RSSThe 1985 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll
Albums
| 1. | Talking Heads: Little Creatures (Sire) | 1078 | (99) | |
| 2. | The Replacements: Tim (Sire) | 865 | (82) | |
| 3. | John Cougar Mellencamp: Scarecrow (Riva) | 637 | (53) | |
| 4. | Tom Waits: Rain Dogs (Island) | 607 | (59) | |
| 5. | Artists United Against Apartheid: Sun City (Manhattan) | 569 | (43) | |
| 6. | Hüsker Dü: Flip Your Wig (SST) | 535 | (51) | |
| 7. | R.E.M.: Fables of the Reconstruction (I.R.S.) | 526 | (52) | |
| 8. | Hüsker Dü: New Day Rising (SST) | 457 | (43) | |
| 9. | Aretha Franklin: Who's Zoomin' Who? (Arista) | 407 | (41) | |
| 10. | John Fogerty: Centerfield (Warner Bros.) | 392 | (37) | |
| 11. | Sam Cooke: Live at the Harlem Square Club (RCA Victor) | 391 | (34) | |
| 12. | The Velvet Underground: VU (Verve) | 370 | (31) | |
| 13. | Richard Thompson: Across a Crowded Room (Polydor) | 321 | (13) | |
| 14. | Sade: Diamond Life (Portrait) | 283 | (30) | * |
| 15. | Go Go Crankin' (4th & B'Way) | 264 | (29) | |
| 16. | Bob Dylan: Biograph (Columbia) | 263 | (22) | |
| 17. | Lost in the Stars: the Music of Kurt Weill (A&M) | 252 | (22) | |
| 18. | Kate Bush: Hounds of Love (EMI America) | 236 | (24) | |
| 19. | The Blasters: Hard Line (Slash) | 235 | (25) | |
| 20. | Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms (Warner Bros.) | 223 | (23) | |
| 21. | Sting: The Dream of the Blue Turtles (A&M) | 223 | (22) | |
| 22. | Jason and the Nashville Scorchers: Lost and Found (EMI America) | 212 | (23) | |
| 23. | Meat Puppets: Up on the Sun (SST) | 186 | (20) | |
| 24. | Lone Justice: Lone Justice (Geffen) | 186 | (17) | |
| 25. | The Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy (Blanco y Negro import) | 175 | (15) | |
| 26. | The Mekons: Fear and Whiskey (Sin import) | 168 | (16) | |
| 27. | The Golden Palominos: Visions of Excess (Celluloid) | 165 | (16) | |
| 28. | Prefab Sprout: Two Wheels Good (Epic) | 162 | (17) | |
| 29. | Don Henley: Building the Perfect Beast (Geffen) | 161 | (14) | |
| 30. | Luther Vandross: The Night I Fell in Love (Epic) | 161 | (13) | |
| 31. | Bryan Ferry: Boys and Girls (Warner Bros.) | 154 | (14) | |
| 32. | Run-D.M.C.: King of Rock (Profile) | 151 | (15) | |
| 33. | Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians: Fegmania (Slash) | 150 | (18) | |
| 34. | Ruben Blades y Seis del Solar: Escenas (Elektra) | 149 | (15) | |
| 35. | Marshall Crenshaw: Downtown (Warner Bros.) | 148 | (16) | |
| 36. | Professor Longhair: Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo (Dancing Cat) | 134 | (13) | |
| 37. | L.L. Cool J: Radio (Def Jam) | 132 | (12) | |
| 38. | Marti Jones: Unsophisticated Time (A&M) | 131 | (15) | |
| 39. | Suzanne Vega: Suzanne Vega (A&M) | 130 | (14) | |
| 40. | The Minutemen: 3-Way Tie (For Last) (SST) | 130 | (11) |
This poll compiles ballots from 238 critics, each of whom divided 100 points among 10 1985 LPs. Maximum points per album: 30. Minimum: 5. Points determined placements, with total mentions (indicated in parentheses) used to break ties.
*Includes 1984 votes: Sade 51 (5) (as an import); Henly 51 (5).
Singles
| 1. | Artists United Against Apartheid: "Sun City" (Manhattan) | 101 | |
| 2. | Aretha Franklin: "Freeway of Love" (Arista) | 59 | |
| 3. | John Fogerty: "The Old Man Down the Road"/"Big Train (From Memphis)" (Warner Bros.) | 51 | * |
| 4. | Hüsker Dü: "Makes No Sense at All"/"Love Is All Around" (SST) | 44 | |
| 5. | Ramones: "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" (Beggars Banquet import) | 43 | ** |
| 6. | Don Henley: "The Boys of Summer"/"A Month of Sundays" (Geffen) | ||
| 7. | Eurythmics: "Would I Lie to You?" (RCA Victor) | 35 | |
| 8. | Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam With Full Force: "I Wonder If I Take You Home" (Columbia) | 35 | |
| 9. | Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew: "The Show"/"La-Di-Da-Di" (Reality) | 34 | |
| 10. | Kate Bush: "Running Up That Hill" (EMI America) | 32 | |
| 11. | Madonna: "Into the Groove" (Sire) | 29 | |
| 12. | Dire Straits: "Money for Nothing" (Warner Bros.) | 28 | |
| 13. | John Fogerty: "Rock & Roll Girls"/"Centerfield" (Warner Bros.) | 23 | |
| Katrina and the Waves: "Walking on Sunshine" (Capitol) | 23 | ||
| Paul Young: "Every Time You Go Away" (Capitol) | 23 | ||
| 16. | Talking Heads: "And She Was" (Sire) | 22 | |
| 17. | Rockin' Sidney: "My Toot Toot" (Maison de Soul) | 21 | |
| The Smiths: "How Soon Is Now?" (Rough Trade import) | 21 | * | |
| USA for Africa: "We Are the World" (Columbia) | 21 | ||
| 20. | Prince & the Revolution: "Raspberry Beret" (Paisley Park) | 20 | |
| R.E.M.: "Can't Get There From Here" (I.R.S.) | 20 | ||
| 22. | Run-D.M.C.: "King of Rock" (Profile) | 19 | |
| 23. | The Commodores: "Nightshift" (Motown) | 18 | |
| John Cougar Mellencamp: "Small Town" (MCA) | 17 | ||
| 25. | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers: "Don't Come Around Here No More" (MCA) | 17 | |
| Sade: "Smooth Operator" (Portrait) | 17 | ||
| Tears for Fears: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (Mercury) | 17 |
*Includes 1984 votes: Fogerty 32; Henley 12; Smiths 9.
**Includes EP votes: 3.
Note: Henley vote omitted in print. What is it? Numbers 7 and 8 look like they should be combined, since they have the same vote total, but were ranked separately in print.
EPs
| 1. | Alex Chilton: Feudalist Tarts (Big Time) | 32 |
| 2. | Minutemen: Project: Mersh (SST) | 28 |
| 3. | Fishbone: Fishbone (Columbia) | 24 |
| 4. | UB40: Little Baggariddim (A&M) | 20 |
| U2: Wide Awake In America (Island) | 20 | |
| 6. | Big Black: Racer-X (Homestead) | 16 |
| 7. | Dwight Yoakam: Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (Oak) | 15 |
| 8. | Butthole Surfers: Cream Corn From the Sockets of Davis (Touch & Go) | 12 |
| Lifeboat: Lifeboat (Dolphin) | 12 | |
| 10. | Full Time Men: Full Time Men (Coyote) | 10 |
| Roky Erickson: Clear Night for Love (New Rose import) | 10 |
*An EP by acclamation, although because its six cuts run over 25 minutes, it falls outside our definition. Also received six album votes, not included here.
Videos
| 1. | Artists United Against Apartheid: "Sun City" (Jonathan Demme/Godley & Creme) | 68 |
| 2. | Dire Straits: "Money for Nothing" (Steve Barron) | 32 |
| 3. | Talking Heads: "The Road to Nowhere" (David Byrne/Steve Johnson) | 31 |
| 4. | A-Ha: "Take on Me" (Steve Barron) | 29 |
| 5. | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "Don't Come Around Here No More" (Jeff Stein) | 24 |
| 6. | Don Henley: "The Boys of Summer" (Jean Baptiste Mondino) | 21 |
| 7. | Talking Heads: "And She Was" (Jim Blashfield) | 20 |
| 8. | David Lee Roth: "Just a Gigolo" (Peter Angelis/David Lee Roth) | 16 |
| 9. | Godley & Creme: "Cry" (Godley & Creme) | 15 |
| 10. | Eurythmics: "Would I Lie to You?" (Mary Lambert) | 14 |
Village Voice, Feb. 18, 1986
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1984 | Essay | Dean's List | 1986 |  |