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

are you sure? i participated and without me meat puppets ii would not have been in the top 100. and i just gave it ten points like all my 30 albums. there are only 30 points (a top vote) in between #65 and #100. exactly because of that the poll is not very significant. there were not enough participants.

haha yeah, good example cause number #65 was my #1 and I noticed that had I not voted it wouldn't have even placed. (you guys can also thank me for most of the springsteen placings - yw, yw.)

I remember being frustrated by a lot of 80s albums because of the production. So much stuff was too slick and glossy, or cluttered with stupid gated drum effects and other trendy technologies that just made the music sound brittle. On the other hand, some of the indie stuff didn't sound so great either, like some of the Husker Du records, Soul Asylum, etc. Surfer Rosa was such a revelation because it had some of the abrasive attack of Albini's Big Black, but cleaner, with more space. Yet there was a bit of sugar coated beauty in there too. In a way it anticipated both Slint and Nirvana. I recall from interviews at the time that Albini didn't think much of the band. He would later reveal his favorites in the early 90s to be Fugazi and The Jesus Lizard. I definitely preferred those bands live, but they never did anything that could replace the surreal beauty and decay of Surfer Rosa.

Surfer Rosa was such a revelation because it had some of the abrasive attack of Albini's Big Black, but cleaner, with more space.

Exactly. It was a watered-down version of Big Black.

pixies = abrasive attack + space + melody!

Surfer Rosa was my #1 pick...didn't even put Doolittle on my ballot...

14. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden [1988] (274 points, 18 votes, 2 first place votes)

http://bbblog.ubisonic.de/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/talk_talk-spirit_of_eden.jpg

Greatest album ever made by man or beast. If there was such a thing as a greatest album ever.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), 9. lokakuuta 2003 15:59

There's no way around this: you MUST Have TT's Spirit of Eden AND Laughing Stock. Hell, go and get Mark Hollis' solo album too, which is admittedly a bit patchy, but the first track (called 'Colour of Spring', co-incidentally, a title of a TT album) gives me goosebumps.

The bizarre recording process for the TT records is becmoing a bit of an urban legend as well (recording musicians individually in complete darkness, etc).

The music is very different from the previous TT 'hits' - obtuse, strange, and beautiful. The first time I listened to Spirit of Eden, I knew it was something special, because it confused me - I couldn't decide if it was complete crap or pure brilliance.

Absolutely essential - full stop.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), 9. lokakuuta 2003 17:56

Is it true that they once spent an entire day recording a virtuoso violinist, just hours and hours of tape... and the only thing they kept on the record was a little mistake by the violinist? How about that other legend where they spent another entire day recording a choir and then delted the whole thing the next day because it was "too perfect"?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), 15. lokakuuta 2003 7:01

It's all about the arrangements and the incredible dynamics. There are bits in the record that would be mistaken for Stockhausen or something if you lifted them out of context. The production technique is fantastic.

And I like the sense of mystery that pervades: I could never make out what Hollis was singing, and I couldn't read what was written on the lyric sheet exactly. I started to read up on the production history of the record - how they recorded certain things, how the work was done in the studio - and I had to stop as I just didn't want to know.

― Brakhage (brakhage), 19. lokakuuta 2005 18:20

Is it true that they once spent an entire day recording a virtuoso violinist, just hours and hours of tape... and the only thing they kept on the record was a little mistake by the violinist?

haha this sounds like it was 'chinese democracy' or something

it's up for grabs now

Yes, two more of my Top 10 to come, one of which I do not expect to show up now

Spirit Of Eden was pretty high in my list. I'm a bit disappointed that it didn't quite make the ten. I really thought The Colour Of Spring would have been in somewhere too.

I really thought The Colour Of Spring would have been in somewhere too.

As much as I love Talk Talk and all their records, Spring won my vote in this poll.

ya i gave my vote to colour of spring too. ***crosses fingers***

xpost hoping for colour of spring too.. been listening to that record non-stop lately

13. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique [1989] (291 points, 25 votes, 1 first place vote)

http://jackwolak.com/lp/7617.jpg

Monsier Noodles sed: "[PAUL'S BOUTIQUE] didnt belong in the period it came out from but its looking like the sure winner to be one of those classic albums that gets all the attention from the kids in the future as their 'signature' album. "

While I'd agree, it's bizarre to call it their 'signature' album, as they haven't made a record that sounds like it since.

― Alex in NYC, 6. elokuuta 2002 3:00

i wanted to post song-by-song why i thought pauls boutique was so cool but then realized i probably couldn't do it in a fashion that would impress / make sense to anybody.

basically boils down to the amount of weird change-ups in the tracks. it's just fun to listen to. there's more going on, beyond the level of good flows, stories, whatever.

i also think i relate more to the mindset on pauls boutique. 3 ft high still has that old-school golden-age aura of being preached to that i'm a bit allergic about.

i mean the video for "me, myself and i" has them getting picked on in class, sure i can relate to that but when i think of high school i think more of taking out my aggressions after school with stupid acts of petty vandalism. thank god there's a hip hop group out there that glorifies that.

my other taking sides litmus test is "what would i do if album x disappeared off the earth forever", in the case of de la soul i'd probably just listen to tribe called quest and jungle bros. if pauls boutique left - it'd be irreplaceable! (i don't think the rest of the beasties catalogue deserves that sort of praise, though)

― vahid (vahid), 20. toukokuuta 2004 6:52

PAUL'S BOUTIQUE ALL THE WAY

What Paul's has over 3 Feet is:

The intentional drive towards funk throughout(in that it's a multi-layered and diverse production but keeps the funk and disco breaks at the forefront = more personal appreciation for the sampled tracks and funk in general) and more intentionally bugged out psyche-like moments that occasionally dispense with much of the rap framework (cf 'B-Boy Bouillabaisse', first half of 'Sounds Of Science' and the ever ridiculous '5-Piece Chicken Dinner'). Basically, funkier and stranger.

The comedy. The Beasties were still amusing at this point and their tough guy posturing was still endearingly over the top witout sounding like they took any of it seriously. They didn't profess to educate or show a new way for hip hop, they just fucked around with whatever came to mind. Even their in-jokes didn't get tired.

The production: Paul has better 60s taste than John and Mike but they SLAY him on the 70s shit. There's a reason The Good, The Bad And The Ugly formed for a brief moment.
The density of production. The way it all hangs together is pretty damn great. When the vocal samples kick in in place of
Even Paul's sparser tracks sound full. Not light like 3FHAR (or, dare I say it, thin).

― Barima (Barima), 20. toukokuuta 2004 11:31

I've been trying to like Paul's Boutique pretty much since it came out.

Bought the 33 1/3'd book on it the other day...interesting read, but still couldn't really get into it.

Then, yesterday, played it in the car for the first time (don't usually listen to music while driving as I only go short distances). Totally revelatory experience. It's kind of scary how much situation can matter for some albums...

― dlp9001, 28. lokakuuta 2009 20:22

so no chance for license to ill then? which is fine, its rubbish. also wouldn't mind if nwa are mysteriously replaced by ultramagnetic (efil4zaggin>nwa and the posse>compton).

pauls boutique is the nuts.

12 albums to go

13 albums listed below: is master of puppets missing? is Low-Life in the top 12?

The Queen is Dead
Remain in Light
Sign of the Times
Hounds of Love
Thriller
Daydream Nation
Purple Rain
Murmur
Surfer Rosa
it takes a nation of millions
double nickels on the dime
Low-Life
Master of Puppets

others:

Throwing Muses
A Secret Wish
peter Gabriel 111 / melted face

double nickels on the dime

I'd never even heard of this album until this thread

o_O

xp It's good, deffo top 50 material IMO.

This is obviously an American thing ... like the Replacements

meeting mike watt might have been my musical highlight of 2009.

in May / June 1987 The Replacements were on the front cover of Melody Maker

Yeah Tom D, fancy not remembering that!

djmartian - Surfer Rosa is already at #15...

He probably meant Doolittle.

Well, lots of bands have been on the cover of the Melody Maker and NME, doesn't mean they actually sold any records (xxxp)

right

I'm really hoping PG3 makes it. I voted it pretty high, and an 80s poll with absolutely NO Peter Gabriel would be fucking ridiculous.

Consider this poll ridiculous!

The Queen is Dead
Remain in Light
Sign of the Times
Hounds of Love
Thriller
Daydream Nation
Purple Rain
Murmur
Doolittle
it takes a nation of millions

Those ten are in for certain but the other two spaces I'm not too sure about. I would like to See Low-life and Computer World in there.

yeah I'm guessing Peter Gabriel's albums split a lot of votes; like I was sure that So would come up but I'm not sure if it's top 10 material, given where Graceland placed.

"Computer World" surely? Or has it already appeared?

i don't think low-life will be there. the chances of movement being there are higher, i'd guess. i think i am not the only one who thinks it is the best new order album. instead of murmur i still have hopes for fire of love (and even youth of america) but i am probably deluding myself.

an 80s poll with absolutely NO Peter Gabriel would be fucking ridiculous

grounds for throwing the whole thing out imo

An 80s poll with absolutely NO Housemartins would be fucking ridiculous.

Lowlife came FIFTH in the best New Order album poll folks.

by special request -- NEW ORDER POLL (closes 05/14/2007)

Top 13 80s albums of my friends and favourites on rateyourmusic.com currently goes like this:

Closer
Doolittle
Remain in Light
Tabula Rasa
Surfer Rosa
Disintegration
Pornography
Daydream Nation
Spirit of Eden
Rain Dogs
The Queen Is Dead
The Perfect Prescription
Script of the Bridge

Gabriel 3 at 36

Ahem, Paul's Boutique ... key record this one, and my #9. I don't hear it so much in the context of hip hop, or even in the context of music at all sometimes. To me it's squarely in the line of late 80s UK pop house - Beat Dis, S-Express, all that - using the technology to throw a pile of favourite things in there and tell a story, or better just send yourself up and make something fun and cool. The wider lineage is any art that makes itself out of random connections, jokes and playing with meanings, especially montages like Bunuel or Warhol or Koyaanisqaatsi - but Paul's Boutique is better than any of those because it packs so much more in.

The beasties themselves barely feature in my image of this album - they're just curators, the joy is in whatever they've picked to spring out next. 'Fucking around' is the right words - it's like we've got this thing and this whole world of sound, where can we take it next? Oh, right - and that was it, the full stop to the genre right there. It wasn't 'til I saw The Power of Nightmares or some Errol Morris that I got the same feeling again. Is what it means to me anyway.

But in the end I put it so low for the same reason dlp9001 says - I totally see the awesomeness, now I just need to start liking it.

So it's looking like the top 10 will be not nearly as white as the rest of the list then.

Wow @ Spirit Of Eden not cracking the 10! Mine was one of its 1st place votes.

Have we had 'Swordfishtrombones' yet?

Any reason why you guys aren't adding NWA to yr predictions?

12. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime [1984] (300 points, 15 votes, 3 first place votes)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2136/2094708080_9c2d7b115d_o.png

Double Nickels on the Dime seems to try to be all things to all people, and hell, it almost succeeds. 19 years later, and its still a confounding and moving album...and easier to dance to than 200KM/H. I've nothing against chart-pop but, if I have to take sides...
"The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts"

― Ryan McKay (Ryan McKay), 9. maaliskuuta 2003 21:50

I always liked the clean production, sonic restlessness and passionate/ goofy lyrical/vocal Minutemen thing more than the Huskers thing in a general sort of way, although as a teen I loved both bands for totally different reasons/moods. As an adult, I think where DN beats out ZA is in the jazz pretensions department: there's more swing and adventure in any single Watt bass-line on DN than in the whole of the bloated "Reocurring Dreams" -- Plus, how many great songs could the 'men have shoved into 14 minutes?

― Major Bloodnok (Major Bloodnok), 14. maaliskuuta 2006 21:42

double nickels on the dime, no question. husker du was forever spoiled for me when i was a college radio dj in the '90s. one of the dudes at the station who was way older than me, who lorded his holier-than-thou musical knowledge over me on a near-daily basis, said to me 'i was going to husker du shows when you were still in the womb!' god, i'm rolling my eyes just thinking about it.

also, i would way rather have a beer and rock out with mike watt than drink herbal tea and listen to new-age electronica with bob mould.

― geeta (geeta), 15. maaliskuuta 2006 21:44

This is the greatest album of all time, so this poll is impossible.

But for today, it's "One Reporter's Opinion."

― a new Rock Hardy screen name because I can't find the old one (Rock Hardy), 21. marraskuuta 2008 6:07

Blimey!

I've got to hear this album then!

x-post
i think colour spring will feature soon. split-voting is the only possible explanation of the poor perfomance of spirit of eden. everyone sensible knows that it is far more subtle and complex than most of the albums on the list.

FUCK

This missing the top 5 is shitting even more on an already bad day.

Didn't vote for it, but it's a great album. I reckon you'd like at least a large-ish chunk of it tbh Tom.

This is odd it's really obvious what ten of of the final list will be but there's just one place left for all the albums that we've been predicting. I'm sticking with Computer World it has to be in!

Is there any way that Thriller might not make the list?

heard of Minutemen but not this album

few more selected positions in the top 100 80s albums of my friends and favourites on rateyourmusic.com currently:

14: Dead Kennedys
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

18: Metallica
Master of Puppets

19: Kraftwerk
Computerwelt

22: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Juju

24: Depeche Mode
Black Celebration

28: Dead Can Dance
Within the Realm of a Dying Sun

33: The Chameleons
Strange Times

34:Talk Talk
The Colour of Spring

46: New Order
Low-Life

48: King Crimson
Discipline

54: John Foxx
Metamatic

61: Rush
Moving Pictures

65: Propaganda
A Secret Wish

67: Virgin Prunes
...If I Die, I Die

72: The Blue Nile
Hats

74: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Architecture & Morality

75: The Sisters of Mercy
First and Last and Always

79: Brian Eno
Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks [With Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno]

86: Magazine
The Correct Use of Soap

96: Tuxedomoon
Desire