| July 8 issue | ||
| Elvis Costello | Imperial Bedroom | 9 |
| Odyssey | Happy Together | 7 |
| Palais Schaumberg | Palais Schaumberg | 6 |
| Die Krupps | Volle Kraft Voraus | 7 |
| Billy Idol | Billy Idol | 1 |
| Pete Townshend | All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes | 8½ |
| Joe Jackson | Night and Day | 6½ |
| Positive Noise | Change of Heart | 3 |
| Gap Band | Gap Band IV | 7½ |
| Bill Nelson | The Love That Whirls (Diary of a Thinking Heart) | 7 |
| Fashion | Fabrique | 7 |
| Light of the World | Check Us Out | 7½ |
| Steve Miller Band | Abracadabra | 7 |
| July 22 issue | ||
| Dexys Midnight Runners | Too-Rye-Ay | 7 |
| Robert Plant | Pictures at Eleven | 6 |
| The Crusaders | Royal Jam | 5 |
| Talk Talk | The Party's Over | 5½ |
| Bernie Torme | Turn Out the Lights | 5 |
| X | Under the Big Black Sun | 6½ |
| The Lords of the New Church | The Lords of the New Church | 3 |
| Fleetwood Mac | Mirage | 8 |
| The Birthday Party | Junkyard | 1 |
| August 5 issue | ||
| Bow Wow Wow | I Want Candy | 7 |
| The Dance | Soul Force | 4 |
| Allez Allez | African Queen | 8 |
| Various | The Indi-Pop Compilasian Album | 5 |
| Rocky Sharpe & The Replays | Shout! Shout! | 2 |
| Dennis Brown | Love Has Found Its Way | 6½ |
| Larry Graham | Sooner or Later | 6 |
| Donna Summer | Donna Summer | 7½ |
| August 19 issue | ||
| The Go-Go's | Vacation | 6 |
| Trio | Trio | 2 |
| Yukihiro Takahashi | What Me Worry | 4 |
| Stephanie Mills | Tantalizingly Hot | 7 |
| Infa-Riot | Still Out of Order | 2½ |
| GBH | City Baby Attacked by Rats | 2½ |
| Survivor | Eye of the Tiger | 3 |
| The BB&Q Band | All Night Long | 5 |
| Plunky and the Oneness of Juju | Every Way But Loose | 7 |
| September 2 issue | ||
| Imagination | In the Heat of the Night | 7 |
| Yazoo | Upstairs at Eric's | 8½ |
| Tygers of Pan Tang | The Cage | 4 |
| Gary Numan | I, Assassin | 4 |
| Scritti Politti | Songs to Remember | 7½ |
| Tight Fit | Tight Fit | 3 |
| Shalamar | Greatest Hits | 8 |
| Malaria | Emotion | 6 |
| Tracey Thorn | A Distant Shore | 6 |
| Pointer Sisters | So Excited | 8 |
| Liliput | Liliput | 2 |
| Au Pairs | Sense and Sensuality | 9 |
| Cliff Richard | Now You See Me...Now You Don't | 5 |
| Frida | Something's Going On | 4 |
| September 16 issue | ||
| Psychedelic Furs | Forever Now | 5 |
| The Four Tops | One More Mountain | 6 |
| The Isley Brothers | The Real Deal | 6 |
| Captain Sensible | Women and Captain First | 8 |
| Kate Bush | The Dreaming | 8 |
| Bugatti & Musker | The Dukes | 7½ |
| Danceless | Danceless | 4 |
| Rush | Signals | 4 |
| The Who | It's Hard | 5 |
| Sheena Easton | Money and Music | 6 |
| Holly Beth Vincent | Holly & The Italians | 4 |
| Eyeless in Gaza | Drumming the Beating Heart | 6½ |
| Palais Schaumburg | Palais Schaumburg | 3 |
| September 30 issue | ||
| Depeche Mode | A Broken Frame | 8 |
| Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel | 7½ |
| Simple Minds | New Gold Dream ('91-'82-'83-'84) | 8 |
| Kool & The Gang | As One | 9 |
| Stiff Little Fingers | Now Then | 4 |
| Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska | 6½ |
| Gillan | Magic | 7 |
| Level 42 | Pursuit of Accidents | 3 |
| The Fall | Room to Live | 5 |
| The Techno Twins | Technostalgia | 4½ |
| Fad Gadget | Under the Flag | 8 |
| The Beat | Special Beat Service | 9 |
| Blancmange | Happy Families | 7 |
| October 14 issue | ||
| Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft | Fur Immer | 8½ |
| Dire Straits | Love Over Gold | 7 |
| The Damned | Strawberries | 9 |
| Natasha | Captured | 4 |
| Boystown Gang | Disc Charge | 4½ |
| Various Artists | Oi! That's Your Lot | 1 |
| Various Artists | The Only Alternative | 5 |
| Culture Club | Kissing to Be Clever | 9 |
| Carmel | Carmel | 8 |
| UB40 | UB44 | 8 |
| Marc and The Mambas | Untitled | 6 |
| Adam Ant | Friend or Foe | 7 |
| Shakin' Stevens | Give Me Your Heart Tonight | 6 |
| October 28 issue | ||
| Dollar | The Dollar Album | 7 |
| Maximum Joy | Station M.X.J.Y. | 4 |
| Bauhaus | The Sky's Gone Out | 3½ |
| Ultravox | Quartet | 8 |
| The Danse Society | Seduction | 7 |
| Dazz Band | Keep It Live |
7½
|
| Crown Heights Affair | Think Positive | 6 |
| Orange Juice | Rip It Up | 8 |
| Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five | The Message | 5 |
| The Sound | All Fall Down | 4 |
| Gary Moore | Corridors of Power | 2 |
| Diana Ross | Silk Electric | 4 |
| Junior Murvin | Bad Man Possee | 8 |
| Tot Taylor and His Orchestra | Playtime | 5 |
| OK Jive | Life at The Blue Chonjo Sky Day & Night Club | 5 |
| Blue Rondo a la Turk | Chewing the Fat | 7½ |
| November 11 issue | ||
| Rod Stewart | Absolutely Live | 1 |
| Palais Schaumberg | Lupa | 5½ |
| Grace Jones | Living My Life | 7 |
| Sharon Redd | Redd Hot | 8 |
| Daryl Hall & John Oates | H20 | 6 |
| Phil Collins | Hello, I Must Be Going | 7 |
| Patrik Fitzgerald | Gifts and Telegrams | 5 |
| Melba Moore | The Other Side of the Rainbow | 4 |
| Riuichi Sakamoto | Left Handed Dream | 6 |
| The Passions | Sanctuary | 8 |
| Various Artists | Journey Without Maps Vol. 7 | 4 |
| Donald Fagen | The Nightfly | 8 |
| Madness | The Rise and Fall | 6 |
| Masami Tsuchiya | Rice Music | 5 |
| Barry Reynolds | I Scare Myself | 5 |
| Musical Youth | Youth of Today | 7 |
| Siouxsie and The Banshees | A Kiss in the Dreamhouse | 7 |
| Dionne Warwick | Heartbreaker | 6½ |
| November 25 issue | ||
| Sandii and the Sunsetz | Immigrants | 4½ |
| Devo | Oh, No! It's Devo! | 2 |
| Lene Lovich | No Man's Land | 5 |
| Weekend | La Variete | 7½ |
| Our Daughter's Wedding | Moving Windows | 1½ |
| Bad Manners | Forging Ahead | 7½ |
| Supertramp | Famous Last Words | 8 |
| Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | Long After Dark | 8 |
| Eddy Grant | Killer on the Rampage | 4 |
| China Crisis | Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun To Entertain | 7½ |
| Toyah | Warrior Rock | 5 |
| Mick Karn | 'Titles' | 6½ |
| Wah | The Maverick Years | 8 |
| The Reddings | Steamin' Hot | 5 |
| Eric Stewart | Frooty Rooties | 2 |
| Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul | Men Without Women | 7 |
| December 9 issue | ||
| The Jam | Dig the New Breed | 7½ |
| Michael Jackson | Thriller | 7½ |
| Winston Groovy | African Girl | 4 |
| Ozzy Ozbourne | Talk of the Devil | 5 |
| Psychic TV | Force the Hand of Chance | 6½ |
| Shakatak | Invitations | 5 |
| Pat Benatar | Get Nervous | 4½ |
| Led Zeppelin | Coda | 4 |
| Gregory Isaacs | Lovers' Rock | 9 |
| Suzi Quatro | Main Attraction | 4½ |
| Allez Allez | Promises | 6 |
| Joni Mitchell | Wild Things Run Fast | 6 |
| Whitesnake | Saints & Sinners | 5 |
| Samson | Before the Storm | 4 |
| George Clinton | Computer Games | 8 |
| Prince | 1999 | 6½ |
| A Certain Ratio | I'd Like to See You Again | 3 |
| December 23 issue | ||
| No Album Reviews |
| January 7 issue | ||
| Chic | Take It Off | 4 |
| ABBA | The Visitors | 8 |
| Clint Eastwood & General Saint | Two Bad DJ | 9 |
| Dramatis | For Future Reference | 5 |
| Various Artists | Ghosts of Christmas Past | 7 |
| Odyssey | The Best of Odyssey | 8 |
| Central Line | Breaking Point | 8 |
| Bill Nelson | Das Kaninett | 5 |
| January 21 issue | ||
| A Certain Ratio | Sextet | 6 |
| Associates | Fourth Drawer Down | 7 |
| Various Artists | A Splash of Colour | 3 |
| February 4 issue | ||
| Thin Lizzy | Renegade | 6 |
| XTC | English Settlement | 8½ |
| Holger Czukay | On the Way to the Peak of Normal | 8 |
| The Look | The Look | 8 |
| The Kinks | Give the People What They Want | 4 |
| Sister Sledge | The Sisters | 8½ |
| Modern Lovers | The Original Modern Lovers | 8 |
| February 18 issue | ||
| Theatre of Hate | Westworld | 2 |
| Diana Ross | Diana's Duets | 7 |
| UFO | Mechanix | 5 |
| Panther Burns | Behind the Magnolia Curtain | 3 |
| Orange Juice | You Can't Hide Your Love Forever | 8 |
| Nick Lowe | Nick the Knife | 6 |
| Mathematiques Modernes | Les Visiteurs Du Soir | 9 |
| And Jacno | Tout Va Sauter | 4 |
| Hall & Oates | Private Eyes | 7½ |
| The B-52's | Mesopotamia | 4 |
| The J. Geils Band | Freeze-Frame | 7½ |
| Ippu Do | Radio Fantasy | 3 |
| Yukihiro Takahashi | Neuromantic | 3 |
| Susan | The Girl Can't Help It | 4 |
| Various Artistes | Your Secret's Safe With Us | 7 |
| March 4 issue | ||
| Various Artists | To the Shores of Lake Placid | 8 |
| Spandau Ballet | Diamond | 3 |
| Marc Bolan and T. Rex | Across the Airwaves | 7 |
| Mickey Jupp | Some People Can't Dance | 8 |
| Fun Boy Three | Fun Boy Three | 6 |
| Yellow Magic Orchestra | Solid State Survivor | 7 |
| Haircut One Hundred | Pelican West | 8½ |
| Jimmy Destri | Heart on a Wall | 4 |
| Fleshtones | Roman Gods | 8 |
| Pigbag | Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive | 7 |
| The dB's | Repercussion | 8 |
| Jona Lewie | Heart Skips Beat | 8 |
| March 18 issue | ||
| The Jam | The Gift | 8½ |
| Quarterflash | Quarterflash | 6 |
| Lou Reed | The Blue Mask | 5 |
| Robert Palmer | Maybe It's Live | 5 |
| Thompson Twins | Set | 6 |
| Secret Affair | Business as Usual | 5 |
| Visage | The Anvil | 5 |
| 23 Skiddoo | 7 Songs | 6 |
| Lora Logic | Pedigree Charm | 6 |
| Level 42 | The Early Tapes July/August 1980 | 6 |
| The Bongos | Time and The River | 3 |
| Graham Parker | Another Grey Area | 7 |
| Colin Newman | Not To | 5 |
| April 1 issue | ||
| Motorhead | Iron Fist | 7 |
| The Jets | 100% Cotton | 4 |
| B.E.F. | Music of Quality and Distinction | 6½ |
| Dave Edmunds | DE7 | 9 |
| Rainbow | Straight Between the Eyes | 3 |
| The Boomtown Rats | V Deep | 7½ |
| Nine Below Zero | Third Degree | 8 |
| Buggles | Adventures in Modern Recording | 5½ |
| Iron Maiden | The Number of the Beast | 4 |
| Quincy Jones | The Best | 8 |
| Robert Wyatt | Nothing Can Stop Us | 7 |
| April 15 issue | ||
| Classix Nouveaux | La Verite | 7 |
| The Nolans | Portrait | 4 |
| Morrisey Mullen | Life on the Wire | 7 |
| Killing Joke | III | 6 |
| A Flock of Seagulls | A Flock of Seagulls | 5 |
| Various Artists | Rap Tracks | 6 |
| Various Artists | Genius of Rap | 7½ |
| The Necessaries | Event Horizon | 8 |
| Bill Wyman | Bill Wyman | 5 |
| Talking Heads | The Name of this Band is.. | 5 |
| Robyn Hitchcock | Groovy Decay | 7 |
| April 29 issue | ||
| Elton John | Jump Up! | 7½ |
| Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | I Love Rock 'n' Roll | 4 |
| Status Quo | 1982 | 8 |
| Goombay Dance Band | Seven Tears | 3 |
| Laurie Anderson | Big Science | 6 |
| Junior Giscombe | Ji |
6
|
| May 13 issue | ||
| Duran Duran | Rio | 5½ |
| Shakatak | Night Birds | 8 |
| The Cure | Pornography | 4 |
| Funkapolitan | Funkapolitan | 6 |
| Bucks Fizz | Are You Ready | 10 |
| The Clash | Combat Rock | 6 |
| Altered Images | Pinky Blue | 3½ |
| Thomas Dolby | The Golden Age of Wireless | 6 |
| Various Artists | Tokyo Mobile Music 1 | 6 |
| Paul McCartney | Tug of War | 4 |
| Queen | Hot Space | 5 |
| The Associates | Sulk | 8 |
| May 27 issue | ||
| Kim Wilde | Select | 7 |
| Girlschool | Screaming Blue Murder | 5 |
| Blondie | The Hunter | 5 |
| Section 25 | The Key of Dreams | 3 |
| Squeeze | Sweets from a Stranger | 7 |
| The Blue Orchids | The Greatest Hit | 4½ |
| Various Artists | Dura-Dance | 10 |
| Vic Godard & The Subway Sect | Songs for Sale | 8 |
| Kid Creole & The Coconuts | Tropical Gangsters | 8 |
| Various Artists | Sex, Sweat and Blood (The New Danceability) | 3 |
| Roxy Music | Avalon | 8 |
| The Fixx | Shuttered Room | 4 |
| June 10 issue | ||
| Toyah | The Changeling | 4½ |
| Patrice Rushen | Straight from the Heart | 5 |
| Cabaret Voltaire | 2 x 45 | 4 |
| John Cooper Clarke | Zip Style Method | 7 |
| The Shakin' Pyramids | Celts and Cobras | 5 |
| Hambi and The Dance | Heartache | 4 |
| Rolling Stones | Still Life (American Concert 1981) | 6 |
| June 24 issue | ||
| ABC | The Lexicon of Love | 8 |
| Marshall Crenshaw | Marshall Crenshaw | 8 |
| Soft Cell | Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing | 6 |
| The Go Betweens | Send Me a Lullabye | 7½ |
| Rick James | Throwin' Down | 9 |
| Genesis | Three Sides Live | 7 |
| Gwen Guthrie | Gwen Guthrie | 5 |
| Black Uhuru | Chill Out | 6 |
| The Passage | Degenerates | 9 |
| The League Unlimited Orchestra | Love and Dancing | 6 |
| Rip, Rig & Panic | I Am Cold | 7 |
| Randy Crawford | Windsong | 9 |
| Anti-Nowhere League | We Are...The League | Pass |
