Best Album on My Favourite Albums of......1981!!

1. X - Wild Gift
2. Shoes - Tongue Twister
3. R.E.M. - Chronic Town
4. Neil Young - Reactor
5. Ramones - Pleasant Dreams
6. Minor Threat - Minor Threat

Haven't listened to any of those start-to-finish in years, so that's a best guess from my media player.

Boy, are X popular on the other side of the Atlantic or what?

"Heartbeat" by Chris & Cosey is a favourite of mine from '81, not mentioned so far.

... listening to the title track right now, awesome.

That's on my list

I was going to say my #1 would be Mummy Your Not Watching Me by the Television Personalities but apparently that was released in January 1982.

some other faves unmentioned:

Adicts - Songs Of Praise
Exploited - Punk'S Not Dead
Fallout - Home Killed Meat
Flesh Eaters - A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die
Girlschool - Hit And Run
Husker Du - Land Speed Record
Marine Girls - Beach Party
S.I.B. - The Third World War
Subhumans (CA) - Incorrect Thoughts
Tom Tom Club - S/T
TSOL - Dance With Me

also some compilations e.g.

Keats Rides A Harley
Let Them Eat Jellybeans
Red Snerts - The Sound Of Gulcher
American Youth Report
Folk In Hell
Hell Comes To Your House #1
Some Bizzare Album
Where The Hell Is Leicester
Shots In The Dark
Ten From The Madhouse

lol I completely forgot about Penis Envy by Crass

A little bummed that Indoor Life didn't end up making the cut but you can't argue with a list that has both the Slits & Lizzy Mercier Descloux on it...

And on that note--even though I legit like the Japan and Raincoats albums more, I can't pass up prob my one and only opportunity to vote for Return of the Giant Slits in an ILX poll

Missed the Television Personalities up there, and probably thought that was a year or two earlier. That'd be high on my list, maybe even #1 ahead of X.

I kind of wonder if those Tom Verlaine solo albums have gotten their due. Dreamtime is kind of uneven, but I love stuff like 'There's a reason' and 'a future in noise' as much as any Television.

lol I completely forgot about Penis Envy by Crass

Great album

I've always wanted to give Dreamtime a listen xp!

Bush of Ghosts, Computer Love, Street Songs and The Visitors are all terrific albums.

But it has to be Fire of Love. The sheer energy of that record is something to behold.

My god, why is Raise! not on that list? Very possibly the best thing EW&F ever did.

Eno/Byrne was WAY ahead of its time

There are at least five albums on this list I would have very happily gone for, but once I spotted Tin Drum I knew I had to rock THAT vote. BTW, anyone who also voted for Japan, Gang of Four, The Comsat Angels, Human League, or Heaven 17 is an instant member of my squad.

As for Mutant Disco: there are several (4?) different volumes on Spotify (all on ZE as well), but none of these feature the complete original ’81 6-track line-up.

voted mambo nassau

went for discipline, cause this is a dangerous place

Great list! So many classics.

Voted for Dare just over Nightclubbing. Two of my all time top 20 albums right there.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

A few other notable RnR, metal, punk/indie records & tapes from '81.

Hanoi Rocks "Bankok Shocks Siagon Shakes Hanoi Rocks"
Iron Maiden "Killers"
Van Halen "Fair Warning"
Black Sabbath "Mob Rules"
Motorhead "No Sleep Til Hammersmith"
Saxon "Denim and Leather"
Ozzy "Diary of a Madman"
Mission of Burma "Signals, Calls & Marches"
the Replacements "Sorry Ma, Forgot to take out the Trash"
Billy Squier "Don't Say No"
Triumph "Allied Forces"
the Cramps "Psychedelic Jungle"
Tygers of Pan Tang "Spellbound"
Agent Orange "Living in Darkness"
The Adolescents "The Adolescents"
The Blasters "the Blasters"
Blue Oyster Cult "Fire of Unknown Origin"

Joe Walsh "There Goes the Neighborhood"

It's got Joe Walsh in a tank on the cover.

'Signals Calls and Marches' is an EP too...so maybe check that off, still has a couple of their biggest tunes.

great year for the YMO crowd - BGM (one of my favorite albums ever) and Technodelic, Left Handed Dream by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Tadaima by Akiko Yano, Neuromantic by Yukihiro Takahashi, and Logic by Logic System. Three of those I'd vote for if they were on here.

― frogbs, Saturday, April 20, 2019 3:34 AM (five days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Crazy good year, and would vote for BGM, Technodelic and Neuromantic in a heartbeat!

As it stands it's a toss-up between Eno/Byrne and Pirates for me.

Eno/Byrne album has never impressed me too much tbh.

Up until recently I'd have gone with Computer World but I ended up voting for Faith (my favourite Cure album fwiw).

Went with DAF in the end. Sorry Grace Jones and assorted ZE acts, hope someone else will be taking good care of you.

Visitors or Dare are the best records here but I do love Wilder -mainly because it was one of the first LPs I ever bought. I would have been very tempted to vote for U2s October if it had been on the list, serious nostalgia pangs with that album ( even though yeah yeah it's probably objectively really annoying)

There's a lot of great stuff here and a few things I meant to relisten to because I remember being amazed at them at one point but haven't listened for ages (Mambo Nassau, Deceit, Youth of America) - but I ran out of time for that and voted for Kraftwerk

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

comsat angels or rickie lee jones

― lowercase (eric), Friday, April 19, 2019 10:17 AM (eight hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

eric!!! you're right!!!

― american bradass (BradNelson), Saturday, 20 April 2019 02:11 (six days ago) Permalink

^^^^^^^^^^ 2 of the best records ever made.

This was generally the best year ever though. I'd say that even if these two records didn't exist and I was having to decide between Fela Kuti and Kraftwerk and Grace Jones (actually, group these 5 records together and that's a pretty decent summation of my taste in music).

surprised about the good performance of movement which is actually my fave new order album.

I'm not. ILM is full of new order bores.

the last.fm ilxor groups charts were topped by new order every week for a decade.

New Order ar the ilm house band.

They are better than Rush after all.

cant argue with that, but dont tell the Americans I said it!

????

we agree with you.

That Top 3 isn't embarrassing at all!

you were wrong about what would win

I'm pleasantly surprised that it didn't.

btw I think I ended up voting for The Gun Club

Got the distinct impression people were trying very hard not to vote for the obvious choices.

perhaps but there's always a bunch of albums you would love to vote for but only have one choice

except for new order fans who will always vote new order to annoy turrican or someone else

didnt billy dods or someone run an 80s poll once? pretty sure new order had a bunch in it

ahh it was tuomas who finished it off

Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

100. Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains [1984] (75 points, 5 votes)
98. (tie) Scraping Foetus off the Wheel - Hole [1984] (76 points, 5 votes)
98. (tie) Spacemen 3 - The Perfect Prescription [1987] (76 points, 5 votes)
97. Big Black - Atomizer [1986] (77 points, 8 votes)
96. Associates - Sulk [1982] (79 points, 6 votes)
95. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking [1988] (79 points, 7 votes)
94. Def Leppard - Pyromania [1983] (80 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote)
93. Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age of Wireless [1982] (80 points, 7 votes, 1 first place vote)
92. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Dazzle Ships [1983] (80 points, 9 votes)
91. Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell [1986] (80 points, 10 votes)
90. Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II [1984] (81 points, 9 votes)
89. Prince and the Revolution - Parade [1986] (83 points, 10 votes)
88. Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love [1987] (86 points, 7 votes)
87. Pet Shop Boys - Actually [1987] (86 points, 8 votes)
86. Pet Shop Boys - Please [1986] (87 points, 8 votes)
84. (tie) Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine [1989] (87 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote)
84. (tie) Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues [1983] (87 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote)
83. David Bowie - Scary Monsters [1980] (89 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote)
82. Scraping Foetus off the Wheel - Nail [1985] (91 points, 5 votes, 1 first place vote)
81. The Beat (aka The English Beat) - I Just Can't Stop It [1980] (91 points, 13 votes)
80. Various - The Indestructible Beat of Soweto [1985] (93 points, 6 votes, 1 first place vote)
79. The The - Soul Mining [1983] (93 points, 7 votes, 1 first place vote)
78. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & the Lash [1985] (93 points, 16 votes)
77. Meat Puppets - Up on the Sun [1985] (94 points, 8 votes)
76. U2 - The Joshua Tree [1987] (95 points, 7 votes, 1 first place vote)
75. Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual [1983] (95 points, 9 votes)
74. Galaxie 500 - On Fire [1989] (96 points, 10 votes)
73. X - Wild Gift [1981] (97 points, 9 votes)
72. The Chills - Kaleidoscope World [1986] (98 points, 7 votes, 1 first place vote)
71. Roxy Music - Avalon [1982] (99 points, 10 votes)
70. Laurie Anderson - Big Science [1982] (99 points, 11 votes)
69. Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85 [1985] (100 points, 7 votes)
68. New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies [1983] (100 points, 16 votes)
67. Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes [1983] (101 points, 12 votes)
66. Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen [1985] (104 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote)
65. Donald Fagen - The Nightfly [1982] (105 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote)
63. (tie) Tom Waits - Rain Dogs [1985] (106 points, 12 votes)
63. (tie) Cocteau Twins - Treasure [1984] (106 points, 12 votes)
62. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing [1981] (106 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote)
61. Arthur Russell - World of Echo [1986] (108 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote)
60. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full [1987] (111 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote)
59. Mekons - Fear and Whiskey [1985] (111 points, 8 votes, 2 first place votes)
58. The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me [1987] (112 points, 7 votes, 2 first place votes)
57. Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa [1984] (112 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote)
56. R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant [1986] (112 points, 12 votes)
55. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me [1987] (115 points, 13 votes)
54. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. [1984] (118 points, 14 votes)
53. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska [1982] (120 points, 14 votes)
52. Brian Eno / David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts [1981] (120 points, 17 votes)
51. Leonard Cohen - I'm Your Man [1988] (121 points, 11 votes)
50. The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms [1980] (123 points, 13 votes)
49. The Go-Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane [1988] (125 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote)
48. XTC - Skylarking [1986] (127 points, 16 votes)
47. Steely Dan - Gaucho [1980] (128 points, 9 votes)
46. R.E.M. - Reckoning [1984] (131 points, 14 votes)
45. Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Doc at the Radar Station [1980] (133 points, 11 votes)
44. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace [1985] (136 points, 13 votes)
43. Sonic Youth - EVOL [1986] (143 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote)
42. Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising [1985] (146 points, 14 votes)
41. The Cure - Pornography [1982] (148 points, 9 votes)
40. Dexy’s Midnight Runners - Searching for the Young Soul Rebels [1980] (148 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote)
39. Manuel Göttsching - E2-E4 [1984] (154 points, 12 votes, 2 first place votes)
38. New Order - Substance [1987] (156 points, 16 votes)
37. De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising [1989] (164 points, 23 votes)
36. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour [1982] (166 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote)
35. ABC - The Lexicon of Love [1982] (173 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote)
34. The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow [1984] (173 points, 16 votes)
33. The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs [1987] (174 points, 20 votes)
32. Prince - 1999 [1982] (191 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote)
31. Sonic Youth - Sister [1987] (199 points, 21 votes, 1 first place vote)
30. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade [1984] (200 points, 13 votes)
29. Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth [1980] (200 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote)
28. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses [1989] (201 points, 15 votes, 2 first place votes)
27. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction [1987] (201 points, 18 votes)
26. Prince - Dirty Mind [1980] (210 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote)
25. The Clash - Sandinista! [1980] (211 points, 11 votes, 3 first place votes)
24. The Cure - Disintegration [1989] (218 points, 19 votes, 1 first place vote)
23. The Human League - Dare [1981] (219 points, 17 votes, 2 first place votes)
22. My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything [1988] (229 points, 19 votes, 2 first place votes)
21. Paul Simon - Graceland [1986] (237 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote)
20. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy [1985] (243 points, 23 votes, 1 first place vote)
19. The Replacements - Let It Be [1984] (252 points, 18 votes, 1 first place vote)
18. Joy Division - Closer [1980] (255 points, 24 votes)
17. Kate Bush - The Dreaming [1982] (269 points, 13 votes, 3 first place votes)
16. New Order - Technique [1989] (273 points, 15 votes, 2 first place votes)
15. Pixies - Surfer Rosa [1988] (273 points, 21 votes, 1 first place vote)
14. Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden [1988] (274 points, 18 votes, 2 first place votes)
13. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique [1989] (291 points, 25 votes, 1 first place vote)
12. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime [1984] (300 points, 15 votes, 3 first place votes)
11. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead [1986] (307 points, 26 votes, 1 first place vote)
10. Pixies – Doolittle [1989] (323 points, 31 votes)
9. Michael Jackson - Thriller [1982] (331 points, 35 votes)
8. Kraftwerk - Computer World [1981] (338 points, 29 votes)
7. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation [1988] (356 points, 28 votes, 3 first place votes)
6. R.E.M. - Murmur [1983] (359 points, 30 votes, 2 first place votes)
5. Prince - Sign “O” the Times [1987] (381 points, 28 votes, 2 first place votes)
4. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love [1985] (422 points, 35 votes, 2 first place votes)
3. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain [1984] (423 points, 35 votes, 2 first place votes)
2. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back [1988] (478 points, 39 votes, 2 first place votes)
1. Talking Heads - Remain in Light [1980] (568 points, 37 votes, 4 first place votes)

except for new order fans who will always vote new order to annoy turrican or someone else

― Thus Spoke Darraghustra (Oor Neechy), Friday, April 26, 2019 6:23 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag PostPermalink

Voting for New Order wouldn't have annoyed me, I like New Order!

check #52 on that list btw

Looking at #1 was bad enough.

Best Album on My Favourite Albums of......1982!!

Dang, my vote wasn't counted. I hate when that happens.