I decided to start a series of threads where we debate the best records of a particular year. Here's how it works: I'm going to select nine albums from that year, and leave one choice as "other (please specify)" so that all you cantankerous ninnies can yell at me for not including your favorites.

I thought 1984 was a particularly intriguing year, so let's start there. Yes, some of the choices I made were some of my favorites, but I'll try to include most of the very best albums from that year....

NOTES: I did not include the R.E.M. and Cure releases from this year because I personally do not feel as though those records are close to the best records of each band, let alone that year...but feel free to grill those omissions.

minutemen, haven't heard all those though.

I only said U2 because it's the only one I've heard. I probably shouldn't have voted in that case... Anyway, I really want to hear the Husker Du, Replacements, and Minutemen albums but haven't yet.

Ten cents.

My favorite is Zen Arcade. Although many of those records were groundbreaking and interesting releases, none of them has quite matched what Zen Arcade does for me.

Ride the Lightning is my favorite Metallica album.

Run DMC's self titled introduced me to rap. A special place in my heart.

but PURPLE RAIN is the absolute shit!

I vote for the Purple One.

I voted for Minutemen to keep it simple. But the ninny in me feels obligated to point out that your list doesn't include:

Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Pogues - Red Roses for Me
Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Rattlesnakes
REM - Reckoning

I'd rank those 4 higher than anything on your list other than the Minutemen or The Fall

I went Minutemen but it was close to Let It Be.

There were many omissions. By my count, there were about 40 that could've easily been on this list. You should've voted other and then listed your fave of those four.

I voted for the Purple one.

*high fives*

Y'can't fuck with "Purple Rain".

A couple more that possibly could've been on the list:

The Hoodoo Gurus Stoneage Romeos
The Long Ryders Native Sons
The Violent Femmes Hallowed Ground

And count me in as someone who thinks Reckoning is one of REM's best albums.

Still, I gotta go with the Mats.

I have Reckoning at the fourth best REM album, but that's just me.

I voted for Prince.
And even though Prince still beats out Reckoning, wasn't that the REM release from that year?

IMO, it's their best album and absoloutely worthy of inclusion on that list. Now, if it is, in fact, Fables Of the Reconstruction (as it might be, but I thought Fables was '85), I will stand down and let your assertion that it does not belong on this list.

Still... Reckoning belongs. It's a helluva album.

And if you want to make it REALLY tough on us... do 1977.

U2 in a walk.

The Mats

We'll do one a weekday until Christmas. 1977 will be one of the special ones, I agree.

I can't believe I'm the only one who voted for Husker Du so far. Color me surprised.

Cool poll series idea.

Voted for Purple Rain, but I haven't heard many of those.

Brilliant record, to be sure.
But the 13-minute noisefest at the end drops it down a hair for me.

With this record in particular, I tend to ignore the fat and focus on the fact that the best 45 minutes of the record beat anything else released that year.
But I hear ya.

cool idea SK.
my vote goes to U2. my first U2 "tape" that i ever heard. started my love affair with this band until they went to shit with achtung baby and beyond.
still listen to this one fairly often. can't say that about the rest.

Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain