To me it's not all about "risk". Harvest is spotty. I love certain songs on the album, but I don't think it is very coherent.

In the case of Sky Blue Sky, I just think it's one of Tweedy's poorest songwriting showings, with one or two great songs, a couple of half good ones, and a bunch of stinkers.

For the record, I love The Band, I love Gram Parsons, I love The Grateful Dead's early 70s albums, I love After the Gold Rush, I love Nick Drake, I love the Fairport Convention. The fact that I don't like certain "pure" albums, doesn't mean I hate it all.

How many voters did we end up with?

Looks like my whole top 9 made the top 500 !

I'm surprised by the high ranking of Kurt Vile, I though PJ would be the only one who had a chance of putting a 2011 album in the top 500.

And I have never heard of "An Electric Storm" by White Noise, the only non 2010/2011 unranked album so far.

Green River and the Chirping Crickets are too low!

I guess umm I umm am responsible for Kurt Vile's high positioning


But anyway, great! So excited! Weird seeing Joanna so low.

Nice list so far. Wondering what scheme did we use for points this time?

Can we give this discussion a rest, please.

I'm surprised Marshal Mathers LP is so low. It should at least be higher than a certain other self-hyping self-referential rapper, cause Eminem's way better at ego flaunting with wordplay.

Weird how many people are just putting the thing they're listening to right this very moment on an all time list. Already three 2011 albums, maybe more if I skipped over one.

The only thing that surprises me about The Marshall Mathers LP is that it was so high in the first place. Eminem's a great rapper, one of the best lyrically and rhythmically, but he makes inconsistent albums. It's as simple as that. He's best served when showing off his rapping ability, like on his verse in Renegade or in Lose Yourself, which works better in just one song than it does throughout an entire album.

Yes, Lordship. *sneaks off to the wilco thread to argue more.*

Eminem is a better songwriter than Kanye, but Kanye is a much better producer, hence why I like him more. I guess it all depends on what you value more though.

Also, 2011 albums listed so far-

Kurt Vile- Smoke Ring for My Halo- 459
Radiohead- The King of Limbs- 439
Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues- 359

And I guess while I'm at it, 2010 albums listed so far-

Joanna Newsom- Have One On Me- 462
The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt- 408
Big Boi- Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty- 376
Beach House- Teen Dream- 374
Vampire Weekend- Contra- 361

Great presentation! The results seem very intriguing, though I'm disappointed from the low positions of Elton John's magnus opus and, especially, " Straight Outta Compton" ( the quintessential masterpiece of the misunderstood music genre it represents, of course along with " It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"). I'm also surprised from the low ranking of "Master Of Puppets" despite its popularity ( not a great fan of it though). Anyway, looking forward to the rest of the list! Keep up doing so well!

"accurate", "realistic" ? I don't really understand.
What is your reference ? The AM top 3000 ?

What's the point to this poll if the results are the same as what we expected ?

No what I find intersting, especially in this area of the list, is that it's got personality. It reflects the tastes of the people here.
70s soft rock, gangsta rap and metal are not favorite genres here (and I regret this), that explains the low rankings outlined by Particle Analyst.
But we also see lesser acclaimed albums that are shared by voters, which means that this forum is useful in its main goal : recommending the music you like to other people

I think by "accurate" he means something more like "statistically significant." Most of the albums listed so far are separated by a small amount of points and votes. Most of them wouldn't have made top 500 if they lost their top voter, while the albums in the top 200 are more entrenched and would rank highly again if the sample of voters was slightly different.

That being said, I find the portion of the list presented so far a whole lot more interesting than the upper part of the list.

That is true, every time I listen to the Marshal Mathers LP I find myself wishing it ended about halfway through. But, I would say the same thing about Archandroid and Illinois, both of which are among my personal faves.

I just hate to see a more talented rapper doing the same thing better lose out to him whose name I will not mention at this time.

That is what I mean. There were 52 lists for this poll compared to 68 in 2009. With the small sample size, and people putting up different sized lists (most did 200, but some do 50 or 100) it makes it so a small percentage of the voting populace can greatly effect the ranking of any album. Showing up as 200 (the booby prize) on an extra person's list for any of these albums would move it up 50 more spots. Which is partially why there are less hip-hop, jazz, and country albums on the list.

You're going to freak when MBDTF breaks into the T100 aren't you?

Great list so far! I like that there are less lists in it this time. There's still enough for concensus, but there will be less uniformity in the results.

Nah, I expect it. I'll just make a snide comment or two.

Hey, he's right, better to be overrated than underpaid. He's better than anyone else at using the internet for mass hypnotism. He got every critic to declare it a masterpiece before hearing it. Critics still can't review the album without talking about his PR stunts and barely referencing the actual music.

Most artists create albums that are good because they sound good. Kanye made one that is good just because it is good.

In this stretch, 2 albums that were in the low regions of my list : Parsley, Sage... (my number 200) and Michigan at a surprisingly low spot.

I hope Highway To Hell will score better than Back In Black but given the lack of love for AC/DC here, have few illusions.

yup. there goes my recent citalopram induced enthusiasm...

I love The XX's cover art. Just as minimalist and understated as the actual music.

So...for those keeping track, 30 of the top 200 albums from last time have fallen out, the highest-ranked being Blue Lines, which was #121 in '09.

It looks like 4 (maybe 5) of the 30 new entries will be 2010 albums. I'm wondering if any 2011 releases will show up in the top 200; I can think of two that might.

Great job so far, Jackson. Can't wait to see the rest.

I wonder if Weezer's classics would be higher if they stopped making music after Pinkerton. Not that I'd want that since a lot of people still love their music, but if they were a two album band I bet one or both of those albums would be top 100.

I haven't chimed in yet- A lot of my top 100 has already been revealed. I can't complain if something hit the top 500 but here are a few I think should be a lot higher:

Paul Simon: There Goes Rhymin' Simon- The second best album Simon made after Bridge Over Troubled Water.

Beck: Mutations- Odelay holds a special place in my heart as well, but like Nicolas said, this is his best.

Paul McCartney: Ram- In many cases McCartney's solo work is justifiably overlooked and I think that's why not many people have given Ram a chance. But, it's a fantastic album, easily my favorite Beatles solo album.

There are a few more I could comment on, but I can understand why those can fall down to the 300-500 range. But, I definitely needed to speak my piece on the three above!

I voted for "On the Beach" as #34, so it would be nice to see it made the list. The problem I had with "Harvest" in particular was the fact it didn't leave any lasting appeal (although it was the first Neil Young album to be introduced to me). It's an "okay" album with some nice songs but I just don't "feel" it like "After the Goldrush" or "Tonight's the Night". The latter left such a huge impact on me and it's very hard to ignore the exposed grief on that album.

I find (sadly) surprising the fall on the appreciation of Massive Attack's "Blue Lines". From 121 to 210? Why, oh why?

I don't think its production sounds as modern as Mezzanine's. Even though "Unfinished Sympathy" is in my top 50 songs, I've never cared much for Blue Lines. The rest of the album doesn't really stand up to that masterpiece. Mezzanine is more consistent.

I think On the Beach is definitely the best Neil Young album I've heard, though Rust Never Sleeps might have something to say about that. I love the sprawl of the title track and "Ambulance Blues," the latter of which is Young's "Desolation Row."

And Stephen, I definitely don't think you should be disappointed at how Joni Mitchell performed in this poll, trust me.

Many now consider On the Beach Neil's masterwork, and not because it's "lesser known" and cool. Because it has great music that is stripped down and emotional.

It's one of his most cohesive works, every song is good, "Ambulance Blues" is possibly his best song ever.


Personally for me with Neil:

1. On The Beach
2. Tonight's the Night
3. Rust Never Sleeps
4. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
5. After the Gold Rush
6. Zuma
7. Ragged Glory
8. Harvest


I think Harvest is pretty inconsistent. One song that I often see cited as a top Harvest song "A Man Needs a Maid", I consider one of Neil's worst outings; I find the lyric bone-headed, and the over the top arrangement underscores that fact.

I know Blue Lines is a historically important album, but I think it's kind of inconsistent. "Unfinished Sympathy" is haunting, and "Hymn for the Big Wheel" and "Safe From Harm", but there's a lot of filler. Most of the lyrics also come across as kind of shallow and silly, but maybe I'm not supposed to care about Massive Attack's lyrics.

I'm a bit harsh on you guys because I remember this argument "Harvest vs. the rest of Neil Young" was still raging 25 years ago in musical mags. And I was already very upset because i really love that record : "Out On The Weekend", "Old Man", "Harvest", "Alabama", "THe Needle", Man Needs A Maid" . All classics. Fantastic songs

Time to start the top 200!

"I wish that I believed in fate"





[200] The National | Alligator | 2005

Points: 830 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 584
Biggest Fan:: Penguin (11)



"I'm running towards nothing again"





[199] The Cure | Seventeen Seconds | 1980

Points: 831 | Votes: 7 | AM Rank: 588 | 2009 Poll Rank: 191
Biggest Fan:: Henrik, Marc, Michel (7)



"If only I could
I'd make a deal with God"




[198] Kate Bush | Hounds of Love | 1985

Points: 835 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 186
Biggest Fan:: Tim E (7)



"They seek the truth before they can die"




[197] Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Deja Vu | 1970

Points: 845 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 160
Biggest Fan:: Honorio (28)



"I was dreaming when I wrote this
So sue me if I go too fast"




[196] Prince and The Revolution | 1999 | 1982

Points: 849 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 201 | 2009 Poll Rank: 143
Biggest Fan:: Moonbeam: 1



"Who said I lied to her?"





[195] The Smiths | Strangeways, Here We Come | 1987

Points: 851 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 599
Biggest Fan:: Dr. Robert (30)



"The rivers of our vision flow into one another"





[194] The Byrds | The Notorious Byrd Brothers | 1968

Points: 855 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 242 |
Biggest Fan:: Miguel (15)



"I saw her on the cover of a magazine"




[193] Kraftwerk | Die Mensch Maschine | 1978

Points: 860 | Votes: 8 | AM Rank: 262
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (23)



"Maybe then I'll fade away
And not have to face the facts"




[192] The Rolling Stones | Aftermath | 1966

Points: 865 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 125
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (9)



"She's moving up slowly
Inertia creeps"




[191] Massive Attack | Mezzanine | 1998

Points: 867 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 351
Biggest Fan:: Gillingham (5)

Superb presentation "update"!

"Mezzanine" above "Blue Lines"? Food for discussion stuff!

I wish "1999" was a little higher but OK.

This scintillating Neil Young discussion is whetting my appetite for next Saturday's Bridge School Benefit concert at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

Is anyone else going the concert?

Simply a case of gaining confidence and becoming more consistent. The kind of thing that comes with age.

Many of my favorite in the last 2 sections : Tonight's The Night, Bone Machine (what a fascinating record!), Ys (my #201), The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, Layla...
Surprised to see Houses of The Holy so high. Not pleasantly so I mean.

In the top 200 : Very happy to see "17 Seconds", my favorite Cure record (very exotic), Déjà Vu and The Notorious Byrd Bros, 2 folk rock gems.

I'd like to hear why people voted for Deja Vu. I'm definitely not as folk-leaning as the board consensus, but I listened to a couple of songs and just couldn't stand this album. Seems like a you-had-to-be-there kind of thing to me. Never understood all the CSNY hype.

Not a surprise to hear you come out against Deja Vu. As I recall, you're not a big fan of Bridge Over Troubled Water either. If you weren't paying attention to the performances at Woodstock (where CS&N provided almost flawless harmonies) then indeed you may not have had the appropriate opportunity to appreciate CS&N in all their glory. If you haven't heard CS&N on the Woodstock album, I highly recommend that you do so. Is there any other incarnation of C, S or N that you care for? If not, then you may not want to bother listening to music that just isn't in your wheelhouse.

Deja Vu provides unvarnished classics in terms vocal delivery, composition, heart-felt sincerity and fun. Deja Vu was bit more pop than CS&N's debut album and had the benefit of Mr. Young's contributions.

The high-pitched vocals of Graham Nash may be an acquired taste; but he does seem to hit the notes better than most pop singers. Stills seemed to be more dominant on the debut album, while the artists contributions to Deja Vu appear to be a bit more balanced. So, if one were a Stills fan (I don't see this as describing Jackson ), I could see why one might find Deja Vu a bit disappointing in comparison to the debut album.

Some of the highlights of Deja Vu include:

Teach Your Children, Woodstock, and Our House. The first and third are clearly not rockers.

Other songs on the album that I thoroughly enjoy include: Carry On, Almost Cut My Hair, Helpless.

@Nicolas

Rock, I would argue, is a genre founded on energy and risk. Country and blues are founded on vibe. Blues especially is a club genre, not a singles or album genre. Rock is a singles or a album genre depending on the artist, and it flourishes on energy and risk, of which Harvest is lacking compared to his other work.

I'm surprised 1999 wasn't higher. I sort of see it as an 'Album with great singles' more than a great album, but I know it has at least one 1st place vote.

IMO it's one of the best records of the late sixties-early seventies. An album of its time. Sums up 1970 with all its good sides and excesses, the late hippie era.
And the music is incredible : without the first song and its harmonies, no Fleet Foxes. If you are not into folk, I understand you don't like this record. Again a great collection of songs (Teach Your Children, Almost Cut my hair are the first to come to my mind).

Curious as to the animosity towards Houses of the Holy.

Someone else but not me for Houses Of The holy please ! . I pass . don't want to ba the Mr Killjoy of this forum

Houses of the Holy is a much better album the Physical Graffiti in my opinion (not sure if PG hasw already appeared or if it will).
Waiting to see if Moonbeam explodes at 1999's rank.

This is a so true.

Let's move on.



"There's many lost, but tell me who has won?"




[190] U2 | War | 1983

Points: 868 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 298
Biggest Fan:: Daniel (13)




"Nothing's gonna change my world"




[189] The Beatles | Let It Be | 1970

Points: 874 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 615
Biggest Fan:: Stone (21)



"Hello, is there anybody in there?"





[188] Pink Floyd | The Wall | 1979

Points: 875 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 138 | 2009 Poll Rank: 131
Biggest Fan:: Daniel (12)



"Once I had a love and it was divine"




[187] Blondie | Parallel Lines | 1978

Points: 875 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 121 | 2009 Poll Rank: 188
Biggest Fan:: Harold Wexler (28)



"Words are meaningless"




[186] Depeche Mode | Violator | 1990

Points: 892 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 459
Biggest Fan:: Slick (15)



"The child is the father of the man"




[185] The Beach Boys | Surf's Up | 1971

Points: 894 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 558 | 2009 Poll Rank: 192
Biggest Fan:: Miguel (1)



"How much fun it's been"





[184] The United States of America | The United States of America | 1968

Points: 902 | Votes: 8 | AM Rank: 837
Biggest Fan:: nj (3)



"I'm getting out of darkness
My light shines on"





[183] Primal Scream | Screamadelica | 1991

Points: 905 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 85 | 2009 Poll Rank: 136
Biggest Fan:: ParticleAnalyst (20)



"I still owe money to the money I owe"




[182] The National | High Violet | 2010

Points: 905 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank:
Biggest Fan:: Antonius (10)



"I was in another world"




[181] The Avalanches | Since I Left You | 2000

Points: 908 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 362
Biggest Fan:: Midaso 18



The United States of America placing top 200 is probably the biggest surprise of the poll. That record's grown on me a ton over the last month.

Same here - the more I listen to it, the more I love it. It's great to see it getting recognized.

A small correction - the line from "Bloodbuzz Ohio" is actually "I still owe money to the money to the money I owe." It's that extra layer that's the killer.

How the hell did Let It Be beat it's AM Ranking by over 400 places? To my ears,it's the worst thing they recorded. I remember reading a album review book one time that gave it one star out of five

Yellow Submarine and Please Please Me are worse than Let it Be, but either way, 99 percent of bands would kill to have these 3 albums as their worst. I've never understood the disdain for Let it Be especially since Abbey Road is so highly regarded. It's not as good as Abbey Road but it's a similar album with great tracks. If you don't like the production, listen to Let it Be Naked. Any Beatles fan should like one or the other- I prefer the Spector version.

In my view, Let It Be is very inconsistent. At it's best (Let It Be, Long and Winding Road, Get Back) it provides songs that exhilirate just like almost any Beatle's album (for most of us not named Moonbeam that is). There are some other very solid tracks including: Don't Let Me Down, I've Got a Feeling, and Two of Us. But, some of the other tracks don't move me or provide me with all that much enjoyment. I don't remember the naked versions of these songs being any better than Spector versions.

I totally second John's post on Let it be and am happy it found its plave in the top 200

And I really prefer Physical Graffiti's spontaneity to House of the Holy's inflated prog pretention (not to mention the pedophile cover art Promised, it's the last time I bash an album but no one did it in my place...

The proximity of the 60s poll left its trace here with forgotten albums like USAOA or Begin.

@BillAdama : blues, a club genre ? Well if you think of SR Vaughan or Duke Robillard, maybe so but blues to me is more Robert J, Skip J or Muddy W, so it's a lil bit more than that, just the father of rock. And a very risky business too, ask Robert J

"Surf's Up" album cover really caught my eye. I'll admit, I've never listened to any of The Beach Boys discography beyond "Pet Sounds". I might give it a spin

I'm so glad "Since I Left You" made the top 200! What a terribly underrated album. The whole thing sounds like a sun kissed kaleidoscopic wonderland, not to mention its incredibly danceable tracks. Definitely a top 40 album of all time for me.

And "Summerteeth" hasn't even appeared yet! I'm crossing my fingers for a top 100 placement, but that's pretty much wishful thinking.

Not only was "Let it Be" the Beatles worst album in at least 6 years ("Yellow Submarine" isn't an album), it wasn't produce by George Martin, it was done by the Phil Spector!

= best producer of all time? Yes, he's clearly not a nice man, but do try to separate man from music.

or Elisabeth S

"I am in paradise"




[180] The Kinks | Something Else by the Kinks | 1967

Points: 909 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 300 | 2009 Poll Rank: 156
Biggest Fan:: Marc (61)



"I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down"





[179] The Verve | Urban Hymns | 1997
Points: 910 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 238
Biggest Fan:: Stephan (45)




"They will take me away"





[178] Portishead | Third | 2008

Points: 911 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 279
Biggest Fan:: Pauldrach (13)




"I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy"





[177] John Lennon | Imagine | 1971

Points: 912 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 93
Biggest Fan:: Daniel (5)




"Do you know what you're fighting for?"




[176] Janelle Monae | The ArchAndroid | 2010

Points: 923 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank:
Biggest Fan:: Toni (40)




"It takes courage to enjoy it"





[175] Björk | Debut | 1993

Points: 934 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 139 | 2009 Poll Rank: 151
Biggest Fan:: Honorio (16)




"I am a traveler of both time and space"




[174] Led Zeppelin | Physical Graffiti | 1975

Points: 935 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 98 | 2009 Poll Rank: 132
Biggest Fan:: Brad (28)




"It's just a dream he keeps having
And it doesn't seem to mean anything"





[173] Wilco | Summerteeth | 1999

Points: 939 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 611
Biggest Fan:: Jonathan (10)




"Tu t'appelles comment?"





[172] Serge Gainsbourg | Histoire de Melody Nelson | 1971

Points: 939 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 330
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam, Nicolas (45)





"Music's got me feeling so free"





[171] Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001

Points: 940 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 312 | 2009 Poll Rank: 153
Biggest Fan:: Schwah (9)


Debut has been my favorite discovery of the poll. For some reason, I had thought I disliked Bjork before, but clearly that was a mistake.

Great presentation, Jackson!

I'm happy 1999 at least made the top 200, but it is a little startling that it relies so much on my #1 vote to get there. Of course, I think it should have ended up 195 places higher, but the fact that it got 8 other votes is pretty sweet.

Oh, and it's SUCH an album album. Sure, it has megasingles, but those megasingles merely are the avenues into the icy neon purple future-funk that awaits.

I am also happy to see Parallel Lines here. If only Blondie and Eat to the Beat could garner more love...

Time to don my Negative Nancy shoes.

The Suburbs over The ArchAndroid? THAT is a catastrophe. If it beats The Age of Adz....

The high placement of the Beatles and Lennon pap is disheartening, too.

Same for me ! Though given its rank here, in some prestigious lists and in AM, I would say that "terribly underrated" is exagerated.

I'm glad to see Kraftwerk doing a bit better than usual, I'm really digging their music right now (had I made my list a bit later, It would have included Computer World and maybe the Man Machine or Radioactivity)

And High Violet higher than Alligator does not seem right to me (not that I really care, but I found High Violet very disappointing after 2 very good albums).

I'm in the same boat.

So much to respond to:

1) Love the presentation, Jackson.

2) I always find it curious when Debut is placed above other Bjork albums. I happen to think Vespertine is Bjork's worst album (have yet to hear Biophilia), but it was a risky album and I know many of you consider it her masterpiece. Debut is catchy and clubby, but doesn't dig as deep emotionally as her other albums. Homogenic is likely to come up later as her top album, though, if the 2009 poll is any guide.

3) Houses of the Holy is a recent rediscovery, and a new entry on my list. I probably placed it too high at 67, but I have been replaying it a ton, because it's so much fun. It's hard to find music that my whole family can get into when it's playing around the house, and Houses of the Holy would up fitting the bill surprisingly well. It's super-tuneful hard rock.

4) Deja Vu is another climber for me (sitting at 61). I've been trying for a while to figure out how to state why the harmonies of the Beach Boys fail to move me, but those of the Band, CSNY, and even the Grateful Dead do. There is possibly a greater messiness, less blend in vocals of the latter bands. (Although maybe the problem with Beach Boys is how nasally their blend can be.) But there is also a greater directness. On most of the songs on Deja Vu, the harmonic vocals are not mere sonic wallpaper. They are strong, forceful, and out-front. The vocals thrill rather than soothe. (Well, maybe not so on "Our House.")

5) Nassim, it's funny because for me I wasn't buying into the National until High Violet, then it clicked for me. I've come around on Alligator since then, but High Violet is the one that wormed it's way into my heart.

6) I didn't place it on my list, but Let It Be is not a bad Beatles album. Leaving off the title track and the tracks that Spector most messed with, it's a quirky and kind of peculiar album and I enjoy that. As for Imagine, I refuse to apologize for liking that album. The title track is problematic, but John's songwriting on the album otherwise stands up with his best Beatles work.

Hey guys you were really busy while I was sleeping. Time to do some catch up...

Love the presentation, Jackson, especially the lyric quotes (fantastic the one from Debut: "It takes courage to enjoy it", it was from "Big Time Sensuality", isn't it?)

Of course I was joking, nicolas. I agree with you that the line between craft and genius is thin and somtimes blurred. And it's really difficult to write an original song in styles so consolidated as country and blues, contributing with something new without losing the essence of the style. Just like Clint Eastwood movies like “Unforgiven”, innovating inside the genre films. And don't forget that indie and electronica are built around musical patterns and conventions just like roots music.
And one more thing, I absolutely reject the notion that depressive-sounding music is more risky that happy-sounding music, innovation and risk got nothing to do with happiness, that after all it's something some of us spend our life looking for it. Like Vinícius de Moraes said (and sang): Sadness has no end / Happiness does.


I agree with you, Dan M, "Mezzanine" is more consistent and coherent. But maybe some of us prefer the variety when it comes to listen to an album, I love those albums when the artists strength themselves and discover the endless posibilities out there, that’s why albums like “White Album”, “London Calling” or “Blonde on Blonde” are in my Top 5. Maybe it’s not the case with “Blue Lines” but you can find there dub, house, hip-hop, deep reggae, soul, all the roots that created a whole new style that (yes, maybe) crystallized in "Mezzanine".


Henry, nicolas and Schwah explained so perfectly that, even as the fan #1 of this album, the only thing I can do is quote them: ”Déjà Vu provides unvarnished classics in terms vocal delivery, composition, heart-felt sincerity and fun” (Henry), “Sums up 1970 with all its good sides and excesses“ (nicolas), “On most of the songs on Deja Vu, the harmonic vocals are not mere sonic wallpaper. They are strong, forceful, and out-front. The vocals thrill rather than soothe” (Schwah). I'll just add, at the risk of sounding "too bland, too soft" that I particularly like "Our House", many love songs talk about love that begins or love that ends, not that many about that situation in the middle that some of us hope to last forever. But that was not the case with Graham Nash and Joni Mitchell.


Well, the three albums are in my Top 200. But I placed “Debut” higher for personal reasons, it was (quoting myself) "the very first electronica album that I really loved, cause it supposed a brand new use of the voice in a predominantly instrumental style or dominated by soul divas. And the voice of Björk is possibly the most unique in pop history, balancing perfectly the confidence and the vulnerability, the virtuosity and the spontaneity, the craft and the extravagance".

I’ve talked too much (again).

I don't know, both albums seem equally consistent to me (if there's such a thing like counting that factor in numbers). I think it's because the sound of "Mezzanine" is obviously darker and riskier, more experimental though experienced, the kind of sound that gets more love and appreciation for being "mature".

If you ask me it's a strong album but I still prefer "Blue Lines" (all that discussion makes me seem a huge Massive Attack fan though I'm not ).

That 190-181 section was the best in my opinion so far.

I can understand why "Screamadelica", though very popular, is not THE monster, but to me is one of the most unique albums ever. Full of fun with catchy, exciting tunes combining house with the most unlikely music genres (funk in "Loaded", soul in "Movin' On Up", a bit of blues in "Damaged"), it's a truly epic record, groundbreaking and had many imitators since it started the fashion of an "alternative" dance sound.

"Let It Be" is also SUPERB. Melancholic yet no whiny, with a couple of songs which could easily fit in among the finest The Beatles have ever done ("Let It Be" of course, "Across The Universe"), also with a confident sound which resembles "Abbey Road".

I think that the hate towards "Imagine" is mainly because of the legendary title track-not that being the only reason of course.

"Urban Hymns" also made it surprisingly well!

Summerteeth made the top 200!!!! . Even though I can't change lukewarm critical opinion of the album, it's kind of cool that 2 years of championing it have paid off on this board.

Kind of sad that it'll be ranked below All 3 Arcade Fire albums (Neon Bible, really?) but I guess I'll accept this ranking happily.

Even though I've heard almost all of these albums, I'm going to make it a personal goal of mine to familiarize myself completely with the ones that I've only heard a few times.

I'm quite far back, but I think the best 5 album streak of this poll so far has come way back -

[219] Radiohead | Amnesiac | 2001
Points: | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 387

[218] Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
Points: | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 299
2009 Poll Rank: 199

[217] King Crimson | Red | 1974
Points: | Votes: 8 | AM Rank: 666

[216] Weezer | Pinkerton | 1996
Points: | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 547

[215] Joanna Newsom | Ys | 2006
Points: | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: 271


4 magnificent albums and a Coldplay one I haven't heard.

[464] Animal Collective | Feels | 2005
Points: 330 | Votes: 4 AM Rank: 939

[391] Animal Collective | Sung Tongs | 2004
Points: 398 | Votes: 3 AM Rank: 935

[351] Animal Collective | Strawberry Jam | 2007
Points: 476 | Votes: 4 AM Rank: 683

Surprised with how these turned out. I would have thought Sung Tongs would win it amongst us (aside from Merriweather of course )

I also agree that the USA album is amazing, and will surely rise with future polls. I initially had it floating around my top 10, then I dropped it, but it pulled me back in...


Has Arthur (or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) gone yet? I think that album deserves some serious credit.

Great stretch !

I've always been a little disappointed by The Kinks' albums. Even Village Green fell short of my top 200. I consider them a fantastic singles band, but none of their albums is top of the top for me.

Imagine didn't make my list, but wasn't far behind, with excellent songs (especially "Crippled Inside", "Jealous Guy", "How Do You sleep ?"). But Plastic Ono Band is more emotional I guess.

I'm very proud of Archandroid being in the top 200. One of the best albums of the decade IMO, so diverse, original and what a talented artist !

Physical Graffiti : another garage sell album, fun and direct.

I'll have to re-listen to Summerteeth, because I'm not very familiar with that record.

Proud of Melody Nelson too. Probably the best French speaking album of the poll (ahead of Brel). Gives me an idea : I'd love to list the non-English speaking albums of the top 3000. Typical album where the whole is better than the sum of its parts. I'd strongly recommend "L'Homme à Tête de Chou" from 1976, in the same vein.

And a good French series with Discovery; probably the best French album of this poll, it made the bottom of my list. This is one of the most entertaining albums of the electro genre.

Awesome that Third, High Violet, and Archandroid all made the 200. Great to see United States Of America do so well.

@Nicolas

Oh, but I do like folk. Old Man is a great song, but it's one that doesn't hold up as well when you've heard it more times. And folk tends to have stringy stuff that Neil Young doesn't really go for. I don't care for Man Needs A Maid, and Alabama doesn't hold up as well when you stop being impressed that the lyrics attack the fake, intolerant Christianity of southern conservatism. Then there's that "Dream up, dream up let me fill your cup" song which is just plain boring.

Harvest is the Neil Young album where he most waters down his personality.

Maybe 'Club genre' is the wrong tag for blues, but what I mean is it's not a genre that thrives when you break it up into three minute segments and burn it onto a CD. It's better heard live than recorded.

@ BillA (to end this too long discussion): why this need of categorizing and tagging genres, blues IS this, rock IS that ? I find it much more interesting when you get more specific lke you did on Harvest (even though I don't agree with your comments on the songs).
About blues, as 90 % of the great bluzmen are dead (and some of them for more than half a century), it's difficult to hear it live. But anyway, as they were no overdubs before 1960, all of these songs are live recordings, most of the time unrehearsed, unique performances. Burnt a lot of blues CDs with gems from 1920-1960 mainly, and they are great, if you want one just ask. BTW, I'm listening to the new Ry Cooder at the moment and it's the first album i hear after making my list that could have made it if I'd had to send it now. What a great album (with a perfect imitation of JLHooker that makes me think Ry is among the 10 % of survivors)
But let's go back to our list, sorry Mr Jackson for this digression

The White Album and Blonde on Blonde are my favourite Beatles and Bob Dylan albums too (#1 and #4 on my list respectively) and I love them for the same reason as you: because they are albums by ridiculously talented musicians who challenge themselves and successfully incorporate a great variety of genres into their music. One of the things I look forward to most about these poll results is to see which Beatles and Dylan album will end up on top.



Nice to see Hounds of Love finally cracking our top 200. It's British eccentricity in the best possible way. I look at the Lady Gagas of present-day music and wish there was a female artist as genuinely unconventional as Kate Bush was in the 80s with utterly original music to go with it. I guess the same could be said of Björk from the 90s onwards, or PJ Harvey to a certain extent, but they've always been popular in the forum.

I think Hounds of Love was in my top 20 it's an influential and artistic achievement. I'm not sure if it's true nowadays, but I think Kate Bush never really got enough recognition in the US. Perhaps it's my "englishness" coming through, but I firmly believe Hounds of Love and Aerial (Disk 2: A Sky of Honey) are masterpieces - I'm not a fan of Aerial (Disk 1: A Sea of Honey).

I think one of the albums which would have easily made my list (had I listened to it beforehand) was Steely Dan's - Aja. I just love this album so sooo much. Thanks Henrik by the way!

I'm pretty sure Blonde on Blonde will beat the White Album, as the Beatles suffer from vote splitting. Everyone loves different Beatles albums, whereas Bob's best album really falls under either Blonde or Highway 61. Only Beatles album that can really beat Blonde on Blonde imo is Revolver.

The White Album beat Blonde and Blonde and Revolver in the decade poll in June, so I wouldn't underestimate it.

The thing about Arcade Fire is that they have a larger audience than any other band on the board in the last twenty years. People who have heard fewer albums have all heard Funeral, Neon Bible, and The Suburbs, so the deck is stacked in their favor over other current bands.

@Nicolas

It's not about separation of genre, it's about what is extraordinary about the individual. I'd rather listen to a record that is majorly flawed but does one thing extraordinarily well than one that just does everything pretty good. Neil Young's 'extraordinary thing' is his emotion and personality, of which Harvest lacks compared to his other acclaimed albums. Which, I would add, is the same argument I would make in the Wilco debate.

Which is interesting, since Wilco, Interpol, Modest Mouse, and The Flaming Lips have all had levels of commercial success equal to Arcade Fire, and The Strokes and White Stripes have far exceeded them commercially.

I love The Arcade Fire, but I never saw them as "That" band. I got my hands on Funeral in the fall of 2004, and thought it was a great little indie rock record; about as important as The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow, or Broken Social Scene's You Forgot it in People. I didn't think it was a masterpiece, or a game changer.

Then I started to hear the ridiculous hyperbole being thrown around "The best album since OK Computer", "the greatest band since The Talking Heads stopped making sense", "The best debut since The Clash's first album". And it really turned me off to the band for a while.

It took me several years to accept that Funeral has that status, warranted or not. I feel a gross tickle in my throat when I think about it being ranked above every single album by artists as important as Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Talking Heads, R.E.M., and Sonic Youth. It's great, but not THAT great imo.

Hey Jackson,

thanks once again for the presentation!

All these discussions about albums being positioned too high, or too low ... who cares? The resulting list just reflects our very own favourite lists, so it can only be great ... right?

Talking about great lists ... my favourite album lists are now also available on RYM:

all-time
per decade
per year

Similar list for songs and artists are in the making ...

Am I the only one who can't make Rate Your Music lists because I get very irritated if the covers look ugly next to each other?

I hate to be the one to say it, but what about Radiohead (or Nirvana for that matter)?

[170] Sigur Rós | Agaetis Byrjun | 1999

Points: 950 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 232 | 2009 Poll Rank: 140
Biggest Fan:: ChrisK (18)



"We'll see things they'll never see"




[169] Oasis | Definitely Maybe | 1994

Points: 951 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 105 | 2009 Poll Rank: 145
Biggest Fan:: Toni (3)



"Open my hands and let them weave onto yours"




[168] TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain | 2006

Points: 970 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 285 | 2009 Poll Rank: 177
Biggest Fan:: Nassim (33)



"I've seen and done things I want to forget"





[167] PJ Harvey | Let England Shake | 2011

Points: 971 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: N/A
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (39)



"This world's crazy
Give me the gun"




[166] PJ Harvey | Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea | 2000

Points: 978 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 276 | 2009 Poll Rank: 193
Biggest Fan:: Stephen (18)



"I'm trying to turn a trick"





[165] Ramones | Ramones | 1976

Points: 979 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 37 | 2009 Poll Rank: 112
Biggest Fan:: Evan (22)



"Listening to you, I get the music"




[164] The Who | Tommy | 1969

Points: 986 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 113 | | 2009 Poll Rank: 162
Biggest Fan:: Stephan (14)



"In the days of my youth
I was told what it means to be a man"





[163] Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin | 1969

Points: 988 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 108 | 2009 Poll Rank: 157
Biggest Fan:: Slick (26)



"Confusion will be my epitaph"




[162] King Crimson | In the Court of the Crimson King | 1969
Points: 992 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 131
Biggest Fan:: Petri (19)



"It's better to burn out than to fade away"




[161] Neil Young | Rust Never Sleeps | 1979

Points: 1003 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 133 | 2009 Poll Rank: 97
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (8)

Great discussion, guys! The attention this has received has made the work in compiling it worth it.

Comments on that last section:

Return to Cookie Mountain: I ranked it, but it's dominated to an extent by "Wolf Like Me." Definitely some other standouts on there, but I often find myself skipping straight from "I Was a Lover" to "Wolf Like Me." That song is scary good (pun intended).

Let England Shake: perfectly deserving as the only 2011 album to crack our top 200. I think it will pass "Stories from the City" by the next poll. I need to give that one more listens, but it doesn't have the emotional and creative pull of Let England Shake or TBYML for me.

Ramones: Might be the most fun-to-listen-to album on the list. Used to think it was overrated, but then did a total 180.

In the Court of the Crimson King: Great placement for it here given that it didn't make T200 last time. If only "Moonchild" was either shorter or replaced with a better song! I will always prefer "Red" though, with its jazz fusion edge and heavy sound.

Rust Never Sleeps: Never listened to this before for whatever reason, but it's really good.

Now addressing some other issues:

Not going to comment on whether this is true, but "the Beatles suffer from vote-splitting" is the funniest comment in the thread. I wish the Kinks and Brian Eno suffered from that same "vote-splitting" problem that allows them to put multiple songs and albums in the top 20 of every poll we've ever done.




Also, I bet a lot of people will be disenchanted by where The Suburbs places. It's kind of embarrassing, really.



Whoever hasn't heard Surf's Up needs to ASAP. If you don't enjoy the first half, stick around for side 2, which is the best thing the Beach Boys ever did.


The Kinks' Arthur (along with a few other REALLY good albums) placed just outside the top 500. I just don't understand. Vital songwriting, fantastic instrumentation, standout songs, catchy songs...what's not to like for all of the 60s-70s rock fans on here?

I'm glad to see Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea do so well and beat Let England Shake. Also happy to see Ramones not completely fall off the map. They join Roxy Music, Kraftwerk, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Eurythmics as the most underrated artists by this forum, in my opinion.

A bit late, but this list is making me re-explore the New Order catalog... and it's fantastic; much better than I originally thought.

I'm surprised I ended up as the Ramones' "biggest fan," but I certainly think it's a great, fun album. I'm glad my vote at least helped keep it in the top 200, as I don't think it would be a proper 200 without the first great punk album. Just a shame The Modern Lovers couldn't reach that threshold as well.

"Harvest" reminds me of people watching mediocre popcorn fodder flicks while telling me to click my brain out and "just enjoy the ride".. but speaking of pure, mindless fun... still no Mark E Smith album in the t500?

how does that all match up anyway?

Sad, but it's true surely ("suffer" is probably the wrong word)? Most of the time I think to myself "Wow, Sgt Peppers' finished outside of the top 10???", or "Wow, Beatles didn't take all top 3 spots?" like it's some great seismic shock. We throw around a lot of hyperbole regarding the Beatles in this forum, and only a few albums can really penetrate this iron wall of Beatles, like London Calling and OK Computer and Pet Sounds. It's a shame really, but that's the nature of consensus, I guess.


I've been listening to Arthur a lot, because I adored Village Green, tried my best listening to Something Else but found myself always skipping to Afternoon Tea or Waterloo Sunset, and wanted more of a Kinks kick. Arthur truly is brilliant. That middle three of "Australia", "Shangri-La" and "Mr. Churchill Says" is soooooo huge.

Arthur and The Modern Lovers would have made my top 100 if I had submitted just a leeeetle later.


Last thing: I reckon Bruce will do really well in this poll. The Wild had a great finish (low in my estimations of course), and Born in the USA hasn't come yet, which surprises me a little bit. Darkness will (hopefully) top 100, and Born To Run will probably top 20. This is all great news!

Arthur is a pre-mbarrassing.Davies@the70s cheese-fest, but... yes... hilariously so... love it.

Not sure what you mean by this. Davies is still firing on all cylinders here. Maybe "Young and Innocent Days" and "Some Mother's Son" are a bit cheesy, but I still like them. And good god, "Shangri-La' and "Victoria" are incredible.

This Nation's Saving Grace was Mr. Smith's highest entry, placing 996th. We were two thirds of its voting base. But hey, there are some really good albums down there actually.

^Will we get an opportunity to see the spreadsheet after the results are revealed? Thanks for doing this by the way, great presentation so far.

I don't know how to post it directly to the forum, but if not I'll post it to a file-sharing site.

Also, I'll post at least the top 1000 after the list has been unveiled.

Let me echo the thumbs up for Something Else and Arthur. Both are very, very tasty.

The Beatles vote-splitting takes them down from #3 to #4. Neil Young's vote splitting keeps three or four of his albums out of the top 100.

Well yeah, Radiohead has a bigger audience than Arcade Fire here. Nirvana, yeah, but they're on the fringe of 'last 20 years', and get more backlash.

170-161

Sigur Ros missed my list but it was my #248 : great eerie music

You know that La Fontaine's fable about the frog that wants to be as big as a bull ? You know what happens to it ? That's Oasis to me (or i could take nj's comment about "Harvest" and rempace "Harvest" with Oasis)

PJ Harvey : I'm always nagging about not seeing pre-1977 music from a 21st century, indie vs mainstream point of vue. But I'm the first to admit that i do the same in reverse , seeing nowadays music from a 1969 point of view (and I wasn't even born in '69, but the following year). That's probably why I can't appreciate PJ's music, as if i heard it through a glass, darkly (to paraphrase Donna Leon). I like the woman, I find her very sexy (although skinny women are not usually my typ), but her music is too dry for me.

I realize I placed Tommy a little bit too high in my list (#61), above "Who's Next". That is a bit exxaggerated and i almost asked you Jackson to switch those 2 albums, but I didn't want to bother. Anyway that's a great album, full of memories for me. Full of fun indeed. Still about 1969's good sides and excesses too (1969 is my favorite musical year)

Crimson King missed my list too, but I need to get more familiar with this fascinating and unique album.

Rust Never Sleeps was my #140. I'm a Neil fan, especially because he did Harvest AND Rust. If he wanted to make mainstream records, he did without restraint or guilt or anything, and if he wanted to make a punk AND folk album, he did. A free man.

Just realized I spoke about Neil in the past tense. Killing my idols ?

Neil "Forever" Young ...

Another disappointment at "Definitely Maybe"'s low ranking. Beyond most people being pissed off by the Gallaghers' being such knobheads, it seems that their spectacular first two albums have an increasingly decreasing popularity, mainly because of the new meaning "alternative music" gained throughuout the '00s. Despite their career being all downhill after those two years (not so much with "Be Here Now" as with their '00s work which was just a bunch of albums you could listen at 3-4 times, maybe rank one or two among the 30 best of that year they came out but that's just about it), to me those records are undeniable classics with a brilliantly authentic rock sound, very introspective lyrics and overall those albums are much better than others of highly acclaimed artists of today (I won't mention names-let's just say LCD Soundsystem and The Strokes are definitely NOT among them).

Anyway, I quit whining, a very, very interesting list is getting formed.

I'm with you on 1999 being ranked too low, but now on Oasis. In my mind, there isn't a ranking too low for the Gallagher brothers.

"You are a past sinner, the last winner and everything we've come to"






[160] Interpol | Turn On the Bright Lights | 2002

Points: 1005 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 259 | 2009 Poll Rank: 125
Biggest Fan:: Octopus (8)



"Today is the greatest day I've ever known"




[159] Smashing Pumpkins | Siamese Dream | 1993
Points: 1006 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 150 | 2009 Poll Rank: 158
Biggest Fan:: Chris K (16)



"I'm gonna give you every inch of my love"




[158] Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin II | 1969

Points: 1007 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 63 | 2009 Poll Rank: 108
Biggest Fan:: Mindrocker (17)



"How does that old song go?"





[157] Mercury Rev | Deserter's Songs | 1998

Points: 1012 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 322 | 2009 Poll Rank: 119
Biggest Fan:: Zorg (22)



"Are you taking over or are you taking orders?




[156] The Clash | The Clash | 1977

Points: 1017 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 56 | 2009 Poll Rank: 91
Biggest Fan:: ParticleAnalyst (15)



"Where do we go now?




[155] Guns N' Roses | Appetite for Destruction | 1987

Points: 1023 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 60 | 2009 Poll Rank: 161
Biggest Fan:: Slick (13)



"It's all a mystery"




[154] The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002

Points: 1023 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 231 | 2009 Poll Rank: 127
Biggest Fan:: Petri (12)



"I'm scared of the middle place between light and nowhere"




[153] Antony and The Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | 2005

Points: 1034 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 218 | 2009 Poll Rank: 128
Biggest Fan:: Dr. Robert (18)



"Your prejudice won't keep you warm tonight"




[152] The Smiths | The Smiths | 1984

Points: 1038 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 192 | 2009 Poll Rank: 171
Biggest Fan:: Octopus (4)



"This crazy music drives you insane"




[151] Roxy Music | For Your Pleasure | 1973

Points: 1041 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 107
Biggest Fan:: Billadama (28)

Still, I prefer DM and (WTS)MG slightly more than Prince's otherwise superb album.
Damn, they are all three among my Top 100, such comparison between these marvellous albums is somewhat pointless to me so I guess I stop here.

Seems I'm with the minority here believing The Clash's debut album is not only their greatest achievement, but also their most edgy and risky one which also captures with the most accurate way the true essence of the best punk band The Sex Pistols ever inspired and had as a successor. And " White Man In Hammersmith Palais" is still their finest song (yeah, it even surpasses "London Calling" if you ask me, though of course not by far).

Also "Appetite For Destruction" in such a high placement considering the little love in here for the kind of rock Guns N ' Roses represent was some kind of a surprise.

Oh, and Roxy Music are way too high there.

Ah, For Your Pleasure.

That album should be in the top 50. "Editions of You" is more ball-busting, more wonderfully mind-warping and more gut-wrenching than any punk song I've heard, and with glam freak outs like "Do the Strand", "In Every Dreamhome a Heartache" and "The Bogus Man", not to mention chilling ballad horror like "Strictly Confidential", it is a thoroughly harrowing release. Ferry's lyrical collage and Eno's shrieking tape effects scorching out new sounds make this one of the greatest albums ever in my book.

Roxy Music and Mercury Rev were the two I voted for from that last section. Totally agree with Moonbeam that "Editions of You" is Roxy Music's career highlight. I am puzzled why the gap between FYP and their self-titled debut is so huge. They seem like they should be about even.

Deserter's Songs was the second-highest Mercury Rev album on my list behind Yerself is Steam, which has some of the most creative and emotional uses of noise in a rock album. I really need to hear Boces and See You on the Other Side.

150 albums left, and 143 from 2009's top 200 among them. What will be the "other 5" new entries (i.e., the ones that aren't The Suburbs and MBDTF)?

The Age of Adz obviously, no idea for the 4 others

While I have developed an appreciation of many Eno compositions and performances, his shrieking tape effects don't do much for me. I agree with the view that For Your Pleasure's placement is a bit high. But, the consensus rules here and I am perfectly willing to enjoy the views of others and when possible expand my perspectives therefrom.