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>
This commit is contained in:
Johan Lundberg 2025-07-01 03:32:16 +02:00
parent e64b267ee3
commit 88a6434132
31 changed files with 1082 additions and 217 deletions

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@ -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
1 Original_Rank_2020 Artist Album
2 48 Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend
3 170 Cream Disraeli Gears
4 351 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure
5 358 Sonic Youth Goo
6 430 Elvis Costello My Aim Is True
7 437 Primal Scream Screamadelica
8 466 The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today!
9 491 Harry Styles Fine Line

21
final_dropped_albums.csv Normal file
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@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
Original_Rank_2020,Artist,Album
14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St
28,DAngelo,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
1 Original_Rank_2020 Artist Album
2 14 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St
3 28 D’Angelo Voodoo
4 48 Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend
5 80 The Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
6 85 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Apple, 1970
7 170 Cream Disraeli Gears
8 211 Joy Divison Unknown Pleasures
9 220 Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Déjà Vu
10 284 Merle Haggard Down Every Road 1962-1994
11 309 Joy Divison Closer
12 351 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure
13 358 Sonic Youth Goo
14 412 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Going to a Go-Go
15 430 Elvis Costello My Aim Is True
16 437 Primal Scream Screamadelica
17 452 Diana Ross and the Supremes Anthology
18 466 The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today!
19 489 Phil Spector and Various Artists Back to Mono (1958-1969)
20 491 Harry Styles Fine Line
21 500 Arcade Fire Funeral

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@ -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: 19471972
482,The Pharcyde,Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
481,Belle and Sebastian,If Youre 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,BLACKsummersnight
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 OConnor,I Do Not Want What I Havent Got
456,Al Green,Greatest Hits
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 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",Thats 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,Workingmans 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
405,Various,Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era
406,The Magnetic Fields,69 Love Songs
405,Various artists,"Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 19651968"
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-Gos,Beauty and the Beat
399,Brian Wilson,Smile
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,DAngelo 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,Rosala,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: 19511964
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 Writings on the Wall
291,Destiny's Child,The Writing's on the Wall
290,OutKast,Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
289,Bjrk,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,Whats 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,Heres 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,AmeriKKKas 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,Shes 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
178,Otis Redding,Otis Blue
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.
@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
171,Sonic Youth,Daydream Nation
170,Cream,Disraeli Gears
169,Billy Joel,The Stranger
168,Steely Dan,Cant 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 Years 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"
@ -394,9 +394,9 @@ Rank,Artist,Album
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,Theres 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 Heres the Sex Pistols
79,Frank Ocean,Blond
80,The 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,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
29,The Beatles,White Album
30,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Are You Experienced
29,The Beatles,The Beatles
28,DAngelo,Voodoo
27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
26,Patti Smith,Horses
25,Carole King,Tapestry
24,The Beatles,Sgt. Peppers 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

1 Rank Artist Album
2 500 Arcade Fire Funeral
3 499 Rufus, Chaka Khan Rufus featuring Chaka Khan Ask Rufus
4 498 Suicide Suicide
5 497 Various Artists The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
6 496 Shakira Dónde Están los Ladrones ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?
7 495 Boyz II Men II
8 494 The Ronettes Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
9 493 Marvin Gaye Here, My Dear
10 492 Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time
11 491 Harry Styles Fine Line
14 488 The Stooges The Stooges
15 487 Black Flag Damaged
16 486 John Mayer Continuum
17 485 Richard and Linda Thompson Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
18 484 Lady Gaga Born This Way
19 483 Muddy Waters The Anthology The Anthology: 1947–1972
20 482 The Pharcyde Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
21 481 Belle and Sebastian If You’re Feeling Sinister If You're Feeling Sinister
22 480 Miranda Lambert The Weight of These Wings
23 479 Selena Amor Prohibido
24 478 The Kinks Something Else by the Kinks
25 477 Howlin’ Wolf Howlin' Wolf Moanin' in the Moonlight
26 476 Sparks Kimono My House
27 475 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow
28 474 Big Star #1 Record
32 470 Juvenile 400 Degreez
33 469 Manu Chao Clandestino
34 468 The Rolling Stones Some Girls
35 467 Maxwell BLACKsummers’night BLACKsummers'night
36 466 The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today!
37 465 King Sunny Adé The Best of the Classic Years
38 464 The Isley Brothers 3 + 3
39 463 Laura Nyro Eli & the 13th Confession Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
40 462 The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin
41 461 Bon Iver For Emma For Emma, Forever Ago
42 460 Lorde Melodrama
43 459 Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of the Day Man on the Moon: The End of Day
44 458 Jason Isbell Southeastern
45 457 Sinéad O’Connor Sinéad O'Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
46 456 Al Green Greatest Hits Al Green's Greatest Hits
47 455 Bo Diddley Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
48 454 Can Ege Bamyasi Ege Bamyası
49 453 Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine
50 452 Diana Ross and the Supremes Anthology
51 451 Roberta Flack First Take
52 450 Paul and Linda McCartney Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney Ram
53 449 The White Stripes Elephant
54 448 Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
55 447 Bad Bunny X 100pre
56 446 Alice Coltrane Journey in Satchidanada Journey in Satchidananda
57 445 Yes Close to the Edge
58 444 Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine
59 443 David Bowie Scary Monsters Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
60 442 The Weeknd Beauty Behind the Madness
61 441 Britney Spears Blackout
62 440 Loretta Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter
70 432 Usher Confessions
71 431 Los Lobos How Will the Wolf Survive?
72 430 Elvis Costello My Aim Is True
73 429 The Four Tops Four Tops Reach Out
74 428 Hüsker Dü New Day Rising
75 427 Al Green Call Me
76 426 Lucinda Williams Lucinda Williams
79 423 Yo La Tengo I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
80 422 Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On
81 421 M.I.A. Arular
82 420 Earth, Wind and Fire That’s the Way of the World That's the Way of the World
83 419 Eric Church Chief
84 418 Dire Straits Brothers in Arms
85 417 Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come
86 416 The Roots Things Fall Apart
87 415 The Meters Looka Py Py Look-Ka Py Py
88 414 Chic Risqué
89 413 Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo's Factory
90 412 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Going to a Go Go Going to a Go-Go
91 411 Bob Dylan Love and Theft
92 410 The Beach Boys Wild Honey
93 409 Grateful Dead Workingman’s Dead Workingman's Dead
94 408 Motörhead Ace of Spades
95 407 Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
96 406 Magnetic Fields The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs
97 405 Various Various artists Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968
98 404 Anita Baker Rapture
99 403 Ghostface Killah Supreme Clientele
100 402 Fela Kuti and Africa 70 Fela Kuti and Africa '70 Expensive Shit
101 401 Blondie Blondie
102 400 The Go-Go’s The Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat
103 399 Brian Wilson Smile Brian Wilson Presents Smile
104 398 The Raincoats The Raincoats
105 397 Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
106 396 Todd Rundgren Something/Anything?
107 395 D’Angelo and the Vanguard D'Angelo and the Vanguard Black Messiah
108 394 Diana Ross Diana
109 393 Taylor Swift 1989
110 392 Ike and Tina Turner Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner
136 366 Aerosmith Rocks
137 365 Madvillain Madvillainy
138 364 Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings and Food
139 363 Parliament The Mothership Connection Mothership Connection
140 362 Luther Vandross Never Too Much
141 361 My Chemical Romance The Black Parade
142 360 Funkadelic One Nation Under a Groove
160 342 The Beatles Let It Be
161 341 The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream
162 340 Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle
163 339 Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
164 338 Brian Eno Another Green World
165 337 Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding
166 336 Roxy Music Avalon
174 328 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
175 327 The Who Live at Leeds
176 326 Prince Dirty Mind
177 325 Jerry Lee Lewis All Killer No Filler! All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology
178 324 Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
179 323 The Clash Sandinista!
180 322 Elvis Presley From Elvis in Memphis
184 318 Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope
185 317 Billie Holiday Lady in Satin
186 316 The Who The Who Sell Out
187 315 Rosalía Rosalía El Mal Querer
188 314 Aaliyah One in a Million
189 313 PJ Harvey Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
190 312 Solange Solange Knowles A Seat at the Table
191 311 Neil Young On the Beach
192 310 Wire Pink Flag
193 309 Joy Divison Closer
194 308 Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets
195 307 Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
196 306 Al Green I'm Still in Love With You
197 305 Kiss Alive!
198 304 Bill Withers Just As I Am
203 299 B.B. King Live at the Regal
204 298 Tom Petty Full Moon Fever
205 297 Peter Gabriel So
206 296 Neil Young Neil Young and Crazy Horse Rust Never Sleeps
207 295 Daft Punk Random Access Memories
208 294 Weezer Weezer (The Blue Album) Weezer
209 293 The Breeders Last Splash
210 292 Van Halen Van Halen
211 291 Destiny's Child The Writing’s on the Wall The Writing's on the Wall
212 290 OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
213 289 Björk Björk Post
214 288 The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers
215 287 The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man
216 286 Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication
228 274 The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo
229 273 Gang of Four Entertainment!
230 272 The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat
231 271 Mary J. Blige What’s the 411? What's the 411?
232 270 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour
233 269 Kanye West Yeezus
234 268 Randy Newman Sail Away
236 266 The Beatles Help!
237 265 Pavement Wowee Zowee
238 264 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
239 263 The Beatles Hard Day's Night A Hard Day's Night
240 262 New Order Power, Corruption & Lies
241 261 Beastie Boys Check Your Head
242 260 The Slits Cut
261 241 Massive Attack Blue Lines
262 240 Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
263 239 Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded
264 238 Kraftwerk Trans Europe Express Trans-Europe Express
265 237 Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger
266 236 Daft Punk Discovery
267 235 Metallica Metallica (The Black Album) Metallica
268 234 Black Sabbath Master of Reality
269 233 Tori Amos Little Earthquakes
270 232 John Coltrane Giant Steps
272 230 Rihanna Anti
273 229 Patsy Cline The Ultimate Collection
274 228 De La Soul De La Soul Is Dead
275 227 Little Richard Here’s Little Richard Here's Little Richard
276 226 Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
277 225 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
278 224 Dixie Chicks Fly
280 222 Madonna Ray of Light
281 221 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine
282 220 Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Déjà Vu
283 219 Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
284 218 TLC CrazySexyCool
285 217 Oasis Definitely Maybe
286 216 Elliott Smith Either/Or
287 215 Grateful Dead American Beauty
288 214 Tom Petty Wildflowers
289 213 Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel The Idler Wheel...
290 212 Nina Simone Wild Is the Wind
291 211 Joy Divison Unknown Pleasures
292 210 Ray Charles The Birth of Soul
312 190 The Who Tommy
313 189 Sleater-Kinney Dig Me Out
314 188 T. Rex Electric Warrior
315 187 Ice Cube AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
316 186 Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
317 185 The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
318 184 Cyndi Lauper She’s So Unusual She's So Unusual
319 183 D'Angelo Brown Sugar
320 182 James Taylor Sweet Baby James
321 181 Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home
322 180 Love Forever Changes
323 179 Notorious B.I.G. The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death
324 178 Otis Redding Otis Blue Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
325 177 Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story
326 176 Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet
327 175 Kendrick Lamar DAMN.
331 171 Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
332 170 Cream Disraeli Gears
333 169 Billy Joel The Stranger
334 168 Steely Dan Can’t Buy a Thrill Can't Buy a Thrill
335 167 Depeche Mode Violator
336 166 Buddy Holly 20 Golden Greats
337 165 R.E.M. Murmur
378 124 U2 Achtung Baby
379 123 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II
380 122 Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral
381 121 Elvis Costello This Year’s Model This Year's Model
382 120 Van Morrison Moondance
383 119 Sly and the Family Stone Stand!
384 118 The Eagles Eagles Hotel California
385 117 Kanye West Late Registration
386 116 The Cure Disintegration
387 115 Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city
394 108 Fiona Apple When the Pawn ... When the Pawn...
395 107 Television Marquee Moon
396 106 Hole Live Through This
397 105 The Allman Brothers The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East
398 104 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers
399 103 De La Soul Three Feet High And Rising 3 Feet High and Rising
400 102 The Clash The Clash
401 101 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin
402 100 The Band Music From Big Pink
406 96 R.E.M. Automatic for the People
407 95 Drake Take Care
408 94 The Stooges Fun House
409 93 Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott Missy Elliott Supa Dupa Fly
410 92 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold as Love
411 91 Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town
412 90 Neil Young After the Gold Rush
414 88 David Bowie Hunky Dory
415 87 Miles Davis Bitches Brew
416 86 The Doors The Doors
417 85 John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Plastic Ono Band Apple, 1970
418 84 AC/DC Back in Black
419 83 Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis
420 82 Sly and the Family Stone There’s a Riot Goin’ On There's a Riot Goin' On
421 81 Beyoncé Beyoncé
422 80 The Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
423 79 Frank Ocean Blond Blonde
424 78 Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions
425 77 The Who Who's Next
426 76 Curtis Mayfield Superfly Super Fly
427 75 Aretha Franklin Lady Soul
428 74 Kanye West The College Dropout
429 73 My Bloody Valentine Loveless
437 65 James Brown Live at the Apollo
438 64 OutKast Stankonia
439 63 Steely Dan Aja
440 62 Guns N’ Roses Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction
441 61 Eric B. and Rakim Paid in Full
442 60 Van Morrison Astral Weeks
443 59 Stevie Wonder Talking Book
446 56 Liz Phair Exile in Guyville
447 55 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon
448 54 James Brown Star Time
449 53 Jimi Hendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland
450 52 David Bowie Station to Station
451 51 Chuck Berry The Great Twenty-Eight
452 50 Jay-Z The Blueprint
469 33 Amy Winehouse Back to Black
470 32 Beyoncé Lemonade
471 31 Miles Davis Kind of Blue
472 30 Jimi Hendrix The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced
473 29 The Beatles White Album The Beatles
474 28 D’Angelo Voodoo
475 27 Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers) Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
476 26 Patti Smith Horses
477 25 Carole King Tapestry
478 24 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
479 23 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground and Nico
480 22 The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die
481 21 Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
485 17 Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
486 16 The Clash London Calling
487 15 Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
488 14 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street Exile on Main St
489 13 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
490 12 Michael Jackson Thriller
491 11 The Beatles Revolver

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@ -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 (19581969)
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: 19471972
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, 19651968"
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: 19511964
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 19621994
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
1 Rank Artist Album
2 500 Arcade Fire Funeral
3 499 Rufus featuring Chaka Khan Ask Rufus
4 498 Suicide Suicide
5 497 Various Artists The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
6 496 Shakira ¿Dónde Están los Ladrones?
7 495 Boyz II Men II
8 494 The Ronettes Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica
9 493 Marvin Gaye Here, My Dear
10 492 Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time
11 491 Harry Styles Fine Line
12 490 Linda Ronstadt Heart Like a Wheel
13 489 Phil Spector and Various artists Back to Mono (1958–1969)
14 488 The Stooges The Stooges
15 487 Black Flag Damaged
16 486 John Mayer Continuum
17 485 Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
18 484 Lady Gaga Born This Way
19 483 Muddy Waters The Anthology: 1947–1972
20 482 The Pharcyde Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
21 481 Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister
22 480 Miranda Lambert The Weight of These Wings
23 479 Selena Amor Prohibido
24 478 The Kinks Something Else by the Kinks
25 477 Howlin' Wolf Moanin' in the Moonlight
26 476 Sparks Kimono My House
27 475 Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow
28 474 Big Star #1 Record
29 473 Daddy Yankee Barrio Fino
30 472 SZA Ctrl
31 471 Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow
32 470 Juvenile 400 Degreez
33 469 Manu Chao Clandestino
34 468 The Rolling Stones Some Girls
35 467 Maxwell BLACKsummers'night
36 466 The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today!
37 465 King Sunny Adé The Best of the Classic Years
38 464 The Isley Brothers 3 + 3
39 463 Laura Nyro Eli and the Thirteenth Confession
40 462 The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin
41 461 Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
42 460 Lorde Melodrama
43 459 Kid Cudi Man on the Moon: The End of Day
44 458 Jason Isbell Southeastern
45 457 Sinéad O'Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
46 456 Al Green Al Green's Greatest Hits
47 455 Bo Diddley Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
48 454 Can Ege Bamyası
49 453 Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine
50 452 The Supremes Anthology
51 451 Roberta Flack First Take
52 450 Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney Ram
53 449 The White Stripes Elephant
54 448 Otis Redding Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
55 447 Bad Bunny X 100pre
56 446 Alice Coltrane Journey in Satchidananda
57 445 Yes Close to the Edge
58 444 Fiona Apple Extraordinary Machine
59 443 David Bowie Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
60 442 The Weeknd Beauty Behind the Madness
61 441 Britney Spears Blackout
62 440 Loretta Lynn Coal Miner's Daughter
63 439 James Brown Sex Machine
64 438 Blur Parklife
65 437 Primal Scream Screamadelica
66 436 2Pac All Eyez on Me
67 435 Pet Shop Boys Actually
68 434 Pavement Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
69 433 LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver
70 432 Usher Confessions
71 431 Los Lobos How Will the Wolf Survive?
72 430 Elvis Costello My Aim Is True
73 429 Four Tops Reach Out
74 428 Hüsker Dü New Day Rising
75 427 Al Green Call Me
76 426 Lucinda Williams Lucinda Williams
77 425 Paul Simon Paul Simon
78 424 Beck Odelay
79 423 Yo La Tengo I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
80 422 Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On
81 421 M.I.A. Arular
82 420 Earth, Wind and Fire That's the Way of the World
83 419 Eric Church Chief
84 418 Dire Straits Brothers in Arms
85 417 Ornette Coleman The Shape of Jazz to Come
86 416 The Roots Things Fall Apart
87 415 The Meters Look-Ka Py Py
88 414 Chic Risqué
89 413 Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo's Factory
90 412 Smokey Robinson Going to a Go-Go
91 411 Bob Dylan Love and Theft
92 410 The Beach Boys Wild Honey
93 409 Grateful Dead Workingman's Dead
94 408 Motörhead Ace of Spades
95 407 Neil Young Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
96 406 The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs
97 405 Various artists Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968
98 404 Anita Baker Rapture
99 403 Ghostface Killah Supreme Clientele
100 402 Fela Kuti and Africa '70 Expensive Shit
101 401 Blondie Blondie
102 400 The Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat
103 399 Brian Wilson Brian Wilson Presents Smile
104 398 The Raincoats The Raincoats
105 397 Billie Eilish When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
106 396 Todd Rundgren Something/Anything?
107 395 D'Angelo and the Vanguard Black Messiah
108 394 Diana Ross Diana
109 393 Taylor Swift 1989
110 392 Ike and Tina Turner Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner
111 391 Kelis Kaleidoscope
112 390 Pixies Surfer Rosa
113 389 Mariah Carey The Emancipation of Mimi
114 388 Aretha Franklin Young, Gifted and Black
115 387 Radiohead In Rainbows
116 386 J Dilla Donuts
117 385 Ramones Rocket to Russia
118 384 The Kinks The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
119 383 Massive Attack Mezzanine
120 382 Tame Impala Currents
121 381 Lynyrd Skynyrd (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)
122 380 Charles Mingus Mingus Ah Um
123 379 Rush Moving Pictures
124 378 Run-DMC Run-D.M.C.
125 377 Yeah Yeah Yeahs Fever to Tell
126 376 Neutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
127 375 Green Day Dookie
128 374 Robert Johnson King of the Delta Blues Singers
129 373 Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul
130 372 Big Brother and the Holding Company Cheap Thrills
131 371 The Temptations Anthology
132 370 Lil Wayne Tha Carter II
133 369 Mobb Deep The Infamous
134 368 George Harrison All Things Must Pass
135 367 Drake If You're Reading This It's Too Late
136 366 Aerosmith Rocks
137 365 Madvillain Madvillainy
138 364 Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings and Food
139 363 Parliament Mothership Connection
140 362 Luther Vandross Never Too Much
141 361 My Chemical Romance The Black Parade
142 360 Funkadelic One Nation Under a Groove
143 359 Big Star Radio City
144 358 Sonic Youth Goo
145 357 Tom Waits Rain Dogs
146 356 Dr. John Gris-Gris
147 355 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath
148 354 X-Ray Spex Germfree Adolescents
149 353 The Cars The Cars
150 352 Eminem The Slim Shady LP
151 351 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure
152 350 Stevie Wonder Music of My Mind
153 349 MC5 Kick Out the Jams
154 348 Gillian Welch Time (The Revelator)
155 347 GZA Liquid Swords
156 346 Arctic Monkeys AM
157 345 Bruce Springsteen The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
158 344 Toots and the Maytals Funky Kingston
159 343 Sly and the Family Stone Greatest Hits
160 342 The Beatles Let It Be
161 341 The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream
162 340 Snoop Doggy Dogg Doggystyle
163 339 Janet Jackson Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
164 338 Brian Eno Another Green World
165 337 Bob Dylan John Wesley Harding
166 336 Roxy Music Avalon
167 335 Bob Dylan and the Band The Basement Tapes
168 334 Santana Abraxas
169 333 Bill Withers Still Bill
170 332 Elvis Presley Elvis Presley
171 331 Madonna Like a Prayer
172 330 The Rolling Stones Aftermath
173 329 DJ Shadow Endtroducing.....
174 328 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
175 327 The Who Live at Leeds
176 326 Prince Dirty Mind
177 325 Jerry Lee Lewis All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology
178 324 Coldplay A Rush of Blood to the Head
179 323 The Clash Sandinista!
180 322 Elvis Presley From Elvis in Memphis
181 321 Lana Del Rey Norman Fucking Rockwell!
182 320 X Los Angeles
183 319 The Stone Roses The Stone Roses
184 318 Janet Jackson The Velvet Rope
185 317 Billie Holiday Lady in Satin
186 316 The Who The Who Sell Out
187 315 Rosalía El Mal Querer
188 314 Aaliyah One in a Million
189 313 PJ Harvey Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea
190 312 Solange Knowles A Seat at the Table
191 311 Neil Young On the Beach
192 310 Wire Pink Flag
193 309 Joy Division Closer
194 308 Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets
195 307 Sam Cooke Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
196 306 Al Green I'm Still in Love With You
197 305 Kiss Alive!
198 304 Bill Withers Just As I Am
199 303 ABBA The Definitive Collection
200 302 Neil Young Tonight's the Night
201 301 New York Dolls New York Dolls
202 300 Shania Twain Come on Over
203 299 B.B. King Live at the Regal
204 298 Tom Petty Full Moon Fever
205 297 Peter Gabriel So
206 296 Neil Young and Crazy Horse Rust Never Sleeps
207 295 Daft Punk Random Access Memories
208 294 Weezer Weezer
209 293 The Breeders Last Splash
210 292 Van Halen Van Halen
211 291 Destiny's Child The Writing's on the Wall
212 290 OutKast Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
213 289 Björk Post
214 288 The Modern Lovers The Modern Lovers
215 287 The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man
216 286 Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication
217 285 Big Star Third/Sister Lovers
218 284 Merle Haggard Down Every Road 1962–1994
219 283 Donna Summer Bad Girls
220 282 Frank Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours
221 281 Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson
222 280 50 Cent Get Rich or Die Tryin'
223 279 Nirvana MTV Unplugged in New York
224 278 Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy
225 277 Alicia Keys The Diary of Alicia Keys
226 276 Radiohead The Bends
227 275 Curtis Mayfield Curtis
228 274 The Byrds Sweetheart of the Rodeo
229 273 Gang of Four Entertainment!
230 272 The Velvet Underground White Light/White Heat
231 271 Mary J. Blige What's the 411?
232 270 Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour
233 269 Kanye West Yeezus
234 268 Randy Newman Sail Away
235 267 Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime
236 266 The Beatles Help!
237 265 Pavement Wowee Zowee
238 264 Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
239 263 The Beatles A Hard Day's Night
240 262 New Order Power, Corruption & Lies
241 261 Beastie Boys Check Your Head
242 260 The Slits Cut
243 259 Janis Joplin Pearl
244 258 Joni Mitchell The Hissing of Summer Lawns
245 257 Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors
246 256 Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman
247 255 Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
248 254 Herbie Hancock Head Hunters
249 253 Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
250 252 Devo Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
251 251 Elton John Honky Château
252 250 Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady
253 249 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston
254 248 Green Day American Idiot
255 247 Sade Love Deluxe
256 246 LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out
257 245 Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas
258 244 Kanye West 808s & Heartbreak
259 243 The Zombies Odessey and Oracle
260 242 The Velvet Underground Loaded
261 241 Massive Attack Blue Lines
262 240 Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
263 239 Boogie Down Productions Criminal Minded
264 238 Kraftwerk Trans-Europe Express
265 237 Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger
266 236 Daft Punk Discovery
267 235 Metallica Metallica
268 234 Black Sabbath Master of Reality
269 233 Tori Amos Little Earthquakes
270 232 John Coltrane Giant Steps
271 231 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes
272 230 Rihanna Anti
273 229 Patsy Cline The Ultimate Collection
274 228 De La Soul De La Soul Is Dead
275 227 Little Richard Here's Little Richard
276 226 Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
277 225 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
278 224 Dixie Chicks Fly
279 223 John Lennon Imagine
280 222 Madonna Ray of Light
281 221 Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine
282 220 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Déjà Vu
283 219 Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
284 218 TLC CrazySexyCool
285 217 Oasis Definitely Maybe
286 216 Elliott Smith Either/Or
287 215 Grateful Dead American Beauty
288 214 Tom Petty Wildflowers
289 213 Fiona Apple The Idler Wheel...
290 212 Nina Simone Wild Is the Wind
291 211 Joy Division Unknown Pleasures
292 210 Ray Charles The Birth of Soul
293 209 Run-DMC Raising Hell
294 208 Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
295 207 Eagles Eagles
296 206 David Bowie Low
297 205 Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman
298 204 Kanye West Graduation
299 203 Nick Drake Pink Moon
300 202 Björk Homogenic
301 201 A Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders
302 200 Sade Diamond Life
303 199 Pavement Slanted and Enchanted
304 198 The B-52's The B-52's
305 197 The Beatles Meet the Beatles!
306 196 Robyn Body Talk
307 195 Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen
308 194 Michael Jackson Bad
309 193 Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poor Boys
310 192 Beastie Boys Licensed to Ill
311 191 Etta James At Last!
312 190 The Who Tommy
313 189 Sleater-Kinney Dig Me Out
314 188 T. Rex Electric Warrior
315 187 Ice Cube AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
316 186 Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
317 185 The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
318 184 Cyndi Lauper She's So Unusual
319 183 D'Angelo Brown Sugar
320 182 James Taylor Sweet Baby James
321 181 Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home
322 180 Love Forever Changes
323 179 The Notorious B.I.G. Life After Death
324 178 Otis Redding Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul
325 177 Rod Stewart Every Picture Tells a Story
326 176 Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet
327 175 Kendrick Lamar DAMN.
328 174 Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack
329 173 Nirvana In Utero
330 172 Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
331 171 Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
332 170 Cream Disraeli Gears
333 169 Billy Joel The Stranger
334 168 Steely Dan Can't Buy a Thrill
335 167 Depeche Mode Violator
336 166 Buddy Holly 20 Golden Greats
337 165 R.E.M. Murmur
338 164 Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison
339 163 Various Artists Saturday Night Fever
340 162 Pulp Different Class
341 161 Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash
342 160 Pearl Jam Ten
343 159 The Police Synchronicity
344 158 Erykah Badu Mama's Gun
345 157 Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory?
346 156 The Replacements Let It Be
347 155 Jay-Z The Black Album
348 154 Aretha Franklin Amazing Grace
349 153 PJ Harvey Rid of Me
350 152 The Pretenders Pretenders
351 151 George Michael Faith
352 150 Bruce Springsteen Nebraska
353 149 John Prine John Prine
354 148 Frank Ocean Channel Orange
355 147 Jeff Buckley Grace
356 146 Blondie Parallel Lines
357 145 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP
358 144 Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
359 143 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground
360 142 Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A.
361 141 Pixies Doolittle
362 140 Bob Marley and the Wailers Catch a Fire
363 139 Black Sabbath Paranoid
364 138 Madonna The Immaculate Collection
365 137 Adele 21
366 136 Funkadelic Maggot Brain
367 135 U2 The Joshua Tree
368 134 Fugees The Score
369 133 Joni Mitchell Hejira
370 132 Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits
371 131 Portishead Dummy
372 130 Prince 1999
373 129 Pink Floyd The Wall
374 128 Queen A Night at the Opera
375 127 Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
376 126 Mary J. Blige My Life
377 125 Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique
378 124 U2 Achtung Baby
379 123 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II
380 122 Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral
381 121 Elvis Costello This Year's Model
382 120 Van Morrison Moondance
383 119 Sly and the Family Stone Stand!
384 118 Eagles Hotel California
385 117 Kanye West Late Registration
386 116 The Cure Disintegration
387 115 Kendrick Lamar good kid, m.A.A.d city
388 114 The Strokes Is This It
389 113 The Smiths The Queen Is Dead
390 112 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
391 111 Janet Jackson Control
392 110 Joni Mitchell Court and Spark
393 109 Lou Reed Transformer
394 108 Fiona Apple When the Pawn...
395 107 Television Marquee Moon
396 106 Hole Live Through This
397 105 The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East
398 104 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers
399 103 De La Soul 3 Feet High and Rising
400 102 The Clash The Clash
401 101 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin
402 100 The Band Music From Big Pink
403 99 Taylor Swift Red
404 98 Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
405 97 Metallica Master of Puppets
406 96 R.E.M. Automatic for the People
407 95 Drake Take Care
408 94 The Stooges Fun House
409 93 Missy Elliott Supa Dupa Fly
410 92 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold as Love
411 91 Bruce Springsteen Darkness on the Edge of Town
412 90 Neil Young After the Gold Rush
413 89 Erykah Badu Baduizm
414 88 David Bowie Hunky Dory
415 87 Miles Davis Bitches Brew
416 86 The Doors The Doors
417 85 John Lennon John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
418 84 AC/DC Back in Black
419 83 Dusty Springfield Dusty in Memphis
420 82 Sly and the Family Stone There's a Riot Goin' On
421 81 Beyoncé Beyoncé
422 80 Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
423 79 Frank Ocean Blonde
424 78 Elvis Presley The Sun Sessions
425 77 The Who Who's Next
426 76 Curtis Mayfield Super Fly
427 75 Aretha Franklin Lady Soul
428 74 Kanye West The College Dropout
429 73 My Bloody Valentine Loveless
430 72 Neil Young Harvest
431 71 Bob Marley and the Wailers Exodus
432 70 N.W.A Straight Outta Compton
433 69 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill
434 68 Kate Bush Hounds of Love
435 67 Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
436 66 John Coltrane A Love Supreme
437 65 James Brown Live at the Apollo
438 64 OutKast Stankonia
439 63 Steely Dan Aja
440 62 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction
441 61 Eric B. and Rakim Paid in Full
442 60 Van Morrison Astral Weeks
443 59 Stevie Wonder Talking Book
444 58 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV
445 57 The Band The Band
446 56 Liz Phair Exile in Guyville
447 55 Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon
448 54 James Brown Star Time
449 53 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland
450 52 David Bowie Station to Station
451 51 Chuck Berry The Great Twenty-Eight
452 50 Jay-Z The Blueprint
453 49 OutKast Aquemini
454 48 Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend
455 47 Ramones Ramones
456 46 Paul Simon Graceland
457 45 Prince Sign O' the Times
458 44 Nas Illmatic
459 43 A Tribe Called Quest The Low End Theory
460 42 Radiohead OK Computer
461 41 The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
462 40 David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
463 39 Talking Heads Remain in Light
464 38 Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
465 37 Dr. Dre The Chronic
466 36 Michael Jackson Off the Wall
467 35 The Beatles Rubber Soul
468 34 Stevie Wonder Innervisions
469 33 Amy Winehouse Back to Black
470 32 Beyoncé Lemonade
471 31 Miles Davis Kind of Blue
472 30 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced
473 29 The Beatles The Beatles
474 28 D'Angelo Voodoo
475 27 Wu-Tang Clan Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
476 26 Patti Smith Horses
477 25 Carole King Tapestry
478 24 The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
479 23 The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground and Nico
480 22 The Notorious B.I.G. Ready to Die
481 21 Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
482 20 Radiohead Kid A
483 19 Kendrick Lamar To Pimp a Butterfly
484 18 Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
485 17 Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
486 16 The Clash London Calling
487 15 Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
488 14 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St.
489 13 Aretha Franklin I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
490 12 Michael Jackson Thriller
491 11 The Beatles Revolver
492 10 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
493 9 Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks
494 8 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain
495 7 Fleetwood Mac Rumours
496 6 Nirvana Nevermind
497 5 The Beatles Abbey Road
498 4 Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life
499 3 Joni Mitchell Blue
500 2 The Beach Boys Pet Sounds
501 1 Marvin Gaye What's Going On

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@ -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 Fires 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, Butlers 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 Fires 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, Butlers 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 musics 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 groups 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 “Youre No Good” hits a perfect mix of desire and paranoia. Along with being a showcase for Ronstadts 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 “Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin,” with partner Bill Medleys extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while hes 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 MyBaby” and the Crystals “Da Doo Ron Ron,” which Spector called “little symphonies for the kids.”
489,Phil Spector and Various artists,Back to Mono (19581969),"ABKCO, 1991","When the Righteous Brothers Bobby Hatfield first heard “Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin,” with partner Bill Medleys extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while hes 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 MyBaby” 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,” Michigans 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 Ashetons 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, its 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 Nirvanas 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 aint nothing I can do about it,” its 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 aint nothing I can do about it,” its 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 didnt become popular until three years later, after her pained version of Ewan MacColls 1950s folk ballad, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” scored a love scene in Clint Eastwoods 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","Cosmos Factory was CCRs 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 CCRs 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 1997s 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 didnt just exceed them — he blew them up. Dylan sang in the voice of a grizzled drifter whod 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 theyre steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And thats 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 Englands 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 theyre steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And thats 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 Englands most harrowing punk band.
"
308,Brian Eno,Here Come the Warm Jets,"Island, 1974","The former Roxy Music keyboardists 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. “Babys on Fire” and “Needles in the Camels Eye” are vicious rockers with detached vocals, and Robert Fripps 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 Stars first two albums were crisp power-pop full of bright Sixties melodies. Their third album very much wasnt. The band recorded it, their final LP, in 1974, but it didnt get released until 1978, in part because singer Alex Chilton sounds like hes having a nervous breakdown. Its a record of gorgeous, disjointed heartbreak ballads such as “Take Care,”“Nighttime,” and “Blue Moon.” Even when theyre 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","Haggards 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 countrys 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 Browns Star Time, the quality stays rock solid over four CDs.
284,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 19621994,"Capitol, 1996","Haggards 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 countrys 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 Browns 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 bands ability to bridge the gap between entertainment and activism,” declared Zack de la Rocha, whose radical politics found sympathetic muscle in Tom Morellos 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. Youngs vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNYcombination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nashs “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosbys “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. Youngs vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNYcombination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nashs “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosbys “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 Raekwons 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.” Its 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 Hooks bass pulse. But for all the despair, theres 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 Hooks bass pulse. But for all the despair, theres 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 “Whatd 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 Lennons first proper solo album and rock & rolls most self-revelatory recording. Lennon attacks and denies idols and icons, including his own former band (“I dont 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”: “Youre 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 Lennons first proper solo album and rock & rolls most self-revelatory recording. Lennon attacks and denies idols and icons, including his own former band (“I dont 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”: “Youre 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, Im 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 didnt want to release my music the way Ive 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 its the very nature of music: If you want people to listen, youre 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 its the very nature of music: If you want people to listen, youre 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 Dont 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. Its 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, “Well 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 McCartneys playful pop energy came through in “Martha My Dear”and his inversion of Chuck Berrys American values, “Back in the U.S.S.R.” George Harrisons spiritual yearning led him to “Long, Long, Long”and “While MyGuitar Gently Weeps,”featuring a guest guitar solo fromEric Clapton. Even Ringo Starr contributes his first original, the country-tinged “Dont Pass Me By.” The Beatles tried a little of everything, and all their adventures paid off.
"
28,DAngelo,Voodoo,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, DAngelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I dont consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, thats 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]”). “Im just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” DAngelo said at the time. “It took a while, but Im on my way now.”
28,D'Angelo,Voodoo,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, DAngelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I dont consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, thats 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]”). “Im just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” DAngelo said at the time. “It took a while, but Im on my way now.”
"
27,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers),"Loud, 1993","The first Wu-Tang Clan album launched raps most dominant franchise by inventing a new sound built around a hectic panoply of voices and spare, raw beats. RZA, the groups sonic mastermind, constructed the Wus 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 Aint Nuthing ta F Wit,” RZAs offbeat samples (Thelonious Monk, the Dramatics, fellow New Yorker Barbra Streisand) create a grounding for the groups 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 musics 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 Enemys 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 theyre calling my music noise, ” said Chuck D, “if theyre saying that Im really getting out of character being a black person in America, then fine Im 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 Browns “The Grunt” with Browns “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 “Dont Believe the Hype.” He wasnt 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 Taylors dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill WymanCharlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jaggers 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 Taylors dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill WymanCharlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jaggers 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 dont 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.
"

Can't render this file because it has a wrong number of fields in line 832.

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@ -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()

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@ -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()

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@ -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()

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@ -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()

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@ -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()

62
scripts/fix_new_albums.py Normal file
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@ -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()

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@ -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()

View file

@ -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 Lennons 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. Martins 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 wasnt 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 McCartneys strikingly mature art song “Eleanor Rigby,” Lennons trippy tape-loop swirl “Im Only Sleeping,” or Harrisons “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, theyd 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 1979s 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 Jacksons 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 Franklins Atlantic debut is the place where gospel music collided with R&B and rock & roll and became soul. The Detroit-born preachers 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 albums title hit, a slow-fire ballad of ferocious sexuality. The historic moment, of course, was her storefront-church makeover of Otis Reddings “Respect,” which became Franklins first Number One pop single, prompting Redding to exclaim, “I just lost my song.” Soon, it would be the new marching anthem of the womens and civil rights movements. “Women did, and still do, need equal rights,” Franklin said decades later. “Were 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 Cookes 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; its 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 Taylors dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill WymanCharlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jaggers 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 dont 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 Taylors dogfight riffing, the lusty jump of the Bill WymanCharlie Watts rhythm engine, Mick Jaggers 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 dont 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 Enemys 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 theyre calling my music noise, ” said Chuck D, “if theyre saying that Im really getting out of character being a black person in America, then fine Im 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 Browns “The Grunt” with Browns “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 “Dont Believe the Hype.” He wasnt 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 Clashs 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 Britains 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 Clashs Lennon and McCartney, wrote together in Jones grandmothers 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 Id 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 Clashs 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 centurys most awe-inspiring hip-hop masterpiece. Its 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, hed 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. Wests 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 Fripps 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 raps most dominant franchise by inventing a new sound built around a hectic panoply of voices and spare, raw beats. RZA, the groups sonic mastermind, constructed the Wus 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 Aint Nuthing ta F Wit,” RZAs offbeat samples (Thelonious Monk, the Dramatics, fellow New Yorker Barbra Streisand) create a grounding for the groups 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 musics birthplace. "
28,D'Angelo,Voodoo,No change,"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, DAngelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I dont consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, thats 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]”). “Im just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” DAngelo said at the time. “It took a while, but Im 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 Im 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 shed 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 Americas music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Dont 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 Im 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 shed 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 Americas music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Dont 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 Im 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. “Ill 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, theres 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 albums centerpiece is “Living for the City,” a cinematic depiction of exploitation and injustice. “Innervisions gives my own perspective on whats happening in my world,” Wonder said. “I think it is my most personal album. I dont 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 Dylans influence on “Im Looking Through You,” “You Wont 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 rocks first sitar solo. Harrison called Rubber Soul “the best one we made,” because “we were suddenly hearing sounds that we werent 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 raps most precise and unrelenting diss tracks, commits GBH on rappers Nas and Prodigy from Mobb Deep. When Hova isnt 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. Heres the moral of the story, courtesy of “Takeover”: “You guys dont 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 Berrys 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 Berrys secret? In the maestros 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 Bowies 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 Browns impact that even with 71 songs on four CDs, Star Time isnt 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 “Papas 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 — Im Black and Im 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 Torrys guest vocal aria “The Great Gig in the Sky”). Dark Side is one of the best-produced rock albums ever, and “Money” may be rocks 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 Phairs 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 “61” 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 bands 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 Butchers 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. Its 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 whod 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 Franklins third Atlantic album in less than two years is another classic, with “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Aint 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 Mayfields “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 “Freddies Dead,”telling hard truths about the drug trade and black life in the 1970s. “I dont 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 “Freddies Dead,”telling hard truths about the drug trade and black life in the 1970s. “I dont 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, Whos Next. “Wont Get Fooled Again,” “Bargain,”and “Baba ORiley” (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 arent 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 “Thats All Right,”a tune by bluesman Arthur Crudup, when producer Sam Phillips stopped them and asked, “What are you doing?” “We dont know,”they said. Phillips told them to “back up and do it again.”Bridging black and white, country and blues, Presleys 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 Parkers “Mystery Train” — before moving on to immortality at RCA. Theyre 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 Dont 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. Its 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, “Well never be those kids again.” "
79,Frank Ocean,Blonde,No change,"Boys Dont 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. Its 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, “Well 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 didnt want to release my music the way Ive 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 Stones 1969 blast of hope, Stand!, was the grim, exact opposite: implosive, numbing, darkly self-referential. Sly Stones 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 “Dont 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 inthe Street.” After the youthful exuberance of Bornto Run, Darkness was the first sound of Springsteens hard-won adult realism "
92,The Jimi Hendrix Experience,Axis: Bold as Love,No change,"Track, 1967","Jimi Hendrixs 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 stoners maxim from “If Six Was Nine”:“Im the one whos got to die when its 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 rocks 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 dont think we did ever get it from the drugs. I think they killed things.” They couldnt 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 albums typically confrontational tracks. Later, on “1970,” he insisted, ad infinitum, “I feel all right,” and theres no question you wouldnt 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. “Marvins Room” is the showstopper — late at night, Drake drunk-dials his ex to figure out what went wrong (“Ive had sex four times this week, Ill explain/Im 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 doesnt 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 Stipes 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 havent 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 Clashs 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 Souls 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, its great to play with.” New guitarist Mick Taylor, replacing Brian Jones, stretches out the Stones sound in “Sway,” “Cant 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 Yorks 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 albums 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 Yorks 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 albums release, Duane died in a motorcycle accident. "
106,Hole,Live Through This,No change,"Geffen, 1994","One week before Holes breakthrough album was released, Kurt Cobain killed himself and made Courtney Love a widow. The media attention that followed guaranteed a close listen for Loves 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 Loves 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, dont forget the cryptic electricity and strangled existentialism of guitarist Tom Verlaines 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 didnt 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 Moores and Lee Ranaldos guitars are like antennae picking up otherworldly signals and channeling them into the scuzzy urban haze of “Teen Age Riot” and “Erics Trip,” and on “The Sprawl,” bassist Kim Gordon sums up the albums 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 Simons song “Cuba Sí, Nixon No,” and Simon nixed Garfunkels 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, Im sorry I didnt 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, “Dont come to our shows and dont 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 Cobains 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 Americas, 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.” Its 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. “Its 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.” (Thats her speaking in the first few bars of “Meet the G That Killed Me.”) The lyrical flap surrounding “Welcome to the Terrordome” couldnt overwhelm Public Enemys 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. “MandolinWind” 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 Waynes croaky, syrup-addled singing voice. More than a decade later, even Waynes 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,” “Its 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 Aerosmiths “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 “Whatd 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 Hooks bass pulse. But for all the despair, theres 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 Hooks bass pulse. But for all the despair, theres 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 Apples run as one of modern pops most thrilling eccentrics. Theres 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 shes 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 1989s hit Full Moon Fever. He left tons of songs in the can, and the final product stretched to 70 minutes but didnt 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 its maybe my favorite LP that Ive 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, hes 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 albums highlights, like the moody “Here Without You” and the irresistible “Ill 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 Reeds 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 wasnt 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 Bois verbal funk overflowed on Speakerboxxx, his half of the double-disc set, while André 3000s 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, Destinys 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 “Aint Talkin Bout Love” put the swagger back in hard rock, and Van Halens jaw-dropping technique, particularly on “Eruption,” raised the bar for rock guitar. “It sounded like it came from another planet,” Pearl Jams Mike McCready said of first encountering Van Halens 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? Its 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 Chics 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 “Dont 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 didnt want to put it out because they didnt hear a single. But the album was an enormous success, with hits like “I Wont Back Down,” “Runnin Down a Dream,” and the majestic L.A. portrait “Free Fallin,” possibly Pettys most beloved song. Producer Jeff Lynn gave the album a sleek but never slick sound that complemented Pettys 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. Kings 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 Chicagoin 1964, paved the way for Kings appearances on the rock-concert circuit and FMradio. 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 Lets Stay Together, Im Still in Love With You was his second great album of 1972. Its 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: 19511964,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 keyboardists 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. “Babys on Fire” and “Needles in the Camels Eye” are vicious rockers with detached vocals, and Robert Fripps 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 theyre steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And thats 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 Englands 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 theyre steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And thats 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 Englands 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 Tonights 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 Youngs 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 “Im immortal/When Im 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","Aaliyahs second album was her first with producer Timbaland, and until the singers tragic death in 2001, the pair reshaped the landscape of R&B. Aaliyah seems to be sparring with Timbalands 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 rappers 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 rappers 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 Whos 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. Its the Whos 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 Townshends 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 Its Gone,” but the shocker is her girl-girl version of Rod Stewarts “Tonights the Night.” “I always write about whats in my life,” she told Rolling Stone. “I did that on Control, and I did the same thing with this album. Its 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 Kutis 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 Twos “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 Killahs second solo album helped revive the Wu-Tang franchise, marinating lines like “Ghost is back, stretch Cadillacs, fruit cocktails/Hit the shelves at Pauls 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, 19651968",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, 19651968",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 hadnt been together for more than eight weeks when they cut this album. Its 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 Youngs 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 Im born to lose, and gamblings for fools,” Lemmy growls, “but thats the way I like it, baby, I dont wanna live forever.” He meant it, too. "
409,Grateful Dead,Workingman's Dead,No change,"Warner Bros., 1970","“We werent feeling like an experimental music group, but were feeling more like a good old band,” Jerry Garcia said. The Dead stripped down for Workingmans 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 rocks sharpest songwriting teams, with the acoustic hymn “Uncle Johns 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 1997s 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 didnt just exceed them — he blew them up. Dylan sang in the voice of a grizzled drifter whod 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","Cosmos Factory was CCRs 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 CCRs 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 thats been the blueprint for pop radio ever since. “Good Times” is Chics most prophetic groove — the story of hip-hop on wax begins here, with the Sugarhill Gang rhyming over it for “Rappers 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 LaBelles 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 Nevilles 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 LaBelles 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 Nevilles 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-hops redemptive power, but its 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 Colemans 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. Its still a jarring sound to encounter for the first time, but Colemans 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 salesmans anti-rock-star, anti-MTV rant. The song, of course, became a huge MTV hit, and this album shows off Knopflers 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 Mans Too Strong” and “Why Worry,” where Knopflers 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 1999s When the Pawn…, Apples 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 Andersons sun-king vocals pouring out over new member Rick Wakemans 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 Johns 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 Coltranes grandnephew Flying Lotus. "
446,Alice Coltrane,Journey in Satchidananda,No change,"Impulse!, 1971","Alice Coltrane was a key part of her husband Johns 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 Coltranes grandnephew Flying Lotus. "
447,Bad Bunny,X 100pre,No change,"Rimas, 2018","Heralded by a subtly symbolic Christmas Eve release, Bad Bunnys 2018 debut, X 100pre, was the Puerto Rican artists 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 thats 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 didnt become popular until three years later, after her pained version of Ewan MacColls 1950s folk ballad, “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” scored a love scene in Clint Eastwoods 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, its 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 Nirvanas 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 Undergrounds subterranean drones, Miles Davis molten jazz rock, and James Browns 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 “Im So Green.” Spoon took their name from the LPs 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 Undergrounds subterranean drones, Miles Davis molten jazz rock, and James Browns 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 “Im So Green.” Spoon took their name from the LPs 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","Diddleys 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 “Im a Man”and “Who Do You Love?” Bands immediately started ripping off his signature rollicking beat, and they havent stopped yet — including many on this list, from Bruce Springsteen on Born to Runs “Shes 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 OConnor struck a nerve with her keening voice, her shaved head, and her tortured grandiosity in “The Emperors 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 OConnors 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 wasnt quite accurate — shes 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 shes 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 whod 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 Taylors “Dont Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” in which Ron Isley unfurled his heartbreaking falsetto and forceful midrange) hint toward the bands bright future as pre-eminent balladeers in R&Bs 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 masters work from 1967 to 1974, years before he got marketed as “the next Bob Marley.” King Sunnys 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 whove proudly cited the sound of Adés 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: 19471972,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” isnt an insult in Gagas world; its 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. Theres 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 Englands 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 Englands 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 Ginns 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 its 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,” Michigans 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 Ashetons 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 (19581969),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 (19581969),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 “Youre No Good” hits a perfect mix of desire and paranoia. Along with being a showcase for Ronstadts 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 Hiatts “Thing Called Love” and the brilliant title track, a study in midlife crisis told from a womans 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 whod 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 fathers 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 Simons 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 Revs 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 Fires 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, Butlers is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration. "
501,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main Street,Dropped (was #14 in 2020),,
502,The Beatles,Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,Dropped (was #24 in 2020),,
503,Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers),Dropped (was #27 in 2020),,
504,DAngelo,Voodoo,Dropped (was #28 in 2020),"EMI, 2000","In the five years following the release of his 1995 debut, Brown Sugar, DAngelo grew disillusioned with the genre that had just anointed him a rising star. “I dont consider myself an R&B artist,” the then-26-year-old told Jet. “R&B is pop, thats 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]”). “Im just looking at Voodoo as just the beginning,” DAngelo said at the time. “It took a while, but Im on my way now.”
"
505,The Beatles,White Album,Dropped (was #29 in 2020),,
506,Jimi Hendrix,Are You Experienced,Dropped (was #30 in 2020),,
507,Beyoncé,Lemonade,Dropped (was #32 in 2020),"Parkwood/Columbia, 2016","“Nine times out of 10 Im 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 shed 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 Americas music traditions — she goes outlaw country on “Daddy Lessons,” she digs blues metal with Jack White on “Dont Hurt Yourself,” she revamps the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on “Hold Up.” Ashes to ashes, dust to side chicks — all hail the queen.
"
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 whats happening, and why you want to play this music. You dont just run to play this music because you think you can make a million off it.” Ironically, this set of the late reggae idols 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 “IShot 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 Heres the Sex Pistols,Dropped (was #80 in 2020),,
514,Sly and the Family Stone,Theres 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 Years Model,Dropped (was #121 in 2020),,
522,Steely Dan,Cant Buy a Thrill,Dropped (was #168 in 2020),,
523,Cream,Disraeli Gears,Dropped (was #170 in 2020),"Reaction, 1967","Of all Creams 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 didnt 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 films star, Jimmy Cliff, sings six songs, including the hymn “Many Rivers to Cross.” There are glorious one-shots (especially Scottys 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 Americas, 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.” Its 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. “Its 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,Shes So Unusual,Dropped (was #184 in 2020),,
529,Ice Cube,AmeriKKKas 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 Hooks bass pulse. But for all the despair, theres 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. Youngs vision and guitar transformed the earlier folk-rock CSN into a rock & roll powerhouse. The CSNYcombination was too volatile to last, but on their best album, they offered pop idealism (Nashs “Teach Your Children”), militant blues (Crosbys “Almost Cut My Hair”), and vocal-choir gallop (Stills “Carry On”).
"
534,Little Richard,Heres 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,Whats the 411?,Dropped (was #271 in 2020),,
539,Merle Haggard,Down Every Road 1962-1994,Dropped (was #284 in 2020),"Capitol, 1996","Haggards 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 countrys 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 Browns Star Time, the quality stays rock solid over four CDs.
"
540,Björk,Post,Dropped (was #289 in 2020),,
541,Destiny's Child,The Writings 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 theyre steadily beating out the rhythm of doom. And thats 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 Englands 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 Enos last album with Roxy Music is the pop equivalent of Ultrasuede: highly stylish, abstract-leaning art rock. The collision of Enos and singer Bryan Ferrys clashing visions gives Pleasure a wild, tense charm — especially on the driving “Editions of You” and “Do the Strand.” The albums 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 Ranaldos frazzled guitar freakouts to Kim Gordons ghostly ode to Karen Carpenter, Goo retained all of Sonic Youths 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” theyd never sounded burlier — and yet more true to their alt-nation selves.
"
552,Parliament,The Mothership Connection,Dropped (was #363 in 2020),,
553,DAngelo and the Vanguard,Black Messiah,Dropped (was #395 in 2020),,
554,Brian Wilson,Smile,Dropped (was #399 in 2020),,
555,The Go-Gos,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,Workingmans 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",Thats 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 punks verbal bite. The albums opening lines — “Now that your pictures 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 thats 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 aint nothing I can do about it,” its 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","Diddleys 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 “Im a Man”and “Who Do You Love?” Bands immediately started ripping off his signature rollicking beat, and they havent stopped yet — including many on this list, from Bruce Springsteen on Born to Runs “Shes the One” to George Michael on “Faith.”
"
573,Al Green,Greatest Hits,Dropped (was #456 in 2020),,
574,Sinéad OConnor,I Do Not Want What I Havent 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,BLACKsummersnight,Dropped (was #467 in 2020),,
580,Howlin Wolf,Moanin' in the Moonlight,Dropped (was #477 in 2020),,
581,Belle and Sebastian,If Youre 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 “Youve Lost That Lovin Feelin,” with partner Bill Medleys extended solo, he asked, “But what do I do while hes 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 MyBaby” 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 generations 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, “Its 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 Fires 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, Butlers is music that still finds solace, and purpose, in communal celebration.
"
501,Bob Marley and the Wailers,Legend,Dropped (was #48 in 2020),,
502,Cream,Disraeli Gears,Dropped (was #170 in 2020),,
503,Roxy Music,For Your Pleasure,Dropped (was #351 in 2020),,
504,Sonic Youth,Goo,Dropped (was #358 in 2020),,
505,Elvis Costello,My Aim Is True,Dropped (was #430 in 2020),,
506,Primal Scream,Screamadelica,Dropped (was #437 in 2020),,
507,The Beach Boys,The Beach Boys Today!,Dropped (was #466 in 2020),,
508,Harry Styles,Fine Line,Dropped (was #491 in 2020),,

1 Rank Artist Album Status Info Description
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.
15 14 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St. New in 2023 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.
16 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.”
17 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.
18 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 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.
29 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.”
30 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)
31 30 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced New in 2023 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)
32 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.
33 32 Beyoncé Lemonade New in 2023 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.
34 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.
35 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.”
36 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 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.”
52 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.
53 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.
54 53 The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland New in 2023 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)
55 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.”
56 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.
57 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 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.
75 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.
76 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.”
77 76 Curtis Mayfield Super Fly New in 2023 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.”
78 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.”
79 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.
80 79 Frank Ocean Blonde New in 2023 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.”
81 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)
82 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.
83 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 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.
92 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
93 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.
94 93 Missy Elliott Supa Dupa Fly New in 2023 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)
95 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.
96 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.
97 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.
103 102 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.
104 103 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.
105 104 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”).
106 105 The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East New in 2023 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.
107 106 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.”
108 107 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.
109 108 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.
172 171 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?”
173 172 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.”
174 173 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.
175 174 Various artists The Harder They Come New in 2023 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)
176 175 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.
177 176 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.”
178 177 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.
209 208 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.
210 209 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.
211 210 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.
212 211 Joy Division Unknown Pleasures New in 2023 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.
213 212 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.
214 213 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.
215 214 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.
287 286 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.”
288 287 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.”
289 288 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.
290 289 Björk Post New in 2023 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)
291 290 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.”
292 291 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.
293 292 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.”
294 293 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.
295 294 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)
296 295 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.
297 296 Neil Young and Crazy Horse Rust Never Sleeps New in 2023 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)
298 297 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.
299 298 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.
300 299 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?”
307 306 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.”
308 307 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)
309 308 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.
310 309 Joy Division Closer New in 2023 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.
311 310 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.
312 311 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.
313 312 Solange Knowles A Seat at the Table New in 2023 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)
314 313 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.
315 314 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.
316 315 Rosalía El Mal Querer New in 2023 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.
317 316 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.
318 317 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.
319 318 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.”
403 402 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.
404 403 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.
405 404 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.
406 405 Various artists Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 New in 2023 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)
407 406 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.
408 407 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.
409 408 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.
410 409 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.”
411 410 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.
412 411 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.”
413 412 Smokey Robinson Going to a Go-Go New in 2023 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)
414 413 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.
415 414 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.”
416 415 The Meters Look-Ka Py Py New in 2023 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.
417 416 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.
418 417 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.”
419 418 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.
444 443 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)
445 444 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.
446 445 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.
447 446 Alice Coltrane Journey in Satchidananda New in 2023 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.
448 447 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.
449 448 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.
450 449 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.”
451 450 Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney Ram New in 2023 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)
452 451 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.
453 452 The Supremes Anthology New in 2023 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)
454 453 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.
455 454 Can Ege Bamyası New in 2023 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.”
456 455 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.”
457 456 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)
458 457 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.
461 460 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.
462 461 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)
463 462 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.
464 463 Laura Nyro Eli and the Thirteenth Confession New in 2023 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)
465 464 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.
466 465 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.
467 466 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)
483 482 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.
484 483 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)
485 484 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.
486 485 Richard Thompson and Linda Thompson I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight New in 2023 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.”
487 486 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.
488 487 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.
489 488 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.
490 489 Various artists Back to Mono (1958–1969) New in 2023 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)
491 490 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.
492 491 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)
493 492 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.”
497 496 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.
498 497 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.
499 498 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.
500 499 Rufus featuring Chaka Khan Ask Rufus New in 2023 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)
501 500 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.
502 501 The Rolling Stones Bob Marley and the Wailers Exile on Main Street Legend Dropped (was #14 in 2020) Dropped (was #48 in 2020)
503 502 The Beatles Cream Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Disraeli Gears Dropped (was #24 in 2020) Dropped (was #170 in 2020)
504 503 Wu-Tang Clan Roxy Music Enter the Wu-Tang(36 Chambers) For Your Pleasure Dropped (was #27 in 2020) Dropped (was #351 in 2020)
505 504 D’Angelo Sonic Youth Voodoo Goo Dropped (was #28 in 2020) Dropped (was #358 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.”
506 505 The Beatles Elvis Costello White Album My Aim Is True Dropped (was #29 in 2020) Dropped (was #430 in 2020)
507 506 Jimi Hendrix Primal Scream Are You Experienced Screamadelica Dropped (was #30 in 2020) Dropped (was #437 in 2020)
508 507 Beyoncé The Beach Boys Lemonade The Beach Boys Today! Dropped (was #32 in 2020) Dropped (was #466 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.
509 508 Bob Marley and the Wailers Harry Styles Legend Fine Line Dropped (was #48 in 2020) Dropped (was #491 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.

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@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
Original_Rank_2020,Artist,Album
14,The Rolling Stones,Exile on Main St
28,DAngelo,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
1 Original_Rank_2020 Artist Album
2 14 The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St
3 28 D’Angelo Voodoo
4 48 Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend
5 80 The Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
6 85 John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Apple, 1970
7 170 Cream Disraeli Gears
8 211 Joy Divison Unknown Pleasures
9 220 Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Déjà Vu
10 284 Merle Haggard Down Every Road 1962-1994
11 309 Joy Divison Closer
12 351 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure
13 358 Sonic Youth Goo
14 412 Smokey Robinson and the Miracles Going to a Go-Go
15 430 Elvis Costello My Aim Is True
16 437 Primal Scream Screamadelica
17 452 Diana Ross and the Supremes Anthology
18 466 The Beach Boys The Beach Boys Today!
19 489 Phil Spector and Various Artists Back to Mono (1958-1969)
20 491 Harry Styles Fine Line
21 500 Arcade Fire Funeral

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@ -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

1 rank album artist
69 68 Hounds of Love Kate Bush
70 69 Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette
71 70 Straight Outta Compton N.W.A
72 71 Renaissance Beyonce Beyoncé
73 72 Harvest Neil Young
74 73 Loveless My Bloody Valentine
75 74 The College Dropout Kanye West