Punch the Clock

After the modest sales of Imperial Bedroom, Costello chose Langer and Winstanley, who had recently made hit singles with Madness, Dexys Midnight Runners and the Teardrop Explodes, to make a more commercial album. The TKO Horns and Afrodiziak contribute, and Chet Baker plays a trumpet solo on Costello's version of "Shipbuilding".

It reached number 3 in the UK and number 24 in the US, and went gold in both. "Everyday I Write the Book" gave him his first US top 40 hit, and "Pills and Soap", released under a pseudonym on his own IMP label, reached number 16 in the UK. NME named it the best album of 1983 and, thirty years on, number 345 on its list of the 500 greatest albums. Costello later said he disliked the record.