Ghostown

Recorded in 1979 and produced by Toni Visconti of David Bowie fame, Ghostown was a masterpiece that transcended the prevailing post-punk genre. The songs were literary and supremely well-crafted and ranged from the frantic pop of ‘Million Dollar Hero’ and the music hall meets Berlin cabaret of ‘Kitty Rickets’ to the more traditional sounding ‘Faithful Departed’ (later recorded by Moving Hearts). While it confused some fans of the band’s original punk incarnation, it received rave reviews and remains a key album of the period. The band’s Phil Chevron, who would later go on to play a pivotal role in The Pogues, later said of the LP: “In a sense Ghostown is a skip full of memories”. Yeah, but what memories!

No 41 in 2009, as voted for by over 200 Irish musicians. Down from No 26 in 2004.