Wiki
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Release Date
3 August 1979
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Length
11 tracks
Fear of Music is the third studio album by American new wave band Talking Heads, released on 3 August 1979 on Sire Records. It was recorded at locations in New York City during April and May 1979 and was produced by Brian Eno and Talking Heads. The album reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 and Number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. It spawned the singles "Life During Wartime", "I Zimbra", and "Cities".
Fear of Music received favorable reviews from critics. Praise centered on its unconventional rhythms and frontman David Byrne's lyrical performances. The album is often considered one of Talking Heads' best releases and has been featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of all time. Fear of Music was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on September 17, 1985, after more than 500,000 copies were sold in the U.S.
Fear of Music was named the best album of 1979 by NME, Melody Maker, and the Los Angeles Times. The New York Times included it on its unnumbered shortlist of the 10 best records issued that year. Sounds placed the album at number two on its "Best of 1979" staff list, behind the Specials' eponymous release. It placed fourth in the 1979 Pazz & Jop critics' poll run by The Village Voice, which aggregates the votes of hundreds of prominent reviewers.
In 1985, NME placed Fear of Music at Number 68 on its writers' list of the "All Time 100 Albums". In 1987, Rolling Stone placed it at Number 94 on its list of the best albums of the previous 20 years. In 1999, it was included at Number 33 on The Guardian's list of the "Top 100 Albums That Don't Appear in All the Other Top 100 Albums of All Time". In 2004, Pitchfork featured the record at number 31 on its "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s" list, while in 2005, Channel 4 ranked it at number 76 during its "100 Greatest Albums" countdown. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
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