The Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1980
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1. The Clash - London Calling
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1981
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1. X - Wild Gift
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1982
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1. Ornette Coleman - Of Human Feelings
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1983
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1. DeBarge - In a Special Way
2. Marshall Crenshaw - Field Day
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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!
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1984
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1. Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
2. The Replacements - Let It Be
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1985
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1. Franco & Rochereau - Omona Wapi
2. Double Dee & Steinski - The Payoff Mix/Lesson Two/Lesson 3
3. Mekons - Fear & Whiskey
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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)
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1986
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1. The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
2. Robert Cray Band - Strong Persuader
3. Beastie Boys - Lisenced to Ill
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1987
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1. Sonny Rollins - G-Man
2. Prince - Sign ‘o’ the Times
3. Culture - Two Sevens Clash (first US release)
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1988
A+
1. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
2. African Connection Volume 1 - Zaire Choc!
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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
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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
Skip To TopThe Robert Christgau Deans' Lists
1989
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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)
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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
