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 | Rank: 51 Album: 1 of 50 Artist: Simon & Garfunkel Title: Bridge Over Troubled Water Released: 1970-01-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bridge Over Troubled Water (04:52) 2 El cóndor pasa (If I Could) (03:08) 3 Cecilia (02:54) 4 Keep the Customer Satisfied (02:37) 5 So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright (03:45) 6 The Boxer (05:10) 7 Baby Driver (03:17) 8 The Only Living Boy in New York (04:00) 9 Why Don’t You Write Me (02:46) 10 Bye Bye Love (02:55) 11 Song for the Asking (01:50) |
| Bridge Over Troubled Water : Allmusic album Review : Bridge Over Troubled Water was one of the biggest-selling albums of its decade, and it hasnt fallen too far down on the list in years since. Apart from the gospel-flavored title track, which took some evolution to get to what it finally became, however, much of Bridge Over Troubled Water also constitutes a stepping back from the music that Simon & Garfunkel had made on Bookends -- this was mostly because the creative partnership that had formed the body and the motivation for the duos four prior albums literally consumed itself in the making of Bridge Over Troubled Water. The overall effect was perhaps the most delicately textured album to close out the 1960s from any major rock act. Bridge Over Troubled Water, at its most ambitious and bold, on its title track, was a quietly reassuring album; at other times, it was personal yet soothing; and at other times, it was just plain fun. The public in 1970 -- a very unsettled time politically, socially, and culturally -- embraced it; and whatever mood they captured, the songs matched the standard of craftsmanship that had been established on the duos two prior albums. Between the records overall quality and its four hits, the album held the number one position for two and a half months and spent years on the charts, racking up sales in excess of five million copies. The irony was that for all of the records and the musics appeal, the duos partnership ended in the course of creating and completing the album. | ||
 | Rank: 52 Album: 2 of 50 Artist: Al Green Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1975 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tired of Being Alone (02:50) 2 Call Me (Come Back Home) (03:03) 3 I’m Still in Love With You (03:13) 4 Here I Am (Come and Take Me) (03:10) 5 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (06:21) 6 Let’s Stay Together (04:46) 7 I Can’t Get Next to You (03:47) 8 You Ought to Be With Me (03:19) 9 Look What You Done for Me (03:06) 10 Let’s Get Married (04:20) |
| Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Upon its original release in 1975, Al Greens Greatest Hits pretty much summed up everything about Green, containing his ten biggest hits up to that point. A few years later, it was followed by a second volume, which contained hit singles that had charted since the release of the first collection. In 1995, The Right Stuff reissued Al Greens Greatest Hits, adding five of the highlights from the second volume of greatest hits as bonus tracks. The result was a definitive single-disc compilation, featuring 15 of Greens absolute best songs, including "Tired of Being Alone," "Lets Stay Together," "Im Still in Love With You," "Call Me," "Here I Am," "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)," and "L-O-V-E (Love)." The original version of Greatest Hits was great, but the revision made it nearly perfect. | ||
 | Rank: 53 Album: 3 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Meet The Beatles! Released: 1964-01-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want to Hold Your Hand (02:27) 2 I Saw Her Standing There (02:57) 3 This Boy (02:15) 4 It Won’t Be Long (02:16) 5 All I’ve Got to Do (02:08) 6 All My Loving (02:10) 7 Don’t Bother Me (02:31) 8 Little Child (01:50) 9 Till There Was You (02:20) 10 Hold Me Tight (02:34) 11 I Wanna Be Your Man (02:02) 12 Not a Second Time (02:07) |
| Meet The Beatles! : Allmusic album Review : Meet the Beatles! wasnt the first Beatles album released in the U.S. (that wouldve been Introducing the Beatles, on Vee Jay), but as the first Beatles album released by Capitol Records, it was indeed the LP where many millions of Americans were introduced to the Fab Four. As an introduction, there could hardly have been one better. Largely comprised of material released on their second U.K. LP, With the Beatles -- the album art offers a blue-tinted spin on that late-1963 release -- Meet the Beatles! contains nine of that albums 14 songs, cutting out almost all the covers (all the better for publishing rights, but also an effective showcase of the groups talents; its hard not to view the inclusion of the one remaining cover, "Till There Was You" from The Music Man, as a way to illustrate how Meet the Beatles! could appeal to parents) in a quest to trim the LP down to 12 songs. What was added to the With the Beatles material are three of the Beatles best early songs: their American breakthrough single "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and its U.K. B-side ballad "This Boy," plus "I Saw Her Standing There" from their U.K. debut Please Please Me (this song was the B-side of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in the U.S.). The revisions make Meet the Beatles! slightly more of a frenetic rock & roll record than its parent LP -- there isnt much R&B or as many ballads -- which, at the time, made it an appropriate soundtrack for the wild heyday of Beatlemania but, as the years have passed, the emphasis on joyous, exuberant rock & roll means that Meet the Beatles! still sounds fresh and exciting on its own terms. [A 50th Anniversary release of the album included both mono and stereo mixes of the original.] | ||
 | Rank: 54 Album: 4 of 50 Artist: Ray Charles Title: The Birth of Soul Released: 1991 Tracks: 35 Duration: 1:38:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again (02:38) 2 Roll With My Baby (02:37) 3 The Midnight Hour (03:01) 4 Jumpin’ in the Morning (02:46) 5 It Should Have Been Me (02:43) 6 Losing Hand (03:12) 7 Heartbreaker (02:52) 8 Sinner’s Prayer (03:24) 9 Mess Around (02:41) 10 Funny (But I Still Love You) (03:15) 11 Feelin’ Sad (02:50) 12 I Wonder Who (02:48) 13 Don’t You Know (02:57) 14 Nobody Cares (02:40) 15 Ray’s Blues (02:54) 16 Mr. Charles’ Blues (02:47) 17 Blackjack (02:20) 1 I Got a Woman (02:52) 2 Greenbacks (02:51) 3 Come Back Baby (03:07) 4 A Fool for You (03:02) 5 This Little Girl of Mine (02:32) 6 Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) (02:55) 7 A Bit of Soul (02:19) 8 Mary Ann (02:47) 9 Drown in My Own Tears (03:21) 10 Hallelujah, I Love Her So (02:35) 11 What Would I Do Without You (02:36) 12 Lonely Avenue (02:35) 13 I Want to Know (02:25) 14 Leave My Woman Alone (02:40) 15 It’s Alright (02:16) 16 Ain’t That Love (02:52) 17 Get on the Right Track (02:18) 18 Rockhouse, Parts 1 & 2 (03:54) |
 | Rank: 55 Album: 5 of 50 Artist: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Title: Electric Ladyland Released: 1968-10-25 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:15:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 …And the Gods Made Love (01:22) 2 Have You Ever Been (to Electric Ladyland) (02:10) 3 Crosstown Traffic (02:26) 4 Voodoo Chile (15:00) 5 Little Miss Strange (02:52) 6 Long Hot Summer Night (03:27) 7 Come On, Part 1 (04:10) 8 Gypsy Eyes (03:43) 9 Burning of the Midnight Lamp (03:39) 1 Rainy Day, Dream Away (03:42) 2 1983… (A Merman I Should Turn to Be) (13:39) 3 Moon, Turn the Tides… gently gently away (01:02) 4 Still Raining, Still Dreaming (04:25) 5 House Burning Down (04:33) 6 All Along the Watchtower (04:00) 7 Voodoo Child (slight return) (05:13) |
| Electric Ladyland : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs third and final album with the original Experience found him taking his funk and psychedelic sounds to the absolute limit. The result was not only one of the best rock albums of the era, but also Hendrixs original musical vision at its absolute apex. When revisionist rock critics refer to him as the maker of a generations mightiest dope music, this is the album theyre referring to. But Electric Ladyland is so much more than just background music for chemical intake. Kudos to engineer Eddie Kramer (who supervised the remastering of the original two-track stereo masters for this 1997 reissue on MCA) for taking Hendrixs visions of a soundscape behind his music and giving it all context, experimenting with odd mic techniques, echo, backward tape, flanging, and chorusing, all new techniques at the time, at least the way theyre used here. What Hendrix sonically achieved on this record expanded the concept of what could be gotten out of a modern recording studio in much the same manner as Phil Spector had done a decade before with his Wall of Sound. As an album this influential (and as far as influencing a generation of players and beyond, this was his ultimate statement for many), the highlights speak for themselves: "Crosstown Traffic," his reinterpretation of Bob Dylans "All Along the Watchtower," "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," the spacy "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," and "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)," a landmark in Hendrixs playing. With this double set (now on one compact disc), Hendrix once again pushed the concept album to new horizons. | ||
 | Rank: 56 Album: 6 of 50 Artist: Elvis Presley Title: Elvis Presley Released: 1956-03-23 Tracks: 36 Duration: 1:09:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blue Suede Shoes (02:01) 2 Im Counting On You (02:24) 3 I Got A Woman (02:25) 4 One-Sided Love Affair (02:11) 5 I Love You Because (02:40) 6 Just Because (02:33) 7 Tutti Frutti (01:59) 8 Trying To Get To You (02:33) 9 Im Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (02:04) 10 Ill Never Let You Go (Little Darlin) (02:25) 11 Blue Moon (02:43) 12 Money Honey (02:36) 13 Heartbreak Hotel (02:09) 14 I Was The One (02:33) 15 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (02:10) 16 Shake, Rattle & Roll (02:27) 17 My Baby Left Me (02:13) 18 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (Take 14,17 Sp. Master) (02:44) 19 I Got A Woman (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (01:32) 20 I Got A Woman (take Unknown) (02:26) 21 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 4, Incomplete) (01:07) 22 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 5) (02:17) 23 Heartbreak Hotel (Take 6) (02:16) 24 Money Honey (Fragments) (00:08) 25 Money Honey (take 10, Incomplete) (00:24) 26 Im Counting On You (Take 1) (01:27) 27 Im Counting On You (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (02:20) 28 Im Counting On You (Take 13) (02:33) 29 Im Counting On You (Take 14, Incomplete) (02:19) 30 I Was The One (Take 1) (00:13) 31 I Was The One (Take 2, False Start) (00:11) 32 I Was The One (Take 2) (02:32) 33 I Was The One (Take 3, False Start) (00:12) 34 I Was The One (Take 3, Incomplete) (00:56) 35 I Was The One (Take 7A) (02:41) 36 I Was The One (Take Unknown, Incomplete) (01:31) |
 | Rank: 57 Album: 7 of 50 Artist: Stevie Wonder Title: Songs in the Key of Life Released: 1976-09-28 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:44:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love’s in Need of Love Today (07:05) 2 Have a Talk With God (02:42) 3 Village Ghetto Land (03:25) 4 Contusion (03:45) 5 Sir Duke (03:53) 6 I Wish (04:12) 7 Knocks Me Off My Feet (03:36) 8 Pastime Paradise (03:27) 9 Summer Soft (04:14) 10 Ordinary Pain (06:16) 1 Isn’t She Lovely (06:34) 2 Joy Inside My Tears (06:29) 3 Black Man (08:29) 4 Ngiculela – Es Una Historia / I Am Singing (03:48) 5 If It’s Magic (03:12) 6 As (07:08) 7 Another Star (08:28) 8 Saturn (04:53) 9 Ebony Eyes (04:09) 10 All Day Sucker (05:05) 11 Easy Goin’ Evening (My Mama’s Call) (03:57) |
| Songs in the Key of Life : Allmusic album Review : Songs in the Key of Life was Stevie Wonders longest, most ambitious collection of songs, a two-LP (plus accompanying EP) set that -- just as the title promised -- touched on nearly every issue under the sun, and did it all with ambitious (even for him), wide-ranging arrangements and some of the best performances of Wonders career. The opening "Loves in Need of Love Today" and "Have a Talk with God" are curiously subdued, but Stevie soon kicks into gear with "Village Ghetto Land," a fierce exposé of ghetto neglect set to a satirical Baroque synthesizer. Hot on its heels comes the torrid fusion jam "Contusion," a big, brassy hit tribute to the recently departed Duke Ellington in "Sir Duke," and (another hit, this one a Grammy winner as well) the bumping poem to his childhood, "I Wish." Though they didnt necessarily appear in order, Songs in the Key of Life contains nearly a full album on love and relationships, along with another full album on issues social and spiritual. Fans of the love album Talking Book can marvel that he sets the bar even higher here, with brilliant material like the tenderly cathartic and gloriously redemptive "Joy Inside My Tears," the two-part, smooth-and-rough "Ordinary Pain," the bitterly ironic "All Day Sucker," or another classic heartbreaker, "Summer Soft." Those inclined toward Stevie Wonder the social-issues artist had quite a few songs to focus on as well: "Black Man" was a Bicentennial school lesson on remembering the vastly different people who helped build America; "Pastime Paradise" examined the plight of those who live in the past and have little hope for the future; "Village Ghetto Land" brought listeners to a nightmare of urban wasteland; and "Saturn" found Stevie questioning his kinship with the rest of humanity and amusingly imagining paradise as a residency on a distant planet. If all this sounds overwhelming, it is; Stevie Wonder had talent to spare during the mid-70s, and instead of letting the reserve trickle out during the rest of the decade, he let it all go with one massive burst. (His only subsequent record of the 70s was the similarly gargantuan but largely instrumental soundtrack Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants.) | ||
 | Rank: 58 Album: 8 of 50 Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: Beggars Banquet Released: 1968-12-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sympathy for the Devil (06:18) 2 No Expectations (03:57) 3 Dear Doctor (03:22) 4 Parachute Woman (02:20) 5 Jigsaw Puzzle (06:17) 6 Street Fighting Man (03:16) 7 Prodigal Son (02:52) 8 Stray Cat Blues (04:37) 9 Factory Girl (02:09) 10 Salt of the Earth (04:47) |
| Beggars Banquet : Allmusic album Review : The Stones forsook psychedelic experimentation to return to their blues roots on this celebrated album, which was immediately acclaimed as one of their landmark achievements. A strong acoustic Delta blues flavor colors much of the material, particularly "Salt of the Earth" and "No Expectations," which features some beautiful slide guitar work. Basic rock & roll was not forgotten, however: "Street Fighting Man," a reflection of the political turbulence of 1968, was one of their most innovative singles, and "Sympathy for the Devil," with its fire-dancing guitar licks, leering Jagger vocals, African rhythms, and explicitly satanic lyrics, was an image-defining epic. On "Stray Cat Blues," Jagger and crew began to explore the kind of decadent sexual sleaze that they would take to the point of self-parody by the mid-70s. At the time, though, the approach was still fresh, and the lyrical bite of most of the material ensured Beggars Banquets place as one of the top blues-based rock records of all time. | ||
 | Rank: 59 Album: 9 of 50 Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival featuring John Fogerty Title: Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits Released: 1976 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:08:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Susie Q (04:35) 2 I Put a Spell on You (04:32) 3 Proud Mary (03:08) 4 Bad Moon Rising (02:20) 5 Lodi (03:11) 6 Green River (02:34) 7 Commotion (02:43) 8 Down on the Corner (02:45) 9 Fortunate Son (02:20) 10 Travelin’ Band (02:09) 11 Who’ll Stop the Rain (02:29) 12 Up Around the Bend (02:42) 13 Run Through the Jungle (03:06) 14 Lookin’ Out My Back Door (02:33) 15 Long as I Can See the Light (03:33) 16 I Heard It Through the Grapevine (11:06) 17 Have You Ever Seen the Rain (02:40) 18 Hey Tonight (02:43) 19 Sweet Hitch‐Hiker (02:55) 20 Someday Never Comes (04:01) |
| Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Chronicle, Vol. 1 contains every one of Creedence Clearwater Revivals original 19 hit singles -- including "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Green River," "Down on the Corner," "Travelin Band," "Up Around the Band," and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" -- plus "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," which became a hit at the same time this double-record compilation was released. Its a lean, concise collection that tells you everything you need to know about Creedence. Several of the bands individual albums are essential, but Chronicle is not only an excellent introduction to the group, it offers definitive proof that the group was one of the definitive singles bands of the late 60s. Rarely has a greatest- hits collection been so well-assembled. [The compact disc edition is hampered by the inclusion of the full-length, 11-minute album version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"; its presence slows down the momentum of the collection considerably.] | ||
 | Rank: 60 Album: 10 of 50 Artist: Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Title: Trout Mask Replica Released: 1969-11 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:19:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Frownland (01:40) 2 The Dust Blows Forward ’n the Dust Blows Back (01:53) 3 Dachau Blues (02:22) 4 Ella Guru (02:26) 5 Hair Pie: Bake 1 (04:58) 6 Moonlight on Vermont (03:59) 7 Pachuco Cadaver (04:40) 8 Bills Corpse (01:48) 9 Sweet Sweet Bulbs (02:21) 10 Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish (02:26) 11 China Pig (04:02) 12 My Human Gets Me Blues (02:46) 13 Dali’s Car (01:26) 14 Hair Pie: Bake 2 (02:23) 15 Pena (02:34) 16 Well (02:07) 17 When Big Joan Sets Up (05:18) 18 Fallin’ Ditch (02:08) 19 Sugar ’n Spikes (02:30) 20 Ant Man Bee (03:57) 21 Orange Claw Hammer (03:34) 22 Wild Life (03:09) 23 She’s Too Much for My Mirror (01:40) 24 Hobo Chang Ba (02:02) 25 The Blimp (Mousetrapreplica) (02:04) 26 Steal Softly Thru Snow (02:18) 27 Old Fart at Play (01:51) 28 Veteran’s Day Poppy (04:31) |
| Trout Mask Replica : Allmusic album Review : Trout Mask Replica is Captain Beefhearts masterpiece, a fascinating, stunningly imaginative work that still sounds like little else in the rock & roll canon. Given total creative control by producer and friend Frank Zappa, Beefheart and his Magic Band rehearsed the material for this 28-song double album for over a year, wedding minimalistic R&B, blues, and garage rock to free jazz and avant-garde experimentalism. Atonal, sometimes singsong melodies; jagged, intricately constructed dual-guitar parts; stuttering, complicated rhythmic interaction -- all of these elements float out seemingly at random, often without completely interlocking, while Beefheart groans his surrealist poetry in a throaty Howlin Wolf growl. The disjointedness is perhaps partly unintentional -- reportedly, Beefhearts refusal to wear headphones while recording his vocals caused him to sing in time with studio reverberations, not the actual backing tracks -- but by all accounts, the music and arrangements were carefully scripted by the Captain (aided by John "Drumbo" French), which makes the results even more remarkable. As one might expect from music so complex and, to many ears, inaccessible, the influence of Trout Mask Replica was felt more in spirit than in direct copycatting, as a catalyst rather than a literal musical starting point. However, its inspiring reimagining of what was possible in a rock context laid the groundwork for countless future experiments in rock surrealism, especially during the punk/new wave era. | ||
 | Rank: 61 Album: 11 of 50 Artist: Sly & The Family Stone Title: Greatest Hits Released: 1970 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Want to Take You Higher (05:23) 2 Everybody Is a Star (03:00) 3 Stand! (03:08) 4 Life (03:00) 5 Fun (02:21) 6 You Can Make It If You Try (03:38) 7 Dance to the Music (02:59) 8 Everyday People (02:22) 9 Hot Fun in the Summertime (02:38) 10 M’Lady (02:45) 11 Sing a Simple Song (03:56) 12 Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (04:48) |
| Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : Released in 1970 during the stopgap between Stand! and Theres a Riot Goin On, Greatest Hits inadvertently arrived at precisely the right moment, summarizing Sly & the Family Stones joyous hit-making run on the pop and R&B charts. Technically, only four songs here reached the Top Ten, with only two others hitting the Top 40, but judging this solely on charts is misleading, since this is simply a peerless singles collection. This summarizes their first four albums perfectly (almost all of Stand! outside of the two jams and "Somebodys Watching You" is here), adding the non-LP singles "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," and "Everybody Is a Star," possibly the loveliest thing they ever recorded. But, this isnt merely a summary (and, if it was just that, Anthology, the early-80s comp that covers Riot and Fresh would be stronger than this), its one of the greatest party records of all time. Music is rarely as vivacious, vigorous, and vibrant as this, and captured on one album, the spirit, sound, and songs of Sly & the Family Stone are all the more stunning. Greatest hits dont come better than this -- in fact, music rarely does. | ||
 | Rank: 62 Album: 12 of 50 Artist: Guns N’ Roses Title: Appetite for Destruction Released: 1987-07-21 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to the Jungle (04:33) 2 It’s So Easy (03:22) 3 Nightrain (04:28) 4 Out ta Get Me (04:23) 5 Mr. Brownstone (03:48) 6 Paradise City (06:46) 7 My Michelle (03:39) 8 Think About You (03:51) 9 Sweet Child o’ Mine (05:56) 10 You’re Crazy (03:17) 11 Anything Goes (03:26) 12 Rocket Queen (06:13) |
| Appetite for Destruction : Allmusic album Review : Guns N Roses debut, Appetite for Destruction was a turning point for hard rock in the late 80s -- it was a dirty, dangerous, and mean record in a time when heavy metal meant nothing but a good time. On the surface, Guns N Roses may appear to celebrate the same things as their peers -- namely, sex, liquor, drugs, and rock & roll -- but there is a nasty edge to their songs, since Axl Rose doesnt see much fun in the urban sprawl of L.A. and its parade of heavy metal thugs, cheap women, booze, and crime. The music is as nasty as the lyrics, wallowing in a bluesy, metallic hard rock borrowed from Aerosmith, AC/DC, and countless faceless hard rock bands of the early 80s. Its a primal, sleazy sound that adds grit to already grim tales. It also makes Roses misogyny, fear, and anger hard to dismiss as merely an artistic statement; this is music that sounds lived-in. And thats exactly why Appetite for Destruction is such a powerful record -- not only does Rose have fears, but he also is vulnerable, particularly on the power ballad "Sweet Child O Mine." He also has a talent for conveying the fears and horrors of the decaying inner city, whether its on the charging "Welcome to the Jungle," the heroin ode "Mr. Brownstone," or "Paradise City," which simply wants out. But as good as Roses lyrics and screeching vocals are, they wouldnt be nearly as effective without the twin-guitar interplay of Slash and Izzy Stradlin, who spit out riffs and solos better than any band since the Rolling Stones, and thats what makes Appetite for Destruction the best metal record of the late 80s. | ||
 | Rank: 63 Album: 13 of 50 Artist: U2 Title: Achtung Baby Released: 1991-11-18 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Zoo Station (04:36) 2 Even Better Than the Real Thing (03:41) 3 One (04:36) 4 Until the End of the World (04:38) 5 Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (05:16) 6 So Cruel (05:49) 7 The Fly (04:29) 8 Mysterious Ways (04:03) 9 Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World (03:52) 10 Ultra Violet (Light My Way) (05:30) 11 Acrobat (04:30) 12 Love Is Blindness (04:23) |
| Achtung Baby : Allmusic album Review : Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2s sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for postmodern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowies electronic, avant-garde explorations of the late 70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early-90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive. Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects, and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isnt surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, its filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note. Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album. | ||
 | Rank: 64 Album: 14 of 50 Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: Sticky Fingers Released: 1971-04-23 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Brown Sugar (03:49) 2 Sway (03:52) 3 Wild Horses (05:43) 4 Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (07:15) 5 You Gotta Move (02:33) 6 Bitch (03:38) 7 I Got the Blues (03:54) 8 Let It Rock (Brown Sugar B-Side, original mono mix) (02:32) 9 Dead Flowers (04:05) 10 Moonlight Mile (05:55) |
| Sticky Fingers : Allmusic album Review : Pieced together from outtakes and much-labored-over songs, Sticky Fingers manages to have a loose, ramshackle ambience that belies both its origins and the dark undercurrents of the songs. Its a weary, drug-laden album -- well over half the songs explicitly mention drug use, while the others merely allude to it -- that never fades away, but it barely keeps afloat. Apart from the classic opener, "Brown Sugar" (a gleeful tune about slavery, interracial sex, and lost virginity, not necessarily in that order), the long workout "Cant You Hear Me Knocking" and the mean-spirited "Bitch," Sticky Fingers is a slow, bluesy affair, with a few country touches thrown in for good measure. The laid-back tone of the album gives ample room for new lead guitarist Mick Taylor to stretch out, particularly on the extended coda of "Cant You Hear Me Knocking." But the key to the album isnt the instrumental interplay -- although that is terrific -- its the utter weariness of the songs. "Wild Horses" is their first non-ironic stab at a country song, and it is a beautiful, heart-tugging masterpiece. Similarly, "I Got the Blues" is a ravished, late-night classic that ranks among their very best blues. "Sister Morphine" is a horrifying overdose tale, and "Moonlight Mile," with Paul Buckmasters grandiose strings, is a perfect closure: sad, yearning, drug-addled, and beautiful. With its offhand mixture of decadence, roots music, and outright malevolence, Sticky Fingers set the tone for the rest of the decade for the Stones. | ||
 | Rank: 65 Album: 15 of 50 Artist: Phil Spector Title: Back to Mono (1958–1969) Released: 1991-11-12 Tracks: 32 Duration: 1:25:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 To Know Him Is to Love Him (02:23) 2 Corrine, Corrina (02:41) 3 Spanish Harlem (02:52) 4 Pretty Little Angel Eyes (02:46) 5 Every Breath I Take (02:46) 6 I Love How You Love Me (02:07) 7 Under the Moon of Love (02:52) 8 There’s No Other Like My Baby (02:31) 9 Uptown (02:21) 10 He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss) (02:33) 11 He’s a Rebel (02:27) 12 Zip‐A‐Dee‐Doo‐Dah (02:50) 13 Puddin’ n’ Tain (02:48) 14 He’s Sure the Boy I Love (02:44) 15 Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts (02:49) 16 (Today I Met) the Boy I’m Gonna Marry (02:47) 1 Da Doo Ron Ron (02:20) 2 Heartbreaker (02:35) 3 Why Don’t They Let Us Fall in Love (02:40) 4 Chapel of Love (02:25) 5 Not Too Young to Get Married (02:28) 6 Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home (02:23) 7 All Grown Up (02:48) 8 Be My Baby (02:41) 9 Then He Kissed Me (02:33) 10 A Fine, Fine Boy (02:47) 11 Baby, I Love You (02:50) 12 I Wonder (02:45) 13 Girls Can Tell (02:37) 14 Little Boy (03:00) 15 Hold Me Tight (02:54) 16 (The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up (03:04) |
| Back to Mono (1958–1969) : Allmusic album Review : At the time Back to Mono was released in 1991, Phil Spectors reputation as one of pops great visionaries was intact, but there was no way to hear his genius. It wasnt just that there were no collections spotlighting his productions, there werent collections of artists he produced. It wasnt until Back to Mono that there was a thorough overview of Spectors greatest work, and while its not without flaws, it still stands as one of the great box sets. Some may complain that there are no selections from his superstar 70s productions for John Lennon, George Harrison, Leonard Cohen, and the Ramones, but thats for the best, since their presence would have been incongruous, taking attention away from the music that forms the heart of Spectors legacy. All of that music is here, not just on the first three discs, all devoted to singles, but also on the fourth disc, his seminal 1963 holiday album, A Christmas Gift for You, which isnt just the greatest rock Christmas album, but a crystallization of his skills. It could be argued that the song selection overlooks some obscure fan favorites, such as "Do the Screw," but thats simply nitpicking, because whats here are all the great Spector records, which were hardly just great productions, they were great songs as well. As the set plays, its hard not to be stunned by the depth of the material and clarity of Spectors vision for his famed Wall of Sound, whether youve heard these songs hundreds of times or not at all -- especially because they gain power when grouped together. Many producers have been credited as the true creative force behind many rock records, but usually thats hyperbole. In Spectors case, it wasnt, as this set gloriously proves. | ||
 | Rank: 66 Album: 16 of 50 Artist: Van Morrison Title: Moondance Released: 1970-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 And It Stoned Me (04:32) 2 Moondance (04:34) 3 Crazy Love (02:36) 4 Caravan (05:02) 5 Into the Mystic (03:30) 6 Come Running (02:32) 7 These Dreams of You (03:53) 8 Brand New Day (05:10) 9 Everyone (03:34) 10 Glad Tidings (03:42) |
| Moondance : Allmusic album Review : The yang to Astral Weeks yin, the brilliant Moondance is every bit as much a classic as its predecessor; Van Morrisons first commercially successful solo effort, it retains the previous albums deeply spiritual thrust but transcends its bleak, cathartic intensity to instead explore themes of renewal and redemption. Light, soulful, and jazzy, Moondance opens with the sweetly nostalgic "And It Stoned Me," the songs pastoral imagery establishing the dominant lyrical motif recurring throughout the album -- virtually every track exults in natural wonder, whether its the nocturnal magic celebrated by the title cut or the unlimited promise offered in "Brand New Day." At the heart of the record is "Caravan," an incantatory ode to the power of radio; equally stirring is the majestic "Into the Mystic," a song of such elemental beauty and grace as to stand as arguably the quintessential Morrison moment. | ||
 | Rank: 67 Album: 17 of 50 Artist: Radiohead Title: Kid A Released: 2000-08-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everything in Its Right Place (04:11) 2 Kid A (04:44) 3 The National Anthem (05:51) 4 How to Disappear Completely (05:56) 5 Treefingers (03:42) 6 Optimistic (05:15) 7 In Limbo (03:31) 8 Idioteque (05:09) 9 Morning Bell (04:35) 10 Motion Picture Soundtrack (06:59) |
| Kid A : Allmusic album Review : In the wake of OK Computer, it became taken for granted among serious rock fans of all ages that Radiohead not only saved rock from itself, but paved the way toward the future. High praise, but given the static nature of rock in the last half of the 90s, it was easy to see why fans and critics eagerly harnessed their hopes to the one great rock band that wanted to push the limits of its creativity, without grandstanding or pandering. Daunting expectations for anyone, even for a band eager to meet them, so its little wonder that Kid A was so difficult to complete. Radiohead’s creative breakthrough arrived when the band embraced electronica -- which was nearly a cliché by the end of the 90s, when everyone from U2 to Rickie Lee Jones dabbled in trip-hop or techno. The difference is that the wholehearted conversion on Kid A fits, since OK Computer had already flirted with electronica and its chilly feel. Plus, instead of simply adding club beats or sonic collage techniques, Radiohead strove for the unsettling "intelligent techno" sound of Autechre and Aphex Twin, with skittering beats and stylishly dark sonic surfaces. To their immense credit, Radiohead dont sound like carpetbaggers, because they share the same post-post-modern vantage point as their inspirations. As perhaps befitting an album that’s coolly, self-consciously alienating, Kid A takes time to unfold; multiple plays are necessary just to discern the musics form, to get a handle on quiet, drifting, minimally arranged songs with no hooks. This emphasis on texture, this reliance on elliptical songs, means that Kid A is easily the most successful electronica album from a rock band: it doesnt even sound like the work of a rock band, even if it does sound like Radiohead. | ||
 | Rank: 68 Album: 18 of 50 Artist: Michael Jackson Title: Off the Wall Released: 1979-08-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough (06:05) 2 Rock With You (03:40) 3 Workin’ Day and Night (05:13) 4 Get on the Floor (04:39) 5 Off the Wall (04:06) 6 Girlfriend (03:04) 7 She’s Out of My Life (03:38) 8 I Can’t Help It (04:29) 9 It’s the Falling in Love (03:48) 10 Burn This Disco Out (03:41) |
| Off the Wall : Allmusic album Review : Michael Jackson had recorded solo prior to the release of Off the Wall in 1979, but this was his breakthrough, the album that established him as an artist of astonishing talent and a bright star in his own right. This was a visionary album, a record that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not the primary focus -- it was part of a colorful tapestry of lush ballads and strings, smooth soul and pop, soft rock, and alluring funk. Its roots hearken back to the Jacksons huge mid-70s hit "Dancing Machine," but this is an enormously fresh record, one that remains vibrant and giddily exciting years after its release. This is certainly due to Jacksons emergence as a blindingly gifted vocalist, equally skilled with overwrought ballads as "Shes Out of My Life" as driving dancefloor shakers as "Working Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor," where his asides are as gripping as his delivery on the verses. Its also due to the brilliant songwriting, an intoxicating blend of strong melodies, rhythmic hooks, and indelible construction. Most of all, its success is due to the sound constructed by Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, a dazzling array of disco beats, funk guitars, clean mainstream pop, and unashamed (and therefore affecting) schmaltz that is utterly thrilling in its utter joy. This is highly professional, highly crafted music, and its details are evident, but the overall effect is nothing but pure pleasure. Jackson and Jones expanded this approach on the blockbuster Thriller, often with equally stunning results, but they never bettered it. | ||
 | Rank: 69 Album: 19 of 50 Artist: Led Zeppelin Title: [Led Zeppelin IV] Released: 1971-11-08 Tracks: 8 Duration: 42:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Black Dog (04:56) 2 Rock and Roll (03:40) 3 The Battle of Evermore (05:52) 4 Stairway to Heaven (08:02) 5 Misty Mountain Hop (04:38) 6 Four Sticks (04:45) 7 Going to California (03:31) 8 When the Levee Breaks (07:08) |
| [Led Zeppelin IV] : Allmusic album Review : Encompassing heavy metal, folk, pure rock & roll, and blues, Led Zeppelins untitled fourth album is a monolithic record, defining not only Led Zeppelin but the sound and style of 70s hard rock. Expanding on the breakthroughs of III, Zeppelin fuse their majestic hard rock with a mystical, rural English folk that gives the record an epic scope. Even at its most basic -- the muscular, traditionalist "Rock and Roll" -- the album has a grand sense of drama, which is only deepened by Robert Plants burgeoning obsession with mythology, religion, and the occult. Plants mysticism comes to a head on the eerie folk ballad "The Battle of Evermore," a mandolin-driven song with haunting vocals from Sandy Denny, and on the epic "Stairway to Heaven." Of all of Zeppelins songs, "Stairway to Heaven" is the most famous, and not unjustly. Building from a simple fingerpicked acoustic guitar to a storming torrent of guitar riffs and solos, it encapsulates the entire album in one song. Which, of course, isnt discounting the rest of the album. "Going to California" is the groups best folk song, and the rockers are endlessly inventive, whether its the complex, multi-layered "Black Dog," the pounding hippie satire "Misty Mountain Hop," or the funky riffs of "Four Sticks." But the closer, "When the Levee Breaks," is the one song truly equal to "Stairway," helping give IV the feeling of an epic. An apocalyptic slice of urban blues, "When the Levee Breaks" is as forceful and frightening as Zeppelin ever got, and its seismic rhythms and layered dynamics illustrate why none of their imitators could ever equal them. | ||
 | Rank: 70 Album: 20 of 50 Artist: Billy Joel Title: The Stranger Released: 1977-09 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song) (03:30) 2 The Stranger (05:10) 3 Just the Way You Are (04:51) 4 Scenes From an Italian Restaurant (07:36) 5 Vienna (03:34) 6 Only the Good Die Young (03:55) 7 She’s Always a Woman (03:21) 8 Get It Right the First Time (03:57) 9 Everybody Has a Dream / [The Stranger (reprise)] (06:37) |
| The Stranger : Allmusic album Review : Billy Joel teamed with Phil Ramone, a famed engineer who had just scored his first producing hits with Art Garfunkels Breakaway and Paul Simons Still Crazy After All These Years for The Stranger, his follow-up to Turnstiles. Joel still favored big, sweeping melodies, but Ramone convinced him to streamline his arrangements and clean up the production. The results arent necessarily revelatory, since he covered so much ground on Turnstiles, but the commercialism of The Stranger is a bit of a surprise. None of his ballads have been as sweet or slick as "Just the Way You Are"; he never had created a rocker as bouncy or infectious as "Only the Good Die Young"; and the glossy production of "Shes Always a Woman" disguises its latent misogynist streak. Joel balanced such radio-ready material with a series of New York vignettes, seemingly inspired by Springsteens working-class fables and clearly intended to be the artistic centerpieces of the album. They do provide The Stranger with the feel of a concept album, yet there is no true thematic connection between the pieces, and his lyrics are often vague or mean-spirited. His lyrical shortcomings are overshadowed by his musical strengths. Even if his melodies sound more Broadway than Beatles -- the epic suite "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" feels like a show-stopping closer -- theres no denying that the melodies of each song on The Stranger are memorable, so much so that they strengthen the weaker portions of the album. Joel rarely wrote a set of songs better than those on The Stranger, nor did he often deliver an album as consistently listenable. | ||
 | Rank: 71 Album: 21 of 50 Artist: Paul Simon Title: Graceland Released: 1986-08-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 43:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Boy in the Bubble (03:59) 2 Graceland (04:51) 3 I Know What I Know (03:13) 4 Gumboots (02:44) 5 Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes (05:48) 6 You Can Call Me Al (04:40) 7 Under African Skies (03:37) 8 Homeless (03:48) 9 Crazy Love, Vol. II (04:19) 10 That Was Your Mother (02:52) 11 All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints (03:16) |
| Graceland : Allmusic album Review : With Graceland, Paul Simon hit on the idea of combining his always perceptive songwriting with the little-heard mbaqanga music of South Africa, creating a fascinating hybrid that re-enchanted his old audience and earned him a new one. It is true that the South African angle (including its controversial aspect during the apartheid days) was a powerful marketing tool and that the catchy music succeeded in presenting listeners with that magical combination: something theyd never heard before that nevertheless sounded familiar. As eclectic as any record Simon had made, it also delved into zydeco and conjunto-flavored rock & roll while marking a surprising new lyrical approach (presaged on some songs on Hearts and Bones); for the most part, Simon abandoned a linear, narrative approach to his words, instead drawing highly poetic ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes"), abstract ("The Boy in the Bubble"), and satiric ("I Know What I Know") portraits of modern life, often charged by striking images and turns of phrase torn from the headlines or overheard in contemporary speech. An enormously successful record, Graceland became the standard against which subsequent musical experiments by major artists were measured. | ||
 | Rank: 72 Album: 22 of 50 Artist: Curtis Mayfield Title: Superfly Released: 1972-07 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:27:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Little Child Runnin’ Wild (05:26) 2 Pusherman (05:03) 3 Freddie’s Dead (05:26) 4 Junkie Chase (01:39) 5 Give Me Your Love (Love Song) (04:17) 6 Eddie You Should Know Better (02:18) 7 No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song) (04:55) 8 Think (03:46) 9 Superfly (03:53) 1 Ghetto Child (demo of "Little Child Runnin Wild") (03:17) 2 Pusherman (alternate mix) (06:09) 3 Freddies Dead (instrumental version) (04:48) 4 Junkie Chase (instrumental) (Full Length version) (04:17) 5 Militant March (00:54) 6 Eddie You Should Know Better (instrumental version) (02:16) 7 No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song) (instrumental version) (04:36) 8 Superfly (03:08) 9 Freddie’s Dead (Theme From “Superfly”) (03:19) 10 Radio Spot #1 (00:27) 11 The Underground (demo) (03:13) 12 Check Out Your Mind (instrumental version) (04:05) 13 Radio Spot #2 (00:24) 14 The National Four - Eddie You Should Know Better (02:22) 15 Curtis Mayfield Interview on Superfly (07:02) |
| Superfly : Allmusic album Review : The choice of Curtis Mayfield to score the blaxploitation film Super Fly was an inspired one. No other artist in popular music knew so well, and expressed through his music so naturally, the shades of gray inherent in contemporary inner-city life. His debut solo album, 1970s Curtis, had shown in vivid colors that the 60s optimist (author of the civil-rights anthems "Keep On Pushing" and "People Get Ready") had added a layer of subtlety to his material; appearing on the same LP as the positive and issue-oriented "Move On Up" was an apocalyptic piece of brimstone funk titled "(Dont Worry) If Theres a Hell Below, Were All Going to Go." For Super Fly, Mayfield wisely avoids celebrating the wheeling-and-dealing themes present in the movie, or exploiting them, instead using each song to focus on a different aspect of what he saw as a plague on Americas streets. He also steers away from explicit moralizing; through his songs, Mayfield simply tells it like it is (for the characters in the film as in real life), with any lessons learned the result of his vibrant storytelling and knack of getting inside the heads of the characters. "Freddies Dead," one of the albums signature pieces, tells the story of one of the films main casualties, a good-hearted yet weak-willed man caught up in the life of a pusher, and devastatingly portrays the indifference of those who witness or hear about it. "Pusherman" masterfully uses the metaphor of drug dealer as businessman, with the drug game, by extension, just another way to make a living in a tough situation, while the title track equates hustling with gambling ("The game he plays he plays for keeps/hustlin times and ghetto streets/tryin ta get over"). Ironically, the sound of Super Fly positively overwhelmed its lyrical finesse. A melange of deep, dark grooves, trademarked wah-wah guitar, and stinging brass, Super Fly ignited an entire genre of music, the blaxploitation soundtrack, and influenced everyone from soul singers to television-music composers for decades to come. It stands alongside Saturday Night Fever and Never Mind the Bollocks Heres the Sex Pistols as one of the most vivid touchstones of 70s pop music. | ||
 | Rank: 73 Album: 23 of 50 Artist: Led Zeppelin Title: Physical Graffiti Released: 1975-02-24 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:22:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Custard Pie (04:14) 2 The Rover (05:37) 3 In My Time of Dying (11:05) 4 Houses of the Holy (04:03) 5 Trampled Under Foot (05:36) 6 Kashmir (08:29) 1 In the Light (08:47) 2 Bron‐Yr‐Aur (02:06) 3 Down by the Seaside (05:15) 4 Ten Years Gone (06:33) 5 Night Flight (03:38) 6 The Wanton Song (04:09) 7 Boogie With Stu (03:53) 8 Black Country Woman (04:32) 9 Sick Again (04:43) |
| Physical Graffiti : Allmusic album Review : Led Zeppelin returned from a nearly two-year hiatus in 1975 with the double-album Physical Graffiti, their most sprawling and ambitious work. Where Led Zeppelin IV and Houses of the Holy integrated influences on each song, the majority of the tracks on Physical Graffiti are individual stylistic workouts. The highlights are when Zeppelin incorporate influences and stretch out into new stylistic territory, most notably on the tense, Eastern-influenced "Kashmir." "Trampled Underfoot," with John Paul Jones galloping keyboard, is their best funk-metal workout, while "Houses of the Holy" is their best attempt at pop, and "Down by the Seaside" is the closest theyve come to country. Even the heavier blues -- the 11-minute "In My Time of Dying," the tightly wound "Custard Pie," and the monstrous epic "The Rover" -- are louder and more extended and textured than their previous work. Also, all of the heavy songs are on the first record, leaving the rest of the album to explore more adventurous territory, whether its acoustic tracks or grandiose but quiet epics like the affecting "Ten Years Gone." The second half of Physical Graffiti feels like the group is cleaning the vaults out, issuing every little scrap of music they set to tape in the past few years. That means that the album is filled with songs that arent quite filler, but dont quite match the peaks of the album, either. Still, even these songs have their merits -- "Sick Again" is the meanest, most decadent rocker they ever recorded, and the folky acoustic rock & roll of "Boogie with Stu" and "Black Country Woman" may be tossed off, but they have a relaxed, off-hand charm that Zeppelin never matched. It takes a while to sort out all of the music on the album, but Physical Graffiti captures the whole experience of Led Zeppelin at the top of their game better than any of their other albums. | ||
 | Rank: 74 Album: 24 of 50 Artist: Neil Young Title: After the Gold Rush Released: 1970-09-19 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tell Me Why (02:58) 2 After the Gold Rush (03:46) 3 Only Love Can Break Your Heart (03:08) 4 Southern Man (05:32) 5 Till the Morning Comes (01:21) 6 Oh, Lonesome Me (03:50) 7 Don’t Let It Bring You Down (02:58) 8 Birds (02:33) 9 When You Dance I Can Really Love (04:05) 10 I Believe in You (03:28) 11 Cripple Creek Ferry (01:34) |
| After the Gold Rush : Allmusic album Review : In the 15 months between the release of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere and After the Gold Rush, Neil Young issued a series of recordings in different styles that could have prepared his listeners for the differences between the two LPs. His two compositions on the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album Déjà Vu, "Helpless" and "Country Girl," returned him to the folk and country styles he had pursued before delving into the hard rock of Everybody Knows; two other singles, "Sugar Mountain" and "Oh, Lonesome Me," also emphasized those roots. But "Ohio," a CSNY single, rocked as hard as anything on the second album. After the Gold Rush was recorded with the aid of Nils Lofgren, a 17-year-old unknown whose piano was a major instrument, turning one of the few real rockers, "Southern Man" (which had unsparing protest lyrics typical of Phil Ochs), into a more stately effort than anything on the previous album and giving a classic tone to the title track, a mystical ballad that featured some of Youngs most imaginative lyrics and became one of his most memorable songs. But much of After the Gold Rush consisted of country-folk love songs, which consolidated the audience Young had earned through his tours and recordings with CSNY; its dark yet hopeful tone matched the tenor of the times in 1970, making it one of the definitive singer/songwriter albums, and it has remained among Youngs major achievements. | ||
 | Rank: 75 Album: 25 of 50 Artist: James Brown Title: Star Time Released: 1991-05-07 Tracks: 41 Duration: 2:25:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Please, Please, Please (02:45) 2 Why Do You Do Me (03:00) 3 Try Me (02:32) 4 Tell Me What I Did Wrong (02:21) 5 Bewildered (02:26) 6 Good Good Lovin (02:16) 7 I’ll Go Crazy (02:08) 8 I Know It’s True (02:41) 9 (Do the) Mashed Potatoes, Part 1 (01:52) 10 Think (02:47) 11 Baby, You’re Right (03:05) 12 Lost Someone (03:28) 13 Night Train (03:32) 14 I’ve Got Money (02:32) 15 I Don’t Mind (02:28) 16 Prisoner of Love (02:23) 17 Devil’s Den (04:49) 18 Out of the Blue (02:16) 19 Out of Sight (02:23) 20 Grits (03:59) 21 Maybe the Last Time (03:01) 22 It’s a Man’s World (03:17) 23 I Got You (02:28) 24 Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag, Parts 1, 2 & 3 (06:58) 1 Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag (02:07) 2 I Got You (I Feel Good) (02:47) 3 Ain’t That a Groove (03:32) 4 It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World (02:47) 5 Money Won’t Change You (06:02) 6 Don’t Be a Dropout (04:32) 7 Bring It Up (Hipster’s Avenue) (04:07) 8 Let Yourself Go (03:53) 9 Cold Sweat (07:29) 10 Get It Together (08:58) 11 I Can’t Stand Myself (When You Touch Me), Part 1 (03:30) 12 I Got the Feelin’ (02:38) 13 Licking Stick‐Licking Stick (04:53) 14 Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud, Part 1 (02:48) 15 There Was a Time (live) (04:58) 16 Give It Up or Turn It a Loose (03:11) 17 I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing (Open Up the Door I’ll Get It Myself) (06:00) |
 | Rank: 76 Album: 26 of 50 Artist: Prince and The Revolution Title: Purple Rain Released: 1984-06-25 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Go Crazy (04:39) 2 Take Me With U (03:54) 3 The Beautiful Ones (05:14) 4 Computer Blue (03:59) 5 Darling Nikki (04:14) 6 When Doves Cry (05:54) 7 I Would Die 4 U (02:49) 8 Baby I’m a Star (04:24) 9 Purple Rain (08:41) |
| Purple Rain : Allmusic album Review : Prince designed Purple Rain as the project that would make him a superstar, and, surprisingly, that is exactly what happened. Simultaneously more focused and ambitious than any of his previous records, Purple Rain finds Prince consolidating his funk and R&B roots while moving boldly into pop, rock, and heavy metal with nine superbly crafted songs. Even its best-known songs dont tread conventional territory: the bass-less "When Doves Cry" is an eerie, spare neo-psychedelic masterpiece; "Lets Go Crazy" is a furious blend of metallic guitars, Stonesy riffs, and a hard funk backbeat; the anthemic title track is a majestic ballad filled with brilliant guitar flourishes. Although Princes songwriting is at a peak, the presence of the Revolution pulls the music into sharper focus, giving it a tougher, more aggressive edge. And, with the guidance of Wendy and Lisa, Prince pushed heavily into psychedelia, adding swirling strings to the dreamy "Take Me With U" and the hard rock of "Baby Im a Star." Even with all of his new, but uncompromising, forays into pop, Prince hasnt abandoned funk, and the robotic jam of "Computer Blue" and the menacing grind of "Darling Nikki" are among his finest songs. Taken together, all of the stylistic experiments add up to a stunning statement of purpose that remains one of the most exciting rock & roll albums ever recorded. | ||
 | Rank: 77 Album: 27 of 50 Artist: AC/DC Title: Back in Black Released: 1980-07-25 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hells Bells (05:12) 2 Shoot to Thrill (05:17) 3 What Do You Do for Money Honey (03:35) 4 Given the Dog a Bone (03:31) 5 Let Me Put My Love Into You (04:15) 6 Back in Black (04:15) 7 You Shook Me All Night Long (03:30) 8 Have a Drink on Me (03:58) 9 Shake a Leg (04:05) 10 Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution (04:26) |
| Back in Black : Allmusic album Review : The first sound on Back in Black is the deep, ominous drone of church bells -- or "Hells Bells," as it were, opening the album and AC/DCs next era with a fanfare while ringing a fond farewell to Bon Scott, their late lead singer who partied himself straight to hell. But this implies that Back in Black is some kind of tribute to Scott, which may be true on a superficial level -- black is a funeral cover, hells bells certainly signify death -- but this isnt filled with mournful songs about the departed. Its a more fitting tribute, actually, since AC/DC not only carried on without him, but they delivered a record that to the casual ear sounds like the seamless successor to Highway to Hell, right down to how Brian Johnsons screech is a dead ringer for Scotts growl. Most listeners could be forgiven for thinking that Johnson was Scott, but Johnson is different than Bon. Hes driven by the same obsessions -- sex and drink and rock & roll, basically -- but there isnt nearly as much malevolence in his words or attitude as there was with Scott. Bon sounded like a criminal, Brian sounds like a rowdy scamp throughout Back in Black, which helps give it a real party atmosphere. Of course, Johnson shouldnt be given all the credit for Back in Black, since Angus and Malcolm carry on with the song-oriented riffing that made Highway to Hell close to divine. Song for song, they deliver not just mammoth riffs but songs that are anthems, from the greasy "Shoot to Thrill" to the pummeling "Back in Black," which pales only next to "You Shook Me All Night Long," the greatest one-night-stand anthem in rock history. That tawdry celebration of sex is what made AC/DC different from all other metal bands -- there was no sword & sorcery, no darkness, just a rowdy party, and they never held a bigger, better party than they did on Back in Black. | ||
 | Rank: 78 Album: 28 of 50 Artist: Otis Redding Title: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul Released: 1965-09-15 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ole Man Trouble (02:39) 2 Respect (02:09) 3 A Change Is Gonna Come (04:20) 4 Down in the Valley (02:59) 5 I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (03:15) 6 Shake (02:40) 7 My Girl (02:54) 8 Wonderful World (03:08) 9 Rock Me Baby (03:29) 10 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (02:46) 11 You Don’t Miss Your Water (02:46) |
| Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul : Allmusic album Review : Otis Reddings third album, and his first fully realized album, presents his talent unfettered, his direction clear, and his confidence emboldened, with fully half the songs representing a reach that extended his musical grasp. More than a quarter of this album is given over to Reddings versions of songs by Sam Cooke, his idol, who had died the previous December, and all three are worth owning and hearing. Two of them, "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Shake," are every bit as essential as any soul recordings ever made, and while they (and much of this album) have reappeared on several anthologies, its useful to hear the songs from those sessions juxtaposed with each other, and with "Wonderful World," which is seldom compiled elsewhere. Also featured are Reddings spellbinding renditions of "(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction" (a song epitomizing the fully formed Stax/Volt sound and which Mick Jagger and Keith Richards originally wrote in tribute to and imitation of Reddings style), "My Girl," and "You Dont Miss Your Water." "Respect" and "Ive Been Loving You Too Long," two originals that were to loom large in his career, are here as well; the former became vastly popular in the hands of Aretha Franklin and the latter was an instant soul classic. Among the seldom-cited jewels here is a rendition of B.B. Kings "Rock Me Baby" that has the singer sharing the spotlight with Steve Cropper, his playing alternately elegant and fiery, with Wayne Jackson and Gene "Bowlegs" Millers trumpets and Andrew Loves and Floyd Newmans saxes providing the backing. Reddings powerful, remarkable singing throughout makes Otis Blue gritty, rich, and achingly alive, and an essential listening experience. | ||
 | Rank: 79 Album: 29 of 50 Artist: Led Zeppelin Title: Led Zeppelin II Released: 1969-10-22 Tracks: 9 Duration: 41:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Whole Lotta Love (05:34) 2 What Is and What Should Never Be (04:45) 3 The Lemon Song (06:19) 4 Thank You (04:49) 5 Heartbreaker (04:14) 6 Living Loving Maid (She’s Just a Woman) (02:39) 7 Ramble On (04:24) 8 Moby Dick (04:20) 9 Bring It On Home (04:20) |
| Led Zeppelin II : Allmusic album Review : Recorded quickly during Led Zeppelins first American tours, Led Zeppelin II provided the blueprint for all the heavy metal bands that followed it. Since the group could only enter the studio for brief amounts of time, most of the songs that compose II are reworked blues and rock & roll standards that the band was performing on-stage at the time. Not only did the short amount of time result in a lack of original material, it made the sound more direct. Jimmy Page still provided layers of guitar overdubs, but the overall sound of the album is heavy and hard, brutal and direct. "Whole Lotta Love," "The Lemon Song," and "Bring It on Home" are all based on classic blues songs -- only, the riffs are simpler and louder and each song has an extended section for instrumental solos. Of the remaining six songs, two sport light acoustic touches ("Thank You," "Ramble On"), but the other four are straight-ahead heavy rock that follows the formula of the revamped blues songs. While Led Zeppelin II doesnt have the eclecticism of the groups debut, its arguably more influential. After all, nearly every one of the hundreds of Zeppelin imitators used this record, with its lack of dynamics and its pummeling riffs, as a blueprint. | ||
 | Rank: 80 Album: 30 of 50 Artist: John Lennon Title: Imagine Released: 1971-09-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Imagine (03:04) 2 Crippled Inside (03:49) 3 Jealous Guy (04:15) 4 It’s So Hard (02:27) 5 I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die (06:06) 6 Gimme Some Truth (03:16) 7 Oh My Love (02:46) 8 How Do You Sleep? (05:35) 9 How? (03:43) 10 Oh Yoko! (04:17) |
| Imagine : Allmusic album Review : After the harrowing Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon returned to calmer, more conventional territory with Imagine. While the album had a softer surface, it was only marginally less confessional than its predecessor. Underneath the sweet strings of "Jealous Guy" lies a broken and scared man, the jaunty "Crippled Inside" is a mocking assault at an acquaintance, and "Imagine" is a paean for peace in a world with no gods, possessions, or classes, where everyone is equal. And Lennon doesnt shy away from the hard rockers -- "How Do You Sleep" is a scathing attack on Paul McCartney, "I Dont Want to Be a Soldier" is a hypnotic antiwar song, and "Give Me Some Truth" is bitter hard rock. If Imagine doesnt have the thematic sweep of Plastic Ono Band, it is nevertheless a remarkable collection of songs that Lennon would never be able to better again. | ||
 | Rank: 81 Album: 31 of 50 Artist: The Clash Title: The Clash Released: 1977-04-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Janie Jones (02:06) 2 Remote Control (03:02) 3 I’m So Bored With the U.S.A. (02:25) 4 White Riot (01:59) 5 Hate & War (02:05) 6 What’s My Name (01:41) 7 Deny (03:06) 8 London’s Burning (02:10) 9 Career Opportunities (01:53) 10 Cheat (02:06) 11 Protex Blue (01:47) 12 Police & Thieves (06:00) 13 48 Hours (01:36) 14 Garageland (03:12) |
| The Clash : Allmusic album Review : Never Mind the Bollocks may have appeared revolutionary, but the Clashs eponymous debut album was pure, unadulterated rage and fury, fueled by passion for both rock & roll and revolution. Though the cliché about punk rock was that the bands couldnt play, the key to the Clash is that although they gave that illusion, they really could play -- hard. The charging, relentless rhythms, primitive three-chord rockers, and the poor sound quality give the album a nervy, vital energy. Joe Strummers slurred wails perfectly compliment the edgy rock, while Mick Jones clearer singing and charged guitar breaks make his numbers righteously anthemic. Even at this early stage, the Clash were experimenting with reggae, most notably on the Junior Murvin cover "Police & Thieves" and the extraordinary "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," which was one of five tracks added to the American edition of The Clash. "Deny," "Protex Blue," "Cheat," and "48 Hours" were removed from the British edition and replaced for the U.S. release with the British-only singles "Complete Control," "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais," "Clash City Rockers," "I Fought the Law," and "Jail Guitar Doors," all of which were stronger than the items they replaced. Though the sequencing and selection were slightly different, the core of the album remained the same, and each song retained its power individually. Few punk songs expressed anger quite as bracingly as "White Riot," "Im So Bored with the U.S.A.," "Career Opportunities," and "Londons Burning," and their power is all the more incredible today. Rock & roll is rarely as edgy, invigorating, and sonically revolutionary as The Clash. [In 2000, Columbia/Legacy reissued and remastered the album to include the U.K. songs.] | ||
 | Rank: 82 Album: 32 of 50 Artist: Neil Young Title: Harvest Released: 1972-02-14 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Out on the Weekend (04:35) 2 Harvest (03:11) 3 A Man Needs a Maid (04:05) 4 Heart of Gold (03:07) 5 Are You Ready for the Country? (03:23) 6 Old Man (03:24) 7 There’s a World (02:59) 8 Alabama (04:02) 9 The Needle and the Damage Done (02:03) 10 Words (Between the Lines of Age) (06:40) |
| Harvest : Allmusic album Review : Neil Youngs most popular album, Harvest benefited from the delay in its release (it took 18 months to complete due to Youngs back injury), which whetted his audiences appetite, the disintegration of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Youngs three erstwhile partners sang on the album, along with Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor), and most of all, a hit single. "Heart of Gold," released a month before Harvest, was already in the Top 40 when the LP hit the stores, and it soon topped the charts. Its fair to say, too, that Young simply was all-pervasive by this time: "Heart of Gold" was succeeded at number one by "A Horse with No Name" by America, which was a Young soundalike record. But successful as Harvest was (and it was the best-selling album of 1972), it has suffered critically from reviewers who see it as an uneven album on which Young repeats himself. Certainly, Harvest employs a number of jarringly different styles. Much of it is country-tinged, with Young backed by a new group dubbed the Stray Gators who prominently feature steel guitarist Ben Keith, though there is also an acoustic track, a couple of electric guitar-drenched rock performances, and two songs on which Young is accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. But the album does have an overall mood and an overall lyric content, and they conflict with each other: The mood is melancholic, but the songs mostly describe the longing for and fulfillment of new love. Young is perhaps most explicit about this on the controversial "A Man Needs a Maid," which is often condemned as sexist by people judging it on the basis of its title. In fact, the song contrasts the fears of committing to a relationship with simply living alone and hiring help, and it contains some of Youngs most autobiographical writing. Unfortunately, like "Theres a World," the song is engulfed in a portentous orchestration. Over and over, Young sings of the need for love in such songs as "Out on the Weekend," "Heart of Gold," and "Old Man" (a Top 40 hit), and the songs are unusually melodic and accessible. The rock numbers, "Are You Ready for the Country" and "Alabama," are in Youngs familiar style and unremarkable, and "Theres a World" and "Words (Between the Lines of Age)" are the most ponderous and overdone Young songs since "The Last Trip to Tulsa." But the love songs and the harrowing portrait of a friends descent into heroin addiction, "The Needle and the Damage Done," remain among Youngs most affecting and memorable songs. | ||
 | Rank: 83 Album: 33 of 50 Artist: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Title: Axis: Bold as Love Released: 1967-12-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 EXP (01:54) 2 Up From the Skies (03:01) 3 Spanish Castle Magic (03:08) 4 Wait Until Tomorrow (03:06) 5 Ain’t No Telling (01:52) 6 Little Wing (02:25) 7 If 6 Was 9 (05:35) 8 You Got Me Floatin’ (02:44) 9 Castles Made of Sand (02:49) 10 She’s So Fine (02:43) 11 One Rainy Wish (03:45) 12 Little Miss Lover (02:25) 13 Bold as Love (04:08) |
| Axis: Bold as Love : Allmusic album Review : Jimi Hendrixs second album followed up his groundbreaking debut effort with a solid collection of great tunes and great interactive playing between himself, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, and the recording studio itself. Wisely retaining manager Chas Chandler to produce the album and Eddie Kramer as engineer, Hendrix stretched further musically than the first album, but even more so as a songwriter. He was still quite capable of coming up with spacy rockers like "You Got Me Floating," "Up from the Skies," and "Little Miss Lover," radio-ready to follow on the commercial heels of "Foxey Lady" and "Purple Haze." But the beautiful, wistful ballads "Little Wing," "Castles Made of Sand," "One Rainy Wish," and the title track set closer show remarkable growth and depth as a tunesmith, harnessing Curtis Mayfield soul guitar to Dylanesque lyrical imagery and Fuzz Face hyperactivity to produce yet another side to his grand psychedelic musical vision. These are tempered with Jimis most avant-garde tracks yet, "EXP" and the proto-fusion jazz blowout of "If 6 Was 9." | ||
 | Rank: 84 Album: 34 of 50 Artist: Aretha Franklin Title: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Released: 1967-03-10 Tracks: 14 Duration: 40:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Respect (02:26) 2 Drown in My Own Tears (04:06) 3 I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) (02:45) 4 Soul Serenade (02:37) 5 Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream (02:19) 6 Baby, Baby, Baby (02:54) 7 Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business) (03:21) 8 Good Times (02:07) 9 Do Right Woman, Do Right Man (03:15) 10 Save Me (02:19) 11 A Change Is Gonna Come (04:17) 12 Respect (stereo version) (02:29) 13 I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) (stereo version) (02:46) 14 Do Right Woman – Do Right Man (stereo version) (03:14) |
| I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You : Allmusic album Review : While the inclusion of "Respect" -- one of the truly seminal singles in pop history -- is in and of itself sufficient to earn I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You classic status, Aretha Franklins Atlantic label debut is an indisputable masterpiece from start to finish. Much of the credit is due to producer Jerry Wexler, who finally unleashed the soulful intensity so long kept under wraps during her Columbia tenure; assembling a crack Muscle Shoals backing band along with an abundance of impeccable material, Wexler creates the ideal setting to allow Aretha to ascend to the throne of Queen of Soul, and she responds with the strongest performances of her career. While the brilliant title track remains the albums other best-known song, each cut on I Never Loved a Man is touched by greatness; covers of Ray Charles "Drown in My Own Tears" and Sam Cookes "Good Times" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" are on par with the original recordings, while Arethas own contributions -- "Dont Let Me Lose This Dream," "Baby, Baby, Baby," "Save Me," and "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" -- are perfectly at home in such lofty company. A soul landmark. | ||
 | Rank: 85 Album: 35 of 50 Artist: Aretha Franklin Title: Lady Soul Released: 1968-01-22 Tracks: 10 Duration: 29:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Chain of Fools (02:47) 2 Money Won’t Change You (02:09) 3 People Get Ready (03:44) 4 Niki Hoeky (02:31) 5 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (02:44) 6 Since You’ve Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby) (02:25) 7 Good to Me as I Am to You (03:58) 8 Come Back Baby (02:27) 9 Groovin’ (02:55) 10 Ain’t No Way (04:13) |
 | Rank: 86 Album: 36 of 50 Artist: Bruce Springsteen Title: Born in the U.S.A. Released: 1984-06-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 46:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Born in the U.S.A. (04:39) 2 Cover Me (03:28) 3 Darlington County (04:50) 4 Working on the Highway (03:15) 5 Downbound Train (03:37) 6 I’m on Fire (02:39) 7 No Surrender (04:02) 8 Bobby Jean (03:48) 9 I’m Goin’ Down (03:31) 10 Glory Days (04:18) 11 Dancing in the Dark (04:03) 12 My Hometown (04:36) |
| Born in the U.S.A. : Allmusic album Review : Bruce Springsteen had become increasingly downcast as a songwriter during his recording career, and his pessimism bottomed out with Nebraska. But Born in the U.S.A., his popular triumph, which threw off seven Top Ten hits and became one of the best-selling albums of all time, trafficked in much the same struggle, albeit set to galloping rhythms and set off by chiming guitars. That the witless wonders of the Reagan regime attempted to co-opt the title track as an election-year campaign song wasnt so surprising: the verses described the disenfranchisement of a lower-class Vietnam vet, and the chorus was intended to be angry, but it came off as anthemic. Then, too, Springsteen had softened his message with nostalgia and sentimentality, and those are always crowd-pleasers. "Glory Days" may have employed Springsteens trademark disaffection, yet it came across as a couch potatos drunken lament. But more than anything else, Born in the U.S.A. marked the first time that Springsteens characters really seemed to relish the fight and to have something to fight for. They were not defeated ("No Surrender"), and they had friendship ("Bobby Jean") and family ("My Hometown") to defend. The restless hero of "Dancing in the Dark" even pledged himself in the face of futility, and for Springsteen, that was a step. The "romantic young boys" of his first two albums, chastened by "the working life" encountered on his third, fourth, and fifth albums and having faced the despair of his sixth, were still alive on this, his seventh, with their sense of humor and their determination intact. Born in the U.S.A. was their apotheosis, the place where they renewed their commitment and where Springsteen remembered that he was a rock & roll star, which is how a vastly increased public was happy to treat him. | ||
 | Rank: 87 Album: 37 of 50 Artist: Pink Floyd Title: The Wall Released: 1979-11-30 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:21:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Flesh? (03:19) 2 The Thin Ice (02:29) 3 Another Brick in the Wall, Part 1 (03:10) 4 The Happiest Days of Our Lives (01:51) 5 Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2 (04:00) 6 Mother (05:33) 7 Goodbye Blue Sky (02:49) 8 Empty Spaces (02:07) 9 Young Lust (03:32) 10 One of My Turns (03:35) 11 Don’t Leave Me Now (04:16) 12 Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3 (01:17) 13 Goodbye Cruel World (01:14) 1 Hey You (04:44) 2 Is There Anybody Out There? (02:43) 3 Nobody Home (03:26) 4 Vera (01:36) 5 Bring the Boys Back Home (01:27) 6 Comfortably Numb (06:25) 7 The Show Must Go On (01:37) 8 In the Flesh (04:16) 9 Run Like Hell (04:24) 10 Waiting for the Worms (04:00) 11 Stop (00:32) 12 The Trial (05:22) 13 Outside the Wall (01:44) |
| The Wall : Allmusic album Review : The Wall was Roger Waters crowning accomplishment in Pink Floyd. It documented the rise and fall of a rock star (named Pink Floyd), based on Waters own experiences and the tendencies hed observed in people around him. By then, the bassist had firm control of the groups direction, working mostly alongside David Gilmour and bringing in producer Bob Ezrin as an outside collaborator. Drummer Nick Mason was barely involved, while keyboardist Rick Wright seemed to be completely out of the picture. Still, The Wall was a mighty, sprawling affair, featuring 26 songs with vocals: nearly as many as all previous Floyd albums combined. The story revolves around the fictional Pink Floyds isolation behind a psychological wall. The wall grows as various parts of his life spin out of control, and he grows incapable of dealing with his neuroses. The album opens by welcoming the unwitting listener to Floyds show ("In the Flesh?"), then turns back to childhood memories of his fathers death in World War II ("Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1"), his mothers over protectiveness ("Mother"), and his fascination with and fear of sex ("Young Lust"). By the time "Goodbye Cruel World" closes the first disc, the wall is built and Pink is trapped in the midst of a mental breakdown. On disc two, the gentle acoustic phrasings of "Is There Anybody Out There?" and the lilting orchestrations of "Nobody Home" reinforce Floyds feeling of isolation. When his record company uses drugs to coax him to perform ("Comfortably Numb"), his onstage persona is transformed into a homophobic, race-baiting fascist ("In the Flesh"). In "The Trial," he mentally prosecutes himself, and the wall comes tumbling down. This ambitious concept album was an across-the-board smash, topping the Billboard album chart for 15 weeks in 1980. The single "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2" was the countrys best-seller for four weeks. The Wall spawned an elaborate stage show (so elaborate, in fact, that the band was able to bring it to only a few cities) and a full-length film. It also marked the last time Waters and Gilmour would work together as equal partners. | ||
 | Rank: 88 Album: 38 of 50 Artist: Johnny Cash Title: At Folsom Prison Released: 1968 Tracks: 19 Duration: 55:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Folsom Prison Blues (02:42) 2 Busted (01:25) 3 Dark as the Dungeon (03:05) 4 I Still Miss Someone (01:38) 5 Cocaine Blues (03:01) 6 25 Minutes to Go (03:31) 7 Orange Blossom Special (03:01) 8 The Long Black Veil (03:58) 9 Send a Picture of Mother (02:11) 10 The Wall (01:37) 11 Dirty Old Egg‐Suckin’ Dog (01:30) 12 Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart (02:17) 13 Joe Bean (02:25) 14 Jackson (03:12) 15 Give My Love to Rose (02:41) 16 I Got Stripes (01:57) 17 The Legend of John Henry’s Hammer (07:08) 18 Green, Green Grass of Home (02:30) 19 Greystone Chapel (06:02) |
| At Folsom Prison : Allmusic album Review : Folsom Prison looms large in Johnny Cashs legacy, providing the setting for perhaps his definitive song and the location for his definitive album, At Folsom Prison. The ideal blend of mythmaking and gritty reality, At Folsom Prison is the moment when Cash turned into the towering Man in Black, a haunted troubadour singing songs of crime, conflicted conscience, and jail. Surely, this dark outlaw stance wasnt a contrivance but it was an exaggeration, with Cash creating this image by tailoring his set list to his audience of prisoners, filling up the set with tales of murder and imprisonment -- a bid for common ground with the convicts, but also a sly way to suggest that maybe Cash really did shoot a man in Reno just to watch him die. Given the cloud of death that hangs over the songs on At Folsom Prison, theres a temptation to think of it as a gothic, gloomy affair or perhaps a repository of rage, but whats striking about Cashs performance is that he never romanticizes either the crime or the criminals: if anything, he underplays the seriousness with his matter-of-fact ballad delivery or how he throws out wry jokes. Cash is relating to the prisoners and hes entertaining them too, singing "Cocaine Blues" like a bastard on the run, turning a death sentence into literal gallows humor on "25 Minutes to Go," playing "I Got Stripes" as if it were a badge of pride. Never before had his music seemed so vigorous as it does here, nor had he tied together his humor, gravity, and spirituality in one record. In every sense, it was a breakthrough, but more than that, At Folsom Prison is the quintessential Johnny Cash album, the place where his legend burns bright and eternal. [This Expanded Edition of At Folsom Prison added three bonus tracks to the songs included in the original 16-track LP.] | ||
 | Rank: 89 Album: 39 of 50 Artist: Dusty Springfield Title: Dusty in Memphis Released: 1969-03 Tracks: 14 Duration: 42:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Just a Little Lovin’ (02:18) 2 So Much Love (03:31) 3 Son of a Preacher Man (02:26) 4 I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore (03:11) 5 Don’t Forget About Me (02:52) 6 Breakfast in Bed (02:57) 7 Just One Smile (02:42) 8 The Windmills of Your Mind (03:51) 9 In the Land of Make Believe (02:32) 10 No Easy Way Down (03:11) 11 I Can’t Make It Alone (03:57) 12 Willie & Laura Mae Jones (02:49) 13 That Old Sweet Roll (Hi‐De‐Ho) (02:59) 14 What Do You Do When Love Dies (02:42) |
| Dusty in Memphis : Allmusic album Review : Sometimes memories distort or inflate the quality of recordings deemed legendary, but in the case of Dusty in Memphis, the years have only strengthened its reputation. The idea of taking Englands reigning female soul queen to the home of the music she had mastered was an inspired one. The Jerry Wexler/Tom Dowd/Arif Mardin production and engineering team picked mostly perfect songs, and those that werent so great were salvaged by Springfields marvelous delivery and technique. This set has definitive numbers in "So Much Love," "Son of a Preacher Man," "Breakfast in Bed," "Just One Smile," "I Dont Want to Hear About It Anymore," and "Just a Little Lovin" and three bonus tracks: an unreleased version of "What Do You Do When Love Dies," "Willie & Laura Mae Jones" and "That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-De-Ho)." Its truly a disc deserving of its classic status. | ||
 | Rank: 90 Album: 40 of 50 Artist: Stevie Wonder Title: Talking Book Released: 1972-10-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 43:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 You Are the Sunshine of My Life (02:56) 2 Maybe Your Baby (06:50) 3 You and I (04:38) 4 Tuesday Heartbreak (03:02) 5 You’ve Got It Bad Girl (04:57) 6 Superstition (04:26) 7 Big Brother (03:33) 8 Blame It On the Sun (03:26) 9 Lookin’ for Another Pure Love (04:43) 10 I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever) (04:51) |
| Talking Book : Allmusic album Review : After releasing two "head" records during 1970-71, Stevie Wonder expanded his compositional palette with 1972s Talking Book to include societal ills as well as tender love songs, and so recorded the first smash album of his career. What had been hinted at on the intriguing project Music of My Mind was here focused into a laser beam of tight songwriting, warm electronic arrangements, and ebullient performances -- altogether the most realistic vision of musical personality ever put to wax, beginning with a disarmingly simple love song, "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (but of course, its only the composition thats simple). Stevies not always singing a tender ballad here -- in fact, he flits from contentment to mistrust to promise to heartbreak within the course of the first four songs -- but he never fails to render each song in the most vivid colors. In stark contrast to his early songs, which were clever but often relied on the Motown template of romantic metaphor, with Talking Book it became clear Stevie Wonder was beginning to speak his mind and use personal history for material (just as Marvin Gaye had with the social protest of 1971s Whats Going On). The lyrics became less convoluted, while the emotional power gained in intensity. "You and I" and the glorious closer "I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)" subtly illustrate that the conception of love can be stronger than the reality, while "Tuesday Heartbreak" speaks simply but powerfully: "I wanna be with you when the nighttime comes / I wanna be with you till the daytime comes." Ironically, the biggest hit from Talking Book wasnt a love song at all; the funk landmark "Superstition" urges empowerment instead of hopelessness, set to a grooving beat that made it one of the biggest hits of his career. Its followed by "Big Brother," the first of his directly critical songs, excoriating politicians who posture to the underclass in order to gain the only thing they really need: votes. With Talking Book, Stevie also found a proper balance between making an album entirely by himself and benefiting from the talents of others. His wife Syreeta contributed two great lyrics, and Ray Parker, Jr. came by to record a guitar solo that brings together the lengthy jam "Maybe Your Baby." Two more guitar heroes, Jeff Beck and Buzzy Feton, appeared on "Lookin for Another Pure Love," Becks solo especially giving voice to the excruciating process of moving on from a broken relationship. Like no other Stevie Wonder LP before it, Talking Book is all of a piece, the first unified statement of his career. Its certainly an exercise in indulgence but, imitating life, it veers breathtakingly from love to heartbreak and back with barely a pause. | ||
 | Rank: 91 Album: 41 of 50 Artist: Elton John Title: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Released: 1973-10-05 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:16:21 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding (11:06) 2 Candle in the Wind (03:49) 3 Bennie and the Jets (05:22) 4 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (03:15) 5 This Song Has No Title (02:23) 6 Grey Seal (04:00) 7 Jamaica Jerk‐Off (03:39) 8 I’ve Seen That Movie Too (05:58) 1 Sweet Painted Lady (03:55) 2 The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34) (04:24) 3 Dirty Little Girl (05:02) 4 All the Girls Love Alice (05:09) 5 Your Sister Can’t Twist (but She Can Rock ’n Roll) (02:42) 6 Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting (04:54) 7 Roy Rogers (04:08) 8 Social Disease (03:44) 9 Harmony (02:46) |
| Goodbye Yellow Brick Road : Allmusic album Review : It was designed to be a blockbuster and it was. Prior to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John had hits -- his second album, Elton John, went Top 10 in the U.S. and U.K., and he had smash singles in "Crocodile Rock" and "Daniel" -- but this 1973 album was a statement of purpose spilling over two LPs, which was all the better to showcase every element of Johns spangled personality. Opening with the 11-minute melodramatic exercise "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" -- as prog as Elton ever got -- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road immediately embraces excess but also tunefulness, as John immediately switches over to "Candle in the Wind" and "Bennie & the Jets," two songs that form the core of his canon and go a long way toward explaining the over-stuffed appeal of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. This was truly the debut of Elton John the entertainer, the pro who knows how to satisfy every segment of his audience, and this eagerness to please means the record is giddy but also overwhelming, a rush of too much muchness. Still, taken a side at a time, or even a song a time, it is a thing of wonder, serving up such perfectly sculpted pop songs as "Grey Seal," full-bore rockers as "Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting" and "Your Sister Cant Twist (But She Can Rock & Roll)," cinematic ballads like "Ive Seen That Movie Too," throwbacks to the dusty conceptual sweep of Tumbleweed Connection in the form of "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)," and preposterous glam novelties, like "Jamaica Jerk-Off." This touched on everything John did before, and suggested ways hed move in the near-future, and that sprawl is always messy but usually delightful, a testament to Eltons 70s power as a star and a musician. | ||
 | Rank: 92 Album: 42 of 50 Artist: Buddy Holly Title: 20 Golden Greats Released: 1978 Tracks: 20 Duration: 44:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 That’ll Be the Day (02:17) 2 Peggy Sue (02:31) 3 Words of Love (01:56) 4 Everyday (02:09) 5 Not Fade Away (02:23) 6 Oh Boy (02:10) 7 Maybe Baby (02:03) 8 Listen to Me (02:22) 9 Heartbeat (02:10) 10 Think It Over (01:48) 11 It Doesn’t Matter Anymore (02:05) 12 It’s So Easy (02:11) 13 Well… All Right (02:14) 14 Rave On (01:50) 15 Raining in My Heart (02:48) 16 True Love Ways (03:04) 17 Peggy Sue Got Married (02:08) 18 Bo Diddley (02:22) 19 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:05) 20 Wishing (02:02) |
| 20 Golden Greats : Allmusic album Review : This early Buddy Holly hits collection will please vinyl fans in search of the bespeckled ones late-50s hits. Including perennials like "Thatll Be the Day," "Oh Boy," "Its So Easy," and "Peggy Sue," the album also features fine covers of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and "Bo Diddley," not to mention lushly orchestrated stunners such as "Raining in My Heart," "True Love Ways," and the Paul Anka-penned "It Doesnt Matter Anymore." Along the way, one hears hefty premonitions of the Beatles pre-1965 sound, one of the first self-contained rock bands in fine form, and some of most lyrical and substantial songs from the musics golden beginnings. Hollys sound was more country than R&B, and as such also prefigured the folk-pop of both the British Invasion and the West Coast sound of the 60s. A perfect introduction for those trolling the discount bins. | ||
 | Rank: 93 Album: 43 of 50 Artist: Prince Title: Sign “☮︎” the Times Released: 1987-03-30 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:19:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sign “☮” the Times (04:57) 2 Play in the Sunshine (05:05) 3 Housequake (04:42) 4 The Ballad of Dorothy Parker (04:01) 5 It (05:10) 6 Starfish and Coffee (02:50) 7 Slow Love (04:22) 8 Hot Thing (05:39) 9 Forever in My Life (03:31) 1 U Got the Look (03:47) 2 If I Was Your Girlfriend (05:01) 3 Strange Relationship (04:01) 4 I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man (06:29) 5 The Cross (04:48) 6 It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night (09:01) 7 Adore (06:30) |
| Sign “☮︎” the Times : Allmusic album Review : Fearless, eclectic, and defiantly messy, Princes Sign O the Times falls into the tradition of tremendous, chaotic double albums like The Beatles, Exile on Main St., and London Calling -- albums that are fantastic because of their overreach, their great sprawl. Prince shows nearly all of his cards here, from bare-bones electro-funk and smooth soul to pseudo-psychedelic pop and crunching hard rock, touching on gospel, blues, and folk along the way. This was the first album Prince recorded without the Revolution since 1982s 1999 (the band does appear on the in-concert rave-up, "Its Gonna Be a Beautiful Night"), and he sounds liberated, diving into territory merely suggested on Around the World in a Day and Parade. While the music overflows with generous spirit, these are among the most cryptic, insular songs hes ever written. Many songs are left over from the aborted triple album Crystal Ball and the abandoned Camille project, a Prince alter ego personified by scarily sped-up tapes on "If I Was Your Girlfriend," the most disarming and bleak psycho-sexual song Prince ever wrote, as well as the equally chilling "Strange Relationship." These fraying relationships echo in the social chaos Prince writes about throughout the album. Apocalyptic imagery of drugs, bombs, empty sex, abandoned babies and mothers, and AIDS pop up again and again, yet he balances the despair with hope, whether its God, love, or just having a good time. In its own roundabout way, Sign O the Times is the sound of the late 80s -- its the sound of the good times collapsing and how all that doubt and fear can be ignored if you just dance those problems away. | ||
 | Rank: 94 Album: 44 of 50 Artist: Hank Williams Title: 40 Greatest Hits Released: 1978 Tracks: 40 Duration: 1:46:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Move It on Over (02:46) 2 A Mansion on the Hill (02:35) 3 Lovesick Blues (02:44) 4 Wedding Bells (02:55) 5 Mind Your Own Business (02:56) 6 You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave) (02:58) 7 Lost Highway (02:43) 8 My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It (02:33) 9 I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry (02:48) 10 I Just Don’t Like This Kind of Living (02:49) 11 Long Gone Lonesome Blues (02:38) 12 My Son Calls Another Man Daddy (02:34) 13 Why Don’t You Love Me (02:25) 14 Why Should We Try Anymore (02:38) 15 They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me (02:45) 16 Moanin’ the Blues (02:24) 17 Nobody’s Lonesome for Me (02:31) 18 Cold Cold Heart (02:44) 19 Dear John (02:35) 20 Howlin’ at the Moon (02:43) 1 I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love With You) (02:25) 2 Hey Good Lookin’ (02:55) 3 Crazy Heart (02:29) 4 (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle (02:28) 5 Baby, We’re Really in Love (02:35) 6 Ramblin’ Man (03:04) 7 Honky Tonk Blues (02:12) 8 I’m Sorry for You My Friend (02:43) 9 Half as Much (02:44) 10 Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (02:54) 11 Window Shopping (02:33) 12 Settin’ the Woods on Fire (02:37) 13 You Win Again (02:37) 14 I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive (02:26) 15 Kaw‐Liga (02:35) 16 Your Cheatin’ Heart (02:43) 17 Take These Chains From My Heart (02:40) 18 I Won’t Be Home No More (02:45) 19 Weary Blues From Waitin’ (02:38) 20 I Saw the Light (02:44) |
 | Rank: 95 Album: 45 of 50 Artist: Miles Davis Title: Bitches Brew Released: 1970 Tracks: 27 Duration: 4:19:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Pharaoh’s Dance (20:04) 2 Bitches Brew (26:59) 1 Spanish Key (17:29) 2 John McLaughlin (04:25) 3 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (14:04) 4 Sanctuary (10:56) 1 Pharaoh’s Dance (20:04) 2 Bitches Brew (26:59) 3 Spanish Key (17:29) 4 John McLaughlin (04:25) 1 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (14:04) 2 Sanctuary (10:56) 3 Spanish Key (alternate take) (10:20) 4 John McLaughlin (alternate take) (06:39) 5 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (single edit) (02:49) 6 Spanish Key (single edit) (02:49) 7 Great Expectations (single edit) (02:41) 8 Little Blue Frog (single edit) (02:36) 1 Bill Graham Intro (00:12) 2 Directions (09:31) 3 Bitches Brew (09:15) 4 The Mask (03:55) 5 It’s About That Time (07:30) 6 Sanctuary (01:35) 7 Spanish Key / The Theme (06:32) 8 Miles Runs the Voodoo Down (04:39) 9 Bill Graham Outro (00:22) |
| Bitches Brew : Allmusic album Review : Thought by many to be among the most revolutionary albums in jazz history, Miles Davis Bitches Brew solidified the genre known as jazz-rock fusion. The original double LP included only six cuts and featured up to 12 musicians at any given time, some of whom were already established while others would become high-profile players later, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Airto, John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Don Alias, Bennie Maupin, Larry Young, and Lenny White among them. Originally thought to be a series of long jams locked into grooves around keyboard, bass, or guitar vamps, Bitches Brew is actually a recording that producer Teo Macero assembled from various jams and takes by razor blade, splice to splice, section to section. "Pharaohs Dance" opens the set with its slippery trumpet lines, McLaughlins snaky guitar figures skirting the edge of the rhythm section and Don Alias conga slipping through the middle. Corea and Zawinuls keyboards create a haunted, riffing modal groove, echoed and accented by the basses of Harvey Brooks and Holland. The title cut was originally composed as a five-part suite, though only three were used. Here the keyboards punch through the mix and big chords ring up distorted harmonics for Davis to solo rhythmically over, outside the mode. McLaughlins comping creates a vamp, and the bass and drums carry the rest. Its a small taste of the deep voodoo funk to appear on Davis later records. Side three opens with McLaughlin and Davis trading fours and eights over a lockstep hypnotic vamp on "Spanish Key." Zawinuls lyric sensibility provides a near chorus for Corea to flit around in; the congas and drummers juxtapose themselves against the basslines. It nearly segues into the brief "John McLaughlin," featuring an organ playing modes below arpeggiated blues guitar runs. The end of Bitches Brew, signified by the stellar "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down," reflects the influence of Jimi Hendrix with its chunky, slipped chords and Davis playing a ghostly melody through the funkiness of the rhythm section. It seemingly dances, becoming increasingly more chaotic until it nearly disintegrates before shimmering into a loose foggy nadir. The disc closes with "Sanctuary," completely redone here as a moody electric ballad that was reworked for this band while keeping enough of its integrity to be recognizable. Bitches Brew is so forward-thinking that it retains its freshness and mystery in the 21st century. | ||
 | Rank: 96 Album: 46 of 50 Artist: The Who Title: Tommy Released: 1969-05-23 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:14:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Overture (03:51) 2 It’s a Boy (02:06) 3 1921 (02:48) 4 Amazing Journey (04:25) 5 Sparks (02:43) 6 Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) (02:14) 7 Christmas (04:34) 8 Cousin Kevin (04:06) 9 The Acid Queen (03:33) 10 Underture (10:04) 1 Do You Think It’s Alright? (00:24) 2 Fiddle About (01:31) 3 Pinball Wizard (03:01) 4 There’s a Doctor (00:23) 5 Go to the Mirror! (03:47) 6 Tommy Can You Hear Me? (01:35) 7 Smash the Mirror (01:35) 8 Sensation (02:27) 9 Miracle Cure (00:12) 10 Sally Simpson (04:10) 11 I’m Free (02:39) 12 Welcome (04:32) 13 Tommy’s Holiday Camp (00:57) 14 We’re Not Gonna Take It (07:06) |
| Tommy : Allmusic album Review : The full-blown rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind boy that launched the band to international superstardom, written almost entirely by Pete Townshend. Hailed as a breakthrough upon its release, its critical standing has diminished somewhat in the ensuing decades because of the occasional pretensions of the concept and because of the insubstantial nature of some of the songs that functioned as little more than devices to advance the rather sketchy plot. Nonetheless, the double album has many excellent songs, including "Im Free," "Pinball Wizard," "Sensation," "Christmas," "Were Not Gonna Take It," and the dramatic ten-minute instrumental "Underture." Though the album was slightly flawed, Townshends ability to construct a lengthy conceptual narrative brought new possibilities to rock music. Despite the complexity of the project, he and the Who never lost sight of solid pop melodies, harmonies, and forceful instrumentation, imbuing the material with a suitably powerful grace. | ||
 | Rank: 97 Album: 47 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan Released: 1963-05-27 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blowin’ in the Wind (02:48) 2 Girl From the North Country (03:22) 3 Masters of War (04:34) 4 Down the Highway (03:27) 5 Bob Dylan’s Blues (02:23) 6 A Hard Rain’s A‐Gonna Fall (06:55) 7 Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (03:40) 8 Bob Dylan’s Dream (05:03) 9 Oxford Town (01:50) 10 Talkin’ World War III Blues (06:28) 11 Corrina, Corrina (02:44) 12 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (02:01) 13 I Shall Be Free (04:49) |
| The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan : Allmusic album Review : Its hard to overestimate the importance of The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, the record that firmly established Dylan as an unparalleled songwriter, one of considerable skill, imagination, and vision. At the time, folk had been quite popular on college campuses and bohemian circles, making headway onto the pop charts in diluted form, and while there certainly were a number of gifted songwriters, nobody had transcended the scene as Dylan did with this record. There are a couple (very good) covers, with "Corrina Corrina" and "Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance," but they pale with the originals here. At the time, the social protests received the most attention, and deservedly so, since "Blowin in the Wind," "Masters of War," and "A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall" werent just specific in their targets; they were gracefully executed and even melodic. Although theyve proven resilient throughout the years, if thats all Freewheelin had to offer, it wouldnt have had its seismic impact, but this also revealed a songwriter who could turn out whimsy ("Dont Think Twice, Its All Right"), gorgeous love songs ("Girl From the North Country"), and cheerfully absurdist humor ("Bob Dylans Blues," "Bob Dylans Dream") with equal skill. This is rich, imaginative music, capturing the sound and spirit of America as much as that of Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, or Elvis Presley. Dylan, in many ways, recorded music that equaled this, but he never topped it. | ||
 | Rank: 98 Album: 48 of 50 Artist: Elvis Costello Title: This Year’s Model Released: 1978-03-17 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:15:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 No Action (02:01) 2 This Year’s Girl (03:22) 3 The Beat (03:48) 4 Pump It Up (03:15) 5 Little Triggers (02:42) 6 You Belong to Me (02:22) 7 Hand in Hand (02:34) 8 (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea (03:08) 9 Lip Service (02:38) 10 Living in Paradise (03:48) 11 Lipstick Vogue (03:33) 12 Night Rally (02:46) 13 Radio, Radio (03:06) 1 Big Tears (03:12) 2 Crawling to the USA (02:55) 3 Running Out of Angels (demo) (02:05) 4 Greenshirt (demo) (02:22) 5 Big Boys (demo) (03:00) 6 You Belong to Me (Capital Radio version) (01:55) 7 Radio, Radio (Capital Radio version) (03:01) 8 Neat Neat Neat (live) (03:16) 9 Roadette Song (live) (05:40) 10 This Year’s Girl (alternate Eden Studios version) (02:09) 11 (I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea (Basing Street Studios version) (03:00) 12 Stranger in the House (BBC version) (04:14) |
| This Year’s Model : Allmusic album Review : Where My Aim Is True implied punk rock with its lyrics and stripped-down production, This Years Model sounds like punk. Not that Elvis Costellos songwriting has changed -- This Years Model is comprised largely of leftovers from My Aim Is True and songs written on the road. Its the music that changed. After releasing My Aim Is True, Costello assembled a backing band called the Attractions, which were considerably tougher and wilder than Clover, who played on his debut. The Attractions were a rock & roll band, which gives This Years Model a reckless, careening feel. Its nervous, amphetamine-fueled, nearly paranoid music -- the group sounds like theyre spinning out of control as soon as they crash in on the brief opener, "No Action," and they never get completely back on track, even on the slower numbers. Costello and the Attractions speed through This Years Model at a blinding pace, which gives his songs -- which were already meaner than the set on My Aim Is True -- a nastier edge. "Lipstick Vogue," "Pump It Up," and "(I Dont Want to Go To) Chelsea" are all underscored with sexual menace, while "Night Rally" touches on a bizarre fascination with fascism that would blossom on his next album, Armed Forces. Even the songs that sound relatively lighthearted -- "Hand in Hand," "Little Triggers," "Lip Service," "Living in Paradise" -- are all edgy, thanks to Costellos breathless vocals, Steve Nieves carnival-esque organ riffs, and Nick Lowes bare-bones production. Of course, the songs on This Years Model are typically catchy and help the vicious sentiments sink into your skin, but the most remarkable thing about the album is the sound -- Costello and the Attractions never rocked this hard, or this vengefully, ever again. | ||
 | Rank: 99 Album: 49 of 50 Artist: Sly & The Family Stone Title: There’s a Riot Goin’ On Released: 1971-11-20 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:05:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Luv n’ Haight (04:03) 2 Just Like a Baby (05:13) 3 Poet (03:03) 4 Family Affair (03:05) 5 Africa Talks to You “The Asphalt Jungle” (08:45) 6 There’s a Riot Goin’ On (00:04) 7 Brave & Strong (03:30) 8 (You Caught Me) Smilin’ (02:56) 9 Time (03:03) 10 Spaced Cowboy (04:00) 11 Runnin’ Away (02:58) 12 Thank You for Talkin’ to Me Africa (07:18) 13 Runnin’ Away (single version) (02:44) 14 My Gorilla Is My Butler (03:12) 15 Do You Know What? (07:16) 16 That’s Pretty Clean (04:11) |
| There’s a Riot Goin’ On : Allmusic album Review : Its easy to write off Theres a Riot Goin On as one of two things -- Sly Stones disgusted social commentary or the beginning of his slow descent into addiction. Its both of these things, of course, but pigeonholing it as either winds up dismissing the album as a whole, since it is so bloody hard to categorize. Whats certain is that Riot is unlike any of Sly & the Family Stones other albums, stripped of the effervescence that flowed through even such politically aware records as Stand! This is idealism soured, as hope is slowly replaced by cynicism, joy by skepticism, enthusiasm by weariness, sex by pornography, thrills by narcotics. Joy isnt entirely gone -- it creeps through the cracks every once and awhile and, more disturbing, Sly revels in his stoned decadence. What makes Riot so remarkable is that its hard not to get drawn in with him, as youre seduced by the narcotic grooves, seductive vocals slurs, leering electric pianos, and crawling guitars. As the themes surface, its hard not to nod in agreement, but its a junkie nod, induced by the comforting coma of the music. And damn if this music isnt funk at its deepest and most impenetrable -- this is dense music, nearly impenetrable, but not from its deep grooves, but its utter weariness. Slys songwriting remains remarkably sharp, but only when he wants to write -- the foreboding opener "Luv N Haight," the scarily resigned "Family Affair," the cracked cynical blues "Time," and "(You Caught Me) Smilin." Ultimately, the music is the message, and while its dark music, its not alienating -- its seductive despair, and thats the scariest thing about it. | ||
 | Rank: 100 Album: 50 of 50 Artist: The Zombies Title: Odessey and Oracle Released: 1968-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Care of Cell 44 (03:56) 2 A Rose for Emily (stereo) (02:19) 3 Maybe After He’s Gone (stereo) (02:33) 4 Beechwood Park (stereo) (02:43) 5 Brief Candles (stereo) (03:30) 6 Hung Up on a Dream (stereo) (03:01) 7 Changes (stereo) (03:19) 8 I Want Her She Wants Me (stereo) (02:52) 9 This Will Be Our Year (stereo) (02:08) 10 Butcher’s Tale (stereo) (02:47) 11 Friends of Mine (stereo) (02:17) 12 Time of the Season (03:32) |
| Odessey and Oracle : Allmusic album Review : Odessey and Oracle was one of the flukiest (and best) albums of the 1960s, and one of the most enduring long players to come out of the entire British psychedelic boom, mixing trippy melodies, ornate choruses, and lush Mellotron sounds with a solid hard rock base. But it was overlooked completely in England and barely got out in America (with a big push by Al Kooper, who was then a Columbia Records producer); and it was neglected in the U.S. until the single "Time of the Season," culled from the album, topped the charts nearly two years after it was recorded, by which time the group was long disbanded. Ironically, at the time of its recording in the summer of 1967, permanency was not much on the minds of the bandmembers. Odessey and Oracle was intended as a final statement, a bold last hurrah, having worked hard for three years only to see the quality of their gigs decline as the hits stopped coming. The results are consistently pleasing, surprising, and challenging: "Hung Up on a Dream" and "Changes" are some of the most powerful psychedelic pop/rock ever heard out of England, with a solid rhythm section, a hot Mellotron sound, and chiming, hard guitar, as well as highly melodic piano. "Changes" also benefits from radiant singing. "This Will Be Our Year" makes use of trumpets (one of the very few instances of real overdubbing) in a manner reminiscent of "Penny Lane"; and then theres "Time of the Season," the most well-known song in their output and a white soul classic. Not all of the album is that inspired, but its all consistently interesting and very good listening, and superior to most other psychedelic albums this side of the Beatles best and Pink Floyds early work. Indeed, the only complaint one might have about the original LP is its relatively short running time, barely over 30 minutes, but even thats refreshing in an era where most musicians took their time making their point. | ||