Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is making the rounds on Facebook, and the complaint department is working overtime. My brother Bill cannot believe REM's "Murmur" ranked a paltry 197 -- "out of 500!" -- but commends them for including (my fave) Frank Sinatra's "Songs for Swinging Lovers" (306).
Being an obsessive list maker, this is the kind of thing that could keep me awake at night. So I've tried to be more of the mind that it doesn't matter so much WHERE on the list an album fell, what matters is that they are ON the list. I don't always practice what I preach, however.
Here are some things that jumped out at me:
Cyndi Lauper's "She's So Unusual" is still rightfully hanging on -- but at 494, for how much longer?
Loretta Lynn's "All-Time Greatest Hits" (485): Good that they included this, although I don't think "best of" collections should be permitted. List seemed light on C&W.
Even after all of these years of the mag telling me to like them, I still don't know who Richard and Linda Thompson are.
I probably don't know enough about Bruce Springsteen to be saying that it's his best, but I do know that "Tunnel of Love" is one of the greatest albums I've ever heard. Nice to see it on the list (475).
Happy that groups from the 1980s -- Echo and the Bunnymen, Husker Du, Gang of Four, Los Lobos, the Smiths, Devo, the Cure -- are still being remembered in the hip-hop/rap-dominated era.
Madonna's "Music" is one of three of her albums on the list, but isn't even in her Top 10 albums, let alone deserving of No. 452. (The single kicks ass, however.)
"Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes" (427): The ultimate one-album wonder!
Mamas and the Papas Greatest Hits (423): Sublime, although (again) not sure "greatest hits" albums should count.
The Go-Go's "Beauty and the Beat" (413): Snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but not here.
Madonna's "Ray of Light" (363) : Arguably her best LP.
X's "Wild Gift" (334): Glad to see the critics have not forgotten.
Liz Phair's "Exit in Guyville" (328): Her career is all over the map, but this album isn't.
X's "Los Angeles" (286): Glad to see this. "Under the Big Black Sun" would have worked, too.
Madonna's "Immaculate Collection" (278): OK, I know I said rankings don't matter, but if you're going to include "best of" albums, this is way too low for the ultimate singles act of our generation.
Paul Simon's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" (267): Not even his highest-rated album, but should be.
Whitney Houston's debut (254).
REM's "Automatic for the People" (247)
Madonna's "Like a Prayer" (237): Unless I missed something, they are saying this is her best album. Totally do not agree. "Ray of Light" AND the debut are better -- and "Ray" was 363 and the debut didn't even make the list. #HighwayRobbery
Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" (224): This was one of those albums I kept seeing on these lists and then finally bought. They were right.
"The Neil Diamond Collection" (222): Genius songwriter.
The Carpenters' "Close to You" (173): Karen was the voice of a lifetime.
Pretenders' debut (155): In my Top 2 of all time, No. 1 on some days.
B-52's debut (152): Should be UNDER the Pretenders! I actually prefer "Wild Planet" and "Mesopotamia," which I know is wrong of me.
Blondie's "Parallel Lines" (140): Obviously I think this should be higher on the list. Come on.
"Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack (131): Genius.
Television's "Marquee Moon" (128): Critics remember.
James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James" (103): Gorgeous. I owe my love of this to my brother Terence.
Dusty Springfield's "Dusty in Memphis" (89): Impossible to deny.
Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" (83): Her best.
Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" (68): Seems low even for the critics.
Phil Spector's "Back to Mono" box set (64): The best singles of the 1960s.
Carole King's "Tapestry" (36): In my Top 10.
Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" (23): Seems low to me.
"The Velvet Underground & Nico" (13): The influence is undeniable.
Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" (2): I'd put this over the Beatles, but OK.
Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band": I'm a fan, all right.
Get in a fight with your loved ones -- and yourself -- HERE.
8 comments:
I've never really understood why people think Dusty Springfield's DUSTY IN MEMPHIS is her best album. There's some great songs on it but better than those on her debut (A GIRL CALLED DUSTY, 1964)? I don't think so. But, I'm just happy that she's still on ROLLING STONES's radar. And btw, The GoGos's BEAUTY & THE BEAT should be in the Top 100.
Even after all of these years of the mag telling me to like them, I still don't know who Richard and Linda Thompson are
YouTube, you've heard of it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G9Xdp6oY_I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6kjCd7QRbw
They both came out of the British folk scene, got married, had a terrible breakup and made 2 great albums about heartache and pain.
As for the list, yawn, the usual suspects, they've been making pretty much the same list since the 90's.
So two No Doubts but no Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Heart, Annie Lenox, Indigo Girls, Roy Orbison, Joan Jett?
When was this list published?
In the write-up for Love's achingly beautiful "Forever Changes" album (#40), it says Arthur Lee is still alive, when he's been dead since 2006.
These lists are always funny and silly and meaningless. This particular one slides into ridiculousness by the time it puts Plastic Ono Band in the top 25.
Not one album from the past 42 years is in the Top 10?
What have we been doing?
Is this an updated list, or is this the list Rolling Stone put out in 2003. The blurb at the link sounds like it is the 2003 list. If that is the case, then they are missing 9 years of albums that should be considered.
Yes, it is an older list. It seems to be making the rounds on Facebook again.
Always very subjective, and beholden to "everybody thinks they're awsome" predjudice, "best ever" music lists are bound to disappoint everybody. I--for example--find anything by Bob Dylan and Nirvana (for two wildly divergent but equally unintelligable examples) to be worthless. And I find most anything by Madonna, Janet Jackson, and even Paula Abdul and Taylor Dayne preferable. But great ALBUMS--entirely enjoyable ALBUMS--are very rare. I don't think even Rolling Stone quite got it.
Most albums have many skippable tracks. How many do you listen to all the way through? I'll give you two of mine: REM Automatic for the People and B-52's Cosmic Thing. Two more: Madonna Like a Prayer and Tina Turner Private Dancer. And that dates me as late 40s, doesn't it?
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