Thursday, December 31, 2020

My Top 40 Albums of 1980


Talking Heads : Once in a Lifetime



There will never be another year for albums like 1980. So many incredible artists recorded the best albums of their careers. It has been a nice break from the reality of 2020 to musically inhabit that year. Next year I plan to post a bit less, while diving into 1971 for my Fifty Year Itch Instagram account.









1. Talking Heads Remain In Light 
2. The Jam Sound Affects 
3. Joy Division Closer 
4. Prince Dirty Mind 
5. Squeeze Argybargy 
6. Echo and the Bunnymen Crocodiles 
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions Get Happy!! 
8. Peter Gabriel Peter Gabriel (Melt) 
9. Pretenders Pretenders 
10. Bruce Springsteen The River 

11. U2 Boy 
12. Dexys Midnight Runners Searching For The Young Soul Rebels 
13. Bob Marley & The Wailers Uprising 
14,  Ultravox Vienna 
15. Magazine The Correct Use Of Soap 
16. NRBQ Tiddlywinks
17. Xtc Black Sea 
18. The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms 
19. The Teardrop Explodes Kilimanjaro 
20. The Sound Jeopardy 

21.  Siouxsie and The Banshees Kaleidoscope 
22.  Pete Townshend- Empty Glass 
23. The Cure 17 Seconds 
24. Young Marble Giants Colossal Youth 
25. X Los Angeles 
26. The Psychedelic Furs 
27. The Soft Boys Underwater Moonlight 
28. John Lennon/Yoko Ono  Double Fantasy 
29. John Foxx Metamatic 

30.  The Undertones Hypnotised
31.  AC DC Back in Black 
32. The Clash Sandinista 
33. Roxy Music Flesh + Blood 
34. The Comsat Angels Waiting for a Miracle 
35. Defunkt 
36. Professor Longhair Crawfish Fiesta 
37. Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band Doc At The Radar Station 
38. David Bowie Scary Monsters And Super Creeps 
39. Pylon Gyrate 
40. Japan Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

My Top 40 Songs of 1980


Joy Division : Love Will Tear Us Apart


While you were living in 2020, I spent the year, musically at least, in 1980 where some artists also felt depressed, mostly about the state of the world in the midst of a cold war and leaders who were looking after the rich rather than the working people. An amazing year,  I could have easily made a Top 100 songs of the year. I'm just starting to look at 1981 and there's no way it can compete.





1. Joy Division : Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. David Bowie: Ashes To Ashes
3. The Jam: Going Underground
4. The Pretenders : Talk Of The Town
5. The Cure : A Forest
6. Echo And The Bunnymen : Rescue
7. Kurtis Blow : The Breaks
8. NRBQ : Me And The Boys
9. Squeeze: Another Nail In My Heart
10. Robert Palmer: Looking For Clues







11. The Sound : Heyday
12. The Beat : Mirror In The Bathroom
13. Devo:  Whip It
14. Peter Gabriel Games Without Frontiers
15. The Pretenders : Brass In Pocket
16. Magazine : Song From Under The Floorboards
17. The Clash : Train In Vain
18. Talking Heads : Once In a Lifetime
19. Bruce Springsteen : Hungry Heart
20. Joy Division : Atmosphere




21. Split Enz: I Got You
22. Bush Tetras: Too Many Creeps
23. U2 : I Will Follow
24. Bob Marley and the Wailers : Could You Be Loved
25. Mission of Burma : Academy Fight Song
26. Martha and the Muffins : Echo Beach
27. Lipps Inc : Funkytown
28. The Jam : Start!
29. Blondie: Call Me
30. XTC : Generals and Majors



31. Prince: Dirty Mind
32. Roxy Music : Same Old Scene
33. Diana Ross : I'm Coming Out
34. Donnie Iris : Ah! Leah
35. John Lennon/Yoko Ono : (Just Like) Starting Over/ Kiss Kiss Kiss
36. Ambrosia : Biggest Part Of Me
37. Japan : Gentlemen Take Polaroids
38. Pylon : Cool/Dub
39. Siouxsie and The Banshees : Happy House
40. Jim Carroll Band : People Who Died



Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Mink DeVille makes Rolling Stone's list of the Top 5 Albums of 1980



Mink DeVille : This Must Be The Night


At the end of 1980 when Rolling Stone critics came up with their list of the 5 best albums of the year there were the usual suspects: The Clash's London Calling, Bruce Springsteen's The River, Talking Heads Remain in Light, Captain Beefheart's Doc at the Radar Station and one more album that time has since forgotten, Mink DeVille's Le Chat Bleu.

 Recorded in Paris with Elvis Presley's former rhythm section, and with some songs co-written by the legendary Doc Pomus ("Save the Last Dance For Me","Can't Get Used to Losing You") Le Chat Bleu combines standard rockers like "This Must Be The Night", "Savoir Faire" and "Lipstick Traces with melodramatic cabaret songs like fan favorite "Heaven Stood Still". Deville says the music of Edith Piaf was one of the reasons he chose to record to Paris. 

The album went well over budget. Capitol Records had no idea how to market the Le Chat Bleu so the record company delayed its American release. "It says something about the state of the American record business—something pathetic and depressing—that Willy DeVille's finest album fell on deaf ears at Capitol," wrote Kurt Loder of Rolling Stone in his review of the album that year.









Rolling Stone 1980 - Critics Best Album 

 • London Calling - The Clash 

 Runners Up 

 • The River - Bruce Springsteen 
• Remain In Light - Talking Heads 
• Doc At The Radar Station - Captain Beefheart And The Magic Band 
• Le Chat Bleu - Mink De Ville 

 Best Single 

 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division 

 Runners-up 

• Emotional Rescue - Rolling Stones 
• Stop Your Sobbing - The Pretenders 
• Call Me - Blondie 
• The Breaks - Kurtis Blow 

 READERS Best Album 

 • The River - Bruce Springsteen 

 Runners-up 

 • The Wall - Pink Floyd 
• London Calling - The Clash 
• Empty Glass - Pete Townsend 
• Back In Black - AC/DC 
• Emotional Rescue - The Rolling Stones 

 Best Single 

 • Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen 

 Runners-up 

 • Another One Bites The Dust - Queen 
• Call Me - Blondie 
• Real Love - Doobie Brothers 
• Turning Japanese - The Vapors

 

Monday, December 28, 2020

Creem Readers say Springsteen's The River is the Best of 1980


Bruce Springsteen : Point Blank

[Purchase]

Bruce Springsteen's The River beat out AC/DC's Back in Black to be named the top album of 1980. The list is a good reflection fo what white American music buyers were hearing on FM radio. Ask a young white dude in Nebraska his favorite R&B album and he probably would name something by The Rolling Stones. That's just the way it was in an era of segregated radio. Another point of interest is The Doors Greatest Hits album winning top reissue. There was a full blown Doors resurgence going on. So much so that one of my high school friends had his senior portrait taken next to a Jim Morrison poster. I haven't asked him if he regrets it because almost all of us regret our senior portraits in one way or another.







CREEM MAGAZINE 1980 READER POLL RESULTS 
 
Top Albums 

1. Bruce Springteen- The River 
2. AC/DC- Back In Black 
3. Rolling Stones- Emotional Rescue 
4. Clash- London Calling 
5. Pretenders 
6. Van Halen- Women & Children First 
7. Queen- The Game 
8. Pete Townshend- Empty Glass 
9. B-52's- Wild Planet 
10. Pat Benatar- Crimes Of Passion 
11. Cheap Trick- All Shook Up 
12. Cars- Panorama 
13. Devo- Freedom Of Choice 
14. David Bowie- Scary Monsters 
15. Elvis Costello- Get Happy!! 
16. Police- Zenyatta Mondatta 
17. Black Sabbath- Heaven & Hell 
18. Kinks- One For The Road 
19. Bob Seger- Against The Wind 
20. Talking Heads- Remain In Light 
21. Rush- Permanent Waves 
22. Judas Priest- British Steel 
23. Ramones- End Of The Century 
24. Heart- Bebe Le Strange 
25. Public Image Ltd.- Second Edition 

 Top Singles 

1. Devo- Whip It 
2. Queen- Another One Bites The Dust 
3. AC/DC- You Shook Me All Night Long 
4. Bruce Springsteen- Hungry Heart 
5. Rolling Stones- She's So Cold 
6. Clash- Train In Vain 
7. Vapors- Turning Japanese 
8. Rolling Stones- Emotional Rescue 
9. David Bowie- Ashes To Ashes 
10. B-52's- Private Idaho 
11. Blondie- Call Me 
12. Pretenders- Brass In Pocket 
13. Clash- London Calling 
14. Pete Townshend- Rough Boys 
15. Van Halen- And The Cradle Will Rock 

 Best R&B Single 

1. Rolling Stones- Emotional Rescue 
2. Rolling Stones- She's So Cold 
3. Blues Brothers- Gimme Some Lovin' 
4. Diana Ross- Upside Down 
5. Donna Summer- The Wanderer 
6. Stevie Wonder- Master Blaster 

 Best R&B Album 

 1. Rolling Stones- Emotional Rescue 
2. Blues Brothers- Blues Brothers Soundtrack 
3. J. Geils- Love Stinks 
4. Talking Heads- Remain In Light 
5. More George Thorogood & The Destroyers 
6. Graham Parker- The Up Escalator 
7. Diana Ross- Diana 
8. Stevie Wonder- Hotter Than July 
9. Michael Jackson- Off The Wall 
10. George Benson- Give Me The Night 
11. Elvis Costello- Get Happy!! 

 Best Reissue 

 1. The Doors' Greatest Hits 
2. Elvis Costello- Taking Liberties 
3. Cheap Trick- Found All The Parts 
4. Kinks- One For The Road 
5. Beatles- Rarities 
6. Deep Purple- Deepest Purple 
7. Heart- Greatest Hits 
8. The Shaggs- Philosophy Of The World 
9. Clash- Blackmarket Clash 
10. Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 

 Best Jazz Album 

1. Jeff Beck- There And Beck 
2. George Benson- Give Me The Night 
3. Chicago- XIV 
4. Joni Mitchell- Shadows & Light 
5. Jean Luc Ponty- Civilized Evil 
6. Chuck Mangione- Fun & Games 
7. Crusaders- Live Sides 
8. Stanley Clarke- Rock, Pebbles & Sand 
9. Herb Alpert- Beyond 
10. Al DiMeola- Splendido Hotel 

 LP Cover Of The Year 

 1. London Calling (Clash) 
2. Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones) 
3. Panorama (Cars) 
4. All Shook Up (Cheap Trick) 
5. Scary Monsters (David Bowie) 
6. Remain In Light (Talking Heads) 
7. Get Happy!! (Elvis Costello) 
8. Women & Children First (Van Halen) 
9. Heaven & Hell (Black Sabbath) 
10. Empty Glass (Pete Townshend) 

 The following categories all had at least a top 10 listed, but I'm only typing in the top 3: 
 Top Group: 1) The Clash 2) Led Zeppelin 3) Rolling Stones 
Top Live Group: 1) Bruce Springsteen 2) The Who 3) Van Halen 
Best Male Singer: 1) Bruce Springsteen 2) Robert Plant 3) Robin Zander 
Best Female Singer: 1) Pat Benatar 2) Chrissie Hynde 3) Deborah Harry 
Best R&B Singer: 1) Mick Jagger 2) Graham Parker 3) Donna Summer 
Best R&B Group: 1) Rolling Stones 2) Blues Brothers 3) Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes 
Best Guitarist: 1) Edward Van Halen 2) Jimmy Page 3) Pete Townshend 
Best Keyboard: 1) John Paul Jones 2) Greg Hawkes 3) Kate Pierson 
Best Horn Player: 1) Clarence Clemons 2) Chuck Mangione 3) John Entwistle 
Best Bassist: 1) John Entwistle 2) John Paul Jones 3) Tom Petersson 
Best Drummer: 1) John Bonham 2) Bun E. Carlos 3) Charlie Watts 
Most Valuable Player: 1) Jimmy Page 2) Pete Townshend 3) Rick Nielsen 
Best Producer: 1) Nick Lowe 2) Roy Thomas Baker 3) Jimmy Page 
Worst Group: 1) Kiss 2) Van Halen 3) B-52's 
Best Songwriter: 1) Bruce Springsteen 2) Pete Townshend 3) Elvis Costello 
Best New Group: 1) Pretenders 2) Def Leppard 3) Gang Of Four 
Best Instrumentalist: 1) Ian anderson 2) Eno 3) Magic Dick 
Biggest Disappointment: 1) Lennon's death 2) Bonham's death 3) The Election 
Drug Of The Year: 1) Marijuana 2) Alcohol 3) Cocaine 
Hero(ine) Of The Year: 1) Bruce Springsteen 2) Chrissie Hynde 3) Pete Townshend 
Rip Off Of The Year: 1) LP prices 2) Concert prices 3) CREEM 
Comeback Of The Year: 1) John Lennon 2) Bruce Springsteen 3) AC/DC 
Most Pathetic Of The Year: 1) David Lee Roth 2)Kiss 3) Clash 
Rock Critic Of The Year: 1) Rick Johnson 2) Rober Christgau 3) Richard Riegel 
Rock Photographer Of The Year: 1) Lynn Goldsmith 2) Bob Matheau 3) Neal Preston 
Fad Of The Year: 1) Punk/New Wave music 2) The Urban Cowboy look 3) Ska 
Fashion Plate Of The Year: 1) Rick Nielsen 2) Deborah Harry 3) Chrissie Hynde 
Sex Object Of The Year: 1) Pat Benatar 2) Deborah Harry 3) David Lee Roth 
Best Rock & Roll Movie: 1) Times Square 2) Roadie 3) Rude Boy 
Best Tour Of The Year: 1) Bruce Springsteen 2) Van Halen 3) AC/DC 
Couple Of The Year: 1) John Lennon & Yoko Ono 2) Chris Stein & Deborah Harry 3) Stiv Bators & Bebe Buell 
Punk Of The Year: 1) Iggy Pop 2) Chrissie Hynde 3) Joe Strummer 

 

 

 

Sunday, December 27, 2020

The Jam Tops Three 1980 NME Pop Polls ...plus NME picks the Top Singles of 1980


The Jam : Scrape Away


1980 was a great year for The Jam who scored two #1 smash hits in the UK and a #2 album. Despite the groundswell there, the band remained virtually unknown in America and poorer for it. 




NME Pop Poll Results 1980 Results 

Best Group 
1 The Jam 
2 Joy Division 
3 The Clash 
4 Talking Heads 
5 The Police 
6 UB40 
7 The Stranglers 
8 Adam and the Ants 
9 Genesis 
10 The Fall 

 Album 
1 Sound Affects - The Jam 
2 Closer - Joy Division 
3 Scary Monsters - David Bowie 
4 Crocodiles - Echo and the Bunnymen 
5 Signing Off - UB40 
6 Remain In Light - Talking Heads 
7 Kings Of The Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants 
8 Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police 
9 I Just Can't Stop It - The Beat 
10 Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 

 Single 
1 Going Underground - The Jam 
2 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division 
3 Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie 
4 Atmosphere - Joy Division 
5 Start! - The Jam 
6 Fashion - David Bowie 
7 Bankrobber - The Clash 
8 Enola Gay - OMD 
9 Games Without Frontiers - Pater Gabriel 
10 Dog Eat Dog - Adam and the Ants 

 Best New Act 
1 UB40 
2 Spandau Ballet 
3 Echo and the Bunnymen 
4 Stray Cats 
5 Bow Wow Wow


NME TOP SINGLES OF 1980

1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division 
2. Going Underground - The Jam 
3. Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat 
4. Atmosphere - Joy Division 
5. Ashes To Ashes - David Bowie 
6. Your Cassette Pet - Bow Wow Wow 
7. Private Life - Grace Jones 
8. Fashion - David Bowie 
9. C30 C60 C90 Go - Bow Wow Wow 
10. Master Blaster - Steve Wonder 
11. Treason - Teardrop Explodes 
12. Geno - Dexys Midnight Runners 
13. Start! - The Jam 
14. Food For Thought/King - Ub40 
15. New Amsterdam Ep - Elvis Costello 
16. Shack Up - A Certain Ratio 
17. Rescue - Echo And The Bunnymen 
18. My Way Of Thinking - Ub40 
19. The Breaks - Kurtis Blow 
20. Stand Down Margaret/Best Friend - The Beat 
21. I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down - Elvis Costello 
22. Drug Train - The Cramps 
23. Fiery Jack - The Fall 
24. Dance Stance - Dexies Midnight Runners 
25. Johnny & Mary - Robert Palmer 
26. Hands Off .. She's Mine - The Beat 
27. My Flamingo - The Subterraneans 
28. A Song From Under The Floorboards - Magazine 
29. Independence Day - Comsat Angels 
30. My Perfect Cousin - The Undertones 
31. Runaway Boys - The Stray Cats 
32. At Last I Am Free - Robert Wyatt 
33. Looking For Clues - Robert Palmer 
34. There, There My Dear - Dexys Midnight Runners 
35. My Girl - Madness 
36. Another Nail In My Heart - Squeeze 
37. Flight - A Certain Ratio 
38. Diet/It’s Obvious - The Au Pairs 
39. Funkin’ For Jamaica - Tom Browne 
40. Seconds To Late - Cabaret Voltaire 
41. I’m Coming Out - Diana Ross 
42. Hi-Fidelity - Elvis Costello 
43. Warrior Charge - Aswad 
44. Love Comes In Spurts - Richard Hell 
45. Edward Fox - Smack 
46. Don’t Stand So Close To Me - The Police 
47. Hello I’m Your Heart - Bette Bright 
48. Rise And Shine - Linx 
49. Happy House - Siouxsie And The Banshees 
50. Dog Eat Dog - Adam And The Ants 

 Also Mentioned ' 
• Cartrouble - Adam And The Ants  
• Kings Of The Wild Frontier - Adam And The Ants 
• Baltimore - Tamlins 
• Lovely One - The Jacksons 
• Rapp Payback - James Brown  
• Three Mantras - Cabaret Voltaire 
• Bankrobber/The Callup - The Clash 
• Keep It Up Part 2 - Dexys Midnight Runners 
• Elastic Man - The Fall 
• Holiday ‘80 Ep - The Human League 
• There Goes Concorde Again - The Native Hipsters •
 Let Me Talk - Earth, Wind & Fire 
• Kebabtraume - D.A.F. 
• Politics - Girls At Our Best 
• You Gave Me Love - Crown Heights Affair 
• Blue Boy/ Falling And Laughing - Orange Juice 
• Enola Gaye - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark 
• Radio Drill Time - Josef K 
• Whip It - Devo
 • Requiem - Killing Joke 
• Hunter Gets Captured By The Game - Grace Jones 
• Soul Kiss - Chris Stamey 
• Arauco - Robert Wyatt 
• Final Day - Young Marble Giants 
• Hi-Fidelity - Elvis Costello 
• I Want To Be Straight - Ian Dury 
• Stereotype - The Specials 
• Let’s Get Serious - Jermaine -Jackson 
• Cheap Sunglasses - Zz Top 
• Talk Of The Town - Pretenders 
• Seven Minutes To Midnight - Wah! Heat 
• Heyday - The Sound 

 

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Melody Maker and Sounds Agree Remain In Light is the Best Album of 1980


Talking Heads : Crosseyed And Painless


Melody Maker joined Sounds in proclaiming Talking Heads' Remain In Light the best album of 1980. Melody Maker listed the runners-up in no particular order. The Sounds list is longer and includes a list of singles. Anyway you look at it, 1980 was a remarkable year for music. 






Melody Maker End Of Year Critic Lists - 1980 Albums
 
1. Remain In Light - Talking Heads  
Get Happy - Elvis Costello  
Pretenders - The Pretenders 
Vienna - Ultravox 
Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexy's Midnight Runners 
Crocodiles - Echo & The Bunnymen  
Closer - Joy Division  
Scary Monsters - David Bowie  
Boy - U2  
Empires & Dance - Simple Minds 
Kings Of The Wild Frontier - Adam And The Ants  
Sandinista - The Clash  
Absolutely - Madness

 

Sounds End Of Year Lists 1980 ALBUMS 

1. Remain In Light - Talking Heads 
2. The Absolute Game - The Skids 
3. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel 
4. The River - Bruce Springsteen 
5. Closer - Joy Division =. 
The Pretenders - The Pretenders 
7. Black Sea - XTC 
8. The Correct Use Of Soap - Magazine 
9. Crocodiles - Echo And The Bunnymen 
10. Sound Affects - The Jam 
11. Boy - U2 
12. Wild Planet - B-52s 
13. I Just Can't Stop It - The Beat 
14. Freedom Of Choice - Devo 
15. Laughter - Ian dury 
16. Scary Monsters And Super Creeps - David Bowie 
17. Wheels Of Steel - Saxon ==. 
Heartattack And Vine - Tom Waits 
19. Empires And Dance - Simple Minds 
20. Get Happy - Elvis Costello ==. 
Absolutely - Madness 



 SINGLES 

1. C30 C60 C90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow 
2. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division 
3. Going Underground - The Jam 
4. Biko - Peter Gabriel 
5. Talk Of The Town - The Pretenders 
6. Can't Stand up For Falling Down - Elvis Costello 
7. Holiday In Cambodia - Dead Kennedys 
8. King/Food For Thought - UB40 
9. You Better Scream - Wah! Heat 
10. Staring At The Rude Boys - The Ruts 
11. To Cut A Long Story Short - Spandau Ballet 
12. Two Pints Of Lager - Splodgenessabounds 
13. 747 (strangers In The Night) - Saxon 
14. Circus Games - The Skids 
15. West One (Shine On Me) - The Ruts 
16. My Number - Girl 
17. Seven Minutes To Midnight - Wah! Heat 
18. A Forest - The Cure 
19. Commercial Single - The Residents 
20. Lights - Styx 
21. Heyday - The Sound 
22. Games Without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel 
23. Give Me Back My Man - B52s 
24. Mirror In The bathroom - The Beat 
25. Dark Companion - Tuxedo Moon 
26. Girls Talk - Dave Edmunds 
27. Simply Thrilled Honey - Orange Juice 
28. Totally Wired - The Fall 
29. Dog Eat Dog - Adam And The Ants 
30. I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross

Friday, December 25, 2020

Merry Christmas from the 40 Year Itch!


Merry Christmas from the 40 Year Itch! We have some wonderful gifts for you today, beginning with "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas". (Okay, that's not so wonderful. )



Our second gift is a quiz from Smash Hits to test how much you've been reading this blog. The answers are at the bottom of the page.


Finally here's the Top of The Pops that aired on Christmas Day, with performances by Dexy's Midnight Runners, Blondie, The Police, Leo Sayer, Sheen Easton and St Winifred's School Choir.





Thursday, December 24, 2020

Trouser Press Proclaims London Calling and "Dreams Of Children" are 1980's Best


The Clash : I'm Not Down


New York City based Trouser Press joined the long list of music rags proclaiming The Clash's London Calling the best album of 1980. Their eyes and ears were focused on what was happening in England . The only American bands to make their Top Ten albums list were Talking Heads and one quarter of The Pretenders.






There were no American bands in the Top 10 singles list from Trouser Press, ( unless you again count Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders).










In 1980 the magazine began to focus on the underground American sound. Great news for The Bongos,  Plimsouls and dB's.




 

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

NME albums list


Joy Division : Heart And Soul


Joy Division's Closer tops the 1980 NME album list, edging out Elvis Costello's R+B tribute Get Happy!!, The Beat's debut I Just Can't Stop It and Black Uhuru's Sinsemilla. Over the years, critics have changed their minds about quite a few of the albums on this list: PIL's Printemps Au Paris, Lou Reed's Growing Up In Public, Iggy Pop's Soldier and Aerosmith's Night In The Ruts don't hold up with the best of what these artists have achieved. The same goes for Ry Cooder's Borderline and Ian Dury's Laughter. And some of those also-rans deserve to be higher up in the chart. That said, this list will be closer to my Top 40 which I will reveal next week. 






1980 NME Albums 

1. Closer - Joy Division 
2. Get Happy - Elvis Costello 
3. I Just Can't Stop It - The Beat 
4. Sinsemilla - Black Uhuru 
5. Movies - Holger Czukay 
6. Remain In Light - Talking Heads 
7. Crocodiles - Echo And The Bunnymen 
8. Borderline - Ry Cooder 
9. Scary Monsters - David Bowie 
10. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels - Dexys Midnight Runners 
11. Sound Affects - The Jam 
12. The River - Bruce Springsteen 
13. Signing Off - Ub40 
14. The Correct Use Of Soap - Magazine 
15. Songs The Lord Taught Us - The Cramps 
16. Laughter - Ian Dury & The Blockheads 
17. Night Passage - Weather Report 
18. Grace And Danger - John Martyn 
19. Empires And Dance - Simple Minds 
20. Suicide - Suicide 
21. Uprising - Bob Marley & The Wailers 
22. Warm Thoughts - Smokey Robinson 
23. Colossal Youth - Young Marble Giants 
24. Printemps Au Paris - Public Image Ltd. 
25. Voice Of America - Cabaret Voltaire 
26. Warm Leatherette - Grace Jones 
27. Die Kleinen Und Die Bosen - D.A.F. 
28. Soldier - Iggy Pop 
29. Toots Live - Toots And The Maytals 
30. Growing Up In Public - Lou Reed 
31. Doc At The Radar Station - Captain Beefheart 
32. More Specials - The Specials 
33. Cultosaurus Erectus - Blue Oyster Cult 
34. Kilimanjaro - The Teardrop Explodes 
35. Blues For The Fisherman - Milcho Leviev & Art Pepper 
36. Shiny Beast - Captain Beefheart 
37. Nobody’s Perfect -Stiff Little Fingers
38. Hotter Than July - Stevie Wonder 
39. Snap Crackle & Bop - John Cooper Clarke 
40. Bass Culture - Linton Kwesi Johnson 
41. Organisation - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark 
42. Countrymen - The Twinkle Brothers 
43. Freedom Of Choice - Devo 
44. Are You Glad To Be In America - James Blood Ulmer 
45. Diana - Diana Ross 
46. Shadows And Light - Joni Mitchell 
47. Kaleidoscope - Siouxsie And The Banshees 
48. Waiting For A Miracle - Comsat Angels 
49. Heartattack And Vine - Tom Waits 
50. Changes - Etta James 

 Also Mentioned • 
Real People - Chic • 
Gyrate - Pylon • 
Off The Coast Of Me - Kid Creole And The Coconuts • 
Absolutely Madness - Madness • 
Black Sea - Xtc • 
Travelogue - The Human League • 
Return Of The Durutti Column - Durutti Column • 
In Performance - Donny Hathaway • 
Phantom Tracks - Roy Loney • 
The Long Riders - Ry Cooder • 
Deguello - Zz Top • 
The Art Of Walking - Pere Ubu • 
Night In The Ruts - Aerosmith • 
Jeopardy - The Sound • 
Rev Up - The Revillos • 
Betrayal - Jah Wobble • 
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Same • 
Cristina - Same • 
Do Animals Believe In God - Pink Military • 
Boy - U2 • 
Peter Gabriel - (3) • 
Argybargy - Squeeze • 
Taking Liberties - Elvis Costello • 
Commercial Album - The Residents

 

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Greil Marcus's Top Albums and Singles of 1980


Gang of Four : Natural's Not In It


One of rock criticism's intellectuals, Greil Marcus gave four albums his highest possible score in the Village Voice critics poll. Gang of Four's Entertainment! shared the honor with a live album from Public Image Ltd, the sophomore album from a Pittsburgh bar band and London Calling. He was so blown away the first time he saw Gang Of Four he left the club before The Buzzcocks took the stage so the effect would last longer. On his website, you can read his take on Gang of Four:

In almost every song, you can hear a very specific struggle: the struggle of the person who has heard the bad news to love it. He always fails. He realizes everything he does is second-hand, a waking dream, a dream someone else has dreamed for him—when he walks into a pub and greets friends with a line he’s half-consciously lifted from last night’s sitcom, he’s an advertisement. He hears himself and he feels tricked, humiliated, so he smashes into his friends, into the other members of the band, as if he’s never seen them before but knows they mean him no good. Screaming, he insists that he’s happy.





ALBUMS

Gang of Four: Entertainment! (Warner Bros.) 15; 
Image Publique S.A.: Paris Au Printemps (Virgin import) 15; 
Iron City Houserockers: Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) (MCA) 15; 
The Clash: London Calling (Epic) 15; 
Carlene Carter: Musical Shapes (Warner Bros.) 15; 
X: Los Angeles (Slash) 5; 
Roxy Music: Flesh + Blood (Atco) 5; 
Black Uhuru: Sensimilla (Mango) 5; 
Robin Lane & the Chartbusters (Warner Bros.) 5; 
Dire Straits: Making Movies 5. 







SINGLES

The Beat: “Twist & Crawl” (Go-Feet import 12-inch); 
J. Geils Band: “Love Stinks” (EMI America); 
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: “Refugee” (Backstreet); 
Blondie: “Call Me” (Polydor 12-inch); 
The Clash: “Train in Vain” (Epic); 
Red Crayola: “Born in Flames” (Rough Trade import); 
The Beat: “Stand Down Margaret (Dub)” (Go-Feet import 12-inch); 
Delta 5: “You” (Rough Trade import); 
Tommy James: “Three Times In Love” (Millenium); 
Anemic Boyfriends: “Guys Are Not Proud” (Red Sweater).