The Best Album of 1989 Round 2 Match #67 #16 Galaxie 500, ON FIRE vs. #49 808 State, 90 forms.gle/TeeEWFGXzXsy...
Replies
On Fire is the 1989 album I’ve listened to most since this tournament started…I really love it! and one of these days I’m going to sing “Strange” at karaoke and I’ll make sure that it sounds extremely petulant because having to eat your Twinkies while waiting in line at the drugstore is an insult
aug 26, 2025, 2:37 pm • 4 1 • view
Reclaim the bucket hat from boring rock dads and vote for 808.
aug 26, 2025, 3:57 pm • 8 1 • view
I guess it'll lose because it's not real music or something. I mean, I like moping around as much as anyone but you've got to have fun sometimes.
aug 26, 2025, 3:58 pm • 6 1 • view
Hmm. This might just swing my vote.
aug 26, 2025, 10:02 pm • 5 1 • view
This is why I like this format. On Fire rather washed over me in R1 but I really enjoyed it second time round. I also enjoyed 90 both times round.
aug 26, 2025, 9:50 pm • 4 1 • view
Back in early 1990 I won tickets to see They Might Be Giants in concert; Galaxie 500 was the opener. 16 year old me DID NOT understand the point of Galaxie 500, so moody and sad! 4 years later, angsty Russian Studies major/college radio DJ me couldn't get enough of it.
aug 26, 2025, 2:05 pm • 7 1 • view
Huh, having missed these in round 1 I was fully expecting 808 State to be the obvious winner but beyond (the worst version of) Pacific State it's pretty dull, particularly given the stirrings of 'ardcore that were floating around in 1989. The Galaxie 500, OTOH, is surprisingly gorgeous
aug 27, 2025, 11:29 am • 1 1 • view
Thought this vote would be closer. Huh.
aug 26, 2025, 8:27 pm • 1 1 • view
Don’t be Strange, vote loud like Blue Thunder or I’ll hit you with a Plastic Bird.
aug 26, 2025, 2:20 pm • 1 1 • view
Fun Fact: That’s Ralph Carney playing sax on the Galaxie 500 record—he played with almost every cool person & is Patrick Carney’s uncle. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_C...
aug 26, 2025, 2:25 pm • 4 1 • view
There’s an alternate (even better?) version of Blue Thunder with Carney’s sax. youtu.be/f5Zy48-dVI8?...
aug 26, 2025, 2:31 pm • 4 1 • view
#16 Galaxie 500, ON FIRE Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/1qhNLX... YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsfv... Defeated: #113 Aerosmith, PUMP
aug 26, 2025, 2:08 pm • 2 0 • view
#49 808 State, 90 Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/46z1u2... YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xVP... Defeated: #80 LL Cool J, WALKING WITH A PANTHER
aug 26, 2025, 2:11 pm • 1 0 • view
ON FIRE defeats 90, 108-51-1.
aug 27, 2025, 2:01 pm • 7 2 • view
ON FIRE is one of the 32 best albums of 1989.
aug 27, 2025, 2:02 pm • 1 0 • view
Tough call from a quant perspective. Obvs 808 > 500. But a Galaxie is very much larger than a State.
aug 26, 2025, 2:31 pm • 13 1 • view
Ah but 808 exist in a transcendental state outside of physical space
aug 26, 2025, 4:04 pm • 3 1 • view
Is it everything or nothing? It’s also 2 x 404 and 404 doesn’t exist.
aug 26, 2025, 4:22 pm • 3 1 • view
Could go either way on this one. Both groups are influential within their sphere, both albums are some of their best work. But in 2025, there's one I would much rather listen to than the other.
aug 26, 2025, 5:25 pm • 1 1 • view
Like both but 808 State is pretty cool so I thought I'd toss it a vote.
aug 26, 2025, 2:41 pm • 4 1 • view
Also Galaxie 500 released a live album on Bandcamp recently!
aug 26, 2025, 3:18 pm • 3 1 • view
Looking forward, I feel like that Fugazi vs NoMeansNo matchup will break me. You did that on purpose didn't you?
aug 26, 2025, 3:22 pm • 7 1 • view
One of the ten or so best albums in indie rock history vs ... a band named after a drum machine. Hmmmm ....
aug 26, 2025, 3:20 pm • 1 1 • view
I'll take the most iconic drum machine in history in that case
aug 27, 2025, 10:05 am • 7 1 • view
The virgin indie rock history vs the chad “Pacific State”
aug 27, 2025, 10:08 am • 5 1 • view
If someone was like, "I'm gonna play you a song called BLUE THUNDER," and then played "Blue Thunder," I feel like most people would be sorely disappointed. Cool song though. Anyway, I'll take proto-Luna playing at a Cowboy Junkies tempo over half "Y'ALL READY FOR THIS?"/half Ibiza with the lispy Z.
aug 26, 2025, 2:14 pm • 2 1 • view