If you haven't heard these 100 albums, you need to re-think your priorities in life.
My task here is to ferret out the 100 greatest albums of this generation, operationally defined as including everything released from 1985 to 2005 - the present.…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
26 - Al Barger
I suppose I could have made some egalitarian gesture to enshrine lesser albums to prove I'm broadminded, but these are the 100 best albums as best I understand. In particular though, I make absolutely NO apology for picking every Prince album from the 80s. He was working on a Beatles level there for about 10 solid years.
And I'm Deeply Offended that you'd suggest that I haven't heard much variety of music. Down here on the farm, we listen extensively to BOTH kinds of music: country AND western, thank you very much.
27 - LegendaryMonkey
Wow... Al... I gotta say, I agree with some of the other omissions I see some folks have pointed out, in particular... The Flaming Lips... (don't get me started), Beck, Tool, Ani DiFranco, these three come to mind first. How can you call it an objective list when it's not at all objective, Dearest Pal?
Unless an album helped to change, mold, or influence the face of music, I don't think I could in good conscience add it to a list like this, even if I personally had worn through several copies. Which would end up coming down to about one per artist. I mean, damn, I'm not going to be the one to say anything bad about Prince because in my secret moments, I have to admit that the guy is probably a genius, but everyone puts out albums that aren't quite up to par, many classic songs or not.
Here are the folks I'd like to smack you around for not including myself, or at least encourage you to look into them:
-THE PIXIES (they get all caps because, well, they're The Pixies)
-Bjork
-Rage Against the Machine
-Portishead
-Liz Phair (if only for being really ballsy with her lyrics)
(or, hell, let's get anyone else from those college rock indie alternative days... PJ Harvey, who's been pretty consistent, more so than many from that time, Julianna Hatfield... these were important women in music!)
-The Wu Tang Clan, for keeping up with rap while keeping it smart. Urban poetry at its finest with a lot of their songs.
-Erykah Badu
-Death in Vegas (!)
-FUGAZI
-Nine Inch Nails, if not Tool, for bringing an industrial flavor into mainstream rock....
-Pearl Jam, though I was never much of a fan (sorry, fanatics out there), because they did spawn a lot of knock offs that ended up being almost a subgenre of altrock itself, and a following that was huge.
And my personal list o' love would include Placebo -- which reminds me that I was THRILLED to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the Spin list because they're AMAZING.
Al. My man. My homey.
I think you need to broaden your horizons just a bit. You may think your list is all over the place, but it's really very homogenous. So is the Spin list, for the most part, but I have to say I agree with a lot more of their choices than I do with yours. I think they were about half right. I'd give you a third.
But that's just my opinion. And it's not objective. Neither is theirs... or yours.
(in the spirit of friendship, I'll stop arguing for a moment to let you know that some of your choices were truly inspired, like kd lang and Sinead O'Connor.)
28 - Rodney Welch
Prince in the 1980s was working on a "Beatles level"? Was Lovesexy his Revolver? Was The Black Album his White Album? Was Diamonds and Pearls his Rubber Soul? Or were they all just Trojans, some them used?
29 - Eric Olsen
monumental and varied effort Al, thanks!
As usual I would say there is too much emphasis on some of your favorite artists -- Prince, Elvis C, Sinead, Macy -- but some very surprising and inspired picks as well. I love Manu Chao, but would have picked Clandestino
30 - BRICKLAYER
How can anyone take this list seriously when it emits the landmark Cattle Decapitation albums "Humanure" and "To serve man"? Pah. Back to the old drawing board, Mr. Barger.
31 - eric schultz
How can anyone take any list seriously when we all have different points of views. Yeah Prince and Elvis are great, but man, get on with it. No Pixies, no Pearl Jam, no Soundgarden - I could go on, but I would just spawn more " all your taste is in your mouth" commentary and that, like top 100 lists, are a dead horse better left unbeaten.
32 - Rob
Was listening to "Check Your Head" from the Beastie Boys on the ride to work this morning. That's another one for the Top 100 list. Damn, that's a great album!
33 - Eric Berlin
Agree with EO -- Manu Chao is a great album. The wife and I played it non-stop for a solid month three or four years back.
I'm working on my list now, Al. It should be fun to compare all who dare to Compile...
34 - mrbenning
As usual I would say there is too much emphasis on some of your favorite artists -- Prince, Elvis C, Sinead, Macy -- but some very surprising and inspired picks as well.
Don't forget Jack White who makes 4 appearances on this list.
35 - Al Barger
Monkey Girl! Glad you showed up for the party.
I would argue that my list is quite a bit broader than the collective wisdom of Spin. I recognize that I haven't heard everything, but I've got Randy Travis and Public Enemy- how homogenous is that?
I have, however, listened to the Pixies recently, and I can't figure out what y'all see in them. The hit was marginally listenable, but nothing exceptional. I was listening to Wave of Mutilation compilation, and I couldn't quite remember how any of those songs went even while I was listening to them.
With due respect to Monsieur Gonzo, I haven't heard anything even vaguely approximating and actual TUNE from RATM. Their appeal baffles me.
How much do I love thee, Monkey Girl? As I'm considering this still under construction, I sacrificed a Prince album from the list to slip in some Flaming Lips. Happy?
36 - Eric Berlin
Al: I'd argue again that you just don't have a taste for the alt rock. That would explain why you don't hear "tunes" from the likes of the Pixies and RATM.
I hear many a kick-ass tune... but that's just me.
That said, all props with getting your list together at all. Still working on mine -- bloody hard work, this (and all the while the novel, screenplay, radio show, "real" work, time with wife/cat/dog, etc. languish...).
We're having fun, right?
37 - Eric Olsen
All seems to shy away from the dissonance. You may have to listen to the Pixies several time before you really hear the melodies popping out, but they are assuredly there
Rage was basically a groove band, but sometimes a great one
38 - Mark Saleski
Al seems to shy away from the dissonance...
yep, musical and political.
39 - Pete Blackwell
Oh, God help you, Al Barger.
However, kudos on the Team America inclusion.
40 - godoggo
Manu Chau's old band Mano Negra was way way better than his solo stuff, say I.
"Every generation gets the songs that it deserves" - Keith Jarrett.
41 - Eric Olsen
I've heard them and like them but Clandestino is one of those near-perfect albums: extra primo double good
42 - LegendaryMonkey
Al loves me. My life is complete, guys.
Al, remind me to get you a compilation of the greatest Pixies songs, with a guide or something to the tunage. I will do this for you because you are my big teddy bear with whom I fight.
But I agree with some other folks... I think Al's just not feeling the alt rock much. And while I'm a White Stripes devotee myself, even I wouldn't include like, all their stuff... but hey, opinions, assholes, etc.
43 - Al Barger
I don't have a taste for the "alt rock"? What does that even mean? I'm not sure what constitutes "alt rock" but if my devotion to Elvis Costello and Sinead doesn't qualify me, I don't know what. How about my Captain Beefheart collection?
Godoggo, I just haven't heard Mano Negra yet, but I'm a go huntin' for them.
Warm fuzzies from the beloved Monkey Girl make me really want to TRY to like the Pixies, so I'll give them some more listening.
Just don't ask me to pretend to like that tuneless RATM crap. As James Cagney said to his priest friend in the death chambers at the end of Angels with Dirty Faces, "Nah, you're asking too much."
44 - Eric Olsen
do you like the Chili Peppers?
45 - Al Barger
"Under the Bridge" is a timeless classic, seemingly out of nowhere for this band. I would almost put that album on the list just for that song.
Other than that, I've not been much impressed with the Chili Peppers, though they rate far above RATM. They usually have at least a little bit of a tune to hang their hats on.
On the other hand, I absolutely don't buy them as FUNK, which point they try to push. They are WAY too stiff for that. Hell, even Queen was funkier than the Peppers, and they were distinctly not funky.
46 - Eric Olsen
that's funny, I hate "Under the Bridge" and love most all of their rockers. If you think they have neve rbeen truly funky you must hear the George Clinton-produced Freaky Styley, which isn't one of their greatest albums, but is, in fact, funky
47 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Al - i'm compiling my list at the minute, but i see a glaring error here, in the shape of The Libertines.
I can only assume they have yet to reach your ears, and so i sent an mp3, on account of the record makes my fuckin soul burn, and so all ears must hear.
great list, mind. a man who ain't afraid of multiple prince choices is a man fit for a manly hug.
48 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
oh, and did you know the white stripes are re-recording Get Behind Me Satan for the vinyl release? true as all hell, they're re-recording it live (in the studio, of course). a record worth buying twice, i'd say.
49 - Al Barger
El Duke-o, you are correct. I simply have not listened to the Libertines. I will be glad to give them a spin. I've heard the name a few times, haven't reached out for them yet.
Wonder if they'll release the vinyl version of GBMS on CD?
50 - Eric Berlin
Wow -- that's very cool news, Duke.
And awesome that you're doing a list. When will you publish yours? I'm working on mine off and on all day today...
51 - Mark Saleski
fer godssakes barger, get yourself a turntable!!
52 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Al - i understand the recording i sent may well send you into an emotional frenzy for months, so best you put a note out for the milk man. and i would imagine that if the vinyl version appears on CD, probably it'll be in some far-off future box set. but what you COULD do is buy it anyway and then download it from some evil site or other. i can't see no harm in that, to be honest.
then again, i don't know that "duke said it was ok" will hold up in a court of lawfulness.
Eric B, i'm planning on gettin it up sometime in the next week (man, i've said that before now...). i look forward to your own list!
Mark, when we gonna see your list? dare we dream of such things?
53 - Omni Temporal
That's quite a list of stuff that you've listened to there, Al, but you might have added some Prince to your Top 100 list. Ever heard of him?
And a bunch o' Tool. Lateralus and Aenima. But then, those are hard to dance to. And some of it is offensively tuneless. And they certainly wouldn't want to be on a list with the likes of Guns n Roses.
And where oh where is Slash? Oh, wait ... nevermind. Just habit.
54 - Shark
Needless to say: "There's no accounting for taste."
Al, lots o' work, no?
Thanks for taking the time.
Shark doesn't listen to much made after 1940 or so -- so I'm pretty much in the dark to all of this crap; my "best" of the last 20 years would probably be mostly jazz, classical, and a few so esoteric that only HW Saxton would have heard 'em.
Kudos, for including:
I'm Breathless - Madonna (the best album she ever made!)
Crowded House - more 'hits' on just about any one album in history.
Steve Earle - You coulda included any album he made during your time frame.
Misc. Comments:
** Johnny Cash's AMERICAN RECORDINGS were four albums, right? I mean, all four could go on your list, but I thought I'd clear that one up.
** Dolly Parton - Little Sparrow - I so wanted to like this, but it was boring, slow, and limp. Sorry. A big NO.
** Al, no offense, but I swear ta gawd, something about your overall musical tastes just screams "closeted homosexual". I can't put my finger on it, but Macy Gray, Sting, George Michael, and WAY TOO MANY semi-erotic man-luvs for your boy Prince might be the ticket.
xxoo (platonic, of course)
Shark
55 - Al Barger
I love ya, brother Shark, but what's with you and the gay/Prince thing? He's not particularly gay, and I don't know of him being especially popular among homosexuals. I admit to having had a big framed poster of the Lovesexy cover on my living room wall for years, but it wasn't particularly stimulating my wee-wee. That wasn't the point.
Nor do I see how Sting is a gay thing. Now Macy, as Eminem might say, makes my pee-pee go da-doing-doing-doing. If that makes you gay, then I'm definitely a flamer.
I thought about adding more of those Johnny Cash albums, but the first one was definitely the best.
As to Dolly, how about The Grass Is Blue instead? I thought about adding it, too. If anything, I need more Dolly here.
56 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Little Sparrow is a blinding record. I love The Grass Is Blue, but when it came to my own in-the-making list, it was that tiny birdie what made the grade.
57 - Mark Saleski
so, the list has to go from 1985 to the present? i've gotta say that the concept of 'greatest' is a tough one.
ok, i'll work on it. maybe it'll be out by the end of next week.
58 - Al Barger
I'm with you on the Little Sparrow, Duke. That song just messes my little world up.
59 - gonzo marx
interested to hear big Al's thoughts on the Tool (AEnima) i sent him...since we know that Rage is not his bag...
from reading over his list a few times, it seems that what he refers to as a "tune" would be vocal melody lines...
so i am guessing that Thelonius Monk, Charlie Parker and Motorhead would be right out...especially after his Pantera comments...
Al, you might try some Audioslave...composed of the musicians from Rage and the singer from Soundgarden...i think it might be right up your alley..and give you something a bit edgier than the pablum of GnR to chew on..
ah well...
i'll keep reading, but i am going to be taking some time off from "commenting"...perhaps permanently, we will see...
i'll leave a little something...a Quote that fits my present mood when it comes to the ephemera of this mode of discussion...
"sitting here like uninvited company,
wallowing in my own Obscenity,
share a cigarrette with Negativity;
leaning on a pedestal that holds my self Denial,
firing a pistol that shoots my holy Pride,
sitting here like wet Ashes,
with X's in my Eyes,
drawing flies."
Soundagarden
nuff said
Excelsior!
60 - Al Barger
Yes, Gonzo, you get the idea of melody here. In pop music, the key expression of melody typically comes in a lead vocal melody. Melody can come just as well from instruments, though. Miles Davis played some killer melody on his horn.
As a counterway of doing things, one could use a vocal line as more of a rhythmic force, and have a cello, say, playing a tune.
61 - ihateoreilly
Wow..Al...you are not going to believe this. However, I have gained some respect for you after reading this list. Just some thoughts: "Bad" was a great record. It would be the last record before Michael Jackson officially went into Musical Neverland. "Like A Prayer" was also a classic that overcame any controversy, something Madonna's most recent album, "American Life" couldn't. She did resort to the rubbish "Justify My Love" afterwards, but I truly think her 90s catalog is far more artistic than her 80s. Prince is a brilliant musician. However, for such a brilliant musician, he has made some awful albums. "Under The Cheery Moon" and "Batman" absolutely sucked, just like most of Prince's post Purple Rain records. Very brave for putting Sinead O'Connor at number one. I always thought the lady was amazing.
62 - Al Barger
BLOGCRITICS, TAKE NOTE:
As has been mentioned in this thread, I'm taking nominations from all Blogcritics. This was announced in the Yahoo group, but if you aren't in that or missed it, I'm looking for up to 50 nominations by email. Drop me or Olsen a note. I intend to have this all done by the 15th. As Axl would say, get in the ring!
63 - El Bicho
"Under the Bridge" is a timeless classic...
"Breaking The Girl" off the same record is much better.
No Peter Gabriel's "So"?
No The Cure "Disintergration"?
No Jane's Addiction?
Glad to see Ms Loretta mentioned.
64 - Tristan
"Yes, Gonzo, you get the idea of melody here. In pop music, the key expression of melody typically comes in a lead vocal melody."
I shouldn't even have to comment on this, but... most pop music sucks, generally speaking. It often has little to say. An album cannot be one of the greatest if it has nothing to say. A greatest album must contain all elements of music that make people love music. Melody, harmony, emotion, rhythm, message, and most importantly: that indescribable feeling that makes you want to stop time so that you can get that goosebumpy feeling and really dive into the music. (this of course is totally subjective)
That being said, I really don't think Pink should be on this list. It seems that you included it because you like to dance to it. That's not what makes a great album or one of 100 best albums.
The worst part about this is that you title it as objective and proceed to explain how you determined your picks. What you then say seems to describe how somebody would pick songs subjectively. Music cannot be something viewed objectively. It can and should be viewed subjectively. I would like this post a lot more if you had just stated that it was a subjective list. Then the ensuing "what about..." questions would entertain me rather than make me wonder why you would overlook something so obvious.
Additionally, I think you should open yourself up to more music that isn't on the billboard charts. I would include albums that you would never listen to and would probably hate with a passion. The album "...Burn, Piano Island, Burn" by the Blood Brothers is an incredible piece of work. I have had it for over a year and I am still picking pieces out of it that I've never heard before. I think that's what makes a great album. Also, Pantera does use melody and they have great ones. The thing about metal (and punk) is that it is more about that SUBJECTIVE feeling. It's more about pounding you over the head and making you feel primal. Music shouldn't always be intellectual.
I tire of this post.
One last statement. If you had in fact titled the post as a subjective list, I would not have lost my lunch when I reached Pink. I mean really... "Don't let me get me?" You can't be serious, can you?
Gross.
65 - Shark
Tristan: "...The worst part about this is that you title it as objective and proceed to explain how you determined your picks."
Jeezus. Another protest from The Irony Impaired.
What is it with these *morons?
* epithet arrived at via totally empirical means
66 - Shark
Big Al, re. the big framed poster of the Lovesexy cover on your living room wall, well...
-- nevermind.
==============
re: Red Hot Chili Peppers - their first album was their best; IMO; hard to believe it was 1984! I'll bet some of you were still in short pants then, eh?
67 - Tristan
"But this title is only partly a joke, because there are some identifiable truths. There are quantifiable examinations of skill and technique."
And yet...Pink?
Where's the talent?
68 - Tristan
And if you're saying that I have a problem with the fact that he explained his methodology, you need to fine-tune your reading comprehension skills. Read the next sentence. It's not that he explains. It's that his explanation shows that he was subjective with most of his criteria.
69 - Al Barger
The talent for Pink is in the songwriting. She's a decent but unexceptional vocalist, but at least several of those songs are really memorable. "Don't Let Me Get Me" in particular kicks my ass.
Shark, re: Lovesexy poster, jealous much? Note that I also had the infamous Controversy shower poster hanging up facing out of my dorm room window at Ball State.
That didn't last too long, however, as my roomie took it down and destroyed it. I would have been more sympathetic to his protestations of this poster if he hadn't had a photo of himself blown up poster size and hanging over his bed.
70 - Michael J. West
Dude. I love Prince. Love love love love LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Prince. But I would never put Around the World in a Day in the Top 25 of a "greatest albums of my generation" list...and I would never put Graffiti Bridge on any list of greatest ANYTHING, but it may be that seeing the movie tainted my image of the album.
After all that, I'll leave you alone on the Sinead thing. Everybody else has harassed you enough. ;-)
71 - Al Barger
Ohmygod Michael, how could you deny Graffiti Bridge, let alone ATWIAD? Dadgummit, but is "Thieves in the Temple" or "Release It" not good enough for ya?
As to the movie, yes it's cheesy- though I'd take it movie-wise over Purple Rain. Anyway, it's the music sequences that are the point of these films. Graffiti Bridge was worth the price of admission to watch his alley choreography of "Tick Tick Bang."
And Tristan: yup, still like the Pink album. There's some good pop songwriting there.
72 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Al, did you ever give that Libertines number a digital spin?
73 - Caldwell
This list sux!!!!!!!! How are you gonna have Nirvana at 93 with Prince and Seneid O'conner and George MIchaels infront of them....that album single handily changed the way rock music was played through the 90's...this list is terrible and whoever made it should look into other things
74 - Eric Berlin
Caldwell -- You might dig my more. Nirvana comes in at #1, at any rate.
That said, I think you could have phrased your criticism a bit more judiciously.
75 - jessa kay
you seemed to have only stuck with a couple of genres and didn't explore others' it's a pretty good list but no list is ever true or objective.