# Best Pazz & Jop Critics Poll Album 1983 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841 "2014-11-28T19:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/1 "2014-11-28T19:24:56Z")
For the second year in a row, _Thriller_ makes the list, though this time in a much higher position. A few classic albums here - _War_ is one of the albums even U2 haters admit is good, my favorite Talking Heads song (“This Must Be The Place [Naive Melody]”) is on their album that made the list, and though I think it might be The Police’s weakest album, _Synchronicity_ is much beloved. In the end, though, there was really no choice but R.E.M. for me - one of a handful of bands that came along at the right point in my life and changed it (I didn’t get into them until the following year with _Reckoning_, but immediately bought _Murmur_ and _Chronic Town_, and _Murmur_ remains their most transcendent album, IMO). ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/2 "2014-11-28T19:30:21Z")
There are a couple decidedly lesser albums from “legendary” artists here, as well - don’t think a lot of people consider these particular works of Lou Reed or Dylan so great nowadays, but that kind of thing’s always going to happen with artists the critics grew up with. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/3 "2014-11-28T20:12:01Z")
I love Richard Thompson, but that album was no _Henry the Human Fly._ At the moment I’m listening to _Murmur_, but I voted for Culture Club because that album was the distilled essence of 1983. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/4 "2014-11-28T20:22:01Z")
I’ll finally give some love to Talking Heads. _Remain in Light_ is the masterpiece, but this one is very nearly as good. REM was less of touchstone to me when I was younger, I kinda came into them late. So, great album but they don’t get the prize. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/5 "2014-11-28T20:26:41Z")
This was around the time I really began to seriously get into music and develop the tastes and opinions that would stay with me as I got older. (My 15th birthday was in the fall of '83.) This was the year that I discovered REM and U2, two bands that were my favorites for many years afterward, so _Murmur_ and _War_ have to be at the top of my list. I also remember the day I went to the record store in the mall and bought _Stop Making Sense_. I listened to that album so much I knew every song by heart. I also listened to _Synchronicity_ constantly and loved it at the time but, as was mentioned, in retrospect it’s not their best album. This list brings back lots of high school memories. ---
**Author:** ![Eddie\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@Eddie\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eddie_F)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/6 "2014-11-28T21:04:03Z")
How can it be anything other than _Murmur_? Answer: It can’t. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/7 "2014-11-28T21:05:25Z")
Eddie F., I have to agree. That record is too great. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/8 "2014-11-28T21:35:42Z")
I still remember the moment I heard “Radio Free Europe” for the first time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/9 "2014-11-28T22:34:50Z")
“Thriller” for me, followed by the Police. I like REM okay, but not enough for this poll. _Murmur_ is certainly a monumental record, though, just not my cuppa (Though I do love “Catapult” and “Radio Free Europe.”) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/10 "2014-11-28T23:07:39Z")
_Synchronicity_, if for nothing else than _Tea in the Sahara_ and _Mother_. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/11 "2014-11-28T23:10:43Z")
_Murmur_ was a life-changer for me. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/12 "2014-11-28T23:12:50Z")
Voted for The Police ahead of Culture Club. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/13 "2014-11-28T23:16:48Z")
Richard Thompson. This is about where my unwavering affection for Elvis Costello starts turning into a “You know? This guy Thompson is pretty damn good too.” ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/14 "2014-11-28T23:34:24Z")
Elvis Costello appears too much here. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/15 "2014-11-28T23:39:34Z")
> [@Eddie\_F](#): > > How can it be anything other than _Murmur_? Answer: It can’t. My choice, too. I can’t believe they ended up intelligible and doing songs like Everybody Hurts. It’s a fine song, but man, compared to this stuff… Looking at the tracklist of Synchronicity - wow, we should’ve known Sting was up to something. Synchronicity with its nods towards William Butler Yeats - overstuffed; King of Frikkin’ Pain; Wrapped Around Your Finger’s elevator music and the wonderful tribute to stalking, Every Breath…:smack: Someone should’ve smacked that boy and told him to get over himself. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/16 "2014-11-28T23:41:44Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Elvis Costello appears too much here. Oh, nonsense. I didn’t vote for _Get Happy!!_ and I didn’t vote for \* Punch the Clock\*, but they’re both damn fine albums. You’re criticizing him for being prolific. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/17 "2014-11-29T00:08:41Z")
For purely sentimental reasons I went for Big Country in this poll. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/18 "2014-11-29T01:17:06Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Oh, nonsense. I didn’t vote for _Get Happy!!_ and I didn’t vote for \* Punch the Clock\*, but they’re both damn fine albums. You’re criticizing him for being prolific. Not only was he prolific, but up to this point he had consistently great albums. That all took a shit on his next release, but he bounced back in '86 and had his last really essential album (IMO) in '89. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/19 "2014-11-29T02:27:51Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > _Synchronicity_, if for nothing else than _Tea in the Sahara_ and\*\* _Mother_\*\*. I recently re-listened to _Mother,_ which is why I voted for Thriller. It was close between MJ and the Police, but that song freaks me out. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841/20 "2014-11-29T02:50:10Z")
This, by the way, is the most impressive list of options I’ve seen in any of the polls. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pazz-jop-critics-poll-album-1983/705841.md?page=2)