Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground is a four-disc alternative rock compilation album released by Rhino Records in 2004. Chris Dahlen of Pitchfork notes that "the mandate of Left of the Dial — to showcase anything that fit on college radio in the 80s — means you'll find everything from punk and post-punk to synth-pop and dream-pop". The term "left of the dial", taken from a Replacements song (that does not appear in this collection), refers to the college and other non-commercial FM radio stations in the U.S., with frequencies typically in the reserved band on the left (i.e., lower) end of the FM broadcast band of the radio spectrum.

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1 Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.

2 Going Underground - The Jam

3 A Forest - The Cure

4 Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys

5 I'm In Love With A German Film Star - Passions

6 I Will Dare - The Replacements

7 That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission Of Burma

8 Johny Hit And Run Paulene - x

9 Just Like Honey - The Jesus And Mary Chain

10 Black Celebration - Depeche Mode

11 Tell Me When It's Over - The Dream Syndicate

12 Hollywood (Africa) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers

13 Temptation - New Order

14 Ghosts - Japan

15 A Song From Under The Floorboards - Magazine

16 Oblivious - Aztec Camera

17 Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely - Husker Du

18 Rise Above - Black Flag

19 Back In Flesh - Wall Of Voodoo

20 Cattle And Cane - The Go-Betweens

Disc: 2

1 Message Of Love - The Pretenders

2 Vienna - Ultravox

3 Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.

4 The Charming Man - The Smiths

5 Stigmata - Ministry

6 Ways To Be Wicked - Lone Justice

7 Wardance - Killing Joke

8 Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

9 Mirror In The Bathroom - The English Beat

10 Fairytale In The Supermarket - The Raincoats

11 Behind The Wall Of Sleep - The Smithereens

12 Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing - Minutemen

13 Punk Rock Girl - The Dead Milkmen

14 Still In Hollywood - Concrete Blonde

15 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

16 Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes

17 Lake Of Fire - Meat Puppets

18 Amplifier - The DB's

19 When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout

20 Goo Goo Muck - The Cramps

21 This Corrosion - Sisters Of Mercy

22 Senses Working Overtime - XTC

Disc: 3

1 The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen

2 Pay To Cum! - Bad Brains

3 Birthday - The Sugarcubes

4 Madonna Of The Wasps - Robyn Hitchcock 'n' The Egyptians

5 We Care A Lot - Faith No More

6 Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth

7 To Hell With Poverty - Gang Of Four

8 Fa Ce-La - The Feelies

9 Ana Ng - They Might Be Giants

10 Swamp Thing - The Chameleons UK

11 The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

12 I Look Around - The Rain Parade

13 All That Money Wants - Psychedelic Furs

14 Under The Milky Way - The Church

15 Rise - Public Image Ltd.

16 Kundalini Express - Love And Rockets

17 Gravity Talks - Green On Red

18 Adrenalin - Throbbing Gristle

19 She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses

Disc: 4

1 Monkey Gone To Heaven - Pixies

2 Uncertain Smile (Original 7 Inch Version) - The The

3 Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus

4 Christine - Siouxsie And The Banshees

5 Straight Edge - Minor Threat

6 I Want To Help You Ann - The Lyres

7 Our Secret - Beat Happening

8 Jane Says - Jane's Addiction

9 World Shut Your Mouth - Julian Cope

10 Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush

11 Sex Beat - Gun Club

12 Take The Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven

13 Institutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies

14 Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops - Cocteau Twins

15 24 Hour Party People - Happy Mondays

16 I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus

17 Suburban Home - Descendents

18 A Pair Of Brown Eyes - The Pogues

19 Jet Fighter - The Three O'Clock

20 Moving To Florida - Butthole Surfers

21 A New England - Billy Bragg