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 | Rank: 1 Album: 1 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Released: 1967-06-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 39:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (02:02) 2 With a Little Help From My Friends (02:44) 3 Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds (03:29) 4 Getting Better (02:48) 5 Fixing a Hole (02:37) 6 She’s Leaving Home (03:35) 7 Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (02:38) 8 Within You Without You (05:05) 9 When I’m Sixty‐Four (02:38) 10 Lovely Rita (02:42) 11 Good Morning Good Morning (02:41) 12 Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise) (01:19) 13 A Day in the Life (05:34) |
| Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band : Allmusic album Review : With Revolver, the Beatles made the Great Leap Forward, reaching a previously unheard-of level of sophistication and fearless experimentation. Sgt. Pepper, in many ways, refines that breakthrough, as the Beatles consciously synthesized such disparate influences as psychedelia, art-song, classical music, rock & roll, and music hall, often in the course of one song. Not once does the diversity seem forced -- the genius of the record is how the vaudevillian "When Im 64" seems like a logical extension of "Within You Without You" and how it provides a gateway to the chiming guitars of "Lovely Rita." Theres no discounting the individual contributions of each member or their producer, George Martin, but the preponderance of whimsy and self-conscious art gives the impression that Paul McCartney is the leader of the Lonely Hearts Club Band. He dominates the album in terms of compositions, setting the tone for the album with his unabashed melodicism and deviously clever arrangements. In comparison, Lennons contributions seem fewer, and a couple of them are a little slight but his major statements are stunning. "With a Little Help From My Friends" is the ideal Ringo tune, a rolling, friendly pop song that hides genuine Lennon anguish, à la "Help!"; "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" remains one of the touchstones of British psychedelia; and hes the mastermind behind the bulk of "A Day in the Life," a haunting number that skillfully blends Lennons verse and chorus with McCartneys bridge. Its possible to argue that there are better Beatles albums, yet no album is as historically important as this. After Sgt. Pepper, there were no rules to follow -- rock and pop bands could try anything, for better or worse. Ironically, few tried to achieve the sweeping, all-encompassing embrace of music as the Beatles did here. | ||
 | Rank: 2 Album: 2 of 50 Artist: The Beach Boys Title: Pet Sounds Released: 1966-05-16 Tracks: 13 Duration: 36:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wouldn’t It Be Nice (02:24) 2 You Still Believe in Me (02:34) 3 That’s Not Me (02:30) 4 Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder) (02:54) 5 I’m Waiting for the Day (03:06) 6 Let’s Go Away for Awhile (02:21) 7 Sloop John B (02:57) 8 God Only Knows (02:50) 9 I Know There’s an Answer (03:11) 10 Here Today (02:55) 11 I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times (03:15) 12 Pet Sounds (02:23) 13 Caroline, No (02:53) |
| Pet Sounds : Allmusic album Review : The best Beach Boys album, and one of the best of the 1960s. The group here reached a whole new level in terms of both composition and production, layering tracks upon tracks of vocals and instruments to create a richly symphonic sound. Conventional keyboards and guitars were combined with exotic touches of orchestrated strings, bicycle bells, buzzing organs, harpsichords, flutes, Theremin, Hawaiian-sounding string instruments, Coca-Cola cans, barking dogs, and more. It wouldnt have been a classic without great songs, and this has some of the groups most stunning melodies, as well as lyrical themes which evoke both the intensity of newly born love affairs and the disappointment of failed romance (add in some general statements about loss of innocence and modern-day confusion as well). The spiritual quality of the material is enhanced by some of the most gorgeous upper-register male vocals (especially by Brian and Carl Wilson) ever heard on a rock record. "Wouldnt It Be Nice," "God Only Knows," "Caroline No," and "Sloop John B" (the last of which wasnt originally intended to go on the album) are the well-known hits, but equally worthy are such cuts as "You Still Believe in Me," "Dont Talk," "I Know Theres an Answer," and "I Just Wasnt Made for These Times." Its often said that this is more of a Brian Wilson album than a Beach Boys recording (session musicians played most of the parts), but it should be noted that the harmonies are pure Beach Boys (and some of their best). Massively influential upon its release (although it was a relatively low seller compared to their previous LPs), it immediately vaulted the band into the top level of rock innovators among the intelligentsia, especially in Britain, where it was a much bigger hit. | ||
 | Rank: 3 Album: 3 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Revolver Released: 1966-08-05 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Taxman (02:39) 2 Eleanor Rigby (02:08) 3 I’m Only Sleeping (03:02) 4 Love You To (03:02) 5 Here, There and Everywhere (02:27) 6 Yellow Submarine (02:40) 7 She Said She Said (02:39) 8 Good Day Sunshine (02:10) 9 And Your Bird Can Sing (02:03) 10 For No One (02:02) 11 Doctor Robert (02:17) 12 I Want to Tell You (02:30) 13 Got to Get You Into My Life (02:32) 14 Tomorrow Never Knows (02:57) |
| Revolver : Allmusic album Review : All the rules fell by the wayside with Revolver, as the Beatles began exploring new sonic territory, lyrical subjects, and styles of composition. It wasnt just Lennon and McCartney, either -- Harrison staked out his own dark territory with the tightly wound, cynical rocker "Taxman"; the jaunty yet dissonant "I Want to Tell You"; and "Love You To," Georges first and best foray into Indian music. Such explorations were bold, yet they were eclipsed by Lennons trippy kaleidoscopes of sound. His most straightforward number was "Doctor Robert," an ode to his dealer, and things just got stranger from there as he buried "And Your Bird Can Sing" in a maze of multi-tracked guitars, gave Ringo a charmingly hallucinogenic slice of childhood whimsy in "Yellow Submarine," and then capped it off with a triptych of bad trips: the spiraling "She Said She Said"; the crawling, druggy "Im Only Sleeping"; and "Tomorrow Never Knows," a pure nightmare where John sang portions of the Tibetan Book of the Dead into a suspended microphone over Ringos thundering, menacing drumbeats and layers of overdubbed, phased guitars and tape loops. McCartneys experiments were formal, as he tried on every pop style from chamber pop to soul, and when placed alongside Lennons and Harrisons outright experimentations, McCartneys songcraft becomes all the more impressive. The biggest miracle of Revolver may be that the Beatles covered so much new stylistic ground and executed it perfectly on one record, or it may be that all of it holds together perfectly. Either way, its daring sonic adventures and consistently stunning songcraft set the standard for what pop/rock could achieve. Even after Sgt. Pepper, Revolver stands as the ultimate modern pop album and its still as emulated as it was upon its original release. | ||
 | Rank: 4 Album: 4 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Highway 61 Revisited Released: 1965-08-30 Tracks: 9 Duration: 51:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Like a Rolling Stone (06:09) 2 Tombstone Blues (05:58) 3 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (04:09) 4 From a Buick 6 (03:19) 5 Ballad of a Thin Man (05:58) 6 Queen Jane Approximately (05:31) 7 Highway 61 Revisited (03:30) 8 Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (05:31) 9 Desolation Row (11:20) |
| Highway 61 Revisited : Allmusic album Review : Taking the first, electric side of Bringing It All Back Home to its logical conclusion, Bob Dylan hired a full rock & roll band, featuring guitarist Michael Bloomfield, for Highway 61 Revisited. Opening with the epic "Like a Rolling Stone," Highway 61 Revisited careens through nine songs that range from reflective folk-rock ("Desolation Row") and blues ("It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry") to flat-out garage rock ("Tombstone Blues," "From a Buick 6," "Highway 61 Revisited"). Dylan had not only changed his sound, but his persona, trading the folk troubadour for a streetwise, cynical hipster. Throughout the album, he embraces druggy, surreal imagery, which can either have a sense of menace or beauty, and the music reflects that, jumping between soothing melodies to hard, bluesy rock. And that is the most revolutionary thing about Highway 61 Revisited -- it proved that rock & roll neednt be collegiate and tame in order to be literate, poetic, and complex. | ||
 | Rank: 5 Album: 5 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Rubber Soul Released: 1965-12-03 Tracks: 14 Duration: 35:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Drive My Car (02:21) 2 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (02:06) 3 You Won’t See Me (03:23) 4 Nowhere Man (02:44) 5 Think for Yourself (02:19) 6 The Word (02:42) 7 Michelle (02:41) 8 What Goes On (02:48) 9 Girl (02:30) 10 I’m Looking Through You (02:30) 11 In My Life (02:27) 12 Wait (02:13) 13 If I Needed Someone (02:21) 14 Run for Your Life (02:27) |
| Rubber Soul : Allmusic album Review : While the Beatles still largely stuck to love songs on Rubber Soul, the lyrics represented a quantum leap in terms of thoughtfulness, maturity, and complex ambiguities. Musically, too, it was a substantial leap forward, with intricate folk-rock arrangements that reflected the increasing influence of Dylan and the Byrds. The group and George Martin were also beginning to expand the conventional instrumental parameters of the rock group, using a sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," Greek-like guitar lines on "Michelle" and "Girl," fuzz bass on "Think for Yourself," and a piano made to sound like a harpsichord on the instrumental break of "In My Life." While John and Paul were beginning to carve separate songwriting identities at this point, the album is full of great tunes, from "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" and "Michelle" to "Girl," "Im Looking Through You," "You Wont See Me," "Drive My Car," and "Nowhere Man" (the last of which was the first Beatle song to move beyond romantic themes entirely). George Harrison was also developing into a fine songwriter with his two contributions, "Think for Yourself" and the Byrds-ish "If I Needed Someone." | ||
 | Rank: 6 Album: 6 of 50 Artist: Marvin Gaye Title: What’s Going On Released: 1971-05-20 Tracks: 35 Duration: 2:32:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 What’s Going On (03:53) 2 What’s Happening Brother (02:43) 3 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (03:49) 4 Save the Children (04:02) 5 God Is Love (01:41) 6 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (03:15) 7 Right On (07:31) 8 Wholy Holy (03:07) 9 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (05:38) 10 What’s Going On (original Detroit mix) (04:07) 11 What’s Happening Brother (original Detroit mix) (02:43) 12 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (original Detroit mix) (03:48) 13 Save the Children (original Detroit mix) (04:01) 14 God Is Love (original Detroit mix) (01:46) 15 Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (original Detroit mix) (03:07) 16 Right On (original Detroit mix) (07:31) 17 Wholy Holy (original Detroit mix) (03:07) 18 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (original Detroit mix) (05:45) 19 What’s Going On (Rhythm & Strings mix) (03:50) 1 Sixties Medley: That’s the Way Love Is / You / I Heard It Through the Grapevine / Little Darling (I Need You) / You’re All I Need to Get By / Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing / Your Precious Love / Pride and Joy / Stubborn Kind of Fellow (live) (13:23) 2 Right On (live) (07:33) 3 Wholy Holy (live) (03:32) 4 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (live) (09:05) 5 What’s Going On (live) (05:42) 6 What’s Happening Brother (live) (02:54) 7 Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky) (live) (03:51) 8 Save the Children (live) (04:22) 9 God Is Love (live) (01:43) 10 Stage Dialogue (live) (02:34) 11 Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (reprise) (live) (05:12) 12 Whats Going On (reprise) (live) (04:07) 13 Whats Going On (single version - Stereo) (03:56) 14 God Is Love (original single version) (02:50) 15 Sad Tomorrows (original single version) (02:25) 16 “Head Title” aka Distant Lover (04:07) |
| What’s Going On : Allmusic album Review : Whats Going On is not only Marvin Gayes masterpiece, its the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist. With Whats Going On, Gaye meditated on what had happened to the American dream of the past -- as it related to urban decay, environmental woes, military turbulence, police brutality, unemployment, and poverty. These feelings had been bubbling up between 1967 and 1970, during which he felt increasingly caged by Motowns behind-the-times hit machine and restrained from expressing himself seriously through his music. Finally, late in 1970, Gaye decided to record a song that the Four Tops Obie Benson had brought him, "Whats Going On." When Berry Gordy decided not to issue the single, deeming it uncommercial, Gaye refused to record any more material until he relented. Confirmed by its tremendous commercial success in January 1971, he recorded the rest of the album over ten days in March, and Motown released it in late May. Besides cementing Marvin Gaye as one of the most important artists in pop music, Whats Going On was far and away the best full-length to issue from the singles-dominated Motown factory, and arguably the best soul album of all time. Conceived as a statement from the viewpoint of a Vietnam veteran (Gayes brother Frankie had returned from a three-year hitch in 1967), Whats Going On isnt just the question of a baffled soldier returning home to a strange place, but a promise that listeners would be informed by what they heard (that missing question mark in the title certainly wasnt a typo). Instead of releasing listeners from their troubles, as so many of his singles had in the past, Gaye used the album to reflect on the climate of the early 70s, rife with civil unrest, drug abuse, abandoned children, and the spectre of riots in the near past. Alternately depressed and hopeful, angry and jubilant, Gaye saved the most sublime, deeply inspired performances of his career for "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)," and "Save the Children." The songs and performances, however, furnished only half of a revolution; little couldve been accomplished with the Motown sound of previous Marvin Gaye hits like "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike" or even "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." Whats Going On, as he conceived and produced it, was like no other record heard before it: languid, dark, and jazzy, a series of relaxed grooves with a heavy bottom, filled by thick basslines along with bongos, conga, and other percussion. Fortunately, this aesthetic fit in perfectly with the style of longtime Motown session men like bassist James Jamerson and guitarist Joe Messina. When the Funk Brothers were, for once, allowed the opportunity to work in relaxed, open proceedings, they produced the best work of their careers (and indeed, they recognized its importance before any of the Motown executives). Bob Babbitts playing on "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" functions as the low-end foundation but also its melodic hook, while an improvisatory jam by Eli Fountain on alto sax furnished the albums opening flourish. (Much credit goes to Gaye himself for seizing on these often tossed-off lines as precious; indeed, he spent more time down in the Snakepit than he did in the control room.) Just as hed hoped it would be, Whats Going On was Marvin Gayes masterwork, the most perfect expression of an artists hope, anger, and concern ever recorded. | ||
 | Rank: 7 Album: 7 of 50 Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: Exile on Main St. Released: 1972-05-12 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:07:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rocks Off (04:33) 2 Rip This Joint (02:23) 3 Shake Your Hips (02:59) 4 Casino Boogie (03:34) 5 Tumbling Dice (03:47) 6 Sweet Virginia (04:26) 7 Torn and Frayed (04:18) 8 Sweet Black Angel (02:58) 9 Loving Cup (04:25) 10 Happy (03:05) 11 Turd on the Run (02:38) 12 Ventilator Blues (03:24) 13 I Just Want to See His Face (02:53) 14 Let It Loose (05:18) 15 All Down the Line (03:50) 16 Stop Breaking Down (04:34) 17 Shine a Light (04:17) 18 Soul Survivor (03:49) |
| Exile on Main St. : Allmusic album Review : Greeted with decidedly mixed reviews upon its original release, Exile on Main St. has become generally regarded as the Rolling Stones finest album. Part of the reason why the record was initially greeted with hesitant reviews is that it takes a while to assimilate. A sprawling, weary double album encompassing rock & roll, blues, soul, and country, Exile doesnt try anything new on the surface, but the substance is new. Taking the bleakness that underpinned Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers to an extreme, Exile is a weary record, and not just lyrically. Jaggers vocals are buried in the mix, and the music is a series of dark, dense jams, with Keith Richards and Mick Taylor spinning off incredible riffs and solos. And the songs continue the breakthroughs of their three previous albums. No longer does their country sound forced or kitschy -- its lived-in and complex, just like the groups forays into soul and gospel. While the songs, including the masterpieces "Rocks Off," "Tumbling Dice," "Torn and Frayed," "Happy," "Let It Loose," and "Shine a Light," are all terrific, they blend together, with only certain lyrics and guitar lines emerging from the murk. Its the kind of record thats gripping on the very first listen, but each subsequent listen reveals something new. Few other albums, let alone double albums, have been so rich and masterful as Exile on Main St., and it stands not only as one of the Stones best records, but sets a remarkably high standard for all of hard rock. | ||
 | Rank: 8 Album: 8 of 50 Artist: The Clash Title: London Calling Released: 1979-12-14 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:05:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 London Calling (03:20) 2 Brand New Cadillac (02:10) 3 Jimmy Jazz (03:55) 4 Hateful (02:46) 5 Rudie Can’t Fail (03:30) 6 Spanish Bombs (03:20) 7 The Right Profile (03:57) 8 Lost in the Supermarket (03:49) 9 Clampdown (03:50) 10 The Guns of Brixton (03:12) 1 Wrong ’Em Boyo (03:13) 2 Death or Glory (03:57) 3 Koka Kola (01:49) 4 The Card Cheat (03:53) 5 Lover’s Rock (04:05) 6 Four Horsemen (02:57) 7 I’m Not Down (03:07) 8 Revolution Rock (05:37) 9 Train in Vain (03:11) |
| London Calling : Allmusic album Review : Give Em Enough Rope, for all of its many attributes, was essentially a holding pattern for the Clash, but the double-album London Calling is a remarkable leap forward, incorporating the punk aesthetic into rock & roll mythology and roots music. Before, the Clash had experimented with reggae, but that was no preparation for the dizzying array of styles on London Calling. Theres punk and reggae, but theres also rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock; and while the record isnt tied together by a specific theme, its eclecticism and anthemic punk function as a rallying call. While many of the songs -- particularly "London Calling," "Spanish Bombs," and "The Guns of Brixton" -- are explicitly political, by acknowledging no boundaries the music itself is political and revolutionary. But it is also invigorating, rocking harder and with more purpose than most albums, let alone double albums. Over the course of the record, Joe Strummer and Mick Jones (and Paul Simonon, who wrote "The Guns of Brixton") explore their familiar themes of working-class rebellion and antiestablishment rants, but they also tie them in to old rock & roll traditions and myths, whether its rockabilly greasers or "Stagger Lee," as well as mavericks like doomed actor Montgomery Clift. The result is a stunning statement of purpose and one of the greatest rock & roll albums ever recorded. | ||
 | Rank: 9 Album: 9 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Blonde on Blonde Released: 1966-05-16 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:13:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (04:37) 2 Pledging My Time (03:49) 3 Visions of Johanna (07:34) 4 One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) (04:56) 5 I Want You (03:08) 6 Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again (07:05) 7 Leopard‐Skin Pill‐Box Hat (04:00) 8 Just Like a Woman (04:54) 9 Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine (03:29) 10 Temporary Like Achilles (05:06) 11 Absolutely Sweet Marie (04:57) 12 4th Time Around (04:36) 13 Obviously 5 Believers (03:36) 14 Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (11:20) |
| Blonde on Blonde : Allmusic album Review : If Highway 61 Revisited played as a garage rock record, the double album Blonde on Blonde inverted that sound, blending blues, country, rock, and folk into a wild, careening, and dense sound. Replacing the fiery Michael Bloomfield with the intense, weaving guitar of Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan led a group comprised of his touring band the Hawks and session musicians through his richest set of songs. Blonde on Blonde is an album of enormous depth, providing endless lyrical and musical revelations on each play. Leavening the edginess of Highway 61 with a sense of the absurd, Blonde on Blonde is comprised entirely of songs driven by inventive, surreal, and witty wordplay, not only on the rockers but also on winding, moving ballads like "Visions of Johanna," "Just Like a Woman," and "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands." Throughout the record, the music matches the inventiveness of the songs, filled with cutting guitar riffs, liquid organ riffs, crisp pianos, and even woozy brass bands ("Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"). Its the culmination of Dylans electric rock & roll period -- he would never release a studio record that rocked this hard, or had such bizarre imagery, ever again. | ||
 | Rank: 10 Album: 10 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: The Beatles Released: 1968-11-22 Tracks: 30 Duration: 1:33:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Back in the U.S.S.R. (02:43) 2 Dear Prudence (03:56) 3 Glass Onion (02:17) 4 Ob‐La‐Di, Ob‐La‐Da (03:09) 5 Wild Honey Pie (00:52) 6 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (03:14) 7 While My Guitar Gently Weeps (04:45) 8 Happiness Is a Warm Gun (02:43) 9 Martha My Dear (02:28) 10 I’m So Tired (02:03) 11 Blackbird (02:18) 12 Piggies (02:04) 13 Rocky Raccoon (03:32) 14 Don’t Pass Me By (03:50) 15 Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? (01:41) 16 I Will (01:46) 17 Julia (02:54) 1 Birthday (02:44) 2 Yer Blues (04:01) 3 Mother Nature’s Son (02:49) 4 Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (02:26) 5 Sexy Sadie (03:17) 6 Helter Skelter (04:30) 7 Long, Long, Long (03:05) 8 Revolution 1 (04:16) 9 Honey Pie (02:42) 10 Savoy Truffle (02:55) 11 Cry Baby Cry (03:13) 12 Revolution 9 (08:13) 13 Good Night (03:11) |
| The Beatles : Allmusic album Review : Each song on the sprawling double album The Beatles is an entity to itself, as the band touches on anything and everything it can. This makes for a frustratingly scattershot record or a singularly gripping musical experience, depending on your view, but what makes the so-called White Album interesting is its mess. Never before had a rock record been so self-reflective, or so ironic; the Beach Boys send-up "Back in the U.S.S.R." and the British blooze parody "Yer Blues" are delivered straight-faced, so its never clear if these are affectionate tributes or wicked satires. Lennon turns in two of his best ballads with "Dear Prudence" and "Julia"; scours the Abbey Road vaults for the musique concrète collage "Revolution 9"; pours on the schmaltz for Ringos closing number, "Good Night"; celebrates the Beatles cult with "Glass Onion"; and, with "Cry Baby Cry," rivals Syd Barrett. McCartney doesnt reach quite as far, yet his songs are stunning -- the music hall romp "Honey Pie," the mock country of "Rocky Raccoon," the ska-inflected "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and the proto-metal roar of "Helter Skelter." Clearly, the Beatles two main songwriting forces were no longer on the same page, but neither were George and Ringo. Harrison still had just two songs per LP, but its clear from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the canned soul of "Savoy Truffle," the haunting "Long, Long, Long," and even the silly "Piggies" that he had developed into a songwriter who deserved wider exposure. And Ringo turns in a delight with his first original, the lumbering country-carnival stomp "Dont Pass Me By." None of it sounds like it was meant to share album space together, but somehow The Beatles creates its own style and sound through its mess. | ||
 | Rank: 11 Album: 11 of 50 Artist: Elvis Presley Title: The Sun Sessions Released: 1976 Tracks: 16 Duration: 39:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 That’s All Right (01:57) 2 Blue Moon of Kentucky (02:04) 3 I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine (02:28) 4 Good Rockin’ Tonight (02:14) 5 Milk Cow Blues (02:36) 6 You’re a Heartbreaker (02:11) 7 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (02:37) 8 Baby Let’s Play House (02:17) 9 Mystery Train (02:26) 10 I Forgot to Remember to Forget (02:29) 11 I Love You Because (02:43) 12 Trying to Get to You (02:33) 13 Blue Moon (02:41) 14 Just Because (02:34) 15 I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) (02:25) 16 I Love You Because (2nd version) (03:24) |
 | Rank: 12 Album: 12 of 50 Artist: Miles Davis Title: Kind of Blue Released: 1959-08-17 Tracks: 5 Duration: 45:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 So What (09:05) 2 Freddie Freeloader (09:35) 3 Blue in Green (05:28) 4 All Blues (11:33) 5 Flamenco Sketches (09:24) |
| Kind of Blue : Allmusic album Review : Kind of Blue isnt merely an artistic highlight for Miles Davis, its an album that towers above its peers, a record generally considered as the definitive jazz album. To be reductive, its the Citizen Kane of jazz -- an accepted work of greatness thats innovative and entertaining. That may not mean its the greatest jazz album ever made, but it certainly is a universally acknowledged standard of excellence. Why does Kind of Blue posses such a mystique? Perhaps its that this music never flaunts its genius. It lures listeners in with the slow, luxurious bassline and gentle piano chords of "So What." From that moment on, the record never really changes pace -- each tune has a similar relaxed feel, as the music flows easily. Yet Kind of Blue is more than easy listening. Its the pinnacle of modal jazz -- tonality and solos build from chords, not the overall key, giving the music a subtly shifting quality. All of this doesnt quite explain why seasoned jazz fans return to this record even after theyve memorized every nuance. They return because this is an exceptional band - Miles, Coltrane, Bill Evans, Cannonball Adderly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb, and Wynton Kelly -- one of the greatest in history, playing at the peak of its power. As Evans said in the original liner notes for the record, the band did not play through any of these pieces prior to recording. Davis laid out the themes and chords before the tape rolled, and then the band improvised. The end results were wondrous, filled with performances that still crackle with vitality. Few albums of any genre manage to work on so many different levels, but Kind of Blue does. It can be played as background music, yet it amply rewards close listening. It is advanced music that is extraordinarily enjoyable. It may be a stretch to say that if you dont like Kind of Blue, you dont like jazz -- but its hard to imagine it as anything other than a cornerstone of any jazz collection. | ||
 | Rank: 13 Album: 13 of 50 Artist: The Velvet Underground & Nico Title: The Velvet Underground & Nico Released: 1967-03 Tracks: 11 Duration: 48:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sunday Morning (02:55) 2 I’m Waiting for the Man (04:39) 3 Femme Fatale (02:39) 4 Venus in Furs (05:10) 5 Run Run Run (04:22) 6 All Tomorrow’s Parties (06:00) 7 Heroin (07:12) 8 There She Goes Again (02:41) 9 I’ll Be Your Mirror (02:14) 10 The Black Angel’s Death Song (03:13) 11 European Son (07:46) |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico : Allmusic album Review : One would be hard-pressed to name a rock album whose influence has been as broad and pervasive as The Velvet Underground & Nico. While it reportedly took over a decade for the albums sales to crack six figures, glam, punk, new wave, goth, noise, and nearly every other left-of-center rock movement owes an audible debt to this set. While The Velvet Underground had as distinctive a sound as any band, whats most surprising about this album is its diversity. Here, the Velvets dipped their toes into dreamy pop ("Sunday Morning"), tough garage rock ("Waiting for the Man"), stripped-down R&B ("There She Goes Again"), and understated love songs ("Ill Be Your Mirror") when they werent busy creating sounds without pop precedent. Lou Reeds lyrical exploration of drugs and kinky sex (then risky stuff in film and literature, let alone "teen music") always received the most press attention, but the music Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker played was as radical as the words they accompanied. The bracing discord of "European Son," the troubling beauty of "All Tomorrows Parties," and the expressive dynamics of "Heroin" all remain as compelling as the day they were recorded. While the significance of Nicos contributions have been debated over the years, she meshes with the bands outlook in that she hardly sounds like a typical rock vocalist, and if Andy Warhols presence as producer was primarily a matter of signing the checks, his notoriety allowed The Velvet Underground to record their material without compromise, which would have been impossible under most other circumstances. Few rock albums are as important as The Velvet Underground & Nico, and fewer still have lost so little of their power to surprise and intrigue more 50 years after first hitting the racks. | ||
 | Rank: 14 Album: 14 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Abbey Road Released: 1969-09-26 Tracks: 17 Duration: 47:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Come Together (04:19) 2 Something (03:03) 3 Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (03:27) 4 Oh! Darling (03:27) 5 Octopus’s Garden (02:51) 6 I Want You (She’s So Heavy) (07:47) 7 Here Comes the Sun (03:06) 8 Because (02:46) 9 You Never Give Me Your Money (04:02) 10 Sun King (02:26) 11 Mean Mr Mustard (01:06) 12 Polythene Pam (01:13) 13 She Came In Through the Bathroom Window (01:58) 14 Golden Slumbers (01:32) 15 Carry That Weight (01:37) 16 The End (02:20) 17 Her Majesty (00:23) |
| Abbey Road : Allmusic album Review : The last Beatles album to be recorded (although Let It Be was the last to be released), Abbey Road was a fitting swan song for the group, echoing some of the faux-conceptual forms of Sgt. Pepper, but featuring stronger compositions and more rock-oriented ensemble work. The group was still pushing forward in all facets of its art, whether devising some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any rock record (especially on "Because"), constructing a medley of songs/vignettes that covered much of side two, adding subtle touches of Moog synthesizer, or crafting furious guitar-heavy rock ("The End," "I Want You (Shes So Heavy)," "Come Together"). George Harrison also blossomed into a major songwriter, contributing the buoyant "Here Comes the Sun" and the supremely melodic ballad "Something," the latter of which became the first Harrison-penned Beatles hit. Whether Abbey Road is the Beatles best work is debatable, but its certainly the most immaculately produced (with the possible exception of Sgt. Pepper) and most tightly constructed. | ||
 | Rank: 15 Album: 15 of 50 Artist: The Jimi Hendrix Experience Title: Are You Experienced Released: 1967-05-12 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:00:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Foxy Lady (03:18) 2 Manic Depression (03:42) 3 Red House (03:44) 4 Can You See Me (02:32) 5 Love or Confusion (03:13) 6 I Don’t Live Today (03:54) 7 May This Be Love (03:11) 8 Fire (02:44) 9 Third Stone From the Sun (06:44) 10 Remember (02:48) 11 Are You Experienced? (04:14) 12 Hey Joe (03:30) 13 Stone Free (03:36) 14 Purple Haze (02:51) 15 51st Anniversary (03:16) 16 The Wind Cries Mary (03:20) 17 Highway Chile (03:32) |
| Are You Experienced : Allmusic album Review : One of the most stunning debuts in rock history, and one of the definitive albums of the psychedelic era. On Are You Experienced?, Jimi Hendrix synthesized various elements of the cutting edge of 1967 rock into music that sounded both futuristic and rooted in the best traditions of rock, blues, pop, and soul. It was his mind-boggling guitar work, of course, that got most of the ink, building upon the experiments of British innovators like Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend to chart new sonic territories in feedback, distortion, and sheer volume. It wouldnt have meant much, however, without his excellent material, whether psychedelic frenzy ("Foxey Lady," "Manic Depression," "Purple Haze"), instrumental freak-out jams ("Third Stone from the Sun"), blues ("Red House," "Hey Joe"), or tender, poetic compositions ("The Wind Cries Mary") that demonstrated the breadth of his songwriting talents. Not to be underestimated were the contributions of drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding, who gave the music a rhythmic pulse that fused parts of rock and improvised jazz. Many of these songs are among Hendrixs very finest; it may be true that he would continue to develop at a rapid pace throughout the rest of his brief career, but he would never surpass his first LP in terms of consistently high quality. [The British and American versions of the album differed substantially when they were initially released in 1967; MCAs 17-song reissue did everyone a favor by gathering all of the material from the two records in one place, adding a few B-sides from early singles as well.] | ||
 | Rank: 16 Album: 16 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Blood on the Tracks Released: 1975-01-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tangled Up In Blue (05:40) 2 Simple Twist Of Fate (04:18) 3 Youre A Big Girl Now (04:36) 4 Idiot Wind (07:45) 5 Youre Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (02:58) 6 Meet Me In The Morning (04:19) 7 Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts (08:50) 8 If You See Her, Say Hello (04:46) 9 Shelter From The Storm (04:59) 10 Buckets Of Rain (03:29) |
| Blood on the Tracks : Allmusic album Review : Following on the heels of an album where he repudiated his past with his greatest backing band, Blood on the Tracks finds Bob Dylan, in a way, retreating to the past, recording a largely quiet, acoustic-based album. But this is hardly nostalgia -- this is the sound of an artist returning to his strengths, what feels most familiar, as he accepts a traumatic situation, namely the breakdown of his marriage. This is an album alternately bitter, sorrowful, regretful, and peaceful, easily the closest he ever came to wearing his emotions on his sleeve. Thats not to say that its an explicitly confessional record, since many songs are riddles or allegories, yet the warmth of the music makes it feel that way. The original version of the album was even quieter -- first takes of "Idiot Wind" and "Tangled Up in Blue," available on The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3, are hushed and quiet (excised verses are quoted in the liner notes, but not heard on the record) -- but Blood on the Tracks remains an intimate, revealing affair since these harsher takes let his anger surface the way his sadness does elsewhere. As such, its an affecting, unbearably poignant record, not because its a glimpse into his soul, but because the songs are remarkably clear-eyed and sentimental, lovely and melancholy at once. And, in a way, its best that he was backed with studio musicians here, since the professional, understated backing lets the songs and emotion stand at the forefront. Dylan made albums more influential than this, but he never made one better. | ||
 | Rank: 17 Album: 17 of 50 Artist: Nirvana Title: Nevermind Released: 1991-09-23 Tracks: 13 Duration: 49:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Smells Like Teen Spirit (05:01) 2 In Bloom (04:15) 3 Come as You Are (03:39) 4 Breed (03:03) 5 Lithium (04:17) 6 Polly (02:57) 7 Territorial Pissings (02:23) 8 Drain You (03:43) 9 Lounge Act (02:36) 10 Stay Away (03:32) 11 On a Plain (03:16) 12 Something in the Way (03:50) 13 Endless, Nameless (06:45) |
| Nevermind : Allmusic album Review : Nevermind was never meant to change the world, but you can never predict when the Zeitgeist will hit, and Nirvanas second album turned out to be the place where alternative rock crashed into the mainstream. This wasnt entirely an accident, either, since Nirvana did sign with a major label, and they did release a record with a shiny surface, no matter how humongous the guitars sounded. And, yes, Nevermind is probably a little shinier than it should be, positively glistening with echo and fuzzbox distortion, especially when compared with the black-and-white murk of Bleach. This doesnt discount the record, since its not only much harder than any mainstream rock of 1991, its character isnt on the surface, its in the exhilaratingly raw music and haunting songs. Kurt Cobains personal problems and subsequent suicide naturally deepen the dark undercurrents, but no matter how much anguish there is on Nevermind, its bracing because he exorcizes those demons through his evocative wordplay and mangled screams -- and because the band has a tremendous, unbridled power that transcends the pain, turning into pure catharsis. And thats as key to the records success as Cobains songwriting, since Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl help turn this into music that is gripping, powerful, and even fun (and, really, theres no other way to characterize "Territorial Pissings" or the surging "Breed"). In retrospect, Nevermind may seem a little too unassuming for its mythic status -- its simply a great modern punk record -- but even though it may no longer seem life-changing, it is certainly life-affirming, which may just be better. | ||
 | Rank: 18 Album: 18 of 50 Artist: Bruce Springsteen Title: Born to Run Released: 1975-08-25 Tracks: 8 Duration: 39:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Thunder Road (04:50) 2 Tenth Avenue Freeze‐Out (03:11) 3 Night (03:01) 4 Backstreets (06:30) 5 Born to Run (04:30) 6 She’s the One (04:30) 7 Meeting Across the River (03:18) 8 Jungleland (09:33) |
| Born to Run : Allmusic album Review : Bruce Springsteens make-or-break third album represented a sonic leap from his first two, which had been made for modest sums at a suburban studio; Born to Run was cut on a superstar budget, mostly at the Record Plant in New York. Springsteens backup band had changed, with his two virtuoso players, keyboardist David Sancious and drummer Vini Lopez, replaced by the professional but less flashy Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg. The result was a full, highly produced sound that contained elements of Phil Spectors melodramatic work of the 1960s. Layers of guitar, layers of echo on the vocals, lots of keyboards, thunderous drums -- Born to Run had a big sound, and Springsteen wrote big songs to match it. The overall theme of the album was similar to that of The E Street Shuffle; Springsteen was describing, and saying farewell to, a romanticized teenage street life. But where he had been affectionate, even humorous before, he was becoming increasingly bitter. If Springsteen had celebrated his dead-end kids on his first album and viewed them nostalgically on his second, on his third he seemed to despise their failure, perhaps because he was beginning to fear he was trapped himself. Nevertheless, he now felt removed, composing an updated West Side Story with spectacular music that owed more to Bernstein than to Berry. To call Born to Run overblown is to miss the point; Springsteens precise intention is to blow things up, both in the sense of expanding them to gargantuan size and of exploding them. If The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle was an accidental miracle, Born to Run was an intentional masterpiece. It declared its own greatness with songs and a sound that lived up to Springsteens promise, and though some thought it took itself too seriously, many found that exalting. | ||
 | Rank: 19 Album: 19 of 50 Artist: Van Morrison Title: Astral Weeks Released: 1968-11 Tracks: 8 Duration: 47:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Astral Weeks (07:06) 2 Beside You (05:17) 3 Sweet Thing (04:23) 4 Cyprus Avenue (07:00) 5 The Way Young Lovers Do (03:18) 6 Madame George (09:45) 7 Ballerina (07:03) 8 Slim Slow Slider (03:17) |
| Astral Weeks : Allmusic album Review : Astral Weeks is generally considered one of the best albums in pop music history, but for all that renown, it is anything but an archetypal rock & roll album. It it isnt a rock & roll album at all. Van Morrison plays acoustic guitar and sings in his elastic, bluesy, soulful voice, accompanied by crack group of jazz studio players: guitarist Jay Berliner, upright bassist Richard Davis, Modern Jazz Quartet drummer Connie Kay, vibraphonist Warren Smith and soprano saxophonist John Payne (also credited on flute, though thats debatable -- some claim an anonymous flutist provided those parts). Producer Lewis Merenstein added chamber orchestrations later and divided the album into halves: "In The Beginning" and "Afterwards" with four tunes under each heading. Morrisons songs are an instinctive, organic mixture of Celtic folk, blues, and jazz. He fully enters the mystic here, more in the moment than he ever would be again in a recording studio. If his pop hit "Brown-Eyed Girl" was the first place he explored the "previous" -- i.e., the depths of his memory -- for inspiration and direction, he immerses himself in it here. The freewheeling, loose feel adds to the intimacy and immediacy in the songs. They are, for the most part, extended, incantatory, loosely narrative, and poetic ruminations on his Belfast upbringing: its characters, shops, streets, alleys, and sidewalks, all framed by the innocence and passage of that era. Morrison seems hypnotized by his subjects; they comfort and haunt a present filled with inexhaustible longing and loneliness. He confesses as much in the title track: "If I ventured in the slipstream/Between the viaducts of your dream/Where immobile steel rims crack/And the ditch in the back roads stop/ Could you find me?/Would you kiss-a my eyes/...To be born again...." Morrison doesnt reach out to the listener, but goes deep inside himself to excavate and explore. The albums centerpiece is "Madame George," a stream-of-consciousness narrative of personal psychological and spiritual archetypes deeply influenced by the road novels of Jack Kerouac. The climactic epiphany experienced on "Cyprus Avenue" paints a portrait of place and time so vividly, it fools listeners into the experience of shared -- but mythical -- memory. "The Way Young Lovers Do" is the most fully formed tune here. Its swinging jazz verses and tight rhythmic choruses underscore a simmering, passionate eroticism in Morrisons lyric and delivery. Astral Weeks is a justified entry in pop musics pantheon. It is unlike any record before or since; it mixes together the very best of postwar popular music in an emotional outpouring cast in delicate, subtle musical structures. | ||
 | Rank: 20 Album: 20 of 50 Artist: Michael Jackson Title: Thriller Released: 1982-12-01 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:12:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (06:03) 2 Baby Be Mine (04:20) 3 The Girl Is Mine (03:42) 4 Thriller (05:57) 5 Beat It (04:18) 6 Billie Jean (04:54) 7 Human Nature (04:06) 8 P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (03:59) 9 The Lady in My Life (04:58) 10 Quincy Jones Interview, Part I (02:18) 11 Someone in the Dark (04:48) 12 Quincy Jones Interview, Part II (02:04) 13 Billie Jean (home demo from 1981) (02:20) 14 Quincy Jones Interview, Part III (03:10) 15 Rod Temperton Interview, Part I (04:02) 16 Quincy Jones Interview, Part IV (01:32) 17 Voice Over Session From “Thriller” (02:52) 18 Rod Temperton Interview, Part II (01:56) 19 Quincy Jones Interview, Part V (02:01) 20 Carousel (01:49) 21 Quincy Jones Interview, Part VI (01:17) |
| Thriller : Allmusic album Review : Off the Wall was a massive success, spawning four Top Ten hits (two of them number ones), but nothing could have prepared Michael Jackson for Thriller. Nobody could have prepared anybody for the success of Thriller, since the magnitude of its success was simply unimaginable -- an album that sold 40 million copies in its initial chart run, with seven of its nine tracks reaching the Top Ten (for the record, the terrific "Baby Be Mine" and the pretty good ballad "The Lady in My Life" are not like the others). This was a record that had something for everybody, building on the basic blueprint of Off the Wall by adding harder funk, hard rock, softer ballads, and smoother soul -- expanding the approach to have something for every audience. That alone would have given the album a good shot at a huge audience, but it also arrived precisely when MTV was reaching its ascendancy, and Jackson helped the network by being not just its first superstar, but first black star as much as the network helped him. This all would have made it a success (and its success, in turn, served as a new standard for success), but it stayed on the charts, turning out singles, for nearly two years because it was really, really good. True, it wasnt as tight as Off the Wall -- and the ridiculous, late-night house-of-horrors title track is the prime culprit, arriving in the middle of the record and sucking out its momentum -- but those one or two cuts dont detract from a phenomenal set of music. Its calculated, to be sure, but the chutzpah of those calculations (before this, nobody would even have thought to bring in metal virtuoso Eddie Van Halen to play on a disco cut) is outdone by their success. This is where a song as gentle and lovely as "Human Nature" coexists comfortably with the tough, scared "Beat It," the sweet schmaltz of the Paul McCartney duet "The Girl Is Mine," and the frizzy funk of "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)." And, although this is an undeniably fun record, the paranoia is already creeping in, manifesting itself in the records two best songs: "Billie Jean," where a woman claims Michael is the father of her child, and the delirious "Wanna Be Startin Something," the freshest funk on the album, but the most claustrophobic, scariest track Jackson ever recorded. These give the record its anchor and are part of the reason why the record is more than just a phenomenon. The other reason, of course, is that much of this is just simply great music. | ||
 | Rank: 21 Album: 21 of 50 Artist: Chuck Berry Title: The Great Twenty‐Eight Released: 1982 Tracks: 28 Duration: 1:09:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Maybellene (02:21) 2 30 Days (02:24) 3 You Can’t Catch Me (02:44) 4 Too Much Monkey Business (02:55) 5 Brown Eyed Handsome Man (02:17) 6 Roll Over Beethoven (02:24) 7 Havana Moon (03:08) 8 School Days (02:42) 9 Rock and Roll Music (02:32) 10 Oh Baby Doll (02:38) 11 Reelin’ and Rockin’ (03:16) 12 Sweet Little Sixteen (03:02) 13 Johnny B. Goode (02:40) 14 Around and Around (02:40) 15 Carol (02:48) 16 Beautiful Delilah (02:10) 17 Memphis, Tennessee (02:13) 18 Sweet Little Rock and Roller (02:22) 19 Little Queenie (02:41) 20 Almost Grown (02:21) 21 Back in the USA (02:28) 22 Let It Rock (01:46) 23 Bye Bye Johnny (02:05) 24 I’m Talking About You (01:49) 25 Come On (01:50) 26 Nadine (Is It You) (02:35) 27 No Particular Place to Go (02:43) 28 I Want to Be Your Driver (02:15) |
| The Great Twenty‐Eight : Allmusic album Review : This is the place to start listening to Chuck Berry. The Great Twenty-Eight was a two-LP, single CD compilation that emerged during the early 80s, amid a brief period in which the Chess catalog was in the hands of the Sugar Hill label, a disco-oriented outfit that later lost the catalog to MCA. It has proved to be one of the most enduring of all compilations of Berrys work. Up until the release of this disc, every attempt at a compilation had either been too sketchy (the 1964 Greatest Hits album on Chess) or too demanding for the casual listener (the three Golden Decade double-LP sets), and this was the first set to find a happy medium between convenience and thoroughness. Veteran listeners will love this CD even if they learn little from it, while neophytes will want to play it to death. All of the cuts come from Berrys first nine years in music, including all of the major singles as well as relatively minor hits such as "Come On" (which was more significant in the history of rock & roll in its cover version performed by the Rolling Stones as their debut release). The sound is decent throughout (surprisingly, except for "Come On," which has some considerable noise), although it is considerably outclassed by the most recent round of remasterings. In the decades since its release, there have been more comprehensive collections of Berrys work, but this is the best single disc, if one can overlook the relatively lo-fi digital sound. | ||
 | Rank: 22 Album: 22 of 50 Artist: Robert Johnson Title: The Complete Recordings Released: 1990-08-20 Tracks: 41 Duration: 1:46:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Kind Hearted Woman Blues (take 1) (02:52) 2 Kind Hearted Woman Blues (take 2) (02:33) 3 I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom (02:59) 4 Sweet Home Chicago (03:02) 5 Rambling on My Mind (02:53) 6 Ramblin’ on My Mind (take 2) (02:23) 7 When You Got a Good Friend (02:39) 8 When You Got a Good Friend (take 2) (02:54) 9 Come On in My Kitchen (02:51) 10 Come On in My Kitchen (take 2) (02:38) 11 Terraplane Blues (03:02) 12 Phonograph Blues (take 1) (02:41) 13 Phonograph Blues (take 2) (02:36) 14 32-20 Blues (02:53) 15 They’re Red Hot (03:00) 16 Dead Shrimp Blues (02:34) 17 Cross Road Blues (02:41) 18 Cross Road Blues (02:31) 19 Walkin’ Blues (02:31) 20 Last Fair Deal Gone Down (02:40) 1 Preaching Blues (Up Jumped the Devil) (02:53) 2 If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day (02:36) 3 Stones in My Passway (02:29) 4 I’m a Steady Rollin’ Man (02:37) 5 From Four Till Late (02:24) 6 Hellhound on My Trail (02:37) 7 Little Queen of Spades (take 1) (02:13) 8 Little Queen of Spades (take 2) (02:18) 9 Malted Milk (02:22) 10 Drunken Hearted Man (02:27) 11 Drunken Hearted Man (take 2) (02:23) 12 Me and the Devil Blues (take 1) (02:37) 13 Me and the Devil Blues (take 2) (02:32) 14 Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (take 1) (02:17) 15 Stop Breakin’ Down Blues (take 2) (02:23) 16 Traveling Riverside Blues (02:46) 17 Honeymoon Blues (02:18) 18 Love in Vain Blues (take 1) (02:26) 19 Love in Vain Blues (take 2) (02:21) 20 Milkcows Calf Blues (02:17) 21 Milkcows Calf Blues Take 2 (02:20) |
| The Complete Recordings : Allmusic album Review : A double-disc box set containing everything Robert Johnson ever recorded, The Complete Recordings is essential listening, but it is also slightly problematic. The problems arent in the music itself, of course, which is stunning and the fidelity of the recordings is the best it ever has been or ever will be. Instead, its in the track sequencing. As the title implies, The Complete Recordings contains all of Johnsons recorded material, including a generous selection of alternate takes. All of the alternates are sequenced directly after the master, which can make listening to the album a little intimidating and tedious for novices. Certainly, the alternates can be programmed out with a CD player or mp3 player, but the set would have been more palatable if the alternate takes were presented on a separate disc. Nevertheless, this is a minor complaint -- Johnsons music retains its power no matter what context it is presented in. He, without question, deserves this kind of deluxe box set treatment. | ||
 | Rank: 23 Album: 23 of 50 Artist: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Title: John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band Released: 1970-12-11 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Mother (05:36) 2 Hold On (01:53) 3 I Found Out (03:37) 4 Working Class Hero (03:50) 5 Isolation (02:53) 6 Remember (04:36) 7 Love (03:24) 8 Well Well Well (05:59) 9 Look at Me (02:54) 10 God (04:10) 11 My Mummy’s Dead (00:49) |
| John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band : Allmusic album Review : The cliché about singer/songwriters is that they sing confessionals direct from their heart, but John Lennon exploded the myth behind that cliché, as well as many others, on his first official solo record, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. Inspired by his primal scream therapy with Dr. Arthur Janov, Lennon created a harrowing set of unflinchingly personal songs, laying out all of his fears and angers for everyone to hear. It was a revolutionary record -- never before had a record been so explicitly introspective, and very few records made absolutely no concession to the audiences expectations, daring the listeners to meet all the artists demands. Which isnt to say that the record is unlistenable. Lennons songs range from tough rock & rollers to piano-based ballads and spare folk songs, and his melodies remain strong and memorable, which actually intensifies the pain and rage of the songs. Not much about Plastic Ono Band is hidden. Lennon presents everything on the surface, and the song titles -- "Mother," "I Found Out," "Working Class Hero," "Isolation," "God," "My Mummys Dead" -- illustrate what each song is about, and chart his loss of faith in his parents, country, friends, fans, and idols. Its an unflinching document of bare-bones despair and pain, but for all its nihilism, it is ultimately life-affirming; it is unique not only in Lennons catalog, but in all of popular music. Few albums are ever as harrowing, difficult, and rewarding as John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. | ||
 | Rank: 24 Album: 24 of 50 Artist: Stevie Wonder Title: Innervisions Released: 1973-08-03 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Too High (04:36) 2 Visions (05:23) 3 Living for the City (07:23) 4 Golden Lady (04:58) 5 Higher Ground (03:42) 6 Jesus Children of America (04:10) 7 All in Love Is Fair (03:41) 8 Dont You Worry Bout a Thing (04:44) 9 He’s Misstra Know‐It‐All (05:35) |
| Innervisions : Allmusic album Review : When Stevie Wonder applied his tremendous songwriting talents to the unsettled social morass that was the early 70s, he produced one of his greatest, most important works, a rich panoply of songs addressing drugs, spirituality, political ethics, the unnecessary perils of urban life, and what looked to be the failure of the 60s dream -- all set within a collection of charts as funky and catchy as any hed written before. Two of the highlights, "Living for the City" and "Too High," make an especially deep impression thanks to Stevies narrative talents; on the first, an eight-minute mini-epic, he brings a hard-scrabble Mississippi black youth to the city and illustrates, via a brilliant dramatic interlude, what lies in wait for innocents. (He also uses his variety of voice impersonations to stunning effect.) "Too High" is just as stunning, a cautionary tale about drugs driven by a dizzying chorus of scat vocals and a springing bassline. "Higher Ground," a funky follow-up to the previous albums big hit ("Superstition"), and "Jesus Children of America" both introduced Wonders interest in Eastern religion. Its a tribute to his genius that he could broach topics like reincarnation and transcendental meditation in a pop context with minimal interference to the rest of the album. Wonder also made no secret of the fact that "Hes Misstra Know-It-All" was directed at Tricky Dick, aka Richard Milhouse Nixon, then making headlines (and destroying Americas faith in the highest office) with the biggest political scandal of the century. Putting all these differing themes and topics into perspective was the front cover, a striking piece by Efram Wolff portraying Stevie Wonder as the blind visionary, an artist seeing far better than those around him what was going on in the early 70s, and using his astonishing musical gifts to make this commentary one of the most effective and entertaining ever heard. | ||
 | Rank: 25 Album: 25 of 50 Artist: James Brown Title: Live at the Apollo, 1962 Released: 1963 Tracks: 15 Duration: 31:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ill Go Crazy (03:53) 2 Try Me (02:14) 3 Think (01:57) 4 I Dont Mind (02:40) 5 Lost Someone (10:54) 6 Please Please Please (00:27) 7 Youve Got the Power (00:11) 8 I Found Someone (00:38) 9 Why You Do Me (00:25) 10 I Want You So Bad (00:23) 11 I Love You Yes I Do (01:42) 12 Why Does Everything Happen to Me (01:17) 13 Bewildered (00:50) 14 Please Please Please #2 (00:30) 15 Night Train, Closing (03:26) |
| Live at the Apollo, 1962 : Allmusic album Review : An astonishing record of James and the Flames tearing the roof off the sucker at the mecca of R&B theatres, New Yorks Apollo. When King Records owner Syd Nathan refused to fund the recording, thinking it commercial folly, Brown single-mindedly proceeded anyway, paying for it out of his own pocket. He had been out on the road night after night for a while, and he knew that the magic that was part and parcel of a James Brown show was something no record had ever caught. Hit follows hit without a pause -- "Ill Go Crazy," "Try Me," "Think," "Please Please Please," "I Dont Mind," "Night Train," and more. The affirmative screams and cries of the audience are something youve never experienced unless youve seen the Brown Revue in a Black theater. If you have, I need not say more; if you havent, suffice to say that this should be one of the very first records you ever own. | ||
 | Rank: 26 Album: 26 of 50 Artist: Fleetwood Mac Title: Rumours Released: 1977-02-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Second Hand News (02:53) 2 Dreams (04:16) 3 Never Going Back Again (02:14) 4 Don’t Stop (03:12) 5 Go Your Own Way (03:39) 6 Songbird (03:20) 7 The Chain (04:30) 8 You Make Loving Fun (03:33) 9 I Don’t Want to Know (03:15) 10 Oh Daddy (03:56) 11 Gold Dust Woman (05:02) |
| Rumours : Allmusic album Review : Rumours is the kind of album that transcends its origins and reputation, entering the realm of legend -- its an album that simply exists outside of criticism and outside of its time, even if it thoroughly captures its era. Prior to this LP, Fleetwood Mac were moderately successful, but here they turned into a full-fledged phenomenon, with Rumours becoming the biggest-selling pop album to date. While its chart success was historic, much of the legend surrounding the record is born from the groups internal turmoil. Unlike most bands, Fleetwood Mac in the mid-70s were professionally and romantically intertwined, with no less than two couples in the band, but as their professional career took off, the personal side unraveled. Bassist John McVie and his keyboardist/singer wife Christine McVie filed for divorce as guitarist/vocalist Lindsey Buckingham and vocalist Stevie Nicks split, with Stevie running to drummer Mick Fleetwood, unbeknown to the rest of the band. These personal tensions fueled nearly every song on Rumours, which makes listening to the album a nearly voyeuristic experience. Youre eavesdropping on the bandmates singing painful truths about each other, spreading nasty lies and rumors and wallowing in their grief, all in the presence of the person who caused the heartache. Everybody loves gawking at a good public breakup, but if that was all that it took to sell a record, Richard and Linda Thompsons Shoot Out the Lights would be multi-platinum. No, what made Rumours an unparalleled blockbuster is the quality of the music. Once again masterminded by producer/songwriter/guitarist Buckingham, Rumours is an exceptionally musical piece of work -- he toughens Christine McVie and softens Nicks, adding weird turns to accessibly melodic works, which gives the universal themes of the songs haunting resonance. It also cloaks the raw emotion of the lyrics in deceptively palatable arrangements that made a tune as wrecked and tortured as "Go Your Own Way" an anthemic hit. But thats what makes Rumours such an enduring achievement -- it turns private pain into something universal. Some of these songs may be too familiar, whether through their repeated exposure on FM radio or their use in presidential campaigns, but in the context of the album, each tune, each phrase regains its raw, immediate emotional power -- which is why Rumours touched a nerve upon its 1977 release, and has since transcended its era to be one of the greatest, most compelling pop albums of all time. | ||
 | Rank: 27 Album: 27 of 50 Artist: U2 Title: The Joshua Tree Released: 1987-03-09 Tracks: 11 Duration: 50:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Where the Streets Have No Name (05:37) 2 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (04:38) 3 With or Without You (04:56) 4 Bullet the Blue Sky (04:32) 5 Running to Stand Still (04:17) 6 Red Hill Mining Town (04:53) 7 In God’s Country (02:57) 8 Trip Through Your Wires (03:32) 9 One Tree Hill (05:23) 10 Exit (04:13) 11 Mothers of the Disappeared (05:12) |
| The Joshua Tree : Allmusic album Review : Using the textured sonics of The Unforgettable Fire as a basis, U2 expanded those innovations by scaling back the songs to a personal setting and adding a grittier attack for its follow-up, The Joshua Tree. Its a move that returns them to the sweeping, anthemic rock of War, but if War was an exploding political bomb, The Joshua Tree is a journey through its aftermath, trying to find sense and hope in the desperation. That means that even the anthems -- the epic opener "Where the Streets Have No Name," the yearning "I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For" -- have seeds of doubt within their soaring choruses, and those fears take root throughout the album, whether its in the mournful sliding acoustic guitars of "Running to Stand Still," the surging "One Tree Hill," or the hypnotic elegy "Mothers of the Disappeared." So it might seem a little ironic that U2 became superstars on the back of such a dark record, but their focus has never been clearer, nor has their music been catchier, than on The Joshua Tree. Unexpectedly, U2 have also tempered their textural post-punk with American influences. Not only are Bonos lyrics obsessed with America, but country and blues influences are heard throughout the record, and instead of using these as roots, theyre used as ways to add texture to the music. With the uniformly excellent songs -- only the clumsy, heavy rock and portentous lyrics of "Bullet the Blue Sky" fall flat -- the result is a powerful, uncompromising record that became a hit due to its vision and its melody. Never before have U2s big messages sounded so direct and personal. | ||
 | Rank: 28 Album: 28 of 50 Artist: The Who Title: Who’s Next Released: 1971-08-14 Tracks: 16 Duration: 1:18:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Baba O’Riley (05:09) 2 Bargain (05:33) 3 Love Ain’t for Keeping (02:10) 4 My Wife (03:41) 5 The Song Is Over (06:17) 6 Getting in Tune (04:49) 7 Going Mobile (03:43) 8 Behind Blue Eyes (03:42) 9 Won’t Get Fooled Again (08:33) 10 Pure and Easy (04:21) 11 Baby Don’t You Do It (05:14) 12 Naked Eye (live) (05:31) 13 Water (live) (06:25) 14 Too Much of Anything (04:25) 15 I Don’t Even Know Myself (04:56) 16 Behind Blue Eyes (original version) (03:28) |
| Who’s Next : Allmusic album Review : Much of Whos Next derives from Lifehouse, an ambitious sci-fi rock opera Pete Townshend abandoned after suffering a nervous breakdown, caused in part from working on the sequel to Tommy. Theres no discernable theme behind these songs, yet this album is stronger than Tommy, falling just behind Who Sell Out as the finest record the Who ever cut. Townshend developed an infatuation with synthesizers during the recording of the album, and theyre all over this album, adding texture where needed and amplifying the force, which is already at a fever pitch. Apart from Live at Leeds, the Who have never sounded as LOUD and unhinged as they do here, yet thats balanced by ballads, both lovely ("The Song Is Over") and scathing ("Behind Blue Eyes"). Thats the key to Whos Next -- theres anger and sorrow, humor and regret, passion and tumult, all wrapped up in a blistering package where the rage is as affecting as the heartbreak. This is a retreat from the 60s, as Townshend declares the "Song Is Over," scorns the teenage wasteland, and bitterly declares that we "Wont Get Fooled Again." For all the sorrow and heartbreak that runs beneath the surface, this is an invigorating record, not just because Keith Moon runs rampant or because Roger Daltrey has never sung better or because John Entwistle spins out manic basslines that are as captivating as his "My Wife" is funny. This is invigorating because it has all of that, plus Townshend laying his soul bare in ways that are funny, painful, and utterly life-affirming. That is what the Who was about, not the rock operas, and thats why Whos Next is truer than Tommy or the abandoned Lifehouse. Those were art -- this, even with its pretensions, is rock & roll. | ||
 | Rank: 29 Album: 29 of 50 Artist: Led Zeppelin Title: Led Zeppelin Released: 1969-01-12 Tracks: 9 Duration: 44:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Good Times Bad Times (02:46) 2 Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (06:41) 3 You Shook Me (06:27) 4 Dazed and Confused (06:27) 5 Your Time Is Gonna Come (04:34) 6 Black Mountain Side (02:12) 7 Communication Breakdown (02:29) 8 I Can’t Quit You Baby (04:42) 9 How Many More Times (08:28) |
| Led Zeppelin : Allmusic album Review : Led Zeppelin had a fully formed, distinctive sound from the outset, as their eponymous debut illustrates. Taking the heavy, distorted electric blues of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Cream to an extreme, Zeppelin created a majestic, powerful brand of guitar rock constructed around simple, memorable riffs and lumbering rhythms. But the key to the groups attack was subtlety: it wasnt just an onslaught of guitar noise, it was shaded and textured, filled with alternating dynamics and tempos. As Led Zeppelin proves, the group was capable of such multi-layered music from the start. Although the extended psychedelic blues of "Dazed and Confused," "You Shook Me," and "I Cant Quit You Baby" often gather the most attention, the remainder of the album is a better indication of what would come later. "Babe Im Gonna Leave You" shifts from folky verses to pummeling choruses; "Good Times Bad Times" and "How Many More Times" have groovy, bluesy shuffles; "Your Time Is Gonna Come" is an anthemic hard rocker; "Black Mountain Side" is pure English folk; and "Communication Breakdown" is a frenzied rocker with a nearly punkish attack. Although the album isnt as varied as some of their later efforts, it nevertheless marked a significant turning point in the evolution of hard rock and heavy metal. | ||
 | Rank: 30 Album: 30 of 50 Artist: Joni Mitchell Title: Blue Released: 1971-06 Tracks: 10 Duration: 36:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 All I Want (03:33) 2 My Old Man (03:35) 3 Little Green (03:28) 4 Carey (03:03) 5 Blue (03:04) 6 California (03:50) 7 This Flight Tonight (02:52) 8 River (04:05) 9 A Case of You (04:23) 10 The Last Time I Saw Richard (04:16) |
| Blue : Allmusic album Review : Sad, spare, and beautiful, Blue is the quintessential confessional singer/songwriter album. Forthright and poetic, Joni Mitchells songs are raw nerves, tales of love and loss (two words with relative meaning here) etched with stunning complexity; even tracks like "All I Want," "My Old Man," and "Carey" -- the brightest, most hopeful moments on the record -- are darkened by bittersweet moments of sorrow and loneliness. At the same time that songs like "Little Green" (about a child given up for adoption) and the title cut (a hymn to salvation supposedly penned for James Taylor) raise the stakes of confessional folk-pop to new levels of honesty and openness, Mitchells music moves beyond the constraints of acoustic folk into more intricate and diverse territory, setting the stage for the experimentation of her later work. Unrivaled in its intensity and insight, Blue remains a watershed. | ||
 | Rank: 31 Album: 31 of 50 Artist: Bob Dylan Title: Bringing It All Back Home Released: 1965-03-22 Tracks: 11 Duration: 47:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Subterranean Homesick Blues (02:20) 2 She Belongs to Me (02:49) 3 Maggie’s Farm (03:56) 4 Love Minus Zero/No Limit (02:54) 5 Outlaw Blues (03:07) 6 On the Road Again (02:38) 7 Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream (06:32) 8 Mr. Tambourine Man (05:29) 9 Gates of Eden (05:43) 10 It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) (07:32) 11 It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (04:14) |
| Bringing It All Back Home : Allmusic album Review : With Another Side of Bob Dylan, Dylan had begun pushing past folk, and with Bringing It All Back Home, he exploded the boundaries, producing an album of boundless imagination and skill. And its not just that he went electric, either, rocking hard on "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "Maggies Farm," and "Outlaw Blues"; its that hes exploding with imagination throughout the record. After all, the music on its second side -- the nominal folk songs -- derive from the same vantage point as the rockers, leaving traditional folk concerns behind and delving deep into the personal. And this isnt just introspection, either, since the surreal paranoia on "Its Alright, Ma (Im Only Bleeding)" and the whimsical poetry of "Mr. Tambourine Man" are individual, yet not personal. And thats just the tip of the iceberg, really, as he writes uncommonly beautiful love songs ("She Belongs to Me," "Love Minus Zero/No Limit") that sit alongside uncommonly funny fantasias ("On the Road Again," "Bob Dylans 115th Dream"). This is the point where Dylan eclipses any conventional sense of folk and rewrites the rules of rock, making it safe for personal expression and poetry, not only making words mean as much as the music, but making the music an extension of the words. A truly remarkable album. | ||
 | Rank: 32 Album: 32 of 50 Artist: The Rolling Stones Title: Let It Bleed Released: 1969-11-29 Tracks: 9 Duration: 42:25 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gimme Shelter (04:32) 2 Love in Vain (04:19) 3 Country Honk (03:07) 4 Live With Me (03:33) 5 Let It Bleed (05:28) 6 Midnight Rambler (06:52) 7 You Got the Silver (02:50) 8 Monkey Man (04:11) 9 You Can’t Always Get What You Want (07:29) |
| Let It Bleed : Allmusic album Review : Mostly recorded without Brian Jones -- who died several months before its release (although he does play on two tracks) and was replaced by Mick Taylor (who also plays on just two songs) -- this extends the rock and blues feel of Beggars Banquet into slightly harder-rocking, more demonically sexual territory. The Stones were never as consistent on album as their main rivals, the Beatles, and Let It Bleed suffers from some rather perfunctory tracks, like "Monkey Man" and a countrified remake of the classic "Honky Tonk Woman" (here titled "Country Honk"). Yet some of the songs are among their very best, especially "Gimme Shelter," with its shimmering guitar lines and apocalyptic lyrics; the harmonica-driven "Midnight Rambler"; the druggy party ambience of the title track; and the stunning "You Cant Always Get What You Want," which was the Stones "Hey Jude" of sorts, with its epic structure, horns, philosophical lyrics, and swelling choral vocals. "You Got the Silver" (Keith Richards first lead vocal) and Robert Johnsons "Love in Vain," by contrast, were as close to the roots of acoustic down-home blues as the Stones ever got. | ||
 | Rank: 33 Album: 33 of 50 Artist: Ramones Title: Ramones Released: 1976-04-23 Tracks: 28 Duration: 58:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Blitzkrieg Bop (02:13) 2 Beat on the Brat (02:32) 3 Judy Is a Punk (01:32) 4 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (02:24) 5 Chain Saw (01:56) 6 Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (01:36) 7 I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement (02:38) 8 Loudmouth (02:15) 9 Havana Affair (01:57) 10 Listen to My Heart (01:58) 11 53rd & 3rd (02:21) 12 Let’s Dance (01:52) 13 I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You (01:43) 14 Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World (02:11) 15 Blitzkrieg Bop (02:12) 16 Beat on the Brat (02:31) 17 Judy Is a Punk (01:31) 18 I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (02:24) 19 Chain Saw (01:53) 20 Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (01:35) 21 I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement (02:37) 22 Loudmouth (02:13) 23 Havanna Affair (01:56) 24 Listen to My Heart (01:56) 25 53rd & 3rd (02:18) 26 Let’s Dance (01:51) 27 I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You (01:42) 28 Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World (02:10) |
| Ramones : Allmusic album Review : With the three-chord assault of "Blitzkrieg Bop," The Ramones begins at a blinding speed and never once over the course of its 14 songs does it let up. The Ramones is all about speed, hooks, stupidity, and simplicity. The songs are imaginative reductions of early rock & roll, girl group pop, and surf rock. Not only is the music boiled down to its essentials, but the Ramones offer a twisted, comical take on pop culture with their lyrics, whether its the horror schlock of "I Dont Wanna Go Down to the Basement," the gleeful violence of "Beat on the Brat," or the maniacal stupidity of "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue." And the cover of Chris Montezs "Lets Dance" isnt a throwaway -- with its single-minded beat and lyrics, it encapsulates everything the group loves about pre-Beatles rock & roll. They dont alter the structure, or the intent, of the song, they simply make it louder and faster. And thats the key to all of the Ramones music -- its simple rock & roll, played simply, loud, and very, very fast. None of the songs clock in at any longer than two and half minutes, and most are considerably shorter. In comparison to some of the music the album inspired, The Ramones sounds a little tame -- its a little too clean, and compared to their insanely fast live albums, it even sounds a little slow -- but theres no denying that it still sounds brilliantly fresh and intoxicatingly fun. | ||
 | Rank: 34 Album: 34 of 50 Artist: The Band Title: Music From Big Pink Released: 1968-07-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tears of Rage (05:23) 2 To Kingdom Come (03:22) 3 In a Station (03:34) 4 Caledonia Mission (02:59) 5 The Weight (04:35) 6 We Can Talk (03:06) 7 Long Black Veil (03:06) 8 Chest Fever (05:15) 9 Lonesome Suzie (04:04) 10 This Wheel’s on Fire (03:14) 11 I Shall Be Released (03:14) |
| Music From Big Pink : Allmusic album Review : None of the Bands previous work gave much of a clue about how they would sound when they released their first album in July 1968. As it was, Music from Big Pink came as a surprise. At first blush, the group seemed to affect the sound of a loose jam session, alternating emphasis on different instruments, while the lead and harmony vocals passed back and forth as if the singers were making up their blend on the spot. In retrospect, especially as the lyrics sank in, the arrangements seemed far more considered and crafted to support a group of songs that took family, faith, and rural life as their subjects and proceeded to imbue their values with uncertainty. Some songs took on the theme of declining institutions less clearly than others, but the points were made musically as much as lyrically. Tenor Richard Manuels haunting, lonely voice gave the album much of its frightening aspect, while Rick Dankos and Levon Helms rough-hewn styles reinforced the songs rustic fervor. The dominant instrument was Garth Hudsons often icy and majestic organ, while Robbie Robertsons unusual guitar work further destabilized the sound. The result was an album that reflected the turmoil of the late 60s in a way that emphasized the tragedy inherent in the conflicts. Music from Big Pink came off as a shockingly divergent musical statement only a year after the ornate productions of Sgt. Pepper, and initially attracted attention because of the three songs Bob Dylan had either written or co-written. However, as soon as "The Weight" became a minor singles chart entry, the album and the group made their own impact, influencing a movement toward roots styles and country elements in rock. Over time, Music from Big Pink came to be regarded as a watershed work in the history of rock, one that introduced new tones and approaches to the constantly evolving genre. | ||
 | Rank: 35 Album: 35 of 50 Artist: David Bowie Title: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars Released: 1972-06-06 Tracks: 11 Duration: 38:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Five Years (04:42) 2 Soul Love (03:33) 3 Moonage Daydream (04:39) 4 Starman (04:14) 5 It Ain’t Easy (02:57) 6 Lady Stardust (03:21) 7 Star (02:47) 8 Hang On to Yourself (02:38) 9 Ziggy Stardust (03:13) 10 Suffragette City (03:25) 11 Rock ’n’ Roll Suicide (03:00) |
| The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars : Allmusic album Review : Borrowing heavily from Marc Bolans glam rock and the future shock of A Clockwork Orange, David Bowie reached back to the heavy rock of The Man Who Sold the World for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Constructed as a loose concept album about an androgynous alien rock star named Ziggy Stardust, the story falls apart quickly, yet Bowies fractured, paranoid lyrics are evocative of a decadent, decaying future, and the music echoes an apocalyptic, nuclear dread. Fleshing out the off-kilter metallic mix with fatter guitars, genuine pop songs, string sections, keyboards, and a cinematic flourish, Ziggy Stardust is a glitzy array of riffs, hooks, melodrama, and style and the logical culmination of glam. Mick Ronson plays with a maverick flair that invigorates rockers like "Suffragette City," "Moonage Daydream," and "Hang Onto Yourself," while "Lady Stardust," "Five Years," and "Rock n Roll Suicide" have a grand sense of staged drama previously unheard of in rock & roll. And that self-conscious sense of theater is part of the reason why Ziggy Stardust sounds so foreign. Bowie succeeds not in spite of his pretensions but because of them, and Ziggy Stardust -- familiar in structure, but alien in performance -- is the first time his vision and execution met in such a grand, sweeping fashion. | ||
 | Rank: 36 Album: 36 of 50 Artist: Carole King Title: Tapestry Released: 1971-01-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Feel the Earth Move (02:59) 2 So Far Away (03:55) 3 It’s Too Late (03:54) 4 Home Again (02:29) 5 Beautiful (03:07) 6 Way Over Yonder (04:45) 7 You’ve Got a Friend (05:09) 8 Where You Lead (03:20) 9 Will You Love Me Tomorrow? (04:12) 10 Smackwater Jack (03:42) 11 Tapestry (03:15) 12 (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (03:58) 13 Out in the Cold (02:45) 14 Smackwater Jack (live) (03:19) |
| Tapestry : Allmusic album Review : Carole King brought the fledgling singer/songwriter phenomenon to the masses with Tapestry, one of the most successful albums in pop music history. A remarkably expressive and intimate record, its a work of consummate craftsmanship. Always a superior pop composer, King reaches even greater heights as a performer; new songs like the hits "Its Too Late" and "I Feel the Earth Move" rank solidly with past glories, while songs like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" take on added resonance when delivered in her own warm, compelling voice. With its reliance on pianos and gentle drumming, Tapestry is a light and airy work on its surface, occasionally skirting the boundaries of jazz, but its also an intensely emotional record, the songs confessional and direct; in its time it connected with listeners like few records before it, and it remains an illuminating experience decades later. | ||
 | Rank: 37 Album: 37 of 50 Artist: Eagles Title: Hotel California Released: 1976-12-08 Tracks: 9 Duration: 43:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hotel California (06:30) 2 New Kid in Town (05:03) 3 Life in the Fast Lane (04:46) 4 Wasted Time (04:56) 5 Wasted Time (reprise) (01:23) 6 Victim of Love (04:09) 7 Pretty Maids All in a Row (03:58) 8 Try and Love Again (05:10) 9 The Last Resort (07:28) |
| Hotel California : Allmusic album Review : The Eagles took 18 months between their fourth and fifth albums, reportedly spending eight months in the studio recording Hotel California. The album was also their first to be made without Bernie Leadon, who had given the band much of its country flavor, and with rock guitarist Joe Walsh. As a result, the album marks a major leap for the Eagles from their earlier work, as well as a stylistic shift toward mainstream rock. An even more important aspect, however, is the emergence of Don Henley as the bands dominant voice, both as a singer and a lyricist. On the six songs to which he contributes, Henley sketches a thematic statement that begins by using California as a metaphor for a dark, surreal world of dissipation; comments on the ephemeral nature of success and the attraction of excess; branches out into romantic disappointment; and finally sketches a broad, pessimistic history of America that borders on nihilism. Of course, the lyrics kick in some time after one has appreciated the albums music, which marks a peak in the Eagles playing. Early on, the group couldnt rock convincingly, but the rhythm section of Henley and Meisner has finally solidified, and the electric guitar work of Don Felder and Joe Walsh has arena-rock heft. In the early part of their career, the Eagles never seemed to get a sound big enough for their ambitions; after changes in producer and personnel, as well as a noticeable growth in creativity, Hotel California unveiled what seemed almost like a whole new band. It was a band that could be bombastic, but also one that made music worthy of the later tag of "classic rock," music appropriate for the arenas and stadiums the band was playing. The result was the Eagles biggest-selling regular album release, and one of the most successful rock albums ever. | ||
 | Rank: 38 Album: 38 of 50 Artist: Muddy Waters Title: The Anthology Released: 2001-08-28 Tracks: 26 Duration: 1:16:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Gypsy Woman (02:35) 2 I Can’t Be Satisfied (02:42) 3 I Feel Like Going Home (03:10) 4 Train Fare Home Blues (02:47) 5 Mean Red Spider (02:17) 6 Standin’ Here Tremblin’ (02:25) 7 You Gonna Need My Help (03:07) 8 Little Geneva (02:47) 9 Rollin’ and Tumblin’, Part One (02:59) 10 Rollin’ Stone (03:08) 11 Walking Blues (02:57) 12 Louisiana Blues (02:54) 13 Long Distance Call (02:41) 14 Honey Bee (03:21) 15 Country Boy (03:11) 16 She Moves Me (02:58) 17 Still a Fool (03:17) 18 Stuff You Gotta Watch (02:50) 19 Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I’m Gone (03:04) 20 Standin’ Around Cryin’ (03:23) 21 Baby Please Don’t Go (03:16) 22 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man (02:51) 23 I Just Want to Make Love to You (02:52) 24 I’m Ready (03:03) 25 Young Fashioned Ways (03:01) 26 I Want to Be Loved (02:42) |
 | Rank: 39 Album: 39 of 50 Artist: The Beatles Title: Please Please Me Released: 1963-03-22 Tracks: 14 Duration: 33:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Saw Her Standing There (02:56) 2 Misery (01:52) 3 Anna (Go to Him) (02:59) 4 Chains (02:28) 5 Boys (02:29) 6 Ask Me Why (02:29) 7 Please Please Me (02:03) 8 Love Me Do (02:23) 9 P.S. I Love You (02:05) 10 Baby It’s You (02:40) 11 Do You Want to Know a Secret (02:01) 12 A Taste of Honey (02:07) 13 There’s a Place (01:55) 14 Twist and Shout (02:33) |
| Please Please Me : Allmusic album Review : Once "Please Please Me" rocketed to number one, the Beatles rushed to deliver a debut album, bashing out Please Please Me in a day. Decades after its release, the album still sounds fresh, precisely because of its intense origins. As the songs rush past, its easy to get wrapped up in the sound of the record itself without realizing how the album effectively summarizes the bands eclectic influences. Naturally, the influences shine through their covers, all of which are unconventional and illustrate the groups superior taste. Theres a love of girl groups, vocal harmonies, sophisticated popcraft, schmaltz, R&B, and hard-driving rock & roll, which is enough to make Please Please Me impressive, but what makes it astonishing is how these elements converge in the originals. "I Saw Here Standing There" is one of their best rockers, yet it has surprising harmonies and melodic progressions. "Misery" and "Theres a Place" grow out of the girl group tradition without being tied to it. A few of their originals, such as "Do You Want to Know a Secret" and the pleasantly light "P.S. I Love You," have dated slightly, but endearingly so, since theyre infused with cheerful innocence and enthusiasm. And there is an innocence to Please Please Me. The Beatles may have played notoriously rough dives in Hamburg, but the only way you could tell that on their first album was how the constant gigging turned the group into a tight, professional band that could run through their set list at the drop of a hat with boundless energy. Its no surprise that Lennon had shouted himself hoarse by the end of the session, barely getting through "Twist and Shout," the most famous single take in rock history. He simply got caught up in the music, just like generations of listeners did. | ||
 | Rank: 40 Album: 40 of 50 Artist: Love Title: Forever Changes Released: 1967 Tracks: 18 Duration: 1:14:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Alone Again Or (03:17) 2 A House Is Not a Motel (03:32) 3 Andmoreagain (03:18) 4 The Daily Planet (03:31) 5 Old Man (03:02) 6 The Red Telephone (04:45) 7 Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale (03:35) 8 Live and Let Live (05:27) 9 The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This (03:08) 10 Bummer in the Summer (02:24) 11 You Set the Scene (06:57) 12 Hummingbirds (demo) (02:44) 13 Wonder People (I Do Wonder) (outtake) (03:28) 14 Alone Again Or (alternate mix) (02:55) 15 You Set the Scene (alternate mix) (07:01) 16 Your Mind and We Belong Together (tracking sessions highlights) (08:16) 17 Your Mind and We Belong Together (04:27) 18 Laughing Stock (02:31) |
| Forever Changes : Allmusic album Review : Loves Forever Changes made only a minor dent on the charts when it was first released in 1967, but years later it became recognized as one of the finest and most haunting albums to come out of the Summer of Love, which doubtless has as much to do with the discs themes and tone as the music, beautiful as it is. Sharp electric guitars dominated most of Loves first two albums, and they make occasional appearances here on tunes like "A House Is Not a Motel" and "Live and Let Live," but most of Forever Changes is built around interwoven acoustic guitar textures and subtle orchestrations, with strings and horns both reinforcing and punctuating the melodies. The punky edge of Loves early work gave way to a more gentle, contemplative, and organic sound on Forever Changes, but while Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean wrote some of their most enduring songs for the album, the lovely melodies and inspired arrangements cant disguise an air of malaise that permeates the sessions. A certain amount of this reflects the angst of a group undergoing some severe internal strife, but Forever Changes is also an album that heralds the last days of a golden age and anticipates the growing ugliness that would dominate the counterculture in 1968 and 1969; images of violence and war haunt "A House Is Not a Motel," the street scenes of "Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hillsdale" reflects a jaded mindset that flower power could not ease, the twin specters of race and international strife rise to the surface of "The Red Telephone," romance becomes cynicism in "Bummer in the Summer," the promise of the psychedelic experience decays into hard drug abuse in "Live and Let Live," and even gentle numbers like "Andmoreagain" and "Old Man" sound elegiac, as if the ghosts of Chicago and Altamont were visible over the horizon as Love looked back to brief moments of warmth. Forever Changes is inarguably Loves masterpiece and an album of enduring beauty, but its also one of the few major works of its era that saw the dark clouds looming on the cultural horizon, and the result was music that was as prescient as it was compelling. | ||
 | Rank: 41 Album: 41 of 50 Artist: Sex Pistols Title: Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols Released: 1977-10-28 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:31 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Holidays in the Sun (03:19) 2 Bodies (03:01) 3 No Feelings (02:48) 4 Liar (02:40) 5 God Save the Queen (03:18) 6 Problems (04:10) 7 Seventeen (02:01) 8 Anarchy in the U.K. (03:31) 9 Submission (04:11) 10 Pretty Vacant (03:16) 11 New York (03:03) 12 EMI (03:09) |
| Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols : Allmusic album Review : While mostly accurate, dismissing Never Mind the Bollocks as merely a series of loud, ragged midtempo rockers with a harsh, grating vocalist and not much melody would be a terrible error. Already anthemic songs are rendered positively transcendent by Johnny Rottens rabid, foaming delivery. His bitterly sarcastic attacks on pretentious affectation and the very foundations of British society were all carried out in the most confrontational, impolite manner possible. Most imitators of the Pistols angry nihilism missed the point: underneath the shock tactics and theatrical negativity were social critiques carefully designed for maximum impact. Never Mind the Bollocks perfectly articulated the frustration, rage, and dissatisfaction of the British working class with the establishment, a spirit quick to translate itself to strictly rock & roll terms. The Pistols paved the way for countless other bands to make similarly rebellious statements, but arguably none were as daring or effective. Its easy to see how the bands roaring energy, overwhelmingly snotty attitude, and Rottens furious ranting sparked a musical revolution, and those qualities havent diminished one bit over time. Never Mind the Bollocks is simply one of the greatest, most inspiring rock records of all time. | ||
 | Rank: 42 Album: 42 of 50 Artist: The Doors Title: The Doors Released: 1967-01-04 Tracks: 11 Duration: 44:28 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Break On Through (to the Other Side) (02:29) 2 Soul Kitchen (03:35) 3 The Crystal Ship (02:34) 4 Twentieth Century Fox (02:34) 5 Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) (03:20) 6 Light My Fire (07:07) 7 Back Door Man (03:34) 8 I Looked at You (02:22) 9 End of the Night (02:53) 10 Take It as It Comes (02:17) 11 The End (11:42) |
| The Doors : Allmusic album Review : A tremendous debut album, and indeed one of the best first-time outings in rock history, introducing the bands fusion of rock, blues, classical, jazz, and poetry with a knockout punch. The lean, spidery guitar and organ riffs interweave with a hypnotic menace, providing a seductive backdrop for Jim Morrisons captivating vocals and probing prose. "Light My Fire" was the cut that topped the charts and established the group as stars, but most of the rest of the album is just as impressive, including some of their best songs: the propulsive "Break on Through" (their first single), the beguiling mystery of "The Crystal Ship," the mysterious "End of the Night," "Take It as It Comes" (one of several tunes besides "Light My Fire" that also had hit potential), and the stomping rock of "Soul Kitchen" and "Twentieth Century Fox." The 11-minute Oedipal drama "The End" was the group at its most daring and, some would contend, overambitious. It was nonetheless a haunting cap to an album whose nonstop melodicism and dynamic tension would never be equaled by the group again, let alone bettered. | ||
 | Rank: 43 Album: 43 of 50 Artist: Pink Floyd Title: The Dark Side of the Moon Released: 1973-03-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 42:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Speak to Me (01:08) 2 Breathe (02:48) 3 On the Run (03:46) 4 Time (06:53) 5 The Great Gig in the Sky (04:44) 6 Money (06:22) 7 Us and Them (07:49) 8 Any Colour You Like (03:26) 9 Brain Damage (03:47) 10 Eclipse (02:11) |
| The Dark Side of the Moon : Allmusic album Review : By condensing the sonic explorations of Meddle to actual songs and adding a lush, immaculate production to their trippiest instrumental sections, Pink Floyd inadvertently designed their commercial breakthrough with Dark Side of the Moon. The primary revelation of Dark Side of the Moon is what a little focus does for the band. Roger Waters wrote a series of songs about mundane, everyday details which arent that impressive by themselves, but when given the sonic backdrop of Floyds slow, atmospheric soundscapes and carefully placed sound effects, they achieve an emotional resonance. But what gives the album true power is the subtly textured music, which evolves from ponderous, neo-psychedelic art rock to jazz fusion and blues-rock before turning back to psychedelia. Its dense with detail, but leisurely paced, creating its own dark, haunting world. Pink Floyd may have better albums than Dark Side of the Moon, but no other record defines them quite as well as this one. | ||
 | Rank: 44 Album: 44 of 50 Artist: Patti Smith Title: Horses Released: 1975-11 Tracks: 9 Duration: 46:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Gloria (05:56) 2 Redondo Beach (03:26) 3 Birdland (09:15) 4 Free Money (03:51) 5 Kimberly (04:27) 6 Break It Up (04:04) 7 Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances / La Mer (De) (09:25) 8 Elegie (02:56) 9 My Generation (03:17) |
 | Rank: 45 Album: 45 of 50 Artist: The Band Title: The Band Released: 1969-09-22 Tracks: 19 Duration: 1:11:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Across the Great Divide (02:53) 2 Rag Mama Rag (03:04) 3 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (03:33) 4 When You Awake (03:13) 5 Up on Cripple Creek (04:34) 6 Whispering Pines (03:58) 7 Jemima Surrender (03:31) 8 Rockin’ Chair (03:43) 9 Look Out Cleveland (03:09) 10 Jawbone (04:20) 11 The Unfaithful Servant (04:17) 12 King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (03:39) 13 Get Up Jake (outtake – stereo mix) (02:17) 14 Rag Mama Rag (alternate vocal take – rough mix) (03:05) 15 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (alternate mix) (04:16) 16 Up on Cripple Creek (alternate take) (04:54) 17 Whispering Pines (alternate take) (05:06) 18 Jemima Surrender (alternate take) (03:48) 19 King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (alternate performance) (04:28) |
| The Band : Allmusic album Review : The Bands first album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to come out of nowhere, with its ramshackle musical blend and songs of rural tragedy. The Band, the groups second album, was a more deliberate and even more accomplished effort, partially because the players had become a more cohesive unit, and partially because guitarist Robbie Robertson had taken over the songwriting, writing or co-writing all 12 songs. Though a Canadian, Robertson focused on a series of American archetypes from the union worker in "King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" and the retired sailor in "Rockin Chair" to, most famously, the Confederate Civil War observer Virgil Cane in "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The album effectively mixed the kind of mournful songs that had dominated Music from Big Pink, here including "Whispering Pines" and "When You Awake" (both co-written by Richard Manuel), with rollicking uptempo numbers like "Rag Mama Rag" and "Up on Cripple Creek" (both sung by Levon Helm and released as singles, with "Up on Cripple Creek" making the Top 40). As had been true of the first album, it was the Bands sound that stood out the most, from Helms (and occasionally Manuels) propulsive drumming to Robertsons distinctive guitar fills and the endlessly inventive keyboard textures of Garth Hudson, all topped by the rough, expressive singing of Manuel, Helm, and Rick Danko that mixed leads with harmonies. The arrangements were simultaneously loose and assured, giving the songs a timeless appeal, while the lyrics continued to paint portraits of 19th century rural life (especially Southern life, as references to Tennessee and Virginia made clear), its sometimes less savory aspects treated with warmth and humor. | ||
 | Rank: 46 Album: 46 of 50 Artist: Bob Marley & The Wailers Title: Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers Released: 1984-05-08 Tracks: 14 Duration: 50:18 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Is This Love (03:52) 2 No Woman, No Cry (04:04) 3 Could You Be Loved (03:34) 4 Three Little Birds (03:00) 5 Buffalo Soldier (02:44) 6 Get Up, Stand Up (03:17) 7 Stir It Up (03:39) 8 One Love / People Get Ready (02:52) 9 I Shot the Sheriff (03:47) 10 Waiting in Vain (04:15) 11 Redemption Song (03:47) 12 Satisfy My Soul (03:47) 13 Exodus (04:17) 14 Jamming (03:17) |
| Legend: The Best of Bob Marley and The Wailers : Allmusic album Review : The classic Marley album, the one that any fair-weather reggae fan owns, Legend contains 14 of his greatest songs, running the gamut from "I Shot the Sheriff" to the meditative "Redemption Song" and the irrepressible "Three Little Birds." Some may argue that the compilation shortchanges his groundbreaking early ska work or his status as a political commentator, but this isnt meant to be definitive, its meant to be an introduction, sampling the very best of his work. And it does that remarkably well, offering all of his genre-defying greats and an illustration of his excellence, warmth, and humanity. In a way, it is perfect since it gives a doubter or casual fan anything they could want. Lets face it, the beauty and simplicity of Marleys music was as important as his message, and thats captured particularly well here. | ||
 | Rank: 47 Album: 47 of 50 Artist: John Coltrane Title: A Love Supreme Released: 1965 Tracks: 4 Duration: 32:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 A Love Supreme, Part 1: Acknowledgement (07:47) 2 A Love Supreme, Part 2: Resolution (07:25) 3 A Love Supreme, Part 3: Pursuance (10:42) 4 A Love Supreme, Part 4: Psalm (07:02) |
| A Love Supreme : Allmusic album Review : One of the most important records ever made, John Coltranes A Love Supreme was his pinnacle studio outing, that at once compiled all of the innovations from his past, spoke to the current of deep spirituality that liberated him from addictions to drugs and alcohol, and glimpsed at the future innovations of his final two and a half years. Recorded over two days in December 1964, Tranes classic quartet--Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison-- stepped into the studio and created one of the most the most thought-provoking, concise, and technically pleasing albums of their bountiful relationship. From the undulatory (and classic) bassline at the intro to the last breathy notes, Trane is at the peak of his logical and emotionally varied soloing, while the rest of the group is completely atttuned to his spiritual vibe. Composed of four parts, each has a thematic progression. "Acknowledgement" is the awakening to a spiritual life from the darkness of the world; it trails off with the saxophonist chanting the suites title. "Resolution" is an amazingly beautiful, somewhat turbulent segment. It portrays the dedication required for discovery on the path toward spiritual understanding. "Pursuance" searches deeply for that experience, while "Psalm" portrays that discovery and the realization of enlightenment with humility. Although sometimes aggressive and dissonant, this isnt Coltrane at his most furious or adventurous. His recordings following this period--studio and live-- become progressively untethered and extremely spirited. A Love Supreme not only attempts but realizes the ambitious undertaking of Coltranes concept; his emotional, searching, sometimes prayerful journey is made abundantly clear. Clocking in at 33 minutes; A Love Supreme conveys much without overstatement. It is almost impossible to imagine any jazz collection without it. | ||
 | Rank: 48 Album: 48 of 50 Artist: Public Enemy Title: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Released: 1988 Tracks: 16 Duration: 57:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Countdown to Armageddon (01:40) 2 Bring the Noise (03:45) 3 Don’t Believe the Hype (05:19) 4 Cold Lampin With Flavor (04:17) 5 Terminator X to the Edge of Panic (04:31) 6 Mind Terrorist (01:20) 7 Louder Than a Bomb (03:38) 8 Caught, Can We Get a Witness (04:53) 9 Show Em Whatcha Got (01:56) 10 She Watch Channel Zero?! (03:49) 11 Night of the Living Baseheads (03:14) 12 Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (06:23) 13 Security of the First World (01:20) 14 Rebel Without a Pause (05:02) 15 Prophets of Rage (03:18) 16 Party for Your Right to Fight (03:25) |
| It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back : Allmusic album Review : Yo! Bum Rush the Show was an invigorating record, but it looks like childs play compared to its monumental sequel, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, a record that rewrote the rules of what hip-hop could do. Thats not to say the album is without precedent, since whats particularly ingenious about the album is how it reconfigures things that came before into a startling, fresh, modern sound. Public Enemy used the template Run-D.M.C. created of a rap crew as a rock band, then brought in elements of free jazz, hard funk, even musique concrète, via their producing team, the Bomb Squad, creating a dense, ferocious sound unlike anything that came before. This coincided with a breakthrough in Chuck Ds writing, both in his themes and lyrics. Its not that Chuck D was smarter or more ambitious than his contemporaries -- certainly, KRS-One tackled many similar sociopolitical tracts, while Rakim had a greater flow -- but he marshaled considerable revolutionary force, clear vision, and a boundless vocabulary to create galvanizing, logical arguments that were undeniable in their strength. They only gained strength from Flavor Flavs frenzied jokes, which provided a needed contrast. Whats amazing is how the words and music become intertwined, gaining strength from each other. Though this music is certainly a representation of its time, it hasnt dated at all. It set a standard that few could touch then, and even fewer have attempted to meet since. | ||
 | Rank: 49 Album: 49 of 50 Artist: The Allman Brothers Band Title: At Fillmore East Released: 1971 Tracks: 7 Duration: 1:16:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Statesboro Blues (04:08) 2 Done Somebody Wrong (04:05) 3 Stormy Monday (08:31) 4 Whipping Post (22:40) 1 You Don’t Love Me (19:06) 2 Hot ’Lanta (05:10) 3 In Memory of Elizabeth Reed (12:46) |
| At Fillmore East : Allmusic album Review : Whereas most great live rock albums are about energy, At Fillmore East is like a great live jazz session, where the pleasure comes from the musicians interaction and playing. The great thing about that is, the original album that brought the Allmans so much acclaim is as notable for its clever studio editing as it is for its performances. Producer Tom Dowd skillfully trimmed some of the performances down to relatively concise running time (edits later restored on the double-disc set The Fillmore Concerts), at times condensing several performances into one track. Far from being a sacrilege, this tactic helps present the Allmans in their best light, since even if the music isnt necessarily concise (three tracks run over ten minutes, with two in the 20-minute range), it does showcase the groups terrific instrumental interplay, letting each member (but particularly guitarist Duane and keyboardist/vocalist Gregg) shine. Even after the release of the unedited concerts, this original double album remains the pinnacle of the Allmans and Southern rock at its most elastic, bluesy, and jazzy. | ||
 | Rank: 50 Album: 50 of 50 Artist: Little Richard Title: Here’s Little Richard Released: 1957-03 Tracks: 12 Duration: 27:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Tutti Frutti (02:24) 2 True, Fine Mama (02:43) 3 Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave (02:26) 4 Ready Teddy (02:09) 5 Baby (02:05) 6 Slippin’ and Slidin’ (02:43) 7 Long Tall Sally (02:09) 8 Miss Ann (02:17) 9 Oh Why? (02:08) 10 Rip It Up (02:23) 11 Jenny Jenny (02:04) 12 She’s Got It (02:26) |
| Here’s Little Richard : Allmusic album Review : Little Richard had been making records for four years before he rolled into Cosimo Matassas J&M Studio in New Orleans and cut the epochal "Tutti Frutti" in the fall of 1955, but everything else hed done -- and much of what others had recorded -- faded into insignificance when Richard wailed "A wop bop a loo mop a lomp bomp bomp" and kicked off one of the first great wailers in rock history. In retrospect, Little Richards style doesnt seem so strikingly innovative as captured in 1956s Heres Little Richard -- his boogie-woogie piano stylings werent all that different from what Fats Domino had been laying down since 1949, and his band pumped out the New Orleans backbeat that would define the Crescent Citys R&B for the next two decades, albeit with precision and plenty of groove. But what set Richard apart was his willingness to ramp up the tempos and turn the outrage meter up to ten; "Tutti Frutti," "Rip It Up," and "Jenny Jenny" still sound outrageous a half-century after they were waxed, and its difficult but intriguing to imagine how people must have reacted to Little Richard at a time when African-American performers were expected to be polite, and the notion of a gay man venturing out of the closet simply didnt exist (Richards songs were thoroughly heterosexual on the surface, but the nudge and wink of "Tutti Frutti" and "Baby" is faint but visible, and his bop threads, mile-high process, and eye makeup clearly categorized him as someone "different"). These 12 tunes may not represent the alpha and omega of Little Richards best music, but every song is a classic and unlike many of his peers, time has refused to render this first album quaint -- Richards grainy scream remains one of the great sounds in rock & roll history, and the thunder of his piano and the frantic wail of the band is still the glorious call of a Friday night with pay in the pocket and trouble in mind. Brilliant stuff. | ||