Acclaimed Music Top 25 from 1980 poll

If it wasn't for Remain In Light, I would have a hard time picking between AC/DC and the CURE.

My two favorites are pretty much polar opposites: the sparse and minimalist Colossal Youth vs. the dense and multi-layered Remain In Light. Love YMG so much, but T. Heads is definitely one of my most-played cassettes/LPs/CDs of all time.

I don't REALLY think "Searching for the Young Soul Rebels" is better than "Remain in Light," but it's nearer to my heart and somehow more singular and strange, so I'm voting for it. Of course, if the Teardrop Explodes were #25 instead of #27, I'd vote for that with no hesitation.

I'm just gonna throw one out there for "Underwater Moonlight", though objectively Talking Heads is definitely better.

I scanned through the rest of that list. The only thing I saw on a cursory glance that fell outside of the top 25 and that I'd rep for hardcore is the Swell Maps' Jane From Occupied Europe.

In 1980, when I was really immersed in punk and the New York Dolls, I used to puzzle over why people thought the Talking Heads were so great. "I don't get it--surely that will fade away over time." (I don't hate them.) Thirty years later, people still hear what I don't hear. I was wrong.

Talking Heads followed by Dexys.

My Top 5:

Prince
Talking Heads
Feelies
Dexys
The Jam

Kind of lukewarm on Underwater Moonlight when in theory it ticks so many boxes for me. The River is too high here - it's the one weak album in Springsteen's '70s/'80s run.

Torn between Joy Division, Dexy's and Young Marble Giants. Second tier would be Talking Heads and Soft Boys.

I've heard a couple of Fehlfarben tracks I've liked, but yeah, they're a bit of an oddity popping up here.

"Ein Jahr (Es Geht Voran)" was one of the standout tracks I discovered when I delved into neue deutche welle several years back. Never thought to check out any other Fehlfarben stuff but perhaps I should.

Sound Affects was the second record I ever bought (when I was 7).

this is just me grinding the axe, but again, weird list. as in 1979, the artists involved are almost all white & male, and the selections are heavily skewed toward UK-centric punk, postpunk and new wave. maybe this is, in general, the stuff that published critics "acclaim" from this period, but i'm surprised and a bit disappointed by the narrowness.

1980 RYM list for comparison:

1) Joy Division - Closer
2) Talking Heads - Remain in Light
3) Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
4) John Williams - Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
5) Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
6) Motörhead - Ace of Spades
7) The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
8) Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
9) Diamond Head - Lightning to the Nations
10) Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (III)
11) AC/DC - Back in Black
12) The Sound - Jeopardy
13) Rush - Permanent Waves
14) Wipers - Is This Real?
15) The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
16) The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
17) Steve Reich - Octet / Music for a Large Ensemble / Violin Phase
18) Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
19) Roky Erickson and the Aliens - Roky Erickson and the Aliens (5 Symbols)
20) The Jam - Sound Affects
21) X - Los Angeles
22) Deep Purple - Deep Purple in Concert
23) XTC - Black Sea
24) Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
25) Prince - Dirty Mind

similar in that dirty mind is the only album fronted by a nonwhite artist to make the top 25, and it's even less welcoming of female artist/acts fronted by women than the acclaimed list. it tilts just as strongly in favor of UK artists, but isn't so wholly devoted to punk, postpunk and new wave. main difference is the room it clears for heavy metal.

Cecil Taylor - One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye
Kate Bush - Never for Ever
The Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
Pylon - Gyrate
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Uprising
Siouxie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope
Emmylou Harris - Roses In the Snow
The Specials - More Specials
The B-52's - Wild Planet
Scientist - Heavyweight Dub Champion
Abba - Super Trouper
Black Uhuru - Sinsemillia
Joan Jett - Joan Jett (Bad Reputation)
Joan Armatrading - Me Myself I
Zapp - Zapp

^ those last 15 = a selection of other, less "acclaimed" 1980 releases culled from the lower tiers of RYM's top list

Feelies!

Oops, didn't notice Prince.

X over Dead Kennedys for me (that The Beat album is pretty good too).

voting Cramps cuz they never get their due

voted 'colossal youth' on the strength of 'final day.'

do yall think joy division is so overrated because of the suicide factor?

voted underwater moonlight but could have gone with x, prince, the feelies, talking heads

Wildly suspicious of anyone who doesn't vote AC/DC.

voting Cramps cuz they never get their due

Cramps tempted me as well. But so did several other albums. 1980 was just as good as 1979 and 1981 imo.

voted underwater moonlight, driven more by affection than appreciation. hitchcock and the soft boys have long been heroes of mine, so though i don't like it more, song for song, than remain in light, back in black, dirty mind, ace of spades, colossal youth, songs the lord taught us or even iron maiden, my love for it overwhelms any rational comparison based on merit.

hard to choose, but as always when in doubt, go with the artist with the logo you have magic markered on your allstars the most times, so DK it is

Wildly suspicious of anyone who doesn't vote AC/DC.

I voted for them in the 1979 poll. I like the songs on Back in Black well enough and they're a great live band but I think Brian Johnson may be an even worse replacement singer than Bernard Sumner. Bon Scott's vocals actually had some range, dynamics, and expressiveness to them, not just relentless screeching.

Wish Pylon's Gyrate was on the list! It is amazing. But of the given options, I guess I'm going with The Soft Boys

i wish zapp were on the list

voted soft boys

I'm happy to see all the Soft Boys love on here. Truly.

I'm listening to it for the first time because of all the love here. Sounds all right so far.

Voting with my heart.

X and there is no other.

Underwater Moonlight favourite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I55t3-Q4aLo

Another that slipped through the cracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9cfLkxtKmI

Pretenders, for one of the most stunning debut records EVAR.

Pretenders -- the sexiest records on this list.

record too

Voted Talking Heads but would probably have voted for Beefheart's Doc At The Radar Station if it was there.

Simple Minds' Empires & Dance should have been on there somewhere too.

do yall think joy division is so overrated because of the suicide factor?

― Impetuous hybrid (Matt P), Thursday, June 7, 2012 8:20 PM (3 hours ago)

more inclined to say they're sometimes underrated for that reason -- everyone thinks 'oh joy division lol goth suicide depresso' but the MUSIC on those two albums is sharp, unpredictable, and rich in a way that the popular image of them doesn't do justice to. you can ignore curtis's lyrics (which are sometimes good and sometimes not) and still get as much out of them. if curtis hadn't offed himself i don't think anyone would think of JD as being any more particularly 'depressing' than magazine or young marble giants or PIL.

I'll reverse the usual polarity: Joy Division sounds even sharper now thanks to New Order.

I am prepared to venture that Zenyatta Mondatta is the weakest album the Police ever made. I like Voices Inside My Head and Shadows In The Rain and Don't Stand So Close To Me, but there's a truckload of filler on that thing.

Pretenders just barely over Sandinista!

Though the fact that Dirty Mind could be only the third best album of ANY year makes me want to live in 1980 right now.

where is Chic's Real People?????

I'd also include Donna Summer's The Wanderer.

where is Chic's Real People?????

64

Soft Boys. Suspish me all you want, I'm not into AC/DC though I find them entertaning.

Thanks for that Family Fodder song, jim. I'd only ever heard their goofy cover of "Sunday Girl" before, but that song you posted is pretty rad. I'mma check 'em out.

Peter Gabriel. Only beaten my Japan in my 1980 favourite albums.

This is possibly my favourite year for music. I am voting for Dexys just ahead of Prince but they are both in my top five albums of all time. Also love Talking Heads, Pretenders, The Jam, The Feelies, X, Bowie and Elvis Costello.

Plenty of other amazing albums that didn't make the list,

John Foxx-Metamatic
Associates-The Affectionate Punch
Japan-Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Diana Ross-Diana
Human League-Travelogue
The Passions-Michael & Miranda
Adam & The Ants-Kings Of The Wild Frontier
Devo-Freedom Of Choice
Grace Jones-Warm Leatherette
Kano-Kano
Change-The Glow Of Love
The Jacksons-Triumph
Telex-Neurovision

ymg just squeaking out pretenders s/t

btw, i really thought The Soft Boys were going to win in an upset.

and lol at U2 getting no votes.

Boy is far and away my favorite U2 album, but it's not nearly the best record on that list. Love the Pretenders and Cramps too, but I feel the same way about those.

Dexys album is more in a Northern Soull style than "Come On Eileen" isn't it?

I don't know how Northern Soul it is. They had their own style!

Although "Seven Days Too Long" does have a real '60s soul chorus.

Seven Days Too Long is actually a cover of an old Northern Soul song by Chuck Wood. They also covered Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache which is another Northern Soul favourite too. They were heavily influenced by that scene, especially on Young Soul Rebels but they really did have their own sound which mainly comes from Kevin's unique voice and personality.

what is most interesting about these results is Dexys Midnight Runners Searching for the Young Soul Rebels. i have heard exactly one song by these guys. so i would like to know a bit more about them if anyone wants to suggest where to start.

― Bee OK

I can't recommend all three of their albums enough, they are all quite different but all equally great. I'd start with Searching For The Young Soul Rebels, it's passionate, moving and totally ridiculous in places. Don't Stand Me Down is their third album which pretty much killed their career at the time due to most of the songs being really long and featuring a lot of talking. Its a really incredible album, that would be the next one to try as it features their best song This Is What She's Like which is 12 minutes long but is not boring for a single second.

Here are a few tracks to try out. I'm guessing Come On Eileen is the only song you've heard.

There There My Dear from Searching For The Young Soul Rebels.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZwWnXuB_eg

Let's Make This Precious from Too-Rye-Ay (the album with Come On Eileen on it)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Ae0TfhK8M

This Is What She's Like from Don't Stand Me Down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXh19wfJT3Q

Small sample, I know, but maybe X isn't as forgotten as I sometimes think they are--nice. (I assume Wild Gift will do even better on the next one.)

Speaking of which, anyone ever seen The Unheard Music? I almost rented it out the other day but passed.

one of those docs that I don't think is necessarily amazing in its own right but if you want to see old X live clips and interviews, you really don't have a better option

They're in the Penelope Sheeris film, but I don't think there's very much of them.

that's out of print, too

They are AWESOME in Decline and Fall; I ended up going w Fresh Fruit, just bcz my favorite songs from that film--"We're Desperate" and "Beyond and Back"--were on Wild Gift. Nausea is p great too

They were heavily influenced by that scene, especially on Young Soul Rebels but they really did have their own sound which mainly comes from Kevin's unique voice and personality.

Songwriting too. You can hear that they liked Northern Soul, but "Geno" and "Burn It Down" don't seem to me like they're structured that much like Northern Soul tunes.

Honestly, I think it's like how the Jam don't really sound all that much like The Who Sings My Generation, if people think that's comparable.

Slicing Up Eyeballs is doing a 1980 poll this month.
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/02/04/vote-for-best-albums-of-the-80s/

VOTE FOR YOUR 5 FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 1980

Rules: Pick up to 5 albums, hit 'Submit' button | Voting ends 5 p.m. EST Feb. 22
If a record's not listed, you may enter it in the 'Other' field at the end of the list

01. Adam and the Ants, 'Kings of the Wild Frontier'
02. The Associates, 'The Affectionate Punch'
03. The B-52s, 'Wild Planet'
04. Bauhaus, 'In the Flat Field'
05. The Beat, 'I Just Can't Stop It'
06. The Birthday Party, 'The Birthday Party'
07. Blondie, 'Autoamerican'
08. David Bowie, 'Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)'
09. Bow Wow Wow, 'Your Cassette Pet'
10. Harold Budd/Brian Eno, 'Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror'
11. Buggles, 'The Age of Plastic'
12. Kate Bush, 'Never For Ever'
13. Cabaret Voltaire, 'The Voice of America'
14. Jim Carroll, 'Catholic Boy'
15. The Cars, 'Panorama'
16. Circle Jerks, 'Group Sex'
17. The Clash, 'Sandanista!'
18. The Comsat Angels, 'Waiting For a Miracle'
19. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, 'Get Happy!!'
20. The Cramps, 'Songs the Lord Taught Us'
21. The Cure, 'Seventeen Seconds'
22. The Damned, 'The Black Album'
23. Dead Kennedys, 'Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables'
24. Devo, 'Freedom of Choice'
25. Dexys Midnight Runners, 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels'
26. Ian Dury & The Blockheads, 'Laughter'
27. Echo & The Bunnymen, 'Crocodiles'
28. Fad Gadget, 'Fireside Favourites'
29. The Fall, 'Grotesque (After the Gramme)'
30. The Feelies, 'Crazy Rhythms'
31. Flowers, 'Icehouse'
32. John Foxx, 'Metamatic'
33. Peter Gabriel, 'Peter Gabriel' (aka 'Melt')
34. Half Japanese, 'Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts'
35. The Human League, 'Travelogue'
36. INXS, 'INXS'
37. Joe Jackson, 'Beat Crazy'
38. The Jam, 'Sound Affects'
39. Japan, 'Gentlemen Take Polaroids'
40. Joy Division, 'Closer'
41. Killing Joke, 'Killing Joke'
42. Madness, 'Absolutely'
43. Magazine, 'The Correct Use of Soap'
44. Midnight Oil, 'Bird Noises'
45. Minutemen, 'Paranoid Time'
46. Colin Newman, 'A-Z'
47. Gary Numan, 'Telekon'
48. Oingo Boingo, 'Oingo Boingo'
49. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, 'Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark'
50. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, 'Organisation'
51. Plasmatics, 'New Hope for the Wretched'
52. The Police, 'Zenyattà Mondatta'
53. Poly Styrene, 'Translucence'
54. Iggy Pop, 'Soldier'
55. The Pop Group, 'For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?'
56. Pretenders, 'Pretenders'
57. The Psychedelic Furs, 'The Psychedelic Furs'
58. Pylon, 'Gyrate'
59. Ramones, 'End of the Century'
60. Lou Reed, 'Growing Up in Public'
61. Roxy Music, 'Flesh and Blood'
62. The Selecter, 'Too Much Pressure'
63. Simple Minds, 'Empires and Dance'
64. Siouxsie and the Banshees, 'Kaleidoscope'
65. Skids, 'The Absolute Game'
66. The Soft Boys, 'Underwater Moonlight'
67. The Sound, 'Jeopardy'
68. The Specials, 'More Specials'
69. Split Enz, 'True Colours'
70. Squeeze, 'Argybargy'
71. Stiff Little Fingers, 'Nobody's Heroes'
72. Suicide, 'Suicide' (aka 'The Second Album')
73. Talking Heads, 'Remain in Light'
74. The Teardrop Explodes, 'Kilimanjaro'
75. Tuxedomoon, 'Half-Mute'
76. U2, 'Boy'
77. Ultravox, 'Vienna'
78. The Undertones, 'Hypnotised'
79. Visage, 'Visage'
80. Wipers, 'Is This Real?'
81. X, 'Los Angeles'
82. XTC, 'Black Sea'
83. Young Marble Giants, 'Colossal Youth'

Wow, talk about impossible even to pick just 5! Sigh...

no Cultosaurus Erectus, no credibility

okay I just read the full post, my bad

am bummed I could only do one write-in, but found four other worthy albums in there

this is kind of cool, thanks fnb.

The results! 3,360 ballots, man that site has some juice! And it's really just re-posts of news, very little original content.

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/03/08/best-albums-of-1980/

1. Joy Division, Closer
2. The Cure, Seventeen Seconds
3. Talking Heads, Remain in Light
4. U2, Boy
5. Echo & The Bunnymen, Crocodiles
6. David Bowie, Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)
7. Bauhaus, In the Flat Field
8. The Clash, Sandinista!
9. Siouxsie and the Banshees, Kaleidoscope
10. Pretenders, Pretenders
11. The Police, Zenyattà Mondatta
12. X, Los Angeles
13. Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (aka ‘Melt’)
14. Devo, Freedom of Choice
15. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Get Happy!!
16. The Psychedelic Furs, The Psychedelic Furs
17. The B-52s, Wild Planet
18. Dead Kennedys, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
19. The Jam, Sound Affects
20. XTC, Black Sea

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Adam-and-the-Ants-.jpg

21. Adam and the Ants, Kings of the Wild Frontier
22. The Beat, I Just Can’t Stop It
23. Ultravox, Vienna
24. INXS, INXS
25. Killing Joke, Killing Joke
26. The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms
27. OMD, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
28. Squeeze, Argybargy
29. Kate Bush, Never For Ever
30. Ramones, End of the Century

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/The-Cramps.jpg

31. The Cramps, Songs the Lord Taught Us
32. Japan, Gentlemen Take Polaroids
33. Oingo Boingo, Oingo Boingo
34. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Organisation (TIE)
34. Roxy Music, Flesh and Blood (TIE)
36. Simple Minds, Empires and Dance
37. The Soft Boys, Underwater Moonlight
38. Split Enz, True Colours
39. Magazine, The Correct Use of Soap (TIE)
39. Gary Numan, Telekon (TIE)

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Young-Marble-Giants.jpg

41. Young Marble Giants, Colossal Youth
42. Dexys Midnight Runners, Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
43. The Teardrop Explodes, Kilimanjaro (TIE)
43. Blondie, Autoamerican (TIE)
45. The Specials, More Specials
46. The Birthday Party, The Birthday Party (TIE)
46. The Cars, Panorama (TIE)
48. The Damned, The Black Album
49. The Human League, Travelogue (TIE)
49. The Sound, Jeopardy (TIE)

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/John-Foxx.jpg

51. John Foxx, Metamatic
52. Visage, Visage
53. The Fall, Grotesque (After the Gramme)
54. Madness, Absolutely
55. Cabaret Voltaire, The Voice of America
56. Pylon, Gyrate
57. Buggles, The Age of Plastic (TIE)
57. Circle Jerks, Group Sex (TIE)
59. Minutemen, Paranoid Time
60. Joe Jackson, Beat Crazy

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Wipers.jpg

61. Wipers, Is This Real?
62. The Comsat Angels, Waiting For a Miracle
63. Suicide, Suicide (aka ‘The Second Album’)
64. The Associates, The Affectionate Punch
65. Harold Budd/Brian Eno, Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror (TIE)
65. Stiff Little Fingers, Nobody’s Heroes (TIE)
67. Fad Gadget, Fireside Favourites
68. Jim Carroll, Catholic Boy
69. The Selecter, Too Much Pressure
70. Midnight Oil, Bird Noises

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/The-Undertones.jpg

71. The Undertones, Hypnotised (TIE)
71. Flowers, Icehouse (TIE)
71. Tuxedomoon, Half-Mute (TIE)
74. Rockpile, Seconds of Pleasure
75. Lou Reed, Growing Up in Public
76. Iggy Pop, Soldier
77. Colin Newman, A-Z
78. Bow Wow Wow, Your Cassette Pet (TIE)
78. Prince, Dirty Mind (TIE)
80. Pop Group, For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder?

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/The-Skids.jpg

81. Skids, The Absolute Game
82. Plasmatics, New Hope for the Wretched
83. Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Laughter
84. Pete Townshend, Empty Glass
85. Half Japanese, Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts
86. Poly Styrene, Translucence
87. Swell Maps, Jane From Occupied Europe (TIE)
87. Residents, Commercial Album (TIE)
89. Chrome, Red Exposure
90. Television Personalities, …And Don’t The Kids Just Love It
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Yellow.jpg
91. Yello, Solid Pleasure
92. Toyah, Sheep Farming in Barnet
93. Bad Manners, Ska ‘n’ B (TIE)
93. Lydia Lunch, Queen of Siam (TIE)
93. Alice Cooper, Flush the Fashion (TIE)
96. Klaus Schulze, Dig It
97. Motorhead, Ace of Spades
98. Rolling Stones, Emotional Rescue (TIE)
98. Any Trouble, Where Are All the Nice Girls? (TIE)
100. Cheap Trick, All Shook Up

this is great stuff, along with the pictures!

great showing for Seventeen Seconds it didn't do that in this poll...