1) Start Me Up- The Rolling Stones
2) While You See A Chance- Steve Winwood
3) Jessie's Girl- Rick Springfield
4) Genius of Love- Tom Tom Club
5) Tempted- Squeeze
6) Bette Davis Eyes- Kim Carnes
7) I Love You- Climax Blues Band
8) Seven Year Ache- Rosanne Cash
9) Don't You Want Me- Human League
10) All Those Years Ago- George Harrison

11) Superfreak- Rick James
12) I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)- Hall and Oates
13) You Make My Dreams- Hall and Oates
14) Hearts- Marty Balin
15) Hey Nineteen- Steely Dan
16) Private Eyes- Hall and Oates
17) Arthur's Theme- Christopher Cross
18) Don't Stand So Close To Me- The Police
19) Just the Two of Us- Grover Washington, Jr. and Bill Withers
20) Do Me, Baby- Prince

21) Under Pressure- Queen/David Bowie
22) From A Whisper to a Scream- Elvis Costello
23) In The Air Tonight- Phil Collins
24) How 'Bout Us- Champaign
25) Watch Your Step- Elvis Costello

Pretty good year for songs.

1 Ghost Town The Specials
2 Friday Night, Saturday Morning The Specials
3 Ceremony New Order
4 Plan B Dexys Midnight Runners
5 That's When I Reach for My Revolver Mission of Burma
6 Reward The Teardrop Explodes
7 Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag Pigbag
8 Kids in America Kim Wilde
9 Genius of Love Tom Tom Club
10 Computer Love Kraftwerk
11 It Must Be Love Madness
12 Radio Free Europe R.E.M.
13 A Promise Echo & the Bunnymen
14 Don't You Want Me The Human League
15 Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic The Police
16 Slates, Slags, Etc The Fall
17 The 'Sweetest' Girl Scritti Politti
18 I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) Daryl Hall and John Oates
19 Favourite Shirts Haircut 100
20 Every Grain of Sand Bob Dylan
21 Our Lips Are Sealed The Go-Go's
22 Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go (12") Soft Cell
23 Just Can't Get Enough Depeche Mode
24 Why? The Specials
25 Nightclubbing Grace Jones
26 Controversy Prince
27 The Art of Parties Japan
28 Pretty in Pink The Psychedelic Furs
29 Stand and Deliver Adam and The Ants
30 Love Action (I Believe in Love) The Human League
31 O Superman Laurie Anderson
32 Release the Bats The Birthday Party
33 Waiting On A Friend The Rolling Stones
34 The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
35 Over The Wall Echo & the Bunnymen
36 Pull Up to the Bumper Grace Jones
37 Chant No. 1 (We Don't Need This Pressure On) Spandau Ballet
38 (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang Heaven 17
39 Flowers of Romance PiL
40 Ghosts Japan
41 Middle Mass The Fall
42 The Jezebel Spirit Brian Eno and David Byrne
43 Red Shoes The Raincoats
44 Kings of the Wild Frontier Adam and The Ants
45 Super Freak Rick James
46 The Drowning Man The Cure
47 Don't Stop Believin' Journey
48 Bette Davis Eyes Kim Carnes
49 Tears Are Not Enough ABC
50 Wordy Rappinghood Tom Tom Club

Stammer, allmusic has "A Million Miles Away" as a 1982 single.

At least, I sure hope so! Why on earth is that not in AM's top 3000?

Schleuse, I think that listing is for its peak charting position but if you look under singles in the discography section it was released in 1981. Also rate your music has it as 1981. I'd like to see it get its proper due so I'd be fine changing it to 1982.

I didn’t realize that Franco Battiato’s “La voce del padrone”, the only Italian album in my collection (so sorry, Giuseppe), is from 1981. So I’ve added it to my list, and also the songs “Centro di gravita’ permanente” from Battiato and “A ilha” from Brazilian singer Djavan. But don’t worry, Stephan, all these changes are in the bottom of my list so you don’t need to change nothing this time. The updated list:

ALBUMS:

1. JAPAN “Tin Drum” (#36 in my all-time list)
2. THE CURE “Faith”
3. BRIAN ENO - DAVID BYRNE “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”
4. KING CRIMSON “Discipline”
5. KRAFTWERK “Computerwelt”
6. THE HUMAN LEAGUE “Dare!”
7. JOE JACKSON “Jumpin’ Jive”
8. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS “Almost Blue”
9. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN “Heaven Up Here”
10. SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES “Juju”
11. RAMONES “Pleasant Dreams”
12. SOFT CELL “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”
13. DEPECHE MODE “Speak & Spell”
14. HEAVEN 17 “Penthouse and Pavement”
15. JAVIER KRAHE/JOAQUÍN SABINA/ALBERTO PÉREZ “La Mandrágora”
16. SQUEEZE “East Side Story”
17. RICKIE LEE JONES “Pirates”
18. PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA “Penguin Cafe Orchestra”
19. THE CRAMPS “Psychedelic Jungle”
20. THE ROLLING STONES “Tattoo You”
21. BLACK FLAG “Damaged”
22. CAMARÓN con PACO DE LUCÍA y TOMATITO “Como el agua”
23. FRANCO BATTIATO “La voce del padrone”
24. GRUPPO SPORTIVO “Pop! Goes the Brain”
25. YMO “Technodelic”

SONGS:

1. RAMONES “The KKK Took My Baby Away” (#127 in my all-time list)
2. SOFT CELL “Tainted Love” (#181)
3. JAPAN “Visions of China” (#187)
4. BRIAN ENO - DAVID BYRNE “Regiment” (#237)
5. THE SPECIALS “Ghost Town”
6. PARÁLISIS PERMANENTE “Autosuficiencia”
7. NEW ORDER “Ceremony”
8. THE CURE “All Cats Are Grey”
9. JAPAN “Ghosts”
10. JOHN FOXX “Europe After the Rain”
11. MADNESS “Shut Up”
12. THE HUMAN LEAGUE “Don’t You Want Me”
13. BOW WOW WOW “Chihuahua”
14. SPANDAU BALLET “Chant No.1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)”
15. HAIRCUT 100 “Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)”
16. JOE JACKSON “Jumpin’ Jive”
17. THE STRAY CATS “Rock This Town”
18. THE ROLLING STONES “Waiting on a Friend”
19. CAMARÓN “Como el agua”
20. ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS “Good Year for the Roses”
21. BOB DYLAN “Every Grain of Sand”
22. PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA “The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas”
23. LAURIE ANDERSON “O Superman”
24. KRAFTWERK “Computerliebe”
25. KING CRIMSON “Elephant Talk”
26. IAN DURY “Spasticus (Autisticus)”
27. THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS “Pretty in Pink”
28. THE POLICE “Invisible Sun”
29. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN “All My Colours”
30. SIOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES “Spellbound”
31. THE CURE “The Drowning Man”
32. SQUEEZE “Vanity Fair”
33. THE STRANGLERS “Golden Brown”
34. MADNESS “It Must be Love”
35. PATA NEGRA “Los managers”
36. THE BIRTHDAY PARTY “Release the Bats”
37. THE CRAMPS “Goo Goo Muck”
38. DEAD KENNEDYS “Too Drunk to Fuck”
39. RAMONES “We Want the Airwaves”
40. R.E.M. “Radio Free Europe”
41. SIMPLE MINDS “The American”
42. SCRITTI POLITTI “The Sweetest Girl”
43. DEPECHE MODE “Just Can’t Get Enough”
44. HEAVEN 17 “Play to Win”
45. ADAM & THE ANTS “Picasso Visita el Planeta de los Simios”
46. ALASKA Y LOS PEGAMOIDES “Otra dimensión”
47. FRANCO BATTIATO “Centro di gravita’ permanente”
48. KING CRIMSON “Frame by Frame”
49. DJAVAN “A ilha”
50. VAINICA DOBLE “El tigre del Guadarrama”

Very thoughtful Honorio, thanks.

Don't like Golden Brown for the name of its singer, but I would probably like it less if I had not discovered it in the soundtrack of one of my favourite movie (Snatch)

Okay, I was worried about The Human League because I thought 'Don't You Want Me' was standard 80's mainstream dreck.

Then, I actually listened to the song on the album, and thought it was awesome and catchy. I wondered why I didn't like it in the first place.

Then I heard it at CVS today, and realized why. In the radio version they crop off all the parts of the song that actually make it interesting! The first bitter, angry, possessive verse where the singer tells the woman she'd still be a waitress without him, and the second verse where the woman replies "No, I don't need you, go away." And pretty much every part of the song that sounds angry, or interesting. Pretty much all you get in the radio version is the 'Don't You Want Me Baby', which makes the song sound like just another pop song about a guy boasting about his sexual prowess.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, screw mainstream radio, and screw whatever station CVS, Walgreens, Stop & Shop, and Shaws all use.

Schleuse, I wanted to tell you, as I did Stephan and Andre : Men at Work's Down Under is listed by AM as 1982
We all like this song, so please take it out of your 1981 list (even if it was out in Australia in '81)

please take it out of your 1981 list

... and don't forget to vote it #1 next month!

And BillAdama, I stopped listening to mainstream radio looooong time ago. 'Don't You Want Me' is a pretty okay song, as the whole album 'Dare!' is a pretty okay album.

John: You submitted "And Don't The Kids Just Love It" by Television Personalities last month, but the album was not released until 1981 as it turns out. Do you want to include that album in your list for this year?

Albums:

1. Prince- Controversy
2. Eurythmics- In the Garden
3. Grace Jones- Nightclubbing
4. Kraftwerk- Computer World
5. Human League- Dare!
6. Depeche Mode- Speak and Spell
7. The Cure- Faith
8. Tom Tom Club- Tom Tom Club
9. The Time- The Time
10. Debbie Harry- Koo Koo
11. Soft Cell- Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
12. Joan Jett- I Love Rock 'n Roll
13. Go-Go's- Beauty and the Beat
14. New Order- Movement
15. Kim Wilde- Kim Wilde
16. Pretenders- II
17. Echo and the Bunnymen- Heaven Up Here
18. Romeo Void- Never Say Never

Songs:

1. Prince- Controversy
2. Kraftwerk- Computer Love
3. The Cure- Primary
4. Tom Tom Club- Genius of Love
5. Eurythmics- Take Me to Your Heart
6. Eurythmics- Belinda
7. New Order- Ceremony
8. Prince- Private Joy
9. The Time- Cool
10. New Order- Dreams Never End
11. Human League- Don't You Want Me
12. Grace Jones- Pull Up to the Bumper
13. Tom Tom Club- Wordy Rappinghood
14. Kraftwerk- Pocket Calculator
15. Prince- Do Me, Baby
16. Depeche Mode- New Life
17. Prince- Let's Work
18. Kim Wilde- Water on Glass
19. Soft Cell- Tainted Love
20. Joan Jett- Crimson and Clover

I'm considering "A Million Miles" by the Plimsouls a 1981 record, so if anyone wants to change his list to include this song.. feel free.

I meant "A Million Miles Away" of course.

Stephan, I hope you consider the German and English versions of Kraftwerk's album and song as one?

In other words, the albums Computerwelt and Computer World are not considered separately, the songs Computerliebe and Computer Love ditto.

Finally ready to give my ranking.

I'm a little disappointed by all the 1981 albums I picked up for this list. A few of them are really good, but not that good.

1. X - Wild Gift (78th on overall list)
2. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life...
3. The Human League - Dare!
4. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
5. Elvis Costello - Trust
6. Elvis Costello - Almost Blue
7. Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

And that's all I heard I think is even good enough to consider for a list. Black Flag, Motorhead, Psychadelic Furs all disappointed.

Of course Andre. My German is well above the level of knowing welt means world.

Oh, you're being so ridiculously nice again.

Well formally, these are different Kraftwerk songs on different Kraftwerk albums, but then again, if somebody would vote for the smurf song, you would also agree it's the same as the smurfenlied, right?

I agree with BillAdama

Hard to find good 1981 albums unless you're into the very experimental or extreme (G Branca, Black Flag are really hard ones. I finally made it through "Damaged" but I was indeed ... damaged afterwards)
On the contrary, great songs year

As usual, my list will come at the very end of the month (still have a lot to listen or re-listen to)

Albums-

1 Flipper-Album:Generic Flipper
2 Black Flag-Damaged
3 Mission Of Burma-Signals, Calls And Marches
4 The Fall-Slates
5 X-Wild Gift
6 The Birthday Party-Prayers On Fire
7 The Sound-From The Lion's Mouth
8 The Raincoats-Odyshape
9 Brian Eno/David Byrne-My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
10 Gang Of Four-Solid Gold

Songs-

1 The Specials-Ghost Town
2 Flipper-Sex Bomb
3 Mission Of Burma-That's When I Reach For My Revolver
4 Black Flag-Rise Above
5 Dead Kennedys-Too Drunk To Fuck
6 The Birthday Party-Release The Bats
7 Human League-Don't You Want Me
8 Tom Tom Club-Genius Of Love
9 Mission Of Burma-Academy Fight Song
10 Laurie Anderson-O Superman


Films-

1 Raiders Of The Lost Ark
2 Cutter's Way
3 Southern Comfort
4 An American Werewolf In London
5 Thief
6 Blow Out
7 Das Boot
8 Scanners
9 Pixote
10 The Howling

OK, Stephan, here's my revised list, with Men at Work gone and the Plimsouls replacing them. It's ridiculously nice of you to accept a revision.

1. R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe”
2. Laurie Anderson, “O Superman”
3. The Judy’s, “Guyana Punch”
4. X, “We’re Desperate”
5. The Go-Go’s, “Our Lips Are Sealed”
6. Plimsouls, "A Million Miles Away"
7. The Dead Kennedys, “Too Drunk to Fuck”
8. Black Flag, “TV Party”
9. The Human League, “Don’t You Want Me”
10. R.E.M., “Sitting Still”
11. Rick James, “Super Freak”
12. Adam and the Ants, “Stand and Deliver”
13. Tom Tom Club, “Genius of Love”
14. The Cramps, “Goo Goo Muck”
15. The Pointer Sisters, “Slow Hand”

Apparently R.E.M. hated that original version of 'Radio Free Europe' - according to them: "Mastered by a deaf man"

Stephen, yeah you could end that on to the end of my list if you want. You changed it to include Squeeze right?

Yes, it's on position 6. "Television Personalities" is now #12.

Alright - I'm generally not a big fan of this year. I have 6 albums from this year but only enjoy about half of them so I'll just do a quick top ten songs:

1)New Order-Ceremony
2)Queen/David Bowie-Under Pressure
3)Kim Carnes-Bette Davis Eyes
4)The Specials-Ghost Town
5)Grandmaster Flash&The Furious 5-Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel
6)Journey-Don't Stop Believin'
7)Human League-Don't You Want Me
8)Teardrop Explodes-Reward
9)Rolling Stones-Start Me Up
10)Funky Four Plus One-That's The Joint

Actually, Midaso, I think R.E.M. were split 50/50 on how they felt about the original single. Two of them liked that it was more energetic than the Murmur version. Unfortunately, I can't remember which two (it's in the liner notes to Eponymous, iirc).

Albums

1. JOE JACKSON: Jumpin´ Jive
2. THE BARRACUDAS: Drop Out With The Barracudas
3. THE HUMAN LEAGUE: Dare!
4. FRANCO BATTIATO: La voce del padrone
5. KING CRIMSON: Discipline
6. ELVIS COSTELLO: Trust
7. THE CURE: Faith
8. KRAFTWERK: Computer World
9. THE WHO: Face Dances
10. PENGUIN CAFÉ ORCHESTRA : Penguin Café Orchestra
11. ORCHESTRAL MANOUVRES IN THE DARK: Architecture and Morality
12. PAOLO CONTE: Paris Milonga
13. TOM TOM CLUB: Tom Tom Club
14. DAVID BYRNE: The Catherine Wheel
15. GARLAND JEFFREYS: Escape Artist
16. J. GEILS BAND: Freeze Frame
17. RICKIE LEE JONES: Pirates
18. JERRY HARRISON: The Red and the Black
19. DAVID BYRNE & BRIAN ENO: My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
20. FRANK ZAPPA: You Are What You Is


Songs

1. THE BARRACUDAS: Don’t Let Go
2. FRANCO BATTIATO: Centro di gravitá permanente
3. THE HUMAN LEAGUE: Don’ you Want Me
4. THE BARRACUDAS: I Can’t Pretend
5. FRANCO BATTIATO: Cucurrucucu
6. THE CURE: Primary
7. ORCHESTRAL MANOUVRES IN THE DARK: Souvenir
8. THE BARRACUDAS: Violent Times
9. R.E.M.: Radio Free Europe
10. SOFT CELL: Tainted Love
11. THE ROLLING STONES: Start me Up
12. THE CURE: The Holy Hour
13. JOE JACKSON: Jack, You’re Dead
14. MADNESS: It Must Be Love
15. JOE JACKSON: We the Cats (Shall Hep Ya)
16. JOE JACKSON: Jumpin’ With Symphony Syd
17. FRANCO BATTIATO: Il sentimiento nuevo
18. ORCHESTRAL MANOUVRES IN THE DARK: Joan of Arc (Maid of Orleans)
19. KING CRIMSON: Elephant Talk
20. PAOLO CONTE: Via con me


Favourite Spanish Albums

1. JOAN MANUEL SERRAT: En tránsito
2. STUKAS: Hazañas bélicas
3. MOCEDADES: Desde que tú te has ido
4. JAVIER KRAHE/ALBERTO PÉREZ/JOAQUÍN SABINA: La Mandrágora
5. MARIA DEL MAR BONET: Jardí tancat
6. TRIANA: Triana
7. VAINICA DOBLE: El tigre del Guadarrama
8. JAUME SISA: Nit de San Joan
9. TEDDY BAUTISTA/PEPE ROBLES: Radioactivo
10. AZUL Y NEGRO: La edad de los colores


Compilation of the year

THE BEATLES: The Beatles EP Collection


Films

BUDDY BUDDY, Billy Wilder
EL CRACK (THE CRACK), José Luis Garci
DAS BOOT (THE SUBMARINE), Wolfgang Petersen
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, Steven Spielberg
EXCALIBUR, John Boorman

i.o.songzas...

01. We’re So Cool. Au Pairs
02. I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Grace Jones
03. Homosapien. Pete Shelley
04. The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum. Fun Boy Three
05. Ghost Town. The Specials
06. How 'Bout Us. Champaign
07. Sex Bomb. Flipper
08. Lock Groove. Liquid Liquid
09. The Art Of Parties. Japan
10. Walking On Thin Ice. Yoko Ono
11. You Stopped Loving Me. Luther Vandross
12. Love Song. Au Pairs
13. Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On). Spandau Ballet
14. The Visitors. ABBA
15. Say Hello, Wave Goodbye. Soft Cell
16. I Know What Boys Like. The Waitresses
17. Jungle Boy. Bow Wow Wow
18. Do The Wrong Thing. The Lounge Lizards
19. I Could Be Happy. Altered Images
20. Intuition. Linx

Great Grace Jones pick, netjade! "Libertango" is intoxicating!

it is, mb. and how it is...

Flipper's "Sex Bomb" is listed officially as a 1982 song here at AM.

1981: not a great year in my opinion, so I'm posting just 5 albums and 10 songs.

Albums:

1. King Crimson - Discipline
2. Franco Battiato - La voce del padrone
3. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
4. The Human League - Dare!
5. Japan - Tin Drum

Songs:

1. The Specials - Ghost Town (# 129 in my all time list)
2. King Crimson - Frame By Frame
3. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
4. Franco Battiato - Centro di gravità permanente
5. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
6. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
7. New Order - Ceremony
8. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough
9. The Human League - Don't You Want Me
10. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes

Rocky: But it doesn't really make sense, does it? Generic is listed as 1981 and it has Sexbomb as a track.

Is the Grace Jones track a cover of Astor Piazzola ?

Yep.

Sorry for the Sexbomb error. Stephan, you decide how to handle this, but in a few cases in the 90s poll I combined votes from two monthly polls. However, I did not count votes from the same person twice.

I think most people here assumed it was from 1981, but if anyone who thought it was 1982 wants to change his/her vote, there's still 5 days to put it in your lists (I will accept revisions).

Albums:

1) The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
2) The Stranglers - La Folie
3) Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven up Here
4) Van Halen - Fair Warning
5) Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
6) Marquis de Sade - Rue de Siam
7) Fischer-Z - Red Skies Over Paradise
8) Urban Verbs - Early Damage
9) Tuxedomoon - Desire
10) The Durutti Column - LC
11) UFO - The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent
12) Charlélie Couture - Poèmes Rock
13) The Cure - Faith
14) Bauhaus - Mask
15) The Police - Ghost in the Machine
16) The Gun Club - Fire of Love
17) Hubert Félix Thiéfaine - Dernieres balises (avant mutation)
18) Taxi Girl - Seppuku
19) U2 - October

Songs:

1) The Psychedelic Furs - Pretty in Pink
2) R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
3) The Stranglers - Golden Brown
4) The Cure - Charlotte Sometimes
5) Echo and the Bunnymen - With a Hip
6) Tuxedomoon - Desire
7) Laurie Anderson - O Superman
8) Marquis de Sade - Wanda's Loving Boy
9) The Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk to Fuck
10) Van Halen - Mean Street
11) The Cure - Primary
12) The Damned - Disco Man
13) New Order - Ceremony
14) Marquis de Sade - Cancer and Drugs
15) TC Matic - O La La La
16) Soft Cell - Tainted Love
17) Fischer-Z - Marliese
18) Echo and the Bunnymen - The Disease
19) R.E.M. - Sitting Still
20) The Psychedelic Furs - I Wanna Sleep With You

And one more French guy supporting The stranglers !

Updated albums list (sorry Stephan) and songs list.

Albums (just minor tweaks)
1. Black Uhuru - Red
2. X - Wild Gift
3. Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
4. The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
5. Squeeze - East Side Story
6. Flipper - Album - Generic Flipper
7. Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat
8. Black Flag - Damaged
9. Prince - Controversy
10. Elvis Costello - Trust
11. The Neville Brothers - Fiyo on the Bayou
12. The Police - Ghost in the Machine
13. Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches


Songs
1. The Specials – Ghost Town
2. Psychedelic Furs – Pretty in Pink
3. R.E.M. – Radio Free Europe
4. X – We’re Desperate
5. Black Uhuru – Youth of Eglington
6. The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
7. The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
8. Black Uhuru – Puff She Puff
9. Human League – Don’t You Want Me
10. Squeeze – Tempted
11. Flipper – Ever
12. Our Lips Are Sealed
13. Prince – Controversy
14. David Bowie and Queen – Under Pressure
15. Black Flag – Rise Above
16. Squeeze – Vanity Fair
17. Soft Cell – Tainted Love
18. Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight
19. Elvis Costello – From a Whisper to a Scream
20. Prince – Do Me, Baby

ALBUMS:
1. X, WILD GIFT
2. The Psychedelic Furs, TALK TALK TALK
3. Squeeze, EAST SIDE STORY
4. Elvis Costello and the Attractions, TRUST
5. The Go-Gos, BEAUTY AND THE BEAT
6. Black Flag, DAMAGED
7. Flipper, ALBUM-GENERIC
8. Brian Eno – David Byrne, MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS
9. The Gun Club, FIRE OF LOVE
10. The Rolling Stones, TATTOO YOU

SONGS
1. R.E.M., “Radio Free Europe”
2. Mission of Burma, “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver”
3. The Psychedelic Furs, “Pretty in Pink”
4. Squeeze, “Tempted”
5. X, “We’re Desperate”
6. Queen/David Bowie, “Under Pressure”
7. The Rolling Stones, “Start Me Up”
8. Soft Cell, “Tainted Love”
9. The Go-Gos, “Our Lips Are Sealed”
10. Phil Collins, "In the Air Tonight"

2 days left for submitting your list.

Just a short question, did anyone find the links to the album-tracks on songza helpful? It's quite a bit of work, but I'd gladly do it if there's even a single person who uses them. I don't think I got any responses from people who were gonna listen, that's why I'm asking.

Stephan, I think the songza links are awesome, but they would probably be even more useful in a special pre-1980s poll thread. Take a rest now and save that work to some other time. Maybe someone can help out with this too.

1. This Heat - Deceit
2. Television Personalities - …And Don't the Kids Just Love It
3. Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
4. Missions of Burma - Signals, Calls and Marches
5. Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
6. The dbs - Stands for Decibels
7. Human League - Dare
8. Black Flag - Damaged
9. Kraftwerk - Computer World
10. Wipers - Youth of America
11. The Cure - Faith
12. The Police - Ghost in the Machine
13. King Crimson - Discipline
14. U2 - October
15. Bauhaus - Mask
16. Josef K - The Only Fun in Town
17. Gang of Four - Solid Gold
18. X - Wild Gift
19. The Sound - From the Lion's Mouth
20. Psychadelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk

You'll have my list tomorrow night

Albums:
1. Glenn Branca - The Ascencion
2. Wipers - Youth of America
3. This Heat - Deceit
4. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
5. X - Wild Gift

Songs:
1. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe (I'm assuming we won't be voting for it on the 1983 poll, so I'll just vote for it here)
2. New Order - Ceremony
3. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
4. Wipers - When It's Over
5. The Gun Club - Sex Beat

I'm still planning to vote but I'm trying to cram in some last minute listening. My question given the different time zones we live in: What's the latest we can vote? End of day March 31 comes at different times for different people. I don't want to hold the tally up, but I also don't want to miss out on voting. Thanks.

Approximately 13 hours left from NOW

The end of the 31st on your own timezone will be the deadline. Most likely I'm not gonna be able to post the results tomorrow morning anyway because we're switching internet providers tomorrow, so it might be wednesday before I can post the results.

1. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
2. Specials - Ghost Town
3. Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck
4. OMD - Souvenir
5. The Human League - Don't You Want Me
6. Bob Dylan - Every Grain of Sand
7. TC Matic - Oh la la la
8. Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
9. Brian Eno David Byrne - Regiment
10. The Stranglers - Golden Brown
11. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
12. Rod Stewart - Young Turks
13. Rick James - Super Freak
14. Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
15. David Bowie & Queen - Under Pressure
16. John Foxx - Europe After The Rain
17. Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
18. Kim Wilde - Kids In America
19. Kraftwerk - Computer Love
20. Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

1981 : weak year for albums, good for songs
Strange year, very experimental, a lot of artists turned into robots.
A line from Bernard lavilliers sums it up :

"J'étais fait à l'image du monde qui m'a créé
De plus en plus cynique, de plus en plus glacé"

I was made in the image of the world that made me
More and more cynical, more and more icy

Salvation for me comes from Nigeria

ALBUMS

1. Soft Cell - Non-stop Erotic Cabaret (#166 all-time)
2. Fela Kuti - Original Sufferhead (185 all time)
3. Fela Kuti - Black President
4. The Stray Cats - Stray Cats
5. Dick Gaughan - Handful Of Earth
6. Fela Kuti - Coffin For Head Of State
7. Renaud - Le Retour de Gérard Lambert
8. The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
9. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
10. Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia - Friday Night In San Francisco
11. Motörhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
12. Alain Bashung - Pizza
13. Squeeze - East Side Story
14. Rick James – Street songs
15. Bernard Lavilliers - Nuit d'Amour
16. Elvis Costello - Trust
17. Charlélie Couture – Pochette Surprise
18. Black Uhuru - Red
19. Rush – Moving Pictures
20. Kraftwerk - Computerwelt

SONGS :

1. Al Di Meola & Paco De Lucia - Mediterranean Sundance / Rio Ancho
2. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
3. The Specials - Ghost Town
4. Squeeze - Tempted
5. The Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut
6. The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
7. Patrick Coutin - J'aime regarder les filles
8. Bernard Lavilliers - Night Bird
9. The Stranglers - Golden Brown
10. Bernard Lavilliers - Betty
11. Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf
12. Renaud - Oscar
13. Fela Kuti - Power Show
14. Fela Kuti -Colonial Mentality
15. Dick Gaughan - Song For Ireland
16. Rick James - Super Freak
17. Renaud - Mon Beauf'
18. Kim Wilde - Kids In America
19. Daryll Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go For That
20. The Rolling Stones - Waiting on A Friend

a lot of artists turned into robots.

It were the glory days of synth pop. "I just can't get enough" (repeat 10 times)

Interesting list, nicolas, lots of Fela Kuti and other stuff I need to do more research on!

1. Glenn Branca - The Ascencion
2. Wipers - Youth of America
3. This Heat - Deceit
4. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
5. X - Wild Gift

Short but very sweet list, Rendle.

I did not discover foreign pop music until 1983, but still this is where my nostalgic journey starts. Listening to Speak & Spell makes me feel like coming home.

Having followed the posts this month it's very easy to say who's from America and who's from Europe. Much more so than when we list our favorites from the last year. That's interesting, I'm not sure if it's a nostalgia (80s) or internet (00s) thing.

And compared to other decades, my own 80s lists will also be UK/Europe tilted. This definitely has a lot to do with nostalgia, but also that I really can't get into a lot of American 80s alternative rock.

Albums
1. Kraftwerk - Computer World
2. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
3. Electric Light Orchestra - Time
4. King Crimson - Discipline
5. The Cure - Faith
6. Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell
7. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
8. The Human League - Dare!
9. Phil Collins - Face Value
10. Eurythmics - In the Garden
11. Duran Duran - Duran Duran
12. Simple Minds - Sons and Fascination
13. The Au Pairs - Playing with a Different Sex
14. Squeeze - East Side Story
15. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
16. Prince - Controversy
17. Japan - Tin Drum
18. Meredith Monk - Dolmen Music
19. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Juju
20. Elvis Costello - Trust

1. The Specials - Ghost Town
2. Kraftwerk - Pocket Calculator
3. Prince - Controversy
4. Depeche Mode - Photographic
5. Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
6. Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
7. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
8. Eurythmics - Take Me to Your Heart
9. Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood
10. Brian Eno & David Byrne - Regiment
11. Japan - Ghosts
12. King Crimson - Sheltering Sky
13. Simple Minds - This Earth That You Walk Upon
14. Ebba Grön - 800 C
15. Kraftwerk - Computer Love
16. Kraftwerk - It's More Fun to Compute
17. Kim Wilde - Cambodia
18. The Cure - All Cats Are Grey
19. Pigbag - Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag
20. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe

Did I make it?

1981 Albums:

1. Japan - Tin Drum
2. Prince – Controversy
3. X - Wild Gift
4. Elvis Costello – Trust
5. The Cure – Faith
6. Scientist - Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires
7. Wipers - Youth Of America
8. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life In the Bush Of Ghosts
9. Roky Erickson And The Aliens - The Evil One
10. Black Flag – Damaged
11. Rick James - Street Songs
12. Squeeze - East Side Story
13. Electric Light Orchestra – Time
14. Agent Orange - Living In Darkness
15. The Human League – Dare!
16. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
17. Mission Of Burma - Signals, Calls & Marches
18. Minor Threat - Minor Threat EP
19. The Go-Go's - The Beauty And The Beat
20. Elvis Costello – Almost Blue

1981 Songs:

1. Jones Girls – Nights Over Egypt
2. Japan – Ghosts
3. Prince – Controversy
4. Wipers - Youth Of America
5. Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl
6. Orchestral Movements In The Dark – Souvenir
7. The Specials - Ghost Town
8. The Cure – Other Voices
9. Rocky Erickson & The Aliens – Night Of The Vampire
10. Mission Of Burma – That’s When I Reach For My Revolver
11. Squeeze – Tempted
12. Human League - Don't You Want Me
13. The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
14. Rick James – Super Freak
15. Grandmaster And The Furious Five - The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel
16. Roxy Music – Jealous Guy
17. X - Adult Books
18. Blue Öyster Cult - Burnin' For You
19. Funky Four Plus One - That's The Joint
20. Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love

Tons of stuff from this year I'm eager to listen to but haven’t had time to yet, like albums from The Associates, The Durutti Column, Kraftwerk, The Lounge Lizards, This Heat, Teena Marie, Marvin Gaye and Glenn Branca. So much music, so little time..

Oh, and I’d like to encourage everyone to check out The Jones Girls “Nights Over Egypt”! In my opinion it’s one of the greatest soul-pop jams of all time.

And I made it in before the buzzer!

I picked up a library copy of my fourth album from 1981, and it was severely scratched and unplayable. So I gave in and joined Rhapsody, which might revolutionize how I take in music.

I just listened to my minimum of 5 albums, and here we go.

1. Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is
2. Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
3. X - Wild Gift
4. Brian Eno / David Byrne - My Life In the Bush of Ghosts
5. Black Flag - Damaged

Not nearly as bad a year as I'd thought. I still can't figure out how to rank the songs, so once again I'm taking the lazy way out, but I'm regretting it more than usual because there's no way then for me to vote for "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel," which was the first hip-hop masterpiece. At least some of my other favorite songs from the year can elevate otherwise lackluster or uneven albums--such as Seven Year Ache and Signals, Calls, and Marches--onto my list, but "Grandmaster Flash..." didn't show up on an album until '82. Last month I said that the Pretenders' debut was one of the most underrated albums ever, but at least it gets a fair amount of love. What truly is one of the most underrated albums is Pretenders II, which gets almost no love at all, but to my mind is only a notch below the debut, marred by only a couple of uninspired songs. Oh, and there's EC's two most underrated albums. (Quite a year for Elvis, if you include his production of East Side Story.) OK, enough of my opinionated blather; here's my list:

1. Elvis Costello - Trust
2. X - Wild Gift
3. Pretenders - Pretenders II
4. Elvis Costello - Almost Blue
5. Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
6. Squeeze - East Side Story
7. Black Flag - Damaged
8. Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
9. Tom Petty - Hard Promises
10. The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
11. Mission of Burma - Signals, Calls, and Marches
12. Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache
13. Motorhead - No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
14. Go-Gos - Beauty and the Beat
15. Prince - Controversy
16. Black Uhuru - Red

Well, I actually can't pull together a good albums list for this year, so just the songs:

1. New Order - Ceremony
2. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
3. Human League - Don't You Want Me
4. Journey - Don't Stop Believing
5. Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
6. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough
7. Joy Division - Digital
8. The Specials - Ghost Town
9. The Clash - This Is Radio Clash
10. Rick James - Give It To Me Baby
11. Rick James - Superfreak
12. The Police - Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
13. Squeeze - Tempted
14. Kraftwerk - Computer Love
15. New Order - Everything's Gone Green
16. The Pretenders - Message of Love
17. Black Flag - Rise Above
18. David Bowie - Under Pressure
19. Black Flag - TV Party
20. David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
21. The Who - You Better You Bet
22. Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl

I hate to be a bother, but if it's not too late, I'd like to swap my numbers 5 and 6--Squeeze's East Side Story should be my number 5 and Eno and Byrne's My Life ... should be number 6.

Not that the 5 points is likely to make a difference to the total count, but another listen to East Side Story after I made my list left me scratching my head how I could have put it behind My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, which is a fine and fascinating album, but one that sounds a bit dated after DJ Shadow and Moby, and the wonderful melodies and lyrical observation of East Side Story now strike me as being more worthy than Eno and Byrne's funky experimentation, which flags by the end of side two.

here a review of the Soft Cell album
... for French speakers only

I'm sorry it's a little late, I've only just got my internet back and I'll be posting the 1982 topic in a little bit. First though, the albums and songs that proceed to the gallery of heroes:

Albums
1) The Human League - Dare!
2) Brian Eno - David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
3) X - Wild Gift
4) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Trust
5) Kraftwerk - Computer Welt
6) The Gun Club - Fire Of Love
7) The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk
Black Flag - Damaged
9) This Heit - Deceit
10) The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

Songs
1) The Specials - Ghost Town
2) R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
3) The Human League - Don't You Want Me
4) Soft Cell - Tainted Love
5) New Order - Ceremony
6) Mission Of Burma - That's When I Reach For My Revolver
7) Laurie Anderson - O Superman
Squeeze - Tempted
9) The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
10) Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure

These top 10's and everything that didn't make it can be found here:
My apologies for the inevitable mistake(s), feel free to let me know and I'll adapt the file.

Mmm, sad that "Tin Drum", "Faith" and "Discipline" couldn't make it, but anyway this post was for Nicolas...

Great choice for #1 song (as always), Nicolas!
In fact, and quoting the (excellent) thread by schleuse, 1981 was “the best year of his life” for Paco de Lucía with 4 great albums released this year:
- “Castro Marín” was a solo album by Paco de Lucía with some stellar collaborations (the solo by Larry Coryell playing guitar harmonics in “Convite” was absolutely awesome!!).
- “Friday Night in San Francisco” was a live album with Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin with the three open minded guitarists happily jumping from one style to another, fusing jazz and flamenco easily. The only drawback in my opinion was maybe an excessive exhibitionism of virtuoso playing. And, yes, Nicolas, “Mediterranean Sundance / Río Ancho” is the highlight. And what a highlight! Come on, everyone, go immediately here. It’s incomplete, but great anyway.
- “Como el agua” was his reunion with long time partner, the mythical “cantaor” Camarón, and the first of a groundbreaking trilogy (followed by “Calle Real” in 1983 and “Viviré” in 1984) fusing perfectly the pure flamenco of the first albums together with the experimentalism of “La leyenda del tiempo”. The title theme.
- “Sólo quiero caminar” ended this prolific year with the first album by the Paco de Lucía Sextet, with his two brothers Pepe (singer) and Ramón (guitar player) and three other terrific musicians: Jorge Pardo (flute and sax), Rubem Dantas (percussion) and, above all, Carles Benavent (bass). You can hear the title theme here.

Stephan-

Great job. I noticed, though, that Nicolas's vote for Tattoo You shows up on its own line, and thus didn't end up in the total. It looks like this would push Tattoo You up to 9th place and drop Deceit to #10.

It looks like this would push Tattoo You up to 9th place and drop Deceit to #10.

Which would be an outrage!

Ah yes, how silly. I was so busy with all the albums he picked nobody else had that I made an extra entry for The Rolling Stones as well. Ah well, no changes to the 10 progressing albums.

Maybe I'll add This Heat and Gun Club to my list of albums to look for good deals on. (Those are the ones I neither have nor have decided I don't like the band).

How close was the competition for 10th place? For 1981 votes were all over the place. I wouldn't be surprised if only a couple points separated 10th place and 15th place.

Stephan, you must be gutted that "Bette Davis Eyes" came so close! For me, it's "Controversy" that I will mourn. I'm not nearly as familiar with these top 10s as I am with the ones from 1981, so it should be exciting for me to check out the unknown treasures!

I was so busy with all the albums he picked nobody else had

Sorry, Stephan, but it's just the beginning, although I guess my 1982 picks will be more "conventional" but you never know

For instance I have serious doubts about Iron Maiden's Number Of The Beast being on a lot of lists and it's one of my very favorite 1982 albums...

But I think I'll have to get used to it. The early 1980's are very rich with punk and post-punk stuff and it's a style which is very appreciatyed here, so much so that the final 1981 list is packed and stuffed with it.

I was joking nicolas, it's quite alright.

And yeah Moonbeam, it was in the top 10 the whole month but dropped out in the last day.. quite sad.

honorio,

I didn't know there were so many great albums from Paco de Lucia in 1981. His guitar parts in "Rio Ancho" are miles above AL Di Meola !

I agree with you about "Friday night in SF", sometimes it is pure technical show off, especially from the part of Di Meola. The fact that it made #10 in my list is mainly due to "Rio Ancho" and tells a lot about the generally poorer quality of the 1981 albums I know.

That video of Rio Ancho is awesome !

It is not the same recording as on the album,but you only realize that in the end, which means that up until 5'00 the guitar parts were somehow written because i heard the same solos note for note.

It is too bad that Paco's chorus, which is to me far more brilliant, is less audible due to the absence of overmixing. His nylon strings can't compete with Al's steel. the soundman corrects that after a while but we miss the first notes a little.

Hi, Nicolas. Glad to enjoyed the video. I though the same as you about the album version until I read the comments of the poster of the video (click on “Read this before posting comments”). It seems that the first 5 minutes came from that recording and the last part came from another concert. The poster of the video even thinks that Di Meola overdubbed a part in the studio!
I found in you tube another interesting take of Río Ancho from a Paco de Lucía quintet (1978?1979?) (http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=jxodluTaz4g&feature=related). Sadly it’s not from his superb sextet, I’ve seen the sextet in 1982 as the opening band for Carlos Santana. No need to say that the opening act was much better than the main act.

yes, that's the only explanation but I didn't thought Meola capable of this

I missed the deadline but here's what I would have submitted.

1. Black Uhuru - Red
2. Human League - Dare!
3. Elvis Costello - Trust
4. Rick James - Street Songs
5. Fela Kuti - Black President
6. Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
7. Echo & The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
8. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
9. The Beat - Wha'ppen?!
10. Eno/Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts