(B-list) Album Chart of 1981
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| (B-list) Album Chart of 1981 |
| see also: the main (A-list) Album Chart of 1981 |
Siouxsie and The Banshees
Polydor POLS-1056
“A masterpiece” Post-PunkJukebox picks: “Spellbound” (9.8) • “Christine” (9.7) • “Hong Kong Garden” (9.6)
Compiling 10 singles from 1978 to 1981, this set's packed full of classics and nothing short of excellent from start to ...more →
Simon and Garfunkel
CBS 10029
“Excellent” Folk Rock / Americana; Folk; SongwriterJukebox picks: “The Sounds Of Silence [’65 single version]” (10) • “Homeward Bound” (10) • “Keep The Customer Satisfied” (9.7)
An amazing way to round up the Simon & Garfunkel story for newly curious fans, packing in 19 cuts from 1965 to 1970, inc...more →
Various Artists
Two-Tone Records CHR-TT-5004
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“Excellent” Ska / RocksteadyJukebox picks: “The Bodysnatchers - Easy Life [live ’80]” (10) • “The Specials - Man At C & A [live ’80]” (9.2) • “The Selecter - Too Much Pressure [live ’80]” (9.1)
An LP which is very dear to my heart, being the first that I ever purchased back when I was 12, in 1981. 'The Best Of Br...more →
The Shangri-Las
Collectables COL-5011
“Brilliant” PopJukebox picks: “Out In The Streets” (9.8) • “The Boy” (9.0) • “Leader Of The Pack” (8.8)
Splendid compilation of this wonderful girl group, rounding up recordings from 1964 and 1965....more →
Various Artists
K-Tel NE-1156
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“Really good” New WaveJukebox picks: “Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Joan Of Arc” (10) • “Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay” (9.7) • “Visage - Fade To Grey” (9.7)
December '81 release on K-Tel, themed towards the electronically inclined new wave singles from '79 to '81, mostly withi...more →
John Cooper Clarke
Epic EPC-84979
“Good” Poetry; New WaveJukebox picks: “Beasley Street” (8.7) • “Thirty Six Hours” (8.4) • “The It Man” (8.0)
Pools from the 4 LP’s 1978-1980 as well as singles and b-sides, including his one and only hit single - “Gimmix! (Play...more →
Various Artists
Unknown
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“Good” AfricanaJukebox picks: “Devera Ngwena Jazz Band - Devera Ngwena Zhimozhi” (9.1) • “New Storm - Zarura Musio” (8.0) • “Devera Ngwena Jazz Band - Mwana Wenyu” (7.8)
Shungu means “spirit” or “guts” in Shona – there’s plenty of that here in the music of these Zimbabweans. This fabulous ...more →
Joy Division
Factory FACT-40
“Good” Post-Punk; New WaveJukebox picks: “Dead Souls” (9.4) • “Ice Age” (8.9) • “Glass” (7.8)
As I'm led to believe, this October, 1981, release was designed to combat bootleggers, which seems fair enough. It's mad...more →
Gary Numan
Beggars Banquet BEGA-25
“Decent enough” New Wave; ElectronicaJukebox picks: “Are ’Friends’ Electric? [live ’80]” (8.2) • “I Die: You Die [live ’80]” (7.7) • “This Wreckage [live ’80]” (6.7)
10 choice cuts from his live set at Hammersmith Odeon on 16th September, 1980, one leg of his tour for the “Telekon” alb...more →
Various Artists
DGR DGR-2002
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“Average” Country; Rock n Roll / RockabillyJukebox picks: “Johnny Cash - There You Go” (9.6) • “Jerry Lee Lewis and his pumping piano - Down The Line” (8.4) • “Johnny Cash - Cry! Cry! Cry!” (8.4)
Spanning 21 years and 3 decades, 1949 to 1969, a Dutch label 2LP compilation of 32 tough ol' country hits....more →
Various Artists
Lyrichord LLST-7351
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“Average” LatinJukebox picks: “Grupo de Bachata - La Cotorrita De Rosa” (7.1) • “Local Musicians Recorded In Santiago - Noche Me La Llevo” (6.9) • “Grupo de Bachata - Desiderio Arias” (6.7)
On the New York indie Lyrichord, specialists in traditional and contemporary world music. The acoustic field recordings ...more →
Motörhead
Bronze BRON-535
“Average” RockJukebox picks: “Ace Of Spades [live ’81]” (9.0) • “Motörhead [live ’81]” (7.1) • “The Hammer [live ’81]” (6.6)
A huge success for them after the success with the “Ace Of Spades” single and album, this live set, recorded in March an...more →
Queen
EMI EMTV-30
“Average” Rock; PopJukebox picks: “Fat Bottomed Girls” (9.0) • “Another One Bites The Dust” (7.9) • “Flash” (7.5)
One of the most famous greatest hits records of all-time, although it was compiled differently in different territories....more →
Thin Lizzy
Vertigo 6359 060
“Average” RockJukebox picks: “Whiskey In The Jar” (8.6) • “The Boys Are Back In Town” (7.2) • “Do Anything You Wanna Do” (6.1)
European compilation, rounding up 11 of their biggest songs, 1972 to 1980....more →
Various Artists
Armageddon Records MOON-1
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“Average” New Wave; Post-PunkJukebox picks: “Artery - Into The Garden” (7.4) • “The Pinkies - Cartoon” (6.4) • “Flying Club - Next Two Minutes” (6.3)
Almost wholly recorded and mixed at Silo Studio, Barnes, London in July and August, 1981, especially conceptualized as a...more →
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Various Artists
Curcio HRD-8
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“Average” Blues Rock / Soul Rock; Soul; Reggae; Rock n Roll / Rockabilly; Pop; Blues / Rhythm n BluesJukebox picks: “The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk” (8.2) • “The Wailers - Stop That Train” (8.0) • “Johnny and The Hurricanes - Reveille Rock” (7.6)
A strange old triple set, heavily compiling unlikely bedmates such as Ike and Tina Turner, Jimi Hendrix, The Wailers, T...more →
Various Artists
Ronco RTL-2058-B
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“Below average” Disco / Funk; New WaveJukebox picks: “Sugar Minott - Good Thing Going (We’ve Got A Good Thing Going)” (9.0) • “Hazel O’Connor - (Cover Plus) We’re All Grown Up” (8.5) • “Tenpole Tudor - The Swords Of A Thousand Men” (8.4)
An altogether more acceptable alternative to the “Top of The Pops albums not featuring the real artists” was now becomin...more →
Throbbing Gristle
Rough Trade ROUGH-US-23
“Below average” Electronica; Avant-GardeJukebox picks: “What A Day” (8.1) • “Six Six Sixties” (7.7) • “Hamburger Lady” (6.4)
Rough Trade ROUGH US 23 (LP). Released in October 1981. The label have this to say: Subtitled Entertainment Through P...more →
Rainbow
Polydor PODV-2
“Poor” RockJukebox picks: “All Night Long” (7.5) • “Since You Been Gone” (7.0) • “Stargazer” (6.4)
Compiles 19 tracks from the Hertfordshire rockers first 5 LPs: “Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow” (1975), “Rising” (1976), “L...more →
Prince Far I and The Arabs
Trojan Records TRLS-205
“Poor” ReggaeJukebox picks: “Sound Gesture” (5.5) • “Deadly Command” (5.3) • “Foundation Stepper” (5.1)
The version album to this year's “Voice Of Thunder”, not a vocal peep from Far I, and a very lacklustre affair to my ear...more →
Various Artists
Ronco RTL-2058-A
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“Poor” Pop; New WaveJukebox picks: “Madness - Grey Day” (10) • “Simple Minds - Love Song” (9.4) • “Tenpole Tudor - Wünderbar” (9.2)
An altogether more acceptable alternative to the Top of The Pops albums not featuring the real artists, now becoming the...more →
Various Artists
Ronco RTL-2056-A
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“Poor” Disco / FunkJukebox picks: “Lipps Inc. - Funkytown” (8.7) • “Beggar and Co. - (Somebody) Help Me Out” (7.6) • “McFadden and Whitehead - Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” (7.1)
A good value compilation from Ronco, casting an eye over the disco era from 1974 to 1981. As a nice bonus, “Disco Daze”,...more →
Various Artists
Music For Pleasure MFP-50536
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“Poor” Soul; Disco / Funk; Pop Ballad; Soul BalladJukebox picks: “The Supremes - Stoned Love” (7.6) • “Smokey Robinson and The Miracles - The Tears Of A Clown” (6.8) • “Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (6.3)
20 Motown hits from 1964 to 1974 crammed into the grooves of this Music For Pleasure LP. These budgets do offer value fo...more →
Various Artists
K-Tel NE-1142
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“Lame” Pop; New WaveJukebox picks: “Ultravox - Vienna” (9.3) • “The Human League - Open Your Heart” (8.4) • “Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough” (7.5)
19 of the latest UK chart hits on this K-Tel compilation, buy Volume 1 and Volume 2 free. They were all at it in 1981, g...more →
Various Artists
T.K. Records TKR-54300
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“Lame” Disco / FunkJukebox picks: “George McCrae - It’s Been So Long” (9.5) • “Jimmy Bo Horne - Spank” (8.9) • “George McCrae - Rock Your Baby” (7.5)
Single edits of 18 big disco hits on Henry Stone's famous T.K. label, spanning the years 1974 to 1979....more →
Various Artists
K-Tel NE-1142
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“Terrible” New Wave; PopJukebox picks: “UB40 - One In Ten” (10) • “Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Souvenir” (9.7) • “Madness - Shut Up” (9.0)
19 of the latest UK chart hits on this K-Tel compilation, Volume 2 was free if you bought Volume 1. They were all at it ...more →
Bill Haley and his Comets
Phoenix 10 PHX-306
“Terrible” Rock n Roll / RockabillyJukebox picks: “Shake, Rattle And Roll [live]” (4.3) • “See You Later Alligator [live]” (4.2) • “Rock The Joint [live]” (4.2)
Not that it’s the worst record in the world, it's just that I find the whole idea of live recordings rather detestable....more →
William S. Burroughs
Industrial Records IR-0016
“Dire” Avant-Garde; Speech / ChatJukebox picks: “Last Words Of Hassan Sabbah” (4.8) • “We See The Future Through The Binoculars Of The People” (4.7) • “It’s About Time To Identify Oven Area” (4.5)
Dais Records press-release for the 2015 re-issue: In 1980, Genesis P-Orridge and Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (then...more →
George Benson
Warner Bros. Records 2HW-3577
“Dire” Disco / Funk; Jazz; R n BJukebox picks: “White Rabbit” (5.5) • “Never Give Up On A Good Thing” (4.2) • “Nature Boy” (3.9)
Multi-label compilation featuring 16 of his big songs from 1968 to 1981, including his two latest singles, “Turn Your...more →
Album Charts by year
“A-list”
1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
“B-list”
1943 1945 1946 1950 1951 1952 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Album Charts by decade
“A-list”
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
