NME’s Top 500 Albums - what do you think?

[mianfei]

Around a month ago now, the British magazine New Musical Express published its list, based on the votes of a number of its writers, of the top five hundred albums of all time.

Being a great lover of “lists”, I will print the full list for your benefit and am eager to see what you think of it. New Musical Express’ list is naturally informed by its British origin, though not in a manner sufficient to be outrageously biased; still there is a great deal that I can think of as missing, both personal favourites and albums I know to be of major musical and cultural importance.

What do you think (artists or albums) is:

• missing??
• too high??
• too low??

1. The Queen Is Dead(1986); The Smiths
2. Revolver (1966); The Beatles
3. Hunky Dory (1972); David Bowie
4. Is This It (2001); The Strokes
5. The Velvet Underground and Nico (1966); The Velvet Underground
6. Different Class (1995); Pulp
7. The Stone Roses (1989); The Stone Roses
8. Doolittle (1989); Pixies
9. The Beatles (1968); The Beatles
10. Definitely Maybe (1994); Oasis
11. Nevermind (1991); Nirvana
12. Horses (1975); Patti Smith
13. Funeral (2004); Arcade Fire
14. Low (1977); David Bowie
15. Let England Shake (2011); PJ Harvey
16. Closer (1980); Joy Division
17. It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988); Public Enemy
18. Loveless (1991); My Bloody Valentine
19. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006); Arctic Monkeys
20. OK Computer (1997); Radiohead
21. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010); Kanye West
22. Parklife (1994); Blur
23. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972); David Bowie
24. Exile on Main Street (1972); The Rolling Stones
25. What’s Going On (1971); Marvin Gaye
26. Pet Sounds (1966); The Beach Boys
27. Screamadelica (1991); Primal Scream
28. Back to Black (2006); Amy Winehouse
29. Marquee Moon (1977); Television
30. Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (1993); Wu Tang Clan
31. Dog Man Star (1994); Suede
32. Paul’s Boutique (1989); Beastie Boys
33. Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993); Blur
34. Abbey Road (1969); The Beatles
35. In Utero (1993); Nirvana
36. Blood on the Tracks (1975); Bob Dylan
37. Forever Changes (1967); Love
38. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977); Sex Pistols
39. London Calling (1979); The Clash
40. Unknown Pleasure (1979); Joy Division
41. Daydream Nation (1988); Sonic Youth
42. Innervisions (1973); Stevie Wonder
43. Rubber Soul (1965); The Beatles
44. The Holy Bible (1994); Manic Street Preachers
45. Parallel Lines (1978); Blondie
46. Debut (1993); Björk
47. Strangeways, Here We Come (1987); The Smiths
48. Hounds of Love (1985); Kate Bush
49. Sound of Silver (2007); LCD Soundsystem
50. Dusty in Memphis (1969); Dusty Springfield
51. Rumours (1977); Fleetwood Mac
52. Let It Bleed (1969); The Rolling Stones
53. Station To Station (1976); David Bowie
54. Remain in Light (1980); Talking Heads
55. Sticky Fingers (1971); The Rolling Stones
56. After the Gold Rush (1970); Neil Young
57. The Man Machine (1978); Kraftwerk
58. Surfer Rosa (1988); Pixies
59. In Rainbows (2007); Radiohead
60. Blue Lines (1991); Massive Attack
61. The Clash (1977); The Clash
62. Blonde on Blonde (1966); Bob Dylan
63. Blue (1971); Joni Mitchell
64. Highway 61 Revisited (1965); Bob Dylan
65. Automatic For the People (1992); REM
66. The Bends (1995); Radiohead
67. (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995); Oasis
68. Astral Weeks (1968); Van Morrison
69. Murmur (1983); REM
70. Up the Bracket (2002); The Libertines
71. Harvest (1972); Neil Young
72. Transformer (1972); Lou Reed
73. Bringing It All Back Home (1965); Bob Dylan
74. IIImatic (1994); Nas
75. Dookie (1994); Green Day
76. Discovery (2001); Daft Punk
77. White Blood Cells (2001); The White Stripes
78. Suede (1993); Suede
79. Kind of Blue (1959); Miles Davis
80. Raw Power (1973); Iggy and the Stooges
81. Trans-Europe Express (1977); Kraftwerk
82. Tapestry (1971); Carole King
83. The Band (1969); The Band
84. Live Through This (1994); Hole
85. Born To Run (1975); Bruce Springsteen
86. Grace (1994); Jeff Buckley
87. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967); The Beatles
88. For Your Pleasure (1973); Roxy Music
89. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998); Lauryn Hill
90. A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004); The Streets
91. Purple Rain (1984); Prince and the Revolution
92. Radiator (1997); Super Furry Animals
93. Songs for the Deaf (2002); Queens of the Stone Age
94. Beggars Banquet (1968); The Rolling Stone
95. Spirit of Eden (1988); Talk Talk
96. Fear of a Black Planet (1990); Public Enemy
97. The Smiths (1984); The Smiths
98. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998); Neutral Milk Hotel
99. The Libertines (2004); The Libertines
100. Hatful of Hollow (1984); The Smiths
101. Computer World; Kraftwerk
102. The Soft Bulletin; The Flaming Lips
103. Electric Ladyland; The Jimi Hendrix Experience
104. Funhouse; The Stooges
105. Rain Dogs; Tom Waits
106. Led Zeppelin IV; Led Zeppelin
107. Rage Against the Machine; Rage Against the Machine
108. Pinkerton; Weezer
109. Darkness on the Edge of Town; Bruce Springsteen
110. Liege and Lief; Fairport Convention
111. Dare; The Human League
112. Liquid Swords; GZA
113. If You’re Feeling Sinister; Belle and Sebastian
114. Kid A; Radiohead
115. Bandwagonesque; Teenage Fanclub
116. Elephant; The White Stripes
117. The Lexicon of Love; ABC
118. Searching or the Young Soul Rebels; Dexys Midnight Runners
119. His ’N’ Hers; Pulp
120. 3 Feet High and Rising; De La Soul
121. Selected Ambient Works 85–92; Aphex Twin
122. Technique; New Order
123. 13; Blur
124. Graceland; Paul Simon
125. Live at the Apollo; James Brown
126. Ill Communication; Beastie Boys
127. Ramones; Ramones
128. Urban Hymns; The Verve
129. On the Beach; Neil Young
130. Turn on the Bright Lights; interpol
131. Thriller; Michael Jackson
132. Dark Side of the Moon; Pink Floyd
133. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; John Lennon/Plastic ono Band
134. Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea; PJ Harvey
135. The Marshall Mathers LP; Eminem
136. Fever to Tell; Yeah Yeah Yeahs
137. Blur; Blur
138. Illinois; Sufjan Stevens
139. Disintegration; The Cure
140. Bryter Layter; Nick Drake
141. Natty Dread; Bob Marley and the Wailers
142. Histoire de Melody Nelson; Serge Gainsbourg
143. Desire; Bob Dylan
144. Are You Experienced; The Jimi Hendrix Experience
145. Odessey and Oracle; The Zombies
146. Relationship of Command; At the Drive-in
147. Channel Orange; Frank Ocean
148. Nebraska; Bruce Springsteen
149. Either/Or; Elliot Smith
150. Original Pirate Material; The Streets
151. Dry; PJ Harvey
152. Deserter’s Songs; Mercury Rev
153. The La’s; The La’s
154. To Bring You My Love; PJ Harvey
155. Music For the Jilted Generation; The Prodigy
156. Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space; Spiritualized
157. Psychocandy; The Jesus and Mary Chain
158. Two Dancers; Wild Beasts
159. Entertainment!; Gang of Four
160. XTRMTR; Primal Scream
161. The Suburbs; Arcade Fire
162. The Boxer; The National
163. Neu ’75!; Neu
164. At Folsom Prison; Johnny Cash
165. Let Love in; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
166. This is Hardcore; Pulp
167. Lady Soul; Aretha Franklin
168. Dummy; Portishead
169. Don’t Stand Me Down; Dexy’s Midnight Runners
170. Siamese Dream; Smashing Pumpkins
171. Fear of Music; Talking Heads
172. Songs in the Key of Life; Stevie Wonder
173. Led Zeppelin III; Led Zeppelin
174. I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning; Bright Eyes
175. Young Americans; David Bowie
176. Want One; Rufus Wainwright
177. Young Team; Mogwai
178. The Coral; The Coral
179. Miss E…So Addictive; Missy Elliott
180. Germ-Free Adolescents; X–Ray Spex
181. Music Has the Right to Children; Boards of Canada
182. Everything Must Go; Manic Street Preachers
183. Speakerboxxx/the Love Below; OutKast
184. Kala; MIA
185. Paid in Full; Eric B and Rakim
186. The Blueprint; Jay Z
187. Isn’t Anything; My Bloody Valentine
188. A Love Supreme; John Coltrane
189. A Wizard, A True Star; Todd Rungren
190. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn; Pink Floyd
191. Elastica; Elastica
192. Franz Ferdinand; Franz Ferdinand
193. Gold; Ryan Adams
194. Appetite For Destruction; Guns‘N’ Roses
195. A Hard Day’s Night; The Beatles
196. Rattus Norvegicus; The Stranglers
197. Back in Black; AC/DC
198. Sign O’ the Times; Prince
199. Giant Steps; The Boo Radleys
200. Last Splash; The Breeders
201. Hex Enduction Hour; The Fall
202. Maxinquaye; Tricky
203. Teen Dream; Beach House
204. Bad; Michael Jackson
205. Straight Outta Compton; NWA
206. Slanted and Enchanted; Pavement
207. Pearl; Janis Joplin
208. Risque; Chic
209. The Kick inside; Kate Bush
210. 69 Love Songs; The Magnetic Fields
211. Nightclubbing; Grace Jones
212. Youth and Young Manhood; Kings of Leon
213. One Nation Under a Groove; Funkadelic
214. Moon Safari; Air
215. Mezzanine; Massive Attack
216. Power, Corruption and Lies; New Order
217. Lust for Life; Iggy Pop
218. Primary Colours; The Horrors
219. All Mod Cons; The Jam
220. Alligator; The National
221. Broken English; Marianne Faithful
222. Fever Ray; Fever Ray
223. Neon Bible; Arcade Fire
224. Heaven Up Here; Echo and the Bunnymen
225. Electric Warrior; T Rex
226. The Doors; The Doors
227. Imagine; John Lennon
228. Brighten the Corners; Pavement
229. Metal Box; Public Image Ltd
230. Aladdin Sane; David Bowie
231. The Chronic; Dr. Dre
232. Songs of Leonard Cohen; Leonard Cohen
233. Down in Albion; Babyshambles
234. Behaviour; Pet Shop Boys
235. Murder Ballads; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
236. Suicide; Suicide
237. The xx; The xx
238. Show Your Bones; Yeah Yeah Yeahs
239. Boy in Da Corner; Dizzee Rascal
240. New Boots and Panties; Ian Dury
241. Ray of Light; Madonna
242. Off the Wall; Michael Jackson
243. The Hissing of Summer Lawns; Joni Mitchell
244. Smother; Wild Beasts
245. Fuzzy Logic; Super Furry Animals
246. MTV Unplugged in New York; Nirvana
247. Glasvegas; Glasvegas
248. The Slim Shady LP; Eminem
249. The Fat of the Land; Prodigy
250. Weezer; Weezer
251. Surf’s Up; The Beach Boys
252. Visions; Grimes
253. Exile on Main St; Pussy Galore
254. Meat is Murder; The Smiths
255. The English Riviera; Metronomy
256. This Year’s Model; Elvis Costello and the Attractions
257. The Boatman’s Call; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
258. Five Leaves Left; Nick Drake
259. Yo! Bum Rush the Show; Public Enemy
260. The Specials; The Specials
261. Live!; Bob Marley and the Wailers
262. Criminal Minded; Boogie Down Productions
263. I Speak Because I Can; Laura Marling
264. Please Please Me; The Beatles
265. Celebrity Skin; Hole
266. A Rush of Blood to the Head; Coldplay
267. Stupidity; Dr. Feelgood
268. Todd; Todd Rungren
269. Skying; The Horrors
270. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society; The Kinks
271. Loaded; The Velvet Underground
272. Parachutes; Coldplay
273. The College Dropout; Kanye West
274. Green; R.E.M.
275. Quadrophenia; The Who
276. Ocean Rain; Echo and the Bunnymen
277. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic; The Sundays
278. Cut; Slits
279. Trout Mask Replica; Captain Beefhart and His Magic Band
280. Drukqs; Aphex Twin
281. My Aim is True; Elvis Costello
282. Grand Prix; Teenage Fanclub
283. Roxy Music; Roxy Music
284. 13 Songs; Fugazi
285. Midnight Love; Marvin Gaye
286. Dust; Screaming Trees
287. Reign in Blood; Slayer
288. Music of My Mind; Stevie Wonder
289. The Modern Lovers; The Modern Lovers
290. Expecting to Fly; The Bluetones
291. Younger than Yesterday; The Byrds
292. The Cribs; The New Fellas
293. High Land Hard Rain; Aztec Camera
294. Myths of the Near Future; Klaxons
295. Doggystyle; Snoop Doggy Dogg
296. Let’s Dance; David Bowie
297. Ege Bamyasi; Can
298. Malcom McLaren; Malcolm McLaren
299. 16 Lovers Lane; The Go-Betweens
300. The Who By Numbers; The Who
301. World of Echo; Arthur Russell
302. Homework; Daft Punk
303. Mingus Ah Um; Charles Mingus
304. UFOrb; The Orb
305. Every Picture Tells a Story; Rod Stewart
306. The Freewheeling Bob Dylan; Bob Dyan
307. Midnight Vultures; Beck
308. It’s a Shame About Ray; Lemonheads
309. Metallica; Metallica
310. Countdown to Ecstasy; Steely Dan
311. Guerilla; Super Furry Animals
312. Treasure; Cocteau Twins
313. Frank’s Wild Years; Tom Waits
314. Spiderland; Slint
315. Cheap Thrills; Big Brother and the Holding Company
316. Imperial Bedroom; Elvis Costello and the Attractions
317. Grievous Angel; Gram Parsons
318. OG Original Gangster; Ice-T
319. Who’s Next; The Who
320. Swordfishtrombones; Tom Waits
321. Lost Souls; Doves
322. This is Happening; LCD
323. Bitches Brew; Miles Davis
324. Life’s Rich Pageant; R.E.M.
325. Sea Change; Beck
326. I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One; Yo La Tengo
327. Mutations; Beck
328. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots; The Flaming Lips
329. "Heroes"; David Bowie
330. Third; Portishead
331. Kick out the Jams; MC5
332. HMS Fable; Shack
333. Band on the Run; Paul McCartney and Wings
334. Since I Left You; The Avalanches
335. …Like Clockwork; Queens of the Stone Age
336. Raw Like Sushi; Neneh Cherry
337. The Grey Album; Danger Mouse
338. Ready to Die; Notorious BIG
339. Ten; Pearl Jam
340. We Are Family; Sister Sledge
341. Closing Time; Tom Waits
342. Lazer Guided Melodies; Spritualized
343. John Wesley Harding; Bob Dylan
344. Beautiful Freak; Eels
345. Punch the Clock; Elvis Costello
346. Low Life; New Order
347. Dirty; Sonic Youth
348. Whitney; Whitney Houston
349. An Awesome Wave; Alt. J
350. BRMC; Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
351. Sweetheart of the Rodeo; The Byrds
352. White Light/White Heat; The Velvet Underground
353. Mclusky Do Dallas; Mclusky
354. Hot Buttered Soul; Isaac Hayes
355. New York Dolls; New York Dolls
356. Bossanova; Pixies
357. Copper Blue; Sugar
358. Rock Bottom; Robert Wyatt
359. We’re only in it for the Money; The Mothers of invention
360. Room on Fire; The Strokes
361. A Nod is as Good as a Wink…the a Blind Horse; The Faces
362. Hello Nasty; Beastie Boys
363. Damaged; Black Flag
364. For Emma, Forever Ago; Bon Iver
365. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables; Dead Kennedys
366. Songs of Love and Hate; Leonard Cohen
367. Nights Out; Metronomy
368. Hail to the Thief; Radiohead
369. Strange Mercy; St. Vincent
370. Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever; The Cribs
371. Odelay; Beck
372. Atomizer; Big Black
373. There’s No Place Like America Today; Curtis Mayfield
374. In the Wee Small Hours; Frank Sinatra
375. Vauxhall and I; Morrissey
376. Live At the Harlem Square Club; Sam Cooke
377. Stormcock; Roy Harper
378. Pink Flag; Wire
379. The Boy With the Arab Strap; Belle & Sebastian
380. Silent Alarm; Bloc Party
381. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps); David Bowie
382. Bridge Over Troubled Water; Simon and Garfunkel
383. Someone To Drive You Home; The Long Blondes
384. Elvis Presley; Elvis Presley
385. Get Behind Me Satan; The White Stripes
386. Revival; Gillian Welch
387. Combat Rock; The Clash
388. Happy Sad; Tim Buckley
389. Le Tigre; Le Tigre
390. A Northern Soul; The Verve
391. Burial; Burial
392. Beauty and the Beat; Edan
393. Dirty Mind; Prince
394. Chairs Missing; Wire
395. De Stijl; The White Stripes
396. L.A.M.F.; The Heartbreakers
397. Reasonable Doubt; Jay-Z
398. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere; Neil Young
399. The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
400. This Nation’s Saving Grace; The Fall
401. 20 Jazz Funk Greats; Throbbing Gristle
402. Twenty One; Mystery Jets
403. Vespertine; Björk
404. No Other; Gene Clark
405. Otis Blue; Otis Redding
406. Rated B; Queens of the Stone Age
407. Going Blank Again; Ride
408. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain; Pavement
409. Tago Mago; Can
410. Antics; interpol
411. Madvillainy; Madvillain
412. Entroducing... ; DJ Shadow
413. Pills N Thrills and Bellyaches; Happy Mondays
414. Dig Your Own Hole; The Chemical Brothers
415. Chet Baker Sings; Chet Baker
416. Merriweather Post Pavillion; Animal Collective
417. 1977; Ash
418. Electro-Shock Blues; Eels
419. Let It Come Down; Spiritualized
420. People’s instinctive Travels...; A Tribe Called Quest
421. Radio City; Big Star
422. Too-Rye-Ay; Dexy’s Midnight Runners
423. Live at Leeds; The Who
424. The Joshua Tree; U2
425. Nancy and Lee; Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood
426. Goo; Sonic Youth
427. Here Come the Warm Jets; Brian Eno
428. Born in the USA; Bruce Springsteen
429. Bleed America; Jimmy Eat World
430. Scott 4; Scott Walker
431. Badmotorfinger; Soundgarden
432. Tindersticks; Tindersticks
433. 2001; Dr. Dre
434. Steve McQueen; Prefab Sprout
435. Easter; Patti Smith
436. Mirrored; Battles
437. Dear Science; TV on the Radio
438. Aha Shake Heartbreak; Kings of Leon
439. The Futureheads; The Futureheads
440. Life’s a Riot with Spy vs. Spy; Billy Bragg
441. Arrival; ABBA
442. Al Green is Love; Al Green
443. Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle; Bill Callahan
444. Violator; Depeche Mode
445. Tusk; Fleetwood Mac
446. The Warning; Hot Chip
447. Diamond Dogs; David Bowie
448. Sci-Fi Lullabies; Suede
449. AM; Arctic Monkeys
450. Rid of Me; PJ Harvey
451. Third/Sister Lovers; Big Star
452. The B-52’s; The B-52’s
453. The House of Love; The House of Love
454. The Writing on the Wall; Destiny’s Child
455. Vampire Weekend; Vampire Weekend
456. September of My Years; Frank Sinatra
457. Black Cherry; Goldfrapp
458. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot; Wilco
459. The Black Album; Jay-Z
460. Bleach; Nirvana
461. Generation Terrorists; Manic Street Preachers
462. Master of Puppets; Metallica
463. Pod; The Breeders
464. Because of the Times; Kings of Leon
465. High Violet; The National
466. The Wu; Wu Tang Clan
467. The Idiot; Iggy Pop
468. Chutes Too Narrow; The Shins
469. Holland; The Beach Boys
470. Graduation; Kanye West
471. Oracular Spectacular; MGMT
472. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness; Smashing Pumpkins
473. A Storm in Heaven; The Verve
474. Tarot Sport; * Buttons
475. Smoke Ring for My Halo; Kurt Vile
476. Foo Fighters; Foo Fighters
477. Crystal Castles; Crystal Castles
478. Trouble Will Find Me; The National
479. The Real Ramona; Throwing Muses
480. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You; Aretha Franklin
481. Smile; Brian Wilson
482. Lady in Satin; Billie Holiday
483. Blood and Chocolate; Elvis Costello & the Attractions
484. The River; Bruce Springsteen
485. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City; Kendrick Lamar
486. Homogenic; Björk
487. Sound Affects; The Jam
488. I’m Your Man; Leonard Cohen
489. George Best; The Wedding Present
490. Back in the USA; MC5
491. Actually; Pet Shop Boys
492. Hidden; These New Puritans
493. Blood; This Mortal Coil
494. The Head on the Door; The Cure
495. Hot Fuss; The Killers
496. Album; Girls
497. Random Access Memories; Daft Punk
498. Berlin; Lou Reed
499. Star; Belly
500. Stankonia; OutKast

 

[The Passenger]

It's different to most lists you see.

As much as i love Arcade Fire, The National and (early) Kings of Leon 3 albums, 4 and 3 compared to the Doors (1), Led Zeppelin (2) and Pink Floyd (2) would be hard to justify.

And I love Bowie but there is just a slight Bowie circle jerk going on there.

 

[mellowyellow]

Couldn't move beyond the no 1 album without a mighty chuckle and the fact they've included 3 of their albums in top 100 left me catatonic

 

[mianfei]

Couldn't move beyond the no 1 album without a mighty chuckle and the fact they've included 3 of their albums in top 100 left me catatonic

There are quite a lot of people who dislike the Smiths - and I don’t see any of the hype over them or the Britpop craze that was a non-alternative to grunge - so I do not take the list as a serious guide.

Although I am not a fan of metal or industrial, it is impossible for me to disbelieve that they have had a decisive cultural impact on current generations in Eurasia, the Americas and New Zealand, yet only a mere handful of albums (Metallica, Slayer, AC/DC, Throbbing Gristle) are included. Even beyond those genres, having read about these sorts of lists for thirteen full years makes it easy to see much that is missing.

 

[MrCharisma]

They must have the most hipster staff in the industry.

The Smiths? Best ever?... No. Maybe, if they were listing the most pretentious bands of the century.

Kayne West, Strokes, Artic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Wu-Tang Clan etc better than Miles Davis's "Kind of blue"?, bitch puhhhleaaase!

 

[Richard Cranium]

1. Scans top 20
2. Hits Control-F
3. Types 'Kid A'
4. Sees it at 114.
5. Laughs and ignores list

 

[HugeJohnson]

Lists are so pointless. Everyone has different taste and opinions. Saying that though this list is absolutely terrible.

 

[mianfei]

Lists are so pointless. Everyone has different taste and opinions. Saying that though this list is absolutely terrible.

Having read (for years) the following two sites:

• http://www.blastitude.com/14/pg4.html
• http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

although my listening taste does not always agree therewith, I can sympathise with you entirely.

“HugeJohnson” and “Mr Charisma”,

would it stand at all possible that either of you could with concise detail look at what it wrong with the list??

 

[HeavyPop]

I don't mind lists like this. It's clearly very bias, but it just shows the brilliance of how subjective music can be.

Sgt Peppers @87 is mind boggling though.

 

[HugeJohnson]

Having read (for years) the following two sites:

• http://www.blastitude.com/14/pg4.html
• http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

although my listening taste does not always agree therewith, I can sympathise with you entirely.


“HugeJohnson” and “Mr Charisma”,

would it stand at all possible that either of you could with concise detail look at what it wrong with the list??

Well for starters, Master of Puppets, widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest metal album of all time is placed at 462. If you believe there are 461 albums better than that then it's not really worth discussing because in my mind it's so far off the mark it's not funny. There are not 10 ******* David Bowie albums better than Master of Puppets.

 

[timtamWB]

Kanye West, Arcade Fire and 2 David Bowie albums over Exile on Main Street?

 

[rocker_oz33]

The doors first record at 216 better than half of there top 100.Cant have nirvana 2 records without pearl jams ten ahead better than anything they did.

 

[Cursed Cat]

These lists prove nothing but sure do generate a lot of heated debate and discussion (which isn't a bad thing I suppose).

Generally I find that the user-voted Rate Your Music album lists (by year) are pretty solid - better than say IMDb's top 250 movies ...

I see lists like this and I can't help but think of Jack Black's 'Barry' from High Fidelity assessing Rob (John Cusack's) lists : "A sly declaration of new classic status slipped into a bunch of safe ones - very pussy!"
specifically :

* I've just never got into the Smiths *at all* - I'm sure they (must) have something going for them, but I can't hear it.

* mr charisma nails it : Miles Davis' Kind of Blue is unimpeachable and should be riiiiiight at or near the top, ahead of each and every laughable example he listed. Just listen to it.

* HugeJohnson , I'm not a metal-head by any stretch, but Master of Puppets was technically ground-breaking (I was forced to give it my grudging respect as a kid, despite it not really being my kinda thing) - your point is an excellent one.

* Glad to see the David Bowie backlash starting in this very thread ! I dig Bowie, he's cool and he's been interesting over a long career (and definitely deserves some representation in lists such as these), but his contribution to rock/pop has been blown out of all proportion in recent years. Half of the albums listed shouldn't be anywhere near a top 500.

* having had my whinge, I'm pretty sure all of my top 10 albums are on that list ...

* are the Avalanches the only Australian act ? If you could pick an Australian album to represent, what would it be ? Knock yerselves out and name up to 5 ... incidentally, legend of that Avalanches album has sure grown over time, seems very popular internationally among music snobs ..

* I don't think any albums released in the past 3-5 years should be included; no PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, no Frank Ocean.

- ok, on a personal level :

I'm a pretty big Talking Heads fan and probably would have found room for another three of their albums ('77, More Songs About Buildings and Food, the Name of This Band Is Talking Heads).

I'd have Wire's Chairs Missing above Pink Flag.

I'd have found room for at least *something* from Africa; e.g. Fela, Ali Farka Toure or King Sunny Ade.

NWA's Straight Outta Compton has maybe 4, 5 good tracks at the most and a lot of really crap filler.

I would have bumped faux Soul Diva Amy Winehouse for any number of actual, original soul divas.

White Stripes but no Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters or John Lee Hooker ? I'd sort that out.

I've tried repeatedly to get into the Neutral Milk Hotel album, but just cannot.

If we're including A Tribe Called Quest, Low-End Theory or Midnight Marauders beats out People's Instinctive Travels ..

If we're including Primal Scream, I'd go for the underrated Vanishing Point ahead of the overrated Screamadelica.

I like a bit o' Britpop here and there, but I would be putting band's like Ash, Suede, Elastica and Blur under the microscope, I don't think I'd find room for many, if any, of them. don't mind a bit of Supergrass or Gomez though, would probably find room for In It For the Money for starters.

could go on, but will refrain from boring y'all any further ...

 

[MrCharisma]

Having read (for years) the following two sites:

• http://www.blastitude.com/14/pg4.html
• http://www.scaruffi.com/music/best100.html

although my listening taste does not always agree therewith, I can sympathise with you entirely.

“HugeJohnson” and “Mr Charisma”,

would it stand at all possible that either of you could with concise detail look at what it wrong with the list??

It's a bit long, but just from skimming over it, overall it seems too biased towards contemporary/rock music. Jazz, Classical, Blues, Country etc seem to get less attention, I think, mostly due to the writers personal tastes/knowledge or lack of, rather than what are objectively great/influential albums.

Some specifics briefly:



* The Smiths should not be at no. 1 - this is probably for fairly subjective reasons as I can't stand Morrisey's voice, hair or face. But objectively, I think there are much more influential albums.

*The Strokes (no. 4) - I like this album, probably one of the better ones to come out of the 21st century. But it is way too high on the list. It's just not the 4th best album of all time.

*Hole is on the list at least twice, but should not be there at all. Courtney Love is a half descent song-writer - but that's it. Music would be no different if Hole didn't exist.

*Arcade Fire (no. 13) - too high. Hipster central.

* Ramones(no. 100 and something) should be closer to Sex Pistols(no. 30 something) as they were as equally influential. On the topic of punk rock - Black Flag mention, but I can't see Bad Brains. Wrong.

* The Libertines - I like these guys, good album. But they shouldn't be on the list. They're that not great.

* The Jazz albums (Coltrane, Davis, Mingus) should be higher. Music just wouldn't be the same without Kind Of Blue.

* Kayne West (no.21) too high.

* Pet Sounds (no.26) should be higher. At least higher than Kayne.

* Dexys Midnight Runners are on there twice but only actually have 1 song.

* Not a fan, but Metallica should be higher (no. 400 and something).

* Sgt Pepper... (no. 86) should probably be higher.

* Dizzee Rascal should not be on the list, Yeah yeah yeahs should not be on the list, Jay-Z should not be on the list, Laura Marling (spew) should not be on the list, Frank Ocean - no, Ryan Adams? No!

 

[Marklar_33]

They have The Streets' albums in the wrong order also...

 

[Cursed Cat]

They have The Streets' albums in the wrong order also...

and two might be excessive, although I do like both albums ... it's such a massive list that I struggle to wade through it to be honest, but it's very U.K.-centric, as you'd probably expect.

random comment on that list : I recently re-listened to Teenage Fanclub's Bandwagonesque, which infamously beat out Nevermind for NME's album of the year in 1991. It's not without it's charms, but it's pretty uneven (by comparison Nevermind arguably consistently maintains it's mood and momentum throughout it's run) and as such a bit overrated. The sweet spots are pretty great though.
The other album of their's on that list, Grand Prix, I recently got after reading this and that; it's a very straight-forward guitar pop album with some nice production and guitar tones, probably a notch ahead of Bandwagonesque. Anyway, I'd maybe make room for one of those albums.

I've mentally made a lot of 'cuts' to that list, but if I was making a goddamned list of *500* I might start to look at a bit of filler too !

There's a band called 'the National' on that list represented with 4 albums, I can't say I've heard them; I like my music but I do have my blindspots, there's probably half of those albums I haven't actually listened to ..

Green Day, but no Creedence ? The Dude is not happy, that s**t will not stand, man

 

[Cursed Cat]

mianfei do you know what the tallies are for respective acts on that list ?

Bowie and the Beatles both clearly had a lot of albums included, Dylan too.
PJ Harvey, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, the friggen National whoever they be, Elvis Costello, Beck ...

 

[HugeJohnson]

* are the Avalanches the only Australian act ? If you could pick an Australian album to represent, what would it be ? Knock yerselves out and name up to 5 ... incidentally, legend of that Avalanches album has sure grown over time, seems very popular internationally among music snobs ..

Just having a quick glance I can see AC/DC and Nick Cave, I'm sure there's a couple more on there.

Top 5 Australian albums (My opinion/ personal taste)

1. Back in Black - AC/DC
2. Frogstomp - Silverchair
3. Kick - INXS
4. The Living End - The Living End
5. Odyssey Number Five - Powderfinger

 

[treefingers]

I love how seriously people take these lists. It's subjective FFS. I mean I don't think The Queen is Dead is a top 250 album but I'll take if for what it is.

I read through this edition of the magazine, was a really good read and I've found a few bands I want to check out. T

 

[Cursed Cat]

Just having a quick glance I can see AC/DC and Nick Cave, I'm sure there's a couple more on there.

Top 5 Australian albums (My opinion/ personal taste)

1. Back in Black - AC/DC
2. Frogstomp - Silverchair
3. Kick - INXS
4. The Living End - The Living End
5. Odyssey Number Five - Powderfinger

I also noticed the Go-Betweens on the NME list after I'd posted that comment too HugeJohnson ..

 

[Papa G]

NME are ******* Blowhards. Their over rating of shitful and whiney B grade British bands is legendary.

Obviously they're going through a "David Bowie is the coolest guy on the planet phase" at the moment.

 

[mianfei]

* The Jazz albums (Coltrane, Davis, Mingus) should be higher. Music just wouldn't be the same without Kind Of Blue...


* Not a fan, but Metallica should be higher (no. 400 and something).

If you look at the Blastitude list, you will see a lot of jazz artists other than those three. Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman at least should have albums on there I would say - they were just as talented as Davis, Coltrane and Mingus.

I am exactly with you on not merely Metallica, but also Slayer (one album), Pantera (none), Sepultura (none), Ministry (none), Nine Inch Nails (none), Motörhead (none) Deep Purple (none) and Black Sabbath (none). The lack of understanding of and misconceptions about the influence the attitudes prevalent in metal and industrial have had on the culture of Eurasia, the Americas and New Zealand is one thing that would need to be rectified to improve the list.

* I don't think any albums released in the past 3-5 years should be included; no PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, no Frank Ocean.

Perhaps there is a need, as Joe S. Harrington said in 2001, for some gap in time because the importance of albums is not clear, but ten years (2003) might be a bit too much since it leads to potential biases towards music much older than that. It would be tough to include albums from after 2007, however, even if you really think they are truly important.

 

[mansize rooster]

how can anyone not be burnt out on these lists..

 

[JP Sauce]

mianfei do you know what the tallies are for respective acts on that list ?

Bowie and the Beatles both clearly had a lot of albums included, Dylan too.
PJ Harvey, Beach Boys, Beastie Boys, the friggen National whoever they be, Elvis Costello, Beck ...

The National are definitely worth checking out.

 

[RICHOLEGEND12]

Surprised to see no Led Zeppelin till 107, especially in a British list. I'm a big fan of Nirvana, but for an example they have 2 albums in the top 35... Where Led zeps first is at 107. Nirvana have 4 total in the list whereas Black Sabbath have none?? They are one of the founders of an entire genre of music... That is a joke.