Polls apart

Press, 31 December 1980, Page 10

Polls apart

In last week’s column, the 1980 album choices of “Melody Maker,” the British musical weekly newspaper, were printed, based on musical category. The choice was based on a list of 10 albums from each of the 27 record reviewers for the newspaper, and the over-all category winners are drawn from these. As an exercise, it was interesting to see which were the most popular albums, on a basis of awarding 10 points to the first album choice, down to one point for the bottom one. The Talking . Heads’ album, “Remain In Light,” (Sire) easily outscored all other contenders, being awarded 94 points, and

being chosen among .the best 10 by 12 reviewers. The record was chosen as the best rock album of the year by “M.M.” The hacks’ top-ten list then gave Bruce Springsteen’s “The Riyer,” (CBS) 55 points, and the next position awarded by the votes from “the Luxembourg jury” was Ry C o o d e r ’ s “Borderline” (WEA) on 44 points.

The third “Peter Gabriel” album, by Peter Gabriel, on the Charisma label, was in fourth place on 43 points, and “Crocodiles” by Echo and the Bunnymen (Korova) was next on 38 points. Sixth on 31 points was ÜB4O with “Signing Off” (Graduate), and seventh equal on 29 points were Joy Division “Closer” (Factory) and The Pretenders “The Pretenders” (Real). Black Uhuru’s “Sinsemilla” (Island) was ninth on 26 points, and 10th equal was the Undertones and XTC on “Hypnotised” (Sire) and “Black Sea” . (Virgin> respectively at 21

y? Others in close .contention for the minor placings were Stevie Wonder’s “Hotter Than July” (Motown), “Get Happy.” by Elvis Costello (F-Beat), Comsat Angels "Waiting For A Miracle” (Polydor), Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band’s “Doc At The Radar • Station” (Virgin), .The- Beat “I Just Can’t Stop It” (Go’ Feet), and Ry Cooder’s “The Long Riders” (WEA),