New year, new poll: Yes, after taking 2014 off to recover from that epic and quite contentious best-albums-of-the-decade countdown, we’re resurrecting Best of the ’80s in 2015 for another year-long slog through the decade, this time selecting the best songs of each year of the 1980s — then wrapping it up with a monster poll to select the best of the decade.
This time, however, we’re doing things a little differently.
VOTING: For the album polls, we presented you with a list, sometimes hundreds of titles long, to choose from, plus the ability to offer write-ins. We inevitably missed titles, and some argued this skewed the results. So this time, it’s a (mostly) free-for-all. As you’ll see below, you may vote for any 10 songs you’d like — singles, B-sides, album cuts, etc. It’s all fill-in-the-blanks this time, not multiple choice.
A few important things to note:
- To be eligible for the final results poll, songs must have been released in some format — whether it be on an album, EP or a single — during the year 1980 (not the whole decade, just the year). That means, for example, that even though The Clash’s London Calling was released in (late) 1979, the single “Train in Vain,” issued in early 1980, is eligible for the list. Splitting hairs? Maybe, but we have to draw the line somewhere.
- In the past, acknowledging the theme of this website, we limited voting to artists that fall under the very loose and ill-defined “alternative” banner, generally acts from the punk, post-punk, goth, college rock, indie, synthpop, industrial, New Wave and related genres. Not the case anymore — although that’s still likely how the results will skew. This time, vote for whatever you want. Even Christopher Cross’ “Sailing,” if that’s what, uh, floats your boat.
- Well, there is one limit. To prevent one-note fans from, say, simply listing every track off Steely Dan’s Gaucho, you may only vote for a maximum of two songs by the same artist when filling out your Top 10. Any ballots submitted with more than two songs by the same artist will be disqualified.
DEADLINE: Voting will be open through 5 p.m. EDT Friday, Jan. 30, and results will be posted at the beginning of February — after which we’ll launch the 1981 poll and take it from there.
Sound good? Then vote away via the survey widget posted below.
And because there’s not a pre-set list to choose from, we encourage you to lobby for your picks, and maybe sway some votes, in the comments below.
Finally, if you’re drawing a blank on what came out that year, take a look back at our Top 100 albums of 1980 poll results, or check out these other resources:
- Top New Wave/Modern Songs of 1980
- Top 100 Songs of 1980: Billboard Year-End Charts
- Wikipedia: 1980 Singles
- Top 100 Hits of 1980
- Songs From 1980
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Top 100 Albums of 1980: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 1
- Top 100 Albums of 1981: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 2
- Top 100 Albums of 1982: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 3
- Top 100 Albums of 1983: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 4
- Top 100 Albums of 1984: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 5
- Top 100 Albums of 1985: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 6
- Top 100 Albums of 1986: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 7
- Top 100 Albums of 1987: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 8
- Top 100 Albums of 1988: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 9
- Top 100 Albums of 1989: Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the ’80s — Part 10
- Slicing Up Eyeballs’ Best of the 1980s: The Top 100 albums from 1980-1989
Okay, I’m fine with opening up the polling to all genres, but for my list I’m gonna stick with the good ol’ NEW/PUNK/ENGLISH/GARAGE/PAISLEY/ROCKABILLY sound that’s always come through for me.
Oh, btw, here’s my list:
10. THE DAMNED – Wait For the Blackout
9. SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – Christine
8. ECHO & THE BUNNYMAN – The Puppet
7. B-52’s – Give Me Back My Man
6. BLONDIE – Atomic
5. DAVID BOWIE – Fashion
4. PETER GABRIEL – Games Without Frontiers
3. SPECIALS – Rat Race
2. THE JAM – Going Underground
1. TALKING HEADS – Once In a Lifetme
Excellent choices!
Instead of bitting my nails and pounding my head against the wall i just picked the 10 songs for the year that i could not live without. these songs live in my head and heart and are part of the sound track of my life. cheers, M
adam/ants – fall-in & kings of the wild frontier
bauhaus – dark entries & stigmata martyr
the cure – a forest
joy division – love will tear us apart & isolation
omd – statues
siouxsie/banshees – red light & israel
such a magical year 1980
Just voted!
But…wasen’t there a poll of the best EPs of the 80s a few month ago? What happened to that?
been wondering that myself
Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime
Pretenders, Brass in Pocket
The Clash, Train in Vain
The Waitresses, I Know What Boys Like
Kate Bush, Army Dreamers
OMD, Enola Gay
Joy Division, Love Will Tear Us Apart
I Got You, Split Enz
Pulling Mussels, Squeeze
Redemption Song, Bob Marley and the Wailers
I thought the albums were hard choosing from a list but this. This is torture. Luckily 1980 is hard for me as I was young so I pretty much took tracks from the top 100 1980 albums but as this goes on, b-sides, live albums… oh my god it’s going to take DAYS to choose 10….
MASSIVE year in music, even had to throw some Queen and Police on my list. Of course LWTUA and A Forest, Happy House, dang… just to many great songs that year…
My picks:
The Clash – Train in Vain (Stand by Me)
X – White Girl
Prince – When You Were Mine
The Jam – That’s Entertainment
Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Stevie Wonder – Master Blaster (Jammin’)
Squeeze – Pulling Mussels (from a Shell)
XTC – Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)
Bob Marley – Redemption Song
The Pretenders – Brass in Pocket
Big year for parentheses, apparently.
Damn this was tough. Deciding between Train in Vain and some of the Sandanista singles was torture enough, and then trying to figure out whether to include non-SUE-ish tracks was another tough one, so I just went with my faves.
This was hard. I sat with a shortlist of 16 for the longest time that I didn’t want to shorten any more.
10. Bow Wow Wow – C30 C60 C90 Go
9. Bad Brains – Pay To Cum
8. Bauhaus – St. Vitus Dance
7. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Geno
6. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Christine
5. Ramones – I Can’t Make It On Time
4. Dead Kennedys – Holiday In Cambodia
3. X – Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
2. David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
1. Magazine – A Song From Under The Floorboards
Comsat Angels, Independence Day
My votes:
Adam and the Ants – Ants Invasion
The B-52’s – Dirty Back Road
The B-52’s – Strobe Light
Blondie – Atomic
The Cure – M
OMD – Messages
The Pretenders – Kid
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Red Light
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Israel
Visage – Fade to Grey
It was difficult to narrow the list down to ten. Two cuts were particularly painful: Bow Wow Wow – Louis Quatorze and Plastic Bertrand – Ca Plane Pour Moi.
I didn’t know Louis Quatorze was 1980…adding to my top 10
A rare gem!
I think “Ca Plane” was a lot earlier…1977 or ’78. I know I checked, and left it off my list because of that. Otherwise I’m on board with that pick…
again, another tough survey. lots of great music this year to choose from. My top 10 were in particular order:
joy division – love will tear us apart
echo & the bunnymen – all that jazz
u2 – i will follow
psychedelic furs – imitation of christ
squeeze – pulling mussels
pretenders – kid
clash – magnificent seven
talking heads – once in a lifetime
devo – gates of steel
the (english) beat – mirror in the bathroom
easily could have picked 25 more, no problem. bring on 1981!!!!
Generation X – Dancing With Myself
Gary Numan – We Are Glass
Colin Newman – & Jury
Japan – Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Siouxsie & the Banshees – Red Light
The Fall – How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’
The Cure – M
Dead Kennedys – Holiday In Cambodia
Kate Bush – Babooshka
Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
Adam & the Ants, Antmusic
The Clash, Train In Vain
Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb
Donnie Iris, Ah! Leah!
Simple Minds, I Travel
Ultravox, Vienna
Visage, Fade to Grey
The Comsat Angels, Independence Day
Japan, Gentlemen Take Polaroids
U2, I Will Follow
I’ve been pretty impressed with a lot of I’ve seen here so far (my list is in progress). But throwing down Ah Leah! by Donnie Iris is such a deep dive pull that I have to credit. Well played, sir. Well played.
AH YES for “Ah Leah”! That is totally going to make my list — my friends and I used to love it when that came on the radio:
http://goo.gl/aMYTFA
That song is one of my favorite guilty pleasures and usually have it on my iPod; I am not ashamed to admit it. C’mon, I was a 13 year old girl when it came out and still had another year to go before I evolved into a hipster “new waver” who constantly wore a trench coat. Thanks S.U.E., for allowing your readers to share their likes outside the alternative box.
+1 for Ah! Leah!
Bauhaus, Dark Entries
Vapors, Turning Japanese
The Cure, A Forest
Devo, Whip It
OMD, Enola Gay
XTC, Sgt Rock
Bowie, Ashes to Ashes
Queen, Crazy Little Thing Called Love
X, White Girl
Devo, Girl U Want
Had to leave out a lot of great songs! (Gentleman Take Poloroids, Going Underground, Another Brick in the Wall etc etc etc)
Wah!, ‘Seven Minutes to Midnight’
The Fall, ‘Totally Wired’
Undertones, ‘My Perfect Cousin’
Psychedelic Furs, ‘Imitation of Christ’
Bauhaus, ‘In the Flat Field’
Joy Division, ‘Atrocity Exhibition’
Echo and the Bunnymen, ‘Pictures on my Wall’
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, ‘Enola Gay’
Talking Heads, ‘Once in a Lifetime’
Gary Numan, ‘Cars’
Great list, but….
wasn’t ‘Cars’ released in 1979, both as a single and on ‘The Pleasure Principle’ album?
I love doing these. I just wish we could up the choice to say 20 or 30. But I’m sure that starts to just get ridiculous for Matt et al.
Don’t forget about The Affectionate Punch by The Associates!
Love the Donnie Iris; I SERIOUSLY considered Rocky Burnette’s “Tired of Toein’ the Line”.
I see X’s “White Girl” is listed on that “Top New Wave/Modern Songs of 1980” link, but did it really come out in 1980?
The “Wild Gift” album wasn’t even recorded until March 1981. Did that song come out early as a single the previous year? Seems odd.
It was indeed released as a single in 1980!
Good to know. I’ll vote for it now!
the songfacts link/list spotified here: http://open.spotify.com/user/specksyndr/playlist/4YpM5RKULMDHEBfRabLlT8
I gotta be ‘that guy’ and ask: Why is it “songs” instead of the more commonly used term “tracks”? Are non-song tracks eligible? Spoken word? Is Throwing Muses’ “Girl Named Pike” a song? What about Jello Biafra or Henry Rollins spoken word? Is an outtake or extended 12″ version the same as a “song”? Okay, I’ll vote now.
Killing Joke: Tomorrow’s World & Bloodsport
The Ruts: Staring at the Rude Boys & West One
Bauhaus: Dark Entries & In the Flat Field
Siouxsie & the Banshees: Desert Kisses
The Cramps: Garbageman
The Cure: A Forest
Dead Kennedys: Chemical Warfare
Just missing out: Pretty Green (The Jam) & Los Angeles (X)
gotta make sure Rockpile is represented…
“Teacher Teacher” is just awesome!
My picks in no particular order:
David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes
OMD: Enola Gay
Visage: Fade to Grey
XTC: Generals and Majors
Squeeze: Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
Psychedelic Furs: Sister Europe
Talking Heads: Once In A Lifetime
The Cure: A Forest
Joy Division: Love Will Tear Us Apart
Simple Minds: I Travel
Very tough to choose and had to leave off many greats….very fertile year for our favorite genres!
Academy Fight Song by Mission of Burma needs to make this list! People might forget it was released in 1980.
Really difficult to choose. 1980 was a brilliant, brilliant year. But here goes nuthin.’
1. Talking Heads, “Crosseyed and Painless”
2. PiL, “Careering”
3. The Cramps, “Garbageman”
4. Joy Division, “Twenty-Four Hours”
5. X, “Johnny Hit and Run Paulene”
6. The Sound, “Missiles”
7. XTC, “Respectable Street”
8. Squeeze, “Pulling Mussels (Form the Shell)”
9. Killing Joke, “The Wait”
10. David Bowie, “Ashes to Ashes”
Honorable Mention:
Any Trouble, “Playing Bogart”
B-52s, “Private Idaho”
The Beat, “Best Friend”
Chrome, “New Age”
The Clash, “Charlie Don’t Surf”
The Comsat Angels, “The Real Story”
The Dead Kennedys, “Holiday in Cambodia”
Echo & The Bunnymen, “Do It Clean”
The Feelies, “Original Love”
The Jam, “That’s Entertainment”
Joan Jett, “Bad Reputation”
Magazine, “A Song From Under the Floorboards”
Mekons, “Where Were You?”
Mission of Burma, “Academy Fight Song”
The Normal, “Warm Leatherette”
Orange Juice, “Blue Boy”
Peter Gabriel, “Games Without Frontiers”
The Police, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
Polyrock, “This Song”
The Pretenders, “Precious”
Pylon, “Feast on My Heart”
Siouxsie & The Banshees, “Christine”
The Soft Boys, “Tonight”
Sort Sol, “Marble Station”
Split Enz, “I Got You”
Swell Map, “Border Country”
Television Personalities, “Smashing Time”
This Heat, “Health & Efficiency”
U2, “I Will Follow”
UB40, “Burden of Shame”
Young Marble Giants, “Wurlitzer Jukebox”
Swell *Maps*
Well done
No particular order:
David Bowie-Ashes to Ashes
Talking Heads-Once in a Lifetime
Joy Division-Love Will Tear Us Apart
The Normal-Warm Leatherette
Visage-Fade To Grey
Siouxsie & the Banshees-Happy House
Peter Gabriel-Games with out Frontiers
Oliva NewtonJohn-Magic
The Specials-Too Much, Too Young
The Clash-Somebody Got Murdered.
My List…
U2 – I Will Follow
The Cure – A Forest
The Ramones – Rock N Roll Highschool
Ultravox – Vienna
Black Flag – Jealous Again
David Bowie – Fashion
Devo – Whip It
Blondie – Call Me
INXS – Just Keep Walking
The Clash – Train In Vain
This was tough. What a great year.
Top 10:
1. Blondie – Call Me
2. David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes
3. Kate Bush – Army Dreamers
4. Kate Bush – Breathing
5. Joy Division – Atmosphere
6. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
7. Pretenders – Brass in Pocket
8. Siouxsie & the Banshees – Christine
9. Siouxsie & the Banshees – Israel
10. Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Honorable Mention (agonized over this):
1. The Clash – Train in Vain
2. The Cure – A Forest
3. Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
4. X – Los Angeles
5. Visage – Fade to Grey
BAUHAUS – Dark Entries
DEVO – Freedom Of Choice
DAVID BOWIE – Ashes To Ashes
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – Redemption Song
ECHO & THE BUNNYMAN – Rescue
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES – Happy House
SPLIT ENZ – I Got You
TALKING HEADS – Once In A Lifetime
JOY DIVISION – Love Will Tear Us Apart
X – Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
The start of the 80’s. Here’s my list:
1.Cure – A Forest
2.Psychedelic Furs – Sister Europe
3.Vapors – Turning Japanese
4.B-52’s – Strobe Light
5.X – Los Angeles
6.Blondie – Atomic
7.Dead Kennedys – Kill the Poor
8.Stray Cats – Runaway Boys
9.Cars – Touch and Go
10.Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Ones that will definitely get a vote:
Train in Vain (Stand by Me) – The Clash
I Will Follow – U2
Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads
Could You Be Loved – Bob Marley & the Wailers
The other 5 are totally up for grabs from the list below, and I need help deciding! Anyone?
Dancing With Myself – Generation X
Private Idaho – B-52’s
Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie
Going Underground – The Jam
Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
Play the Game – Queen
Rock With You – Michael Jackson
Back in Black – AC/DC
Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) – Squeeze
A Forest – The Cure
I Got You – Split Enz
Baggy Trousers – Madness
Babylon Sisters – Steely Dan
All Over the World – Electric Light Orchestra
P.S. Using this as my justification for Boys Don’t Cry! ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Don%27t_Cry_(The_Cure_album)
“Going Underground” and “I Got You” are the two standouts from your list IMHO.
Ooooh, “All Over the World”! I would have included ELO’s “The Fall” as one of my votes, but I submitted them before I read the “no genres” bit in the instructions. That’ll teach me.
Really difficult, vintage year.
1. David Bowie Ashes to Ashes
2 .The Jam That’s Entertainment
3 . Devo Gates of Steel
4. Dead Kennedy’s. Holiday in Cambodia
5. The Cars. Gimmie Some Slack
6. Pretenders Private Life
7. The Clash If Music Could Talk
8. The English Beat Cheated
9. Public Image Ltd. Careering
10 . XTC. Respectable Street
Honorable Mentions
1 . The Jam Pretty Green
2. The English Beat Doors of Your Heart
3. David Bowie Fashion
4 . The Clash Let’s Go Crazy
5. Talking Heads Crosseyed and Painless
6. The Specials Blank Expression
7. Visage Fade To Grey
8. The Jam Liza Radley
9 Pretenders The Wait
10. Rockpile When I Write The Book
It was difficult narrowing it down:
1. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. The Cure – Play For Today
3. David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
4. Bruce Springsteen – The River
5. The Jam – That’s Entertainment
6. Pete Townshend – Let My Love Open The Door
7. X – Los Angeles
8. The Sound – I Can’t Escape Myself
9. Tom Waits – Jersey Girl
10. Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
If you were going to pull a non-alternative song from 1980, the River is as good as anything you could have picked.
Don’t forget
Dexys Midgnight Runners, Geno
Elvis Costello, High Fidelity (or everything on Get Happy)
and also Chercher le Garçon for french band Taxi Girl
An impossible task, for which we are all masochists for taking part.
1.Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers
2.XTC – Respectable Street
3.Rush – Spirit Of Radio
4.The Jam – Start
5.The Cure – A Forest
6.The Pretenders – Mystery Achievement
7.David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
8.Dire Straits – Skateaway
9.Echo and the Bunnymen – Rescue
10.Yes – Tempus Fugit
Wow. I forgot Mission of Burma “Academy Fight Song.” Inexcusable.
Skateaway… shortlisted for me. Such a great song.
This was hard!
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Happy House & Israel
Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
Pretenders – Tattooed Love Boys
X – Los Angeles
Dead Kennedys – Kill The Poor
David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes
Devo – Freedom Of Choice
The Undertones – Wednesday Week
The Specials – Rat Race
Narrowing down was the hardest part ..
10 for 1980:
Kate Bush – Babooshka
Dexys Midnight Runners – Geno
Joy Division – Atmosphere
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
John Foxx – Underpass
Jona Lewie – You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties
Magazine – A Song From Under the Floorboards
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Electricity
Rush – The Spirit of Radio
Simple Minds – Changelling
The next ten:
Adam and the Ants – Dog Eat Dog
Devo – Whip It
Fad Gadget – Ricky’s Hand
The Jam – Going Underground
Martha and the Muffins – Echo Beach
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Enola Gay
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House
UB 40 – Food For Thought
Visage – Fade To Grey
Young Marble Giants – Final Day
Loved the ‘Ah Leah’ mention as well ..
I had never heard “You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen at Parties” ’til I started double-checking the songs released in 1980. Was intrigued by the title, and had to go listen. Catchy tune!
Split Enz “I Got You”
Mission of Burma “Academy Fight Song”
David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”
The Police “When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around”
The B-52’s “Give Me Back My Man”
The Psychedelic Furs “Sister Europe”
Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime”
Devo “Girl U Want”
The Cure “A Forest”
UB40 “King”
the top 10:
The Police “Driven To Tears”
The Police “De Doo Doo Doo, De Da Da Da”
The Police “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”
David Bowie “Ashes to Ashes”
X “White Girl”
The Cure “A Forest”
Mission of Burma “Academy Fight Song”
Psychedelic Furs “Sister Europe”
Pretenders “Talk of the Town”
U2 “I Will Follow”
the runners up:
Donnie Iris “Ah! Leah!”
Blondie “Call Me”
Split Enz “I Got You”
The Clash “Train in Vain”
B-52s “Dirty Back Road”
X “Los Angeles”
The Fall “City Hobgoblins”
Kate Bush “Babushka”
Psychedelic Furs “India”
The Cure “In Your House”
Hey, neighbor! Love the high agreement! (And just wait till the Church and R.E.M. songs start popping up in upcoming votes!)
OMG! I just read the limit of two songs per band on the same ballot. I guess that makes me a “one-note” fan, eek! And in front of all these people! I need to go redo my actual ballot. How humiliating. 8-O
Maybe Donnie Iris moves back into the top 10 …
Sting, Stewart, & Andy send their thanks!
Picking 10 per year is a challenge.
The most recent revision includes:
1. Pretenders – “Talk of the Town”
2. Young Marble Giants – “Brand New Life”
3. Roxy Music – “Same Old Scene”
4. B52s – “Give Me Back My Man”
5. X – “Sugarlight”
6. Talking Heads – “Seen and Not Seen”
7. Peter Gabriel – “Intruder”
8. Joy Division – “These Days”
9. Cheap Trick – “Just Got Back”
10. The Soft Boys – “Kingdom of Love”
Brutally difficult, but here we go.
10. X: Los Angeles
9. Peter Gabriel Games without Frontiers
8. DEVO Freedom of Choice
7. David Bowie Fashion
6. Bauhaus Double Dare
5. The Pretenders Precious
4 Dead Kennedys Holiday in Cambodia
3. The B 52’s Private Idaho
2. Talking Heads Once in a Lifetime
1. The Cure A Forest
So, had to force myself to not be hipster-ish by picking songs that are considered “great” and pick songs I just freakin’ love.
1) Blondie, Call Me
2) Devo, Freedom of Choice
3) The Jam, That’s Entertainment
4) Joy Division, Love Will Tear Us Apart
5) Pete Townshend, Let My Love Open the Door
6) Peter Gabriel, Biko
7) The Pretenders, Precious
8) Split Enz, Nobody Takes Me Seriously
9) Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime
10) The Teardrop Explodes, When I Dream
Near misses…
AC/DC, Back In Black
X, Johny Hit and Run Paulene
Steve Winwood, While You See A Chance
Squeeze, Pulling Muscles From A Shell
The Police, Don’t Stand So Close To Me
here’s what I’ve settled into…a strong list!
Squeeze, Pulling Mussels (from the shell)
Rockpile, Teacher Teacher
The English Beat, Mirror in the Bathroom
Elvis Costello, I can’t stand up for falling down
DEVO, Whip it
Fleetwood Mac, Fireflies (off their LIVE album. perhaps my favorite Mac song of all)
Split Enz, I got You
Talking Heads, Once in a Lifetime
David Bowie, Ashes to Ashes
Peter Gabriel, Games Without Frontiers
Glad to see another Split Enz fan!
Putting together a list of only 10 songs is unbelievably difficult. But I have to say that it is a crime that NOTHING from Joe Jackson’s Look Sharp is eligible b/c the album and each single was released in ’79. Ditto for all early clash and the Jam.
I know Matt does more than he needs to, but it would be very cool to do some kind of best alt songs/albums from late 70s. That 77-79 sweet spot really set up just about everything that was good in the 80s.
Completely agree and have asked Matt to do it several times. Iggy Pop, B52’s, Devo, Talking Heads, the Cramps. The pioneers deserve their due.
1. Echo Beach – Martha and the Muffins
2. Fade To Grey – Visage
3. Mirror in the Bathroom – The English Beat
4. A Forest – The Cure
5. Cars – Gary Numan
6. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
7. Atomic – Blondie
8. Games Without Frontiers – Peter Gabriel
9. Babooshka – Kate Bush
10. Train In Vain – The Clash
Strongly considered:
Private Idaho – The B-52’s
Funkytown – Lipps, Inc
I Got You – Split Enz
Looking For Clues – Robert Palmer
Ah! Leah – Donnie Iris
Stomp – The Brothers Johnson
I thought Cars by Gary Numan came out in ’79? Is it a legit vote for timing of single release or something?
A lot of my favorites are getting plenty of votes, based on comments here, so here are a few underdogs I gave my vote to:
Sparks, “When I’m With You”
XTC, “Respectable Street”
Talking Heads, “The Great Curve”
Jon Hassell & Brian Eno, “Chemistry”
(John Lennon &) Yoko Ono, “Kiss Kiss Kiss”
Devo, “Freedom of Choice”
Jethro Tull, “Black Sunday”
Does anyone remember The Kings “This Beat Goes On/Switchin To Glide”? Loved that song in 80. Forgot to vote for it though.
i got that track!
This was the year of Kilimanjaro, The Teardrop Explodes btw
What a great year for music. Tough to narrow it down to 10, but here goes, in no particular order
Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
Bruce Springsteen – The River
The Beat – Best Friend
Robert Wyatt – At Last I Am Free
Echo and The Bunnymen – Villiers Terrace
Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
The Selecter – Too Much Pressure
The Specials – Rat Race
The Clash – The Call Up
Joy Division – Atmosphere
Don’t forget Josef K! “It’s Kinda Funny” made it onto my 10.
a bit pop heavy…but so be it
GROVER WASHINGTON JR. – Just The Two Of Us
ENGLISH BEAT – Best Friend
Louis Quatorze – Bow Wow Wow
Strobe Light – The B52’s
PRETENDERS – Talk Of The Town
The Kid Is Hot Tonight – Loverboy
EAGLES – Seven Bridges Road
RUSH – The Spirit of Radio
BILLY JOEL – Don’t Ask Me Why
SPLIT ENZ – I Got You
runners up
ROXY MUSIC – Same Old Scene
BLONDIE – Atomic
What I Like About You – The Romantics
THE ENGLISH BEAT – Stand Down Margaret
RITA COOLIDGE – We’re All Alone
1. Cabaret Voltaire – Seconds Too Late
2. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. Bauhaus – Dark Entries
4. The Cure – A Forest
5. Dead Kennedys – Holiday In Cambodia
6. John Foxx – Underpass
7. Simple Minds – I Travel
8. Visage – Fade To Grey
9. David Bowie – Fashion
10. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Enola Gay
1 The Cure – A Forest
2 Joy Division – Twenty Four Hours
3 Echo and the Bunnymen – Villiers Terrace
4 Joy Division – Atmosphere
5 Echo and the Bunnymen – All That Jazz
6 Psychedelic Furs – Imitation of Christ
7 OMD – Enola Gay
8 Suicide – Dream Baby Dream
9 Wall of Voodoo – Ring of Fire
10 Bauhaus – Dark Entries
1. WHAM – Wake Me Up Before You Go
2. The Cover Girls – Show Me
3. Debbie Gibson – Only in My Dream
4. Air Supply – I Can’t Let Go
5. BVSMP – I Need You
6. 2 Live Crew – Banned in the USA
7. Irene Cara – What a Feeling
8. Berlin – Take My Breath Away
9. Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart
10. Paula Abdul – Forever Your Girl
There’s more actually. Check out this page:
http://kelanazero.wix.com/gift#!Old-School-Songs/c1kiu/35283C02-7166-43FA-B649-A17ECC3563A9
Have I missed the results from this poll? I’m looking forward to voting on 1981!