Best Post-Punk Albums

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1. 1
   JujuSiouxsie and the Banshees

   Juju

   Siouxsie and the Banshees · 1981 · Punk & New Wave

   A dark, swirling post-punk peak that helped shape goth. Atmospheric and sharp. Their defining record.

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2. 2
   Ocean RainEcho & the Bunnymen

   Ocean Rain

   Echo & the Bunnymen · 1984 · Punk & New Wave

   A lush, string-laden peak of dramatic post-punk, home to 'The Killing Moon'. Grand and beautiful. Their masterpiece.

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3. 3
   CloserJoy Division

   Closer

   Joy Division · 1980 · Punk & New Wave

   Released weeks after Curtis's death, it is colder and more electronic than the debut, and almost unbearably moving in hindsight. Bleak, beautiful and pivotal in the move toward New Order. A landmark of British music.

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4. 4
   Entertainment!Gang of Four

   Entertainment!

   Gang of Four · 1979 · Punk & New Wave

   A jagged, danceable post-punk landmark of funk bass and Marxist critique. Angular and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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5. 5
   Chairs MissingWire

   Chairs Missing

   Wire · 1978 · Punk & New Wave

   A more textured, art-rock follow-up to Pink Flag. Inventive and acclaimed. A post-punk cornerstone.

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6. 6
   The ScreamSiouxsie and the Banshees

   The Scream

   Siouxsie and the Banshees · 1978 · Punk & New Wave

   A stark, influential post-punk debut that shaped goth. Sharp and acclaimed. A cornerstone.

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7. 7
   In the Flat FieldBauhaus

   In the Flat Field

   Bauhaus · 1980 · Punk & New Wave

   A gloomy, angular goth landmark of dread. Dark and influential. A genre cornerstone.

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8. 8
   Unknown PleasuresJoy Division

   Unknown Pleasures

   Joy Division · 1979 · Punk & New Wave

   Stark, cavernous post-punk shaped by Martin Hannett's spacious production and Ian Curtis's haunted baritone. It still sounds isolated and modern decades on. A foundational record for goth, post-punk and everything that followed.

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9. 9
   Marquee MoonTelevision

   Marquee Moon

   Television · 1977 · Punk & New Wave

   Twin-guitar interplay and lean songwriting that pushed punk toward art-rock, peaking in the ten-minute title track. Precise and thrilling. A foundational record.

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10. 10
    Pink FlagWire

    Pink Flag

    Wire · 1977 · Punk & New Wave

    A brilliant, minimalist punk debut of short, jagged art-songs. Sharp and influential. Far ahead of its time.

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11. 11
    Metal BoxPublic Image Ltd

    Metal Box

    Public Image Ltd · 1979 · Punk & New Wave

    Lydon's post-Pistols plunge into dub-heavy, dread-soaked experiment. Challenging and influential. A post-punk landmark.

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12. 12
    AdventureTelevision

    Adventure

    Television · 1978 · Punk & New Wave

    A melodic, cleaner follow-up to Marquee Moon. Tuneful and acclaimed. A high point.

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13. 13
    Drums and WiresXTC

    Drums and Wires

    XTC · 1979 · Punk & New Wave

    A sharp, angular new-wave peak, home to 'Making Plans for Nigel'. Inventive and tuneful. A breakthrough.

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14. 14
    154Wire

    154

    Wire · 1979 · Punk & New Wave

    A textured, art-rock peak of post-punk invention. Bold and acclaimed. A high point.

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15. 15
    Real LifeMagazine

    Real Life

    Magazine · 1978 · Punk & New Wave

    A cerebral, keyboard-driven post-punk debut. Sharp and influential. A cult landmark.

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16. 16
    The Modern DancePere Ubu

    The Modern Dance

    Pere Ubu · 1978 · Punk & New Wave

    An avant-garde post-punk debut of industrial unease. Bold and influential. A cult landmark.

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