GNMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 1981

[Serjeant Grumbles]

1 9 8 1



Obviously make sure to hit up RYM yourself and search your favourite genres.

The deadline is 12th of April 1925.

The rules:
- submit at least 5 releases.
- first place in your rankings gets 10 points, 2nd gets 9, etcetc, 10th gets 1.
- feel free to post more than 10, but only the top 10 will get points.
- feel free to post less than 10, the same scoring will apply.
- feel free not to rank your picks, in which case all ten picks will get 5.5 points.

GNMD = General Non-Metal Discussion, so NO UNAMBIGUOUSLY METAL ALBUMS are to be included in anybody's list.

 

[CiG]

The deadline is 12th of April 1925.

Not even Wainds has ever been this late. RIP.

 

[Slammed]

I missed the deadline but that's okay I don't expect my list to make a dent in the top 10.

1. Cold Chisel - Swingshift
2. Rose Tattoo - Assault & Battery
3. Split Enz – Waiata (Corroboree)
4. Jim Steinman - Bad for Good
5. The Angels - Night Attack
6. AC/DC - For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
7. Redgum - Brown Rice and Kerosine
8. Gillan - Double Trouble
9. Midnight Oil - Place Without a Postcard
10. Icehouse – Icehouse

 

[CiG]

1. The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle
2. Devo - New Traditionalists
3. The Residents - Mark of the Mole
4. Minutemen - The Punch Line
5. Roky Erickson and the Aliens - The Evil One
6. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
7. Chrome - Blood on the Moon
8. Wipers - Youth of America
9. Daniel Johnston - Songs of Pain
10. Crass - Penis Envy

HM:

Spoiler

Kultivator - Barndomens Stigar
Adolescents - Adolescents
Black Flag - Damaged
Big Boys - Where's My Towel / Industry Standard
Alain Eckert Quartet - Alain Eckert Quartet
T.S.O.L. - Dance With Me
Dayglow Abortions - Out of the Womb
Siouxsie and The Banshees - Juju
Orchestral Manœuvres in the Dark - Architecture & Morality
The Exploited - Punks Not Dead

 

[Bloopy]

1. SPK - Information Overload Unit
2. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - I Love Rock 'n' Roll
3. This Heat - Deceit
4. Agent Orange - Living in Darkness
5. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
6. GBH - Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne
7. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju
8. Einstürzende Neubauten - Kollaps
9. The Gordons - The Gordons
10. Crass - Penis Envy

 

[Krow]

1. The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire
2. Siouxsie & the Banshees - Juju
3. Roky Erikson and the Aliens - The Evil One
4. John Carpenter - Halloween II
5. Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
6. Black Flag - Damaged
7. Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here
8. Discharge - Why
9. Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
10. Blackfoot - Marauder

hms
Rush - Moving Pictures
ELO - Time
Devo - New Traditionalists

 

[TageRyche]

List removed as I missed seeing the Non-Metal part of the requirement and there aren't enough to even make 5 albums on this list for me.

 

[CiG]

Non-metal mate.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

1. King Crimson - Discipline
2. Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Alles ist gut
3. Quasar Light - Experience This
4. Oingo Boingo - Only a Lad
5. Japan - Tin Drum
6. Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
7. 矢野顕子 [Akiko Yano] - ただいま。 (Tadaima.)
8. Minimal Man - The Shroud Of
9. チャクラ - さてこそ (Satekoso)
10. Duran Duran - Duran Duran
Electric Sun - Fire Wind
Gil Scott-Heron - Reflections
Wall of Voodoo - Dark Continent
Agent Orange - Living in Darkness
Icehouse - Icehouse
Ceramic Hello - The Absence of a Canary
Tuxedomoon - Desire
Ludus - The Seduction
Au Pairs - Playing With a Different Sex
Peter Michael Hamel - Bardo
This Heat - Deceit
Art Bears - The World as It Is Today
The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire
Name - 7 Song EP
Material - Memory Serves
Cosmic Invention - Cosmorama
Positive Noise - Heart of Darkness
Orchestral Manœuvres in the Dark - Architecture & Morality
Chrome - Blood on the Moon
Massacre - Killing Time

I should "Prelim" this but I almost never update my lists anyways, and these upcoming weeks are not going to be an exception for me. Incredible fucking year, everything above is something that I really liked at least for a time even though some of it has inevitably fallen out of rotation, which I hope to fix. That perfect sweet spot between experimentalism and accessibility, new wave/post-punk really branching off to do some great stuff.

 

[CiG]

Will have to investigate most of your list, only heard a couple of your choices and our tastes overlap quite a lot with these earlier non-metal years. That Quasar Light track you shared was awesome and I noticed the full album is on Bandcamp.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

The Quasar Light album is kind of an oddity compared to the rest of the list tbh, kind of a 70s holdout at the wrong time.

 

[CiG]

Definitely felt that myself. Alles ist gut stands out to me from your list, probably will check that out first.

 

[Allfader]

In Order:

Kraftwerk - Computer World
Bauhaus - Mask
Journey - Escape
Genesis - Abacab
Phil Collins - Face Value
Inxs - Underneath the Colors
Siouxsie & the Banshees - Juju
Eurythmics - In The Garden
Duran Duran - S/T
Jaco Pastorius - Word of Mouth

Bonus

John Entwistle - Too Late the Hero
Commodores - In The Pocket
Bryan Adams - You Want it You Got it
ELP - Raise
Survivor - Premonition
UB40 - Present Arms

So many albums released back then, I'm sure I missed some good ones.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

Really wish I'd heard enough albums for this year to participate, just so I could rep Discipline. Been listening to that album a lot lately, fucking love it.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Indiscipline is my favorite KC song on some days.

 

[Sirjack]

1. The Dregs - Unsung Heroes
2. Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is
3. Friday Night In San Francisco
4. Rush - Moving Pictures
5. King Crimson - Discipline
6. U2 - October
7. Adam And The Ants - Kings Of The Wild Frontier
8. John Mclaughlin - Belo Horizonte
9. Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
10. Greg Lake - Greg Lake

 

[no country for old wainds]

please give warning before closing this as i plan to post my list soon

 

[challenge_everything]

1. Agent Orange - Living in Darkness
2. Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin
3. Rush - Moving Pictures
4. Rick James - Street Songs
5. King Crimson - Discipline
6. Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust Inc
7. The Cramps - Psychedelic Jungle / Gravest Hits
8. The Gun Club - Fire of Love
9. Poly Styrene - Translucence

 

[crimsonfloyd]

@Serjeant Grumbles Same as Old Country, please give a warning before closing.

 

[no country for old wainds]

old country for no wainds