Black Sea (studio album) by XTC

Black Sea by XTC
Year: 1980
Overall rank: 1,156th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
79/100 (from 217 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1980 (30th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (185th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,156th)
Product Details
Availability

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eBay
XTC - BLACK SEA [SLIPCASE] NEW BLU-RAY DISC
Condition: Brand New


eBay
eBay
XTC - BLACK SEA NEW CD
Condition: Brand New


eBay
eBay
XTC BLACK SEA NEW LP
Condition: New


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XTC bestography

Black Sea is ranked 3rd best out of 30 albums by XTC on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by XTC is Skylarking which is ranked number 367 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 4,931.

XTC album bestography « Higher ranked (1,004th) This album (1,156th) Lower ranked (1,331st) »
English SettlementBlack SeaDrums And Wires

Upcoming concerts

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03
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Palladium Times Square , New York City, United States. United States
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Apr
15
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20:00
City Morgue - Bombs In The Mail Tour
House of Blues New Orleans , New Orleans, United States. United States
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Black Sea track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 83 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Black Sea rankings

Black Sea collection

Black Sea ratings

Average Rating: 
79/100 (from 217 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 217 ratings for this album.

Sort ratings
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 Report rating
5 days ago bonnequestion  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,39470/100
 
90/100
 Report rating
03/23/2024 00:12 RadioGraaah  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 55277/100
 
90/100
 Report rating
02/15/2024 09:10 miltiadis2001  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 65584/100
 
85/100
 Report rating
11/26/2023 15:30 Mauce  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 77582/100
 
80/100
 Report rating
11/19/2023 16:13 Gammarus1979  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 49982/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 2% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 78.6/100, a mean average of 78.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 78.9/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.6.

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Black Sea comments

Showing all 8 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 12/14/2021 14:03

As an old fart, this is a new band to me, and XTC sounds great. This record is lots of fun.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/13/2021 12:55
Tried getting my cousin into them...especially since he likes Echo and the Bunnymen and Depeche...but oh well. Great pop...
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 05/25/2018 22:26
Who knew Swindon could be so dark?
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/29/2018 12:46
Living Through Another Cuba is incredible.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/28/2018 20:09
Great album - the singles are strong and the rest are in no way ‘filler’. Certainly their most consistent so far and that’s consistently good. Even the three b-sides on the Apehouse reissue are quality. I think more people need to hear this, I’m sure it should be more highly rated.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 11/04/2017 04:50
Best Tracks: Rockets From A Bottle, Towers Of London
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 12/27/2016 15:50
Most of the songs that originally convinced me of XTC's greatness come from Black Sea. I loved the meticulous attention to detail. I remember listening to Generals and Majors over and over trying to pick out everything, the humming, the barking, the numerous counter melodies. I loved the unexpected transitions, like where Respectable Street comes crashing back into the chorus on "Sony Entertainment Centers", both changing key and refusing to rhyme! I loved the ridiculous lyrics, the feeble fantasist ramblings of Sgt Rock. "Get the experts at kissing and stuff", is such a perfectly inarticulate lyric. Most of all though I loved the driving infectious rhythms. Living Through Another Cuba, Love at First Sight and even the complex poly-rhythms of Burning with Optimisms Flame defy anyone not to dance to them. The fact that this isn't unanimously considered XTC's crowning glory is a testament to their massive well of talent.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 02/24/2014 15:31
I'm not quite sure how this is only rated as XTC's 6th best album on BEA. Perhaps people are listening to the CD reissue which for some strange reason added the bonus tracks Smokeless Zone, Don't Lose Your Temper & The Somnombulist right in the middle of the original track listing instead of tagging them onto the end. Respectable Street is a classic with a timeless English subject matter. Other great tracks follow including Generals & Majors, Love at first sight, Towers of London, the brilliant Burning with Optimism's Flame and the catchy pop of Sgt Rock.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +12 votes (12 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1980
1. Remain In Light by Talking Heads
2. Closer by Joy Division
3. Back In Black by AC/DC
4. Scary Monsters... And Super Creeps by David Bowie
5. Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys
6. Peter Gabriel III by Peter Gabriel
7. The River by Bruce Springsteen
8. Permanent Waves by Rush
9. Pretenders by Pretenders
10. Making Movies by Dire Straits
11. Seventeen Seconds by The Cure
12. Crazy Rhythms by The Feelies
13. Sandinista! by The Clash
14. Heaven And Hell by Black Sabbath
15. Ace Of Spades by Motörhead
16. Boy by U2
17. Gaucho by Steely Dan
18. Get Happy!! by Elvis Costello And The Attractions
19. Duke by Genesis
20. Sound Affects by The Jam
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