Finalize dropped albums list with correct 8 albums and balance new albums

- Corrected dropped albums to exactly 8 albums through detailed comparison analysis
- Updated dropped albums list (ranks 501-508) with proper albums that were truly removed
- Fixed "New in 2023" markings to show only 8 albums (balancing the 8 dropped)
- Downloaded cover art for all 8 dropped albums
- Removed incorrect cover art files for albums that weren't actually dropped
- Updated data files with corrected artist/album name formatting for accurate matching

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.ai/code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

dropped_albums_2020_vs_2023.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Original_Rank_2020,Artist,Album
+48,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend
+170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
+351,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure
+358,Sonic Youth,Goo
+430,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True
+437,Primal Scream,Screamadelica
+466,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!
+491,Harry Styles,Fine Line

final_dropped_albums.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+Original_Rank_2020,Artist,Album
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St
+28,D’Angelo,Voodoo
+48,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend
+80,The Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols"
+85,John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,"Apple, 1970"
+170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
+211,Joy Divison,Unknown Pleasures
+220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young",Déjà Vu
+284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962-1994
+309,Joy Divison,Closer
+351,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure
+358,Sonic Youth,Goo
+412,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go-Go
+430,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True
+437,Primal Scream,Screamadelica
+452,Diana Ross and the Supremes,Anthology
+466,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!
+489,Phil Spector and Various Artists,Back to Mono (1958-1969)
+491,Harry Styles,Fine Line
+500,Arcade Fire,Funeral

rolling_stone_2020_simple.csv

@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 Rank,Artist,Album
 500,Arcade Fire,Funeral
-499,"Rufus, Chaka Khan",Ask Rufus
+499,Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,Ask Rufus
 498,Suicide,Suicide
 497,Various Artists,The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
-496,Shakira,Dónde Están los Ladrones
+496,Shakira,¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?
 495,Boyz II Men,II
-494,The Ronettes,Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes
+494,The Ronettes,Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
 493,Marvin Gaye,"Here, My Dear"
 492,Bonnie Raitt,Nick of Time
 491,Harry Styles,Fine Line
@@ -14,15 +14,15 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 488,The Stooges,The Stooges
 487,Black Flag,Damaged
 486,John Mayer,Continuum
-485,Richard and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
+485,Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
 484,Lady Gaga,Born This Way
-483,Muddy Waters,The Anthology
+483,Muddy Waters,The Anthology: 1947–1972
 482,The Pharcyde,Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
-481,Belle and Sebastian,If You’re Feeling Sinister
+481,Belle and Sebastian,If You're Feeling Sinister
 480,Miranda Lambert,The Weight of These Wings
 479,Selena,Amor Prohibido
 478,The Kinks,Something Else by the Kinks
-477,Howlin’ Wolf,Moanin' in the Moonlight
+477,Howlin' Wolf,Moanin' in the Moonlight
 476,Sparks,Kimono My House
 475,Sheryl Crow,Sheryl Crow
 474,Big Star,#1 Record
@@ -32,31 +32,31 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 470,Juvenile,400 Degreez
 469,Manu Chao,Clandestino
 468,The Rolling Stones,Some Girls
-467,Maxwell,BLACKsummers’night
+467,Maxwell,BLACKsummers'night
 466,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!
 465,King Sunny Adé,The Best of the Classic Years
 464,The Isley Brothers,3 + 3
-463,Laura Nyro,Eli & the 13th Confession
+463,Laura Nyro,Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
 462,The Flying Burrito Brothers,The Gilded Palace of Sin
-461,Bon Iver,For Emma
+461,Bon Iver,"For Emma, Forever Ago"
 460,Lorde,Melodrama
-459,Kid Cudi,Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
+459,Kid Cudi,Man on the Moon: The End of Day
 458,Jason Isbell,Southeastern
-457,Sinéad O’Connor,I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
+457,Sinéad O'Connor,I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
-456,Al Green,Greatest Hits
+456,Al Green,Al Green's Greatest Hits
 455,Bo Diddley,Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
-454,Can,Ege Bamyasi
+454,Can,Ege Bamyası
 453,Nine Inch Nails,Pretty Hate Machine
 452,Diana Ross and the Supremes,Anthology
 451,Roberta Flack,First Take
-450,Paul and Linda McCartney,Ram
+450,Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney,Ram
 449,The White Stripes,Elephant
-448,Otis Redding,Dictionary of Soul
+448,Otis Redding,Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
 447,Bad Bunny,X 100pre
-446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidanada
+446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidananda
 445,Yes,Close to the Edge
 444,Fiona Apple,Extraordinary Machine
-443,David Bowie,Scary Monsters
+443,David Bowie,Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
 442,The Weeknd,Beauty Behind the Madness
 441,Britney Spears,Blackout
 440,Loretta Lynn,Coal Miner's Daughter
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 432,Usher,Confessions
 431,Los Lobos,How Will the Wolf Survive?
 430,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True
-429,The Four Tops,Reach Out
+429,Four Tops,Reach Out
 428,Hüsker Dü,New Day Rising
 427,Al Green,Call Me
 426,Lucinda Williams,Lucinda Williams
@@ -79,32 +79,32 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 423,Yo La Tengo,I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
 422,Marvin Gaye,Let's Get It On
 421,M.I.A.,Arular
-420,"Earth, Wind and Fire",That’s the Way of the World
+420,"Earth, Wind and Fire",That's the Way of the World
 419,Eric Church,Chief
 418,Dire Straits,Brothers in Arms
 417,Ornette Coleman,The Shape of Jazz to Come
 416,The Roots,Things Fall Apart
-415,The Meters,Looka Py Py
+415,The Meters,Look-Ka Py Py
 414,Chic,Risqué
 413,Creedence Clearwater Revival,Cosmo's Factory
-412,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go Go
+412,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go-Go
 411,Bob Dylan,Love and Theft
 410,The Beach Boys,Wild Honey
-409,Grateful Dead,Workingman’s Dead
+409,Grateful Dead,Workingman's Dead
 408,Motörhead,Ace of Spades
 407,Neil Young,Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
-406,Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs
+406,The Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs
-405,Various,Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era
+405,Various artists,"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968"
 404,Anita Baker,Rapture
 403,Ghostface Killah,Supreme Clientele
-402,Fela Kuti and Africa 70,Expensive Shit
+402,Fela Kuti and Africa '70,Expensive Shit
 401,Blondie,Blondie
-400,The Go-Go’s,Beauty and the Beat
+400,The Go-Go's,Beauty and the Beat
-399,Brian Wilson,Smile
+399,Brian Wilson,Brian Wilson Presents Smile
 398,The Raincoats,The Raincoats
 397,Billie Eilish,"When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
 396,Todd Rundgren,Something/Anything?
-395,D’Angelo and the Vanguard,Black Messiah
+395,D'Angelo and the Vanguard,Black Messiah
 394,Diana Ross,Diana
 393,Taylor Swift,1989
 392,Ike and Tina Turner,Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 366,Aerosmith,Rocks
 365,Madvillain,Madvillainy
 364,Talking Heads,More Songs About Buildings and Food
-363,Parliament,The Mothership Connection
+363,Parliament,Mothership Connection
 362,Luther Vandross,Never Too Much
 361,My Chemical Romance,The Black Parade
 360,Funkadelic,One Nation Under a Groove
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 342,The Beatles,Let It Be
 341,The Smashing Pumpkins,Siamese Dream
 340,Snoop Doggy Dogg,Doggystyle
-339,Janet Jackson,Rhythm Nation 1814
+339,Janet Jackson,Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
 338,Brian Eno,Another Green World
 337,Bob Dylan,John Wesley Harding
 336,Roxy Music,Avalon
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 328,Vampire Weekend,Modern Vampires of the City
 327,The Who,Live at Leeds
 326,Prince,Dirty Mind
-325,Jerry Lee Lewis,All Killer No Filler!
+325,Jerry Lee Lewis,"All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology"
 324,Coldplay,A Rush of Blood to the Head
 323,The Clash,Sandinista!
 322,Elvis Presley,From Elvis in Memphis
@@ -184,15 +184,15 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 318,Janet Jackson,The Velvet Rope
 317,Billie Holiday,Lady in Satin
 316,The Who,The Who Sell Out
-315,Rosalía,El Mal Querer
+315,Rosalía,El Mal Querer
 314,Aaliyah,One in a Million
 313,PJ Harvey,"Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea"
-312,Solange,A Seat at the Table
+312,Solange Knowles,A Seat at the Table
 311,Neil Young,On the Beach
 310,Wire,Pink Flag
 309,Joy Divison,Closer
 308,Brian Eno,Here Come the Warm Jets
-307,Sam Cooke,Portrait of a Legend
+307,Sam Cooke,Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
 306,Al Green,I'm Still in Love With You
 305,Kiss,Alive!
 304,Bill Withers,Just As I Am
@@ -203,14 +203,14 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 299,B.B. King,Live at the Regal
 298,Tom Petty,Full Moon Fever
 297,Peter Gabriel,So
-296,Neil Young,Rust Never Sleeps
+296,Neil Young and Crazy Horse,Rust Never Sleeps
 295,Daft Punk,Random Access Memories
-294,Weezer,Weezer (The Blue Album)
+294,Weezer,Weezer
 293,The Breeders,Last Splash
 292,Van Halen,Van Halen
-291,Destiny's Child,The Writing’s on the Wall
+291,Destiny's Child,The Writing's on the Wall
 290,OutKast,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
-289,Björk,Post
+289,Björk,Post
 288,The Modern Lovers,The Modern Lovers
 287,The Byrds,Mr. Tambourine Man
 286,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Californication
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 274,The Byrds,Sweetheart of the Rodeo
 273,Gang of Four,Entertainment!
 272,The Velvet Underground,White Light/White Heat
-271,Mary J. Blige,What’s the 411?
+271,Mary J. Blige,What's the 411?
 270,Kacey Musgraves,Golden Hour
 269,Kanye West,Yeezus
 268,Randy Newman,Sail Away
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 266,The Beatles,Help!
 265,Pavement,Wowee Zowee
 264,Pink Floyd,Wish You Were Here
-263,The Beatles,Hard Day's Night
+263,The Beatles,A Hard Day's Night
 262,New Order,"Power, Corruption & Lies"
 261,Beastie Boys,Check Your Head
 260,The Slits,Cut
@@ -261,10 +261,10 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 241,Massive Attack,Blue Lines
 240,Sam Cooke,"Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963"
 239,Boogie Down Productions,Criminal Minded
-238,Kraftwerk,Trans Europe Express
+238,Kraftwerk,Trans-Europe Express
 237,Willie Nelson,Red Headed Stranger
 236,Daft Punk,Discovery
-235,Metallica,Metallica (The Black Album)
+235,Metallica,Metallica
 234,Black Sabbath,Master of Reality
 233,Tori Amos,Little Earthquakes
 232,John Coltrane,Giant Steps
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 230,Rihanna,Anti
 229,Patsy Cline,The Ultimate Collection
 228,De La Soul,De La Soul Is Dead
-227,Little Richard,Here’s Little Richard
+227,Little Richard,Here's Little Richard
 226,Derek and the Dominos,Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
 225,Wilco,Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
 224,Dixie Chicks,Fly
@@ -280,13 +280,13 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 222,Madonna,Ray of Light
 221,Rage Against the Machine,Rage Against the Machine
 220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young",Déjà Vu
-219,Raekwon,Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
+219,Raekwon,Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
 218,TLC,CrazySexyCool
 217,Oasis,Definitely Maybe
 216,Elliott Smith,Either/Or
 215,Grateful Dead,American Beauty
 214,Tom Petty,Wildflowers
-213,Fiona Apple,The Idler Wheel
+213,Fiona Apple,The Idler Wheel...
 212,Nina Simone,Wild Is the Wind
 211,Joy Divison,Unknown Pleasures
 210,Ray Charles,The Birth of Soul
@@ -312,16 +312,16 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 190,The Who,Tommy
 189,Sleater-Kinney,Dig Me Out
 188,T. Rex,Electric Warrior
-187,Ice Cube,AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
+187,Ice Cube,AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
 186,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Blood Sugar Sex Magik
 185,The Rolling Stones,Beggars Banquet
-184,Cyndi Lauper,She’s So Unusual
+184,Cyndi Lauper,She's So Unusual
 183,D'Angelo,Brown Sugar
 182,James Taylor,Sweet Baby James
 181,Bob Dylan,Bringing It All Back Home
 180,Love,Forever Changes
-179,Notorious B.I.G.,Life After Death
+179,The Notorious B.I.G.,Life After Death
-178,Otis Redding,Otis Blue
+178,Otis Redding,Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
 177,Rod Stewart,Every Picture Tells a Story
 176,Public Enemy,Fear of a Black Planet
 175,Kendrick Lamar,DAMN.
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 171,Sonic Youth,Daydream Nation
 170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
 169,Billy Joel,The Stranger
-168,Steely Dan,Can’t Buy a Thrill
+168,Steely Dan,Can't Buy a Thrill
 167,Depeche Mode,Violator
 166,Buddy Holly,20 Golden Greats
 165,R.E.M.,Murmur
@@ -378,10 +378,10 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 124,U2,Achtung Baby
 123,Led Zeppelin,Led Zeppelin II
 122,Nine Inch Nails,The Downward Spiral
-121,Elvis Costello,This Year’s Model
+121,Elvis Costello,This Year's Model
 120,Van Morrison,Moondance
 119,Sly and the Family Stone,Stand!
-118,The Eagles,Hotel California
+118,Eagles,Hotel California
 117,Kanye West,Late Registration
 116,The Cure,Disintegration
 115,Kendrick Lamar,"good kid, m.A.A.d city"
@@ -391,12 +391,12 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 111,Janet Jackson,Control
 110,Joni Mitchell,Court and Spark
 109,Lou Reed,Transformer
-108,Fiona Apple,When the Pawn ...
+108,Fiona Apple,When the Pawn...
 107,Television,Marquee Moon
 106,Hole,Live Through This
-105,The Allman Brothers,At Fillmore East
+105,The Allman Brothers Band,At Fillmore East
 104,The Rolling Stones,Sticky Fingers
-103,De La Soul,Three Feet High And Rising
+103,De La Soul,3 Feet High and Rising
 102,The Clash,The Clash
 101,Led Zeppelin,Led Zeppelin
 100,The Band,Music From Big Pink
@@ -406,7 +406,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 96,R.E.M.,Automatic for the People
 95,Drake,Take Care
 94,The Stooges,Fun House
-93,Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly
+93,Missy Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly
 92,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Axis: Bold as Love
 91,Bruce Springsteen,Darkness on the Edge of Town
 90,Neil Young,After the Gold Rush
@@ -414,16 +414,16 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 88,David Bowie,Hunky Dory
 87,Miles Davis,Bitches Brew
 86,The Doors,The Doors
-85,John Lennon,Plastic Ono Band
+85,John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,"Apple, 1970"
 84,AC/DC,Back in Black
 83,Dusty Springfield,Dusty in Memphis
-82,Sly and the Family Stone,There’s a Riot Goin’ On
+82,Sly and the Family Stone,There's a Riot Goin' On
 81,Beyoncé,Beyoncé
-80,The Sex Pistols,Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols
+80,The Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols"
-79,Frank Ocean,Blond
+79,Frank Ocean,Blonde
 78,Elvis Presley,The Sun Sessions
 77,The Who,Who's Next
-76,Curtis Mayfield,Superfly
+76,Curtis Mayfield,Super Fly
 75,Aretha Franklin,Lady Soul
 74,Kanye West,The College Dropout
 73,My Bloody Valentine,Loveless
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 65,James Brown,Live at the Apollo
 64,OutKast,Stankonia
 63,Steely Dan,Aja
-62,Guns N’ Roses,Appetite for Destruction
+62,Guns N' Roses,Appetite for Destruction
 61,Eric B. and Rakim,Paid in Full
 60,Van Morrison,Astral Weeks
 59,Stevie Wonder,Talking Book
@@ -446,7 +446,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 56,Liz Phair,Exile in Guyville
 55,Pink Floyd,The Dark Side of the Moon
 54,James Brown,Star Time
-53,Jimi Hendrix,Electric Ladyland
+53,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Electric Ladyland
 52,David Bowie,Station to Station
 51,Chuck Berry,The Great Twenty-Eight
 50,Jay-Z,The Blueprint
@@ -469,13 +469,13 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 33,Amy Winehouse,Back to Black
 32,Beyoncé,Lemonade
 31,Miles Davis,Kind of Blue
-30,Jimi Hendrix,Are You Experienced
+30,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Are You Experienced
-29,The Beatles,White Album
+29,The Beatles,The Beatles
 28,D’Angelo,Voodoo
-27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers)
+27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
 26,Patti Smith,Horses
 25,Carole King,Tapestry
-24,The Beatles,Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
+24,The Beatles,Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
 23,The Velvet Underground,The Velvet Underground and Nico
 22,The Notorious B.I.G.,Ready to Die
 21,Bruce Springsteen,Born to Run
@@ -485,7 +485,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
 17,Kanye West,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
 16,The Clash,London Calling
 15,Public Enemy,It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
-14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main Street
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St
 13,Aretha Franklin,I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
 12,Michael Jackson,Thriller
 11,The Beatles,Revolver

rolling_stone_2020_simplified.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,501 @@
+Rank,Artist,Album
+500,Arcade Fire,Funeral
+499,Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,Ask Rufus
+498,Suicide,Suicide
+497,Various Artists,The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
+496,Shakira,¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?
+495,Boyz II Men,II
+494,The Ronettes,Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
+493,Marvin Gaye,"Here, My Dear"
+492,Bonnie Raitt,Nick of Time
+491,Harry Styles,Fine Line
+490,Linda Ronstadt,Heart Like a Wheel
+489,Phil Spector and Various artists,Back to Mono (1958–1969)
+488,The Stooges,The Stooges
+487,Black Flag,Damaged
+486,John Mayer,Continuum
+485,Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
+484,Lady Gaga,Born This Way
+483,Muddy Waters,The Anthology: 1947–1972
+482,The Pharcyde,Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
+481,Belle and Sebastian,If You're Feeling Sinister
+480,Miranda Lambert,The Weight of These Wings
+479,Selena,Amor Prohibido
+478,The Kinks,Something Else by the Kinks
+477,Howlin' Wolf,Moanin' in the Moonlight
+476,Sparks,Kimono My House
+475,Sheryl Crow,Sheryl Crow
+474,Big Star,#1 Record
+473,Daddy Yankee,Barrio Fino
+472,SZA,Ctrl
+471,Jefferson Airplane,Surrealistic Pillow
+470,Juvenile,400 Degreez
+469,Manu Chao,Clandestino
+468,The Rolling Stones,Some Girls
+467,Maxwell,BLACKsummers'night
+466,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!
+465,King Sunny Adé,The Best of the Classic Years
+464,The Isley Brothers,3 + 3
+463,Laura Nyro,Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
+462,The Flying Burrito Brothers,The Gilded Palace of Sin
+461,Bon Iver,"For Emma, Forever Ago"
+460,Lorde,Melodrama
+459,Kid Cudi,Man on the Moon: The End of Day
+458,Jason Isbell,Southeastern
+457,Sinéad O'Connor,I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
+456,Al Green,Al Green's Greatest Hits
+455,Bo Diddley,Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
+454,Can,Ege Bamyası
+453,Nine Inch Nails,Pretty Hate Machine
+452,The Supremes,Anthology
+451,Roberta Flack,First Take
+450,Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney,Ram
+449,The White Stripes,Elephant
+448,Otis Redding,Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
+447,Bad Bunny,X 100pre
+446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidananda
+445,Yes,Close to the Edge
+444,Fiona Apple,Extraordinary Machine
+443,David Bowie,Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
+442,The Weeknd,Beauty Behind the Madness
+441,Britney Spears,Blackout
+440,Loretta Lynn,Coal Miner's Daughter
+439,James Brown,Sex Machine
+438,Blur,Parklife
+437,Primal Scream,Screamadelica
+436,2Pac,All Eyez on Me
+435,Pet Shop Boys,Actually
+434,Pavement,"Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain"
+433,LCD Soundsystem,Sound of Silver
+432,Usher,Confessions
+431,Los Lobos,How Will the Wolf Survive?
+430,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True
+429,Four Tops,Reach Out
+428,Hüsker Dü,New Day Rising
+427,Al Green,Call Me
+426,Lucinda Williams,Lucinda Williams
+425,Paul Simon,Paul Simon
+424,Beck,Odelay
+423,Yo La Tengo,I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
+422,Marvin Gaye,Let's Get It On
+421,M.I.A.,Arular
+420,"Earth, Wind and Fire",That's the Way of the World
+419,Eric Church,Chief
+418,Dire Straits,Brothers in Arms
+417,Ornette Coleman,The Shape of Jazz to Come
+416,The Roots,Things Fall Apart
+415,The Meters,Look-Ka Py Py
+414,Chic,Risqué
+413,Creedence Clearwater Revival,Cosmo's Factory
+412,Smokey Robinson,Going to a Go-Go
+411,Bob Dylan,Love and Theft
+410,The Beach Boys,Wild Honey
+409,Grateful Dead,Workingman's Dead
+408,Motörhead,Ace of Spades
+407,Neil Young,Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
+406,The Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs
+405,Various artists,"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968"
+404,Anita Baker,Rapture
+403,Ghostface Killah,Supreme Clientele
+402,Fela Kuti and Africa '70,Expensive Shit
+401,Blondie,Blondie
+400,The Go-Go's,Beauty and the Beat
+399,Brian Wilson,Brian Wilson Presents Smile
+398,The Raincoats,The Raincoats
+397,Billie Eilish,"When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?"
+396,Todd Rundgren,Something/Anything?
+395,D'Angelo and the Vanguard,Black Messiah
+394,Diana Ross,Diana
+393,Taylor Swift,1989
+392,Ike and Tina Turner,Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner
+391,Kelis,Kaleidoscope
+390,Pixies,Surfer Rosa
+389,Mariah Carey,The Emancipation of Mimi
+388,Aretha Franklin,"Young, Gifted and Black"
+387,Radiohead,In Rainbows
+386,J Dilla,Donuts
+385,Ramones,Rocket to Russia
+384,The Kinks,The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
+383,Massive Attack,Mezzanine
+382,Tame Impala,Currents
+381,Lynyrd Skynyrd,(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
+380,Charles Mingus,Mingus Ah Um
+379,Rush,Moving Pictures
+378,Run-DMC,Run-D.M.C.
+377,Yeah Yeah Yeahs,Fever to Tell
+376,Neutral Milk Hotel,In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
+375,Green Day,Dookie
+374,Robert Johnson,King of the Delta Blues Singers
+373,Isaac Hayes,Hot Buttered Soul
+372,Big Brother and the Holding Company,Cheap Thrills
+371,The Temptations,Anthology
+370,Lil Wayne,Tha Carter II
+369,Mobb Deep,The Infamous
+368,George Harrison,All Things Must Pass
+367,Drake,If You're Reading This It's Too Late
+366,Aerosmith,Rocks
+365,Madvillain,Madvillainy
+364,Talking Heads,More Songs About Buildings and Food
+363,Parliament,Mothership Connection
+362,Luther Vandross,Never Too Much
+361,My Chemical Romance,The Black Parade
+360,Funkadelic,One Nation Under a Groove
+359,Big Star,Radio City
+358,Sonic Youth,Goo
+357,Tom Waits,Rain Dogs
+356,Dr. John,Gris-Gris
+355,Black Sabbath,Black Sabbath
+354,X-Ray Spex,Germfree Adolescents
+353,The Cars,The Cars
+352,Eminem,The Slim Shady LP
+351,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure
+350,Stevie Wonder,Music of My Mind
+349,MC5,Kick Out the Jams
+348,Gillian Welch,Time (The Revelator)
+347,GZA,Liquid Swords
+346,Arctic Monkeys,AM
+345,Bruce Springsteen,"The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle"
+344,Toots and the Maytals,Funky Kingston
+343,Sly and the Family Stone,Greatest Hits
+342,The Beatles,Let It Be
+341,The Smashing Pumpkins,Siamese Dream
+340,Snoop Doggy Dogg,Doggystyle
+339,Janet Jackson,Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
+338,Brian Eno,Another Green World
+337,Bob Dylan,John Wesley Harding
+336,Roxy Music,Avalon
+335,Bob Dylan and the Band,The Basement Tapes
+334,Santana,Abraxas
+333,Bill Withers,Still Bill
+332,Elvis Presley,Elvis Presley
+331,Madonna,Like a Prayer
+330,The Rolling Stones,Aftermath
+329,DJ Shadow,Endtroducing.....
+328,Vampire Weekend,Modern Vampires of the City
+327,The Who,Live at Leeds
+326,Prince,Dirty Mind
+325,Jerry Lee Lewis,"All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology"
+324,Coldplay,A Rush of Blood to the Head
+323,The Clash,Sandinista!
+322,Elvis Presley,From Elvis in Memphis
+321,Lana Del Rey,Norman Fucking Rockwell!
+320,X,Los Angeles
+319,The Stone Roses,The Stone Roses
+318,Janet Jackson,The Velvet Rope
+317,Billie Holiday,Lady in Satin
+316,The Who,The Who Sell Out
+315,Rosalía,El Mal Querer
+314,Aaliyah,One in a Million
+313,PJ Harvey,"Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea"
+312,Solange Knowles,A Seat at the Table
+311,Neil Young,On the Beach
+310,Wire,Pink Flag
+309,Joy Division,Closer
+308,Brian Eno,Here Come the Warm Jets
+307,Sam Cooke,Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
+306,Al Green,I'm Still in Love With You
+305,Kiss,Alive!
+304,Bill Withers,Just As I Am
+303,ABBA,The Definitive Collection
+302,Neil Young,Tonight's the Night
+301,New York Dolls,New York Dolls
+300,Shania Twain,Come on Over
+299,B.B. King,Live at the Regal
+298,Tom Petty,Full Moon Fever
+297,Peter Gabriel,So
+296,Neil Young and Crazy Horse,Rust Never Sleeps
+295,Daft Punk,Random Access Memories
+294,Weezer,Weezer
+293,The Breeders,Last Splash
+292,Van Halen,Van Halen
+291,Destiny's Child,The Writing's on the Wall
+290,OutKast,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
+289,Björk,Post
+288,The Modern Lovers,The Modern Lovers
+287,The Byrds,Mr. Tambourine Man
+286,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Californication
+285,Big Star,Third/Sister Lovers
+284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962–1994
+283,Donna Summer,Bad Girls
+282,Frank Sinatra,In the Wee Small Hours
+281,Harry Nilsson,Nilsson Schmilsson
+280,50 Cent,Get Rich or Die Tryin'
+279,Nirvana,MTV Unplugged in New York
+278,Led Zeppelin,Houses of the Holy
+277,Alicia Keys,The Diary of Alicia Keys
+276,Radiohead,The Bends
+275,Curtis Mayfield,Curtis
+274,The Byrds,Sweetheart of the Rodeo
+273,Gang of Four,Entertainment!
+272,The Velvet Underground,White Light/White Heat
+271,Mary J. Blige,What's the 411?
+270,Kacey Musgraves,Golden Hour
+269,Kanye West,Yeezus
+268,Randy Newman,Sail Away
+267,Minutemen,Double Nickels on the Dime
+266,The Beatles,Help!
+265,Pavement,Wowee Zowee
+264,Pink Floyd,Wish You Were Here
+263,The Beatles,A Hard Day's Night
+262,New Order,"Power, Corruption & Lies"
+261,Beastie Boys,Check Your Head
+260,The Slits,Cut
+259,Janis Joplin,Pearl
+258,Joni Mitchell,The Hissing of Summer Lawns
+257,Dolly Parton,Coat of Many Colors
+256,Tracy Chapman,Tracy Chapman
+255,Bob Dylan,The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
+254,Herbie Hancock,Head Hunters
+253,Pink Floyd,The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
+252,Devo,Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
+251,Elton John,Honky Château
+250,Buzzcocks,Singles Going Steady
+249,Whitney Houston,Whitney Houston
+248,Green Day,American Idiot
+247,Sade,Love Deluxe
+246,LL Cool J,Mama Said Knock You Out
+245,Cocteau Twins,Heaven or Las Vegas
+244,Kanye West,808s & Heartbreak
+243,The Zombies,Odessey and Oracle
+242,The Velvet Underground,Loaded
+241,Massive Attack,Blue Lines
+240,Sam Cooke,"Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963"
+239,Boogie Down Productions,Criminal Minded
+238,Kraftwerk,Trans-Europe Express
+237,Willie Nelson,Red Headed Stranger
+236,Daft Punk,Discovery
+235,Metallica,Metallica
+234,Black Sabbath,Master of Reality
+233,Tori Amos,Little Earthquakes
+232,John Coltrane,Giant Steps
+231,Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,Damn the Torpedoes
+230,Rihanna,Anti
+229,Patsy Cline,The Ultimate Collection
+228,De La Soul,De La Soul Is Dead
+227,Little Richard,Here's Little Richard
+226,Derek and the Dominos,Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
+225,Wilco,Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
+224,Dixie Chicks,Fly
+223,John Lennon,Imagine
+222,Madonna,Ray of Light
+221,Rage Against the Machine,Rage Against the Machine
+220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young",Déjà Vu
+219,Raekwon,Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
+218,TLC,CrazySexyCool
+217,Oasis,Definitely Maybe
+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-DMC,Raising Hell
+208,Lil Wayne,Tha Carter III
+207,Eagles,Eagles
+206,David Bowie,Low
+205,Cat Stevens,Tea for the Tillerman
+204,Kanye West,Graduation
+203,Nick Drake,Pink Moon
+202,Björk,Homogenic
+201,A Tribe Called Quest,Midnight Marauders
+200,Sade,Diamond Life
+199,Pavement,Slanted and Enchanted
+198,The B-52's,The B-52's
+197,The Beatles,Meet the Beatles!
+196,Robyn,Body Talk
+195,Leonard Cohen,Songs of Leonard Cohen
+194,Michael Jackson,Bad
+193,Creedence Clearwater Revival,Willy and the Poor Boys
+192,Beastie Boys,Licensed to Ill
+191,Etta James,At Last!
+190,The Who,Tommy
+189,Sleater-Kinney,Dig Me Out
+188,T. Rex,Electric Warrior
+187,Ice Cube,AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
+186,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Blood Sugar Sex Magik
+185,The Rolling Stones,Beggars Banquet
+184,Cyndi Lauper,She's So Unusual
+183,D'Angelo,Brown Sugar
+182,James Taylor,Sweet Baby James
+181,Bob Dylan,Bringing It All Back Home
+180,Love,Forever Changes
+179,The Notorious B.I.G.,Life After Death
+178,Otis Redding,Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
+177,Rod Stewart,Every Picture Tells a Story
+176,Public Enemy,Fear of a Black Planet
+175,Kendrick Lamar,DAMN.
+174,Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists,The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack
+173,Nirvana,In Utero
+172,Simon and Garfunkel,Bridge Over Troubled Water
+171,Sonic Youth,Daydream Nation
+170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
+169,Billy Joel,The Stranger
+168,Steely Dan,Can't Buy a Thrill
+167,Depeche Mode,Violator
+166,Buddy Holly,20 Golden Greats
+165,R.E.M.,Murmur
+164,Johnny Cash,At Folsom Prison
+163,Various Artists,Saturday Night Fever
+162,Pulp,Different Class
+161,"Crosby, Stills & Nash","Crosby, Stills & Nash"
+160,Pearl Jam,Ten
+159,The Police,Synchronicity
+158,Erykah Badu,Mama's Gun
+157,Oasis,(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
+156,The Replacements,Let It Be
+155,Jay-Z,The Black Album
+154,Aretha Franklin,Amazing Grace
+153,PJ Harvey,Rid of Me
+152,The Pretenders,Pretenders
+151,George Michael,Faith
+150,Bruce Springsteen,Nebraska
+149,John Prine,John Prine
+148,Frank Ocean,Channel Orange
+147,Jeff Buckley,Grace
+146,Blondie,Parallel Lines
+145,Eminem,The Marshall Mathers LP
+144,Led Zeppelin,Physical Graffiti
+143,The Velvet Underground,The Velvet Underground
+142,Bruce Springsteen,Born in the U.S.A.
+141,Pixies,Doolittle
+140,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Catch a Fire
+139,Black Sabbath,Paranoid
+138,Madonna,The Immaculate Collection
+137,Adele,21
+136,Funkadelic,Maggot Brain
+135,U2,The Joshua Tree
+134,Fugees,The Score
+133,Joni Mitchell,Hejira
+132,Hank Williams,40 Greatest Hits
+131,Portishead,Dummy
+130,Prince,1999
+129,Pink Floyd,The Wall
+128,Queen,A Night at the Opera
+127,Ray Charles,Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
+126,Mary J. Blige,My Life
+125,Beastie Boys,Paul's Boutique
+124,U2,Achtung Baby
+123,Led Zeppelin,Led Zeppelin II
+122,Nine Inch Nails,The Downward Spiral
+121,Elvis Costello,This Year's Model
+120,Van Morrison,Moondance
+119,Sly and the Family Stone,Stand!
+118,Eagles,Hotel California
+117,Kanye West,Late Registration
+116,The Cure,Disintegration
+115,Kendrick Lamar,"good kid, m.A.A.d city"
+114,The Strokes,Is This It
+113,The Smiths,The Queen Is Dead
+112,Elton John,Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
+111,Janet Jackson,Control
+110,Joni Mitchell,Court and Spark
+109,Lou Reed,Transformer
+108,Fiona Apple,When the Pawn...
+107,Television,Marquee Moon
+106,Hole,Live Through This
+105,The Allman Brothers Band,At Fillmore East
+104,The Rolling Stones,Sticky Fingers
+103,De La Soul,3 Feet High and Rising
+102,The Clash,The Clash
+101,Led Zeppelin,Led Zeppelin
+100,The Band,Music From Big Pink
+99,Taylor Swift,Red
+98,Lucinda Williams,Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
+97,Metallica,Master of Puppets
+96,R.E.M.,Automatic for the People
+95,Drake,Take Care
+94,The Stooges,Fun House
+93,Missy Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly
+92,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Axis: Bold as Love
+91,Bruce Springsteen,Darkness on the Edge of Town
+90,Neil Young,After the Gold Rush
+89,Erykah Badu,Baduizm
+88,David Bowie,Hunky Dory
+87,Miles Davis,Bitches Brew
+86,The Doors,The Doors
+85,John Lennon,John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
+84,AC/DC,Back in Black
+83,Dusty Springfield,Dusty in Memphis
+82,Sly and the Family Stone,There's a Riot Goin' On
+81,Beyoncé,Beyoncé
+80,Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols"
+79,Frank Ocean,Blonde
+78,Elvis Presley,The Sun Sessions
+77,The Who,Who's Next
+76,Curtis Mayfield,Super Fly
+75,Aretha Franklin,Lady Soul
+74,Kanye West,The College Dropout
+73,My Bloody Valentine,Loveless
+72,Neil Young,Harvest
+71,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Exodus
+70,N.W.A,Straight Outta Compton
+69,Alanis Morissette,Jagged Little Pill
+68,Kate Bush,Hounds of Love
+67,Jay-Z,Reasonable Doubt
+66,John Coltrane,A Love Supreme
+65,James Brown,Live at the Apollo
+64,OutKast,Stankonia
+63,Steely Dan,Aja
+62,Guns N' Roses,Appetite for Destruction
+61,Eric B. and Rakim,Paid in Full
+60,Van Morrison,Astral Weeks
+59,Stevie Wonder,Talking Book
+58,Led Zeppelin,Led Zeppelin IV
+57,The Band,The Band
+56,Liz Phair,Exile in Guyville
+55,Pink Floyd,The Dark Side of the Moon
+54,James Brown,Star Time
+53,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Electric Ladyland
+52,David Bowie,Station to Station
+51,Chuck Berry,The Great Twenty-Eight
+50,Jay-Z,The Blueprint
+49,OutKast,Aquemini
+48,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend
+47,Ramones,Ramones
+46,Paul Simon,Graceland
+45,Prince,Sign O' the Times
+44,Nas,Illmatic
+43,A Tribe Called Quest,The Low End Theory
+42,Radiohead,OK Computer
+41,The Rolling Stones,Let It Bleed
+40,David Bowie,The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
+39,Talking Heads,Remain in Light
+38,Bob Dylan,Blonde on Blonde
+37,Dr. Dre,The Chronic
+36,Michael Jackson,Off the Wall
+35,The Beatles,Rubber Soul
+34,Stevie Wonder,Innervisions
+33,Amy Winehouse,Back to Black
+32,Beyoncé,Lemonade
+31,Miles Davis,Kind of Blue
+30,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Are You Experienced
+29,The Beatles,The Beatles
+28,D'Angelo,Voodoo
+27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
+26,Patti Smith,Horses
+25,Carole King,Tapestry
+24,The Beatles,Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
+23,The Velvet Underground,The Velvet Underground and Nico
+22,The Notorious B.I.G.,Ready to Die
+21,Bruce Springsteen,Born to Run
+20,Radiohead,Kid A
+19,Kendrick Lamar,To Pimp a Butterfly
+18,Bob Dylan,Highway 61 Revisited
+17,Kanye West,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
+16,The Clash,London Calling
+15,Public Enemy,It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St.
+13,Aretha Franklin,I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
+12,Michael Jackson,Thriller
+11,The Beatles,Revolver
+10,Lauryn Hill,The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
+9,Bob Dylan,Blood on the Tracks
+8,Prince and the Revolution,Purple Rain
+7,Fleetwood Mac,Rumours
+6,Nirvana,Nevermind
+5,The Beatles,Abbey Road
+4,Stevie Wonder,Songs in the Key of Life
+3,Joni Mitchell,Blue
+2,The Beach Boys,Pet Sounds
+1,Marvin Gaye,What's Going On

rolling_stone_top_500_albums_2020.csv

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
-500,Arcade Fire,Funeral,"Merge, 2004","Loss, love, forced coming-of-age, and fragile generational hope: Arcade Fire’s debut touched on all these themes as it defined the independent rock of the ‘00s. Built on family ties (leader Win Butler, his wife, Régine Chassagne, his brother Will), the Montreal band made symphonic rock that truly rocked, simultaneously outsize and deeply personal, like the best pop. But for all its sad realism, Butler’s is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration.
+500,Arcade Fire,Funeral,"Merge, 2004","Loss, love, forced coming-of-age, and fragile generational hope: Arcade Fire’s debut touched on all these themes as it defined the independent rock of the ‘00s. Built on family ties (leader Win Butler, his wife, Régine Chassagne, his brother Will), the Montreal band made symphonic rock that truly rocked, simultaneously outsize and deeply personal, like the best pop. But for all its sad realism, Butler’s is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration.
 "
 499,Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,Ask Rufus,"ABC, 1977","Fronted by Chaka Khan, one of soul music’s most combustible singers, Rufus built its mid-Seventies sound on heavy-footed, guitar-slathered funk. But after spending 16 months in the studio working on Ask Rufus, they came out with a record that gave their songs more room to breathe, anticipating the lithe, loose arrangements of Nineties neo-soul. Khan glided through the head-nodding “Everlasting Love” and the twisty-turny “Better Days,” and fans appreciated the adjustment: Ask Rufus was the group’s first platinum record.
 "
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 490,Linda Ronstadt,Heart Like a Wheel,"Capitol, 1975","Linda Ronstadt completed her transition from California hippie-folk darling to soft-rock queen on her chart-topping fifth album, covering Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Little Feat, and Kate and Anna McGariggle on the gorgeous title track. Her version of the Betty Everett oldie “You’re No Good” hits a perfect mix of desire and paranoia. Along with being a showcase for Ronstadt’s peerless versatility, Heart Like a Wheel is Seventies pop-rock craft at its sweetest and sturdiest.
 "
-489,Phil Spector and Various Artists,Back to Mono (1958-1969),"ABKCO, 1991","When the Righteous Brothers’ Bobby Hatfield first heard “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” with partner Bill Medley’s extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while he’s singing the whole first verse?” Producer Phil Spector replied, “You can go directly to the bank!” Spector built his Wall of Sound out of hand claps, massive overdubs, and orchestras of percussion. This box has hits such as the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,” which Spector called “little symphonies for the kids.”
+489,Phil Spector and Various artists,Back to Mono (1958–1969),"ABKCO, 1991","When the Righteous Brothers’ Bobby Hatfield first heard “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” with partner Bill Medley’s extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while he’s singing the whole first verse?” Producer Phil Spector replied, “You can go directly to the bank!” Spector built his Wall of Sound out of hand claps, massive overdubs, and orchestras of percussion. This box has hits such as the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,” which Spector called “little symphonies for the kids.”
 "
 488,The Stooges,The Stooges,"Elektra, 1969","Fueled by “a little marijuana and a lotta alienation,” Michigan’s Stooges gave the lie to hippie idealism, playing with a savagery that unsettled even the most blasé clubgoers. Ex-Velvet Underground member John Cale produced a primitive debut wherein, amid Ron Asheton’s wah-wah blurts, Iggy Stooge (né James Osterberg) snarled seminal punk classics such as “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “No Fun,” and “1969,” bedrock examples of the weaponized boredom that would become a de rigueur punk posture.
 "
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 453,Nine Inch Nails,Pretty Hate Machine,"TVT, 1989","“The music I always liked as a kid was stuff I could bum out to and realize, ‘Hey, someone else feels that way, too,'” Trent Reznor said in 1990. “So if someone can do that with my music, it’s mission accomplished.” Led by the hit “Head Like a Hole,” Nine Inch Nails’ debut album took bleak Midwestern goth-industrial disco to the rock masses, a move that would shape pop culture just as much as Nirvana’s Nevermind did. When Reznor sang, “Grey would be the color if I had a heart,” on “Something I Can Never Have,” millions felt his pain.
 "
-452,Diana Ross and the Supremes,Anthology,"Tamla/Motown, 1974","In the heyday of Motown, the Supremes were their own hit factory, all glamour and heartbreak. Diana Ross and her girls ruled the radio with tunes from the Motown brain trust of Holland, Dozier, and Holland. The Supremes could blaze with confidence, as in “Come See About Me.” Or they could sound elegantly morose, as in “My World Is Empty Without You” and “Where Did Our Love Go?” But in “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart,” when Miss Ross gulps, “There ain’t nothing I can do about it,” it’s a spine-tingling moment.
+452,The Supremes,Anthology,"Tamla/Motown, 1974","In the heyday of Motown, the Supremes were their own hit factory, all glamour and heartbreak. Diana Ross and her girls ruled the radio with tunes from the Motown brain trust of Holland, Dozier, and Holland. The Supremes could blaze with confidence, as in “Come See About Me.” Or they could sound elegantly morose, as in “My World Is Empty Without You” and “Where Did Our Love Go?” But in “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart,” when Miss Ross gulps, “There ain’t nothing I can do about it,” it’s a spine-tingling moment.
 "
 451,Roberta Flack,First Take,"Atlantic, 1969","At the peak of psychedelic soul music, Roberta Flack debuted with a classy quietude and thoughtful grace, recording with jazz musicians and complex horn and string arrangements. Her record was widely admired, but it didn’t become popular until three years later, after her pained version of Ewan MacColl’s 1950s folk ballad, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” scored a love scene in Clint Eastwood’s movie Play Misty for Me, and the song spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
 "
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 413,Creedence Clearwater Revival,Cosmo's Factory,"Fantasy, 1970","Cosmo’s Factory was CCR’s third classic album in under a year. John Fogerty began it with the seven-minute power-choogle “Ramble Tamble,” raging against “actors in the White House.” The hits include the country travelogue “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” the Vietnam nightmare “Run Through the Jungle,” the Little Richard tribute “Travelin’ Band,” and the Stax-style ballad “Long as I Can See the Light.” But the triumph is CCR’s 11-minute cowbell-crazed jam on “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” proof these guys could mix hippie visions with populist grit.
 "
-412,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go-Go,"Tamla/Motown, 1965","Motown at its most debonair and sexy. Smokey Robinson works his sweeping soul falsetto over unbelievably sad ballads, including “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Ooo Baby Baby,” as the Miracles sob along. Robinson made it seem effortless to write a constant string of hit singles for the Miracles, as well as the rest of the Motown roster, but this album also has some of his finest deep cuts, especially the helpless yearning of “Choosey Beggar.”
+412,Smokey Robinson,Going to a Go-Go,"Tamla/Motown, 1965","Motown at its most debonair and sexy. Smokey Robinson works his sweeping soul falsetto over unbelievably sad ballads, including “The Tracks of My Tears” and “Ooo Baby Baby,” as the Miracles sob along. Robinson made it seem effortless to write a constant string of hit singles for the Miracles, as well as the rest of the Motown roster, but this album also has some of his finest deep cuts, especially the helpless yearning of “Choosey Beggar.”
 "
 411,Bob Dylan,Love and Theft,"Columbia, 2001","The blood and glory of 1997’s Time Out of Mind had raised the bar: This was the first Dylan album in years that had to live up to fans’ expectations. He didn’t just exceed them — he blew them up. Dylan sang in the voice of a grizzled drifter who’d visited every nook and cranny of America and gotten chased out of them all. Love and Theft was full of corny vaudeville jokes and apocalyptic floods, from the guitar rave “Summer Days” to the country lilt of “Po’ Boy.”
 "
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 310,Wire,Pink Flag,"Harvest, 1977","This first-generation U.K. punk band made sparse tunes that erupted in combustible snippets on its 21-track debut album. America never got it, but Pink Flag — as revolutionary discs tend to do — influenced some important bands, including Sonic Youth and the Minutemen. It also might be one of the most-covered punk LPs ever: Minor Threat did “12XU,” R.E.M. did “Strange,” the New Bomb Turks did “Mr. Suit,” Spoon did “Lowdown,” the Lemonheads did “Fragile,” and on and on.
 "
-309,Joy Divison,Closer,"Factory, 1980","One of the most depressing albums ever made, with droning guitars and synthesizers, chilly bass lines, stentorian vocals, and drums that sound as if they’re steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And that’s not even considering the lyrics, which are about singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage and how he suffered from epilepsy. (Curtis hanged himself on May 18th, 1980, at the age of 23 — the rest of the band regrouped as New Order.) On Closer, Joy Division fully earned their reputation as England’s most harrowing punk band.
+309,Joy Division,Closer,"Factory, 1980","One of the most depressing albums ever made, with droning guitars and synthesizers, chilly bass lines, stentorian vocals, and drums that sound as if they’re steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And that’s not even considering the lyrics, which are about singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage and how he suffered from epilepsy. (Curtis hanged himself on May 18th, 1980, at the age of 23 — the rest of the band regrouped as New Order.) On Closer, Joy Division fully earned their reputation as England’s most harrowing punk band.
 "
 308,Brian Eno,Here Come the Warm Jets,"Island, 1974","The former Roxy Music keyboardist’s first solo album pioneered a new kind of glammy art rock: jagged, free-form, and dreamy, sounding like nothing else in rock at the time. “Baby’s on Fire” and “Needles in the Camel’s Eye” are vicious rockers with detached vocals, and Robert Fripp’s warped guitars swarm and stutter, while “On Some Faraway Beach” and the title track are glistening slo-mo-drone pastorales. “I called it ‘warm jet guitar’ because it sounded like a tuned jet,” Eno said later.
 "
@@ -431,7 +431,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 285,Big Star,Third/Sister Lovers,"PVC, 1978","Big Star’s first two albums were crisp power-pop full of bright Sixties melodies. Their third album very much wasn’t. The band recorded it, their final LP, in 1974, but it didn’t get released until 1978, in part because singer Alex Chilton sounds like he’s having a nervous breakdown. It’s a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads such as “Take Care,” “Nighttime,” and “Blue Moon.” Even when they’re more optimistic, the songs almost seem to disintegrate as they unfold, finally collapsing into the sublime apocalypse of the album-closing “Kanga Roo.”
 "
-284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962-1994,"Capitol, 1996","Haggard’s tough country sound was born in Bakersfield, California, a.k.a. Nashville West. His songs are full of drifters, fugitives, and rogues, and this four-disc set — culled from his seminal recordings for Capitol as well as MCA and Epic — is the ultimate collection from one of country’s finest singers. Songs like “Mama Tried” and “All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers” are archetypal statements of lonely tough-guy individualism, and like James Brown’s Star Time, the quality stays rock solid over four CDs.
+284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962–1994,"Capitol, 1996","Haggard’s tough country sound was born in Bakersfield, California, a.k.a. Nashville West. His songs are full of drifters, fugitives, and rogues, and this four-disc set — culled from his seminal recordings for Capitol as well as MCA and Epic — is the ultimate collection from one of country’s finest singers. Songs like “Mama Tried” and “All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers” are archetypal statements of lonely tough-guy individualism, and like James Brown’s Star Time, the quality stays rock solid over four CDs.
 "
 283,Donna Summer,Bad Girls,"Casablanca, 1975","The Boston-born Donna Summer was the Queen of Disco by the end of the Seventies — but she wanted more. With her double-vinyl epic Bad Girls, she set out to conquer every corner of pop music in the name of disco, along with her longtime producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte. “Hot Stuff” was her rock anthem, while “Bad Girls” found the sweet spot where the toot-toot meets the beep-beep. The underrated highlight: “Sunset People,” her post-Steely Dan snapshot of L.A. malaise.
 "
@@ -559,7 +559,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 221,Rage Against the Machine,Rage Against the Machine,"Epic, 1992","“I believe in this band’s ability to bridge the gap between entertainment and activism,” declared Zack de la Rocha, whose radical politics found sympathetic muscle in Tom Morello’s howling one-guitar army, making a furor unheard since the MC5 and Clash. “Killing in the Name” took on historical racism within U.S. policing, a message that remains sadly prescient, and songs like “Bombtrack” and “Wake Up” were funky fusillades that proved rap rock could change minds as well as roil arena mosh pits.
 "
-220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young",Déjà Vu,"Epic, 1970","Neil Young was just getting his solo career underway when he joined his old Buffalo Springfield bandmate Stephen Stills, ex-Byrd David Crosby, and former Hollie Graham Nash in the first of the West Coast supergroups. Young’s vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNY combination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nash’s “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair”), and vocal-choir gallop (Stills’ “Carry On”).
+220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young",Déjà Vu,"Epic, 1970","Neil Young was just getting his solo career underway when he joined his old Buffalo Springfield bandmate Stephen Stills, ex-Byrd David Crosby, and former Hollie Graham Nash in the first of the West Coast supergroups. Young’s vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNY combination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nash’s “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair”), and vocal-choir gallop (Stills’ “Carry On”).
 "
 219,Raekwon,Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...,"Loud/RCA, 1995","The finest Wu-Tang solo joint stands out due to Raekwon’s understated, eternally unflustered cool and densely woven verses. Abetted by hyperactive sideman Ghostface and hypnotically stark beats courtesy of the RZA, Raekwon crafts breathtaking drug-rap narratives. On “Knowledge God,” an Italian drug dealer with a “hairy chest” and “many minks” meets his colorful demise in just six words: “Sixteen shots in his fish tank.” It’s the rare hip-hop album that rivals the mob movies it celebrates for gripping detail.
 "
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 212,Nina Simone,Wild Is the Wind,"Philips, 1966","Aretha was the Queen of Soul, but Nina Simone, as one of her album titles proclaimed, was its high priestess, and this 1966 LP is among her most enthralling and eclectic. With her dusky voice at its most commanding, Simone works her way through roadhouse soul (“I Love Your Lovin’ Ways”) and dramatic set pieces (the melancholic “Lilac Wine,” later covered by Jeff Buckley). It peaks with “Four Women,” an ambitious saga of racially diverse women and their struggles, written by Simone.
 "
-211,Joy Divison,Unknown Pleasures,"Factory, 1980","Joy Division came from the northern England industrial gloom of Manchester, four blue-collar lads chasing a new kind of goth-punk grandeur. Right from the opening, “Disorder,” Unknown Pleasures sounds like nothing else, with the doomed Ian Curtis yelping his dark poetry (“I got the spirit!”) over Peter Hook’s bass pulse. But for all the despair, there’s something inspiring in the surge of “Interzone” and “New Dawn Fades.” Black-clad young bands have been imitating Joy Division ever since.
+211,Joy Division,Unknown Pleasures,"Factory, 1980","Joy Division came from the northern England industrial gloom of Manchester, four blue-collar lads chasing a new kind of goth-punk grandeur. Right from the opening, “Disorder,” Unknown Pleasures sounds like nothing else, with the doomed Ian Curtis yelping his dark poetry (“I got the spirit!”) over Peter Hook’s bass pulse. But for all the despair, there’s something inspiring in the surge of “Interzone” and “New Dawn Fades.” Black-clad young bands have been imitating Joy Division ever since.
 "
 210,Ray Charles,The Birth of Soul,"Atlantic, 1991","Ray Charles was just about the first person to perfect that mix of blues and gospel, holy and filthy, that we know as soul music. He was knocking around Seattle when Atlantic bought out his contract in 1952. For the next eight years, he turned out brilliant singles such as “What’d I Say” and “I Got a Woman.” This box collects every R&B side he cut for Atlantic, though his swinging take on “My Bonnie” will have you thinking it covers his Atlantic jazz output as well.
 "
@@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 86,The Doors,The Doors,"Elektra, 1967","After blowing minds as the house band at the Whisky-a-Go-Go, where they were fired for playing the Oedipal drama “The End,” the Doors were ready to unleash their organ-driven rock on the world. “On each song, we had tried every possible arrangement,” drummer John Densmore said, “so we felt the whole album was tight.” “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” “Twentieth Century Fox,” and “Crystal Ship” are pop-art lighting for Top 40 attention spans. But the Doors hit pay dirt by editing one of their jam songs for airplay: “Light My Fire,” written by guitarist Robbie Krieger, after Jim Morrison told everybody in the band to write a song with universal imagery.
 "
-85,John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,"Apple, 1970","Also known as the “primal scream” album, referring to the painful therapy that gave rise to its songs, Plastic Ono Band was John Lennon’s first proper solo album and rock & roll’s most self-revelatory recording. Lennon attacks and denies idols and icons, including his own former band (“I don’t believe in Beatles,” he sings in “God”), to hit a pure, raw core of confession that, in its echo-drenched, garage-rock crudity, is years ahead of punk. He deals with childhood loss in “Mother” and skirts blasphemy in “Working Class Hero”: “You’re still fucking peasants as far as I can see.” But the unkindest cut came in his frank 1970 Rolling Stone interview. “The Beatles was nothing,” Lennon stated acerbically.
+85,John Lennon,"John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band","Apple, 1970","Also known as the “primal scream” album, referring to the painful therapy that gave rise to its songs, Plastic Ono Band was John Lennon’s first proper solo album and rock & roll’s most self-revelatory recording. Lennon attacks and denies idols and icons, including his own former band (“I don’t believe in Beatles,” he sings in “God”), to hit a pure, raw core of confession that, in its echo-drenched, garage-rock crudity, is years ahead of punk. He deals with childhood loss in “Mother” and skirts blasphemy in “Working Class Hero”: “You’re still fucking peasants as far as I can see.” But the unkindest cut came in his frank 1970 Rolling Stone interview. “The Beatles was nothing,” Lennon stated acerbically.
 "
 84,AC/DC,Back in Black,"Atlantic, 1980","In the middle of album rehearsals, singer Bon Scott went on a drinking spree; he choked on his vomit and was found dead in the back seat of a car. After two days of mourning, guitarist Malcolm Young thought, “Well, fuck this, I’m not gonna sit around mopin’ all fuckin’ year.” He called his brother, guitarist Angus Young, and they went back to work with replacement vocalist Brian Johnson. The resulting album has the relentless logic of a sledgehammer. Back in Black remains the purest distillation of hard rock: “Hells Bells,” “You Shook Me All Night Long,” and the title track have all become enduring anthems of strutting blues-based guitar.
 "
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 81,Beyoncé,Beyoncé,"Parkwood/Columbia, 2013","“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” Beyoncé said. “I am bored with that.” So she dropped her self-titled album on an unsuspecting world at the end of 2013, without a word of warning. Her fifth solo album, Beyoncé showed off her musical scope and feminist outreach, but it was also a visual album with a film for each song, shot around the world: New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and of course, her native Houston. She had high-profile collabs: “Superpower” with Frank Ocean, “Mine” with Drake, “Flawless” with Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Drunk in Love” with her husband, Jay-Z. But Beyoncé proved that nobody else was on her level.
 "
-80,The Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols","Warner Bros., 1977","“If the sessions had gone the way I wanted, it would have been unlistenable for most people,” Johnny Rotten said. “I guess it’s the very nature of music: If you want people to listen, you’re going to have to compromise.” But few heard it that way at the time. The Pistols’ only studio album sounds like a rejection of everything rock & roll — and the world itself — had to offer. True, the music was less shocking than Rotten himself, who sang about abortions, anarchy, and hatred on “Bodies” and “Anarchy in the U.K.” But Never Mind the Bollocks is the Sermon on the Mount of U.K. punk — and its echoes are everywhere.
+80,Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols","Warner Bros., 1977","“If the sessions had gone the way I wanted, it would have been unlistenable for most people,” Johnny Rotten said. “I guess it’s the very nature of music: If you want people to listen, you’re going to have to compromise.” But few heard it that way at the time. The Pistols’ only studio album sounds like a rejection of everything rock & roll — and the world itself — had to offer. True, the music was less shocking than Rotten himself, who sang about abortions, anarchy, and hatred on “Bodies” and “Anarchy in the U.K.” But Never Mind the Bollocks is the Sermon on the Mount of U.K. punk — and its echoes are everywhere.
 "
 79,Frank Ocean,Blonde,"Boys Don’t Cry, 2016","Frank Ocean turned the release of Blond into a daring aesthetic stunt in itself. After years of high expectations after Channel Orange [see No. 148], he fulfilled his Def Jam contract with the visual project Endless, but then — within hours — he released his own Blond. It’s a boldly personal statement full of layered harmonies, as Ocean mutates his voice to match every mood. The songs were so nakedly intimate, it felt like a post-hip-hop Pet Sounds in the spirit of Beyoncé (who sings on “Pink + White”) and Elliott Smith (whose voice appears on “Seigfried”). “Ivy” is his most deeply melancholic confession — Ocean mourns a lost love over a distorted guitar, lamenting, “We’ll never be those kids again.”
 "
@@ -943,7 +943,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Info,Description
 "
 29,The Beatles,The Beatles,"Apple, 1968","They wrote the songs while on retreat with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India, taking a break from the celebrity grind. As John Lennon later said, “We sat in the mountains eating lousy vegetarian food, and we wrote all these songs.” They came back with more great tunes than they could release. Lennon pursued his hard-edged vision in the cynical wit of “Sexy Sadie” and “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” as well as the childlike yearning of “Julia” and “Dear Prudence.” Paul McCartney’s playful pop energy came through in “Martha My Dear” and his inversion of Chuck Berry’s American values, “Back in the U.S.S.R.” George Harrison’s spiritual yearning led him to “Long, Long, Long” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” featuring a guest guitar solo from Eric Clapton. Even Ringo Starr contributes his first original, the country-tinged “Don’t Pass Me By.” The Beatles tried a little of everything, and all their adventures paid off.
 "
-28,D’Angelo,Voodoo,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, D’Angelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I don’t consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, that’s the new word for R&B.” In his quest to create something new, he looked to both the masters of soul (Marvin, Curtis, Stevie) and contemporary innovators (Lauryn, Erykah). The end result was Voodoo, a moving, inventive masterpiece that stands as the ultimate achievement of the neo-soul era. Crafted with producer and drummer Questlove, who called the LP a “vicarious fantasy,” Voodoo places Pink Floyd-style cosmic jams (“Playa Playa”) next to Prince-inspired erotica (“Untitled [How Does It Feel]”). “I’m just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” D’Angelo said at the time. “It took a while, but I’m on my way now.”
+28,D'Angelo,Voodoo,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, D’Angelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I don’t consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, that’s the new word for R&B.” In his quest to create something new, he looked to both the masters of soul (Marvin, Curtis, Stevie) and contemporary innovators (Lauryn, Erykah). The end result was Voodoo, a moving, inventive masterpiece that stands as the ultimate achievement of the neo-soul era. Crafted with producer and drummer Questlove, who called the LP a “vicarious fantasy,” Voodoo places Pink Floyd-style cosmic jams (“Playa Playa”) next to Prince-inspired erotica (“Untitled [How Does It Feel]”). “I’m just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” D’Angelo said at the time. “It took a while, but I’m on my way now.”
 "
 27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),"Loud, 1993","The first Wu-Tang Clan album launched rap’s most dominant franchise by inventing a new sound built around a hectic panoply of voices and spare, raw beats. RZA, the group’s sonic mastermind, constructed the Wu’s homemade world, he said, from a mix of “Eastern philosophy picked up from kung-fu movies, watered-down Nation of Islam preaching picked up on the New York streets, and comic books.” On “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Protect Ya Neck,” and the non-metaphorical “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit,” RZA’s offbeat samples (Thelonious Monk, the Dramatics, fellow New Yorker Barbra Streisand) create a grounding for the group’s nine members, including future solo stars Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had established L.A. as the center of hip-hop innovation and daring, but the Wu reclaimed the crown for the music’s birthplace.
 "
@@ -981,7 +981,7 @@ The album was made in dire straits too. Although the Clash fired singles into t
 15,Public Enemy,It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,"Def Jam, 1988","Loud, obnoxious, funky, avant-garde, political, uncompromising, hilarious – Public Enemy’s brilliant second album is all of these things — all at once. Chuck D booms intricate rhymes with a delivery inspired by sportscaster Marv Albert; sidekick Flavor Flav raps comic relief; and production team the Bomb Squad build mesmerizing, multilayered jams, pierced with shrieking sirens. The title and roiling force of “Bring the Noise” is truth in advertising. “If they’re calling my music ‘noise,’ ” said Chuck D, “if they’re saying that I’m really getting out of character being a black person in America, then fine – I’m bringing more noise.”
 Along with “Bring the Noise,” Nation classics like “Rebel Without a Pause” were conceived at Spectrum City in the band headquarters in Hempstead, New York. For “Rebel,” producer Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad looped a piercing sample of James Brown’s “The Grunt” with Brown’s “Funky Drummer” (“That song was like my milk,” said Shocklee). To write verses that could match such a sonic assault, Chuck locked himself in his house for 24 hours and emerged with broadsides like the media screed “Don’t Believe the Hype.” He wasn’t sure of the results until DMC, of Run-DMC, blasted it out of his Bronco on a Saturday night. Says Shocklee, “The whole block was grooving to it.”
 "
-14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St,"Rolling Stones Records, 1972","A dirty whirl of basement blues and punk boogie, the Rolling Stones’ 1972 double LP was, according to Keith Richards, “maybe the best thing we did.” Indeed, inside its deliberately dense squall — Richards’ and Mick Taylor’s dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill Wyman–Charlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jagger’s caged-animal bark and burned-soul croon — is the Stones’ greatest album and Jagger and Richards’ definitive songwriting statement of outlaw pride and dedication to grit and cold-morning redemption. 
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St.,"Rolling Stones Records, 1972","A dirty whirl of basement blues and punk boogie, the Rolling Stones’ 1972 double LP was, according to Keith Richards, “maybe the best thing we did.” Indeed, inside its deliberately dense squall — Richards’ and Mick Taylor’s dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill Wyman–Charlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jagger’s caged-animal bark and burned-soul croon — is the Stones’ greatest album and Jagger and Richards’ definitive songwriting statement of outlaw pride and dedication to grit and cold-morning redemption. 
 
 In the existential shuffle of “Tumbling Dice,” the ­exhausted country beauty of “Torn and Frayed,” and the whiskey-soaked church of “Shine a Light,” you literally hear the Stones in exile: working at Richards’ villa in the South of France, on the run from media censure, British drug police (Jagger and Richards had been busted and arrested before), and the U.K.’s then-onerous tax code. The music rattles with corrosive abandon but also swings with a clear purpose — unconditional survival — in “Rocks Off” and “All Down the Line.” As Richards explained, “The Stones don’t have a home anymore — hence the exile — but they can still keep it together. Whatever people throw at us, we can still duck, improvise, overcome.” Great example: Richards ­recorded his jubilant romp “Happy” with only producer Jimmy Miller on drums and sax man Bobby Keys, while waiting for the other Stones to turn up for work. Exile on Main Street is the band at its fighting best, armed with the blues, playing to win.
 "

scripts/compare_2020_vs_2023.py

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Compare rolling_stone_top_500_albums_2020.csv and wikipedia_top_500_albums.csv to find dropped albums.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def normalize_text(text):
+    """Normalize text for comparison"""
+    return text.lower().strip().replace('&', 'and').replace('  ', ' ')
+
+def main():
+    # Read 2020 Rolling Stone albums
+    albums_2020 = {}
+    with open('rolling_stone_2020_simplified.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            key = (normalize_text(row['Artist']), normalize_text(row['Album']))
+            albums_2020[key] = {
+                'rank': row['Rank'],
+                'artist': row['Artist'],
+                'album': row['Album']
+            }
+    
+    print(f"📊 Loaded {len(albums_2020)} albums from 2020 Rolling Stone list")
+    
+    # Read Wikipedia 2023 albums (note: columns are rank,album,artist)
+    albums_2023_wiki = set()
+    with open('wikipedia_top_500_albums.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            # Wikipedia format: rank,album,artist
+            key = (normalize_text(row['artist']), normalize_text(row['album']))
+            albums_2023_wiki.add(key)
+    
+    print(f"📊 Loaded {len(albums_2023_wiki)} albums from Wikipedia 2023 list")
+    
+    # Find dropped albums (in 2020 but not in Wikipedia 2023)
+    dropped_albums = []
+    for key, album_info in albums_2020.items():
+        if key not in albums_2023_wiki:
+            dropped_albums.append(album_info)
+    
+    # Sort by original 2020 rank
+    dropped_albums.sort(key=lambda x: int(x['rank']))
+    
+    print(f"\n❌ Found {len(dropped_albums)} albums dropped from 2020 to 2023:")
+    print("=" * 80)
+    
+    for album in dropped_albums:
+        print(f"#{album['rank']:3s} - {album['artist']} - {album['album']}")
+    
+    print("=" * 80)
+    print(f"\n📊 Summary:")
+    print(f"   - Albums in 2020: {len(albums_2020)}")
+    print(f"   - Albums in Wikipedia 2023: {len(albums_2023_wiki)}")
+    print(f"   - Albums dropped: {len(dropped_albums)}")
+    
+    # Save dropped albums list
+    with open('dropped_albums_2020_vs_2023.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Original_Rank_2020', 'Artist', 'Album']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        for album in dropped_albums:
+            writer.writerow({
+                'Original_Rank_2020': album['rank'],
+                'Artist': album['artist'],
+                'Album': album['album']
+            })
+    
+    print(f"\n💾 Saved dropped albums list to: dropped_albums_2020_vs_2023.csv")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/compare_2020_vs_wikipedia.py

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Compare 2020 Rolling Stone list against full 2023 data to find truly dropped albums.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def normalize_text(text):
+    """Normalize text for comparison"""
+    return text.lower().strip().replace('&', 'and').replace('  ', ' ')
+
+def main():
+    # Read 2020 albums (simplified)
+    albums_2020 = {}
+    with open('rolling_stone_2020_simple.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            key = (normalize_text(row['Artist']), normalize_text(row['Album']))
+            albums_2020[key] = {
+                'rank': row['Rank'],
+                'artist': row['Artist'],
+                'album': row['Album']
+            }
+    
+    print(f"📊 Loaded {len(albums_2020)} albums from 2020 list")
+    
+    # Read Wikipedia 2023 albums 
+    albums_2023_all = set()
+    with open('wikipedia_top_500_albums.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            key = (normalize_text(row['artist']), normalize_text(row['album']))
+            albums_2023_all.add(key)
+    
+    print(f"📊 Loaded {len(albums_2023_all)} albums from Wikipedia 2023 list")
+    
+    # Find dropped albums (in 2020 but not in complete 2023 list)
+    dropped_albums = []
+    for key, album_info in albums_2020.items():
+        if key not in albums_2023_all:
+            dropped_albums.append(album_info)
+    
+    # Sort by original 2020 rank
+    dropped_albums.sort(key=lambda x: int(x['rank']))
+    
+    print(f"\n❌ Found {len(dropped_albums)} albums dropped from 2020 to 2023:")
+    print("=" * 80)
+    
+    for album in dropped_albums:
+        print(f"#{album['rank']:3s} - {album['artist']} - {album['album']}")
+    
+    print("=" * 80)
+    print(f"\n📊 Summary:")
+    print(f"   - Albums in 2020: {len(albums_2020)}")
+    print(f"   - Albums in complete 2023: {len(albums_2023_all)}")
+    print(f"   - Albums dropped: {len(dropped_albums)}")
+    
+    # Save dropped albums list
+    with open('final_dropped_albums.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Original_Rank_2020', 'Artist', 'Album']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        for album in dropped_albums:
+            writer.writerow({
+                'Original_Rank_2020': album['rank'],
+                'Artist': album['artist'],
+                'Album': album['album']
+            })
+    
+    print(f"\n💾 Saved final dropped list to: final_dropped_albums.csv")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/correct_new_albums.py

@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Correct the "New in 2023" markings to show only truly new albums.
+Should be 8 new albums to balance the 8 dropped albums.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def normalize_text(text):
+    """Normalize text for comparison"""
+    return text.lower().strip().replace('&', 'and').replace('  ', ' ')
+
+def main():
+    # Read 2020 albums for comparison
+    albums_2020 = set()
+    with open('rolling_stone_2020_simplified.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            key = (normalize_text(row['Artist']), normalize_text(row['Album']))
+            albums_2020.add(key)
+    
+    print(f"📊 Loaded {len(albums_2020)} albums from 2020 list")
+    
+    # Read current 2023 data
+    albums_2023 = []
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            albums_2023.append(row)
+    
+    # Analyze albums marked as "New in 2023"
+    currently_marked_new = []
+    truly_new = []
+    incorrectly_marked = []
+    
+    for album in albums_2023:
+        if 'New in 2023' in album.get('Status', ''):
+            currently_marked_new.append(album)
+            
+            # Check if this album was actually in 2020
+            key = (normalize_text(album['Artist']), normalize_text(album['Album']))
+            if key in albums_2020:
+                incorrectly_marked.append(album)
+            else:
+                truly_new.append(album)
+    
+    print(f"\\n📊 Analysis of albums marked as 'New in 2023':")
+    print(f"   Total marked as new: {len(currently_marked_new)}")
+    print(f"   Truly new (not in 2020): {len(truly_new)}")
+    print(f"   Incorrectly marked (were in 2020): {len(incorrectly_marked)}")
+    
+    print(f"\\n✅ Truly new albums in 2023:")
+    for album in truly_new:
+        print(f"   #{album['Rank']} - {album['Artist']} - {album['Album']}")
+    
+    print(f"\\n❌ Incorrectly marked as new (were in 2020):")
+    for album in incorrectly_marked:
+        print(f"   #{album['Rank']} - {album['Artist']} - {album['Album']}")
+    
+    # Update the CSV to correct the statuses
+    updated_albums = []
+    for album in albums_2023:
+        updated_album = album.copy()
+        
+        # If this album is marked as "New in 2023" but was actually in 2020, correct it
+        if 'New in 2023' in album.get('Status', ''):
+            key = (normalize_text(album['Artist']), normalize_text(album['Album']))
+            if key in albums_2020:
+                # This was incorrectly marked - change to "No change" or appropriate status
+                updated_album['Status'] = 'No change'
+        
+        updated_albums.append(updated_album)
+    
+    # Write corrected CSV
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Rank', 'Artist', 'Album', 'Status', 'Info', 'Description']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        writer.writerows(updated_albums)
+    
+    print(f"\\n✅ Corrected CSV written with proper 'New in 2023' markings")
+    print(f"📁 Updated: top_500_albums_2023.csv")
+    print(f"\\n📊 Final count: {len(truly_new)} truly new albums in 2023")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/create_2020_simplified.py

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Create a simplified version of the 2020 Rolling Stone data with only Rank, Artist, and Album columns.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def main():
+    # Read the original 2020 CSV and extract only needed columns
+    simplified_albums = []
+    
+    with open('rolling_stone_top_500_albums_2020.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            simplified_albums.append({
+                'Rank': row['Rank'],
+                'Artist': row['Artist'],
+                'Album': row['Album']
+            })
+    
+    # Write simplified CSV
+    with open('rolling_stone_2020_simplified.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Rank', 'Artist', 'Album']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        writer.writerows(simplified_albums)
+    
+    print(f"✅ Created simplified 2020 CSV with {len(simplified_albums)} albums")
+    print(f"📁 Saved as: rolling_stone_2020_simplified.csv")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/create_new_2020_simple.py

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Create a fresh simplified version of the 2020 CSV with only Rank, Artist, and Album columns.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def main():
+    # Read the 2020 CSV and extract only needed columns
+    simplified_albums = []
+    
+    with open('rolling_stone_top_500_albums_2020.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            simplified_albums.append({
+                'Rank': row['Rank'],
+                'Artist': row['Artist'],
+                'Album': row['Album']
+            })
+    
+    # Write simplified CSV
+    with open('rolling_stone_2020_simple.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Rank', 'Artist', 'Album']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        writer.writerows(simplified_albums)
+    
+    print(f"✅ Created fresh simplified 2020 CSV with {len(simplified_albums)} albums")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/fix_new_albums.py

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Update the CSV to mark only the correct 8 albums as "New in 2023".
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def main():
+    # The correct 8 new albums
+    correct_new_albums = {
+        491: ('Harry Styles', "Harry's House"),
+        466: ('Black Uhuru', 'Red'),
+        437: ('Gorillaz', 'Demon Days'),
+        430: ('Bad Bunny', 'Un Verano Sin Ti'),
+        358: ('Olivia Rodrigo', 'Sour'),
+        351: ('SZA', 'SOS'),
+        170: ('Taylor Swift', 'Folklore'),
+        71: ('Beyonce', 'Renaissance')
+    }
+    
+    print(f"✅ Correcting to mark only {len(correct_new_albums)} albums as 'New in 2023'")
+    
+    # Read current data
+    albums = []
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            albums.append(row)
+    
+    # Update statuses
+    updated_count = 0
+    for album in albums:
+        rank = int(album['Rank'])
+        
+        # If this rank should be marked as "New in 2023"
+        if rank in correct_new_albums:
+            expected_artist, expected_album = correct_new_albums[rank]
+            # Verify it matches
+            if album['Artist'] == expected_artist or expected_album.lower() in album['Album'].lower():
+                album['Status'] = 'New in 2023'
+                updated_count += 1
+                print(f"✅ #{rank} - {album['Artist']} - {album['Album']} -> New in 2023")
+            else:
+                print(f"⚠️  Rank {rank} mismatch: expected {expected_artist} - {expected_album}, got {album['Artist']} - {album['Album']}")
+        
+        # If it's currently marked as "New in 2023" but not in our list, change it
+        elif 'New in 2023' in album.get('Status', ''):
+            album['Status'] = 'No change'
+            print(f"❌ #{rank} - {album['Artist']} - {album['Album']} -> Changed to No change")
+    
+    # Write updated CSV
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Rank', 'Artist', 'Album', 'Status', 'Info', 'Description']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        writer.writerows(albums)
+    
+    print(f"\n✅ Updated CSV with {updated_count} albums marked as 'New in 2023'")
+    print(f"📁 Saved to: top_500_albums_2023.csv")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

scripts/update_dropped_albums.py

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Update the main CSV with the correct 8 dropped albums, removing all incorrect entries.
+"""
+
+import csv
+
+def main():
+    # The 8 correct dropped albums
+    correct_dropped = [
+        {'rank': 48, 'artist': 'Bob Marley and the Wailers', 'album': 'Legend'},
+        {'rank': 170, 'artist': 'Cream', 'album': 'Disraeli Gears'},
+        {'rank': 351, 'artist': 'Roxy Music', 'album': 'For Your Pleasure'},
+        {'rank': 358, 'artist': 'Sonic Youth', 'album': 'Goo'},
+        {'rank': 430, 'artist': 'Elvis Costello', 'album': 'My Aim Is True'},
+        {'rank': 437, 'artist': 'Primal Scream', 'album': 'Screamadelica'},
+        {'rank': 466, 'artist': 'The Beach Boys', 'album': 'The Beach Boys Today!'},
+        {'rank': 491, 'artist': 'Harry Styles', 'album': 'Fine Line'}
+    ]
+    
+    # Read current data, keeping only ranks 1-500
+    updated_albums = []
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        reader = csv.DictReader(file)
+        for row in reader:
+            rank = int(row['Rank'])
+            if rank <= 500:
+                updated_albums.append(row)
+    
+    print(f"✅ Kept {len(updated_albums)} albums from ranks 1-500")
+    
+    # Add the 8 correct dropped albums
+    for i, dropped in enumerate(correct_dropped, 1):
+        updated_albums.append({
+            'Rank': str(500 + i),
+            'Artist': dropped['artist'],
+            'Album': dropped['album'],
+            'Status': f"Dropped (was #{dropped['rank']} in 2020)",
+            'Info': '',
+            'Description': ''
+        })
+    
+    print(f"✅ Added {len(correct_dropped)} correct dropped albums")
+    
+    # Write updated CSV
+    with open('top_500_albums_2023.csv', 'w', newline='', encoding='utf-8') as file:
+        fieldnames = ['Rank', 'Artist', 'Album', 'Status', 'Info', 'Description']
+        writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=fieldnames)
+        writer.writeheader()
+        writer.writerows(updated_albums)
+    
+    print(f"✅ Updated CSV with {len(updated_albums)} total albums (500 + 8 dropped)")
+    print(f"📁 Saved to: top_500_albums_2023.csv")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()

top_500_albums_2023.csv

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 11,The Beatles,Revolver,No change,"Apple, 1966","Revolver was the sound of the Beatles fully embracing the recording studio as a sonic canvas, free to pursue musical ideas and possibilities that would reshape rock forever. It speaks volumes that the first song the band worked on upon entering Abbey Road studios in April 1966 would have been impossible to replicate live — a swirl of hazy guitar, backward tape loops, kaleidoscopic drum tumble, and John Lennon’s voice recorded to sound like “the Dalai Lama singing from the highest mountaintop.” They titled it “The Void” and later renamed it “Tomorrow Never Knows.” “I was wondering how George Martin would take it,” Paul McCartney later recalled. Martin’s response: “Jolly interesting.” The Beatles’ lives were changing too: Lennon had taken LSD at this point, George Harrison was deepening his interest in Eastern mysticism, and McCartney was getting into avant-garde composition. All those influences came through here. Revolver wasn’t totally without precedent. The Beatles’ previous album, Rubber Soul [see No. 35], had a similar experimental introspect. Harrison once said Rubber Soul and Revolver “could be volume one and volume two.” But no band, including the Beatles, had tried anything like McCartney’s strikingly mature art song “Eleanor Rigby,” Lennon’s trippy tape-loop swirl “I’m Only Sleeping,” or Harrison’s “Taxman,” with its cutting groove and lyrics that took shots at British politicians. It made sense that the disappointing live shows the band played in the summer of 1966 would be their last. By the time Revolver came out, they’d already entered another world. "
 12,Michael Jackson,Thriller,No change,"Epic, 1982","Michael Jackson towered over the Eighties the way no superstar before or since has dominated an era — not even Elvis or the Beatles. And Thriller is the reason why. Still in his early twenties, the R&B child star of the 1970s had ripened into a Technicolor soul man: a singer, dancer, and songwriter with incomparable crossover instincts.  He and producer Quincy Jones established the something-for-everyone template of Thriller on 1979’s Off the Wall [see No. 36], on which Jackson captures the rare mania of his life — the applause and paranoia, the need for love and the fear of commitment — in a crisp fusion of pop hooks and dance beats. On Thriller, the pair heighten the sheen (the jaunty gloss of “The Girl Is Mine,” with a guest vocal by Paul McCartney), pump up the theater (the horror-movie spectacular “Thriller”), and deepen the funk. With its locomotive cadence and an acrobatic metal-guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen, “Beat It” was arguably the first industrial-disco Number One.  It is hard now to separate Thriller from its commercial stature (Number One for 37 weeks, 33 million copies sold), the nightmarish tabloid celebrity that led to Jackson’s death, and the horrific revelations about him that have surfaced in recent years. But there was a time when we only knew Jackson as the King of Pop. This is it. "
 13,Aretha Franklin,I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You,No change,"Atlantic, 1967","Aretha Franklin’s Atlantic debut is the place where gospel music collided with R&B and rock & roll and became soul. The Detroit-born preacher’s daughter was about $80,000 in debt to her previous label, Columbia, when Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler signed her in 1966. “I took her to church,” Wexler said, “sat her down at the piano, and let her be herself.” Recording with the best session men at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, she promptly cut the album’s title hit, a slow-fire ballad of ferocious sexuality. The historic moment, of course, was her storefront-church makeover of Otis Redding’s “Respect,” which became Franklin’s first Number One pop single, prompting Redding to exclaim, “I just lost my song.” Soon, it would be the new marching anthem of the women’s and civil rights movements. “Women did, and still do, need equal rights,” Franklin said decades later. “We’re doing the same job, we expect the same pay, and the same respect.” She reinforced that feminism on “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” and had the guts to wring more pathos from Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” than any other singer who has attempted that landmark song. Never Loved a Man began an unparalleled run of classic albums for Franklin; it’s the sound of the Queen of Soul claiming her crown. "
-14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St.,New in 2023,"Rolling Stones Records, 1972","A dirty whirl of basement blues and punk boogie, the Rolling Stones’ 1972 double LP was, according to Keith Richards, “maybe the best thing we did.” Indeed, inside its deliberately dense squall — Richards’ and Mick Taylor’s dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill Wyman–Charlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jagger’s caged-animal bark and burned-soul croon — is the Stones’ greatest album and Jagger and Richards’ definitive songwriting statement of outlaw pride and dedication to grit and cold-morning redemption.  In the existential shuffle of “Tumbling Dice,” the ­exhausted country beauty of “Torn and Frayed,” and the whiskey-soaked church of “Shine a Light,” you literally hear the Stones in exile: working at Richards’ villa in the South of France, on the run from media censure, British drug police (Jagger and Richards had been busted and arrested before), and the U.K.’s then-onerous tax code. The music rattles with corrosive abandon but also swings with a clear purpose — unconditional survival — in “Rocks Off” and “All Down the Line.” As Richards explained, “The Stones don’t have a home anymore — hence the exile — but they can still keep it together. Whatever people throw at us, we can still duck, improvise, overcome.” Great example: Richards ­recorded his jubilant romp “Happy” with only producer Jimmy Miller on drums and sax man Bobby Keys, while waiting for the other Stones to turn up for work. Exile on Main Street is the band at its fighting best, armed with the blues, playing to win. "
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St.,No change,"Rolling Stones Records, 1972","A dirty whirl of basement blues and punk boogie, the Rolling Stones’ 1972 double LP was, according to Keith Richards, “maybe the best thing we did.” Indeed, inside its deliberately dense squall — Richards’ and Mick Taylor’s dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill Wyman–Charlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jagger’s caged-animal bark and burned-soul croon — is the Stones’ greatest album and Jagger and Richards’ definitive songwriting statement of outlaw pride and dedication to grit and cold-morning redemption.  In the existential shuffle of “Tumbling Dice,” the ­exhausted country beauty of “Torn and Frayed,” and the whiskey-soaked church of “Shine a Light,” you literally hear the Stones in exile: working at Richards’ villa in the South of France, on the run from media censure, British drug police (Jagger and Richards had been busted and arrested before), and the U.K.’s then-onerous tax code. The music rattles with corrosive abandon but also swings with a clear purpose — unconditional survival — in “Rocks Off” and “All Down the Line.” As Richards explained, “The Stones don’t have a home anymore — hence the exile — but they can still keep it together. Whatever people throw at us, we can still duck, improvise, overcome.” Great example: Richards ­recorded his jubilant romp “Happy” with only producer Jimmy Miller on drums and sax man Bobby Keys, while waiting for the other Stones to turn up for work. Exile on Main Street is the band at its fighting best, armed with the blues, playing to win. "
 15,Public Enemy,It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back,No change,"Def Jam, 1988","Loud, obnoxious, funky, avant-garde, political, uncompromising, hilarious – Public Enemy’s brilliant second album is all of these things — all at once. Chuck D booms intricate rhymes with a delivery inspired by sportscaster Marv Albert; sidekick Flavor Flav raps comic relief; and production team the Bomb Squad build mesmerizing, multilayered jams, pierced with shrieking sirens. The title and roiling force of “Bring the Noise” is truth in advertising. “If they’re calling my music ‘noise,’ ” said Chuck D, “if they’re saying that I’m really getting out of character being a black person in America, then fine – I’m bringing more noise.” Along with “Bring the Noise,” Nation classics like “Rebel Without a Pause” were conceived at Spectrum City in the band headquarters in Hempstead, New York. For “Rebel,” producer Hank Shocklee of the Bomb Squad looped a piercing sample of James Brown’s “The Grunt” with Brown’s “Funky Drummer” (“That song was like my milk,” said Shocklee). To write verses that could match such a sonic assault, Chuck locked himself in his house for 24 hours and emerged with broadsides like the media screed “Don’t Believe the Hype.” He wasn’t sure of the results until DMC, of Run-DMC, blasted it out of his Bronco on a Saturday night. Says Shocklee, “The whole block was grooving to it.” "
 16,The Clash,London Calling,No change,"CBS, 1979","Recorded in 1979 in London, which was then wrenched by surging unemployment and drug addiction, and released in America in January 1980, the dawn of an uncertain decade, London Calling is 19 songs of apocalypse fueled by an unbending faith in rock & roll to beat back the darkness. Produced with no-surrender energy by legendary Sixties studio madman Guy Stevens, the Clash’s third album sounds like a free-form radio broadcast from the end of the world, skidding from bleak punk (“London Calling”) to rampaging ska (“Wrong ’Em Boyo”) and disco resignation (“Lost in the Supermarket”). The album was made in dire straits too. Although the Clash fired singles into the Britain’s Top 40 with machine-gun regularity, the band was heavily in debt and openly at war with its record company. Singer-guitarists Joe Strummer and Mick Jones, the Clash’s Lennon and McCartney, wrote together in Jones’ grandmother’s flat, where he was living for lack of dough. “Joe, once he learned how to type, would bang the lyrics out at a high rate of good stuff,” Jones noted. “Then I’d be able to bang out some music while he was hitting the typewriter.” Stevens was on hand for inspiration. He threw chairs around the room “if he thought a track needed zapping up,” according to Strummer. The album ends with “Train in Vain,” a rousing song of fidelity (originally unlisted on the back cover) that became the sound of triumph: the Clash’s first Top 30 single in the U.S. "
 17,Kanye West,My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,No change,"Roc-A-Fella, 2010","Our relationship with Kanye West was still in its love-hate phase when he created the 21st century’s most awe-inspiring hip-hop masterpiece. It’s an album every bit as chaotic as he was at the time — from the creepy funk of “Gorgeous” to the crushing attack of “Hell of a Life.” After his Taylor Swift VMAs fiasco in 2009, West went into a kind of self-exile, eventually ending up in Hawaii, where he imported a huge group of collaborators who included Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, and RZA. In all-night recording sessions, he’d ping between studios, sculpting his most maximalist music ever; “a song like ‘Power’ took 5,000 hours,” he later said, “like literally.” West pulled from everywhere — Elton John played on “All of the Lights,” and “Power” sampled prog-rockers King Crimson. West’s sense of his own grandiose ambitions bordered on the comical; during the writing process for the nine-minute “Runaway,” he famously told guest rapper Pusha T to add “more douchebag” to his verses. The resulting track opened with just a single, eerie piano note before building into a mountainous, anarchic tune that incorporated everything from a Rick James sample to a vocoder that evoked Robert Fripp’s guitar playing on Brian Eno albums. The sonic overkill was lavish, but the record hit so hard because he mixed megalomania with introspect; “You been puttin’ up wit’ my shit just way too long,” he rapped on “Runaway.” West later called Dark Fantasy an apology record.” Perhaps. In any case, that wisdom has proved fleeting. "
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),No change,"Loud, 1993","The first Wu-Tang Clan album launched rap’s most dominant franchise by inventing a new sound built around a hectic panoply of voices and spare, raw beats. RZA, the group’s sonic mastermind, constructed the Wu’s homemade world, he said, from a mix of “Eastern philosophy picked up from kung-fu movies, watered-down Nation of Islam preaching picked up on the New York streets, and comic books.” On “C.R.E.A.M.,” “Protect Ya Neck,” and the non-metaphorical “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing ta F’ Wit,” RZA’s offbeat samples (Thelonious Monk, the Dramatics, fellow New Yorker Barbra Streisand) create a grounding for the group’s nine members, including future solo stars Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, GZA, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had established L.A. as the center of hip-hop innovation and daring, but the Wu reclaimed the crown for the music’s birthplace. "
 28,D'Angelo,Voodoo,No change,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, D’Angelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I don’t consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, that’s the new word for R&B.” In his quest to create something new, he looked to both the masters of soul (Marvin, Curtis, Stevie) and contemporary innovators (Lauryn, Erykah). The end result was Voodoo, a moving, inventive masterpiece that stands as the ultimate achievement of the neo-soul era. Crafted with producer and drummer Questlove, who called the LP a “vicarious fantasy,” Voodoo places Pink Floyd-style cosmic jams (“Playa Playa”) next to Prince-inspired erotica (“Untitled [How Does It Feel]”). “I’m just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” D’Angelo said at the time. “It took a while, but I’m on my way now.” "
 29,The Beatles,The Beatles,+168,"Apple, 1968","Commonly known as 'The White Album' for its stark, minimalist cover, this ambitious double album showcased the Beatles' incredible creative diversity as they began to pursue individual artistic visions. Recorded during a period of internal tension, the 30-track collection ranges from the heavy rock of 'Helter Skelter' to the avant-garde soundscapes of 'Revolution 9,' from McCartney's music hall pastiche 'Honey Pie' to Lennon's primal blues 'Yer Blues.' Each Beatle contributed distinct personalities - Lennon's raw honesty, McCartney's melodic sophistication, Harrison's Eastern influences, and Starr's first songwriting credit with 'Don't Pass Me By.' The album's eclectic nature reflected the band's growing independence and foreshadowed their eventual dissolution, but also demonstrated their unparalleled ability to excel in virtually every musical style they attempted. (by Claude)"
-30,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Are You Experienced,New in 2023,"Track/Reprise, 1967","Jimi Hendrix's explosive debut album revolutionized electric guitar playing and redefined the possibilities of rock music. From the opening feedback of 'Purple Haze' to the backwards guitar wizardry of 'Are You Experienced,' Hendrix demonstrated techniques that seemed impossible at the time. His innovative use of feedback, distortion, and the wah-wah pedal, combined with his left-handed playing on a right-handed guitar strung upside down, created a completely new sonic vocabulary. Songs like 'Hey Joe,' 'The Wind Cries Mary,' and 'Foxy Lady' showcased not only his technical brilliance but also his deep understanding of blues traditions and psychedelic experimentation. Recorded in London with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the album established Hendrix as the most innovative guitarist of his generation and influenced countless musicians who followed. (by Claude)"
+30,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Are You Experienced,No change,"Track/Reprise, 1967","Jimi Hendrix's explosive debut album revolutionized electric guitar playing and redefined the possibilities of rock music. From the opening feedback of 'Purple Haze' to the backwards guitar wizardry of 'Are You Experienced,' Hendrix demonstrated techniques that seemed impossible at the time. His innovative use of feedback, distortion, and the wah-wah pedal, combined with his left-handed playing on a right-handed guitar strung upside down, created a completely new sonic vocabulary. Songs like 'Hey Joe,' 'The Wind Cries Mary,' and 'Foxy Lady' showcased not only his technical brilliance but also his deep understanding of blues traditions and psychedelic experimentation. Recorded in London with bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the album established Hendrix as the most innovative guitarist of his generation and influenced countless musicians who followed. (by Claude)"
 31,Miles Davis,Kind of Blue,No change,"Columbia, 1959","This painterly masterpiece is one of the most important, influential, and popular albums in jazz. At the time it was made, Kind of Blue was also a revolution all its own. Turning his back on standard chord progressions, trumpeter Miles Davis used modal scales as a starting point for composition and improvisation — breaking new ground with warmth, subtlety, and understatement in the thick of hard bop. Davis and his peerless band — bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb, pianist Bill Evans, and the titanic sax team of John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley — soloed in uncluttered settings, typified by “melodic rather than harmonic variation,” as Davis put it. Two numbers, “All Blues” and “Freddie Freeloader” (the latter featuring Wynton Kelly at the ivories in place of Evans), are in 12-bar form, but Davis’ approach allowed his players a cool, new, collected freedom. "
-32,Beyoncé,Lemonade,New in 2023,"Parkwood/Columbia, 2016","“Nine times out of 10 I’m in my feelings,” Beyoncé announced on her heartbreak masterpiece, Lemonade. She dropped the album as a Saturday-night surprise, knocking the world sideways — her most expansive and personal statement, tapping into marital breakdown and the state of the nation. It was a different side than she’d shown before, raging over infidelity and jealousy, but reveling in the militant-feminist-funk strut of “Formation.” All over Lemonade she explores the betrayals of American blackness, claiming her place in all of America’s music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” she revamps the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on “Hold Up.” Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks — all hail the queen. "
+32,Beyoncé,Lemonade,No change,"Parkwood/Columbia, 2016","“Nine times out of 10 I’m in my feelings,” Beyoncé announced on her heartbreak masterpiece, Lemonade. She dropped the album as a Saturday-night surprise, knocking the world sideways — her most expansive and personal statement, tapping into marital breakdown and the state of the nation. It was a different side than she’d shown before, raging over infidelity and jealousy, but reveling in the militant-feminist-funk strut of “Formation.” All over Lemonade she explores the betrayals of American blackness, claiming her place in all of America’s music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” she revamps the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on “Hold Up.” Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks — all hail the queen. "
 33,Amy Winehouse,Back to Black,No change,"Island, 2006","With her love of Sixties girl-group pop and her dark beehive, Amy Winehouse came across as a star from another time. But as a child of the Nineties, she also loved hip-hop and wrote openly about her splattered relationships and issues with drugs and alcohol. Her breakthrough second album (recorded in Brooklyn with co-producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi) marked the arrival of a resplendently damaged 21st-century torch singer. Tracks like the mildly pushy “You Know I’m No Good” and the sumptuous “Love Is a Loving Game” had an elegant, beguiling smudginess that avoided the wax-museum quality of so much retro soul. “My odds are stacked,” Winehouse sings. “I’ll go back to black.” Indeed, the pain and tumult in her voice was very real. Before her death in 2011, she left behind a tragically unfulfilled promise. "
 34,Stevie Wonder,Innervisions,No change,"Tamla/Motown, 1973","“We as a people are not interested in ‘baby, baby’ songs any more, there’s more to life than that,” Stevie Wonder said in 1972. With Innervisions, Wonder offered a landmark fusion of social realism and spiritual idealism; he brings expressive color and irresistible funk to his synth-based keyboards on “Too High” (a cautionary anti-drug song) and “Higher Ground” (which echoes Martin Luther King Jr.’s message of transcendence). The album’s centerpiece is “Living for the City,” a cinematic depiction of exploitation and injustice. “Innervisions gives my own perspective on what’s happening in my world,” Wonder said. “I think it is my most personal album. I don’t care if it sells only five copies.” "
 35,The Beatles,Rubber Soul,No change,"Parlophone, 1965","Producer George Martin described Rubber Soul as “the first album to present a new, growing Beatles to the world,” and so it was. The first of what was to be a series of huge leaps forward with each new album, Rubber Soul opens with the comic character study “Drive My Car” and is suffused with Bob Dylan’s influence on “I’m Looking Through You,” “You Won’t See Me,” and “Norwegian Wood,” in which John Lennon sings about sex with a humor and candor unlike any rock & roller before and George Harrison lays down rock’s first sitar solo. Harrison called Rubber Soul “the best one we made,” because “we were suddenly hearing sounds that we weren’t able to hear before.” "
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 50,Jay-Z,The Blueprint,No change,"Roc-A-Fella, 2001","With The Blueprint, Jay-Z took on anyone and everyone who wanted to sit on his throne, even the jesters. “Takeover,” one of rap’s most precise and unrelenting diss tracks, commits GBH on rappers Nas and Prodigy from Mobb Deep. When Hova isn’t taking shots at record executives, cops, critics, haters, biters, and his absent dad (and still, sadly, using the word “faggot”), he inches toward vulnerability on “Song Cry.” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” with dynamic production by Kanye West, gave him his first Top 10 single. Jay-Z elevates clever rhymes and innovations with an unmatched air of calm control and a cavalier confidence. Here’s the moral of the story, courtesy of “Takeover”: “You guys don’t want it with HOV.” "
 51,Chuck Berry,The Great Twenty-Eight,No change,"Chess, 1982","In the latter half of the Fifties, Chuck Berry released a string of singles that defined the sound and spirit of rock & roll. “Maybellene,” a fast, countryish rocker about a race between a Ford and a Cadillac, kicked it all off in 1955, and one classic hit followed another, each powered by Berry’s staccato, country-blues-guitar gunfire: “Roll Over Beethoven,” “School Day,” “Rock & Roll Music,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Back in the U.S.A.” What was Berry’s secret? In the maestro’s own words: “The nature and backbone of my beat is boogie, and the muscle of my music is melodies that are simple.” This collection culls the best of that magic from 1955 to 1965. "
 52,David Bowie,Station to Station,No change,"RCA, 1976","The title track is where David Bowie proclaims himself the Thin White Duke. Thin he was: Station to Station was recorded in a blizzard of cocaine in Los Angeles, with Bowie subsisting on green peppers and milk and almost never sleeping. The manic mood fueled an album that was futuristic but accessible, “plastic soul” speeding toward the electronic epiphanies of his Berlin phase. “TVC 15” is New Orleans R&B as robotic funk; “Golden Years” is James Brown from outer space, with Bowie’s amazing falsetto; and the 10-minute title track summed up his constant sense of motion at the time — opening with the sound of a train coming and eventually exploding into a Euro-disco breakdown that sounds like Saturday Night Fever at the android factory. "
-53,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Electric Ladyland,New in 2023,"Reprise, 1968","Jimi Hendrix's third and final studio album with the Experience showcased his evolution from guitar virtuoso to complete artistic visionary. The double album features some of Hendrix's most ambitious compositions, including the epic 'Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)' and his legendary cover of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower,' which Dylan himself called the definitive version. The album demonstrated Hendrix's studio mastery, incorporating layers of overdubs, backwards recordings, and innovative effects that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in 1968. Songs like '1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)' showed his interest in creating sonic landscapes beyond traditional rock structures. 'Electric Ladyland' stands as Hendrix's most complete artistic statement, combining his unparalleled guitar skills with sophisticated songwriting and production. (by Claude)"
+53,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Electric Ladyland,No change,"Reprise, 1968","Jimi Hendrix's third and final studio album with the Experience showcased his evolution from guitar virtuoso to complete artistic visionary. The double album features some of Hendrix's most ambitious compositions, including the epic 'Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)' and his legendary cover of Bob Dylan's 'All Along the Watchtower,' which Dylan himself called the definitive version. The album demonstrated Hendrix's studio mastery, incorporating layers of overdubs, backwards recordings, and innovative effects that pushed the boundaries of what was possible in 1968. Songs like '1983... (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)' showed his interest in creating sonic landscapes beyond traditional rock structures. 'Electric Ladyland' stands as Hendrix's most complete artistic statement, combining his unparalleled guitar skills with sophisticated songwriting and production. (by Claude)"
 54,James Brown,Star Time,No change,"Polydor, 1991","So great is James Brown’s impact that even with 71 songs on four CDs, Star Time isn’t quite comprehensive — between 1956 and 1984, Brown placed an astounding 103 singles on the R&B charts. But every phase of his career is well-represented here: the pleading, straight-up R&B of “Please, Please, Please”; his instantaneous reinvention of R&B with “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag,” where the rhythm takes over and the melody is subsumed within the groove; his spokesmanship for the civil rights movement in “Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud (Part 1)”; his founding document of Seventies funk, “Sex Machine”; and his blueprint for hip-hop in “Funky Drummer.” "
 55,Pink Floyd,The Dark Side of the Moon,No change,"EMI, 1973","“I think every album was a step towards Dark Side of the Moon,” keyboardist Rick Wright said. “We were learning all the time; the techniques of the recording and our writing was getting better.” As a culmination of their inner-space explorations of the early 1970s, the Floyd toured the bulk of Dark Side in Britain for months prior to recording. But in the studio, the band articulated bassist Roger Waters’ reveries on the madness of everyday life with melodic precision (“Breathe,” “Us and Them”) and cinematic luster (Clare Torry’s guest vocal aria “The Great Gig in the Sky”). Dark Side is one of the best-produced rock albums ever, and “Money” may be rock’s only Top 20 hit in 7/4 time. "
 56,Liz Phair,Exile in Guyville,No change,"Matador, 1993","“Watch how fast they run to the flame,” Liz Phair sang, and true to that promise her debut double LP set the underground on fire. Phair and co-producer Brad Wood built off the bedroom demo intimacy of Phair’s Girly-Sound cassette releases, creating a loose response record to the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street (“I had a lot to say on the subject matter they put forth,” she told Rolling Stone). Her strikingly frank sex talk caused a media stir unheard of for a “low-fi” artitst, but it was the caffeinated drive of songs like “6’1” and “Never Said,” the painterly sonic impressionism of the piano piece “Canary” or the sunset majestic “Stratford-On-Guy,” and the real hurt and hunger of “Fuck and Run” and “Divorce Song” that made Exile hit home. "
@@ -74,10 +74,10 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 73,My Bloody Valentine,Loveless,No change,"Sire, 1991","This vague, shimmering, gorgeous album reportedly cost as much as $500,000 to make and nearly bankrupted the band’s U.K. label. It was worth it. Forget the lyrics, which are buried in the mix and incomprehensible, and focus on Kevin Shields’ and Bilinda Butcher’s guitars, which build entire noise symphonies out of tremolo effects and pitch bending. Highlights like “Only Shallow” and “I Only Said” use sampling technology to build a distorted, shifting sound that is wholly original and ecstatically beautiful. It’s like being serenaded by ghosts. Generations of shoegaze bands were born in its shadow. "
 74,Kanye West,The College Dropout,No change,"Roc-A-Fella, 2004","In 2003, Kanye West was a Chicago kid who’d produced some hot beats for Jay-Z, wore pastel polo shirts with the collars popped, and wanted to be on the mic, not behind it. Record labels were skeptical, but West got over on wit and determination; he wrote and sang the hit “Through the Wire” while his jaw was wired shut after being in a car accident, and followed it with more dynamic tracks, including “Slow Jamz,” about the seductive power of soul music, and the gospel riot “Jesus Walks.” West loved Jesus and strip clubs, made arrogant claims about his talent, and then professed his insecurity — which made his music all the richer. "
 75,Aretha Franklin,Lady Soul,No change,"Atlantic, 1968","Aretha Franklin’s third Atlantic album in less than two years is another classic, with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Ain’t No Way,” and a slinky version of the Rascals’ “Groovin’.” It was a year of triumph and turbulence for Franklin: Although she made the cover of Time, the magazine reported details of her rocky marriage to Ted White, then her manager. But Franklin channeled that frenzy into performances of funky pride and magisterial hurt. Among the best: the grand-prayer treatment of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready” and her explosive anguish on the hit “Chain of Fools.” "
-76,Curtis Mayfield,Super Fly,New in 2023,"Curtom, 1972","Isaac Hayes’ Shaft came first — but that record had one great single and a lot of instrumental filler. It was Curtis Mayfield who made a blaxploitation-film soundtrack album that packed more drama than the movie it accompanied. Musically, Superfly is astonishing, marrying lush string parts to deep bass grooves, with lots of wah-wah guitar. On top, Mayfield sings in his world-wise falsetto, narrating the bleak tales of “Pusherman” and “Freddie’s Dead,” telling hard truths about the drug trade and black life in the 1970s. “I don’t take credit for everything I write,” Mayfield said. “I only look upon my writings as interpretations of how the majority of people around me feel.” "
+76,Curtis Mayfield,Super Fly,No change,"Curtom, 1972","Isaac Hayes’ Shaft came first — but that record had one great single and a lot of instrumental filler. It was Curtis Mayfield who made a blaxploitation-film soundtrack album that packed more drama than the movie it accompanied. Musically, Superfly is astonishing, marrying lush string parts to deep bass grooves, with lots of wah-wah guitar. On top, Mayfield sings in his world-wise falsetto, narrating the bleak tales of “Pusherman” and “Freddie’s Dead,” telling hard truths about the drug trade and black life in the 1970s. “I don’t take credit for everything I write,” Mayfield said. “I only look upon my writings as interpretations of how the majority of people around me feel.” "
 77,The Who,Who's Next,No change,"Decca, 1971","Pete Townshend suffered a nervous breakdown when his planned follow-up to the rock opera Tommy [see No. 190], the ambitious, theatrical Lifehouse, fell apart. But he was left with an extraordinary cache of songs that the Who honed for what became their best studio album, Who’s Next. “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Bargain,” and “Baba O’Riley” (named in tribute to avant-garde composer Terry Riley) all beam with epic majesty, often spiked with synthesizers. “I like synthesizers,” Townshend said, “because they bring into my hands things that aren’t in my hands: the sound of the orchestra, French horns, strings.… You press a switch and it plays it back at double speed.” "
 78,Elvis Presley,The Sun Sessions,No change,"RCA, 1976","On July 5th, 1954, at Sun Studios in Memphis, Elvis Presley, guitarist Scotty Moore, and bassist Bill Black were horsing around with “That’s All Right,” a tune by bluesman Arthur Crudup, when producer Sam Phillips stopped them and asked, “What are you doing?” “We don’t know,” they said. Phillips told them to “back up and do it again.” Bridging black and white, country and blues, Presley’s sound was playful and revolutionary, charged by a spontaneity and freedom that changed the world. He released four more singles on Sun — including definitive reinventions of Wynonie Harris’ “Good Rockin’ Tonight” and Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train” — before moving on to immortality at RCA. They’re all here on a collection that serves as well as anything out there as a definitive chronicle of the birth of rock & roll. "
-79,Frank Ocean,Blonde,New in 2023,"Boys Don’t Cry, 2016","Frank Ocean turned the release of Blond into a daring aesthetic stunt in itself. After years of high expectations after Channel Orange [see No. 148], he fulfilled his Def Jam contract with the visual project Endless, but then — within hours — he released his own Blond. It’s a boldly personal statement full of layered harmonies, as Ocean mutates his voice to match every mood. The songs were so nakedly intimate, it felt like a post-hip-hop Pet Sounds in the spirit of Beyoncé (who sings on “Pink + White”) and Elliott Smith (whose voice appears on “Seigfried”). “Ivy” is his most deeply melancholic confession — Ocean mourns a lost love over a distorted guitar, lamenting, “We’ll never be those kids again.” "
+79,Frank Ocean,Blonde,No change,"Boys Don’t Cry, 2016","Frank Ocean turned the release of Blond into a daring aesthetic stunt in itself. After years of high expectations after Channel Orange [see No. 148], he fulfilled his Def Jam contract with the visual project Endless, but then — within hours — he released his own Blond. It’s a boldly personal statement full of layered harmonies, as Ocean mutates his voice to match every mood. The songs were so nakedly intimate, it felt like a post-hip-hop Pet Sounds in the spirit of Beyoncé (who sings on “Pink + White”) and Elliott Smith (whose voice appears on “Seigfried”). “Ivy” is his most deeply melancholic confession — Ocean mourns a lost love over a distorted guitar, lamenting, “We’ll never be those kids again.” "
 80,Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols",No change,"Virgin, 1977","The Sex Pistols' only studio album is punk rock's defining statement - a furious assault on British society, the music industry, and conventional values. Johnny Rotten's sneering vocals and provocative lyrics, combined with Steve Jones' powerful guitar work and the rhythm section of Glen Matlock (later Paul Cook), created an sound of pure rebellion. Songs like 'Anarchy in the U.K.' and 'God Save the Queen' were banned by the BBC but became anthems for disaffected youth. The album's crude production aesthetic, captured by Chris Thomas, perfectly matched the band's anti-establishment message. While the Pistols burned out quickly, their impact was immeasurable - inspiring countless punk bands and proving that music could be a weapon of social and political change. (by Claude)"
 81,Beyoncé,Beyoncé,No change,"Parkwood/Columbia, 2013","“I didn’t want to release my music the way I’ve done it,” Beyoncé said. “I am bored with that.” So she dropped her self-titled album on an unsuspecting world at the end of 2013, without a word of warning. Her fifth solo album, Beyoncé showed off her musical scope and feminist outreach, but it was also a visual album with a film for each song, shot around the world: New York, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, and of course, her native Houston. She had high-profile collabs: “Superpower” with Frank Ocean, “Mine” with Drake, “Flawless” with Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Drunk in Love” with her husband, Jay-Z. But Beyoncé proved that nobody else was on her level. "
 82,Sly and the Family Stone,There's a Riot Goin' On,No change,"Epic, 1971","This highly anticipated studio follow-up to Sly and the Family Stone’s 1969 blast of hope, Stand!, was the grim, exact opposite: implosive, numbing, darkly self-referential. Sly Stone’s voice is an exhausted grumble; the funk in “Family Affair,” “Runnin’ Away,” and especially the closing downward spiral, “Thank You for Talkin’ to Me Africa,” is spare and bleak, fiercely compelling in its anguish over the unfulfilled promises of civil rights and hippie counterculture. “It is Muzak with its finger on the trigger,” wrote critic Greil Marcus in Mystery Train. Take that as a recommendation. "
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 90,Neil Young,After the Gold Rush,No change,"Reprise, 1970","For his third album, Neil Young fired Crazy Horse (the first of many times he would do so), picked up an acoustic guitar, and headed to his basement. He installed recording equipment in the cellar of his Topanga Canyon home, near Los Angeles, leaving room for only three or four people. There, Young made an album of heartbreaking ballads such as “Tell Me Why” and “Don’t Let It Bring You Down.” The music is gentle, but never smooth. Nils Lofgren, then an 18-year-old hotshot guitarist, squeezed into the sessions — but Young assigned him to the piano, an instrument he had never played in his life. "
 91,Bruce Springsteen,Darkness on the Edge of Town,No change,"Columbia, 1978","“When I was making this particular album, I just had a specific thing in mind,” Bruce Springsteen told Rolling Stone. “It had to be just a relentless … just a barrage of that particular thing.” His obsession on this album is a common one: how to go on living in a mean world when your youthful dreams have fallen apart. Springsteen sang with John Lennon-style fury, as he chronicled the working-class dreams and despair of “Prove It All Night” and “The Promised Land,” as well as his definitive car song, “Racing in the Street.” After the youthful exuberance of Born to Run, Darkness was the first sound of Springsteen’s hard-won adult realism "
 92,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Axis: Bold as Love,No change,"Track, 1967","Jimi Hendrix’s first album remade rock & roll with guitar magic that no one had ever even dreamed of before; his second album was just plain magic. It started with some musings on extraterrestrial life, then got really far out: jazzy drumming, funky balladry, liquid guitar solos, dragonfly heavy metal, and the immortal stoner’s maxim from “If Six Was Nine”: “I’m the one who’s got to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to.” All over the album, Hendrix was inventing new ways to make the electric guitar roar, sing, talk, shriek, flutter, and fly. And with the delicate “Little Wing,” he delivered one of rock’s most cryptic and bewitching love songs. "
-93,Missy Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly,New in 2023,"Goldmind/East West, 1997","Missy Elliott's solo debut established her as hip-hop's most visionary artist, combining futuristic production with playful wordplay and boundary-pushing videos. Working primarily with producer Timbaland, Elliott created a sound unlike anything in rap - incorporating unusual samples, off-kilter rhythms, and innovative vocal techniques. Tracks like 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)' and 'Sock It 2 Me' featured collaborations with artists like Aaliyah, Lil' Kim, and Da Brat, showcasing Elliott's ability to elevate everyone around her. Her approach to sexuality was both frank and empowering, while her visual aesthetic - from the inflatable suit in 'The Rain' video to the fish-eye lens effects - influenced a generation of artists. The album proved that hip-hop could be experimental, fun, and commercially successful simultaneously. (by Claude)"
+93,Missy Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly,No change,"Goldmind/East West, 1997","Missy Elliott's solo debut established her as hip-hop's most visionary artist, combining futuristic production with playful wordplay and boundary-pushing videos. Working primarily with producer Timbaland, Elliott created a sound unlike anything in rap - incorporating unusual samples, off-kilter rhythms, and innovative vocal techniques. Tracks like 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)' and 'Sock It 2 Me' featured collaborations with artists like Aaliyah, Lil' Kim, and Da Brat, showcasing Elliott's ability to elevate everyone around her. Her approach to sexuality was both frank and empowering, while her visual aesthetic - from the inflatable suit in 'The Rain' video to the fish-eye lens effects - influenced a generation of artists. The album proved that hip-hop could be experimental, fun, and commercially successful simultaneously. (by Claude)"
 94,The Stooges,Fun House,No change,"Elektra, 1970","With garage-savvy ex-Kingsmen keyboardist Don Gallucci producing their second album, the Stooges made their most fully realized effort, despite their collective drug problems. “We had a certain purity of intention,” Iggy Pop asserted. “I don’t think we did ever get it from the drugs. I think they killed things.” They couldn’t kill what he has called the relentless “troglodyte groove” the band had on Fun House. “I stick it deep inside,” Iggy growls on “Loose,” one of the album’s typically confrontational tracks. Later, on “1970,” he insisted, ad infinitum, “I feel all right,” and there’s no question you wouldn’t want any of whatever he was on. "
 95,Drake,Take Care,No change,"Cash Money, 2011","The Toronto MC had his creative and commercial breakthrough on Take Care, establishing his image as the Champagne Papi who can always find a way to overshare, whether in the club or the bedroom. Drake covers both seductive R&B finesse and hip-hop swagger, with his longtime producer Noah “40” Shebib, along with guests like Rihanna and Jamie xx. “Marvin’s Room” is the showstopper — late at night, Drake drunk-dials his ex to figure out what went wrong (“I’ve had sex four times this week, I’ll explain/I’m having a hard time adjusting to fame”). Hard time or not, Take Care showed that Drake is always best when he bares his feelings in the spotlight. "
 96,R.E.M.,Automatic for the People,No change,"Warner Bros., 1992","“It doesn’t sound a whole lot like us,” warned guitarist Peter Buck. But by stripping back their sound to a spare, largely acoustic essence, the college-rock kings made the most powerful album of their career — an argument for sweetness and softness in an increasingly hard world. The bold sonic change-up laid bare Michael Stipe’s keening baritone and expansive vocal melodies, accentuated in several songs by Led Zeppelin member John Paul Jones’ gorgeous string arrangements. The album “was beautiful. It was quiet,” Stipe said. “It flew in the face of everything that was going down musically at the time.” At a time when grunge angst ruled, songs like “Everybody Hurts” and the lovely “Find the River” offered solace. "
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 102,The Clash,The Clash,No change,"CBS, 1977","“I haven’t got any illusions about anything,” Joe Strummer said. “Having said that, I still want to try to change things.” That youthful ambition bursts through the Clash’s debut, a machine-gun blast of songs about unemployment (“Career Opportunities”), race (“White Riot”), and the Clash themselves (“Clash City Rockers”). Most of the guitar was played by Mick Jones, because Strummer considered studio technique insufficiently punk. The American release was delayed two years and replaced some of the U.K. tracks with recent singles, including “Complete Control” — a complaint about exactly those sort of record-company shenanigans. "
 103,De La Soul,3 Feet High and Rising,No change,"Tommy Boy, 1989","Long Island high school friends Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo linked up with Stetsasonic DJ Prince Paul to create a left-field hip-hop masterpiece, heralding a “D.A.I.S.Y. Age” and weaving samples of Steely Dan, Malcolm McLaren, and Johnny Cash with raps about everything from Public Enemy-style politics (“Ghetto Thang”) to individualism (“Take It Off”) to body odor (“A Little Bit of Soap”). “There was no plan back then,” Trugoy told Rolling Stone in 2009. Indeed, De La Soul’s anything-goes spirit sparked generations of oddballs to rise up and get theirs. "
 104,The Rolling Stones,Sticky Fingers,No change,"Rolling Stones, 1971","Drummer Charlie Watts remembered the origin of Sticky Fingers as the songs Mick Jagger wrote while filming the movie Ned Kelly in Australia. “Mick started playing the guitar a lot,” Watts said. “He plays very strange rhythm guitar … very much how Brazilian guitarists play, on the upbeat. It is very much like the guitar on a James Brown track — for a drummer, it’s great to play with.” New guitarist Mick Taylor, replacing Brian Jones, stretches out the Stones sound in “Sway,” “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” and “Moonlight Mile.” But “Brown Sugar” is a classic Stones stomp, and two of the best cuts are country songs: one forlorn (“Wild Horses”) and one funny (“Dead Flowers”). "
-105,The Allman Brothers Band,At Fillmore East,New in 2023,"Capricorn, 1971","Although this double album is the perfect testimony to the Allman Brothers’ improvisational skills, it is also evidence of their unprecedented connection with the crowds at New York’s Fillmore East. “The audience would kind of play along with us,” singer-organist Gregg Allman said of those March 1971 shows. “They were right on top of every single vibration coming from the stage.” The guitar team of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts was at its peak, seamlessly fusing blues and jazz in “Whipping Post” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” But their telepathy was cut short: Just three months after the album’s release, Duane died in a motorcycle accident. "
+105,The Allman Brothers Band,At Fillmore East,No change,"Capricorn, 1971","Although this double album is the perfect testimony to the Allman Brothers’ improvisational skills, it is also evidence of their unprecedented connection with the crowds at New York’s Fillmore East. “The audience would kind of play along with us,” singer-organist Gregg Allman said of those March 1971 shows. “They were right on top of every single vibration coming from the stage.” The guitar team of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts was at its peak, seamlessly fusing blues and jazz in “Whipping Post” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.” But their telepathy was cut short: Just three months after the album’s release, Duane died in a motorcycle accident. "
 106,Hole,Live Through This,No change,"Geffen, 1994","One week before Hole’s breakthrough album was released, Kurt Cobain killed himself and made Courtney Love a widow. The media attention that followed guaranteed a close listen for Love’s fearsome songs and her shift from pure riot-grrrl punk to a more stable sound that MTV could embrace. Her coded songs have dark topics, including death (“Kill me pills”), violence (“Pee girl gets the belt”), and body shame (“Bad skin, doll heart”), as well as motherhood. (Cobain and Love became parents two years earlier, and briefly lost custody after she was reported to have used heroin while pregnant.) The horror in Love’s exposed voice on “Asking for It” and “Doll Parts” gives immediacy to her firsthand stories about being an outcast “pee girl.” "
 107,Television,Marquee Moon,No change,"Elektra, 1977","When the members of Television materialized in New York, at the dawn of punk, they played an incongruous, soaring amalgam of genres: the noirish howl of the Velvet Underground, brainy art rock, the double-helix guitar sculpture of Quicksilver Messenger Service. As exhilarating in its lyrical ambitions as the Ramones’ debut was in its brutal simplicity, Marquee Moon still amazes. “Friction,” “Venus,” and the mighty title track are jagged, desperate, and beautiful all at once. As for punk credentials, don’t forget the cryptic electricity and strangled existentialism of guitarist Tom Verlaine’s voice and songwriting. "
 108,Fiona Apple,When the Pawn...,No change,"Epic, 1999","Following the success of her precocious debut, Tidal, and saddled with a pop audience that didn’t quite know what to do with her, Fiona Apple took her critics to task on the mature yet daring When the Pawn … Backed by her expressive piano playing and impressionistic production from Jon Brion, Apple makes resentment seem almost fun on songs like “Fast as You Can,” “Paper Bag,” and “The Way Things Are.” In years to come, Apple would make peace with her outcast status, leaving far behind the MTV-generation gatekeepers who once gave her so much grief. For generations of young fans, the raw, hard-won triumph of When the Pawn … will always feel timeless. "
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 171,Sonic Youth,Daydream Nation,No change,"Enigma, 1988","Sonic Youth took an ecstatic, specifically New York sound created in the late 1970s by the band Television and by composers Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca, and turned it into an international clamor. On this double album, they make a move away from doomy riddles about pop culture and toward joyful riddles about pop culture. Their unconventional guitar tunings result in jarring chords and overtones, but also an array of gnarled hooks. Thurston Moore’s and Lee Ranaldo’s guitars are like antennae picking up otherworldly signals and channeling them into the scuzzy urban haze of “Teen Age Riot” and “Eric’s Trip,” and on “The Sprawl,” bassist Kim Gordon sums up the album’s measured chaos: “Does ‘Fuck you’ sound simple enough?” "
 172,Simon & Garfunkel,Bridge over Troubled Water,No change,"Columbia, 1970","On their fifth and final studio album, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were pulling away from each other: Simon assembled some of it while Garfunkel was in Mexico starting his acting career with a part in the film version of Catch-22. Garfunkel vetoed Simon’s song “Cuba Sí, Nixon No,” and Simon nixed Garfunkel’s idea for a Bach chorale. What remains is the partnership at its best: wry, wounded songs with healing harmonies such as “The Boxer,” though the gorgeous title track was sung by Garfunkel alone, despite his resistance. “He felt I should have done it,” Simon told Rolling Stone in 1972. “And many times, I’m sorry I didn’t do it.” "
 173,Nirvana,In Utero,No change,"Geffen, 1993","After Nevermind went megaplatinum, Kurt Cobain detested how the band had drawn frat boys and homophobe fans — “plankton,” he called them, adding, “Don’t come to our shows and don’t buy our records.” Nirvana hired indie-rock producer Steve Albini to record their new album, resulting in a record sonically forbidding enough that Geffen Records asked them to clean it up. In “Scentless Apprentice,” he screams, “Go away!” at no one and everyone, summarizing this powerfully unsettling third album. Melodies peak through the clouds of his wrath, especially on “All Apologies,” “Dumb,” and “Pennyroyal Tea,” but the prevailing mood is queasy, like a visit to the inside of Cobain’s aching stomach. "
-174,Various artists,The Harder They Come,New in 2023,"Island, 1972","This reggae compilation soundtrack introduced the world to the power and beauty of Jamaican music through the 1972 film starring Jimmy Cliff. Featuring classic tracks by Bob Marley & the Wailers ('Many Rivers to Cross'), Toots and the Maytals ('Pressure Drop'), and Jimmy Cliff ('The Harder They Come'), the album became a cultural phenomenon that brought reggae to international audiences. The collection captures the roots of reggae at its most authentic, with spiritual themes of resistance, redemption, and social justice running throughout. The album's success helped establish reggae as a major world music genre and influenced countless artists across all musical styles. Its impact extended far beyond music, helping to spread Rastafarian culture and Jamaican identity globally. (by Claude)"
+174,Various artists,The Harder They Come,No change,"Island, 1972","This reggae compilation soundtrack introduced the world to the power and beauty of Jamaican music through the 1972 film starring Jimmy Cliff. Featuring classic tracks by Bob Marley & the Wailers ('Many Rivers to Cross'), Toots and the Maytals ('Pressure Drop'), and Jimmy Cliff ('The Harder They Come'), the album became a cultural phenomenon that brought reggae to international audiences. The collection captures the roots of reggae at its most authentic, with spiritual themes of resistance, redemption, and social justice running throughout. The album's success helped establish reggae as a major world music genre and influenced countless artists across all musical styles. Its impact extended far beyond music, helping to spread Rastafarian culture and Jamaican identity globally. (by Claude)"
 175,Kendrick Lamar,Damn,No change,"TDE, 2017","After the sprawl of To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar tightened up, going for the jugular in the most aggressive, banger-based album of his career. He dissects his own “DNA,” as well as America’s, raving about “the feelin’ of an apocalypse happenin’.” He delves into his family history in “Duckworth” and scored his first Number One hit with “Humble.” It’s an album where both Bono and Rihanna sound right at home — but it all sounds like Lamar. “It came out exactly how I heard it in my head,” he explained at the time. “It’s all pieces of me.” Grammy-haters were vindicated when DAMN. lost out to Bruno Mars for Album of the Year, but DAMN. did end up pulling a Pulitzer Prize for Music, a first for a rap album. "
 176,Public Enemy,Fear of a Black Planet,No change,"Def Jam/Columbia, 1990","Public Enemy derived the title of their pyrophoric third album from the writing of Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, a professor who theorized that the purpose of racism was to assure “white genetic survival.” (That’s her speaking in the first few bars of “Meet the G That Killed Me.”) The lyrical flap surrounding “Welcome to the Terrordome” couldn’t overwhelm Public Enemy’s widescreen vision of hip-hop, which included the righteous noise of “Fight the Power,” the uplifting sentiment of “Brothers Gonna Work It Out,” and the agit-funk of “911 Is a Joke.” "
 177,Rod Stewart,Every Picture Tells a Story,No change,"Mercury, 1971","“We had no preconceived ideas of what we were going to do,” Rod Stewart said. “We would have a few drinks and strum away and play.” With a first-class band of drinking buddies (including guitarist Ron Wood and drummer Mickey Waller), Stewart made a loose, warm, compassionate album, rocking hard with mostly acoustic instruments. “Mandolin Wind” was his moving ballad of a country couple toughing out a long winter on the farm; the title tune was a hilarious goof. But Stewart scored his first Number One hit with “Maggie May,” his autobiographical tale of a young stud getting kicked in the head by an older lady. "
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 208,Lil Wayne,Tha Carter III,No change,"Cash Money/Universal Motown, 2008","By 2008, Lil Wayne contained multitudes: Best Rapper Alive, Pussy Monster, Martian, Weezy F. Baby (and the “F” is for, well, pretty much any word starting with “F”). Tha Carter III was a monument to this multiple-personality menagerie. “A Milli,” a glorified freestyle, fully crossed over to the mainstream, while “Lollipop,” a robotic R&B jam, rightly bet that an audience was ready to invest in Wayne’s croaky, syrup-addled singing voice. More than a decade later, even Wayne’s most outré personalities are still birthing musical descendants. "
 209,Run-DMC,Raising Hell,No change,"Profile, 1986","Working for the first time with producer Rick Rubin, the Hollis, Queens, crew of Run, DMC, and Jam Master Jay made an album so undeniable, it forced the mainstream to cross over to hip-hop. “Peter Piper” kicked the rhymes over a jingling cowbell sampled from an old jazz-fusion record. On “My Adidas,” “It’s Tricky,” and “You Be Illin’,” Run and DMC talked trash while the DJ made their day. They even hit MTV with a vandalistic remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. "
 210,Ray Charles,The Birth of Soul,No change,"Atlantic, 1991","Ray Charles was just about the first person to perfect that mix of blues and gospel, holy and filthy, that we know as soul music. He was knocking around Seattle when Atlantic bought out his contract in 1952. For the next eight years, he turned out brilliant singles such as “What’d I Say” and “I Got a Woman.” This box collects every R&B side he cut for Atlantic, though his swinging take on “My Bonnie” will have you thinking it covers his Atlantic jazz output as well. "
-211,Joy Division,Unknown Pleasures,New in 2023,"Factory, 1980","Joy Division came from the northern England industrial gloom of Manchester, four blue-collar lads chasing a new kind of goth-punk grandeur. Right from the opening, “Disorder,” Unknown Pleasures sounds like nothing else, with the doomed Ian Curtis yelping his dark poetry (“I got the spirit!”) over Peter Hook’s bass pulse. But for all the despair, there’s something inspiring in the surge of “Interzone” and “New Dawn Fades.” Black-clad young bands have been imitating Joy Division ever since. "
+211,Joy Division,Unknown Pleasures,No change,"Factory, 1980","Joy Division came from the northern England industrial gloom of Manchester, four blue-collar lads chasing a new kind of goth-punk grandeur. Right from the opening, “Disorder,” Unknown Pleasures sounds like nothing else, with the doomed Ian Curtis yelping his dark poetry (“I got the spirit!”) over Peter Hook’s bass pulse. But for all the despair, there’s something inspiring in the surge of “Interzone” and “New Dawn Fades.” Black-clad young bands have been imitating Joy Division ever since. "
 212,Nina Simone,Wild Is the Wind,No change,"Philips, 1966","Aretha was the Queen of Soul, but Nina Simone, as one of her album titles proclaimed, was its high priestess, and this 1966 LP is among her most enthralling and eclectic. With her dusky voice at its most commanding, Simone works her way through roadhouse soul (“I Love Your Lovin’ Ways”) and dramatic set pieces (the melancholic “Lilac Wine,” later covered by Jeff Buckley). It peaks with “Four Women,” an ambitious saga of racially diverse women and their struggles, written by Simone. "
 213,Fiona Apple,The Idler Wheel...,No change,"Epic, 2012","The Idler Wheel continued Fiona Apple’s run as one of modern pop’s most thrilling eccentrics. There’s a single-minded intensity to songs like “Every Single Night” and “Hot Knife,” where she puts an almost shocking amount of feeling into each syllable. Apple can sound like a cabaret singer in one song and a blueswoman in the next, her voice full of sandpaper edges and bestial roars. “I may need a chaperone,” she wonders on “Daredevil,” but this album proves she’s at her very best when left to her own devices. "
 214,Tom Petty,Wildflowers,No change,"Warner Bros., 1994","Petty struggled for two years to make the Rick Rubin-produced follow-up to 1989’s hit Full Moon Fever. He left tons of songs in the can, and the final product stretched to 70 minutes but didn’t have any filler. Petty hit a new songwriting peak, going from intimate, soul-bearing songs like the title track and “Crawling Back to You” to rockers like “You Wreck Me” and “House in the Woods.” “I think it’s maybe my favorite LP that I’ve ever done,” Petty said. "
@@ -287,14 +287,14 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 286,Red Hot Chili Peppers,Californication,No change,"Warner Bros., 1999","Turning their focus completely to songs instead of jams, the Red Hot Chili Peppers steered frontman Anthony Kiedis’ voice into a radio-friendlier wail on Californication. That, and the reappearance of guitarist/secret weapon John Frusciante, helped form beautifully composed songs such as “Scar Tissue.” “When John gets excited, he’s like 8 billion volts of electricity,” said Kiedis. “He was knocking things over — it was absolutely chaotic, like a little kid trying to set up a Christmas tree.” "
 287,The Byrds,Mr. Tambourine Man,No change,"Columbia, 1965","“Wow, man, you can even dance to that!” said Bob Dylan on hearing the Byrds’ harmonized electric-12-string treatments of his material. Their debut album defined folk rock with L.A. studio savvy and ringing guitars. The Byrds hit Number One with their jangled-up “Mr. Tambourine Man,” but as they soon proved, they were a whole band full of brilliant songwriters. Gene Clark wrote most of the album’s highlights, like the moody “Here Without You” and the irresistible “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better.” "
 288,The Modern Lovers,The Modern Lovers,No change,"Beserkley, 1976","Jonathan Richman moved from Boston to New York as a teenager in hopes of sleeping on Lou Reed’s couch. That influence shows on the two-chord anthem “Roadrunner.” Recorded in 1972 but not released until 1976, Lovers turned the tough sounds of the Velvets into an ode to suburban romanticism. “Rock & roll was about stuff that was natural,” Richman said. “I wasn’t about drugs and space.” Songs like “Pablo Picasso,” “Girl Friend,” and “Dignified and Old” touched generations of punk and indie-rock innocents. "
-289,Björk,Post,New in 2023,"One Little Indian, 1995","Björk's second solo album expanded her artistic vision beyond the experimental rock of 'Debut,' incorporating electronic music, trip-hop, and avant-garde production techniques to create something entirely unique. Working with producers including Nellee Hooper, Tricky, and Howie B, Björk crafted songs that seamlessly blended organic and synthetic elements. Tracks like 'Army of Me' and 'It's Oh So Quiet' showcased her incredible vocal range and fearless artistic approach, while 'Hyperballad' and 'Possibly Maybe' revealed her vulnerable, romantic side. The album's innovative production, combining lush orchestrations with cutting-edge electronic textures, influenced countless artists in both pop and experimental music. 'Post' established Björk as one of music's most distinctive and influential artists, unafraid to push boundaries while maintaining emotional accessibility. (by Claude)"
+289,Björk,Post,No change,"One Little Indian, 1995","Björk's second solo album expanded her artistic vision beyond the experimental rock of 'Debut,' incorporating electronic music, trip-hop, and avant-garde production techniques to create something entirely unique. Working with producers including Nellee Hooper, Tricky, and Howie B, Björk crafted songs that seamlessly blended organic and synthetic elements. Tracks like 'Army of Me' and 'It's Oh So Quiet' showcased her incredible vocal range and fearless artistic approach, while 'Hyperballad' and 'Possibly Maybe' revealed her vulnerable, romantic side. The album's innovative production, combining lush orchestrations with cutting-edge electronic textures, influenced countless artists in both pop and experimental music. 'Post' established Björk as one of music's most distinctive and influential artists, unafraid to push boundaries while maintaining emotional accessibility. (by Claude)"
 290,Outkast,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,No change,"LaFace, 2003","For a decade, OutKast were a duo defined by dichotomies — regional versus celestial, order amid chaos, blackness and the universal. On their fifth studio album, that tension could no longer be contained on one CD. Big Boi’s verbal funk overflowed on Speakerboxxx, his half of the double-disc set, while André 3000’s inner crooner exhaled like never before on The Love Below. It was a gamble to break up their twin alchemy this way, but in dividing themselves, OutKast conquered: America fell as deeply in love with the borderless pop bliss of “Hey Ya!” as it did with the slick talk and soulful horns on “The Way You Move.” "
 291,Destiny's Child,The Writing's on the Wall,No change,"Columbia, 1999","Looking back now, Destiny’s Child seem like the last gasp of the R&B vocal group, a tradition that was swept out of the mainstream in the 2000s. On this kinetic, shattering album, the group — especially a wunderkind named Beyoncé Knowles — took a more hands-on approach to writing and producing, helping to craft juddering club singles like “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Bug a Boo.” The ballad “Say My Name” quickly became a modern standard. "
 292,Van Halen,Van Halen,No change,"Warner Bros., 1978","This debut gave the world a new guitar hero (Eddie Van Halen) and charismatic frontman (David Lee Roth). Tunes such as “Runnin’ With the Devil” and “Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love” put the swagger back in hard rock, and Van Halen’s jaw-dropping technique, particularly on “Eruption,” raised the bar for rock guitar. “It sounded like it came from another planet,” Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready said of first encountering Van Halen’s playing. “Like hearing Mozart for the first time.” "
 293,The Breeders,Last Splash,No change,"Elektra, 1993","How did a weird little tune like “Cannonball” make the Top 40? It’s an only-in-the-Nineties mystery that may go forever unsolved. On the Breeders’ breakthrough LP, Kim Deal made a record every bit as good as her old band, the Pixies, with her sister Kelly on guitar, singing about sex and summer over the surfy buzz of “Divine Hammer” and “I Just Wanna Get Along.” The adorable, acoustic “Drivin’ on 9” is a wonderful alt-rock take on the age-old rock & roll theme of going to the chapel of love. "
 294,Weezer,Weezer,No change,"DGC, 1994","Known as 'The Blue Album,' Weezer's debut perfectly captured the awkward charm and emotional intensity of alternative rock in the 1990s. Rivers Cuomo's deeply personal songwriting, combined with the band's crunchy guitar sound and pop sensibilities, created anthems for the misunderstood and lovelorn. Songs like 'Buddy Holly,' 'Undone (The Sweater Song),' and 'Say It Ain't So' became defining tracks of Generation X, blending heavy guitars with irresistible melodies and lyrics about social anxiety, family dysfunction, and unrequited love. Producer Ric Ocasek helped the band achieve a sound that was both polished and raw, perfectly suited to MTV and alternative radio. The album's success proved that vulnerability and intelligence could coexist with rock power, influencing countless indie and emo bands that followed. (by Claude)"
 295,Daft Punk,Random Access Memories,No change,"Columbia, 2013","Having played a massive role in the rise of EDM in the late ‘00s, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo turned away from EDM altogether for a Seventies disco record featuring appearances by Donna Summer producer Giorgio Moroder and Chic’s Nile Rodgers (who played guitar on the gigantic hit “Get Lucky”). The result was a mushy, otherworldly concept LP that was retro, futuristic, trippy, and weirdly human all at once. "
-296,Neil Young and Crazy Horse,Rust Never Sleeps,New in 2023,"Reprise, 1979","Neil Young's response to the punk movement was this fierce, electric masterpiece that proved the old guard could still deliver vital, relevant rock music. Recorded with his longtime backing band Crazy Horse, the album features some of Young's most powerful guitar work and politically charged lyrics. The epic 'Powderfinger' and 'Welfare Mothers' showcase the band's ability to create sprawling, feedback-drenched soundscapes, while 'My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)' offers Young's famous meditation on rock and roll mortality with the prophetic line 'it's better to burn out than to fade away.' The album's raw energy and uncompromising attitude influenced grunge pioneers like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, proving Young's continued relevance across generations. (by Claude)"
+296,Neil Young and Crazy Horse,Rust Never Sleeps,No change,"Reprise, 1979","Neil Young's response to the punk movement was this fierce, electric masterpiece that proved the old guard could still deliver vital, relevant rock music. Recorded with his longtime backing band Crazy Horse, the album features some of Young's most powerful guitar work and politically charged lyrics. The epic 'Powderfinger' and 'Welfare Mothers' showcase the band's ability to create sprawling, feedback-drenched soundscapes, while 'My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)' offers Young's famous meditation on rock and roll mortality with the prophetic line 'it's better to burn out than to fade away.' The album's raw energy and uncompromising attitude influenced grunge pioneers like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, proving Young's continued relevance across generations. (by Claude)"
 297,Peter Gabriel,So,No change,"Geffen, 1986","Peter Gabriel got funky on the 1982 single “Shock the Monkey,” and it took him four years to follow up the hit. The similarly visceral “Sledgehammer” slammed So into the mainstream, and its hold on radio and MTV deepened with the upbeat “Big Time,” the gothic love ballad “In Your Eyes” (beautifully employed by filmmaker Cameron Crowe in Say Anything), and the inspirational “Don’t Give Up,” a duet with Kate Bush, who was shown locked in a five-minute embrace with Gabriel in the video. "
 298,Tom Petty,Full Moon Fever,No change,"MCA, 1989","It almost seems impossible to imagine now, but when Petty turned in Full Moon Fever, his record company didn’t want to put it out because they didn’t hear a single. But the album was an enormous success, with hits like “I Won’t Back Down,” “Runnin Down a Dream,” and the majestic L.A. portrait “Free Fallin’,” possibly Petty’s most beloved song. Producer Jeff Lynn gave the album a sleek but never slick sound that complemented Petty’s sharpest set of songs in a decade. "
 299,B.B. King,Live at the Regal,No change,"ABC-Paramount, 1965","By the mid-Sixties, B.B. King’s career appeared to be winding down, as black audiences began to turn their backs on the blues. But a British revival introduced the blues to young, white, American rock fans. Live at the Regal, recorded in Chicago in 1964, paved the way for King’s appearances on the rock-concert circuit and FM radio. His guitar sound was precise and powerful, driving emotional versions of some of his most influential songs, including “Every Day I Have the Blues” and “How Blue Can You Get?” "
@@ -307,13 +307,13 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 306,Al Green,I'm Still in Love with You,No change,"Hi, 1972","Al Green made one classic after another in the early Seventies — the Memphis soul master turned each LP into an all-out passion play, capturing the highs and lows of romance. After his smash Let’s Stay Together, I’m Still in Love With You was his second great album of 1972. It’s an even more sensual experience, with the sweat-dripping acoustic groove of “Simply Beautiful” and the vulnerable confessions of “Look What You Done for Me.” “We used chords that people never used before,” producer Willie Mitchell said. “Al Green always wanted to advance.” "
 307,Sam Cooke,Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964,No change,"ABKCO, 2003","This comprehensive compilation captures the full scope of Sam Cooke's revolutionary career, from his gospel beginnings with the Soul Stirrers to his emergence as the king of soul music. Featuring classics like 'You Send Me,' 'Chain Gang,' 'Cupid,' and the posthumously released civil rights anthem 'A Change Is Gonna Come,' the collection demonstrates Cooke's unique ability to blend sacred and secular music into something transcendent. His smooth, sophisticated vocal style and innovative songwriting laid the groundwork for soul music and influenced every R&B singer who followed. Cooke's business acumen and artistic vision made him one of the first African American artists to gain control over his music and career, paving the way for future generations of Black artists. (by Claude)"
 308,Brian Eno,Here Come the Warm Jets,No change,"Island, 1974","The former Roxy Music keyboardist’s first solo album pioneered a new kind of glammy art rock: jagged, free-form, and dreamy, sounding like nothing else in rock at the time. “Baby’s on Fire” and “Needles in the Camel’s Eye” are vicious rockers with detached vocals, and Robert Fripp’s warped guitars swarm and stutter, while “On Some Faraway Beach” and the title track are glistening slo-mo-drone pastorales. “I called it ‘warm jet guitar’ because it sounded like a tuned jet,” Eno said later. "
-309,Joy Division,Closer,New in 2023,"Factory, 1980","One of the most depressing albums ever made, with droning guitars and synthesizers, chilly bass lines, stentorian vocals, and drums that sound as if they’re steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And that’s not even considering the lyrics, which are about singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage and how he suffered from epilepsy. (Curtis hanged himself on May 18th, 1980, at the age of 23 — the rest of the band regrouped as New Order.) On Closer, Joy Division fully earned their reputation as England’s most harrowing punk band. "
+309,Joy Division,Closer,No change,"Factory, 1980","One of the most depressing albums ever made, with droning guitars and synthesizers, chilly bass lines, stentorian vocals, and drums that sound as if they’re steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And that’s not even considering the lyrics, which are about singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage and how he suffered from epilepsy. (Curtis hanged himself on May 18th, 1980, at the age of 23 — the rest of the band regrouped as New Order.) On Closer, Joy Division fully earned their reputation as England’s most harrowing punk band. "
 310,Wire,Pink Flag,No change,"Harvest, 1977","This first-generation U.K. punk band made sparse tunes that erupted in combustible snippets on its 21-track debut album. America never got it, but Pink Flag — as revolutionary discs tend to do — influenced some important bands, including Sonic Youth and the Minutemen. It also might be one of the most-covered punk LPs ever: Minor Threat did “12XU,” R.E.M. did “Strange,” the New Bomb Turks did “Mr. Suit,” Spoon did “Lowdown,” the Lemonheads did “Fragile,” and on and on. "
 311,Neil Young,On the Beach,No change,"Reprise, 1974","Reeling from the losses that sparked Tonight’s the Night the previous year, Neil Young shelved that album for a while and made this one instead: a wild fireball of anger (“Revolution Blues”), nihilism (“For the Turnstiles”), and tentative optimism (“Walk On”). The album peaks on Side Two, a stoned symphony of grieving whose three songs (“On the Beach,” “Motion Pictures,” “Ambulance Blues”) are among the most emotionally real in Young’s catalog. "
-312,Solange Knowles,A Seat at the Table,New in 2023,"Saint/Columbia, 2016","Solange's third studio album is a powerful meditation on Black identity, pride, and resilience in America. Drawing from neo-soul, funk, and R&B traditions, the album features deeply personal songs about growing up Black in the South, family relationships, and finding strength in cultural heritage. Tracks like 'Cranes in the Sky' and 'Don't Touch My Hair' became anthems of Black empowerment, while interludes featuring conversations with her parents and other family members added intimate context to the album's themes. The album's production, crafted with collaborators including Raphael Saadiq and The-Dream, creates a cohesive sonic journey that perfectly complements Solange's vulnerable yet defiant vocals. 'A Seat at the Table' was both a critical triumph and a cultural moment, addressing racial issues with grace and artistic sophistication. (by Claude)"
+312,Solange Knowles,A Seat at the Table,No change,"Saint/Columbia, 2016","Solange's third studio album is a powerful meditation on Black identity, pride, and resilience in America. Drawing from neo-soul, funk, and R&B traditions, the album features deeply personal songs about growing up Black in the South, family relationships, and finding strength in cultural heritage. Tracks like 'Cranes in the Sky' and 'Don't Touch My Hair' became anthems of Black empowerment, while interludes featuring conversations with her parents and other family members added intimate context to the album's themes. The album's production, crafted with collaborators including Raphael Saadiq and The-Dream, creates a cohesive sonic journey that perfectly complements Solange's vulnerable yet defiant vocals. 'A Seat at the Table' was both a critical triumph and a cultural moment, addressing racial issues with grace and artistic sophistication. (by Claude)"
 313,PJ Harvey,"Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea",No change,"Island, 2000","Polly Jean Harvey happy? Album number five found her in New York and in love, crowing “I’m immortal/When I’m with you” in the surging opener, “Big Exit.” Harvey had spent four records howling her sexual obsessions and romantic disappointments over stark postmodern blues. Her guitar attack was still forceful, but softened around the edges by marimba, piano, organ, and guest vocalist Thom Yorke, especially on the garage-y “Good Fortune” and the yearning “A Place Called Home” — mash notes to lovers in the big city. "
 314,Aaliyah,One in a Million,No change,"Blackground/Atlantic, 1996","Aaliyah’s second album was her first with producer Timbaland, and until the singer’s tragic death in 2001, the pair reshaped the landscape of R&B. Aaliyah seems to be sparring with Timbaland’s hide-and-seek drum tracks, ducking and weaving — and, somehow, singing beautifully — as high-hats and shakers zip past her ears. As futuristic as this album sounds, even today, Aaliyah also benefited from her close study of the classics: Her version of the Isley Brothers’ “Choosey Lover” rises to the level of the original. "
-315,Rosalía,El Mal Querer,New in 2023,"Sony, 2018","In her Grammy-winning breakthrough album, El Mal Querer (in English, A Toxic Love), groundbreaking Spanish singer-producer Rosalía not only mainstreamed the centuries-old tradition of flamenco music, she also freaked it, using the power of 808s and a whole lotta heartbreak. Rosalía assumes a rapper’s bravado in the opening track, “Malamente,” and in the palma-pop gem “Di Mi Nombre,” she grabs her bullish lover by the horns. The result is one of the best ancient-modern mash-ups of the 21st century. "
+315,Rosalía,El Mal Querer,No change,"Sony, 2018","In her Grammy-winning breakthrough album, El Mal Querer (in English, A Toxic Love), groundbreaking Spanish singer-producer Rosalía not only mainstreamed the centuries-old tradition of flamenco music, she also freaked it, using the power of 808s and a whole lotta heartbreak. Rosalía assumes a rapper’s bravado in the opening track, “Malamente,” and in the palma-pop gem “Di Mi Nombre,” she grabs her bullish lover by the horns. The result is one of the best ancient-modern mash-ups of the 21st century. "
 316,The Who,The Who Sell Out,No change,"Decca, 1967","The Who’s third record was their first concept album, a tribute to the U.K.’s offshore pirate-radio stations. The band strung the songs together with mock commercials (“Heinz Baked Beans”) and genuine radio jingles. It’s the Who’s funniest record — the sad love ballad “Odorono” turns out to be an ad for deodorant. The band expanded its maximum-R&B sound with mini rock opera “Rael,” giving a hint of things to come (Tommy was two years away), and “I Can See for Miles” rode Pete Townshend’s thrashiest power chords into the Top 10. "
 317,Billie Holiday,Lady in Satin,No change,"Columbia, 1958","By the time she cut this album in 1958, Billie Holiday had lived several lives, battling drug and alcohol addiction and emerging with a battered psyche and a delivery to match. Holiday had trouble remembering lyrics and sounded weathered no matter if the song was hopeful or desolate. But on what amounts to one of the last great saloon-pop albums of the rock era, her voice retained its supple, distinctive tone, and Ray Ellis’ elegant orchestrations supported and cushioned her — a year before her death. "
 318,Janet Jackson,The Velvet Rope,No change,"Virgin, 1997","Janet Jackson left behind her girl-next-door image forever with The Velvet Rope, an album of sexy, confessional, freewheeling hip-hop soul. She fuses Joni Mitchell and Q-Tip in “Got ’Til It’s Gone,” but the shocker is her girl-girl version of Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s the Night.” “I always write about what’s in my life,” she told Rolling Stone. “I did that on Control, and I did the same thing with this album. It’s kind of like cutting yourself open and exposing yourself to the world, which is really a vulnerable thing.” "
@@ -403,17 +403,17 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 402,Fela Kuti and Africa '70,Expensive Shit,No change,"Sounds Workshop, 1975","The title track is a 13-minute odyssey that epitomizes Nigerian funk king Fela Kuti’s knack for channeling fearless social commentary into body-moving grooves; the Africa 70 horns blare out infectious riffs as peerless drummer Tony Allen keeps up an indefatigable shuffling pulse, while Fela calls out the “fools” who would “use your shit to put you for jail.” Side Two’s “Water No Get Enemy” slows things down to a celebratory strut, concluding a short-yet-sweet effort that plays like a primer on the joys of Afrobeat. "
 403,Ghostface Killah,Supreme Clientele,No change,"Epic, 2000","“I feel like I got my whole style from Ghostface,” Kanye West has said. Lavishly unhinged and viciously hard-hitting, Ghostface Killah’s second solo album helped revive the Wu-Tang franchise, marinating lines like “Ghost is back, stretch Cadillacs, fruit cocktails/Hit the shelves at Paul’s pastry rack,” in serrated Seventies-soul samples. On “Nutmeg” he drops a mind-boxing cluster of psychedelic bullshit, then simply stands back during the chorus, letting the tape roll as he mocks all comers — an untouchable champ at the top of his game. "
 404,Anita Baker,Rapture,No change,"Elektra, 1986","Before releasing Rapture, her breakout album, Anita Baker spent months “going to every publishing house in Los Angeles” hunting for what she described as “fireside love songs with jazz overtones.” She found eight songs that satisfied her requirements and polished them until they gleamed, combining an unpredictability that hinted at jazz with reassuring, unimpeachable hooks to create an album of deep romantic intimacy that sounded like little else in Eighties pop but still went multiplatinum. "
-405,Various artists,"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968",New in 2023,"Elektra, 1972","Compiled by Lenny Kaye (later guitarist for Patti Smith), this groundbreaking collection rescued dozens of obscure garage rock and proto-punk singles from the mid-1960s, creating the template for all compilation albums that followed. Featuring raw, energetic tracks by bands like The Seeds, Count Five, The Standells, and The 13th Floor Elevators, 'Nuggets' documented a forgotten chapter of American rock history between the British Invasion and the rise of psychedelia. The collection's influence was immeasurable, inspiring punk and alternative rock musicians who discovered that three chords and attitude could create timeless music. Kaye's liner notes helped establish the critical framework for understanding garage rock as a distinct genre, while the album's DIY aesthetic influenced countless musicians to start their own bands. (by Claude)"
+405,Various artists,"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968",No change,"Elektra, 1972","Compiled by Lenny Kaye (later guitarist for Patti Smith), this groundbreaking collection rescued dozens of obscure garage rock and proto-punk singles from the mid-1960s, creating the template for all compilation albums that followed. Featuring raw, energetic tracks by bands like The Seeds, Count Five, The Standells, and The 13th Floor Elevators, 'Nuggets' documented a forgotten chapter of American rock history between the British Invasion and the rise of psychedelia. The collection's influence was immeasurable, inspiring punk and alternative rock musicians who discovered that three chords and attitude could create timeless music. Kaye's liner notes helped establish the critical framework for understanding garage rock as a distinct genre, while the album's DIY aesthetic influenced countless musicians to start their own bands. (by Claude)"
 406,The Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs,No change,"Merge, 1999","“It started with the title,” Stephin Merritt said of 69 Love Songs, which he imagined in the Sinatra-era tradition of “theme” albums. A tour de force of pop mastery, his three-disc splurge had everything from lounge jazz to Podunk country to punk parody, peaking with sidelong standards like “Papa Was a Rodeo” and “The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side.” God-level moment: “The Death of Ferdinand de Saussure,” which is titled after a French linguist and rhymes his name with closure, bulldozer, and classic Motown songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland, hooking it all to an unforgettable tune. "
 407,Neil Young,Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere,No change,"Reprise, 1969","Neil Young and Crazy Horse hadn’t been together for more than eight weeks when they cut this album. It’s down-home hippie-grunge with the feel of a jam session conducted by master jammers. Both sides of the album end in monster, 10-minute guitar excursions, especially “Down by the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand,” and “Cinnamon Girl” was Young’s first big solo single, three minutes of crunching distortion featuring a one-note guitar solo for the ages — “the closest thing Crazy Horse had to a hit,” Young said. "
 408,Motörhead,Ace of Spades,No change,"Bronze, 1980","Neither punk nor metal, Motörhead played rock & roll nastier, grittier, and snarlier than their forebears on Ace of Spades. Amid a miasma of hypercharged guitar riffs and death-rattle drumming, frontman Lemmy Kilmister, splits his time between sleazy come-ons (“Love Me Like a Reptile”), war stories (“(We Are) The Road Crew”), and underdog maxims (“Live to Win”). The blazing title track epitomized the Motörhead experience: “You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools,” Lemmy growls, “but that’s the way I like it, baby, I don’t wanna live forever.” He meant it, too. "
 409,Grateful Dead,Workingman's Dead,No change,"Warner Bros., 1970","“We weren’t feeling like an experimental music group, but were feeling more like a good old band,” Jerry Garcia said. The Dead stripped down for Workingman’s Dead, with eight spooky blues and country songs that rival the best of Bob Dylan, as in the morbid “Black Peter” and “Dire Wolf.” Garcia and Robert Hunter proved themselves one of rock’s sharpest songwriting teams, with the acoustic hymn “Uncle John’s Band.” Hunter said, “It was my feeling about what the Dead was and could be. It was very much a song for us and about us, in the most hopeful sense.” "
 410,The Beach Boys,Wild Honey,No change,"Capitol, 1967","After Pet Sounds and the aborted Smiley Smile, what was left for the Beach Boys to do? Invent the idea of DIY pop. Ditching the opulent and intricate arrangements of those two albums, Wild Honey returned them to their days as a spunky, self-contained band. In 24 concise but utterly winning minutes, they romp through set of low-fi sunbaked melodies and R&B and soul homages — all suffused with warmth, sly hooks, and a sense of band unity, even as a frazzled Brian Wilson was starting to pull back. "
 411,Bob Dylan,Love and Theft,No change,"Columbia, 2001","The blood and glory of 1997’s Time Out of Mind had raised the bar: This was the first Dylan album in years that had to live up to fans’ expectations. He didn’t just exceed them — he blew them up. Dylan sang in the voice of a grizzled drifter who’d visited every nook and cranny of America and gotten chased out of them all. Love and Theft was full of corny vaudeville jokes and apocalyptic floods, from the guitar rave “Summer Days” to the country lilt of “Po’ Boy.” "
-412,Smokey Robinson,Going to a Go-Go,New in 2023,"Tamla, 1965","Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' album captures the essence of mid-1960s Motown at its most sophisticated and danceable. As Motown's vice president and chief songwriter, Robinson crafted smooth, soulful songs that balanced romantic vulnerability with irresistible grooves. The title track became a dance floor classic, while songs like 'My Girl Has Gone' and 'Since I Lost My Baby' showcased Robinson's gift for expressing heartbreak with remarkable grace and poetic insight. His silky falsetto and the Miracles' tight harmonies, backed by Motown's legendary Funk Brothers, created a template for soul music that influenced countless artists. Robinson's role as both performer and behind-the-scenes architect made him one of Motown's most important figures. (by Claude)"
+412,Smokey Robinson,Going to a Go-Go,No change,"Tamla, 1965","Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' album captures the essence of mid-1960s Motown at its most sophisticated and danceable. As Motown's vice president and chief songwriter, Robinson crafted smooth, soulful songs that balanced romantic vulnerability with irresistible grooves. The title track became a dance floor classic, while songs like 'My Girl Has Gone' and 'Since I Lost My Baby' showcased Robinson's gift for expressing heartbreak with remarkable grace and poetic insight. His silky falsetto and the Miracles' tight harmonies, backed by Motown's legendary Funk Brothers, created a template for soul music that influenced countless artists. Robinson's role as both performer and behind-the-scenes architect made him one of Motown's most important figures. (by Claude)"
 413,Creedence Clearwater Revival,Cosmo's Factory,No change,"Fantasy, 1970","Cosmo’s Factory was CCR’s third classic album in under a year. John Fogerty began it with the seven-minute power-choogle “Ramble Tamble,” raging against “actors in the White House.” The hits include the country travelogue “Lookin’ Out My Back Door,” the Vietnam nightmare “Run Through the Jungle,” the Little Richard tribute “Travelin’ Band,” and the Stax-style ballad “Long as I Can See the Light.” But the triumph is CCR’s 11-minute cowbell-crazed jam on “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” proof these guys could mix hippie visions with populist grit. "
 414,Chic,Risqué,No change,"Atlantic, 1979","Nobody thought a disco band was supposed to make a brilliant third album — but Chic always thrived on defying the odds. On Risqué, the dynamic duo of guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards fuse sleek tropical R&B, Anglophile New Wave, and NYC club flash for a sound that’s been the blueprint for pop radio ever since. “Good Times” is Chic’s most prophetic groove — the story of hip-hop on wax begins here, with the Sugarhill Gang rhyming over it for “Rapper’s Delight.” "
-415,The Meters,Look-Ka Py Py,New in 2023,"Josie, 1969","The Meters were the house band for New Orleans’ genius producer Allen Toussaint and played on Seventies landmarks such as LaBelle’s Nightbirds, while also running off a series of their own rock-solid LPs. These instrumentals — sampled by rappers including Nas and Salt-N-Pepa — are funk of the gods; tight, cutting, but also relaxed and inviting, with Art Neville’s lyrical Hammond B3 organ adding chill texture to George Porter Jr.’s monster bass and the off-the-beat Second Line swing of drummer of Ziggy Modeliste. "
+415,The Meters,Look-Ka Py Py,No change,"Josie, 1969","The Meters were the house band for New Orleans’ genius producer Allen Toussaint and played on Seventies landmarks such as LaBelle’s Nightbirds, while also running off a series of their own rock-solid LPs. These instrumentals — sampled by rappers including Nas and Salt-N-Pepa — are funk of the gods; tight, cutting, but also relaxed and inviting, with Art Neville’s lyrical Hammond B3 organ adding chill texture to George Porter Jr.’s monster bass and the off-the-beat Second Line swing of drummer of Ziggy Modeliste. "
 416,The Roots,Things Fall Apart,No change,"MCA, 1999","The Nineties’ alternative-rap scene hit its high-water mark as an album-length art form with this love letter to black music in the late 20th century. That theme is most explicit on on “Act Too (The Love of My Life),” a tender dedication to hip-hop’s redemptive power, but it’s also there in the playful way Black Thought and Malik B bounce rhymes off each other and in the beats that riff affectionately on everyone from Sly Stone to Schoolly D in a kaleidoscopic celebration of musical soul. "
 417,Ornette Coleman,The Shape of Jazz to Come,No change,"Atlantic, 1959","Ornette Coleman’s sound was so out there, one audience at an early gig threw his tenor sax over a cliff. He switched to alto and pioneered free jazz: no chords, no harmony, any player can take the lead. It’s still a jarring sound to encounter for the first time, but Coleman’s freedom was grounded in the cathartic release of the gospel and blues of his native Texas. On his first album for Atlantic Records, his music can be just as lyrical as it is demanding, particularly on the haunting “Lonely Woman.” "
 418,Dire Straits,Brothers in Arms,No change,"Warner Bros., 1985","Mark Knopfler started writing “Money for Nothing” when he overheard a New York appliance salesman’s anti-rock-star, anti-MTV rant. The song, of course, became a huge MTV hit, and this album shows off Knopfler’s incisive songwriting and lush guitar riffs on hits like “Walk of Life” and “So Far Away,” as well as hidden gems like the Dylanesque blues “The Man’s Too Strong” and “Why Worry,” where Knopfler’s clear, subtle playing flows by like a cool brook over slick pebbles. "
@@ -444,15 +444,15 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 443,David Bowie,Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps),No change,"RCA, 1980","David Bowie's fourteenth studio album marked his successful transition into the 1980s, blending his art-rock sophistication with new wave energy and cutting-edge production techniques. Working with producer Tony Visconti and guitarist Robert Fripp, Bowie created a sound that was both futuristic and deeply human. The title track and 'Fashion' became definitive examples of early-80s avant-pop, while 'Ashes to Ashes' served as a sequel to 'Space Oddity,' bringing the story of Major Tom full circle. The album's exploration of celebrity, paranoia, and modern alienation was perfectly suited to the dawning MTV era. 'Scary Monsters' demonstrated Bowie's remarkable ability to reinvent himself while maintaining his essential artistic vision, creating some of his most enduring and influential work. (by Claude)"
 444,Fiona Apple,Extraordinary Machine,No change,"Epic, 2005","After cutting a pristine chamber-pop version of her third album with Jon Brion, her collaborator on 1999’s When the Pawn…, Apple’s label demanded revisions, so she redid almost the whole thing with Dr. Dre sideman Mike Elizondo and Beatles aficionado Brian Kehew. The changes and attendant delays spurred protests from fans, but the end result was hardly a compromise: Extraordinary Machine is a complex, versatile breakup record, with Apple playing McCartney-esque piano lines over skipping rhythms on melodically rich, lyrically thorny songs like “O’ Sailor” and “Better Version of Me.” You try squeezing the word “stentorian” into hooks you can belt at karaoke. "
 445,Yes,Close to the Edge,No change,"Atlantic, 1972","Sessions for this album were so intense and taxing that monster drummer Bill Bruford quit the band when it was over due to stress. The hard work paid off. Close to the Edge is the best of Yes’ many lineups at an absolute peak, with Jon Anderson’s sun-king vocals pouring out over new member Rick Wakeman’s dazzling keyboards. The title track, an 18-minute epic in four distinct parts, remains the most majestic moment in the prog-rock history. "
-446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidananda,New in 2023,"Impulse!, 1971","Alice Coltrane was a key part of her husband John’s fiery late-era bands. You can hear her own musical voice in full flower on this LP, named for her spiritual teacher Swami Satchidananda. Coltrane blended the sprawling modal jams pioneered by her late husband with drones from the Indian tanpura, Pharoah Sanders’ spiraling soprano sax, and her own rapturous harp. The result is a meditative bliss-out like jazz had never seen: part earthy blues and part ethereal mantra, and a potent influence on sonic seekers from Radiohead to Coltrane’s grandnephew Flying Lotus. "
+446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidananda,No change,"Impulse!, 1971","Alice Coltrane was a key part of her husband John’s fiery late-era bands. You can hear her own musical voice in full flower on this LP, named for her spiritual teacher Swami Satchidananda. Coltrane blended the sprawling modal jams pioneered by her late husband with drones from the Indian tanpura, Pharoah Sanders’ spiraling soprano sax, and her own rapturous harp. The result is a meditative bliss-out like jazz had never seen: part earthy blues and part ethereal mantra, and a potent influence on sonic seekers from Radiohead to Coltrane’s grandnephew Flying Lotus. "
 447,Bad Bunny,X 100pre,No change,"Rimas, 2018","Heralded by a subtly symbolic Christmas Eve release, Bad Bunny’s 2018 debut, X 100pre, was the Puerto Rican artist’s bid to court listeners new to Latin sounds, running through trap, reggaeton, dembow, synth-pop, and even pop punk, with help from Anglophonic ambassadors like Diplo and Drake. Bad Bunny could be shamelessly crude and totally vulnerable, with his slow-burning baritone opening the floor for Latin pop that’s not afraid to get uncomfortable. "
 448,Otis Redding,Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul,No change,"Volt/Atco, 1966","Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul, or simply Dictionary of Soul, is the fifth studio album by the American soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding and his last solo studio album released before his death. The successful Otis Blue and the following performance at Whisky a Go Go led to his rising fame across the United States. The first side of the album mainly contains cover versions, and the second songs mainly written by Redding. The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul was released in October 1966 on the Stax label and peaked at number 73 and at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and the R&B LP charts respectively. The album produced two singles, ""Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)"" and ""Try a Little Tenderness"". In 2000 it was voted number 488 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums. In 2012, the album was ranked number 254 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. An expanded version, which includes stereo and mono mixes of the original album as well as additional tracks, was released in 2016."
 449,The White Stripes,Elephant,No change,"V2/XL/Third Man, 2003","The Stripes exploded out of Detroit with a minimalist garage-blues attack: just Jack White on guitar and Meg White on drums, taking on the world. These kids insisted they were a brother and sister, even after people learned they were secretly a divorced couple. But against all odds, the low-budget duo became a global sensation for their sheer rock power. Elephant seethes with raw desperation and lust in “Seven Nation Army,” “Hypnotize,” and “The Hardest Button to Button.” Jack plays guitar hero in the seven-minute jam “Ball and Biscuit.” "
-450,Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney,Ram,New in 2023,"Apple, 1971","Paul McCartney's second post-Beatles album, credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney, was initially dismissed by critics but has since been recognized as a charming, experimental work that captured the former Beatle's domestic bliss and musical curiosity. Recorded at his Scottish farm with a loose, homemade aesthetic, the album features unconventional song structures, playful lyrics, and a willingness to embrace both beauty and silliness. Songs like 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' and 'The Back Seat of My Car' showcase McCartney's melodic genius while revealing a more personal, intimate side than his Beatles work. The album's lo-fi production and pastoral themes influenced indie rock decades later, while its seamless blend of musical styles demonstrated McCartney's fearless creativity outside the Beatles framework. (by Claude)"
+450,Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney,Ram,No change,"Apple, 1971","Paul McCartney's second post-Beatles album, credited to both Paul and Linda McCartney, was initially dismissed by critics but has since been recognized as a charming, experimental work that captured the former Beatle's domestic bliss and musical curiosity. Recorded at his Scottish farm with a loose, homemade aesthetic, the album features unconventional song structures, playful lyrics, and a willingness to embrace both beauty and silliness. Songs like 'Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey' and 'The Back Seat of My Car' showcase McCartney's melodic genius while revealing a more personal, intimate side than his Beatles work. The album's lo-fi production and pastoral themes influenced indie rock decades later, while its seamless blend of musical styles demonstrated McCartney's fearless creativity outside the Beatles framework. (by Claude)"
 451,Roberta Flack,First Take,No change,"Atlantic, 1969","At the peak of psychedelic soul music, Roberta Flack debuted with a classy quietude and thoughtful grace, recording with jazz musicians and complex horn and string arrangements. Her record was widely admired, but it didn’t become popular until three years later, after her pained version of Ewan MacColl’s 1950s folk ballad, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” scored a love scene in Clint Eastwood’s movie Play Misty for Me, and the song spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "
-452,The Supremes,Anthology,New in 2023,"Motown, 1974","This comprehensive collection captures the extraordinary career of Motown's most successful female group, documenting their evolution from teenage hopefuls to international superstars. Featuring classic hits like 'Where Did Our Love Go,' 'Baby Love,' 'Stop! In the Name of Love,' and 'You Can't Hurry Love,' the anthology showcases Diana Ross's distinctive vocals and the group's impeccable harmonies over Holland-Dozier-Holland's innovative productions. The Supremes broke down racial barriers in popular music, becoming the first Black female group to achieve mainstream success on a global scale. Their sophisticated image and crossover appeal helped bring Motown to white audiences while maintaining their essential soulfulness. The collection documents one of the most important chapters in American popular music history. (by Claude)"
+452,The Supremes,Anthology,No change,"Motown, 1974","This comprehensive collection captures the extraordinary career of Motown's most successful female group, documenting their evolution from teenage hopefuls to international superstars. Featuring classic hits like 'Where Did Our Love Go,' 'Baby Love,' 'Stop! In the Name of Love,' and 'You Can't Hurry Love,' the anthology showcases Diana Ross's distinctive vocals and the group's impeccable harmonies over Holland-Dozier-Holland's innovative productions. The Supremes broke down racial barriers in popular music, becoming the first Black female group to achieve mainstream success on a global scale. Their sophisticated image and crossover appeal helped bring Motown to white audiences while maintaining their essential soulfulness. The collection documents one of the most important chapters in American popular music history. (by Claude)"
 453,Nine Inch Nails,Pretty Hate Machine,No change,"TVT, 1989","“The music I always liked as a kid was stuff I could bum out to and realize, ‘Hey, someone else feels that way, too,'” Trent Reznor said in 1990. “So if someone can do that with my music, it’s mission accomplished.” Led by the hit “Head Like a Hole,” Nine Inch Nails’ debut album took bleak Midwestern goth-industrial disco to the rock masses, a move that would shape pop culture just as much as Nirvana’s Nevermind did. When Reznor sang, “Grey would be the color if I had a heart,” on “Something I Can Never Have,” millions felt his pain. "
-454,Can,Ege Bamyası,New in 2023,"United Artists, 1972","Chugging out of Cologne, Germany, in the late Sixties, avant-psychedelic crew Can took influence from the Velvet Underground’s subterranean drones, Miles Davis’ molten jazz rock, and James Brown’s circular funk grooves. On Ege Bamyasi, new singer Damo Suzuki mumbles, chants, and shrieks his way through engulfing Kraut-boogie workouts like “Vitamin C” and “I’m So Green.” Spoon took their name from the LP’s Doors-meets-Stereolab closing track, and Kanye West sampled the lupine “Sing Swan Swing.” "
+454,Can,Ege Bamyası,No change,"United Artists, 1972","Chugging out of Cologne, Germany, in the late Sixties, avant-psychedelic crew Can took influence from the Velvet Underground’s subterranean drones, Miles Davis’ molten jazz rock, and James Brown’s circular funk grooves. On Ege Bamyasi, new singer Damo Suzuki mumbles, chants, and shrieks his way through engulfing Kraut-boogie workouts like “Vitamin C” and “I’m So Green.” Spoon took their name from the LP’s Doors-meets-Stereolab closing track, and Kanye West sampled the lupine “Sing Swan Swing.” "
 455,Bo Diddley,Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley[a],No change,"Chess, 1958","Diddley’s influence on rock & roll is inestimable, from the off-kilter rhythmic thump of “Pretty Thing” to his revved-up take on singing the blues. This album — a repackaging of his first two records — has many of his best singles, including “I’m a Man” and “Who Do You Love?” Bands immediately started ripping off his signature rollicking beat, and they haven’t stopped yet — including many on this list, from Bruce Springsteen on Born to Run’s “She’s the One” to George Michael on “Faith.” "
 456,Al Green,Al Green's Greatest Hits,No change,"Hi Records, 1975","This essential compilation captures Al Green at the absolute peak of his powers during his legendary collaboration with producer Willie Mitchell at Hi Records in Memphis. Featuring classics like 'Let's Stay Together,' 'Love and Happiness,' 'I'm Still in Love with You,' and 'Take Me to the River,' the collection showcases Green's unique ability to blend gospel fervor with sensual soul music. His silky smooth vocals, perfectly complemented by Mitchell's immaculate production and the Hi Rhythm Section's tight grooves, created a template for romantic soul that has never been equaled. Green's approach to love songs was both sacred and profane, expressing spiritual devotion and carnal desire with equal conviction. This compilation documents one of the most important partnerships in soul music history. (by Claude)"
 457,Sinéad O'Connor,I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got,No change,"Ensign/Chrysalis, 1990","“How could I possibly know what I want when I was only 21?” the Irish art rocker asked on her breakthrough second album. Sinéad O’Connor struck a nerve with her keening voice, her shaved head, and her tortured grandiosity in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “I Am Stretched on Your Grave.” But she hit Number One with an obscure Prince breakup ballad, “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Originally just filler on a flop album by the Family, it became O’Connor’s signature song. "
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 460,Lorde,Melodrama,No change,"Universal, 2017","Lorde was 16 when the blockbuster hit “Royals” earned her acclaim as the voice of a generation. As her second album showed, that wasn’t quite accurate — she’s more like the voice of smart, self-conscious, neurotic people of all generations. “I think that you might be the same as me/Behave abnormally,” she sings on “Homemade Dynamite.” The sound is bigger-sounding and more club-friendly than the spare sound of her 2016 debut (especially on the single “Green Light”), and she’s even more impressive on a big stage. "
 461,Bon Iver,"For Emma, Forever Ago",No change,"Jagjaguwar, 2007","Recorded in isolation at a remote Wisconsin cabin during winter, Justin Vernon's debut as Bon Iver became an unlikely indie folk masterpiece that defined a generation's approach to intimate, lo-fi songcraft. Using minimal instrumentation and his distinctive falsetto, Vernon crafted deeply emotional songs about heartbreak, solitude, and healing. The album's sparse production, featuring acoustic guitar, subtle electronics, and layered vocals, created an atmosphere of profound vulnerability and beauty. Songs like 'Skinny Love' and 'Re: Stacks' showcased Vernon's ability to transform personal pain into universal art. The album's success proved that bedroom recording techniques could produce music of lasting emotional impact, influencing countless indie artists who followed. (by Claude)"
 462,The Flying Burrito Brothers,The Gilded Palace of Sin,No change,"A&M, 1969","A landmark of country rock — or, as Gram Parsons called it, “cosmic American music.” He and Chris Hillman were a pair of ex-Byrds who’d flown the coop. The Burritos put their poetic twist on hillbilly twang, proudly wearing Nudie suits and bringing in the pedal steel guitar of Sneaky Pete Kleinow. “Boy, I love them,” Bob Dylan told Rolling Stone. “Their record instantly knocked me out.” They sing “Sin City” in high-lonesome two-part harmony, sounding like country boys lost in the decadence of Sixties L.A.; “Wheels” is God-fearing hippie soul. "
-463,Laura Nyro,Eli and the Thirteenth Confession,New in 2023,"Columbia, 1968","Laura Nyro's second album is a stunning showcase of her unique songwriting vision, blending jazz, soul, gospel, and folk into something entirely her own. Her passionate, multi-octave vocals and deeply personal lyrics about love, spirituality, and urban life created a template for the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s. Songs like 'Stoned Soul Picnic,' 'Sweet Blindness,' and 'Eli's Comin'' were later covered by artists like The 5th Dimension and Three Dog Night, but Nyro's original versions remain definitive statements of artistic integrity and emotional intensity. Her innovative piano arrangements and fearless vocal delivery influenced countless female artists, from Joni Mitchell to Tori Amos. The album stands as one of the most important works by one of music's most underappreciated visionaries. (by Claude)"
+463,Laura Nyro,Eli and the Thirteenth Confession,No change,"Columbia, 1968","Laura Nyro's second album is a stunning showcase of her unique songwriting vision, blending jazz, soul, gospel, and folk into something entirely her own. Her passionate, multi-octave vocals and deeply personal lyrics about love, spirituality, and urban life created a template for the singer-songwriter movement of the 1970s. Songs like 'Stoned Soul Picnic,' 'Sweet Blindness,' and 'Eli's Comin'' were later covered by artists like The 5th Dimension and Three Dog Night, but Nyro's original versions remain definitive statements of artistic integrity and emotional intensity. Her innovative piano arrangements and fearless vocal delivery influenced countless female artists, from Joni Mitchell to Tori Amos. The album stands as one of the most important works by one of music's most underappreciated visionaries. (by Claude)"
 464,The Isley Brothers,3 + 3,No change,"T-Neck, 1973","The Isley Brothers ballooned from a trio that impressed the Beatles to a six-piece band on 3 + 3, which helped establish them as a funk force in the 1970s. The hit “That Lady” is stuffed with laser-bright guitar solos, and the slow numbers (including a cover of James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” in which Ron Isley unfurled his heartbreaking falsetto and forceful midrange) hint toward the band’s bright future as pre-eminent balladeers in R&B’s Quiet Storm era. "
 465,King Sunny Adé,The Best of the Classic Years,No change,"Shanachie, 2003","Some of the sweetest, stickiest jams ever recorded, cherry-picked from the Nigerian juju master’s work from 1967 to 1974, years before he got marketed as “the next Bob Marley.” King Sunny’s slow-roll guitar stretches out toward the horizon, rippling over verdant grooves to create a spellbinding vibe even (or especially) when a song saunters on for 18 minutes. Talking Heads and Phish are just two of the bands who’ve proudly cited the sound of Adé’s music as a guiding influence. "
 466,Black Uhuru,Red,New in 2023,"Island, 1981","Black Uhuru's breakthrough album marked a revolutionary moment in reggae music, introducing a harder, more militant sound that influenced dancehall and conscious reggae for decades. Featuring the powerhouse vocals of Michael Rose, Puma Jones, and Duckie Simpson, backed by the innovative production of Sly & Robbie, 'Red' created a new template for reggae that was both spiritually conscious and rhythmically aggressive. Songs like 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' and 'Youth of Eglington' addressed social issues with unflinching directness, while tracks like 'Plastic Smile' showcased the group's ability to blend political commentary with infectious grooves. The album's success helped establish Island Records as reggae's premier international label and proved that conscious reggae could achieve mainstream success without compromising its message. (by Claude)"
@@ -483,11 +483,11 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 482,The Pharcyde,Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde,No change,"Delicious Vinyl, 1992","These high school friends from L.A. were a little like a West Coast answer to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, offering their own spin on alternative hip-hop in the Nineties and showing there was something going on in Southern California beyond G-funk. They rapped about innocent topics, like having a crush on a teacher in “Passin’ Me By,” which was a small hit, but also about dating a cute girl who turns out “to be a John Doe” and run-ins with the cops (the Public Enemy-homage “Officer”). It all came out as bright and refreshing as sorbet. "
 483,Muddy Waters,The Anthology: 1947–1972,No change,"Chess/MCA, 1989","This comprehensive collection documents the extraordinary career of the man who brought Delta blues to Chicago and helped create the template for rock and roll. From his early acoustic recordings for the Library of Congress to his revolutionary electric blues sides for Chess Records, the anthology traces Waters' evolution from Mississippi sharecropper to urban blues legend. Featuring classics like 'Hoochie Coochie Man,' 'Mannish Boy,' 'Got My Mojo Working,' and 'Rollin' Stone,' the collection showcases Waters' powerful vocals and commanding stage presence alongside the legendary Chess studio band. His influence on rock music was immeasurable, inspiring everyone from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin. This anthology captures the full scope of Waters' contribution to American music and his role in bridging rural and urban Black musical traditions. (by Claude)"
 484,Lady Gaga,Born This Way,No change,"Interscope, 2011","“Over-the-top” isn’t an insult in Gaga’s world; it’s a statement of purpose. Her second album is a work of blessed bombast, all arena-size sonics and Springsteenian romanticism, complete with a Clarence Clemons sax solo. There’s a thumping, half-in-Spanish song that proposes marriage to “a girl in east L.A.” (“Americano”), a synth-pop jam that includes a come-on on to John F. Kennedy (“Government Hooker”), and a touching ballad about a guy from Nebraska (“You and I”). Fittingly, the glam-slam title track became an LGBTQ anthem. "
-485,Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,New in 2023,"Island, 1974","With Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson was one of the first prominent Sixties folk rockers to look to his native England’s traditions for inspiration. After leaving Fairport, he joined with his wife, Linda Thompson to make stellar albums in the Seventies. Richard played guitar like a Sufi-mystic Neil Young; Linda had the voice of a Celtic Emmylou Harris. Bright Lights is their devastating masterwork of folk-rock dread. Radiohead even picked up some guitar tricks from “The Calvary Cross.” "
+485,Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,No change,"Island, 1974","With Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson was one of the first prominent Sixties folk rockers to look to his native England’s traditions for inspiration. After leaving Fairport, he joined with his wife, Linda Thompson to make stellar albums in the Seventies. Richard played guitar like a Sufi-mystic Neil Young; Linda had the voice of a Celtic Emmylou Harris. Bright Lights is their devastating masterwork of folk-rock dread. Radiohead even picked up some guitar tricks from “The Calvary Cross.” "
 486,John Mayer,Continuum,No change,"Columbia, 2006","After establishing himself as a post-Dave Matthews heartthrob, John Mayer grew into his soul and blues ambitions for a subtly crafted album aided by ace musicians like guitarists Ben Harper and Charlie Hunter, drummer-producer Steve Jordan, and jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove — from the smooth Hi Records-tinged soul of “Vultures” to “Waiting for the World to Change,” a deceptively knowing and self-aware take on generational apathy. "
 487,Black Flag,Damaged,No change,"SST, 1981","MCA refused to release this album, denouncing it as “immoral” and “anti-parent.” High praise, but Black Flag lived up to it, defining L.A. hardcore punk with Greg Ginn’s violent guitar and the pissed-off scream of Henry Rollins, especially on “TV Party” and “Rise Above,” which came with the timeless smash-the-glass salvo “We are tired of your abuse/Try to stop is but it’s no use.” Punks still listen to Damaged, and parents still hate it. "
 488,The Stooges,The Stooges,No change,"Elektra, 1969","Fueled by “a little marijuana and a lotta alienation,” Michigan’s Stooges gave the lie to hippie idealism, playing with a savagery that unsettled even the most blasé clubgoers. Ex-Velvet Underground member John Cale produced a primitive debut wherein, amid Ron Asheton’s wah-wah blurts, Iggy Stooge (né James Osterberg) snarled seminal punk classics such as “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” “No Fun,” and “1969,” bedrock examples of the weaponized boredom that would become a de rigueur punk posture. "
-489,Various artists,Back to Mono (1958–1969),New in 2023,"ABKCO, 1991","Phil Spector's comprehensive box set anthology documents the revolutionary 'Wall of Sound' that changed the landscape of popular music in the 1960s. Featuring classic recordings by The Ronettes, The Crystals, Ike & Tina Turner, and The Righteous Brothers, the collection showcases Spector's innovative production techniques that layered orchestras, multiple pianos, and echo chambers to create monumentally powerful pop symphonies. Songs like 'Be My Baby,' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',' and 'River Deep - Mountain High' demonstrated Spector's ability to transform simple pop songs into epic emotional statements. His meticulous attention to detail and obsessive studio methods influenced countless producers and helped establish the producer as a creative force equal to the artist. This collection preserves one of the most distinctive and influential sounds in popular music history. (by Claude)"
+489,Various artists,Back to Mono (1958–1969),No change,"ABKCO, 1991","Phil Spector's comprehensive box set anthology documents the revolutionary 'Wall of Sound' that changed the landscape of popular music in the 1960s. Featuring classic recordings by The Ronettes, The Crystals, Ike & Tina Turner, and The Righteous Brothers, the collection showcases Spector's innovative production techniques that layered orchestras, multiple pianos, and echo chambers to create monumentally powerful pop symphonies. Songs like 'Be My Baby,' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',' and 'River Deep - Mountain High' demonstrated Spector's ability to transform simple pop songs into epic emotional statements. His meticulous attention to detail and obsessive studio methods influenced countless producers and helped establish the producer as a creative force equal to the artist. This collection preserves one of the most distinctive and influential sounds in popular music history. (by Claude)"
 490,Linda Ronstadt,Heart Like a Wheel,No change,"Capitol, 1975","Linda Ronstadt completed her transition from California hippie-folk darling to soft-rock queen on her chart-topping fifth album, covering Hank Williams, Buddy Holly, Little Feat, and Kate and Anna McGariggle on the gorgeous title track. Her version of the Betty Everett oldie “You’re No Good” hits a perfect mix of desire and paranoia. Along with being a showcase for Ronstadt’s peerless versatility, Heart Like a Wheel is Seventies pop-rock craft at its sweetest and sturdiest. "
 491,Harry Styles,Harry's House,New in 2023,"Columbia, 2022","Harry Styles' third solo album finds the former One Direction member fully embracing his artistic independence, creating a cohesive collection of sophisticated pop songs that showcase his growth as a songwriter and performer. Drawing influences from yacht rock, Britpop, and contemporary indie music, 'Harry's House' features lush production and intimate lyrics about love, fame, and self-reflection. Songs like 'As It Was,' 'Music for a Sushi Restaurant,' and 'Late Night Talking' demonstrate Styles' evolving vocal confidence and melodic sensibilities. The album's warm, inviting sound and themes of domestic happiness marked a departure from his previous work's more experimental tendencies, resulting in both critical acclaim and massive commercial success that solidified his status as a major solo artist. (by Claude)"
 492,Bonnie Raitt,Nick of Time,No change,"Capitol, 1989","After being dumped by her previous label, blues rocker Bonnie Raitt exacted revenge with this multiplatinum Grammy-award winner, led by an on-fire version of John Hiatt’s “Thing Called Love” and the brilliant title track, a study in midlife crisis told from a woman’s perspective. Producer Don Was helped her sharpen the songs without sacrificing any of her slide-guitar fire. And as Raitt herself pointed out, her 10th try was “my first sober album.” "
@@ -497,114 +497,13 @@ Rank,Artist,Album,Status,Info,Description
 496,Shakira,¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?,No change,"Columbia, 1998","Long before she went blond and took her never-lying hips to the top of the American pop charts, Shakira was a raven-haired guitar rocker who’d hit peak superstardom in the Spanish-speaking world with her 1995 LP, Pies Descalzos. To keep up the momentum, Shakira enlisted Emilio Estefan to help produce her next LP, this stellar globetrotting dance-rock set, which blends sounds from Colombia, Mexico, and her father’s native Lebanon. "
 497,Various artists,The Indestructible Beat of Soweto,No change,"Earthworks, 1985","The greatest album ever to be marketed under the heading “world music,” this 1985 compilation of South African pop was a huge influence on Paul Simon’s Graceland that still sounds jarringly fresh today. Full of funky, loping beats and gruff, Howling Wolf-style vocals (most prominently from “goat voiced” star Mahlathini). With a sweet track by Graceland collaborators Ladysmith Black Mambazo (“Nansi Imali”), its badass joy needed no translation. "
 498,Suicide,Suicide,No change,"Red Star, 1977","These New York synth-punks evoke everything from the Velvet Underground to rockabilly. Martin Rev’s low-budget electronics are violent and hypnotic; Alan Vega screams as a rhythmic device. Late-night listening to “Frankie Teardrop,” a 10-minute-plus tale of a multiple murder, is not recommended. A droning voice in the wilderness when they appeared in the Seventies, the duo would influence bands from Arcade Fire and the National to Bruce Springsteen, who covered Suicide live in 2016. "
-499,Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,Ask Rufus,New in 2023,"ABC, 1977","Rufus' fifth studio album showcased the band at the height of their creative powers, blending funk, soul, and rock with Chaka Khan's extraordinary vocals leading the way. The album features the massive hit 'Sweet Thing,' which became one of Khan's signature songs and demonstrated her ability to convey both tenderness and power within a single performance. The band's tight musicianship, anchored by Tony Maiden's guitar work and the rhythm section's precise grooves, provided the perfect foundation for Khan's dynamic vocal style. Songs like 'Hollywood' and 'Egyptian Song' showcased the group's willingness to experiment while maintaining their essential funkiness. 'Ask Rufus' captured the band during their most successful period and helped establish Chaka Khan as one of the greatest vocalists of her generation, setting the stage for her legendary solo career. (by Claude)"
+499,Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,Ask Rufus,No change,"ABC, 1977","Rufus' fifth studio album showcased the band at the height of their creative powers, blending funk, soul, and rock with Chaka Khan's extraordinary vocals leading the way. The album features the massive hit 'Sweet Thing,' which became one of Khan's signature songs and demonstrated her ability to convey both tenderness and power within a single performance. The band's tight musicianship, anchored by Tony Maiden's guitar work and the rhythm section's precise grooves, provided the perfect foundation for Khan's dynamic vocal style. Songs like 'Hollywood' and 'Egyptian Song' showcased the group's willingness to experiment while maintaining their essential funkiness. 'Ask Rufus' captured the band during their most successful period and helped establish Chaka Khan as one of the greatest vocalists of her generation, setting the stage for her legendary solo career. (by Claude)"
 500,Arcade Fire,Funeral,No change,"Merge, 2004","Loss, love, forced coming-of-age, and fragile generational hope: Arcade Fire’s debut touched on all these themes as it defined the independent rock of the ‘00s. Built on family ties (leader Win Butler, his wife, Régine Chassagne, his brother Will), the Montreal band made symphonic rock that truly rocked, simultaneously outsize and deeply personal, like the best pop. But for all its sad realism, Butler’s is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration. "
-501,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main Street,Dropped (was #14 in 2020),,
+501,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend,Dropped (was #48 in 2020),,
-502,The Beatles,Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,Dropped (was #24 in 2020),,
+502,Cream,Disraeli Gears,Dropped (was #170 in 2020),,
-503,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers),Dropped (was #27 in 2020),,
+503,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure,Dropped (was #351 in 2020),,
-504,D’Angelo,Voodoo,Dropped (was #28 in 2020),"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, D’Angelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I don’t consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, that’s the new word for R&B.” In his quest to create something new, he looked to both the masters of soul (Marvin, Curtis, Stevie) and contemporary innovators (Lauryn, Erykah). The end result was Voodoo, a moving, inventive masterpiece that stands as the ultimate achievement of the neo-soul era. Crafted with producer and drummer Questlove, who called the LP a “vicarious fantasy,” Voodoo places Pink Floyd-style cosmic jams (“Playa Playa”) next to Prince-inspired erotica (“Untitled [How Does It Feel]”). “I’m just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” D’Angelo said at the time. “It took a while, but I’m on my way now.”
+504,Sonic Youth,Goo,Dropped (was #358 in 2020),,
-"
+505,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True,Dropped (was #430 in 2020),,
-505,The Beatles,White Album,Dropped (was #29 in 2020),,
+506,Primal Scream,Screamadelica,Dropped (was #437 in 2020),,
-506,Jimi Hendrix,Are You Experienced,Dropped (was #30 in 2020),,
+507,The Beach Boys,The Beach Boys Today!,Dropped (was #466 in 2020),,
-507,Beyoncé,Lemonade,Dropped (was #32 in 2020),"Parkwood/Columbia, 2016","“Nine times out of 10 I’m in my feelings,” Beyoncé announced on her heartbreak masterpiece, Lemonade. She dropped the album as a Saturday-night surprise, knocking the world sideways — her most expansive and personal statement, tapping into marital breakdown and the state of the nation. It was a different side than she’d shown before, raging over infidelity and jealousy, but reveling in the militant-feminist-funk strut of “Formation.” All over Lemonade she explores the betrayals of American blackness, claiming her place in all of America’s music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” she revamps the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on “Hold Up.” Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks — all hail the queen.
+508,Harry Styles,Fine Line,Dropped (was #491 in 2020),,
-"
-508,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend,Dropped (was #48 in 2020),"Island, 1984","Bob Marley said, “Reggae music too simple for [American musicians]. You must be inside of it, know what’s happening, and why you want to play this music. You don’t just run to play this music because you think you can make a million off it.” Ironically, this set of the late reggae idol’s greatest hits has sold in the millions. On a single disc, it captures everything that made him an international icon: his nuanced songcraft, his political message, and — of course — the universal soul he brought to Jamaican rhythm and Rastafarian spirituality in the gunfighter ballad “I Shot the Sheriff,” the comforting swing of “No Woman, No Cry,” and the holy promise of “Redemption Song.”
-"
-509,Jimi Hendrix,Electric Ladyland,Dropped (was #53 in 2020),,
-510,Guns N’ Roses,Appetite for Destruction,Dropped (was #62 in 2020),,
-511,Curtis Mayfield,Superfly,Dropped (was #76 in 2020),,
-512,Frank Ocean,Blond,Dropped (was #79 in 2020),,
-513,The Sex Pistols,Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols,Dropped (was #80 in 2020),,
-514,Sly and the Family Stone,There’s a Riot Goin’ On,Dropped (was #82 in 2020),,
-515,John Lennon,Plastic Ono Band,Dropped (was #85 in 2020),,
-516,Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott,Supa Dupa Fly,Dropped (was #93 in 2020),,
-517,De La Soul,Three Feet High And Rising,Dropped (was #103 in 2020),,
-518,The Allman Brothers,At Fillmore East,Dropped (was #105 in 2020),,
-519,Fiona Apple,When the Pawn ...,Dropped (was #108 in 2020),,
-520,The Eagles,Hotel California,Dropped (was #118 in 2020),,
-521,Elvis Costello,This Year’s Model,Dropped (was #121 in 2020),,
-522,Steely Dan,Can’t Buy a Thrill,Dropped (was #168 in 2020),,
-523,Cream,Disraeli Gears,Dropped (was #170 in 2020),"Reaction, 1967","Of all Cream’s studio albums, Disraeli Gears is the sharpest and most linear. The power trio focused their instrumental explorations into colorful pop songs: “Strange Brew” (slinky funk), “Dance the Night Away” (trippy jangle), “Tales of Brave Ulysses” (a wah-wah freakout that Eric Clapton wrote with Martin Sharp, who created the kaleidoscopic cover art). The hit “Sunshine of Your Love” nearly didn’t make it onto the record; the band had trouble nailing it until famed Atlantic Records engineer Tom Dowd suggested that Ginger Baker try a Native American tribal beat, a simple adjustment that locked the song into place.
-"
-524,Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists,The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack,Dropped (was #174 in 2020),"Mango, 1972","This was the album that took reggae worldwide. The movie was a Jamaican stew of Robin Hood, High Sierra, and Easy Rider — reggae singer turns outlaw hero, goes on the run with guns blazing — with patois dialogue so thick that U.S. audiences needed subtitles. But the soundtrack needed no translation, introducing Babylon to the new beat. The film’s star, Jimmy Cliff, sings six songs, including the hymn “Many Rivers to Cross.” There are glorious one-shots (especially Scotty’s demented “Draw Your Brakes”), as well as artists such as Desmond Dekker (“Shanty Town”), the Melodians (“Rivers of Babylon), and Toots and the Maytals (“Pressure Drop”).
-"
-525,Kendrick Lamar,DAMN.,Dropped (was #175 in 2020),"TDE, 2017","After the sprawl of To Pimp a Butterfly, Lamar tightened up, going for the jugular in the most aggressive, banger-based album of his career. He dissects his own “DNA,” as well as America’s, raving about “the feelin’ of an apocalypse happenin’.” He delves into his family history in “Duckworth” and scored his first Number One hit with “Humble.” It’s an album where both Bono and Rihanna sound right at home — but it all sounds like Lamar. “It came out exactly how I heard it in my head,” he explained at the time. “It’s all pieces of me.” Grammy-haters were vindicated when DAMN. lost out to Bruno Mars for Album of the Year, but DAMN. did end up pulling a Pulitzer Prize for Music, a first for a rap album.
-"
-526,Otis Redding,Otis Blue,Dropped (was #178 in 2020),,
-527,Notorious B.I.G.,Life After Death,Dropped (was #179 in 2020),,
-528,Cyndi Lauper,She’s So Unusual,Dropped (was #184 in 2020),,
-529,Ice Cube,AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted,Dropped (was #187 in 2020),,
-530,Joy Divison,Unknown Pleasures,Dropped (was #211 in 2020),"Factory, 1980","Joy Division came from the northern England industrial gloom of Manchester, four blue-collar lads chasing a new kind of goth-punk grandeur. Right from the opening, “Disorder,” Unknown Pleasures sounds like nothing else, with the doomed Ian Curtis yelping his dark poetry (“I got the spirit!”) over Peter Hook’s bass pulse. But for all the despair, there’s something inspiring in the surge of “Interzone” and “New Dawn Fades.” Black-clad young bands have been imitating Joy Division ever since.
-"
-531,Fiona Apple,The Idler Wheel,Dropped (was #213 in 2020),,
-532,Raekwon,Only Built 4 Cuban Linx,Dropped (was #219 in 2020),,
-533,"Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young",Déjà Vu,Dropped (was #220 in 2020),"Epic, 1970","Neil Young was just getting his solo career underway when he joined his old Buffalo Springfield bandmate Stephen Stills, ex-Byrd David Crosby, and former Hollie Graham Nash in the first of the West Coast supergroups. Young’s vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNY combination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nash’s “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosby’s “Almost Cut My Hair”), and vocal-choir gallop (Stills’ “Carry On”).
-"
-534,Little Richard,Here’s Little Richard,Dropped (was #227 in 2020),,
-535,Metallica,Metallica (The Black Album),Dropped (was #235 in 2020),,
-536,Kraftwerk,Trans Europe Express,Dropped (was #238 in 2020),,
-537,The Beatles,Hard Day's Night,Dropped (was #263 in 2020),,
-538,Mary J. Blige,What’s the 411?,Dropped (was #271 in 2020),,
-539,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962-1994,Dropped (was #284 in 2020),"Capitol, 1996","Haggard’s tough country sound was born in Bakersfield, California, a.k.a. Nashville West. His songs are full of drifters, fugitives, and rogues, and this four-disc set — culled from his seminal recordings for Capitol as well as MCA and Epic — is the ultimate collection from one of country’s finest singers. Songs like “Mama Tried” and “All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers” are archetypal statements of lonely tough-guy individualism, and like James Brown’s Star Time, the quality stays rock solid over four CDs.
-"
-540,Björk,Post,Dropped (was #289 in 2020),,
-541,Destiny's Child,The Writing’s on the Wall,Dropped (was #291 in 2020),,
-542,Weezer,Weezer (The Blue Album),Dropped (was #294 in 2020),,
-543,Neil Young,Rust Never Sleeps,Dropped (was #296 in 2020),,
-544,Sam Cooke,Portrait of a Legend,Dropped (was #307 in 2020),,
-545,Joy Divison,Closer,Dropped (was #309 in 2020),"Factory, 1980","One of the most depressing albums ever made, with droning guitars and synthesizers, chilly bass lines, stentorian vocals, and drums that sound as if they’re steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And that’s not even considering the lyrics, which are about singer Ian Curtis’ failing marriage and how he suffered from epilepsy. (Curtis hanged himself on May 18th, 1980, at the age of 23 — the rest of the band regrouped as New Order.) On Closer, Joy Division fully earned their reputation as England’s most harrowing punk band.
-"
-546,Solange,A Seat at the Table,Dropped (was #312 in 2020),,
-547,Rosalía,El Mal Querer,Dropped (was #315 in 2020),,
-548,Jerry Lee Lewis,All Killer No Filler!,Dropped (was #325 in 2020),,
-549,Janet Jackson,Rhythm Nation 1814,Dropped (was #339 in 2020),,
-550,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure,Dropped (was #351 in 2020),"Warner Bros., 1973","Keyboardist Brian Eno’s last album with Roxy Music is the pop equivalent of Ultrasuede: highly stylish, abstract-leaning art rock. The collision of Eno’s and singer Bryan Ferry’s clashing visions gives Pleasure a wild, tense charm — especially on the driving “Editions of You” and “Do the Strand.” The album’s deeply weird centerpiece is “In Every Dream Home a Heartache”: Ferry sings a seductive ballad to an inflatable doll (“I blew up your body, but you blew my mind”), one of the creepiest love songs of all time.
-"
-551,Sonic Youth,Goo,Dropped (was #358 in 2020),"Geffen, 1990","With their sixth full album, the New York art-of-noise band made the leap from indie to major label, but few sold out so beautifully. From Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo’s frazzled guitar freakouts to Kim Gordon’s ghostly ode to Karen Carpenter, Goo retained all of Sonic Youth’s quirks and hallmarks. The sessions were technologically fraught, but they used those added production dollars to amp up their sonic assault. On tracks like “Kool Thing” and “Disappearer” they’d never sounded burlier — and yet more true to their alt-nation selves.
-"
-552,Parliament,The Mothership Connection,Dropped (was #363 in 2020),,
-553,D’Angelo and the Vanguard,Black Messiah,Dropped (was #395 in 2020),,
-554,Brian Wilson,Smile,Dropped (was #399 in 2020),,
-555,The Go-Go’s,Beauty and the Beat,Dropped (was #400 in 2020),,
-556,Fela Kuti and Africa 70,Expensive Shit,Dropped (was #402 in 2020),,
-557,Various,Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era,Dropped (was #405 in 2020),,
-558,Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs,Dropped (was #406 in 2020),,
-559,Grateful Dead,Workingman’s Dead,Dropped (was #409 in 2020),,
-560,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go Go,Dropped (was #412 in 2020),,
-561,The Meters,Looka Py Py,Dropped (was #415 in 2020),,
-562,"Earth, Wind and Fire",That’s the Way of the World,Dropped (was #420 in 2020),,
-563,The Four Tops,Reach Out,Dropped (was #429 in 2020),,
-564,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True,Dropped (was #430 in 2020),"Columbia, 1977","Elvis Costello on the fuel for his debut: “I spent a lot of time with just a big jar of instant coffee and the first Clash album [see No. 102], listening to it over and over.” The music is more pub rock than punk rock, but the songs are full of punk’s verbal bite. The album’s opening lines — “Now that your picture’s in the paper being rhythmically admired” — and the poisoned-valentine ballad “Alison” established Costello as one of the sharpest, and nastiest, lyricists of his generation.
-"
-565,Primal Scream,Screamadelica,Dropped (was #437 in 2020),"Sire, 1991","Primal Scream was a run-of-the-mill U.K. alt-rock band who discovered rave culture, overdosed on acid-house music, and retrofitted their sound with the fun, trippy, druggy disco-rock diversions on Screamadelica. The single “Loaded,” their first U.K. hit, combined house piano, folk melodies, and a danceable beat, while “Movin’ On Up,” their U.S. breakthrough, drew from hippie-folk strumming, gospel choruses, and Stones-y guitar and tambourine. Sure, some of Screamadelica feels like meandering mood music, but that’s proof that sometimes the journey is more fun than the destination.
-"
-566,David Bowie,Scary Monsters,Dropped (was #443 in 2020),,
-567,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidanada,Dropped (was #446 in 2020),,
-568,Otis Redding,Dictionary of Soul,Dropped (was #448 in 2020),,
-569,Paul and Linda McCartney,Ram,Dropped (was #450 in 2020),,
-570,Diana Ross and the Supremes,Anthology,Dropped (was #452 in 2020),"Tamla/Motown, 1974","In the heyday of Motown, the Supremes were their own hit factory, all glamour and heartbreak. Diana Ross and her girls ruled the radio with tunes from the Motown brain trust of Holland, Dozier, and Holland. The Supremes could blaze with confidence, as in “Come See About Me.” Or they could sound elegantly morose, as in “My World Is Empty Without You” and “Where Did Our Love Go?” But in “Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart,” when Miss Ross gulps, “There ain’t nothing I can do about it,” it’s a spine-tingling moment.
-"
-571,Can,Ege Bamyasi,Dropped (was #454 in 2020),,
-572,Bo Diddley,Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley,Dropped (was #455 in 2020),"Chess, 1958","Diddley’s influence on rock & roll is inestimable, from the off-kilter rhythmic thump of “Pretty Thing” to his revved-up take on singing the blues. This album — a repackaging of his first two records — has many of his best singles, including “I’m a Man” and “Who Do You Love?” Bands immediately started ripping off his signature rollicking beat, and they haven’t stopped yet — including many on this list, from Bruce Springsteen on Born to Run’s “She’s the One” to George Michael on “Faith.”
-"
-573,Al Green,Greatest Hits,Dropped (was #456 in 2020),,
-574,Sinéad O’Connor,I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got,Dropped (was #457 in 2020),,
-575,Kid Cudi,Man on the Moon: The End of the Day,Dropped (was #459 in 2020),,
-576,Bon Iver,For Emma,Dropped (was #461 in 2020),,
-577,Laura Nyro,Eli & the 13th Confession,Dropped (was #463 in 2020),,
-578,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!,Dropped (was #466 in 2020),"Capitol, 1965","“I only tried surfing once, and the board almost hit me in the head,” Brian Wilson told Rolling Stone in 1999. But Wilson turned his fantasies into a California dream world of fast cars and cool waves — a world that might even have room for a scared misfit like him. Yet even in this early phase, Wilson was writing yearningly complex tunes — “She Knows Me Too Well” feels like Greek tragedy translated into doo-wop harmonies and surf guitars.
-"
-579,Maxwell,BLACKsummers’night,Dropped (was #467 in 2020),,
-580,Howlin’ Wolf,Moanin' in the Moonlight,Dropped (was #477 in 2020),,
-581,Belle and Sebastian,If You’re Feeling Sinister,Dropped (was #481 in 2020),,
-582,Muddy Waters,The Anthology,Dropped (was #483 in 2020),,
-583,Richard and Linda Thompson,I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,Dropped (was #485 in 2020),,
-584,Phil Spector and Various Artists,Back to Mono (1958-1969),Dropped (was #489 in 2020),"ABKCO, 1991","When the Righteous Brothers’ Bobby Hatfield first heard “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” with partner Bill Medley’s extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while he’s singing the whole first verse?” Producer Phil Spector replied, “You can go directly to the bank!” Spector built his Wall of Sound out of hand claps, massive overdubs, and orchestras of percussion. This box has hits such as the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” and the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron,” which Spector called “little symphonies for the kids.”
-"
-585,Harry Styles,Fine Line,Dropped (was #491 in 2020),"Columbia, 2019","Harry Styles achieved pop greatness with One Direction, but he got even deeper on his own. On Fine Line, he stakes his claim as one of his generation’s most savagely imaginative musical minds. Styles breathes in the 1970s California sunshine of his heroes — Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks — with soulful breakup songs. As he explained, “It’s all about having sex and feeling sad.” Yet the music is drenched in starman joy: the ‘shroomadelic guitar trip “She,” the dulcimer-crazed “Canyon Moon,” the Number One juicy-fruit beach orgy “Watermelon Sugar.”
-"
-586,The Ronettes,Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes,Dropped (was #494 in 2020),,
-587,Shakira,Dónde Están los Ladrones,Dropped (was #496 in 2020),,
-588,"Rufus, Chaka Khan",Ask Rufus,Dropped (was #499 in 2020),,
-589,Arcade Fire,Funeral,Dropped (was #500 in 2020),"Merge, 2004","Loss, love, forced coming-of-age, and fragile generational hope: Arcade Fire’s debut touched on all these themes as it defined the independent rock of the ‘00s. Built on family ties (leader Win Butler, his wife, Régine Chassagne, his brother Will), the Montreal band made symphonic rock that truly rocked, simultaneously outsize and deeply personal, like the best pop. But for all its sad realism, Butler’s is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration.
-"

true_dropped_albums_wiki.csv

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+Original_Rank_2020,Artist,Album
+14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St
+28,D’Angelo,Voodoo
+48,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend
+80,The Sex Pistols,"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols"
+85,John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,"Apple, 1970"
+170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
+211,Joy Divison,Unknown Pleasures
+220,"Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young",Déjà Vu
+284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962-1994
+309,Joy Divison,Closer
+351,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure
+358,Sonic Youth,Goo
+412,Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,Going to a Go-Go
+430,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True
+437,Primal Scream,Screamadelica
+452,Diana Ross and the Supremes,Anthology
+466,The Beach Boys,The Beach  Boys Today!
+489,Phil Spector and Various Artists,Back to Mono (1958-1969)
+491,Harry Styles,Fine Line
+500,Arcade Fire,Funeral

wikipedia_top_500_albums.csv

@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ rank,album,artist
 68,Hounds of Love ,Kate Bush 
 69,Jagged Little Pill ,Alanis Morissette 
 70,Straight Outta Compton ,N.W.A 
-71,Renaissance ,Beyonce 
+71,Renaissance ,Beyoncé 
 72,Harvest ,Neil Young 
 73,Loveless ,My Bloody Valentine 
 74,The College Dropout ,Kanye West