Go to the NEW FORUM
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?
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.
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!
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.
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?
@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).
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.
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.
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
[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:
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?
Arthur is a pre-mbarrassing.Davies@the70s cheese-fest, but... yes... hilariously so... love it.
^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.
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 ?
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.
"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)
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)?
MPP will be among the new entries.
I don't think we've seen Nick Drakes Bryter Layter. I placed it at #45 in my list.
Also Brian Eno's Another Green World is another album which I pushed quite strongly in the polls at #6
Both MPP and Bryter Layter were in the top 200 last time.
I forgot about The Age of Adz, which is more popular here than I thought.
Oh wow it most certainly was, and almost in the top 100 at that. Not sure how I missed it.
"Holy Bible", which just missed the top 200 last time, hasn't shown up yet.
Holy Bible>Funeral
"It's only the river"
[150] Talking Heads | Fear of Music | 1979
Points: 1062 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 244 | 2009 Poll Rank: 154
Biggest Fan:: Toni (25)
"I ended up alone at the microphone"
[149] Neil Young | On the Beach | 1974
Points: 1064 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 469
Biggest Fan:: Beefsupreme (10)
"No bullet can stop us now"
[148] Bob Marley | Exodus | 1977
Points: 1066 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 171 | 2009 Poll Rank: 178
Biggest Fan:: Marc (8)
"My independence seems to vanish in the haze"
[147] The Beatles | Help! | 1965
Points: 1067 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 620
Biggest Fan:: John (3)
"With you in sight
The lost are found"
[146] The Band | The Band | 1969
Points: 1085 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 47 | 2009 Poll Rank: 90
Biggest Fan:: Stone (16)
"I never felt magic crazy as this"
[145] Nick Drake | Bryter Layter | 1970
Points: 1090 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 225 | 2009 Poll Rank: 155
Biggest Fan:: Petri (11)
"How do you say goodnight to an answering machine?"
[144] The Replacements | Let It Be | 1984
Points: 1093 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 233 | 2009 Poll Rank: 100
Biggest Fan:: Beefsupreme, Harold Hexler (4)
"I can't see the lines
I used to think I could read between"
[143] Brian Eno | Another Green World | 1975
Points: 1099 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 212 | 2009 Poll Rank: 181
Biggest Fan:: Stephen (6)
"Even Jesus would never forgive what you do"
[142] Bob Dylan | The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan | 1963
Points: 1100 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 177 | 2009 Poll Rank: 118
Biggest Fan:: DavidM (14)
"Listen to the girl as she takes on half the world"
[141] The Jesus and Mary Chain | Psychocandy | 1985
Points: 1102 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 84 | 2009 Poll Rank: 149
Biggest Fan:: Chris K (23)
160-151
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.
150-141 is 90% solid gold.
I always wondered though why "Help!" hasn't gained so much recognition from the critics since its AM rank is that low.
"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.
Not happy with that, obviously.
Don't forget that Pet Sounds almost beat Radiohead in 2009
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.
I'm surprised Replacements Let It Be didn't finish higher.
149 is higher than I expected for On The Beach though, I can be happy it's finally getting exposed.
this list definitely needs more Beatles albums. and nicolas would have Psychocandy in his t20 if it was recorded in 1938.
Henry : I see two reasons for Big Star
1) because it sounds like it could have been recorded in 2011
2) because it was not popular in the 70s, and because everybody knows Led Zep and CSNY but not Big Star. Critics love to praise bands that nobody knows, entertain the image of the cursed artist. That is cool, much cooler than loving Led Zep like anybody else and give you the impezssion of belonging to a group of happy few that understand it all. Not that I dislike Big Star, at their best (September Girls, 13, I'm in love with a girl) they could even be brilliant, but I never considered them as major actors of the rock history. I undeestand critics : like researchers, they want to discover hidden or underrated geniuses, but in the end theere are very few artists who were really influential and acclaimed after their time. the Velvet Underground for sure, Nick Drake, and a ha'dful of albums like Odyssey and Oracle or maybe Forever Changes come to my mind. But many so called hidden gems are some times a little overrated by critics and music fans; at least that's my humble opinio, even if I exagerate on purpose to launch the debate . If you like Big Sta please don't feel individually targeted by my words, it's a general trend that I'm nagging at : snobbism
@nj in 1938 Jesus and Mary Chain wouldn't have had guitar amps to fuck up with
but they would've been negroes though. that was some kind of pretty fuck up back then.
You guys do realize CSNY placed one album ahead of any Big Star album and LZ placed 5 albums ahead of any Big Star album...
I have no idea why I Am a Bird Now is ranked so highly. Even disregarding the fact that I don't like the album, it just seems like more of a candidate for the 300-400 section at best. Kind of like Vampire Weekend, Neon Bible, and MPP, come to think of it.
I don't really understand Psychocandy's appeal to be honest. I find it a really difficult album and the production makes it almost unbearable...for me at least. Each to their own, I guess.
"You can't start a fire without a spark"
[140] Bruce Springsteen | Born in the U.S.A. | 1984
Points: 1105 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 152 | 2009 Poll Rank: 147
Biggest Fan:: Listyguy (4)
"Even the greatest stars live their lives in the looking glass"
[139] Kraftwerk | Trans-Europa Express | 1977
Points: 1106 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 92 | 2009 Poll Rank: 141
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (4)
"You tell me that you're unboyfriendable"
[138] The Magnetic Fields | 69 Love Songs | 1999
Points: 1110 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 260 | 2009 Poll Rank: 117
Biggest Fan:: Penguin (3)
"If there's any other way to spell the word
It's fine with me"
[137] Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend | 2008
Points: 1115 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 339 | 2009 Poll Rank: 196
Biggest Fan:: Toni (7)
"Don't you know you'll stain the carpet?"
[136] The Velvet Underground | White Light/White Heat | 1968
Points: 1115 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 190 | 2009 Poll Rank: 113
Biggest Fan:: Kevin (5)
"Maybe everything that dies someday comes back"
[135] Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska | 1982
Points: 1126 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 123 | 2009 Poll Rank: 166
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (23)
"The wise man built his words upon the rocks
But I'm not bound to follow suit"
[134] R.E.M. | Reckoning | 1984
Points: 1130 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 617
Biggest Fan:: Brad (16)
"Villains always blink their eyes"
[133] The Velvet Underground | Loaded | 1970
Points: 1130 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 211 | 2009 Poll Rank: 124
Biggest Fan:: Evan (31)
"You can't leave cause your heart is there"
[132] Sly and the Family Stone | There's a Riot Goin' On | 1971
Points: 1148 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 51 | 2009 Poll Rank: 126
Biggest Fan:: Sonofsamiam (16)
"There is no future in England's dreaming"
[131] Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols | 1977
Points: 1155 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 10 | 2009 Poll Rank: 77
Biggest Fan:: ParticleAnalyst (3)
I was about to call it a day (it's 1 in the morning here) when Jackson posted the new section of the list
@Jackson : I really thought from Henry's post that "#1 Record" was yet to come, so finally the majority of AMers is wise
About Antony, I really like his warmth and generosity in a decade where these qualities are not often showed on acclaimed records. And this is a very original record; i hated it at first listen in 2004-05, thought he was a Bryan Ferry imitator, but after a few years came back to it and it was a shock. Anther record where the whole (or the memory) is better than the sum of its parts. But I agree with you that Vampire WE should be in the 300-400 section. Maybe a magnifying glass effect (records from 2008-11 a little bit overrated ?
Happy to see 2 Bruce albums in this section, especially "Nebraska", of which I happen to be the biggest fan even if it dropped from #9 in 2009 to #23 in my list.
Surprised to see Loaded above White Light White Heat. "the Gift" is one of the very best songs ever written by Lou Reed, and the way Cale recites the story is delicious. I'm not a huge fan of the rest of the album (I prefer the following, and of course, the first one).
And surprised to see Bollocks so low. Not unhappy, but surprised.
"Riot Going On" was on my list too. Happy to see that 70s soul isn't forgotten; Superfly, Funkadelic (?? One Nation ??), the 3 Stevie greats and Marvin should follow
Good night, me and my bigmouth are going to bed. I really enjoy those albums poll and that makes me wanna comment and give my opinion on anything like a good old Frenchie.
Ugh. Loaded is a pretty terrible album and it disgusts me that it outperformed White Light/White Heat.
Also, the order of the Kraftwerk albums seems wrong. Trans Europe Express may have taken Kraftwerk toward a synth pop sound, but The Man Machine and Computer World saw them perfect it, and they are far superior albums, in my book.
There are many artists on this list that I despise (The Beatles, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc.), but those are easy to pick given my taste. Instead, I'll express my puzzlement about Vampire Weekend. Just what the heck is so special about them? I haven't heard the album, but I've heard a good 5 songs from it and nothing sounds anything more than halfway decent.
Happy to see "Born in the USA" ranked so well (and almost beat out "Nebraksa").
But even more exciting than that is the "Stand!" has beaten "There's a Riot Goin' On" and will take it's rightful place as Sly's best album! I'm extremely excited for this!