Playing With A Different Sex
by Au Pairs

Playing With A Different Sex by Au Pairs
Year: 1981
Overall rank: 3,653rd   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
78/100 (from 83 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1981 (61st)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (546th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,653rd)

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Au Pairs bestography

Playing With A Different Sex is ranked as the best album by Au Pairs.

Au Pairs album bestography « Higher ranked
-
This album (3,653rd)
Playing With A Different Sex
Lower ranked (29,797th) »
Sense And Sensuality

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Playing With A Different Sex rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 3,653rd | 1980s rank: 546th | 1981 rank: 61st
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YearSourceChartRankRank Score
2026matterhornriderTop 45 Music Albums of 198134/451
2026Exist-en-cielTop 63 Music Albums of 198130/633
2026JohnnyoGreatest albums of 1981 by Ultimate Record Collector18/55 -
2026 MadhattanJackTop 100 Music Albums of 198177/1001
2026 WasinskiTop 100 Music Albums of 198155/1002
2026LittleM1971Top 89 Music Albums of 198139/893
2026SkernsTop 85 Music Albums of 198118/854
2026 imacgillTop 100 Music Albums of 198165/1002
2026saltysurpriseTop 52 Music Albums of 198133/522
2026 HaydenTop 100 Music Albums of 198115/1004
2025 neilgeeTop 100 Music Albums of 19818/1005
2025 RepoTop 100 Music Albums of 198121/1004
2025 LadyGodivaTop 50 Music Albums of 198110/504
2025 paladisiacTop 100 Music Albums of 198191/1001
2025 Norman BatesTop 100 Music Albums of 198110/1005
2025 Norman BatesTop 100 Music Albums of the 1980s84/1003
2025mostlymor1981 (Listening Project Part 1)73/100 -
2025WayneMCTop 100 Music Albums of the 1980s64/1007
2025JohnnyoGreatest albums of the '80's (201 - 300) by U R C20/100 -
2025 cestuneblagueTop 100 Music Albums of 198110/1005
Total Charts: Help The total number of charts that this album has appeared in. 90
Total Rank Score: Help The total rank score. 402
You can include this album in your own chart from the My Charts page!

Playing With A Different Sex collection

Playing With A Different Sex ratings

Average Rating: 
78/100 (from 83 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help 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 83 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 
03/16/2026 04:52 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  8,48470/100
 
100/100
 
01/28/2026 00:19 Devilwoac  Ratings distribution  1,05397/100
 
65/100
 
11/12/2025 09:49 MadhattanJack  Ratings distribution  5,70766/100
 
80/100
 
05/06/2025 22:58 matterhornrider  Ratings distribution  4,95481/100
 
70/100
 
09/17/2024 22:28 BorderFreeAndrew  Ratings distribution  15,03174/100

Rating metrics: Help 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 78.3/100, a mean average of 77.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 79.0/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.2.

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Playing With A Different Sex favourites

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Playing With A Different Sex comments

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Rating:  
85/100
From 03/30/2021 06:06 | #267955
Well produced and performed and Lesley Woods has a great voice. Typical post-punk riffs over an often dub bassline. Gang of Four is the most obvious comparison. Lyrics are interesting especially the interplay with the backing vocalist. I think my favourite was 'Come Again' with it's realistic portrayal of sex and the political song 'Armagh' is powerful. But it's all great.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 01/15/2018 20:37 | #205762
Sharply written post-punk album about sex and the role of gender.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1981
1. Moving Pictures by Rush
2. Computerwelt by Kraftwerk
3. Discipline by King Crimson
4. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
5. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
6. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
7. Faith by The Cure
8. Dare by The Human League
9. Damaged by Black Flag
10. Deceit by This Heat
11. Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones
12. Youth Of America by Wipers
13. Fire Of Love by The Gun Club
14. Ghost In The Machine by The Police
15. The Ascension by Glenn Branca
16. Heaven Up Here by Echo & The Bunnymen
17. Face Value by Phil Collins
18. Killers by Iron Maiden
19. Nightclubbing by Grace Jones
20. Movement by New Order