308. Utopia, Adventures in Utopia (1979) Utopia was regarded as the side project Todd Rundgren started to give him and some like-minded cohorts a chance to make highly experimental music, separate from the commercial expectations tied to Rundgren’s solo outings. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #308 to #306
311. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers (1984) The Red Hot Chili Peppers had a lucrative record contract in hand. What they were lacking was a full lineup. The group came into being in fairly impromptu … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #311 to #309
314. Bryan Ferry, Boys and Girls (1985) Bryan Ferry had several solo albums to his credit when he made Boys and Girls. Unlike most of those prior efforts, though, working through material under his own name didn’t seem like a … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #314 to #312
317. Violent Femmes, Hallowed Ground (1984) “We’ve been betraying people since the second album,” Gordon Gano told the Orlando Sentinel a few years after the Violent Femmes’ sophomore release. “With every album, people come up to me and say things … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #317 to #315
320. Meat Puppets, Up On the Sun (1985) Any album describe as the “beer and pot” album in a band’s discography is sure to be a success on college radio, not that Meat Puppets necessarily needed the appeal of implied … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #320 to #318
323. Peter Murphy, Love Hysteria (1988) Following the dissolution of the landmark band Bauhaus, it took Peter Murphy some time to find the track he wanted to ride on. Following his time as the frontman for the goth rock pioneers, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #323 to #321
326. Asia, Asia (1982) Steve Howe was exhausted. The guitarist had spent years trying to keep his longtime band Yes a going concern as key members came and went. Following the release of the 1980 album Drama, the recording of … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #326 to #324
329. 10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe (1987) “I think music can unify people in a way,” 10,000 Maniacs lead singer Natalie Merchant said not long after the release of In My Tribe, the band’s third album. “What can be more … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #329 to #327
332. Echo & the Bunnymen, Crocodiles (1980) “It feels like there’s hundreds of bands in Liverpool,” Ian McCulloch proclaimed not long after the release of Crocodiles, the debut album by his band Echo & the Bunnymen. “There’s some okay ones, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #332 to #330
335. Yello, Stella (1985) Yello was down to a duo. Following the 1983 album Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, founding member Carlos Perón split from the group to pursue a solo career. That left keyboardist and programmer Boris Blank … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #335 to #333
Coffee for Two 