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

nm i found my ballot, it's basically this: my favorite albums of all time: a poll

lol same

ooh I hadn't clocked no Zeppelin, that is weird!

Or Sabbath, although that's less surprising seeing as there wasn't any in their previous top 50 either.

In honesty, I recognize that it's less the result of the 'aging boomer' scenario I painted upthread than it is watching the younger set's notion of today's acclaimed music start to calcify in a bland, boomer-esque fashion. Like if I, who've been largely out of the new music loop for a decade+, recognize all of the newer entries they've plugged in, then they're playing it pretty effing safe.

if we were voting for the album that does not belong here it's amy winehouse obviously

like i get it, she's dead and had a cool aesthetic or whatever

xxp I didn't take your 'aging boomer' scenario literally - you were OTM that it has that 'feel' (don't 2nd-guess yrself!!)

Are there big Tapestry stans on ilm? I'm not sure I've ever heard the whole thing, but it seems unfashionable to me in a less explicable way than, say, Legend

Jazz fell out of the mainstream precisely because the scene started to value challenging and rewarding over pleasant to listen to. Most humans prefer the latter.

Never mind, there are two Dylan albums in the top 20. I hate this list.

In general there seems to have been a conscious effort to represent women - which is good! - that closely follows the NPR rankings from a year or two ago:

https://www.npr.org/2017/07/20/538307314/turning-the-tables-150-greatest-albums-made-by-women-page-15

not enough Janet Jackson fans in the world, I guess

Tapestry falls nicely enough in line with the yacht rock revivalism juice.

Nice to see 'Anti'.

Anywhere this full list can be read without scrolling that wretched website?

Brad otm. I wouldn't omit Beethoven's 9th from a top 30 classical compositions of all time list just for the hepcat cred.

If you truly listen to a lot of classical music, then I can't argue with this (although the 9th wouldn't be in my personal Top 30). My point is that lots of people who like Kind of Blue — maybe even own it — unfortunately don't listen to much else when it comes to jazz. It's like me saying A Lament for Epirus is one of the Top 30 Greek folk albums, when in fact it may be the only one I own.

I just went through the whole 500 and there are four metal bands represented: three Black Sabbath albums, two Metallica albums, and one each by Motörhead, and Van Halen. I mean, Slayer's Reign In Blood isn't more worthy of note than a King Sunny Ade compilation? (N.B.: I love King Sunny Ade.)

Anti's legacy feels pretty destined to continue expanding

Anywhere this full list can be read without scrolling that wretched website?

it's not Vice

My point is that lots of people who like Kind of Blue — maybe even own it — unfortunately don't listen to much else when it comes to jazz.

Of course, but this is Rolling Stone. There's only so much you can expect, alas.

Songs in the Key of Life

491. Harry Styles, 'Fine Line' (2019)

this is disgusting, ban rolling stone imo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMOlkkwR2gw

xxxp yes for sure. it has been in a couple of The Quietus's 'top albums of all time/ baker's dozen' lists already.

Can't work out if If You're Reading This.. instead of Nothing Was The Same is a surprise or not but i raised en eyebrow.

xxp

Sheffield is a comically huge stan

more like kind of blew

Kind of relieved in a life-is-more-understandable-this-way way that Galaxie 500 did not make that Rolling Stone list. But appalled that Abbey Road is the top ranked Beatles album

— Damon K (@dada_drummer) September 22, 2020

More like A Love Stupreme

Guessing Songs in the Key of Life will take it. It's my vote, as well.

would be cool to see different reggae artists on occasion

My point is that lots of people who like Kind of Blue — maybe even own it — unfortunately don't listen to much else when it comes to jazz

hard for me to say this consideration matters when an even more egregious example (legend) is also in the top 50

Jazz fell out of the mainstream precisely because the scene started to value challenging and rewarding over pleasant to listen to. Most humans prefer the latter.

Yes, of course.
Here’s the biggest pop hit of 1966:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kj9qv6rmG8

And here’s Cecil Taylor’s “Steps” from that same year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXbNDJeAR1k

Legend's inclusion is a waste. By this point, if you like the guy, you've bought Natty Dread or whatever -- you don't return to the comp unless you're a non-critic.

Regardless of how they reconfigure or update these lists, they always have a 'top 50 albums of someone who's heard a total of 100 albums ever, all of which appeared on previous top 50 album lists' kind of feel to them.

^O.L. OTM again

hard for me to say this consideration matters when an even more egregious example (legend) is also in the top 50

Totally agree. And African Herbsman is my favorite Marley album. Where's Funky Kingston and Two Sevens Clash on that list anyway? Wish they had a search function.

Guessing _Songs in the Key of Life_ will take it. It's my vote, as well.

look lads once you've determined the best ever album of its genre any arguments are just showboating

also this is slipping into anecdotal territory and more likely due to my age than anything else, but i've never met someone whose only jazz record was kind of blue. i've met plenty of ppl who's only reggae record was legend but that's part of the modern american college experience

I see that despite several nods to post-'90s "country" albums, the electors opted to snub the core, the heart music: George Jones' I Am What I Am

the marley record should've been catch a fire, not only perfect but important too

Legend is less egregious insofar as it’s a collection of *songs*, which is a guiding principle throughout.

full list in text

There were def many eyerolls throughout Pitchfork's updated 80s lists but their reggae albums and singles picks were all surprisingly excellent recommendations imo. Would be cool if RS had any desire to run with that lead.

honestly find it kind of stunning that the highest U2 album is achtung baby at 124

The right Bjork album placed highest, but not the right Badu.

the shapes here are familiar but more native to contemporary skies

xpost Thanks, mookie!
Funky Kingston at #344? Criminal!

No metal, no justice.

Voted Ramones.