SQUEEZING OUT SPARKS

SQUEEZING OUT SPARKS

Features

What's most heartening about our annual readers' poll is that our readers are revealed—we don't get the trendies or the saving-upfor-the-Toyota college grads or the soft-core teeny-bops or the serious record collectors with armpit stains and the entire Stiff singles catalog in the original box. Our guy picks up CREEM at the 7-11 with his beer and Kraft macaroni, caught Iggy when he was in town, buys records whether Christgau likes them or not, is mad at Rick Johnson, and quite bored with his town and its radio stations.

Although most of us here woul#lfl like to get on with 1980, we should point out some of the poll's trends—most of them hearten (but hey, they are CREEM readers, after all...).

, GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR, —Charting in at a big #6 on the Album of the Year list, as opposed* to a #9 for the popular Kinks' Lo^v Budget album, this could only mean that with more exposuffev**" i.e., airplay—Parker would be.afe, popular coast-to-coast as he* with our readers. *

NICK LOWE—#3 Single of the Year# with "Cruel To Be Kind", Producer of the Year. *

DONNA SUMMER—All right, afl, you disco sucksters; this atlast is a, sensible choice for the R&B slot,, breaking the Stones' long and tedious hold on the category. Close, anyway...

LINDA RONSTADT—This is one to savor over our Ovaltine—down, down, down from Number 1, Linda takes the big dive to #7. Get this: Lene Lovich and Rachel Sweet, neither of whom even placed on the list last year, outran the E/A songbird for 1979.

B-52's—#2 New Wave Single of the Year...this from a novelty band? CLASH—#1 New Wave Band of the Year.

ROCK CRITIC OF THE YEAR—The Dean, Robert Christgau, does the impossible.

, KISS and AEROSMITH—Reflecting the swift dive of the Kiss solo LPs i into the bargain bins, even the ’ fanatic following the band used Ho command ias lost stean^ the rpnly categories won wer* as (always, ’’Most Pathetic of t^e rYear" and ’’Worst Group." Aefosmith^plummeted from #2 Group to #9, and Joe Perry's departure won’t help them too much.

LED ZEPPELIN—The poll wouldn't have been representative if it hadn't reflected the enormous popularity of In Through The Out Door—Zeppelin fans came out in droves to buy the album. But it didn't please all the CREEM readers who bought it—ITTOD alsg* copped #2 in Biggest Disappol^p ment of the Year. Zep also swept the decade awards—well what do you expect of the 70's, anyway? CHEAP TRICK—Rick Nielsen will surely get a chuckle out of acing his hero, Keith Richards, out as Hero of the Year...and also, the thought that if Zep were swept away Cheap Trick would have cleaned up in a majority of the categories. Whether this pisses you off or not depends of course on whether or not CT rings your bell-but think of this-two, three ago it wos Kiss.

THE WINNERS! 1979 CREEM READERS' POLL RESULTS

WAX

TOP THREE ALBUMS OF 1979

1. In Through The Out Door (Led Zeppelin)

2. Candy-O (The Care)

3. Dream Police (Cheap Trick)

4. Live AtBudokan (Cheap Trick)

5. Rust Never Sleeps (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)

6. Squeezing Out Sparks (Graham Parker & the Rumour)

7. The Kids Are Alright (The Who)

8. Van Halenll (Van Halen)

9. Low Budget (The Kinks)

10. Get The Knack (The Knack)

11. The Clash

12. Dynasty (Kiss)

13. Fear Of Music (Talking Heads)

14. Armed Forces (Elvis Costello)

15. Labour Of Lust (Nick Lowe)

16. Highway To Hell (AC/DC)

17. B-52’s

18. Breakfast In America (Supertramp)

19. Night In The Ruts (Aerosmith)

20. Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson)

21. Eat To The Beat (Blondie)

22. The Long Run (The Eagles)

23. Tusk (Fleetwood Mac)

24. Damn The Torpedoes (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)

25. You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic (Ian Hunter)

TOP TWO SINGLES OF 1979

1. My Sharona (The Knack)

2. Let's Go (The Cars)

3. Cruel To Be Kind (Nick Lowe)

4.1 Want You To Want Me (Cheap Trick)

5.1 Don’t Like Mondays (Boo mtow n Ra ts)

6. Dream Police (Cheap Trick)

7. Pop Muzik (M)

8.1 Was Made For Lovin’You (Kiss) 9. Long Live Rock (The Who)

10. Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy (Bad Co.)

11. My My Hey Hey (Neil Young)

12.1Fought The Law (The Clash)

13. Roxanne (The Police)

14. Superman (The Kinks)

15. Rock Lobster (B-52"s)

BEST R & B SINGLE

1. Bad Girls (Donna Summer)

2. You Gotta Serve Somebody (Bob Dylan)

3. Sail On (Commodores)

4. Hot Stuff (Donna Summer)

5. Boom, Boom (Pat Travers)

6. After The Love Is Gone (Earth, Wind & Fire)

7. Still (Commodores)

8. PopMuzik (M)

9. Mdve It On Over (George Thorogood & the Destroyers)

10.1Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)

BESTR&B ALBUM

1. Bad Girls (Donna Summer)

2. The Jukes (Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes)

3. IAm (Earth, Wind&Fire)

4. Slow Train Coming (Bob Dylan)

5. Boogie Motel (Foghat)

6. In Through The Out Door (Led Zeppelin)

7. Move It On Over (George Thorogood & the Destroyers)

8. Rickie Lee Jones

9. Squeezing Out Sparks (Graham Parker & the Rumour)

10. Midnight Magic (Commodores)

BEST JAZZ ALBUM OF 1979

1. A Tasta For Passion (Jean-Luc Ponty)

2. Chicago XIII

3. Mingus (Joni Mitchell)

4. Rise (Herb Alpert)

5. Morning Dance (Spyro Gyra)

6.1Want To Play For You (Stanley Clarke)

7. Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Chuck Mangione)

8. Rickie Lee Jones

9. Livin’ Inside Your Love (George Benson)

10.8:30 (Weather Report)

BEST REISSUE OF 1979

1. Quadrophenia (The Who)

2. The Kids Are Alright (The Who)

3. The Clash

4. The Essential Jimi Hendrix, Vol. II

5. “I Fought The Law” (The Clash)

6. “You’re No Good” (Van Halen)

7. Greatest Hits (Rod Stewart) '

8. “Ain’t That A Shame” (Cheap Trick)

9. Shades Of Ian Hunter

10.“Money (Flying Lizards)

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“If the Beaties get hack together, ill throw up.”

Lori A. Nielsen Sterling Heights, MI

BEST NEW WAVE SINGLE

1. Dreaming (Blondie)

2. Rock Lobster (B-52’s)

3.1 Don’t Like Mondays (Boomtown Rats)

4. Roxanne (The Police)

5.1 Fought The Law (The Clash)

6. One Way Or Another (Blondie)

7. Message In A Bottle (The Police)

8. Is She Really Going Out With Him? (Joe Jackson)

9. CruelTo Be Kind (Nick Lowe)

10.Heart Of Glass (Blondie)

BEST NEW WAVE ALBUM

1. Eat To The Beat (Blondie)

2. The Clash

3. Fear Of Music (Talking Heads)

4. B-52’s

5. Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson)

6. Duty Now For The Future (Devo)

7. Armed Fortes (Elvis Costello)

8. Labour Of Lust (Nick Lowe)

9. Give ’Em Enough Rope (Clash)

10.OutiandosD’Amour (Police)

FLESH AND BLOOD

TOP THREE GROUPS

1.LsdZsppaHn -

2. Cheep Trick

3.Rodins Stones

4. Who

5. Clash

6. Cars

7. Ramones

8. VanHalen

9. Aerosmith

10. Kiss

11. Blondie

12. Kinks

13. Elvis CosteDo

14. Bruce Springsteen

15. Ted Nugent

16. Rockpile

17. Heart

18. Rush

19. Graham Parker & the Rumour

20. AC/DC

21. Fleetwood Mac

22. Judas Priest

23. B-52’s

24. Queen

25. Styx

TOP THREE LIVE GROUPS

1. Cheep Trick

Z.Who

3. Led Zeppelin

4. Clash

5.Kiss

6. Ramones

7. Rolling Stones

8. Van Halen

9. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

10. Ted Nugent

11. Cars

12. Rockpile

13. Blue Oyster Cult

14. AC/DC

15. Queen '

16. Aerosmith

17. Kinks

18. Devo

19. Styx

20. Heart

21. Blondie

22. Elvis Costello & the Attractions

23. Judas Priest

24. Jethro Tull

25. Fleetwood Mac

BEST MALE SINGER

1. Robert Plant

2. Robin Zander

3. Roger Daitrey

4. Mick Jagger

5. David Lee Roth

6. Steven Tyler

7. Elvis Costello

8. Bruce Springsteen

9. Graham Parker

10. Bob Seger

BEST FEMALE SINGER

1. Debbie HarrV

2. Ann Wilson

3. Stevie Nicks

4. Patti Smith

5. Rachel Sweet

6. LeneLovich

7. Linda Ronstadt

8. Rickie Lee Jones

9. Bonnie Raitt

10. PatBenatar

BEST NEW WAVE SINGER

1. Debbie Harry

2. Elvis Costello

3. Joe Jackson

4. Joey Ramone

5. David Byrne

6. Nick Lowe

7. JoeStrummer

8. Sting

9. Iggy

10. Graham Parker

BEST R & B GROUP

1. Rolling Stones

2. Earth, Wind & Fire

3. The Commodores

4. George Thorogood & the Destroyers

5. J. GeilsBand

6. Foghat

7. Southside Johnny & the Jukes

8. P-Funk

9. Graham Parker & the Rumour

10. Blues Bros.

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“t won't have to. Tve just discovered the concept of negative time.”

Stephen Demm Baltimore, MD

BEST R & B SINGER

1. Mick dagger

2. Donna Summer

3. Stevie Wonder

4. Southside Johnny

5. Robert Plant

6. Peter Wolf

7. George Thorogood

8. Graham Parker

9. Rod Stewart

10. Rickie Lee Jones

BEST NEW WAVE BAND/PERFORMER

1. The Clash

2. Blondie

3. The Ramones

4. The Police

5. Talking Heads

6. Elvis Costello & the Attractions

7. Devo

8. B-52’s

9. Joe Jackson

10. Rockpile

BEST KEYBOARDIST

1. John Paul Jones

2. Rick Wakeman

3. Keith Emerson

4. Greg Hawkes

5. Brian Eno

6. Dennis DeYoung

7. Jimmy Destri

8. Elton John

9. Billy Joel

10 . Kate Pierson

BEST BASSIST

1. John Entwistle

2. Topi Petersson

3. John Paul Jones

4. Paul McCartney

5. Gene Simmons

6. Tina Weymouth

7. Geddy Lee

8. Stanley Clarke

9. Bill Wyman

10. Paul Simenon

BEST GUITARIST

1. Jimmy Page

2. Rick Nielsen

3. Mick Jones (clash)

4. Edward VanHalen

5. PeteTownshend.

6. Ted Nugent'

7. Ace Frehley

8. Keith Richards

9. Johnny Ramone

10. Joe Perry

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

1. Jimmy Page

2. Rick Nielsen

3. PeteTownshend

4. Keith Richards

5. Ted Nugent

6. Brian Eno

7. Nick Lowe

8. Ron Wood

9. Robert Plant

10. Mick Jones (Clash)

BESTPRODUCER

1. Jimmy Page

2. Nick Lowe

3. Roy Thomas Baker

4. Brian Eno

5. ToddRundgren

6. Mike Chapman

7. Tom Werman

8. GlimmerTwins

9. Eddie Kramer

10. PhilSpector

BEST DRUMMER

1. John Bonham

2. Bun E. Carlos

3. Neil Peart

4. Peter Criss

5. Charlie Watts

6. Clem Burke

7. Keith Moon

8. Nicky Headon

9. David Robinson

10. Carl Palmer

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

"Teeth clenched, in the bathroom.”

Joe Slate Hollywood, CA

BEST HORN PLAYER

1. Clarence Clemmons

2. Chuck Mahgione

3. David Bowie

4. John Entwistle

5. Eddie Money

6. Herb Alpert

7. AndyMacKay

8. Alto Reed

9. Lene Lovich

10. John Helliwell

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST

l.Ian Anderson

2. Brian Eno

3. Jean-Luc Ponty

4. Magic Dick

5. Steven Tyler

6. Ann Wilson

7. David Bowie

8. Todd Rundgren

9. Fred Schneider

10. Joe Jackson

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“With my head up and my pants down "

Stan Rooks Seat Pleasant, MD

BEST SONGWRITER

1. Jimmy Page / Robert Plant

2. Rick Nielsen

3. Elvis Costello

4. Ric Ocasek

5. Bruce Springsteen

6. PeteTownshend

7. NeilYoung

8. Joe Strummer/Miek Jones

9. Mick Jagger/Keith Richards

10. Ray Davies

BEST OFTHE70’s

BEST ALBUM OF THE 70’s

1. Led Zeppelin IV

2. Bom To Run (Bruce Springsteen)

3. Alive (Kiss)

4. Some Girls (Rolling Stones)

5. Never Mind the Bollocks (Sex Pistols)

6. Who’s Next

7. Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)

18. The Clash

9. Exile on Main Street (Stones)

10. Live AtBudokan (CheapTrick)

11,. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)

12. Raw Power (Iggy Pop)

13. Quadrophenia (Who)

14. Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin)

15. Rumours (Fleetwood Mac)

BEST SONG OF THE 70’s

1. Stairway To Heaven (Led Zeppelin)

2.. Rock ’n’ Roll All Night (Kiss)

3. Free Bird.(Lynyrd Skynyrd)

4. Bom To Run (Bruce Springsteen)

5. Won’t Get Fooled Again (Who)

6. God Save The Queen (Sex Pistols)

7. Anarchy In The U.K. (Sex Pistols)

8. Surrender (CheapTrick)

9. Jocko Homo (Devo)

10. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding (Elton John)

11. School's Out (Alice Cooper)

12.1 Want You To Want Me (CheapTrick)

13. Kashmir (LedZepp&lin)

14. It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (Rolling Stones)

15. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)

BEST GROUP OF THE 70’s

1. Led Zeppelin

2. Rolling Stones

3. Kiss

4. Who

5. Sex Pistols

6. CheapTrick

7. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band

8. David Bowie

9. Elvis Costello& the Attractions

10. Clash

11. Fleetwood Mac

12. Ramones

13. Elton John

14. Aerosmith

16. Lynyrd Skynyrd

BEST THING OF THE 70’s

1. Punk / New Wave music

2. Rock ’n’ roll

3. Drugs

4. Sex

5. Heavy Metal

6. CREEM

7. Sex, drugs & rock ’n’ roll

8. Nixon’s resignation

9. Girls

10. End erf the Vietnam war

11. Parties

12. Streaking

13. Living

14. Death of punk rock

15 . Picture sleeves & discs

BEST NEW GROUP

1.The Knack

2. B-52’s

3. The Records

4. The Police

5. Joe Jackson

6. Molly Hatchet

7. Dire Straits

8. Blackfoot

9. Scorpions

10. New England

SUNDRY

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

1. No Led Zeppelin tour

2. Led Zeppelin’s In Through The Out Door

3. Sid Vicious’ death

4. Kiss

5. Disco

6. Joe Perry leaving Aerosmith

7. No Rolling Stones album

8. No Rolling Stones tour

9. No Bruce Springsteen album

10. Eleven dead at Who concert, Cincinnati

RIPOFF OF THE Y£AR

1. LP price*

2. Concert prices

3. Gas prices

4. Disco

5. Tusk

6. Kiss

7 . The Knack

‘8. Led Zeppelin

9. Drug prices

10. CREEM

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

"Armed and heavily sedated

Edouard Dauphin New York, NY

DRUG OF THE YEAR

1. Marijuana

2. Cocaine

3. Alcohol

4. Quaaludes

5. Beer

6. LSD

7. Boy Howdy!

8. Speed

9. TV

10. Mescaline

HERO/HEROINE OF THE YEAR

1. Rick Nielsen

2. Keith Richards

3. Robert Plant

4. Debbie Harry

5. Jimmy Page

6. PeteTownshend

7. Sid Vicious

8. Elvis Costello

9. NeilYoung

10. Steve Dahl

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

1. Led Zeppelin

2. Who

3. Kinks

4. Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson

5. Roxy Music

6. Iggy Pop

7. Kiss

8. NeilYoung

9. Fleetwood Mac

10. Bad Company

WORST GROUP

1.KiM

2. Bee Gees

3. The Knack

4. Village People

5. Devo

6. Led Zeppelin

7. Styx

8. Foreigner

9. Van Halen

10. Grateful Dead

MOST PATHETIC OF THE YEAR

1.KiM

2. Disco

3. Bee Gees

4. The Knack

5. Led Zeppelin

6. PeterFrampton

7. Bob Dylan

8. Elton John

9. Jimmy Carter

10. Rod Stewart

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“Without a job.”

James Meiklejohn Swartz Creek, Ml

ROCK CRITIC OF THE YEAR

1. Robert Christgen

2. Lester Bangs

3. Rick Johnson

4. Richard Riegel

5. Dave Marsh

6. Robert Duncan

7. Billy Altman

8. John Swenson

9. Lisa Robinson

10.Joe Fernbacher

ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

1. Lynn Goldsmith

2. Neal Preston

3. Bob Gruen

4. Kate Simon

5. Michael N. Marks

6. BobMatheu

7. Ron Pownall

8. Bob Alford

9. Chalkie Davies

10. Fin Costello

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“With whiter teeth, fresher breath, and theRamones.**

Gretchen Meyer NYC

ALBUM COVER OF THE YEAR

1. In Through The Oet Door (Led Zeppelin)

2. Dream Police (Cheap Trick)

3. Candy-O (Cars)

4. Fear Of Music (Talking Heads)

5. Love Drive (Scorpions)

6. The Kids Are Alright (Who)

7. Head Games (Foreigner)

8. Flirtin’ With Disaster (Molly Hatchet)

9. Look Sharp! (Joe Jackson)

10. Armed Forces (Elvis Costello)

FASHION PLATE OF THE YEAR

1. Rich NialMn,

2. Debbie Harry

3. Mick Jagger

4. Rod Stewart

5. Stevie Nicks

6. Joe Jackson

1'. Jimmy Page

8. Devo

9. RicOcasek

10. David Bowie

FAD OF THE YEAR

1. Roller Disco

2. Disco

3. Drugs

4. Punk/New Wave rock

5. Anti-disco

6. The Knack

7. Sex

8. No Nukes

9. Mods

10. Designer jeans

SEX OBJECT OF THE YEAR

1. Debbie Harry

2. Robin Zander

3. Loni Anderson

4. Stevie Nicks

5. Robert Plant ,

6. Bun E.. Carlos

7. Rachel Sweet

8. Bebe Buell

9. David Lee Roth

10. Rod Stewart

BEST TOUR

1. Cheap Trich

2. Who

3. Kiss

4. Clash

5. Van Halen

6. Rock pile

7. Kinks

8. Cars

9. New Barbarians

10. Ted Nugent

ROCK JOCK OF THE YEAR

1.Rod Stewart

2. Robert Plant

3. Roger Daltrey

4. Ted Nugent

5. Willie Stargell

6. Meat Loaf

7. Bill Lee

8. Elton John

9. Bun E. Carlos

10. IggyPop

BEST ROCK ’N’ ROLL MOVIE

1. The Kkls Are Alright

2. Rock ’n’ Roll High School

3. Life Of Brian

4. Quadrophenia

5. Rust Never Sleeps

6. Apocalypse Now

7. Alien

8. Hair

9. Rocky Horror Picture Show

10. The Rose

HOW WILL YOU FACE THE 80’s?

“Oh shitr

Connie Bennett San Diego, CA

TV SHOW OF THE YEAR

1. Saturday Night Live

2. WKRP In Cincinnati

3. Mork & Mindy

4. Soap

5. M*A*S*H

6. Monty Python

7. Benny Hill

8. Midnight Special'

9. Taxi

10. Second City TV

COUPLE OF THE YEAR

1. Stiv Baton & Bebe Buell

2. Cher & Gene Simmons

3. Rod &AlanaStewart

4. Mick & Bianca Jagger

5. Robert & Maureen Plant

6. Debbie Harry & Chris Stein

7. Linda Ronstadt& Jerry Brown

8. Nick Lowe & Carlene Carter

9. Sid Vicious& Nancy Spungen

10. Paul & Linda McCartney

PUNK OF THE YEAR

l.Iggy

2. Sid Vicious

3.Elyis Costello

4. Rick Nielsen

5. Joey Ramone

6. Mick Jones (Clash)

7. Ayatollah Khomeini

8. Keith Richards

9. Debbie Harry

10. Johnny Rotten