SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post Reply
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2528
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by mileswide »

A hopefully more eligible list! I'll transcribe this but, realistically speaking, I probably won't get round to doing so until Tuesday:

https://www.spin.com/featured/the-35-be ... -35-years/
All I got inside is vacancy!
luvulongTIM
Different Class
Posts: 480
Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:14 am
Location: Rowland Heights
Contact:

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by luvulongTIM »

Amazing showing for Lion and the Cobra, a favorite of mine but as much as I adore Little Earthquakes it just seems wrong to put it ahead of Hounds of Love.
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2528
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by mileswide »

They've made adventurous choices here:

35. Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love (1987)
34. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Crematorium (2003)
33. Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (1999)
32. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
31. k.d. lang - Ingénue (1992)
30. The Waterboys - This Is the Sea (1985)
29. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
28. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
27. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
26. R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (1992)
25. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica (2000)
24. OutKast - Stankonia (2000)
23. Enya - Watermark (1987)
22. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
21. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
20. John Mellencamp - The Lonesome Jubilee (1987)
19. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
18. Pearl Jam - Vs. (1993)
17. Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
16. N.W.A. - Straight outta Compton (1988)
15. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985)
14. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)
13. Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)
12. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)
11. Metallica - Metallica ('The Black Album') (1991)
10. Le mystère des voix bulgares - Le mystère des voix bulgares (1975, released in 1987 in America, hence its inclusion)
9. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)
8. Madonna - Like a Prayer (1989)
7. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
6. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)
5. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
4. Sinéad O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra (1987)
3. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)
2. Prince - Sign "☮︎" the Times (1987)
1. Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

EDIT: Added year to Like a Prayer
Last edited by mileswide on Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
All I got inside is vacancy!
Harold
Into the Groove
Posts: 2331
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:56 pm

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Harold »

mileswide wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:22 am They've made adventurous choices here:
And one very petulant one. Notice any significant artists missing here? How about someone who SPIN themselves said made the #1 album of the year no less than four times?

The fact that there are zero Kanye West albums here, given that fact, can only be seen as punishment for his recent behavior and activities. Which are appalling, yes. But this is the worst kind of bullshit revisionist history. The man may be a walking cartoon character now, but that doesn't change the music.
User avatar
Live in Phoenix
Full of Fire
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:50 am

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Live in Phoenix »

I hate to say it, since this is the kind of list that appeals to me (maybe that's the problem), but Spin is showing its age. One album from 2006 to 2020, toward the bottom. It's like they've become Rolling Stone 2.0. Yes, I like seeing Tunnel of Love, The Lonesome Jubilee, Le mystère des voix bulgares, Enya...
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2528
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by mileswide »

Harold wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:38 am The fact that there are zero Kanye West albums here, given that fact, can only be seen as punishment for his recent behavior and activities. Which are appalling, yes. But this is the worst kind of bullshit revisionist history. The man may be a walking cartoon character now, but that doesn't change the music.
I do feel uneasy about the idea of an artist's legacy being eroded on account of his words, not his actions or his music. But I can also understand how his comments on slavery go further than Kanye's previous outspoken synapse failures and make his music difficult for some to reconcile themselves with. Either way, barring a career resurrection, I can picture this kind of critical backlash causing MBDTF to fall out the AM top 50 by the next update.
All I got inside is vacancy!
User avatar
VacantJoy
Leader of the Pack
Posts: 10931
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:09 pm
Contact:

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by VacantJoy »

the smiths-queen is dead
pixies-Doolittle
Massive Attack-blue lines
My Bloody Valentine-loveless
Portishead-dummy
the strokes-is this it
Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
lcd soundsystem-Sound of Silver
frank ocean-Channel Orange
i don't think that only kanye west's MBDTF is snubbed...
DONATIONS TOWARDS ME -> https://revolut.me/anastagf0s
Harold
Into the Groove
Posts: 2331
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:56 pm

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Harold »

mileswide wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:58 am
Harold wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:38 am The fact that there are zero Kanye West albums here, given that fact, can only be seen as punishment for his recent behavior and activities. Which are appalling, yes. But this is the worst kind of bullshit revisionist history. The man may be a walking cartoon character now, but that doesn't change the music.
I do feel uneasy about the idea of an artist's legacy being eroded on account of his words, not his actions or his music. But I can also understand how his comments on slavery go further than Kanye's previous outspoken synapse failures and make his music difficult for some to reconcile themselves with. Either way, barring a career resurrection, I can picture this kind of critical backlash causing MBDTF to fall out the AM top 50 by the next update.
I was surprised by the extent to which Rolling Stone decided to take the "separate the artist from the art" side of the argument - they put all of his first six solo albums in their top 500.
User avatar
VacantJoy
Leader of the Pack
Posts: 10931
Joined: Mon Oct 05, 2020 1:09 pm
Contact:

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by VacantJoy »

Harold wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:41 pm
mileswide wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:58 am
Harold wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:38 am The fact that there are zero Kanye West albums here, given that fact, can only be seen as punishment for his recent behavior and activities. Which are appalling, yes. But this is the worst kind of bullshit revisionist history. The man may be a walking cartoon character now, but that doesn't change the music.
I do feel uneasy about the idea of an artist's legacy being eroded on account of his words, not his actions or his music. But I can also understand how his comments on slavery go further than Kanye's previous outspoken synapse failures and make his music difficult for some to reconcile themselves with. Either way, barring a career resurrection, I can picture this kind of critical backlash causing MBDTF to fall out the AM top 50 by the next update.
I was surprised by the extent to which Rolling Stone decided to take the "separate the artist from the art" side of the argument - they put all of his first six solo albums in their top 500.
that was an open-minded move
DONATIONS TOWARDS ME -> https://revolut.me/anastagf0s
User avatar
Live in Phoenix
Full of Fire
Posts: 2503
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:50 am

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Live in Phoenix »

This reminds me of a joke by a preacher who I usually don't even like -- "I like Kanye West's new album. Now I'm not saying he always has the right lithium mix every week..." Perhaps the bigger issue for Kanye's showing here is the almost complete shut-out of any music past 2005 on this list, which is ludicrous for a list made by critics i.e. "experts" that is said to survey the last 35 years, especially considering that Spin used to be the surly young upstart as a foil to aging rock critics elsewhere. It's probably a bad sign that founder Bob Guccione Jr. is contributing here -- I thought they ran him off in the mid-'90s.

I feel compelled to list my favorite albums from 2006 to 2020, ungainly as it may look:
1) Joanna Newsom - Ys; 2) David Bowie - The Next Day; 3) Swans - The Seer; 4) Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me; 5) Bob Dylan - Tempest
6) Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy; 7) Radiohead - King of Limbs; 8) David Bowie – Blackstar; 9) Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly; 10) Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour
11) Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy; 12) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes; 13) Tori Amos - American Doll Posse; 14) Amy Winehouse - Back to Black; 15) Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
16) Courtney Marie Andrews - Painters Hands and a Seventh Son; 17) Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes; 18) Prince - Art Official Age; 19) Crowded House - Time on Earth; 20) Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.
charliepanayi
Different Class
Posts: 377
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:42 am

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by charliepanayi »

mileswide wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:58 am
Harold wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 1:38 am The fact that there are zero Kanye West albums here, given that fact, can only be seen as punishment for his recent behavior and activities. Which are appalling, yes. But this is the worst kind of bullshit revisionist history. The man may be a walking cartoon character now, but that doesn't change the music.
I do feel uneasy about the idea of an artist's legacy being eroded on account of his words, not his actions or his music. But I can also understand how his comments on slavery go further than Kanye's previous outspoken synapse failures and make his music difficult for some to reconcile themselves with. Either way, barring a career resurrection, I can picture this kind of critical backlash causing MBDTF to fall out the AM top 50 by the next update.
If critics are now dismissing Kanye West's albums because of who he is as a person etc, that's beyond absurd, especially as this list has Dr Dre and Billy Corgan in it!
User avatar
mileswide
Full of Fire
Posts: 2528
Joined: Wed May 01, 2019 5:08 pm
Location: Nottingham, England

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by mileswide »

charliepanayi wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 5:46 pm If critics are now dismissing Kanye West's albums because of who he is as a person etc, that's beyond absurd, especially as this list has Dr Dre
Twice if you count his membership of N.W.A. and three times including his production of Eminem, he was hardly surrounded by saints in either case. Though at least Eazy-E never bribed a college to admit his daughter (nor committed libel like I've probably just done).
All I got inside is vacancy!
Nick
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3115
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:28 pm
Location: New York State

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Nick »

I don't even think the Kanye snub was intentional. When you only have 1 album from 2006-2020 on your list, the chances that it's a Kanye album are going to be slim. The real crime this list has committed is, again, only have ONE album from 2006-2020.

Forget about Kanye for a minute.

No Sound of Silver? In Rainbows? Merriweather Post Pavilion? Channel Orange? good kid, MAAD city? Blonde? Blackstar? The Suburbs? Modern Vampires of the City? Back to Black? Donuts? Whatever People Say I Am? Fleet Foxes? xx? Untrue? Lemonade? Bon Iver, Bon Iver? Random Access Memories? Lost in the Dream? Black Messiah? Carrie and Lowell? Melodrama? A Crow Looked at Me? The Epic? Titanic Rising? Normal Fucking Rockwell? The ArchAndroid? For Emma, Forever Ago? Dirty Computer? DAMN?

Well a big NO to all those albums I guess.
User avatar
Holden
Never Going Back Again
Posts: 3781
Joined: Wed Nov 20, 2019 11:06 pm

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by Holden »

Nick wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:29 pm I don't even think the Kanye snub was intentional. When you only have 1 album from 2006-2020 on your list, the chances that it's a Kanye album are going to be slim. The real crime this list has committed is, again, only have ONE album from 2006-2020.

Forget about Kanye for a minute.

No Sound of Silver? In Rainbows? Merriweather Post Pavilion? Channel Orange? good kid, MAAD city? Blonde? Blackstar? The Suburbs? Modern Vampires of the City? Back to Black? Donuts? Whatever People Say I Am? Fleet Foxes? xx? Untrue? Lemonade? Bon Iver, Bon Iver? Random Access Memories? Lost in the Dream? Black Messiah? Carrie and Lowell? Melodrama? A Crow Looked at Me? The Epic? Titanic Rising? Normal Fucking Rockwell? The ArchAndroid? For Emma, Forever Ago? Dirty Computer? DAMN?

Well a big NO to all those albums I guess.
I’m gonna have to agree with Nick on this one. Kanye really doesn’t feel like he’s going anywhere to me at least, this was just a pretty limited list.
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
jdizzle83
Strange Fruit
Posts: 68
Joined: Tue Dec 11, 2012 3:06 am

Re: SPIN (US) - The 35 Best Albums from the Last 35 Years

Post by jdizzle83 »

Spin is a completely different entity than it once was, owned by a larger conglomerate. None of the old writers, editors, etc. are there now and based on a lot of the websites current coverage the aesthetic (what gets canonized, celebrated, covered, etc.) has completely changed as well.

It's only Spin in name now.
Post Reply

Return to “Other year spans”