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 | Rank: 151 Album: 1 of 50 Artist: Arcade Fire Title: Funeral Released: 2004-09-14 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:06:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) (04:48) 2 Neighborhood #2 (Laïka) (03:32) 3 Une année sans lumière (03:40) 4 Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (05:12) 5 Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) (04:49) 6 Crown of Love (04:42) 7 Wake Up (05:35) 8 Haïti (04:07) 9 Rebellion (Lies) (05:10) 10 In the Backseat (06:20) 1 My Buddy (Alvino Rey Orchestra) (02:35) 2 Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (August session) (05:35) 3 Brazil (03:56) 4 Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (live) (05:57) |
| Funeral : Allmusic album Review : Fronted by the husband-and-wife team of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, the Arcade Fires emotional debut -- rendered even more poignant by the dedications to recently departed family members contained in its liner notes -- is brave, empowering, and dusted with something that many of the indie rock genres more contrived acts desperately lack: an element of real danger. Funerals mourners -- specifically Butler and Chassagne -- inhabit the same post-apocalyptic world as London Suedes Dog Man Star; they are broken, beaten, and ferociously romantic, reveling in the brutal beauty of their surroundings like a heathen Adam & Eve. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)," the first of four metaphorical forays into the geography of the soul, follows a pair of young lovers who meet in the middle of the town through tunnels that connect to their bedrooms. Over a soaring piano lead thats effectively doubled by distorted guitar, they reach a Lord of the Flies-tinged utopia where they cant even remember their names or the faces of their weeping parents. Butler sings like Radioheads Jonny Greenwood used to play, like a lion-tamer whose whip grows shorter with each and every lash. He can barely contain himself, and when he lets loose its both melodic and primal, like Berlin-era Bowie or British Sea Power. "Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)" examines suicidal desperation through an angular Gang of Four prism; the hypnotic wash of strings and subtle meter changes of "Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)" winsomely capture the mundane doings of day-to-day existence; and "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)," Funerals victorious soul-thumping core, is a goose bump-inducing rallying cry centered around the notion that "the powers out in the heart of man, take it from your heart and put it in your hand." Arcade Fire are not bereft of whimsy. "Crown of Love" is like a wedding cake dropped in slow motion, utilizing a Johnny Mandel-style string section and a sweet, soda-pop-stand chorus to provide solace to a jilted lover yearning for a way back into the fold, and "Haiti" relies on a sunny island melody to explore the complexities of Chassagnes mercurial homeland. However, its the sheer power and scope of cuts like "Wake Up" -- featuring all 15 musicians singing in unison -- and the mesmerizing, early-Roxy Music pulse of "Rebellion (Lies)" that make Funeral the remarkable achievement that it is. These are songs that pump blood back into the heart as fast and furiously as its draining from the sleeve on which it beats, and by the time Chassagne dissects her love of riding "In the Backseat" with the radio on, despite her desperate fear of driving, Funerals singular thread is finally revealed; love does conquer all, especially love for the cathartic power of music. | ||
 | Rank: 152 Album: 2 of 50 Artist: The B‐52’s Title: The B‐52’s Released: 1979-07-12 Tracks: 9 Duration: 39:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Planet Claire (04:37) 2 52 Girls (03:35) 3 Dance This Mess Around (04:37) 4 Rock Lobster (06:51) 5 Lava (04:56) 6 There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon) (04:58) 7 Hero Worship (04:09) 8 6060‒842 (02:53) 9 Downtown (02:57) |
| The B‐52’s : Allmusic album Review : Even in the weird, quirky world of new wave and post-punk in the late 70s, the B-52s eponymous debut stood out as an original. Unabashed kitsch mavens at a time when their peers were either vulgar or stylish, the Athens quintet celebrated all the silliest aspects of pre-Beatles pop culture -- bad hairdos, sci-fi nightmares, dance crazes, pastels, and anything else that sprung into their minds -- to a skewed fusion of pop, surf, avant-garde, amateurish punk, and white funk. On paper, it sounds like a cerebral exercise, but it played like a party. The jerky, angular funk was irresistibly danceable, winning over listeners dubious of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilsons high-pitched, shrill close harmonies and Fred Schneiders campy, flamboyant vocalizing, pitched halfway between singing and speaking. Its all great fun, but it wouldnt have resonated throughout the years if the group hadnt written such incredibly infectious, memorable tunes as "Planet Claire," "Dance This Mess Around," and, of course, their signature tune, "Rock Lobster." These songs illustrated that the B-52s adoration of camp culture wasnt simply affectation -- it was a world view capable of turning out brilliant pop singles and, in turn, influencing mainstream pop culture. Its difficult to imagine the endless kitschy retro fads of the 80s and 90s without the B-52s pointing the way, but The B-52s isnt simply an historic artifact -- its a hell of a good time. | ||
 | Rank: 153 Album: 3 of 50 Artist: A Tribe Called Quest Title: The Low End Theory Released: 1991-09-24 Tracks: 15 Duration: 48:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Excursions (03:54) 2 Buggin’ Out (03:38) 3 Rap Promoter (02:13) 4 Butter (03:38) 5 Verses From the Abstract (03:58) 6 Show Business (03:53) 7 Vibes and Stuff (04:17) 8 The Infamous Date Rape (02:53) 9 Check the Rhime (03:36) 10 Everything Is Fair (02:58) 11 Jazz (We’ve Got) (04:10) 12 Skypager (02:12) 13 What? (02:28) 14 Scenario (04:10) 15 Check the Rhime (Mr. Mohammed mix) (?) |
| The Low End Theory : Allmusic album Review : While most of the players in the jazz-rap movement never quite escaped the pasted-on qualities of their vintage samples, with The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest created one of the closest and most brilliant fusions of jazz atmosphere and hip-hop attitude ever recorded. The rapping by Q-Tip and Phife Dawg could be the smoothest of any rap record ever heard; the pair are so in tune with each other, they sound like flip sides of the same personality, fluidly trading off on rhymes, with the former earning his nickname (the Abstract) and Phife concerning himself with the more concrete issues of being young, gifted, and black. The trio also takes on the rap game with a pair of hard-hitting tracks: "Rap Promoter" and "Show Business," the latter a lyrical soundclash with Q-Tip and Phife plus Brand Nubians Diamond D, Lord Jamar, and Sadat X. The woman problem gets investigated as well, on two realistic yet sensitive tracks, "Butter" and "The Infamous Date Rape." The productions behind these tracks arent quite skeletal, but theyre certainly not complex. Instead, Tribe weaves little more than a stand-up bass (sampled or, on one track, jazz luminary Ron Carter) and crisp, live-sounding drum programs with a few deftly placed samples or electric keyboards. Its a tribute to their unerring production sense that, with just those few tools, Tribe produced one of the best hip-hop albums in history, a record that sounds better with each listen. The Low End Theory is an unqualified success, the perfect marriage of intelligent, flowing raps to nuanced, groove-centered productions. | ||
 | Rank: 154 Album: 4 of 50 Artist: Howlin’ Wolf Title: Moanin’ in the Moonlight Released: 1959 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Moanin’ at Midnight (02:56) 2 How Many More Years (02:42) 3 Smokestack Lightnin’ (03:07) 4 Baby How Long (02:54) 5 No Place to Go (02:58) 6 All Night Boogie (02:15) 7 Evil (02:54) 8 I’m Leavin’ You (03:00) 9 Moaning for My Baby (02:49) 10 I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline) (02:51) 11 Forty Four (02:49) 12 Somebody in My Home (02:26) |
| Moanin’ in the Moonlight : Allmusic album Review : Moanin in the Moonlight was Howlin Wolfs first collection of sides for the Chess label, packed with great tunes and untouchable performances by the man himself. The last word in electric Chicago blues, Wolf was possessed of fine guitar and harp skills, a voice that could separate skin from bone, and a sheer magnetism and charisma that knew (and has known) no equal. This disc is outstanding throughout, and features some of his best sides, including "How Many More Years," "Smokestack Lightnin," "Evil," and "I Asked for Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)." Highly recommended for the uninitiated and a must for collectors. | ||
 | Rank: 155 Album: 5 of 50 Artist: Pretenders Title: Pretenders Released: 1980-01-04 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Precious (03:36) 2 The Phone Call (02:29) 3 Up the Neck (04:27) 4 Tattooed Love Boys (02:59) 5 Space Invader (03:26) 6 The Wait (03:35) 7 Stop Your Sobbing (02:38) 8 Kid (03:06) 9 Private Life (06:25) 10 Brass in Pocket (03:04) 11 Lovers of Today (05:51) 12 Mystery Achievement (05:23) |
 | Rank: 156 Album: 6 of 50 Artist: Beastie Boys Title: Paul’s Boutique Released: 1989-07-25 Tracks: 15 Duration: 53:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 To All the Girls (01:29) 2 Shake Your Rump (03:19) 3 Johnny Ryall (03:00) 4 Egg Man (02:57) 5 High Plains Drifter (04:13) 6 The Sounds of Science (03:11) 7 3‐Minute Rule (03:39) 8 Hey Ladies (03:47) 9 5‐Piece Chicken Dinner (00:23) 10 Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun (03:28) 11 Car Thief (03:39) 12 What Comes Around (03:07) 13 Shadrach (04:08) 14 Ask for Janice (00:11) 15 B‐Boy Bouillabaisse (12:33) |
| Paul’s Boutique : Allmusic album Review : Such was the power of Licensed to Ill that everybody, from fans to critics, thought that not only could the Beastie Boys not top the record, but that they were destined to be a one-shot wonder. These feelings were only amplified by their messy, litigious departure from Def Jam and their flight from their beloved New York to Los Angeles, since it appeared that the Beasties had completely lost the plot. Many critics in fact thought that Pauls Boutique was a muddled mess upon its summer release in 1989, but thats the nature of the record -- its so dense, its bewildering at first, revealing its considerable charms with each play. To put it mildly, its a considerable change from the hard rock of Licensed to Ill, shifting to layers of samples and beats so intertwined they move beyond psychedelic; its a painting with sound. Pauls Boutique is a record that only could have been made in a specific time and place. Like the Rolling Stones in 1972, the Beastie Boys were in exile and pining for their home, so they made a love letter to downtown New York -- which they could not have done without the Dust Brothers, a Los Angeles-based production duo who helped redefine what sampling could be with this record. Sadly, after Pauls Boutique sampling on the level of whats heard here would disappear; due to a series of lawsuits, most notably Gilbert OSullivans suit against Biz Markie, the entire enterprise too cost-prohibitive and risky to perform on such a grand scale. Which is really a shame, because if ever a record could be used as incontrovertible proof that sampling is its own art form, its Pauls Boutique. Snatches of familiar music are scattered throughout the record -- anything from Curtis Mayfields "Superfly" and Sly Stones "Loose Booty" to Loggins & Messinas "Your Mama Dont Dance" and the Ramones "Suzy Is a Headbanger" -- but never once are they presented in lazy, predictable ways. The Dust Brothers and Beasties weave a crazy-quilt of samples, beats, loops, and tricks, which creates a hyper-surreal alternate reality -- a romanticized, funhouse reflection of New York where all pop music and culture exist on the same strata, feeding off each other, mocking each other, evolving into a wholly unique record, unlike anything that came before or after. It very well could be that its density is what alienated listeners and critics at the time; there is so much information in the music and words that it can seem impenetrable at first, but upon repeated spins it opens up slowly, assuredly, revealing more every listen. Musically, few hip-hop records have ever been so rich; its not just the recontextulations of familiar music via samples, its the flow of each song and the album as a whole, culminating in the widescreen suite that closes the record. Lyrically, the Beasties have never been better -- not just because their jokes are razor-sharp, but because they construct full-bodied narratives and evocative portraits of characters and places. Few pop records offer this much to savor, and if Pauls Boutique only made a modest impact upon its initial release, over time its influence could be heard through pop and rap, yet no matter how its influence was felt, it stands alone as a record of stunning vision, maturity, and accomplishment. Plus, its a hell of a lot of fun, no matter how many times youve heard it. | ||
 | Rank: 157 Album: 7 of 50 Artist: Joy Division Title: Closer Released: 1980-07-18 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Atrocity Exhibition (06:04) 2 Isolation (02:53) 3 Passover (04:46) 4 Colony (03:55) 5 A Means to an End (04:05) 6 Heart and Soul (05:50) 7 Twenty Four Hours (04:26) 8 The Eternal (06:06) 9 Decades (06:09) |
| Closer : Allmusic album Review : If Unknown Pleasures was Joy Division at their most obsessively, carefully focused, ten songs yet of a piece, Closer was the sprawl, the chaotic explosion that went every direction at once. Who knows what the next path would have been had Ian Curtis not chosen his end? But steer away from the rereading of his every lyric after that date; treat Closer as what everyone else thought it was at first -- simply the next album -- and Joy Divisions power just seems to have grown. Martin Hannett was still producing, but seems to have taken as many chances as the band itself throughout -- differing mixes, differing atmospheres, new twists and turns define the entirety of Closer, songs suddenly returned in chopped-up, crumpled form, ending on hiss and random notes. Opener "Atrocity Exhibition" was arguably the most fractured thing the band had yet recorded, Bernard Sumners teeth-grinding guitar and Stephen Morris Can-on-speed drumming making for one heck of a strange start. Keyboards also took the fore more so than ever -- the drowned pianos underpinning Curtis shadowy moan on "The Eternal," the squirrelly lead synth on the energetic but scared-out-of-its-wits "Isolation," and above all else "Decades," the album ender of album enders. A long slow crawl down and out, Curtis portrait of lost youth inevitably applied to himself soon after, its sepulchral string-synths are practically a requiem. Songs like "Heart and Soul" and especially the jaw-dropping, wrenching "Twenty Four Hours," as perfect a demonstration of the tension/release or soft/loud approach as will ever be heard, simply intensify the experience. Joy Division were at the height of their powers on Closer, equaling and arguably bettering the astonishing Unknown Pleasures, thats how accomplished the four members were. Rock, however defined, rarely seems and sounds so important, so vital, and so impossible to resist or ignore as here. | ||
 | Rank: 158 Album: 8 of 50 Artist: Elton John Title: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Released: 1975-05-19 Tracks: 10 Duration: 46:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (05:46) 2 Tower of Babel (04:28) 3 Bitter Fingers (04:34) 4 Tell Me When the Whistle Blows (04:20) 5 Someone Saved My Life Tonight (06:46) 6 (Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket (04:01) 7 Better Off Dead (02:37) 8 Writing (03:40) 9 We All Fall in Love Sometimes (04:16) 10 Curtains (06:16) |
| Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy : Allmusic album Review : Sitting atop the charts in 1975, Elton John and Bernie Taupin recalled their rise to power in Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, their first explicitly conceptual effort since Tumbleweed Connection. Its no coincidence that its their best album since then, showcasing each at the peak of his power, as John crafts supple, elastic, versatile pop and Taupins inscrutable wordplay is evocative, even moving. Whats best about the record is that it works best of a piece -- although it entered the charts at number one, this only had one huge hit in "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," which sounds even better here, since it tidily fits into the musical and lyrical themes. And although the musical skill on display here is dazzling, as it bounces between country and hard rock within the same song, this is certainly a grower. The album needs time to reveal its treasures, but once it does, it rivals Tumbleweed in terms of sheer consistency and eclipses it in scope, capturing John and Taupin at a pinnacle. They collapsed in hubris and excess not long afterward -- Rock of the Westies, which followed just months later is as scattered as this is focused -- but this remains a testament to the strengths of their creative partnership. | ||
 | Rank: 159 Album: 9 of 50 Artist: KISS Title: Alive! Released: 1975-09-10 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:12:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Deuce (03:32) 2 Strutter (03:22) 3 Got to Choose (03:40) 4 Hotter Than Hell (03:11) 5 Firehouse (03:50) 6 Nothin’ to Lose (03:33) 7 C’mon and Love Me (02:52) 8 Parasite (03:21) 9 She (06:42) 1 Watchin’ You (03:37) 2 100,000 Years (11:52) 3 Black Diamond (05:21) 4 Rock Bottom (03:08) 5 Cold Gin (05:21) 6 Rock and Roll All Nite (03:37) 7 Let Me Go Rock and Roll (05:09) |
| Alive! : Allmusic album Review : Alive! was the album that catapulted Kiss from cult attraction to mega-superstars. It was their first Top Ten album, remaining on the charts for 110 weeks. Culled from shows in Detroit, New Jersey, Iowa, and Cleveland on the Dressed to Kill tour, the record features producer Eddie Kramer doing a masterful job of capturing the bands live performance on record. The bands youthful energy is contagious, and with positively electric versions of their best early material, its no mystery why Alive! is widely regarded as one of the greatest live hard rock recordings of all time. "Rock and Roll All Nite" became a Top 20 smash and was the main reason for the albums success, but there are many other tracks that are just as strong -- "Deuce," "Strutter," "Firehouse," "Parasite," "She," "100,000 Years," "Black Diamond," and "Cold Gin" all shine in a live setting. Although theres been some speculation of extensive overdubbing to correct mistakes, Alive! remains Kiss greatest album ever. An essential addition to any rock collection. | ||
 | Rank: 160 Album: 10 of 50 Artist: T. Rex Title: Electric Warrior Released: 1971-09-24 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mambo Sun (03:41) 2 Cosmic Dancer (04:30) 3 Jeepster (04:12) 4 Monolith (03:49) 5 Lean Woman Blues (03:03) 6 Bang a Gong (Get It On) (04:26) 7 Planet Queen (03:13) 8 Girl (02:32) 9 The Motivator (04:00) 10 Life’s a Gas (02:24) 11 Rip Off (03:40) |
| Electric Warrior : Allmusic album Review : The album that essentially kick-started the U.K. glam rock craze, Electric Warrior completes T. Rexs transformation from hippie folk-rockers into flamboyant avatars of trashy rock & roll. There are a few vestiges of those early days remaining in the acoustic-driven ballads, but Electric Warrior spends most of its time in a swinging, hip-shaking groove powered by Marc Bolans warm electric guitar. The music recalls not just the catchy simplicity of early rock & roll, but also the implicit sexuality -- except that here, Bolan gleefully hauls it to the surface, singing out loud what was once only communicated through the shimmying beat. He takes obvious delight in turning teenage bubblegum rock into campy sleaze, not to mention filling it with pseudo-psychedelic hippie poetry. In fact, Bolan sounds just as obsessed with the heavens as he does with sex, whether hes singing about spiritual mysticism or begging a flying saucer to take him away. Its all done with the same theatrical flair, but Tony Viscontis spacious, echoing production makes it surprisingly convincing. Still, the real reason Electric Warrior stands the test of time so well -- despite its intended disposability -- is that it revels so freely in its own absurdity and willful lack of substance. Not taking himself at all seriously, Bolan is free to pursue whatever silly wordplay, cosmic fantasies, or non sequitur imagery he feels like; his abandonment of any pretense to art becomes, ironically, a statement in itself. Bolans lack of pomposity, back-to-basics songwriting, and elaborate theatrics went on to influence everything from hard rock to punk to new wave. But in the end, its that sense of playfulness, combined with a raft of irresistible hooks, that keeps Electric Warrior such an infectious, invigorating listen today. | ||
 | Rank: 161 Album: 11 of 50 Artist: Otis Redding Title: The Dock of the Bay Released: 1968-02-23 Tracks: 11 Duration: 31:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay (02:42) 2 I Love You More Than Words Can Say (02:56) 3 Let Me Come on Home (02:54) 4 Open the Door (02:25) 5 Don’t Mess With Cupid (02:33) 6 The Glory of Love (02:59) 7 I’m Coming Home to See About You (03:03) 8 Tramp (03:03) 9 The Huckle‐Buck (03:05) 10 Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out) (03:10) 11 Ole Man Trouble (02:35) |
| The Dock of the Bay : Allmusic album Review : It was never supposed to be like this: "(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay" was supposed to mark the beginning of a new phase in Otis Reddings career, not an ending. Producer/guitarist Steve Cropper had a difficult task to perform in pulling together this album, the first of several posthumous releases issued by Stax/Volt in the wake of Reddings death. What could have been a cash-in effort or a grim memorial album instead became a vivid, exciting presentation of some key aspects of the talent that was lost when Redding died. Dock of the Bay is, indeed, a mixed bag of singles and B-sides going back to July of 1965, one hit duet with Carla Thomas, and two, previously unissued tracks from 1966 and 1967. Theres little cohesion, stylistic or otherwise, in the songs, especially when the title track is taken into consideration -- nothing else here resembles it, for the obvious reason that Redding never had a chance to follow it up. Despite the mix-and-match nature of the album, however, this is an impossible record not to love. Cropper chose his tracks well, selecting some of the strongest and most unusual among the late singers orphaned songs: "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" is one of Reddings most passionate performances; "Let Me Come on Home" presents an ebullient Redding accompanied by some sharp playing, and "Dont Mess with Cupid" begins with a gorgeous guitar flourish and blooms into an intense, pounding, soaring showcase for singer and band alike. No one could complain about the album then, and it still holds more than four decades later. | ||
 | Rank: 162 Album: 12 of 50 Artist: Radiohead Title: OK Computer Released: 1997-05-21 Tracks: 12 Duration: 53:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Airbag (04:44) 2 Paranoid Android (06:23) 3 Subterranean Homesick Alien (04:27) 4 Exit Music (for a Film) (04:24) 5 Let Down (04:59) 6 Karma Police (04:22) 7 Fitter Happier (01:57) 8 Electioneering (03:50) 9 Climbing Up the Walls (04:45) 10 No Surprises (03:48) 11 Lucky (04:19) 12 The Tourist (05:24) |
| OK Computer : Allmusic album Review : Using the textured soundscapes of The Bends as a launching pad, Radiohead delivered another startlingly accomplished set of modern guitar rock with OK Computer. The anthemic guitar heroics present on Pablo Honey and even The Bends are nowhere to be heard here. Radiohead have stripped away many of the obvious elements of guitar rock, creating music that is subtle and textured yet still has the feeling of rock & roll. Even at its most adventurous -- such as the complex, multi-segmented "Paranoid Android" -- the band is tight, melodic, and muscular, and Thom Yorkes voice effortlessly shifts from a sweet falsetto to vicious snarls. Its a thoroughly astonishing demonstration of musical virtuosity and becomes even more impressive with repeated listens, which reveal subtleties like electronica rhythms, eerie keyboards, odd time signatures, and complex syncopations. Yet all of this would simply be showmanship if the songs werent strong in themselves, and OK Computer is filled with moody masterpieces, from the shimmering "Subterranean Homesick Alien" and the sighing "Karma Police" to the gothic crawl of "Exit Music (For a Film)." OK Computer is the album that established Radiohead as one of the most inventive and rewarding guitar rock bands of the 90s. | ||
 | Rank: 163 Album: 13 of 50 Artist: Prince Title: 1999 Released: 1982-10-27 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:10:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 1999 (06:16) 2 Little Red Corvette (05:03) 3 Delirious (04:00) 4 Let’s Pretend We’re Married (07:21) 5 D.M.S.R. (08:17) 6 Automatic (09:28) 7 Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) (04:02) 8 Free (05:08) 9 Lady Cab Driver (08:19) 10 All the Critics Love U in New York (05:59) 11 International Lover (06:37) |
| 1999 : Allmusic album Review : With Dirty Mind, Prince had established a wild fusion of funk, rock, new wave, and soul that signaled he was an original, maverick talent, but it failed to win him a large audience. After delivering the sound-alike album, Controversy, Prince revamped his sound and delivered the double album 1999. Where his earlier albums had been a fusion of organic and electronic sounds, 1999 was constructed almost entirely on synthesizers by Prince himself. Naturally, the effect was slightly more mechanical and robotic than his previous work and strongly recalled the electro-funk experiments of several underground funk and hip-hop artists at the time. Prince had also constructed an album dominated by computer funk, but he didnt simply rely on the extended instrumental grooves to carry the album -- he didnt have to when his songwriting was improving by leaps and bounds. The first side of the record contained all of the hit singles, and, unsurprisingly, they were the ones that contained the least amount of electronics. "1999" parties to the apocalypse with a P-Funk groove much tighter than anything George Clinton ever did, "Little Red Corvette" is pure pop, and "Delirious" takes rockabilly riffs into the computer age. After that opening salvo, all the rules go out the window -- "Lets Pretend Were Married" is a salacious extended lust letter, "Free" is an elegiac anthem, "All the Critics Love U in New York" is a vicious attack at hipsters, and "Lady Cab Driver," with its notorious bridge, is the culmination of all of his sexual fantasies. Sure, Prince stretches out a bit too much over the course of 1999, but the result is a stunning display of raw talent, not wallowing indulgence. | ||
 | Rank: 164 Album: 14 of 50 Artist: Linda Ronstadt Title: The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt Released: 2002-09-24 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:08:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 When Will I Be Loved? (02:09) 2 Heat Wave (02:47) 3 You’re No Good (03:43) 4 It’s So Easy (02:27) 5 Blue Bayou (03:54) 6 Just One Look (03:17) 7 Different Drum (02:38) 8 Poor, Poor Pitiful Me (03:42) 9 Tracks of My Tears (03:14) 10 That’ll Be the Day (02:34) 11 Ooh Baby Baby (03:19) 12 Long Long Time (04:23) 13 Back in the U.S.A. (03:01) 14 Love Is a Rose (02:48) 15 Hurt So Bad (03:13) 16 Heart Like a Wheel (03:10) 17 Adios (03:36) 18 Somewhere Out There (04:00) 19 Don’t Know Much (03:34) 20 All My Life (03:30) 21 Winter Light (03:17) |
 | Rank: 165 Album: 15 of 50 Artist: Marvin Gaye Title: Let’s Get It On Released: 1973-08-28 Tracks: 37 Duration: 2:27:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Let’s Get It On (04:52) 2 Please Stay (Once You Go Away) (03:30) 3 If I Should Die Tonight (03:59) 4 Keep Gettin’ It On (03:13) 5 Come Get to This (02:41) 6 Distant Lover (04:16) 7 You Sure Love to Ball (04:44) 8 Just to Keep You Satisfied (04:30) 9 Song #3 (instrumental) (05:28) 10 My Love Is Growing (04:20) 11 Cakes (instrumental) (03:14) 12 Symphony (undubbed version) (02:51) 13 Id Give My Life for You (alternate mix) (03:29) 14 I Love You Secretly (04:18) 15 Youre the Man (alternate version 1) (07:24) 16 Youre the Man (alternate version 2) (04:44) 17 Symphony (demo vocal) (02:48) 1 Lets Get It On (demo) (05:12) 2 Lets Get It On, Part II A.K.A. Keep Gettin It On (complete) (03:13) 3 Please Stay (Once You Go Away) (alternate mix) (03:52) 4 If I Should Die Tonight (demo) (04:13) 5 Come Get to This (alternate mix) (03:07) 6 Distant Lover (alternate mix) (04:32) 7 You Sure Love to Ball (alternate mix with alternate vocal) (05:06) 8 Just to Keep You Satisfied (a cappella with alternate vocal) (04:38) 9 Just to Keep You Satisfied (04:00) 10 Just to Keep You Satisfied (03:10) 11 Where Are We Going? (alternate mix) (03:56) 12 The World Is Rated X (alternate mix) (03:52) 13 Im Gonna Give You Respect (02:56) 14 Try It, Youll Like It (03:57) 15 You Are That Special One (03:38) 16 We Can Make It Baby (03:22) 17 Running From Love (instrumental) (version 1) (03:47) 18 Mandota (instrumental) (03:26) 19 Running From Love (instrumental) (version 2) (03:54) 20 Come Get to This (live) (03:00) |
| Let’s Get It On : Allmusic album Review : After brilliantly surveying the social, political, and spiritual landscape with Whats Going On, Marvin Gaye turned to more intimate matters with Lets Get It On, a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy. Always a sexually charged performer, Gayes passions reach their boiling point on tracks like the magnificent title hit (a number one smash) and "You Sure Love to Ball"; silky and shimmering, the music is seductive in the most literal sense, its fluid grooves so perfectly designed for romance as to border on parody. With each performance laced with innuendo, each lyric a come-on, and each rhythm throbbing with lust, perhaps no other record has ever achieved the kind of sheer erotic force of Lets Get It On, and it remains the blueprint for all of the slow jams to follow decades later -- much copied, but never imitated. | ||
 | Rank: 166 Album: 16 of 50 Artist: Elvis Costello & The Attractions Title: Imperial Bedroom Released: 1982-07-02 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:00:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Beyond Belief (02:34) 2 Tears Before Bedtime (03:03) 3 Shabby Doll (04:49) 4 The Long Honeymoon (04:16) 5 Man Out of Time (05:27) 6 Almost Blue (02:50) 7 …And in Every Home (03:24) 8 The Loved Ones (02:48) 9 Human Hands (02:43) 10 Kid About It (02:45) 11 Little Savage (02:37) 12 Boy With a Problem (02:13) 13 Pidgin English (03:59) 14 You Little Fool (03:11) 15 Town Cryer (04:15) 1 The Land of Give and Take (early version of Beyond Belief) (03:05) 2 Tears Before Bedtime (alternate version) (03:03) 3 Man out of Time (alternate version) (03:43) 4 Human Hands (alternate version) (02:44) 5 Kid About It (alternate version) (03:18) 6 Little Savage (alternate version) (03:07) 7 You Little Fool (alternate version) (02:59) 8 Town Cryer (fast version) (02:15) 9 Little Goody Two Shoes (alternate version) (03:10) 10 The Town Where Time Stood Still (alternate version) (02:57) 11 …And in Every Home (rehearsal) (03:12) 12 I Turn Around (02:10) 13 From Head to Toe (02:35) 14 The World of Broken Hearts (03:03) 15 Night Time (02:55) 16 Really Mystified (02:05) 17 The Stamping Ground (03:10) 18 Shabby Doll (demo) (04:21) 19 Man Out of Time (demo) (03:27) 20 You Little Fool (demo) (03:11) 21 Town Cryer (demo) (03:03) 22 Seconds of Pleasure (demo) (03:19) 23 Imperial Bedroom (02:48) |
| Imperial Bedroom : Allmusic album Review : Having gotten country out of his system with Almost Blue, Elvis Costello returned to pop music with Imperial Bedroom -- and it was pop in the classic, Tin Pan Alley sense. Costello chose to hire Geoff Emerick, who engineered all of the Beatles most ambitious records, to produce Imperial Bedroom, which indicates what it sounds like -- its traditional pop with a post-Sgt. Pepper production. Essentially, the songs on Imperial Bedroom are an extension of Costellos jazz and pop infatuations on Trust. Costellos music is complex and intricate, yet it flows so smoothly, its easy to miss the bitter, brutal lyrics. The interweaving layers of "Beyond Belief" and the whirlwind intro are the most overtly dark sounds on the record, with most of the album given over to the orchestrated, melancholy torch songs and pop singles. Never once do Costello & the Attractions deliver a rock & roll song -- the album is all about sonic detail, from the accordion on "The Long Honeymoon" to the lilting strings on "Town Cryer." Of course, the detail and the ornate arrangements immediately peg Imperial Bedroom as Costellos most ambitious album, but that doesnt mean its his absolute masterpiece. Imperial Bedroom remains one of Costellos essential records because it is the culmination of his ambitions and desires -- its where he proves that he can play with the big boys, both as a songwriter and a record-maker. It may not have been a commercial blockbuster, but it certainly earned the respect of legions of musicians and critics who would have previously disdained such a punk rocker. And, perhaps, thats also the reason that he abandoned this immaculately crafted style of work on his next album, Punch the Clock. | ||
 | Rank: 167 Album: 17 of 50 Artist: Metallica Title: Master of Puppets Released: 1986-02-21 Tracks: 8 Duration: 54:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Battery (05:12) 2 Master of Puppets (08:35) 3 The Thing That Should Not Be (06:36) 4 Welcome Home (Sanitarium) (06:27) 5 Disposable Heroes (08:16) 6 Leper Messiah (05:40) 7 Orion (08:27) 8 Damage, Inc. (05:31) |
| Master of Puppets : Allmusic album Review : Even though Master of Puppets didnt take as gigantic a leap forward as Ride the Lightning, it was the bands greatest achievement, hailed as a masterpiece by critics far outside heavy metals core audience. It was also a substantial hit, reaching the Top 30 and selling three million copies despite absolutely nonexistent airplay. Instead of a radical reinvention, Master of Puppets is a refinement of past innovations. In fact, its possible to compare Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets song for song and note striking similarities between corresponding track positions on each record (although Lightnings closing instrumental has been bumped up to next-to-last in Masters running order). That hint of conservatism is really the only conceivable flaw here. Though it isnt as startling as Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets feels more unified, both thematically and musically. Everything about it feels blown up to epic proportions (indeed, the songs are much longer on average), and the band feels more in control of its direction. Youd never know it by the lyrics, though -- in one way or another, nearly every song on Master of Puppets deals with the fear of powerlessness. Sometimes theyre about hypocritical authority (military and religious leaders), sometimes primal, uncontrollable human urges (drugs, insanity, rage), and, in true H.P. Lovecraft fashion, sometimes monsters. Yet by bookending the album with two slices of thrash mayhem ("Battery" and "Damage, Inc."), the band reigns triumphant through sheer force -- of sound, of will, of malice. The arrangements are thick and muscular, and the material varies enough in texture and tempo to hold interest through all its twists and turns. Some critics have called Master of Puppets the best heavy metal album ever recorded; if it isnt, it certainly comes close. [In 2017 the band released a massive expanded edition of the album with a variety of physical package options, the most ambitious of which was an exhaustive box set that included a hardcover book, outtakes and previously unreleased interviews, three LPs, ten CDs, a cassette, two DVDs, a lithograph, a folder with handwritten lyrics, and a set of six buttons.] | ||
 | Rank: 168 Album: 18 of 50 Artist: Elvis Costello Title: My Aim Is True Released: 1977-07-22 Tracks: 22 Duration: 1:00:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Welcome to the Working Week (01:23) 2 Miracle Man (03:33) 3 No Dancing (02:43) 4 Blame It on Cain (02:49) 5 Alison (03:24) 6 Sneaky Feelings (02:12) 7 (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes (02:49) 8 Less Than Zero (03:15) 9 Mystery Dance (01:38) 10 Pay It Back (02:35) 11 I’m Not Angry (03:01) 12 Waiting for the End of the World (03:26) 13 Watching the Detectives (03:57) 14 Radio Sweetheart (02:28) 15 Stranger in the House (03:06) 16 Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver) (03:40) 17 Mystery Dance (Honky Tonk demo) (02:19) 18 Cheap Reward (Honky Tonk demo) (02:18) 19 Jump Up (Honky Tonk demo) (02:08) 20 Wave a White Flag (Honky Tonk demo) (01:55) 21 Blame It on Cain (Honky Tonk demo) (03:32) 22 Poison Moon (Honky Tonk demo) (01:55) |
| My Aim Is True : Allmusic album Review : Elvis Costello was as much a pub rocker as he was a punk rocker and nowhere is that more evident than on his debut, My Aim Is True. Its not just that Clover, a San Franciscan rock outfit led by Huey Lewis (absent here), back him here, not the Attractions; its that his sensibility is borrowed from the pile-driving rock & roll and folksy introspection of pub rockers like Brinsley Schwarz, adding touches of cult singer/songwriters like Randy Newman and David Ackles. Then, theres the infusion of pure nastiness and cynical humor, which is pure Costello. That blend of classicist sensibilities and cleverness make this collection of shiny roots rock a punk record -- it informs his nervy performances and his prickly songs. Of all classic punk debuts, this remains perhaps the most idiosyncratic because its not cathartic in sound, only in spirit. Which, of course, meant that it could play to a broader audience, and Linda Ronstadt did indeed cover the standout ballad "Alison." Still, theres no mistaking this for anything other than a punk record, and its a terrific one at that, since even if he buries his singer/songwriter inclinations, they shine through as brightly as his cheerfully mean humor and immense musical skill; he sounds as comfortable with a 50s knockoff like "No Dancing" as he does on the reggae-inflected "Less Than Zero." Costello went on to more ambitious territory fairly quickly, but My Aim Is True is a phenomenal debut, capturing a songwriter and musician whose words were as rich and clever as his music. | ||
 | Rank: 169 Album: 19 of 50 Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers Title: Exodus Released: 1977-06-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Natural Mystic (03:27) 2 So Much Things to Say (03:07) 3 Guiltiness (03:19) 4 The Heathen (02:32) 5 Exodus (07:39) 6 Jamming (03:32) 7 Waiting in Vain (04:15) 8 Turn Your Lights Down Low (03:39) 9 Three Little Birds (03:00) 10 One Love / People Get Ready (02:52) |
| Exodus : Allmusic album Review : After the success of 1974s Natty Dread and 1976s Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley was not only the most successful reggae musician in the world, he was one of the most powerful men in Jamaica. Powerful enough, in fact, that he was shot by gunmen who broke into his home in December 1976, days before he was to play a massive free concert intended to ease tensions days before a contentious election for Jamaican Prime Minister. In the wake of the assassination attempt, Marley and his band left Jamaica and settled in London for two years, where he recorded 1977s Exodus. Thematically, Exodus represented a subtle but significant shift for Marley; while he continued to speak out against political corruption and for freedom and equality for Third World people, his lyrics dealt less with specifics and more with generalities and the need for peace and love (though "So Much Things to Say," "Guiltiness," and "The Heathen" demonstrate the bullets had taken only so much sting out of Marleys lyrics). And while songs like "Exodus" and "One Love/People Get Ready" were anthemic, they also had less to say than the more pointed material from Marleys earlier albums. However, if Marley had become more wary in his point of view (and not without good cause), his skill as a songwriter was as strong as ever, and Exodus boasted more than a few classics, including the title song, "Three Little Birds," "Waiting in Vain," and "Turn Your Lights Down Low," tunes that defined Marleys gift for sounding laid-back and incisive at once. His gifts as a vocalist were near their peak on these sessions, bringing a broad range of emotional color to his performances, and this lineup of the Wailers -- anchored by bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett, drummer Carlton Barrett, and guitarist Julian "Junior" Murvin -- is superb, effortlessly in the pocket throughout. Exodus was recorded at a time when Bob Marley was learning about the unexpected costs of international stardom, but it hadnt yet sapped his creative strengths, and this is one of the finest albums in his stellar catalog. | ||
 | Rank: 170 Album: 20 of 50 Artist: The Who Title: Live at Leeds Released: 1970-05-16 Tracks: 6 Duration: 37:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Young Man Blues (04:51) 2 Substitute (02:21) 3 Summertime Blues (03:29) 4 Shakin’ All Over (04:30) 5 My Generation (14:34) 6 Magic Bus (07:54) |
 | Rank: 171 Album: 21 of 50 Artist: The Byrds Title: The Notorious Byrd Brothers Released: 1968-01-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 28:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Artificial Energy (02:18) 2 Goin’ Back (03:27) 3 Natural Harmony (02:19) 4 Draft Morning (02:40) 5 Wasn’t Born to Follow (02:04) 6 Get to You (02:39) 7 Change Is Now (03:21) 8 Old John Robertson (01:48) 9 Tribal Gathering (02:03) 10 Dolphins Smile (01:59) 11 Space Odyssey (03:52) |
 | Rank: 172 Album: 22 of 50 Artist: Rod Stewart Title: Every Picture Tells a Story Released: 1971 Tracks: 8 Duration: 40:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Every Picture Tells a Story (06:00) 2 Seems Like a Long Time (04:03) 3 That’s All Right (06:00) 4 Tomorrow Is Such a Long Time (03:44) 5 Maggie May (05:47) 6 Mandolin Wind (05:33) 7 (I Know) I’m Losing You (05:23) 8 Reason to Believe (04:08) |
| Every Picture Tells a Story : Allmusic album Review : Without greatly altering his approach, Rod Stewart perfected his blend of hard rock, folk, and blues on his masterpiece, Every Picture Tells a Story. Marginally a harder-rocking album than Gasoline Alley -- the Faces blister on the Temptations cover "(I Know Im) Losing You," and the acoustic title track goes into hyper-drive with Mick Wallers primitive drumming -- the great triumph of Every Picture Tells a Story lies in its content. Every song on the album, whether its a cover or original, is a gem, combining to form a romantic, earthy portrait of a young man joyously celebrating his young life. Of course, "Maggie May" -- the ornate, ringing ode about a seduction from an older woman -- is the centerpiece, but each song, whether its the devilishly witty title track or the unbearably poignant "Mandolin Wind," has the same appeal. And the covers, including definitive readings of Bob Dylans "Tomorrow Is Such a Long Time" and Tim Hardins "Reason to Believe," as well as a rollicking "Thats All Right," are equally terrific, bringing new dimension to the songs. Its a beautiful album, one that has the timeless qualities of the best folk, yet one that rocks harder than most pop music -- few rock albums are quite this powerful or this rich. | ||
 | Rank: 173 Album: 23 of 50 Artist: Todd Rundgren Title: Something/Anything? Released: 1972-02-15 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:35:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Saw The Light (03:00) 2 It Wouldn’t Have Made Any Difference (03:50) 3 Wolfman Jack (02:56) 4 Cold Morning Light (03:35) 5 It Takes Two to Tango (This Is for the Girls) (02:41) 6 Sweeter Memories (03:36) 7 Intro (01:11) 8 Breathless (03:15) 9 The Night The Carousel Burned Down (04:28) 10 Saving Grace (04:12) 11 Marlene (03:54) 12 Song of the Viking (02:36) 13 I Went To The Mirror (04:03) 1 Black Maria (05:20) 2 One More Day (No Word) (03:43) 3 Couldn’t I Just Tell You (03:36) 4 Torch Song (02:53) 5 Little Red Lights (04:50) 6 Overture: My Roots: Money (Thats What I Want) / Messin With The Kid (02:28) 7 Dust in the Wind (03:49) 8 Piss Aaron (03:26) 9 Hello Its Me (04:37) 10 Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me (03:59) 11 You Left Me Sore (03:13) 12 Slut (04:03) 13 It Wouldnt Have Made Any Difference (Bearsville Sound Studio B) (04:04) 14 Something / Anything Promos, #1 - #6 (01:54) |
| Something/Anything? : Allmusic album Review : After two albums, Todd Rundgren had one hit and a burgeoning cult following, plus growing respect as a hitmaking record producer. Theres no question he was busy, but as it turns out, all this work only scratched the surface of his ambition. He had decided to abandon the Runt pretense and recorded a full double album by himself (save for one side). Others had recorded one-man albums before, most notably Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, but Rundgren -- without borrowing musically from either artist -- captured the homemade ambience of McCartney with the visionary feel of Music of My Mind, adding an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music from Gilbert & Sullivan through Jimi Hendrix, plus the crazed zeal of a pioneer. Listening to Something/Anything? is a mind-altering trip in itself, no matter how many instantly memorable, shamelessly accessible pop songs are scattered throughout the album. Each side of the double album is a concept onto itself. The first side is "a bouquet of ear-catching melodies"; side two is "the cerebral side"; on side three "the kid gets heavy"; side four is his mock pop operetta, recorded with a full band including the Sales brothers. It gallops through everything -- Carole King tributes ("I Saw the Light"), classic ballads ("Hello Its Me," "It Wouldnt Have Made Any Difference"), Motown ("Wolfman Jack"), blinding power pop ("Couldnt I Just Tell You"), psychedelic hard rock ("Black Maria"), pure weirdness ("I Went to the Mirror"), blue-eyed soul ("Dust in the Wind"), and scores of brilliant songs that dont fall into any particular style ("Cold Morning Light," "It Takes Two to Tango"). Its an amazing journey thats remarkably unpretentious. He may have contributed self-penned liner notes, but Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, and he also indulges his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. Something/Anything? has a ton of loose ends throughout: plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context -- theyre what makes the album into a kaleidoscopic odyssey through the mind of an insanely gifted pop music obsessive. Rundgren occasionally touched on the sheer brilliance of Something/Anything? in his later work, but this extraordinary double album is the one time where his classicist songcraft and messy genius converged to create an utterly unique, glorious record. | ||
 | Rank: 174 Album: 24 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Desire Released: 1976-01-05 Tracks: 9 Duration: 56:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hurricane (08:33) 2 Isis (06:58) 3 Mozambique (03:01) 4 One More Cup of Coffee (03:46) 5 Oh, Sister (04:03) 6 Joey (11:05) 7 Romance in Durango (05:44) 8 Black Diamond Bay (07:30) 9 Sara (05:29) |
| Desire : Allmusic album Review : If Blood on the Tracks was an unapologetically intimate affair, Desire is unwieldy and messy, the deliberate work of a collective. And while Bob Dylan directly addresses his crumbling relationship with his wife, Sara, on the final track, Desire is hardly as personal as its predecessor, finding Dylan returning to topical songwriting and folk tales for the core of the record. Its all over the map, as far as songwriting goes, and so is it musically, capturing Dylan at the beginning of the Rolling Thunder Revue era, which was more notable for its chaos than its music. And, so its only fitting that Desire fits that description as well, as it careens between surging folk-rock, Mideastern dirges, skipping pop, and epic narratives. Its little surprise that Desire doesnt quite gel, yet it retains its own character -- really, theres no other place where Dylan tried as many different styles, as many weird detours, as he does here. And, theres something to be said for its rambling, sprawling character, which has a charm of its own. Even so, the record would have been assisted by a more consistent set of songs; there are some masterpieces here, though: "Hurricane" is the best-known, but the effervescent "Mozambique" is Dylan at his breeziest, "Sara" at his most nakedly emotional, and "Isis" is one of his very best songs of the 70s, a hypnotic, contemporized spin on a classic fable. This may not add up to a masterpiece, but it does result in one of his most fascinating records of the 70s and 80s -- more intriguing, lyrically and musically, than most of his latter-day affairs. | ||
 | Rank: 175 Album: 25 of 50 Artist: Carpenters Title: Close to You Released: 1970-08-19 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 We’ve Only Just Begun (03:05) 2 Love Is Surrender (01:59) 3 Maybe It’s You (03:05) 4 Reason to Believe (03:04) 5 Help (03:05) 6 (They Long to Be) Close to You (04:36) 7 Baby It’s You (02:52) 8 I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (03:00) 9 Crescent Noon (04:13) 10 Mr. Guder (03:15) 11 I Kept on Loving You (02:17) 12 Another Song (04:25) |
| Close to You : Allmusic album Review : Hurriedly put together in the wake of the success of the title song, and containing the follow-up hit "Weve Only Just Begun," Close to You is a surprisingly strong album, and not just for those hits. Richard Carpenters originals "Maybe Its You" and "Crescent Noon" are superb showcases for Karen Carpenters developing talent, the latter a superbly atmospheric, hauntingly beautiful art song of the kind that Judy Collins was doing well at the time, and gorgeously arranged. Theres also a Swingle Singers-style number, "Mr. Guder," showing off their paired vocal talents and more of Richards arranging talents. Karens singing on "Reason to Believe" isnt so much somber as it is passionate, as she emphasizes the melancholy component in the song more than most versions. Their version of "Help" lacks the inventiveness of "Ticket to Ride," although it has some pleasing vocal flourishes. The finale, "Another Song," tries hard for a serious rock sound, especially in Karens animated drumming, but its her voice that stands out. Released amid the political turmoil of 1970, in the wake of the Cambodian incursion, Kent State, and the conservative backlash against the antiwar forces, there was no way that the rock press or the most politically active listeners were going to appreciate this record, but the fact that it had two huge hit singles and earned a gold record award raised their ire against the Carpenters, a problem that would dog the duo for most of its career. But the public bought, and kept on buying. | ||
 | Rank: 176 Album: 26 of 50 Artist: Aerosmith Title: Rocks Released: 1976 Tracks: 9 Duration: 34:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Back in the Saddle (04:40) 2 Last Child (03:26) 3 Rats in the Cellar (04:06) 4 Combination (03:40) 5 Sick as a Dog (04:12) 6 Nobody’s Fault (04:23) 7 Get the Lead Out (03:41) 8 Lick and a Promise (03:05) 9 Home Tonight (03:16) |
| Rocks : Allmusic album Review : Few albums have been so appropriately named as Aerosmiths 1976 classic Rocks. Despite hard drug use escalating among bandmembers, Aerosmith produced a superb follow-up to their masterwork Toys in the Attic, nearly topping it in the process. Many Aero fans will point to Toys as the bands quintessential album (it contained two radio/concert standards after all, "Walk This Way" and "Sweet Emotion"), but out of all their albums, Rocks did the best job of capturing Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking. Like its predecessor, a pair of songs have become their most renowned -- the menacing, hard rock, cowboy-stomper "Back in the Saddle," as well as the downright viscous funk groove of "Last Child." Again, even the lesser-known tracks prove essential to the makeup of the album, such as the stimulated "Rats in the Cellar" (a response of sorts to "Toys in the Attic"), the Stonesy "Combination," and the forgotten riff-rocker "Get the Lead Out." Also included is the apocalyptic "Nobodys Fault," the up-and-coming rock star tale of "Lick and a Promise," and the album-closing ballad "Home Tonight." With Rocks, Aerosmith appeared to be indestructible. | ||
 | Rank: 177 Album: 27 of 50 Artist: Funkadelic Title: One Nation Under a Groove Released: 1978-10 Tracks: 6 Duration: 41:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 One Nation Under a Groove (07:28) 2 Groovallegiance (07:00) 3 Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock? (06:17) 4 Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo-Doo Chasers) (10:45) 5 Into You (05:41) 6 Cholly (Funk Getting Ready to Roll!) (04:27) |
 | Rank: 178 Album: 28 of 50 Artist: Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions Title: The Anthology: 1961–1977 Released: 1992-12-08 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:07:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Gypsy Woman (02:20) 2 Grow Closer Together (02:15) 3 Never Let Me Go (02:29) 4 Little Young Lover (02:15) 5 Minstrel and Queen (02:17) 6 I’m the One Who Loves You (02:27) 7 Sad Sad Girl and Boy (02:41) 8 It’s All Right (02:50) 9 Talking About My Baby (02:31) 10 I’m So Proud (02:49) 11 Keep on Pushing (02:33) 12 You Must Believe Me (02:32) 13 See the Real Me (02:23) 14 Amen (03:29) 15 I’ve Been Trying (02:46) 16 People Get Ready (02:39) 17 It’s Hard to Believe (02:24) 18 Womans Got Soul (02:18) 19 Meeting Over Yonder (02:20) 20 I Need You (02:47) 21 You’ve Been Cheatin’ (02:34) 22 Man Oh Man (03:06) 23 Can’t Satisfy (02:39) 24 We’re a Winner (02:24) 25 I Loved and I Lost (03:15) 26 We’re Rolling On (Part One) (02:17) |
 | Rank: 179 Album: 29 of 50 Artist: ABBA Title: The Definitive Collection Released: 2001-02-09 Tracks: 37 Duration: 2:28:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 People Need Love (02:46) 2 He Is Your Brother (03:20) 3 Ring Ring (03:05) 4 Love Isn’t Easy (But It Sure Is Hard Enough) (02:55) 5 Waterloo (02:46) 6 Honey, Honey (02:56) 7 So Long (03:06) 8 I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do (03:17) 9 SOS (03:22) 10 Mamma Mia (03:33) 11 Fernando (04:14) 12 Dancing Queen (03:51) 13 Money, Money, Money (03:07) 14 Knowing Me, Knowing You (04:02) 15 The Name of the Game (04:53) 16 Take a Chance on Me (04:04) 17 Eagle (04:26) 18 Summer Night City (03:34) 19 Chiquitita (05:26) 20 Does Your Mother Know (03:15) 1 Voulez‐Vous (05:08) 2 Angeleyes (04:20) 3 Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) (04:50) 4 I Have a Dream (04:43) 5 The Winner Takes It All (04:55) 6 Super Trouper (04:13) 7 On and On and On (03:40) 8 Lay All Your Love on Me (04:35) 9 One of Us (03:57) 10 When All Is Said and Done (03:18) 11 Head Over Heels (03:48) 12 The Visitors (05:47) 13 The Day Before You Came (05:51) 14 Under Attack (03:47) 15 Thank You for the Music (03:50) 16 Ring Ring (1974 remix, single version) (03:10) 17 Voulez‐Vous (extended remix, 1979 US promo) (06:07) |
| The Definitive Collection : Allmusic album Review : The titles of hits compilations always deal in superlatives: "Greatest," "Best," "Very Best" -- but the compilers of this ABBA collection have a special problem justifying the release of yet another such album after the multi-platinum success of 1992s ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits and its 1993 follow-up, More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits. (Indeed, the band was never shy about repackaging, issuing a Greatest Hits LP in 1976 as only its third U.S. album, followed by Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 in 1979 and The Singles [The First Ten Years] in 1982.) They have settled on The Definitive Collection and done their best to live up to the name. The 37-track double CD contains "for the first time exclusively collected in one package, each and every single as conceived and released by ABBA and their record company Polar Music between 1972 and 1982," writes annotator Carl Magnus Palm. That accounts for 30 tracks, with another five consisting of songs individual countries released as singles, notably "When All Is Said and Done" and "The Visitors," which Atlantic in the U.S. put out for chart entries. The remaining two tracks are a single remix of "Ring Ring," being given its first American release, and an extended dance remix of "Voulez-Vous," not previously released commercially. The remastered sound is excellent, and the nearly chronological order of the sequencing allows an appreciation of the bands development from light Europop to a disco-influenced sound and onto a more energetic, new wave-influenced approach, all with compelling melodies and dense arrangements in a Phil Spector Wall of Sound production style. Palms informative liner notes tell the ABBA story single by single. (Who knew that "The Visitors" is about "the fears of dissidents in the Soviet Union"?) If this doesnt satisfy you, go ahead and buy the groups entire catalog. | ||
 | Rank: 180 Album: 30 of 50 Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: The Rolling Stones, Now! Released: 1965-02-13 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (03:01) 2 Down Home Girl (04:15) 3 You Can’t Catch Me (03:39) 4 Heart of Stone (02:48) 5 What a Shame (03:04) 6 Mona (I Need You Baby) (03:37) 7 Down the Road Apiece (03:01) 8 Off the Hook (02:35) 9 Pain in My Heart (02:14) 10 Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Goin’) (02:12) 11 Little Red Rooster (03:05) 12 Surprise Surprise (02:30) |
| The Rolling Stones, Now! : Allmusic album Review : Although their third American album was patched together (in the usual British Invasion tradition) from a variety of sources, its their best early R&B-oriented effort. Most of the Stones early albums suffer from three or four very weak cuts; Now! is almost uniformly strong start-to-finish, the emphasis on some of their blackest material. The covers of "Down Home Girl," Bo Diddleys vibrating "Mona," Otis Reddings "Pain in My Heart," and Barbara Lynns "Oh Baby" are all among the groups best R&B interpretations. The best gem is "Little Red Rooster," a pure blues with wonderful slide guitar from Brian Jones (and a number one single in Britain, although it was only an album track in the U.S.). As songwriters, Jagger and Richards are still struggling, but they come up with one of their first winners (and an American Top 20 hit) with the yearning, soulful "Heart of Stone." | ||
 | Rank: 181 Album: 31 of 50 Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers Title: Natty Dread Released: 1974-10-25 Tracks: 9 Duration: 38:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lively Up Yourself (05:11) 2 No Woman, No Cry (03:46) 3 Them Belly Full (but We Hungry) (03:13) 4 Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock) (06:47) 5 So Jah Seh (04:27) 6 Natty Dread (03:35) 7 Bend Down Low (03:22) 8 Talkin’ Blues (04:06) 9 Revolution (04:23) |
| Natty Dread : Allmusic album Review : Natty Dread is Bob Marleys finest album, the ultimate reggae recording of all time. This was Marleys first album without former bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston, and the first released as Bob Marley & the Wailers. The Wailers rhythm section of bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and drummer Carlton "Carlie" Barrett remained in place and even contributed to the songwriting, while Marley added a female vocal trio, the I-Threes (which included his wife Rita Marley), and additional instrumentation to flesh out the sound. The material presented here defines what reggae was originally all about, with political and social commentary mixed with religious paeans to Jah. The celebratory "Lively Up Yourself" falls in the same vein as "Get Up, Stand Up" from Burnin. "No Woman, No Cry" is one of the bands best-known ballads. "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" is a powerful warning that "a hungry mob is an angry mob." "Rebel Music (3 OClock Road Block)" and "Revolution" continue in that spirit, as Marley assumes the mantle of prophet abandoned by 60s forebears like Bob Dylan. In addition to the lyrical strengths, the music itself is full of emotion and playfulness, with the players locked into a solid groove on each number. Considering that popular rock music was entering the somnambulant disco era as Natty Dread was released, the lyrical and musical potency is especially striking. Marley was taking on discrimination, greed, poverty, and hopelessness while simultaneously rallying the troops as no other musical performer was attempting to do in the mid-70s. | ||
 | Rank: 182 Album: 32 of 50 Artist: Fleetwood Mac Title: Fleetwood Mac Released: 1975-07-11 Tracks: 32 Duration: 2:11:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Monday Morning (02:47) 2 Warm Ways (03:54) 3 Blue Letter (02:41) 4 Rhiannon (04:11) 5 Over My Head (03:38) 6 Crystal (05:13) 7 Say You Love Me (04:10) 8 Landslide (03:18) 9 World Turning (04:25) 10 Sugar Daddy (04:09) 11 I’m So Afraid (04:30) 12 Over My Head (single version) (03:09) 13 Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win) (single version) (03:48) 14 Say You Love Me (single version) (04:03) 15 Blue Letter (single version) (02:42) 1 Monday Morning (early take) (02:50) 2 Warm Ways (early take) (03:53) 3 Blue Letter (early take) (02:49) 4 Rhiannon (early take) (04:36) 5 Over My Head (early take) (02:57) 6 Crystal (early version) (04:05) 7 Say You Love Me (early version) (04:18) 8 Landslide (early version) (03:18) 9 World Turning (early version) (05:39) 10 Sugar Daddy (early take) (04:06) 11 I’m So Afraid (early version) (04:48) 12 Over My Head (03:03) 13 Rhiannon (06:36) 14 Why (04:00) 15 World Turning (05:18) 16 Jam #2 (05:36) 17 I’m So Afraid (early take instrumental) (07:12) |
| Fleetwood Mac : Allmusic album Review : Its unfair to say that Fleetwood Mac had no pop pretensions prior to the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to the lineup in 1975. When they were led by Bob Welch they often flirted with pop, even recording the first version of the unabashedly smooth and sappy "Sentimental Lady," which would later be one of the defining soft rock hits of the late 70s. Still, theres no denying that 1975s Fleetwood Mac represents not just the rebirth of the band, but in effect a second debut for the group -- the introduction of a band that would dominate the sound of American and British mainstream pop for the next seven years. In fact, in retrospect, its rather stunning how thoroughly Buckingham and Nicks, who had previously recorded as a duo and were romantically entangled in the past, overtook the British blues band. As soon as the Californian duo came onboard, Fleetwood Mac turned into a West Coast pop/rock band, transforming the very identity of the band and pushing the bands other songwriter, keyboardist Christine McVie, to a kindred soft rock sound. It could have all been too mellow if it werent for the nervy, restless spirit of Buckingham, whose insistent opener, "Monday Morning," sets the tone for the rest of the album, as well the next few years of the groups career. Surging with a pushily melodic chorus and a breezy Californian feel, the song has little to do with anything the Mac had done before this, and it is a positively brilliant slice of pop songwriting, simultaneously urgent and timeless. After that barnstorming opener, Buckingham lies back a bit, contributing only two other songs -- a cover of Richard Curtis "Blue Letter," the second best up-tempo song here, and the closer, "Im So Afraid" -- while the rest of the album is given over to the wily spirits of Nicks and McVie, whose singles "Rhiannon," "Say You Love Me," and "Over My Head" deservedly made this into a blockbuster. But a bandmembers contribution can never be reduced to his own tracks, and Buckingham not only gives the production depth, he motivates the rest of the band, particularly Nicks and McVie, to do great work, not just on the hit singles but the album tracks that give this record depth. It was diverse without being forced, percolating with innovative ideas, all filtered through an accessible yet sophisticated sensibility. While Rumours had more hits and Tusk was an inspired work of mad genius, Fleetwood Mac wrote the blueprint for Californian soft rock of the late 70s and was the standard the rest were judged by. | ||
 | Rank: 183 Album: 33 of 50 Artist: Willie Nelson Title: Red Headed Stranger Released: 1975 Tracks: 19 Duration: 42:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Time of the Preacher (02:26) 2 I Couldnt Believe It Was True (01:32) 3 Time of the Preacher Theme (01:13) 4 Medley: Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger (01:36) 5 Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (02:21) 6 Red Headed Stranger (04:00) 7 Time of the Preacher Theme (00:26) 8 Just as I Am (01:47) 9 Denver (00:53) 10 OEr the Waves (00:47) 11 Down Yonder (01:56) 12 Can I Sleep in Your Arms? (05:24) 13 Remember Me (02:52) 14 Hands on the Wheel (04:22) 15 Bandera (02:19) 16 Bach Minuet in G (00:40) 17 I Cant Help It If Im Still in Love With You (03:32) 18 A Maidens Prayer (02:16) 19 Bonapartes Retreat (02:26) |
 | Rank: 184 Album: 34 of 50 Artist: Madonna Title: The Immaculate Collection Released: 1990-11-12 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Holiday (04:06) 2 Lucky Star (03:38) 3 Borderline (03:59) 4 Like a Virgin (03:11) 5 Material Girl (03:53) 6 Crazy for You (remix) (03:44) 7 Into the Groove (04:09) 8 Live to Tell (05:18) 9 Papa Don’t Preach (04:11) 10 Open Your Heart (03:51) 11 La Isla Bonita (03:48) 12 Like a Prayer (05:51) 13 Express Yourself (04:00) 14 Cherish (03:51) 15 Vogue (05:18) 16 Justify My Love (04:58) 17 Rescue Me (05:31) |
| The Immaculate Collection : Allmusic album Review : On the surface, the single-disc hits compilation The Immaculate Collection appears to be a definitive retrospective of Madonnas heyday in the 80s. After all, it features 17 of Madonnas greatest hits, from "Holiday" and "Like a Virgin" to "Like a Prayer" and "Vogue." However, looks can be deceiving. Its true that The Immaculate Collection contains the bulk of Madonnas hits, but there are several big hits that arent present, including "Angel," "Dress You Up," "True Blue," "Whos That Girl," and "Causing a Commotion." The songs that are included are frequently altered. Everything on the collection is remastered in Q-sound, which gives an exaggerated sense of stereo separation that often distorts the original intent of the recordings. Furthermore, several songs are faster than their original versions and some are faded out earlier than either their single or album versions, while others are segued together. In other words, while all the hits are present, theyre simply not in their correct versions. Nevertheless, The Immaculate Collection remains a necessary purchase, because it captures everything Madonna is about and it proves that she was one of the finest singles artists of the 80s. Until the original single versions are compiled on another album, The Immaculate Collection is the closest thing to a definitive retrospective. | ||
 | Rank: 185 Album: 35 of 50 Artist: The Stooges Title: The Stooges Released: 1969-08-05 Tracks: 8 Duration: 34:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 1969 (04:06) 2 I Wanna Be Your Dog (03:09) 3 We Will Fall (10:18) 4 No Fun (05:15) 5 Real Cool Time (02:32) 6 Ann (02:59) 7 Not Right (02:51) 8 Little Doll (03:22) |
| The Stooges : Allmusic album Review : While the Stooges had a few obvious points of influence -- the swagger of the early Rolling Stones, the horny pound of the Troggs, the fuzztone sneer of a thousand teenage garage bands, and the Velvet Undergrounds experimental eagerness to leap into the void -- they didnt really sound like anyone else around when their first album hit the streets in 1969. Its hard to say if Ron Asheton, Scott Asheton, Dave Alexander, and the man then known as Iggy Stooge were capable of making anything more sophisticated than this, but if they were, they werent letting on, and the best moments of this record document the blithering inarticulate fury of the post-adolescent id. Ron Ashetons guitar runs (fortified with bracing use of fuzztone and wah-wah) are so brutal and concise they achieve a naïve genius, while Scott Ashetons proto-Bo Diddley drums and Dave Alexanders solid bass stomp these tunes into submission with a force that inspires awe. And Iggys vividly blank vocals fill the "so what?" shrug of a thousand teenagers with a wealth of palpable arrogance and wondrous confusion. One of the problems with being a trailblazing pioneer is making yourself understood to others, and while John Cale seemed sympathetic to what the band was doing, he didnt appear to quite get it, and as a result he made a physically powerful band sound a bit sluggish on tape. But "1969," "I Wanna Be Your Dog," "Real Cool Time," "No Fun," and other classic rippers are on board, and one listen reveals why they became clarion calls in the punk rock revolution. Part of the fun of The Stooges is, then as now, the band managed the difficult feat of sounding ahead of their time and entirely out of their time, all at once. | ||
 | Rank: 186 Album: 36 of 50 Artist: Sly & The Family Stone Title: Fresh Released: 1973 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 In Time (05:48) 2 If You Want Me to Stay (03:00) 3 Let Me Have It All (02:56) 4 Frisky (03:11) 5 Thankful n Thoughtful (04:41) 6 Skin I’m In (02:53) 7 I Dont Know (Satisfaction) (03:52) 8 Keep on Dancin (02:22) 9 Que será, será (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) (05:21) 10 If It Were Left Up to Me (02:00) 11 Babies Makin Babies (03:35) |
 | Rank: 187 Album: 37 of 50 Artist: Peter Gabriel Title: So Released: 1986-05-19 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Red Rain (05:38) 2 Sledgehammer (05:16) 3 Don’t Give Up (06:32) 4 That Voice Again (04:53) 5 Mercy Street (06:20) 6 Big Time (04:29) 7 We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37) (03:21) 8 This Is the Picture (Excellent Birds) (04:25) 9 In Your Eyes (05:29) |
| So : Allmusic album Review : Peter Gabriel introduced his fifth studio album, So, with "Sledgehammer," an Otis Redding-inspired soul-pop raver that was easily his catchiest, happiest single to date. Needless to say, it was also his most accessible, and, in that sense it was a good introduction to So, the catchiest, happiest record he ever cut. "Sledgehammer" propelled the record toward blockbuster status, and Gabriel had enough songs with single potential to keep it there. There was "Big Time," another colorful dance number; "Dont Give Up," a moving duet with Kate Bush; "Red Rain," a stately anthem popular on album rock radio; and "In Your Eyes," Gabriels greatest love song, which achieved genuine classic status after being featured in Cameron Crowes classic Say Anything. These all illustrated the strengths of the album: Gabriels increased melodicism and ability to blend African music, jangly pop, and soul into his moody art rock. Apart from these singles, plus the urgent "That Voice Again," the rest of the record is as quiet as the album tracks of Security. The difference is, the singles on that record were part of the overall fabric; here, the singles are the fabric, which can make the album seem top-heavy (a fault of many blockbuster albums, particularly those of the mid-80s). Even so, those songs are so strong, finding Gabriel in a newfound confidence and accessibility, that its hard not to be won over by them, even if So doesnt develop the unity of its two predecessors. | ||
 | Rank: 188 Album: 38 of 50 Artist: Buffalo Springfield Title: Buffalo Springfield Again Released: 1967-12 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mr. Soul (02:51) 2 A Child’s Claim to Fame (02:12) 3 Everydays (02:43) 4 Expecting to Fly (03:46) 5 Bluebird (04:30) 6 Hung Upside Down (03:29) 7 Sad Memory (03:03) 8 Good Time Boy (02:17) 9 Rock & Roll Woman (02:47) 10 Broken Arrow (06:14) |
| Buffalo Springfield Again : Allmusic album Review : Due in part to personnel problems which saw Bruce Palmer and Neil Young in and out of the group, Buffalo Springfields second album did not have as unified an approach as their debut. Yet it doesnt suffer for that in the least -- indeed, the group continued to make major strides in both their songwriting and arranging, and this record stands as their greatest triumph. Stephen Stills "Bluebird" and "Rock & Roll Woman" were masterful folk-rockers that should have been big hits (although they did manage to become small ones); his lesser-known contributions "Hung Upside Down" and the jazz-flavored "Everydays" were also first-rate. Young contributed the Rolling Stones-derived "Mr. Soul," as well as the brilliant "Expecting to Fly" and "Broken Arrow," both of which employed lush psychedelic textures and brooding, surrealistic lyrics that stretched rock conventions to their breaking point. Richie Furay (who had not written any of the songs on the debut) takes tentative songwriting steps with three compositions, although only "A Childs Claim to Fame," with its memorable dobro hooks by James Burton, meets the standards of the material by Stills and Young; the cut also anticipates the country-rock direction of Furays post-Springfield band, Poco. Although a slightly uneven record that did not feature the entire band on several cuts, the high points were so high and plentiful that its classic status cannot be denied. | ||
 | Rank: 189 Album: 39 of 50 Artist: Quicksilver Messenger Service Title: Happy Trails Released: 1969-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 50:19 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Who Do You Love (03:32) 2 When You Love (05:14) 3 Where You Love (06:06) 4 How You Love (02:45) 5 Which Do You Love (04:39) 6 Who Do You Love, Part 2 (03:05) 7 Mona (07:01) 8 Maiden of the Cancer Moon (02:51) 9 Calvary (13:33) 10 Happy Trails (01:29) |
 | Rank: 190 Album: 40 of 50 Artist: Elvis Presley Title: From Elvis in Memphis Released: 1969 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wearin’ That Loved on Look (02:46) 2 Only the Strong Survive (02:42) 3 I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms) (04:33) 4 Long Black Limousine (03:42) 5 It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’ (02:38) 6 I’m Movin’ On (02:52) 7 Power of My Love (02:37) 8 Gentle on My Mind (03:22) 9 After Loving You (03:07) 10 True Love Travels on a Gravel Road (02:38) 11 Any Day Now (03:00) 12 In the Ghetto (02:47) |
| From Elvis in Memphis : Allmusic album Review : After a 14-year absence from Memphis, Elvis Presley returned to cut what was certainly his greatest album (or, at least, a tie effort with his RCA debut LP from early 1956). The fact that From Elvis in Memphis came out as well as it did is something of a surprise, in retrospect -- Presley had a backlog of songs he genuinely liked that he wanted to record and had heard some newer soul material that also attracted him, and none of it resembled the material that hed been cutting since his last non-soundtrack album, six years earlier. And hed just come off of the NBC television special which, although a lot of work, had led him to the realization that he could be as exciting and vital a performer in 1969 as hed been a dozen years before. And for what was practically the last time, the singer cut his manager, Tom Parker, out of the equation, turning himself over to producer Chips Moman. The result was one of the greatest white soul albums (and one of the greatest soul albums) ever cut, with brief but considerable forays into country, pop, and blues as well. Presley sounds rejuvenated artistically throughout the dozen cuts off the original album, and hes supported by the best playing and backup singing of his entire recording history. | ||
 | Rank: 191 Album: 41 of 50 Artist: The Stooges Title: Fun House Released: 1970-12 Tracks: 7 Duration: 36:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Down on the Street (03:43) 2 Loose (03:34) 3 T.V. Eye (04:17) 4 Dirt (07:00) 5 1970 (05:14) 6 Fun House (07:45) 7 L.A. Blues (04:53) |
 | Rank: 192 Album: 42 of 50 Artist: The Flying Burrito Brothers Title: The Gilded Palace of Sin Released: 1969-02 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Christine’s Tune (03:03) 2 Sin City (04:11) 3 Do Right Woman (03:56) 4 Dark End of the Street (03:50) 5 My Uncle (02:37) 6 Wheels (03:04) 7 Juanita (02:31) 8 Hot Burrito #1 (03:40) 9 Hot Burrito #2 (03:19) 10 Do You Know How It Feels (02:09) 11 Hippie Boy (04:55) |
 | Rank: 193 Album: 43 of 50 Artist: Green Day Title: Dookie Released: 1994-01-28 Tracks: 14 Duration: 39:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Burnout (02:07) 2 Having a Blast (02:44) 3 Chump (02:54) 4 Longview (03:59) 5 Welcome to Paradise (03:44) 6 Pulling Teeth (02:30) 7 Basket Case (03:03) 8 She (02:14) 9 Sassafras Roots (02:37) 10 When I Come Around (02:58) 11 Coming Clean (01:34) 12 Emenius Sleepus (01:43) 13 In the End (01:46) 14 F.O.D. / All by Myself (05:46) |
| Dookie : Allmusic album Review : Green Day couldnt have had a blockbuster without Nirvana, but Dookie wound up being nearly as revolutionary as Nevermind, sending a wave of imitators up the charts and setting the tone for the mainstream rock of the mid-90s. Like Nevermind, this was accidental success, the sound of a promising underground group suddenly hitting its stride just as they got their first professional, big-budget, big-label production. Really, thats where the similarities end, since if Nirvana were indebted to the weirdness of indie rock, Green Day were straight-ahead punk revivalists through and through. They were products of the underground pop scene kept alive by such protagonists as All, yet what they really loved was the original punk, particularly such British punkers as the Jam and Buzzcocks. On their first couple records, they showed promise, but with Dookie, they delivered a record that found Billie Joe Armstrong bursting into full flower as a songwriter, spitting out melodic ravers that could have comfortably sat alongside Singles Going Steady, but infused with an ironic self-loathing popularized by Nirvana, whose clean sound on Nevermind is also emulated here. Where Nirvana had weight, Green Day are deliberately adolescent here, treating nearly everything as joke and having as much fun as snotty punkers should. They demonstrate a bit of depth with "When I Come Around," but that just varies the pace slightly, since the key to this is their flippant, infectious attitude -- something they maintain throughout the record, making Dookie a stellar piece of modern punk that many tried to emulate but nobody bettered. | ||
 | Rank: 194 Album: 44 of 50 Artist: Lou Reed Title: Transformer Released: 1972 Tracks: 11 Duration: 37:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Vicious (02:57) 2 Andy’s Chest (03:21) 3 Perfect Day (03:44) 4 Hangin’ ’Round (03:37) 5 Walk on the Wild Side (04:13) 6 Make Up (03:01) 7 Satellite of Love (03:42) 8 Wagon Wheel (03:23) 9 New York Telephone Conversation (01:33) 10 I’m So Free (03:12) 11 Goodnight Ladies (04:21) |
| Transformer : Allmusic album Review : David Bowie has never been shy about acknowledging his influences, and since the boho decadence and sexual ambiguity of the Velvet Undergrounds music had a major impact on Bowies work, it was only fitting that as Ziggy Stardust mania was reaching its peak, Bowie would offer Lou Reed some much needed help with his career, which was stuck in neutral after his first solo album came and went. Musically, Reeds work didnt have too much in common with the sonic bombast of the glam scene, but at least it was a place where his eccentricities could find a comfortable home, and on Transformer Bowie and his right-hand man, Mick Ronson, crafted a new sound for Reed that was better fitting (and more commercially astute) than the ambivalent tone of his first solo album. Ronson adds some guitar raunch to "Vicious" and "Hangin Round" thats a lot flashier than what Reed cranked out with the Velvets, but still honors Lous strengths in guitar-driven hard rock, while the imaginative arrangements Ronson cooked up for "Perfect Day," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "Goodnight Ladies" blend pop polish with musical thinking just as distinctive as Reeds lyrical conceits. And while Reed occasionally overplays his hand in writing stuff he figured the glam kids wanted ("Make Up" and "Im So Free" being the most obvious examples), "Perfect Day," "Walk on the Wild Side," and "New York Telephone Conversation" proved he could still write about the demimonde with both perception and respect. The sound and style of Transformer would in many ways define Reeds career in the 1970s, and while it led him into a style that proved to be a dead end, you cant deny that Bowie and Ronson gave their hero a new lease on life -- and a solid album in the bargain. | ||
 | Rank: 195 Album: 45 of 50 Artist: John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers Title: Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton Released: 1966-07-22 Tracks: 24 Duration: 1:15:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 All Your Love (03:38) 2 Hideaway (03:17) 3 Little Girl (02:36) 4 Another Man (01:47) 5 Double Crossing Time (03:04) 6 What’d I Say (04:28) 7 Key to Love (02:08) 8 Parchman Farm (02:22) 9 Have You Heard (05:56) 10 Ramblin’ on My Mind (03:09) 11 Steppin’ Out (02:31) 12 It Ain’t Right (02:45) 13 All Your Love (03:35) 14 Hideaway (03:16) 15 Little Girl (02:36) 16 Another Man (01:47) 17 Double Crossing Time (03:03) 18 What’d I Say (04:30) 19 Key to Love (02:07) 20 Parchman Farm (02:24) 21 Have You Heard (05:56) 22 Ramblin’ on My Mind (03:09) 23 Steppin’ Out (02:30) 24 It Ain’t Right (02:42) |
 | Rank: 196 Album: 46 of 50 Artist: Various Artists Title: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 Released: 1972 Tracks: 27 Duration: 1:17:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) (02:57) 2 Dirty Water (02:48) 3 Night Time (03:08) 4 Lies (02:45) 5 Respect (02:15) 6 A Public Execution (02:46) 7 No Time Like the Right Time (02:47) 8 Oh Yeah (02:48) 9 Pushin’ Too Hard (02:36) 10 Moulty (02:34) 11 Don’t Look Back (02:41) 12 An Invitation to Cry (02:55) 13 Liar, Liar (01:53) 14 You’re Gonna Miss Me (02:30) 1 Psychotic Reaction (03:06) 2 Hey Joe (02:50) 3 Romeo and Juliet (02:02) 4 Sugar and Spice (02:29) 5 Baby Please Don’t Go (05:35) 6 Tobacco Road (04:41) 7 Let’s Talk About Girls (02:45) 8 Sit Down, I Think I Love You (02:21) 9 Run, Run, Run (01:55) 10 My World Fell Down (03:49) 11 Open My Eyes (02:45) 12 Farmer John (02:51) 13 It’s A‐Happening (02:46) |
| Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 : Allmusic album Review : If one had to point to a single initial salvo that launched the garage rock revival movement in the 1970s and ‘80s, it would have to be the release of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 in 1972. Elektra Records had approached rock critic Lenny Kaye (not yet the guitarist with the Patti Smith Group) with the notion of compiling an album of great, overlooked rock tunes, but what Kaye came up with was something significantly different -- an overview of the great, wild era when American bands, goaded by the British Invasion, began honing in on a tougher and more eclectic rock & roll sound, and kids were reawakened to the possibilities of two guitars, bass, and drums. Coming up with a simple definition of this period and its sound proved daunting -- the word "garage" appears nowhere in the liner notes to Nuggets, and his notion of "the first psychedelic era" quickly fell by the wayside -- but the frequent bursts of fuzztone, Farfisa organ, and vocal sneering in the 27 tunes Kaye selected codified a musical approach that flourished in the mid-60s, and at a time when rock was becoming more self-consciously serious and arty, the primal power and sheer sense of fun audible in this music seemed like a minor revelation that became a clarion call to musicians, fans, and music scribes around the world. Nuggets proved to be of seismic importance in the years after its release, but just as importantly, its a blast to listen to; Kayes sequencing gives the album the joyous flow of a great afternoon of AM radio, and the album blends hits both big ("Pushin Too Hard" by the Seeds, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five) and small ("Youre Gonna Miss Me" by the 13th Floor Elevators, "Hey Joe" by the Leaves) with high-quality obscurities ("Dont Look Back" by the Remains, "Its A-Happening" by the Magic Mushrooms) and early efforts by future stars (Leslie West in the Vagrants, Todd Rundgren in Nazz, Ted Nugent in the Amboy Dukes). And while many of the garage compilations that would follow would focus relentlessly on the obscure and the noisy, Kayes set not only demonstrates that some of this stuff actually made the charts, but that there was as much great pop as snotty proto-punk pouring out of Americas rec rooms back in the day. And Kayes liner notes were nearly as important as the music in defining the importance of this music and its era. Very few "oldies" compilations have had an influence approaching that of Nuggets, and even fewer are as rewarding to listen to; if you care about rock music in the 60s, you need to own this album. [In 1998, Nuggets would be expanded into a superb four-disc box set, but the original two-LP set remains available as a standalone CD release.] | ||
 | Rank: 197 Album: 47 of 50 Artist: R.E.M. Title: Murmur Released: 1983-04-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 44:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Radio Free Europe (04:05) 2 Pilgrimage (04:29) 3 Laughing (03:58) 4 Talk About the Passion (03:22) 5 Moral Kiosk (03:32) 6 Perfect Circle (03:30) 7 Catapult (03:56) 8 Sitting Still (03:18) 9 9‒9 (03:04) 10 Shaking Through (04:30) 11 We Walk (03:01) 12 West of the Fields (03:18) |
| Murmur : Allmusic album Review : Leaving behind the garagey jangle pop of their first recordings, R.E.M. developed a strangely subdued variation of their trademark sound for their full-length debut album, Murmur. Heightening the enigmatic tendencies of Chronic Town by de-emphasizing the backbeat and accentuating the ambience of the ringing guitar, R.E.M. created a distinctive sound for the album -- one that sounds eerily timeless. Even though it is firmly in the tradition of American folk-rock, post-punk, and garage rock, Murmur sounds as if it appeared out of nowhere, without any ties to the past, present, or future. Part of the distinctiveness lies in the atmospheric production, which exudes a detached sense of mystery, but it also comes from the remarkably accomplished songwriting. The songs on Murmur sound as if theyve existed forever, yet they subvert folk and pop conventions by taking unpredictable twists and turns into melodic, evocative territory, whether its the measured riffs of "Pilgrimage," the melancholic "Talk About the Passion," or the winding guitars and pianos of "Perfect Circle." R.E.M. may have made albums as good as Murmur in the years following its release, but they never again made anything that sounded quite like it. | ||
 | Rank: 198 Album: 48 of 50 Artist: Little Walter Title: The Best of Little Walter Released: 1957 Tracks: 12 Duration: 35:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 My Babe (02:52) 2 Sad Hours (02:37) 3 Youre So Fine (02:49) 4 Last Night (03:23) 5 Blues With a Feeling (03:08) 6 Cant Hold Out Much Longer (02:59) 7 Juke (02:47) 8 Mean Old World (02:57) 9 Off the Wall (03:01) 10 You Better Watch Yourself (03:23) 11 Blue Lights (03:08) 12 Tell Me Mamma (02:40) |
 | Rank: 199 Album: 49 of 50 Artist: The Strokes Title: Is This It Released: 2001-07-29 Tracks: 11 Duration: 36:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Is This It (02:35) 2 The Modern Age (03:32) 3 Soma (02:37) 4 Barely Legal (03:58) 5 Someday (03:07) 6 Alone, Together (03:12) 7 Last Nite (03:17) 8 Hard to Explain (03:47) 9 New York City Cops (03:36) 10 Trying Your Luck (03:27) 11 Take It or Leave It (03:16) |
| Is This It : Allmusic album Review : Blessed and cursed with an enormous amount of hype from the British press, the Strokes prove to be one of the few groups deserving of their glowing reviews. Granted, their high-fashion appeal and faultless influences -- Television, the Stooges, and especially Lou Reed and the Velvets -- have "critics darlings" written all over them. But like the similarly lauded Elastica and Supergrass before them, the Strokes dont rehash the sounds that inspire them -- they remake them in their own image. On the Modern Age EP, singles like Hard to Explain, and their full-length debut, Is This It, the N.Y.C. group presents a pop-inflected, second-generation take on late-70s New York punk, complete with raw, world-weary vocals, spiky guitars, and an insistently chugging backbeat. However, their songs also reflected their own early-twenties lust for life; singer/songwriter/guitarist Julian Casablancas and the rest of the band mix swaggering self-assurance with barely concealed insecurity on "The Modern Age" and reveal something akin to earnestness on "Barely Legal" -- a phrase that could apply to the Strokes themselves -- in the songs soaring choruses. The group revamps "Lust for Life" on "New York City Cops" and combines their raw power and infectious melodies on "Hard to Explain," arguably the finest song theyve written in their career. Nearly half of Is This It consists of their previously released material, but thats not really a disappointment since those songs are so strong. What makes their debut impressive, however, is that the new material more than holds its own with the tried-and-true songs. "Is This It" sets the joys of being young, jaded, and yearning to a wonderfully bouncy bassline; "Alone Together" and "Trying Your Luck" develop the groups brooding, coming-down side, while "Soma," "Someday," and "Take It or Leave It" capture the Strokes at their most sneeringly exuberant. Able to make the timeworn themes of sex, drugs, and rock & roll and the basic guitars-drum-bass lineup seem new and vital again, the Strokes may or may not be completely arty and calculated, but that doesnt prevent Is This It from being an exciting, compulsively listenable debut. [In light of the World Trade Center disaster, the track "New York City Cops" was pulled from the U.S. release]. | ||
 | Rank: 200 Album: 50 of 50 Artist: AC/DC Title: Highway to Hell Released: 1979-07-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Highway to Hell (03:28) 2 Girls Got Rhythm (03:23) 3 Walk All Over You (05:09) 4 Touch Too Much (04:26) 5 Beating Around the Bush (03:56) 6 Shot Down in Flames (03:22) 7 Get It Hot (02:34) 8 If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) (04:36) 9 Love Hungry Man (04:16) 10 Night Prowler (06:16) |
| Highway to Hell : Allmusic album Review : Of course, Highway to Hell is the final album AC/DC recorded with Bon Scott, the lead singer who provided the group with a fair share of its signature sleaze. Just months after its release, Scott literally partied himself to death (the official cause cited as acute alcohol poisoning) after a night of drinking, a rock & roll fatality that took no imagination to predict. In light of his passing, its hard not to see Highway to Hell as a last testament of sorts, being that it was his last work and all, and if Scott was going to go out in a blaze of glory, this certainly was the way to do it. This is a veritable rogues gallery of deviance, from cheerfully clumsy sex talk and drinking anthems to general outlandish behavior. Its tempting to say that Scott might have been prescient about his end -- or to see the title track as ominous in the wake of his death -- trying to spill it all out on paper, but its more accurate to say that the ride had just gotten very fast and very wild for AC/DC, and he was simply flying high. After all, it wasnt just Scott who reached a new peak on Highway to Hell; so did the Young brothers, crafting their monster riffs into full-fledged, undeniable songs. This is their best set of songs yet, from the incessant, intoxicating boogie of "Girls Got Rhythm" to "If You Want Blood (Youve Got It)." Some of the credit should also go to Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who gives the album a precision and magnitude that the Vanda & Young LPs lacked in their grimy charm. Filtered through Mutts mixing board, AC/DC has never sounded so enormous, and theyve never had such great songs, and they had never delivered an album as singularly bone-crunching or classic as this until now. | ||