In celebrating its 40th anniversary Germany's Musikexpress has offered a list of "The 100 Best Albums 1969 - 2009" in its recent issue (October 2009). The judging panel consisted of 100 critics and musicians.


1. The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)
2. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986)
3. The Clash – London Calling (1979)
4. Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
5. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
6. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
7. Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks (1975)
8. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)
9. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
10. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. (1972)
11. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
12. David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1971)
13. Daft Punk – Homework (1997)
14. The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
15. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
16. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run (1975)
17. Kraftwerk – Computerwelt (1982)
18. David Bowie – "Heroes" (1977)
19. Sonic Youth – Goo (1990)
20. The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)
21. Neil Young – Harvest (1972)
22. Scott Walker – Scott 4 (1969)
23. Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen (1985)
24. Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
25. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (1969)
26. Television – Marquee Moon (1977)
27. Fehlfarben – Monarchie und Alltag (1980)
28. Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)
29. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
30. Can – Tago Mago (1971)
31. Serge Gainsbourg – Historie de Melody Nelson (1971)
32. The Velvet Underground – Loaded (1970)
33. Patti Smith – Horses (1975)
34. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)
35. Portishead – Dummy (1994)
36. David Bowie – Low (1977)
37. Blumfeld – L'etat et moi (1994)
38. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
39. Oasis – (What's the Story?) Morning Glory (1995)
40. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine (1992)
41. R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992)
42. The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)
43. Weezer – Pinkerton (1996)
44. The Notwist – Neon Golden (2002)
45. Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left (1969)
46. Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden (1988)
47. Prince – Sign O' the Times (1987)
48. Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
49. Neil Young – After the Goldrush (1970)
50. The Smiths – The Smiths (1984)
51. Slayer – Reign in Blood (1986)
52. Kraftwerk – Autobahn (1975)
53. Pulp – Different Class (1995)
54. The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)
55. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On (1971)
56. Pixies – Doolittle (1989)
57. Weezer – Weezer (The Blue Album) (1994)
58. Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
59. Massive Attack – Blue Lines (1991)
60. Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
61. Kraftwerk – Radio-Aktivität (1975)
62. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)
63. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
64. Bonnie "Prince" Billy – I See a Darkness (1999)
65. Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)
66. Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)
67. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure (1973)
68. Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels (1980)
69. The Who – Tommy (1969)
70. Blumfeld – Old Nobody (1999)
71. The Streets – Original Pirate Material (2002)
72. Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade (1984)
73. Kyuss – Welcome to Sky Valley (1994)
74. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (I) (1969)
75. The Magnetic Fields – 69 Songs (1999)
76. Ton Steine Scherben – Keine Macht für Niemand (1972)
77. Leonard Cohen – Songs from a Room (1969)
78. Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975)
79. Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)
80. Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
81. Johnny Cash – American Recordings (1994)
82. Joy Division – Closer (1980)
83. Black Flag – Damaged (1981)
84. The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin (1999)
85. ABC – The Lexicon of Love (1982)
86. Neil Young – On the Beach (1974)
87. Suicide – Suicide (1977)
88. Einstürzende Neubauten – Kollaps (1981)
89. Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance (1978)
90. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2005)
91. Björk – Homogenic (1997)
92. Joanna Newsom – Ys (2006)
93. Sly & The Family Stone – Stand! (1969)
94. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed (1969)
95. Bright Eyes – I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (2005)
96. The Clash – The Clash (1977)
97. Alice in Chains – Dirt (1992)
98. Kraftwerk – Die Mensch-Maschine (1978)
99. Belle & Sebastian – If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)
100. The Libertines – Up the Bracket (2002)


Hope you find the time to include this into your wonderful meta-list!

Greets.

Well the list does seem to have alot of the heavy hitters, but the order is pretty unique.

Any list that puts Blue and Pinkerton above every Led Zeppelin album is just beyond ridiculous.

Blue Album above Yankee Hotel Foxtrot? No way.

Good to see On The Beach get some love; that's in my top 20 albums of all time.

I really like this list; it's varied between several genres and eras and includes virtually every album I'd call 'classic' from this time period. That top ten is flawless too; all of those albums were cultural and musical watersheds. The weirdest pick to me was Homework at number 13; I think Discovery is far better and it didn't even make the list.

For quick reference, here are the 2000s albums on the list:

1 (11) Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
2 (14) The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
3 (44) The Notwist – Neon Golden (2002)
4 (58) Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
5 (60) Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
6 (71) The Streets – Original Pirate Material (2002)
7 (90) Arcade Fire – Funeral (2005)
8 (92) Joanna Newsom – Ys (2006)
9 (95) Bright Eyes – I'm Wide Awake. . . (2005)
10 (100) The Libertines – Up the Bracket (2002)

2 great placings for 'The Queen Is Dead'. #2 here and #1 of the 80s in that other list. Maybe it will move up higher next update - up where it belongs...

Nice to see Neon Golden get a high placement.