RSSThe 1981 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll
Albums
| 1. | The Clash: Sandinista! (Epic) | 862 | (67) | * |
| 2. | X: Wild Gift (Slash) | 790 | (64) | |
| 3. | Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Trust (Columbia) | 784 | (68) | |
| 4. | The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You (Rolling Stones) | 649 | (56) | |
| 5. | Rickie Lee Jones: Pirates (Warner Bros.) | 461 | (38) | |
| 6. | Squeeze: East Side Story (A&M) | 412 | (38) | |
| 7. | Tom Verlaine: Dreamtime (Warner Bros.) | 410 | (38) | |
| 8. | Prince: Controversy (Warner Bros.) | 327 | (30) | |
| 9. | Rick James: Street Songs (Gordy) | 305 | (28) | |
| 10. | Go-Go's: Beauty and the Beat (I.R.S.) | 290 | (32) | |
| 11. | Human Switchboard: Who's Landing in My Hangar? (Faulty Products) | 273 | (23) | |
| 12. | Kid Creole and the Coconuts: Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places (Sire/ZE) | 249 | (26) | |
| 13. | David Byrne: Songs From the Broadway Production of "The Catherine Wheel" (Sire) | 247 | (22) | ** |
| 14. | Black Uhuru: Red (Mango) | 229 | (27) | |
| 15. | Psychedelic Furs: Talk Talk Talk (Columbia) | 229 | (24) | |
| 16. | Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Re*ac*tor (Reprise) | 210 | (21) | |
| 17. | Romeo Void: It's a Condition (415) | 208 | (18) | |
| 18. | U2: Boy (Island) | 205 | (18) | |
| 19. | Neville Brothers: Fiyo on the Bayou (A&M) | 204 | (19) | |
| 20. | Was (Not Was): Was (Not Was) (Island/ZE) | 197 | (20) | |
| 21. | Au Pairs: Playing With a Different Sex (Human) | 191 | (21) | |
| 22. | Tom Tom Club (Sire) | 191 | (17) | |
| 23. | The English Beat: Wha'ppen? (Sire) | 184 | (19) | |
| 24. | The Police: Ghost in the Machine (A&M) | 169 | (17) | |
| 25. | James Blood Ulmer: Free Lancing (Columbia) | 168 | (17) | |
| 26. | The dB's: Stands for Decibels (Albion import) | 159 | (11) | |
| 27. | David Lindley: El Rayo-X (Asylum) | 158 | (14) | |
| 28. | Joe Ely: Live Shots (MCA) | 152 | (19) | * |
| 29. | Yoko Ono: Season of Glass (Geffen) | 151 | (13) | |
| 30. | The Blasters (Slash) | 140 | (13) | |
| 31. | Grace Jones: Nightclubbing (Island) | 130 | (13) | |
| 32. | Luther Vandross: Never Too Much (Epic) | 129 | (12) | |
| 33. | Fela Anikulapo Kuti: Black President (Arista import) | 116 | (9) | |
| 34. | Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: Bad Reputation (Boardwalk) | 115 | (12) | * |
| 35. | King Crimson: Discipline (Warner Bros./EG) | 112 | (11) | |
| 36. | Joan Armatrading: Walk Under Ladders (A&M) | 109 | (13) | |
| 37. | Lindsey Buckingham: Law and Order (Asylum) | 109 | (12) | |
| 38. | Marianne Faithfull: Dangerous Acquaintances (Island) | 104 | (12) | |
| 39. | U2: October (Island) | 104 | (10) | |
| 40. | The dB's: Repercussion (Albion import) | 104 | (9) |
* Includes 1980 votes for import versions: Clash 71 (6); Ely 56 (7); Jett 36 (4)
** Includes 62 (4) for The Catherine Wheel, a cassette offering the entire score of the Twyla Tharp ballet.
Singles
| 1. | Laurie Anderson: "O Superman"/"Walk the Dog" (One, Ten/Warner Bros.) | 56 | |
| The Rolling Stones: "Start Me Up" (Rolling Stones) | 56 | ||
| 3. | Grandmaster Flash: "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (Sugarhill) | 44 | |
| 4. | Kim Carnes: "Bette Davis Eyes" (EMI America) | 39 | |
| Yoko Ono: "Walking on Thin Ice" (Geffen) | 39 | * | |
| 6. | Tom Tom Club: "Genius of Love" (Sire) | 36 | |
| 7. | Pete Shelley: "Homosapien" (Genetic import) | 31 | |
| Soft Cell: "Tainted Love"/"Where Did Our Love Go?" (Sire) | 31 | ||
| 9. | Funky Four Plus One: "That's the Joint" (Sugarhill) | 28 | |
| 10. | Prince: "Controversy" (Warner Bros.) | 27 | |
| 11. | Grace Jones: "Pull Up to the Bumper" (Island) | 26 | |
| 12. | Taana Gardner: "Heartbeat" (West End) | 24 | |
| Billy Idol With Generation X: "Dancing With Myself" (Chrysalis) | 24 | * | |
| Teena Marie: "Square Biz" (Gordy) | 24 | ||
| Frankie Smith: "Double Dutch Bus" (WMOT) | 24 | ||
| 16. | Go-Go's: "Our Lips Are Sealed" (I.R.S.) | 23 | |
| 17. | Smokey Robinson: "Being With You" (Tamla) | 22 | |
| 18. | Rick James: "Super Freak" (Gordy) | 21 | |
| 19. | Rosanne Cash: "Seven Year Ache" (Columbia) | 20 | |
| 20. | New Order: "Ceremony" (Factory) | 18 | |
| 21. | Bob Dylan: "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" (Columbia) | 17 | |
| 22. | The Pointer Sisters: "Slow Hand" (Planet) | 14 | |
| The Police: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (A&M) | 14 | ||
| 24. | Squeeze: "Tempted" (A&M) | 13 | |
| 25. | Gang of Four: "To Hell With Poverty" (EMI import) | 12 | |
| Deniece Williams: "Silly" (Columbia/ARC) | 12 |
* Includes EP votes
EPs
| 1. | The Specials: "Ghost Town"/"Why?"/"Friday Night, Saturday Morning" (Chrysalis) | 44 | * |
| 2. | Romeo Void: Never Say Never (415) | 36 | |
| 3. | ESG: ESG (99) | 22 | |
| Mission of Burma: Signals, Calls & Marches (Ace of Hearts) | 22 | ||
| Pretenders: Extended Play (Sire) | 22 | ||
| 6. | DNA: A Taste of DNA (American Clavé) | 18 | |
| 7. | Lene Lovich: New Toy (Stiff/Epic) | 12 | |
| The Lyres: AHS 1005 (Ace of Hearts) | 12 | ||
| 9. | Joe King Carrasco and the Crowns: Party Safari (Hannibal) | 9 | |
| Peter Dayton: Love at 1st Sight (Shoo-Bop) | 9 | ||
| The Individuals: Aquamarine E.P. (Infidelity) | 9 |
* Includes singles votes.
Village Voice, Feb. 1, 1982
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1980 | Essay | Dean's List | 1982 |  |