The Last Waltz: Reflecting on Pushead's "Unofficial Top 100 of the '80s"
Felix Havoc of Havoc Records spins the records from Pushead's "Unofficial Top 100 of the '80s"
Pushead's "Unofficial Top 100 of the '80s" is just that: a list compiled by Pushead on what he felt were the top 100 hardcore releases of the 1980s. It has become the gold standard for many hardcore fans; referenced by collectors and touted by labels reissuing the titles that appear on it. Rightfully so. Pushead had one of the best ears of the era and was well known for choice taste. The list was published in the March 1990 issue of Thrasher Magazine. Entitled "The Last Waltz" with artwork by Icons Of Filth artist Squeal, it was the last entry in the Puszone series in Thrasher.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the "Unofficial Top 100," we have a podcast featuring one track from each of the 100 releases hosted by Felix Havoc of Havoc Records. While spinning the records, Felix offers insight into the social and political climate of the 1980s, illustrating how the angst and outrage of the era manifested itself in hardcore punk. Felix also details Pushead's contributions to hardcore in the 1980s through Pusmort, Septic Death and his writings in Thrasher and Maximum RockNRoll.
We hope you'll enjoy the podcast and join us in obsessing about who made the cut vs. who didn't and why.
The photos of the records seen here come from the personal collection of Felix Havoc. That's 98/100 for those playing at home with "bought it new" being a common theme.
Photos of the "Unofficial Top 100 of the '80s" article in Thrasher from the collection of Kevin at the Look Back Library archive of skateboarding magazines. You can view the Look Back Library and the Skate Mag Preservation Society online at http://www.lookbacklibrary.org/ or on their Instagram.
For those interested, the full article is available online on the Thrasher Magazine website here.
