Spin released their list of the 'Best 100 albums of the Past 25 Years' and I am, surprisingly, in agreement with much of the list. The compilation is a good mesh of rap/rock, the only shortcoming is a lack of inclusion of the country (note I didn't say alt country) genre.
#1 is OK Computer (Radiohead), that I haven't ever heard, as I am not struck by either RadioHead/Wilco/Coldplay, who have taken niche genres of music and delivered to the mainstream. Sadly, they are probably really good bands, but mass approval labels a band as 'mainstream', regardless the innovation a band brings to music. I prefer the more reclusive act, possessing the ability to experiment musically without alienating its fans (i.e. Jay Farrar to Jeff Tweedy).
Any best --> worst list is inherently subjective, while I think 'Aquemini' is much better than 'Stankonia', it is being argumentative at a granular level. Including both albums on the list is a sign of the ability of Outkast, vis a vis other acts who are accurately captured by their single groundbreaking album, not always the most popular. Spin absolutely nailed Weezer with Pinkerton, while I would have included the Blue Album, everything else has been garbage, and thus is not included.
I have included the full list as a comment, so as not to waste space on the main page.
2 comments:
1. Radiohead - OK Computer
2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
3. Nirvana - Nevermind
4. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted
5. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
6. The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
7. De La Soul - 3 Ft. High And Rising
8. Prince - Sign 'O' The Times
9. PJ Harvey - Rid Of Me
10. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
11. U2 - Achtung Baby
12. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
13. Husker Du - New Day Rising
14. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
15. Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
16. Beck - Odelay
17. Nas - Illmatic
18. Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
19. Hole - Live Through This
20. Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
21. Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
22. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
23. Outkast - Stankonia
24. Sleater Kinney - Dig Me Out
25. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
26. Bjork - Post
27. The Cure - The Head On The Door
28. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
29. Fugazi - 13 Songs
30. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
31. Dinosaur Jr. - You're Living All Over Me
32. The Replacements - Tim
33. Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
34. Elliott Smith - Either/Or
35. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
36. Pixies - Doolittle
37. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand
38. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
39. Lucinda Williams - s/t
40. Run D.M.C. - Raising Hell
41. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
42. Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
43. B.D.P. - Criminal Minded
44. Green Day - Dookie
45. Kanye West - College Dropout
46. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
47. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
48. Radiohead - Kid A
49. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of...
50. New Order - Low Life
51. Nirvana - In Utero
52. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
53. Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles
54. The Breeders - Last Splash
55. The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
56. PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love
57. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
58. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
59. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
60. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
61. Weezer - Pinkerton
62. Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
63. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
64. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
65. Basement Jaxx - Remedy
66. Outkast - Aquemini
67. Slayer - Reign In Blood
68. Tricky - Maxinquaye
69. DJ Shadow - Entroducing...
70. Jay-Z - The Blueprint
71. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
72. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
73. Pulp - Different Class
74. Portishead - Dummy
75. Le Tigre - s/t
76. Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
77. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
78. The Stone Roses - s/t
79. Moby - Everything Is Wrong
80. D'Angelo - Voodoo
81. Beck - Mellow Gold
82. Jeff Buckley - Grace
83. At The Drive-In - Relationship Of Command
84. Soundgarden - Superunknown
85. REM - Automatic For The People
86. Meat Puppets - Up On The Sun
87. Blur - Parklife
88. Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup
89. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
90. Sonic Youth - Sister
91. XTC - Skylarking
92. Big Black - Atomizer
93. Pearl Jam - Ten
94. Slint - Spiderland
95. Elastica - s/t
96. The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & The Lash
97. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
98. Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time
99. Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
100. The Strokes - Is This It
I'm pretty openminded when it comes to music, and I agree with you on how these best-worst lists are extremely subjective, but you have to wonder about the angle of this list. Or you have to wonder about the age of the person. It seems like they nailed some of the popular music from 85-95, but then blanked and just put some albumns on there that they heard was cool.
I won't nick pick on rankings, but they have some huge holes like:
U2-Joshua Tree or anyone of there 10 other albumns.
Black Crowes- This is just crazy that they were left off the list. Tom Petty- Wildflowers or Into the Great Wideopen.
Alice In Chains- If you are going to honor Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soudgarden, then you have to honor the original grunge band.
Tht Thes: See above but sub in grunge with Alternative
Midnight Oil: Everyone will deny it now, but this albumn was the shit back in high school.
Stereo MCs: One band that started to bring in techno to the public.
Albumns that are on the list but shouldn't be:
Beck- Mellow Gold- when this came out everyone thought it was just a one hit wonder.
The Breeders- Just a terrible albumn
Jesus and Mary Chain- Complete Crap.
Bjork- Have you actually listened to her?
D'Angelo- If he is on, then lets put on Michael Bolton
Two De La Soul albumns? What the Fuck?
two De La Soul albumns, Beck's Mellow gold, Jesus and Mary Chain, D'
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