Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute [Hardcover]

Matthew Chojnacki (Author), Nick Rhodes (Afterword), Jake Shears (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2011

In the 1980s, music defined the moment: "Video Killed the Radio Star" ushered in MTV, "Don't You (Forget about Me)" ruled The Breakfast Club, and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became the anthem of a generation. The 1980s were also the most visually provocative era of the last millennium. Every new vinyl single hit the stands wrapped in eye-catching sleeves that reflected the latest trends.

Put the Needle on the Record is pop culture historian Matthew Chojnacki's definitive guide to 7- and 12-inch vinyl single artwork from the '80s. He presents and compares more than 250 vinyl single covers, representing nearly every prominent musician of the decade. Read the previously untold stories behind the 1980s' most iconic images from the designers and visual talent behind Madonna, Prince, Adam Ant, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Clash, Pet Shop Boys, Kate Bush, and more.

Coupled with exclusive commentary from more than 100 of the '80s biggest musicians, including Annie Lennox, Duran Duran, Run-DMC, Gary Numan, The B-52's, Erasure, OMD, Scorpions, The Knack, and Yoko Ono, this is an authoritative journey back to the songs and images that continue to influence our culture.

Contains a foreword by Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters and an afterword by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"One of the best books for the ultimate music fan."
- Rolling Stone

"If you miss the 80s, or missed the 80s, buy this book." - --NY Post

"A magnificent and important release.....97/100" --- Peek-A-Boo Magazine

"Dazzling eye candy. Outrageous, hot-hued, ironic and, above all, erotic."
- The Seattle Times

"A lively blast from the past. See the sound."
- St. Petersburg Times

"A nostalgic treasure trove." --- Modern Tonic

"Terrific...the perfect gift for the music fan in your life."
- Scene Magazine

"A conversation-starting coffee-table book...instantly engaging." --- CoolCleveland.com


"1980s single cover art was cheeky, sexy, punchy, and glam. Matthew Chojnacki vividly chronicles the best of the bunch, illuminating the way music looked via comments from rock stars and art directors with a strong eye for the visual." --Michael Musto, The Village Voice

"Brilliant. Insightful. Revealing." --Nina Blackwood, MTV

"The 1980s. The spin point of a time where the collision of art, culture, class, nation, and government was fueled by the steroids of technology. Put the Needle on the Record is a great read on an era that many consider the new '60s." --Chuck D, Public Enemy

"Put the Needle on the Record proves that the '80s wasn't the decade that taste forgot - but rather the era where single artwork came of age and caught up with its LP predecessor... before CDs changed the landscape for good." --Jason Draper, Record Collector Magazine

"As a dyed in the wool, long-term record collector, I loved this survey of picture sleeves from the 1980s. This decade was really the end of the vinyl singles period as we know it, and these images were ephemeral icons that would be lost in the mist of time without this kind of labor of love." --Terry Stewart, President & CEO, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

"Modern day cover art simply cannot compare with sleeves from the '70s and '80s. Mainstream record labels began making the quickest images in the cheapest way possible, and we lost sight of appreciating art for its artistic value. Put the Needle on the Record, thankfully, examines these lost '80s gems. Life is beautiful." ----Mr. Brainwash

From the Author

Watch the trailer for Put the Needle on the Record! Click on "Visit Amazon's Matthew Chojnacki Page" in the "More About the Author" section below.

Book of the Year (Music) - London Book Festival - 2012.

Book of the Year (Anthologies) - New England Book Festival - 2012.

Book of the Year Runner-Up (Photography/Art) - DIY Book Festival - 2012.

20% of the author's royalties from Put the Needle on the Record will be donated to the Keep a Child Alive foundation.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. (September 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764338315
• ISBN-13: 978-0764338311
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 9.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #221,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Education & Reference > Publishing & Books > Bibliographies & Indexes > History

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the attic!, November 2, 2011

By 

Gareth Pugh - See all my reviews

This review is from: Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute (Hardcover)

An excellent book and one that will have you running back to those boxes in the attic to drink in some of that artwork and heady memories first-hand again. More than just a trip down memory lane, author Matthew Chojnacki has mustered a truly impressive quantity and quality of all-new commentary from many of the artists - graphic and musical variety - involved in creating these sleeves back in the day, interpreting what they were going for creatively and what it means to them now. Also, in a clever and rewarding move, he structures it so that sleeves are often presented in pairs, tracing out where one may have influenced another. An excellent time capsule, sure, but it's no dusty, static museum-piece in paper - instead, a really fun, thought-provoking and alive 'read'.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Journey Thorugh the 80s!, October 9, 2011

By 

Charles Reader (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute (Hardcover)

Anyone who has the slightest interest in pop music, graphic art, or 1980s pop culture will find this book to be fun, fascinating, and a tremendous resource. The full-color reproductions of 45 RPM singles - a late lamented art form - evoke a period in pop music history when hip hop, techno, glam, post-punk, powerpop, metal, reggae, and R&B all jostled for space on the shelves of your local record store. You're sure to find your favorites (mine are the Atlantics, Ramones, B-52s, Debbie Harry, and other seminal pop-punk artists). A true treasure and a perfect gift book for the holidays!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So good, it makes me sad..., October 10, 2011

By 

K. Barnes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Put the Needle on the Record: The 1980s at 45 Revolutions Per Minute (Hardcover)

...sad for the generations of music fans that will never know first hand, the exquisite joy that was the 80s 12". This amazing collection of cover art unearths memories of record shop visits past. A well balanced and loving compendium of a medium that is one of the best representations of the era's exuberance.