THE WORST NME COVER OF ALL TIME

It's an awful, terrible blog.

Yeah belligerent naivete is nagl and I have no desire to restage the Lena Dunham privilege wars. All I can say is that's by far the stupidest thing she's written and I wouldn't judge on her that alone.

yay Dog Man Star!

oh my god, google autocorrect and eve barlow <3

That whole blog is astonishing.

Today a journalist left Twitter which is a shame because a) she was lovely and humble on Twitter, b) she tweeted about house music at approx 11pm which is usually the time I play bangers by Frankie Knuckles, SL2 and Capella (all I really listen to is a CD called The All Time Greatest Hits Of Dance 2) and it was nice to share that and 3) she was good at explaining Newsnight and Question Time – TV programmes that are so inaccessible to me they regularly convince me I have severe learning disabilities.

you mean the google autocomplete?

yeah, just tried it..

I think I'm doing OK in life as long as Google autocomplete doesn't include "racist" in the first 10 options.

Tried Morrissey, you have to add a space and an 'r' before..

And even then, you get "robert smith" higher up on the suglist.

creepy, my google autocomplete contains my workplace.

Google autocomplete is based on your own search history, guys.

^^^ megalols

what does that mean when "racist" comes up for someone you've never met? it can't be solely based on your own.

i was thinking "i've never searched for myself and my own workplace" but i did a few weeks ago as i had an interview and wanted to find some work i'd done.

#anecdote

i think nick was trying to make a joke?

i don't like comedy

can't stay i've got to go and cash my cheque at the bank of zing

top 50 breakdown

uk: 27
usa: 21
canada: 1
iceland: 1

John Mulvey's submitted list: http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/wild-mercury-sound/my-top-50-albums-of-all-time-subject-to-change

my main takeaway from this was "mulvey used to iron his hair?" and then I thought I can't even remember anything about his writing

also, lol at Liquid Swords and Maggot Brain

ugh that was the most ILM post of all time, apologies, setting myself on fire, brb

lol at Liquid Swords and Maggot Brain

why?

I think that's the thing for me; when I read NME every week cover-to-cover it felt like it was forcibly squeezing my mind wider to let in techno and dance and hip hop and experimental music and all sorts of other stuff, but maybe this is me rose-tinting things from a great distance (best part of 20 years). Same went for Select and Vox, too.

― I can still taste the Taboo in my mouth when I hear those songs (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, October 23, 2013 11:46 AM (6 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

without wishing to speak for you this doesn't seem like rose-tinting to me exactly, more symptomatic of the differences between being in your teens in the mid-90s and being in your 30s in 2013... like in let's say 1995 I had very little recourse to expanding my horizons about music other than reading the music press which is *mostly* a case of skimming the surface of stuff. there were reviews of techno/hip-hop/experimental music in there and there still are now (I know this cos sometimes I write them), and most of them are/were probably fairly rote and obvious selections from the respective genre, but I think there are a huge pool of readers, esp youthful ones, for whom it's still really off their normal indie radar. whether they give enough of a shit to even so much as check out e.g. Tim Hecker, who the fuck knows

not saying that the mag is exactly the same as 15-20 years ago but I feel like more ppl should acknowledge the fact that they're 15-20 years older

A lot of that was confined to the Singles page, I think, it made the individual tastes of different writers really obvious and it was obvious that there were people championing their own favourites to get them into the paper.

The idea of a cacophony of voices disagreeing with one another was on the wane throughout the 90s and possibly even before that. Still, I'm pretty sure that the Conor McNicholas era actively discouraged it in a way, although its coverage has broadened somewhat since then, but the print media apocalypse coupled with the damage that was done during that era has meant that no one really has the courage to fully row back from that, and it would probably be commercial suicide anyway.

I have a copy of Vox from late 96 or early 97 and it's like looking into a different world. Most of the non-indie picks are cringeworthily obvious but it's the non-music stuff that's really weird, like it's stuffed full of tobacco advertising and there's an article on how rock and roll Tony Blair is.

There's also a big interview with Nick Cave that could have been in any magazine at any point in the intervening 16 years.

Wasn't joking re: Google autocomplete, btw; if you're signed in to your Google or Gmail account then EVERY thing you search for is logged and run through algorithms and compiled and analysed. And if you're using Google Chrome, then every fucking thing you do on the internet is run through the same stuff, too. All that furore about GCHQ spying on us? Google have been doing it for a decade + and are really good at it. I'd not be at all surprised if autocomplete also took into account searches by people in your circles on Google+. The only way to get an unbiased Google search result is to log out, and even then your results will be geographically skewed according to how advertises have paid for results to be ranked. God, working in marketing sucks for making you realise how much we're all manipulated.

Anyway, as I said, I probably was rose-tinting, but I have very distinct memories of Second Toughest In The Infants and In Sides getting absolute rave, 9/10, ***** reviews all across the music press I was reading in 1996, and that's what made me buy it and have my mind blown. And OK, those were 'big' artists in the scheme of things, but they were artists my guitar-loving friends were pretty repulsed by, and it felt really out there to be exploring them. But that was when I was 16/17 and lived in a tiny seaside town in Devon, and now I'm 34 and live in a bigger sort-of-city in Devon and own a lot of jazz...

I put this on twitter a while ago, but I think the most baffling thing about the individual staff top 10s is that most of them are younger than me, but their favourite records are from 20+ years before they were born, in most cases, and that always baffles me. A damn good chunk of mine would be from when I was 15-30, if not 10-22. Older stuff, as much as I might love it, often feels like someone else's favourite music that I just appreciate a lot. Like, I much prefer Four Tet to Kraftwerk, because he's mine, he's my era, I've been able to see him live and enjoy anticipating his records and going and buying them on the day they came out.

500. Outkast, 'Stankonia'
499. Belly, 'Star'
498. Lou Reed, 'Berlin'
497. Daft Punk, 'Random Access Memories'
496. Girls, 'Album'
495. The Killers, 'Hot Fuss'
494. The Cure, 'The Head On The Door'
493. This Mortal Coil, 'Blood'
492. These New Puritans, 'Hidden'
491. Pet Shop Boys, 'Actually'
490. MC5, 'Back In The USA
489. The Wedding Present, 'George Best'
488. Leonard Cohen, 'I'm Your Man'
487. The Jam, 'Sound Affects'
486. Bjork, 'Homogenic'
485. Kendrick Lamar, 'Good Kid M.A.A.D City'
484. Bruce Springsteen, 'The River'
483. Elvis Costello And The Attractions, 'Blood And Chocolate'
482. Billie Holiday, 'Lady In Satin'
481. Brian Wilson, 'Smile'
480. Aretha Franklin, 'I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You'
479. Throwing Muses, 'The Real Ramona'
478. The National, 'Trouble Will Find Me'
477. Crystal Castles, 'Crystal Castles'
476. Foo Fighters, 'Foo Fighters'
475. Kurt Vile, 'Smoke Ring For My Halo'
474. Fuck Buttons, 'Tarot Sport'
473. The Verve, 'A Storm In Heaven'
472. Smashing Pumpkins, 'Melon Collie And The Infinite Sadness'
471. MGMT, 'Oracular Spectacular'
470. Kanye West, 'Graduation'
469. The Beach Boys, 'Holland'
468. The Shins, 'Chutes Too Narrow'
467. Iggy Pop, 'The Idiot'
466. The Wu-Tang Clan, 'The W'
465. The National, 'High Violet'
464. Kings Of Leon - 'Because Of The Times'
463. The Breeders, 'Pod'
462. Metallica, 'Master of Puppets'
461. Manic Street Preachers, 'Generation Terrorists'
460. Nirvana, 'Bleach'
459. Jay-Z, 'The Black Album'
458. Wilco, 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'
457. Goldfrapp, 'Black Cherry'
456. Frank Sinatra, 'September Of My Years'
445. Vampire Weekend, 'Vampire Weekend'
454. Destiny's Child, 'The Writing's On The Wall'
453. The House Of Love, 'The House Of Love'
452. The B-52's, 'The B-52's'
451. Big Star, 'Third/Sister Lovers'
450. PJ Harvey, 'Rid Of Me'
449. Arctic Monkeys, 'AM'
448. Suede, 'Sci-Fi Lullabies'
447. David Bowie, 'Diamond Dogs'
446. Hot Chip, 'The Warning'
445. Fleetwood Mac, 'Tusk'
444. Depeche Mode, 'Violator'
443. Bill Callahan, 'Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle'
442. Al Green, 'Al Green Is Love'
441. Abba, 'Arrival'
440. Billy Bragg, 'Life's A Riot With Spy Vs Spy'
439. The Futureheads, 'The Futureheads'
438. Kings Of Leon, 'Aha Shake Heartbreak'
437. TV On The Radio, 'Dear Science'
436. Battles, 'Mirrored'
435. Patti Smith, 'Easter'
434. Prefab Sprout, 'Steve McQueen'
433. Dr. Dre '2001'
432. Tindersticks, 'Tindersticks'
431. Soundgarden, 'Badmotorfinger'
430. Scott Walker, 'Scott 4'
429. Jimmy Eat World, 'Bleed American'
428. Bruce Springsteen, 'Born In The USA'
427. Brian Eno, 'Here Come The Warm Jets'
426. Sonic Youth, 'Goo'
425. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, 'Nancy And Lee'
424. U2, 'The Joshua Tree'
423. The Who, 'Live At Leeds'
422. Dexy’s Midnight Runners, 'Too-Rye-Ay'
421. Big Star, 'Radio City'
420. A Tribe Called Quest, 'People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm'
419. Spiritualized, 'Let It Come Down'
418. Eels, 'Electro-Shock Blues'
417. Ash, '1977'
416. Animal Collective, 'Merriweather Post Pavilion'
415. Chet Baker, 'Chet Baker Sings'
414. Chemical Brothers, 'Dig Your Own Hole'
413. Happy Mondays, 'Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches'
412. DJ Shadow, 'Entroducing'
411. Madvillain, 'Madvillainy'
410. Interpol, 'Antics'
409. Can, 'Tago Mago'
408. Pavement, 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'
407. Ride, 'Going Blank Again'
406. Queens Of The Stone Age, 'Rated R'
405. Otis Redding, 'Otis Blue'
404. Gene Clark, 'No Other'
403. Björk, 'Vespertine'
402. Mystery Jets, 'Twenty One'
401. Throbbing Gristle, '20 Jazz Funk Greats'

I can get with 400-500

why?

bcz so token

481?

I suspect metal is going to be less represented in this list than hip-hop.

can i just make a quick plea to AG (and everyone) to not c/p the entire top 400, think of our scrolling fingers

I'm forgetting, it probably rated highly 7 years ago, or whenever it was (re 481)

lex otm

Sorry lex but i had nowhere to link to as i got the list via imessage

http://pastebin.com

Lots of my favourite albums in the 500-401 section that should be way higher (Tindersticks, Gene Clark, Prefab Sprout, Big Star, Bjork, Scott Walker, The B-52's etc) I think the big problem is their choices from the last ten years. The Futureheads, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys and Kings Of Leon are just the pits. Is that the best they can do? I'm presuming everything Pete Doherty has been involved with will be higher up. Maybe they'll even find some room for Glasvegas?

Also LOL at 417!

NME Album of the Year 2010 in with a bullet at #492

Guessing that all the ones in this part of the list only got one or two votes?

Glasvegas are indeed in there.

ugh

Amazing! Hopefully they're in the top 100 just for the comedy value. Who else? Did they find room for Hard-Fi? Have they remembered what an important band The Cooper Temple Clause were? I'm actually kind of excited to see the rest of the results now.

Terris?

Get scrolling you bums:

1. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (1986)
2. The Beatles - Revolver (1966)
3. David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1972)
4. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
5. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1966)
6. Pulp - Different Class (1995)
7. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
8. Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
9. The Beatles - The Beatles (1968)
10. Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)

11. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
12. Patti Smith - Horses (1975)
13. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
14. David Bowie - Low (1977)
15. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (2011)
16. Joy Division - Closer (1980)
17. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
18. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
19. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
20. Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

21. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
22. Blur - Parklife (1994)
23. David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
24. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. Street (1972)
25. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (1971)
26. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
27. Primal Scream - Screamadelica (1991)
28. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black (2006)
29. Television - Marquee Moon (1977)
30. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

31. Suede - Dog Man Star (1994)
32. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
33. Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
34. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)
35. Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
36. Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks (1975)
37. Love - Forever Changes (1967)
38. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks... Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)
39. The Clash - London Calling (1979)
40. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasure (1979)

41. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)
42. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)
43. The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965)
44. Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible (1994)
45. Blondie - Parallel Lines (1978)
46. Björk - Debut (1993)
47. The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
48. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1985)
49. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (2007)
50. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis (1969)

51. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)
52. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)
53. David Bowie - Station To Station (1976)
54. Talking Heads - Remain In Light (1980)
55. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)
56. Neil Young - After The Gold Rush (1970)
57. Kraftwerk - The Man Machine (1978)
58. Pixies - Surfer Rosa (1988)
59. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
60. Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)

61. The Clash - The Clash (1977)
62. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (1966)
63. Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)
64. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
65. REM - Automatic For The People (1992)
66. Radiohead - The Bends (1995)
67. Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory (1995)
68. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968)
69. REM - Murmur (1983)
70. The Libertines - Up The Bracket (2002)

71. Neil Young - Harvest (1972)
72. Lou Reed - Transformer (1972)
73. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
74. Nas - IIImatic (1994)
75. Green Day - Dookie (1994)
76. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)
77. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
78. Suede - Suede (1993)
79. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (1959)
80. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power (1973)

81. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (1977)
82. Carole King - Tapestry (1971)
83. The Band - The Band (1969)
84. Hole - Live Through This (1994)
85. Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run (1975)
86. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
87. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
88. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973)
89. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998)
90. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)

91. Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
92. Super Furry Animals - Radiator (1997)
93. Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf (2002)
94. The Rolling Stone - Beggars Banquet (1968)
95. Talk Talk - Spirit Of Eden (1988)
96. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)
97. The Smiths - The Smiths (1984)
98. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea (1998)
99. The Libertines - The Libertines (2004)
100. The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow (1984)

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token canonical jazz pick!

Well Billie Holiday was in the upper 400's too don't forget, keeping good company with the Wedding Present and the Shins.

rofl

Rank the White Albums

Read down to #40 before I fell asleep. "Definitely Maybe" is ranked way TOO LOW.