zoom_in Click to enlarge

C81

▲ ▼

description C81 Overview

C81 is a various-artists cassette compilation issued in 1981 through a collaboration between the British music weekly NME and the independent label Rough Trade. It was offered to NME readers by mail order and assembled tracks by performers associated with post-punk, experimental music, and the expanding independent-label scene. Its title refers both to the year of release and to the cassette format, and it was followed by C86 in 1986.

help C81 FAQ

What was the C81 compilation?

C81 was a various-artists cassette compiled by the British music paper NME together with the independent label Rough Trade in 1981. It gathered post-punk, experimental and indie acts at a moment when independent labels were first being taken seriously in the UK.

How could listeners actually get hold of C81?

It was not sold in shops; readers mailed an NME coupon to obtain the cassette by post. Demand reportedly overwhelmed expectations, and the mail-order mechanic itself became part of the compilation's legend.

Which bands appeared on C81?

The tracklist mixed established post-punk names with then-new independent acts, including Orange Juice and Aztec Camera, giving some of those Scottish guitar bands among their first national exposure. That mix of debutantes and veterans is a big reason collectors still hunt the tape.

Is C81 related to the famous C86 tape?

Yes, C86 was NME's 1986 follow-up that repeated the mail-order cassette concept, this time documenting the jangly indie scene with acts like Primal Scream and The Wedding Present. C86 became a genre shorthand, while C81 is remembered as the experiment that proved the format worked.

swap_horiz

Looking for C81 alternatives? Compare top competitors ranked & scored

arrow_forward