The 25 best Indie albums of 1979

17 October 2025, 19:00

Take a trip back to the final days of the 1970s, with classic albums from The Jam, The Police, Joy Division, The Clash, The Cure and more.

By Radio X

@RadioX

1. Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces: release date 5th January 1979

   Costello's third album featured the hits Accidents Will Happen and Oliver's Army.

   

2. Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material: release date 2nd February 1979

   The debut album from the Belfats punk band included their all time greatest tunes Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster. It made a respectable Number 14 in the UK charts.

   

3. Sparks - No 1 In Heaven: release date 1st March 1979

   American brothers Ron and Russell Mael had something of a dry spell following their hits in the early 70s, but they came storming back with this hugely influential collection of synth-pop anthems, produced by German techno genius Giorgio Moroder. Singles included Tryouts For The Human Race, Beat The Clock and the epic Number One Song In Heaven.

   

4. The Undertones - The Undertones: release date 6th May 1979

   The debut album from the Derry band initially didn't include the classic Teenage Kicks, but a reissue later the same year added the hit and Get Over You. Also included on the LP were Here Comes The Summer and Jimmy Jimmy.

   

5. The Cure - Three Imaginary Boys: release date 11th May 1979

   Robert Smith and his band from Crawley, Sussex, released their debut album in 1979 with a perplexing cover with no proper track titles listed. The LP didn't even include the single Boys Don't Cry, which was issued a month later.

   

6. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures: release date 15th June 1979

   The legendary Manchester band released their timeless debut album on Factory Records in June 1979. The album included Disorder, New Dawn Fades and She's Lost Control. An accompanying single, Transmission, was released later in the year.

   

7. The B-52's - The B-52's: release date 6th July 1979

   The debut album from the Athens, Georgia new wave quintet included the singles 52 Girls, Dance This Mess Around, Planet Claire and the eternal dancefloor favourite Rock Lobster.

   

8. The Stranglers - The Raven: release date 15th September 1979

   The British post-punk band's fourth album included the singles Duchess, Don't Bring Harry and Nuclear Device (The Wizard Of Aus).

   

9. Talking Heads - Fear Of Music: release date 3rd August 1979

   The New York art rockers released their third album, which included the classic Life During Wartime and the single Cities.

   

10. XTC - Drums & Wires: release date 17th August 1979

    The Swindon band's third album saw them working with producer Steve Lilywhite to refine their "new wave" sound, which resulted in the Top 20 hit Making Plans For Nigel, written by bassist Colin Moulding.

    

11. Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle: release date 7th September 1979

    Having dropped the band name Tubeway Army, Numan reinvented himself as a solo artist and achieved a No 1 hit with the single Cars.

    

12. The Slits - Cut: release date 7th September 1979

    From its confrontational cover to its fusion of punk and reggae, Cut is one of the most influential debut albums of the era. The trio of Ari Up, Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt were joined by drummer Budgie for this classic, which included the track Typical Girls.

    

13. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Join Hands: release date 7th September 1979

    The second album from the post-punk titans unfortunately saw the departure of guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris shortly after release. Playground Twist was the single to be taken from the LP.

    

14. Buzzcocks - A Different Kind Of Tension: release date 21st September 1979

    The third album from the Manchester punks spawned the single You Say You Don't Love Me, which failed to chart. However, it was preceded by the standalone 7" Harmony In My Head which went to Number 32 in July 1979. Buzzcocks wouldn't release any more new material for a year and the group fizzled out while attempting to write a fourth album in 1981.

    

15. Gang Of Four - Entertainment: release date 25th September 1979

    The debut album from the acclaimed Leeds post-punk outfit included the tracks I Found That Essence Rare, Not Great Men, Return The Gift and Damaned Goods.

    

16. Blondie - Eat To The Beat: release date 28th September 1979

    The band's fourth album features the huge hit Atomic (released as a single in 1980), Dreaming and Union City Blue.

    

17. The Police - Reggatta de Blanc: release date 5th October 1979

    The second album from Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland spawned two No 1 hits in Message In A Bottle and Walking On The Moon.

    

18. The Human League - Reproduction: release date 5th October 1979

    The Sheffield synth-pop pioneers' debut album was considered something of a flop at the time, peaking at Number 34 in the UK album charts. Tracks included Circus Of Death, Empire State Human and a morose cover of You've Lost That Loving Feeling. The line-up of Philip Oakey, Martyne Ware, Ian Craig Marsh and Phillip Adrian Wright would record one more album before splitting - Oakey and Wright would continue the band with the smash hit LP Dare in 1981.

    

19. The Specials - The Specials: release date 19th October 1979

    The debut album from the Coventry ska band included the classic single A Message To You Rudy, plus a cover of Toots & The Maytals' Monkey Man.

    

20. The Boomtown Rats – The Fine Art of Surfacing: release date 2nd November 1979

    The third album from Bob Geldof's post-punks included the single Someone's Looking At You, plus the No 1 hit I Don't Like Mondays.

    

21. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette: release date 9th November 1979

    The third album from the British punks is their only outing to feature Algy Ward on bass and includes the excellent singles Love song, Smash It Up and I Just Can't Be Happy Today.

    

22. The Jam - Setting Sons: release date 16th November 1979

    The band's fourth album featured the massive hit Eton Rifles, and rode the wave of the Mod revival which came to a climax with the release of the Quadrophenia movie that year.

    

23. Public Image Ltd - Metal Box: release date 23rd November 1979

    John Lydon's post-Sex Pistols, post-punk collective released their second album, which originally came in a metal tin containing the album across three 12" singles. The track Radio 4 gave the New York band their name, while the song Poptones inspired the name of Alan McGee's post-Creation label.

    

24. The Clash - London Calling: release date 14th December 1979

    The punk legends issued their third album was a double and featured the title track and the tracks Guns Of Brixton and Train In Vain.

    

25. The Pretenders - Pretenders: release date 27th December 1979

    The debut album from Chrissie Hynde's new wave band included the singles Stop Your Sobbing, Kid and the No 1 Brass In Pocket.