CMJ the Year in Alternative Music 1981 (1998)

About this title: The third volume in CMJ magazine's series documenting the roots of alternative rock spotlights the increasing diffusion of college radio playlists -- while tracks like X's "We're Desperate" and Black Flag's "Rise Above" continued carrying the flag for American punk and hardcore, in Britain the new trend was the emergence of synth-pop, with groups including Ultravox ("The Voice"), Japan ("The Art of Parties") and Spandau Ballet ("To Cut a Long Story Short") all making waves. Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Tracks:

1. Pretty in Pink [Psychedelic Furs]
2. Antmusic [Ant/Pirroni]
3. Big Brown Eyes [Holsapple]
4. Rise Above [Ginn]
5. We're Desperate [Doe/Cervenka]
6. Ghost Town [Dammers]
7. Spellbound [Siouxsie & the Bans]
8. Warm Leatherette [Miller]
9. Tyler [UB Forty]
10. To Cut a Long Story Short [Kemp]
11. Souvenir [Orchestral Manoeuvr]
12. O Superman (For Massenet) [Anderson]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.