AMF Top 1000 Albums of All Time, 2020, RESULTS!

[Nassim]

154. Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand (2004)
1091.011 Points | 27 Votes
AM Rank: 225
2017 Rank: 167 (+13)

For some reason I thought, about 10 years ago or so, that this album would age badly and slowly but surely drop in acclaim. Listening to it yesterday while painting the room for my soon-to-be-born baby girl reminded me how wrong I was !

[Holden]

"I don’t have to sell my soul
He’s already in me
I don’t need to sell my soul
He’s already in me"

50. The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses (1989)
2008.176 Points | 41 Votes
AM Rank: 55
2017 Rank: 67 (+17)
Under 40: 37
40 and Over: 100
Biggest Fans: Toni, BryanBehar (#7), luvulongTIM (#9), whuntva, mileswide (#10), hero (#11), Emerald (#21), LunarPiper (#29), Arsalan (#31), spiritualized (#37), VanillaFire1000 (#38), SJner (#41), Chris K. (#48), Jirin (#53), Brad (#56), Schüttelbirne (#75), prosecutorgodot (#77), styrofoamboots (#86), M24 (#88), carlos74 (#91)
AMF Favorite Tracks: I Wanna Be Adored (#669), I Am the Resurrection (#916), Made of Stone (#1528), She Bangs the Drum (#1554)

"This record manages to do the impossible: it fuses groovy music heavily inspired by 80s club scene with guitar work that would make Hendrix himself jealous. It manages to be a catchy pop album while at the same time combining it with great, multi-layered instrumentation.

Yeah, the key to this album greatness is without a doubt the incredible skills of all the people involved. John Squire’s style of playing the guitar matches the style of his painting (he created the iconic artwork) – it’s psychedelic, flashy and colorful. At times he can create delicate, jangly soundscapes and then right after he hits us with a mindblowing solo deeply rooted in 60s hard rock and psychedelia (Made of Stone being the best example).

The rhythm section in on another level too. Mani is an extremely crafty bassist who can sense really well how to blend in and cooperate with the drummer. And the drummer is absolutely batshit crazy. Reni has the sense of rhythm very few can match, and he just effortlessly manages to pull off the craziest sequences. He makes it sound easy too, and you can genuinely hear that he’s having fun.

Ian Brown as a vocalist may not be the finest, but his dreamy and hazy voice compliments the music perfectly, and his songwriting skills provide for some great melodies. She Bangs the Drums or Bye Bye Badman sound like lost songs from The Beatles’ heyday, sweet and innocent at first listen, but showing much more nuances later. I Wanna Be Adored and Waterfall have a sense of mystery to them, very spacious and creative.

It’s perfect from the beginning to finish, even the miniature Elizabeth My Dear fits really well. But they saved the true masterpiece for the end – I Am the Resurrection is not only one of the catchiest songs on the album, but around the four minute mark it transforms into a hypnotic instrumental, with guitar and drums dominating the sound (the bass quietly keeps it all together). It puts you into a sort of trance, a wonderful, unique experience.

Apart from being a great album on its own, the Roses’ debut also set the foundations for all the British rock of the 90s, with bands like Oasis crediting them as a major influence. This record is one of the finest pieces of music to ever come out of the UK, excellent from start to finish.

-iamthewalrus"

"Cheatin' like I don't know how
But baby, I go crazy, there's fever in the funk house now
This low down bitchin' got my poor feet a-itchin'
You know you know the deuce is still wild
"

49. The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main St. (1972)
2012.450 Points | 36 Votes
AM Rank: 9
2017 Rank: 41 (-8)
Under 40: 76
40 and Over: 29
Biggest Fans: Holden (#3), antonius (#6), Bruno (#7), Gillingham (#8), Rocky Raccoon (#20), Akhenaten (#21), jdizzle83 (#26), Nick, Fred (#28), andyd1010 (#32), M24 (#33), Dan (#34), FrankLotion (#37), Harold (#59), BryanBehar (#61), Jirin (#67), Brad (#72), Bang Jan, CupOfDreams (#84), Live in Phoenix (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Tumbling Dice (#503), Rocks Off (#810), Happy (#1670)

"Tonight while doing dishes and clipping fingernails I desperately leafed through the old mental file cabinet for a one-way escapist ticket away from the present. The best I could come up with was a memory: not one that actually happened to me, probably, but one that was the sum of fragments. A collage of lights I’d seen, streets I’d driven down, feelings I’d diagnosed. “Shine a Light” played in my head and my night got better.

I came to remember writing something about Exile on Main St and how it came to grow all over me. If I may self-plagiarize:

“I love Exile so much but at the same time I can't begrudge people a lot of the criticisms they direct toward it. It is murky, long, tiring, and not immediately rewarding. It assumes the "rock n roll excess" aesthetic so convincingly that it can even sound dated and cliche to listeners over forty years later. It's not the kind of album to be picked apart and analyzed track by track, hell, it's not even meant to be returned to very frequently. Hell sometimes I wonder to myself if I haven't made a mistake in thinking of it as my fave RS album, that is until I listen to it through again. But you can't really pull add "Stop Breaking Down" to your itunes queue while eating cheetos and reading wikipedia articles and expect it to click. It's meant to be treated as a collective, a cohesive, decadent journey, or (since those previous descriptions are probably too pretty-sounding to be applied to Exile), as Stereogum recently wrote about Wowee Zowee, the end product of throwing shit at the wall and seeing you've composed a masterpiece. I listened to exile for basically two months straight in high school at the peak of my classic rock phase and I felt like I was listening to it right, with excess. It's now my go to for that bluesy-meets-honky-tonk, white-rock-gods-trying-to-sound-black classic rock sound. As much as I distrust the idea of there being a "correct" way to listen to certain music, if you're not listening to it all at once at a fucking high volume and losing yourself to its sprawl then you're doing it wrong i'm afraid”

I wrote it a while back during a different nostalgic reverie for a time that was… not simpler, not easier. But it was a time when I had more future to piss away. Tonight, I thought again about how Exile was one of the first CDs I’d driven alone with, how it made me think of my tropical highways as dirt roads, how I’d race adjacent headlights with “Turd on the Run” playing. The whole thing played out in my head like a scene from a fucking John Hughes movie. The liberation I got from Exile was a lie, one that my cocky, self-aware teen self probably saw through, but the truth, the sense of liberation, was there in full. Tonight I discovered that it’s never quite left.

-nutmeg94"

"Sleep like a pillow, no one there
Where she won't care, anywhere
Soft as a pillow, touch her hair
Where she won't dare, somewhere"

48. My Bloody Valentine | Loveless (1991)
2028.339 Points | 37 Votes
AM Rank: 58
2017 Rank: 52 (+4)
Under 40: 46
40 and Over: 60
Biggest Fans: Jackson (#1), styrofoamboots, CupOfDreams (#9), carlos74 (#13), Brad (#16), Nick (#20), rumpdoll (#22), Bang Jan (#27), Holden (#33), sonofsamiam (#37), whuntva (#43), Cold Butterfly (#46), jdizzle83 (#54), notbrianeno (#55), cetamol (#60), LunarPiper (#68), Jirin (#75), PlasticRam (#79), luvulongTIM (#82), Live in Phoenix (#88), spiritualized (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: When You Sleep (#282), Only Shallow (#325), Soon (#452), To Here Knows When (#1331), Sometimes (#1580)

"One day it hit me. "These are amazing pop songs!", I thought, after casually revisiting Loveless after leaving it unattended for a long period of time. I had always liked the stabbing guitar licks on "Only Shallow", the siren like vocals on "When You Sleep", and I found some other sweet spots as well. The album was ranked as number 55 on my top 100 albums list, but even then I wondered if I was lying to myself, because I never really understood its appeal. The album would probably skyrocket to my top 10 if I republished the list today. It is no secret that the album is misunderstood, even at one time by those who now consider it to be a masterpiece.

Music is really an amazing art. Not only in the sense that it provides our senses with immense pleasure, ignites our imaginations and curiosity, causes us to move for joy and sulk in a corner, but how one absorbs the music is also quite fascinating. Loveless is an album that cannot be given up on too soon.

Though the album managed to crack the Top 25 in the UK album charts when it was released back in November of 1991 (Happy 20th Anniversary!), the overall sales of the album would be considered disappointing, especially when the sheer cost of a half-million dollars to make the thing is taken into account. I was heavily convinced that the album would have been more successful and sound better if not for all of the feedback (I called it "static" at one time).

Loveless does not need its identity to be altered to be appreciated. It is considered by many to be the greatest shoe-gaze/noise pop record ever created. Regardless of the genres you want to slap on My Bloody Valentine's gem, it is arguable that not only is it the greatest record in those respective genres, but may also be the apex of the 90s decade. And the incredible layers of sound are part of its beauty.

The sound of the record will wash over whomever listens to it like a flood, leaving its victim with either one of two choices: immerse themselves deeper, bathing their ears and mind in a whirlpool of delightful noise, or try to escape because they feel as if they are drowning. The suffocating textures really have an impact on the second side of the record. "Blown a Wish" entraps the listener in a globe of lush, entrancing blissfulness, and it only expands throughout the song. "What You Want" may contain the record's most ambitious gritty guitar, but the flute-like instrument with its simple melody hits the ears just as hard as anything else.

One of Loveless' strengths is its simplicity. On the surface Loveless can sound unbearably complicated, but the layers of sound create that illusion. It is a very deep record with simple ideas, heightened by those layers. Trying to explicate Loveless is not an easy task. While many albums can be explained in a way that gives listeners a guide to what to expect, this one must be listened and grabbed onto. Some may become "enlightened" at once; many will disregard the record far too soon, and others may have to wrestle with it for a season until it clicks; perhaps this is the most rewarding of the experiences with Loveless.

-The_Deepblue"

"And when we're running out of the drugs
And the conversation's grinding away
I wouldn't trade one stupid decision
For another five years of life"

47. LCD Soundsystem | Sound of Silver (2007)
2055.372 Points | 41 Votes
AM Rank: 115
2017 Rank: 58 (+11)
Under 40: 29
40 and Over: 117
Biggest Fans: votingbloc (#2), BleuPanda (#3), Holden (#5), Nassim (#6), Nick (#7), Moonbeam (#8), VanillaFire1000 (#17), Krurze (#25), Schüttelbirne (#35), Michel (#36), Sweepstakes Ron (#38), styrofoamboots (#49), spiderpig (#51), Chris K. (#53), LunarPiper (#56), whuntva (#60), Emerald (#62), Listyguy (#63), rumpdoll (#65), M24 (#71)
AMF Favorite Tracks: All My Friends (#20), Someone Great (#174), New York I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down (#1612)

"There are certain moments in life that seem to stop the world spinning- their magnitude is such that they usurp all focus and filter out all distractions. I've had a lot of those moments in the past few years- the death of my father, immigration to another country and my blissful wedding day are among the most notable. Usually these moments are reserved for events of grand proportion, but sometimes something much less significant can trigger a heightened awareness or, hell, an epiphany of sorts. I was fortunate enough to have one such moment grace me this year, and that it came from a source as unexpected as LCD Soundsystem makes it all the more special. While I had enjoyed the panache and intellectual foreplay of the eponymous debut record, I in no way expected the sequel to be so emotionally charged and viscerally vital to my being. Sound of Silver, indeed, is an album of many moments.

In spite of the fact that Sound of Silver reveals a definite evolution, the album still retains the wry swagger and cunning dialogue of the debut. The project was launched with "North American Scum", a paranoid rant about anti-imperialism and a half-hearted acknowledgment of its validity, all to the backdrop of some killer dance swashes. Don't believe me? It's groovy enough to have inspired me to post an embarrassing clip of my own rendition of the song online- don't ask. "Time to Get Away", meanwhile, chugs and grunts along to a sassy beat that meanders into a distorted synth utopia complete with wild Princely yelps. "Watch the Tapes" buzzes along to a perfect new wave theme, percolating along to the dissatisfaction with fickle critical vicissitudes. "Us v Them" continues this theme, starting from a mild drone and building to an effervescent funk workout. All of these songs are fantastically executed, incorporating a bevy of influences and styles. Plenty of ass-shaking, coolly calculated moments here. However, their real value is found in their relative sparsity and placement among the tracks of a more emotional tilt which form the heart of the record.

What makes this album a bona fide classic is the way in which it subtly draws the listener into the scene before unexpectedly unleashing an emotional avalanche. The title track inserts a rather embarrassing repeated chorus into a beautifully crafted dance opus in which it is clear that Mr. Murphy has found some new tricks up his sleeve, enveloping the groove in increasingly intricate layers, capping it all with a floating xylophone whimsy for a moment of sheer ecstasy. The opening cut "Get Innocuous!" drenches Kraftwerk's "The Robots" in liquid metal for a good few minutes before wielding a harrowing blow of paranoia with some haunted, almost indecipherable vocals about the horrors of adhering to a life of normalcy. "When once you had believed it, now you see its sucking you in!", he pleads. The track is pure fire with its inspired mixture of electronic and organic percussion, and when the guest vocalist reels me into her rhythmic "You- can- normalize, don't it make you feel alive" chant, I lose all sensibility. Its impetus is so overwhelming that a slowly warping and chillingly stretched string note that ushers the song out completely goes off kilter in a moment of awestruck chaos. In a great display of parallelism, the album is closed with a track of a similar, but more direct theme, as "New York I Love You, But You're Bringing Me Down" sees Murphy lament the loss of the spark that makes New York so great in what can be best described as a piano-driven power ballad. While he wallows in his criticisms with disarming vocal vulnerability, it is clear that he loves the city, as it is "still the one pool where [he'd] happily drown". As the desperation grows in his voice, so does the instrumental backdrop, culminating in a blistering guitar solo that bursts forth with frustration, ending the album in epic fashion- a chest-beating moment of invigoration, if you will.

The true heart of the album, fittingly, is in its center. The brutally honest "Someone Great" captures the feelings associated with the loss of a loved one. The propulsive, thick synthetic haze that opens the song captures the fractured mental state of shock that comes with the news of death perfectly. The lyrics here are outstanding, from the recollection of how awful it is to hear such news over the phone to the commentary on how irrational the mind becomes, as he becomes angry that the weather has the nerve to be lovely while he is mourning. That the cavalcade of catastrophe "keeps coming 'til the day it stops" is a lesson well-learned. Perhaps the greatest display of lyrical brilliance here is the way in which he reveals how much he has built up the image of the person he has lost, by admitting "you're smaller than my wife imagined- surprised you were human". A mesmerizing moment indeed. What follows is the subject of that "moment" described in the first part of this review. A frenetic piano loop acts as the engine for the juggernaut of "All My Friends", the album's behemoth of a centerpiece, whizzing the listener through the twists and turns of life. The instrumentation slowly builds with a melodic bass line that would make New Order proud and some starry percussion that conjures the magic of Bowie's "Teenage Wildlife", before setting the stage for this heartfelt tale of the ache of aging. The story starts innocently enough with blissful nostalgia, but gradually evolves into a manic concession of how quickly life slips away. A wide emotional breadth is cast, with healthy doses of glee, dejection, desperation, defiance, majestic grandeur, charmed reminiscence and self-deprecation churning in the cauldron. Five years spent trying to get with the plan are mirrored by five more in attempts to reconnect with friends, which quickly become ten years dropped "as fast as you can" and a midlife crisis fomenting a 3-month trip to France. Every lyric here is a winner, succinctly cutting and as visceral as the searing guitar wails that intensify the mood. There is no catharsis to be found here and the exasperated pleas of "if I could see all my friends tonight" are left unresolved as the locomotive percussion slowly chugs to a halt. And that, my friends, is a moment that can be better described by the vision of my jaw agape than by any words that could emanate from it. Wow.

As I have grown older, I have found that it is much more difficult for new music to galvanize my emotions into an uncontrollably fevered pitch. As such, I appreciate such moments much more now at my ripe age of 27. Reviewers are generally taught to strive to give an unbiased appraisal, but I'll be damned if it doesn't delight me to the tips of my toes that an album can generate such a rebirth of wide-eyed, teenage, blind fanaticism that I am rendered helplessly unable to muster any semblance of objectivity. "Sound of silver talk to me, makes you want to feel like a teenager. Until you remember the feelings of a real-live emotional teenager." Sorry James, no need to think again.

-Moonbeam"

"When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around"

46. Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
2064.894 Points | 43 Votes
AM Rank: 121
2017 Rank: 46 (0)
Under 40: 56
40 and Over: 35
Biggest Fans: PlasticRam (#12), Rob (#16), DocBrown (#17), Dan (#20), bonnielaurel (#21), Henry (#22), andyd1010 (#28), Zombeels (#30), profeta (#36), Schüttelbirne (#37), styrofoamboots (#41), VanillaFire1000, Bruno (#50), SJner (#61), Fred (#63), Sweepstakes Ron (#67), Jirin (#71), Chris K. (#75), luvulongTIM, carlos74 (#78), spiritualized (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Bridge over Troubled Water (#39), The Boxer (#82), The Only Living Boy in New York (#570), Cecilia (#1665)

"Despite some weighty and often bleak concerns, Bridge Over Troubled Water is a beautiful and surprisingly joyous work from its powerful orchestral arrangements to its gentle acoustic strumming. The towering title track opens the album in fine style and remains one of the duo’s most treasured recordings. Starting quietly and swelling to a crescendo at the end of each verse, the lyrical concerns of battling through hard times and eventually reaping your reward were complemented by some words of exceptionally deep friendship and sacrifice – “like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down”. However, there was no such close companionship for the central character of “The Boxer”. Here a young boy leaves home and tries to eke out a living on the mean streets of New York, a task which ultimately proves every bit as harsh and lonely as his brutal profession. Smooth, but biting – “The Boxer” was another masterpiece with the booming “lie-la-lie” drums of the chorus, lending even greater resonance to the finely crafted verses. Less harrowing was the jazzy, upbeat “Keep the Customer Satisfied”. Only Simon and Garfunkel could fashion such light and breezy pop around the subject of a tiresome travelling salesman’s job, but thankfully the happy-go-lucky phrase of “one step ahead of a shoeshine” proves far more memorable than the slanderous abuse he’s subjected to! Just as chirpy, but more sexually based were “Cecilia” and “Baby Driver”. While many of their previous songs had centred around the spiritual and emotional aspects of love, sex had never entered the equation before. However, if the subtle imagery of “Baby Driver” left anyone wondering, the final verse spelt it out clearly – “I’m not talking about your pigtails, but I’m talking about your sex appeal”. Similarly, the delightfully fluffy arrangement of “Cecilia” virtually forced the lyrics to accept Cecilia’s blatant bed hopping and just hope for the requisite happy ending! Perhaps this dancable portrayal of a non too brilliant relationship was inspired by their early role models, the Everly Brothers. Certainly they cover “Bye Bye Love” with such acoustic aplomb, that it almost sounds like a celebration!

The first signs of Paul Simon’s love of world music emerge in the delicate strains of “El Condor Pasa”. Much like “Scarborough Fair/Canticle”, it was a fabulous reworking of a traditional song this time with a light flute based arrangement lending the perfect floatiness to the darkly wistful lyrics. “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright” employed similar dynamics and after Simon and Garfunkel’s immediate break up, it was largely viewed as a thinly veiled letter of appreciation from Paul Simon to his long time partner and former architecture student, Art Garfunkel. “The Only Living Boy in New York” is also a little cryptic. Possibly it views the world through the eyes of a free spirited new age traveller – “I can gather all the news I need on the weather report” – who sees the workings of the conventional world as superficial and pointless – “half of the time we’re gone but we don’t know where”. The track also features a man flying out to Mexico and the general world flavour continues into “Why Don’t You Write Me”. Here Simon is marooned not in the drizzling rain of England, as would have been the case in earlier works, but in the middle of the jungle! The jumpy upbeat ska-rhythm lends the lyric a sense of humour and fun and despite the tongue in cheek loneliness, the track is another great slice of pop!

Finally, the closing “Song for the Asking” - a lovely, simple acoustic track, which condensed a lifetime of repressed love into just 99 heartfelt seconds. The mirror opposite of the opener’s lengthy grandeur, it formed the ideal ending to an album that ran the full gamut of human emotion and experience while retaining a crisp, inventive and entertaining edge throughout. Paul Simon had unwittingly christened Bridge Over Troubled Water four years earlier when he had spoken of “power, grace and style” – a phrase which perfectly echoes the myriad qualities of this truly magnificent work.


-dylanblues"

"Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things, they don't seem the same
Acting funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky"

45. The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Are You Experienced (1967)
2075.202 Points | 45 Votes
AM Rank: 14
2017 Rank: 28 (-17)
Under 40: 53
40 and Over: 41
Biggest Fans: Rocky Raccoon (#3), Listyguy (#4), SJner (#16), Bruno (#17), Harold (#23), cetamol (#28), Live in Phoenix (#29), Romain (#33), panam (#39), Jirin (#40), Cold Butterfly (#48), Nick (#51), CupOfDreams (#56), schaefer.tk (#73), M24, hero, andyd1010 (#89), FrankLotion (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Purple Haze (#181), Hey Joe (#217), The Wind Cries Mary (#1484)

"As a work of impressive psychedelia and hard rock, paired with moments of pure tenderness, Are You Experienced is a marvel. This album demonstrates how the rawness typically associated with "rock and roll" doesn't just mean shredding a guitar really impressively (even though that's Jimi Hendrix's whole thing), it also means mixing those things with sweet melodies and introspective lyrics. The addition of a song like "May This Be Love" followed immediately after "Love and Confusion" demonstrates this contract perfectly. Both contain an honest display of emotions; Hendrix lays them down gently in front of us.

The jazzy bassline in "Third Stone From The Sun" really immerses you in the universe in which the album was created. The way it succinctly encapsulates the era in which it was written brings forth a sense of nostalgia, even to those of us who weren't born in the sixties. I won't really touch on the most popular songs from this album, because there's not much to say about them other than they are great. Every song on this album is incredible and essential; nothing feels out of place. The whole album feels very loving to me; not conventionally loving, but loving just the same.

I loved this album, it's impossible not to love it. If you love rock, you'll love this, that's all I can really say.

-jajapoopfly"

"I can dig rappin', but a rapper with a ghostwriter?
What the fuck happened? (Oh no!)
I swore I wouldn't tell, but most of y'all sharing bars
Like you got the bottom bunk in a two-man cell"

44. Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
2100.067 Points | 38 Votes
AM Rank: 138
2017 Rank: 59 (+15)
Under 40: 23
40 and Over: 135
Biggest Fans: Cold Butterfly (#1), FrankLotion, LunarPiper (#6), BleuPanda, schaefer.tk (#7), Emerald (#9), hero (#10), Harold (#15), Schüttelbirne (#17), notbrianeno (#20), prosecutorgodot (#21), Jirin (#23), jdizzle83 (#29), whuntva (#31), sonofsamiam (#38), Nick (#48), BryanBehar (#58), Bruno (#60), M24 (#66), Chris K. (#77)
AMF Favorite Tracks: The Blacker the Berry (#401), King Kunta (#501), Alright (#1478), i (#1498)

"To Pimp A Butterfly, a.k.a TPAB is very hard to describe. Because it is so well written by a Compton student, it is a near perfect album. When you say music can influence many emotions and problems, then this album leaves you speechless.

Kendrick in TPAB wasn't the Kendrick before, he changed, like dramatically. Last time, I have admired his previous album, good kid, m.A.A.d city as a great life story masterpiece conveying the living conditions in a Compton residence, it tells the story of his existence in the mainstream.

TPAB, however, was an alternative approach. Instead of going for an autobiographical content, it was a commentary about Black History. He wanted to have a variety of elements - in a soulful and conscious way at the same time. Each track has a piece of element, and each of them have different themes and moods, slowly constructing into a fully inspirational thought (and also a share of love 2Pac, R.I.P).

I also consider the instruments as the most phenomenal part of the album, a valued collection combination of rap, jazz, soul and a 21st century Civil Rights speech. Every single genre can not restrict it, cause Kendrick literally raps over jazz song and it was fire. Black Music became more than a gem and have evolution'd than much as it's ever been in the 21st century music history.

In the album overall theme about social issues, Kendrick tackles it pretty damn well. TPAB is dark and complex in message, but the distracting music production can really get on your nerves. Kendrick also expressed black people self-esteem and their struggles with it, and it is probably the most influential portrayal for the past decades.

Overall, it's more than a great album in terms of social commentary. I consider Kendrick as the best rapper alive, but he doesn't want that. He wanted to aim a much higher level in the competition of hip-hop, become the Mortal Man.

-weabonitics"

"My hands are tied, my body bruised
She got me with nothing to win
And nothing left to lose"

43. U2 | The Joshua Tree (1987)
2140.483 Points | 40 Votes
AM Rank: 40
2017 Rank: 35 (-8)
Under 40: 27
40 and Over: 78
Biggest Fans: Chris K. (#3), hero (#9), Renan (#10), whuntva (#11), Rocky Raccoon (#12), Bruno (#14), FrankLotion, vivian (#22), LunarPiper (#26), jdizzle83 (#32), M24 (#34), Live in Phoenix (#34), profeta (#39), bonnielaurel (#45), Nick (#52), Michel (#54), SJner (#55), Toni (#59), Arsalan (#68), VanillaFire1000 (#71), andyd1010 (#75), Wezzo (#81), BleuPanda (#90)
AMF Favorite Tracks: With or Without You (#92), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (#169), Where the Streets Have No Name (#651)

"U2s 1987 release The Joshua Tree is simply one of the best Rock albums in history. And say what you will, it's one of the most influential. Most of today's Rock artists from Muse to Coldplay to Radiohead were heavily influenced by The Joshua Tree. What the album is a collection of wonderfully arid, terse, and sparse Rock songs that crackle with life and lambently burn with joy. And demand that you listen and sing, and even shout. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For is one of the most incredible songs ever written, it's like if Gospel was Rock. Where the Streets Have No Name is a total epic. Bullet the Blue Sky is a scream of bleak despair, and these, these aren't even the high points. The best songs on The Joshua Tree are the astounding Phased-Guitar, shockingly beautiful imagery of the song In God's Country. And the burning, bleeding, heart-ripped love song Trip Through You Wires. How anyone can fail to love this much passionate abandon and emotion is totally beyond me. The Joshua Tree is an album for the ages.

-DarthKarl"

"Last night, she said
"Oh, baby, don't feel so down
Oh, it turns me off
When I feel left out"
So I, I turned 'round
Oh, baby, gonna be alright
It was a great big lie
'Cause I left that night, yeah"

42. The Strokes | Is This It (2001)
2154.002 Points | 42 Votes
AM Rank: 36
2017 Rank: 39 (-3)
Under 40: 30
40 and Over: 69
Biggest Fans: hero (#5), Nick (#8), LunarPiper (#10), Holden (#16), Listyguy (#27), styrofoamboots (#29), BryanBehar (#35), whuntva (#39), carlos74 (#40), Dan (#41), Chris K. (#47), prosecutorgodot (#61), panam (#63), andyd1010 (#64), luvulongTIM (#67), acroamor (#69), jdizzle83 (#70), Arsalan (#72), Fred, Honorio (#77), Live in Phoenix (#85), FrankLotion (#87), VanillaFire1000 (#94), M24, Toni (#96), Rocky Raccoon (#100)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Last Nite (#145), Hard to Explain (#585), Someday (#1051), Is This It (#1886)

"OK Computer and illmatic got five stars from me because they're masterpieces. I know everyone regards them as such, I just happen to agree. Is This It gets five stars because it's my favorite album. Like the album itself, simple, different from most of the misery filled numbness educing alternative shit at the time. Every single song on this album is singable, most relateable, all catchy, none pretentious, or too ambitious.

Content ranged from linear, humorous anecdotes, to open-ended tunes with interpretative lyrics. Some complain about Is This It and The Strokes being too pop, but that's not an opinion, it's just fact. Even songs that have more somber and sad themes are backed by seemingly cheery instrumentals. Again, forward thinking would think sad content should be matched with equally sad riffs. I feel the pop aspect of Is This It only adds to the content, it's more bittersweet that way.

Adding to that, some songs on this album, arranged brilliantly end on an anti-climactic note (Hard To Explain, The Modern Age). At first I thought that such great songs should have equally great outros, but as I got accustomed to The Strokes, I wouldn't have the songs end any other way. It's just a reminder, millions of fans or not, record label, music videos, mainstream appeal, that The Strokes have control of their music. And the decisions they make reflect the band they are. Now the anti-climactic endings make sense, even adding to the song, rather than taking away from it.

Is This It in my opinion is the best album of the 2000's, more so than any Jay-Z, White Stripes, or Radiohead album. I could break it down song by song, but it wouldn't feel right, for me it's un-reviewable, trying to look through a microscope at things I liked and didn't like. I like that this album makes me smile, sing, and reminisce, more than any album I've ever heard, that's why it's my favorite.

-Math_U"

41. Miles Davis | Kind of Blue (1959)
2162.618 Points | 39 Votes
AM Rank: 35
2017 Rank: 51 (+10)
Under 40: 51
40 and Over: 36
Biggest Fans: schaefer.tk (#3), panam (#7), Bruno (#9), Michel, cetamol (#10), VanillaFire1000 (#11), Gillingham (#26), FrankLotion (#28), Cold Butterfly, antonius (#31), DocBrown (#33), Harold (#37), Nick (#38), Wezzo (#41), Honorio (#45), carlos74 (#46), M24 (#47), BleuPanda, Fred (#56), sonofsamiam (#64), acroamor (#79), Schüttelbirne (#81), spiderpig (#95), nicolas (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: So What (#237), Blue in Green (#1708)

"This is simply the warmest and most likeable album you are likely to ever hear. 'So What' is an absolute masterpiece, and I still think it's one of the most thrilling uses of modality I've ever heard. The soloists on here have mastered the simple progression to the point where it sounds like the most natural thing in existence. I could go on for days about the solos on this piece, but special mention needs to be made of Miles, who plays the most understated, and note-for-note perfect solos in his entire career. Every musician should know this solo by heart. Cannonball steals the show however. His solo is as gorgeous as an impressionistic painting, and his impeccable phrasing and sense of melody transcends the simple framework he is working in (Compared to Miles, who deliberately stays well within the framework). Coltrane does his usual thing, but he's merely awesome on this piece. As he usually is.

'Freddie Freeloader' is a much more straightforward Blues piece, but it's a stunner, and you can really hear how much pianist Wynton Kelly is enjoying it, providing some excellent comping to all the soloists. Again, Cannonball makes the most of the changes, with some phrases coming out in a growling sputter. Bill Evans is the star of 'Blue in Green', and anchored by an authoritative bassline, he produces a devastatingly subtle sound, which Miles and Coltrane solo over in a whisper.

The album's longest piece, 'All Blues', begins with a sublime tremolo on piano from Evans, and the rest of the players come in softly with one of my favourite melodies on the album. As soon as the solos start, the song takes a turn for the groovy thanks to Paul Chamber's excellent basslines. Coltrane, ever the master of the 6/8 time signature, lays out a very avant-garde solo compared to the more traditional Cannonball, but it provides the perfect contrast for Evans to come in with his much more understated sound. He too, pushes the song out to its limits, but the whole band brings it back again as if nothing out of the usual had occurred.

Perhaps the purest, most fully realized manifestation of Miles' vision is the legendary closer, 'Flamenco Sketches'. Based on Evans' 'Some Other Time' (in turn based on the single-chord 'Peace Piece'), the piece is so centred, so at peace with itself, that you cannot help but be affected. Pure magic from every single performer.

The absurd popularity of this album, and the sheer amount of writing done on it (of the sort you have just read) can sometimes take away from the fact that this is one of the most enjoyable records ever made. It is great, significant, groundbreaking, all of that, but what I want to to take away from this is just how happy it will make you feel.


-Mitch_Nz"

[panam]

No jazz on the Top 40. Maybe no surprises considering the previous editions, but I got a feeling we're going to have some jazz this time.

[Holden]

"Yeah
Said it's all right
I won't forget
All the times I've waited patiently for you
And you'll do just what you choose to do
And I will be alone again tonight my dear"

40. Love | Forever Changes (1967)
2203.561 Points | 45 Votes
AM Rank: 50
2017 Rank: 40 (0)
Under 40: 87
40 and Over: 20
Biggest Fans: Fred (#3), SJner (#7), Zombeels (#10), Harold (#11), Listyguy (#15), BryanBehar (#24), carlos74 (#25), Jackson, Emerald (#27), Bang Jan (#29), styrofoamboots (#37), acroamor (#39), hero (#46), jdizzle83 (#48), Honorio (#61), antonius (#66), Michel (#71), Live in Phoenix (#74), Akhenaten (#76), nicolas (#78), Rocky Raccoon (#85), spiderpig (#96), cetamol (#100)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Alone Again Or (#84), You Set the Scene (#1052), The Red Telephone (#1725)

"The text on this album's slip says it all, really.

"1967. Nothing caught the strangeness of these days, or captured the combination of beauty and dread they contained, quite like Love's masterpiece Forever Changes."

Let's be honest - a lot of stuff that record labels slap on albums to sell them is utter guff. But I can't think of a better way to encapsulate this album than this. It's one of those rare albums that captures its time perfectly, and somehow becomes timeless. Masterpiece? You betcha.

Comparisons could be drawn with Nick Drake, or even Neutral Milk Hotel, in that the music is based in folk, but is utterly technicolour. The brass arrangements, the lead guitar breaks, the vocals - everything is absolutely teeming with life. Folk is often seen as boring to those who don't listen to it much, and I totally understand that, but honestly, I defy ANYONE to listen to this and get bored. I can't put into words how much energy this record has. It works as a great pick-me-up, especially as it achieves lift-off toward the end. Think of it this way - The Who had Pete Townshend AND Keith Moon, and here, Love STILL rival them for primal thrills.

The best thing about this album, though, is that there's always something just under the surface, letting you know that something is just plain wrong. It's like a secret burning a hole in you, but you're too afraid to tell anyone. Or like a group of people just getting on with their lives, ignoring all the evil around them, yet always being uncomfortably aware of it. Perhaps it's this that makes it the ultimate 'hippy' album; one that shows not only the hedonistic optimism, but the fear of the very real threats to their dreams. Also, unlike a lot of hippy albums, this is an album that encourages you to get out and actually do something, and consequently, it has aged very well.

Even the liners to this album are excellent - the icing on the cake.

Picking faults with this album is an exercise in being anal; however, it's possible. The album appears to 'dip' in the middle - when you're done listening to it, the first three and last three tracks are the ones that stick out in the memory. Plus the album lacks one truly standout moment that defines it - or one standout song ("Alone Again Or" comes close though). Then again, most people complain when one song dominates the rest of the album, so is that really a fault? Oh, and on this version, the out-takes don't really add much (other than the amusement of hearing Arthur Lee give his band a hard time), but that really is nitpicking.

Bizarrely, this is/was my favourite album to listen to while playing Grand Theft Auto. Then again, maybe that speaks volume about the power of this record.Forever Changes isn't just essential, it's crucial.

-Iai"

"Life in the hive puckered up my night
The kiss of death, the embrace of life
There I stand 'neath the Marquee moon
Just waiting"

39. Television | Marquee Moon (1977)
2219.615 Points | 43 Votes
AM Rank: 24
2017 Rank: 74 (+35)
Under 40: 47
40 and Over: 45
Biggest Fans: Harold, SJner (#6), CupOfDreams (#7), Fred (#8), Chris K. (#16), Nick (#19), cetamol (#21), jdizzle83 (#23), LunarPiper (#27), Schüttelbirne, Rob (#28), BleuPanda (#30), panam, Emerald (#31), M24 (#32), carlos74 (#48), Bang Jan (#55), prosecutorgodot (#62), Toni (#75), spiderpig (#79), styrofoamboots (#91), hero (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Marquee Moon (#85)

"Music can have different purposes, depending on the goals of the artist who makes it. Some aims to be a show of technical excellence, others are the work of songwriters pouring all their emotion into their work and some music just aims to be fun and and enjoyable to listen to. It takes a special brilliance to craft an album that features all three. Television captured that brilliance and put it to record on their 1977 debut, Marquee Moon.

“See No Evil” is a perfect opener, as it shows the band’s background in the New York punk scene they helped form, as well as their arty intention. The propulsive rock rhythm is a great background for frontman Tom Verlaine’s lyrics and vocals, which are evocative but never overwrought. His call-and-response shouts with the rest of the band (which feature on numerous songs) give the tracks a classic feel. However, it’s the next song, “Venus”, which shows what truly makes the album phenomenal. The clean-sounding guitars are simply so pleasant to listen to. Verlaine sounds like he’s having so much fun singing without coming off goofy. “Friction” continues the opener’s rock groove, and also features Richard Lloyd’s bursts of guitar leads. The ten minute long title track which follows is seen as the apex of Television’s career. The dueling guitars of Lloyd and Verlaine soar in their respective solos, and a fake ending brings the song back to its glorious motif, with the rocksteady rhythm section of Billy Ficca and Fred Smith keeping the song grounded. Verlaine’s singing is passionate, and his reflective lyrics about life and death are smart but never pretentious. “Elevation” opens the second half in a moody fashion with its minor key never letting go of a somber demeanor. “Guiding Light” and “Prove It” are enjoyable tracks of twinkly guitar pop occuring before the album closes with the climactic “Torn Curtain”, which is one of my favorite songs of all time. The song is slow and dark, the relic of a neo-noir film that never was. What makes the song truly amazing is Tom Verlaine’s performance, which is some of the best and most expressive guitar playing ever put to record. For the first three and a half minutes he appears only from the shadows occasionally, adding a melody and slow bend here and there. But for the last three and half minutes, which is essentially one long guitar solo, he doesn’t hold back. I’m seriously convinced he collected the souls of the other band members before recording. With each bend of his string his guitar sobs, each note a different tear. The fade out at the end implies he might not have been done, and it leaves me wanting more. It’s a shame the few records they released after this never even came close to it.

I wonder how it feels to make a piece of art so transcendent. Were the members of the band aware that they were working on what would be one of the best albums ever? I suppose it doesn’t matter, as either way, Marquee Moon stood the test of time to be one of the best pieces of music in the modern era.

-MisterMann70"

"It's only right that you should
Play the way you feel it
But listen carefully, to the sound
Of your loneliness"

38. Fleetwood Mac | Rumours (1977)
2238.719 Points | 42 Votes
AM Rank: 60
2017 Rank: 36 (-2)
Under 40: 42
40 and Over: 43
Biggest Fans: LunarPiper (#13), SJner (#15), SL3 (#18), FrankLotion (#19), VanillaFire1000 (#21), Dan (#23), Sweepstakes Ron (#25), votingbloc (#28), PlasticRam (#30), DocBrown, Bruno (#36), antonius (#37), acroamor (#40), Rocky Raccoon (#42), Father2TheMan (#44), jdizzle83 (#51), Listyguy (#54), Nick, Emerald, hero (#58), whuntva (#65), Live in Phoenix (#71), Chris K. (#80), BleuPanda (#81), carlos74 (#83), andyd1010 (#84), M24 (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Go Your Own Way (#116), Dreams (#197), The Chain (#388), Gold Dust Woman (#1696)

"The album contains classics to anyone who grew up with parents who had classic rock radio stations on repeat every car ride. "Gold Dust Woman", and "Go Your Own Way" are iconic staples of the Classic Rock genre and can be heard almost daily on listens of classic rock radio throughout the country. Tracks from this album have been equally impacting on cinematic pieces of Americana, as tracks from Rumors have been featured in American Horror Story, The Americans, Guardians of the Galaxy #2, Forrest Gump, The Simpsons, among many others. Fleetwood's IMDB page almost functions as a library of American classics and contemporary works in tv and film.

Popularity is certainty not indicative of quality, but what stands out about this work is how such a deep and transcendental work has resonated with such a wide audience. This album was recorded in incredibly tumultuous circumstances, with members of the band going through break-ups and affairs with each other. Drug use was also rampant through the album. Additionally the members have reflected that they would often fight and be at creative stand-stills until they engaged in various illicit activities until they were finally able to get recording started at 3 in the morning.

These circumstances inspired the band to create emotionally raw and impactful lyrics throughout the album. These lyrics can allow anyone to appreciate how the band fully planned on breaking up after the album's release, and were only swayed otherwise after the unprecedented popular success of the album.

If you've somehow ignored or missed the classics on the album ("The Chain" is my personal favorite) it's begging for a listen. The creativity in the instrumentation (the bass line in "The Chain", for example, is one of my all time favorites) the song-writing, and the overall music is one that stands the test of time.

-Honeymustard"

"People always told me be careful of what you do
And don't go around breaking young girls' hearts
And mother always told me be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do 'cause the lie becomes the truth"

37. Michael Jackson | Thriller (1982)
2295.231 Points | 42 Votes
AM Rank: 25
2017 Rank: 18 (-19)
Under 40: 28
40 and Over: 51
Biggest Fans: bonnielaurel, Renan, Bruno (#1), profeta (#3), M24, schaefer.tk (#6), Sweepstakes Ron (#15), votingbloc (#15), Live in Phoenix (#16), carlos74 (#22), FrankLotion (#25), Henry (#26), Nick (#29), Akhenaten (#36), Jirin (#39), hero (#42), PlasticRam (#46), Honorio (#53), whuntva (#57), nicolas (#59), Listyguy (#77), vivian (#90), Rocky Raccoon (#91), luvulongTIM (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Billie Jean (#4), Beat It (#124), Thriller (#188), Human Nature (#556), Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (#589)

"The success of Thriller was unbelievable. Even for Michael Jackson if you might say. Michael had just created one masterpiece with Off the Wall, but who could have imagined Thriller! Here, Michael decides to stay with Quincey Jones and create an album that was like Off the Wall but less disco and more into rock. The beats had more bass were harder driving than anything on Off the Wall. In defense of Off the Wall however, Michael had some large shoes to fill, but it seemed that he filled them with no effort at all. The first track to be released off of Thriller was "The Girl Is Mine", a duet with Paul McCartney. The single fared well. Also to note that when Thriller was released MTV was in the beginning of it stages. The videos that Michael produced off of the album were "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and the monumental "Thriller". These three videos help catapult Michael into superstardom and helped break down color barriers on MTV. With the videos, harsher critics wondered about the overall music on the album. Michael's music on this album was just too good not to miss. The beginning song "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" has both a tough beat and lyrics including the memorable "Ma-ma-say-ma-ma-sa-mu-ma-cum-sa" or something like that and it's one of the two best songs on the album. Then there was "Thriller" the song. Now let's be honest: "Thriller" the song wasn't as good as it's video, but it's good nontheless, not great. Next we have the tough rocking "Beat It" with a guitar solo from Eddie Van Halen. Now this is a very good song, but it's not as good as the next one which became Michael's largest hit: "Billie Jean". This is where Michael claims that he is not the father of a child that a woman is claiming him to be, and along with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", "Billie Jean" is the best song on the album. "Human Nature" is so smooth and so calm. The final three tracks are very tight and keep the album from falling. Then again there was the hype! Michael lives up to all of it for sure. There are reason why Thriller is the greatest selling album of all times: It had mass appeal and it was simply great music.

-DnnGrvs"

"We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals that they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song"

36. The Who | Who's Next (1971)
2321.661 Points | 41 Votes
AM Rank: 32
2017 Rank: 27 (-9)
Under 40: 35
40 and Over: 44
Biggest Fans: Henry (#2), Rocky Raccoon (#4), M24 (#7), Harold (#8), DocBrown (#11), Rob (#12), Emerald (#13), BleuPanda (#16), Bruno (#22), Live in Phoenix (#23), jdizzle83 (#25), PlasticRam, whuntva (#27), nicolas (#30), Listyguy (#35), votingbloc (#38), VanillaFire1000 (#44), Nick (#49), Chris K. (#57), andyd1010 (#77), Brad, FrankLotion (#84)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Baba O'Riley (#43), Won't Get Fooled Again (#102), Behind Blue Eyes (#600)

"I think Who's Next is really, really good. And with that out of the way:

It took me so long to love The Who. Not like, love. Their music was on classic rock radio all the goddamned time as a kid in the late 80s and throughout the 90s, and I'm sure it still is. It got to a point where the FoReVeR cLaSsIc opening keyboard riff in "Baba O'Riley" would inspire a sigh. In retrospect, that is hilarious because the song is undeniably one of the best songs ever made, but that's how I felt about Who for a long time. There's something to their music that feels like the very DNA of what constitutes Classic Rock Radio, and since my dad loved his 70s and 80s hard rock more than anyone I know, I heard it constantly without fail. To be bored with classic rock was to be bored with the Who. With Aerosmith. With Thin Lizzy's two singles popular enough for Cleveland, Ohio. Mom's brief escapes into soft rock/adult contemporary (hey now, hey now, don't dreeeeam it's overrrr) were incredible breathers.

Only time away from those captive classic rock radio sessions have I discovered the glory and genius of (good) hard rock -- Thin Lizzy's late 70s renaissance, the glory prog rock and rock opera days of Genesis, Who's Next, Todd Rundgren doing whatever he wanted to do. There's so much there, and I'm glad I don't have to listen to "Baba O'Riley" sandwiched in-between 80s variants of ZZ Top and Heart anymore. Fuck classic rock radio -- fuck it for running something good into the ground.

One more tiny thing about Who's Next -- it feels almost like a suite, even / especially the songs that weren't massive singles. Everything melts into a cohesive, perfect whole. Having side 1 end with "Song Is Over" is perfect. It's like the Who tried their best to not do a concept album and yet failed, even if there is no real concept at work, outside of fantastic songs.

-matthwq"

"I just want to be a woman
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over, and give us some room, yeah"

35. Portishead | Dummy (1994)
2323.767 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 59
2017 Rank: 31 (-4)
Under 40: 41
40 and Over: 30
Biggest Fans: Sweepstakes Ron (#3), DaveC (#7), notbrianeno (#8), Dan (#10), schaefer.tk (#15), Holden (#19), Michel (#21), Gillingham (#25), Nassim, acroamor (#28), Krurze (#36), rumpdoll, carlos74 (#39), Jackson (#55), BleuPanda (#58), cetamol (#58), spiritualized (#61), DocBrown (#67), Honorio (#73), Cold Butterfly (#74), Toni (#76), antonius (#84), Akhenaten (#90), spiderpig (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Glory Box (#195), Sour Times (#402), Roads (#572)

"This album caught me off guard emotionally.

This summer, I broke up with someone I was in love with. I'll spare RYM the details, but I walked away from that long relationship ready to get all those terrible, terrible, terrible thoughts and feelings and memories out of my head. I spent the next few months smoking, drinking, fighting, going to punk shows, playing punk shows, making friends, getting kicked out of parties, starting bands, getting kicked out of bands, taking massive quantities of psychedelics... you know, how guys usually act after breakups.

However, after six months of all that, I still felt like shit. I started to slow down with all the stupid bullshit that I had been getting myself into. I started to study, read, watch films, have real conversations, and sit down and just stare off and think once in a while. I got my life back on a reasonable pace.
I still felt like shit.

Then one day I was chilling out smoking some pot and listening to some punk with my friend. He then put on Dummy.

Our conversation soon became one-sided as I sucked into this album. The dark atmosphere of the album pulled me out of that smokey apartment room and pulled me into a separate pitchblack room. The beats were so hypnotic and the woman's voice was so beautiful that I was lost in my own head. My buddy started making fun of me saying how fried I was. But the song "Roads" came on, I lost all control and cried in front of my friend. Every heartbroken and lonely feeling I've masked over the past few months came spilling out. My feelings for my ex, my uncertainty of my future, my hatred for how much I changed all unearth in those five minutes. The catharsis from that song was so strong that my friend stopped laughing. We remained silent until the end of the album.

After the album finished, my buddy patted me on the back and smiled. He loaded up the bong and said, "They're pretty good, huh Johnny?"

Yeah, they're good I guess.

-johnnysunday"

"But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on"

34. David Bowie | Hunky Dory (1971)
2325.434 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 70
2017 Rank: 37 (+3)
Under 40: 72
40 and Over: 18
Biggest Fans: Fred (#7), Emerald (#8), Michel, Honorio (#12), cetamol (#17), Akhenaten, SJner (#18), Romain (#30), mileswide (#32), antonius (#33), acroamor (#34), hero (#35), SL3 (#36), Krurze (#48), luvulongTIM (#55), spiderpig (#57), Brad (#58), Harold (#69), jdizzle83 (#74), Schüttelbirne (#77), Chris K. (#83), M24 (#84), Dan (#92), Zombeels (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Life on Mars? (#14), Changes (#121)

"I didn't buy this, my first Bowie album, until somewhere between the Aladdin Sane/Diamond Dogs period. At the time, my Dad was always interested in the stuff I was buying and would listen and pass on his opinions. Pocket money was scarce and I can remember actually asking his permission as I felt he may have some problem with Bowie's androgynous appearance and reputed bi-sexual inclinations - even going so far as to explain it was the music I was interested in and not the person! I needn't have worried, he had no objections. (but he didn't like the album!)

Before the full-on excesses of Ziggy Stardust, Hunky Dory must be the only acoustic glam album. Not that there's no electric guitars here, but they're underplayed almost to the point of redundancy as Mick Ronson takes a back seat and Rick Wakeman takes centre stage on the piano. This album contains my favourite Bowie track, "The Bewley Brothers". I once read a article in which Bowie refused to explain what the song was about and I tried desperately, and unsuccessfully, to interpret the lyrics. If I ever get to meet him, that's still the first question I'd ask.

The album contains many dedications; "Andy Warhol"; "Song For Bob Dylan"; "Queen Bitch" (Velvet Underground) and "Kooks" (his son Zowie), but to single out any individual song is to lose the impact of Hunky Dory as a whole. This is not an album you should play selective songs from, rather it is more effective when played as a cohesive whole.

-Grampus"

"And I always find
Yeah I always find
Yeah I always find somethin' wrong
You been puttin' up wit' my shit just way too long
I'm so gifted at findin' what I don't like the most
So I think it's time for us to have a toast"

33. Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
2330.904 Points | 41 Votes
AM Rank: 64
2017 Rank: 23 (-10)
Under 40: 14
40 and Over: 112
Biggest Fans: Sweepstakes Ron (#1), PlasticRam (#7), votingbloc (#8), Harold (#10), FrankLotion, andyd1010 (#11), Nick (#14), notbrianeno (#15), Renan, Wezzo (#16), Dan (#17), Cold Butterfly, jdizzle83 (#18), BleuPanda (#22), Nassim (#43), Listyguy (#51), VanillaFire1000 (#55), Bruno (#58), acroamor (#60), M24 (#61), whuntva (#66), Honorio (#80), rumpdoll (#89), Toni (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Runaway (#79), Power (#243), All of the Lights (#308), Monster (#678), So Appalled (#1472), Lost in the World (#1952)

"If you've never liked Kanye West then you probably won't like this. And this statement covers about 90% of RYM. But you never know, Kanye's really never done this type of all encompassing project before. I can though compare it to "The College Dropout" in the fact that when it came out, production and style in hip-hop was being revolutionized, and now six years later it looks to be getting another re-haul with the same person leading the charge.

I honestly can't think of a bad thing about this album. From the beginning monologue from Nicki Minaj, to "Gorgeous" with the distortion of Ye and Raekwon's verses with sick guitar rifs and CuDi giving perhaps his best chorus ever. Right into the wonderfully King Crimson sampled "Power", and "All of the Lights" is perhaps the pop lining in this to me. Next is the GOOD Friday bunch featuring Jay-Z, Pusha T, Nickie Minaj, CyHi Da Prynce, and Rick Ross on "Monster", "So Appalled", and "Devil in a New Dress." Cue "Runaway" where Kanye reiterates his troubles with Pusha T rapping like no other and ending with layered beats accompanied by a moaning auto-tune THAT FUCKING WORKS! All the way to "Hell of A Life" where Kanye wants to marry a porn star, and I'll be damned if he doesn't one day. Then perhaps one of the most emotional songs of the year, "Blame Game" with unconventional style of arguing with the betrayer all wrapped into a comedy bit at the end. A comedic tragedy starring Kanye West, John Legend and Chris Rock if you will. Finally we end with "Lost in the World" where we see a man trying to find is way in the world ending with a narrative ("Who Will Survive in America") on some of the history of America and how us the people will survive in it.

It is a thought provoking journey that can make you search your soul, laugh, emotionalize, nod ya head at the incredibly intricate and layered beats with good rapping..nay great storytelling, by all involved rolled up into an album that is beyond pop, though marketed at them, and beyond art, though is marketed at them as well.

I think Kanye manages to revolutionize the production of a hip-hop album and the way one is put together. By challenging the limitations of producers, as well as letting the featured people have greater parts in the songs, not just being slapped in there with a verse or chorus. All while still making it sound like he's the veteran of the game he is, and has been doing this type of album for years.

This is truly album of the year.

-CrazyDay2606"

"You are not to blame for
Bittersweet distractors
Dare not speak its name
Dedicated to all human beings"

32. Radiohead | In Rainbows (2007)
2332.389 Points | 44 Votes
AM Rank: 85
2017 Rank: 33 (+1)
Under 40: 18
40 and Over: 61
Biggest Fans: Gillingham (#1), rumpdoll (#2), jdizzle83 (#6), SJner (#10), Toni (#11), Dan (#12), Chris K., andyd1010 (#13), M24 (#15), styrofoamboots (#20), notbrianeno (#24), Nick (#33), prosecutorgodot, FrankLotion (#34), Holden (#38), BleuPanda (#39), Nassim (#44), Harold (#45), LunarPiper (#47), whuntva (#56), spiderpig (#59), antonius (#64), acroamor (#89)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Reckoner (#417), Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (#788), Nude (#921), Jigsaw Falling into Place (#926), All I Need (#1181), House of Cards (#1637), 15 Step (#1853)

"Oh, it's perfect!

It's my all-time favourite. It's lush, beautiful, and excellently executed. I cannot articulate about this album objectively without absolutely gushing, so you will get gushing.

The first two songs on this album are really good. 15 Step is this odd rhythmic piece that falls into comforting melodic riffs that both compliment and juxtapose the drum machine. Then we get this rough and dirty tone kicking off Bodysnatchers, which works perfectly into the rest of the band. Mechanically, I find it very impressive and hard to understand, but it also does not rely on it's complexities to be great music. Rather, it uses the complexities to enhance the music and make an amazing song.

From Nude and onward, the rest of the album is much more laid back. It's a relaxing soundscape of guitar and tender vocals that make this more than an album: it's a listening experience. I personally don't enjoy slow songs very much (they bore me), but In Rainbows challenges that and brings me pure enjoyment of the tracks laid out. I'll admit, the middle of the album gets mushy and I have a hard time knowing which track is which, but it never bothered me because I simply enjoy the product as a whole. This album is so nice.

It picks back up with Jigsaw Falling Into Place which gives more energy as the drums keep a steady pace. This gives the album a beginning to closure, ensuring that the end of the album does not feel abrupt or unnoticed. This leads into the finale Videotape, which is really the best of Radiohead. A melancholic track that allows the album to end thoughtfully and with purpose, Videotape does the rest of the album justice without overshadowing anything.

I will not assert that everyone will love this album, or that it is the greatest album, but for me it is the perfect album. There is value, substance, and beauty found in the music that I don't feel about any other album. It's incredible that Radiohead is able to deliver some of the greatest albums of all time, so it makes sense that this one happens to top my all-time favourites.

-waterco4"

"Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, oh oh oh"

31. Marvin Gaye | What's Going On (1971)
2346.516 Points | 46 Votes
AM Rank: 7
2017 Rank: 29 (-2)
Under 40: 49
40 and Over: 28
Biggest Fans: antonius, schaefer.tk (#2), jdizzle83 (#4), Bruno (#5), Cold Butterfly (#6), cetamol (#7), FrankLotion (#9), nicolas, Toni (#10), Honorio (#14), DocBrown (#27), VanillaFire1000 (#28), carlos74 (#30), Emerald (#39), LunarPiper (#40), spiderpig (#46), Nick (#47), sonofsamiam (#55), hero (#56), CupOfDreams (#58), bonnielaurel (#70)
AMF Favorite Tracks: What's Going On (#31), Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (#575), Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (#940)

"This album has me practically lost for words, but I'll do my best to review it.

I first heard this album a few years ago. I heard it because I wanted to expand my musical horizons away from hip hop. My first step in branching out was listening to Bob Marley. After that was very successful, I decided to move on to the genre of soul, figuring I would like it. Marvin Gaye was my artist of choice because I had heard him referenced in multiple hip hop songs and he's often claimed to be one of the best in the genre. This album was the first album that I heard from him. Right off the bat, I loved it. I thought that it was beautiful, incredible music and I couldn't believe how narrow minded I had been before I listened to it. It inspired me to discover new music, not only in soul, but in many other genres as well. I had been looking at music so close mindedly, but this album single-handedly opened my mind to a whole new world of music. This album will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason.

It will also always hold a special place in my heart for being among the very best music I've ever heard in my entire life. To start, this is most likely the most beautiful album I've ever heard, period. The last time I listened to it, I almost cried at a few points throughout it. On a personal note, I practically never cry. Ever since my sister died, I've had some emotionally stunted instinct to NEVER cry in front of anyone and rarely cry behind closed doors. When I heard this album last, I was not behind closed doors. I was sitting in study hall in a room full of my peers. Even my instincts could barely stop me. It should also be noted that I ONLY cry when I'm sad. This album, however, almost managed to make me cry out of sheer beauty. This is literally the only instance that I can think of in which beauty almost made my cry. In order to dissect why this album had such an emotional impact on me, I have to ask the question, "why is this album considered to be soul?" To answer that question, it's because you can FEEL it in your SOUL. I would say that "I" can feel it in my soul, but I say "you" because I find it impossible for anyone who has a soul to not feel this album. Between Marvin Gaye's amazing voice (probably my favorite voice ever), the indescribably beautiful music that he is singing over, and the amazing, emotional lyrics, this album hits me in the soul like no other album...ever.

To get away from the soul impact, I'll talk about how this this album is musically perfect. Now, I'm no authority on music, by any means, but I can't find a single flaw with this album. All of the instruments are played amazingly and with un-teachable amounts of emotion, Marvin Gaye has the most perfect voice ever, the composition is flawless, the way that the songs flow into each other is perfect, it's one of the most consistent albums of all time, and the overall vibe of the album is impeccable. I mean, seriously, is there a single flaw with this album? To put it into perspective, "Right On" is my least favorite song on the album, but...oh, would you look at that...I STILL rated it 5 stars. In order for an album to have a flaw, the worst song cannot be rated at 5 stars. Just like I honestly believe that this album is perfect, I honestly believe that every song deserves 5 stars. The reason for that is that I view every song to be vital to this album. There isn't a single second of this album that I would change in a million years. Everything is exactly the way that I want it to be. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other album that I can say that about, except for maybe Illmatic. To summarize, on an emotional level and a technical level, this album is absolutely flawless.

To say that putting this album into words has been overwhelming would be an understatement. Finishing this review would be an even more overwhelming task, which is why I'll finish it with a quote from Marvin himself. He once said, "I mumble things into the microphone. I don't even know what I'm saying, and I don't even try to figure it out. If I try, it doesn't work. If I relax, those mumbles will finally turn into words. It's a slow, evolving process, something like the way a flower grows." Mumble on in heaven, Marvin. Mumble on.

-HipHopHead5"

[prosecutorgodot]

I don't think it's possible to write a better review of SoS than Moonbeam's.

Happy to see TPAB get a majority of votes.

[Listyguy]

The Hendrix drops here are unfortunate

[Holden]

"She lives with a broken man
A cracked polystyrene man
Who just crumbles and burns"

30. Radiohead | The Bends (1995)
2350.782 Points | 46 Votes
AM Rank: 79
2017 Rank: 32 (+2)
Under 40: 38
40 and Over: 32
Biggest Fans: Edre Peraza (#2), DaveC (#4), Arsalan (#10), andyd1010 (#16), Dan (#19), Brad (#32), PlasticRam, LunarPiper (#33), M24 (#36), Chris K. (#37), panam (#38), Zombeels (#40), carlos74 (#41), styrofoamboots, jdizzle83 (#47), DocBrown (#50), BryanBehar (#54), Nick (#56), Harold (#57), spiderpig (#58), Nassim (#72), spiritualized (#74), Listyguy (#81), hero (#86), Bruno (#90), SJner (#95)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Fake Plastic Trees (#58), Street Spirit (Fade Out) (#336), High and Dry (#938), Just (#1391)

"Listen to all seven (to date) Radiohead studio albums in chronological order and the difference between each is quite startling. Without any exaggeration, I can't think of any band who've shown such a determined effort to develop and progress over such a short period of time. Their problem lies in the fact, the more they diversify and experiment, the more their fan-base will change, the more they will become bracketed as specialist artists. Their progression, while losing me musically, has been nothing less than fascinating to watch.

For anyone new to Radiohead, The Bends is the place to start. This is their commercial album. Music for the masses with sorrowfully biting lyrics and a vocal performance which is thoroughly depressing, yet strangely life affirming. They were immediately proclaimed as the saviours of rock and roll and, unusually, the claim was not entirely hyperbole.

It's albums like The Bends that I always find the most tricky to review. After all, typing the word "Radiohead" into Google returns 39,200,000 hits! Seemingly everyone has an opinion and certainly everything that needs to be written already has been. All that's left for me to do is try to explain how the album affected me personally.

Imagine that life is a motorway journey. During that journey you'll pass and be passed by other vehicles. Some you'll travel with for long periods of time, others will be there and gone in an instant. Now imagine on this fanciful journey that Radiohead are sitting in another car. They released debut album Pablo Honey and, if I looked closely into my rear-view mirror, I could vaguely see them behind me in a cluster of traffic. Then came The Bends which was released exactly at the moment we were travelling side by side – moving in perfect symmetry. It's like a photo that you took on a whim that managed to depict a flawless scene. One second there, the next gone. The journey continues and sometimes those instances can be recaptured but, in the case of Radiohead, that's never happened for me. OK Computer saw them overtake my slow moving vehicle, while, for Kid A and Amnesiac, the band discovered some new revolutionary fuel source that catapulted them out of sight. They might as well have been travelling on a different planet rather than my staid section of road.

So the most important thing The Bends did for me personally was to show that rock music, in particular arena rock, wasn't dead – that it was still capable of evolving. That strand of evolution may have eventually given me up as a lost cause but that light bulb moment of hope and insight can never be taken away.

-Grampus"

"The floods is threatening
My very life today
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I'm gonna fade away"

29. The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed (1969)
2376.622 Points | 46 Votes
AM Rank: 41
2017 Rank: 26 (-2)
Under 40: 55
40 and Over: 24
Biggest Fans: M24 (#3), profeta, Bruno (#16), Harold (#24), CupOfDreams (#25), andyd1010 (#26), antonius (#30), FrankLotion (#32), Listyguy (#33), hero (#34), bonnielaurel, Rocky Raccoon, Emerald (#37), Live in Phoenix (#38), Brad (#40), whuntva (#52), carlos74, acroamor (#56), Arsalan (#63), PlasticRam (#64), Holden (#66), Fred (#69), Nick (#78), cetamol (#82)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Gimme Shelter (#2), You Can't Always Get What You Want (#344), Monkey Man (#1591)

"Gimmie Shelter opens the Rolling Stones 14th [?] album which was supposed to be entitled Automatic Changer, and let me tell you, shelter is just what I needed having just arrived in Vietnam, courtesy of my wonderful Uncle, who went by the name of Sam. The album came out in December of 1969 but I wasn’t able to grab hold of it until sometime late in January of 1970 once I was settled in, squared away my hooch and bought myself a little bitty of a record player. But hey, I draped the inside of my living quarters with an orange parachute, had my candles, and constant light show every evening. What more did I need ... ya we had that too.

I wasn’t the only one in transition, the Stones were breaking in the new boy Mick Taylor, Brian Jones had died a few months earlier, and the peculiar feeling of hearing new material from someone no longer on the planet was as unworldly as the new country I would be calling home for the next 26 months. There has been a great deal made regarding the fact that up to this point the Stones had not been making albums with a consistent body of material, and many lumped this release into that category. I’ll be the first to admit that there are a couple of songs that didn’t strike my fancy, but man, this was one of the best records I had ever heard at that point in time. I’ll never forget hearing the beginning of "Country Honk," an obvious remake of "Honky Tonk Woman" and the little car horn that blew just perfectly enough to startle me every time I heard it.

All of the songs were much longer, extended in a number of ways more then usual and a fine follow up to Begger’s Banquet for sure. The album is darker, more sensual ... it felt like a “time out,” the mask of Janus, between the psychedelic era that was winding down, and what was waiting around the corner, just out of view. For me, the 60’s were very heady, full of self exploration, movement, conflict, a sensory overload ... but here on this release, it was like everything just slowed down, as if to say, "Let’s just pull the shades, get high and stay in bed for a while."

Now I love the Blues, and it’s just my opinion, but for me, on the whole, this is the closest the Stones ever came to making that down home blues music they always professed to love and touted as the genesis of their conception. And the reason for that can be seen, or better heard, with the talent they assembled here with the likes of Ry Cooder, Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart, Bobby Keys and a host of others that I’m sure I’ve omitted.

There does seem to be a theme here, though I’ll leave that for each of you to figure out for yourselves, as this is one of the most personal albums the Stones ever surfaced. For me, the only song that seems out of place here is "Monkey Man" and even that works as a juxtaposition, revving up the music, only to slow it down again with the final track. The consistent beat and timing is not redundant, it just lets you ride the nod for all it’s worth. The music is smooth, full, rich, sparkled with great little background touches, along with vocals and musical expressions which often times require headphones. Me [?], I just crank it up loud.

You’re going to hear some terrific guitar riffs, elegant slide, some really perfect harp licks and a bass line from Bill that he’s been working towards for his whole life. Everything came together here, even Keith lays down some flawless vocals and Mick has never sounded better. "You Can’t Always Get What You Want" finishes up this release in an amazingly unexpected fashion, an extraordinary vision in it’s concept and story line, and even with all it’s darkness, left me with the feeling that there was hope just around the bend, in the dawn of a new sunrise.

This album is a moment in time, a story within a story, a snapshot that will never yellow with age.

-streetmouse"

"But here are some of music's pioneers
That time will not allow us to forget
For there's Basie, Miller, Satchmo
And the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella's ringing out
There's no way the band can lose"

28. Stevie Wonder | Songs in the Key of Life (1976)
2395.223 Points | 44 Votes
AM Rank: 43
2017 Rank: 30 (+2)
Under 40: 45
40 and Over: 31
Biggest Fans: Bruno, Emerald, Father2TheMan (#2), bonnielaurel (#3), nicolas, vivian (#4), profeta (#6), prosecutorgodot (#9), notbrianeno (#11), Moonbeam (#26), Renan (#37), cetamol (#41), jdizzle83 (#42), FrankLotion, Rocky Raccoon (#47), Toni (#49), Henry (#64), BleuPanda (#68), antonius (#75), Live in Phoenix (#78), sonofsamiam (#87), Harold (#88), LunarPiper (#90), panam (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Sir Duke (#236), I Wish (#636), As (#719), Isn't She Lovely (#1702), Another Star (#1893)

"Perhaps the greatest collection of Soul songs ever put together, Songs in the Key of Life is an emotional tour de force and a masterpiece of pop music composition. It’s a rare feat for an album to be so jam-packed with songs and yet be so consistent. This album was preceded in Stevie Wonder’s discography by several other commercially and critically successful records such as Talking Book and Innervisions. Wonder was transitioning from being a childhood Motown star to a mature artist capable of producing dense and technically impressive pop songs with impassioned lyrics about love, spirituality, and social issues. By 1976, his growing frustration with the music industry and the U.S. government almost led him to quit music altogether, but thank God he didn’t.

There’s a ton of personnel on Songs in the Key of Life, including appearances from other legendary musicians like Herbie Hancock, George Benson, and Minnie Riperton. But Wonder is the primary producer and songwriter on every track, and he lends incredible performances to each of them In his powerful yet soothing style, Wonder sings about the unifying power of faith, love, and music. This is an album that I find impossible to listen to passively or put on in the background. I can’t help but be calmed by the quiet tenderness of “Love’s In Need of Love Today”. I never fail to admire the wildly funky bassline and empowering message of “Black Man”. I can’t help but dance to “Sir Duke” and “I Wish”, which are punchy, groovy tributes to jazz legends and childhood innocence. I also can’t help but feel the heartbreak in many of the tracks, such as the epic “Summer Soft” with its many key changes, but also the more subtle tracks like “Village Ghetto Land” and “If It’s Magic”. There’s a wide variety of musical styles present that’s impossible to ignore, from funk to jazz fusion to Latin pop. Wonder also uses synthesizers to their full potential during a time when electronic instruments were still relatively new.

I’m not a religious person, but I have such a high level of respect for the spiritual influence behind Songs in the Key of Life. Through lyrics and composition, Stevie Wonder perfectly captures both the beauty and the struggle in the human experience. “As”, the album’s second-to-last song, brings the record near its end with a message on the prevailing power of love. The driving rhythm of the track is the perfect accompaniment for this anthem of perseverance. Whether you believe that love comes from our creator or is simply the manifestation of goodwill between men, Stevie Wonder’s ability to communicate his philosophy so effectively through song is undeniable.

-iancraig"

"I fell in love again
All things go, all things go
Drove to Chicago
All things know, all things know"

27. Sufjan Stevens | Illinois (2005)
2419.081 Points | 46 Votes
AM Rank: 91
2017 Rank: 24 (-3)
Under 40: 19
40 and Over: 47
Biggest Fans: BleuPanda, Michel (#6), Dan (#7), Toni (#9), Nassim (#10), andyd1010 (#12), Holden (#13), notbrianeno (#14), Honorio (#18), Schüttelbirne (#19), VanillaFire1000 (#22), Harold (#31), Jirin (#34), Jackson (#37), FrankLotion (#43), Nick (#46), panam (#52), Sweepstakes Ron (#59), nicolas (#66), Romain (#85), Henry (#93), whuntva, spiderpig (#100)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Chicago (#135), John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (#410), Casimir Pulaski Day (#633), The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! (#1609)

"With this album Sufjan Stevens achieved what Springsteen had done three decades before with Born to Run. He made an ambitious baroque pop masterpiece that pulled him out of the 'talented prodigy' category and placed him neatly at the head of the singer-songwriter pack.

Most of the elements had been there on the earlier records. On Michigan we already see the banjo-plucked, folksy ballads interspersed with more complex woodwind arrangements, backed with everything from vibraphones to choirs. But while Michigan was already a considerable accomplishment, it doesn't always soar. For me the ballads on that album have a quiet majesty which far surpasses the appeal of the more ambitious tracks, for all their teeming complexity. In contrast, on Illinois everything works. He can do quiet, sensitive ballads but he also do exuberant, celebratory hymns to all the good and bad of modern American life. But the remarkable feature of this record that I would like to focus on however is its depth of emotion and empathy.

John Wayne Gacy Jr. is a case in point. This song is a serious challenger to Suffer Little Children by the Smiths as the best song ever written about a serial killer. What makes it so strong is the way it pairs a haunting folk melody with a lyric that plunges us into the emotional impact of the murders on the victims and the serial killer's family. It even dares us to enter the inner world of the killer himself. In the end, rather than judging or blaming, Stevens asks his listeners to self-scrutinise. "In my best behavior, I am really just like him; look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid."

Another particularly moving track is The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us. This song moves effortlessly back and forwards between melodic folky passages, a trumpet solo and a rousing choral passage. But however accomplished the song may be musically, it is the songwriter's ability to express powerful emotion directly, without any apparent embarrassment, that impresses me most. "My friend is gone, he ran away, but I can tell you, I love him each day, thought we have sparred, wrestled and raged, I can tell you I love him each day." Fans of Joni Mitchell may be used to hearing someone bare their soul in this way but how often have fans of rock music been able to expect such emotional candor from male singer-songwriters? This beautiful song, seemingly an elegy to a lost friend or brother, has moved me since I first heard it.

The thing that makes Illinois stand out as one of the best records of this decade so far is not just Stevens' musical virtuosity and his willingness to take risks but also his readiness to wear his heart on his sleeve. It wasn't until I heard this album that I realized how very, very tired I had become of the guitar-glutted formulas of indie rock. But even more than that it made me realize that the now predictable detachment of the genre is no substitute for real emotion.

-paddlesteamer"

"When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life
Well hang on
Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes"

26. R.E.M. | Automatic for the People (1992)
2487.269 Points | 44 Votes
AM Rank: 42
2017 Rank: 34 (+8)
Under 40: 39
40 and Over: 27
Biggest Fans: VanillaFire1000,Toni (#2), Chris K. (#4), BleuPanda (#11), LunarPiper (#12), carlos74, Listyguy (#14), jdizzle83 (#15), hero (#19), FrankLotion (#20), Nick (#26), spiderpig (#31), Rocky Raccoon (#32), DaveC (#33), DocBrown (#42), Harold (#46), schaefer.tk (#51), Honorio (#54), Emerald (#55), Live in Phoenix (#59), Bruno (#63), Wezzo (#73), Fred (#76), spiritualized, SJner (#92), Brad (#94), mileswide (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Everybody Hurts (#483), Nightswimming (#520), Drive (#622), Find the River (#770), Man on the Moon (#1122), The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite (#1197)

"R.E.M. elected not to tour for 1991's Out of Time, their multi-platinum commercial breakthrough that had brought the major hit singles "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People." Instead, they set to work on a follow-up, and the product is possibly the band's finest record.

_Automatic for the People_ is an often dark and melancholy album, bringing the pop, country, and Americana influences of their two previous Warner Bros records, 1988's Green and Out of Time, to an unrivalled depth and beauty. The arrangements and production are invariably superb, and this is the sound of a supremely confident band with the utmost belief in their musical vision.

The album begins on a suitably dark and ominous note with the reverb-laden "Drive," one of R.E.M.'s most evocative and atmospheric songs, and a surprise choice for lead single. It is built on portentous acoustic guitar strumming, and the melody gradually rises in urgency; the fine string arrangement brings out this sense. The oddly-timed "Try Not to Breathe" is an off-kilter country-influenced pop gem, one of the album's lesser-known but no less arresting songs, and opens the mood slightly, providing less of the ominous dark clouds of the opener "Drive" in favour of a clearer vista.

"The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" continues the R.E.M. tradition of tongue-in-cheek throwaway pop songs, with songs such as "Stand" and "Shiny Happy People" also falling into this category, but it remains one of the record's melodic high points. "Everybody Hurts" is possibly the album's most recognisable number, a deeply heartfelt and emotional ballad that has become something of a modern standard. It is built on a simple and direct piano line, and is an anomaly in R.E.M.'s catalogue considering the directness of its lyrics. "Man on the Moon" is another superb, finely-crafted country-pop gem, and the emotional "Nightswimming" features a sublime piano melody.

Elsewhere, Automatic for the People is unfailingly well-crafted. The shimmering "New Orleans Instrumental No. 1" is as languid as its title suggests; "Sweetness Follows" is hypnotic and strangely beautiful; "Monty Got a Raw Deal" displays an attractive folk influence; "Ignoreland" is a hard-rocking precursor to the band's work on follow-up album _Monster_; "Star Me Kitten" is an off-kilter, weirdly pretty but creepy lullaby; and "Find the River" is a suitably sad, wistful closer.

_Automatic for the People_ joins the ranks of R.E.M.'s finest career achievements; it is one of their most important albums and also one of the more important rock records of the 1990s. All the R.E.M. trademarks - insatiable pop melodies, jangly guitar riffs, and Stipe's strange lyrics - converge into a cohesive but quite dark listening experience. It is a timeless record and will stand as possibly R.E.M.'s best album, certainly an example of their strengths as one of rock's premiere rock bands.

-bron31"

"But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new"

25. The Beatles | Rubber Soul (1965)
2522.496 Points | 42 Votes
AM Rank: 31
2017 Rank: 22 (-3)
Under 40: 34
40 and Over: 25
Biggest Fans: bonnielaurel (#4), whuntva, Father2TheMan (#8), Edre Peraza (#11), andyd1010 (#15), Sweepstakes Ron (#18), Brad (#19), Rocky Raccoon (#21), Akhenaten (#22), Harold, Listyguy (#25), hero (#28), carlos74 (#33), Zombeels (#34), VanillaFire1000 (#35), Nick (#36), FrankLotion, Toni (#41), Bruno (#47), Live in Phoenix, Holden (#49), cetamol (#54), LunarPiper (#55), BryanBehar (#60), M24 (#64), nicolas (#68), spiderpig (#71), PlasticRam (#72), Honorio (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: In My Life (#87), Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (#264), Nowhere Man (#811)

"I remember the five mile walk home along the railroad tracks from Media with this album in my hands. We were off from school for the holiday break in December of 1965, I was walking home alone because my friends had wanted me to purchase Paul Revere & The Raiders, but I had my heart set on Rubber Soul ... not only was it an awakening for me as to the shallowness of relations, but it was a total and new awakening as far as the music of The Beatles was concerned, and one of those defining musical corners we all turn.

I had always believed that I'd heard more then the bubble gum that most people heard in the tunes by The Beatles, and this outing was proving me correct. Finally they had given me something I could sink both my teeth and ears into, something with depth and splendor ... something on par with what I was hearing and loving from Bob Dylan and The Byrds. Sure there was rock n’ roll in the character of The Beatles I had come to know, but this was something much more interesting, this felt like The Beatles were actually, for the first time, stepping out and showing themselves to the world, as if everything they had done before had been designed to get them to this point.

There was so much more here then I could have hoped for ... there was rock n’ roll, there was the fledgling beginnings of The Beatles personal take on psychedelic music, there are baroque sounds as on the song “In My Life" there was the first use of the musical instrument know as the sitar, and we all know how this influenced the ‘world music’ scene. Even the lyrics were different, more cognitive, more serious, even dark as on “Nowhere Man,” they stepped into the surreal, playing with sexual content as on “Drive My Car,” and the real emotional complexities of love, romance and indiscriminate affairs.

Yes, this was a brilliant and personal album from the boys, a record the world had not expected, and certainly did not see coming. Rubber Soul was very poorly received at first, marking a sea change was about to take place within the racks of Beatle fans ... there were those who loved the band as they had always been, and there were those of us, who where more socially conscious, who had been longing for this music, and we embraced it to the fullest. While those a bit older than me were drifting away, lost in all of the deep and hidden messages, not knowing what to make of this new vision, those of my age had a new wind at our backs.

-streetmouse"

"You may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
You may ask yourself
Where does that highway go to?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right? Am I wrong?
And you may say yourself
"My God! What have I done?""

24. Talking Heads | Remain in Light (1980)
2535.927 Points | 49 Votes
AM Rank: 34
2017 Rank: 38 (+14)
Under 40: 24
40 and Over: 37
Biggest Fans: styrofoamboots (#1), Michel (#2), Emerald (#4), cetamol (#9), SJner (#14), spiderpig (#23), Holden (#24), Nick (#25), LunarPiper (#31), VanillaFire1000, DaveC (#34), Honorio (#35), Bang Jan (#37), antonius (#39), Cold Butterfly, votingbloc (#50), Rocky Raccoon, jdizzle83 (#57), Jackson (#58), BleuPanda, notbrianeno (#74), FrankLotion (#75), Romain, Bruno (#84), Toni (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Once in a Lifetime (#29), The Great Curve (#673), Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) (#786), Crosseyed and Painless (#1364)

"Sadly, my favourite album of all time didn't really have a gargantuous, amazing backstory to tell in terms of myself getting into it. I really enjoyed Once in a Lifetime, saw it in a shop for £5, bought it, and eventually when walking home from school I decided to put it on. It didn't really do much for me, I thought the first track, Born Under Punches, was very interesting, but after that it just lost me and I was just waiting for Once in a Lifetime to come on.

I honestly can't remember what it was that made me want to give it another shot, how amazed I was when it 'clicked' or anything. I do know for the next 6 months that album was me. I played it every single day. I was allowed to put it on the speakers at my swimming club and even when my hearing was off due to my head being submerged in water half the time, I had to hear it.

This is a case where not only is no track bad, all tracks are excellent. I do have favourites, but it'd be like a father picking his favourite son or daughter. I could talk forever about the album, pick little details that I enjoy out of it, and so on, but it would be too boring to write and read.

How's this to say. Out of the 8 tracks on the album, 4 of them are contenders for my favourite tracks ever. We have here a beast that to me has the sound of the modern world, love, madness, exploring what's out there...the dark...the light....

If I one day done what billions would dream of doing and be able to explore the world as freely as possible, a copy of this album would be in by rucksack the whole way, man. It has and I hope always will give me a sense of going out there, and understanding what's around me. And now that I think about, no other album has done that for me.

So yes, this is my favourite album of all time. I have no idea if listening to it will give off the spark it has for me, but if not, it's still some damn fine music.

-FleegalFlargel"

"Drums beatin' cold, English blood runs hot
Lady of the house wonderin' when it's gonna stop
House boy knows that he's doin' all right
You should have heard him just around midnight"

23. The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers (1971)
2603.168 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 48
2017 Rank: 43 (+20)
Under 40: 32
40 and Over: 26
Biggest Fans: M24 (#5), Honorio (#8), Listyguy, vivian (#9), FrankLotion (#10), Brad (#15), andyd1010 (#20), Jirin (#21), antonius (#22), Krurze (#23), CupOfDreams (#26), BryanBehar (#30), carlos74 (#34), Chris K. (#43), Bruno (#45), Emerald (#46), Fred, Harold (#48), spiderpig (#49), jdizzle83 (#53), SJner (#57), cetamol (#61), styrofoamboots (#64), Rocky Raccoon (#79), nicolas (#82), Nick, Dan (#88), Sweepstakes Ron (#96), whuntva (#97), notbrianeno (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Wild Horses (#257), Brown Sugar (#263), Can't You Hear Me Knocking (#691), Moonlight Mile (#1043), Dead Flowers (#1433)

"I know that I can count the seminal rock and roll albums on two hands, there just aren’t that many. And those that were seminal albums, struck like lightening, shattering everything that came before, and challenged everything that was to follow. These albums were defining moments in history, and the releases were all encompassing ... by which I mean the music, the album art work, the production, the times, everything came together perfectly, and a flaw in any aspect would have made the album less than it was.

Such was the 1971 release by the Rolling Stones’, ‘Sticky Fingers,’ and the culmination of everything the Stones would ever be. If they had stopped right there, the Stones would still be living legends, bands would still be measuring themselves against this momentous body of music, and fans would still be raving about having seen the tour in support of this release. I know, because I was there, I saw the tour, and to this day it still lives on in the back of my head, as something I will never be able to explain ... you had to have been there, period.

‘Brown Sugar’ opens the album and is like nothing ever released on the public before, with its raw sexuality, suggestion of interracial and violent sex, along with the double entendre of brown sugar as cocaine ... not to mention that more then half of the songs were blatantly about drugs or alluded to them in a non-subtle manner. During that year marijuana came in more flavors and tastes then one could imagine, hash even more so, the use of LSD was winding down, being replaced by barbiturates, cocaine, heroin, and speed. All of this was foreshadowed, or perhaps more truly, accelerated by the release of ‘Sticky Fingers’ and the suggestion of the drug lifestyle. I’m not going to pass any judgment here, what an individual chooses to do or not to do is up to them, but this release certainly made the suggestion that this was the way to go.

‘Let It Bleed’ merely hinted at what was to come on ‘Sticky Fingers,’ the actual release was more raw, more sensual, more decadent than anyone could have imagined. The album is arrogant, relentless and aggressive beyond belief. Even the slowed down, bluesy, drug crazed numbers, designed to flow with the nod, like ‘Moonlight Mile’ are as dark and scary as any nightmare could ever be ... or perhaps it would be more fitting for me to say that this album is everything a good nightmare should be.

‘Wild Horses’ was actually recorded and released by Gram Parsons, Flying Buritto Brothers before the Stones release, due to the nature of his close friendship with Keith. It’s not surprising that the choice of Mussel Shoals Studios, would bring such energy to the project, after all Mussel Shoals had been a staple for years at this point in time for producing first rate material. From Graham Parsons, Keith picked up and perfected some of the best country honk, while Mick Taylor showed his true colours by driving the Stones ever deeper into the blues. And I would be remiss if I neglected to mention Ry Cooder’s slide guitar, that has never been equaled. Charlie and Bill played off the new found energy of Mick Jagger, who seemed more interested in this project then he had been in a long time.

There has been much made of ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’ being the Stones’ ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ In all actuality, when one considers the nature of music of the Stones ... ‘Sticky Fingers’ is their ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ The only difference for me, is that I continue to play ‘Sticky Fingers’ for all it’s worth. This is a damn near perfect album, no I change my mind ... THIS IS A PERFECT ROCK N' ROLL ALBUM.

-streetmouse"

"His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floors for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city (yeah)"

22. Stevie Wonder | Innervisions (1973)
2708.501 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 46
2017 Rank: 19 (-3)
Under 40: 31
40 and Over: 23
Biggest Fans: sonofsamiam (#2), Toni (#8), Honorio (#9), Emerald (#10), Bruno (#11), Renan (#13), panam (#14), Henry (#17), Jirin, Listyguy (#18), Fred (#23), profeta (#31), Sweepstakes Ron, jdizzle83 (#34), Rocky Raccoon (#35), cetamol (#38), Schüttelbirne (#39), nicolas (#48), antonius (#52), BleuPanda, CupOfDreams (#59), Dan (#62), hero (#66), Nick (#74), Harold (#75), mileswide (#77), DaveC (#87), Chris K. (#89), Romain (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Living for the City (#112), Higher Ground (#384), Visions (#731), Too High (#1407), Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing (#1723), Golden Lady (#1801)

"Stevie, Stevie, Stevie...I'm gonna start off by saying Songs in the Key of Life is my favorite Stevie Wonder album. Period. In fact it's one of the greatest most uplifting and spiritual albums I've ever heard and I don't think it will ever get old. Now that I've said that I will go on to talk about this fantastic album.

Innervisions is a wonderful album and it contains some of Stevie's best, most recognizable work. From the get, you know this album is going to be fantastic. 'Too High' is such a great opener and you've gotta love those key changes, though they're more emphasized on the fantastic 'Golden Lady'. Also, while I'm talking about individual songs, I will say that 'Living For the City' is one of the greatest songs ever written. Every time it starts I get going and by the end of the dialogue bit I'm usually close to tears. It's such a human song and it is truly perfect from start to finish.

I feel like Innervisions is a great predecessor to Songs..., even though there is an album between the two. Innervisions has that same golden, timeless quality, in the songwriting, in the performance and in the production, but it's shorter and a little bit easier to take in a single setting, as compared to Songs....

There are a lot of sad songs on here, in fact the majority of the album is made up of sad songs, but they're also some of the most beautiful and touching songs ever written. And just so you don't forget who's singing to you, he gives you these fantastic uplifting numbers like 'Higher Ground' and 'Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing' just to remind you that everything is alright and that the world keeps on turning.

Love you Stevie and thank you. This music is a true gift and this is one of the albums I will always turn on when I feel that the whole world has gone wrong.

-HankG"

"And I was standin' on the side of the road
Rain fallin' on my shoes
Heading out for the east coast
Lord knows I've paid some dues
Gettin' through
Tangled up in blue"

21. Bob Dylan | Blood on the Tracks (1975)
2754.205 Points | 50 Votes
AM Rank: 21
2017 Rank: 53 (+32)
Under 40: 20
40 and Over: 21
Biggest Fans: hero (#3), Listyguy (#6), nicolas (#7), DocBrown (#8), Harold, spiderpig, SJner (#12), SL3 (#14), M24, Holden (#25), antonius (#28), Father2TheMan (#31), jdizzle83 (#33), Fred (#37), Live in Phoenix (#40), Jirin (#41), BleuPanda (#42), Jackson, FrankLotion (#53), Nick, BryanBehar, Chris K. (#55), Schüttelbirne (#61), Rocky Raccoon, Rob (#63), Bang Jan (#64), styrofoamboots (#67), Bruno (#71), andyd1010 (#91)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Tangled Up in Blue (#103), Idiot Wind (#859), Shelter from the Storm (#1144)

"After spending six years simply not trying, Dylan came back strong here. Not only is this his first all-around solid album since Nashville Skyline, and the first album he actually worked at since John Wesley Harding (you can’t tell me any effort was honestly put into Nashville Skyline. That record was an absolute toss-off! But a very, very enjoyable one!), this is my favorite Dylan album, period, without any hesitations. Like most great works of art, it was recorded during a time of great personal turmoil. In this case, it was a divorce with his wife, Sarah Lowndes. So this is, in essence, Bob’s breakup album. Every song involves a ruined relationship somehow. That’s part of the reason why so many people love this record, even people who otherwise aren’t big on Dylan. Anyone who’s ever experienced a breakup can relate to what he’s saying here. And it doesn’t even have to be a romantic breakup. If you and a very good friend of yours who you thought you would be close to for the rest of your life had an irreconcilable fallout, you can still feel everything that Dylan communicates on this record: the depression that someone close to you walked out of your life, the anger you feel at them for abandoning you, the terrifying feeling that you’ll never have this friend to run to again, the crushing realization that at least part of what happened was your fault. All of those feelings and more are communicated in this record. Even if the songs were bad (but they are not), this would still be a classic.

Musically speaking, Dylan’s getting back to his roots here, swapping the country and rock stylings he had been experimenting with for a while in favor of folk, mostly with a rhythm section (though Bob plays a few of these songs solo), occasionally with a piano or an organ and just once with an electric guitar. Dylan’s melodies are always at their best when he’s working acoustically, and this record’s no exception to that. Many of these songs are downright beautiful, especially “You’re a Big Girl Now” (which defines the term “wrenching”) and “If You See Her, Say Hello.” But the melodies aren’t the emphasis are. They never are in Dylan songs. The primary focus is on the lyrics, which convey the feelings of lost and spurned love perfectly well, whether it’s the melancholy forbidden love tale “A Simple Twist of Fate,” the cutting paranoia of the classic “Idiot Wind,” one of the top songs of Dylan’s career (all about the vocals! He can’t hit any notes, but he’s got plenty of emotion in what he sings), or the “hate-that-I-love-you” sentiments on the surprisingly warm closer “Buckets of Rain.”

And this is pretty far from one of those archetypical “oh, woe is me” albums. There’s a lot of diversity in emotion here, which is surprising for a breakup album. Whether he intended to or not, he takes on just about every angle to the breakup you can imagine. So “A Simple Twist of Fate” is the relationship slowly falling apart, “You’re a Big Girl Now” is the narrator trying desperately to save it, “Idiot Wind” is the rage and hatred felt just after the fallout, which eventually turns inward; “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” is the hero accepting the event; “If You See Her, Say Hello” is him looking back on the events years later, and “Buckets of Rain” is him thinking the end might be for the best. In fact, the one thing you don’t get is the standard-issue “come back, I still love you” song. That angle had been done to death already, and Bob was smart enough to avoid it and focus on the other angles instead, often adding some fine acoustic guitar playing to the process, as on “Buckets of Rain.”

And Bob’s skills as a storyteller haven’t left him, either. “Tangled Up in Blue” sums up all of the emotions found on this record in six minutes. And as much as I love the lyrics, I love the melody even more. It’s the best of Dylan’s career, and it’s worthy of Paul McCartney or Smokey Robinson or whoever. It’s a rare thing when we speak of Bob Dylan in terms of “amazing melodies,” but that’s exactly what’s found here. “Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts” plays like a nine-minute novella, or perhaps even a short film, portraying the downfall of three greedy, self-motivated characters and the escape of the fourth. For some, that’s the album’s weak spot, but I think it’s pretty strong myself. The closest thing to a weak spot I see here is the electric blues “Meet Me in the Morning,” and I definitely like that song. It’s just that it’s weak compared to “Shelter from the Storm.”

If I’ve ever said another song was my favorite Bob Dylan song, or had my favorite of all Bob Dylan’s lyrics, or anything of the kind, forget it. My choice would be “Shelter from the Storm.” The lyrics are the finest Dylan has ever written – he conjures up haunting imagery (my favorite is “…and the one-eyed undertaker, he blows a futile horn”) and communicates powerful emotions – and the melody, propelled by a simple bass line and a bit of acoustic guitar strumming, is wonderful. But the real reason I love it as much as I do is because its ability to get at my emotional center and slowly, subtly tear it down. The protagonist finds love, loses it, and gets dragged through hell in the process. That’s strong enough as it is, but the last verse just kills me. How he finds enough good in life despite all he’s been through to sing “I’m livin’ in a foreign country, but I’m bound to cross the line. Beauty walks the razor’s edge, someday I’ll make it mine. If I could only turn back the clock to when God and her were born/’Come in,’ she said, ‘I’ll give ya shelter from the storm’” is inconceivable to me, and it’s enough to give me hope when I think things are getting too hard.

I could probably write another five paragraphs on this record and how much I love it. I myself have felt most, if not all, of the feelings Dylan discusses here, and I’m sure everyone reading this review has, too. I have a very strong bond with it, to the point where I feel that it’s my personal Dylan album and nobody else can really understand it, although I know that’s not true. Because a lot of Dylan fans have the same feelings towards this record. It’s the kind that can reach anyone, no matter who they are, even if they don’t think they like Bob Dylan. After all, this isn’t just any Bob Dylan album. It’s required listening for Dylan fans, folk fans, people who like a good lyric, people who like a good melody, people with a broken heart, people recovering from a broken heart, people bracing themselves for a broken heart, and, well… everyone.

-finulanu"

[Holden]

Three major shocking, and welcome to me at least, increases, those being Blood on the Tracks, Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones new top album!) and Remain in Light!

[Listyguy]

Blood on the Tracks placement this time isn't really shocking, it's the 2017 placement that was. It ranked 24 and 20 in 2014 and 2011 respectively. But it's resurgence is certainly welcomed.

[spiderpig]

Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones new top album!)

Hey! No spoilers! Now I know that "Dirty Work" is not going to make it to the TOP 20!

[panam]

Kind of crazy, but everyone of 62-70 is a riser! Hope SOTT going up by five is some consolation, Moonbeam.

It's a nice surprise given the others, but I would trade it in a heartbeat for a bump for 1999!

I don't want to complain anymore --- I am loving the poll and your rollout is absolutely fantastic! Lots to love about this list. Once the rollout is complete, I'm going to do a comparison with the RYM top 500 and the RS top 500 to see how the forum is positioned relative to the others.

Interesting, especially because since today RYM is working with a new weighting formula and there were lots of changes in the Top 500. Also it's be cool to consider the AM list (although is gonna change very soon)

[Holden]

"I'll laugh until my head comes off
Women and children first
And children first
And children"

20. Radiohead | Kid A (2000)
2817.346 Points | 49 Votes
AM Rank: 38
2017 Rank: 13 (-7)
Under 40: 12
40 and Over: 33
Biggest Fans: spiritualized (#1), Chris K. (#2), Edre Peraza (#4), spiderpig (#6), jdizzle83 (#8), Nick (#11), LunarPiper (#17), panam (#18), BleuPanda, rumpdoll (#19), Bang Jan (#26), Gillingham (#27), Jackson (#32), andyd1010 (#33), cetamol (#39), Honorio (#40), Harold (#41), PlasticRam (#42), CupOfDreams (#45), Listyguy (#49), DaveC (#53), FrankLotion (#55), whuntva, Schüttelbirne (#68), acroamor (#78), SJner (#80), Holden (#82), luvulongTIM (#85), Live in Phoenix (#86), Arsalan (#90)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Idioteque (#182), How to Disappear Completely (#215), The National Anthem (#527), Everything in Its Right Place (#655), Motion Picture Soundtrack (#1288)

"Now and then in rock music, the ideas of modernism and the avant garde will crash headlong in to pop music in an album by a major artist, reverberating through the musical community and stirring up both excitement and controversy. Kid A is one of those albums. A plunge in to experimental music driven by minimal electronics, strange sounds, and unusual song structures. Today, experimental ideas have blossomed in the hands of a limitless variety of indie artists (and continue to flourish in the worlds of jazz and contemporary classical music as well). Despite this, Kid A still manages to sound cutting-edge, unsettling, and a little shocking, and continues to stand in a league of its own.

Whereas OK Computer was spacious and mostly about the interaction of human emotions with the modern world, Kid A is restrained, often paranoid-sounding, often constricted to songs driven by minimal electronic sounds, and feels more like an exploration of depression and alienation in their essence, outside of a social context (though there is also something eerily post-apocalyptic about the album, perhaps aided by the bleak landscape on its cover). Like life, it is full of mystery, strangeness, and unexpected beauty even in the darkest of moments. Highlights include the two creepy and unsettling opening tracks, the gorgeous and heartbreaking 'How to Disappear Completely,' the twitchy 'Idioteque' and the elegant 'Morning Bell.' However the whole album flows together like a suite and is more powerful taken in as a whole.

For those accustomed to the guitar-driven sound of earlier albums: give this one a chance. At first you'll be shocked and bewildered and likely will burst out laughing occasionally, especially if you aren't used to listening to music "from the other side of the fence." Give it a chance though. Do yourself a favor and keep listening. You might just find yourself eventually captivated emotionally and intellectually by what was once completely alien and indecipherable. This feeling of new discovery is one of the most exciting experiences offered by music, and it can open up bizarre and wonderful new worlds.

-TheWalkingEars"

"How can you just leave me standing
Alone in a world that's so cold?
Maybe I'm just too demanding
Maybe I'm just like my father: too bold
Maybe you're just like my mother
She's never satisfied"

19. Prince and The Revolution | Purple Rain (1984)
2843.248 Points | 47 Votes
AM Rank: 49
2017 Rank: 16 (-3)
Under 40: 21
40 and Over: 19
Biggest Fans: LunarPiper (#3), FrankLotion (#4), Rocky Raccoon (#6), prosecutorgodot, Akhenaten (#10), Jirin (#11), sonofsamiam, jdizzle83 (#12), Romain (#14), Live in Phoenix (#15), Emerald (#18), Bruno (#21), profeta (#22), notbrianeno (#23), VanillaFire1000 (#25), Nick, carlos74 (#32), Moonbeam (#34), Chris K., Honorio (#36), whuntva (#40), M24 (#41), Sweepstakes Ron (#43), Schüttelbirne (#46), Harold (#47), hero (#55), nicolas (#71), cetamol (#74), BleuPanda (#78), spiderpig (#81), BryanBehar (#84), Toni (#89), Bang Jan (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: When Doves Crazy (#13), Purple Rain (#34), Let's Go Crazy (#419), I Would Die 4 U (#1047), The Beautiful Ones (#1485), Darling Nikki (#1742)

"Having asserted himself as a force to be reckoned with throughout 1982 and 1983 with 1999 and its subsequent tour, Prince was poised to assume, well, pop royalty. Never short on ambition, Prince planned to unleash his talent through a multimedia blitzkrieg. Not only was a major motion picture in the works, but Prince was busy composing the soundtrack as well as entire albums for featured proteges The Time and Apollonia 6 (not to mention Sheila E.). Busy guy.

The film would go on to astronomical success, buoyed principally by the music itself. As a soundtrack, Purple Rain envelops the themes of the movie nicely and roughly follows the chronology of the plot. However, the album itself greatly transcends mere serviceable soundtrack status. Each of the nine songs contained within would become unmitigated anthems, the shadow of which Prince could never quite escape.

"Let's Go Crazy" opens the set. Beginning with a drawn out pseudo-sermon backed by an organ, Prince then launches into a crunching rocker that reigns as his most energetic song ever. A motivational call to arms, the lyrics actually portend the end times and urge the listener to seek spiritual treasures. The energy builds until it bleeds into an absolutely blistering guitar solo to end all guitar solos.

After such a high, Prince wisely tones it down to preserve its impact. Next is the simply sweet "Take Me with U" which features Apollonia, Prince's love interest in the movie. A straightforward love song, it nonetheless showcases the psychedelic influences of the Revolution and offers a glimpse into where their music would lead.

Inevitably, Prince's paranoia gets the best of him. Prince unveils his doubts about his lover's commitment in "The Beautiful Ones". The song opens as a plaintive piano-driven ballad while Prince coos his concern as he vies for her attention with another suitor. As his desperation grows, Prince's pleas become more and more animated. The tension mounts with angry guitars dueling with increasingly dramatic vocal shrieks, commanding your attention as well as that of anyone in the vicinity!

Prince's quest for mainstream conquest entailed "whitening" his music to a degree, but the funk creeps through on the next track, "Computer Blue". Served up cold in the studio, the song sees Prince at the peak of his powers. Nearly atonal guitar chirps and flange usher the listener into Prince's paranoia. After some minimal lyrics comes an angry guitar solo. The song then stops and fades into a deep instrumental funk. Eventually, the guitar leads the audience back to a shrill scream that segues into the next track, "Darling Nikki". Infamous for its masturbation references, "Darling Nikki" is little more than a sarcastic teenage diatribe as Prince vents his frustration. In its own perverse way, the song is kind of sweet, revealing Prince's vulnerability. The song would go on to enrage Tipper Gore and friends, the end result of which was a silly legal war waged on music that resulted in parental advisories.

As great as the first side is, nothing could prepare the listener for the melee to follow. A feisty guitar solo brings us back to the minimal synth-funk epic "When Doves Cry," the likes of which have never been seen before or since. Eliminating the bass altogether, the melody is so memorable that the song still sounds lush with the mere accompaniment of a synthesizer and a drum machine. Prince regains his maturity lyrically, coming to the realization that his struggles and anger are a result of his upbringing. This epiphany results in a series of mournful cries as a guitar solo lets off some steam. The song would set the world ablaze commercially while also completely shattering convention- quite the feat.

The last three songs serve as an uplifting turn of events. "I Would Die 4 U" sees Prince draw the analogy that the depth of his love parallels the love that Jesus has for humanity. Sacrilegious? Perhaps. Presumptuous? Definitely. Does he live up to it? Certainly. Next up is "Baby I'm a Star", a simple display of showmanship. With his confidence brimming, Prince shows off his craft with great energy and conviction.

The album closes with an anthem to end all anthems, "Purple Rain". Elegiac in its beauty, the song stretches its mournfulness into an epic 8 minutes plus as Prince both assumes responsibility for his misdoings and offers guidance to bask in the gifts of God. Monstrous in its grasp, the title track closes an album of stunning highs.

Although not as unified as previous albums such as Dirty Mind, Controversy and 1999, Purple Rain benefits from its diversity. Moreover, the decision to exclude tracks by his proteges was a wise one that would have greatly benefited the cluttered Graffiti Bridge. With Purple Rain, Prince garnered his legendary status through both his music and the film itself- an unprecedented feat.

-Moonbeam"

"See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, "Jeez, I can't find my knees"
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel"

18. Bob Dylan | Blonde on Blonde (1966)
2851.658 Points | 49 Votes
AM Rank: 10
2017 Rank: 24 (+7)
Under 40: 25
40 and Over: 12
Biggest Fans: Rocky Raccoon (#2), Honorio, SJner (#3), Jirin (#4), Holden (#6), Live in Phoenix, jdizzle83 (#7), hero (#12), Dan (#13), Fred, carlos74 (#15), antonius (#18), Bruno (#20), M24 (#21), DocBrown (#26), Schüttelbirne (#27), PlasticRam (#29), Nick (#30), Brad (#31), Harold (#43), Chris K., cetamol (#45), Rob (#53), Cold Butterfly, acroamor (#58), spiderpig (#66), DaveC (#72), schaefer.tk (#75), FrankLotion (#80), BryanBehar (#81), Jackson (#89)
AMF Favorite Tracks: I Want You (#875), Visions of Johanna (#1021), Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (#1198), Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (#1926)

"When I think of a Dylan album this is the one that always leaps to mind, this album is a treasure and a “must” to be owned on vinyl. I remember the exact day I bought this puppy, I remember getting it home, laying across my bed and studying each and every picture ... I learned how to hold a cigarette in my mouth from this album, how to smile, how not to smile, what cool guys were supposed to look and dress like, and how their women were so special that they just had to include the most beautiful images of them as part of the production.

Owning a record is totally different than owning a CD. Records had weight to them, records had a palatable smell to them, records seemed somehow to be actually connected in a physical manner with the artists. CD’s are like magic, there is nothing really there, as opposed to an album, where you slide your hand into the sleeve, forefinger on the hole, thumb on the edge of the record, and then you draw it out ... and what do you see [?], you see the actual music. There before me laid the tracks, one long groove spiraling inward. I could tell the long songs from the short ones at a glance, not needing to rely on the liner times of compact discs, where the sensation of seeing a whole entire side of a disc filled as one song was breath taking.

I knew where I stood with records, records were almost alive, they responded ... that first pop as the stylus connected with the groove, the fact that records required actual care, that records had a life expectancy, and I nourished them like they were my children.

Blonde On Blonde was special because within a few short years it changed. First, it followed Dylan’s life, when he and Sara broke up, he insisted that her picture be removed, and then all of the pictures were removed and simply placed as snapshots on the gated sleeve ... this record was alive, morphing and ever changing. Blonde On Blonde is not supposed to sound clean, mild surface noise and the warmth of analog production is an absolute necessity to hearing it ... like Dylan’s reference to the "steam pipes coughing." There's a world of sound going on all around us, these sounds make up the background to our existence, and without them, in our central air conditioned homes, silenced from the world by triple thick windows, the music sounds all too clear.

So when I need to play this living piece of wax, which is more often than I like to think, chances are I’ll reach for the vinyl, caress the jacket, feel the texture of the worn cardboard, and relish in the smells and the memories they bring back, bite my lip as the stylus pops into the groove, and float away to the tunes ... surface noise and all.

-streetmouse"

"I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on"

17. The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1968)
2926.988 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 5
2017 Rank: 7 (-10)
Under 40: 26
40 and Over: 8
Biggest Fans: Rocky Raccoon (#1), Bruno, Father2TheMan (#3), Nick, spiderpig (#5), PlasticRam, whuntva (#6), Sweepstakes Ron (#7), carlos74, FrankLotion (#8), Live in Phoenix (#12), VanillaFire1000 (#14), Fred, Akhenaten (#16), M24 (#19), bonnielaurel (#23), Michel (#30), Listyguy (#50), luvulongTIM (#51), acroamor (#53), andyd1010 (#56), Romain (#57), LunarPiper (#58), DocBrown (#62), Harold (#65), jdizzle83 (#68), antonius (#74), SJner (#86), cetamol (#91), schaefer.tk (#96), hero (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: A Day in the Life (#7), With a Little Help from My Friends (#1838)

"From the opening track, Sgt. Pepper broke new ground with the idea of beginning an album with an introduction. The Beatles certainly took the idea of a concept album to new ground with this musical preface explaining who these fictional characters are and why they will be performing for you. Likewise, closing the album (technically) with a reprise not only effectively gave the album a great sense of coming full circle, but it paved the way for virtually every concept album that came after it (everything from Tommy to The Wall to American Idiot).

As for the rest of the music, it continued where Revolver left off, solidifying the Beatles as the leaders of the psychedelic movement. Tracks like “Lucy in the Sky…,” “Being for the Benefit…,” and “Within You, Without You” (Harrison’s only cut, which he had to fight for) progress the colorful, drug induced psychedelic production further than it had ever been. Meanwhile, pieces like “She’s Leaving Home,” When I’m Sixty Four,” and “Good Morning, Good Morning” implement classical instruments (courtesy of producer George Martin) that broke barriers for what a “pop” song could do. Every song on Sgt. Pepper, from the playful to the poignant, revolutionized music and the final track is nothing short of a masterpiece

Often viewed as the greatest collaboration between Lennon and McCartney, “A Day in the Life” may be the band’s best track. The song was sequenced as an epilogue (the album itself technically ended with the “Sgt. Pepper” reprise), and the way it segues with an acoustic guitar still sends chills down our spines forty years later. It’s a great example of how Lennon could make wonderful art without much effort; like “Being for the Benefit…,” the lyrics are entirely based on advertisements and articles he saw. It’s really nothing more than that. Lennon’s portion bookends while McCartney takes the middle section. As usual, it counters Lennon’s pessimism with an optimistic romp before brilliantly going back to the beginning. Perhaps most astonishing is how George Martin segues these two sections; he has several instruments slow build from their lowest note to their highest, creating a sound both chaotic and beautiful.

Even after “A Day in the Life” ends, the album still isn’t over because the Beatles innovate once again by implementing a short loop in the groove of the album designed to jolt listeners as they get up to change the record. After several seconds of silence, a high pitched frequency is emitted before an eerie sound collage is heard. After forty years, and while knowing it’s coming, it’s still creepy. Even though it’s not really a hidden track, this is the first time that a band purposely hid sounds on an album, forcing you to wait through silence to hear it.

-Progfan77"

"And if a double-decker bus crashes into us
To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die
And if a ten-tonne truck kills the both of us
To die by your side, well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine"

16. The Smiths | The Queen Is Dead (1986)
3033.801 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 22
2017 Rank: 21 (+5)
Under 40: 16
40 and Over: 15
Biggest Fans: DaveC (#5), Chris K., mileswide, carlos74 (#6), Honorio, Emerald (#7), BleuPanda, PlasticRam (#8), SL3 (#21), Michel, spiderpig (#22), styrofoamboots, Listyguy (#24), Live in Phoenix (#26), Nick (#27), M24, cetamol (#30), BryanBehar, CupOfDreams (#44), Toni (#47), Dan (#49), Sweepstakes Ron (#52), Arsalan (#53), Bang Jan, SJner (#62), Bruno (#68), hero (#81), Moonbeam (#85), Harold (#91), whuntva (#93), luvulongTIM (#97), Wezzo (#99)
AMF Favorite Tracks: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (#22), The Boy with the Thorn in His Side (#758), Bigmouth Strikes Again (#913), I Know It's Over (#1024), Cemetry Gates (#1762)

"Everytime you hear something by The Smiths, you are just lost for words. You just don't know what to say about how good their work really is, you just can't explain what makes them so original. Out of their albums, this could be the one that really nails their style, and hence leaves you the most speechless. Could it be the intellect of the melodic lyrics of Morrissey, that surprise you with every single song? Could it be the brilliant Johnny Marr, who gives a whole new meaning to rhythm guitar? Could it be andy rourke's incredible mo-town bass? Or Mike Joyce's rock boogie simple engine-like drumming style? It's such an original ensemble and such a winning formula that with every song, you hear what makes them so special, but you just cannot describe it.

"The Queen is Dead" is one of the best albums ever made, that must be said. From the beginning, with "The Queen is Dead" it strikes a chord inside you that was never touched before. By the time it ends with "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" which is just so melodic and like nothing you can hear from any other band, you will want to start again all over. The album does have two tracks that were made to be in the charts, and they are both great sounding. "The Boy With a Thorn in His Side" has lyrics that cand be left to open interpretation as far as their meaning is concerned, while Johnny Marr's guitar work can't; it's just plain brilliant. Then, the touching "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" that is touching, and the words are so strong and so meaningful and they establish such a bond between the listener and the band that you would want to write any line of the song on the walls of your town, whether the James Dean inspired bad boy mysterious "I never ever want to go home because I haven't got one anymore" or of course the title itself, that speaks books about love and about romanticism of the young mind.

Then there is "Bigmouth Strikes Again" that exhibits one of Morrissey most known and loves skills: yodling. "Bigmouth lalala..." is something poetic. And how about the clever lyrics of "Cemetery Gates", that talk of Oscar Wilde and Yeats and we nod along to the beat while wondering why he should win because Wilde is on his side? Is it because Oscar Wilde represents the snobbich attitude of the anglo-saxon world and the other two represent the leftist views of a revolutionary work? Who the hell knows? Perhaps it's just a chance for us to have big discussions, or perhps it's just a way Morrissey has of telling us that the lyrics of "Tarzan Boy" were really shit. We must always remember upon hearing The Smiths, that they came out in the 80's, a great musical era for guilty pleasure, but one that surely destroyed something that had been created in the eras beforehand. I mean, we got some commercial junk around that time, one hit wonders and Meat Loaf's mystic romanticism, with all his cheesy videos. The Smiths were something between brackets, and that is why they are so admired today.

-SilverScreen89"

"Got me a movie, I want you to know
Slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know
Girlie so groovy, I want you to know
Don't know about you"

15. Pixies | Doolittle (1989)
3041.975 Points | 49 Votes
AM Rank: 47
2017 Rank: 20 (+5)
Under 40: 17
40 and Over: 13
Biggest Fans: CupOfDreams (#1), spiderpig (#2), Emerald (#3), BleuPanda, Michel (#4), Holden (#8), Fred, Jackson, SJner (#9), DaveC, Brad (#12), styrofoamboots, Listyguy (#17), cetamol (#25), Arsalan, Honorio (#26), LunarPiper (#28), VanillaFire1000 (#32), acroamor (#33), Nick, BryanBehar (#34), rumpdoll (#36), hero (#49), luvulongTIM, carlos74 (#50), Jirin (#52), Harold (#58), spiritualized (#62), Bang Jan (#69), Sweepstakes Ron (#81), FrankLotion (#88), Bruno (#89)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Debaser (#74), Monkey Gone to Heaven (#219), Here Comes Your Man (#398), Hey (#847), Wave of Mutilation (#1224), Gouge Away (#1474)

"I don't think there's anyone who'd disagree with the notion that The Pixies are the most influential Alternative Rock band ever, and Doolittle is probably the most influential album of the genre. It seems as if every Alternative Rock band at one time or another has stolen something or (to put it nicely) borrowed something from The Pixies. So many albums I've heard all have Pixies' fingerprints all over them, their influence stretches so wide and I believe they'll continue to be influential in the future because they're a band with a timeless quality to their music, and they made two absolute classic albums that deserve all the hype, acclaim and adoration they get.

The first song on the album is 'Debaser', and I think it embodies the Pixies and it's a perfect benchmark for the rest of the album, it sets the standard and displays the incredibly abrasive yet catchy songwriting, the energy, the intensity of the album perfectly. Two Pixies songs stand out in particular as songs that everyone has borrowed from at one time or another, the first is 'Where Is My Mind' from Surfer Rosa and the second is Debaser. They're definitely the two best Pixies songs and it feels like every Alternative Rock band has used things from those two songs, whether it be the quiet/loud dynamics, the chord progressions, it doesn't matter. They're so influential, but nothing has been made that has ever been as good as them and you can see why people would want to try to re-create wht the Pixies did. Hell, even Kurt Cobain admitted that he basically ripped off the Pixies.

'Debaser' is definitely my favourite song from the album, it has interesting but ultimately nonsensical lyrics, brilliant chord structures, Kim Deal's fantastic backing vocals, it's goofy, it's fun and it's weird and it really sets the standard for the rest of the album. Sometimes when your favourite song is the first song on the album, the rest can feel like a bit of a disappointment but I can't really pick a flaw with Doolittle. Every single song is a stone cold classic, if I'm being a little critical and mean, I'd say that 'Silver' is the only real bit of filler but I feel like even that is pretty great. 'Here Comes Your Man', 'Monkey Gone to Heaven' and 'Hey' are the other stand out tracks. They're some of the greatest songs of all time.

Some of the lyrical themes Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (better know as Francis Black) explores are extremely dark and sinister, even though on the surface they have a real sense of fun. The best thing about them is the music is so catchy and the hooks so memorable, there's a nice juxtaposition and contrast to them. The Pixies' dynamic really does transcend the quiet-loud dynamic, everyone has tried to copy that distinctive and almost trademark quiet-loud thing the Pixies had going on but they never seem to come close, they nail the dynamics absolutely perfectly. I'm still not sure what exactly sets them apart from bands that have tried hard to replicate them, is it the simply but melodic basslines? I don't know, but whatever it is, it keeps me coming back for more.

I have no idea how anyone could ever dislike The Pixies, and the best thing is - I don't think I've ever met anyone who's disliked them. The songwriting here is some of the best songwriting you'll ever hope to hear and even though Indie Rock is my favourite genre I've found with a lot of it, it can be very pleasant and nice but it can be very middle of the road and a little generic and it can just plod along without any purpose. With Doolittle (and Surfer Rosa) you know it's the Pixies, they're so distinctive, quirky, idiosyncratic and most of all - fun. I prefer Doolittle to most albums because it finds the right balance between weirdness, abrasiveness and perfect Pop sensibilities. Listening to Black Francis screaming his lungs out never ever gets old. Him screaming his guts up juxtaposed with Kim, who for me, has the voice of an angel is just the best thing you could ever hope to hear. It really is timeless, I always think I'm going to grow a little tired of it at some point, but if anything I love it now more than I've ever loved it.

-TheCunningStunt"

"Money, it's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four-star daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team"

14. Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
3085.155 Points | 50 Votes
AM Rank: 19
2017 Rank: 8 (-6)
Under 40: 15
40 and Over: 11
Biggest Fans: Akhenaten, DaveC (#1), whuntva (#2), Henry (#4), Rob (#5), styrofoamboots, Bruno, andyd1010 (#6), acroamor (#9), carlos74 (#11), jdizzle83 (#20), Nick, nicolas (#21), LunarPiper (#23), bonnielaurel (#25), Rocky Raccoon (#27), Edre Peraza, Arsalan, antonius (#35), cetamol (#36), profeta (#40), Chris K. (#42), Gillingham, SJner (#45), Michel (#46), FrankLotion (#49), Fred (#50), DocBrown (#53), Brad (#64), spiderpig (#68), M24 (#73), prosecutorgodot (#76), Listyguy (#82), Schüttelbirne (#83), Father2TheMan (#87), Romain (#91), VanillaFire1000 (#97)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Time (#193), Money (#494), The Great Gig in the Sky (#495), Us and Them (#736), Brain Damage (#1173)

"Flawless sound, imaginative arrangements and production, and classy songwriting all add up to a classic record. After a few years in a relative wilderness following the departure of founding member Syd Barrett in 1968, struggling to find their niche over the course of a full-length LP, Pink Floyd found their feet and then some on 1973's Dark Side of the Moon, which at the time was a fashionable concept album. These days, it's a less-fashionable concept album (the very word conjures up visions of some overblown prog-rock nightmare), but almost four decades on remains a high point in the band's creativity.

It was the epic "Echoes" on 1971's Meddle that finally clicked things into place for Pink Floyd, and their soundtrack work on Obscured By Clouds was the perfect lubrication for tackling a concept record such as this. Much is made of David Gilmour and Roger Waters, but the unsung hero here is Richard Wright, whose keyboard and synth work defines the sound along with Gilmour's beautiful guitar work and the crystalline vocal harmonies.

It's a surprisingly diverse record, with classic soft rock songs like the summery "Breathe" and the wonderfully jazzy and inventive "Money" nestling alongside squiggling synth experiments ("On the Run"), hazy epics ("Us and Them"), and songs of gospel, orgasmic intensity ("The Great Gig In The Sky.") The latter particularly is a shining light on Dark Side of the Moon, with Wright's evocative piano lines providing the perfect jumping-off point for session vocalist Clare Torry's soaring, improvised vocals. The effect is riveting, primal, sexual. And the pace doesn't let up either. While the other songs don't aim for the same white-hot intensity, the production and arrangements are incredibly sophisticated and tight across the board.

Cohesive, melodic, and aurally interesting, Dark Side of the Moon has earned its status as one of rock's premier recordings. It's hugely influential but more than that it's often hugely entertaining. It's one prog rock concept album that is thoroughly listenable and accessible and can be enjoyed by all - certainly not one to be intimidated by or to send you running to the hills. Attractive and inventive, it started a run of classic Floyd records over the next six or seven years as they really hit their stride and entered their purple patch. You also don't need to really take note of the "concept" to enjoy the music; as music taken at face value, it works just fine. A great achievement.

-bron31"

"Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
`Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider"

13. Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run (1975)
3099.178 Points | 50 Votes
AM Rank: 17
2017 Rank: 14 (+1)
Under 40: 9
40 and Over: 22
Biggest Fans: votingbloc, Wezzo (#1), nicolas (#2), VanillaFire1000, jdizzle83, andyd1010 (#3), M24, Holden (#4), BleuPanda (#5), DocBrown (#6), Listyguy (#16), Honorio (#17), Bruno (#19), Nick (#24), Harold (#27), notbrianeno (#29), FrankLotion (#35), Sweepstakes Ron, spiderpig, SJner (#37), Brad, Rob (#39), Live in Phoenix (#50), Rocky Raccoon (#52), Fred (#54), Toni (#58), bonnielaurel, Dan (#75), Father2TheMan (#79), antonius (#80), Emerald (#97), PlasticRam (#98), SL3 (#100)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Born to Run (#5), Thunder Road (#52), Jungleland (#447), Backstreets (#832), Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (#1807)

"I feel this funny disgust with myself at how much I love Born to Run; there's something about it that seems to run almost ethically contrary to who I consider myself. Bruce Springsteen is in so many ways the patron saint of all boomers, a native son of the good old USA who built a career making AOR about living in the rust belt, driving cars, and not being beholden to anyone or anything. There is this disgusting, pre-Reagan idealism in Born to Run, a willful ignorance of the Hell that America was willing to subject Latin America and Southeast Asia to through the second half of the 20th century, and a blindness to the impending stateside chaos just around the corner, when the seeds sewn by years of taking post-war comfort for granted would finally come to harvest. And yet, I love Born to Run. I love Springsteen. So much of his music is so dumb and typical of everything I hate about the boomer generation, but somehow still seems vital, seems to speak to something beyond the trivialities of being 18 and driving your car through the heartland. He leans on these quintessentially American metaphors to express something bigger. I fucking love this album, in spite of it all.

Actually, let's take a step back. I may have mischaracterised Born to Run just now by painting it as broadly idealistic and ignorant. There's a lot of that here, especially as the title track is probably the most idealistic song one could possibly imagine, but there's a palpable darkness under the surface. You hear it most vividly on "Meeting Across the River", but to an extent in all the songs, which are these complicated, dense vignettes that are willing to show the gaps between the American dream and hard reality. Does it go far enough? No, absolutely not - and music like Springsteen's necessitated the invention of punk rock and hip hop. But the willingness to show this contrast between light and dark is not only admirable in itself, but enriches each and gives the record emotional force. "Born to Run" would still be an incredible song, but it would lack the emotional impact it has without a line like "the highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive". "Thunder Road" would still be a glorious opener, but it wouldn't stop your breath without "it's a town full of losers, babe, I'm blowing out of here to win".

That doesn't change that Born to Run is an album of happy endings: its key takeaway seems to be that the American Dream is For Real™. If you want to hear Bruce do tragedy, you have Nebraska, but the tragedy on Born to Run only serves to enhance the ecstasy of its happy endings. And yet, I love it, in spite of it all. Springsteen's music is really about America in the abstract, not in any literal sense. When he speaks in these broad strokes about eternal youth, about highways, and high school sweethearts, the connotation is one of the American dream, but it's really about liberation, a wild swing at achieving one's dreams, in any context, in any country, in any time. The imagery of middle America and one's first car is an easy metaphor to lean upon, but Born to Run is actually about the human spirit and the necessity of believing in a better life off the next exit.

It's easy for me to smirk at this sort of idealism, because hindsight is 20/20, and the analogies that Springsteen chose to lean upon seem pretty quaint when we saw how America turned out and how the kids who were spinning Born to Run on their turntables managed to fuck this country up beyond all repair. But I would have to be pretty far gone to actually smirk at a belief in the human spirit, of escape, or of a better life around the corner, as soon as you make it out of This Town, USA, or get X sum of money. That hope is what keeps all of us going, and there are no pop records that express it better that Born to Run. It's beautiful. It's one of my favourite albums ever.

-Greenmountain"

"There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west
And my spirit is crying for leaving
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees
And the voices of those who standing looking"

12. Led Zepplin | Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
3161.629 Points | 52 Votes
AM Rank: 28
2017 Rank: 17 (+5)
Under 40: 10
40 and Over: 16
Biggest Fans: Listyguy (#1), whuntva (#5), acroamor (#7), Bruno (#8), Rocky Raccoon (#10), nicolas, jdizzle83 (#11), Jirin, FrankLotion (#12), profeta (#13), Harold (#14), votingbloc, Emerald (#19), hero (#21), Edre Peraza, Nick (#22), andyd1010 (#25), Rob (#26), M24 (#27), Arsalan (#28), Henry (#29), DaveC (#32), carlos74 (#35), Brad (#36), Live in Phoenix (#42), Honorio (#47), cetamol (#52), prosecutorgodot (#53), Fred (#57), Schüttelbirne (#66), spiderpig (#70), panam, Father2TheMan (#73), Sweepstakes Ron (#83), styrofoamboots (#85), Chris K. (#87)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Stairway to Heaven (#3), When the Levee Breaks (#268), Rock and Roll (#597), Black Dog (#611), Going to California (#1258), The Battle of Evermore (#1657)

"Led Zeppelin IV is the kind of musical and cultural behemoth where the "fucking" is silent. Which is to say: this is Led Fucking Zeppelin IV, with Robert fucking Plant, Jimmy fucking Page, John Paul fucking Jones, and John fucking Bonham. This is the album with "Black Fucking Dog", "Rock and Fucking Roll", "When the Fucking Levee Breaks", and, of course, "Stairway to Fucking Heaven". It's an album so elemental that to talk about it feels like teaching a geology course by gesturing at the Grand Canyon and going "see? See?"

IV is my favorite Led Zeppelin album, which surprises me. I thought I'd favor Houses of the Holy over this one--after all, that album has my favorite Led Zeppelin song ("Over the Hills and Far Away"), and mystical-pastoral Zep has always been my favorite kind of Zep. There's plenty of that on IV, of course (IV has the album cover you'd expect III to have), but a song can only retain so much mysticism after you hear it for the 700th time on the "Get the Led Out!" rock block.

And yet IV is my favorite anyway, because it strikes the right balance. It marries the earthy slabs of blues rock from the first two albums with the weed-scented flights of fantasy that came with III and Houses. It manages to feel epic and ambitious while still being a rather compact listen. And, most importantly, it all feels like a living, breathing whole: the lighter songs still have a certain weight to them ("The Battle of Evermore" is a war song in its own Tolkien-y way, and "Going to California" groans from the weight of its beautiful broken heart), and the heavier songs still have a touch of fairy dust.

That last part might be why I like this album so much. IV, of course, rocks the fuck out (it's right there in the second song!), but it never feels lumbering or cliched. The lyrics of "Black Dog" read like embarrassing, misogynistic blues rock ("I don't know, but I been told/A big legged woman ain't got no soul"), but Plant sings every line like he's standing on a cliff at the edge of the Earth, and Page's guitar is so monolithic that it emphasizes how insignificant Plant's piddly-ass girl problems are. "Rock and Roll" is, well, rock and roll, but it's rock and roll with its hair on fire: everything from Plant's hysterical vocals to Bonham's rockslide drumming is pushed so far into the red that it's almost comical when you hear Jerry Lee Lewis-esque piano pounding towards the end of the song. It's like an exhausted session musician in the 50s trying to get the band back on track after they freaked out and stormed Valhalla.

"When the Levee Breaks" is the best song here, and my second favorite Zep song. There are the drums, of course, which have been played and replayed and imitated and sampled a million times over, but there's also the swirl of the guitar and the harmonica, the way Plant gets his mad-prophet on, the sense that you can taste the apocalypse in the air. It's undeniably blues rock, but there's an uncanniness to it: when Plant sings that he's going to Chicago, it almost doesn't sound like a real place. It's witchy, potent, elemental stuff.

And, of course, there's "Stairway to Heaven". You've heard it.

-Cosmiagramma"

"I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps"

11. The Beatles | The Beatles [White Album] (1968)
3181.014 Points | 48 Votes
AM Rank: 13
2017 Rank: 9 (-2)
Under 40: 22
40 and Over: 4
Biggest Fans: Honorio (#2), Akhenaten, Toni (#3), Fred, Brad, Rocky Raccoon, nicolas, Zombeels (#5), Nick (#6), Romain (#8), Chris K., jdizzle83, CupOfDreams (#10), M24 (#11), FrankLotion (#14), PlasticRam, hero (#16), Harold (#17), acroamor (#18), Bang Jan (#19), SJner (#23), carlos74 (#24), sonofsamiam (#27), Michel (#31), cetamol (#32), Bruno (#43), luvulongTIM (#46), spiderpig (#47), LunarPiper (#48), antonius (#49), Arsalan (#59), whuntva (#61), Schüttelbirne (#62), Live in Phoenix (#64), andyd1010 (#81), Dan (#86)
AMF Favorite Tracks: While My Guitar Gently Weeps (#83), Revolution 1 (#562), Helter Skelter (#639), Happiness Is a Warm Gun (#680), Blackbird (#862), Dear Prudence (#959)

"The Beatles were the band that got me into music, much like many people. When I was a kid, I was surrounded by commercial boy bands and pop punk and just assumed I wasn't into music as much as everyone else. Then I discovered The Beatles, played the ever-loving hell out of them, and eventually moved on to new things that would excite me in the same way.

Naturally, nothing could compare to the magnitude of the band that first got you into music. It's the journey of finding the closest thing that compares that makes listening to new music so much fun. Always searching for that next artist or album that will take your music taste in a new direction and change your life for the better.

The Beatles have many great albums, so why do I choose their self-titled album for my favorite? For a simple reason: just look at the title of the album. This is The Beatles. Everything The Beatles are and were is encapsulated in this double album. Their entire career from R&B influenced youths, to folkist Dylan-worshippers, to pioneers of psychedelia and beyond. Pieces of all of those stages are on this album, making this the only album to be a complete portrait of who The Beatles were. That's not to undermine their other fantastic albums, but this is as closest to a portrait of The Beatles as any of their studio albums.

Many complain that due to the album's length, the quality of each individual song suffers. I have to disagree. There are so many songs I enjoy on this album that I wouldn't have it any other way. Despite how many times I've heard it, each song being a radically different departure from the last never stops exciting and surprising me. With the "White Album" I can relive my experience with The Beatles and the memories and emotions they gave me all in one sitting.

-NoahIsCool"

[Edre Depeche Head]

Gotta say, part of me is very glad that the White Album dropped out of the top 10

[Harold]

Even speaking as someone who put 12 Beatles albums in my top 500, I have to say that two Beatles albums in the top 10 instead of four is a welcome change.

[prosecutorgodot]

I love the Born to Run review. It's good to recognize the negatives in the things you love.

I don't think I'll ever get sick of hearing the first twenty seconds of "When the Levee Breaks."

[Arsalan]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

Great to see Doolittle in the top 20. I also thought The Dark Side of the Moon would place in the top 10.

[Holden]

10
2005: 19
2008: 3
2009: 6
2011: 6
2014: 12

"You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him he calls you, you can't refuse
When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you've got no secrets to conceal"

10. Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
3203.511 Points | 56 Votes
AM Rank: 11
2017 Rank: 12 (+2)
Under 40: 6
40 and Over: 17
Biggest Fans: SJner (#1), Fred (#2), Bang Jan (#4), cetamol (#6), Rocky Raccoon (#8), Nick (#10), votingbloc (#14), Gillingham (#15), sonofsamiam (#19), M24, Rob (#20), Harold (#26), Jirin (#27), PlasticRam (#28), Jackson (#29), Listyguy (#30), Bruno (#34), Toni (#43), Holden (#48), jdizzle83 (#52), andyd1010 (#57), BleuPanda (#61), Live in Phoenix, whuntva (#62), nicolas (#63), spiderpig (#67), Brad (#68), Sweepstakes Ron, FrankLotion (#69), Emerald (#74), hero (#78), prosecutorgodot, Dan (#87), Father2TheMan (#93), Schüttelbirne (#94)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Like a Rolling Stone (#1), Desolation Row (#258), Ballad of a Thin Man (#560)

"This albums is among one of the most inspiring ever recorded to say the least. This is where freewheelin got Dylan. This is where the compelling lyrics that gave him the reoutation of a protest singer up to this point had gotten him. With this album, Dylan was entering the legend: it was the year 1965. Dylan recorded one of the richest albums ever in any possible aspect. He's got both the music and the words. A song like Like a Rolling Stone is very close to being absolutely perfect, and its imperfections at around the fourth minute actually make it work all the better. Although this album was more expensive to make than the frewheelin Bob Dylan would have cost him, where Bob was there alone with a guitar and harmonica and his voice that were enough to make it sound as majestic as the London Symphony Orchestra, here he makes use, and good use at that, of organs, flutes, other guitar and whatever he can get his hands on to make the song sound excellent, and each and every one of the songs on this album actually does. Believe the hype, this is songwriting perfection.

It's songwriting perfection, and this can be seen in all of the songs. Like a Rolling Stone is called by Rolling Stone magazine the best song ever written, and they could have done a lot worse than picking this song. It's really got it all. Apparently inspired by Edie Sedgewick (who I personally love) this is a song that talks about how to get to the top to get some hopeless redemption that will never come anyways, so you spend all your life chasing dreams knowing that you'll never make it anyways. In this song we can hear some of the best lines ever written, and it's really hard to narrow the choice to just any line, but you have to admire the way that Dylan decides to begin the lyrics by quoting the traditional introduction to a fable "Once upon a time..." and then for the next six minutes or so sets about to completely destroy any idea that we might have had that life was a fable, because it's absolutely not. Tombstone Blues quotes Warhole factory, which for a pop art enthusiast like myself is a plus, but it's also irresistible because of its hyperactive rock and roll rhythm that in this album more than in any other one can be seen throughout, and in other songs as well. Highway 61 Revisited is also quite good, with a tongue in cheek humor, this Bob Dylan song makes use of metaphors and imagery that would identlfy Bob Dylan as a true poet and a master songwriter, and rightfully so. Queen Jane Approximately is also a sweet ballad, and the music is as fine as Like a Rolling Stone. Ballad of a Thin Man is also incredible as a blues ballad with very dark tones as lyrics depicting scenes from a solid dark and contemprary setting, a setting that Bob Dylan would have known very much, as Dylan talks about a mr.Jones, a journalist, and we all know how Bob Dylan didn't like journalists, do you Mr.Dylan?

In Desolation Row, which is a song that lasts over eleven minutes, the album comes to its poetic conclusion. This song is just beautiful. Again, all of the ingredients that Bob Dylan uses to make s song legendary are there: the music, the lyrics and the feeling. In this song in fact, possibly more than in the other ones, Bob Dylan uses his voice at the best of his abilities to fully represent all the desolation and hopelessness that the song talks about. But most importantly, this is the very same voice that we can all identlfy as being the ultimate symbolic voice of the 60's and one that a generation like ours really lacks, especially when we think that we are being widely represented by emo bands or black people talking about how they are rich and like to fuck. It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry...

All in all, Bob Dylan the artist, the musician has never been better, and in fact, thi salso seems to be because all of a suddent he decided to make some music that would appeal more than the usual crowd of people that bough his album. The spirit of Bob Dylan that is in this album is the spirit that Bob Dylan had in his heart when he went to the Buddy Holly concert and Buddy Holly looked at him. This is that spirit, but with a lot of anger, and voice that sounded like glue and sand.

-SilverScreen89"

9
2005: 34
2008: 15
2009: 17
2011: 19
2014: 18

"And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind"

9. Nirvana | Nevermind (1991)
3319.168 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 3
2017 Rank: 10 (+1)
Under 40: 8
40 and Over: 14
Biggest Fans: Arsalan, Live in Phoenix, schaefer.tk (#1), FrankLotion, vivian (#5), Chris K. (#7), Dan (#8), M24 (#10), Rocky Raccoon, Emerald (#11), Bruno, hero (#13), jdizzle83 (#16), whuntva, Renan (#17), carlos74 (#18), Fred (#19), Harold (#20), spiderpig, SJner (#21), Nick (#23), BleuPanda, andyd1010 (#27), Michel (#45), Honorio (#50), BryanBehar (#52), Jirin, styrofoamboots (#55), LunarPiper (#59), PlasticRam (#62), Akhenaten (#63), nicolas (#64), Listyguy (#66), luvulongTIM (#69), bonnielaurel (#88), Romain (#89), cetamol (#90), Holden (#92)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Smells Like Teen Spirit (#6), Come as You Are (#184), Lithium (#315), In Bloom (#596)

"Ah, Nevermind. It’s the album that made flannel manufacturers rich men in the early 90's and broke grunge into the mainstream. It’s an album that for many (including myself) is one of those who got them into becoming serious music fans. It’s the album that would make Kurt Cobain into a reluctant star, causing him to somewhat disown the album. It’s an album that’s inspired everyone from kids playing guitars to countless bands that are now playing these days. The impact Nevermind on release was huge. For a start, Cobain decided that he didn't want to record another punky grunge album like Bleach. He wanted something more melodic, more pop songs and started listening to more R.E.M. and Pixies. Cobain was a huge fan of the dynamics changes of Pixies and decided to incorporate that into Nirvana’s music. This is obvious from opener “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, a staple of every set of every band of 13 year olds. After an iconic, catchy and fierce opening riff, the song demonstrates dynamics changes perfectly, a mumbled verse, going into a screaming chorus. It’s easy to see why the song got so huge, it’s loud and rebellious, pretty much a sign of what Generation X were going to do.

The next change the band made between Bleach was a change of drummer, Dave Grohl replacing Chad Channing. Whatever people think of Grohl’s work with the Foo Fighters, as a drummer on this record, Grohl is flawless. The rolls before the chorus on “In Bloom” and the sheer driving force behind the manic “Territorial Pissings”, he was possibly the missing ingredient for the band. Krist Novoselic plays his part too. The bass on “Lithium” is fantastic, giving a creepy backdrop to the calmer part of Cobain’s in-song schizophrenia before an insane chorus. He also does a brilliant job on “Stay Away”, playing the main melody. Indeed the two together just sound like a juggernaut throughout the album, backing up Cobain brilliantly throughout.

But indeed Cobain is the main star here. I've already mentioned the loud-quiet-loud dynamic changes. He took something from Pixies and made it his own, giving most of the album an on edge bipolar sense, perhaps reflecting his own mental state. “Lithium” is the prime example of this. The band’s melodic side also comes out more, “Come As You Are” is just brilliant, with it’s simple yet resounding guitar hook and Cobain’s rather chilling refrain of “And I swear/that I don’t have a gun” being a sad foreshadowing. “Polly” is also haunting but in a more deliberate way, Cobain singing from the perspective from the perspective of a kidnapper and rapist, the hushed voice and guitar tones sounding like he’s actually in a dark room with ‘Polly’ while singing the song. “Something In The Way” is an astounding song too, a personal song about Cobain’s homelessness, with his low voice giving a sense of vulnerability. A cello played during the chorus just adds to the desolation.

Cobain was pretty much a victim of his own success after this point. Nevermind led to the types of people Cobain was singing about in “In Bloom” to become fans of the band, alienating him further from society. But Nevermind was in the end the album that would complete the entrance of grunge into the mainstream. Is it the best grunge album? It probably isn’t even the best Nirvana album. Its impact and legacy cannot be denied though, and it will probably be listened to by kids starting out listening to music decades into the future.

-mouzone"

[Holden]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

I’m curious as to what albums you think are overrated? All of the albums here are pretty much modern classics, even Rolling Stone seems to have come to that opinion, and they have a history of favoring old rock music.

[Holden]

8
2005: 42
2008: 20
2009: 16
2011: 9
2014: 6

"People say that your dreams
Are the only things that save you
Come on baby, in our dreams
We can live our misbehavior"

8. Arcade Fire | Funeral (2004)
3363.206 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 27
2017 Rank: 15 (+7)
Under 40: 7
40 and Over: 10
Biggest Fans: andyd1010 (#1), mileswide (#2), Nassim, spiderpig (#4), VanillaFire1000 (#5), Dan (#6), Holden, votingbloc (#7), SJner (#8), DaveC (#10), Nick (#13), Toni (#16), Chris K. (#19), Akhenaten (#20), Harold (#22), Schüttelbirne (#24), jdizzle83 (#27), BleuPanda (#31), Gillingham (#35), BryanBehar, carlos74 (#42), PlasticRam (#43), Live in Phoenix (#48), cetamol (#50), antonius (#53), DocBrown, Romain (#55), acroamor (#62), whuntva (#64), Emerald (#66), Bruno (#69), rumpdoll (#72), FrankLotion (#77), Fred (#85), panam (#91), Arsalan (#93), LunarPiper (#94), Moonbeam (#95), SL3 (#98)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Rebellion (Lies) (#108), Wake Up (#110), Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) (#337), Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) (#818), Crown of Love (#1924)

"Decade defining. Even though it isn't my favourite album of the decade, I still think the 2000s will be remembered by Arcade Fire's Funeral. Every decade has one of those albums, and I believe Funeral defines the 2000s. Some close-minded idiots seem to believe music stopped being good after a certain year. You know the types? The "You say Lady Gaga, I say Led Zeppelin" types on Youtube. I don't understand people who claim to be big fans of music who think that music ceased to be good after a certain year or decade, I especially don't understand it when it's people my age who have that close-minded mentality, especially when music is being released as good as this. I believe Funeral is a fine example of a modern classic. I remember when I was listening to it obsessively, the running power through it is immense, the arrangements were like nothing I'd ever heard before, even now the orchestration still feels fresh and exciting. An absolutely stunning album, it's powerful, touching sprawling, and emotionally resounding. When it hits you, it hits you incredibly hard. Both musically and the subject matter. Funeral is about life, death and the emotions you feel in-between. I find it quite amazing how an album about such things still manages to have this romance and hope about it. A little bit of light somewhere within the dark.

Whenever I listen to Funeral it just feels so heartfelt and incredibly sincere. It could be in danger of sounding overblown, fake and gimmicky - if they didn't really mean it, if the feeling wasn't there, but it is. I remember when I first got into Arcade Fire, I was in school and I had a crappy MP3 player with odd songs on it and I decided to put a couple of Arcade Fire songs on my iPod, and I listened to them when in art because that was one lesson where you could listen to as much music as you wanted. I always liked that. At the time though, I had a questionable music taste - to put it somewhat kindly, but I was going through a transitional period where I was musically curious about what was out there. I still liked some of the more obvious and accessible stuff, but I was taking an interest in Indie Rock, and when I listened to Arcade Fire they were like nothing I'd ever heard before - despite having a slight interest in the genre. It seems funny now, talking about Arcade Fire like they're really obscure - but when I discovered them, they were ridiculously obscure in my mind. I even remember the two songs that changed my perception of music, they were 'Wake Up' and 'Rebellion (Lies)' and they remain two of my absolute favourite songs. I didn't listen to the album in full until a while after, I don't even remember when I first listened to the album - because I wasn't really interesting in albums back then, just odd songs, but I do remember how I felt when I first experienced Arcade Fire's music and I remember the effect it had on me. I actually think listening to this band was a turning point though, I remember soon after listening to 'Wake Up' and 'Rebellion (Lies)' BECOMING really interested in music and albums in their entirety, even if it was an unconscious thing and it's something I'll never know for sure - I definitely think Arcade Fire was the reason, or one of the reasons.

Funeral is an album that's completely original, it doesn't borrow from other great Indie bands. I mentioned in my review of The Pixies how pretty much every Indie/Alternative Rock band has stolen something off of them at one time or another, Arcade Fire aren't one of those bands. They're completely original and free of any of the things that's usually found on an Indie album, void of any of the usual clichés - a completely unpredictable and refreshing album. I don't think there's any doubt they took influence from other artists, like most bands - but taking influence doesn't mean you have to completely rip them off and make a derivative and trite album. Broken Social Scene were around doing something similar, their album You Forgot It in People was out two years before Funeral, but I personally feel Arcade Fire are different and much better. The whole structure of the songs are absolutely unbelievable, and the climaxes are enthralling. It's grand, majestic and lush. Every little detail is fantastic, as arrangers they're second to none. Funeral aside, I think Arcade Fire are a fantastic band, and they're yet to make a bad album and I wouldn't be surprised if they never made a bad album - but they have never and will never top this. This will go down in musical history as one of the true greats, if it hasn't already. One of those rare albums that comes along every now and again, but when it comes along, you have to savour it.

-TheCunningStunt"

7
2005: 11
2008: 7
2009: 3
2011: 8
2014: 4

"The ice age is coming, the sun's zooming in
Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin
Engines stop running, but I have no fear
'Cause London is drowning
I live by the river"

7. The Clash | London Calling (1979)
3463.110 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 6
2017 Rank: 11 (+4)
Under 40: 13
40 and Over: 6
Biggest Fans: luvulongTIM, Emerald (#1), Nick (#3), BryanBehar, Honorio, hero (#4), Michel (#5), Akhenaten (#6), Rocky Raccoon (#7), DaveC (#8), Harold, LunarPiper, votingbloc (#9), SJner (#11), carlos74 (#12), Live in Phoenix (#13), CupOfDreams (#16), Bruno (#18), Jackson (#20), DocBrown, whuntva (#25), FrankLotion (#26), jdizzle83 (#31), spiderpig (#36), Chris K. (#44), Edre Peraza (#46), BleuPanda (#47), antonius (#51), prosecutorgodot (#60), PlasticRam, nicolas (#61), M24 (#68), Brad (#69), Fred (#71), VanillaFire1000 (#79), Romain (#80), andyd1010 (#87), cetamol (#88), Sweepstakes Ron (#91), mileswide (#100)
AMF Favorite Tracks: London Calling (#18), Train in Vain (#296), The Guns of Brixton (#995), Rudie Can't Fail (#1660), Spanish Bombs (#1961)

"London Calling is without a doubt, in my opinion, the greatest punk rock album of all time. 1979 was the perfect time to record a punk rock album, citizens worldwide were unhappy with their government, unenployment rates shot up, fuel prices rose dramatically, crime increased, nothing seemed to be going right. The Clash seems to take notice of these issues, and paints a picture of these hard times. There aren't many songs with happy lyrical content. Stories of drugs, war, the bad economy, the wrongdoings of the government, breakups, fiends, and other issues makeup the album, although they sound delightful some of the time.

I won't go in to song by song breakdown, because that's 19 songs to cover. What's funny about the album is that not every single track is a complete standout. Yet it still is an undeniable classic, every single high school kid who wants to start a band should listen to this album. Forget the Sex Pistols, even the Ramones, The Clash are the greatest punk rock band of all time. Being punk isn't just about taking politically charged lyrics with fast guitar riffs and shouting into a microphone. This albums says that, it pushed musical boundaries, exploring into the territiories of ska, and pushing punk further as well. "The Guns of Brixton" sounds like rap, before rap was even considered a genre, and hardly even heard of.

It's the little touches that make the album classic, like the horn section on "The Right Profile" or the sounds of the drums resembeling train tracks on "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)", there are these little touches sprinkled over the entire album. The content can shift from political to personal in the snap of a finger. Part of what made The Clash accepted by the mainstream better.

If it weren't for The Clash, or this album in particular, punk rock would have died quickly. Bands like Sublime, Garbage, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and many others would not exist if it weren't for this album. Anyone who wants to start a TRUE punk rock band, better have this album and listen to it carefully. Never has there ever been a more influental album in the genre, no not even the Sex Pistols "Nevermind the Bollocks".

If you have never listened to this album you are truly missing out on a great expierience. Almost 30 years later, this album has a major signifigance to me, because like The Clash at the time the album was recorded, I am young, growing up, watching the economy sink and unemployment rates jump, watching a war happen, watching the effects the inflation has on the economy. History seems to repeat itself, right now it's my generations time to deal with the effects of hard economical times, many people my age feel like the world is about to end, as with people my age who grew up at that time as well, which is what makes this album signifigant, 30 years later, it feels like the band wrote about the times today.

That's what makes this album a classic.

My favorite song is "Train in Vain", the lyrics sound painful and the music itself sounds melancholy, for some reason I will always remember that song in particular....

Buy this album, you won't regret it.

-nikka1991"

[Arsalan]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

I’m curious as to what albums you think are overrated? All of the albums here are pretty much modern classics, even Rolling Stone seems to have come to that opinion, and they have a history of favoring old rock music.

I agree! I don't say I dislike them, I say they are overrated. Since 2010 critics have started to care about mainstream music way too much, I think the reason RS put so many albums from 2010s was to draw young people's attention to their magazine cause people do not care about critics' opinion anymore(Since when Red is one of the top 100 albums ever?).

With all due respect, I don't really want to answer your question because it may upset some people.

By the way, Great to see Nevermind at #9!
I listened to London Calling again and It is surely a masterpiece, I will definitely vote for it next time. Sometimes you don't like an album when you hear it for the first time but when you listen to it again then you realize how great it is.

[Edre Depeche Head]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

I’m curious as to what albums you think are overrated? All of the albums here are pretty much modern classics, even Rolling Stone seems to have come to that opinion, and they have a history of favoring old rock music.

I agree! I don't say I dislike them, I say they are overrated. Since 2010 critics have started to care about mainstream music way too much, I think the reason RS put so many albums from 2010s was to draw young people's attention to their magazine cause people do not care about critics' opinion anymore(Since when Red is one of the top 100 albums ever?).

With all due respect, I don't really want to answer your question because it may upset some people.

By the way, Great to see Nevermind at #9!
I listened to London Calling again and It is surely a masterpiece, I will definitely vote for it next time. Sometimes you don't like an album when you hear it for the first time but when you listen to it again then you realize how great it is.

I think that age should have nothing to do with best ever albums. Thats silly

[Jirin]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

Great to see Doolittle in the top 20. I also thought The Dark Side of the Moon would place in the top 10.

You may prefer the older ones but if you claim that all musicians spontaneously forgot how to be creative in 1991, you have no claim to objectivity beyond your own personal taste.

I rank the albums based on how much I enjoy them, and albums all the way from the 50s to 2020 get toward the top. Leave the curating of rock and roll history to magazines.

[panam]

I see this top 10 very conservative, actually.

[Holden]

6
2005: 5
2008: 8
2009: 10
2011: 5
2014: 9

"Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me"

6. The Beatles | Abbey Road (1969)
3596.503 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 20
2017 Rank: 2 (-4)
Under 40: 3
40 and Over: 7
Biggest Fans: Henry, FrankLotion (#1), Listyguy, Zombeels, hero, andyd1010 (#2), PlasticRam (#4), Harold (#5), Akhenaten (#8), jdizzle83 (#9), Fred, Sweepstakes Ron (#10), Krurze, Father2TheMan (#11), Nick (#12), prosecutorgodot, nicolas (#13), cetamol (#16), BleuPanda, Nassim (#17), SJner (#25), acroamor (#26), Dan (#28), spiderpig (#30), Michel, Honorio (#32), Bruno (#33), Rocky Raccoon (#38), whuntva (#44), DaveC (#51), M24, Toni (#52), LunarPiper (#64), Jirin, luvulongTIM (#65), DocBrown (#72), Chris K. (#74), Live in Phoenix (#83), VanillaFire1000 (#88), panam, Brad (#96)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Something (#171), Come Together (#209), Here Comes the Sun (#216), Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End (#374), You Never Give Me Your Money (#826), Oh! Darling (#1605), Octopus's Garden (#1577)

"It is unfortunate that the sub par album Let It Be was released after Abbey Road (even though it was recorded prior to, and intended for release before Abbey Road), because it gave a false impression of The Beatles' final recording sessions, and ended the 60s on a sour note (in combination with the disastrous and deadly Rolling Stones concert at Altamont). For Abbey Road, The Beatles put aside their animosity and bitterness and told producer George Martin they wanted to make an album "the way we used to" and "go out on a high note". The result was staggeringly beautiful, and not only a testament to the songwriting skills of McCartney and Lennon, but it finally gained George Harrison equal footing as a composer.

The songs "Something" (the first Harrison song on the "A" side of a Beatles' single) and "Here Comes the Sun" represent Harrison's greatest achievements as a Beatle, and are highlights of the Abbey Road album rather than secondary songs of limited importance in the grand Beatlesque scheme of things. Harrison's growing maturation as a writer in the band was reflected on The White Album ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps" most notably), but on Abbey Road his songs became important. This is the single reason I have rated Abbey Road over Revolver.

Along with Harrison's contributions, the album has two great Lennon tracks "Come Together" and the one of the best Beatles hard rock pieces "I want You (She's so Heavy)", while McCartney, who had already clearly taken the lead in the group from a recording production standpoint, offers "Oh Darling" and "You Never Give Me Your Money" principally, and the harmonies of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison on "Because" are astoundingly beautiful. But it is the shared aspect of the 16 minute "Medley" (which includes "You Never Give Me Your Money", "Sun King", "Mean Mr. Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", "Golden Slumbers", "Carry that Weight" and "The End") which acts as the culmination of all things Beatles, a stunning climax to an unequaled string of successes and superlative albums.

-Dark_Elf"

5
2005: 3
2008: 6
2009: 2
2011: 3
2014: 3

"If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you"

5. The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds (1966)
3601.652 Points | 52 Votes
AM Rank: 1
2017 Rank: 6 (+1)
Under 40: 2
40 and Over: 9
Biggest Fans: hero, Father2TheMan (#1), cetamol, jdizzle83 (#2), spiderpig (#3), Nick, VanillaFire1000, Bruno (#4), carlos74 (#5), Jackson, Toni (#6), Bang Jan, LunarPiper (#7), Honorio (#10), sonofsamiam (#11), Akhenaten (#14), andyd1010 (#17), Wezzo (#19), acroamor (#20), PlasticRam (#22), schaefer.tk (#23), Chris K. (#27), M24 (#29), FrankLotion, Emerald (#30), nicolas (#33), Harold, SJner (#34), Live in Phoenix (#36), BryanBehar (#40), Listyguy (#41), prosecutorgodot (#43), CupOfDreams (#46), Cold Butterfly (#49), whuntva, Rocky Raccoon (#53), Holden (#54), DocBrown (#70), Schüttelbirne (#87)
AMF Favorite Tracks: God Only Knows (#16), Wouldn't It Be Nice (#208), Sloop John B (#1177)

"Well, I'm not even sure if there is anything left to say to describe how great this album is. For more than 50 years lots of words have been said and written, describing how much of a deal Pet Sounds is. But still I'll try to tell why I personally love this album.

One of the words I can use to describe this album is "timeless". It feels like it exists out of time, that it could be easily recorded now or maybe in the 90s. Sure, there are several remnants of the 60s pop/rock style, but in general it doesn't really fit any of the musical trends or genres neither then nor now. The majority of the instrumentation is orchestral, and even though you can say it's influenced by Doo wop, Gershwin, Baroque music, Beatles etc, it doesn't sound like all of these at all. I'm not really well educated in music theory and stuff, but as much as I know, there have been said a lot about this album from that perspective. And Pet Sounds feels complete, it's not the kind of album which has a bunch of ideas that may further be developed, but a complete and integral work.

The other thing, more subjective, but no less important - its lyrics, and how goddamn relatable they are. For sure, not all of us can say "wow that's literally me" about all the songs, but at least several of them hit too close. And if none of them feels even a bit relatable to you then you're probably a heartless machine.
There are several themes: the majority of lyrics are about love, relationships, feelings and stuff, some are about feeling lonely, not fitting in, growing up. But more generally all lyrics have one common thing - they are sad. And the further you go through the record, the sadder they get. It actually really feels like a very loose, but a story of a person going through relationship and reflecting on them. It feels optimistic in the beginning (Wouldn't it be nice), but by the later tracks the relationship is probably over and the person kind of loses his faith in love (Here today). After some time passed he meets the girl again and realises that their love story is finally over (Caroline, no). But for sure, not all songs are about this, there are ones about finding your place in the world and growing up (That's not me, I know there's an answer). And even Sloop John B (which is sometimes hated) fits in the overall theme of sadness and frustration, while instrumental tracks leave some space to breathe.

It was not a common thing at that time to have an album with such concept. Not so much in terms of lyrics or music, but in terms of mood and emotion. And I believe that this is the main influence and achievement of Pet Sounds. It not only opened the door for experimentation in pop music and inspired lots of artists of their time and later. Most importantly it showed that music can not just be something you can dance to, casually listen to or analyse. It can be something you can relate to. Something that you can find yourself in.

-Odoital"

[Arsalan]

‌I hate the fact that some overrated recent albums are ranked higher than old classic ones. That doesn't make sense to me.
At least none of them made the top 30.

Great to see Doolittle in the top 20. I also thought The Dark Side of the Moon would place in the top 10.

You may prefer the older ones but if you claim that all musicians spontaneously forgot how to be creative in 1991, you have no claim to objectivity beyond your own personal taste.

I rank the albums based on how much I enjoy them, and albums all the way from the 50s to 2020 get toward the top. Leave the curating of rock and roll history to magazines.

Maybe you are right. Please don't be mad at me, I didn't understand a thing from your first paragraph.

[Jirin]

I don’t know what’s not to understand. I think suggesting that there’s some magic period from 1965 to 1975 where 90% of the great music ever made was created is preposterous. And you are claiming that like it’s an objective truth and not just your preference.

[Holden]

Abbey Road’s fall from the highest ranked Beatles album struck me as interesting, any thoughts?

[panam]

i like the space of 1 hour between any rank release, excellent job Holden!!

[Chris K.]

Abbey Road’s fall from the highest ranked Beatles album struck me as interesting, any thoughts?

I think the last poll may have been an outlier since it's the only time Abbey Road placed highest among their albums.

[Arsalan]

I don’t know what’s not to understand. I think suggesting that there’s some magic period from 1965 to 1975 where 90% of the great music ever made was created is preposterous. And you are claiming that like it’s an objective truth and not just your preference.

I never said sth like that. My favorite album of all time is from 1991! What I believe is that albums should age well and be influential to be considered as one of the greatest albums ever. I think that if you ask music freaks which album is better, The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City, They will probably say The Wall.

[Holden]

4
2005: 2
2008: 2
2009: 4
2011: 4
2014: 7

"Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining"

4. The Beatles | Revolver (1966)
3672.629 Points | 54 Votes
AM Rank: 2
2017 Rank: 5 (+1)
Under 40: 5
40 and Over: 5
Biggest Fans: Nick, Jirin (#1), Harold (#2), PlasticRam, whuntva, Dan (#3), carlos74, Father2TheMan (#4), jdizzle83 (#5), hero (#7), Sweepstakes Ron, Listyguy (#8), Akhenaten, Honorio (#11), M24, Bruno (#12), andyd1010 (#14), cetamol (#15), spiderpig (#17), Live in Phoenix (#21), FrankLotion, nicolas (#23), acroamor (#24), Chris K., VanillaFire1000 (#26), Zombeels (#28), Rocky Raccoon (#30), prosecutorgodot (#37), Brad (#43), antonius, Toni (#44), LunarPiper (#45), Romain (#47), CupOfDreams (#50), DaveC (#55), BleuPanda (#69), BryanBehar (#75), luvulongTIM, Schüttelbirne (#84), votingbloc (#88)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Eleanor Rigby (#60), Tomorrow Never Knows (#100), And Your Bird Can Sing (#798), For No One (#965), I'm Only Sleeping (#1234), Here, There and Everywhere (#1357)

"Overrated is overused. That is one of the things that strikes me most about this forum. If someone doesn't like a highly-rated album they seem to immediately reach the conclusion that everyone else is wrong in 'over-rating' an album. They on the other hand, as the representative of true good taste, have finally figured out that thousands of other people have been making a mistake for the last twenty years: Revolver, or Highway 61 Revisited, or OK Computer really is just a pile of stinking dog turds after all.

To call something overrated is often really a form of conceit. It's about thinking you know better. However, the musical canon is not a lucky dip. Revolver didn't get picked out of a hat to win the position of one of rock's greatest triumphs. It reached that position by having been consistently admired by some of the world's best musicians and rock critics for decades.

It appeals to both the mainstream and those with an ear for new, innovative sounds. Yellow Submarine is both a lovely ditty that children can song along to and an extended metaphor for the joys of hallucinogenic drug-taking. She Said She Said is a dark trip full of hazy guitars and surreally disturbing lyrics, but you can still sing along if you want to. The bright, brassy Got to Get You Into My Life has druggy under-currents and is followed by the exotic, otherworldly droning of Tomorrow Never Knows.

Chuck D of Public Enemy said he considered this the greatest album ever made. The Beatles would hardly seem an obvious influence on a militant hip-hop band, but when I think about the adventurous production on Public Enemy's best albums, full of all sorts of new sounds and textures, you can see some parallels with Revolver's embrace of the new. Perhaps, rather than immediately making the 'I don't like it yet = overrated' equation, it might pay at times to dig a little deeper and try and find out what other people are hearing and you aren't.

-paddlesteamer"

3
2005: 9
2008: 11
2009: 8
2011: 7
2014: 5

"Now Ziggy really sang, screwed up eyes and screwed down hairdo
Like some cat from Japan, he could lick 'em by smiling
He could leave 'em to hang
'Came on so loaded man, well hung and snow white tan."

3. David Bowie | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)
3709.473 Points | 55 Votes
AM Rank: 16
2017 Rank: 4 (+1)
Under 40: 11
40 and Over: 1
Biggest Fans: Honorio (#1), Akhenaten, CupOfDreams (#2), Romain, SL3, carlos74, cetamol (#3), Sweepstakes Ron, Dan (#4), andyd1010 (#8), Nick, BryanBehar (#9), Brad (#11), BleuPanda, Emerald (#15), antonius (#16), DaveC (#18), Nassim (#20), Chris K., jdizzle83 (#21), Schüttelbirne, Listyguy (#22), Krurze (#26), Bruno, nicolas (#27), Live in Phoenix, SJner (#30), FrankLotion (#33), spiritualized (#38), Harold (#40), Gillingham (#46), Rob (#47), M24 (#48), DocBrown (#51), Fred (#52), hero (#53), spiderpig (#55), LunarPiper (#67), whuntva (#76), Moonbeam (#77), Jackson (#83)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Starman (#106), Ziggy Stardust (#249), Moonage Daydream (#314), Five Years (#627), Rock 'n' Roll Suicide (#809), Suffragette City (#876)

"I first reviewed Ziggy Stardust a little over a year ago, handing out a grateful four and a half stars for what I thought at the time was a very fine rock album. Going through my review again this morning as I sip a cup of tea and scarf chocolate biscuits on the first chilly day we've had in this part of California for months, I read words like "bright", "great sequencing" and, rather strangely, "athletic drums". I'm not exactly sure what I meant by that curious phrase, and it got me to thinking: did I do this album justice in my first review? Did I avoid actually writing about it? Anyway, the review left me a little cold. Let me try again. In November 2003, I settled down in a back room of my house in California with a new 8-track digital recorder. My son had been born two months earlier, and my life had approached a sort of unnatural terrestrial balance, and I was spending my days stoking up the wood-burner and sitting on the floor with my baby boy, and in the evenings as he slept beside his mother, I sat before the recorder and made an album called On Rocket Rapture. This really has nothing to do with Ziggy Stardust except that for me, ZS is the only album I have heard that approaches the same subject as On Rocket Rapture, and it has never struck me as such until now. From this moment on, my album will always make me think of Ziggy Stardust, and here's why:

Ziggy Stardust is a profoundly emotional album, hiding behind a controlled, inexpressive facade. Certainly it is loud, boisterous at times, and bombastic, but the precision of the band, and the articulation of Bowie as a vocalist on this album are unmatched. Just listen to the drum-bass-piano interplay on 'Star'. Listen to the vocals in the first two minutes of 'Five Years' - a gradual build-up of jaw-dropping suspense and vocal control. It's remarkable. But now listen to the quavering edge of the words. Listen to the fearsome energy of the band, like a coiled spring, waiting to explode. What I tried to accomplish with On Rocket Rapture was a sort of restrained emotional collapse, if such a thing is possible. It's a peculiarly English thing, I think, often called the Stiff Upper Lip, which forces the man to present the demons of his soul in a calm and frank manner. Here is my fear. Here is my failure. Here is my disappointment. I will not buckle or weep. Just see them for what they are and move on. On Rocket Rapture is based on the life of Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, an idiosyncratic but (I think) worthy channel for my own examinations of pride, love and purpose.

There is a depth of humour to Ziggy Stardust which some people have called irony, but which I think is closer to bathos. The campy glam effect, perhaps, is the most obvious device, but the album is drenched in jokes. I can't claim the same thing about On Rocket Rapture. I'm not half the lyricist (or, indeed, the performer, vocalist or arranger) that Bowie was at my age, and I didn't construct my album with the care and attention to concept that Bowie did with his. But for some reason - beyond the extra-terrestrial theme - the two albums have the same feel for me. Perhaps it is the sound of a man digging his soul out of the pit of his stomach and laying it in a bloody, organic, beautiful, bastard heap on the table for the consumption of our beloved public.

But I suppose I should try to pull this review together. Once again, I haven't done the album justice. It should be an ode to a marvelous record. Ziggy Stardust is a multi-layered work of elegance and precision. Blah. I'm an alligator. I'm a mama-papa comin' for you. I'm the space invader. I'll be a rock n rollin' bitch for you. Let the children lose it. Let the children use it. Let all the children boogie. Let all the children boogie. Let all the children boogie.

-cravenmonket"

[BleuPanda]

I don’t know what’s not to understand. I think suggesting that there’s some magic period from 1965 to 1975 where 90% of the great music ever made was created is preposterous. And you are claiming that like it’s an objective truth and not just your preference.

I never said sth like that. My favorite album of all time is from 1991! What I believe is that albums should age well and be influential to be considered as one of the greatest albums ever. I think that if you ask music freaks which album is better, The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City, They will probably say The Wall.

...as if this isn't a music list compiled by a bunch of music freaks?

[Arsalan]

I don’t know what’s not to understand. I think suggesting that there’s some magic period from 1965 to 1975 where 90% of the great music ever made was created is preposterous. And you are claiming that like it’s an objective truth and not just your preference.

I never said sth like that. My favorite album of all time is from 1991! What I believe is that albums should age well and be influential to be considered as one of the greatest albums ever. I think that if you ask music freaks which album is better, The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City, They will probably say The Wall.

...as if this isn't a music list compiled by a bunch of music freaks?

Sure it is. By music freaks I mean guys like you. Now could you answer my question logically? The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City?

[Holden]

I don’t know what’s not to understand. I think suggesting that there’s some magic period from 1965 to 1975 where 90% of the great music ever made was created is preposterous. And you are claiming that like it’s an objective truth and not just your preference.

I never said sth like that. My favorite album of all time is from 1991! What I believe is that albums should age well and be influential to be considered as one of the greatest albums ever. I think that if you ask music freaks which album is better, The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City, They will probably say The Wall.

...as if this isn't a music list compiled by a bunch of music freaks?

I'd like to call myself a music freak. And as a music freak, I do think several things. One: there is definitely merit to saying that specific years are better than others. I'd say that an undeniable peak in music occurred in 1967, and maybe another in 1975, and 1991, and 2010. I also try to believe that the best album of all time could come out tomorrow, and that we definitely shouldn't waste years waiting for that theoretical best album of all time to age into the role of best album of all time.

Also, I'd say that I prefer The Wall. However, I'd also say that it's a close fight. MVOTC is a great album, and one of those I'd call a modern classic.

[Chris K.]

I never said sth like that. My favorite album of all time is from 1991! What I believe is that albums should age well and be influential to be considered as one of the greatest albums ever. I think that if you ask music freaks which album is better, The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City, They will probably say The Wall.

...as if this isn't a music list compiled by a bunch of music freaks?

Sure it is. By music freaks I mean guys like you. Now could you answer my question logically? The Wall or Modern Vampires of the City?

I don’t think there’s a right answer here. I personally prefer MVotC but I love the Wall and understand it’s importance. It depends which music freaks you’re asking.

[Jackson]

Ziggy taking the number 1 spot for 40+ is interesting. Also the 2/9 split for Pet Sounds is surprising - not that the younger voters love it so much, but that the older voters somewhat underrate it.

I don't like MVotC or The Wall; where does that put me?

[Schüttelbirne]

The discussion about objective value of music is rather tedious and doesn't lead anywhere, so we might as well stop it now.
Considering that about 100% of the music in the Top 1000 was written after 1900, there's certainly a lack of what many people would consider the "real classic" albums: The Classical Period in Western Classical Music, lasting from about 1730-1820.
Also people should stop thinking in superlatives. There is not "the" best album of all time, it's a lot of albums, even our Top 1000 can be considered the best if you stop to consider how much music is actually released every day. A singular entity should never take that title.
Now let's move on: I really hope The Velvet Underground takes this, but I don't think it will.

[Nick]

I’d take MVOTC over The Wall, and I’m just as much of a freak as the rest of you freaks.

[Arsalan]

I’d take MVOTC over The Wall, and I’m just as much of a freak as the rest of you freaks.

That's beyond me. If David Gilmour and Roger Waters see these posts, They will be Uncomfortably Numb.

[Holden]

2
2005: 8
2008: 5
2009: 5
2011: 2
2014: 1

"Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
Beat up shoes and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is that you always gotta wait"

2. The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
3882.933 Points | 58 Votes
AM Rank: 4
2017 Rank: 3 (+1)
Under 40: 4
40 and Over: 2
Biggest Fans: M24, carlos74, cetamol (#1), BleuPanda, Bang Jan (#2), Cold Butterfly, acroamor (#4), spiritualized (#5), Brad (#6), Holden (#9), antonius, spiderpig (#10), Romain, Michel (#11), Harold, Rocky Raccoon (#13), Schüttelbirne, LunarPiper (#14), CupOfDreams (#15), Nick, Honorio (#16), Jackson (#17), whuntva (#21), Emerald (#22), Live in Phoenix (#28), SL3 (#32), prosecutorgodot, Fred (#35), notbrianeno (#36), Krurze, hero (#39), FrankLotion (#42), Listyguy (#48), Moonbeam (#51), Dan (#52), rumpdoll (#59), Nassim (#63), DaveC (#65), VanillaFire1000 (#72), SJner (#74), sonofsamiam (#75), nicolas (#85), Toni (#87)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Heroin (#99), Venus in Furs (#129), Sunday Morning (#175), I'm Waiting for the Man (#222), All Tomorrow's Parties (#613), Femme Fatale (#1096)

"The story of the culture-elite, the snobs, cocaine and art-galleries. The confusing difference between sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. The slippery slope of becoming predictable and boring, the re-inventing yourself 7 days a week. The gender-neutral approach to a sexified industry, the undisputable impact on everything to come. The album of albums perhaps.

It becomes way more interesting if you view this album as an art project set by Warhol and Reed, planned and calculated at an acid party ala the one from "Midnight Cowboy". It's something surreal and something very fake about this whole album, is it modern-design or is it geniune improvised art? The NY underground is probably way more appealing to someone who never experienced it, and Warhol was probably a bigger douchebag than I care to accept. But I guess it takes a bad man to make great art, mixed with acid and coke of course. The more I write, The more I read, the less I understand. It's a complicated riddle from a time and place I really can't comprehend, and that of course make it more interesting and way, way better. If the question is "who made who?", then I really don't care.

The album kicks off with the ode to nothingness, "Sunday Morning" explains nothing, but welcomes you gently into an experience that might change you completely. "Venus in Furs" shows you the true colors and "Heroin" makes the experience immortal. The album is made up of hundred thick layers and tells you a story you're better off not having heard. I wonder what the guy who heard this for the first time back in 67' really thought. Sure, he started a band and all that, but what did he really think about the music? Was it total garbage? No, I don't think this album really scared anybody, it's all in all pretty harmless.

I wanna hear this album for the first time every time I put it on, I wanna forget the sounds, the lyrics and the compositions, and then let them refill me with the joy I felt. I wanna start a band with Lou Reed and then throw it all away, I don't want us to play "Sweet Jane", I want us to play "Black Angel's Death Song", me on air-pump of course. I want to shake his hand and say "good job", I want to introduce him to Bowie and then Bowie to Iggy. I want the creds but not the fame, I'm nameless. I want the real drugs, not the over-the-counter bshit. It's in no way relevant anymore, but it kept me going for a good five minutes.

This is the music, the art, the fascade and the wonderful nothingness we all claim to feel. Don't run, walk. Goodbye pretentiousness and hello Mr. Feelgood. If you don't listen to this album you've missed out, or just misunderstood. It's a positive drug story and nothing to be afraid of, it made a generation and inspired their kids. Happy listening.

-eraserbrain"

1
2005: 1
2008: 1
2009: 1
2011: 1
2014: 2

"Ambition makes you look pretty ugly
Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy
You don't remember
You don't remember
Why don't you remember my name?"

1. Radiohead | OK Computer (1997)
4158.045 Points | 56 Votes
AM Rank: 8
2017 Rank: 1 (0)
Under 40: 1
40 and Over: 3
Biggest Fans: Chris K., whuntva, Harold, Dan, spiderpig, jdizzle83 (#1), Nick, DaveC, LunarPiper, SJner (#2), Zombeels, andyd1010 (#4), Honorio (#5), Romain (#6), styrofoamboots, carlos74, FrankLotion (#7), prosecutorgodot (#8), Edre Peraza, Gillingham (#9), panam (#12), Bruno (#15), Arsalan (#16), Rob (#17), Brad, schaefer.tk (#20), BleuPanda (#21), Nassim (#23), Fred, Rocky Raccoon (#25), cetamol (#26), sonofsamiam (#29), Michel (#33), PlasticRam (#36), Renan (#38), hero (#43), Schüttelbirne (#51), acroamor (#52), Jackson (#54), M24 (#59), Toni (#60), Listyguy (#61), CupOfDreams (#64), luvulongTIM (#68), SL3 (#71), notbrianeno (#78), VanillaFire1000 (#81)
AMF Favorite Tracks: Paranoid Android (#17), Karma Police (#71), No Surprises (#127), Let Down (#283), Exit Music (For a Film) (#565), Climbing Up the Walls (#835), Airbag (#1629), Lucky (#1739)

"I don't think the world would ever be the same without OK Computer. It's been 10 years and a couple months change since Parlophone printed it and it's still the quintessential album of our times. That's more than a title to bestow upon some preposterously well liked form of entertainment; it's an anomaly. The Bends signaled a bright future, but not one that featured OK Computer, or any album as equally immense. Quite frankly, the album shouldn't exist. The record is just too epic. It's almost as if the course of history was changed when OK Computer dropped. Just about every album ever released suits the times they're created in; this record was so perfect, the times suited OK Computer.

I know I'm getting all "myth maker" on your ass, but what else can I say? This is it. The record to end all records in the 20th Century and begin all of the records in the 21st Century. Or something like that. To some people it was just a couple guys updating Pink Floyd for the Grunge generation. I prefer to call those people dumbasses.

Okay, Pink Floyd is indeed a distant relative, I'll give those dumbasses that, but they're still no where near as immediate. The Bends comes closest and that's not even in the same universe. There really is nothing like it, prior to or since. Again, an anomaly. No other music album I've heard represents so many feelings at the same time: fear, hope, despair, destruction, alienation, open air, claustrophobia, triumph, quietude, failure, anxiety, trepidation, uneasiness, contentment, nonchalance, harmony, peace, distortion...nothing can even capture 1/16th of its majesty. OK Computer is so isolated from everything else because it was made under isolation. Jonny Greenwood said it best:

"the main difference in the atmosphere [from past albums] was in... the studio experience. We were all of the same age, mid- to late-twenties, and doing a record in the middle of nowhere. And there were no established professionals there. It wasn't a real recording studio, and we had our friend [Stanley Donwood] doing the artwork in the studio at the same time. We were all at the same stage of our life and all working together for something, it was quite a buzz."

Recording an album by yourself isn't a new concept, but in the right hands, it can create something entirely uncontaminated and virgin...which is pretty much what happened with OK Computer.

In case you were just born, you may be asking yourself what this record sounds like. Imagine if the happiest day of your life was the day you killed yourself. It's like opening Christmas presents during the Apocalypse. A spaceflight directly into the sun. Getting the best sleep of your life on top of the button that simultaneously launches all the nukes in the world. Driving your car into a pit of fire. OK Computer marries thrill and harrow, joy and death, ordinary and impossible, all that and more. To say the album is nothing short of magic would be hitting the nail on the head.

Now, you don't have to love this album. You don't have to even like it. All preceding hyperbole is just how I see it. Hell, it's not even my favorite Radiohead album. The thing is, I believe that at some point in your life, you will love OK Computer. Your deathbed, 7th grade, a walk in the park, working at the same desk after 32 years, watching your two dogs fuck, doing your son's math homework, your sister's wedding reception, whatever the situation, sooner or later this album will get you. It's just too powerful to be ignored.

I mean, this is it. Thom Yorke would never write better lyrics than he did here. Radiohead would never sound more natural than they did here. The pressure upon Radiohead would never be as assuring as it was frightening as it is here. Critical consensus on a Radiohead record would never be as definite as it is here. History probably couldn't be encapsulated on a record better than it is here. Be all, end all. This whole review is nothing new. What is there left to say anymore, really? It's almost as if OK Computer just left everyone imaginatively speechless.

It's been about 123 months since the world changed and the only constant is just how great this record is. Such a thing shouldn't be possible...

But if OK Computer is possible...

What isn't?


-Iamthegamer"

[Holden]

The Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... sp=sharing

And the Top 1000:
1 | Radiohead | OK Computer | 1997
2 | The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1967
3 | David Bowie | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | 1972
4 | The Beatles | Revolver | 1966
5 | The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds | 1966
6 | The Beatles | Abbey Road | 1969
7 | The Clash | London Calling | 1979
8 | Arcade Fire | Funeral | 2004
9 | Nirvana | Nevermind | 1991
10 | Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited | 1965
11 | The Beatles | The Beatles [White Album] | 1968
12 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin IV | 1971
13 | Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run | 1975
14 | Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon | 1973
15 | Pixies | Doolittle | 1989
16 | The Smiths | The Queen Is Dead | 1986
17 | The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | 1967
18 | Bob Dylan | Blonde on Blonde | 1966
19 | Prince and The Revolution | Purple Rain | 1984
20 | Radiohead | Kid A | 2000
21 | Bob Dylan | Blood on the Tracks | 1975
22 | Stevie Wonder | Innervisions | 1973
23 | The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers | 1971
24 | Talking Heads | Remain in Light | 1980
25 | The Beatles | Rubber Soul | 1965
26 | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | 1992
27 | Sufjan Stevens | Illinois | 2005
28 | Stevie Wonder | Songs in the Key of Life | 1976
29 | The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed | 1969
30 | Radiohead | The Bends | 1995
31 | Marvin Gaye | What's Going On | 1971
32 | Radiohead | In Rainbows | 2007
33 | Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 2010
34 | David Bowie | Hunky Dory | 1971
35 | Portishead | Dummy | 1994
36 | The Who | Who's Next | 1971
37 | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 1982
38 | Fleetwood Mac | Rumours | 1977
39 | Television | Marquee Moon | 1977
40 | Love | Forever Changes | 1967
41 | Miles Davis | Kind of Blue | 1959
42 | The Strokes | Is This It | 2001
43 | U2 | The Joshua Tree | 1987
44 | Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly | 2015
45 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Are You Experienced | 1967
46 | Simon & Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water | 1970
47 | LCD Soundsystem | Sound of Silver | 2007
48 | My Bloody Valentine | Loveless | 1991
49 | The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main St. | 1972
50 | The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses | 1989
51 | Oasis | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | 1995
52 | The Doors | The Doors | 1967
53 | Kate Bush | Hounds of Love | 1985
54 | The Zombies | Odessey and Oracle | 1968
55 | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here | 1975
56 | Van Morrison | Astral Weeks | 1968
57 | The Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet | 1968
58 | Bob Dylan | Bringing It All Back Home | 1965
59 | Neil Young | After the Gold Rush | 1970
60 | David Bowie | Low | 1977
61 | Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | 2002
62 | Neutral Milk Hotel | In the Aeroplane Over the Sea | 1998
63 | Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | 1988
64 | Patti Smith | Horses | 1975
65 | The Velvet Underground | The Velvet Underground | 1969
66 | Leonard Cohen | Songs of Leonard Cohen | 1967
67 | Prince | Sign o' the Times | 1987
68 | Björk | Homogenic | 1997
69 | Bruce Springsteen | Born in the U.S.A. | 1984
70 | John Coltrane | A Love Supreme | 1965
71 | Tom Waits | Rain Dogs | 1985
72 | R.E.M. | Murmur | 1983
73 | Pearl Jam | Ten | 1991
74 | Joni Mitchell | Blue | 1971
75 | The Cure | Disintegration | 1989
76 | The White Stripes | Elephant | 2003
77 | Björk | Post | 1995
78 | Kendrick Lamar | good kid, m.A.A.d. city | 2012
79 | David Bowie | ★ [Blackstar] | 2016
80 | Jeff Buckley | Grace | 1994
81 | Joy Division | Closer | 1980
82 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Cosmo's Factory | 1970
83 | Sigur Rós | Ágætis Byrjun | 1999
84 | Sonic Youth | Daydream Nation | 1988
85 | Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1978
86 | Paul Simon | Graceland | 1986
87 | Nirvana | In Utero | 1993
88 | Elvis Costello | This Year's Model | 1978
89 | The Beatles | Magical Mystery Tour | 1967
90 | Weezer | Weezer [Blue Album] | 1994
91 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Electric Ladyland | 1968
92 | U2 | Achtung Baby | 1991
93 | Joy Division | Unknown Pleasures | 1979
94 | Lou Reed | Transformer | 1972
95 | King Crimson | In the Court of the Crimson King | 1969
96 | Belle and Sebastian | If You're Feeling Sinister | 1996
97 | Pixies | Surfer Rosa | 1988
98 | Bob Dylan | The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan | 1963
99 | Beck | Odelay | 1996
100 | Arcade Fire | The Suburbs | 2010
101 | Van Morrison | Moondance | 1970
102 | The Kinks | The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society | 1968
103 | Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols | 1977
104 | Nick Drake | Pink Moon | 1972
105 | Smashing Pumpkins | Siamese Dream | 1993
106 | Interpol | Turn On the Bright Lights | 2002
107 | DJ Shadow | Endtroducing….. | 1996
108 | Brian Eno | Another Green World | 1975
109 | The Flaming Lips | The Soft Bulletin | 1999
110 | Guns n' Roses | Appetite For Destruction | 1987
111 | The White Stripes | White Blood Cells | 2001
112 | Blondie | Parallel Lines | 1978
113 | Black Sabbath | Paranoid | 1970
114 | Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001
115 | Neil Young with Crazy Horse | Everybody Knows This is Nowhere | 1969
116 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Exodus | 1977
117 | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 1993
118 | Aretha Franklin | I Never Loved a Man The Way I Love You | 1967
119 | Depeche Mode | Violator | 1990
120 | Charles Mingus | The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady | 1963
121 | Sufjan Stevens | Carrie & Lowell | 2015
122 | David Bowie | Station to Station | 1976
123 | Lauryn Hill | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | 1998
124 | Pulp | Different Class | 1995
125 | Kanye West | The College Dropout | 2004
126 | The Beatles | Help! | 1965
127 | Janelle Monáe | The ArchAndroid | 2010
128 | Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 1973
129 | Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | 2006
130 | The National | High Violet | 2010
131 | Frank Ocean | Channel Orange | 2012
132 | Blur | Parklife | 1994
133 | A Tribe Called Quest | The Low End Theory | 1991
134 | Oasis | Definitely Maybe | 1994
135 | Curtis Mayfield | Superfly | 1972
136 | Vampire Weekend | Modern Vampires of the City | 2013
137 | The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots | 2002
138 | Tom Waits | Swordfishtrombones | 1983
139 | Daft Punk | Random Access Memories | 2013
140 | PJ Harvey | To Bring You My Love | 1995
141 | The Beatles | A Hard Day's Night | 1964
142 | Björk | Debut | 1993
143 | Aretha Franklin | Lady Soul | 1968
144 | OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
145 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin II | 1969
146 | Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska | 1982
147 | Nas | Illmatic | 1994
148 | Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique | 1989
149 | Fleet Foxes | Fleet Foxes | 2008
150 | The Stooges | Fun House | 1970
151 | Ramones | Ramones | 1976
152 | Kraftwerk | Trans Europa Express | 1977
153 | PJ Harvey | Let England Shake | 2011
154 | Franz Ferdinand | Franz Ferdinand | 2004
155 | Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
156 | The Clash | The Clash | 1977
157 | Elliott Smith | Either / Or | 1997
158 | Nick Drake | Five Leaves Left | 1969
159 | LCD Soundsystem | This Is Happening | 2010
160 | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall | 1979
161 | The Replacements | Let It Be | 1984
162 | Spiritualized | Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | 1997
163 | Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend | 2008
164 | Wire | Pink Flag | 1977
165 | Prince and The Revolution | 1999 | 1982
166 | John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band | John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band | 1970
167 | Kraftwerk | Die Mensch-Maschine | 1978
168 | Carole King | Tapestry | 1971
169 | Led Zeppelin | Physical Graffiti | 1975
170 | The Avalanches | Since I Left You | 2000
171 | The National | Boxer | 2007
172 | Godspeed You! Black Emperor! | Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven! | 2000
173 | Nirvana | MTV Unplugged in New York | 1994
174 | Beach House | Teen Dream | 2010
175 | Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not | 2006
176 | Neil Young | Harvest | 1972
177 | Green Day | American Idiot | 2004
178 | Queen | A Night at the Opera | 1975
179 | Portishead | Third | 2008
180 | Mercury Rev | Deserter's Songs | 1998
181 | Air | Moon Safari | 1998
182 | Arcade Fire | Neon Bible | 2007
183 | The Smiths | The Smiths | 1984
184 | The Magnetic Fields | 69 Love Songs | 1999
185 | The Jesus and Mary Chain | Psychocandy | 1985
186 | Talking Heads | Fear of Music | 1979
187 | Massive Attack | Mezzanine | 1998
188 | Otis Redding | Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul | 1965
189 | Björk | Vespertine | 2001
190 | Neil Young & Crazy Horse | Rust Never Sleeps | 1979
191 | The Knife | Silent Shout | 2006
192 | R.E.M. | Out of Time | 1991
193 | Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000
194 | Pavement | Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain | 1994
195 | Lou Reed | Berlin | 1973
196 | Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavilion | 2009
197 | Pavement | Slanted and Enchanted | 1992
198 | Beyoncé | Lemonade | 2016
199 | Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago | 2007
200 | Kanye West | Late Registration | 2005
201 | Gang of Four | Entertainment! | 1979
202 | Pink Floyd | The Wall | 1979
203 | Talk Talk | Spirit of Eden | 1988
204 | Elvis Costello | My Aim is True | 1977
205 | Queens of the Stone Age | Songs for the Deaf | 2002
206 | PJ Harvey | Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea | 2000
207 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin | 1969
208 | Soundgarden | Superunknown | 1994
209 | Serge Gainsbourg | Histoire de Melody Nelson | 1971
210 | OutKast | Speakerboxxx / The Love Below | 2003
211 | Primal Scream | Screamadelica | 1991
212 | Metallica | Master of Puppets | 1986
213 | Massive Attack | Blue Lines | 1991
214 | The Velvet Underground | White Light/White Heat | 1968
215 | The Band | Music from Big Pink | 1968
216 | TV on the Radio | Dear Science | 2008
217 | Funkadelic | Maggot Brain | 1971
218 | Can | Tago Mago | 1971
219 | Simon & Garfunkel | Bookends | 1968
220 | David Bowie | Aladdin Sane | 1973
221 | Green Day | Dookie | 1994
222 | Stevie Wonder | Talking Book | 1972
223 | Nick Drake | Bryter Layter | 1971
224 | Miles Davis | Bitches Brew | 1970
225 | Sly & The Family Stone | There's a Riot Goin' On | 1971
226 | Sly & The Family Stone | Stand! | 1969
227 | The Kinks | Something Else by The Kinks | 1967
228 | Sleater-Kinney | The Woods | 2005
229 | King Crimson | Red | 1974
230 | Roxy Music | For Your Pleasure | 1973
231 | Leonard Cohen | Songs Of Love and Hate | 1971
232 | The Velvet Underground | Loaded | 1970
233 | U2 | War | 1983
234 | Lana Del Rey | Norman Fucking Rockwell! | 2019
235 | Elliott Smith | XO | 1998
236 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 1991
237 | R.E.M. | Document | 1987
238 | Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band | Trout Mask Replica | 1969
239 | Fiona Apple | Fetch the Bolt Cutters | 2020
240 | The Band | The Band | 1969
241 | Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges | Clube da Esquina | 1972
242 | Radiohead | Amnesiac | 2001
243 | The xx | xx | 2009
244 | AC/DC | Back in Black | 1980
245 | Public Enemy | Fear of a Black Planet | 1990
246 | Gorillaz | Demon Days | 2005
247 | Weezer | Pinkerton | 1996
248 | Steely Dan | Aja | 1977
249 | David Bowie | "Heroes" | 1977
250 | Fela Anikulapo Kuti and Afrika 70 | Zombie | 1977
251 | Robert Wyatt | Rock Bottom | 1974
252 | Grimes | Art Angels | 2015
253 | Joanna Newsom | Ys | 2006
254 | Bruce Springsteen | The River | 1980
255 | De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | 1989
256 | Madonna | Like a Prayer | 1989
257 | Wilco | Summerteeth | 1999
258 | Slint | Spiderland | 1991
259 | The Beatles | Let It Be | 1970
260 | Miles Davis | In a Silent Way | 1969
261 | Boards of Canada | Music Has the Right to Children | 1998
262 | Led Zeppelin | Houses of the Holy | 1973
263 | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman | 1988
264 | Frank Sinatra | In the Wee Small Hours | 1955
265 | Frank Ocean | Blonde | 2016
266 | Neil Young | On the Beach | 1974
267 | The Smashing Pumpkins | Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness | 1995
268 | Johnny Cash | At Folsom Prison | 1968
269 | Sigur Rós | ( ) | 2002
270 | Rage Against the Machine | Rage Against the Machine | 1992
271 | Iggy and The Stooges | Raw Power | 1973
272 | Cyndi Lauper | She's So Unusual | 1983
273 | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Déjà Vu | 1970
274 | Beastie Boys | Licensed to Ill | 1986
275 | Michael Jackson | Bad | 1987
276 | Burial | Untrue | 2007
277 | Cocteau Twins | Treasure | 1984
278 | Hüsker Dü | Zen Arcade | 1984
279 | Billy Joel | The Stranger | 1977
280 | Santana | Abraxas | 1970
281 | The Verve | Urban Hymns | 1997
282 | Violent Femmes | Violent Femmes | 1983
283 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Axis: Bold as Love | 1967
284 | Fiona Apple | The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do | 2012
285 | The Smiths | Hatful of Hollow | 1984
286 | Tori Amos | Little Earthquakes | 1992
287 | Derek and the Dominos | Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs | 1970
288 | Various Artists | Saturday Night Fever | 1977
289 | Nine Inch Nails | The Downward Spiral | 1994
290 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Ready to Die | 1994
291 | R.E.M. | Reckoning | 1984
292 | John Lennon | Imagine | 1971
293 | Herbie Hancock | Head Hunters | 1973
294 | R.E.M. | Lifes Rich Pageant | 1986
295 | Moby | Play | 1999
296 | The Cure | Seventeen Seconds | 1980
297 | Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool | 2016
298 | Beck | Sea Change | 2002
299 | OutKast | Aquemini | 1998
300 | Swans | The Seer | 2012
301 | Lorde | Melodrama | 2017
302 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Willy and the Poor Boys | 1969
303 | Wire | Chairs Missing | 1978
304 | N.W.A. | Straight Outta Compton | 1988
305 | Dusty Springfield | Dusty in Memphis | 1969
306 | Paul McCartney and Wings | Band on the Run | 1973
307 | John Coltrane | Giant Steps | 1960
308 | The War on Drugs | Lost in the Dream | 2014
309 | The Who | Tommy | 1969
310 | Adele | 21 | 2011
311 | Buena Vista Social Club | Buena Vista Social Club | 1997
312 | Janelle Monáe | Dirty Computer | 2018
313 | John Cale | Paris 1919 | 1973
314 | Tame Impala | Currents | 2015
315 | James Brown | 'Live' at the Apollo | 1963
316 | The Rolling Stones | Aftermath | 1966
317 | TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain | 2006
318 | T. Rex | Electric Warrior | 1971
319 | Deerhunter | Halcyon Digest | 2010
320 | Devo | Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! | 1978
321 | Jay-Z | The Blueprint | 2001
322 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Natty Dread | 1974
323 | The Cure | Pornography | 1982
324 | Swans | To Be Kind | 2014
325 | XTC | Skylarking | 1986
326 | Pink Floyd | The Piper At The Gates of Dawn | 1967
327 | Radiohead | Hail to the Thief | 2003
328 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Catch a Fire | 1973
329 | The Smiths | Strangeways, Here We Come | 1987
330 | Sleater-Kinney | One Beat | 2002
331 | Built to Spill | Perfect From Now On | 1997
332 | Brian Eno | Here Come the Warm Jets | 1973
333 | Can | Future Days | 1973
334 | New Order | Power, Corruption & Lies | 1983
335 | Kraftwerk | Computerwelt | 1981
336 | Stan Getz & João Gilberto | Getz/Gilberto [featuring Antônio Carlos Jobim] | 1964
337 | Coldplay | Parachutes | 2000
338 | Daft Punk | Homework | 1997
339 | Pere Ubu | The Modern Dance | 1978
340 | Ramones | Rocket to Russia | 1977
341 | Pink Floyd | Meddle | 1971
342 | Brian Eno | Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) | 1974
343 | The Modern Lovers | The Modern Lovers | 1976
344 | St. Vincent | Masseduction | 2017
345 | Os Mutantes | Os Mutantes | 1968
346 | Joni Mitchell | Court and Spark | 1974
347 | Stereolab | Emperor Tomato Ketchup | 1996
348 | Bob Dylan | Desire | 1976
349 | The Who | Quadrophenia | 1973
350 | Sleater-Kinney | Dig Me Out | 1997
351 | The Doors | L.A. Woman | 1971
352 | The Police | Synchronicity | 1983
353 | St. Vincent | St. Vincent | 2014
354 | Neil Young | Tonight's the Night | 1975
355 | The Cure | The Head on The Door | 1985
356 | Peter Gabriel | So | 1986
357 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Green River | 1969
358 | George Harrison | All Things Must Pass | 1970
359 | Steve Reich | Music for 18 Musicians | 1978
360 | Run the Jewels | Run the Jewels 2 | 2014
361 | Tears for Fears | Songs From the Big Chair | 1985
362 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus | 2004
363 | Bon Iver | Bon Iver, Bon Iver | 2011
364 | The Beach Boys | Surf's Up | 1971
365 | The Dave Brubeck Quartet | Time Out | 1959
366 | Kate Bush | The Dreaming | 1982
367 | The Shins | Chutes Too Narrow | 2003
368 | The Black Keys | El Camino | 2011
369 | Eagles | Hotel California | 1976
370 | Brian Eno | Before and After Science | 1977
371 | Little Richard | Here's Little Richard | 1957
372 | The Kinks | Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire | 1969
373 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | Skeleton Tree | 2016
374 | New Order | Technique | 1989
375 | Novos Baianos | Acabou chorare | 1972
376 | PJ Harvey | Dry | 1992
377 | David Bowie | Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) | 1980
378 | Yo La Tengo | I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One | 1997
379 | Madvillain | Madvillainy | 2004
380 | Steely Dan | Pretzel Logic | 1974
381 | Liz Phair | Exile in Guyville | 1993
382 | Marvin Gaye | Let's Get It On | 1973
383 | Talking Heads | Speaking in Tongues | 1983
384 | Curtis Mayfield | Curtis | 1970
385 | Tricky | Maxinquaye | 1995
386 | MGMT | Oracular Spectacular | 2007
387 | Jefferson Airplane | Surrealistic Pillow | 1967
388 | The Pogues | Rum, Sodomy & the Lash | 1985
389 | Big Star | #1 Record | 1972
390 | Bob Dylan | The Times They Are A-Changin' | 1964
391 | Pretenders | Pretenders | 1980
392 | Talk Talk | Laughing Stock | 1991
393 | Pink Floyd | Animals | 1977
394 | Bloc Party | Silent Alarm | 2005
395 | Parliament | Mothership Connection | 1975
396 | Metallica | Metallica ["The Black Album"] | 1991
397 | Weyes Blood | Titanic Rising | 2019
398 | The Byrds | Mr. Tambourine Man | 1965
399 | Aphex Twin | Selected Ambient Works 85-92 | 1992
400 | Funkadelic | One Nation Under a Groove | 1978
401 | Iggy Pop | Lust for Life | 1977
402 | Yes | Close to the Edge | 1972
403 | Fleetwood Mac | Fleetwood Mac | 1975
404 | Talking Heads | More Songs About Buildings and Food | 1978
405 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Armed Forces | 1979
406 | M.I.A. | Kala | 2007
407 | Black Sabbath | Black Sabbath | 1970
408 | LCD Soundsystem | LCD Soundsystem | 2005
409 | Bright Eyes | I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning | 2005
410 | Scott Walker | Scott 4 | 1969
411 | Antony and The Johnsons | I Am a Bird Now | 2005
412 | The Killers | Hot Fuss | 2004
413 | The Cars | The Cars | 1978
414 | Kate Bush | The Kick Inside | 1978
415 | Fleet Foxes | Helplessness Blues | 2011
416 | Boredoms | Vision Creation Newsun | 1999
417 | Minutemen | Double Nickels on the Dime | 1984
418 | Modest Mouse | The Moon & Antarctica | 2000
419 | Fiona Apple | Tidal | 1996
420 | Beach House | Bloom | 2012
421 | Tame Impala | Lonerism | 2012
422 | Kanye West | Yeezus | 2013
423 | Muse | Absolution | 2003
424 | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill | 1995
425 | Blur | 13 | 1999
426 | Iron Maiden | The Number of the Beast | 1982
427 | The Replacements | Tim | 1985
428 | Eric B. & Rakim | Paid In Full | 1987
429 | Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | 2017
430 | Big Brother and The Holding Company | Cheap Thrills | 1968
431 | Isaac Hayes | Hot Buttered Soul | 1969
432 | The B-52's | The B-52's | 1979
433 | The Beach Boys | The SMiLE Sessions | 2011
434 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Fever to Tell | 2003
435 | Julia Holter | Have You in My Wilderness | 2015
436 | Parquet Courts | Wide Awake! | 2018
437 | Muse | Black Holes and Revelations | 2006
438 | Sonic Youth | Sister | 1987
439 | Neu! | Neu! '75 | 1975
440 | Ride | Nowhere | 1990
441 | R.E.M. | Green | 1988
442 | Jorge Ben | A Tábua de Esmeralda | 1974
443 | Pixies | Bossanova | 1990
444 | The Streets | Original Pirate Material | 2002
445 | Chico Buarque | Construção | 1971
446 | D'Angelo and The Vanguard | Black Messiah | 2014
447 | Fiona Apple | When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'fore He Enters the Ring There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land and If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right | 1999
448 | Arctic Monkeys | AM | 2013
449 | Joanna Newsom | Have One on Me | 2010
450 | New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1973
451 | Elvis Presley | Elvis Presley | 1956
452 | Keith Jarrett | The Köln Concert | 1975
453 | Bruce Springsteen | The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle | 1973
454 | The Postal Service | Give Up | 2003
455 | Cream | Disraeli Gears | 1967
456 | Spoon | Kill the Moonlight | 2002
457 | GZA/Genius | Liquid Swords | 1995
458 | Elvis Presley | From Elvis in Memphis | 1969
459 | Modest Mouse | The Lonesome Crowded West | 1997
460 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Californication | 1999
461 | Can | Ege bamyasi | 1972
462 | Julia Holter | Loud City Song | 2013
463 | Arcade Fire | Reflektor | 2013
464 | FKA Twigs | Magdalene | 2019
465 | Ennio Morricone | Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo | 1966
466 | Sharon Van Etten | Are We There | 2014
467 | Simon & Garfunkel | Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme | 1966
468 | The Chameleons | Script of the Bridge | 1983
469 | Sonic Youth | Goo | 1990
470 | Blur | Blur | 1997
471 | Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix | 2009
472 | Sun Kil Moon | Benji | 2014
473 | Dr. Dre | The Chronic | 1992
474 | John Coltrane | My Favorite Things | 1961
475 | Black Sabbath | Black Sabbath Vol. 4 | 1972
476 | Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest | 2009
477 | Todd Rundgren | Something/Anything? | 1972
478 | Deep Purple | Machine Head | 1972
479 | Big Star | Radio City | 1974
480 | Prince and The Revolution | Parade | 1986
481 | R.E.M. | Chronic Town EP | 1982
482 | Ray Charles | Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music | 1962
483 | Arvo Pärt | Tabula Rasa | 1984
484 | George Michael | Faith | 1987
485 | The Feelies | Crazy Rhythms | 1980
486 | Slowdive | Souvlaki | 1993
487 | LCD Soundsystem | American Dream | 2017
488 | Steely Dan | Can't Buy a Thrill | 1972
489 | Gorillaz | Plastic Beach | 2010
490 | J Dilla | Donuts | 2006
491 | Tom Petty | Full Moon Fever | 1989
492 | Big Star | 3rd | 1978
493 | The National | Trouble Will Find Me | 2013
494 | Sufjan Stevens | The Age of Adz | 2010
495 | Cocteau Twins | Heaven or Las Vegas | 1990
496 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Imperial Bedroom | 1982
497 | Vampire Weekend | Contra | 2010
498 | Eels | Beautiful Freak | 1996
499 | Robyn | Body Talk | 2010
500 | Roxy Music | Roxy Music | 1972
501 | Exuma | Exuma | 1970
502 | Michael Jackson | Dangerous | 1991
503 | The Beatles | With the Beatles | 1963
504 | The Doors | Strange Days | 1967
505 | Tortoise | Millions Now Living Will Never Die | 1996
506 | Fela Ransome Kuti & Africa 70 | Expensive Shit | 1975
507 | Godspeed You! Black Emperor | F♯A♯∞ | 1997
508 | The Roots | Things Fall Apart | 1999
509 | Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band | Safe as Milk | 1967
510 | Dire Straits | Brothers in Arms | 1985
511 | Simon & Garfunkel | Sounds of Silence | 1966
512 | Prince | Dirty Mind | 1980
513 | Nina Simone | Pastel Blues | 1965
514 | Rod Stewart | Every Picture Tells a Story | 1971
515 | Beck | Mutations | 1998
516 | Elvis Costello & The Attractions | Get Happy!! | 1980
517 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | The Boatman's Call | 1997
518 | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds | No More Shall We Part | 2001
519 | Pharoah Sanders | Karma | 1969
520 | Hole | Live Through This | 1994
521 | Various Artists | The Harder They Come | 1972
522 | Miles Davis | Sketches of Spain | 1960
523 | Echo & The Bunnymen | Ocean Rain | 1984
524 | This Heat | Deceit | 1981
525 | Belle and Sebastian | The Life Pursuit | 2006
526 | Bob Marley and The Wailers | Live! | 1975
527 | Al Green | Call Me | 1973
528 | Black Sabbath | Master of Reality | 1971
529 | Charles Mingus | Mingus Ah Um | 1959
530 | Nirvana | Bleach | 1989
531 | ABBA | Arrival | 1976
532 | Janis Joplin | Pearl | 1971
533 | The United States of America | The United States of America | 1968
534 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin III | 1970
535 | The Congos | Heart of The Congos | 1977
536 | Rodriguez | Cold Fact | 1970
537 | Mogwai | Mogwai Young Team | 1997
538 | The War on Drugs | A Deeper Understanding | 2017
539 | Sigur Rós | Takk... | 2005
540 | Tom Waits | Bad As Me | 2011
541 | The Wailers | Burnin' | 1973
542 | Jorge Ben | África Brasil | 1976
543 | Tom Waits | Bone Machine | 1992
544 | Dizzee Rascal | Boy in da Corner | 2003
545 | Supertramp | Breakfast in America | 1979
546 | Ornette Coleman | The Shape of Jazz to Come | 1959
547 | The Chemical Brothers | Dig Your Own Hole | 1997
548 | Depeche Mode | Music for the Masses | 1987
549 | Gil Scott-Heron | Pieces of a Man | 1971
550 | Bob Dylan | Nashville Skyline | 1969
551 | Bob Dylan | John Wesley Harding | 1967
552 | The Streets | A Grand Don't Come for Free | 2004
553 | Boston | Boston | 1976
554 | James Brown | Sex Machine | 1970
555 | The Millennium | Begin | 1968
556 | Genesis | The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway | 1974
557 | Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers | Damn the Torpedoes | 1979
558 | Go-Go's | Beauty and the Beat | 1981
559 | A Tribe Called Quest | Midnight Marauders | 1993
560 | Lana Del Rey | Ultraviolence | 2014
561 | The Go! Team | Thunder, Lightning, Strike | 2004
562 | Purple Mountains | Purple Mountains | 2019
563 | Madonna | Madonna | 1983
564 | The Smiths | Meat Is Murder | 1985
565 | Prodigy | The Fat of the Land | 1997
566 | My Bloody Valentine | Isn't Anything | 1988
567 | Courtney Barnett | Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit | 2015
568 | Joni Mitchell | Hejira | 1976
569 | The Stooges | The Stooges | 1969
570 | Dead Kennedys | Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables | 1980
571 | X-Ray Spex | Germfree Adolescents | 1978
572 | M.I.A. | Arular | 2005
573 | Johnny Cash | American Recordings | 1994
574 | Kanye West | 808s & Heartbreak | 2008
575 | Cat Stevens | Tea for the Tillerman | 1970
576 | Lana Del Rey | Born to Die | 2012
577 | A Tribe Called Quest | We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service | 2016
578 | New Order | Low-Life | 1985
579 | The Jam | Sound Affects | 1980
580 | Yes | Fragile | 1971
581 | The Beta Band | The Three E.P.'s | 1998
582 | Primal Scream | XTRMNTR | 2000
583 | Young Marble Giants | Colossal Youth | 1980
584 | The Boo Radleys | Giant Steps | 1993
585 | Grace Jones | Nightclubbing | 1981
586 | Fever Ray | Fever Ray | 2009
587 | Alice in Chains | Dirt | 1992
588 | Swans | Soundtracks for the Blind | 1996
589 | D'Angelo | Voodoo | 2000
590 | Mitski | Be the Cowboy | 2018
591 | The Jam | All Mod Cons | 1978
592 | Pet Shop Boys | Actually | 1987
593 | The Decemberists | The Crane Wife | 2006
594 | Bob Dylan | Time Out of Mind | 1997
595 | X | Los Angeles | 1980
596 | Suicide | Suicide | 1977
597 | Grateful Dead | American Beauty | 1970
598 | Rush | Moving Pictures | 1981
599 | Duran Duran | Rio | 1982
600 | Garbage | Garbage | 1995
601 | The Who | The Who Sell Out | 1967
602 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | 2018
603 | Manic Street Preachers | Everything Must Go | 1996
604 | Built to Spill | Keep It Like a Secret | 1999
605 | James Blake | James Blake | 2011
606 | The Libertines | Up The Bracket | 2002
607 | Madonna | Ray of Light | 1998
608 | Willie Colón & Rubén Blades | Siembra | 1978
609 | Talking Heads | Talking Heads: 77 | 1977
610 | Queens of the Stone Age | Rated R | 2000
611 | Sonic Youth | Dirty | 1992
612 | Muse | Origin of Symmetry | 2001
613 | The Police | Reggatta de Blanc | 1979
614 | The Byrds | Sweetheart of the Rodeo | 1968
615 | Grandaddy | The Sophtware Slump | 2000
616 | The Who | My Generation | 1965
617 | Grimes | Visions | 2012
618 | Gram Parsons | Grievous Angel | 1974
619 | Japandroids | Celebration Rock | 2012
620 | Burial | Kindred EP | 2012
621 | Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | I See a Darkness | 1999
622 | The Notwist | Neon Golden | 2002
623 | Jay-Z | The Black Album | 2003
624 | Interpol | Antics | 2004
625 | The Rolling Stones | Some Girls | 1978
626 | Pulp | This Is Hardcore | 1998
627 | Bob Dylan & The Band | The Basement Tapes | 1975
628 | Wipers | Youth of America | 1981
629 | PJ Harvey | Rid of Me | 1993
630 | Frank Zappa | Hot Rats | 1969
631 | The Human League | Dare! | 1981
632 | The Fall | This Nation's Saving Grace | 1985
633 | Erykah Badu | Baduizm | 1997
634 | Hüsker Dü | New Day Rising | 1985
635 | Pixies | Trompe le Monde | 1991
636 | Jacques Brel | Olympia 64 | 1964
637 | Modest Mouse | Good News for People Who Love Bad News | 2004
638 | Joni Mitchell | The Hissing Of Summer Lawns | 1975
639 | Father John Misty | I Love You, Honeybear | 2015
640 | Low | Things We Lost in the Fire | 2001
641 | My Morning Jacket | Z | 2005
642 | The Crickets | The "Chirping” Crickets | 1957
643 | Tindersticks | Tindersticks | 1993
644 | David Bowie | The Man Who Sold the World | 1970
645 | Foo Fighters | The Colour and the Shape | 1997
646 | Wire | 154 | 1979
647 | Coldplay | Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends | 2008
648 | Pet Shop Boys | Behaviour | 1990
649 | The Sound | Jeopardy | 1980
650 | St. Vincent | Strange Mercy | 2011
651 | Nina Simone | Little Girl Blue | 1959
652 | Car Seat Headrest | Teens of Denial | 2016
653 | Belle and Sebastian | Tigermilk | 1996
654 | Dexys Midnight Runners | Searching for the Young Soul Rebels | 1980
655 | Guided by Voices | Bee Thousand | 1994
656 | Jamie xx | In Colour | 2015
657 | System of a Down | Toxicity  | 2001
658 | M83 | Hurry Up, We're Dreaming | 2011
659 | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds | Ghosteen | 2019
660 | Lou Reed | New York | 1989
661 | Aphex Twin | Selected Ambient Works Volume II | 1994
662 | Mount Eerie | A Crow Looked at Me | 2017
663 | David Bowie | Diamond Dogs | 1974
664 | Idles | Joy as an Act of Resistance. | 2018
665 | Lucinda Williams | Car Wheels on a Gravel Road | 1998
666 | The Beatles | Please Please Me | 1963
667 | Yes | The Yes Album | 1971
668 | R.E.M. | New Adventures in Hi-Fi | 1996
669 | FKA twigs | LP1 | 2014
670 | The xx | I See You | 2017
671 | The The | Soul Mining | 1983
672 | Justin Timberlake | FutureSex/LoveSounds | 2006
673 | Pearl Jam | Vs. | 1993
674 | Death Grips | The Money Store | 2012
675 | Pearl Jam | Vitalogy | 1994
676 | The Allman Brothers Band | At Fillmore East | 1971
677 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | It's Blitz! | 2009
678 | Philip Glass | Glassworks | 1982
679 | Elliott Smith | From a Basement on the Hill | 2004
680 | Annie | Anniemal | 2004
681 | The La's | The La's | 1990
682 | Various Artists | A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records | 1963
683 | Bob Dylan | "Love and Theft" | 2001
684 | Prefab Sprout | Steve McQueen | 1985
685 | Vince Guaraldi | A Charlie Brown Christmas | 1965
686 | The Supremes | Where Did Our Love Go | 1964
687 | Van Halen | Van Halen | 1978
688 | Run-D.M.C. | Raising Hell | 1986
689 | Leonard Cohen | I'm Your Man | 1988
690 | Haim | Days Are Gone | 2013
691 | Aerosmith | Rocks | 1976
692 | Beastie Boys | Ill Communication | 1994
693 | Billie Eilish | When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? | 2019
694 | Laura Marling | Once I Was an Eagle | 2013
695 | Cowboy Junkies | The Trinity Session | 1988
696 | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds | Let Love In | 1994
697 | Big Boi | Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty | 2010
698 | Paul & Linda McCartney | Ram | 1971
699 | Magazine | Real Life | 1978
700 | David Bowie | Young Americans | 1975
701 | Blink-182 | Enema of the State | 1999
702 | Portishead | Portishead | 1997
703 | The Decemberists | Picaresque | 2005
704 | Gene Clark | No Other | 1974
705 | Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds | Tender Prey | 1988
706 | Kyuss | Kyuss [Welcome to Sky Valley] | 1994
707 | The Beach Boys | Sunflower | 1970
708 | A Tribe Called Quest | People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm | 1990
709 | Boards of Canada | Geogaddi | 2002
710 | Destroyer | Kaputt | 2011
711 | Roxy Music | Avalon | 1982
712 | Pavement | Wowee Zowee | 1995
713 | Lou Reed & John Cale | Songs for Drella | 1990
714 | Suede | Dog Man Star | 1994
715 | Randy Newman | Sail Away | 1972
716 | Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca | 2009
717 | Janet Jackson | Rhythm Nation 1814 | 1989
718 | Nine Inch Nails | Pretty Hate Machine | 1989
719 | The National | Alligator | 2005
720 | Yo La Tengo | And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out | 2000
721 | Buzzcocks | Another Music In A Different Kitchen | 1978
722 | Richard & Linda Thompson | Shoot Out the Lights | 1982
723 | Blur | Modern Life Is Rubbish | 1993
724 | Philip Glass | Koyaanisqatsi | 1983
725 | Brian Wilson | SMiLE | 2004
726 | The Byrds | Younger Than Yesterday | 1968
727 | Paul Simon | Paul Simon | 1972
728 | Neu! | Neu! | 1972
729 | Gorillaz | Gorillaz  | 2001
730 | Swans | Children of God | 1987
731 | Roxy Music | Country Life | 1974
732 | Run the Jewels | Run the Jewels 3 | 2016
733 | Fatboy Slim | You've Come a Long Way, Baby | 1998
734 | Galaxie 500 | On Fire | 1989
735 | The Hold Steady | Boys and Girls in America | 2006
736 | Chet Baker | Chet Baker Sings | 1954
737 | Tom Waits | Closing Time | 1973
738 | Disco Inferno | D. I. Go Pop | 1994
739 | The Jacksons | Destiny | 1978
740 | Bon Iver | 22, A Million | 2016
741 | Fishmans | Long Season | 1996
742 | Elastica | Elastica | 1995
743 | Fugazi | Repeater | 1990
744 | Four Tet | Rounds | 2003
745 | PJ Harvey | Is This Desire? | 1998
746 | Journey | Escape | 1981
747 | Sparks | Kimono My House | 1974
748 | U2 | The Unforgettable Fire | 1984
749 | The Black Keys | Brothers | 2010
750 | Low | I Could Live in Hope | 1994
751 | Beastie Boys | Check Your Head | 1992
752 | Linkin Park | Hybrid Theory | 2000
753 | Peter Gabriel | Peter Gabriel | 1980
754 | Broken Social Scene | You Forgot It in People | 2002
755 | The Ronettes | Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica | 1964
756 | Belle and Sebastian | The Boy With the Arab Strap | 1998
757 | Lorde | Pure Heroine | 2013
758 | The Gun Club | Fire Of Love | 1981
759 | Flying Lotus | Cosmogramma | 2010
760 | The Strokes | Room on Fire | 2003
761 | Etta James | At Last!  | 1960
762 | Super Furry Animals | Rings Around the World | 2001
763 | Slowdive | Slowdive | 2017
764 | Meat Puppets | Meat Puppets II | 1984
765 | At the Drive-In | Relationship of Command | 2000
766 | Thelonious Monk | Brilliant Corners | 1957
767 | Eric Dolphy | Out to Lunch! | 1964
768 | Toots & The Maytals | Funky Kingston | 1973
769 | Meat Loaf | Bat out of Hell | 1977
770 | Linkin Park | Meteora | 2003
771 | David Bowie | Let's Dance | 1983
772 | Johnny Cash | American IV: The Man Comes Around | 2002
773 | Iggy Pop | The Idiot | 1977
774 | The Wrens | The Meadowlands | 2003
775 | Metallica | Ride the Lightning | 1984
776 | Depeche Mode | Black Celebration | 1986
777 | The Police | Outlandos D'Amour | 1978
778 | Gnarls Barkley | St. Elsewhere | 2006
779 | Small Faces | Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake | 1968
780 | The Moody Blues | Days of Future Passed | 1967
781 | Crosby, Stills and Nash | Crosby, Stills and Nash | 1969
782 | Moondog | Moondog | 1969
783 | R.E.M. | Fables of the Reconstruction | 1985
784 | Nina Simone | Wild Is the Wind | 1966
785 | David Bowie | The Next Day | 2013
786 | Genesis | Selling England by the Pound | 1973
787 | Wilco | Being There | 1996
788 | Buffalo Springfield | Buffalo Springfield Again | 1967
789 | Pretenders | Learning to Crawl | 1984
790 | Morrissey | You Are the Quarry | 2004
791 | John Coltrane | Ascension | 1966
792 | Donna Summer | Bad Girls | 1979
793 | Deep Purple | Deep Purple in Rock | 1970
794 | Deltron 3030 | Deltron 3030 | 2000
795 | CHVRCHES | The Bones of What You Believe | 2013
796 | Tim Buckley | Starsailor | 1970
797 | Kanye West | Graduation | 2007
798 | Dua Lipa | Future Nostalgia | 2020
799 | U2 | All That You Can't Leave Behind | 2000
800 | The Jam | Setting Sons | 1979
801 | Teenage Fanclub | Bandwagonesque | 1991
802 | Danny Brown | Atrocity Exhibition | 2016
803 | Sheena Ringo | 加爾基 精液 栗ノ花 (Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana) | 2003
804 | The Byrds | The Notorious Byrd Brothers | 1968
805 | Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | The Good Son | 1990
806 | The Avalanches | Wildflower | 2016
807 | Anaïs Mitchell | Hadestown | 2010
808 | Talk Talk | The Colour of Spring | 1986
809 | Eurythmics | Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This...) | 1983
810 | The Soft Boys | Underwater Moonlight | 1980
811 | Drake | Take Care | 2011
812 | Eels | Electro-Shock Blues | 1998
813 | Arctic Monkeys | Favourite Worst Nightmare | 2007
814 | Suede | Suede | 1993
815 | Kamasi Washington | The Epic | 2015
816 | Brian Eno & David Byrne | My Life in the Bush of Ghosts | 1981
817 | Lynyrd Skynyrd | (pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd) | 1973
818 | Billie Holiday with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra | Lady in Satin  | 1958
819 | Richard & Linda Thompson | I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight | 1974
820 | Santana | Santana | 1969
821 | Jon Hopkins | Immunity | 2013
822 | Al Green | Let's Stay Together | 1972
823 | dEUS | In a Bar, Under the Sea | 1996
824 | Bruce Springsteen | Tunnel of Love | 1987
825 | The Flying Burrito Brothers | The Gilded Palace of Sin | 1969
826 | Johnny Cash | American III: Solitary Man | 2000
827 | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds | Push the Sky Away | 2013
828 | Steely Dan | Countdown To Ecstasy | 1973
829 | Big Thief | U.F.O.F. | 2019
830 | Sinéad O'Connor | I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got | 1990
831 | Sufjan Stevens | Michigan | 2003
832 | Fugees | The Score | 1996
833 | First Aid Kit | The Lion's Roar | 2012
834 | The Roots | undun | 2011
835 | The Pretty Things | S.F. Sorrow | 1968
836 | Julee Cruise | Floating Into the Night | 1989
837 | Todd Terje | It's Album Time | 2014
838 | Lykke Li | Wounded Rhymes | 2011
839 | Stereolab | Mars Audiac Quintet | 1994
840 | The Beatles | Beatles for Sale | 1964
841 | Laurie Anderson | Big Science | 1982
842 | Camarón | La leyenda del tiempo  | 1979
843 | Kae Tempest | Let Them Eat Chaos | 2016
844 | Elliott Smith | Elliott Smith | 1995
845 | Sleigh Bells | Treats | 2010
846 | Carly Rae Jepsen | E·MO·TION | 2015
847 | Slayer | Reign in Blood | 1986
848 | Explosions in the Sky | The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place | 2003
849 | Laura Marling | I Speak Because I Can | 2010
850 | Cat Power | You Are Free | 2003
851 | Kylie Minogue | Fever | 2001
852 | Panda Bear | Person Pitch | 2007
853 | Suzanne Vega | Solitude Standing | 1987
854 | The Specials | Specials | 1979
855 | SZA | Ctrl | 2017
856 | Ella Fitzgerald | Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book | 1956
857 | Stereolab | Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements | 1993
858 | Norah Jones | Come Away With Me | 2002
859 | Faust | Faust IV | 1973
860 | Julia Holter | Ekstasis | 2012
861 | Tina Turner | Private Dancer | 1984
862 | Le Mystère des voix bulgares | Le mystère des voix bulgares : volume 1  | 1975
863 | Donald Fagen | The Nightfly | 1982
864 | Jethro Tull | Aqualung | 1971
865 | Al Green | I'm Still In Love With You | 1972
866 | CHVRCHES | Every Open Eye | 2015
867 | Whitney Houston | Whitney Houston | 1985
868 | The Beach Boys | The Beach Boys Today! | 1965
869 | Phoebe Bridgers | Stranger in the Alps | 2017
870 | Carla Bley & Paul Haines | Escalator Over the Hill | 1971
871 | King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard | Nonagon Infinity | 2016
872 | Fountains of Wayne | Welcome Interstate Managers | 2003
873 | Neil Young with Crazy Horse | Zuma | 1975
874 | Pixies | Come On Pilgrim EP | 1987
875 | Soft Cell | Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret | 1981
876 | Serge Gainsbourg | Initials B. B. | 1968
877 | Justice | † | 2007
878 | Snoop Doggy Dogg | Doggystyle | 1993
879 | Low | Double Negative | 2018
880 | Eminem | The Eminem Show | 2002
881 | Joanna Newsom | Divers | 2015
882 | The Breeders | Last Splash | 1993
883 | Elliott Smith | Figure 8 | 2000
884 | Public Image Ltd. | Metal Box/Second Edition | 1979
885 | Ride | Going Blank Again | 1992
886 | Mazzy Star | So Tonight That I Might See | 1993
887 | Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga | 2007
888 | Spiritualized | Lazer Guided Melodies | 1992
889 | Mitski | Puberty 2 | 2016
890 | Frank Sinatra | Songs for Swingin' Lovers! | 1956
891 | Popol Vuh | Hosianna Mantra | 1972
892 | Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds | Murder Ballads | 1996
893 | Aztec Camera | High Land, Hard Rain | 1983
894 | Charles Mingus | Let My Children Hear Music | 1972
895 | Florence + The Machine | Lungs | 2009
896 | The Dandy Warhols | Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia | 2000
897 | The Clash | Sandinista! | 1980
898 | Vampire Weekend | Father of the Bride | 2019
899 | Motörhead | Ace of Spades | 1980
900 | Jacques Brel | Jacques Brel [Ces gens-là] | 1966
901 | Angel Olsen | MY WOMAN | 2016
902 | Ween | The Mollusk | 1997
903 | The Sound | From The Lions Mouth | 1981
904 | Alvvays | Antisocialites | 2017
905 | The Prodigy | Music for the Jilted Generation | 1994
906 | Prefab Sprout | Jordan: The Comeback | 1990
907 | The Kinks | Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround (Part One) | 1970
908 | The Sundays | Reading, Writing and Arithmetic | 1990
909 | Sixteen Horsepower | Sackcloth 'n' Ashes | 1996
910 | Blondie | Eat to the Beat | 1979
911 | Tool | Ænima | 1996
912 | Ennio Morricone | C'era una volta il West | 1968
913 | Aaliyah | Aaliyah | 2001
914 | Green Day | nimrod. | 1997
915 | Daughters | You Won't Get What You Want | 2018
916 | The White Stripes | Get Behind Me Satan | 2005
917 | George Michael | Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 | 1990
918 | Kashiwa Daisuke | Program Music I | 2007
919 | Dinosaur Jr. | You're Living All Over Me | 1987
920 | Sugar | Copper Blue | 1992
921 | The Velvet Underground | VU | 1985
922 | Yo La Tengo | Painful | 1993
923 | John Coltrane | Blue Train | 1958
924 | Kate Bush | The Sensual World | 1989
925 | Jimmy Eat World | Bleed American | 2001
926 | The Beat | I Just Can't Stop It | 1980
927 | The Weeknd | Beauty Behind the Madness | 2015
928 | Supergrass | I Should Coco | 1995
929 | The Cure | Faith | 1981
930 | Deafheaven | Sunbather | 2013
931 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Uprising | 1980
932 | Mogwai | Come On Die Young | 1999
933 | Angelo Badalamenti | Soundtrack From Twin Peaks | 1990
934 | Godspeed You! Black Emperor | 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! | 2012
935 | Prince and The Revolution | Around the World in a Day | 1985
936 | Chuck Berry | Berry Is on Top | 1959
937 | The Sonics | Here Are The Sonics!!! | 1965
938 | Missy Elliott | Miss E... So Addictive | 2001
939 | Comus | First Utterance | 1971
940 | Beach House | 7 | 2018
941 | Mano Negra | Puta's Fever | 1989
942 | Aerosmith | Toys in the Attic | 1975
943 | Killer Mike | R.A.P. Music | 2012
944 | Fever Ray | Plunge | 2017
945 | Henryk Górecki [London Sinfonietta / David Zinman / Dawn Upshaw] | Symphony No. 3 | 1992
946 | Mac DeMarco | Salad Days | 2014
947 | Black Flag | Damaged | 1981
948 | The Knife | Shaking the Habitual | 2013
949 | Neil Young + Crazy Horse | Ragged Glory | 1990
950 | Queens of The Stone Age | …Like Clockwork | 2013
951 | Au Pairs | Playing with a Different Sex | 1981
952 | Angel Olsen | All Mirrors | 2019
953 | Tool | Lateralus | 2001
954 | Nico | The Marble Index | 1968
955 | Squeeze | East Side Story | 1981
956 | Cat Power | Moon Pix | 1998
957 | Deep Purple | Made in Japan | 1972
958 | Tom Waits | Small Change | 1976
959 | Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice | Jesus Christ Superstar [Original Concept Recording] | 1970
960 | Camel | Mirage | 1974
961 | Radiohead | The King of Limbs | 2011
962 | Howlin' Wolf | Moanin' in the Moonlight | 1959
963 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | By the Way | 2002
964 | Kacey Musgraves | Same Trailer Different Park | 2013
965 | Tori Amos | Under the Pink | 1994
966 | Super Furry Animals | Radiator | 1997
967 | Leonard Cohen | You Want it Darker | 2016
968 | Tom Zé | Estudando o samba | 1976
969 | Sonic Youth | EVOL | 1986
970 | The National | Sleep Well Beast | 2017
971 | ABBA | The Album | 1977
972 | Max Roach | We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite | 1961
973 | The Microphones | The Glow Pt. 2 | 2001
974 | American Football | American Football | 1999
975 | Laura Marling | Semper femina | 2017
976 | Fugazi | The Argument | 2001
977 | Georges Brassens | 1ère série : Georges Brassens chante les chansons poétiques (...et souvent gaillardes) de... Georges Brassens | 1953
978 | INXS | Kick | 1987
979 | Joni Mitchell | Ladies of the Canyon | 1970
980 | Sonny Sharrock | Ask The Ages | 1991
981 | Bruce Springsteen | Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. | 1973
982 | Keane | Hopes and Fears | 2004
983 | Tom Waits | Mule Variations | 1999
984 | Wolf Alice | Visions of a Life | 2017
985 | X | Wild Gift | 1981
986 | The Gaslight Anthem | The '59 Sound | 2008
987 | Serge Gainsbourg | "L'homme à tête de chou" | 1976
988 | Blur | The Great Escape | 1995
989 | The Go-Betweens | 16 Lovers Lane | 1988
990 | Goldfrapp | Felt Mountain | 2000
991 | Lhasa | La Llorona | 1997
992 | Daryl Hall & John Oates | Private Eyes | 1981
993 | Howlin' Wolf | Howlin' Wolf | 1962
994 | Mitski | Bury Me at Makeout Creek | 2014
995 | Robyn | Honey | 2018
996 | dEUS | The Ideal Crash | 1999
997 | Raekwon | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... | 1995
998 | Tubeway Army | Replicas | 1979
999 | Phil Collins | No Jacket Required | 1985
1000 | The Psychedelic Furs | Talk Talk Talk | 1981

[Arsalan]

Phenomenal Rollout! Thanks a lot Holden.

Yeahhhhhhhhhh! Ok Computer is #1 again.

[Holden]

Alright, well that was certainly quite a bit of work, but well worth it! Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny this forum's love for OK Computer. I'm happy with how the rollout ended up, and I hope you all enjoyed it! See everyone back for this in three years!

[Brad]

Thanks Holden - Excellent performance!

[Live in Phoenix]

1. Radiohead | OK Computer (1997)

I'm just glad that people noticed and voted for my 183rd-favorite album

Thanks Holden!

[Listyguy]

Great rollout, great results. Thanks for all the work you put into this Holden!

[Rocky Raccoon]

Great job, Holden! Interesting results, especially the under 40 vs. over 40 splits. As far as "MVotC vs. The Wall" goes, put me in the MVotC camp with placements of 120 vs. 325. Judging by the results here, more "music freaks" ranked that album higher.

[Bang Jan]

Many thanks for the rollout Holden! Worth noting that VU&N actually received more votes than OKC did!

[Nick]

OK Computer WILL. NOT. BE. STOPPED.

Great rollout, Holden! It was a blast to follow. Thanks!!

[Jackson]

Thanks for the rollout Holden! This was fun to follow, and I prefer the results on the whole to our 2017 album poll.

It's interesting that the top 15 albums had a similar number of voters, just a significant gap in enthusiasm.