524. ‘Til Tuesday, Voices Carry (1985) In the late nineteen-seventies, Boston radio station WBCN started an annual battle-of-the-bands promotional event called the Rock & Roll Rumble. As usual for these sorts of undertakings, the Rock & Roll Rumble had an … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #524 to #521
528. Any Trouble, Where Are All the Nice Girls? (1980) “Any Trouble we had difficulty with, because they just looked so ordinary and people were really kicking back on the ordinariness of them,” Stiff Records promotional ace Sonnie Rae said … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #528 to #525
532. Lene Lovich, Flex (1980) A resolute oddball, Lene Lovich is an unlikely figure to have heightened commercial expectations attached to one of her projects. That was precisely the case, though, with her sophomore album, Flex. Her debut, Stateless, was … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #532 to #529
536. The Psychedelic Furs, The Psychedelic Furs (1980) When Richard Butler started seriously making music with his brother, Tim, the original band names adopted glancingly referred to the long history of recorded music. First known and RKO and Radio, the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #536 to #533
540. Re-Flex, The Politics of Dancing (1983) Formed in Birmingham, England, in the early nineteen-eighties, Re-Flex was a band that wanted to have its chart success and simultaneously scoff as pop ate itself. With regular Roxy Music studio collaborator John … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #540 to #537
544. The Lords of the New Church, The Lords of the New Church (1982) “I think that first record was really built on pure adrenaline,” drummer Nick Turner said of The Lords of the New Church several years after its … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #544 to #541
548. Hunters & Collectors, Fate (1988) I.R.S. Records had the Australian band Hunters & Collectors under contract for U.S., but the label executives didn’t particularly like how, well, Australian the band sounded. The band released their fifth studio album, What’s … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #548 to #545
552. Various Artists, Lonely is an Eyesore (1987) The 4AD record label launched in 1980, and quickly developed a reputation for haunting, esoteric pop music, the ethereal quality of the various acts’ creative enhanced by the striking cover art provided … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #552 to #549
556. Guadalcanal Diary, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man (1984) The members of Guadalcanal Diary claimed that the title of their debut album derived from some misheard lyrics from a gospel groups performance at a street festival. The … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #556 to #553
560. Queen, The Game (1980) Producer Reinhold Mack told Queen it was time to use a musical tool they’d resisted to that point. Across seven prior studio albums, the flashy, British rock band made bigger and bigger sounds, always noting … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #560 to #557
Coffee for Two 