31. Kate Bush: Wuthering Heights
Kate Bush was one of the biggest selling female performers in history in Europe, although she's been little more than an occasional blip on the radar in America. Possessor of a keening, oddly high-pitched multi-octave voice, she has always pursued an aggressively arty rock sound, often with the help of mentor David Gilmour. "Wuthering Heights" is from her precocious debut, The Kick Inside, recorded in 1978 when she was 20, and recasts the literary classic as a torch song that displays her unique voice in all its glory. She later re-recorded the vocal for the version of the song on her best-of, bringing it down an octave. That version works too, replacing the girlchild vibe with a more sensual, womanly one.
32. Alanis Morissette: Still
![Various Artists: Dogma [Soundtrack] (1998)](http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/3579/dogmasoundtrack4dj.jpg)
Few albums were as ubiquitous as Morissette's Jagged Little Pill in 1995. While it wasn't her debut, a lot of people in the U.S. assumed it was (she had recorded some albums, her first at age 17, in Canada, and used her experiences as subject matter) which made the album's impact seem even greater. "You Oughta Know" belongs in the rock history books for its lyrics, which were a real scratch in the back with their provocative frankness and f-word. She connected with an enormous amount of women via Jagged Little Pill, she's been more controversial among men. Still, she deserves respect for the enormity of that album's impact, and the solid hits she had subsequently. "Still" was a non-album song from the film Dogma, and encapsulates what people either love or hate about her; her dizzyingly spectacular vocal gymnastics, an in-your-face lyricism with intentionally bad poetry, exotic, trip-hop influenced instrumentation, and an arch sense of humor.
33. X: Los Angeles
Like Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, Exene Cervenka's talent is often overshadowed by the renown of her band, X, in which she played an equal role with John Doe. Leading lights in the L.A. punk scene, their debut Los Angeles is on the short list of best American punk albums, with titles like "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" and "You're Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not". X was never a strictly punk band though; they were a sum of influences which also included rockabilly and Doors-like darkness. Along with the Blasters, the Gun Club, and the Cramps, they were vital to the roots-rock and psychobilly movements, and remained an engaging band well into the 90's. Under The Big Black Sun, from 1982, is often considered their best, but "Los Angeles" is one of the most succinct angst anthems ever, a personal favorite of this Angeleno.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sean
Wanda Jackson.
I'm just gonna keep saying her name till somebody listens
2 - uao
That got me laughing, Sean. I just haven't heard Wanda Jackson enough. I'll check her out today, though.
3 - jones violet
Cat Power's "Good Woman" is the saddest song I know, also one of the best, but I can never listen to it because it just breaks my heart.
And yes, Pat Benetar! Glad to see her on the list.
What's your next list going to be?? :)
4 - Sean
Be sure to check out the stuff from the fifties. She went into a brief retirement and came back as a syrupy country singer. That stuff is ok but the stuff from the fifites is white hot rock and roll.
Great list by the way. I was very happy to see the Slits and X on there
5 - uao
Willdo, Sean, thanks for the tip. I realize now as I type this that she was nominated for Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame induction earlier this year. For that reason alone, her omission is glaring.
Thank god for peer-to-peer.
(note to RIAA, I meant peer-to-peer music fan consultation, not file swapping)
jones--
If I tell, it'll spoil the surprise. But some surprises will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead. I'm taking a different approach to music these days.
6 - uao
I was winking with that RIAA comment, btw. But I won't say towards whom.
;-)
7 - BigLug
I suggest Aimee Mann: I would've put her in the top 25, but, unless I overlooked it, I didn't even see her man in the honorable mentions.
8 - Big Lug
er, "her man"? sorry, temporary dyslexia of some kind I guess, or my butterfingered typing skills.
9 - uao
Aimee Mann is one of a whole lot of singers who lurk around the nexis where rock, pop, r&b meet. I couldn't get 'em all in, but she does deserve a mention.
10 - godoggo
I'm pleased to find that there is now a Castration Squad Home Page. I actually never got a chance to hear them (til nowm I guess; we'll see if the video works on my antique Mac), but one cannot deny that they had a very nice name.
Other old LA punks: Alleycats/Zarkons and UXA (like their album a lot, kind of a mix of X, Pistols and Sabbath, with a touch of Doorsiness, although they were barely able to stand the one time I ever saw them).
Oh yeah, and punk/prog/reggae/funk LA allstars Twisted Roots. With the guitarist from the Germs (and some other band that lots of people like)! And the keyboardist from the Screamers! And that hot (in both senses) bassist who married Mike Watt, whatever her name is! And some chick named Maggie on vocals! And a drummer!
But I guess this would really be for a different list. Anyway, I love women. I really need to go get me one.
11 - Scott Butki
Ah, that's better now that you added them.
Thanks.
12 - Guppusmaximus
Come on, Uao.... Where's Patsy Cline??
Honorable Mention of The Carpenters? I guess I will be happy that you mentioned them...
13 - uao
Aww, Guppusmaximus. You know I can't put Patsy Cline on there. Because then people will say "Where's Aretha Franklin?" or "How come no Dolly Parton?"
I didn't know you were a Carpenters fan; I have very mixed emotions about them myself, and waffled on their inclusion, ultimately denying them on the grounds that they were less "rock" than anyone else on the list.
14 - Guppusmaximus
Uao,
Hey...Patsy Cline was Rock in my opinion(Rockabilly) so I don't think people would necessarily question it considering Dolly Parton was Country. Maybe you should've mentioned Mrs. Franklin because R&B was where rock started...
Why Yes, I am a Carpenters fan maybe not the #1 fan(Funny enough I'm a metalhead)Karen's voice was superb and she played drums while singing which in my book is definately ROCK!!
15 - uao
You know another metalhead who is also a Carpenters fan? Tony Iommi.
Maybe Pasty could have gone on, but then it opens the doors for so many others. If Aretha Franklin is included, someone will ask where is Diana Ross, which leads us to Carla Thomas, LaBelle, Mary Wells, et. al.
Then I'd have no room left for Ani DiFranco and LiLiPUT.
Real estate on my lists is very exclusive; Patsy'll have to be a good sport and wait until I get her on another. Same with Karen Carpenter.
But thanks for the ideas; the lists people come up with of names left off are often more interesting than the original list.
16 - uao
I meant "Patsy" not "Pasty" Me and my typing.
17 - BigLug
speaking of the Carpenters--guilty pleasure: "Rainy Days and Mondays" despite the fact, dammit, that they always get me down. Now don't get me started on Abba ...
18 - uao
My guilty Carpenter pleasures are their versions of Carole King's "It's Gonna Take Some Time", Herman's Hermits' "A Kind of a Hush" and Klaatu's "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft". I also like "Superstar", but I prefer Delaney and Bonnie's original "Groupie", 'cause it's dirtier.
As for ABBA, I'm a "Chiquitita" "Name of the Game" "On and On and On" and "Summer Night City" man.
But I don't like admitting this stuff when the place is crawling with music critics.
19 - BigLug
um, "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" by Klaatu (the second coming ot the Beatles)? Is that more of a delusionary pleasure? Not there's anything wrong with that ...
20 - uao
"Rainy Days and Mondays" fans ought not be snobs.
;-)
But you're right though; it isn't a guilty pleasure. It's just guilty. :D
21 - BigLug
I felt better when Elvis Costello had mentioned he's a big ABBA fan.
22 - Guppusmaximus
Yeah...Definately "Superstar" especially in that scene from Tommy Boy. You guys are reminding me of that exact moment where David Spade tells Chris Farley that he can change the station when that song comes on...:-)
23 - Baronius
Oddly, this isn't the exact list that I would have come up with - funny how that happens. But I'm glad that Tina Weymouth made it. I wonder if Sheryl Crow will be on this list in 20 years.
24 - BigLug
oops, very sorry uao: Carpenters did cover "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." Who'd would've thought I'd've thunk it?
Maybe I should've known better: back in the day when the Carpenters had just come onto the scene (as the kid's say), before anyone got a load of Richard's helmet hair or caught Karen's Mega-Meg White drumming skills, their version of the Beatles "Ticket to Ride" caught FM rawk's fancy, and for a while the song, and this mysterious unfrozen-caveman Carpenters group were the epitome on heaviosity.
Again, my apologies.
25 - godoggo
The "comments" count should be reimplemented. It was useful.