The Firstborn Is Dead (studio album) by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

The Firstborn Is Dead by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Year: 1985
Overall rank: 3,560th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 185 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1985 (48th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (540th)
Award Best albums of all time (3,560th)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds bestography

The Firstborn Is Dead is ranked 16th best out of 27 albums by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds is Skeleton Tree which is ranked number 384 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 4,507.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds album bestography « Higher ranked (2,485th) This album (3,560th) Lower ranked (4,564th) »
Wild GodThe Firstborn Is DeadKicking Against The Pricks

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The Firstborn Is Dead track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 78 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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1.
Rating: 84 (51 votes)Comments: 0
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4.
Rating: 76 (39 votes)Comments: 0
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5.
Rating: 78 (39 votes)Comments: 0
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6.
Rating: 78 (41 votes)Comments: 0
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The Firstborn Is Dead rankings

The Firstborn Is Dead collection

The Firstborn Is Dead ratings

Average Rating: 
74/100 (from 185 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 185 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
20/100
 Report rating
25 hours ago Proto  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 3,32134/100
 
60/100
 Report rating
04/30/2025 07:22 TescoHomeCooking  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 28577/100
 
65/100
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04/26/2025 17:27 Elauqsapid  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,65864/100
 
80/100
 Report rating
04/26/2025 11:02 Mafedere  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 30777/100
 
55/100
 Report rating
04/09/2025 12:30 habibi333  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 88772/100

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 23% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 73.7/100, a mean average of 72.8/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 73.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.8.

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The Firstborn Is Dead favourites

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The Firstborn Is Dead comments

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Rating:  
55/100
From 09/09/2024 08:40
Too depressing and dark,, many consider this a masterpiece, it might be, b ut not for me,,
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 04/09/2020 10:54
I think this album is the most underrated and not appreciated of Nick Cave. It is not only an attempt to play blues music. All songs have that much space and quietness to succumb the ominous violence. And even the Dylan cover of Wanted Man breathes heavenly under the impression of The Birthday Party. By the way: all musicians on this record are absolutely great and worth to watch their career
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 05/04/2016 17:20
The follow up to, from her to eternity, the firstborn is dead, is Nick Cave's blues album. It's full of blues imagery, especially on opener, tupelo, about the stormy night when Elvis and Jesse Presley were born. Elsewhere, there's the brilliant, black crow king, the superb, say goodbye to the little girl tree, and closing track, blind lemon Jefferson. Knockin' on Joe, is also a great brooding number. The only weak moment is the slightly boring Dylan cover, wanted man. All in all, another essential Nick Cave record.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 04/13/2015 03:21
A haunting, underrated album. "Tupelo" is definitely the standout track but everything is worth a listen.

Favorite tracks: "Tupelo", "Knockin' On Joe"
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 08/11/2014 16:43
Exceedingly dark and haunting. Tupelo might well be Cave's single best song.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 06/23/2012 06:30
I remember buying a black jumper just before getting the Stagecoach bus down to London to see him for this album's tour.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1985
1. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
2. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
3. Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
4. Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
5. Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain
6. Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
7. The Head On The Door by The Cure
8. Tim by The Replacements
9. Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
10. Rum Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues
11. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
12. Low-Life by New Order
13. New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü
14. This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall
15. This Is The Sea by The Waterboys
16. Fables Of The Reconstruction by R.E.M.
17. Little Creatures by Talking Heads
18. Around The World In A Day by Prince And The Revolution
19. Love by The Cult
20. Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 by Sam Cooke
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