Village Voice Pazz & Jop (USA)

1. Paul Simon: Graceland (Warner Bros.)
2. The Costello Show (Featuring Elvis Costello): King Of America (Columbia)
3. The Robert Cray Band: Strong Persuader (Mercury)
4. Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band: Live 1975/85 (Columbia)
5. Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell (Profile)
6. Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill (Def Jam)
7. Peter Gabriel: So (Geffen)
8. R.E.M.: Life's Rich Pageant (I.R.S.)
9. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Blood and Chocolate (Columbia)
10. The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto (Shanachie)
11. Janet Jackson: Control (A&M)
12. Hüsker Dü: Candy Apple Grey (Warner Bros.)
13. Steve Earle: Guitar Town (MCA)
14. The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy (Reprise)
15. Mekons: The Edge of the World (Sin import)
16. Peter Case: Peter Case (Geffen)
17. Billy Bragg: Talking With the Taxman About Poetry (Elektra)
18. The Pogues: Rum Sodomy & the Lash (MCA)
19. Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman: Song X (Geffen)
20. The Feelies: The Good Earth (Coyote)
21. Bodeans: Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams (Slash)
22. Minutemen: 3-Way Tie (For Last) (SST)
23. Anita Baker: Rapture (Elektra)
24. Throwing Muses: Throwing Muses (4AD import)
25. Prince & the Revolution: Parade (Paisley Park)
26. The Smithereens: Especially for You (Enigma)
27. T Bone Burnett: T-Bone Burnett (Dot)
28. Talking Heads: True Stories (Sire)
29. Sonic Youth: Evol (SST)
30. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead (Sire)
31. Richard Thompson: Daring Adventures (Polydor)
32. David & David: Boomtown (A&M)
33. XTC: Skylarking (Geffen)
34. Timbuk 3: Greetings From Timbuk 3 (I.R.S.)
35. Bad Brains: I Against I (SST)
36. The Screaming Blue Messiahs: Gun-Shy (Elektra)
37. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians: Element of Light (Relativity)
38. Crowded House: Crowded House (Capitol)
39. Dwight Yoakam: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (Reprise)
40. That Petrol Emotion: Manic Pop Thrill (Demon import)



OOR (The Netherlands)

1. Paul Simon - Graceland
2. Prince - Parade
3. R.E.M. - Life's rich pageant
4. The The - Infected
5. Peter Gabriel - So
6. Bruce Springsteen - Live 1975/1985
7. Elvis Costello - King of America
8. Miles Davis - Tutu
9. Van Morrison - No guru, no method, no teacher
10. Feelies - The good earth
11. Peter Case - Peter Case
12. Franco et le T.P.O.K. jazz - A Nairobi
13. Sonic youth - EVOL
14. Triffids - Born sandy devotional
15. Saints - All fools day
16. Cramps - A date with Elvis
17. Janet Jackson - Control
18. Public Image Ltd - Compact disc
19. Zani Diabate et le Super djata band - Zani Diabate et le super djata band
20. Chills - Kaleidoscope world
21. Mahmoud Ahmed - Ere mela mela
Run DMC - Raising hell
23. Nick Cave - Your funeral ..my trial
24. Shinehead - Rough & rugged
25. Mighty lemon drops - Happy head
That petrol emotion - Manic pop thrill
27. Hüsker dü - Candy apple grey
28. Talk talk - The colour of spring
29. Elvis Costello - Blood & chocolate
Swans - Greed
31. Triffids - In the pines
32. Anita Baker - Rapture
Big black - Atomizer
Cheb Khaled - Hada raykoum
New model army - The ghost of Cain
36. Sapho - Passions, passons
37. Beastie boys - Licensed to ill
Joe Jackson - Big world
39. Nick Cave - Kicking against the pricks
The Smiths - The queen is dead
41. Cameo - Word up!
Eric Clapton - August
43. Evan Johns - Rollin' through the night
Frankie Miller - Dancing in the rain
45. Steve Earle - Guitar town
46. Soul asylum - Made to be broken
Swans - Holy money
48. Fall - Bend sinister
49. Youssou N'Dour - Nelson Mandela



NME (UK)

1. Parade - Prince & the Revolution
2. Rapture - Anita Baker
3. Control - Janet Jackson
4. EVOL - Sonic youth
5. Word up - Cameo
6. Graceland - Paul Simon
7. Bend sinister - The fall
8. Rasin' hell - Run DMC
9. The queen is dead - The smiths
10. The album - Mantronix
11. Nelson Mandela - Youssou N'Dour
12. Life's rich pageant - REM
13. Blood and chocolate - Elvis Costello
14. King of America - Elvis Costello
15. Your funeral...my trial - Nick cave & the bad seeds
16. Schoolly D - Schoolly D
17. Rough & rugged - Shinehead
18. Tutu - Miles Davis
19. Say what! - Trouble funk
20. Liberty bell & the black diamond.. - The go-betweens
21. Born Sandy Devotional - The trifids
22. Talking to the taxman.. - Billy Bragg
23. Candy apple grey - Husker Du
24. Boat to Bolivia - Martin Stephenson & the dainties
25. London 0, Hull 4 - The housemartins
26. Atomizer - Big black
27. Electric Cafe - Kraftwerk
28. Holy money - The swans
29. True stories - Talking heads
30. The unacceptable face of freedom - Test department
31. Gravity - James Brown
32. Infected The the
33. No Guru, No Method, No Teacher - Van Morrison
34. I love my radio - LL Cool J
35. Please - Pet Shop Boys
36. Giant - The Woodentops
37. Kicking against the pricks - Nick Cave and the bad seeds
38. Song X - Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman
39. Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc etc.. - Dwight Yoakam
40. Communards - The Communards
41. Album - PIL
42. Force - A certain ratio
43. Flaunt it - Sigue sigue sputnik
44. Quirk out - Stump
45. Rembrandt pussy horse - The butthole surfers
46. Out on the boardwalk - Ted Hawkins
47. Shop assistants - Same
48. Back to the old school - Just ice
49. Oben im eck - Holger Hiller
50. R ‘N’ B Skeletons in the closet - George Clinton
51. Watch your step - Ted Hawkins
52. Folksinger - Phranc
53. Greed - Swans
54. Avant pop - Lester Bowie
55. Manic pop thrill - That petrol emotion
56. Throwing muses - Throwing muses
57. Contenders - Easterhouse
58. Peter Case - Same
59. Romantically Yours - Marvin Gaye
60. Stutter - James



Sounds (UK)

(no order)
Anita Baker - Rapture
The Bangles - Different Lights
The Band Of Holy Joy - The Big Ship Sails
Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
Big Black - Atomizer
Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
Jackson Browne - Lives In The Balance
Butthole Surfers - Rembrandt Pussy Horse
Cameo - Woed Up
Camper Van Beethoven - Telephone Free Landslide Victory
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Your Funeral..My Trial
Elvis Costello - King Of America
The Robert Cray Band - Strong Persuader
Died Pretty - Free Dirt
Easterhouse - Contenders
The Fall - Bend Sinister
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Liverpool
Peter Gabriel - So
The Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond
Head Of David - LP
The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4
Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey
Janet Jackson - Control
Madonna - True Blue
Metallica - Master of Puppets
The Mighty Lemon Drops - Happy Head
The Mission - God's Own Medicine
Motorhead - Orgasmatron
New Order - Brotherhood
PIL - Album
Iggy Pop - Blah-Blah-Blah
Prince And The Revolution - Parade
The Redskins - Neither Washington Nor Moscow
Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat
David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em And Smile
Run DMC - Raising Hell
Shop Assistants - Shop Assistants
Shinehead - Rough And Rugged
Siouxsie And The Banshees - Tinderbox
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Sonic Youth - Evol
Stump - Quirk Out
Swans - Holy Money
The The - Infected
Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses
The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
Van Halen - 5150
Wasp - Inside The Electric Circus
The Woodentops - Giant
Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction - High Priest Of Love



Rolling Stone (USA)

Best Album: Graceland - Paul Simon

The rest:
So - Peter Gabriel
Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band Live/1975-85 - Bruce Springsteen And The E
Street Band
True Stories - Talking Heads
Strong Persuader - The Robert Cray Band
Raising Hell - Run DMC/Life's Rich Pageant - R.E.M.



Hot Press (Ireland)

1. Elivs Costello & The Attractions - Blood & Chocolate
2. Paul Simon - Graceland
3. The Housemartins - London 0, Hull 4
4. The Costello Show - King Of America
5. Van Morrison - No Guru, No Method, No Teacher



Kerrang (UK)

1. David Lee Roth - Eat'em And Smile
2. Slayer - Reign In Blood
3. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
4. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet
5. Peter Gabriel - So
6. Megadeth - Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying?
7. Iron Maiden - Somewhere In Time
8. Vinnie Vincent Invasion - Vinnie Vincent Invasion
9. Magnum - Vigilante
10. Queensrÿche - Rage For Order
11. Poison - Look What The Cat Dragged In
12. Billy Idol - Whiplash Smile
13. Georgia Satellites - Georgia Satellites
13. Aerosmith - Classics Live
13. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
16. AC/DC - Who Made Who
17. Van Halen - 5150
18. Run DMC - Raising Hell
19. Judas Priest - Turbo
19. GTR - GTR



Melody Maker (UK)

1. Licensed to ill - Beastie boys
2. Parade - Prince
3. Blood and chocolate - Elvis Costello
4. Throwing muses - Throwing muses
5. King of America - Elvis Costello
6. The queen is dead - The smiths
7. Infected - The the
8. Life's rich pageant - REM
9. No 10 upping street - BAD
10. Word up - Cameo
11. Back to the old school - Just ice
12. Raising hell - Run DMC
13. Brotherhood - New Order
14. Radio - LL cool J
15. Victoraland - The Cocteau twins
16. Giant - The woodentops
17. Kicking against the pricks - Nick Cave and the bad seeds
18. Gods own medicine - The mission
19. London 0 Hull 4 - The housemartins
20. Whiplash smile - Billy Idol
21. Talking to the taxman about poetry - Billy Bragg
22. EVOL - Sonic youth
23. Schoolly-D - Schoolly-D
24. The occupied Europe tour - Laibach
25. Please - Pet shop boys
26. Peter Case - Peter Case
27. Beat Happening - Beat Happening
28. Music - Mantronix
29. Born sandy devotional - The triffids
30. The album - Mantronix



The Face (UK)

1. Prince - Parade
2. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
3. Bestie Boys - License To Ill
4. Janet Jackson - Control
5. Rum DMC - Raising Hell
6. Iggy Pop - Blah Blah Blah
7. Miles Davis - Tutu
8. Cameo - Word Up
9. Talking Heads - True Stories
10. Anita Baker - Rapture
11. Wham! - The Final
12. Chuck Brown & The Soul Scorchers Live
13. Courtney Pine Journey To The Urge Within
14. Luther Vandross - Give Me The Reason
15. SOS Band -Sands Of Time
16. James Brown -Funky People
17. Schooly D - Schooly D
18. Elvis Costello - King Of America
19. Gwen Guthrie - Good To Go Lover
20. Pet Shop boys - Please
21. Ennio Morricone - The Mission
22. Martin Stephenson - Boat To Bolivia
23. Full Force - Get Busy 1 Time
24. Ray Lema - Medicine
25. Floy Joy - Weak In The Presence Of Beauty
26. Peter Case - Peter Case
27. Quincy Jones - The Colour Purple
28. Steve Earle - Guitar Town
29. James - Stutter
30. Billy Idol - Whiplash Smile



Spex (Germany)

1. Go-Betweens - Liberty Belle & The Black Diamond Express
2. James - Stutter
3. Run DMC - Raising Hell
4. Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Grey
5. Prince & The Revolution - Parade
6. Anita Baker - Rapture
7. LL Cool J - Radio
8. Bobby Womack - Womagic
9. The Mekons - The Edge Of The World
10. Felt - Forever Breathes The Lonely Word
11. Nick Cave - Kicking Against The Pricks
12. Lizzy Mercier Descloux - One 4 The Soul
13. The Count - New Changes
14. Just Ice - Back To The Old School
15. That Petrol Emotion - Manic Pop Thrill
16. The Leathern Nun - Lust Games
17. Spacemen 3 - Sound Of Confusion
18. Elvis Costello - Blood & Chocolate
19. The Cramps - A Date With Elvis
20. Yo - Once In A Blue Moon
21. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
22. The Chills - Kaleidoscope World
23. Cameo - Word Up
24. The Fall - Bend Sinister
25. The Beastie Boys - License To Ill
26. The Feelies - The Good Earth
27. Philipp Boa & The Voodoo Club - Aristocracie
28. Throwing Muses - Throwing Muses
29. Chris D. / Divine Horsemen - Devil's River
30. Sky Sunlight Saxon - A Groovy Thing
31. Timbuk 3 - Greetings From ...
32. Nick Cave - Your Funeral, My Trial
33. Big Flame - Keinen blassen Schimmer
34. Scratch Acid - Just Keep Eating
35. XTC - Skylarking
36. Schooly-D - Schooly-D
37. Neil Young - Landing On Water
38. Exit Out - Peruse Pranksters
39. Fortune Tellers - Fortune Told For Free
40. Elvis Costello - King Of America
41. Violent Femmes - The Blind Leading The Naked
42. Deep Freeze Mice - Rain Is When The Earth Is On TV
43. 13 Moons - L'il Dreaming Boy
44. Chorchazade - Made To Be Devoured
45. Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
46. Tav Falco - Snake Rag-EP plus Free Live LP
47. Camper Van Beethoven - II
48. The Fugs - No More Slavery
49. Nightingales - In The Good Old Country Way
50. Soul Asylum - Made To Be Broken



Tip (Germany)

1. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
2. Paul Simon - Graceland
3. Rolling Stones - Dirty Work
4. The The - Infected
5. David Lee Roth - Eat 'em And Smile



HUMO (Belgium)

1) King of America THE COSTELLO SHOW
2) Graceland PAUL SIMON
3) No guru, no method, no teacher VAN MORRISON
4) Your funeral, my trial NICK CAVE
5) The queen is dead THE SMITHS
6) Born Sandy Devotional THE TRIFFIDS
7) Baby, the stars shine bright EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL
8) So PETER GABRIEL
9) Blood & Chocolate ELVIS COSTELLO
10) Kicking against the pricks NICK CAVE



Best (France)

1. Prince & the Revolutions : Parade
2. Peter Gabriel : So
3. Stan Ridgway : The big heat
4. Les Rita Mitsouko : The No Comprendo
5. Elvis Costello & the Attractions : Blood & chocolate
6. Etienne Daho : Pop satori
7. Eurythmics : Revenge
8. Stephan Eicher : I tell this night
9. Paul Simon : Graceland
10. Rolling Stones : Dirty work



Q (UK)

• Anita Baker - Rapture
• Billy Bragg - Talking with the taxman about poetry
• The Bhundu boys - Shabini
• Cameo - Word up
• Sam Cooke - The man and his music
• Robert Cray - String Persuader
• Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Johnny Copeland - Showdown!
• Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate
• Miles Davis - Tutu
• The fabulous thunderbirds - Tuff Enuff
• 5-Star - Silk and Steel
• Frankie goes to Hollywood - Liverpool
• Peter Gabriel - so
• Sophia George - Fresh
• Ted Hawkins - Watch your step
• The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4
• Billy Idol - Whiplash smile
• Janet Jackson - Control
• Little feat - As time goes by: The best of Little Feat
• Le mystere des voix bulgres - Same
• Branford Marsalis - Royal garden blues
• Madonna - True blue
• Ennio Morricone - The mission soundtrack
• New order - Brotherhood
• Youssou N’Dour - Nelson Mandella
• The Oyster Band - Step outside
• Pet shop boys - Please
• The pretenders - get close
• Prince - Parade
• Stan Ridgway - The big heat
• REM - Lifes Rich Pageant
• Lionel Richie - Dancing on the ceiling
• Run DMC - Raising hell
• Bessie Smith - Jazz classics in digital stereo
• The Smiths - The Queen is dead
• Paul Simon - Graceland
• Ricky Skaggs - Love’s gonna get ya!
• Bruce Springsteen & the E street band - Live 1975 - 85
• Talking heads - True stories
• The Triffids - Born*Sandy*Devotional
• Trouble Funk - Say What!
• Richard Thompson - Daring adventures
• Randy Travis - Storms of life
• Various artists - Hip-Hop Electro 13
• Various artists - Atlantic rhythm & Blues 1947-74
• Various artists - The house sound of Chicago
• Van Halen - 5150
• Steve Winwood - Back in the high life
• Dwight Yoakam - Guitars Cadillacs Etc. etc...
• XTC - Skylarking