rolling stone's 500 greatest albums of all time

Fuck lists.

Seconded.

That's pretty funny.

Oh yeah. That's right. Well, whatever.

Why are there TWO Eminem albums on this list? Hell, why is there even ONE Eminem album on this list????

And weirdly, Slim Shady LP has the highest ranking.

michael jackson's "bad" is ranked above prince's "dirty mind"
u2's "actung baby" rates higher than michael jackson's "off the wall"

where does the criteria for these lists come from?

i'm just pissed there isn't an autechre record in the list. haha.

Sight & Sound's new Greatest Films of All Time list that came out last year (no less boring in the results department, aside from Sunrise finally cracking the top ten) was at least accompanied by everyone's personal top ten list (resulting in the one that changed my viewing habits this year: Joel David's).

447. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Devo

....but the ranking is really up the butt. Am I really supposed to believe that Sleepless Peter Wolf (rank #432) is a SUPERIOR album to Metal Box by Public Image Ltd. (ranked #469)???

Side 1:
Blue Suede Shoes
I'm Counting on You
I Got a Woman
One-Sided Love Affair
I Love You Because
Just Because

Side 2:
Tutti Frutti
Tryin' to Get to You
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry
I'll Never Let You Go
Blue Moon
Money Honey

So, no.

that "so, no" was in response to Nom de Plume. Obviously there is some Sun stuff on the RCA lp (5 songs, i think?).

I don't get what the point of mentioning this is. The fucked up inclusion of box sets in the list? Because Dreams is an anthology, Dictionary is a proper LP.

79. Star Time, James Brown
330. In the Jungle Groove, James Brown
414. Greatest Hits, James Brown

equally mind-boggling is elton john's "capt. fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy" at #158. i mean, i realize they feel it's their obligation to include four or five beatles albums in the top 10 and all of jimi hendrix's output somewhere in the top 100 and the token three or four women in the top 50 -- otherwise it wouldn't be a rolling stone list -- but "capt fantastic and the brown dirt cowboy?" are they absolutely, positively sure that's a better album than "whitney houston" (#254), "ghost in the machine" (#322), "sea change" (#440) and "goddess in the doorway" (not listed!), not to mention elton's own "tumbleweed connection" (#463)? are they totally, truly sure? i demand a recount!

What kills me -- as I posted in the other thread -- is that 30 #1 Hits or some comparable collection of his RCA hits is not on this list, yet they found room for FOUR Simon & Garfunkel records.

If nothing else, this list only strengthens my complete boredom with second-tier "classic-rock" (Cream, Doors, Santana, Pink Floyd)

It's having The Complete Hank Williams (is this that 11-disc box or whatever?) and 40 Greatest Hits that's silly (along with the James Brown thing Matos cited).

And not to beat the Elvis thing too much, but if you gave someone who didn't own any modern pop music all 500 of these titles for their collection, they would take them home and still not be able to hear "Don't Be Cruel." How is that possible?

Kill them now, I still demand.

are both of the last two albums included on star time?

Can RS please please please stop bigging up Seargent Pepper. Anyone stale enough to be an avid RS reader already owns it. It doesn't need any publicity.

12. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
47. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
94. Bitches Brew, Miles Davis
102. Giant Steps, John Coltrane
356. Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis
454. Getz/Gilberto, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim

It was very generous of them to include one album by someone who isn't Miles Davis or John Coltrane. What a shame they didn't have space left over for Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, etc. etc.

303. Grace, Jeff Buckley

A Neil Diamond compilation ranks 81 places higher than Jeff Buckley? That's sickening.

But what bugs me isn't the list itself - I mean, who among you clicked on this thread and seriously thought it wouldn't be all bitching that it was crap - but the spurious, 'official' nature of it.

1) It's impossible, obviously.
2) Even if it was possible, why should Rolling Stone get to be the officiator?
3) And why should they get to make money hand over fist by selling copies of it?

Lists can be fun. This one is not.

For that matter, Blood Sweat and Tears? What stopped Wenner from slipping in a Peter Cetera boxed set?

Seriously I want someone to slap these fucks in the skull and tell them that putting a lot of the music on this list is the same thing as putting a lot of James Michener on a greatest books list.

why? does jeff buckley's album have any songs as good as "cherry cherry" or "sweet caroline" or "cracklin' rosie"? the only problem i have here is that "the neil diamond collection" is far from the definitive neil diamond comp.

Do you really need me to answer that?

no zappa (BAD)
no gary numan or human league (ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE)
only ONE kraftwerk album and only ONE depeche mode album (INEXCUSABLE, ROCKIST AND ANTI-SYNTH)
VERY poor on the techno/electro front (anti-synth/electronic music bias YET AGAIN)
the top 100 or so are the usual sixties retread/boomer-favorite suspects (e.g., is anyone surprise AT ALL by anything b/w 1 and 100 on this list?)
if they had to have an EATB album, it should've been ocean rain
no XTC (though they're not really "my group," this is also a glaring omission)

otherwise, this list isn't as bad as i feared it would be ... particularly the deeper down you go

Soo, soooooo true!

246. Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come

no kinks album higher than #231

81 isn't nearly enough places.

as far as their zappa picks go: i guess it's verboten to admit to liking any of his post-original mothers stuff (and by no means is this restricted to rolling stone). even when the post-original mothers stuff blows the original mothers stuff off the map (see roxy and elsewhere, one size fits all, and joe's garage, just for starters). and if they had to pick a token sixties Zappa album (other than woiiftm), both absolutely free and uncle meat are INFINITELY better than freak out!

That said we all think the list is a big frikkin' joke. Blender's Top 1000 list was way better, esp. since they didn't do any ranking and didn't end up with overlapping hits comps like this one.

You speak wisely, should have been top 100 at least.

I don't find any redeeming value in Diamond, despite the debatable tag of memorable some of his songs could have. I shrug in my indifference, though I'm glad some of you like the man.

fact checking cuz is completely OTM here. And kudos for speaking up about it.

Where's Pulp, Saint Etienne, The Magnetic Fields? Even the Stone Roses didn't make it. What the...

Balls. Proof that albums can't make sense of music.

Jann gives love a bad name

That is cool. I wonder how high Trout Mask Replica charted.

BLOCKHEADS!

Finally regaining ist position ahead of "Revolver", which is well deserved. This was their finest moments, and just because some stupid punks suddenly decided in the mid 70s that they didn't understand musically ambitious music doesn't mean they were right.

2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys

This is IMO better than "Sgt. Pepper", but with The Beatles' general position in music, having them on top is probably right anyway. "Pet Sounds" is still the best album by any 60s act ever.

3. Revolver, The Beatles

Although not as good as "Sgt. Pepper", this is of course an instand classic too.

4. Highway 61 Revisited, Bob Dylan

His best 60s album. Classic.

5. Rubber Soul, The Beatles

Yet another obvious Beatles classic. Interesting to see it ahead of both The White Album and "Abbey Road", which is unusual, but correct.

6. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye

The album that finally turned soul into an albums genre. Before this, soul albums were usually crowded with filler. Also, the first R&B concept album, which was soooo fucking about time in 1971!

7. Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones

The highest charting dud on the list. The most overrated Stones-album, bad production, repetitive and similar-sounding songs, and the vocals way too low in the mix.

8. London Calling, The Clash

Yeah! Their best moment, no doubt about that. Lots of great songs here.

9. Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan

I originally wasn't too keen on this one, but it has grown on me over time. I still don't see what's all the fuss about "Rainy Day Woman", but gems such as "Just Like a Woman" and "Desolation Row" clearly help a lot.

10. The Beatles ("The White Album"), The Beatles

A classic, but still overrated. The Beatles most patchy work. Some beautiful ballads and music hall numbers from Paul. George Harrison provide the classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and the underrated "Piggies". Lennon, however, proved that Yoko had destroyed his pop talent, and he never quite regained his 63-67 genius.

11. The Sun Sessions, Elvis Presley

This is a compilation not an album, and as such it should be disqualified from the list. Other than that, it is extremely overrated. This overrated artist's songs were repetitive and similar-sounding (like most other 50s rock) and he didn't even write them himself. Not a dud, but definitely not a classic either. And certainly not a deserved #11.

12. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

I am no jazz fan, but the slow numbers on this one are melodic and beautiful. Still overrated though.

13. Velvet Underground and Nico, The Velvet Underground

Another overrated album. Some good songs, but also a lot of terrible unlistenable unmelodic songs.

14. Abbey Road, The Beatles

A lot of good songs, and an obvious classic. Even tho side 2 seems a bit like sketches that they never quite managed to finish.

15. Are You Experienced?, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Too bluesy and not his best. Not a dud, but not #15 either.

16. Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan

Dylan's best moment, and a great album that grows on you. Classic.

17. Nevermind, Nirvana

Slightly overrated, but still better than most hard rock.

18. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen

I don't quite see why people consider this his best work. Certainly "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland" are great songs, but some of the others here sound like Billy Joel numbers, only with rawer vocals, and the production is flat and boring.

19. Astral Weeks, Van Morrison

Sounds ambitious and interesting at first listen. Then you get tired because the songs never stick in your head.

20. Thriller, Michael Jackson

Say what you want about his somewhat bizzare extramusical "interests", but this album remains a classic. And a good thing to see him up there with names that are usually more "hip" to admit liking.

21. The Great Twenty-Eight, Chuck Berry

First of all, not an album. Only proper albums should count. Besides, the entire 50s were overrated. Nothing of interest happened in "rock" before The Beatles and the following British invasion.

22. Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon

The most overrated thing related to The Beatles. Some of the tracks are downright awful. At least there is the beautiful "Love" tho.

23. Innervisions, Stevie Wonder

All of his 72-76 output is classic, but this is not the best, rather the opposite. Some of the lesser known tracks are great, but the singles are not.

24. Live at the Apollo (1963), James Brown

James Brown (if you can possibly consider him music at all) is the worst thing that ever happened to music. Terrible!

25. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac

Boring. "Tango In The Night" and "Tusk" are less country-influenced, and better.

26. The Joshua Tree, U2

Quite OK, but not quite the classic it is considered.

27. King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 1, Robert Johnson

Another album that should be disqualified because it isn't an album. Compilations and "Best Of" album don't belong in lists like this.

That being said, Robert Johnson wrote only one song in his entire life (the 12 bar one that goes C / / / F / C / G F C /), but at least he is not to blame for the fact that thousands of rock and soul acts have later plagiarized this one song.

28. Who's Next, The Who

I don't like Roger Daltrey's overplayed vocals and Pete Townshends exaggerated use of power chords, but they still wrote good songs. "The Who Sellout" is better tho.

29. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin

The less bluesy, and more accoustic numbers, aren't too bad. But I am still no huge fan. And, Robert Plant is to blame for hundreds of annoying high pitched metal singers. I don't forgive him for that.

30. Blue, Joni Mitchell

Not her best work. Some good songs, but generally underproduced, and lacks the musical sophistication of her mid 70s output.

31. Bringing It All Back Home, Bob Dylan

The most overrated Dylan album. Never liked his accoustic work, and with boring blues songs like "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and "Maggie's Farm" part of the electric part, there isn't much left to love.

32. Let It Bleed, The Rolling Stones

This one is not their best either, but still better than "Exile...". "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is one of their better songs.

33. Ramones, Ramones

Some nice songs, but they do sound a bit too alike. I prefer the more musically varied "Road To Ruin".

34. Music From Big Pink, The Band

This debut was their best album, and despite being extremely American in every way (usually a letdown for me) there is some good stuff here. Good to see this ahead of "The Band" for once.

35. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, David Bowie

Like more or less everything else he did in the 70s, this was a classic too. There are a few better Bowie albums though.

36. Tapestry, Carole King

Not the best of the singer/songwriters from the early 70s IMO. Seems like she never quite managed to grasp the increased melodic/harmonic vocabulary that the Brits brought into pop in the mid 60s.

37. Hotel California, The Eagles

Not their best ("Desperado" wins that prize), but still, The Eagles are generally underrated. Some nice stuff here, like on most of their albums. Still strange to hear a so-called concept album with none of the songs segued into each other (was the concept only within the lyrics?)

38. The Anthology, 1947 - 1972, Muddy Waters

Another album that shouldn't be on the list because it isn't an album but a collection of singles. Also another overrated 50s act that plagiarized the same Robert Johnson song over and over.

39. Please Please Me, The Beatles

Seriously, this is too high!
There are some nice original composisions on this album, but there is still no way that it belongs in the Top 100. As is, it is probably among the weakest Beatles albums. A classic, like most of their stuff, but still overrated by Rolling Stone.

40. Forever Changes, Love

Deserved classic.

41. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, The Sex Pistols

Most overrated album ever? Yes, probably... They couldn't sing, they couldn't play, they couldn't write songs. So why, then, did they release an album at all?

42. The Doors, The Doors

I find it sad that The Doors are sort of the ultimate hippie group. Some of the less blues oriented groups were a lot better. And they also released better albums than this one.

43. The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd

This is a deserved classic, particularly side 2. Wonderful music, even though "Wish You Were Here" was better.

44. Horses, Patti Smith

Slightly overrated.

45. The Band, The Band

Also slightly overrated. Their debut was (as Rolling Stone correctly agree with me on) better.

46. Legend, Bob Marley and the Wailers

Sure, "Legend" is a flawless compilation, but it nevertheless is a compilation and I am tired of seeing it in these lists. He made so many great albums during the 70s, so why does always this posthumous compilation take away all the attention from them?

47. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane

Overrated.

48. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy

Overrated album from an overrated genre. Not going to say any more :-)

49. At Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers Band

I still find it hard to believe they didn't release a studio album that was better than this live jam. Never liked the idea of live albums anyway.

50. Here's Little Richard, Little Richard

Terribly overrated, and also not a proper album.

51. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon and Garfunkel

Again, they have made a better album (two, in fact). See "Bookends" for Simon & Garfunkel at their best. Not that "Bridge..." is a bad album tho.

52. Greatest Hits, Al Green

This guy did make several proper albums throughout the 70s, so why another friggin' compilation?

53. The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings, 1952 - 1959, Ray Charles

Not a proper album. And certainly not the best part of his career. Ray Charles was at his best around 60-61, when he sang proper melodic songs rather than R&B or country.

54. Electric Ladyland, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

An ambitious concept thing that is clearly his best. Too bluesy, but still not too bad.

55. Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley

This is a proper album, that much is true. The entire man is overrated, though, and doesn't belong in the Top 500 with anything at all.

56. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder

Great and musically varied double album. "Love's In Need Of Love Today" and "Joy Inside My Tears" represent Stevie at his best.

57. Beggars Banquet, The Rolling Stones

Their best post-1967 album. "Street Fighting Man" is great, as is "Sympathy For The Devil".

58. Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

Just weird, unlistenable, and not a classic at all. Overrated.

59. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles

There was never an album called "Meet The Beatles". :-)

"With The Beatles" I don't consider among their best. Even the original composisions were below par on that one. Why no "A Hard Day's Night" yet?

60. Greatest Hits, Sly and the Family Stone

They have made proper albums, and "best of"s belong nowhere. An album is supposed to be a full work of art, a concept from beginning to end, where all the songs are supposed to belong together. Thus, "best of"s shouldn't be in lists like these. Singles acts belong in "The 500 Greatest Singles Of All Time" (which would be a good idea anyway)

61. Appetite for Destruction, Guns n' Roses

Awfully terrible most of it. Too much screaming and too much loud guitars. I hate metal.

62. Achtung Baby, U2

Not too bad this one, and I would rank it above "Joshua Tree". Works best as a full concept, and apart from "One", not of the singles from it really worked on their own.

63. Sticky Fingers, The Rolling Stones

Among their best post-Brian Jones work. Some really nice songs on this one.

64. Phil Spector, Back to Mono (1958 - 1969), Various Artists

Phil Spector never released an album, and as such, he doesn't belong in this list. Great producer though.-

65. Moondance, Van Morrison

His best album. The title track is a wonderful song, and not as repetitive as he sometimes tend to be.

66. Led Zeppelin IV, Led Zeppelin

Among the best Zeppelin albums. "Stairway To Heaven" remains a classic, and there are some other gems here too. Even though I still can't stand Robert Plant.

67. The Stranger, Billy Joel

The only Joel album that really worked out. This one is great though, and among the best examples that AOR sometimes worked out in the 70s.

68. Off the Wall, Michael Jackson

I still prefer "Bad" to this one. Some great tracks, but also too much filler. The singles were mostly classy though, hinting at better times to come.

69. Superfly, Curtis Mayfield

I think this may be considered a proper album, considering it featured mostly (all?) new material. Not too bad, but not a classic either.

70. Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin

Could have been an excellent single album. Somehow patchy as a double one though.

71. After the Gold Rush, Neil Young

Not too bad this. From back when Crazy Horse were more interested in laying some great backing vocals than making lots of guitar noise. And Young himself was at his best as a songwriter. He never matched this career high.

72. Purple Rain, Prince

His best album. Not too many of those repetitive funk number, instead lots of nice melodies. "Darling Nikki" may be his best song ever. The title track is overrated tho.

73. Back in Black, AC/DC

I can't stand Brian Johnson's "voice", but this is still a great rock'n'roll album and clearly the best thing they ever did.

74. Otis Blue, Otis Redding

I just can't see how a collection of cover versions could possibly be a classic, sorry. Great voice and all, but where were the new songs?

75. Led Zeppelin II, Led Zeppelin

Pretty much the same as "I", so my comments on that album may be repeated here.

76. Imagine, John Lennon

A huge step in the right direction from the solo debut. Still patchy, but the title track, "Jealous Guy" and most of all "Oh My Love" (his best song since "Because") proved he could still write great songs if he wanted to.

77. The Clash, The Clash

Not their best, but as a punk album, this is considerably better than Sex Pistols. The Clash did have proper songs, and some really great choruses, already on their debut.

78. Harvest, Neil Young

Bit too close to the middle of the road, but still classic in part. The backing vocals of Crazy Horse are missed tho, particularly since they would have fitted perfectly with this style of music.

79. Star Time, James Brown

See everything I have previously written about James Brown and compilations and best of's

80. Odessey and Oracle, The Zombies

A pleasant surprise to see this riding so high. Even Better than anything The Beatles ever came up with IMO. Every song is a classic.

81. Graceland, Paul Simon

A somewhat overrated album, and the start of a songwriting blind alley that he has struggles with ever since. Will there ever be a proper followup to the wonderful "Hearts And Bones"?

82. Axis: Bold as Love, The Jimi Hendrix Experience

While it contains few of his best known tracks, this is almost as good as "Electric Ladyland". Kind of interesting hearing Hendrix as "out there" as in the initial conversation.

83. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin
84. Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin

Great voice, but not a proper album. Too many cover versions.

85. Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen

His best album. Lost of great rocking songs, and then there's the wonderful career highlight that was "My Hometown".

86. Let It Be, The Beatles

The only Beatles album that is not a classic. WHERE THE FUCK IS "A HARD DAY'S NIGHT"??????

87. The Wall, Pink Floyd

In place a piece of Waters-wank that is their most overrated work. Could have been a great single album though.

88. At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash

I still don't like the idea of live albums, even though this works better than most. I am still more impressed with acts that manage to write, say, 12 all new songs that are all great rather than acts that just perform the best of songs they have written throughout a long career though.

89. Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield

While I generally dislike the idea of cover versions, this worked better than most. The best thing the Atlantic soul musicians were ever involved in.

90. Talking Book, Stevie Wonder

Nearly his best work. The singles are not classics, but "You And I" and "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) certainly are.

91. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John

Not his best, but still a strong collection of songs. A pity this man is still around to give us MOR crap such as "Sacrifice" and "Can You Feel The Love Tonight"

92. 20 Golden Greats, Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly managed to escape the 12 bar ghost in part and was better than most 50s acts. Still, a "best of" just doesn't count!

93. Sign 'o' the Times, Prince

Another great work by him, even though it wears a bit thin towards the end. Before that, we have heard such gems as "If I Was Your Girlfriend" tho.

94. Bitches Brew, Miles Davis

A bit too weird, although also interesting in parts.

95. Green River, Creedence Clearwater Revival

The world just didn't need straight 50s influenced rock in the late 60s. Sorry. A step in the wrong direction musically. Some great songs, but too primitive and not even close to the sophistication and artiness of the musically better hippie bands, not to mention all those wonderful "twee" English concept albums from 67-68.

96. Tommy, The Who

Maybe a slight bit too long, but still great. Only "Sellout" is better within their catalogue.

97. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan

Some nice songs - boring arrangements.

98. This Year's Model, Elvis Costello

Great. Not necessarily his best, but still great.

99. There's a Riot Goin' On, Sly and the Family Stone

Not too bad his. One out of few soul acts that were at the time willing to experiment and surprise musically.

100. In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra

"Song For Swingin' Lovers" is better. And his best ballad album is "Sings For Only The Lonely". This is better than any rock from the 50s though.

The rest I will only comment on briefly, but these albums - although they wouldn't neccesarily have made my own Top 500 all of them - are all great albums:

108. Aftermath, The Rolling Stones
110. The Bends, Radiohead
111. Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell
113. The Who Sell Out, The Who
117. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Byrds
123. Catch a Fire, Bob Marley and the Wailers
124. Younger Than Yesterday, The Byrds
126. Remain in Light, Talking Heads
127. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, The Mamas and the Papas
132. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Bruce Springsteen
139. All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2
145. Aja, Steely Dan
146. Surrealistic Pillow, Jefferson Airplane
148. Deja Vu, Crosby Stills Nash and Young
151. Darkness on the Edge of Town, Bruce Springsteen
158. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Elton John
162. OK Computer, Radiohead
163. 1999, Prince
166. Imperial Bedroom, Elvis Costello
168. My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello
171. The Notorious Byrd Brothers, The Byrds
173. Something/Anything?, Todd Rundgren
182. Natty Dread, Bob Marley and the Wailers
187. So, Peter Gabriel
192. The Gilded Palace of Sin, The Flying Burrito Brothers
197. Murmur, R.E.M.
201. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Simon and Garfunkel
202. Bad, Michael Jackson
205. Abraxas, Santana
206. Tea for the Tillerman, Cat Stevens
208. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Neil Young With Crazy Horse
209. Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
230. A Night at the Opera, Queen
232. Mr. Tambourine Man, The Byrds
233. Bookends, Simon and Garfunkel
236. The Who Sings My Generation, The Who
237. Like a Prayer, Madonna
238. Can't Buy a Thrill, Steely Dan
239. Let It Be, The Replacements
245. Bryter Layter, Nick Drake
247. Automatic for the People, R.E.M.
249. Low, David Bowie
250. The River, Bruce Springsteen
255. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, The Kinks
258. American Beauty, Grateful Dead
259. Crosby Stills and Nash, Crosby Stills and Nash
261. Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman
262. Workingman's Dead, Grateful Dead
264. Child Is Father to the Man, Blood, Sweat and Tears
266. Quadrophenia, The Who
267. There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Paul Simon
269. Some Girls, The Rolling Stones
270. The Beach Boys Today!, The Beach Boys
274. Mothership Connection, Parliament
275. Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet Jackson
277. Aladdin Sane, David Bowie
282. The Cars, The Cars
283. Five Leaves Left, Nick Drake
284. Music of My Mind, Stevie Wonder
288. Something Else by the Kinks, The Kinks
296. We're Only In It For the Money, The Mothers of Invention
297. Weezer (Blue Album), Weezer
303. Grace, Jeff Buckley
305. Odelay, Beck
306. Songs for Swingin' Lovers, Frank Sinatra
307. Avalon, Roxy Music
319. Burnin', Bob Marley and the Wailers
322. Ghost in the Machine, The Police
323. Station to Station, David Bowie
325. Slowhand, Eric Clapton
326. Disintegration, The Cure
332. Help!, The Beatles
333. Shoot Out the Lights, Richard and Linda Thompson
335. Squeezing Out Sparks, Graham Parker
337. Aqualung, Jethro Tull
342. Violator, Depeche Mode
344. Berlin, Lou Reed
347. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, Pink Floyd
351. Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
355. Between the Buttons, The Rolling Stones
356. Sketches of Spain, Miles Davis
357. Honky Chateau, Elton John
363. Ray of Light, Madonna
371. Siren, Roxy Music
372. Late for the Sky, Jackson Browne
373. Post, Bjork
374. The Eagles, The Eagles
376. (What's the Story) Morning Glory?, Oasis
377. CrazySexyCool, TLC
380. Sunflower, The Beach Boys
383. A Quick One (Happy Jack), The Who
384. Pyromania, Def Leppard
385. Pretzel Logic, Steely Dan
388. A Hard Day's Night, The Beatles
391. The Pretender, Jackson Browne
395. Blue Lines, Massive Attack
396. Eliminator, ZZ Top
403. Radio City, Big Star
406. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, Sinead O' Connor
407. Strange Days, The Doors
408. Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan
409. 461 Ocean Boulevard, Eric Clapton
412. Mezzanine, Massive Attack
413. Beauty and the Beat, Go-Go's
415. Van Halen , Van Halen
418. Band on the Run, Wings
429. Grievous Angel, Gram Parsons
433. Another Green World, Brian Eno
434. Outlandos D'Amour, The Police
436. Here Come the Warm Jets, Brian Eno
437. All Things Must Pass, George Harrison
438. #1 Record, Big Star
440. Sea Change, Beck
448. In Color, Cheap Trick
452. Music, Madonna
453. Ritual de lo Habitual, Jane's Addiction
454. Getz/Gilberto, Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim
455. Synchronicity, The Police
460. Love It to Death, Alice Cooper
462. Here, My Dear, Marvin Gaye
463. Tumbleweed Connection, Elton John
468. Elton John, Elton John
472. Hysteria, Def Leppard
473. A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay
479. I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight, Richard and Linda Thompson
482. Armed Forces, Elvis Costello and the Attractions
487. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, The Smashing Pumpkins
491. All the Young Dudes, Mott the Hoople
493. That's the Way of the World, Earth, Wind and Fire
494. She's So Unusual, Cyndi Lauper
496. Destroyer, Kiss
500. Touch, Eurythmics

Haha.

The world just didn't need straight 50s influenced rock in the late 60s. Sorry. A step in the wrong direction musically. Some great songs, but too primitive and not even close to the sophistication and artiness of the musically better hippie bands, not to mention all those wonderful "twee" English concept albums from 67-68.

you know, some of those CCR songs have real nice melodies -- ever hear "have you ever seen the rain"? not to mention that CCR at their peak could more than hold their own with those so-called "musically better hippie bands."

geir almost makes me wanna defend roots-rock SHOCKA!!

Marvin Gaye=rock?
Muddy Waters=rock?

Anyway, this is deserved, as those non-rock genres aren't as important anyway

WRONG

Never read Rolling Stone but it seems as if the list attempts to justify some of the lamer artists/genres it seems to have championed through the years. For example, it always seems to be said that Billy Joel, average 70's country-blues-rock and a dilettantish enjoyment of, ahem, 'black music' etc is what Jann Wenner is all about.

That the list was compiled from other people's lists make this even sadder.

Doesn't matter. Both records are hopelessly overrated and *neither* deserves the top spot.

thus rendering my Sign 'O' the Times book superfluous. damn you, Geir Hongro!

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles (pop)
2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys (pop)
3. Revolver, The Beatles (pop)
5. Rubber Soul, The Beatles (pop)
6. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye (soul)
10. The Beatles ("The White Album"), The Beatles (pop - although some of the tracks are rock on this particular album)
12. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis (jazz)
14. Abbey Road, The Beatles (pop)
20. Thriller, Michael Jackson (pop/disco/soul)
23. Innervisions, Stevie Wonder (soul/pop)
24. Live at the Apollo (1963), James Brown (soul/funk)
25. Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (pop)
27. King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 1, Robert Johnson (blues)
30. Blue, Joni Mitchell (pop/folk)
36. Tapestry, Carole King (pop/folk)
37. Hotel California, The Eagles (pop)
38. The Anthology, 1947 - 1972, Muddy Waters (blues)
39. Please Please Me, The Beatles (pop)
46. Legend, Bob Marley and the Wailers (reggae)
47. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane (jazz)
48. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy (hip-hop)
51. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Simon and Garfunkel (pop/folk)
52. Greatest Hits, Al Green (soul)
53. The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings, 1952 - 1959, Ray Charles (soul)
56. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder (soul/pop)
58. Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band (contemporary avant garde)
59. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles (pop)
60. Greatest Hits, Sly and the Family Stone (funk)
67. The Stranger, Billy Joel (pop)
68. Off the Wall, Michael Jackson (pop/disco/soul)
69. Superfly, Curtis Mayfield (funk)
72. Purple Rain, Prince (a little bit of rock, but just as much pop, funk and soul)
74. Otis Blue, Otis Redding (soul)
79. Star Time, James Brown (funk)
80. Odessey and Oracle, The Zombies (pop)
81. Graceland, Paul Simon (pop/world)
83. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Aretha Franklin (soul)
84. Lady Soul, Aretha Franklin (soul)
86. Let It Be, The Beatles (pop)
88. At Folsom Prison, Johnny Cash (country)
89. Dusty in Memphis, Dusty Springfield (pop/soul)
90. Talking Book, Stevie Wonder (soul/pop)
91. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John (pop)
93. Sign 'o' the Times, Prince (see "Purple Rain)
94. Bitches Brew, Miles Davis (jazz/fusion)
97. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan (folk)
99. There's a Riot Goin' On, Sly and the Family Stone (funk)
100. In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra (pop/jazz)

So what's your point about the Top 100 being almost all rock?

how do you decide whether it's pop/soul or soul/pop? is it a gender thing, a race thing, a nationality thing, or some combination thereof?

lastly, everyone is correct in pointing out the comp issues, especially since, again, the allowance of comps is arbitrary. if we really are talking about the relative merits of albums, then lets use albums, and if we are going to include comps, why not include some from genres that would certainly benefit (techno and hip hop ARE weak from an album perspective, but there are certainly shitloads of comps that amaze for their durations).

-- Geir Hongro (geirhon...), November 25th, 1983. (later) (link)

I'd sooner burn off the face of the earth any Beatles music than never be able to hear hip hop again.

I have never been interested in skin colour. Why should people with different skin colour necessarily have to make different music? Aren't they all equal anyway.

Jimi Hendrix and Lenny Kravitz have understood something crucial here.

Unless you are speaking about the blues (which is also found in rock, as opposed to melodic song-oriented pop )then you are right. Otherwise, rap is directly influenced by African traditions rather than American ones.

Because ppl of different races have different traditions, different cultures, histories, priorities, means of expression established over time. These differences MEAN something to people. They don't all regard the music YOU like as inherently superior.

And i bet it'll tear you up the day you finally realise that ALL (and i mean ALL) modern popular music is based primarily on African musical attributes. If you don't believe me listen to European poular music pre 20th century. It has NOT been the major influence on modern music.

You're a music fascist.

Basically, I would say the rhythm is African, the melodic and harmonic sophistication is European, while the simplicity and rawness is American (read: folk/country)

You could listen to Muddy Waters from now till next decade and you wouldn't understand it. You just don't have the vocabulary.

1) What year is it again?
2) Which genre pretty much rules the charts right now?
3) Who currently sells more records right now
   a) Jay-Z or
   b) Bob Seger?
4) Who currently sells more records right now
   a) Missy Elliot or
   b) Lita Ford?
5) Whos the hottest producer right now
   a) Timbaland or
   b) Mitchell Froom?

You won't be in any position to make anymore unprovable assertions until you answer those questions.

3) Who currently sells more records right now
a) Jay-Z or
b) The White Stripes?
4) Who currently sells more records right now
a) Missy Elliot or
b) Pink?
5) Who's the hottest producer right now
a) Timbaland or
b) Steve Albini?

You'd still make your point without, well, cheating.

Footnote 1: "Have ypu recently been injured in an accident. Then call the Lawfirm of Seger, Ford and Froom! If you don't get paid, then neither do we."

From Roni Sarig's "The Secret History of Rock":

"Pop" is a musical term, pop generally refers to popular music, all the stuff (rock, country, jazz, adult contemporary, etc.) that's not considered classical. Taken more literally, pop means popular; the stuff on the radio, on MTV, in the Top 40. But pop has another connotation, one more difficult to pinpoint. This is the sense in which we're going to use it in this chapter.
As a concept, Pop (with a capital P), can draw from many genres. Whether or not a particular piece of music is Pop doesn't depend on how many people hear it or how many copies it sells.

Though I think Robert Anton Wilson (and|or) Terrence McKenna said it better this way: "The Map is not the territory, the Menu is not the meal"
"Pop" is generally a meaningless term. The closest you'll ever get to defining it is by saying "Pop is whatever The Beatles, Michael Jackson, NSync and Abba have in common that make little 12 year old girls squeal and 40 year old stock arbitraguers hum at the bus stop."
But not every band is Pop 24-hours of the day. The Beatles did Helter Skelter for example (which made them "Rock"). And weirdo heavy metal band Faith No More did a cover of "Easy" which made them either "Pop" or "Soul" depending on who you ask.
Anyhow...the point I'm making is this: The notion that genre is an ironclad category surrounded by tank berms and concertina wire and that a band picks one genre and stays rigidly within it...is a phantasmal fiction and a bit of recieved pseudo-wisdom.

Thank you, you've been a wonderful audience.
I'll now turn this discussion over to the next speaker.

Pop is best defined what it is not IMO:

- If it doesn't have its main emphasis on harmony and melody then it isn't pop
- If it has a production focusing too much on danceability then it isn't pop, but dance/disco
- If it is too improvised, then it isn't pop, but jazz/soul/R&B
- If the guitars make too much noise, then it isn't pop but rock
- If the melody has too many bluenotes in it, then it isn't pop but rock/blues/R&B.

Still, most of The Beatles' output (except stuff such as "Helter Skelter" that is) fits well into the pop category, as highly melodic and harmonic, mainly diatonic, music, that doesn't have a production focusing too much on guitars or rhythm.

Van Halen's debut, Def Leppard's "Hysteria" and Iron Maiden's "Number Of The Beast" are usually found in those lists, at least if as much as 500 albums are included.

I loved the issue but I wonder if I wasn't also put in a good mood by the reminder that Fats Domino and Solomon Burke are still alive.

Plus, if they wanted to make the list less stupid, they could lay down some simple ground rules--no greatest hits, votes for US and UK versions of Beatles albums are lumped together, only six Elton John records per ballot.

Geir is allowed to have an opinion SHOCK!

Keith, I can't reproduce the voter list here (skimming, I see Moby, Paul Shaffer, Eric Weisbard, the Edge, Rick Rubin, Carole King, Yoko Ono), but it seems to me like there was an honest attempt at what the kids today call inclusiveness. EPMD would not be on here without someone in editorial pulling for more rap voters.

I'd also love to see the same results from the same voters but with different methods and math. As it is, any of the Top 500 had to appear on at least five different ballots, encouraging consensus picks over passionate idiosyncracy.

And while I'm at it, I'd love to see the complete ballots!

1. Michael Jackson, Thriller (20)
2. Janet Jackson, Rhythm Nation 1814 (275)
3. Michael Jackson, Bad (202)
4. Madonna, Like a Prayer (237)
5. Michael Jackson, Off the Wall (68)
6. Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston (254)
7. Otis Redding, The Dock of the Bay (161)
8. Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain (72)
9. Prince, Sign 'o' the Times (93)
10. TLC, CrazySexyCool (377)

http://babelogue.citypages.com:8080/pscholtes/stories/storyReader$29

Also, if this issue makes me finally break down and buy Exile on Main Street, or makes a Stones fan discover Professor Longhair or the Minutemen, those immediate and happy effects would seem to me to be as powerful as the gradual and sad effect of '60s supremacist thinking.

MTV2 recently (?) had a feature on "the 22 Best CDs, like, ever", which was interesting in that it used the specific media format itself to limit things to a primarily mid '80s-onward milieu. Granted, this meant that we got a list with Live on it.

I sympathize, Michaelangelo, I just think the main sadness I have about the list has to do with things it can't control:

-the fact that so much great non-English music has no way to be heard here by critics, never mind RS's illustrious voters...

-that there were just less records made in the '60s, so a consensus was easier to reach (plus, you know, demographics and shit)...

-that London Calling is only slightly longer than the average filler-padded CD these days...

-that I can't explain to Keith that What's Going On is a great record without making references to pot smoke, depression, or "being black in America" (only two of which I know anything about)...

-that there are records as good as, say, the Monks' Black Monk Time (which I just heard for the first time this year), and the best I can hope for is that I'll eventually hear them and add them to my oh-so-seminal-and-influential Top 100 list...

Shams and Be Ashamed...
My Bloody's Loveless is top 50 material.
PiL's Metal Box needs to be in the top 150.
Massive Attack's Blue Lines at 395?

Ignored?
Underworld's Dubnobasswithmy or Second Toughest
Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque.
American Music Club's Everclear
Lisa Germano Geek the Girl
Gang Starr Moment of Truth for chrissake

Yeah, I reek of my generation with these picks, but that's my two sense.

Not to say that a late-era Roxy singles compilation wouldn't be absolutely amazing.

And why is Pavement apparently so magnificent whereas the Smiths are what, over one hundred albums lower?

Massive Attack made it on, to whomever was complaining about a lack of electric music on this list. Full-on electronica is mostly a singles medium, though, and the artists mostly aren't old enough to release silly Greatest Hits albums.

Side note: The Human League's "Dare" definitely deserves a spot.

By the way, is Screamadelica on there anywhere?

AWFUL.

No Aphex Twin.
No Can.
No Slayer.

I think they picked the right Kraftwerk album.
Massive under representation of anything other than typical ROCK cannon
crap in the upper numbers.

Sandinista is on this list; this album blows.

Only one Sonic Youth album; 3 Radiohead shitfests.

COLDPLAY?????????????????????????????

Zepplelin rules!!!

reason enough to igore the list.

Butterfly is a vocal and lyric masterpiece. It didn't chart even between 400's and 500's.

Rolling Stone truly hates her.

1. Ænema
2. Lateralus
3. 10,000 Days
4. Undertow
...

All these albums NEED to be on the list

How many of the top 100 albums from this list have you heard? (Thought about making a poll, but can't be bothered.)

I've heard 92 out of the top 100 (tho I'm only intimately familiar with about 80 or so of them -- can never remember what the James Brown albums sound like, and I never really *got* Trout Mask Replica no matter how many times I've heard it).

84, and 55% of the 500

http://www.listsofbests.com/list/5413/compare/duggie2

Why does Wikipedia feel the need to mention how such-and-such album fared on this list?

42 out of 100 for me, but i blame rolling stone's inclusion of albums like "hotel california" and "20 golden greats" at least partly for my failing grade. like, i've heard a couple buddy holly comps before, and i've heard hotel california like a billion times, but never the full album, and never that specific compilation.

Starting from 500 and working up and then stopping around halfway.. It doesn't appear to be such a bad list.

87/100, and more like 99/100 if you account for hearing all the songs on an album on other comps/mixes/radio etc. I've never listened to the Allman Brothers, that's the only one of which I'm completely ignorant (I know some of the singles off other albums).

37/100

wikipedia feels the need to mention how a lot of things fared on a lot of lists, snrub

96/100 for me (i like pie).

oddest choice of the top hundred: the Billy Joel disc.

blame rolling stone's inclusion of albums like "hotel california" and "20 golden greats" at least partly for my failing grade. like, i've heard a couple buddy holly comps before, and i've heard hotel california like a billion times, but never the full album, and never that specific compilation.

I can see what you mean about the Buddy Holly comp but Hotel California is a studio album. Hearing the biggest hit single a billion times obv != knowing the album. (My count would be much higher than approx. 47 if I could do this.)

(Also, I'm exhausted and insomniac and thus bitchy and pedantic.)

95/100

yeah i just assume that the album is shit, and that the only reason it's on the list is because of the title track. i could be wrong, maybe it's a solid album. did you know the eagles' greatest hits is the best selling album ever in the united states?

95/100 and 419/500. I was raised on classic rock.

i own, ironically, 50/100. i could add probably around 12 albums that i know but don't own.

if i did the whole 500, however, my average will probably go up.

19 i think

Hotel California is reasonably solid in an Eagles way and contains two other big hits. Wouldn't be near my top 50 albums though, except maybe if I had to pick 50 mainstream rock albums from the 70s.

In the same vein here's another RS Top 500 list... their Worst Reviews of All Time! Sharing because I find it quite insightful considering the platform (RYM) and lack of a known name (who exactly is schmidtt, anyone know?). At first it looks like he's just picking beefs with reviews he thinks they got wrong, but his broad thesis that star ratings are dictated by Wenner and $$$ soon becomes apparent. The argument won't be novel to anyone on this board, but this contains a lot of value being a case-by-case study. IMO it's a worthwhile read for anyone interested in "criticism of criticism"... not your typical RYM list. Sorry if it's been shared already.

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/schmidtt/rolling_stones_500_worst_reviews_of_all_time__work_in_progress_/1/

Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

Rating: Mixed
"The record as a whole is another matter - I don't think I could ever tolerate all of it. There are three brilliant songs, one good one, three qualified bummers, and three are the flaming shits." (Arthur Schmidt, 3/9/68 Review)

The Beatles
Abbey Road (1969)

"...Side two is a disaster...The slump begins with "Because," which is a rather nothing song...the biggest bomb on the album is "Sun King," which overflows with sixth and ninth chords and finally degenerates into a Muzak-sounding thing with Italian lyrics. It is probably the worst thing the Beatles have done since they changed drummers. This leads into the "Suite" which finishes up the side. There are six little songs, each slightly under two minutes long, all of which are so heavily overproduced that they are hard to listen to..."

Neil Young
After the Gold Rush (1970)

Rating: Unfavorable
"Neil Young devotees will probably spend the next few weeks trying desperately to convince themselves that After The Gold Rush is good music. But they'll be kidding themselves. For despite the fact that the album contains some potentially first rate material, none of the songs here rise above the uniformly dull surface. In my listening, the problem appears to be that most of this music was simply not ready to be recorded at the time of the sessions. It needed time to mature. On the album the band never really gets behind the songs and Young himself has trouble singing many of them...The song "After The Gold Rush," for instance, reminds one of nothing so much as Mrs. Miller moaning and wheezing her way through "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia In An Onion Patch." Apparently no one bothered to tell Neil Young that he was singing a half octave above his highest acceptable range. At that point his pathos becomes an irritating bathos. I can't listen to it at all." (Langdon Winner, 10/15/70 Review)

I'm glad I wasn't around when those reviews had any relevance

Oh and it all goes downhill from there... if anyone's skeptical of the list being simply picking on a glorified zine, I suggest skipping to the late-90s/early-00s, where the "reappraisals" based on sales really get into their prime... if you're enthralled by the Hootie/DeRo (ptew) story, here it is again, album by album, from an outsider's view.

No idea why I just subjected myself to this little 'break' but here are the Top 40 albums I Don't Really Like (All That Much) based on the revised 2012 edition of this list, from their #1 upwards (reordering them would take too long):

1. The Beatles, 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
2. The Beach Boys, 'Pet Sounds'
3. Elvis Presley, 'The Sun Sessions'
4. Bob Dylan, 'Blood on the Tracks'
5. Bruce Springsteen, 'Born to Run'
6. Michael Jackson, 'Thriller'
7. John Lennon, 'Plastic Ono Band'
8. Stevie Wonder, 'Innervisons'
9. U2, 'The Joshua Tree'
10. The Who, 'Who's Next'
11. Joni Mitchell, 'Blue'
12. Ramones, 'Ramones'
13. The Band, 'Music From Big Pink'
14. David Bowie, 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars'
15. Carole King, 'Tapestry'
16. The Beatles, 'Please Please Me'
17. The Sex Pistols, 'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'
18. The Band, 'The Band'
19. Public Enemy, 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'
20. Al Green, 'Greatest Hits'
21. The Beatles, 'Meet the Beatles!'
22. Elvis Presley, 'Elvis Presley'
23. Stevie Wonder, 'Songs in the Key of Life'
24. Guns N' Roses, 'Appetite for Destruction'
25. Phil Spector, 'Back to Mono (1958-1969)'
26. Michael Jackson, 'Off the Wall'
27. Billy Joel, 'The Stranger'
28. AC/DC, 'Back in Black'
29. John Lennon, 'Imagine'
30. Bruce Springsteen, 'Born in the U.S.A.'
31. Dusty Springfield, 'Dusty in Memphis'
32. Stevie Wonder, 'Talking Book'
33. Elton John, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'
34. The Who, 'Tommy'
35. Bob Dylan, 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan'
36. Elvis Costello, 'This Year's Model'
37. James Taylor, 'Sweet Baby James'
38. Ramones, 'Rocket to Russia'
39. David Bowie, 'Hunky Dory'
40. Derek and the Dominos, 'Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'

...which takes us to #117. Could be better, could be worse. I also skipped a dozen albums I have yet to hear.

Here's a more browser-friendly link to the full list:

https://musicbrainz.org/series/8668518f-4a1e-4802-8b0d-81703ced6418

what you got against stevie?

Too smooth, too cheerful.

when i saw this thread come up i wondered if they revamped their list again like they did in 2012... after all, it's only a matter of time before they re-do it and Frank Ocean's Blonde cracks the top 200 or something

Pet Sounds?! Blood on the Tracks?! Innervisions?! Blue?! Ramones?! Tapestry?! Please Please Me?! It Takes A Nation?! Songs in the Key of Life?! Dusty in Memphis?! Talking Book?! This Year's Model?! Rocket to Russia?! Hunky Dory?!

your silence speaks volumes, pomenitul

The Stevie reasoning is weird, but whatever. I can, if I really stretch my brain, find a reason someone could conceivably dislike most of these, but

20. Al Green, 'Greatest Hits'

How is this possible?

and again, no answer. pomenitul offers ZERO defense. there is none.

I don’t rate him very highly as a singer and I find his songs kind of bland, there’s never any edge to them.

Anyway, be the challlop you want to see in the world and attempt this little experiment yourself.

Btw I don’t hate any of these albums (well, almost), I just enjoy them way less than I ‘should’.

i was jk, sorry! sometimes i get way too committed to the character. i appreciate these challops. though some of them are incredibly gutsy

No, please, do go on, we’ve all got our little part to play!

and I was just, uh, confirming your choices

when I look at the entire RS list my mind glazes over and I no longer like anything

Wait, you don’t like Elvis? Is it physically possible to not like Elvis?

i like a lot of these albums but there is something depressing about seeing the exact same titles lined up over and over again. i mean, i love pet sounds, i have plenty of fond personal memories attached to specific songs on that album, i even love the goofy cover photo, but i'm not sure we're doing it any favors by sticking it at the top of every damn list, yknow?

pomenitul's hatelist is somehow worse than RS's list...

Don’t knock it till you try it! (Sort of.)

it's ok to dislike things and pom dislikes singers

Only some singers, thank you very much.

I refuse to believe that the majority of us genuinely enjoy almost every single album on that list up until, say, #200.

Besides, you also need to consider the 80-odd titles I do like.

Tbf, you made a point of listing the ones you don't.:P

😈

I think in the top 100 the only albums I don’t like at all are the Guns n Roses and the Sex Pistols ones.

Van Morrison and U2 albums in the top 100 I don’t hate but don’t really understand the appeal either. They seem highly overrated to me.

Astral Weeks is all-time and always will be imo, Moondance is pretty good too. The rest I can do without.

Anyway, you clearly have a bone to pick with the Irish.

wow that is an awful lot of rong+facepalm+wtf in a 2-line post xp

people not liking stuff is fine, picking Moondance and Astral Weeks as better than any of the list of unapproved LPs above is... looking for a nice word than "wrong" here.

Everyone who disses my list without submitting to the crucible is RONG by default.

Hey I specified I don’t hate the u2 and Van Morrison albums. I even like some of the songs in there.

The only ones I can’t stand from there are GnR and Sex Pistols

Honestly knowing myself only hating 2 out of 100 albums is a pretty good ratio.

Yeah but do you *really* enjoy all 98 of those? Like I said upthread, of the 40 I listed, I only really hate maybe about 5 tops, it's more a matter of feeling like I don't quite get everything there is to get in most of those instances.

I mean at this point of my life I probably would only listen and rate highly around 10 out of 100 albums in there. The rest are overplayed beyond meaning now or I can see why they’re considered important but don’t really vibe with them.

I guess I wasn’t sufficiently forthcoming about my criteria. Most of the albums I didn’t list are those I’d be happy to hear again.

Maybe a POX albums would be better then.

As in the 10 albums you'd retain out of the 500?

Top 100, but yeah top 500 works too but it’s probably harder to pick only 10 out of 500.

If we're sticking to the top 100, I guess I'd go with:

The Doors – The Doors
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced?
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Radiohead – Kid A
The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St.
Sly & The Family Stone – There's a Riot Goin' On
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks
The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground & Nico

No more than one album per act.

And I can't believe there's no Black Sabbath at all in their top 100, smh.

Kid A is not in the top 100?

Sticking to the top 100 this would be my pox

#35 David Bowie
#58 Captain Beefheart
#69 Curtis Mayfield
#75 Led Zep
#80 Zombies
#82 Jimi Hendrix
#89 Dusty Springfield
#95 Creedence
#99 Sly & the Family
#100 Frank Sinatra

It is, somewhat unexpectedly (at #67). Yet OK Computer is not.

xp

Mayfield, Creedence and Zombies would def make my POXX.

Huh? I got Billy Joel at 67 and Kid A at 428. But I am looking at the list on the opening post. I guess it got updated.

Yep, I've been working with the revised 2012 edition:

https://musicbrainz.org/series/8668518f-4a1e-4802-8b0d-81703ced6418

Ok so the list has remained pretty much the same but Sinatra is gone from the top 100 so I guess change that one for Kid A in my POX

POX, one album per artist, in the order they're listed:

Pet Sounds
The Velvet Underground & Nico
Nevermind
Robert Johnson’s The Complete Recordings
Blue
Electric Ladyland
Kid A
Led Zeppelin IV
Bitches Brew

From your list I like pretty much all the artists but my favorite albums from them are not those. I’d pick these as my favorite albums by them:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
Miles Davis – In A Silent Way
Pink Floyd – Meddle
The Velvet Underground - Loaded

Yeah I’m one of those weird people who thinks Loaded is the best VU album.

If those were in the top 100 I’d definitley pick them.

I wavered between Kind of Blue and Bitches Brew but I've spent so much time with the former that picking the latter would've felt like a betrayal.

I almost added Nevermind but I'm just so much more partial to In utero.

I love Robert Johnson but I've always struggled with the sequencing on that one.

2xp

As amazing as Meddle is, Dark Side of the Moon is one of the very first albums I ever listened to in its entirety, at the age of 5 or 6, and nothing can supplant that kind of chronological precedence.

I do prefer IASW and In Utero but neither was in the top 100.

Yeah In Utero def more of an impact in my life than Nevermind.

DSOTM was also very influential in my early teens and I think it’s brilliant but it’s one of those overplayed beyond meaning albums for me. I’m never in the mood to listen to it again.

Can't believe Close to the Edge didn't make it.

sees Sgt. Pepper at #1

closes browser tab

See, that's where they're OTM. (I picked the white album in my POX mainly out of personal nostalgic associations but this is one album where I'm all for the canonical assessment.)

I've bitched about this elsewhere and I've already shit this thread up enough, but Beatles LPs are invariably inconsistent to my ears and Sgt. Pepper is no exception. Half of the material just feels inconsequential, even in context. Side 2 in particular is a slog, aside from 'Within You Without You' and, of course, 'A Day in the Life'.

it’s a pretty awesome album apart from “she’s leaving home” and “when i’m 64”, imo

The top 40 of me not really giving a shit, as per pomenitul

6. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
11. The Sun Sessions, Elvis Presley
12. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
18. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
19. Astral Weeks, Van Morrison
22. Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon
36. Tapestry, Carole King
38. The Anthology, 1947 - 1972, Muddy Waters
40. Forever Changes, Love
47. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
48. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Public Enemy
49. At Fillmore East, The Allman Brothers Band
58. Trout Mask Replica, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
65. Moondance, Van Morrison
67. The Stranger, Billy Joel
74. Otis Blue, Otis Redding
77. The Clash, The Clash
85. Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen
91. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
94. Bitches Brew, Miles Davis
96. Tommy, The Who
100. In the Wee Small Hours, Frank Sinatra
110. The Bends, Radiohead
113. The Who Sell Out, The Who
117. Sweetheart of the Rodeo, The Byrds
121. Moby Grape, Moby Grape
124. Younger Than Yesterday, The Byrds
127. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, The Mamas and the Papas
128. Marquee Moon, Television
129. 40 Greatest Hits, Hank Williams
132. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle, Bruce Springsteen
133. Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G.
134. Slanted and Enchanted, Pavement
135. Greatest Hits, Elton John
136. Tim, The Replacements
139. All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2
141. Live at the Regal, B.B. King
151. Darkness on the Edge of Town, Bruce Springsteen
153. Moanin' in the Moonlight, Howlin' Wolf
157. Closer, Joy Division

fucks sake even i like "She's Leaving Home"

FPed you for heinous Al Green libel btw pom

it’s probably good but it makes me sad

‘She’s Leaving Home’ is indeed good not bad.

And sorry about Al, NV, his music is pleasant enough, it just makes me feel... nothing (I’d be on board with it if it made me feel the Nothing tho).

such is life pom, hopefully the change to FP limits won't come into play :D

It’s alright, I’m just waiting for your own challopy list to come out of the woodwork, I’m sure there will be an FP-worthy pick or two among the lot.

(At least half of peace, man’s list fits the bill as far as I’m concerned.)

i don't hate music i love it (and sometimes i ignore it)

Like, how dare you:

6. What's Going On, Marvin Gaye
12. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
19. Astral Weeks, Van Morrison
40. Forever Changes, Love
47. A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
94. Bitches Brew, Miles Davis
110. The Bends, Radiohead
134. Slanted and Enchanted, Pavement
153. Moanin' in the Moonlight, Howlin' Wolf
157. Closer, Joy Division

xp

the least compelling music discussion is people talking about what they don't like

Ranking The Bends above S&E is a very particular “challop.”

Hard disagree, obv. I'm against repressing one's musical feelings.

xp

okay 10 from this list i am never going to sit down and listen to (again, sometimes) one per artiste

Sgt Poppers
Nevermoand
Led Zeppeline
Horsies
Achtung Babby
Toommy
Fresh Creamed
Loalded
Tim
The Downword Spirl

No Teem/Tym?

i figured more than 3 seconds of thought was overdoing it

I love Robert Johnson but I've always struggled with the sequencing on that one.

I generally don't listen to it all through in sequence fwiw.

Also, "When I'm 64" is amazing. I'm in the minority, I'm pretty sure, but I've tried to say why before.

My top ten from this list is just Sgt. Poppers ten times on repeat. Heaven. Heaven.

there were a bunch of records i'm problaby never going to play thru in their entirety but i left them off because the odd song from them still has a place in my heart

then again i haven't listened much to albums beginning to end in an eternity

I do not get why Robert Johnson is singled out among the blues musicians of the 30s, except if for stupid mythology reasons, he's fine but listening to his whole recording discography in one go would be very repetitive and dull.

I also still like Sgt Pepper, do I need to be put on some sort of list?

Yeah, I like it as a resource to draw from. There are some very surprising and clever things going on in the playing and writing. Who do you put on or above his level? xp

i love Johnson but i love Skip James more off the top of my head

I mean, you get two takes of half the songs. I never thought of it as a sequenced album like Rumours or something.xp

Son House is probably my fave old blues dude based on the names I'm acquainted with.

That list is mostly either a) albums I generally like or b) albums/musical acts IDG enough of AF about to listen to, but they're mostly very boring choices.

Sgt. Pooper is both the least good of the latter day Bettles albums and not even in the top, what, 30? 40? albums released in '67. Such a boring, dumb choice for number one, every time it's chosen as number one in anything.

xps big bill broonzy, barbecue bob, kokomo arnold - also think the late 20s is a better time for blues than late 30s

I mean, it's RS. There's no canon to be bored by/rail against if there's no one upholding it.

I'm here if you want someone to rep for Breakfast in America instead.

j/k Crime of the Century is better.

I guess ILM ultimately prefers p4k's take on the canon.

As for top 100s I stan hardly for Wired’s “100 records that set the world on fire” instead:

https://www.discogs.com/es/lists/the-wires-100-records-that-set-the-world-on-fire-while-no-one-was-listening-extra-30-records/421

As a canon

I guess ILM ultimately prefers p4k's take on the canon.

Did they list Kontakte?

And yeah I probably prefer p4k’s list albeit some very laughably on-brand choices.

That said I guess the most influential and important of these canonical lists is actually the one by Rolling Stone.

#80 of their top 200 albums of the 1960s.

2xp

Hard disagree, obv. I'm against repressing one's musical feelings.

xp

― pomenitul, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 1:41 PM (thirty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

i mean, it's not therapy

i don't care what people express just the whole "taking down a canonical classic down a peg or two" is just so played out at this point

It is for me!

#80 of their top 200 albums of the 1960s.

I think that means Pitchfork > a random classic rock station in the American Midwest > Rolling Stone

>>>>> NME

otm

1. BTO - Fartin' Down the Freeway
2. Stephenwolf - Bad to the Bone
3. CCR - Swamp-Shufflin' Mama
4. Bob Denver - Interstate 69 Repaved
5. Gradeful Dead - Beaded Seat Cover Mama
5. Bittles - Corporal Healthcare's Friendly Fishstick Stand
5. Bitch Boys - Pet Smiles
5. Old Blues Willie - Scratchy Sounds for College Students

Sgt Pepper is currently at #34 on the RYM list.

think their #1 and #2 are going to be equally controversial though

https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart?page=1&chart_type=top&type=album&year=alltime&genre_include=1&include_child_genres=1&genres=&include_child_genres_chk=1&include=both&origin_countries=&limit=none&countries=

Indeed, indeed:

Let's poll... RYM's Top 50 Albums of All Time

nice timing!

it’s probably good but it makes me sad

― brimstead, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 11:20 AM

my thoughts on going outside

honestly i'll take the rolling stone 500 list, boringness and all, over all those Q best albums lists i used to see that had like two oasis albums in the top 10

Posting yet one more link to this ILX-friendly list, hope it's not spam: https://www.othermusic.com/blogs/top-sellers/other-musics-100-top-sellers-of-all-time

I did actually buy two of the albums listed in the top 10 there (one in person, and one via mail after leaving NYC).

I like Sgt Peppers, but I think 4 Beatles albums in the top 10 is a bit much. To be honest I don't care much for Revolver or Rubber Soul. I never got into Pet Sounds either, but I can see why people like it. London Calling is good but not sure why that gets to be the new wave album in the top 10, there are tons of others just as good. Highway 61, Exile, Sgt Peppers and the White Album are all time though, I can't argue with those.

I’m a big Dylan guy, but Highway 61 has never been one of my faves... seeing it rated above Blonde on Blonde is surprising to me (Nirvana at #17 is another story, but whatever).

The Airplane not showing up until #146, with Surrealist Pillow, is an eye-roll for sure.

*ic

If only Prince and the Revolution had tried 10x harder, Purple Rain could have been rated as high as Kid A.

RS once famously dubbed R.E.M. “America’s Best Rock and Roll Band”—but they don’t show up until #197 (with Murmur)... four slots below mother fucking Dookie.

To their credit, R.E.M. shows up twice more—AFTP at #249 (five slots beneath The Marshall Mathers LP), and Document (their “best rock & roll band” album) in the nosebleed seats at #462.

At least MGMT made it into the top 500; I can call it a night, relieved.

Woah ROFL @ Geir Hongro posts upthread.

Anyway the RS list is right on par with that awful ILM jazz albums one.

Why don't you guys just realised that hip-hop will never be even remotely as important as rock. Hip-hop is just as passing fad - completely forgotten in 20 years - while rock will live forever.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, November 25, 2003 5:55 PM (sixteen years ago)

Whoa there, Nostradamus.

So uh, the only evidence of this i can find is a picture of the October issue's cover on Bruce Springsteen's facebook page, but it looks like they're revising the top 500 again

https://www.facebook.com/brucespringsteen/posts/10158393622925250

Will Arctic Monkeys crack the top 200 this time? Stay tuned.

I did my best.

Geir still has 3 years left to be proven right. Give him a chance guys.

i can't at this list being a hype-able intellectual property

Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin V
Led Zeppelin VI
Led Zeppelin VII
Led Zeppelin VIII
Led Zeppelin IX
Led Zeppelin X

imaginary Rolling Stone otm

I’m a big Dylan guy, but Highway 61 has never been one of my faves.. seeing it rated above Blonde on Blonde is surprising to me

Highway 61 was the first Dylan album where I really understood what the fuss was about, so that may be coloring my perceptions. But I still think that song for song, it is the most consistent Dylan album. Blonde on Blonde has better sound and better vocals. For a while it was my favorite. To be honest I mostly listen to post-2000 Dylan and/or bootleg series stuff these days, and haven't played either of these in a while.

To be honest I mostly listen to post-2000 Dylan and/or bootleg series stuff these days

Me too! That's funny.

New list, new #1:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/

As safe as ever.

Trying to read that on my phone and it’s just impossible to scroll down far enough to see number one. So I’m just gonna guess Wesley Willis finally made the top spot.

Here you go:

50 Best Albums of All Time According to Rolling Stone's BRAND NEW, 100% Revamped Top 500

Your service is as unsettling as it is quick, ty!

RS apparently revamped this list in December, but I can’t find a comprehensive rundown of the changes:

EDITOR’S NOTE, DECEMBER 2023: In the three years since Rolling Stone rolled out the all-new, fully revamped version of our 500 Greatest Albums list, artists like Beyonce, Bad Bunny, and Taylor Swift have all released undeniable classics. So we’ve updated the list, adding those albums while making a few other tweaks. The 2020 list covered many decades of popular music, and was the result of a vote among more than 300 artists, writers, producers and industry figures; this update covers just three years. So we kept the changes light.

(or I guess “updated” the “revamped” list)

Ok, Reddit to the rescue: https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/18vmy8b/so_rolling_stone_just_did_a_mini_update_on_their/