PE just over Hairway
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:28 (five years ago) link
Strong year this. Tough call between AR Kane, Public Enemy, Talk Talk, My Bloody Valentine for me
I'm not as enamoured of Daydream Nation as most people are but its certainly a good album.
Honourable mentions:
Biz Markie – Goin’ OffVan Morrison and The Chieftains – Irish HeartbeatSkinny Puppy – VIVIsectVIThe Jesus and Mary Chain – Barbed Wire Kisses (it’s a compilation)
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:28 (five years ago) link
galaxie 500 - today
― Trϵϵship, Friday, 7 June 2019 16:31 (five years ago) link
Jane's
― Thus Spoke Darraghustra (Oor Neechy), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:33 (five years ago) link
My least favourite year for music in the '80s by miles, although there's still some strong records.
Tough choice for me between ...And Justice For All, Introspective, Surfer Rosa, Green, Spirit of Eden (which I predict will top this poll in a landslide), Lovesexy and Isn't Anything.
I'll have to think about this one.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:37 (five years ago) link
Stuff I also liked from '88 includes:
808 State - Newbuild (an acid house classic)Erasure - The Innocents (a synthpop classic)Gary Numan - Metal Rhythm (his most underrated '80s record)Hugh Cornwell - Wolf (ex-Stranglers frontman's attempt at being Phil Collins)The Style Council - Confessions of a Pop Group (side one in particular is some of Weller's most interesting music)The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane (a glaring omission!)Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw and the Cooked (yes, really)The Proclaimers - Sunshine on Leith (a stronger record than their debut which appeared on the '87 poll)
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:42 (five years ago) link
(I should have said "soon to be ex-Stranglers frontman" re: Wolf, actually)
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:43 (five years ago) link
sade's best album (as opposed to her greatest or her most perfect respectively)
― lowercase (eric), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:46 (five years ago) link
*their!
The Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" is there, Turrican
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 16:47 (five years ago) link
Looks like a tough one. Now if you had included Fingers Inc.’s Another Side (double) album...
― breastcrawl, Friday, 7 June 2019 16:54 (five years ago) link
my vote falls, as it must do, to Rudimentary Peni - Cacophony
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:05 (five years ago) link
<3
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:05 (five years ago) link
:)
we shouldn't do this beyond 1989 imo - people's actual favourites will start to differ too markedly from the valiantly all-pleasing choices here. like, even here, Spirit of Eden is very nearly my overall favourite, but I think things will start to get a bit much very soon
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:09 (five years ago) link
Boogie Down Productions – By All Means NecessaryJanes Addiction – Nothings ShockingMinistry – Land of Rape and HoneyMudhoney – Superfuzz BigmuffMy Bloody Valentine – Isnt AnythingNWA – Straight Outta ComptonPixies – Surfer RosaPublic Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us BackREM – GreenSlayer – South of HeavenSlick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick RickSonic Youth – Daydream NationSoundgarden – Ultramega OKThe Church - Starfish
All of these are pretty great. If I short list it:
Jane's was an important record to my musical evolution.That is Ministry's best album.NWA was important to my musical evolution, and also important in a dozen other ways.
Gonna have to go with NWA.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:15 (five years ago) link
xpost LJ, speak for yourself! your choices will always be determinedly off the beaten track either way
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:15 (five years ago) link
The Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" is there, Turrican― . (Michael B), Friday, June 7, 2019 4:47 PM (twenty-seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― . (Michael B), Friday, June 7, 2019 4:47 PM (twenty-seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Ah, so it is! Fuck, that's just made considering what to vote for even harder, then!
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:17 (five years ago) link
Put On Land And In The Sea in the 1989 poll and we'll talk ;)
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:18 (five years ago) link
lol Cardiacs
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:19 (five years ago) link
― imago, Friday, June 7, 2019 5:18 PM (one minute ago)
I'll give it a listen!
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:21 (five years ago) link
we shouldn't do this beyond 1989 imo - people's actual favourites will start to differ too markedly from the valiantly all-pleasing choices here. like, even here, Spirit of Eden is very nearly my overall favourite, but I think things will start to get a bit much very soon― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 18:09 (ten minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 18:09 (ten minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
mike and I are doing the 90s. 25 choices each per year. I reckon it will be fine.
― Thus Spoke Darraghustra (Oor Neechy), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:21 (five years ago) link
fine fine
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:22 (five years ago) link
I'd probably find casting votes in '90s or '00s polls far more difficult than these '80s ones, tbh.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:23 (five years ago) link
didn't A Little Man and a House come out that year
Gary Numan - Metal Rhythm (his most underrated '80s record)
respect, I think that record blows but I'm glad someone likes it. ain't that the one that straight up rips off Prince?
anyway - I'm goin with the Mondays here...especially its the version w/ all the B-sides and singles. It's got such a trippy, disorienting sound to it. It makes me feel like I'm drunk. I can't think of another record quite like it.
― frogbs, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:23 (five years ago) link
A Little Man was 1987 wasn't it? Anyway, it's the only Cardiacs album I'd call less than perfect so I'm not so fussed it didn't show up (I still love it obv)
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:24 (five years ago) link
Oh it was '88. Whatever
― imago, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:25 (five years ago) link
to the hague
― frogbs, Friday, 7 June 2019 17:27 (five years ago) link
Yeah, Metal Rhythm is very Prince influenced, but I feel that he does it well on that album in comparison to, say, Outland or Machine + Soul (on which he actually feels the need to do covers of Prince songs and is, for me - and I guess for Numan himself too - his actual worst) ...
It's the only album I can listen to and enjoy in full from his post-Beggars/pre-Sacrifice "middle years"
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Friday, 7 June 2019 17:28 (five years ago) link
Kind of surprised Workbook didn't make the cut. Every time I put it on I think it's stunning.anyway, Daydream Nation.
― campreverb, Friday, 7 June 2019 18:32 (five years ago) link
Beat Happening - JamboreeBoogie Down Productions – By All Means NecessaryButthole Surfers – Hairway to StevenCocteau Twins – Blue Bell KnolDinosaur Jr – BugEPMD – Strictly BusinessEric B & Rakim – Follow the LeaderGalaxie 500 – TodayJanes Addiction – Nothings ShockingJungle Brothers – Straight Out The JunglePixies – Surfer RosaPublic Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us BackSonic Youth – Daydream NationThe Sugarcubes – Lifes Too GoodTracy Chapman - s/tUltramagnetic MC’s – Critical Beatdown
A lot for me to choose from.
― nicky lo-fi, Friday, 7 June 2019 18:37 (five years ago) link
This list is seriously missing out on Duran Duran's Big Thing. Don't @ me.
There are very few entries on the actual list itself that excite me, so I leapt upon the Spirit of Eden option like a starving hyena.
― Dee the (Summer-Hating) Lurker (deethelurker), Friday, 7 June 2019 19:18 (five years ago) link
Tracy
― Herman Woke (cryptosicko), Friday, 7 June 2019 19:27 (five years ago) link
Not that i'm gonna vote for them, but weren't the first two House of Love albums both self-titled? 1988 was this one:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_Love_(1988_album)#Title_confusion
― enochroot, Friday, 7 June 2019 19:27 (five years ago) link
1990 one is often referred to as "The Butterfly Album"
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 19:57 (five years ago) link
Leaning Dino Jr for this year
― Jeff the grown man (voodoo chili), Friday, 7 June 2019 19:59 (five years ago) link
I went with Bug instead of Daydream Nation or Surfer Rosa (why not)
Really appreciate your careful lists, you kept up with the times.
Don't see Mary Margaret O'Hara - Miss America in your listThere could be some death metal as well surely, but I only have Leprosy to propose
― Nabozo, Friday, 7 June 2019 20:06 (five years ago) link
O'Hara is there!
― Ambient Police (sleeve), Friday, 7 June 2019 20:07 (five years ago) link
Oh god, it's Introspective cos it's one of the greatest albums ever made
― kraudive, Friday, 7 June 2019 20:09 (five years ago) link
Had to go with The Church over Throwing Muses. "Starfish" is one of those perfect albums.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 7 June 2019 20:17 (five years ago) link
interesting, I think it's my probably my favourite Cardiacs album. sometimes anyway
there's not much in the poll list I don't like (there's a few I don't know but not many)
― Colonel Poo, Friday, 7 June 2019 20:48 (five years ago) link
Weakest year of the 80s, but Galaxie 500, Pixies, Sonic Youth, House of Love, NWA and Public Enemy are all great.
This is simply R.E.M. for me again, though.
― dorsalstop, Friday, 7 June 2019 21:46 (five years ago) link
My initial response is that this is either BDP or Talk Talk
― Vape Store (crüt), Friday, 7 June 2019 21:54 (five years ago) link
At least 15 of my favorite albums this time.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 7 June 2019 21:59 (five years ago) link
I'm Your Man
― o. nate, Friday, 7 June 2019 22:23 (five years ago) link
on second thought, as much as i love the dinos, there are at least 4 albs better:
Mary Margaret O’Hara – Miss AmericaPublic Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us BackTalk Talk – Spirit of EdenThe Go Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane
really good list though
― Jeff the grown man (voodoo chili), Friday, 7 June 2019 22:29 (five years ago) link
― Vape Store (crüt), Friday, 7 June 2019 21:54 (thirty-six minutes ago) Permalink
My brother used to go to college in England and he'd come back every summer and Xmas with tapes. That BDP tape was one in particular that I liked. First proper rap album I ever heard. I did enjoy the swearing a lot too. It still bangs!
― . (Michael B), Friday, 7 June 2019 22:36 (five years ago) link
"The Story of 1988" is on BBC4 now
BROSMANIA
― . (Michael B), Saturday, 8 June 2019 00:41 (five years ago) link
Hm, Metallica vs Public Enemy, probably
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Saturday, 8 June 2019 00:41 (five years ago) link
between Sonic Youth and Public Enemy for me, same as for 1987, although these are arguably two even greater albums
― Dan S, Saturday, 8 June 2019 02:07 (five years ago) link
Also loved (and still do) albums released in 1988 from Richard Thompson, Robyn Hitchcock, The Primitives, Wire, Peter Murphy, The Wonder Stuff, The Sun And The Moon, and Bill Nelson (US CD release).
Every year is a good one.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 8 June 2019 04:53 (five years ago) link
Surfer Rosa69Hairway to StevenBevis Frond - TriptychLoop - Fade OutF/I - Space MantraDaydream NationI'm Your ManBlue Bell KnollBug
― think the toledo mud hens but for twitter (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 8 June 2019 05:55 (five years ago) link
As much as I love Cave and Cohen, their'88 records aren't particular favourites of mine.
I'm going for REM over Talk Talk.
― Valentijn, Saturday, 8 June 2019 07:27 (five years ago) link
Go-Betweens, with Pixies close behind.
― Jazzbo, Saturday, 8 June 2019 13:02 (five years ago) link
I got many of these records as they came out or the hype was rising, and each of them displaced the previous as the best thing ever. Can still retrace the order I heard them: Nation of Millions, Hairway to Steven, Tender Prey, Daydream Nation, Isn't Anything, Surfer Rosa. So at the time, I was left with Surfer Rosa being the favorite. I vote in these polls with what I'd want to play a bunch right now, though. And that would be Isn't Anything
― bendy, Saturday, 8 June 2019 13:20 (five years ago) link
What a year. Probably 'Today' by Galaxie 500 retrospectively (I became aware of them when 'On Fire' was released) so I'll vote for 'Bug' which I bought and loved when it was released.
― Grantman, Saturday, 8 June 2019 15:07 (five years ago) link
Underrated dope year.
― billstevejim, Saturday, 8 June 2019 21:34 (five years ago) link
Without Workbook I am voting for Trinity Sessions
― Velcromancer (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 8 June 2019 22:10 (five years ago) link
Workbook is '89 according to Wikipedia, folks
― . (Michael B), Saturday, 8 June 2019 23:14 (five years ago) link
Jeez, what a year. This is the first poll I've seen where there are about six or seven albums I could choose. But I voted Kurious Oranj for personal reasons....
― Equal Time for Dingelschnitzen (I M Losted), Sunday, 9 June 2019 01:15 (five years ago) link
I ended up voting for Introspective, which is the one I most feel like listening to right now.
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Sunday, 9 June 2019 19:52 (five years ago) link
tough to choose between Isnt Anything or Critical Beatdown
plus Bug, Follow The Leader, Straight Out The Jungle, Straight Outta Compton, Surfer Rosa, South Of Heaven, Great Adventures of Slick Rick are all some of the best records ever.
― billstevejim, Sunday, 9 June 2019 19:55 (five years ago) link
you are not going to force me to choose in between miss america and spirit of eden, are you? i'd rather cut myself a finger off.
― je est un autre, l'enfer c'est les autres (alex in mainhattan), Sunday, 9 June 2019 21:51 (five years ago) link
Fuck it, believing the hype, switching to channel zero, and going with Public Enemy,
― Jeff the grown man (voodoo chili), Sunday, 9 June 2019 22:28 (five years ago) link
Voted for M2OH, but only because - Dee is right - This list is seriously missing out on Duran Duran's Big Thing.
― Max Florian, Sunday, 9 June 2019 23:43 (five years ago) link
(I would have also voted for Sylvian/Czukay’s Plight & Premonition, and - even more glaring omisshun - Talking Heads’ Naked! Sigh.
― Max Florian, Sunday, 9 June 2019 23:46 (five years ago) link
This one's ridiculously hard. It may be significant that it is the first year in which I was old enough/clued-up enough (ie. I discovered non-commercial radio) to hear most of the contenders during the year in question.It's basically impossible so I might just choose The Sugarcubes if I only because I distinctly remember hearing them as direct (and early) result of my newly expanded radio menu.
― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 10 June 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
I love the Tracy Chapman album
and am interested in Galaxie 500 again after seeing 13 Most Beautiful...Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests, which was scored by Dean & Britta
― Dan S, Monday, 10 June 2019 00:12 (five years ago) link
I voted for Tracy when the poll went up, and I mostly stand by that, but listening to it again just now I'm remembering how front loaded the record is.
― Herman Woke (cryptosicko), Monday, 10 June 2019 03:35 (five years ago) link
Introspective!
― the article don, Monday, 10 June 2019 07:06 (five years ago) link
Happy Mondays, w/ shout outs to Dinosaur Jr, Metallica, Pet Shop Boys, Public Enemy, Pixies, Go Betweens, Ultramagnetic MCs. A good year!
― Captain ACAB (Neil S), Monday, 10 June 2019 09:26 (five years ago) link
Straight fight, Talk Talk v. Sonic Youth. Talk Talk won.
― John Harris is a Guardian columnist (Tom D.), Monday, 10 June 2019 09:28 (five years ago) link
those two should have been on my shout out list as well
― Captain ACAB (Neil S), Monday, 10 June 2019 09:32 (five years ago) link
voted talk talk
― nxd, Monday, 10 June 2019 09:45 (five years ago) link
love the 80s ali farka toure albums, tho I think my fav is the 84 red album. I'm going public enemy tho
― ogmor, Monday, 10 June 2019 10:13 (five years ago) link
― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Sunday, June 9, 2019 9:52 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Irony is dead.
― Uptown VONC (Le Bateau Ivre), Monday, 10 June 2019 16:22 (five years ago) link
They took a pictureAnd from this cold lightning
― Michael Jones, Tuesday, 11 June 2019 16:20 (five years ago) link
MM O’Hara, Cowboy Junkies, and Tracy Chapman over here. And oh shit just seeing Fisherman’s blues now, which might have gotten my vote otherwise.
Missing contender: Short Sharp Shocked.
― ... (Eazy), Tuesday, 11 June 2019 17:02 (five years ago) link
Nice to see Cowboy Junkies get a few props, I somehow thought they weren't well liked here. That'd be my vote.
― confusementalism (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 11 June 2019 17:28 (five years ago) link
Blue Bell Knoll, followed closely by Surfer Rosa and From Langley Park to Memphis
― J. Sam, Tuesday, 11 June 2019 18:45 (five years ago) link
Voted Jane's Addiction to make sure it got a vote.
A top 100 rock album for me. Still ebbs and flows and shimmys and shines
― nicky lo-fi, Wednesday, 12 June 2019 04:01 (five years ago) link
An annus mirabilis, to be sure, but only one of these is Spirit of Eden.
― pomenitul, Wednesday, 12 June 2019 16:16 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Thursday, 13 June 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
In '88 I listened to Surfer Rosa and Daydream Nation all the time. Lovesexy not far behind. I wasn't that fond of Green after discovering R.E.M. through Life's Rich Pageant two years earlier. Other favorites I only discovered a few years after they were released: Tender Prey, Bug, Today, Stairway to Steven, Isn't Anything, Spirit of Eden and 69. I still haven't fully grasped the latter, it's awesome though. Mmmmm ok, Surfer Rosa gets my vote.
― willem, Thursday, 13 June 2019 09:23 (five years ago) link
I wonder how many people secretly voted for Viva Hate.
― pomenitul, Thursday, 13 June 2019 09:25 (five years ago) link
The hardest pick of these polls for me...I could have happily voted for 69, SoE, Isn't Anything, 16LL or ITANOMTHUB but went with Blue Bell Knoll in the end as I thought it probably wouldn't attract as much praise as the others (but has always been my favourite Cocteau's album).
― yugi ex, Thursday, 13 June 2019 09:59 (five years ago) link
Or Lies
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 13 June 2019 10:38 (five years ago) link
Went with Jane's in the end.
― All along there is the sound of feedback (Sund4r), Thursday, 13 June 2019 13:16 (five years ago) link
I too am PE or Sonic Youth. But what a year! All the rap records are great.
― stop torturing me ethel (broom air), Thursday, 13 June 2019 16:11 (five years ago) link
Trinity Sessions with mot even a hint of regret
― Velcromancer (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 13 June 2019 16:12 (five years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 14 June 2019 00:01 (five years ago) link
👍
― Dan S, Friday, 14 June 2019 03:53 (five years ago) link
To think I'd live long enough to see Morrissey get zero votes in an ilx poll...
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Friday, 14 June 2019 06:51 (five years ago) link
You own a questionIt's a body
― Michael Jones, Friday, 14 June 2019 10:09 (five years ago) link
Glad I wasn't the only one to vote for Today. So many good memories of that record.
― groovypanda, Friday, 14 June 2019 10:11 (five years ago) link
Good top 4 but I missed the fact that "Isn't Anything" was in this poll.
― John Harris is a Guardian columnist (Tom D.), Friday, 14 June 2019 11:06 (five years ago) link
Michael B's list is smarter than Pazz & Jop's
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 6 November 2019 12:46 (four years ago) link