20:
(1984)
It's not the perfect album-- in fact, it has quite a few soft spots, but it's definitely a work of genius.
19:
(2005)
It's one of only two albums from this century that are on this list, and it should be included in everyone's "best albums" lists. Before you disagree with me, please consider that you hear samples of "Black Submarine," "Go It Alone," "Missing," etc. at the top and bottom of radio shows and podcasts all the time.
18:
(1972)
The death of Lou Reed last year on my birthday caused us all to remember the brilliance of this album.
17:
"Raw Power" by The Stooges
(1973)
I loved this album years before I knew that Kurt Cobain himself considered it the best rock album ever.
16:
(1992)
It's Michael Stipe at his most vulnerable and best. The arrangements throughout this thing blow my mind.
15
(1966)
Speaking of brilliant arrangements.... I generally don't even like instrumental songs, but I love the ones on this baby.
14:
(1971)
When you watch Marvin Gaye sing a song that you've seen thousands of people sing in the past (The National Anthem at the 1983 NBA All Star Game) with such unparalleled brilliance and consider that he died less than a year later... it makes it hard to like life. We can all imagine Rick Rubin producing an elderly Marvin's final, stunningly brilliant songs if he were alive today.
13:
(1965)
It's also Brian Wilson's favorite Beach Boys album.
12:
(1966)
The most underrated Rolling Stones album also has their most overlooked song- "I Am Waiting." We're all supposed to bow down to "Exile on Main Street" and pretend that it's their best album by far. Not me.
11:
(1995)
It's criminally underrated possibly because Billy Corgan strikes many people, including music critics, as a pompous dick. I think that I've written on this blog that it was the last truly great "'90s alternative" (whatever the hell that means) album.
10:
(1976)
Berry Gordy's prodigal discovery's best album.
9:
(1993)
It barely edges out their double album "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" to be my favorite Pumpkins album. It's one of the two Butch Vig-produced albums that are on this list. "Disarm," which probably deviates the most from sounding like a typical Pumpkins song, just blows my mind to this day.
8:
(1999)
It's the best album by any solo female artist ever (and yes, I'm familiar with Aretha Franklin, Linda Rondstadt, Stevie Nicks, et al.) The lyrics are usually profound without being pretentious, and the music matches every word that she sings.
7:
(1967)
They say that the Beatles (namely Paul McCartney) invented the conceptual album when they made this record. I actually consider the Beatles the most talented artists on this list, but their albums as collective units tended to wander off course until they made this record.
6:
(1982)
My favorite Michael Jackson song ever: "Human Nature." A few years ago producer Quincy Jones revealed that when they made the rough cut for this album Michael was so disappointed with it that he broke into his tears. Obviously he was pleased with the final product. I consider Quincy, Butch Vig, Jack White and George Martin the greatest producers of all time.
5:
(1987)
It's generally recognized as the best rock record to ever come out of Hollywood, and one of the last albums that was recorded on tape. As Henry Rollins wrote recently for L.A. Weekly, when he saw them in concert before this album was even released he knew instantly that they were destined for mega-fame.
4:
(2004)
The production value alone on this record was reportedly a revolution in itself-- one of my former indie musician friends told me that for a long time every other band tried to replicate it. I'm a minimalist, and I believe that the bass player is generally unnecessary for rock bands. Some of my favorite bands of all time (Flat Duo Jets, Black Keys, White Stripes) have proven me correct. White is such a genius that he could use his guitar to mimic bass sounds when it was absolutely necessary.
3:
(1991)
I love this album as much for its historical value and importance to me personally as much as I love its music. Last year I read an article that discussed how even Axl Rose and Slash loathed the "big hair metal" Hollywood bands and their choreographed moves; Guns N' Roses were in the process of destroying that movement. This album was obviously the final death blow to it. Almost every song on this album is rockin' (even though I dislike/borderline hate "Something in the Way"). As you probably noticed, I place a great emphasis on the producer's role, so if Steve Albini were even remotely competent at that job then "In Utero" would be on this list as well.
2:
(1977)
The best folk album of all time.... which is a hell of an accomplishment. If you want to know more about the making of "Rumours," watch the "Sound City" documentary by Dave Grohl. Last year I gathered with a small crowd to meet Stevie Nicks after a screening of "Sound City." She was a complete cunt to us, but that experience doesn't negate the fact that she was among the best female vocalists ever when she was in her prime. As someone wrote on a blog, "in Sound City she comes across as a donkey braying into a fan."
Also, good god, those ladies could write songs.
1:
(1977)
This self-described "Detroit trash bag" was a major inspiration to some of my favorite artists including Jack White, Lou Reed, Nirvana, Guns N' Roses and Henry Rollins. The story goes that James Osterberg (Iggy's real name) posed for this picture in a rare moment when he broke away from his Iggy Pop persona. Apparently they rushed to press it onto the cover before he even approved of it. When he caught sight of the cover for the first time he he thought about it for a few moments then snorted a bag of coke.
Although I love many of David Bowie's albums and songs, "Lust for Life" is the best thing he ever made. The collaborations that he had with Iggy in the '70s were otherworldly.
There isn't a single weak moment on this album.
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