Pleasure Victim
Artist: Berlin
Community Score: 8.90

Originally released by the fledgling Enigma Records in 1982 and picked up by Geffen in early 1983 when the lascivious novelty single "Sex (I'm A...)" started picking up radio attention, Pleasure Victim is a frankly exploitative little slab of synth pop cynicism, so baldly crass in its positioning of lead singer Terri Nunn as a sex kitten (posing... Read More

Creatures of Leisure
Artist: Mental as Anything
Community Score: 10.00

Following up their biggest album yet, the Mentals rose to the occasion on this, their fourth full-length release. Though it may seem to be the little brother to 1981's Cats and Dogs, Creatures of Leisure is actually an even better album than it's predecessor. With producers Bruce Brown and Russell Dunlop again spinning the knobs, the Mentals... Read More

English Settlement
Artist: XTC
Community Score: 7.96

Andy Partridge's discovery of the 12-string guitar set the tone for English Settlement, an album which moved away from the pop gloss of Black Sea in favor of lighter, though still rhythmically heavy, acoustic numbers with more complex and intricate instrumentation. There are plenty of pop gems --"Senses Working Overtime" stands as one of their... Read More

Black Sea
Artist: XTC
Community Score: 8.86

XTC continue on with the big drum sound of Drums and Wires, adding more polish and an even heavier-hitting approach for Black Sea -- their arrangements are fuller and they rock harder than ever before. Where Drums and Wires implied social commentary, Black Sea more directly addresses sociopolitical concerns, handling them not strictly in a... Read More

The Hurting
Artist: Tears for Fears
Community Score: 8.28

The Hurting would have been a daring debut for a pop-oriented band in any era, but it was an unexpected success in England in 1983, mostly by virtue of its makers' ability to package an unpleasant subject -- the psychologically wretched family histories of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith -- in an attractive and sellable musical format. Not that... Read More

Error in the System
Artist: Peter Schilling
Little Robbers
Artist: The Motels
Community Score: 7.00
Careful
Artist: The Motels

With their second release, the Motels make steps toward a more seamless style of new wave-inflected pop. Careful kicks off with the perky, sax-driven "Danger," and there are more hits than misses. The lyrics still lean toward the darker side as on the moody, watercolor melody of the title track, but there are also moments that are pop gems like... Read More

All Four One
Artist: The Motels
Community Score: 6.00
Cargo
Artist: Men at Work
Community Score: 9.50

Cargo was bashed out fairly quickly, but its release was delayed because of the success of Men at Work's debut, Business as Usual. Though it was recorded on the road, Cargo is considerably more diverse -- but not necessarily more ambitious -- than its predecessor. Again, the album is anchored by two extraordinary singles. Fortunately, the... Read More

Business as Usual
Artist: Men at Work
Community Score: 7.50

Business as Usual became a surprise international hit on the basis of "Who Can It Be Now?" and "Down Under," two excellent singles that merged straight-ahead pop/rock hooks with a quirky new wave production and an offbeat sense of humor. Colin Hay's keening vocals uncannily recall Sting, and the band's rhythmic pulse and phased guitars also... Read More

Reach the Beach
Artist: The Fixx
Community Score: 7.54

Reach the Beach is a significant step forward from the Fixx's debut album, Shuttered Room, simply because the band can now craft immediately accessible, incessantly catchy pop/rock melodies. "One Thing Leads to Another" has a big, ringing guitar hook hammered home by the dance beat, while "Saved by Zero" and "The Sign of Fire" are cool, robotic... Read More

Colour by Numbers
Artist: Culture Club
Community Score: 7.50

Colour by Numbers was Culture Club's most successful album, and, undoubtedly, one of the most popular albums from the 1980s. Scoring no less than four U.S. hit singles (and five overseas), this set dominated the charts for a full year, both in the United States and in Europe. The songs were infectious, the videos were all over MTV, and the band... Read More

Singles 45's and Under
Artist: Squeeze
Community Score: 8.00

Above all, Squeeze were a great singles act -- among the finest of the era -- and Singles 45's and Under offers proof of that fact, giving a chronological survey of their biggest hits from their early, pre-breakup period. Most of the songs can be found on the actual albums, aside from the slightly different single version of "Goodbye Girl" and... Read More