Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Be Yourself Tonight, the fourth studio album from Eurythmics. This Platinum seller went to number 25 in Austria, number 20 in France, number 9 in Switzerland, number 8 in Germany, number 3 in the UK, number 2 in New Zealand, Norway and Sweden, and number 1 in Australia. Here in the US, it spent forty-five weeks on the Billboard Album chart with a top spot of number 9.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Goodbye Cruel World

This week (June 18th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Goodbye Cruel World, the ninth studio album from Elvis Costello (the eighth with the Attractions). This 1984 release hit number 53 in Australia, number 52 in Japan, number 32 in New Zealand, number 20 in Sweden and number 10 in the UK. In the US, it spent twenty-one weeks on the Billboard Album chart and peaked at number 35.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Armed Forces

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Sunday.

Today (January 5th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of Armed Forces, the third studio album from Elvis Costello and the first to officially credit the Attractions on the cover. This 1979 release charted at number 13 in the Netherlands, number 12 in Norway, number 11 in Sweden, number 10 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 9 in Australia and New Zealand, number 8 in Canada, and number 2 in the UK.

Elvis Costello - Punch The Clock

Today (August 5th) marks the thirtieth anniversary of Punch The Clock, the eighth studio album from Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The album charted at number 27 in the Netherlands, number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 22 in Australia, number 18 in Norway, number 9 in Sweden, number 6 in New Zealand and number 3 in the UK.

Elvis Costello - This Year's Model (35th anniversary)

Today (March 17th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of the release of This Year's Model, the second studio album from Elvis Costello.

For my full review of this 1978 album, please click here.

Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Imperial Bedroom

Thirty years ago today (July 2, 1982), Elvis Costello and the Attraction released their seventh studio album Imperial Bedroom.

The album went to number 29 in Australia, number 45 in the Netherlands, number 37 in New Zealand, number 30 in both Sweden and in the US, number 18 in Norway and number 6 in the UK. It was voted best album of the year in a critics’ poll in New York City‘s The Village Voice. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 38 on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 80’s, and number 166 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Nick Lowe - Labour of Lust

Happy sixty-third birthday today (March 24th) to English singer, songwriter and producer Nick Lowe.

In 1979, Lowe released his second solo album Labour of Lust. While the name on the album is Lowe’s, the effort includes all of his band mates from Rockpile (Dave Edmunds and Billy Bremner on guitars and backing vocals, and Terry Williams on drums).

Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

Welcome to another edition of Seventies Saturday.

On March 17th of 1978, Elvis Costello released This Year’s Model, his second studio album. It was also the first he recorded with the Attractions (Steve Nieve on keyboards, Bruce Thomas on bass and Pete Thomas on drums), the start of a long working relationship together. It sold fairly well, going Gold in both the UK and the US. As far as chart positions, it also did respectable (number 4 in the UK, number 15 in Norway, number 10 in Sweden and number 30 in the US).

The record was a critical success and has left its mark decades later. Q magazine ranked it at number 82 on its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 98 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.

Elvis Costello - Blood & Chocolate

For his eleventh studio album Blood & Chocolate, released in the fall of 1986, Elvis Costello reunited with is usual backing band the Attractions and with producer Nick Lowe. While the album did well on the UK album charts (peaking at number 16), it failed to make it onto the US Billboard album charts.