Robert Christgau's Lists 1980

1980

A+

1. The Clash: London Calling

2. Prince: Dirty Mind

3. Talking Heads: Remain in Light

4. Chic: Real People

5. Wanna Buy a Bridge?

6. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Double Fantasy

7. Professor Longhair: Crawfish Fiesta

8. Tom Robinson: Sector 27

9. Gang of Four: Entertainment!

10. Robert Ashley: Perfect Lives (Private Parts: the Bar)

11. The Angry Samoans: Inside My Brain

12. Alberta Hunter: Amtrak Blues

A-

13. Burning Spear: Social Living

14. John Prine: Storm Windows

15. Public Image: Second Edition

16. Bruce Springsteen: The River

17. Michael Hurley: Snockgrass

18. Stevie Wonder: Hotter Than July

19. X: Los Angeles

20. Poly Styrene: Translucence

21. Joe King Carrasco & the Crowns

22. Pablo Moses: A Song

23. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band: Doc at the Radar Station

24. English Beat: I Just Can’t Stop It

25. Feelies: Crazy Rhythms

26. Popeye

27. KC & the Sunshine Band: Greatest Hits

28. The Great Rap Hits

29. Lucinda: Happy Woman Blues

30. Neil Young: Hawks & Doves

31. The Clash: Black Market Clash

32. Dollar Brand: African Marketplace

33. Steel Pulse: Reggae Fever

34. Undertones: Hypnotized

35. T-Bone Burnett: Truth Decay

36. Henry Cow: Western Culture

37. Warren Zevon: Stand in the Fire

38. Bob Marley & the Wailers: Uprising

39. The Specials

40. Ronnie Barron: Blues Delicacies Vol. One

41. Aerosmith: Greatest Hits

42. George Jones: I Am What I Am

43. Bunny Wailer Sings the Wailers

44. The Best of the Sir Douglas Quintet

45. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures

46. Robert Jr. Lockwood & Johnny Shines: Hangin’ On

47. The Jacksons: Triumph

48. Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time

49. The Psychedelic Furs

50. Rockpile: Seconds of Pleasure

51. Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson: 1980

52. Diana Ross: Diana

53. Shalamar: Three for Love

54. More Intensified! Volume 2 Original Ska 1963-67

55. Manhattans: Greatest Hits

56. Oi!--the Album

57. Big Youth: Progress

58. Teddy Pendergrass: TP

59. Donna Summer: The Wanderer

60. The Selecter: Too Much Pressure

61. The Suburbs: In Combo

62. The Brains

63. Club Ska ’67

64. Gang of Four

Back to year index

1981

A+

1. X: Wild Gift

2. Ian Dury: Jukebox Dury

3. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: The Message

4. Greatest Rap Hits Vol. 2

5. Gang of Four: Solid Gold

6. English Beat: Wha’ppen?

7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Trust

8. Gang of Four: Another Day/Another Dollar

9. Phases of the Moon: Traditional Chinese Music

10. Human Switchboard: Who’s Landing in My Hangar?

11. Al Green: Higher Plane

12. Psychedelic Furs: Talk Talk Talk

13. The Specials: Ghost Town/Why?/Friday Night Saturday Morning

A-

14. Black Uhuru: Red

15. Black Flag: Damaged

16. Gary Stewart: Greatest Hits

17. Tom Verlaine: Dreamtime

18. Chic: Take It Off

19. Red Crayola with Art & Language: Kangaroo?

20. Funkadelic: The Electric Spanking of War Babies

21. Penguin Café Orchestra

22. Prince: Controversy

23. Yoko Ono: Season of Glass

24. The Clash: Sandanista!

25. Tom Tom Club

26. The Blasters

27. Sly & Robbie Present Taxi

28. The dB’s: Stands for Decibels

29. The Best of Blondie

30. James Booker: New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live!

31. Best of Gregory Isaacs Volume 2

32. Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places

33. DNA: A Taste of DNA

34. Joan Jett: Bad Reputation

35. The B-52’s: Party Mix

36. Shoes: Tongue Twister

37. Elvis Presley: This is Elvis

38. Shalamar: Go for It

39. Marvin Gaye: In Our Lifetime

40. Bunny Wailer: Tribute

41. UB40: Present Arms

42. Rolling Stones: Tattoo You

43. Teena Marie: It Must Be Magic

44. ZZ Hill: Down Home

45. Slave: Show Time

46. Ramones: Pleasant Dreams

47. Rick James: Street Songs

48. The DeBarges

49. Johnny Copeland: Copeland Special

50. The Best of Dave Edmunds

51. The Best of Phoebe Snow

52. Sound d’Afrique

53. Let Them Eat Jellybeans!

54. Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society: Nasty

55. John Anderson: 2

56. The "King" Kong Compilation

57. Aretha Franklin: Love All the Hurt Away

58. Stampfel & Weber: Going Nowhere Fast

59. David Byrne: Songs from the Broadway Production of ‘The Catherine Wheel’

60. Linx: Intuition

61. Sir Douglas Quintet: Border Wave

62. Muddy Waters: King Bee

63. David Johansen: Here Comes the Night

Back to year index

1982

A+

1. Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings

2. Marshall Crenshaw

3. George Clinton: Computer Games

4. Flipper: Album: Generic Flipper

5. Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out the Lights

6. Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Wise Guy

7. Donald Fagen: The Nightfly

8. Professor Longhair: The Last Mardi Gras

9. Lou Reed: The Blue Mask

10. Michael Jackson: Thriller

11. The Angry Samoans: Back from Samoa

A-

12. Prince: 1999

13. George Jones: Anniversary—Ten Years of Hits

14. Stevie Wonder: Original Musiquarium I

15. Itals: Brutal Out Deh

16. ABC: The Lexicon of Love

17. Gilberto Gil: Um Banda Um

18. Marvin Gaye: Midnight Love

19. Shalamar: Greatest Hits

20. Clint Eastwood & General Saint: Two Bad DJ

21. Ray Parker Jr.: The Other Woman

22. Chic: Tongue in Chic

23. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Juju Music

24. Warren Zevon: The Envoy

25. Sound d’Afrique II: Soukous

26. Ronald Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society: Mandance

27. Ray Parker Jr.: Greatest Hits

28. Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska

29. The Time: What Time is It?

30. English Beat: Special Beat Service

31. Orchestra Makassy: Agwaya

32. The B-52’s: Mesopotamia

33. The Roches: Keep on Doing

34. Bonnie Raitt: Green Light

35. Roxy Music: Avalon

36. Van Morrison: Beautiful Vision

37. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5: The Message

38. Ruby Braff: Very Sinatra

39. The John Lennon Collection

40. Madness: Complete Madness

41. Gang of Four: Songs of the Free

42. X: Under the Big Black Sun

43. Material: One Down

44. Neil Young: Trans

45. REM: Chronic Town

46. Ferron: Testimony

47. Husker Du: Everything Falls Apart

48. The Desendents: Milo Goes to College

49. Minutemen: What Makes a Man Start Fires?

50. James Blood Ulmer: Black Rock

51. Bonnie Hayes with the Wild Choir: Good Clean Fun

52. Trouble Funk: Drop the Bomb

53. The Name of This Band is Talking Heads

54. Squeeze: Singles—45’s & Under

55. Rank & File: Sundown

56. Willie Nelson & Webb Pierce: In the Jailhouse Now

57. Sweet Pea Atkinson: Don’t Walk Away

58. Richard Hell: Destiny Street

59. DOA: War on 45

60. The Waitresses: I Could Rule the World if I Could Only Get the Parts

61. Calling Rastafari

62. A Flock of Seagulls

63. Ted Hawkins: Watch Your Step

64. UB40: The Singles Album

65. Laurie Anderson: Big Science

66. Everything New is Old…Everything Old is New

67. Psychedelic Furs: Forever Now

68. David Johansen: Live It Up

69. Replacements: Stink

70. Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band: Ice Cream for Crow

71. Mighty Diamonds: Indestructible

72. The Jive Five featuring Eugene Pitt: Here We Are!

73. T-Bone Burnett: Trap Door

74. Bunny Wailer: Hook Line ‘n Sinker

75. Joe King Carrasco: Synapse Gap (Mundo Total)

76. The Best of Swamp Dogg

77. Tom Robinson: North by Northwest

78. The Glory of Alberta Hunter

Back to year index

1983

A+

1. DeBarge: In a Special Way

2. Marshall Crenshaw: Field Day

3. African Music

4. The Blasters: Non Fiction

5. James Blood Ulmer: Odyssey

6. DFX2: Emotion

7. Lou Reed: Legendary Hearts

8. Husker Du: Metal Circus

9. George Clinton: You Shouldn’t-Nuf Bit Fish

10. Cyndi Lauper: She’s So Unusual

11. Pablo Moses: In the Future

12. Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers: Jonathan Sings!

13. Pamelo Mounk’a: Propulsion!

A-

14. UB40: 1980-1983

15. Talking Heads: Speaking in Tongues

16. Womack & Womack: Love Wars

17. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Synchro System

18. True West

19. Oh-OK: Furthermore What

20. X: More Fun in the New World

21. UB40: Labour of Love

22. Ronald Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society: Barbecue Dog

23. The Cucumbers

24. Aztec Camera: High Land, Hard Rain

25. The Kinsasha Sound

26. Kid Creole & the Coconuts: Doppelganger

27. Joan Armatrading: Track Record

28. Kate & Anna McGarrigle: Love Over & Over

29. The B-52’s: Whammy!

30. Divinyls: Desperate

31. REM: Murmur

32. U2: Under a Blood Red Sky

33. Local Boys: Moments of Madness

34. Eek-a-Mouse: The Mouse & the Man

35. ABC: Beauty Stab

36. This are Two Tone

37. Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones

38. P-Funk All-Stars: Urban Dancefloor Guerillas

39. MC5: Banes in Arms

40. Charlie Haden: The Ballad of the Fallen

41. Richard Thompson: Hand of Kindness

42. Pylon: Chomp

43. Ramones: Subterranean Jungle

44. Los Lobos: …and a Time to Dance

45. Knotty Vision

46. Minutemen: Buzz & Howl Under the Influence of Heat

47. Viva Zimbabwe!

48. Yolocamba Ita: Revolutionary Songs of El Salvador

49. Madonna

50. Indeep: Last Night a DJ Saved My Life

51. Butthole Surfers

52. Jamaaladeen Tacuma: Show Stopper

53. Nile Rodgers: Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove

54. John Hiatt: Riding with the King

55. Philip Glass: The Photographer

56. Al Green: I’ll Rise Again

57. Winston Hussey: The Girl I Adore

58. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Ajoo

59. Bad Religion: Into the Future

60. Public Image Ltd.: PiL

61. John Anderson: All the People Are Talkin’

62. Hilary: Kinetic

63. The Golden Palominos

64. Kurtis Blow: Party Time?

65. Earth Wind & Fire: Powerlight

66. The Plastic People of the Universe: Leading Horses

67. Swingrass ’83

Back to year index

1984

A+

1. Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA

2. The Replacements: Let It Be

3. Laurie Anderson: United States Live

4. Parliament’s Greatest Hits

5. Bob Marley & the Wailers: Legend

6. John Lennon/Yoko Ono: Milk & Honey

7. Black Uhuru: Anthem

8. King Sunny Ade & His African Beats: Aura

9. Linton Kwesi Johnson: Making History

10. Lou Reed: New Sensations

11. Thomas Mapfumo: Ndangariro

12. And Here It Is...Again...Wire

13. John Anderson: Greatest Hits

14. Los Lobos: How Will the Wolf Survive?

15. Arto Lindsay/Ambitious Lovers: Envy

16. Ramones: Too Tough to Die

17. Persian Gulf: Changing the Weather

A-

18. The dB’s: Like This

19. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Induku Zethu

20. Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar: Buscando America

21. Les Ambassadeurs

22. Rolling Stones: Rewind (1971-1984)

23. Husker Du: Zen Arcade

24. Reggae Greats: Toots & the Maytals

25. Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime

26. Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns: Bordertown

27. Run-DMC

28. XTC: Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982

29. Prince & the Revolution: Purple Rain

30. Laurie Anderson: Mister Heartbreak

31. The Best of Gil Scott-Heron

32. David Johansen: Sweet Revenge

33. Big Black: Racer-X

34. The Del-Lords: Frontier Days

35. Pretenders: Learning to Crawl

36. Anna Domino: East & West

37. Sparrow: King of the World

38. Bangles: All Over the Place

39. Half Japanese: Sing No Evil

40. Reggae Greats: Burning Spear

41. Tom Verlaine: Cover

42. Ferron: Shadows on a Dime

43. Tina Turner: Private Dancer

44. Teddy Pendergrass: Greatest Hits

45. Julie Brown: Goddess in Progress

46. That’s the Way I Feel Now: a Tribute to Thelonious Monk

47. Dumptruck: D is for Dumptruck

48. Motorhead: No Remorse

49. The Embarrassment: Retrospective

50. Robert Wyatt: 1982-1984

51. Meat Puppets II

52. Herbie Hancock: Sound System

53. The Reducers: Let’s Go!

54. Conjure

55. Rank & File: Long Gone Dead

56. The Neville Brothers: Neville-ization

57. John Conlee: Greatest Hits

58. Robert Quine/Fred Maher: Basic

59. Blow-Up: Easy Knowledge

60. Harold Budd/Brian Eno: The Pearl

61. UB40: Geffrey Morgan

62. The Judds: Wynonna and Naomi

63. Iggy Pop: Choice Cuts

64. Fat Boys

65. Go-Go’s: Talk Show

Back to year index

1985

A+

1. Franco & Rochereau: Omona Wapi

2. Double Dee & Steinski: The Payoff Mix/Lesson Two/Lesson 3

3. Mekons: Fear & Whiskey

4. The Pogues: Rum Sodomy & the Lash

5. Aretha Franklin: Who’s Zoomin’ Who?

6. Husker Du: New Day Rising

7. Lost in the Stars: the Music of Kurt Weill

8. The Velvet Underground: VU

9. The Blasters: Hard Line

10. Willie Nelson & Hank Snow: Brand on My Heart

11. Talking Heads: Little Creatures

12. Minutemen: 3-Way Tie (for Last)

A-

13. Linton Kwesi Johnson: In Concert with the Dub Band

14. The Replacements: Tim

15. Go Go Crankin’

16. Dele Abiodun: It’s Time for Juju Music

17. Joe Higgs: Triumph

18. Scritti Politti: Cupid & Psyche 85

19. Dele Abiodun: Adawa Super Sound

20. Dramarama: Cinema Verite

21. Professor Longhair: Rock & Roll Gumbo

22. Yabby You: Fleeing from the City

23. The Dead Milkmen: Big Lizard in My Backyard

24. Rosanne Cash: Rhythm & Romance

25. Husker Du: Flip Your Wig

26. George Clinton: Some of My Best Jokes are Friends

27. The Descendents: Bonus Fat

28. The Go-Betweens: Metal & Shells

29. Robert Cray Band: False Accusations

30. Billy Joel: Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & II

31. Marti Jones: Unsophisticated Time

32. Katrina & the Waves

33. The Cars: Greatest Hits

34. UB40: Little Baggariddim

35. The Best of Elvis Costello & the Attractions

36. George Strait: Greatest Hits

37. Camper Van Beethoven: Telephone Free Landslide Victory

38. Steve Arrington: Dancin’ in the Key of Life

39. Kid Creole & the Coconuts: In Praise of Older Women & Other Crimes

40. Marshall Crenshaw: Downtown

41. Phranc: Folksinger

42. Willie Nelson: Me & Paul

43. Fela Anikulapo Kuti: Army Arrangement

44. John Anderson: Tokyo, Oklahoma

45. Mofungo: Frederick Douglass

46. Nile Rodgers: B-Movie Matinee

47. Alex Chilton: Feudalist Tarts

48. The Rattlers: Rattled

49. Phezulu Eqhudeni

50. Artists United Against Apartheid: Sun City

51. George Strait: Something Special

52. Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar: Escenas

53. David Byrne: Music for the Knee Plays

54. Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus: Rally Round

55. The Silos: About Her Steps

56. The Rave-Ups: Town & Country

57. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Ulwandle Oluncgwele

Back to year index

1986

A+

1. The Indestructible Beat of Soweto

2. Robert Cray Band: Strong Persuader

3. Beastie Boys: Lisenced to Ill

4. Husker Du: Candy Apple Grey

5. Papa Wemba: L’Esclave

6. New Order: Brotherhood

7. Sonny Sharrock: Guitar

8. Rolling Stones: Dirty Work

9. Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman: Song X

10. Camper Van Beethoven

11. Black Flag: Wasted Again

12. Gap Band: The 12" Collection

13. ZZ Hill: Greatest Hits

14. Paul Simon: Graceland

A-

15. Motorhead: Orgasmatron

16. Pere Ubu: Terminal Tower: an Archival Collection

17. Sonic Youth: Starpower

18. Elvis Costello & the Attractions: Blood & Chocolate

19. Mekons: The Edge of the World

20. Murabaruka: The Mystery Unfolds

21. They Might Be Giants

22. The Jesus & Mary Chain: Psychocandy

23. The Costello Show (featuring Elvis Costello): King of America

24. Royal Crescent Mob: Land of Sugar

25. The Neville Brothers: Treacherous

26. Astor Piazzolla: Tango: Zero Hour

27. Run-D.M.C.: Raising Hell

28. The Housemartins: London 0, Hull 4

29. XTC: Skylarking

30. Steve Earle: Guitar Town

31. Rap’s Greatest Hits

32. Will Wright & Jim Reiman: Childhood’s Greatest Hits

33. The Lounge Lizards: Live in Tokyo/Big Heart

34. Kate Bush: The Whole Story

35. Ornette Coleman & Prime Time: Opening the Caravan of Dreams

36. Mekons: Crime & Punishment

37. The Feelies: The Good Earth

38. Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys 2

39. Brian Eno: More Blank than Frank

40. Mofungo: Messenger Dogs of the Gods

41. Salt-n-Pepa: Hot Cool & Vicious

42. African Head Charge: Off the Beaten Track

43. Phil Alvin: Un "Sung" Stories

44. Abdullah Ibrahim: Water from an Ancient Well

45. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band: Live 1975-1985

46. Peter Stampfel and the Bottle Caps

47. Prince & the Revolution: Parade

48. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: Live Alive

49. Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force: Planet Rock—the Album

50. Tango Argentino

51. Camper Van Beethoven II & III

52. Jimi Hendrix: Johnny B. Goode

53. The Art of Noise: In Visible Silence

54. Thomas Mapfumo: The Chimurenga Singles 1976-1980

55. A Quiet Normal Life: the Best of Warren Zevon

56. Shop Assistants

57. Jon Hassell: Power Spot

58. Police: Every Breath You Take: the Singles

59. Katrina & the Waves: Waves

60. That Petrol Emotion: Manic Pop Thrill

61. Black Flag: Who’s Got the 10½?

62. Dance Traxx

63. The Three Johns: The World By Storm

64. The Go-Betweens: Liberty Belle & the Black Diamond Express

65. Aaron Neville: Make Me Strong

66. Timbuk 3: Welcome to Timbuk 3

67. Don Dixon: Most of the Girls Like to Dance but Only Some of the Boys Like To

68. David & David: Boomtown

69. New Model Army: The Mark of Cain

70. Laurie Anderson: Home of the Brave

71. The Velvet Underground: Another View

72. Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye

73. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Inala

74. Mahotella Queens: Izibani Zomgqashiyo

75. Yaa-Lengi Ngemi: Oh, Miziki

76. Pet Shop Boys: Please

77. Iscathamiya: Zulu Worker Choirs in South Africa

78. Zazou Biyake: Mr. Manager

79. Sally Timms & the Drifting Cowgirls: The Butcher’s Boy Extended

Player

Back to year index

1987

A+

1. Sonny Rollins: G-Man

2. Prince: Sign ‘o’ the Times

3. Culture: Two Sevens Clash (first US release)

4. Ornette Coleman: In All Languages

5. Sonic Youth: Sister

6. New Order: Substance

7. Pretenders: The Singles

8. Sly & Robbie: Rhythm Killers

9. The Sonny Sharrock Band: Seize the Rainbow

10. R.E.M.: Document

11. Bruce Springsteen: Tunnel of Love

12. Go-Betweens: Tallulah

13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live at Winterland

14. Ian Dury: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

15. The Angry Samoans: Gimme Samoa: 31 Garbage-Pit Hits

A-

16. Professor Longhair: Houseparty New Orleans Style

17. Pet Shop Boys: Actually

18. Dramarama: Box Office Bomb

19. Stella Chiweshe: Ambuya?

20. The Replacements: Pleased to Meet Me

21. The Tanzania Sound

22. Kool Moe Dee: How Ya Like Me Now?

23. Johnny Cash: Columbia Records 1958-1986

24. Marianne Faithfull: Strange Weather

25. Madonna: You Can Dance

26. Kool Moe Dee

27. Rosanne Cash: King’s Record Shop

28. The Best of Reba McEntire

29. Stevie Wonder: Characters

30. John Cougar Mellencamp: The Lonesome Jubilee

31. The Housemartins: The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death

32. Tom Verlaine: Flash Light

33. Great Plains: Sum Things Up

34. French Frith Kaiser Thompson: Live Love Larf and Loaf

35. David Behrman: Leapday Night

36. That Petrol Emotion: Babble

37. Ray Stevens: Greatest Hits Vol. 2

38. The Cucumbers

39. Culture: Culture at Work

40. The Best of a Flock of Seagulls

41. Ronald Shannon Jackson & the Decoding Society: When Colors Play

42. Minutemen: Ballot Result

43. Rosie Flores

44. Motorhead: Rock ‘n’ Roll

45. A Very Special Christmas

46. Bunny Wailer: Rootsman Skanking

47. Kid Creole & the Coconuts: I, Too, Have Seen the Woods

48. Mekons: New York

49. Warren Zevon: Sentimental Hygiene

50. Marshall Chapman: Dirty Linen

51. Black Uhuru: Positive

52. Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Shaka Zulu

53. Sinead O’Connor: The Lion & the Cobra

54. The Best Part of the Fat Boys

55. Meat Puppets: Huevos

56. Big Black: Songs About Fucking

57. Tom Robinson: The Collection 1977-87

58. Al Green: Soul Survivor

59. Camper Van Beethoven: Vampire Can Mating Oven

60. Reggae Dancehall Classics

61. Husker Du: Warehouse: Songs & Stories

62. Age of Chance: Crush Collision

63. Aztec Camera: Love

64. Los Lobos: By the Light of the Moon

Back to year index

1988

A+

1. Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

2. African Connection Volume 1: Zaire Choc!

3. The Essential Tom T. Hall: Twentieth Anniversary Collection/the Story Songs

4. Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation

5. Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens: Paris-Soweto

6. The Heartbeat of Soweto

7. Lucinda Williams

8. Pere Ubu: The Tenement Year

9. Psychedelic Furs: All of This and Nothing

10. Ambitious Lovers: Greed

11. Ornette Coleman & Prime Time: Virgin Beauty

12. Farther Along: the Best of the Flying Burrito Brothers

A-

13. Pet Shop Boys: Introspective

14. Zini Diabate and the Super Djata Band

15. Bhundu Boys: Tsvimbodzemoto: Sticks of Fire

16. Patsy Cline: Live at the Opry

17. Robert Cray Band: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

18. Folkways: a Vision Shared—a Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly

19. EPMD: Strictly Business

20. Feedtime: Shovel

21. Zimbabwe Frontline

22. Michelle Shocked: Short Sharp Shocked

23. Najma: Qareeb

24. Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man

25. Eric B. & Rakim: Follow the Leader

26. Traveling Wilburys Volume One

27. Guy

28. Richard Thompson: Amnesia

29. Obed Ngobeni: My Wife Bought a Taxi

30. Was (Not Was): What Up Dog?

31. Jungle Brothers: Straight Out the Jungle

32. James Brown: Motherlode

33. Flipper: Sex Bomb Baby!

34. Gilberto Gil: Soy Loco Por Ti America

35. The Best of Earth Wind and Fire Vol. II

36. R.E.M.: Eponymous

37. Miriam Makeba: Sangoma

38. Womack & Womack: Conscience

39. Buzzcocks: Lest We Forget

40. Heartbeat Soukous

41. Motorhead: No Sleep at All

42. Mory Kante: Akwaba Beach

43. Thunder Before Dawn—the Indestructible Beat of Soweto Volume Two

44. Prince: The Black Album

45. Hurricane Zouk

46. The Go-Betweens: 16 Lovers Lane

47. Patti Smith: Dream of Life

48. The Chills: Brave Words

49. Too Much Joy: Son of Sam I Am

50. Jimi Hendrix Experience: Radio One

51. Steve Jordan: The Return of El Parche

52. Astor Piazzolla: The Rough Dancer and the Cyclical Night

53. Joe Louis Walker: The Gift

54. Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens: Thokozile

55. Dag Nasty: Field Day

56. The Fall: I Am Kurious Oranj

57. The Real Roxanne

58. Mr. Magic’s Rap Attack Volume 4

59. Randy Travis: Old 8x10

60. Voice of the Beehive: Let It Bee

61. Bootsy Collins: What’s Bootsy Doin’?

62. Soul Brothers: Jive Explosion

63. Maroon: The Funky Record

64. Mofungo: Bugged

Back to year index

1989

1. The Mekons Rock & Roll

2. Neil Young: Freedom

3. Laurie Anderson: Strange Angels

4. Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique

5. Remmy Ongala & Orchestre Super Matimila: Songs for the Poor Man

6. Jungle Brothers: Done by the Forces of Nature

7. Mekons: Original Sin

8. Pere Ubu: Cloudland

9. The Neville Brothers: Yellow Moon

10. Wire: On Returning (1977-1979)

A-

11. De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising

12. The Kampala Sound

13. George Clinton: The Cinderella Theory

14. Marshall Crenshaw: Good Evening

15. Los Van Van: Songo

16. Cheb Khaled/Safy Boutella: Kutche

17. Boulevard of Broken Dreams: It’s the Talk of the Town and Other Sad Songs

18. Terence Trent D’Arby: Neither Fish nor Flesh

19. Pylon: Hits

20. The Roches: Speak

21. Neneh Cherry: Raw Like Sushi

22. Rosanne Cash: Hits 1979-1989

23. Negativland: Helter Stupid

24. Lounge Lizards: Voice of Chunk

25. Alexander O’Neal: All Mixed Up

26. E.U.: Livin’ Large

27. 3rd Bass: The Cactus Album

28. Van Morrison: Avalon Sunset

29. Chaba Fadela: You Are Mine

30. Janet Jackson: Rhythm Nation 1814

31. Yo! MTV Raps

32. Fine Young Cannibals: The Raw & the Cooked

33. Diblo: Super Soukous

34. Al Green: Love Ritual: Rare & Previously Unreleased 1968-1976

35. Basher: the Best of Nick Lowe

36. Black Havana

37. Tabu Ley: Babeti Soukous

38. Konbit!: Burning Rhythms of Haiti

39. L.L. Cool J: Walking with a Panther

40. Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck: Djam Leelii

41. Nuestras Mejores Cumbias

42. Roxanne Shante: Bad Sister

43. Royal Crescent Mob: Spin the World

44. Culture: Cumbolo

45. Technotronic: Pump Up the Jam: the Album

46. Yo La Tengo: President Yo La Tengo

47. The African Typic Collection

48. The Best of Luther Vandross...the Best of Love

49. Jimmie Dale Gilmore

50. Thomas Mapfumo: Corruption

51. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble: In Step

52. Dwight Yoakam: Just Lookin’ for a Hit

53. Alpha Blondy: Revolution

54. Daniel Owino Misiani & Shirati Band: Benga Blast!

55. Keith Whitley: I Wonder Do You Think of Me

56. Queen Latifah: All Hail the Queen

57. The Jayhawks: Blue Earth

58. Pointer Sisters: Greatest Hits

59. Ice-T: The Iceberg: Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say

60. Jerry Lee Lewis: Rockin’ My Life Away

61. Meat Puppets: Monsters

62. Lou Reed: New York

63. Zetrospective: Dancing in the Face of Adversity

64. Mofungo: Work

65. Ernest Tubb: Live 1965

66. Dancehall Stylee: the Best of Reggae Dancehall Music Vol. 1

67. Clint Black: Killin’ Time

68. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper: Root Hog or Die

Top Of Page | Return To Homepage | Email Comments | Page Last Updated: 10 April 2008