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MALE SINGER

1 Sting
2 David Bowie
3 Paul Weller
4 John Lydon
5 Robert Plant
6 Feargal Sharkey
7 Gary Numan
8 Joe Strummer
9 Elvis Costello
10 Ian Dury
11 Dave Vanian
12 Bruce Springsteen
13 Bob Geldof
14 Freddie Mercury
15 Roger Daltrey

The omnipresent voice of '79 finally breaks a six-year stranglehold by Messrs D. Bowie and R. Plant, as Sting carries off the trophy even Johnny Rotten couldn't capture, crowning The Police's convincing assault on every chart from Face Of The Decade to Film Of The Year. Feargal Sharkey of The Undertones also warbles his way into contention, above even the Numenoid, while Dave Vanian makes a surprise entry at No.11. Bob Geldof takes a drop from No. 4, and out completely go Jon Anderson, Pete Shelley and Peter Gabriel, as well as ye olde Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger.


SONGWRITER
1 Paul Weller
2 Plant/Page
3 David Bowie
4 ENS Costello
5 Sting
6 Gary Numan
7 Strummer/Jones
8 Neil Young
9 Waters/Gilmour
10 Jimmy O'Neill

Weller goes top — well, it is his year — and Zep join the top three. Out go Shelley, Springeteen, Geldof, Duey, assorted Yespersons and — horrors!— Bob Dylan. In come this year's men Numan and Sting, accompanied by those up-and-coming youngsters Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Roger Waters and Neil Young. Jimmy O'Neill of The Undertones
sneaks in at tenth. Previous winners: Elvis Costello 1781, David Bowie (77), Bob Dylan (78), Elton John/Bernie Taupin 1731.


BEST GROUP
1 The Jam
2 The Police
3 Led Zeppelin
4 The Clash
5 The Stranglers
6 The Undertones
7 Public Image Ltd
8 The Specials
9 Pink Floyd
10 The Who
11 Stiff Little Fingers
12 Talking Heads
13 Queen
14 Slouxsie & The Banshees
15 Genesis
16 The Boomtown Rats
17 Gang Of Four
18 Thin Lizzy
19 Blondie
20 Tubeway Army

Its official. The Jam ere 0w world's top group, according to the readers of the world's top rock paper, after a year when Weller. Foxton and Buckler have fired out a sequence of stunning singles, a great album and their usual heavy duty schedule of live gigs, as well as looming large as the figureheads of fashion, both on and off stage.
For many of the same reasons, The Police cop second slot from nowhere at all in '78. le fact, they score in in ten different polls, including twice each In both albums end singles.)
Heading the also-rans, led Zeppelin played two gigs and put out a patchily convincing album after a lo-o-ong vacation and jump eight places to three. The Clash drop to fourth, down from the first place they had shown signs of assuming was their's by right, and the Rats take a severe tumble from 3 to 16.
Coming In: Police, Undertones, PiL, Specials, Pink Floyd. Stiff Little Fingers, Talking Heads, Gang of Four and Tubeway Army.


GUITARIST
1 Paul Weller
2 Jimmy Page
3 Mick Jones
4 Andy Summers
5 Pete Townshend
6 Brian May
7 Hugh Cornwell
8 Andy Gill
9 Ritchie Blackmore
10 Keith Levine

Once upon a time there was a god, and the name of this god was Eric. Eric used to win all the best guitarist polls, even when Jimi Hendrix was alive.., but no more. For the first time since NME started running guitarist polls, Clapton fails to appear — though he's been trying to get out for years now. The mighty Weller topples Mick Jones, and Andy Gill of Gang Of Four and Keith Levine of Public Image Ltd bring in a breath of stylistic fresh air.


KEYBOARDS
1 Dave Greenfield
2 Gary Numan
3 Rick Wakeman
4 Johnny Fingers
5 John Paul Jones..
6 Jerry Dammers
7 Tony Banks
8 Steve Naive
9 Brian Eno
10 Jon Lord

No change at the top, as the Strangler
polls twice as many votes as his nearest rival. Keith Emerson finally vanishes after
a ten-year residency in this chart.


BASS
1 Bruce Foxton
2 Jean Jacques Burnel
3 Sting
4 Jah Wobble
5 John Paul Jones
6 Phil Lynott
7 Lemmy
8 Chris Squire
9 Paul Simonon
10 Steve Severin

Foxton climbs over Bernal at last, while Sting and Wobble make well earned impact. It's all serious stuff this year — gone are the days when Sid Vicious did battle with Stanley Clarke and Gaye Advert.


DRUMS
1 Rick Buckler
2 Stewart Copeland
3 Rat Scabies
4 John Bonham
5 Cozy Powell
6 Topper Headon
7 John Maher
7 Jet Black
9 Phil Collins
10 Budgie

All change at the top as Rick Buckler snaps up from fifth to first, Stewart Copeland arrives from nowhere, and Rat Scabies splatters his way back after a year in the cold. In the direction of out go Charlie Watts, ex-Banshee Kenny Morris, Lizzy's Brian Downey, and last year's sentimental wiinner the late Keith Moon.


BEST FEMALE SINGER
1 Kate Bush
2 Deborah Harry
3 Siouxsie Sioux
4 Chrissie Hynde
5 Pauline Murray (Penetration)
6 Judie Tzuke
7 Lena Lovich
8 Ari Up
9 Stevie Nicks
10 Anne Lennox
11 Pauline Black (Selector)
12 Toyah Wilcox
13 Ellen Foley
14 Joan Armatrading
15 Donna Summer
15 Fey Fife
15 Patti Smith

Last year's top three fought this one ors neck and neck right up to the final count with La Bush eventually rising from third to push Debbie Harry and Siouxsie down a slot. New entrant Chrissie Hynde will no doubt give them a closer run for it next
Year.
In fact, this is possibly the list that but changed most since the advent of punk; none of the top ten female singers had even been heard of before 1977 (well, none of'em got any votes anyway). As where now are those mid-70s stalwarts Kiki Dee, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstedt Maggie Bell and Elkie Brooks?.
This year's drop-outs include Poly Styrene, Rachel Sweet, Brooks, MitcheII, Ronstadt, and 1977's Brooks,
winner Julie Covington.


BEST NEW ACT
1 The Specials
2 Madness
3 The Police
4 Gary Numan
5 Joy Division
6 Def Leppard
7 The Pretenders
8 The Undertones
9 The Tourists
10 Gang OfFour
11 The Selector
12 Secret Affair
13 The Ruts
14 The Cure
15 Judy Tzuke
16 The B52's
17 Psychedelic Furs
18 Joe Jackson
18 The Skids
20 The Beat

Jerry Dammers' Two-Tone Commandos storm the bubbling bands awards, with The Specials adding this one to their No.1 single, closely followed by Madness (2), The Selector (11) and The Beat (20) — not bad for a provincial independent label
nobody had ever heard of this time last year.
By a fault on the NME computer, an entity called Def Leppard appears at no.6.
The Undertones appear for the second year running, incidently.


WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING
1 John Peel
2 Ayatollah Khomeini
3 David Bowie
4 Sting
5 John Lydon
6 Debbie Harry
7 Paul Weller
8 Gary Numan
9 Maggie Thatcher
10 John Cleese

Bye bye Bob Geldof, Ian Dury, Jeremy Thorpe, Jimmy Pursey and Joe
Strummer. Are we twigging something here?). Previous winners Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten (twice).


IMAGE OF THE YEAR
1 Gary Numan
2 Mod
3 Sting/Police
4 Public Image
5 Rude Boys/Ska
6 Two Tone
7 Blondie
8 Punk
9 Paul Weller / Jam
10 Boomtown Rats


CREEP OF THE YEAR
1 Gary Numan
2 Ian Page
3 Margaret Thatcher
4 Tony Blackburn
5 Bob Geldof
6 Ayatollah Khomeini
7 Jimmy Pursey
8 Lena Martell
9 John Lydon
10 Freddie Mercury

The Numan Factor comes into effect with a vengeance as young Gary walks away with the two awards for non-specific approval and disapproval. (He also notches the combined efforts of The Jam by featuring in no less than 12 separate polls.)
Image Of The Year was in fact initiated to replace the more sexist Pin-Up Of The rear (won last year by Debbie Harry). Probably the most misunderstood among Yoe The Voters, the outcome has Numen's 'Station To Low' Bowie pose just fending off the combined clout of Two Tone, Ska and Rude Boys and the note nebulous Mod.

Creep Of The Year was a close-run thing between the Numanoid and Secret Affair's mouthmaster Ian Page. Tony Blackburn and Freddie Mercury make heir traditional appearances, John Lydon figures for the fourth year running, and Pursey makes it two in a row. Margaret Thatcher looks set for a good run at this title.
Previous Creeps, Prats, Turkeys and Klutzes of the Year: John Travolta (78), Freddie Mercury (77), Sex Pistols (76), Bay City Rollers (75), Steve Harley (74).


SINGLE
1 Gangsters — The Specials
2 EtonRifles—TheJam
3 Message In A Bottle — The Police
4 Are 'Friends' Electric - Tubeway Army
5 Another Brick In The Wall — Pink Floyd
6 I Don't Like Mondays — The Boomtown Rats
7 Roxanne — The Police
8 Strange Town — The Jam
9 When You're Young — The Jam
10 London Calling — The Clash

Triumph for the ska controllers in virtually the only category The Jam would've liked to win and didn't. Of note: three of the top four have never scored in any poll charts before, and two of them are Independent records to boot.
The Jam's feat of three singles in the top ten was In fact equalled three times In the '70s: by T.Rex in '72, Bowie in '75 and the Pistols in '77.
Previous winners: 'White Man In Hammersmith Palals' (78), 'God Save The Queen' (77) 'The Boys Are Back In Town' (76). 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (75), 'Can't Get Enough' (74) 5.15'(73). 'School's Out' (72) and 'My Sweet Lord' (71).


TV PROGRAMME
1 Fawlty Towers
2 Old Grey Whistle Test
3 Soap
4 Star Trek
5 M.A,S.H.
6 Tiswas
7 Something Else
8 Top Of The Pops
9 Kenny Everett Video Show
10 Not The Nine O'Clock News

In the absence of last year's winner Revolver, Cleese and Booth make it a first first for non-musical TV — though Fawlty Towers did make second place with its original series as far back as '76.


DISC JOCKEY
1 John Peel
2 Tommy Vance
3 Mike Reid
4 Anne Nightingale
5 Kenny Everett
6 Kid Jensen
7 Noel Edmonds
8 Dave Lee Travis
9 Nicky Horne
10 Roger Scott

RADIO SHOW
1 John Peel Show
2 Friday Night Rock Show
3 Mike Reid Show
4 Kid Jensen's Round Table
5 Anne Nightingale's Request Show
6 Kenny Everett
7 Your Mother Wouldn't Like it
8 Rock On
9 In Concert
10 Star Special

Peel tops the DJs for the fifth year running, by such a wide margin it's academic. Same goes for the radio show, but like we said last year, he earns it.


ALBUM
1 Setting Sons — The Jam
2 In Through The Out Door — Led Zeppelin
3 Regatta De Blanc — The Police
4 The Wall— Pink Floyd
5 The Raven —The Stranglers
6 Specials
7 Inflammable Material — Stiff Little Fingers
8 The Undertones
9 Lodger — David Bowie
10 Metal Box — Public Image Ltd.
10 Outlandos D'Amour — The Police

"It's funny how you never knew what my name was /Our only contact was a form for the election ..." If The Jam wanted your vote in one category above all others, this would be it; the same one they won last year with 'All Mod Cons And who's going to bet against them landing the big one again next year?
Previous winners--'All Mod Cons' (78), 'Never Mind The Bollocks' (77), 'The Song Remains The Same' (76), Physical Grafitti' (75), 'Smiler' (74). 'Dark Side Of The Moon' (73). 'Never A Dull Moment' (72) 'Electric Warrior' (71).


BEST DRESSED SLEEVE
1 Metal Box — PiL
2 Setting Sons — The Jam
3 In Through The Out Door — Led Zeppelin
4 The Raven — The Stranglers
5 Armed Forces — Elvis Costello
6 Cut — The Slits
7 The Wall — Pink Floyd
8 One Step Beyond — Madness
9 lodger — David Bowie
10 Replicas — Tubeway Army

Who said gimmicks don't work any more?



FACE OF THE DECADE

1 John Rotten
2 David Bowie
3 Debbie Harry
4 Sid Vicious
5 Sting
6 Gary Numan
7 Paul Weller '
8 Kate Bush
9 John Cleese
10 Robert Plant


FARCE OF THE DECADE

1 Mod Revival
2 Thatcher/Tory Government
3 The Sex Pistols
4 Disco
5 Punk Rock
6 Lena Martell Reaching No. 1
7 Gary Numan
8 Sid Vicious
9 Bay City Rollers
10 Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle

No dispute about the twin faces of the decade: Rotten and Bowie trashed all others out of the race, and ran each other so close we almost gave them a dead heat. Of the others, few seem to have that ten-year perspective the title implies, apart from Cleese (an unusual one, this) and Plant propping up the foot of the table.
Farce Of The Decade, you agree overwhelmingly, was the Mod Revival. Last year's election result gave Margaret Thatcher a convincing second — even if you combine the votes for Sex Pistols, Sid Vicious and 'The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle', the only record deemed pathetic enough to make it in its own right. Good to see the Rollers in there: at least some people haven't forgotten the days when Tam Paton's tartan hordes could made a Sham 69 audience look like a chapel meeting.


FILM

1 Quadrophenia
2 Life Of Brian
3 Alien
4 Scum
5 The Deer Hunter
6 Midnight Express
7 National Lampoon's Animal House
8 The Warriors
9 Manhattan
10 The Kids Are Alright

Quadrophenia wins by the biggest landslide outside of Radio Show and Disc Jockey, reflecting the fact that somebody actually managed to make a real rock and roll film at last and get it on general release. Note there are two
Who-produced flicks in the ten, and the top four are all by British directors — don't it make you feel proud? (Close Encounters won last year, incidentally, when this chart made its debut. Midnight Express was in it then, too.)