22. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes (1979) The rutted path that was the early part of Tom Petty’s career sprang some especially deep divots on the Florida-born, California-based troubadour in the run-up to Damn the Torpedoes, his … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #22 and #21

24. Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair (1985) Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith were angry at themselves for compromising. Tears for Fears, the band led by the longtime friends from Bath, England, delivered a major hit with their … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #24 and #23

26. Midnight Oil, Diesel and Dust (1987) The first seed that would turn into the fertile garden Diesel and Dust was cast in 1984, when members of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil spent a couple days at an Aboriginal … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #26 and #25

28. Camper Van Beethoven, Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart (1988) “I got very tired of the fact that indie record labels sell to very specific audiences,” David Lowery, frontman of Camper Van Beethoven, told the Orlando Sentinel as his band toured … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #28 and #27

30. The Clash, London Calling (1979) “I remember that things were so up in the air, and there was quite a good feeling of us against the world,” Joe Strummer, guitarist and co-frontman of the Clash, told Rolling Stone several … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #30 and #29

32. The Cure, The Head on the Door (1985) It seemed the Cure were at an end. Post-punk upstarts on their 1979 debut, Three Imaginary Boys, the band rapidly evolved into trailblazers of goth rock on subsequent albums. That process … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #32 and #31

34. The Clash, Sandinista! (1980) “We planned to release a lot of singles, but we had trouble with CBS,” Paul Simonon, bassist for the Clash, told a reporter early in 1981, referring to recent scraps with the band’s record label. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #34 and #33

36. R.E.M., Murmur (1983) I.R.S. Records was keen to have a full-length R.E.M. studio effort to peddle. The Georgia band’s debut EP, Chronic Town, had been a hit, at least on college radio. Label representatives were confident enough in the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #36 and #35

38. R.E.M., Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) When it was time to record their third album, R.E.M. were worried about meeting expectations. That doesn’t mean there was record company pressure to generate chart-topping hits or a sense that they might not … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #38 and #37

40. Stray Cats, Built for Speed (1982) “Crowds around the world are receptive,” declared Brian Setzer, frontman of Stray Cats, shortly after the release of Built for Speed. “The kids were ready for us, but the record companies weren’t. Now … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #40 and #39