In September 2020, Rolling Stone magazine released their most recent list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, which includes a greater variety of artists and genres than previous lists. Looking through the list, there were many albums I’d never listened to before and a few I’d never even heard of. In fact, counting it up, I found that I’d only listened to 140 of the albums, although I’d heard songs from many more. So I’ve decided my project for 2021 is to listen to 10 albums each week and write up some thoughts about each one.
Previous Posts:
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Album: Court and Spark
Year: 1974
Label: Asylum
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: No
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: No
Favorite Tracks:
- “Raised on Robbery”
Thoughts: I just realized that this is the fourth of five Joni Mitchell albums on the RS 500 list. And yet I have nothing to say about it. Mitchell’s music has a soporific effect on me. I kind of feel like I’m missing out on something that everyone else gets.
Artist: Lou Reed
Album: Transformer
Year: 1972
Label: RCA
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “Vicious”
- “Perfect Day”
- “Walk on the Wild Side”
- “Satellite of Love”
- “Goodnight Ladies”
Thoughts: I’m kind of surprised that so many of the songs that Lou Reed is known for are all from the same album. But it makes it a great album. David Bowie and Mark Ronson participate for that extra glam touch.
Artist: Fiona Apple
Album: When the Pawn…
Year: 1999
Label: Epic
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “To Your Love”
- “Paper Bag”
- “Fast As You Can”
- “The Way Things Are”
Thoughts: Another great album from Fiona Apple – the tiny person with a great big voice – that I was totally unaware of at the time.
Artist: Television
Album: Marquee Moon
Year: 1977
Label: Elektra
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “Venus”
- “Marquee Moon”
- “Guiding Light”
Thoughts: Television, pioneers of New York City punk rock, have a glam sheen on their debut album. Television proved the grand extent of possibility within New York punk by being the antithesis of The Ramones.
Artist: Hole
Album: Live Through This
Year: 1994
Label: Geffen
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?:
Favorite Tracks:
- “Violet”
- “She Walks On Me”
Thoughts: Hole is a band I was aware of but didn’t pay much attention to back in the 90s. I think part of that was due to the widespread belief that Courtney Love was profiting off the recent suicide of her husband Kurt Cobain, which in retrospect was really unfair to Love. It turns out that “Violet” is the only song I recognize – and I hadn’t even known it was a Hole song – whereas the song I thought I knew by Hole is apparently not on this album (and I can’t remember what it’s called!).
Artist: The Allman Brothers
Album: At Fillmore East
Year: 1971
Label: Capricorn
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: No
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: I’d probably find some other Blues/jam album first
Favorite Tracks:
- “Statesboro Blues”
- “Stormy Monday”
Thoughts: Since “Southern Rock” is not my thing, I wasn’t looking forward to this album. First, of all The Allman Brothers were clearly a talented live act. Second, most of the tracks are extended jams on Blues standards which makes it hard to go wrong. The album does include Allman Brothers’ originals like “Whipping Post,” which is a tired classic rock staple, but overall it’s not a bad album. I haven’t been keeping track, but there don’t seem to be too many live albums in the RS 500 list, which is a shame, because there are a lot of good ones out there.
Artist: Rolling Stones
Album: Sticky Fingers
Year: 1971
Label: Rolling Stones
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “Brown Sugar”
- “Sway”
- “Wild Horses”
- “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
- “You Gotta Move”
- “I Got the Blues”
- “Dead Flowers”
- “Moonlight Mile”
Thoughts: The opening track and #1 single is best enjoyed if you don’t listen to the lyrics too closely (which I think most people have done over time). But the rest of the album brings about much less conflicted enjoyment with some great Blues rock (“Sway,” “You Gotta Move”), Mick Jagger’s most soulful vocals (“I Got the Blues”), country rock (“Wild Horses,” “Dead Flowers”), Latin jazz fusion (“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”), and the most thrilling to song to listen to while walking a long a moonlit beach when you’re a 15-year-old camping with your family on Assateague Island and can’t fall asleep (“Moonlight Mile”).
Artist: De La Soul
Album: 3 Feet High and Rising
Year: 1989
Label: Tommy Boy
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “The Magic Number”
- “Jennifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge)”
- “Eye Know”
- “Tread Water”
- “Potholes in My Lawn”
- “Say No Go”
- “Me Myself and I”
- “Plug Tunin'”
Thoughts: I can never be certain what album I listened to most often to in my life but 3 Feet High and Rising is a strong contender. I’ve really exposed my lack of knowledge of 90s and 00s hip-hop as I’ve worked through this list, but I guess I never got over that De La Soul had less of a lasting influence than gangsta rap.
Artist: The Clash
Album: The Clash
Year: 1977
Label: CBS
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “Remote Control”
- “I’m So Bored With the U.S.A”
- “White Riot”
- “Career Opportunities”
- “Police & Thieves”
Thoughts: The Only Band That Matters roars into existence with their debut album. The Clash is full of raw punk rock and meaningful lyrics that still resonate decades later.
More on this album in my Clash Music Discovery.
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Album: Led Zeppelin
Year: 1969
Label: Atlantic
Have I Listened to This Album Before?: Yes
Am I Familiar With This Artist/Songs from This Album?: Yes
Would I Listen to this Album Again?: Yes
Favorite Tracks:
- “Good Times, Bad Times”
- “You Shook Me”
- “Dazed and Confused”
Thoughts: Another stunning debut for a genre-defining band, Led Zeppelin captures Led Zep as a pure Blues Rock act. The guitar and drum solos display virtuosic talent and there isn’t a shred of the mystical folk rock and prog rock that Led Zeppelin would incorporate into their sound in later years.
HOLY COW! We enter the Top 100 next week!
Running List of Albums I’d Listen to Again
- 500. Arcade Fire, Funeral
- 498. Suicide, Suicide
- 497. Various Artists, The Indestructible Beat of Soweto
- 494. The Ronettes, Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes
- 489. A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector from Phil Spector and Various Artists, Back to Mono (1958-1969)
- 487. Black Flag, Damaged
- 485. Richard and Linda Thompson, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
- 483. Muddy Waters, The Anthology
- 482. The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
- 481. Belle and Sebastian, If You’re Feeling Sinister
- 478. The Kinks, Something Else by the Kinks
- 477. Howlin’ Wolf, Moanin’ in the Moonlight
- 469.Manu Chao, Clandestino
- 465. King Sunny Adé, The Best of the Classic Years
- 464. The Isley Brothers, 3 + 3
- 462. The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Gilded Palace of Sin
- 459. Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon: The End of the Day
- 457. Sinéad O’Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
- 456. Al Green, Greatest Hits
- 455. Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley/Go Bo Diddley
- 453. Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine
- 452. Diana Ross and the Supremes, Anthology
- 451. Roberta Flack, First Take
- 448. Otis Redding, Dictionary of Soul
- 446. Alice Coltrane, Journey in Satchidanada
- 444. Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine
- 443. David Bowie, Scary Monsters
- 440. Loretta Lynn, Coal Miner’s Daughter
- 439. James Brown, Sex Machine
- 438. Blur, Parklife
- 437. Primal Scream, Screamadelica
- 435. Pet Shop Boys, Actually
- 433. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
- 431. Los Lobos, How Will the Wolf Survive?
- 430. Elvis Costello, My Aim Is True
- 429. The Four Tops, Reach Out
- 428. Hüsker Dü, New Day Rising
- 427. Al Green, Call Me
- 426. Lucinda Williams, Lucinda Williams
- 425. Paul Simon, Paul Simon
- 424. Beck, Odelay
- 423. Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One
- 422. Marvin Gaye, Let’s Get It On
- 421. M.I.A., Arular
- 417. Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come
- 416. The Roots, Things Fall Apart
- 415. The Meters, Looka Py Py
- 414. Chic, Risqué
- 413. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cosmo’s Factory
- 412. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Going to a Go Go
- 409. Grateful Dead, Workingman’s Dead
- 408. Motörhead, Ace of Spades
- 406. Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs
- 405. Various, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era
- 403. Ghostface Killah, Supreme Clientele
- 402. Fela Kuti and Africa 70, Expensive Shit
- 401. Blondie, Blondie
- 400. The Go-Go’s, Beauty and the Beat
- 398. The Raincoats, The Raincoats
- 397. Billie Eilish, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
- 395. D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Black Messiah
- 392. Ike and Tina Turner, Proud Mary: The Best of Ike and Tina Turner
- 390. Pixies, Surfer Rosa
- 388. Aretha Franklin, Young, Gifted and Black
- 387. Radiohead, In Rainbows
- 386. J Dilla, Donuts
- 385. Ramones, Rocket to Russia
- 384. The Kinks, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society
- 380. Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um
- 378. Run-DMC, Run-D.M.C.
- 377. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell
- 375. Green Day, Dookie
- 374. Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers
- 373. Isaac Hayes, Hot Buttered Soul
- 371. The Temptations, Anthology
- 369. Mobb Deep, The Infamous
- 368. George Harrison, All Things Must Pass
- 365. Madvillain, Madvillainy
- 364. Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food
- 363. Parliament, The Mothership Connection
- 360. Funkadelic, One Nation Under a Groove
- 358. Sonic Youth, Goo
- 357. Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
- 356. Dr. John, Gris-Gris
- 354. X-Ray Spex, Germfree Adolescents
- 351. Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure
- 350. Stevie Wonder, Music of My Mind
- 349. MC5, Kick Out the Jams
- 348. Gillian Welch, Time (The Revelator)
- 347. GZA, Liquid Swords
- 346. Arctic Monkeys, AM
- 345. Bruce Springsteen, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
- 344. Toots and the Maytals, Funky Kingston
- 343. Sly and the Family Stone, Greatest Hits
- 342. The Beatles, Let It Be
- 341. The Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
- 338. Brian Eno, Another Green World
- 337. Bob Dylan, John Wesley Harding
- 335. Bob Dylan and the Band, The Basement Tapes
- 334. Santana, Abraxas
- 333. Bill Withers, Still Bill
- 332. Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley
- 330. The Rolling Stones, Aftermath
- 329. DJ Shadow, Endtroducing…
- 328. Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City
- 326. Prince, Dirty Mind
- 323.The Clash, Sandinista!
- 320. X, Los Angeles
- 319. The Stone Roses, The Stone Roses
- 317. Billie Holiday, Lady in Satin
- 316. The Who, The Who Sell Out
- 310. Wire, Pink Flag
- 309. Joy Division, Closer
- 308. Brian Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets
- 307. Sam Cooke, Portrait of a Legend
- 306. Al Green, I’m Still In Love With You
- 304. Bill Withers, Just As I Am
- 301. New York Dolls, New York Dolls
- 299. B.B. King, Live at the Regal
- 297. Peter Gabriel, So
- 294. Weezer, Weezer
- 293. The Breeders, Last Splash
- 292. Van Halen, Van Halen
- 289. Björk, Post
- 288. The Modern Lovers, The Modern Lovers
- 287. The Byrds, Mr. Tambourine Man
- 283. Donna Summer, Bad Girls
- 282. Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours
- 279. Nirvana, MTV Unplugged in New York
- 278. Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy
- 276. Radiohead, The Bends
- 275. Curtis Mayfield, Curtis
- 274. The Byrds, Sweetheart of the Rodeo
- 273. Gang of Four, Entertainment!
- 272. The Velvet Underground, White Light/White Heat
- 267. Minutemen, Double Nickels on the Dime
- 266. The Beatles, Help!
- 263. The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night
- 262. New Order, Power, Corruption & Lies
- 261. Beastie Boys, Check Your Head
- 260. The Slits, Cut
- 259. Janis Joplin, Pearl
- 257. Dolly Parton, Coat of Many Colors
- 256. Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman
- 254. Herbie Hancock, Head Hunters
- 252. Devo, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
- 250. Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady
- 246. LL Cool J, Mama Said Knock You Out
- 245. Cocteau Twins, Heaven of Las Vegas
- 242. The Velvet Underground, Loaded
- 240. Sam Cooke, Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963
- 239. Boogie Down Productions, Criminal Minded
- 238. Kraftwerk, Trans Europe Express
- 237. Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger
- 236. Daft Punk, Discovery
- 232. John Coltrane, Giant Steps
- 229. Patsy Cline, The Ultimate Collection
- 228. De La Soul, De La Soul Is Dead
- 227. Little Richard, Here’s Little Richard
- 226. Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs
- 223. John Lennon, Imagine
- 221. Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine
- 220. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young, Déjà Vu
- 215. Grateful Dead, American Beauty
- 213. Fiona Apple, The Idler Wheel…
- 212. Nina Simone, Wild is the Wind
- 211. Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures
- 210. Ray Charles, The Birth of Soul
- 209. Run-DMC, Raising Hell
- 206. David Bowie, Low
- 205. Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman
- 202. Björk, Homogenic
- 201. A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders
- 198. The B-52’s, The B-52’s
- 197. The Beatles, Meet the Beatles!
- 195. Leonard Cohen, Songs of Leonard Cohen
- 193. Creedence Clearwater Revival, Willy and the Poor Boys
- 192. Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill
- 191. Etta James, At Last!
- 190. The Who, Tommy
- 189. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
- 185. The Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet
- 184. Cyndi Lauper, She’s So Unusual
- 181. Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home
- 178. Otis Redding, Otis Blue
- 177. Rod Stewart, Every Picture Tells a Story
- 176. Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet
- 175. Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
- 174. Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists, The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack
- 173. Nirvana, In Utero
- 172. Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water
- 171. Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
- 170. Cream, Disraeli Gears
- 169. Billy Joel, The Stranger
- 167. Depeche Mode, Violator
- 166. Buddy Holly, 20 Golden Greats
- 165. R.E.M., Murmur
- 164. Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison
- 162. Pulp, Different Class
- 161. Crosby, Stills & Nash, Crosby, Stills, & Nash
- 156. The Replacements, Let it Be
- 155. Jay-Z, The Black Album
- 154. Aretha Franklin, Amazing Grace
- 153. PJ Harvey, Rid of Me
- 150. Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska
- 149. John Prine, John Prine
- 148. Frank Ocean, Channel Orange
- 146. Blondie, Parallel Lines
- 144. Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
- 143. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground
- 142. Bruce Springsteen, Born in the U.S.A.
- 141. Pixies, Doolittle
- 140. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Catch a Fire
- 139. Black Sabbath, Paranoid‘
- 138. Madonna, The Immaculate Collection
- 137. Adele, 21
- 136. Funkadelic, Maggot Brain
- 135. U2, The Joshua Tree
- 134. Fugees, ‘he Score
- 132. Hank Williams, 40 Greatest Hits
- 131. Portishead, Dummy
- 130. Prince, 1999
- 127. Ray Charles, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
- 125. Beastie Boys, Paul’s Boutique
- 124. U2, Achtung Baby
- 123. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II
- 122. Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
- 121. Elvis Costello, This Year’s Model
- 120. Van Morrison, Moondance
- 119. Sly and the Family Stone, Stand!
- 116. The Cure, Disintegration
- 114. The Strokes, Is This It
- 113. The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead
- 111. Janet Jackson, Control
- 109. Lou Reed, Transformer
- 108. Fiona Apple, When the Pawn …
- 107. Television, Marquee Moon
- 104. The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
- 103. De La Soul, Three Feet High And Rising
- 102. The Clash, The Clash
- 101. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin
Panorama of the Mountains 