Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Pitchfork vehemently disagrees with me about 1982


Now this is just getting ridiculous.  I'm looking at yet another "100 Best Album's of the '80s" list in hopes of finding some publication/website that will agree with me that 1982 is the best year ever for pop music.  To date, I've examined lists at Rolling Stone, Best Ever Albums, Dave's Music Database, Popjustice, and, most recently, Slant.  Today, I look at the list put together over at Pitchfork.  1982 has placed as high as third, but the top spot has thus far eluded that year.  The bottom spot on the list is usually reserved for 1981, but I find my favorite year there this go 'round.  Dead ass last. I'm simply incredulous.  Oh, if you're a fan of 1987, that year won in a landslide.


Using a simple formula (album #1 received 100 points, album #2 received 99 points, and so on through #100 receiving 1 point, 5050 total points available), here are the results:



1987
Number of albums: 16
Points: 804

1981
Number of albums: 12
Points: 594

1989
Number of albums: 11
Points: 594

1988
Number of albums: 9
Points: 538

1980
Number of albums: 10
Points: 485

1985
Number of albums: 10
Points: 448

1983
Number of albums: 8
Points: 413

1986
Number of albums: 7
Points: 403

1984
Number of albums: 8
Points: 390

1982
Number of albums: 9
Points: 381


The nine albums selected for the list which were released in 1982 are:

 27ThrillerMichael Jackson
 33Hex Induction HourThe Fall
 46English SettlementXTC
 49Vs.Mission of Burma
 58Imperial BedroomElvis Costello
 60NebraskaBruce Springsteen
 61Homotopy to MarieNurse With Wound
 95RioDuran Duran
 99Songs of the FreeGang of Four



I've not heard the Mission of Burma album and I've never heard of Nurse With Wound.  I'll give Vs. a try, but to be honest, I won't be looking up Nurse With Wound because the Pitchfork review describes the album as "a twisted masterpiece of minimalism whispering terrifying suggestions of death rituals and torture chambers."  Not exactly what I'm looking for in a piece of music.

While I'm happy to see Rio made the list, there are a few 1982 snubs, most notably Avalon and 1999.


RSBEADMDBPMSlantPF
198019841986198719891987
198419871989198419871981
198219891987198319861989
198719861984198219831988
198319801985198819841980
198619881983198619881985
198819831980198919821983
198519821988198519801986
198119851982198019811984
198919811981198119851982

RS = Rolling Stone, BEA = Best Ever Albums, DMDB = Dave's Music Database, PM = Popmatters, PF = Pitchfork

Simple meta-analysis might suggest that 1987 is emerging as the overall winner, but that won't stop this quest.

1 comment :

  1. Ugh, seriously. Of those albums they listed in 1982, only two make my top 100. Clearly I am not in Pitchfork's target audience.

    ReplyDelete