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

The Clash : London Calling

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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)

 

Squeezing Out Sparks Tops 1979 Pazz and Jop Poll

Graham Parker: Protection

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Graham Parker and The Rumour win the annual Village Voice Pazz and Jop critics poll. Robert Christgau sums up the results in this way :

Especially if allowances are made for Nashville and Denver and Omaha and New Orleans, it's hard to imagine any other album cracking this year's top five: Armed Forces, by last year's overpowering winner, Elvis Costello; Fear of Music, by Talking Heads, up from fifth in 1978; the confusing American version of The Clash, which in its 1977 English edition showed up on a lot of best-of-the-decade lists; Rust Never Sleeps, generally regarded as Neil Young's best album since Tonight's the Night; and this year's model, Squeezing Out Sparks, by Graham Parker and the Rumour, who placed their first two albums at two and four in the 1976 poll but haven't made much noise among the voters since.

By clicking a link on the albums you can find my own reviews from this year.

The 1979 Pazz +Jop Critics Poll Albums

1. Graham Parker: Squeezing Out Sparks (Arista) 767 (63)
2. Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps (Reprise) 652 (50) 
3. The Clash: The Clash (Epic) 638 (50)
4. Talking Heads : Fear of Music (Sire) 620 (51)

5. Elvis Costello: Armed Forces (Columbia) 619 (55)
6. Van Morrison: Into the Music (Warner Bros.) 474 (41)
7. The B-52s: The B-52s (Warner Bros.) 371 (37) 
8. Tom Petty Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedoes (Backstreet/MCA) 340 (31)
9. Pere Ubu: Dub Housing (Chrysalis) 334 (28)
10. Donna Summer: Bad Girls (Casablanca) 330 (30)

11. The Roches: The Roches (Warner Bros.) 292 (30)
12. Dave Edmunds: Repeat When Necessary (Swan Song) 222 (21) 
13. Nick Lowe: Labour of Lust (Columbia) 201 (24)
14. Tom Verlaine: Tom Verlaine (Elektra)
15. Iggy Pop: New Values (Arista) 190 (20)

16. Marianne Faithfull: Broken English (Island) 185 (20)
17. Blondie: Eat to the Beat (Chrysalis) 184 (20)
18. Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic) 179 (16)
19. Rickie Lee Jones: Rickie Lee Jones (Warner Bros.) 176 (20)
20. Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady (I.R.S.) 172 (18)
21. Fleetwood Mac: Tusk (Warner Bros.) 160 (17)

22. Neil Young with Crazy Horse: Live Rust (Reprise) 158 (15)
23. Ry Cooder: Bop 'Til You Drop (Warner Bros.) 155 (18)
24. David Johansen: In Style (Blue Sky) 136 (15)
25. Lene Lovich: Stateless (Stiff/Epic) 125 (13)
26. Linton Kwesi Johnson: Forces of Victory (Mango) 122 (13) 

27. Chic: Risque (Atlantic) 112 (11) 
28. Joe Jackson: Look Sharp! (A+M) 111 (11) 
29. Art Ensemble of Chicago: Nice Guys (ECM)
30. Roxy Music: Manifesto (Atlantic) 107 (11) 
31. David Bowie: Lodger (RCA Victor) 104 (12)
32. The Slits: Cut (Antilles) 99 (10)

33. Philip Glass/Robert Wilson: Einstein on the Beach (Tomato) 98 (9)
34. Bob Marley the Wailers: Survival (Island) 94 (9)
35. The Police: Regatta de Blanc (A+M) 92 (10)
36. The Shoes: Present Tense (Elektra) 90 (12)
37. The Jam: All Mod Cons (Polydor) 89 (9)

38. Bob Dylan: Slow Train Coming (Columbia) 88 (11)
39. Stevie Wonder: Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (Tamla) 88 (9)
40. The Kinks: Low Budget (Arista) 85 (9)

1977 Critics Poll - Part 1

The 1977 Village Voice PAZZ AND JOP  poll is a good contemporaneous look at what rocked the world for American rock critics who, for the most part, missed  U.K. only releases like The Clash debut, Wire's Pink Flag, Ian Dury's New Boots and Brian Eno's Before And After Science. It would take time before many would recognize albums we now take for granted like David Bowie's Low, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue, the Bee Gees side of Saturday Night Fever and any of the three Iggy Pop albums released in 1977, The Idiot, Lust For Life or Kill City.

1. Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (Warner Bros.) 412 (32)
2. Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True (Columbia) 367 (33)
3. Television: Marquee Moon (Elektra) 327 (26)




Television  : Torn Curtain


4. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Warner Bros.) 318 (26)
5. Steely Dan: Aja (ABC) 266 (23)
6. Ramones: Rocket to Russia (Sire) 238 (23)
7. Talking Heads: Talking Heads: 77 (Sire) 170 (17)
8. Randy Newman: Little Criminals (Warner Bros.) 160 (16)
9. Garland Jeffreys: Ghost Writer (AM) 153 (15)




Garland Jeffreys : Lift Me Up


10. Cheap Trick: In Color (Epic) 121 (11)
11. Jackson Browne: Running on Empty (Asylum) 113 (9)
12. Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane: Rough Mix (MCA) 105 (10)
13. Kate andAnna McGarrigle: Dancer with Bruised Knees (Warner Bros.) 104 (12)
 14. Al Green: The Belle Album (Hi) 89 (10)





Al Green : All n All



15. Ornette Coleman: Dancing in Your Head (Horizon) 83 (8)
 16. Bryan Ferry: In Your Mind (Atlantic) 80 (9)
 17. Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel (Atco) 75 (6)
 18. The Kinks: Sleepwalker (Arista) 74 (8)
 19. Graham Parker and the Rumour: Stick to Me (Mercury) 72 (10)
20. Neil Young: American Stars 'n Bars (Reprise) 69 (8)
21. David Bowie: Heroes (RCA) 66 (7)




David Bowie : Joe the Lion


22. The Persuasions: Chirpin' (Elektra) 63 (7)
 23. James Taylor: JT (Columbia) 61 (7)
24. The Jam: In the City (Polydor) 61 (6)
25. Ramones: Ramones Leave Home (Sire) 60 (8)
 26. The Beatles: The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (Capitol) 60 (7)
27. Linda Ronstadt: Simple Dreams (Asylum) 59 (7)
28. The Beach Boys: Love You (Brother/Reprise) 59 (6)




The Beach Boys : Let Us Go On This Way

29. Mink DeVille: Mink DeVille (Capitol) 57 (5)
30. Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express (Capitol) 55 (4)

 Said poll organizer Robert Christgau of his fellow critics:

This year, the critics rejected albums by Mitchell, Stewart, the Cult, Scaggs, Thin Lizzy and Dylan while Bowie ceased to bust blocks, leaving only seven best-sellers: Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Randy Newman (heavy sales among leprechauns), Jackson Browne, James Taylor, the Beatles and Linda Ronstadt (who with the failure of Eno's Discreet Music is now the only artist to have made the last four Pazz and Jop polls, usually in the bottom five). And barring a punk breakthrough of proportions much larger than I think likely--although every night I gaze at the image of Maureen Tucker over my bedroom door and pray that I'm wrong--the only potential 1978 biggie I spy lurking amid this year's works of art is this year's sleeper, Cheap Trick. More and more, rock critics see themselves as guardians of an aesthetic of insurrection, and fuck what people are going to buy.

Pazz and Jop Poll for 1976

Village Voice - Pazz and Jop List for 1976

1. Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life (Tamla) 292 (25)
2. Graham Parker and the Rumour: Heat Treatment (Mercury) 234 (22)
3. Jackson Browne: The Pretender (Asylum) 232 (22)
4. Graham Parker and the Rumour: Howlin' Wind (Mercury) 215 (19)
5. Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Kate and Anna McGarrigle (Warner Bros.) 208 (16)
6. Steely Dan: The Royal Scam (ABC) 182 (14)
7. Joni Mitchell: Hejira (Asylum) 169 (16)
8. Ramones: Ramones (Sire) 153 (15)
9. Rod Stewart: A Night on the Town (Warner Bros.) 150 (15)
10. Blue Oyster Cult: Agents of Fortune (Columbia) 148 (13)
11. Eno: Another Green World (Island) 143 (12)
12. The Wild Tchoupitoulas: The Wild Tchoupitoulas (Island) 136 (14)
13. David Bowie: Station to Station (RCA Victor) 136 (13)
14. The Modern Lovers: The Modern Lovers (Home of the Hits) 111 (12)
15. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band: Night Moves (Capitol) 109 (12)
16. Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band: Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (RCA) 99
17. Bob Marley and the Wailers: Live! (Island) 86 (10)
18. Ry Cooder: Chicken Skin Music (Reprise) 84 (8)
19. Warren Zevon: Warren Zevon (Asylum) 81 (8)a
20. The Dwight Twilley Band: Sincerely (Capitol) 80 (7)
21. Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees (Columbia) 79 (10)
22. Boston: Boston (Epic) 78 (5)
23. Richard and Linda Thompson: Pour Down Like Silver (Island) 74 (9)
24. Arlo Guthrie: Amigo (Reprise) 68 (8)
25. Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak (Mercury) 66 (6)
26. Bob Dylan: Desire (Columbia) 59 (5)
27. Jeff Beck: Wired (Epic) 58 (5)
28. Andy Pratt: Resolution (Nemporer) 57 (6)
29. Linda Ronstadt: Hasten Down the Wind (Asylum) 55 (4)
30. Patti Smith Group: Radio Ethiopia (Arista)

As I pointed out earlier, had Graham Parker and the Rumour only released one album, instead of splitting the vote, they would have had the number one album of the year. It's a pretty pasty white list with only five acts of any color ( and that includes Thin Lizzy). Over the year, my fondness for Hejira and Station to Station grew. I've always loved Songs in the Key of Life, The Ramones, The Wild Tchoupitoulas and The Modern Lovers albums.

Most Overrated : 
Rod Stewart - So the critics loved "Tonight's the Night"?
Blue Oyster Cult- Not their strongest despite (Don't Fear) The Reaper
Jeff Beck- Blow By Blow's baby brother
Graham Parker's Heat Treatment is NOT better than Howlin' Wind.

Most Underrated:
David Bowie Station to Station
The Modern Lovers

Should've Been on this list:
Jorge Ben Africa Brasil
Tom Waits Small Change
Donna Summer A Love Trilogy
Flamin Groovies Shake Some Action
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Lou Reed Coney Island Baby

Shouldn't Be on This List
Kate and Anna McGarrigle (s/t)
Brian Eno Another Green World
Richard and Linda Thompson Pour Down Like Silver
Bob Marley and the Wailers Live....all 1975 releases.
Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band (s/t). Just one great song really.

Most Forgotten
Andy Pratt 's Resolution. Rolling Stone's review of the songsmith's album was given bigger play than Steely Dan's The Royal Scam in the same issue.

They Got It Right
Bob Dylan's Desire finished #1 on a lot of critics polls but isn't as strong as that. It actually does belong behind Arlo Guthrie's Amigo in my book
Night Moves and Boston are both strong, mainstream rock albums

I Still Don't Get It
Hasten Down the Wind doesn't do anything for me.
I tried to like Radio Ethiopia, figuring my rock cred is on the line and I still don't.