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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
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.
"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.
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.
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!
"I never knew this could happen to me"
[130] The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
Points: 1159 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 310 | 2009 Poll Rank: 172 (+42)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (7)
"Your madness fits in nicely with my own"
[129] Robert Wyatt | Rock Bottom | 1974
Points: 1175 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 196 | 2009 Poll Rank: 144 (+15)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (2)
"Working for the church while your family dies"
[128] Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007
Points: 1182 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 371 | 2009 Poll Rank: 187 (+59)
Biggest Fan:: Daniel (15)
"I've seen your picture
Your name in lights above it"
[127] Steely Dan | Aja | 1977
Points: 1188 | Votes: 11 | AM Rank: 320 | 2009 Poll Rank: 146 (+19)
Biggest Fans:: Georgie, Henrik (1)
"My own beliefs are in my song"
[126] Sly and the Family Stone | Stand! | 1969
Points: 1192 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 167 | 2009 Poll Rank: 167 (+41)
Biggest Fans:: Henrik, Listguy (6)
"Love in the 90s is paranoid"
[125] Blur | Parklife | 1994
Points: 1201 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 164 | 2009 Poll Rank: 120 (-5)
Biggest Fan:: Toni (2)
"When I live
I'll give it all I got"
[124] Sufjan Stevens | The Age of Adz | 2010
Points: 1207 | Votes: 9 | AM Rank: N/A
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (1)
"May it be filled with the pleasure principle in circumference to my voice"
[123] De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | 1989
Points: 1210 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 77 | 2009 Poll Rank: 101 (-22)
Biggest Fan:: Kingoftonga (19)
"They're taking her children away"
[122] Lou Reed | Berlin | 1973
Points: 1216 | Votes: 10 | AM Rank: 188 | 2009 Poll Rank: 134 (+12)
Biggest Fan:: Antonius (7)
"My love is growing stronger
As you become a habit to me"
[121] Otis Redding | Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | 1965
Points: 1217 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 61 | 2009 Poll Rank: 105 (-16)
Biggest Fan:: Otisredding (24)
"The Age of Adz" didn't make the top 100. I can sleep well tonight.
P.S. It's not that I dislike the album, (I think it's number 21 on my top albums of 2010) it's just that there's no way it should have beaten excellent 2010 albums such as LCD Soundsystem's, Beach House's, Janelle Monae's, and many others in this poll by such a large margin.
Disagree. The Age of Adz is the first perfect record of the new decade. The Suburbs and MBDTF get all the acclaim, but its the Adz that truly represents our broken times. Sufjan is leading us boldly into un-chartered musical and production territories. If Sufjan aims even higher on his next album, who knows what he'll accomplish.
"The Devil's on the loose"
[120] Creedence Clearwater Revival | Cosmo's Factory | 1970
Points: 1228 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 195 | 2009 Poll Rank: 152 (+32)
Biggest Fan:: Gillingham (9)
"Every time I turn around I find I'm shot"
[119] Pavement | Slanted and Enchanted | 1992
Points: 1259 | Votes: 13 | AM Rank: 124 | 2009 Poll Rank: 83 (-36)
Biggest Fan:: Brad (4)
"Power music electric revival"
[118] OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
Points: 1261 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 168 | 2009 Poll Rank: 195 (+77)
Biggest Fan:: Beefsupreme (8)
"I feel the sky tumbling down"
[117] Carole King | Tapestry | 1971
Points: 1268 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 66 | 2009 Poll Rank: 183 (+66)
Biggest Fan:: Henry (8)
"I caught you knocking at my cellar door"
[116] Neil Young | Harvest | 1972
Points: 1278 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 97 | 2009 Poll Rank: 130 (+14)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (25)
"We don't notice any time pass"
[115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001
Points: 1294 | Votes: 15 | AM Rank: 197 | 2009 Poll Rank: 84 (-31)
Biggest Fan:: Dan M (24)
"Hello woman of my dreams"
[114] Neil Young | Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere | 1969
Points: 1302 | Votes: 17 | AM Rank: 180 | 2009 Poll Rank: 94 (-20)
Biggest Fan:: Halley P (23)
"This love becomes my torture"
[113] PJ Harvey | To Bring You My Love | 1995
Points: 1306 | Votes: 16 | AM Rank: 175 | 2009 Poll Rank: 92 (-21)
Biggest Fan:: David M (8)
"Part of you pours out of me
In these lines from time to time"
[112] Joni Mitchell | Court and Spark | 1974
Points: 1312 | Votes: 14 | AM Rank: 156 | 2009 Poll Rank: 148 (+36)
Biggest Fan:: Fred (14)
"It ain't no sin to be glad you're alive"
[111] Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1978
Points: 1321 | Votes: 12 | AM Rank: 112 | 2009 Poll Rank: 74 (-37)
Biggest Fan:: Nicolas (1)
I think the "other" new entry is The College Dropout. I can't see it being anything else.
Looks like there's only one rap album left that was made for rap fans. And a few that were made for indie fans. The real versus the synthetic.
Glad to see Joni Mitchell jump spots, disappointed Silent Shout fell short of the top 100.
Sex Pistols may have been first, but they were far from best. I find their vocal embellishment really annoying. (GOD SAVE THE QUEEENNNNNNAAHHH!)
Great discussions guys! I only have time for a short post and I'm sorry but it is a negative one. I have no idea what Adz is doing here. More is not more! It's an album I avoid because I fear I will lose my love for Sufjan's earlier albums. I am trying it again now but only get headache.
Stephan, great to hear about your love for "Aja"! Moonbeam, I'll answer you later if no one else does (if we still can be friends).
Ah, "I Walked" came on. What a relief.
Perhaps I don't understand the purpose of the quotations, but why have you quoted Joni Mitchell's song "A Case of You" bearing in mind that's from her Blue album?
As you might guess, I'm a big Joni Mitchell fan! I'm not disappointed by Court and Spark's ranking in particular, but Joni's "For the Roses" is really underappreciated and I think the AM score ranks outside the top 1000 which is ridiculous! I think female artists in general should be fairly represented in these all-time lists. Seriously, what is Carole King's Tapestry doing outside the top 100?
I'll echo Henrik's comment on Age of Adz. I've always liked him, but I felt Adz was a failed experiment... well obviously not a failure since it was well received, but to me it sounds like a mess minus a couple decent songs.
Tapestry does not get much love here because its most beloved outside this forum's demographic. Carole King is considered "uncool" compared to Joni. It led to the 70s singer-songwriter schlock. I appreciate the songwriting she does, but I feel the most famous songs on the album were done better by other artists.
I don't like "Tapestry" not because it is soft rock (I love Harvest) but because like Vanilla said, she's not a great performer. To sing on these kind of mellow melodies and arrangements, you've got to have a voice. Carole King was a fantastic songwriter as soon as the early eighties but her solo records lack personality IMO.
It's not necessarily a question of demographics, as the AMer's birthdates spread from the 60's to the 90's : four decades !! Something Henrik should be very proud of.
Let me join in on the "I don't get the Age of Adz" parade... I didn't realize how much this forum liked the album. To me, it doesn't come close to Sufjan's other materials. In this case, being experimental didn't play to his strengths.
Good point Harold, these are some of the best albums ever released that we are discussing (though I am sure some of the recent albums will drop in future polls, it takes a couple of years for really great albums to establish themselves).
Not only do I not like Age of Adz, I think it is unequivocally the worst album I've ever listened to. Front to back, I have never actually heard a worse album.
A few surprises in that last section, I certainly didn't expect Tapestry and Harvest so high. And I really didn't expect Slanted and Enchanted out of the T100. Then again, the lion's share of the Pavement love on this board is directed to Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, so I guess it's not a shock. For the record, I have CRCR above S&E.
Well, I 'm not sure i want to hear Age of adz anymore
I already had to take paracetamol after listening to Merriweather Post Pavillion !!
I think it's cool that we have Crooked Rain, Age of ADz AND Tapestry or Harvest. It reflects the diversity of this poll -and of the musical spectrum.
So "Different Class" is making it to the 100 I suppose?
Age of Adz needs a little support, so let me attempt to provide it.
1) It sounds great. Overlayered? Nah. To me all the weird little bits merge seamlessly into one, but every time you listen to it, there's another little bit to gaze upon. It's very warm and squidgy.
2) Heart and Balls. Even more so than Illinois, which to me is one of the most heartfelt and ballsiest albums of the last ten years (only The College Dropout and one Age of Adz comes to mind). It's not arrogance, it's Sufjan using the instruments that he has to tell us what he wishes to say in as beautiful a way as possible.
3) Impossible Soul. An extravaganza like few extravaganzas. Masturbatory? Only on my side.
I can't remember where I put it on my list, but I really think that over time as the 2010 albums fade away, this one will rise to the top.
So far we have albums in the Top 200 from 1963 (Bob Dylan) to 2011 (P J Harvey). The peak year is 1969 with7 albums. The next biggest are 1970, 1971 and 1977 all with 5 albums each.
This forum just ripped my heart out with all of that Adz hate and the fact that The Dullards has yet to appear.
As for The Age of Adz, all of those wacky embellishments have a purpose. That album is a war, with every fiery synth, volcanic beat and shrieking horn wielded as a weapon against his personal demons as well as mental illness. The dedication to Royal Robertson makes the mental illness angle clear, and the crazy instrumentation constantly demands the attention of the listener so that his main message don't fall on deaf ears - don't be distracted by the sundry everyday pitfalls and get well mentally, physically and spiritually. It was a powerful, powerful wakeup call for me - one that I desperately needed and one that I cherish greatly. I can concede that it is a challenging album to listen to because of its titanic production, but it makes Illinois (another album that I love) sound like absolute child's play in comparison.
I'm not surprised in the least that Adz is divisive. That's kind of the point.
And to everyone surprised that Adz is so beloved by this forum, remember that only nine people voted for it.
Just because I was bored I decided to go along and list all of the 2000-2009 albums that have appeared so far. I think that it should be pretty interesting to compare this list with the ongoing decade poll's results.
74. [498] Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | 2006
73. [494] The Shins | Wincing the Night Away | 2007
72. [493] Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | 2007
71. [486] Camera Obscura | Let's Get Out Of This Country | 2006
70. [480] The Streets | A Grand Don't Come for Free | 2004
69. [477] Bloc Party | Silent Alarm | 2005
68. [464] Animal Collective | Feels | 2005
67. [458] The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | 2009
66. [449] Joanna Newsom | The Milk-Eyed Mender | 2004
65. [443] The Tallest Man on Earth | Shallow Grave | 2008
64. [441] Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | 2002
63. [436] PJ Harvey | White Chalk | 2007
62. [428] The Shins | Oh, Inverted World | 2001
61. [427] Madvillain | Madvillainy | 2004
60. [426] Godspeed You Black Emperor! | Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven | 2000
59. [419] Johnny Cash | American III: Solitary Man | 2000
58. [418] Deerhunter | Microcastle / Weird Era Cont. | 2008
57. [412] Boards of Canada | Geogaddi | 2002
56. [405] Coldplay | Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends | 2008
55. [399] Wilco | Sky Blue Sky | 2007
54. [398] Burial | Untrue | 2007
53. [395] Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000
52. [391] Animal Collective | Sung Tongs | 2004
51. [386] Brian Wilson | SMiLE | 2004
50. [385] Morrissey | You Are the Quarry | 2004
49. [384] Cannibal Ox | The Cold Vein | 2001
48. [358] Sigur Rós | ( ) | 2002
47. [353] Sleater-Kinney | One Beat | 2002
46. [351] Animal Collective | Strawberry Jam | 2007
45. [348] Belle and Sebastian | The Life Pursuit | 2006
44. [347] Sigur Rós | Takk... | 2005
43. [338] Sufjan Stevens | Michigan | 2003
42. [334] Sleater-Kinney | The Woods | 2005
41. [332] The Antlers | Hospice | 2009
40. [330] Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 2006
39. [326] Gorillaz | Demon Days | 2005
38. [325] Damien Rice | O | 2002
37. [320] Primal Scream | XTRMNTR | 2000
36. [315] Radiohead | Hail to the Thief | 2003
35. [314] Modest Mouse | The Moon & Antarctica | 2000
34. [307] Coldplay | Parachutes | 2000
33. [306] Super Furry Animals | Rings Around the World | 2001
32. [300] Elliott Smith | From a Basement on the Hill | 2004
31. [293] Kanye West | Late Registration | 2005
30. [279] The Wrens | The Meadowlands | 2003
29. [267] The Streets | Original Pirate Material | 2002
28. [264] Jay-Z | The Blueprint | 2001
27. [263] Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf | 2002
26. [261] OutKast | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | 2003
25. [260] LCD Soundsystem | LCD Soundsystem | 2005
24. [248] Fever Ray | Fever Ray | 2009
23. [242] Björk | Vespertine | 2001
22. [240] Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago | 2007
21. [236] The XX | XX | 2009
20. [232] M.I.A. | Kala | 2007
19. [220] The Shins | Chutes Too Narrow | 2003
18. [219] Radiohead | Amnesiac | 2001
17. [218] Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
16. [215] Joanna Newsom | Ys | 2006
15. [214] Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | 2004
14. [200] The National | Alligator | 2005
13. [181] The Avalanches | Since I Left You | 2000
12. [178] Portishead | Third | 2008
11. [171] Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001
10. [168] TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain | 2006
9. [166] PJ Harvey | Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea | 2000
8. [160] Interpol | Turn On the Bright Lights | 2002
7. [154] The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002
6. [153] Antony and The Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | 2005
5. [137] Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend | 2008
4. [130] The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
3. [128] Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007
2. [118] OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
1. [115] The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001
By my estimation, these are the 2000's albums left to appear in the top 110.
"Sound of Silver"
"Is This It"
"Funeral"
"The College Dropout"
"Illinois"
"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
"Elephant"
"Kid A"
"Boxer"
"In Rainbows"
"Merriweather Post Pavilion"
"Fleet Foxes"
"Person Pitch"
"Dear Science"
I'm pretty surprised that "Oracular Spectacular" hasn't shown up yet, but I highly doubt it will be in the top 110. Same goes for "Arular".
How did Surfer Rosa and Elephant fall so far? Great run, 101-110.
I think I can stomach MBDTF being in the top 100, so long as It Takes A Nation Of Millions does better. If it doesn't, you guys are seriously insane.
I don't have anything against The Suburbs, it's just kind of 'unspecial'.
Love the placement of "Boxer" this time -- it really is a subtle masterpiece. I also like that its stature is rising each year; it's great that more and more people are starting to appreciate it.