Sorting out your own choice of the year’s best music can be a more difficult task than might at first seem apparent: it involves putting aside those albums you know you should include to give you that elusive hipness to get to those pieces of music which really meant something to you! Apart from the rise of ‘packaged’ pop, 1982 was remarkable primarily for the consolidation and mass acceptance of electronic music – from The Human League’s huge sales achievements across the ballpark to Vangelis’ lush sound-tracks. That and the infusion of funk and African music into the mainstream of pop culture were the only readily identifiable trends.

My biggest personal disappointment came with the break-up of Mark Beer’s band Sneezes In China … Deaths In Paris, who after an excellent demo came to an untimely end. Hopefully Beer’s music will be made available in some form in the near future. My interest in electronic music was best rewarded by some low-key releases. Wall Of Voodoo’s second outing ‘Call Of The West’ in particular marked a healthy fusion of styles, while French duo Kas Product brought out an intriguing debut album in ‘Try Out’ – an alternative choice to Yazoo, whose own debut was something of a disappointment. On the lighter side, instead of Dollar’s over-rated output I suggest you look towards data, a trio fronted by ex-Sailor man and producer George Kajanus, for some highly commercial synthi-pop. The album’s called ‘Opera Electronica’. I also liked Blancmange’s ‘Happy Families’ and the German girl band Malaria’s ‘Emotions’.

Other non-mainstream albums which proved worthwhile: King Sunny Ade’s ‘Ju-Ju Music’, a refreshing change; Gun Clubs raw, raucous rock’n’roll on ‘Fire Of Love’ – go for the French copy on New Rose, its sleeve is so much better than its UK release. American band The BHongos’ compilation album of their UK Fetish releases entitled ‘Drums Along The Hudson’; and the two albums from Australian band The Church.

From the more established names those to yield most enduring pleasure were John Cale’s ‘Music For A New Society’; Simple Minds’ latest and loveliest ‘New Gold Dream’, Ultravox’s somewhat unadventurous but entertaining ‘Quarter’; Japan’s ‘Tin Drum’; Thomas Leer’s invigorating ‘Contradictions; and The Associates’ album of the early singles, ‘Fourth Drawer Down’.

Special mentions … Best re-issues: ‘How Does It Feel To Feel’ by The Creation, and The Misunderstood’s album – both part of Cherry Red’s archive series, best Irish album was ‘If I Die, I Die’ by The Virgin Prunes; and Statik’s ‘Your Secret’s Safe With Us’ worked as a compilation of unknowns.

There was a lot of good music if you knew where to look covering every taste and style, and offering a suitable refuge from the turmoil of everyday living. There aren’t many left.