Pop Art

No idea what to expect here. Artsy new wave maybe? Ok it's got a bit of a punk/new wave vibe to it but it's mostly just upbeat dance-ish pop? Pretty catchy. I recognised "I want your love" - must have heard it on the radio before. Checked out the video clip because I'm a big pervert, was not disappointed. She's probably 60 now, but in the mid-1980s... wow. Can wail decently, drifts nicely between punk warbling and regular rock singing/screaming. Not much else to comment on. Rest of the band stays in its lane - guess they understood the assignment. Totally forgettable overall, but inoffensive. Bit of a period piece, has a real 80s timestamp on it, and not in the best way tbh. 3/5.

The songs with a punky attitude (Trash City, I Want Your Love, Psychosonic Cindy, Tell That Girl to Shut Up, Sex Kick) are nice, but the slower and 1980s songs (Sister Moon, Wild Star, Hanging Out With Halo Jones, Andy Warhole’s Dead) are a drag.

Another submission of polarizing 80s music. The lame robotic sound. The unexciting synth electronic beats. It’s all been done and this album wasn’t very enjoyable with it. It was mediocre at best and another reason why some people dislike 80s music. But also why some others enjoy it. Not for me though. 4.1/10

Trashy, campy fun with solid tunes. I enjoyed it!

One vaguely remembers this lot from the real-time late-'80s and remember thinking they were trying too hard then and, despite "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" being not too far off the mark, weren't worth one's attention. It didn't make the cut at the college radio station where one worked, though one remembers some grumbling about it (from the A&R guy, probably, who figured he could dictate what was to be played). Poor man's Missing Persons, basically. Today, one's reaction is the same, only more so. None of it's aged well at all – the guitars they thought were edgy read cheesy; the production they thought was top line sounds tinny (and cheesy); the lyrics they thought sassy and provocative are trite (also cheesy). WJ's spiky-aggressive frontwoman persona needs a bit more Aimee Mann, and less Madonna. Actually a lot more. Slowing it down (as on "Sister Moon," eg) only exacerbates matters (adding extra cheese where there's too much altogether (to be fair "Wild Star" and "Hanging Out with Halo Jones" are halfway decent, and suggest where they might have broke through by dropping the proto-hair metal guitars, mainly). Similarly, "Andy Warhol's Dead" should have been a hit – a song with such a title and concept, really should have been made better, but it comes too late, honestly. It seems clear now that they were trying to split the difference between MTVish new wave and more direct punk (with the clubby "Sex Kick" thrown in). The recommender here must be a child of the '80s, and so assuming an allyship on that point, one feels compelled to suggest maybe choose records that don't confirm the worst of that decade, of which we have so many fond memories and during which our psysches, spirits and musical personalities were formed. (Lone Justice, maybe, or Alisson Moyet, or 10,000 Maniacs, or Til Tuesday, or Big Country or another Replacements record). One aims to be fair-minded about such things, it seems like they were critical punching bags for a reason. As such, one can't in good faith recommend this to list proper, though of course it would be a fine replacement to all the heavy metal discs.

Pretty one dimensional. The band is functional but it's all very contrived to appeal to teens. Every track is the same. Was someone having a laugh choosing this?

File under "So bad it becomes fascinating to an extent ". Beyond the eighties shtick -- already an acquired taste for many -- what makes this music truly appalling is the forced inflexions of Wendy James' vocal performance, along with the extremely lame choruses (very often just mindlessly repeating the titles of the songs). To me, everyone who can't realize this on first listens favors style over substance, period. And given the current 2.93 score of this thing, I fear that there's still a fair share of people who fit that description among those who finished the original list. A mind-boggling realization to say the least... Looks like the person who selected this record is not using this generator anymore, so I guess I can yuck on their yum without hurting their feelings. But if ever they return and read this, I apologize in advance for speaking my mind so bluntly. At the end of the day, and in spite of my personal judgment up there, the couple of 5-star reviews in this section prove that someone's garbage will always be another person's honey. "Trash city" indeed. 0.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 1. 5.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 0.5 for the artistry) Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ----- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 43 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 52 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 101 (including this one) --- Émile: voir ma toute dernière réponse sous le disque *Triage* au-dessus.

I really enjoyed this and have saved for future listening which means a 5 from this author

Wow! This was amazingly good! Totally unexpected but I loved it all. Definitely one I’m glad to have caught before meeting my maker! Totally terrific!

This came out when I was in college, and I wish I'd known of it at the time. There are some tunes I think would have really rocked a few parties then. Well, at least it rocked me in the Subaru on the way to work today and made me laugh more than once!

Oh my, Wendy James! I'm actually super surprised to see this as a recommendation, because while I absolutely love some of Transvision Vamp's songs (Baby I don't care is an absolute masterpiece) I am very aware that they were pilloried in the press at the time, and still haven't really shaken the stigma of just plain "being Transvision Vamp". I don't really get it - I really don't - but I will look forward to listening to this. Yes, it is punky pop tosh and I'm here for it.

The best thing to come out of the 80s (other than me).

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Revolution baby, Tell that girl to shut up

Was ready to hate this based on the album/artist name and the album cover. Was worried it was going to be MORE. BRITISH. BULLSHIT. But it's a nice middle ground between, like, Cyndi Lauper and something a little more punky. Also the track title "Sex Kick" objectively rules. Would happily listen to more albums.

Gretting and demanding is how I'd describe the top song on this album. Really enjoyable... However, it's "Tell That Girl to Shut Up" is the song that brings a smile. OK. The message is... violent. But it's a great song. But really, it's a song about friendships, isn't it? Overall pretty decent album.

I totally get it, listened twice. Made me want to do 80s stuff, like cocaine!

Idk what it is about female led rock and punk from the 80s and 90s that I love so much but this is yet another great addition to that genre.

This was a cool pop album that I was totally unfamiliar with. It starts out sounding kinda like Flaunt It by Sigue Sigue Sputnik, except less abrasive. This album branches out from there, though, and it's really solid throughout. Her voice kind of reminds me of Gwen Steffani as well, though again, less abrasive 4/5

Really liked this. She has such a sweet Londony voice that contrasts nicely with the pop-rock arrangements. Definitely a precursor to Saint Etienne. "Andy Warhol is Dead" sucks though!

I’d never heard of this band and braced myself for the worst, but liked them a lot.

Like there wasn’t enough 80s BritPop on this list, but yet OP found an actual album from that genre that should be here. I never heard of this band and like their fresher sound over the mimicry of most of the list. 4/5

A fun listen, even if some of the lyrics got annoyingly repetitive. The original list was lacking in quirky 80s pop like this, even if I don't see myself returning to this one it represents thoughtful coverage of a musical niche that deserves some recognition.

I thought this was alright, pretty standard new wave adjacent pop of its era, more interesting lyrical choices than much of a similar vein. The apparent critical hate it got in its times seems baffling.

This album certainly has its charms and works pretty well when the band leans more into their pop sensibility, but it's fairly unremarkable. I didn't dislike it, but it's basically the mall food court pizza chain of 80s music. It'll fill you up, but it's ultimately unsatisfying. Fave Songs: Sister Moon, I Want Your Love, Wild Star, Andy Warhol's Dead

Pop rock. Ni fu ni fa.

Hmmm...not my cup of tea, but I didn't hate it. Was pretty repetitive, but kind of unique (for 80s music anyway).

I thought this was good overall. I like the singer's voice when she's singing straight up, but when she adds that little snarl/rasp/or whatever it doesn't appeal to me as much. 3 stars.

Poppy, peppy and passable. It seems pretty polished with a hint of sassiness/punkness, but it unfortunately doesn't really have anything that is too catchy. The lyrics definitely stand out as being "disco-era" repetitive... Halo Jones quickly becomes a bit annoying. Just OK.

Another 80s new wave rock album. This one is super catchy and poppy. Fun, fun, fun. Rating: 3.5 Playlist track: Sister Moon Date listened: 09/05/25

Synthy 80s lady led pop

Hasn’t aged great

I didn’t know they had more than one song to their name, and I’m glad I do now.

From the first song I was like "ooh this could be interesting" but it ended up sounding like so many other 80s albums. That decade really had a sound didn't it? So many of these meh bands that released a few albums in the 80s and then vanished forever. Honestly what else to say but it's been done. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Nope. There are too many albums that sound identical to this already and we don't need another one.

Pop Art is decent for a VERY 80s album, it sounds like Cyndi Lauper in places, not as skilled or as fun but it still has some energy to it. Doesn't hold up in the second half of the album at all but Trash City is a quality opener, I Want Your Love is famous and deservedly so, everything up to Tell That Girl To Shut Up is a good listen so it gets a 3/5 on the weight of more being good than not.

Pretty good.

April 12, 2025 HL: “Hanging Out With Halo Jones”, “Sister Moon”, “I Want Your Love” I can’t believe this is how I find out that Andy Warhol is dead ;( Decent mix of ‘70s rock n’ roll with ‘80s production. The robotic monologue that kicks off “Trash City” sets a level of camp that nothing else here can live up to

Good female punk new wave style 80’s album, enjoyed this one too,

Took me a little while to get into this one (I did not care for the robotic voiceover intro) but it was a fun and campy punk album with a lot of attitude and energy. Nothing too original or inspiring but still well worth a listen

💅

This is brash, fuzzy pop-rock with glammy guitars and punky attitude—but underneath all that sneer, it’s actually a lot of fun. Nick Christian Sayer’s rockabilly-tinged guitar work gives the songs some swagger, even if the songwriting isn’t always memorable. It sits somewhere between Sigue Sigue Sputnik and Fuzzbox, with a splash of synthpop gloss and a whole lot of 80s attitude. You won’t find hidden depth here, but for loud, energetic house-cleaning music? It more than earns its keep.

Looking at the album cover I was expecting a lot worse than it actually was. The music is actually pretty good. Not something that I would regularly listen to but I can appreciate it.

Fun energy. It is very 80's, which to me isn't automatically a bad thing. Exactly the kind of thing I would normally like but it just didn't quite do it for me. There's something about it a little try hard or even redolent of a novelty act. I think the album cover art didn't help.

Sleek '80s pop rock with a little edge to keep things interesting. First two tracks are the big standouts, but vocalist Wendy James has a solid delivery on most every track that made this album more memorable than their contemporaries. Admittedly, I did find the B-side more boring than the A-side, but the album wasn't too bad overall. Notably, they reformed back in July of this year so hopefully they have a good run. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not all that notable outside of the single I Want Your Love. Maybe if they had more of an impact.

A bit corny and cliched

Glad to have listened to this. I knew Tell That Girl to Shut Up but nothing else from them. Interesting sound from a specific moment in time on this one. Well worth the listen.

A bit repetitive, but it works and has a nice energy.

I was surprised this was late and not early 80's rock. Feels like popped up post-punk, or punked-up pop. Slightly heavier than the Go-Go's but not quite as good. Wendy James on vocals is great, and the lyrics are often funny in their brashness, but the rest of the band and their sound are hit or miss. Loved the energy of the first 2 songs, Trash City and I Want Your Love, and the next 2 weren't bad either - Sister Moon and Pyschosonic Cindy. But the rest of the album was a bit of a snoozefest except for Tell That Girl to Shut Up and maybe Revolution Baby. Lots of potential here, needs more polish (or ability).

It's an interesting sound, it sounds more like hair metal to me than pop punk, like wikipedia said. I dug it some, I liked Wendy James vocals on this a good deal. It's definitely something I want to look into more, even with it feeling a little... dated. And how did not "I Want Your Love" become a bigger hit? Top tracks: "I Want Your Love," "Tell That Girl To Shut Up," "Andy Warhol's Dead"

This is OK Fun enough, poppy, punk, hair metal, rock. It’s not my thing, but if I was the right age at the right time I could see this being important to me.

Hasn’t aged hugely well

I don't remember a whole lot about it, but I know I didn't hate it. I'll have to give it another listen.

Good fun bubble gum

Típico pop-rock ochentero, canciones con sintetizadores y con un estilo muy característico. Pertenecen a una buena época, pero no perduran en el tiempo.

Har nog ägt skivan en gång i tiden. Var nytt och fräscht när det kom men nu känns det lite passé.

Teen movie montage music. Some seriously prime-cut 80s cheese pop. Indefensible, but fuck it, I AM in the mood for this kind of thing today

Counter culture that blended into mainstream seemlessly

Too 80s

This wasn't all that good. Sounded too much like B52's. And I really don't like B52's. So there's that.

The eighties vibe is very strong in this one. Did not enjoy it that much though...

I like the interpretive and musical rhythm, however I think the album doesn't quite take off and just stays put, maybe it needed some more consistent and catchy songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5pEFAm63NM

Over produced 80s pop, with a hint of an edge on a couple of songs. Absolutely not my thing, and not unique or interesting enough to take a spot. Not entirely without merit, but nearly!

It was okay

Incredibly genred d-list 80s era stuff. Barely worth a listen 30 years ago.

It’s ok for late 80s pop. I’d prefer Exposé or Jody Watley but this list continues to show its UK roots.

Remarkable user album choice. The 80s vibes are great of course, but the songs are not there. My vote in 1988: 2/5 My vote in 2025: 2/5.

Late-80s "popular" music was pretty funny in retrospect (it was probably just as funny at the time, I couldn't hear it through my mullet) in that there's a very very fine line between this, Billy Idol, Def Leppard, Poison, Prince.... they all had that *sound* - pop songs with crappy fake drums and slightly varied window dressing. OK you guys can take the rippin guitar solos, we'll have the fiery gang vocals, you grab a synth, oh and everyone turn up the reverb. We were all supposed to pick one lane, stick to it, and shun or mock the others. Turns out everyone was in the same lane after all and in the very shallow end. Eh. I'd possibly look at this more-fondly if I'd remembered them or the songs but I'm definitely going to forget this in 20 minutes and I'd like to sooner than that. 3/10 2 stars. IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

neither

Waifs and strays.

Very cliche 80s pop rock but it was fun at least with some catchy melodies.

I liked "I Want Your Love" back in the day, always wondered why I never heard more songs. Now I know.

Aw helll nah. What the poo art is this. You guys. It’s one album we love, not something we’re grossed out by.