OUR PICK OF THE FINEST NEW ALBUMS, REISSUES, VARIOUS ARTIST COMPILATIONS AND BOOKS FROM ACROSS THE PAST 12 MONTHS

JOHN EARLS, WYNDHAM WALLACE, MARK LINDORES AND STEVE HARNELL

NEW ALBUMS

1 TEARS FOR FEARS THE TIPPING POINT

CONCORD

Properly in harmony for the first time since Songs From The Big Chair, Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith renewing their friendship made for pop magic. Rather than play it safe, The Tipping Point finds room for Led Zep rock, Robert Wyatt folk and Radiohead electronics. A perfect comeback album.

“Thank you to everyone at Classic Pop for all your support and making The Tipping Point your album of the year – and thank you to all your readers for welcoming us back. The Tipping Point is one of our favourite albums and we are so grateful for the response it’s garnered and that you love it as much as we do.”

TEARS FOR FEARS

2 XPROPAGANDA THE HEART IS STRANGE

ZTT

Fed up of waiting for Propaganda’s men to get their act together, Claudia Brücken and Susanne Freytag’s first collaborative LP since 1985’s peerless A Secret Wish was synth-pop in excelsis. The melodies were magnificent and – aided by producer Stephen Lipson (Annie Lennox, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Paul McCartney) – the soundscapes were equally infectious while stuffed with drama.

3 SUEDE AUTOFICTION

BMG

Yes, yes, Suede are great at melancholic drama, too, but there’s something about Brett Anderson pirouetting about, accompanied by Richard Oakes firing off his best Banshees riffs, that makes for Suede’s greatest moments. Their finest pop album alongside Coming Up, here is an unexpectedly magnificent late-period classic.

4 PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT N.K-POP

EMI

Reaching No.1 for the first time as a duo on 2020’s Manchester Calling gave Heaton & Abbott room to be totally uncompromising. The familiar warm singalongs were present, but so too were Heaton’s most explicit political statements since The Housemartins, delivered with humour and faith in humanity.

5 SOFT CELL *HAPPINESS NOT INCLUDED

BMG

Now 20 years after their flawed first comeback album, Marc and Dave got the mood right this time. Every aspect of Soft Cell was on show, from deviant drama (Nighthawks) via Polaroid’s harsh beats to the moving scarves aloft Pet Shop Boys collaboration, Purple Zone. A fabulous reminder of how there’s no-one else quite like them.