The year’s not quite over yet, which means we’ve still got time to drop in the results of the Slicing Up Eyeballs readers poll to determine the best albums and reissues/box sets/compilations of this past year — think of this as a minor detour before we wrap up the main event with the results of the giant Best of the ’80s poll, coming next week.
Assembled below, you’ll find the Top 50 albums of 2013, as voted on by the readers of this site.
We received more than 12,000 votes in this poll, with a ballot featuring 85 albums released this past year by ’80s alternative artists — plus there were dozens of write-ins, from more contemporary acts such as Arcade Fire to Savages to, oddly, a number of records that already were on the ballot.
As you can see, the Thin White Duke reigned supreme this year amongst readers, with Depeche Mode, Johnny Marr and My Bloody Valentine following close behind.
Check out those full results (and don’t miss the reissue/box set poll as well) — and feel free to discuss them in the comments below.
SLICING UP EYEBALLS READERS POLL: THE TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2013
1. David Bowie, The Next Day
2. Depeche Mode, Delta Machine
3. Johnny Marr, The Messenger
4. My Bloody Valentine, mbv
5. Nine Inch Nails, Hesitation Marks (TIE)
4. Pet Shop Boys, Electric (TIE)
7. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away
8. New Order, Lost Sirens
9. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, English Electric
10. Mazzy Star, Seasons Of Your Day
11. The Ocean Blue, Ultramarine
12. Gary Numan, Splinter (Songs From a Broken Mind)
13. Pixies, EP-1
14. Wire, Change Becomes Us
15. Alison Moyet, the minutes
16. Elvis Costello and The Roots, Wise Up Ghost
17. The Replacements, Songs For Slim EP
18. Skinny Puppy, Weapon
19. The Flaming Lips, The Terror
20. Ian McCulloch, Holy Ghosts
21. Primal Scream, More Light
22. The House of Love, She Paints Words in Red
23. Erasure, Snow Globe
24. Kitchens of Distinction, Folly
25. How to Destroy Angels, Welcome Oblivion
26. They Might Be Giants, Nanobots (TIE)
26. Lloyd Cole, Standards (TIE)
28. Prefab Sprout, Crimson/Red
29. Adam Ant, Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner’s Daughter
30. Iggy and the Stooges, Ready to Die
31. Billy Bragg, Tooth & Nail
32. Visage, Hearts and Knives (TIE)
33. Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy, You Are Everything (TIE)
34. The Mission, The Brightest Light
35. Robyn Hitchcock, Love From London
36. Front Line Assembly, Echogenetic
37. Big Country, The Journey
38. Sebadoh, Defend Yourself
39. The Fall, Re-mit
40. Mudhoney, Vanishing Point
41. Camper Van Beethoven, La Costa Perdida
42. Ministry, From Beer to Eternity (TIE)
42. New Model Army, Between Dog and Wolf (TIE)
42. The Wonder Stuff, Oh No It’s The Wonder Stuff (TIE)
42. Grant Hart, The Argument (TIE)
46. Lee Ranaldo and The Dust, Last Night on Earth
47. John Foxx and the Maths, Evidence
48. Dean Wareham, Emancipated Hearts
49. Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine, White People and the Damage Done
50. Bad Religion, True North
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Readers Poll 2012: Best albums of the year
- Readers Poll 2011: Best albums of the year
- Readers Poll 2010: Best albums of the year
Would have loved for Gary Numan to be in the top 5, but at least he’s there. And at least that overrated Pet Shop Boys record didn’t win #1…
Have to agree on the PSB album. It’s OK, but was NOT a ‘return to form’ as many media stated.
I thought that Ocean Blue should have been number 1, but am happy with how they placed.
DM should have been dead last, worse DM of all time. I believe that if this CD did not have DM labeled on it no one would have listened or bought the CD. Cannot believe that the current DM band at one time made great CDs like Black Cel.
Agree with everything you said about DM.
Well put. The magic is gone.
More precisely: Alan Wilder is gone.
What? No Prefab Sprout? C’mon.
#28 – Prefab Sprout, Crimson/Red (though I personally placed it higher on the list)
Pet Shop Boys “Electric” was the best album of the year, but I’m happy with where they placed. The Alison Moyet album is the best she has ever done I would have thought it would place higher. As a side not I loved the DM album, can’t understad why it’s getting pissed on by Evan.
Is Depeche Mode ever going to place #1 on ANY of these polls? lol! David Bowie is amazing, and I loved Delta Machine. I thought it was great as was their tour this year! Looks like I have some catching up to do on 2013 music, though.
Bowie and NIN’s albums were amazing !
Mazzy Star’s, Seasons of Your Day at #10. Ok, it should have placed in the top 5, but at least the readers here had the good sense to recognize a fantastic comeback.
Do people really like that Pixies EP or is it just name recognition? Because their new stuff is just awful.
I LOVE IT. I think it’s better than their last album (other than subbacultcha which was an earlier song anyway)
Definite case of blind fandom. Easily the worst thing put out under Pixies name. Still a great live band, but the only thing good thing about this release was that it was so short.
There’s no accounting for taste. I* think it’s excellent.
*fan since 1988
Was the New Order EP that good too?
the new order ep is outtakes from Waiting for the Sirens Call. IMO their worst album by far. so songs that weren’t up to snuff for that are pretty dire.
Wish I remembered ADULT. when I was voting, not that it would have mattered apparently!
Only one I bought from this list is #46 Lee Ranaldo & the Dust which I like a lot. That’s the good thing about end of year music lists, you get to see what you’ve been missing. Will have to check out some of these other releases.
Pretty great year. My favorites were My Bloody Valentine, New Model Army, Skinny Puppy, VNV Nation, Front Line Assembly, Thyx. I’m a long time DM fan, but just couldn’t get down with Delta Machine. Better than SOTU, but a step down even from PTA.
Gary Numan’s album Splinter is amazing!!!! So glad that he is on this list.
Obviously, if a Bad English album had been released in 2013, it would not have charted here or anywhere for that matter…
The new pixies: I tried to like it but just can’t. I’m happy to see them tour (with whoever playing base) but really didn’t like the new EP.
David Bowie deserves number 1.
I love Depeche Mode and all but Delta Machine isn’t that great an album. Alison Moyet’s The Minutes is a triumph and should have been in the Top 5…
Bowie is rightfully at the top…best release this year…shame the brilliant Kitchens If Distinction wasn’t higher…and where was ChameleonsVox??? I wrote it in and asked for it to be submitted to the list as it was left off? If you haven’t heard this taster for the new album then you’re really missing out…classic!
And I agree regarding the DM LP…what a pile of rubbish, unlistenable.
And why is Bad Religion so lowly placed? It’s ace as is the Wire and Marr discs…and New Order’s Lost Sirens is quite good as well.
at least Alison Moyet made the list.
The White Buffalo- “Shadows, Greys, and Evil Ways”
Jake Smith performs under the moniker The White Buffalo. Difficult to say just how superb this album is. “Shadows, Greys, and Evil Ways” was curiously/intentionally(?) released on September 10th since the whole album serves as narrative of young couple named Joe and Jolene before and after he gets wrecked by war. Smith rages over emotions, building often from quiet to fierce. It’s poetic and real. Not easy at times to listen to but easily the best album I heard this past year.
My others: Prefab Sprout, Wire, Camera Obscura, Midlake, Dent May, Vampire Weekend, Josh Ritter, Ex Cops
Alison Moyet album is the best in 2013. Also like albums from Pet Shop Boys, Visage, New Order & OMD. Delta Macine is probably worst album that DM ever released.
Surprised the John Foxx album wasn’t a lot higher. It is amazing!
you folks really should check out Section 25…the fact theyre nowhere on this list yet lost sirens made the top ten shows you guys haven’t been listening to anything in more than 30 second bursts…go ahead…check em out…you can thank me later…
No GOLDFRAPP? ‘Tales Of Us’ was one of the best albums of the year, hands down. Brilliant, beautiful, astounding. WTF.
Thanks for mentioning this. I missed that they had something new out, and will check it out.
Delta Machine is awesome and deserve to be # 1. Depeche Mode are one of the best bands ever IMO.
You’ve got to be kidding. As much as I love anything Moz or Marr have put out in the past, Marr’s new album is boring rubbish.
I haven’t listened to Bowie’s latest album, though judging from the first video it doesn’t surprise me that he hasn’t recorded for ten years.
‘Delta Machine’ seems to be ‘Exciter’ part two: some songs with integrity in the chords (‘Soothe My Soul’, ‘Alone’, ‘Goodbye’), but there were flaws too on many of the other tracks that stop it from being the masterpiece we all hoped it would be last year.
I haven’t listened to the ‘Lost Sirens’ compilation/album, as I wasn’t impressed with what was on the ‘Total’ best-of…