RSSThe 1982 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll
Albums
| 1. | Elvis Costello: Imperial Bedroom (Columbia) | 1061 | (87) | |
| 2. | Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out the Lights (Hannibal) | 946 | (79) | |
| 3. | Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska (Columbia) | 869 | (67) | |
| 4. | King Sunny Adé & His African Beats: Juju Music (Mango) | 745 | (60) | |
| 5. | Lou Reed: The Blue Mask (RCA Victor) | 679 | (60) | |
| 6. | Prince: 1999 (Warner Bros.) | 655 | (58) | |
| 7. | The English Beat: Special Beat Service (I.R.S.) | 564 | (57) | |
| 8. | Marvin Gaye: Midnight Love (Columbia) | 528 | (42) | |
| 9. | Marshall Crenshaw (Warner Bros.) | 440 | (42) | |
| 10. | X: Under the Big Black Sun (Elektra) | 435 | (40) | |
| 11. | Roxy Music: Avalon (Warner Bros.) | 363 | (32) | |
| 12. | Flipper: Album/Generic Flipper (Subterranean) | 310 | (31) | |
| 13. | Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings (Antilles) | 309 | (27) | |
| 14. | Donald Fagen: The Nightfly (Warner Bros.) | 291 | (29) | |
| 15. | Michael Jackson: Thriller (Epic) | 288 | (26) | |
| 16. | Laurie Anderson: Big Science (Warner Bros.) | 286 | (32) | |
| 17. | Joe Jackson: Night & Day (A&M) | 272 | (23) | |
| 18. | The Clash: Combat Rock (Epic) | 264 | (28) | |
| 19. | ABC: The Lexicon Of Love (Mercury) | 256 | (28) | |
| 20. | Gang Of Four: Songs Of the Free (Warner Bros.) | 211 | (18) | |
| 21. | Richard Hell and the Voidoids: Destiny Street (Red Star) | 200 | (23) | |
| 22. | Rank and File: Sundown (Slash) | 192 | (19) | |
| 23. | The dB's: Repercussion (Albion import) | 187 | (16) | * |
| 24. | The Dream Syndicate: Days of Wine and Roses (Ruby) | 177 | (19) | |
| 25. | Fleshtones: Roman Gods (I.R.S.) | 177 | (17) | |
| 26. | Kid Creole and the Coconuts: Wise Guy (Sire/ZE) | 169 | (18) | * |
| The Human League: Dare (A&M) | 169 | (18) | ||
| 28. | Van Morrison: Beautiful Vision (Warner Bros.) | 158 | (18) | |
| 29. | George Clinton: Computer Games (Capitol) | 158 | (16) | |
| 30. | XTC: English Settlement (Epic) | 156 | (16) | ** |
| 31. | Mission of Burma: Vs. (Ace of Hearts) | 152 | (12) | |
| 32. | Warren Zevon: The Envoy (Asylum) | 145 | (17) | |
| 33. | Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Ice Cream for Crow (Epic) | 132 | (16) | |
| 34. | Paul McCartney: Tug of War (Columbia) | 127 | (14) | |
| 35. | The Roches: Keep on Doing (Warner Bros.) | 120 | (12) | |
| 36. | Aretha Franklin: Jump to It (Arista) | 112 | (11) | |
| 37. | Fleetwood Mac: Mirage (Warner Bros.) | 104 | (12) | |
| 38. | Ronald Shannon Jackson and the Decoding Society: Mandance (Antilles) | 104 | (11) | |
| 39. | Joni Mitchell: Wild Things Run Fast (Geffen) | 101 | (12) | |
| 40. | Ted Hawkins: Watch Your Step (Rounder) | 101 | (11) | |
| Squeeze: Sweets From a Stranger (A&M) | 101 | (11) |
* Includes 1981 votes for import versions: dB's 104 (9); Human League 69 (7).
** Includes 33 (3) for import version.
Singles
| 1. | Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: "The Message" (Sugarhill) | 156 | |
| 2. | Marvin Gaye: "Sexual Healing" (Columbia) | 104 | |
| 3. | The Clash: "Rock the Casbah" (Epic) | 52 | |
| 4. | Prince: "1999"/"How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?" (Warner Bros.) | 48 | |
| 5. | Soft Cell: "Tainted Love"/"Where Did Our Love Go?" (Sire) | 47 | * |
| 6. | Musical Youth: "Pass the Dutchie" (MCA) | 44 | |
| 7. | Pretenders: "Back On the Chain Gang"/"My City Was Gone" (Sire) | 43 | |
| 8. | Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force: "Planet Rock" (Tommy Boy) | 41 | |
| 9. | ABC: "The Look Of Love" (Mercury) | 32 | |
| Aretha Franklin: "Jump To It" (Arista) | 32 | ||
| The Human League: "Don't You Want Me" (A&M) | 32 | ||
| 12. | New Order: "Temptation" (Factory import) | 30 | |
| 13. | Gang Of Four: "I Love A Man in A Uniform"/"Producer" (Warner Bros.) | 25 | |
| 14. | Junior: "Mama Used To Say" (Mercury) | 24 | |
| 15. | Toni Basil: "Mickey" (Chrysalis) | 20 | |
| 16. | Peter Gabriel: "Shock the Monkey" (Geffen) | 19 | |
| The Gap Band: "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" (Total Experience) | 19 | ||
| 18. | The English Beat: "Save It For Later"/"Jeannette" (I.R.S.) | 18 | |
| Joe Jackson: "Steppin' Out" (A&M) | 18 | ||
| 20. | Yaz: "Situation"/"Don't Go" (Sire/Mute import) | 17 | |
| 21. | The Fearless Four: "Rockin' It" (Enjoy) | 16 | |
| Flipper: "Sex Bomb"/"Brainwash" (Subterranean) | 16 | * | |
| 23. | Fleetwood Mac: "Hold Me" (Warner Bros.) | 15 | |
| Go-Go's: "Vacation" (I.R.S.) | 15 | ||
| The Weather Girls: "It's Raining Men" (Columbia) | 15 | ||
| Stevie Wonder: "That Girl"/"Do I Do" (Tamla) | 15 |
* Includes 1981 votes: Soft Cell 31; Flipper 4.
EPs
| 1. | T-Bone Burnett: Trap Door (Warner Bros.) | 75 | * |
| 2. | REM: Chronic Town (I.R.S.) | 67 | |
| 3. | The Dream Syndicate: The Dream Syndicate (Down Under) | 20 | |
| 4. | Meat Puppets: Meat Puppets (SST) | 18 | |
| The Neats: The Monkey's Head in the Corner of the Room (Ace of Hearts) | 18 | ||
| 6. | The Jam: The Gift (Polydor) | 16 | |
| 7. | The Brains: Dancing Under Streetlights (Landslide) | 15 | |
| 8. | The Waitresses: I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts (Polydor) | 13 | |
| 9. | ESG: ESG Says Dance To the Beat Of the Moody (99) | 11 | |
| Gang Of Four: Another Day/Another Dollar (Warner Bros.) | 11 | * |
* Includes 8 album votes for Burnett and 6 1981 votes for Gang of Four.
Village Voice, Feb. 22, 1983
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1981 | Essay | Dean's List | 1983 |  |