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essential: PUNK & NEW WAVE ALBUMS
A Kiss In The DreamhouseA Kiss In The Dreamhouse by Siouxsie And The Banshees
Buy new: £4.55 / Used from: £4.00
Siouxie's done many great albums, but this is my pick of the bunch. Only nine tracks, and all without exception quite wonderful
The Best of the RutsThe Best of the Ruts by Ruts
Buy new: £3.97 / Used from: £5.79
it was something that they sung that made The Ruts better than their B-Division status would have us believe
Under the Milky Way: Best of [Us Import]Under the Milky Way: Best of [Us Import] by The Church
Buy new: £4.00 / Used from: £4.43
INXS got all the glory while these boys went largely unrecognised. The early stuff here is fantastic
Machine Gun Etiquette [25th Anniversary Edition]Machine Gun Etiquette [25th Anniversary Edition] by Damned
Buy new: £9.98 / Used from: £7.08
the point where The Damned hit their stride, a classic mixture of melody, stupidity and punk thrash
Breaking GlassBreaking Glass by Hazel O'Connor
Buy used from: £7.65
a bit hard to pin down, but 'Eighth Day' and 'Will You' are bona-fide era-defining classics
Real LifeReal Life by Magazine
Buy new: £4.11 / Used from: £6.95
another superb debut. If you want to get to know a more intellectual punk band then start here, you won't be disappointed
Time's UpTime's Up by Buzzcocks
Buy new: £7.99 / Used from: £6.79
very early stuff from Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto. You can sense that, with these songs, they were on the threshold of something momentous
The Best of the SkidsThe Best of the Skids by Skids
Buy new: £3.58 / Used from: £18.36
an excellent set of songs with thumping, almost anthemic, choruses
Germ Free AdolescentsGerm Free Adolescents by X-Ray Spex
distinctive vocals and quirky melodies permeate this album. Poly Styrene rrrolls her 'rs' just like Jonny Rotten
Parallel Lines: RemasteredParallel Lines: Remastered by Blondie
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £2.98
fast American pop punk, a blistering set full of classic songs
Argy BargyArgy Bargy by Squeeze
Buy used from: £12.75
one of their best albums, tuneful and full of supreme lyrical insight
A Tonic For The TroopsA Tonic For The Troops by The Boomtown Rats
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £8.99
'Rat Trap' made top spot, but for me '(I Never loved) Eva Braun' was the band's early masterpiece
The Safari Records Singles Collection Vol.1: 1979-1981The Safari Records Singles Collection Vol.1: 1979-1981 by Toyah
Buy new: £5.92 / Used from: £5.93
varied and colourful pop songs mix with gaudy fashion sense and the result is highly listenable, check out 'Danced'
Reggatta De Blanc: RemasteredReggatta De Blanc: Remastered by The Police
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.47
the best early album and a completely different sound, weaving in reggaefied guitar and squeaky vocals to great effect
Moving TargetsMoving Targets by Penetration
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £3.25
a girly girl's voice, energetic performances with melodic tunes in abundance. 'Life's a Gamble' is a great example
11 by Motors
Buy new: £6.97 / Used from: £6.98
highly charged and thrusting pop rock. 'Dancing The Night Away' is the pick of this album. Also check out the follow up album, 'Tenement Steps', for serious musical progression
English SettlementEnglish Settlement by XTC
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £2.99
ambitious and eccentric but some great songs throughout, check out 'Yacht Dance'
Inflammable MaterialInflammable Material by Stiff Little Fingers
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £3.54
explosive, raucous and catchy punk thrash you can't help singing along to
The Punk Singles 1977-1980The Punk Singles 1977-1980 by 999
Buy new: £6.71 / Used from: £21.48
amongst some very good tracks, 'Homicide' is pure punk pop. 999 really should have made more of an impact
London CallingLondon Calling by The Clash
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £2.00
as much white reggae as punk, 'London Calling' is still a classic mid-period album
The Specials Singles: the Best of the SpecialsThe Specials Singles: the Best of the Specials by The Specials
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £3.00
ska, not punk, but still very much a part of the era. Superb lyrically and musically, just listen to 'Stereotype' or 'Ghost Town' to see how good The Specials truly were
Kilimanjaro/WilderKilimanjaro/Wilder by The Teardrop Explodes
Buy used from: £11.59
exciting guitar and occasional brass from the warped mind of Julian Cope. Many great songs here
Divine MadnessDivine Madness by Madness
Buy used from: £23.00
another non-punk band but still very influential in the late seventies to mid-eighties. Great compilation
Seventeen SecondsSeventeen Seconds by The Cure
Buy new: £4.98 / Used from: £4.48
distinctive throughout and many memorable tracks, but 'Forest' is a standout moment
Black and WhiteBlack and White by Stranglers
Buy new: £4.47 / Used from: £3.99
no list on this subject would be complete without The Stranglers. The superb 'Black and White' really is bi-polar music of the highest disorder, exemplified by 'Toiler on the Sea' and 'Curfew'