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
42. The Psychedelic Furs, Forever Now (1982) “I enjoy surprising,” explained Richard Butler, the frontman of the Psychedelic Furs, while making the rounds to promote the band’s third album, Forever Now. “We have many hardcore fans, fans of the first … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #42 and #41
44. Genesis, Abacab (1981) In many ways, Abacab, the eleventh studio album by Genesis, was a stern rejection of the band’s legacy. Through the entirety of the nineteen-seventies, the group were stalwarts of progressive rock, releasing studio albums that strung … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #44 and #43
46. Men at Work, Business as Usual (1981) Columbia Records executives didn’t think U.S. would warm to Business as Usual, the debut album by the Australian band Men at Work. After rapidly building a reputation as aces live band in … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #46 and #45
48. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, I Love Rock ‘n Roll (1981) “I feel like I’ve paid a lot of dues,” Joan Jett told an Associated Press reporter when the title cut to her sophomore solo LP — and first … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #48 and #47
50. The Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me (1987) According to bassist Tommy Stinson, the Replacements went to Memphis expecting, maybe even intending, to implode. Arguably, such an outcome wouldn’t have been a surprise to anybody. The Minneapolis band was as … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #50 and #49
53. New Order, Low-Life (1985) When Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris officially formed New Order together, they knew that the music they made under that moniker was going to be compared to their previous band, Joy Division. If … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #53 to #51
56. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians, Globe of Frogs (1988) “My songs are drawn from the same material dreams are,” Robyn Hitchcock told a reporter not long after the release of Globe of Frogs, his first album with A&M Records. … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #56 to #54
59. Eurythmics, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) (1983) Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart had worked together in a couple different bands in the nineteen-seventies: first the Catch and then the Tourists. The success of the bands was never more … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #59 to #57
Coffee for Two 