#50



The Rolling Stones – LET IT BLEED (1969)

Total Points = 610.76

Appeared on 16 ballots (out of 47).

Fans did not appear in any individual top ten)

Loophole:
Easily my favorite Stones record, the title track especially.

#49



Jeff Buckley – GRACE (1994)

Total Points = 628.91

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: twister (#5), SuperFurry (#7)

nicolas:
I remember when this record came out, my girlfriend fell immediately in love with the singer, but I didn't blame her. I found on the contrary that she had lots of taste, and Buckley was not a big threat. I remember when we parted, I cried alone in my dark room and I listened to Lilac Wine and Hallelujah.

Anthony:
There are so many things to say about this album, but where to start? Well, besides having a huge importance in my life (it’s tied to three distinct events, two good and one terrible), it’s a record of enormous quality, rivaled by a shroud of mystery that seems to grow larger with each year. An artist of immense talent, Buckley refused to be pinned down by genres or enclosed by musical boundaries, and the genre-hopping on Grace that would normally be criticized has become its appeal (likely due to his premature death in 1997.) The record is the archetypal mixed bag: an ethereal hymn, a grunge stomp, a love ballad, an Eastern-tinged closer, a transcendental Cohen cover – it’s all there. And this is where the mystery comes in - together with the recurring themes of death and mortality that run through the album (taking a cue from Robert Johnson), one has to wonder whether Buckley knew his time was limited. Not to waste a single moment, he proceeds to pack every style of music he can onto one album, tours briefly, immediately gets to work on demos for his follow-up album, all before tragically getting swept under by the current on the night of May 29, 1997 (not suicide nor drug-related, just a freak accident.) Of course, it's likely not the case that Buckley knew of his impending death, but it seems that way sometimes.

It’s been frequently speculated that if Buckley hadn’t died prematurely, his stunning talent and creativity, together with his artistic ambition, would’ve translated into career longevity, echoing that of the greatest songwriters (Dylan, Springsteen, et al.). But with only one official album, a collection of frustratingly incomplete demo recordings (and a vault that’s likely empty by now), one can only imagine what type of career Buckley would’ve had. My guess is that it would've been long, varied, acclaimed, and at times, genius. If he was still around, chances are this wouldn’t be the only album making this list.

Hi there
You're the perfect guy Anthony
You start just when I get home, although I'm not sure I'll be here all night (or my wife will fall on me)

I'm happy for "Grace" it was my #44

I love Let It Bleed too, it is my 147th record

My third Rolling Stones album on the list, and hopefully the other 2 are still waiting. I didn't include Jeff Buckley, but once again an album that could have been in there if I had been in a different mood.

I think the only album so far on the list I couldn't see myself placing in a top 200 is Plastic Ono Band. And maybe the Pavement entries.

To quote Jim Morrison (of whom I assume we've seen the last appearance this time around), "Music is your only friend" - eloquent testimonies from ANthony and Nicolas bear witness to that.

I wonder if that should’ve been “by whom” … ? Oh heck, you know what I mean.

About making the list in a different mood, Neo, I’m with you all the way. It could’ve made a huge difference.

Grace was my #100, Let It Bleed was just off of my list. I'm not sure whether i should have swapped them or not.

Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I won't be posting the entire top 50 today.

Aside from having a nasty cold right now, it's my girlfriend's birthday, which I should probably make an appearance at (regardless of how crappy I feel.)

Besides, since I'm a fan of golf, it's tempting to turn this into a four-day event.

You are definitely right about the mood and ranking subject.
this is how I made my list : there is not an album in that list that I havent’t listened to at least once since July. So I kept my list as long as I could so that some new album could emerge at the last moment (and it happened : I added Hotel California last Thursday). I kept a little notebook, now battered and torn, full of esoteric figures, and wrote in the subway, at home, sometimes right in the middle of the street, because each song received a mark between 1 and 5; so each album got a number of “points” expressed by a percentage. Of course, I made corrections after that and ranked the albums on a “desert island” criterion, but it helped me build something on solid ground without turning everything upside down every day. I gave second listens to some albums and rearranged the whole thing after so it fit my tastes and not my calculator of course.

Anthony, this is certainly not worth pissing off your girlfriend over.

Plus I've got to leave very soon, but will be around part of tomorrow, so it suits me.

Cool. Thanks for understanding.

Snusmumrik - thanks. Sometimes a good personal story is just as effective as a critical analysis.

#48



R.E.M. – MURMUR (1983)

Total Points = 640.24

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: DrDre (#3), Stammer (#3)

DrDre:
Murmur was instantly highly acclaimed in the US, but it took a while for the European critics to recognize this fantastic album. Maybe because it sounds like 'ordinary' traditional American folk and garage rock, but it has much more to offer, still being as distinctive as it sounded almost 25 years ago.

Phew!! Was getting worried.

#47



Sonic Youth – DAYDREAM NATION (198

Total Points = 655.36

Appeared on 14 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Jacek (#2), Rendle (#6), BillAdama, (#

[no comments provided]

#46



The Stone Roses – THE STONE ROSES (1989)

Total Points = 662.67

Appeared on 14 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Toni (#3), Midaso (#4), twister (#9), Jacek (#10)

Toni:
Almost its songs are perfect masterpieces (and the remaining ones are amazing tracks either). It's homogenic like few other excelent albums, and during all its almost fifty minutes, melody flows effortless from Brown's voice and squire's guitar. I love its breezy, windy climate. And in days when people always say human's capacity of creating art is becoming over, this album's history in English late 80's can show us that when everything seems to have already been invented, there's still something great waiting to be discovered. Favorite tracks Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister, She Bangs the Drums, Made of Stone.

#45



Neil Young – AFTER THE GOLD RUSH (1970)

Total Points = 669.28

Appeared on 16 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Schwah (#3), nicolas (#6), DrDre (#10)

Schwah:
Peculiarly, I don't usually like music such as this -- rootsy and spare, and a touch languid. But there is such grand, undeniable beauty in these songs and in the slightly rough harmonies.

Snusmumrik:
Not a cheerful record, by any means! But beautifully executed gloom, and ends on a light note.

Honorio:
It contains (almost) all the Neil Young past, present and future. We have Buffalo Springfield pop (“Only Love Can Break Your Heart” , C,S,N&Y harmonies (“Tell Me Why” , aching piano-ballads (“After the Gold Rush” , spectral country (“Oh Lonesome Me” , soft-rock (“Don’t Let It Bring You Down” and furious rock with lengthy solos (“Southern Man” . Who could ask for more?

nicolas:
What makes it the best Neil young album? I guess it has to do with the exceptional quality of the songs and the frailty of Neil's voice and the instrumental performance. It's the perfect singer-songwriter album: no technical virtuosity, just pure expression.

DrDre:
The only 70's album in my top 10, but Neil's finest folk and country rock surely belongs there.

Daydream Mation - big jump from #104 last poll

Forgot to quote "Southern Man/Till the morning comes" among my fav NY songs

And there he is! 4 more excellent albums, of which I only had the NY one included. Still, TSR has been in the top 100.

#44



Sufjan Stevens – ILLINOIS (2005)

Total Points = 671.19

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Weezy (#4), Mike (#5), jonmarck (#7)

jonmarck:
Even in a time where offbeat alt-pop has come close to displacing mainstream music Stevens' tribute to his neighbouring state seemed to come from left field. Angular rhythms were mixed with Charlie Brown piano, trumpet lines that sounded fresh out of a high school stage band and whispered vocals (even when sung by a choir), then given names that sometimes ran as long as paragraphs for the first truly successful prog-folk album. "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." and "Casimir Pulaski Day" highlight Stevens' sensitive side, "Jacksonville" is blissful eccentricism, and "Chicago" and "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" are rockin' glory. The manic tone wouldn't be the same without Stevens' characteristic humility. It kills me to have to wait for a follow-up.

Anthony:
An album of remarkable ambition; “adventurous” doesn’t even begin to describe this masterpiece - it’s original, humorous at times, and full of emotion. I’m not sure if Stevens will be able to top (or equal) the achievement, but it’ll be interesting to see what he’s got up his sleeve. Illinois’ successor can’t come soon enough.

Anthony, four days suits me wonderfully. I will be copping out sometime to put the boy to bed, and experience tells me it can be a timeconsuming process.

AND HERE COMES MURMUR. Talking about soundtracks of our lives: I'm not sure the copy of that album that was pretty much glued to the living room record player in my student commune in the mid-eighties was the first one in Denmark, but we considered ourselves mighty avant-garde. And it has stood up to the hype as well as the ravages of time. It's as mesmerizing as ever. Incidentally, I don't feel a terribly big difference between underground R.E.M. and chart-top R.E.M. -- for some reason Stipe decided to begin articulating, but the catchy tunes and fine songs are still from the same source.

Absolutely brilliant record that makes me regret (yes, again) not having included it.. can we just redo this next month?

Whoops, that was fast.

I've just borrowed The Stone Roses at the library, and will try "Murmur" and "Daydream" soon.
3 albums that I don't know and never heard.
Love Sonic Youth, I only know "Goo", which is my number 98 now (97 in the list I sent Anthony but being in perpetual movement, it has shifted since)

Wow, I thought we were too high to have anything from this decade. Nice suprise, and another in my small handful of top 100 in this countdown.

I just have to put in a plug to my local library, since I got to listen to at least two solid albums (The Band and Grace), plus many other classics for the first time over the past year. I couldn't give most of the albums top 100 points, but I feel like I've listened to a much wider range of albums in a short time.

Bunch of "almost made my list" entries here... Let It Bleed, Murmur, Illinois, Daydream Nation.

So as I said before, I am ambivalent about Neil Young. However, I placed Goldrush higher than anyone else.

Alright, I've got to go. My grandfather's 95th birthday party is tonight, and I've got to get ready for the big blowout party. Have fun all.

Say hi to Granddad, Schwah

#43



Radiohead – THE BENDS (1995)

Total Points = 673.31

Appeared on 20 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Midaso (#9)

jonmarck:
Goal A for The Bends to have more a solid hit. Radiohead were dangerously close to being pegged a one-hit wonder as they hadn't even won a solid fanbase in their own country yet. Fortunately the one group unaware of this goal was Radiohead. As much as their label/management were dying to turn them into a reliable chart-topper the band insisted on creating music on their own terms, leading to the art-rock nuances of "Planet Telex", "Sulk" and "My Iron Lung". MTV still got their hits with "Fake Plastic Trees", "High and Dry" and "Just" and the mopey Pablo Honey fans (who probably listened to too much Smiths) got "Street Spirit", "Nice Dream" and "Bullet Proof". Part post-grunge guitar anthems, part weepy brit-pop, all highly conceptual, this was Radiohead's first work with lasting value.

Lonesome Panda:
Always hard to choose between those two… my favourite songs are in the Bends but OK Computer sometimes seems a little more consistent as an album.

Anthony:
The thing about The Bends is, when you listen to it (even now), it's the sound of a band that has found their footing and is on the path towards something spectacular, but are still not quite there yet (one album away from greatness, as it would turn out.) For someone like me, it detracts slightly from the enjoyment of it, but if you take it for what it is, it may just be the poppiest collection of Radiohead songs in their catalogue. Songs like "High and Dry" and "Black Star" are pure pop - catchy hooks and big choruses (the type of thing that Yorke grew to detest, as he would mention in Kid A-era interviews), and other moments like "Fake Plastic Trees" and "Street Spririt", which trade choruses for refrains, are just as memorable. Many bands would give their collective right arms for an album like The Bends, but I think at this point, Radiohead themselves are almost relegating it to "Pablo Honey" status.

#42



Neutral Milk Hotel – IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA (199

Total Points = 683.00

Appeared on 18 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Harold Wexler (#3), Anthony (#10)

Loophole:
See, I really am “hip” for an old guy!! (referring to the inclusion of this album on his list. - Anthony)

Anthony:
AllMusic called it a “marching band on an acid trip”, and you can’t really beat that analogy. An indie cult-classic if there ever was one, “In The Aeroplane…” was the final album from the group; the last statement of leader Jeff Magnum, who hasn’t been heard from for the last 10 years. Apparently, he had nothing more to say, which is probably the reason why many have embraced this album – it's the last words of a songwriter equally gifted and mysterious. When you wonder “what could’ve been?”, it always makes an artist/band’s final statement that much more special.

I saw NMH open for Superchunk in 1997. When Jeff pulled out the handsaws If you would have said this band would have a highly acclaimed album 10 years later I would have rolled mmy eyes. That said it deserves it.

This string of albums, from #45 to #42, is probably my favorite four album stretch in the entire top 100.

#41



The Rolling Stones – BEGGAR’S BANQUET (196

Total Points = 692.53

Appeared on 18 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: otisredding (#5), Rocky Raccoon (#9), Stammer (#9)

schleuse:
Makes me want to take back every nasty crack I’ve ever made about the 60s. The Stones returned from their ill-advised psychedelic trip to make their most powerful album (and followed this with Let It Bleed, almost as good). Maybe the reason I like it so much is that, as far as I can tell, mixed in with “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and all the great blues revival stuff are a couple of very credible forays into country-tinged rock, but without Allman-type shagginess: “No Expectations” and “Stray Cat Blues.”

nicolas:
The best blues-rock album ever. Instead of aping it, they use it as an influence and play their own songs.

The apostrophe is incorrect, sorry.

That, and Moondance's year, make two factual mistakes so far.

#40



My Bloody Valentine – LOVELESS (1991)

Total Points = 693.99

Appeared on 15 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Mo (#2)

Mo:
More love for Loveless.

Anthony:
A record that I hadn't heard of until I starting working at a record store at 19. Droning, feedbacked guitar never sounded so good.

And you should have chosen the European cover with the Johns
That's a great album, my favorite Stones', and my number 51.
For those interested, I have the original version of "The Prodigal son" by Rev. Robert Wilkins, recorded at Newport. It is 9 mn of exceptional wonder

#39



Prince and The Revolution – PURPLE RAIN (1984)

Total Points = 702.69

Appeared on 19 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Rocky Raccoon (#6), Henrik (#9)

Moonbeam:
Each of the nine songs contained within would become unmitigated anthems, the shadow of which Prince could never quite escape. With Purple Rain, Prince garnered his legendary status through both his music and the film itself- an unprecedented feat.

Honorio:
Prince made a master stroke with this one. He reached a higher audience using elements of rock (distorted guitars, slow building songs as “Purple Rain” and synth-pop (synthesizers, “Computer Blue” . But never forgot his black audience, using funk (“Baby I’m a Star” or soul ballads (“The Beautiful Ones” . And even mixing all four styles in a song, the superb “When Doves Cry”.

#38



Van Morrison – ASTRAL WEEKS (196

Total Points = 708.74

Appeared on 13 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Weezy (#1), Jem (#3), EdAmes (#7), DrDre (# , Mike (#10)

DrDre:
Two options: either you like this album, or you love it.

nicolas:
A difficult but beautiful work, and the most audacious Morrison achievement, full of poetry and a wonderful choice of instruments.

#37



U2 – ACHTUNG BABY (1991)

Total Points = 710.26

Appeared on 16 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: Toni (#6), Midaso (# , schleuse (#9)

schleuse:
Crushes everything else in their catalog flat. Bono had decided that his righteousness needed to be tinged with irony if he wasn’t going to put everyone off (turns out he was right). Who knows if that has anything to do with the finest songwriting of the band’s career—“Even the Better Than the Real Thing,” “One,” “So Cruel”—for those who could deal with the jagged production, it runs rings around The Joshua Tree (no mean feat). Plus, hey, there’s the stupid fun of “The Fly” and “Zoo Station”—as I suggested in my comments on Highway 61, I can’t really trust music that’s afraid to be goofy.

Anthony:
U2's last great album, and while they've been trying ever since to acheive the same level of grandeur and brilliance with subsequent albums, all they've done is spent the better part of a decade-and-a-half grasping (unsuccessfully) at relevance with half-arsed electronica and MOR rock. It's probably fair to say that Bono and co.'s best days are behind them; Achtung Baby remains the pinnacle of their career.

jonmarck:
In "The Fly" Bono sings "Every artist is a cannibal/Every poet is a thief". Though the Irish quartet were safe from charges of plagiarism this idea best described their approach to their next decade of work. With cheerful irreverence Bono et. al. dissect the public's fascination with celebrity. Though equally interesting, the other albums of this period (Zooropa, Pop) would lack Achtung, Baby's confident enthusiasm. Lead single "The Fly" combines Edge's falsetto with Bono's spoken word for a soaring chorus, "Until the End of the World" tackles Bible stories from a romping guitar riff and "One" proved to be the group's "Under the Bridge".

Toni:
The Edge changed radically his way of playing guitar and it made all the band's sound look a decade more modern. If U2 isn't considered just an 80's group today, much is due to this classic. Favorite tracks: The Fly, One, Even Better than the Real Thing.

#36



Talking Heads – REMAIN IN LIGHT (1980)

Total Points = 710.50

Appeared on 18 ballots (out of 47).

Fans: DrDre (#1), Michel (#3), Juan (#5)

DrDre:
David Byrne's weird narrative singing, combined with afro-dance rhythms, what more can you ask for. It's just one long trip, from start to finish I am in a trance. "And the beat goes on!"

Honorio:
At last the time of vindication of Talking Heads has come! Its sound was almost entirely new, almost pure innovation. The angular pop of previous albums is here perfected (“Once in a Lifetime” but adding elements of cold funk (“Born Under Punches” and attempts at world music (“Houses in Motion” . Never dance music was (and will be) so cerebral.

And that concludes our broadcast day.

Tune in tomorrow to see who wins the battle of the acclaimed albums.

Later!

Time for some catching up.

Quite a few albums included in my list coming up now, Achtung Baby (#34), Purple Rain (#48), Beggars Banquet (#22) and Remain In Light (#86). And two albums that probably won't be near my top 200, The Bends and Loveless, but which are undeniably great albums.

Whoops, I was called for dinner after The Bends, and now part 3's over. And what a string of classics.

Murmur, Stone Roses, Goldrush, Illinois, The Bends, and In the Aeroplane were all on my list - and I like most of the remaining ones a lot.

Happy Birthday to your girlfriend, Anthony.

Nice selection. I'm very happy "Daydream Nation" made the list this year. What surprises me is that "Illinois" made it. Always thought this album was just good and overhyped, apparantly many people feel different. Many of last poll's top 20 already appeared on the list (Joy Division, Prince, Stone Roses) so it will interesting to see what replaced them. I just hope it won't be the usual Beatles/Dylan/Beach Boys/Radiohead combination (no Beatles or Dylan album so far). I mean, how cool it would be if "Blonde on Blonde" or "The Beatles" weren't on the list at all?

Just popped my head back in here before I left for the day.

Jacek's comment about the Beatles has postponed the presentation of the top 35 to Monday.

It would indeed be cool, Jacek! (And I actually didn't vote for any of the two, although I guess Blonde on Blonde would have been my # 101 on the day I made the list, and had I been dumped on a desert island with the 100 chosen, I would probably soon have grown to regret the omission).

There must be one or two real surprises up there among the top 35, surely ...

Oh, #¤%&%¤#, did I just push it to Tuesday?

Perhaps, Snusmumrik. Perhaps.

Maybe this is just the flu talking, but I'm getting really tired and irritated reading about ill will towards music greats like the Beatles, Dylan, Radiohead, Beach Boys, et al.

I just don't understand it. All of us come to this site regularly, and we know the big names that sit atop the Top 3000, yet the majority of people here seem to harbor these negative opinions and ideas that these bands and artists really shouldn't be ranked where they are.

And that ideology manifests itself in polls like this, with people saying "Hey! Wouldn't it be great if there were no Beatles albums at all !!!" or "Four Beatles albums in the top 10 is way too many!!"

I'm all for rooting for an underdog from time to time, but it's almost as if some people here are in complete denial about certain acclaimed bands and artists. It's wiser to realize that certain groups like the Beatles and Stones, or artists like Dylan and Springsteen are consistently ranked high because they deserve it, rather than get upset or frustrated by their presence.

Here's a thought. When the top 35 drops Monday (or whenever), try be a mature music lover. We all know the greats will be making an appearance. Nobody wants to hear how many Beatles albums you think should or shouldn't be in the top 10, or whatever. Accept it and move on.

Honestly, Anthony, I think we're at cross-purposes. I love, revere and adore Dylan, and as for the fab B-word band, putting one of their albums on is one of the surest ways in the world to bring a smile to my otherwise grumpy cynical face, and I wouldn't say a bad word about them. But part of the fun in polls like this is the surprises, and discovering something reltively unacclaimed which our fellow AM'ers love enough to put it in the top 10 *would* be a fun and pleasant surprise. To me, in saying that, there's no ill will whatsoever against the names usually appearing there. And I'd hate to spoil your temper after the fine job you've been doing for us all.

Oh, shit, I missed completely the part 3. Just came from the Three Magic Kings Parade with my kids. In Spain it’s not Santa Claus who brings present for the children but the Three King from Orient. An old Spanish tradition that it’s been slowly but firmly replaced for Santa Claus (sadly).
Interesting part 3, with again not so obvious choices being probably “Illinois” the most unexpected (well, “Aeroplane” is another not obvious choice but not in the context of this forum).
And, Anthony, come on… I won’t be able to join on Monday. But it’s up to you.
And happy birthday to your girlfriend.

If you take a look at my list Anthony you will see I bear no ill will for the Fabs and love the majority of their most acclaimed works, all except The White Album and Magic Mystery Tour. Same for the Beach Boys, Radiohead etc. However whenever I see that among the top 10 albums recorded in the last half a century or so in any country and by any musician or band six or seven spots are taken by only two or three artists I can't help feeling it's just plain unfair. Yes, the Beatles are great, but it's not like there aren't tens of albums as good as any individual Beatles album.

Of course there are plenty of other good albums but this list is merely a mathematical thing. The Beatles and Dylan are the ones that appear the most because they are the more consensual, that is all.
Don't expect to find anything original in a collective list which is an average and not an individual ranking.
if you want to be surprised, I think the individual lists will do that.
But personnaly I don't see anything wrong if there are several Beatles albums in the top 10.
In my own top 10, there are 2 Beatles albums.

Anthony, please it would be much better for everybody if the 50 last albums were known tommorrow. So don't punish everybody because one person expressed his frustration.

Not too many surprises this time around. I'm thinking the last third will be fairly predictable Beatles/Dylan/Radiohead entries. I'm hoping some Zeppelin and Hendrix make it in too, though I'm really holding out for the individual lists (and maybe top 100-200 list).

Well unfortunately I'll miss the end of the countdown - I'll catch up with it about this time next week. I'm off on holiday today,no i-net for a week,hope something good wins. Slightly surprised with some of the results so far - many albums I expected to be much higher. A bit disappointed no Beatles have appeared yet,means it may be another groan-worthy Beatles-dominated top 10.

Well my picks of albums from the top 50 last poll dropping out, "Who's Next", "Kind of Blue" and "Unknown Pleasure" are still looking good.

Anybody have any picks of who may break the stranglehold of the fab four in the top ten? With the strong showing of indie/alternative artists I say it might be the Clash or Television. Personally I'm holding out for Husker Du but I don't think that's happening.

Henrik did this for the last poll:

Here are the top 35 albums (according to AM) that have not shown up so far. Which do you expect to see on this list?

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Beatles - Revolver
Nirvana - Nevermind
The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main St
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
The Clash - London Calling
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Beatles - The Beatles ("The White Album")
David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Television - Marquee Moon
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Led Zeppelin - IV
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
The Who - Who's Next
Ramones - Ramones
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
James Brown - Live at the Apollo
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
Love - Forever Changes
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On
The Clash - The Clash
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
Beck - Odelay

I'm thinking the Clash and Stevie Wonder are due for some respect.

We just can't seem to lay this Beatles thing to rest can we? I'll second Anthony's comments, although a little less grumpily (but I don't have a cold or the flu to further aggrivate me).

Personally I don't care if the entire top 10 is all Beatles and Dylan. The whole point of this poll is to see which albums we as a music-loving community think are the best. If they all happen to be by Dylan and the Fab Four, then so be it. Given the diversity of tastes in this forum that would be just as surprising as having a Decemberists' album make the top 10.

An inane comment such as singling out a couple of albums and saying that it would be great if they didn't make the list only displays a personal bias that is completely pointless and counter productive.

As far as my personal tally goes that makes seven more I voted for. Now a grand total of 28, with two of my top 10 finally making an appearance. But wouldn't it be great if "Ziggy Stardust" and "The Queen Is Dead" weren't on the list at all? Just kidding

I think it would be easier to list which of those albums WON'T make the list, jonmark. Capt. Beefheart, Fleetwood Mac, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, Ramones, Miles Davis and Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland." I think a majority of the others have a very good chance of being in the top 35.

P.S. I'm going to try and get up early enough to watch this thing live tomorrow. I missed it by a few hours today.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Ramones - Ramones
James Brown - Live at the Apollo
Love - Forever Changes
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On
The Clash - The Clash
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica

I wouldn't be surprised if none of those albums made the list. We all know that not many of us like Trout Mask Replica and I haven't heard anybody express their admiration for any of the others. Of course, we wrote Murmur off for dead yesterday and it was the first album revealed today. All of these will probably be on.

Kind of Blue is my number 4 album. And it came in 36 last time. So I think there is a decent chance you will be stuck with it again!

Some more fun facts:
Compared to the last poll: - 37 albums have shown up on both lists, meaning at least 28 have fallen in terms of opinion.
- participation has more than doubled since the last poll
Compared to the AM list: - 42 albums appear on both lists, meaning we differ with the critics on at least 23 choices.
- The last poll shared 66 albums with the AM top 100, meaning so far we're more in line with the critics, especially since you can almost confirm our top 20 are going to be in the AM top 100.
- likelihood of Ok Computer taking top place has quadrupled...because it's so great.
- likelihood of Antony having a nervous breakdown at the next Beatles comment: very likely

I don't think any of the comments about the top of the list were made with any animosity towards the bands or the process. But sometimes a little change can be good. I know that it doesn't apply to anybody at this sight but like top 40 radio, it sometimes seems we are told what we are supposed to like and we go along with it. I personally wouldn't care if it was all Beatles at the top either and I had (3) Stones, (3) Dylan, and (1) Beatles album in my list but if none of them made it I would applaud the diversity of the picks, and maybe find some new music in the process. A shake up of the status quo can be good. Lord knows we need it in our country (U.S.).

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Ramones - Ramones
James Brown - Live at the Apollo
Love - Forever Changes
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On
The Clash - The Clash
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica

I wouldn't be surprised if none of those albums made the list. We all know that not many of us like Trout Mask Replica and I haven't heard anybody express their admiration for any of the others.

That said, let me express my admiration for:

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland
Ramones - Ramones
James Brown - Live at the Apollo
Love - Forever Changes
Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica

All fantastic, though I probably "admire" Trout Mask more than actively love it. The Love and Sly albums were in my Top 30.

An I do, do hope that Innervisions and Kind of Blue make the Top 35. Both permanently changed the way I listen to music. (And both are super-accessible and completely free of filler.)

An inane comment such as singling out a couple of albums and saying that it would be great if they didn't make the list only displays a personal bias that is completely pointless and counter productive.

I suppose that was for me, so let me explain myself. For starters, it was supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek, I'm really surprised it caused such passionate reactions. Second, I don't know about you, but for me a few critical omissions would make the list more interesting. So you have "Pet Sounds" in the top 10 as usual, big deal. Now if somehow "Pet Sounds" didn't make the list at all, it would have people scratching their heads and trying to figure out what the hell happened. Oh, and the albums I mentioned were examples, might just as well be "OK Computer" and "Revolver", or what have you.