happier! how can u be sad when prince plays

Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times are sure to make an appearance too. I wonder if he'll get 5.

i'll be surprised (as in appalled) if dirty mind doesn't chart. but who knows?

I don't wanna be a poet
cuz I don't wanna blow it.
I don't care to win awards.

all I wanna do is dance
play music, sex, romance
try my best to never get bored