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 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.
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.
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!
I'm guessing that the 30 or so ballots may not give an accurate representation with the points scheme.
Wait for the top 200 where you will probably need to get on 10+ ballots to show up, the list will feel more "realistic" then.
"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'm guessing that the 30 or so ballots may not give an accurate representation with the points scheme.
Wait for the top 200 where you will probably need to get on 10+ ballots to show up, the list will feel more "realistic" then.
"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 ?
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.
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.
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.
I'm guessing that the 30 or so ballots may not give an accurate representation with the points scheme.
Wait for the top 200 where you will probably need to get on 10+ ballots to show up, the list will feel more "realistic" then.
"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 ?
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I'd bet you'd dislike Harvest. It's a great album, though. Superb songs and arrangements. But way uncool for 21st centrury hipsters. Not dark enough ? Dad's music ? Lol
There were 6 NY albums in my top 200
1. After The Goldrush
2. Harvest
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Zuma
5. Tonight's The Night
6. Rust Never Sleeps
On the Beach has a cool cover, but it's a minor album IMO. On The Beach is a lesser known album so it's cool to say you like it ?
I'm kidding guys.
PS : I could have put Tonight's The Night above Zuma (they were #111 and #115).
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 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 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'd bet you'd dislike Harvest. It's a great album, though. Superb songs and arrangements. But way uncool for 21st centrury hipsters. Not dark enough ? Dad's music ? Lol
There were 6 NY albums in my top 200
1. After The Goldrush
2. Harvest
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Zuma
5. Tonight's The Night
6. Rust Never Sleeps
On the Beach has a cool cover, but it's a minor album IMO. On The Beach is a lesser known album so it's cool to say you like it ?
I'm kidding guys.
PS : I could have put Tonight's The Night above Zuma (they were #111 and #115).
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.
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.
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).
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.
Curious as to the animosity towards Houses of the Holy.
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.
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...
[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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Interpol's music is not my cup of tea, I've never heard that album entirely but the songs i heard were of good quality.
Siamese dreams (my #171) is one of the rare indie rock albums of my list (with Sonic Youth, LCD, Grandaddy and one Arcade Fire). I saw them live in 1995 at Reading, great concert.I've heard that album numerous times after that when I was living in a small student room. "Mayonaise is a great song.
Led Zep II (151) : another memory from the early 1990s. My second favorite LZ after IV. I don't like "Moby Dick", light as a whale, but "Thank You" is a great ballad that we used to play at reahearsals with my band.
I really dug "Deserter's Songs" when it came out. I listened to it a month a go just before sending my list and was a little disappointed. But it ended up at #277, not so bad
The first Clash is good but in no way beats London Calling, a more mature record.
Appetite For Destruction : good surprise to see them so high. Great rock record, with good sides and bad side. Real rock'n roll in 1987 was not so frequent, and Sweet Child Of Mine is an epic masterpiece.
Flaming Lips is not on my list, but some great songs in there.
Antony's placement is not so bad for a record you either love or hate. It was my #78. Antony is one of the most interseting artists of the decade IMO. Great voice coming from such an incredible body. And the guy forgot to be dumb as we say in French. I'd love to see him live.
The Smiths : I pass. I just can't hear this record. I hate the 80's productions even though I think Morrissey as a songwriter is not bad at all
For Your Pleasure was not on my list (#278, a little too low) but it's a fantastic record and I'm very happy it ended up that high. I'm more a Ferry fan than an Eno fan. His vocals on Beauty Queen are extraordinary. Antony owes him a lot.
I couldn't get everybody in, and 200 is a very small number.
Oh shit the next stretch is out now, but there's only one album in my top 200
I don't care about Fear of Music, I hate Psychocandy, and I'm not a uge fan of the Replacements and Eno.
"On The Beach", "Exodus", "Bryter Layter" are albums by artists I love but they're not my favorites. Good albums but not familiar or attractive enough to be high on my list.
The Band and Help are great records but like For Your Pleasure they were in the 200-300 spots of my list, which is very good. I chose to place records from other genres but had I done a rock-only list they'd probably be in my top 200.
And The Freewheelin' BD was my #87. This record is not only a milestone in the history of folk, but also a fantastic collection of songs.
"Help!" is easily the best album from The Beatles' early period and it surpasses some of their later work as well. Yes, it isn't as complex or mind-bending as some of their late stuff, but it's still a fantastic set of songs.
I think Help! is way too high on AM already, let alone in this poll. Adding to that the ranking for Let It Be and I'm gonna predict Beatles domination this poll. 4 albums in the top 10, #1 for Revolver and #3/#4 for White Album.
I think Help! is way too high on AM already, let alone in this poll. Adding to that the ranking for Let It Be and I'm gonna predict Beatles domination this poll. 4 albums in the top 10, #1 for Revolver and #3/#4 for White Album.
Not happy with that, obviously.
I'd be happy if anything beats "Ok Computer"
Also, it looks like niether "Help!" nor "On the Beach" was in the top 200 last time, leaving 5 new albums.
Such a shame that The Replacements fell down so far since last time. I had them at #50. I'm still looking for some things that I don't think would have ended up this far down the list compared to their 2009 ranking. It seems like alot of my top 50 hasn't shown up yet.