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 | Rank: 401 Album: 1 of 50 Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers Title: Californication Released: 1999-06-07 Tracks: 15 Duration: 56:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Around the World (03:59) 2 Parallel Universe (04:29) 3 Scar Tissue (03:36) 4 Otherside (04:15) 5 Get on Top (03:17) 6 Californication (05:22) 7 Easily (03:49) 8 Porcelain (02:41) 9 Emit Remmus (03:58) 10 I Like Dirt (02:37) 11 This Velvet Glove (03:45) 12 Savior (04:50) 13 Purple Stain (04:11) 14 Right on Time (01:50) 15 Road Trippin’ (03:25) |
| Californication : Allmusic album Review : Many figured that the Red Hot Chili Peppers days as undisputed alternative kings were numbered after their lackluster 1995 release One Hot Minute, but like the great phoenix rising from the ashes, this legendary and influential outfit returned back to greatness with 1999s Californication. An obvious reason for their rebirth is the reappearance of guitarist John Frusciante (replacing Dave Navarro), who left the Peppers in 1992 and disappeared into a haze of hard drugs before cleaning up and returning to the fold in 1998. Frusciante was a main reason for such past band classics as 1989s Mothers Milk and 1991s Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and proves once and for all to be the quintessential RHCP guitarist. Anthony Kiedis vocals have improved dramatically as well, while the rhythm section of bassist Flea and drummer Chad Smith remains one of rocks best. The quartets trademark punk-funk can be sampled on such tracks as "Around the World," "I Like Dirt," and "Parallel Universe," but the more pop-oriented material proves to be a pleasant surprise -- "Scar Tissue," "Otherside," "Easily," and "Purple Stain" all contain strong melodies and instantly memorable choruses. And like their 1992 introspective hit "Under the Bridge," there are even a few mellow moments -- "Porcelain," "Road Trippin," and the title track. With the instrumentalists interplay at an all-time telepathic high and Kiedis peaking as a vocalist, Californication is a bona fide Chili Peppers classic. | ||
 | Rank: 402 Album: 2 of 50 Artist: Nas Title: Illmatic Released: 1994-04-15 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:02:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Genesis (01:45) 2 N.Y. State of Mind (04:54) 3 Lifes a Bitch (03:30) 4 The World Is Yours (04:50) 5 Halftime (04:20) 6 Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park) (04:08) 7 One Love (05:25) 8 One Time 4 Your Mind (03:18) 9 Represent (04:12) 10 It Ain’t Hard to Tell (03:22) 1 Life’s a Bitch (remix) (03:00) 2 The World Is Yours (remix) (03:56) 3 One Love (remix) (05:10) 4 It Ain’t Hard to Tell (remix) (03:27) 5 On the Real (03:23) 6 Star Wars (04:08) |
| Illmatic : Allmusic album Review : Often cited as one of the best hip-hop albums of the 90s, Illmatic is the undisputed classic upon which Nas reputation rests. It helped spearhead the artistic renaissance of New York hip-hop in the post-Chronic era, leading a return to street aesthetics. Yet even if Illmatic marks the beginning of a shift away from Native Tongues-inspired alternative rap, its strongly rooted in that sensibility. For one, Nas employs some of the most sophisticated jazz-rap producers around: Q-Tip, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, and Large Professor, who underpin their intricate loops with appropriately tough beats. But more importantly, Nas takes his place as one of hip-hops greatest street poets -- his rhymes are highly literate, his raps superbly fluid regardless of the size of his vocabulary. Hes able to evoke the bleak reality of ghetto life without losing hope or forgetting the good times, which become all the more precious when any day could be your last. As a narrator, he doesnt get too caught up in the darker side of life -- hes simply describing what he sees in the world around him, and trying to live it up while he can. Hes thoughtful but ambitious, announcing on "N.Y. State of Mind" that "I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death," and that hes "out for dead presidents to represent me" on "The World Is Yours." Elsewhere, he flexes his storytelling muscles on the classic cuts "Lifes a Bitch" and "One Love," the latter a detailed report to a close friend in prison about how allegiances within their group have shifted. Hip-hop fans accustomed to 73-minute opuses sometimes complain about Illmatics brevity, but even if it leaves you wanting more, its also one of the few 90s rap albums with absolutely no wasted space. Illmatic reveals a great lyricist in top form meeting great production, and it remains a perennial favorite among serious hip-hop fans. | ||
 | Rank: 403 Album: 3 of 50 Artist: Lynyrd Skynyrd Title: (pronounced ’lĕh‐’nérd ’skin‐’nérd) Released: 1973 Tracks: 8 Duration: 43:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Ain’t the One (03:53) 2 Tuesday’s Gone (07:32) 3 Gimme Three Steps (04:30) 4 Simple Man (05:56) 5 Things Goin’ On (04:58) 6 Mississippi Kid (03:56) 7 Poison Whiskey (03:13) 8 Free Bird (09:07) |
| (pronounced ’lĕh‐’nérd ’skin‐’nérd) : Allmusic album Review : The Allman Brothers came first, but Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomized Southern rock. The Allmans were exceptionally gifted musicians, as much bluesmen as rockers. Skynyrd was nothing but rockers, and they were Southern rockers to the bone. This didnt just mean that they were rednecks, but that they brought it all together -- the blues, country, garage rock, Southern poetry -- in a way that sounded more like the South than even the Allmans. And a large portion of that derives from their hard, lean edge, which was nowhere more apparent than on their debut album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. Produced by Al Kooper, there are few records that sound this raw and uncompromising, especially records by debut bands. Then again, few bands sound this confident and fully formed with their first record. Perhaps the record is stronger because its only eight songs, so there isnt a wasted moment, but that doesnt discount the sheer strength of each song. Consider the opening juxtaposition of the rollicking "I Aint the One" with the heartbreaking "Tuesdays Gone." Two songs couldnt be more opposed, yet Skynyrd sounds equally convincing on both. If thats all the record did, it would still be fondly regarded, but it wouldnt have been influential. The genius of Skynyrd is that they un-self-consciously blended album-oriented hard rock, blues, country, and garage rock, turning it all into a distinctive sound that sounds familiar but thoroughly unique. On top of that, theres the highly individual voice of Ronnie Van Zant, a songwriter who isnt afraid to be nakedly sentimental, spin tales of the South, or to twist macho conventions with humor. And, lest we forget, while he does this, the band rocks like a motherf*cker. Its the birth of a great band that birthed an entire genre with this album. | ||
 | Rank: 404 Album: 4 of 50 Artist: Dr. John Title: Dr. John’s Gumbo Released: 1972-04-20 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Iko Iko (04:15) 2 Blow Wind Blow (03:14) 3 Big Chief (03:26) 4 Somebody Changed the Lock (02:43) 5 Mess Around (03:13) 6 Let the Good Times Roll (03:57) 7 Junko Partner (04:30) 8 Stack‐A‐Lee (03:29) 9 Tipitina (02:09) 10 Those Lonely Lonely Nights (02:32) 11 Huey Smith Medley: High Blood Pressure / Don’t You Just Know It / Well I’ll Be John Brown (03:18) 12 Little Liza Jane (02:59) |
 | Rank: 405 Album: 5 of 50 Artist: Big Star Title: Radio City Released: 1974 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 O My Soul (05:40) 2 Life Is White (03:18) 3 Way Out West (02:49) 4 What’s Going Ahn (02:40) 5 You Get What You Deserve (03:08) 6 Mod Lang (02:45) 7 Back of a Car (02:45) 8 Daisy Glaze (03:49) 9 She’s a Mover (03:12) 10 September Gurls (02:48) 11 Morpha Too (01:28) 12 I’m in Love With a Girl (01:47) |
 | Rank: 406 Album: 6 of 50 Artist: PJ Harvey Title: Rid of Me Released: 1993-04-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 48:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rid of Me (04:29) 2 Missed (04:25) 3 Legs (03:40) 4 Rub ’til It Bleeds (05:03) 5 Hook (03:57) 6 Man‐Size Sextet (02:19) 7 Highway ’61 Revisited (02:57) 8 50ft Queenie (02:23) 9 Yuri‐G (03:28) 10 Man-Size (03:16) 11 Dry (03:23) 12 Me‐Jane (02:42) 13 Snake (01:36) 14 Ecstasy (04:27) |
| Rid of Me : Allmusic album Review : Dry was shockingly frank in its subject and sound, as PJ Harvey delivered post-feminist manifestos with a punkish force. PJ Harveys second album, Rid of Me, finds the trio, and Harvey in particular, pushing themselves to extremes. This is partially due to producer Steve Albini, who gives the album a bloodless, abrasive edge with his exacting production; each dynamic is pushed to the limit, leaving absolutely no subtleties in the music. Harveys songs, in decided contrast to Albinis approach, are filled with gray areas and uncertainties, and are considerably more personal than those on Dry. Furthermore, they are lyrically and melodically superior to the songs on the debut, but their merits are obscured by Albinis black-and-white production, which is polarizing. It may be the aural embodiment of the tortured lyrics, and therefore a supremely effective piece of performance art, but it also makes Rid of Me a difficult record to meet halfway. But anyone willing to accept its sonic extremities will find Rid of Me to be a record of unusual power and purpose, one with few peers in its unsettling emotional honesty. | ||
 | Rank: 407 Album: 7 of 50 Artist: The Clash Title: Sandinista! Released: 1980-12-12 Tracks: 36 Duration: 2:20:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Magnificent Seven (05:32) 2 Hitsville UK (04:21) 3 Junco Partner (04:52) 4 Ivan Meets G.I. Joe (03:05) 5 The Leader (01:42) 6 Something About England (03:42) 7 Rebel Waltz (03:25) 8 Look Here (02:45) 9 The Crooked Beat (05:28) 10 Somebody Got Murdered (03:34) 11 One More Time (03:32) 12 One More Dub (03:35) 1 Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice) (04:50) 2 Up in Heaven (Not Only Here) (04:32) 3 Corner Soul (02:42) 4 Let’s Go Crazy (04:24) 5 If Music Could Talk (04:36) 6 The Sound of Sinners (04:01) 7 Lose This Skin (05:07) 8 Charlie Don’t Surf (04:54) 9 Mensforth Hill (03:42) 10 Junkie Slip (02:48) 11 Kingston Advice (02:37) 12 The Street Parade (03:27) 1 Lose This Skin (05:07) 2 Charlie Don’t Surf (04:54) 3 Mensforth Hill (03:42) 4 Junkie Slip (02:48) 5 Kingston Advice (02:37) 6 The Street Parade (03:27) 7 Version City (04:23) 8 Living in Fame (04:52) 9 Silicone on Sapphire (04:14) 10 Version Pardner (05:23) 11 Career Opportunities (02:30) 12 Shepherds Delight (03:25) |
| Sandinista! : Allmusic album Review : The Clash sounded like they could do anything on London Calling. For its triple-album follow-up, Sandinista!, they tried to do everything, adding dub, rap, gospel, and even childrens choruses to the punk, reggae, R&B, and roots rock they already were playing. Instead of presenting a band with a far-reaching vision, like London Calling did, Sandinista! plays as a messy, confused jumble, which means that its numerous virtues are easy to ignore. Amid all the dub experiments, backward tracks, unfinished songs, and instrumentals, there are a number of classic Clash songs that rank among the bands best, including "Police on My Back," "The Call Up," "Somebody Got Murdered," "Charlie Dont Surf," "Hitsville U.K.," and "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)," yet its difficult for anyone but the most dedicated listeners to find them. A few of the failed ideas were worth exploring, but even more -- like the childrens choir version of "Career Opportunities" or the Tymon Dogg song "Lose This Skin" -- werent even worth pursuing. As the cliché says, theres a great single album within these three records, and those songs make Sandinista! worthwhile. Nevertheless, its sloppy attack is disheartening after the tour de force of London Calling and the focused aggression of The Clash. | ||
 | Rank: 408 Album: 8 of 50 Artist: Sinéad O’Connor Title: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got Released: 1990-03-20 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:37:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Feel So Different (06:47) 2 I Am Stretched on Your Grave (05:33) 3 Three Babies (04:46) 4 Emperor’s New Clothes (05:16) 5 Black Boys on Mopeds (03:53) 6 Nothing Compares 2 U (05:08) 7 Jump in the River (04:12) 8 You Cause as Much Sorrow (05:04) 9 Last Day of Our Acquaintance (04:40) 10 I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (05:46) 1 Night Nurse (04:54) 2 My Special Child (04:46) 3 Damn Your Eyes (04:46) 4 Silent Night (long version) (04:44) 5 You Do Something to Me (02:36) 6 Mind Games (05:26) 7 What Do You Want (02:59) 8 I Am Stretched on Your Grave (Apple Brightness mix) (05:36) 9 Troy (Live in London) (06:41) 10 I Want Your (Hands on Me) (03:52) |
| I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got : Allmusic album Review : I Do Not Want What I Havent Got became Sinéad OConnors popular breakthrough on the strength of the stunning Prince cover "Nothing Compares 2 U," which topped the pop charts for a month. But even its remarkable intimacy wasnt adequate preparation for the harrowing confessionals that composed the majority of the album. Informed by her stormy relationship with drummer John Reynolds, who fathered OConnors first child before the couple broke up, I Do Not Want What I Havent Got lays the singers psyche startlingly and sometimes uncomfortably bare. The songs mostly address relationships with parents, children, and (especially) lovers, through which OConnor weaves a stubborn refusal to be defined by anyone but herself. In fact, the album is almost too personal and cathartic to draw the listener in close, since OConnor projects such turmoil and offers such specific detail. Her confrontational openness makes it easy to overlook OConnors musical versatility. Granted, not all of the music is as brilliantly audacious as "I Am Stretched on Your Grave," which marries a Frank OConnor poem to eerie Celtic melodies and a James Brown "Funky Drummer" sample. But the album plays like a tour de force in its demonstration of everything OConnor can do: dramatic orchestral ballads, intimate confessionals, catchy pop/rock, driving guitar rock, and protest folk, not to mention the nearly six-minute a cappella title track. Whats consistent throughout is the frighteningly strong emotion OConnor brings to bear on the material, while remaining sensitive to each pieces individual demands. Aside from being a brilliant album in its own right, I Do Not Want What I Havent Got foreshadowed the rise of deeply introspective female singer/songwriters like Tori Amos and Sarah McLachlan, who were more traditionally feminine and connected with a wider audience. Which takes nothing away from anyone; if anything, its evidence that, when on top of her game, OConnor was a singular talent. | ||
 | Rank: 409 Album: 9 of 50 Artist: The Doors Title: Strange Days Released: 1967-10 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Strange Days (03:08) 2 You’re Lost Little Girl (03:04) 3 Love Me Two Times (03:16) 4 Unhappy Girl (02:00) 5 Horse Latitudes (01:35) 6 Moonlight Drive (03:02) 7 People Are Strange (02:12) 8 My Eyes Have Seen You (02:29) 9 I Can’t See Your Face in My Mind (03:26) 10 When the Music’s Over (10:58) |
| Strange Days : Allmusic album Review : Many of the songs on Strange Days had been written around the same time as the ones that appeared on The Doors, and with hindsight one has the sense that the best of the batch had already been cherry-picked for the debut album. For that reason, the bands second effort isnt as consistently stunning as their debut, though overall its a very successful continuation of the themes of their classic album. Besides the hit "Strange Days," highlights included the funky "Moonlight Drive," the eerie "Youre Lost Little Girl," and the jerkily rhythmic "Love Me Two Times," which gave the band a small chart single. "My Eyes Have Seen You" and "I Cant See Your Face in My Mind" are minor but pleasing entries in the groups repertoire that share a subdued Eastern psychedelic air. The 11-minute "When the Musics Over" would often be featured as a live showstopper, yet it also illustrated their tendency to occasionally slip into drawn-out bombast. | ||
 | Rank: 410 Album: 10 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Time Out of Mind Released: 1997-09-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 1:12:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Love Sick (05:21) 2 Dirt Road Blues (03:36) 3 Standing in the Doorway (07:43) 4 Million Miles (05:52) 5 Tryin’ to Get to Heaven (05:21) 6 ’Til I Fell in Love With You (05:17) 7 Not Dark Yet (06:29) 8 Cold Irons Bound (07:15) 9 Make You Feel My Love (03:32) 10 Can’t Wait (05:47) 11 Highlands (16:31) |
| Time Out of Mind : Allmusic album Review : After spending much of the 90s touring and simply not writing songs, Bob Dylan returned in 1997 with Time Out of Mind, his first collection of new material in seven years. Where Under the Red Sky, his last collection of original compositions, had a casual, tossed-off feel, Time Out of Mind is carefully considered, from the densely detailed songs to the dark, atmospheric production. Sonically, the album is reminiscent of Oh Mercy, the last album Dylan recorded with producer Daniel Lanois, but Time Out of Mind has a grittier foundation -- by and large, the songs are bitter and resigned, and Dylan gives them appropriately anguished performances. Lanois bathes them in hazy, ominous sounds, which may suit the spirit of the lyrics, but are often in opposition to Dylans performances. Consequently, the album loses a little of its emotional impact, yet the songs themselves are uniformly powerful, adding up to Dylans best overall collection in years. Its a better, more affecting record than Oh Mercy, not only because the songs have a stronger emotional pull, but because Lanois hasnt sanded away all the grit. As a result, the songs retain their power, leaving Time Out of Mind as one of the rare latter-day Dylan albums that meets his high standards. | ||
 | Rank: 411 Album: 11 of 50 Artist: Eric Clapton Title: 461 Ocean Boulevard Released: 1974 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Motherless Children (04:53) 2 Give Me Strength (02:54) 3 Willie and the Hand Jive (03:30) 4 Get Ready (03:47) 5 I Shot the Sheriff (04:24) 6 I Can’t Hold Out (04:14) 7 Please Be With Me (03:26) 8 Let It Grow (04:58) 9 Steady Rollin’ Man (03:14) 10 Mainline Florida (04:05) |
| 461 Ocean Boulevard : Allmusic album Review : 461 Ocean Boulevard is Eric Claptons second studio solo album, arriving after his side project of Derek and the Dominos and a long struggle with heroin addiction. Although there are some new reggae influences, the album doesnt sound all that different from the rock, pop, blues, country, and R&B amalgam of Eric Clapton. However, 461 Ocean Boulevard is a tighter, more focused outing that enables Clapton to stretch out instrumentally. Furthermore, the pop concessions on the album -- the sleek production, the concise running times -- dont detract from the rootsy origins of the material, whether its Johnny Otis "Willie and the Hand Jive," the traditional blues "Motherless Children," Bob Marleys "I Shot the Sheriff," or Claptons emotional original "Let It Grow." With its relaxed, friendly atmosphere and strong bluesy roots, 461 Ocean Boulevard set the template for Claptons 70s albums. Though he tried hard to make an album exactly like it, he never quite managed to replicate its charms. | ||
 | Rank: 412 Album: 12 of 50 Artist: Wire Title: Pink Flag Released: 1977-11 Tracks: 38 Duration: 1:06:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Reuters (03:02) 2 Field Day for the Sundays (00:28) 3 Three Girl Rhumba (01:23) 4 Ex Lion Tamer (02:19) 5 Lowdown (02:26) 6 Start to Move (01:13) 7 Brazil (00:41) 8 It’s So Obvious (00:52) 9 Surgeon’s Girl (01:16) 10 Pink Flag (03:45) 11 The Commercial (00:49) 12 Straight Line (00:44) 13 106 Beats That (01:12) 14 Mr. Suit (01:25) 15 Strange (03:58) 16 Fragile (01:18) 17 Mannequin (02:37) 18 Different to Me (00:43) 19 Champs (01:46) 20 Feeling Called Love (01:21) 21 1 2 X U (01:55) 22 Dot Dash (02:25) 23 Options R (01:36) 24 Love Ain’t Polite (01:07) 25 Oh No Not So (01:36) 26 It’s the Motive (01:22) 27 Practice Makes Perfect (03:48) 28 Sand in My Joints (01:49) 29 Stablemate (02:16) 30 I Feel Mysterious Today (01:40) 31 Underwater Experiences (03:15) 32 Mary Is a Dyke (01:06) 33 Too True (01:05) 34 Just Don’t Care (01:22) 35 TV (01:25) 36 New York City (01:12) 37 After Midnight (01:28) 38 Pink Flag (02:35) |
| Pink Flag : Allmusic album Review : Perhaps the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk, Wires Pink Flag plays like The Ramones Go to Art School -- song after song careens past in a glorious, stripped-down rush. However, unlike the Ramones, Wire ultimately made their mark through unpredictability. Very few of the songs followed traditional verse/chorus structures -- if one or two riffs sufficed, no more were added; if a musical hook or lyric didnt need to be repeated, Wire immediately stopped playing, accounting for the albums brevity (21 songs in under 36 minutes on the original version). The sometimes dissonant, minimalist arrangements allow for space and interplay between the instruments; Colin Newman isnt always the most comprehensible singer, but he displays an acerbic wit and balances the occasional lyrical abstraction with plenty of bile in his delivery. Many punk bands aimed to strip rock & roll of its excess, but Wire took the concept a step further, cutting punk itself down to its essence and achieving an even more concentrated impact. Some of the tracks may seem at first like underdeveloped sketches or fragments, but further listening demonstrates that in most cases, the music is memorable even without the repetition and structure most ears have come to expect -- it simply requires a bit more concentration. And Wire are full of ideas; for such a fiercely minimalist band, they display quite a musical range, spanning slow, haunting texture exercises, warped power pop, punk anthems, and proto-hardcore rants -- its recognizable, yet simultaneously quite unlike anything that preceded it. Pink Flags enduring influence pops up in hardcore, post-punk, alternative rock, and even Brit-pop, and it still remains a fresh, invigorating listen today: a fascinating, highly inventive rethinking of punk rock and its freedom to make up your own rules. | ||
 | Rank: 413 Album: 13 of 50 Artist: Minutemen Title: Double Nickels on the Dime Released: 1984-07 Tracks: 43 Duration: 1:13:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 D.’s Car Jam / Anxious Mo-Fo (01:20) 2 Theatre Is the Life of You (01:28) 3 Viet Nam (01:27) 4 Cohesion (01:57) 5 It’s Expected Im Gone (02:07) 6 #1 Hit Song (01:52) 7 Two Beads at the End (01:50) 8 Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Truth? (01:46) 9 Don’t Look Now (01:40) 10 Shit From an Old Notebook (01:33) 11 Nature Without Man (01:43) 12 One Reporter’s Opinion (01:47) 13 Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (01:30) 14 Maybe Partying Will Help (01:56) 15 Toadies (01:38) 16 Retreat (01:55) 17 The Big Foist (01:27) 18 God Bows to Math (01:18) 19 Corona (02:25) 20 The Glory of Man (02:52) 21 Take 5, D. (01:41) 22 My Heart and the Real World (01:03) 23 History Lesson, Part II (02:12) 24 You Need the Glory (02:00) 25 The Roar of the Masses Could Be Farts (01:21) 26 West Germany (01:49) 27 The Politics of Time (01:08) 28 Themselves (01:18) 29 Please Don’t Be Gentle With Me (00:46) 30 Nothing Indeed (01:20) 31 No Exchange (01:54) 32 There Ain’t Shit on T.V. Tonight (01:35) 33 This Ain’t No Picnic (01:54) 34 Spillage (01:48) 35 Untitled Song for Latin America (02:02) 36 Jesus and Tequila (02:56) 37 June 16th (01:47) 38 Storm in My House (02:02) 39 Martins Story (00:51) 40 Doctor Wu (01:41) 41 The World According to Nouns (02:02) 42 Love Dance (02:03) 43 Three Car Jam (00:38) |
| Double Nickels on the Dime : Allmusic album Review : If What Makes a Man Start Fires? was a remarkable step forward from the Minutemens promising debut album, The Punch Line, then Double Nickels on the Dime was a quantum leap into greatness, a sprawling 44-song set that was as impressive as it was ambitious. While punk rock was obviously the starting point for the Minutemens musical journey (which they celebrated on the funny and moving "History Lesson Part II"), by this point the group seemed up for almost anything -- D. Boons guitar work suggested the adventurous melodic sense of jazz tempered with the bite and concision of punk rock, while Mike Watts full-bodied bass was the perfect foil for Boons leads and drummer George Hurley possessed a snap and swing that would be the envy of nearly any band. In the course of Double Nickels on the Dimes four sides, the band tackles leftist punk ("Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing"), Spanish guitar workouts ("Cohesion"), neo-Nortena polka ("Corona"), blues-based laments ("Jesus and Tequila"), avant-garde exercises ("Mr. Robots Holy Orders"), and even a stripped-to-the-frame Van Halen cover ("Aint Talkin Bout Love"). From start to finish, the Minutemen play and sing with an estimable intelligence and unshakable conviction, and the album is full of striking moments that cohere into a truly remarkable whole; all three members write with smarts, good humor, and an eye for the adventurous, and they hit pay dirt with startling frequency. And if Ethan James production is a bit Spartan, its also efficient, cleaner than their work with Spot, and captures the performances with clarity (and without intruding upon the bands ideas). Simply put, Double Nickels on the Dime was the finest album of the Minutemens career, and one of the very best American rock albums of the 1980s. | ||
 | Rank: 414 Album: 14 of 50 Artist: The Go‐Go’s Title: Beauty and the Beat Released: 1981-07 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Our Lips Are Sealed (02:46) 2 How Much More (03:06) 3 Tonite (03:34) 4 Lust to Love (04:04) 5 This Town (03:20) 6 We Got the Beat (02:31) 7 Fading Fast (03:41) 8 Automatic (03:07) 9 You Can’t Walk in Your Sleep (If You Can’t Sleep) (02:54) 10 Skidmarks on My Heart (03:06) 11 Can’t Stop the World (03:19) |
| Beauty and the Beat : Allmusic album Review : It’s not quite right to say that the Go-Go’s 1981 debut, Beauty and the Beat, is where new wave caught hold in the U.S., but it’s not quite wrong, either. Prior to this, there had certainly been new wave hits -- Blondie had been reaching the Top Ten for two years running -- but the Go-Go’s ushered in the era of big, bright stylish pop, spending six weeks at the top of the U.S. charts and generating two singles that defined the era: the cool groove of “Our Lips Are Sealed” and the exuberant “We Got the Beat.” So big were these two hits that they sometimes suggested that Beauty and the Beat was a hits-and-filler record, an impression escalated by the boost the Go-Go’s received from the just-launched MTV, yet that’s hardly the case. Beauty and the Beat is sharp, clever, and catchy, explicitly drawing from the well of pre-Beatles ‘60s pop -- girl group harmonies, to be sure, but surf-rock echoes throughout -- but filtering it through the nervy energy of punk. With the assistance of Rob Freeman, producer Richard Gottehrer -- a veteran of the Strangeloves (“I Want Candy”) who also wrote the girl group standard “My Boyfriend’s Back” -- sanded down the band’s rougher edges, keeping the emphasis on the hooks and harmonies but giving the Go-Go’s enough kick and jangle that at times the group resembles nothing less than early R.E.M., particularly on “How Much More” and “Tonite.” But this isn’t Murmur; there is nothing murky about Beauty and the Beat at all -- this is infectiously cheerful pop, so hooky it’s sometimes easy to overlook how well-written these tunes are, but it’s the sturdiness of the songs that makes Beauty and the Beat a new wave classic. | ||
 | Rank: 415 Album: 15 of 50 Artist: Van Halen Title: Van Halen Released: 1978-02-10 Tracks: 11 Duration: 35:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Runnin’ With the Devil (03:37) 2 Eruption (01:42) 3 You Really Got Me (02:37) 4 Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love (03:49) 5 I’m the One (03:46) 6 Jamie’s Cryin’ (03:30) 7 Atomic Punk (03:01) 8 Feel Your Love Tonight (03:42) 9 Little Dreamer (03:22) 10 Ice Cream Man (03:19) 11 On Fire (03:00) |
| Van Halen : Allmusic album Review : Among revolutionary rock albums, Van Halens debut often gets short shrift. Although it altered perceptions of what the guitar could do, it is not spoken of in the same reverential tones as Are You Experienced? and although it set the template for how rock & roll sounded for the next decade or more, it isnt seen as an epochal generational shift, like Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, or Never Mind the Bollocks Heres the Sex Pistols, which was released just the year before. But make no mistake, Van Halen is as monumental, as seismic as those records, but part of the reason its never given the same due is that theres no pretension, nothing self-conscious about it. In the best sense, it is an artless record, in the sense that it doesnt seem contrived, but its also a great work of art because its an effortless, guileless expression of what the band is all about, and what it would continue to be over the years. The band did get better, tighter, over the years -- peaking with their sleek masterpiece 1984, where there was no fat, nothing untidy -- but everything was in place here, from the robotic pulse of Michael Anthony and Alex Van Halen, to the gonzo shtick of David Lee Roth to the astonishing guitar of Eddie Van Halen. There may have been antecedents to this sound -- perhaps you could trace Diamond Daves shuck-n-jive to Black Oak Arkansas Jim Dandy, the slippery blues-less riffs hearken back to Aerosmith -- but Van Halen, to this day, sounds utterly unprecedented, as if it was a dispatch from a distant star. Some of the history behind the record has become rock lore: Eddie may have slowed down Cream records to a crawl to learn how Clapton played "Crossroads" -- the very stuff legends are made of -- but its hard to hear Clapton here. Its hard to hear anybody else really, even with the traces of their influences, or the cover of "You Really Got Me," which doesnt seem as if it were chosen because of any great love of the Kinks, but rather because that riff got the crowd going. And thats true of all 11 songs here: theyre songs designed to get a rise out of the audience, designed to get them to have a good time, and the album still crackles with energy because of it. Sheer visceral force is one thing, but originality is another, and the still-amazing thing about Van Halen is how it sounds like it has no fathers. Plenty other bands followed this template in the 80s, but like all great originals Van Halen doesnt seem to belong to the past and it still sounds like little else, despite generations of copycats. Listen to how "Runnin with the Devil" opens the record with its mammoth, confident riff and realize that there was no other band that sounded this way -- maybe Montrose or Kiss were this far removed from the blues, but they didnt have the down-and-dirty hedonistic vibe that Van Halen did; Aerosmith certainly had that, but they were fueled by blooze and boogie, concepts that seem alien here. Everything about Van Halen is oversized: the rhythms are primal, often simple, but that gives Dave and Eddie room to run wild, and they do. They are larger than life, whether its Dave strutting, slyly spinning dirty jokes and come-ons, or Eddie throwing out mind-melting guitar riffs with a smile. And of course, this record belongs to Eddie, just like the bands very name does. There was nothing, nothing like his furious flurry of notes on his solos, showcased on "Eruption," a startling fanfare for his gifts. He makes sounds that were unimagined before this album, and they still sound nearly inconceivable. But, at least at this point, these songs were never vehicles for Van Halens playing; they were true blue, bone-crunching rockers, not just great riffs but full-fledged anthems, like "Jamies Cryin," "Atomic Punk," and "Aint Talkin Bout Love," songs that changed rock & roll and still are monolithic slabs of rock to this day. They still sound vital, surprising, and ultimately fun -- and really revolutionary, because no other band rocked like this before Van Halen, and its still a giddy thrill to hear them discover a new way to rock on this stellar, seminal debut. | ||
 | Rank: 416 Album: 16 of 50 Artist: Tom Waits Title: Mule Variations Released: 1999-04-14 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:15:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Big in Japan (04:05) 2 Lowside of the Road (02:59) 3 Hold On (05:33) 4 Get Behind the Mule (06:52) 5 House Where Nobody Lives (04:14) 6 Cold Water (05:23) 7 Pony (04:32) 8 What’s He Building? (03:20) 9 Black Market Baby (05:02) 10 Eyeball Kid (04:25) 11 Picture in a Frame (03:39) 12 Chocolate Jesus (03:55) 13 Georgia Lee (04:24) 14 Filipino Box Spring Hog (03:09) 15 Take It With Me (04:24) 16 Come on Up to the House (04:36) 17 Buzz Fledderjohn (04:12) 18 Big Face Money (00:38) |
 | Rank: 417 Album: 17 of 50 Artist: U2 Title: Boy Released: 1980-10-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Will Follow (03:37) 2 Twilight (04:22) 3 An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart (08:17) 4 Out of Control (04:14) 5 Stories for Boys (03:02) 6 The Ocean (01:35) 7 A Day Without Me (03:13) 8 Another Time, Another Place (04:33) 9 The Electric Co. (04:47) 10 Shadows and Tall Trees (04:36) |
| Boy : Allmusic album Review : From the outset, U2 went for the big message -- every song on their debut album Boy sounds huge, with oceans of processed guitars cascading around Bonos impassioned wail. It was an inspired combination of large, stadium-rock beats and post-punk textures. Without the Edges echoed, ringing guitar, U2 would have sounded like a traditional hard rock band, since the rhythm section and Bono treat each song as an anthem. Of course, thats the charm of Boy: all of its emotions are on the surface, delivered with optimistic, youthful self-belief, yet the unusual, distinctive guitar textures give it an unexpected tension that makes it an exhilarating debut. The songs may occasionally show some weakness -- the driving "I Will Follow," the dark "An Cat Dubh," and the shimmering "The Ocean" stand out among the sonic textures -- yet the bands musical and lyrical vision keep Boy compelling until the finish. | ||
 | Rank: 418 Album: 18 of 50 Artist: Paul McCartney & Wings Title: Band on the Run Released: 1973-12-05 Tracks: 39 Duration: 2:06:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Band on the Run (05:13) 2 Jet (04:09) 3 Bluebird (03:25) 4 Mrs Vandebilt (04:41) 5 Let Me Roll It (04:51) 6 Mamunia (04:50) 7 No Words (02:38) 8 Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) (05:51) 9 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (05:28) 1 Helen Wheels (03:47) 2 Country Dreamer (03:09) 3 Bluebird (from “One Hand Clapping”) (03:29) 4 Jet (from “One Hand Clapping”) (03:58) 5 Let Me Roll It (from “One Hand Clapping”) (04:25) 6 Band on the Run (from “One Hand Clapping”) (05:15) 7 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (from “One Hand Clapping”) (06:00) 8 Country Dreamer (from “One Hand Clapping”) (02:17) 9 Zoo Gang (02:01) 1 Paul McCartney (dialogue Intro)/Band on the Run (Nicely Toasted mix) (01:11) 2 Band on the Run (original) (Background)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 1) (02:16) 3 Band on the Run (Barn Rehearsal – 21st July 1989) (04:59) 4 Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 2)/Mamunia (original) (Background)/Denny Laine (dialogue)/Mamunia (original) (Background)/Linda McCartney (dialogue)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 3) (04:22) 5 Bluebird (live – version – Australia 1975) (00:54) 6 Bluebird (original) (Background)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 4) (00:23) 7 Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 5)/No Words (original) (Background)/Geoff Emerick (dialogue) (01:24) 8 No Words (original)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 6)/Tony Visconti (dialogue)/Band on the Run (original) (Illustration)/Tony Visconti (dialogue) (01:47) 9 Jet (original From Picasso’s Last Words) (Background)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 7)/Jet (original From Picasso’s Last Words) (Background)/Al Coury (dialogue) (02:55) 10 Jet (Berlin Soundcheck – 3rd September 1993) (03:51) 11 Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 8)/Clive Arrowsmith (dialogue) (01:44) 12 Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five (original) (Background)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 9)/James Coburn (dialogue)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 10)/John Conteh (dialogue) (03:24) 13 Mrs Vandeblit (original) (Background)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 11)/Kenny Lynch (dialogue) (02:10) 14 Let Me Roll It (Cardington Rehearsal – 5th February 1993)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 12) (03:51) 15 Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 13)/Mrs Vandeblit (Background)/Michael Parkinson (dialogue)/Linda McCartney (Band on the Run Photo Shoot)/Michael Parkinson (dialogue) (02:25) 16 Helen Wheels (Crazed)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 14)/Christopher Lee (dialogue) (05:32) 17 Band on the Run (Strum Bit)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 15)/Clementfreud (dialogue) (01:00) 18 Picasso’s Last Words (original) (Background)/Paul McCartney (Dialoguelink 16)/Dustin Hoffman (dialogue) (04:21) 19 Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me) (acoustic version) (01:10) 20 Band on the Run (Nicely Toasted mix)/Paul McCartney (dialogue Link 17) (00:41) 21 Band on the Run (Northern Comic version) (00:36) |
| Band on the Run : Allmusic album Review : Band on the Run is generally considered to be Paul McCartneys strongest solo effort. The album was also his most commercially successful, selling well and spawning two hit singles, the multi-part pop suite of the title track and the roaring rocker "Jet." On these cuts and elsewhere, McCartneys penchant for sophisticated, nuanced arrangements and irrepressibly catchy melodic hooks is up to the caliber he displayed in the Beatles, far surpassing the first two Wings releases, Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway. The focus found in Band on the Run may have to do with the circumstances of its creation: two former members quit the band prior to recording, leaving McCartney, wife Linda, and guitarist Denny Laine to complete the album alone (with Paul writing, producing, and playing most of the instruments himself). The album has the majestic, orchestral sweep of McCartneys Abbey Road-era ambition, with a wide range of style-dabbling, from the swaying, acoustic jazz-pop of "Bluebird" and the appealing, straightforward rock of "Helen Wheels" to the wiry blues of "Let Me Roll It" and the swaying, one-off pub sing-along "Picassos Last Words (Drink to Me)." Though it lacks the emotional resonance of contemporaneous releases by John Lennon and George Harrison, McCartneys infallible instinct for popcraft overflows on this excellent release. | ||
 | Rank: 419 Album: 19 of 50 Artist: Portishead Title: Dummy Released: 1994-08-22 Tracks: 11 Duration: 49:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mysterons (05:06) 2 Sour Times (04:13) 3 Strangers (03:58) 4 It Could Be Sweet (04:19) 5 Wandering Star (04:53) 6 It’s a Fire (03:49) 7 Numb (03:57) 8 Roads (05:05) 9 Pedestal (03:41) 10 Biscuit (05:04) 11 Glory Box (05:04) |
| Dummy : Allmusic album Review : Portisheads album debut is a brilliant, surprisingly natural synthesis of claustrophobic spy soundtracks, dark breakbeats inspired by frontman Geoff Barrows love of hip-hop, and a vocalist (Beth Gibbons) in the classic confessional singer/songwriter mold. Beginning with the otherworldly theremin and martial beats of "Mysterons," Dummy hits an early high with "Sour Times," a post-modern torch song driven by a Lalo Schifrin sample. The chilling atmospheres conjured by Adrian Utleys excellent guitar work and Barrows turntables and keyboards prove the perfect foil for Gibbons, who balances sultriness and melancholia in equal measure. Occasionally reminiscent of a torchier version of Sade, Gibbons provides a clear focus for these songs, with Barrow and company behind her laying down one of the best full-length productions ever heard in the dance world. Where previous acts like Massive Attack had attracted dance heads in the main, Portishead crossed over to an American, alternative audience, connecting with the legion of angst-ridden indie fans as well. Better than any album before it, Dummy merged the pinpoint-precise productions of the dance world with pop hallmarks like great songwriting and excellent vocal performances. | ||
 | Rank: 420 Album: 20 of 50 Artist: The Crickets Title: The “Chirping” Crickets Released: 1957-11-27 Tracks: 12 Duration: 25:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Oh, Boy! (02:08) 2 Not Fade Away (02:22) 3 You’ve Got Love (02:07) 4 Maybe Baby (02:02) 5 It’s Too Late (02:23) 6 Tell Me How (02:01) 7 That’ll Be the Day (02:17) 8 I’m Looking for Someone to Love (01:58) 9 An Empty Cup (and a Broken Date) (02:14) 10 Send Me Some Lovin’ (02:36) 11 Last Night (01:55) 12 Rock Me My Baby (01:48) |
| The “Chirping” Crickets : Allmusic album Review : The debut album by the Crickets and the only one featuring Buddy Holly released during his lifetime, The "Chirping" Crickets contains the groups number one single "Thatll Be the Day" and its Top Ten hit "Oh, Boy!." Other Crickets classics include "Not Fade Away," "Maybe Baby," and "Im Looking for Someone to Love." The rest of the 12 tracks are not up to the standard set by those five, but those five are among the best rock & roll songs of the 1950s or ever, making this one of the most significant album debuts in rock & roll history, ranking with Elvis Presley and Meet the Beatles. | ||
 | Rank: 421 Album: 21 of 50 Artist: Various Artists Title: The Best of the Girl Groups, Volume 1 Released: 1990 Tracks: 18 Duration: 45:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Leader of the Pack (02:51) 2 He’s So Fine (01:54) 3 Chapel of Love (02:49) 4 The Boy From New York City (03:01) 5 The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss) (02:12) 6 Sally, Go ’round the Roses (03:16) 7 Will You Love Me Tomorrow (02:41) 8 Remember (Walkin’ in the Sand) (02:16) 9 One Fine Day (02:09) 10 Party Lights (02:23) 11 People Say (02:46) 12 He’s Got the Power (02:21) 13 I Can’t Stay Mad at You (02:09) 14 I Wanna Love Him So Bad (02:45) 15 Dream Baby (02:59) 16 Baby It’s You (02:40) 17 Give Him a Great Big Kiss (02:12) 18 I Can’t Let Go (02:08) |
 | Rank: 422 Album: 22 of 50 Artist: Various Artists Title: The Best of the Girl Groups, Volume 2 Released: 1990 Tracks: 18 Duration: 44:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 My Boyfriend’s Back (02:39) 2 Sweet Talkin’ Guy (02:28) 3 The Loco‐Motion (02:24) 4 A Lover’s Concerto (02:41) 5 The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget (02:11) 6 You Don’t Know (03:17) 7 Chains (02:32) 8 Popsicles and Icicles (02:33) 9 The One You Can’t Have (02:00) 10 Tell Him (02:36) 11 Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby) (02:44) 12 I Met Him on a Sunday (02:16) 13 Wonderful Summer (02:29) 14 It Might as Well Rain Until September (02:26) 15 You Don’t Have to Be a Baby to Cry (02:00) 16 Easier Said Than Done (02:09) 17 I Love How You Love Me (02:07) 18 Johnny Get Angry (02:32) |
 | Rank: 423 Album: 23 of 50 Artist: The Ronettes Title: Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica Released: 1963 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Walking in the Rain (03:16) 2 Do I Love You? (02:52) 3 So Young (02:36) 4 (The Best Part of) Breakin’ Up (03:04) 5 I Wonder (02:45) 6 What’d I Say? (04:46) 7 Be My Baby (02:41) 8 You Baby (02:56) 9 Baby, I Love You (02:50) 10 How Does It Feel? (02:41) 11 When I Saw You (02:44) 12 Chapel of Love (02:58) |
 | Rank: 424 Album: 24 of 50 Artist: Diana Ross & The Supremes Title: Anthology Released: 2001-12-18 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:13:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Want a Guy (02:53) 2 Buttered Popcorn (First Pressing) (02:58) 3 The Tears (02:49) 4 Your Heart Belongs to Me (02:38) 5 Let Me Go the Right Way (02:34) 6 A Breath Taking Guy (02:24) 7 When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes (03:05) 8 Run, Run, Run (02:16) 9 Where Did Our Love Go (02:33) 10 Baby Love (02:43) 11 Come See About Me (02:42) 12 Stop! In the Name of Love (02:53) 13 Back in My Arms Again (02:55) 14 Whisper You Love Me Boy (single mix) (02:42) 15 Mother Dear (02:43) 16 Nothing but Heartaches (02:57) 17 I Hear a Symphony (02:44) 18 My World Is Empty Without You (02:35) 19 Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart (extended version) (03:21) 20 You Can’t Hurry Love (02:47) 21 This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You) (02:36) 22 You Keep Me Hangin On (alternate mix) (03:01) 23 Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone (02:49) 24 The Happening (02:50) 25 Things Are Changing (02:58) 26 He (Stereo mix) (03:48) |
 | Rank: 425 Album: 25 of 50 Artist: Bruce Springsteen Title: The Rising Released: 2002-07-29 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:12:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lonesome Day (04:07) 2 Into the Fire (05:04) 3 Waitin’ on a Sunny Day (04:18) 4 Nothing Man (04:23) 5 Countin’ on a Miracle (04:44) 6 Empty Sky (03:34) 7 Worlds Apart (06:07) 8 Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin) (04:21) 9 Further on (Up the Road) (03:52) 10 The Fuse (05:37) 11 Mary’s Place (06:03) 12 You’re Missing (05:10) 13 The Rising (04:49) 14 Paradise (05:39) 15 My City of Ruins (05:00) |
| The Rising : Allmusic album Review : The many voices that come out of the ether on Bruce Springsteens The Rising all seem to have two things in common: the first is that they are writing from the other side, from the day after September 11, 2001, the day when life began anew, more uncertain than ever before. The other commonality that these voices share is the determination that life, however fraught with tragedy and confusion, is precious and should be lived as such. On this reunion with the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen offers 15 meditations -- in grand rock & roll style -- on his own way of making sense of the senseless. The band is in fine form, though with Brendan OBriens uncanny production, they play with an urgency and rawness theyve seldom shown. This may not have been the ideal occasion for a reunion after 15 years, but its one they got, and they go for broke. The individual tracks offer various glimpses of loss, confusion, hope, faith, resolve, and a good will that can only be shown by those who have been tested by fire. The music and production is messy, greasy; a lot of the mixes bleed tracks onto one another, giving it a more homemade feel than any previous E Street Band outing. And yes, thats a very good thing. The set opens with "Lonesome Day," a midtempo rocker with country-ish roots. Springsteens protagonist admits to his or her shortcomings in caring for the now-absent beloved. But despite the grief and emptiness, there is a wisdom that emerges in questioning what remains: "Better ask questions before you shoot/Deceit and betrayals bitter fruit/Its hard to swallow come time to pay/That taste on your tongue dont easily slip away/Let kingdom come/Im gonna find my way/ Through this lonesome day." Brendan OBriens hurdy-gurdy cuts through the mix like a ghost, offering a view of an innocent past that has been forever canceled because it never was anyway; the instrument, like the glockenspiels that trim Bruce Springsteens songs, offers not only texture, but a kind of formalist hint that possibilities dont always lie in the future. Lest anyone mistakenly perceive this recording as a somber evocation of loss and despair, it should also be stated that this is very much an E Street Band recording. Clarence Clemons is everywhere, and the R&B swing and slip of the days of yore is in the house -- especially on "Waitin for a Sunny Day," "Countin on a Miracle," "Marys Place" (with a full horn section), and the souled-out "Lets Be Friends (Skin to Skin)." These tracks echo the past with their loose good-time feel, but "echo" is the key word. Brendan OBriens guitar-accented production offers us an E Street Band coming out of the ether and stepping in to fill a void. The songs themselves are, without exception, rooted in loss, but flower with the possibility of moving into what comes next, with a hard-won swagger and busted-up grace. They offer balance and a shifting perspective, as well as a depth that is often deceptive. The title track is one of Springsteens greatest songs. It is an anthem, but not in the sense you usually reference in regard to his work. This anthem is an invitation to share everything, to accept everything, to move through everything individually and together. Power-chorded guitars and pianos entwine in the choruses with a choir, and Clemons wails on a part with a stinging solo. With The Rising, Springsteen has found a way to be inclusive and instructive without giving up his particular vision as a songwriter, nor his considerable strength as a rock & roll artist. In fact, if anything, The Rising is one of the very best examples in recent history of how popular art can evoke a time period and all of its confusing and often contradictory notions, feelings, and impulses. There are tales of great suffering in The Rising to be sure, but there is joy, hope, and possibility, too. Above all, there is a celebration and reverence for everyday life. And if we need anything from rock & roll, its that. It would be unfair to lay on Bruce Springsteen the responsibility of guiding people through the aftermath of a tragedy and getting on with the business of living, but rock & roll as impure, messy, and edifying as this helps. | ||
 | Rank: 426 Album: 26 of 50 Artist: Gram Parsons Title: Grievous Angel Released: 1974-01 Tracks: 9 Duration: 36:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Return of the Grievous Angel (04:19) 2 Hearts on Fire (03:50) 3 I Can’t Dance (02:20) 4 Brass Buttons (03:27) 5 $1000 Wedding (05:00) 6 Medley: Cash on the Barrelhead / Hickory Wind (live) (06:27) 7 Love Hurts (03:40) 8 Ooh Las Vegas (03:29) 9 In My Hour of Darkness (03:42) |
 | Rank: 427 Album: 27 of 50 Artist: Cheap Trick Title: Cheap Trick at Budokan Released: 1976 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hello There (02:27) 2 Come On, Come On (03:03) 3 Lookout (03:15) 4 Big Eyes (03:56) 5 Need Your Love (08:57) 6 Ain’t That a Shame (05:17) 7 I Want You to Want Me (03:45) 8 Surrender (04:40) 9 Goodnight Now (02:42) 10 Clock Strikes Ten (04:03) |
| Cheap Trick at Budokan : Allmusic album Review : While their records were entertaining and full of skillful pop, it wasnt until At Budokan that Cheap Tricks vision truly gelled. Many of these songs, like "I Want You to Want Me" and "Big Eyes," were pleasant in their original form, but seemed more like sketches compared to the roaring versions on this album. With their ear-shatteringly loud guitars and sweet melodies, Cheap Trick unwittingly paved the way for much of the hard rock of the next decade, as well as a surprising amount of alternative rock of the 1990s, and it was At Budokan that captured the band in all of its power. | ||
 | Rank: 428 Album: 28 of 50 Artist: Peter Wolf Title: Sleepless Released: 2002 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Growin Pain (03:12) 2 Nothing but the Wheel (04:34) 3 A Lot of Good Ones Gone (03:33) 4 Never Like This Before (03:21) 5 Run Silent, Run Deep (04:13) 6 Homework (02:39) 7 Five OClock Angel (03:00) 8 Hey Jordan (03:03) 9 Too Close Together (02:24) 10 Some Things You Dont Want to Know (02:31) 11 Oh Marianne (04:19) 12 Sleepless (04:05) |
| Sleepless : Allmusic album Review : With each step he takes past his years as frontman to the J. Geils Band, Peter Wolf builds on his legacy as a solo artist of remarkable distinction. Bits of the jive caricature of his early years surface on Sleepless, especially when reunited with his old running buddies Keith Richards and Magic Dick on "Too Close Together," but most of the album documents much more skillful and sensitive approaches to interpretation. In fact, in his ability to slide from singing to a spoken word or two and back again, Wolf affirms his mastery of the Bob Dylan method for bringing a lyric to life. The musical settings throughout Sleepless vary dramatically, from roadhouse country on the highway epic "Nothing but the Wheel" through Mexican romanticism on "Oh Marianne" and to raw blues with a Tom Waits edge on "Homework." In each of these, Wolfs voice, recorded bone dry and boosted high in the mix, flawlessly nails the feel; on one track, the Stax-flavored ballad "A Lot of Good Ones Gone," his performance -- reflective, understated, delicately phrased, and soulful -- compares favorably to some of Van Morrisons best work. It is, in other words, about as good as a performance can be in this genre. | ||
 | Rank: 429 Album: 29 of 50 Artist: The Police Title: Outlandos d’Amour Released: 1978 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Next to You (02:54) 2 So Lonely (04:49) 3 Roxanne (03:12) 4 Hole in My Life (04:54) 5 Peanuts (04:01) 6 Can’t Stand Losing You (03:01) 7 Truth Hits Everybody (02:55) 8 Born in the 50’s (03:44) 9 Be My Girl / Sally (03:24) 10 Masoko Tanga (05:42) |
| Outlandos d’Amour : Allmusic album Review : While their subsequent chart-topping albums would contain far more ambitious songwriting and musicianship, the Polices 1978 debut, Outlandos dAmour (translation: Outlaws of Love) is by far their most direct and straightforward release. Although Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland were all superb instrumentalists with jazz backgrounds, it was much easier to get a record contract in late-70s England if you were a punk/new wave artist, so the band decided to mask their instrumental prowess with a set of strong, adrenaline-charged rock, albeit with a reggae tinge. Some of it may have been simplistic ("Be My Girl-Sally," "Born in the 50s"), but Sting was already an ace songwriter, as evidenced by all-time classics like the good-girl-gone-bad tale of "Roxanne," and a pair of brokenhearted reggae-rock ditties, "Cant Stand Losing You" and "So Lonely." But like all other Police albums, the lesser-known album cuts are often highlights themselves -- the frenzied rockers "Next to You," "Peanuts," and "Truth Hits Everybody," as well as more exotic fare like the groovy album closer "Masoko Tanga" and the lonesome "Hole in My Life." Outlandos dAmour is unquestionably one of the finest debuts to come out of the 70s punk/new wave movement. | ||
 | Rank: 430 Album: 30 of 50 Artist: Brian Eno Title: Another Green World Released: 1975-09 Tracks: 14 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Sky Saw (?) 2 Over Fire Island (?) 3 St. Elmo’s Fire (?) 4 In Dark Trees (?) 5 The Big Ship (?) 6 I’ll Come Running (?) 7 Another Green World (?) 8 Sombre Reptiles (?) 9 Little Fishes (?) 10 Golden Hours (?) 11 Becalmed (?) 12 Zawinul/Lava (?) 13 Everything Merges With the Night (?) 14 Spirits Drifting (?) |
 | Rank: 431 Album: 31 of 50 Artist: Vampire Weekend Title: Vampire Weekend Released: 2007-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 34:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mansard Roof (02:07) 2 Oxford Comma (03:15) 3 A‐Punk (02:17) 4 Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (03:34) 5 M79 (04:15) 6 Campus (02:56) 7 Bryn (02:13) 8 One (Blake’s Got a New Face) (03:13) 9 I Stand Corrected (02:39) 10 Walcott (03:41) 11 The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance (04:03) |
| Vampire Weekend : Allmusic album Review : With the Internet able to build up or tear down artists almost as soon as they start practicing, the advance word and intense scrutiny doesnt always do a band any favors. By the time theyve got a full-length album ready to go, the trend-spotters are already several Hot New Bands past them. Vampire Weekend started generating buzz in 2006 -- not long after they formed -- but their self-titled debut album didnt arrive until early 2008. Vampire Weekend also has just a handful of songs that havent been floating around the Net, which may disappoint the kind of people who like to post "First!" on message boards. This doesnt make those songs any less charming, however -- in fact, the band has spent the last year and a half making them even more charming, perfecting the culture collision of indie-, chamber-, and Afro-pop they call "Upper West Side Soweto" by making that unique hybrid of sounds feel completely effortless. So, Vampire Weekend ends up being a more or less official validation of the long-building buzz around the band, served up in packaging that uses the Futura typeface almost as stylishly as Wes Anderson. At times, the album sounds like someone trying to turn a Wes Anderson movie back into music (its no surprise that the bands keyboardist also writes film scores); theres a similarly precious yet adventurous feel here, as well as a kindred eye and ear for detail. Everything is concise, concentrated, distilled, vivid; Vampire Weekends world is extremely specific and meticulously crafted, and Vampire Weekend often feels like a concept album about preppy guys who grew up with classical music and recently got really into world music. Amazingly, instead of being alienating, the bands quirks are utterly winning. Scholarly grammar ("Oxford Comma") and architecture ("Mansard Roof") are springboards for songs with impulsive melodies, tricky rhythms, and syncopated basslines. Strings and harpsichords brush up against African-inspired chants on "M79," and lilting Afro-pop guitars and a skanking beat give way to Mellotrons on "A-Punk." Its a given that a band thats this high concept has hyper-literate lyrics: the singers name is the very writerly Ezra Koenig, and you almost expect to see footnotes in the albums liner notes. Once again, though, Vampire Weekends words are evocative instead of gimmicky. The irresistible "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" rhymes "Louis Vuitton" with "reggaeton" and "Benneton" and name-drops Peter Gabriel (though its clear the band spent more time with Paul Simons Graceland) without feeling contrived. "Campus" is another standout, with lines like "I see you walking across the campus...how am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?" throwing listeners into college life no matter what their age. Koenig has a boyish, hopeful quality to his voice that completes Vampire Weekend, especially on bittersweet but irrepressible songs like "I Stand Corrected" and album closer "The Kids Dont Stand a Chance." Fully realized debut albums like Vampire Weekend come along once in a great while, and these songs show that this band is smart, but not too smart for their own good. | ||
 | Rank: 432 Album: 32 of 50 Artist: PJ Harvey Title: Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea Released: 2000-10-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 47:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Big Exit (03:51) 2 Good Fortune (03:20) 3 A Place Called Home (03:41) 4 One Line (03:15) 5 Beautiful Feeling (03:56) 6 The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore (03:58) 7 This Mess We’re In (03:56) 8 You Said Something (03:19) 9 Kamikaze (02:23) 10 This Is Love (03:47) 11 Horses in My Dreams (05:35) 12 We Float (06:06) |
| Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea : Allmusic album Review : During her career, Polly Jean Harvey has had as many incarnations as she has albums. Shes gone from the Yeovil art student of her debut Dry, to Rid of Mes punk poetess to To Bring You My Love and Is This Desire?s postmodern siren; on Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea -- inspired by her stay in New York City and life in the English countryside -- shes changed again. The album covers stylish, subtly sexy image suggests what its songs confirm: PJ Harvey has grown up. Direct, vulnerable lyrics replace the allegories and metaphors of her previous work, and the albums production polishes the songs instead of obscuring them in noise or studio tricks. On the albums best tracks, such as "Kamikaze" and "This Is Love," a sexy, shouty blues-punk number that features the memorable refrain "I cant believe life is so complex/When I just want to sit here and watch you undress," Harvey sounds sensual and revitalized. The New York influences surface on the glamorous punk rock of "Big Exit" and "Good Fortune," on which Harvey channels both Chrissie Hyndes sexy tough girl and Patti Smiths ferocious yelp. Ballads like the sweetly urgent, piano and marimba-driven "One Line" and the Thom Yorke duet "This Mess Were In" avoid the painful depths of Harveys darkest songs; "Horses in My Dreams" also reflects Harveys new emotional balance: "I have pulled myself clear," she sighs, and we believe her. However, "We Float"s glossy choruses veer close to Lillith Fair territory, and longtime fans cant help but miss the visceral impact of her early work, but Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea doesnt compromise her essential passion. Hopefully, this albums happier, more direct PJ Harvey is a persona shell keep around for a while. | ||
 | Rank: 433 Album: 33 of 50 Artist: Brian Eno Title: Here Come the Warm Jets Released: 1973-11 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples AlbumCover | 1 Needles in the Camel’s Eye (03:13) 2 The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch (03:07) 3 Baby’s on Fire (05:22) 4 Cindy Tells Me (03:28) 5 Driving Me Backwards (05:13) 6 On Some Faraway Beach (04:39) 7 Blank Frank (03:38) 8 Dead Finks Don’t Talk (04:22) 9 Some of Them Are Old (05:14) 10 Here Come the Warm Jets (04:02) |
 | Rank: 434 Album: 34 of 50 Artist: George Harrison Title: All Things Must Pass Released: 1970-11-27 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:45:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I’d Have You Anytime (03:00) 2 My Sweet Lord (04:39) 3 Wah‐Wah (05:39) 4 Isn’t It a Pity (version one) (07:10) 5 What Is Life (04:24) 6 If Not for You (03:33) 7 Behind That Locked Door (03:10) 8 Let It Down (05:01) 9 Run of the Mill (02:52) 1 Beware of Darkness (03:51) 2 Apple Scruffs (03:09) 3 Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) (03:52) 4 Awaiting on You All (02:50) 5 All Things Must Pass (03:47) 6 I Dig Love (05:00) 7 Art of Dying (03:43) 8 Isn’t It a Pity (version two) (04:51) 9 Hear Me Lord (06:00) 1 Out of the Blue (11:16) 2 It’s Johnny’s Birthday (00:49) 3 Plug Me In (03:19) 4 I Remember Jeep (08:09) 5 Thanks for the Pepperoni (05:32) |
| All Things Must Pass : Allmusic album Review : Without a doubt, George Harrisons first solo recording, originally issued as a triple album, is his best. Drawing on his backlog of unused compositions from the late Beatles era, Harrison crafted material that managed the rare feat of conveying spiritual mysticism without sacrificing his gifts for melody and grand, sweeping arrangements. Enhanced by Phil Spectors lush orchestral production and Harrisons own superb slide guitar, nearly every song is excellent: "Awaiting on You All," "Beware of Darkness," the Dylan collaboration "Id Have You Anytime," "Isnt It a Pity," and the hit singles "My Sweet Lord" and "What Is Life" are just a few of the highlights. A very moving work, with a slight flaw: the jams that comprise the final third of the album are somewhat dispensable, and have probably only been played once or twice by most of the listeners who own this record. Those same jams, however, played by Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, Bobby Whitlock, and Jim Gordon (all of whom had just come off of touring as part of Delaney & Bonnies band), proved to be of immense musical importance, precipitating the formation of Derek & the Dominos. Thus, they werent a total dead end, and may actually be much more to the liking of the latter bands fans. | ||
 | Rank: 435 Album: 35 of 50 Artist: Big Star Title: #1 Record Released: 1972 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Feel (03:33) 2 The Ballad of El Goodo (04:21) 3 In the Street (02:55) 4 Thirteen (02:34) 5 Don’t Lie to Me (03:07) 6 The India Song (02:20) 7 When My Baby’s Beside Me (03:23) 8 My Life Is Right (03:10) 9 Give Me Another Chance (03:27) 10 Try Again (03:31) 11 Watch the Sunrise (03:45) 12 ST 100/6 (01:01) |
 | Rank: 436 Album: 36 of 50 Artist: Nirvana Title: In Utero Released: 1993-09-21 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Serve the Servants (03:36) 2 Scentless Apprentice (03:47) 3 Heart‐Shaped Box (04:41) 4 Rape Me (02:50) 5 Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle (04:09) 6 Dumb (02:32) 7 Very Ape (01:55) 8 Milk It (03:54) 9 Pennyroyal Tea (03:37) 10 Radio Friendly Unit Shifter (04:51) 11 tourette’s (01:35) 12 All Apologies (03:50) |
| In Utero : Allmusic album Review : Nirvana probably hired Steve Albini to produce In Utero with the hopes of creating their own Surfer Rosa, or at least shoring up their indie cred after becoming a pop phenomenon with a glossy punk record. In Utero, of course, turned out to be their last record, and its hard not to hear it as Kurt Cobains suicide note, since Albinis stark, uncompromising sound provides the perfect setting for Cobains bleak, even nihilistic, lyrics. Even if the album wasnt a literal suicide note, it was certainly a conscious attempt to shed their audience -- an attempt that worked, by the way, since the record had lost its momentum when Cobain died in the spring of 1994. Even though the band tempered some of Albinis extreme tactics in a remix, the record remains a deliberately alienating experience, front-loaded with many of its strongest songs, then descending into a series of brief, dissonant squalls before concluding with "All Apologies," which only gets sadder with each passing year. Throughout it all, Cobains songwriting is typically haunting, and its best moments rank among his finest work, but the over-amped dynamicism of the recording seems like a way to camouflage his dispiritedness -- as does the fact that he consigned such great songs as "Verse Chorus Verse" and "I Hate Myself and Want to Die" to compilations, when they would have fit, even illuminated the themes of In Utero. Even without those songs, In Utero remains a shattering listen, whether its viewed as Cobains farewell letter or self-styled audience alienation. Few other records are as willfully difficult as this. | ||
 | Rank: 437 Album: 37 of 50 Artist: Beck Title: Sea Change Released: 2002-09-21 Tracks: 13 Duration: 56:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Golden Age (04:36) 2 Paper Tiger (04:35) 3 Guess I’m Doing Fine (04:49) 4 Lonesome Tears (05:37) 5 Lost Cause (03:47) 6 End of the Day (05:03) 7 It’s All in Your Mind (03:06) 8 Round the Bend (05:15) 9 Already Dead (03:19) 10 Sunday Sun (04:44) 11 Little One (04:26) 12 Side of the Road (03:23) 13 Ship in the Bottle (03:23) |
| Sea Change : Allmusic album Review : Beck has always been known for his ever-changing moods -- particularly since they often arrived one after another on one album, sometimes within one song -- yet the shift between the neon glitz of Midnite Vultures and the lush, somber Sea Change is startling, and not just because it finds him in full-on singer/songwriter mode, abandoning all of the postmodern pranksterism of its predecessor. Whats startling about Sea Change is how it brings everything thats run beneath the surface of Becks music to the forefront, as if hes unafraid to not just reveal emotions, but to elliptically examine them in this wonderfully melancholy song cycle. If, on most albums prior to this, Becks music was a sonic kaleidoscope -- each song shifting familiar and forgotten sounds into colorful, unpredictable combinations -- this discards genre-hopping in favor of focus, and the concentration pays off gloriously, resulting in not just his best album, but one of the greatest late-night, brokenhearted albums in pop. This, as many reviews and promotional interviews have noted, is indeed a breakup album, but its not a bitter listen; it has a wearily beautiful sound, a comforting, consoling sadness. His words are often evocative, but not nearly as evocative as the music itself, which is rooted equally in country-rock (not alt-country), early-70s singer/songwriterism, and baroque British psychedelia. With producer Nigel Godrich, Beck has created a warm, enveloping sound, with his acoustic guitar supported by grand string arrangements straight out of Paul Buckmaster, eerie harmonies, and gentle keyboards among other subtler touches that give this record a richness that unveils more with each listen. Surely, some may bemoan the absence of the careening, free-form experimentalism of Odelay, but Becks gifts as a songwriter, singer, and musician have never been as brilliant as they are here. As Sea Change is playing, it feels as if Beck singing to you alone, revealing painful, intimate secrets that mirror your own. Its a genuine masterpiece in an era with too damn few of them. | ||
 | Rank: 438 Album: 38 of 50 Artist: Lil Wayne Title: Tha Carter III Released: 2008-06-09 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 3 Peat (03:19) 2 Mr. Carter (05:16) 3 A Milli (03:42) 4 Got Money (04:05) 5 Comfortable (04:25) 6 Dr. Carter (04:24) 7 Phone Home (03:12) 8 Tie My Hands (05:19) 9 Mrs. Officer (04:47) 10 Let the Beat Build (05:09) 11 Shoot Me Down (04:30) 12 Lollipop (04:59) 13 La La (04:22) 14 Pussy Monster (05:14) 15 You Aint Got Nuthin (05:27) 16 DontGetIt (09:52) |
| Tha Carter III : Allmusic album Review : How Tha Carter III came to be "the most anticipated rap album of 2008" is a story that involves the usual delays and promises of a masterpiece, plus a whole lot of bullet points that could only exist in the absurd world of Lil Wayne. Theres his complete annihilation of the mixtape game, the ridiculous amount of guest shots he granted since Tha Carter II made him a hip-hop superstar, that photograph of him kissing his mentor, Birdman, rumors of addiction to the sizzurp, plus the gargantuan ego and aggravating aloofness (Wayne will ignore all incoming beefs and infuriate challengers even further by offering the lethal "I dont listen to your records"). His "best rapper alive" quote is discussed to death, but if that claim includes creating perfectly crafted full-lengths in a 2Pac style, the evidence wont be found here. Tha Carter III is instead a surprisingly casual album that takes numerous listens to sort out, and only part of a puzzle that is scattered across mixtapes, guest shots, and Internet leaks. Had he included another easy-access single like "Rider" from The Drought Is Over, Pt. 4 -- just one of his mixtape series that made it to a Pt. 5 -- the "classic" argument could be considered, but figuring out what to sacrifice from this high-grade jumble is difficult. It wouldnt be the electro-bumpin "Lollipop," an infectious track that contains the wonderfully Wayne line "I told her to back it up/Like burp, burp." You certainly wouldnt want to lose key cut "Phone Home," where the maverick adopts an alien voice and drops "I could get your brains for a bargain/Like I bought it from Target." Another Weezy special from way outside the hip-hop universe comes in the striking "Dr. Carter," when the football reference "And you aint Vince Young/So dont clash with the Titan" dances on a David Axelrod sample and an unexpected jazzy production from Swizz Beatz. Giant meets giant when Jay-Z stops by for the velvet-smooth hangout session "Mr. Carter," and with Babyface laying the stylish swagger all over "Comfortable," Wayne gets the opportunity to convincingly vibe in the land of true class. Just like on Tha Carter II, Robin Thicke ends up the most complementary guest, coating Waynes post-Katrina tale "Tie My Hands" in warm buttery soul. As the track flows from political commentary ("My whole citys underwater, some people still floatin/And they wonderin why black people still votin/Cuz your Presidents still chokin") to despair and onto some moving "keep your head up"-styled verse, it proves Wayne can go deep and connect with his audience if he chooses. You can fault him for not connecting enough on the album and further complicating his unmanageable body of work with this disjointed effort, but Waynes true masterpiece is the bigger picture and how hes flipped the script since the first Carter rolled out. Filled with bold, entertaining wordplay and plenty of well-executed, left-field ideas, Tha Carter III should be considered as a wild, somewhat difficult child of Weezys magnum opus in motion, one that allows the listener an exhilarating and unapologetic taste of artistic freedom. | ||
 | Rank: 439 Album: 39 of 50 Artist: The Cure Title: Boys Don’t Cry Released: 1980-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 33:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Boys Don’t Cry (02:35) 2 Plastic Passion (02:14) 3 10:15 Saturday Night (03:41) 4 Accuracy (02:17) 5 So What (02:37) 6 Jumping Someone Elses Train (02:56) 7 Subway Song (01:55) 8 Killing an Arab (02:23) 9 Fire in Cairo (03:22) 10 Another Day (03:43) 11 Grinding Halt (02:49) 12 Three Imaginary Boys (03:11) |
| Boys Don’t Cry : Allmusic album Review : Falling somewhere between official release and compilation, Boys Dont Cry was released in February 1980 in hopes of increasing the bands exposure outside of the U.K. It captures the first phase of the band well, showcasing the angular new wave that had garnered them acclaim in England. The major difference separating this from the debut full-length (and thus qualifying it as an "official" release) is that unlike Three Imaginary Boys, the first three singles ("Killing an Arab," "Boys Dont Cry," and "Jumping Someone Elses Train") are included. A good starting point for getting up to speed on this era of the band, it works best when paired up with Three Imaginary Boys; then youll get the complete picture. | ||
 | Rank: 440 Album: 40 of 50 Artist: Sam Cooke Title: Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 Released: 1985 Tracks: 9 Duration: 37:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Feel It (03:46) 2 Chain Gang (03:11) 3 Cupid (02:44) 4 Medley: It’s All Right / For Sentimental Reasons (05:11) 5 Twisting the Night Away (04:19) 6 Somebody Have Mercy (04:45) 7 Bring It On Home to Me (05:38) 8 Nothing Can Change This Love (03:46) 9 Having a Party (04:09) |
| Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 : Allmusic album Review : Not only is this one of the greatest live soul albums ever released, it also reveals a rougher, rawer, and more immediate side to Sam Cooke that his singles only hinted at, good as they were. Working with a merged band that included guitarist Cliff White and drummer Albert "June" Gardner from Cookes regular touring outfit and saxophonist King Curtis and his band, Cooke brings a gospel fervor to these whirlwind versions, which are fiery, emotionally direct, and hit with uncommon power. Every track burns with an insistent, urgent feel, and although Cooke practically defines melisma on his single releases, here he reaches past that into deeper territory that finds him almost literally shoving and pushing each song forward with shouts, asides, and spoken interactions with the audience, which becomes as much a part of this set as any bandmember. "Chain Gang" is stripped down to a raw nerve, "Twistin the Night Away" explodes out of the gate like a runaway rocket, and Curtis sax breaks on "Somebody Have Mercy" make it sound like the saxophone was invented for this one song alone. Throughout Cookes voice is a raspy laser that makes it obvious what Rod Stewart picked up from this recording, and it is impossible not to hear Cookes voice looming behind Stewarts once youve heard this amazing live set. Although recorded January 12, 1963, at the Harlem Square Club in Miami in 1963, RCA didnt release it as an album until 1985. The set was remixed from the original first generation three-track tape for 2000s The Man Who Invented Soul box, and while the music (and Cookes vocals in particular) sounded much cleaner, much of the crowd noise from the 1985 mixes was toned down, robbing the recording of some of its claustrophobic, frenzied power. The mix used here seems to more or less split the difference, but the crucial key is and was always Cookes vocals, and while he was a marvelously smooth, versatile, and urbane singer on his official pop recordings, here he explodes into one of the finest sets of raw secular gospel ever captured on tape. It is essential listening in any version. | ||
 | Rank: 441 Album: 41 of 50 Artist: The Pogues Title: Rum Sodomy & the Lash Released: 1985 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:04:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Sickbed of Cúchulainn (03:00) 2 The Old Main Drag (03:20) 3 Wild Cats of Kilkenny (02:49) 4 I’m a Man You Don’t Meet Every Day (02:55) 5 A Pair of Brown Eyes (05:00) 6 Sally MacLennane (02:44) 7 Dirty Old Town (03:45) 8 Jesse James (02:58) 9 Navigator (04:12) 10 Billy’s Bones (02:03) 11 The Gentleman Soldier (02:04) 12 The Band Played Waltzing Matilda (08:14) 13 A Pistol for Paddy Garcia (02:31) 14 London Girl (03:04) 15 Rainy Night in Soho (05:36) 16 The Body of an American (04:48) 17 Planxty Noel Hill (03:12) 18 The Parting Glass (02:14) |
| Rum Sodomy & the Lash : Allmusic album Review : "I saw my task... was to capture them in their delapidated glory before some more professional producer f--ked them up," Elvis Costello wrote of his role behind the controls for the Pogues second album, Rum Sodomy & the Lash. One spin of the album proves that Costello accomplished his mission; this album captures all the sweat, fire, and angry joy that was lost in the thin, disembodied recording of the bands debut, and the Pogues sound stronger and tighter without losing a bit of their edge in the process. Rum Sodomy & the Lash also found Shane MacGowan growing steadily as a songwriter; while the debut had its moments, the blazing and bitter roar of the opening track, "The Sick Bed of Cúchulainn," made it clear MacGowan had fused the intelligent anger of punk and the sly storytelling of Irish folk as no one had before, and the rent boys serenade of "The Old Main Drag" and the dazzling, drunken character sketch of "A Pair of Brown Eyes" proved there were plenty of directions where he could take his gifts. And like any good folk group, the Pogues also had a great ear for other peoples songs. Bassist Cait ORiordans haunting performance of "Im a Man You Dont Meet Every Day" is simply superb (it must have especially impressed Costello, who would later marry her), and while Shane MacGowan may not have written "Dirty Old Town" or "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda," his wrought, emotionally compelling vocals made them his from then on. Rum Sodomy & the Lash falls just a bit short of being the Pogues best album, but was the first one to prove that they were a great band, and not just a great idea for a band. | ||
 | Rank: 442 Album: 42 of 50 Artist: Suicide Title: Suicide Released: 1977-12 Tracks: 7 Duration: 31:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ghost Rider (02:35) 2 Rocket USA (04:17) 3 Cheree (03:45) 4 Johnny (02:09) 5 Girl (03:21) 6 Frankie Teardrop (10:24) 7 Che (04:50) |
| Suicide : Allmusic album Review : Proof that punk was more about attitude than a raw, guitar-driven sound, Suicides self-titled debut set the duo apart from the rest of the styles self-proclaimed outsiders. Over the course of seven songs, Martin Revs dense, unnerving electronics -- including a menacing synth bass, a drum machine that sounds like an idling motorcycle, and harshly hypnotic organs -- and Alan Vegas ghostly, Gene Vincent-esque vocals defined the groups sound and provided the blueprints for post-punk, synth pop, and industrial rock in the process. Though those seven songs shared the same stripped-down sonic template, they also show Suicides surprisingly wide range. The exhilarated, rebellious "Ghost Rider" and "Rocket U.S.A." capture the punk eras thrilling nihilism -- albeit in an icier way than most groups expressed it -- while "Cheree" and "Girl" counter the rest of the albums hard edges with a sensuality thats at once eerie and alluring. And with its retro bassline and simplistic, stylized lyrics, "Johnny" explores Suicides affinity for 50s melodies and images, as well as their pop leanings. But none of this is adequate preparation for "Frankie Teardrop," one of the duos definitive moments, and one of the most harrowing songs ever recorded. A ten-minute descent into the soul-crushing existence of a young factory worker, Revs tense, repetitive rhythms and Vegas deadpan delivery and horrifying, almost inhuman screams make the song more literally and poetically political than the work of bands who wore their radical philosophies on their sleeves. [The Mute reissue includes "Keep Your Dreams" and the "Cheree" remix that appeared on previous versions of the album, along with live versions of "Las Vegas Man," "Mr. Ray," and "23 Minutes Over Brussels"; though the extra tracks dilute the original albums impact somewhat, theyre worthwhile supplements to one of the punk eras most startlingly unique works.] | ||
 | Rank: 443 Album: 43 of 50 Artist: DEVO Title: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Released: 1978-07 Tracks: 12 Duration: 34:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Uncontrollable Urge (03:09) 2 Satisfaction (I Can’t Get Me No) (02:38) 3 Praying Hands (02:48) 4 Space Junk (02:14) 5 Mongoloid (03:44) 6 Jocko Homo (03:39) 7 Too Much Paranoias (01:57) 8 Gut Feeling (04:54) 9 (Slap Your Mammy) (00:51) 10 Come Back Jonee (02:53) 11 Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin’) (02:36) 12 Shrivel‐Up (03:04) |
 | Rank: 444 Album: 44 of 50 Artist: Cheap Trick Title: In Color Released: 1977-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 31:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hello There (01:39) 2 Big Eyes (03:05) 3 Downed (04:00) 4 I Want You to Want Me (03:10) 5 You’re All Talk (03:30) 6 Oh Caroline (02:57) 7 Clock Strikes Ten (02:56) 8 Southern Girls (03:41) 9 Come On, Come On (02:37) 10 So Good to See You (03:34) |
| In Color : Allmusic album Review : Though Cheap Tricks second album, In Color, draws from the same stockpile of Midwestern barroom favorites as their debut album, it was produced by Tom Werman, who had the band strip away their raw attack and replace it with a shiny, radio-ready sound. Consequently, In Color doesnt have the visceral attack of its predecessor, but it still has the same sensibility and a similar set of spectacular songs. From the druggy psychedelia of "Downed" and the bubblegum singalong "I Want You to Want Me" to the "California Girls" homage of "Southern Girls," the album has the same encyclopedic knowledge of rock & roll, as well as the good sense to subvert it with a perverse sense of humor. Portions of the album havent dated well, simply due to the glossy production, but the songs and music on In Color are as splendid as the bands debut. | ||
 | Rank: 445 Album: 45 of 50 Artist: War Title: The World Is a Ghetto Released: 1972 Tracks: 6 Duration: 44:14 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Cisco Kid (04:37) 2 Where Was You At (03:27) 3 City, Country, City (13:24) 4 Four Cornered Room (08:35) 5 The World Is a Ghetto (10:17) 6 Beetles in the Bog (03:52) |
| The World Is a Ghetto : Allmusic album Review : Wars third album as an act separate from Eric Burdon was also far and away their most popular, the groups only long-player to top the pop charts. The culmination of everything theyd been shooting for creatively on their two prior albums, it featured work in both succinct pop-accessible idioms ("The Cisco Kid," etc.) as well as challenging extended pieces such as the 13-minute "City, Country, City" -- which offered featured spots to all seven members without ever seeming disjointed -- and the title track, and encompass not only soul and funk but elements of blues and psychedelia on works such as the exquisite "Four Cornered Room." "The Cisco Kid" and "The World Is a Ghetto" understandably dominated the albums exposure, but theres much more to enjoy here, even decades on. Beyond the quality of the musicianship, the classy, forward-looking production has held up remarkably well, and not just on the most famous cuts here; indeed, The World Is a Ghetto is of a piece with Marvin Gayes Whats Going On and Curtis Mayfields Curtis, utilizing the most sophisticated studio techniques of the era. Not only does it sound great, but there are important touches such as the phasing in "Four Cornered Room," not only on the percussion but also on the vocals, guitars, and other instruments, and the overall effect is a seemingly contradictory (yet eminently workable) shimmering blues, even working in a mournful and unadorned harmonica amid the more complex sounds. | ||
 | Rank: 446 Album: 46 of 50 Artist: Steve Miller Band Title: Fly Like an Eagle Released: 1976-05-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Space Intro (01:14) 2 Fly Like an Eagle (04:45) 3 Wild Mountain Honey (04:51) 4 Serenade (03:12) 5 Dance, Dance, Dance (02:19) 6 Mercury Blues (03:43) 7 Take the Money and Run (02:51) 8 Rock’n Me (03:07) 9 You Send Me (02:42) 10 Blue Odyssey (00:53) 11 Sweet Maree (04:18) 12 The Window (04:17) |
| Fly Like an Eagle : Allmusic album Review : Steve Miller had started to essay his classic sound with The Joker, but 1976s Fly Like an Eagle is where he took flight, creating his definitive slice of space blues. The key is focus, even on an album as stylishly, self-consciously trippy as this, since the focus brings about his strongest set of songs (both originals and covers), plus a detailed atmospheric production where everything fits. It still can sound fairly dated -- those whooshing keyboards and cavernous echoes are certainly of their time -- but its essence hasnt aged, as "Fly Like an Eagle" drifts like a cool breeze, while "Take the Money and Run" and "Rock n Me" are fiendishly hooky, friendly rockers. The rest of the album may not be quite up to those standards, but there arent any duds, either, as "Wild Mountain Honey" and "Mercury Blues" give this a comfortable backdrop, thanks to Millers offhand, lazy charm. Though it may not quite transcend its time, it certainly is an album rock landmark of the mid-70s and its best moments (namely, the aforementioned singles) are classics of the idiom. | ||
 | Rank: 447 Album: 47 of 50 Artist: MC5 Title: Back in the USA Released: 1970 Tracks: 11 Duration: 28:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Tutti-Frutti (01:31) 2 Tonight (02:29) 3 Teenage Lust (02:36) 4 Let Me Try (04:16) 5 Looking at You (03:03) 6 High School (02:42) 7 Call Me Animal (02:06) 8 The American Ruse (02:31) 9 Shakin Street (02:21) 10 The Human Being Lawnmower (02:24) 11 Back in the USA (02:26) |
 | Rank: 448 Album: 48 of 50 Artist: Stan Getz / João Gilberto featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim Title: Getz/Gilberto Released: 1964-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 38:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Girl From Ipanema (05:23) 2 Doralice (02:46) 3 Para machucar meu coração (05:05) 4 Desafinado (Off Key) (04:05) 5 Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) (04:16) 6 Só danço samba (03:36) 7 O grande amor (05:27) 8 Vivo sonhando (02:54) 9 The Girl From Ipanema (45 rpm issue) (02:54) 10 Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars) (45 rpm issue) (02:20) |
| Getz/Gilberto : Allmusic album Review : One of the biggest-selling jazz albums of all time, not to mention bossa novas finest moment, Getz/Gilberto trumped Jazz Samba by bringing two of bossa novas greatest innovators -- guitarist/singer João Gilberto and composer/pianist Antonio Carlos Jobim -- to New York to record with Stan Getz. The results were magic. Ever since Jazz Samba, the jazz marketplace had been flooded with bossa nova albums, and the overexposure was beginning to make the music seem like a fad. Getz/Gilberto made bossa nova a permanent part of the jazz landscape not just with its unassailable beauty, but with one of the biggest smash hit singles in jazz history -- "The Girl From Ipanema," a Jobim classic sung by Joãos wife, Astrud Gilberto, who had never performed outside of her own home prior to the recording session. Beyond that, most of the Jobim songs recorded here also became standards of the genre -- "Corcovado" (which featured another vocal by Astrud), "So Danço Samba," "O Grande Amor," a new version of "Desafinado." With such uniformly brilliant material, its no wonder the album was such a success but, even apart from that, the musicians all play with an effortless grace thats arguably the fullest expression of bossa novas dreamy romanticism ever brought to American listeners. Getz himself has never been more lyrical, and Gilberto and Jobim pull off the harmonic and rhythmic sophistication of the songs with a warm, relaxed charm. This music has nearly universal appeal; its one of those rare jazz records about which the purist elite and the buying public are in total agreement. Beyond essential. | ||
 | Rank: 449 Album: 49 of 50 Artist: The Police Title: Synchronicity Released: 1983-06-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Synchronicity I (03:23) 2 Walking in Your Footsteps (03:36) 3 O My God (04:02) 4 Mother (03:05) 5 Miss Gradenko (02:00) 6 Synchronicity II (05:05) 7 Every Breath You Take (04:13) 8 King of Pain (04:59) 9 Wrapped Around Your Finger (05:13) 10 Tea in the Sahara (04:15) 11 Murder by Numbers (04:33) |
| Synchronicity : Allmusic album Review : Simultaneously more pop-oriented and experimental than either Ghost in the Machine or Zenyatta Mondatta, Synchronicity made the Police superstars, generating no less than five hit singles. With the exception of "Synchronicity II," which sounds disarmingly like a crappy Billy Idol song, every one of those singles is a classic. "Every Breath You Take" has a seductive, rolling beat masking its maliciousness, "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around Your Finger" are devilishly infectious new wave singles, and "Tea in the Sahara" is hypnotic in its measured, melancholy choruses. But, like so many other Police albums, these songs are surrounded by utterly inconsequential filler. This time, the group relies heavily on jazzy textures for Stings songs, which only work on the jumping, marimba-driven "Synchronicity I." Then, as if to prove that the Police were still a band, theres one song apiece from Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, both of which are awful, as if theyre trying to sabotage the album. Since they arrive on the first side, which is devoid of singles, they do, making the album sound like two EPs: one filled with first-rate pop, and one an exercise in self-indulgence. While the hits are among Stings best, they also illustrate that he was ready to leave the Police behind for a solo career, which is exactly what he did. | ||
 | Rank: 450 Album: 50 of 50 Artist: Big Star Title: Third/Sister Lovers Released: 1978 Tracks: 14 Duration: 41:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Stroke It Noel (02:04) 2 For You (02:45) 3 Kizza Me (02:45) 4 You Can’t Have Me (03:10) 5 Night Time (02:53) 6 Blue Moon (02:07) 7 Take Care (02:48) 8 Jesus Christ (02:38) 9 Femme Fatale (03:30) 10 O, Dana (02:35) 11 Big Black Car (03:37) 12 Holocaust (03:55) 13 Kanga Roo (03:47) 14 Thank You Friends (03:06) |