In their initial incarnation as post-punk co-op turned DIY-empowering independent distributor, Rough Trade Records were there for so many classic indie records: giving the world LPs by The Raincoats, Liliput, Young Marble Giants (pictured!), Television Personalities, Swell Maps, This Heat, The Fall, etc.From there, Rough Trade became the home of The Smiths, tending to the jangle-pop pin-ups peerless discography through a purple patch in the '80s. Then they discovered Galaxie 500, gave the world The Sundays, and put out the first Mazzy Star album.
After going bankrupt in 1991, the label came back to life a decade later, riding early signings The Strokes and The Libertines to instantaneous success. Since then, there's been little chance of Rough Trade disappearing on us all over again.
In wanting to enshrine the label's most 'classic' releases in a countdown, it swiftly dawned on me: the post-Strokes era has been fun and all, but Rough Trade's identity —its legacy— is its astonishing run through the 1980s, the 'golden age' of UK indie, for many. So, here we are: from 1980 to 1990, ten years that produced 10 Classic Rough Trade Albums...
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