The Clash and Kurtis Blow top the 1980 Pazz & Jop Poll

The Clash : London Calling

[Purchase]

The 1980 Village Voice Pazz and Jop Critics Poll is made up of a surprising number of 1979 albums, including the winner of the poll, London Calling, which was released December 14 in the UK and in early January in the US. Other 1979 releases include #5 Public Image Ltd's Second Edition ( released as Metal Box in the UK on November 23), Gang of Four's Entertainment! ( released September 25, 1979) and Michael Jackson's Off The Wall, released in August of 1979. Also of note: a rap record topped the singles poll for the first time ever.

Albums

1. The Clash: London Calling (Epic) 1347 (89) 

2. Bruce Springsteen: The River (Columbia) 973 (80) 

3. Talking Heads: Remain in Light (Sire) 863 (77) 

4. Pretenders: Pretenders (Sire) 702 (68) 

5. Public Image Ltd.: Second Edition (Island) 625 (51) **  

6. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Doc at the Radar Station (Virgin) 594 (56)  

7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Get Happy!! (Columbia) 571 (53) 

8. Stevie Wonder: Hotter Than July (Tamla) 400 (35) 

9. Prince: Dirty Mind (Warner Bros.) 383 (38) 

10. Gang Of Four: Entertainment! (Warner Bros.) 383 (30) 

11. Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel (Mercury) 280 (31) 

12. Steely Dan: Gaucho (MCA) 268 (24) 

13. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic) 267 (24) 

14. Peter Townshend: Empty Glass (Atco) 251 (26) 

15. Rockpile: Seconds Of Pleasure (Columbia) 232 (28) 

16. X: Los Angeles (Slash) 229 (22) 

17. The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms (Stiff) 221 (19) 

18. Dire Straits: Making Movies (Warner Bros.) 209 (24) 

19. David Bowie: Scary Monsters (RCA Victor) 186 (19) 

20. The Rolling Stones: Emotional Rescue (Rolling Stones) 181 (19) 

21. The English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It (Sire) 178 (22) 

22. Joy Division: Closer (Factory import) 166 (13) 

23. Smokey Robinson: Warm Thoughts (Tamla) 165 (17) 

24. Squeeze: Argybargy (A&M) 153 (14) 

25. Young Marble Giants: Colossal Youth (Rough Trade import) 152 (15) 

26. T-Bone Burnett: Truth Decay (Takoma) 150 (15) 

27. Van Morrison: Common One (Warner Bros.) 148 (19) 

28. The Police: Zenyatta Mondatta (A&M) 146 (15) 

29. Lydia Lunch: Queen of Siam (ZE) 143 (12) 

30. Iron City Houserockers: Have a Good Time (But Get Out Alive) (MCA) 139 (14) 

31. Professor Longhair: Crawfish Fiesta (Alligator) 138 (15) 

32. The Specials: The Specials (Chrysalis) 125 (13) 

Neil Young: Hawks and Doves (Reprise) 125 (13) 

34. Arthur Blythe: Illusions (Columbia) 122 (15) 

35. Carlene Carter: Musical Shapes (Warner Bros.) 120 (15) 

36. Graham Parker: The Up Escalator (Arista) 116 (12)

37. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy (Geffen) 114 (12) 

38. Joan Armatrading: Me Myself I (A&M) 108 (10) 

39. Diana Ross: Diana (Motown) 106 (16) 

40. Pink Floyd: The Wall (Columbia) 103 (9) 1979 * * Includes 1979 votes: 26 (3) for Pretenders; 179 (16) for Off the Wall; 65 (5) for The Wall. ** Includes votes for The Metal Box (Virgin), the import-only 45-rpm mix of Second Edition. 

 Singles 

1. Kurtis Blow: "The Breaks" (Mercury) 40 * 

2. Joy Division: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (Factory import) 38 

3. Blondie: "Call Me" (Chrysalis) 36 * 

4. The Clash: "Train in Vain"/"London Calling" (Epic) 32 

Pretenders: "Brass in Pocket" (Sire) 32 ** 

6. Stevie Wonder: "Master Blaster (Jammin')" (Tamla) 29 *** 

7. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: "Just Like Starting Over"/"Kiss Kiss Kiss" (Geffen) 27 

8. The Vapors: "Turning Japanese" (United Artists) 23 

9. Lipps Inc.: "Funkytown" (Casablanca) 22 * 

10. Diana Ross: "Upside Down" (Motown) 18 

Bruce Springsteen: "Hungry Heart" (Columbia) 18 

12. Devo: "Whip It" (Warner Bros.) 17 

13. Pretenders: "Talk Of the Town"/"Cuban Slide" (Real import) 16 

14. Martha and the Muffins: "Echo Beach" (Virgin) 

 15 Rolling Stones: "Emotional Rescue" (Rolling Stones) 15 

16. Jermaine Jackson: "Let's Get Serious" (Motown) 14 

The Pointer Sisters: "He's So Shy" (Planet) 14 

18. Bush Tetras: "Too Many Creeps"/"Snakes Crawl"/"You Taste Like the Tropics" (99) 13 

 The Jam: "Going Underground" (Polydor import) 13 

Joy Division: "Atmosphere"/"She's Lost Control" (Factory 12-inch) 13 

21. Paul Simon: "Late in the Evening" (Warner Bros.) 12 

Donna Summer: "The Wanderer" (Geffen) 12 

23. Jim Carroll Band: "People Who Died" (Atcol) 11 

Dead Kennedys: "Holiday in Cambodia" (Optional) 11 

Pylon: "Cool"/"Dub" (Caution) 11 

Split Enz: "I Got You" (A&M)