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

TRAILER
- 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.

ROYALTY DONATION 

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

BOOK AWARDS

- London Book Festival Award (2012: Music, 1st Place)
- Paris Book Festival Award (2012: Anthologies, 1st Place)
- San Francisco Book Festival Award (2012: Anthologies, 1st Place)
- New England Book Festival Award (2012: Anthologies, 1st Place)
- DIY Book Festival Award (2012: Art/Photography, 2nd Place)

- New York Book Festival (2012: Art/Photography, Honorable Mention)  

- International Book Awards (2012: Popular Culture, 1st Place)

- International Book Awards (2012: History - Media/Entertainment, 1st Place)
- USA Book News Awards (2012: Popular Culture, 1st Place)
- USA Book News Awards (2012, History - Media/Entertainment, Finalist)
- USA Book News Awards (2012, Interior Design, Finalist)

- Next Generation Indie Book Award (2012: Overall Non-Fiction, 2nd Place)
- Next Generation Indie Book Award (2012: Coffee Table Book/Photography, 1st Place) 
- Next Generation Indie Book Award (2012: Best Overall Design, Finalist) 

- Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) (2012: Art/Music, 2nd Place) 

- Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) (2012: Overall Book Marketing, 2nd Place)

- ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award (2012: Performing Arts/Music, Finalist) 

- Eric Hoffer Book Award (2012: Art, Finalist)

- National Indie Excellence Book Award (2012: Coffee Table Book, Finalist)
- National Indie Excellence Book Aawrd (2012: Art, Finalist)
- National Indie Excellence Book Award (2012: Interior Design Non-Fiction, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Art Book, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Coffee Table Book, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Overall Book Design, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Interior Layout, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Cover Design, Finalist)
- Midwest Independent Publishers Book Award (MIPA) (2012: Book Marketing, Finalist)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.; 1St Edition edition (September 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764338315
• ISBN-13: 978-0764338311
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.9 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #546,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Records

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

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

By Gareth Pugh

Format: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'.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reliving the 80s January 6, 2013

By Mark Silveira

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

High school in the 80s was all about the music for me. This book took me back to the days of going through the 12" bins looking for the latest remix of my favorite band. It's great to see record art again. This book is great for anyone who remembers the 12" vinyl from the 80s

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

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

By K. Barnes

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

...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.