So I’ve completed my project of ranking my 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time and feeling a bit bittersweet. On one hand it was nice to list, recognize, and recommend the music of many great artists. On the other hand I’m feeling that I forgot to include some great albums and overrated some others. To assauge this feeling, I’ve compiled a list of another 100 albums all deserving of an honorable mention. Those marked with an asterisk were considered for the Top 100 and some of them should probably be there.
Here’s my honorable mention list in chronological order:
Piano Reflections – Duke Ellington (1953)
Ella & Louis – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (1956)
Songs To Grow On For Mother And Child – Woody Guthrie (1956)
Ella & Louis Again – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (1957)
Blue Train – John Coltrane (1957)
Mingus Ah Um – Charles Mingus (1959)
Drums of Passion – Babatunde Olatunji (1960)
* A Spontaneous Performance Recording – The Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem (1961)
Please Please Me – The Beatles (1963)
A Love Supreme – John Coltrane (1964)
* Beatles for Sale – The Beatles (1964)
Otis Blue – Otis Redding (1966)
Fresh Cream – Cream (1966)
* Aftermath – The Rolling Stones (1966)
Between the Buttons – The Rolling Stones (1967)
At Folsom Prison – Johnny Cash (1968)
Bookends – Simon & Garfunkel (1968)
* Abbey Road – The Beatles (1969)
Moondance – Van Morrison (1970)
Workingman’s Dead – Grateful Dead (1970)
Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel (1970)
Let It Be – The Beatles (1970)
* Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominos (1970)
John Barleycorn Must Die – Traffic (1970)
I Am The Blues – Willie Dixon (1970)
American Beauty – Grateful Dead (1970)
What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (1971)
* Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones (1971)
Free to Be … You and Me (1972)
Two Steps From the Blues – Bobby “Blue” Bland (1973)
461 Ocean Boulevard – Eric Clapton (1974)
* Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin (1975)
A Dwelling Place – The St. Louis Jesuits (1976)
The Stranger – Billy Joel (1977)
The Clash (1977)
This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello (1978)
The Christmas Revels (1978)
The Specials (1980)
Glass Houses – Billy Joel (1980)
Camelot: 1982 Original London Cast (1982)
Under the Big Black Sun – X (1982)
War – U2 (1983)
Speaking in Tongues – Talking Heads (1983)
Murmur – R.E.M. (1983)
* Raising Hell – RUN-DMC (1986)
Diesel And Dust – Midnight Oil (1988)
Vivid – Living Colour (1989)
* Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World – Johnny Clegg & Savuka (1989)
Blue Sky Mining – Midnight Oil (1989)
13 Songs – Fugazi (1990)
* Missa Luba: An African Mass – Muungano National Choir, Kenya (1990)
The Weedkiller’s Daughter – John & Mary (1991)
Achtung Baby – U2 (1991)
The Source – Ali Farka Toure (1992)
* Songs From The Rain – Hothouse Flowers (1992)
Joshua Judges Ruth – Lyle Lovett (1992)
* May I Sing With Me – Yo La Tengo (1992)
Kerosene Hat – Cracker (1993)
* Remember Two Things – Dave Matthews Band (1993)
* Actually Not – Eddie from Ohio (1993)
Stain – Living Colour (1993)
* Debut – Bjork (1993)
Dummy – Portishead (1994)
* Weezer (1994)
Wood – Moxy Fruvous (1995)
Beautiful Freak – The Eels (1996)
When I Was Born For The 7th Time – Cornershop (1997)
* Gotta Get Over Greta – The Nields (1997)
Utopia Parkway – Fountains of Wayne (1999)
Play – Moby (1999)
Run Lola Run Soundtrack (1999)
* Profound Sounds – Josh Wink (1999)
Since I Left You – The Avalanches (2000)
* Noplace Like Nowhere – Jim’s Big Ego (2000)
Tarbox Ramblers (2000)
* Five Stories – Kris Delmhorst (2001)
What Matters – Maybe Baby (2002)
* Airdrawndagger – Sasha (2002)
* Redbird (2003)
* Welcome Interstate Managers – Fountains of Wayne (2003)
* Hail To The Thief – Radiohead (2003)
Chutes Too Narrow – The Shins (2003)
Sea Music – Dan Zanes (2003)
Kitchen Radio – Peter Mulvey (2004)
* Moon And Antarctica – Modest Mouse (2004)
Impulsive! – Revolutionary Jazz Reworked (2005)
You Could Have It So Much Better – Franz Ferdinand (2005)
* Guero – Beck (2005)
* Rabbit Fur Coat – Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins (2005)
Twin Cinema – The New Pornographers (2005)
Naturally – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings (2005)
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood – Neko Case (2006)
Bottoms of Barrels – Tilly & The Wall (2006)
* I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass – Yo La Tengo (2006)
Ys. – Joanna Newsom
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2007)
Challengers – The New Pornographers (2007)
100 Days, 100 Nights – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (2007)
Fleet Foxes (2008)
Volume One – She & Him (2008)
For the completionists among you, here is the complete Top 100 list with links to the artist or record company websites where possible.
100. Dim The Lights, Chill the Ham by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet (1991)
99. Respond: A Compilation By Boston Women To Benefit Respond, Inc (1999)
98. Big Noise by Eddie From Ohio (1997)
97. Live in New York City by Black 47 (1999)
96. Whip Smart by Liz Phair (1994)
95. Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan (1999)
94. Mutations by Beck (1998)
93. Crossroads: Southern Routes (1996)
92. Don’t Get Smart by Jim’s Big Ego (1998)
91. Voyage by Christy Moore (1989)
90. An Droichead Beag — Mighty Session (1998)
89. Reverse The Curse by Johnny Most (2004)
88. Folk ‘N Hell (1996)
87. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips (2002)
86. Blue Horse by The Be Good Tanyas (2001)
85. Dance Craze – The Best of British Ska Live (1981)
84. Shaken By A Low Sound by Crooked Still (2006)
83. Post by Björk (1995 )
82. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones (1969)
81. Franks Wild Years by Tom Waits (1987)
80. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Nanci Griffith (1993)
79. Profound Sounds by Josh Wink (1999)
78. Odelay by Beck (1996)
77. Songs from the Big Chair by Tears For Fears (1985)
76. Anthology of American Folk Music (1952)
75. The Divine Comedy by Milla (1994)
74. The Resophonics by The Resophonics (2001)
73. The Rhythm of the Saints by Paul Simon (1990)
72. Surfer Rosa by Pixies (1988)
71. Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes (1982)
70. Hot by Squirrel Nut Zippers (1996)
69. Fancy Ultra Fresh by the Freezepop (2004)
68. Christmas Day in the Morning by Revels (1990)
67. ONoffON by Mission of Burma (2004)
66. Mountain Radio by The Benders (2003)
65. Wattstax (1972)
64. Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend (2008)
63. The Carl Stalling Project (1990)
62. The Doors by The Doors (1967)
61. Molinos by The Paperboys (1998)
60. The Remix Album…Diamonds Are Forever by Shirley Bassey (2000)
59. Songs In The Attic by Billy Joel (1981)
58. Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night by Stereolab (1999)
57. Truth and Soul by Fishbone (1988)
56. Homegenic by Björk (1997)
55. The Beatles [White Album] by The Beatles (1968)
54. Portable EFO Show by Eddie From Ohio (1998)
53. Last Splash by The Breeders (1993)
52. Ágætis byrjun by Sigur Rós (1999)
51. Crosby, Stills, & Nash by Crosby, Stills, & Nash (1969)
50. The Trinity Session by The Cowboy Junkies (1988)
49. Vs. by Mission of Burma (1982)
48. Trainspotting Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996)
47. Emperor Tomato Ketchup by Stereolab (1996)
46. Songs For a Hurricane by Kris Delmhorst (2003)
45. Blind Faith (1969)
44. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Out by Yo La Tengo (2000)
43. OOOH! (Out of Our Heads) by The Mekons (2002)
42. Let’s Get Out of this Country by Camera Obscura (2006)
41. Beggar’s Banquet by The Rolling Stones (1968)
40. Rubber Soul by The Beatles (1966)
39. Escondida by Jolie Holland (2004)
38. Live Noise by Moxy Fruvous (1998)
37. The Roches by The Roches (1979)
36. When I Go by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer (1998)
35. 3 Feet High and Rising by De La Soul (1989)
34. Theorems and Compositions of the Last Action Rocker by Hum Machine (2003)
33. Viva by The Velveteens (1998)
32. Live at Tir na nÓg by Vinal Avenue String Band (1999)
31. Channel 1 – A Compilation Of Output Recordings (2000)
30. Mermaid Avenue by Billy Bragg & Wilco (1998)
29. This Are Two Tone (1983)
28. Nothing’s Shocking by Jane’s Addiction (1988)
27. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy (1988)
26. Lifes Rich Pageant by R.E.M. (1986)
25. Shamrock Shake by Echolalia (1997)
24. Reconstruction Site by The Weakerthans (2003)
23. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997)
22. Distillation by Erin McKeown (2000)
21. The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses (1989)
20. Graceland by Paul Simon (1986)
19. Singalong by Pete Seeger (1980)
18. London Calling by The Clash (1979)
17. I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One by Yo La Tengo (1997)
16. So by Peter Gabriel (1986)
15. Revolver by The Beatles (1966)
14. Intersections by DJ Maus (2000)
13. Ten Thousand Mornings by Peter Mulvey (2002)
12. Lincoln by They Might Be Giants (1988)
11. Citizens Band by The Operators (2002)
10. Hush by Yo Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin (1992)
9. Belafonte at Carnegie Hall by Harry Belafonte (1959)
8. Doolittle by Pixies (1989)
7. If I Should Fall From the Grace of God by The Pogues (1988)
6. Flood by They Might Be Giants (1990)
5. Sacrebleu by Dimitri From Paris (1996)
4. BullsEye by The Kevin Hanson Trio (2001)
3. Cry Cry Cry by Cry Cry Cry (1998)
2. Rum, Sodomy and The Lash by The Pogues (1985)
1. Tanglewood Tree by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
For my commentary on these albums, please visit the original posts in convenient increments of 10 albums each.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 100-91.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 90-81.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 80-71.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 70-61.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 60-51.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 50-41.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 40-31.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 30-21.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 20-11.
- 100 Favorite Albums of All-Time 10-1.
Panorama of the Mountains 