Johnnie Johnstone of New Perfect Collection asked me and a bunch of other folks to list their 30 best albums released between January 1st, 1974 and December 31st, 1985. As resistant as I am to lists (as blokey and reductive), I couldn’t, well, resist. So here in no particular order are my platters of choice… no doubt fairly bloody obvious, but still as honest as I can be:

Todd Rundgren: Todd

Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey

Joni Mitchell: Court & Spark

Television: Marquee Moon

Talking Heads: ‘77

Associates: Sulk

Gene Clark: No Other

Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

Earth, Wind & Fire: I Am

Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Natty Dread

Ramones: Leave Home

Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures

David Bowie: Low

Al Green: Al Green is Love

Bobby Womack: Lookin’ for a Love Again

Neil Young: Tonight’s the Night

Chic: Risqué

Kate Bush: The Dreaming

Prince: Dirty Mind

Rickie Lee Jones: Pirates

Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombones

Steely Dan: Gaucho

Dennis Wilson: Pacific Ocean Blue

Fleetwood Mac: Tusk

Randy Newman: Good Old Boys

Suicide: Suicide

Elvis Costello: Get Happy!!

Donald Fagen: The Nightfly

Luther Vandross: Any Love