1. Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat (1981) The rejection letter was breathtaking in its condescension. By the time the Go-Go’s were sending their demo around to labels, they had already proved themselves and developing a growing following within their local … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #1
2. The Police, Ghost in the Machine (1981) After constantly operating under the nettlesome, intrusive scrutiny of their record label, the Police were finally given the opportunity to record a new studio album on their own terms. The trio, comprised … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #2
3. The English Beat, Special Beat Service (1982) “We looked at ourselves and realized we had unconsciously overcompensated for the frenetic rhythms of the first album with the slower pacings of the second album,” Dave Wakeling, guitarist and vocalist with … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #3
4. The Clash, Combat Rock (1982) “This time we wanted to cut it down a bit,” said guitarist Mick Jones, who shared frontman duties in the Clash with Joe Strummer, of the band’s fifth studio album, Combat Rock. “It was … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #4
5. Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues (1983) Nearly three full years passed between the release of Talking Heads’ fourth album, Remain in Light, and its proper studio follow-up, Speaking in Tongues. The span of time was long enough during that … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #5
6. R.E.M., Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) “Lots of kids aren’t willing to listen just to Hall and Oates or whatever,” noted Bill Berry, the drummer of R.E.M., shortly after the release of the band’s third album, Fables of the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #6
7. Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (1981) The Rolling Stones were in a precarious place. Commercially, they were as strong as ever. The 1978 album Some Girls was their biggest-selling album to that point in the U.S., and its follow-up, Emotional … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #7
8. R.E.M., Document (1987) R.E.M. had a message to convey and, more than was previously the case, they wanted to ensure they were understood. Across their first four studio albums, the immediate icons of college rock established and cultivated a … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #8
9. The Sugarcubes, Life’s Too Good (1988) Everyone in the band Kukl knew that knew that they’d reached the end. The group formed in Reykjavík, Iceland, in the summer of 1983. Initially meant as an one-off for the final episode … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #9
10. R.E.M., Reckoning (1984) R.E.M. got off to an impressive start with their debut LP, Murmur. The quartet from Athens, Georgia made the record with only modest expectations and a keen awareness that their spare, cerebral music wasn’t exactly aligned … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #10
Coffee for Two 