Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Album-by-Album Thread

213. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel (2012)
Producer: Fiona Apple, Charley Drayton

The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, frequently abridged as The Idler Wheel..., is the fourth studio album by Fiona Apple. Like her second album When the Pawn..., its title derives from a poem written by Apple herself.[2] It was released in the UK on June 18, 2012[3] and in the US on June 19 by Epic Records.[4] The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, her highest debut yet, selling 72,000 copies in its first week.[5] The album received a nomination at the 2013 Grammy Awardsfor Best Alternative Album.[6] The album received widespread acclaim from critics, and was frequently included in year and decade-end lists by several publications.

Background and Release
Following the delays and controversy surrounding the release of Extraordinary Machine (2005), Apple began recording new material for her fourth studio album in secret, including from her label, Epic Records. When asked by BlackBook magazine when the recording sessions began, Apple remarked, "It must have started in 2008. Or 2009. I don't know! I have no idea. It's weird to think that there was 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011. Where've I been? What was I doing? What was that year about?"[7] Apple elaborated,

“It was very casual, and I wasn't fully admitting that I was making an album, I got to use the time in the studio to inspire me to finish other things rather than feel like I was finishing homework to hand in. It wasn't a lot of pressure. And the record company didn't know I was doing it, so nobody was looking over my shoulder.”​

Instead of her long-time collaborator Jon Brion, Apple opted to produce the album with her touring drummer, Charley Drayton.[8] Executives at Epic found out that Apple had recorded an album in early 2012, when she presented it to them.[9] The album was originally planned for release in 2011, but Apple delayed the release until her label found a new president in 2012, explaining that she "didn't want her work to be mishandled amid corporate disarray."[8] During a secret concert in Los Angeles with Brion, Apple remarked, "I can't remember any of my new songs because they've been done for a ****ing year."[10] In January 2012, L.A. Reid announced through Twitter that new material from Apple would be released later in 2012.

Critical Reception

Aggregate Scores
AnyDecentMusic? 8.5/10
Metacritic 89/100

Review Scores
AllMusic 5/5
The A.V. Club A
Entertainment Weekly A
The Guardian 4/5
Los Angeles Times 4/4
MSN Music (Expert Witness) A−
NME 8/10
Pitchfork 9.0/10
Rolling Stone 3.5/5
Spin 8/10

Audience Reception
87/100 from 1,687 users, #5 for 2012, #192 overall - AlbumOfTheYear.org
8.2/10 from 1,657 users - AllMusic
4.4/5 from 1,437 users, #2 for 2012, #47 overall - Musicboard
3.86/5 from 11,795 users, #6 for 2012, #659 overall - RateYourMusic.com

 

THE IDLER WHEEL (Fiona Apple)
Continuing the trend of a strange choice for an album from a particular artist. TIDAL or WHEN THE PAWN... would be the likely choices from Fiona Apple. This album being in teh countdown really makes no sense at all.
GRADE: C+

My Current Top 85+ Albums:
1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
4. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
5. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
6. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
7. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
8. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
9. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
11. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
12. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
13. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
14. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
15. THE CARS (The Cars)
16. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
17. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
18. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
19. ODELAY (Beck)
20. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
21. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
22. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
23. DOOKIE (Green Day)
24. HELP )The Beatles)
25. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
26. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
27. WEEZER (Weezer)
28. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
29. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
30. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
31. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
32. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
33. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
34. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
35. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
36. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
37. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
38. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
39. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
40. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
41. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
42. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
43. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
44. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
45. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
46. ABRAXAS (Santana)
47. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
48. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
49. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
50. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
51. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
52. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
53. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
54. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
55. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
56. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
57. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
58. PARKLIFE (Blur)
59. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
60. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
61. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
62. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
63. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
64. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
65. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
66, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
67. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
68. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
69. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
70. SO (Peter Gabriel)
71. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
72. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
73. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
74. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
75. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
76. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
77. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
78. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
79. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
80. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
81. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
82. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
83. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
84. METALLICA (Metallica)
85. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
86. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
87. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)

 

Idler Wheel
B-
This is an album that never did much for me. I hesitate to go lower with a grade because maybe I'm just missing something and some day it will, but for now... no.

 

212. Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind (1966)
Producer: Hal Mooney

Wild Is the Wind is the sixth studio album by American singer and pianist Nina Simone released by Philips Records in 1966. The album was compiled from several recordings that were left over from sessions (in 1964 and 1965) for previous Philips albums.

Critical Reception
The album was a Billboard magazine "special merit pick" on release, with the reviewer commenting: "Simone ... sets up an exceptional romantic mood that offers top listening delight".[5]

The song "Four Women" was released as a single, and gained attention when banned by the New York jazz focused radio station WLIB due to concern over the lyrics.[6]

Simone first recorded "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" in 1955, in Philadelphia with a strings arrangement and was not intended for release at the time. (In 1970 that version appeared on the album Gifted & Black.) In April 1964 she went into a New York Studio with her band, and on the second day in the studio, she recorded the version of "Black Is the Color of My True Love’s Hair" that would appear on Wild Is The Wind. For the song, Simone only wanted a minimal accompaniment with her playing the piano and a bass drone. Lisle Atkinson [describes] what he was asked to do during his time in Nina Simone’s band: “She wanted the least amount of complication as possible—roots and 5’s, nothing too slick. I have to give Nina credit for being aware that I could bow, and she utilized it a lot. She had me playing a lot of arco in performances.”[7][better source needed]

"Wild Is The Wind" was covered by David Bowie on his 1976 album Station to Station.

"Lilac Wine" was covered by Jeff Buckley on his album Grace (1994).

The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[8] The album was also rated the 5th best album of the 1960s by Pitchfork.

Critical Reception
Allmusic 3/5
Pitchfork 9.5/10

Audience Reception
86/100 from 240 users, #7 for 1966, #270 overall - AlbumOfTheYear.org
8.3/10 from 225 users - AllMusic
4.4/5 from 88 users - Musicboard
3.94/5 from 3,497 users, #6 for 1966, #494 overall - RateYourMusic.com

 

I have mixed feelings about American Beauty and the Dead in general, for a whole bunch of reasons as much social as musical. That said, the album effectively captures that side of that band and I have no argument with it being anywhere from 100 to 1,000 on anyone's list. Grisman's presence is interesting to me since I'm a huge fan. And under the circumstances it's a credit to the band that they got this album done at all.

 

WILD IS THE WIND (Nina Simone)
This album and Nina Simone in general I can appreciate a great deal, but I can't say it is something I personally would listen to. I'm not a fan of this sort of cocktail jazz style of music. Vocally and lyrically, it is certainly more interesting to me. I can also understand why it got onto this list. It just won't make mine.

My Current Top 85+ Albums:
1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
4. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
5. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
6. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
7. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
8. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
9. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
11. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
12. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
13. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
14. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
15. THE CARS (The Cars)
16. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
17. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
18. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
19. ODELAY (Beck)
20. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
21. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
22. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
23. DOOKIE (Green Day)
24. HELP )The Beatles)
25. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
26. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
27. WEEZER (Weezer)
28. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
29. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
30. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
31. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
32. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
33. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
34. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
35. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
36. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
37. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
38. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
39. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
40. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
41. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
42. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
43. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
44. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
45. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
46. ABRAXAS (Santana)
47. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
48. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
49. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
50. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
51. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
52. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
53. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
54. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
55. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
56. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
57. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
58. PARKLIFE (Blur)
59. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
60. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
61. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
62. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
63. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
64. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
65. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
66, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
67. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
68. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
69. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
70. SO (Peter Gabriel)
71. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
72. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
73. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
74. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
75. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
76. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
77. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
78. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
79. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
80. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
81. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
82. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
83. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
84. METALLICA (Metallica)
85. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
86. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
87. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)

 

The long version of Idler Wheel's title reads like something William Blake might've written, but the affect of the singing makes it completely unlistenable to me.

 

Wildflowers As I posted re Damn The Torpedoes, I prefer very early Petty; before his rough edges had been smoothed out. Wildflowers, at over 60 minutes, is yet another on the list that is far too long. I wish these 'stars' would rein in their egos and remember: less is (usually) more.

This was an album I'd never heard before. Songs I enjoyed were: title track (affectingly & effectively low-key); Time To Move On (reminds me of Springsteen's If I Should Fall behind); the simple, yet punchy, Honey Bee; To Find A Friend's strummed shuffle, and chord changes, were captivating, as was the short 'jolly' piano interlude; Crawling Back To You has more Springsteen-like melancholy. All well-constructed songs; all memorable melodies; no filler flab here.

Overall, it's a well-played, sung, arranged, & produced record, BUT, unfortunately, quite a number of the songs are of a formulaic, 'bash it out', undistinguished variety. He's at his best here when tapping into a stream of melancholia. If Petty had trimmed down the choices, and taken a few left-field turns with what was left, then this could have been a very good album; instead of a pleasant, yet somewhat trad dad-rock, record. It's not five-star enough to make my own list. Pity.

The Idler Wheel Another never heard it before record. First track sounds like a cross between Bjork & Buffy Sainte-Marie; which is a good thing in my book. So, gets off to a cracking start with an interestingly arranged, very memorable, song. Then, it's (mostly) downhill. Far too many non-entities, with an overabundance of that low register piano, rather formless song structures - thus unmemorable melodies - and much taken at the same mid-pace. Most of the tracks sound interchangeable. There's a few interesting uses of percussion, eg on Anything We Want, which also has a pleasingly muscular vocal. Hot Knife is underpinned with some effective percussive foreboding, and some great scat-like singing.

Apple embarks on too much of a samey approach overall. Aside from the aforementioned three songs, it's an aimlessly meandering record. Miss.

Wild Is The Wind Nina Simone is a very intriguing, yet very underrated, artist. Of what I've heard, I enjoy her mid-60s records the most. She seems to get all her musical ducks in a row here - a blend of classical, jazz, pop & social consciousness all rolled into one. Simone's got a great clear, muscular, soulful, plaintive & playful, voice; which are all employed to max effect on this album. As the album's something of a previous sessions pick & mix, the tempos, arrangements, additional instruments, and vocal approach, are all nicely mixed up. Unlike Apple's record, a whole varied approach to piano playing is utilized.

Overall, sass & strut vie with contemplative to produce a very consistently classy record. I won't single out any particular track because they're all as good as each other. Makes my own list.

 

211. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)
Producer: Martin Hannett

Unknown Pleasures is the debut studio album by English rock band Joy Division, released on 15 June 1979 by Factory Records.[1] The album was recorded and mixed over three successive weekends at Stockport's Strawberry Studios in April 1979, and was produced by Martin Hannett,[1] who incorporated a number of unconventional productiontechniques into the group's sound. The cover artwork was designed by artist Peter Saville, using a data plot of signals from a radio pulsar.[2] It is the only Joy Division album released during lead singer Ian Curtis's lifetime.

Factory Records did not release any singles from Unknown Pleasures, and the album did not chart despite the relative success of the group's non-album debut single "Transmission". It has since received sustained critical acclaim as an influential post-punk album, and has been named as one of the best albums of all time by publications such as NME, AllMusic, Select, Rolling Stone, and Spin.

Background
Joy Division formed in Salford in 1976 during the first wave of punk rock. Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook had separately attended a Sex Pistols show at the Manchester Lesser Free Trade Hall on 4 June 1976 and both embraced that band's simplicity, speed and aggression.[3] Forming a band with their friend Terry Mason on drums, Sumner on guitar and Hook on bass, they advertised for a singer. Ian Curtis, whom Sumner and Hook already knew, applied and, without having to audition, was taken on.[4] After a number of changes of drummer, Stephen Morris joined the band—at that time called Warsaw—in August 1977. To avoid confusion with the London punk band Warsaw Pakt, they renamed themselves Joy Division in late 1977.[5]

After signing a recording contract with RCA Recordsin early 1978, Joy Division recorded some demos; however, they were unhappy with the way their music was mixed and asked to be released from their contract.[6][7] The band's first release was the self-produced extended play (EP), An Ideal for Living, which was released in June 1978. They made their television debut on Tony Wilson's local news show Granada Reports in September 1978.[8]According to Hook, the band received a £70,000 offer from Genetic Records in London.[9] However, the band's manager, Rob Gretton, approached Wilson about releasing an album on his Factory Records label.[10] Wilson explained that Gretton had calculated that given Factory's 50/50 split of profits, the band could make as much money with the indie label as it could by signing to a major. Wilson added that one of Gretton's main reasons for approaching Factory was so "he wouldn't have to get on a train to London every week and 'talk to nuggets'. No one could use the word 'cockney' with as much contempt as Rob".[10] Gretton estimated that the album would cost £8,000 to produce; however, Wilson said in 2006 that the up-front cost ended at £18,000.

Recording
Unknown Pleasures was recorded at Strawberry Studios in Stockport over three weekends between 1 and 17 April 1979, with Martin Hannett producing.[1]Hannett, who believed that punk rock was sonically conservative because of its refusal to use studio technology to create sonic space,[11] used a number of unusual production techniques and sound effects on the album, including several AMS 15-80s digital delays, the Marshall Time Modulator, tape echo and bounce,[12] as well as the sound of a bottle smashing, someone eating crisps, backwards guitar and the sound of the Strawberry Studios lift with a Leslie speaker "whirring inside".[13] He also used the sound of a basement toilet.[14] Hannett recorded Curtis's vocals for "Insight" down a telephone line so he could achieve the "requisite distance". Hannett later said, "[Joy Division] were a gift to a producer, because they didn't have a clue. They didn't argue".[4] Referring to the recording sessions, Hook remembered, "Sumner started using a kit-built Powertran Transcendent 2000 synthesiser, most notably on 'I Remember Nothing', where it vied with the sound of Rob Gretton smashing bottles with Steve and his Walther replica pistol."[13] During the recording, Morris invested in a syndrum because he thought he saw one on the cover of Can's 1971 album Tago Mago.[13]

AllMusic wrote that Hannett's production on Unknown Pleasures was "as much a hallmark as the music itself," describing it as "emphasizing space in the most revelatory way since the dawn of dub."[15]Describing Hannett's production techniques, Hook said, "[He] didn't think straight, he thought sideways. He confused you and made you do something you didn't expect."[16] Hook went on to say, "Derek Bramwood of Strawberry Studios said that you can take a group that have got on brilliantly for 20 years, put them in a studio with Martin and within five minutes, they'll be trying to slash each other's throats." However, Hook went on to say that Hannett was only as good as the material he had to work with, "We gave him great songs, and like a top chef, he added some salt and pepper and some herbs and served up the dish. But he needed our ingredients."[16] The band members' opinions differed on the "spacious, atmospheric sound" of the album, which did not reflect their more aggressive live sound. Sumner said, "The music was loud and heavy, and we felt that Martin had toned it down, especially with the guitars. The production inflicted this dark, doomy mood over the album: we'd drawn this picture in black and white, and Martin had coloured it in for us. We resented it ..."[4]Hook said, "I couldn't hide my disappointment then, it sounded like Pink Floyd."[13]

Morris disagreed, saying, "I was happy with Unknown Pleasures. My theory on things at the time was that the two things—listening to a record and going to a gig—were quite different. You don't want to hear a record when you go to a gig: you want something with a bit of energy."[13] Curtis was also happy with the production of the album and was impressed with Hannett's work.[17] Hook conceded in 2006, "It definitely didn't turn out sounding the way I wanted it ... But now I can see that Martin did a good job on it ... There's no two ways about it, Martin Hannett created the Joy Division sound." Hook also noted that he was able to hear Curtis's lyrics and Sumner's guitar parts for the first time on the record, because during gigs the band played too loudly.

Critical Reception
AllMusic 5/5
Christgau's Record Guide A−
Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5
NME 10/10
Pitchfork 10/10
Q 5/5
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 5/5
Select 5/5
Spin Alternative Record Guide 9/10
Uncut 5/5

Audience Reception
88/100 from 2,390 users, #2 for 1979, #118 overall - AlbumOfTheYear.org
9.4/10 from 3,718 users - AllMusic
4.3/5 from 2,540 users, #2 for 1979, #149 overall - Musicboard
4.11/5 from 43,890 users, #1 for 1979, #35 overall - RateYourMusic.com

 

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures

This and Closer are stone cold masterpieces in my book and perfectly captured the very late 70s and early 80s zeitgeist of impending doom. Standard setting stuff.

 

Unknown Pleasures Hugely influential, it's a truly mesmerizing album. Austere, haunting, with foreboding etched through every groove, it obviously arose out of punk yet sounds a million miles away from the 1-2-3-4 buzzsaw of those '76/'77 classic singles. There's a feel of the more cold & clammy machinistic parts of Iggy Pop's Idiot, plus a hint of PIL too, but they're small touches of a much larger musical picture, where Joy Division forge their own distinctivity.

Hannett helped them shape what they were searching for. His production enhances the crystal clear coldness of what lurks in the shadows of life; and death. There's a cathartic bleakness to the whole album, where hindsight re Curtis adds an extra layer of 'staring into the void'. For me, one of the best records of all time. This easily makes my own list, which I'll now update; for the first time in several weeks!

Updated list:

1. Little Richard - Here's Little Richard
2. Velvet Underground - White Light White Heat
3. Suicide - s/t
4. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
5. Bob Dylan - Freewheelin'
6. Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
7. New York Dolls - s/t
8. Ramones - Rocket To Russia
9. Joy Division - Closer
10 Elvis Presley - s/t
11 Black Sabbath - s/t
12 Sam Cooke - Live At The Harlem Square Club
13 Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind
14 Beatles - Hard Day's Night
15 Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
16 Stooges - s/t
17 Stones - Aftermath
18 Pink Floyd - Piper At the Gates Of Dawn
19 Tracy Chapman - s/t
20 Kraftwerk - Autobahn
21 Stone Roses -s/t
22 Roberta Flack - First Take
23 Dylan - John Wesley Harding
24 Sonic Youth - Goo
25 Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
26 Kanye West - 808 & Heartbreak
27 Various - Nuggets
28 De La Soul - Is Dead
29 Dolly Parton - Coat Of Many Colours

 

UNKNOWN PLEASURES (Joy Division)
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a good bet to make my top 100 songs list, but I have listened to other Joy Division songs and nothing comes close to the magnificence of that song for me. Thus this album will not be one I consider for my own top 500.
We are nearly 300 songs into this countdown and I have only found 87 albums I would consider for my own top 500. And maybe 45 I can say would be there for sure. Maybe more of my own favorites will pop up in the next 200+?
GRADE: C+

My Current Top 85+ Albums:
1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
4. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
5. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
6. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
7. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
8. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
9. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
11. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
12. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
13. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
14. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
15. THE CARS (The Cars)
16. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
17. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
18. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
19. ODELAY (Beck)
20. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
21. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
22. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
23. DOOKIE (Green Day)
24. HELP )The Beatles)
25. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
26. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
27. WEEZER (Weezer)
28. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
29. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
30. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
31. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
32. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
33. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
34. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
35. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
36. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
37. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
38. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
39. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
40. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
41. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
42. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
43. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
44. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
45. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
46. ABRAXAS (Santana)
47. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
48. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
49. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
50. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
51. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
52. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
53. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
54. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
55. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
56. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
57. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
58. PARKLIFE (Blur)
59. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
60. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
61. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
62. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
63. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
64. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
65. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
66, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
67. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
68. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
69. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
70. SO (Peter Gabriel)
71. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
72. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
73. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
74. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
75. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
76. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
77. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
78. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
79. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
80. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
81. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
82. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
83. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
84. METALLICA (Metallica)
85. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
86. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
87. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)

 

Wild is the Wind
B+
Nina Simone has seemingly be rediscovered over the last 10 years or so - her albums have started making best-of lists and I never saw her mentioned on any such lists published in the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s. It was probably around ten years ago that listened to her core catalog on Youtube, mostly because I started seeing her name appear more often. I think this one is very good. I actually don't think any of her albums are great and not sure if any would make my own 500 list (probably not, actually). But worth hearing if anyone isn't familiar.

 

Unknown Pleasures
A
I was too young for music when this came out and as the '80s progressed I didn't much care for a lot of actual '80s music, so I didn't discover this until I started getting into alternative and grunge when that began to happen in the early '90s. It was definitely a grower, but I came to really love it, and obviously it's very influential. For awhile I was seeing Closer rated higher than this one but I definitely prefer this one.

 

Adding to my previous list...

214. Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994) 4/5
212. Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind (1966) 4/5

Whether or not I might agree with every selection in the list it does not matter. I enjoy the diversity of tastes and styles I am seeing...

 

210. Ray Charles - The Birth of Soul (1991)
Producer: Herb Abramson, Ahmet Ertegün, and Jerry Wexler

The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings is a 3-CD box set compilation by Ray Charles, released in 1991.

Critical Reception
AllMusic 5/5
Down Beat 5/5
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 5/5

Audience Reception
4.11/5 from 321 users, #12 for 1991 (compilations), #204 overall (compilations) - RateYourMusic.com

 

The Birth of Soul
A
For a long time, this was the only Ray Charles I owned. It does put a lot of great stuff in one place.

 

With the usual caveats re compilations in general and decades after the fact ones in particular, this one covers some great music and it's good to see something covering that music on the list. On my list there would probably be something(s) by Ray in the top 100, have to think about exactly what. I can only assume there was some vote splitting between this and the other albums covering this era in Ray's career.

 

THE BIRTH OF SOUL (Ray Charles)
I would have both Hit The Road Jack and What'd I Say in my top 500 songs. I think a Ray Charles compilation of some kind is deserving of being in the top 500 albums as well. I can't say for sure this is the best, but it seems like as good a choice as any. I'll include it on my list.

My Current Top 85+ Albums:
1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
4. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
5. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
6. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
7. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
8. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
9. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
11. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
12. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
13. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
14. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
15. THE CARS (The Cars)
16. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
17. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
18. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
19. ODELAY (Beck)
20. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
21. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
22. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
23. DOOKIE (Green Day)
24. HELP )The Beatles)
25. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
26. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
27. WEEZER (Weezer)
28. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
29. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
30. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
31. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
32. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
33. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
34. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
35. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
36. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
37. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
38. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
39. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
40. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
41. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
42. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
43. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
44. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
45. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
46. ABRAXAS (Santana)
47. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
48. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
49. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
50. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
51. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
52. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
53. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
54. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
55. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
56. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
57. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
58. PARKLIFE (Blur)
59. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
60. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
61. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
62. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
63. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
64. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
65. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
66, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
67. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
68. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
69. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
70. SO (Peter Gabriel)
71. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
72. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
73. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
74. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
75. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
76. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
77. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
78. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
79. THE BIRTH OF SOUL (Ray Charles)
80. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
81. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
82. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
83. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
84. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
85. METALLICA (Metallica)
86. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
87. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
88. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)

 

And Birth of Soul, or any other compilation of Ray's early work on Atlantic, would feature Don Wilkerson on tenor sax and he's being discussed currently on the Blue Note Classics thread for his album Preach Brother!

 

209. Run-DMC - Raising Hell (1986)
Producer: Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin

Raising Hell is the third studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 15, 1986, by Profile Records. The album was produced by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin. Raising Hellbecame the first Platinum and multi-Platinum hip hop record.[2][3] The album was first certified as Platinum on July 15, 1986, before it was certified as 3× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on April 24, 1987.

Raising Hell peaked at number three on the Billboard200, and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart making it the first hip hop record reach atop the latter. The album features four hit singles: "My Adidas", "Walk This Way" (a collaboration with Aerosmith), "You Be Illin'" and "It's Tricky".[4] "Walk This Way" is the group's most famous single, being a groundbreaking rap rock version of Aerosmith's 1975 song "Walk This Way". It is considered to be the first rap rock collaboration that also brought hip-hop into the mainstream[5] and was the first song by a hip hop act to reach the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100.[6]

Raising Hell has been ranked as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 1987, it was nominated for a Grammy Award, making Run DMC the first hip hopact to receive a nomination.[7][8] In the same year for this album Run-D.M.C. was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at the 1987 Soul Train Music Awards. In 2018, it was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant".[9] The album was reissued by Arista Records in 1999 and 2003. An expanded and remastered edition was released in 2005 and contained 5 previously unreleased songs.

Selling more than three million copies, Raising Hell is credited with heralding the golden age of hip hop as well as hip hop's album era, helping the genre achieve an unprecedented level of recognition among critics.

Background
Returning home to Queens in late 1985 after their extensive touring, they soon put themselves on lockdown at Chung King studios in Manhattan for three months. In place of producer Smith, a cocky new maverick was brought in: Rick Rubin. Even though Rubin's and Russell's names were on the production marquee, the two non-group members oversaw and added to the music on Raising Hell more than created it. "Rick and Russell got production credit, but we [the group members] really did everything", DMC states. "We did that album in like three months. It was so quick because every rhyme was written on the road and had been practiced and polished. We knew what we wanted to do. Rick was all music and instruments. Jay was music and DJing. And me and Run was lyrics. We definitely had a game plan."[11]

Raising Hell features the well-known cover "Walk This Way" featuring Aerosmith (largely the work of its leaders, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry). While the song was not the group's first fusion of rock and hip hop (the group's earlier singles "Rock Box" and "King of Rock" were), it was the first such fusion significantly impacting the charts, becoming the first rap song to crack the top 5 of The Billboard Hot 100. Raising Hell peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart as the first hip hop/rap album to do so, and at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.

Reception
AllMusic 5/5
Chicago Tribune 4/4
Encyclopedia of Popular Music 5/5
Pitchfork 7.7/10
Q 5/5
Rolling Stone 5/5
The Rolling Stone Album Guide 5/5
Spin Alternative Record Guide 10/10
Uncut 4/5
The Village Voice A−

Audience Reception
79/100 from 208 users, #66 for 1986 - AlbumOfTheYear.org
8.9/10 from 545 users - AllMusic
3.8/5 from 55 users - Musicboard
3.63/5 from 4,114 users, #100 for 1986, #7,167 overall - RateYourMusic.com

 

#216 Elliott Smith - Either/Or
#215 Grateful Dead - American Beauty
#214 Tom Petty - Wildflowers
#213 Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel
#212 Nina Simone - Wild is the Wind
#211 Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
#210 Ray Charles - The Birth of Soul
#209 Run D.M.C. - Raising Hell

Again, some catching up to do.

My favourite of these eight albums by some margin is Unknown Pleasures. Akin to Closer, it is darkly nauseating and Hannett's glacial production is again perfect for the aesthetic Curtis and the band create. Sign of a great album is consistency throughout, and that is what we get here. The three songs prior to the closer (Shadowplay, Wilderness and Interzone) are fantastic, and I Remember Nothing is a great way to end. Sticky as tar with intermittent pulsars and shattering glass cutting through the doom-filled atmosphere. Music on a precipice, magnificent.

Next in line, Raising Hell. Where Run D.M.C's earlier albums have earned some criticism for how technologically limited they now sound, that isn't the case here. It is still reliant on the drum machine but sounds punchier, more modern. The album meshes rap and rock very successfully, It's Tricky is a hip-hop song for the ages.

Either/Or may be my favourite 'barn find' so far. I knew nothing about Elliot Smith, never heard of him. However, this down-at-mouth album of half-whispered confessional vocals and tasteful guitar work was quite enchanting.

Elsewhere, not much to excite me. I found Wildflowers somewhat anodyne, lacking in the bite and hooks that make Damn the Torpedoes. The Idler Wheel was competent but ultimately uninteresting in the songs I sampled. The Dead do little for me, and I gave Nina Simone a very brief spin, but hers is the type of music that requires a few sittings to form a firm opinion about. It won't make my Top 30 anyway, but one to revisit.

Joy Division follow Massive Attack to become the second band with multiple entries in my Top 30.

 

RAISING HELL (Run DMC)
This is one of the early hip hop albums I would consider for the top 500. My own tastes would probably result in this not making the cut, but it is certainly worthy.

My Current Top 85+ Albums:
1. THE KINKS ARE THE VILLAGE GREEN PRESERVATION SOCIETY (The Kinks)
2. ODYSSEY AND ORACLE (The Zombies)
3. PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN (Pink Floyd)
4. SOMETHING ELSE (The Kinks)
5. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (George Harrison)
6. NUGGETS (Various Artists)
7. DEJA VU (Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young)
8. MODERN LOVERS (Modern Lovers)
9. RAM (Paul & Linda McCartney)
10. BETWEEN THE BUTTONS (Rolling Stones)
11. A HARD DAYS NIGHT (The Beatles)
12. THE WHO SELL OUT (The Who)
13. DAMN THE TORPEDOES (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers)
14. GREATEST HITS (Sly & the Family Stone)
15. THE CARS (The Cars)
16. FULL MOON FEVER (Tom Petty)
17. RADIO CITY (Big Star)
18. #1 RECORD (Big Star)
19. ODELAY (Beck)
20. COSMO'S FACTORY (CCR)
21. WISH YOU WERE HERE (Pink Floyd)
22. ROCKET TO RUSSIA (Ramones)
23. DOOKIE (Green Day)
24. HELP )The Beatles)
25. AMERICAN BEAUTY (Grateful Dead)
26. LET IT BE (The Beatles)
27. WEEZER (Weezer)
28. ANTHOLOGY (The Temptations)
29. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS IS NOWHERE (Neil Young)
30. ANTHOLOGY (Diana Ross & the Supremes)
31. YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK (Aretha Franklin)
32. HERES LITTLE RICHARD (Little Richard)
33. THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION (Abba)
34. HOUSES OF THE HOLY (Led Zeppelin)
35. AMERICAN IDIOT (Green Day)
36. THE STOOGES (The Stooges)
37. SURREALISTIC PILLOW (Jefferson Airplane)
38. MY AIM IS TRUE (Elvis Costello)
39. SOMETHING/ANYTHING (Todd Rundgren)
40. BROTHERS IN ARMS (Dire Straits)
41. CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Yes)
42. IMAGINE (John Lennon)
43. PROUNCED LENHERD SKINNERD (Lynryd Skynryd)
44. ELEPHANT (The White Stripes)
45. UNPLUGGED IN NEW YORK CITY (Nirvana)
46. ABRAXAS (Santana)
47. PORTRAIT OF A LEGEND (Sam Cooke)
48. STORIES FROM THE CITY (PJ Harvey)
49. MOVING PICTURES (Rush)
50. KING OF THE DELTA BLUES SINGERS (Robert Johnson)
51. DICTIONARY OF SOUL (Otis Redding)
52. SOME GIRLS (Rolling Stones)
53. LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS (Derek & the Dominoes)
54. CURRENTS (Tame Impala)
55. BEACH BOYS TODAY (The Beach Boys)
56. ELVIS PRESLEY (Elvis Presley)
57. BO DIDDLEY/GO BO DIDDLEY (Bo Diddley)
58. PARKLIFE (Blur)
59. WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT (Velvet Underground)
60. SIAMESE DREAM (Smashing Pumpkins)
61. LIVE AT LEEDS (The Who)
62. RUST NEVER SLEEPS (Neil Young)
63. CALIFORNICATION (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
64. NORMAN R ROCKWELL (Lana Del Rey)
65. 19 LOVE SONGS (Magnetic Fields)
66, LUCINDA WILLIAMS (Lucinda Williams)
67. HEART LIKE A WHEEL (Linda Rondstadt)
68. MR TAMBOURINE MAN (The Byrds)
69. PAUL SIMON (Paul Simon)
70. SO (Peter Gabriel)
71. LIKE A PRAYER (Madonna)
72. HONKY CHATEAU (Elton John)
73. SHERYL CROW (Sheryl Crow)
74. BACK TO MONO (Phil Spector w/various artists)
75. NICK OF TIME (Bonnie Raitt)
76. THE ANTHOLOGY (Muddy Waters)
77. PRESENTING THE FABULOUS RONETTES (Ronettes)
78. HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (Cocteau Twins)
79. THE BIRTH OF SOUL (Ray Charles)
80. MOANING IN THE MOONLIGHT (Howlin Wolf)
81. MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDING AND FOOD (Talking Heads)
82. ANOTHER GREEN WORLD (Brian Eno)
83. HEADHUNTERS (Herbie Hancock)
84. FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN (Bob Dylan)
85. METALLICA (Metallica)
86. DEFINITELY MAYBE (Oasis)
87. COAT OF MANY COLORS (Dolly Parton)
88. EITHER/OR (Elliot Smith)

 

1. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
2. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
3. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
4. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
5. Tom Petty - Wildflowers
6. Peter Gabriel - So
7. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
8. Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, The Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle
9. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
10. Rolling Stones - Some Girls

 

Of the albums covered so far I thought I would try to start by to reduce the list I have to favorites. This is the first draft and eventually I would like to get down to a top 25 and then in the end a top 10...



490. Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel (1975) 5/5
477. Howlin’ Wolf - Moanin’ in the Moonlight (1959) 4/5
471. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow (1967) 5/5
468. Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978) 5/5
445. Yes - Close to the Edge (1972) 4/5
426. Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams (1988) 5/5*
422. Marvin Gaye - Let’s Get it On (1973) 4/5
418. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985) 5/5
413. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Cosmo’s Factory (1970) 5/5
411. Bob Dylan - “Love and Theft” (2001) 4/5
409. Grateful Dead - Workingman’s Dead (1970) 5/5*
407. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969) 5/5*
396. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything? (1972) 5/5*
380. Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um (1959) 5/5
368. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970) 5/5
366. Aerosmith - Rocks (1976) 3/5
348. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) (2001) 5/5*
342. The Beatles - Let it Be (1970) 5/5
336. Roxy Music - Avalon (1982) 4/5
334. Santana - Abraxas (1970) 5/5*
330. The Rolling Stones - Aftermath (1966) 5/5*
311. Neil Young - On the Beach (1974) 4/5
299. B.B. King - Live at the Regal (1965) 4/5
298. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (1989) 5/5
297. Peter Gabriel - So (1986) 5/5
296. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps (1979) 4/5
287. The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) 4/5
282. Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours (1955) 5/5
278. Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy (1973) 5/5*
274. The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968) 4/5
268. Randy Newman - Sail Away (1972) 5/5
264. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) 5/5*
259. Janis Joplin - Pearl (1971) 5/5*
258. Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975) 5/5*
256. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988) 5/5
255. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963) 4/5
254. Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters (1973) 4/5
251. Elton John - Honky Château (1972) 5/5
242. The Velvet Underground - Loaded (1970) 4/5
232. John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960) 5/5*
231. Tom Petty - Damn the Torpedoes (1979) 5/5
226. Derek and the Dominos - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) 5/5*
223. John Lennon - Imagine (1971) 4/5
220. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young - Déjà Vu (1970) 5/5
215. Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970) 5/5*

Wow, the list went down a little faster than I thought