Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Swordfishtrombones, the seventh studio album from American rocker Tom Waits. This September of 1983 release, the first album Waits produced himself, reached number 167 on the US Billboard Album chart, number 62 in the UK, number 48 in the Netherlands, number 45 in New Zealand and number 18 in Norway.

Spin magazine, in 1989, ranked it the second greatest album for all time. UK music magazine Q, in 2006, placed it at number 36 on its list of the 40 Best Albums of the 80’s. Pitchfork Media listed it as the 11th best album of the 1980’s while Slant Magazine listed it at number 26 on its Best Albums of the 1980’s list. Even Rolling Stone magazine’s reviewer Don Shewey gave it a four-star rating in the November 24th, 1983, issue of that periodical.