640. Yes, Drama (1980) Drama, the tenth studio album from Yes, was aptly named. Already icons of prog rock and mainstays of FM radio, the English band was coming off a commercial and critical disappointment with 1978’s Tormato. The fallout … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #640 to #637
644. The Descendents, All (1987) For what was expected to the final album from California punk legends the Descendents, drummer Bill Stevenson introduced a concept he’d co-created which was dubbed “All.” Cooked up on a fishing trip, in 1980, All … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #644 to #641
648. David Byrne, The Catherine Wheel (1981) In September, 1981, next to an ad for the retrograde comedy Carbon Copy (in which George Segal plays a man who is shocked to discover he has a black, adult son, played by … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #648 to #645
652. The Call, Into the Woods (1987) After enduring some professional tumult, the Call were presumably feeling at least somewhat settled when they got down to recording Into the Woods, their fifth studio album. Its immediate predecessor, the prior year’s … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #652 to #649
656. The Headboys, The Headboys (1979) “At the time, it was important to construct an image,” guitarist Lou Lewis noted in explaining the origins of his band the Headboys. “I got a pretty severe haircut and went to the schoolwear … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #656 to #653
660. Hunters & Collectors, Human Frailty (1987) In just about every way, Human Frailty was a breakthrough for the Australian band Hunters & Collectors. The band’s fourth studio album represented their first significant hit in their homeland, slipping into the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #660 to #657
664. Jason and the Scorchers, Fervor (1983) “When I came to Nashville, I was looking for a sound with a rural feel to it and a lot of energy, a sound that was American,” Jason Ringenberg told The New York … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #664 to #661
668. The Rave-Ups, The Book of Your Regrets (1988) The Rave-Ups had the misfortune of discovering how a little taste of success could lead to nasty legal entanglements in the cutthroat music industry. Earthier rock ‘n’ roll players on the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #668 to #665
672. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, The Pacific Age (1986) “There are a lot of people out there who may now consider OMD to just be ‘If You Leave,’” bassist Andy McCluskey told Billboard upon the release of The Pacific … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #672 to #669
676. Wire, Kidney Bingos (1988) With the release of the EP Kidney Bingos, Wire reaffirmed they were back in the business of being a band. Eight long years passed without a significant new recorded release from the band before their … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #676 to #673
Coffee for Two 