Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Updated in 2012

By any objective standard? Can we honestly reach any kind of a consensus on a question like that? I'm a fan of Radiohead and own most of their albums, but I'm not even sure if I'd put them in my personal top 20. Depends on the day I guess.

This kind of stuff can be fun and spark debate, but I honestly can't get too bothered by it. Is even possible to measure Sgt. Peppers relative greatness versus the Velvet Underground's debut or Sly's Stand or Can's Tago Mago (which I'm guessing didn't make the list, but I could be wrong). It is interesting to see which albums got dropped and which ones got added mainly because it show us how fleeting these kinds of evaluations can be. I think it's even harder to assess newer music in the grand scheme of things, which is not to say that it's inferior or anything, but like they say, what's hip today may soon be passe.

 

I would like these lists better if they would limit it to one title per artist.

 

I understand your point, but I don't think an album that attempts to survey the 500 best albums ever would benefit from that restriction. It wouldn't really assess "the 500 best albums ever" if you can only have one Beatles album, one Stones album, etc.

It'd be more diverse, but not as accurate...

 

He's worthy.

 

I agree and to take another example, Highway 61 but not Blood on the Tracks or Blonde on Blonde?

 

That was a classic, but how much impact did it really have in the wider scheme of things? Im a DJ and a hip hop guy so Im biased, but I doubt that many people would cite that album as a classic

 

Thanks man.


Overall, I think the fact that people in this thread alone can't even agree on which changes are "wrong" proves how silly it is to criticize any such list because... duh, it's all opinion and taste.

 

Aren't Radiohead progressive rock? If they aren't, then I'm not sure I know what progressive rock is?

 

Well, just matters like large number/percentage of critically acclaimed albums over a long period, widespread popularity and continuing relevance, sizable number of high-charting and widely praised singles/B-sides (including non-album songs), their innovativeness in fusing together modern alternative rock, electronic, avant-garde, earlier progressive and mainstream styles while still maintaining their melodiousness and accessibility. Even if the band isn't your personal cup of tea, it's hard to argue against any of those factors on an objective level, so unless one is biased towards older music, I'd say they deserve to be placed inside a top 20, leaving aside my own favouritism.

 

To be fair, though, James Brown is represented by the 4-disc Star Time instead of the deleted album. Star Time does include all of the tracks on the deleted album.

 

I think it's pretty lame to include compilations.

So deleting CCR's "Green River" and "Cosmos' Factory", but adding "Chronicles" - lame!

 

Come on. Do you realize how silly that sounds? There is NO objective standard when it comes to which album or band or kind of music is the best.

 

Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say the quality of music can actually be objectively measured, but I maintain there are certain criteria that can be used to separate genuinely good from bad music, hence the purpose of putting together a canon like this one. Otherwise you could say that saying that Nickelback are better than The Beatles is just as valid as vice versa, or likewise Brokencyde and The Rolling Stones, and I don't buy that.

 

I quite agree

 

Kanye deserves to be on the list. However, more than one album of his seems a little too generous.

All in all, I like the RS lists. My tastes in music are admittedly limited, so it's nice to use the list to explore albums I normally wouldn't spin.

 

That is exactly what prompted me to purchase this issue in the first place, not to see where things did or did not rank. I'm sure the list is available in several places online but I like having the short write ups of each album in print form. The write-ups for albums ranked 1-10 are a bit longer and even though I have most of these, its still fun reading.

 

That wasn't the the Rolling Stone, that was the National Lampoon.

 

I'm with you there.

 

The RS list will treat 60s-70s right in maybe 100 years. Radiohead won't sniff the top 20. Kanye West? LOL.

 

Kayne West !

 

Yeah I noticed that too. Definitely a head scratcher. I guess it gave them another opportunity to put one of their favorites in.

 

London Calling is still in the top 10. Phew. The best record released in my lifetime.

 

Any Kanye is too much. The fact that they got rid of ANY Beatles and made room for that joker proves that those at RS that decide these things have truly lost their ever lovin minds....

 

Thinking about some modern albums that could have been included, how about any from the boy band/pop princess era? Surely, any of those albums are greater than any of Kanye's albums.