Monday, January 26, 2009

Top 100 Albums of the 20th Century

Well, the 20th century only if you conclude the first six decades didn't count. From an old list I had compiled about seven years ago. Enjoy!

The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones ‘72)
"The Indestructible Beat of Soweto" (Shanachie ‘86)
The Grateful Dead: Live/Dead (Warner Bros. '69)
David Murray Quartet: Shakill’s Warrior (DIW/Columbia ‘91)
Joe Cocker: Joe Cocker! (A&M ‘69)
Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps (Reprise ‘79)
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Capitol ‘67)
The Clash: London Calling (Epic ‘80)
Randy Newman: 12 Songs (Reprise ‘70)
"Lucinda Williams" (Rough Trade ‘88)
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA (Columbia ‘84)
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde (Columbia ‘66)
Al Green: Call Me (Hi ‘73)
Fugees: The Score (Ruffhouse/Columbia ‘96)
Derek & The Dominos: Layla (Atco ‘70)
Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson (Columbia ‘71)
Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury ‘98)
Iris Dement: My Life (Warner Bros. ‘94)
Bob Dylan / The Band: The Basement Tapes (Columbia ‘75)
Sly & The Family Stone: There’s a Riot Goin’ On (Epic ‘71)
James Carter: The Real Quietstorm (Atlantic Jazz ‘95)
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced? (Reprise ‘67)
Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings (Antilles ‘82)
Tricky: Maxinquaye (Island '95)
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic (ABC ‘74)
Talking Heads: Remain in Light (Sire ‘80)
Television: Marquee Moon (Elektra '77)
DeBarge: In a Special Way (Gordy ‘83)
Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (Mercury ‘71)
The Beatles: Abbey Road (Capitol ‘69)
Prince: Sign o’ the Times (Paisley Park ‘87)
The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols! (Warner Bros. ‘77)
L.L. Cool J: Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam ‘90)
"Paul Simon" (Columbia ‘72)
Bob Marley & The Wailers: Natty Dread (Island ‘75)
The New York Dolls: In Too Much Too Soon (Mercury ‘74)
The Band: Music From Big Pink (Capitol ‘68)
Dusty Springfield: Dusty in Memphis (Atlantic ‘69)
Graham Parker & The Rumour: Squeezing Out Sparks (Arista ‘79)
Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville (Matador ‘93)
Beck: Mellow Gold (DGC ‘94)
Sonic Youth: Dirty (DGC ‘92)
Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved A Man (Atlantic ‘67)
Nick Lowe: Pure Pop for Now People (Columbia ‘78)
The English Beat: Special Beat Service (I.R.S. ‘82)
Sonny Rollins: G-Man (Milestone ‘87)
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Willy and the Poor Boys (Fantasy ‘69)
Randy Newman: Good Old Boys (Reprise '74)
The Robert Cray Band: Strong Persuader (Mercury ‘86)
The Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs (Merge '99)
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (Warner Bros. ‘77)
Rosanne Cash: Interiors (Columbia ‘90)
Billy Bragg & Wilco: Mermaid Avenue (Elektra ‘98)
Kid Creole & The Coconuts: Wise Guy (Sire/ZE ‘82)
The Who: Who’s Next? (MCA ‘71)
The Roches: A Dove (MCA ‘92)
"Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band" (RCA Victor ‘76)
Stevie Wonder: Innervisions (Tamla ‘73)
Neil Young: After the Gold Rush (Reprise ‘70)
Joni Mitchell: Blue (Reprise ‘71)
P.J. Harvey: To Bring You My Love (Island ‘95)
David Bowie: Station To Station (RCA Victor ‘76)
John Prine: Sweet Revenge (Atlantic ‘73)
"The Wild Tchoupitoulas" (Island ‘76)
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (Capitol ‘66)
P.M. Dawn: The Bliss Album ...? (Gee Street ‘93)
Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (Asylum ‘74)
Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam ‘87)
Van Morrison: Moondance (Warner Bros. ‘70)
Nirvana: In Utero (DGC ‘93)
Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (Dunhill ‘62)
X: Wild Gift (Slash ‘81)
Amy Rigby: Diary of a Mod Housewife (Koch ‘96)
Bonnie Raitt: Give It Up (Warner Bros. ‘72)
Marshall Crenshaw: Field Day (Warner Bros. ‘83)
Elvis Costello: Trust (Columbia ‘81)
The Rolling Stones: Beggar's Banquet (London ‘68)
Pere Ubu: Dub Housing (Chrysalis ‘79)
Blondie: Parallel Lines (Chrysalis ‘78)
The Flying Burrito Brothers: Gilded Palace of Sin (A&M ‘69)
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Street Survivors (MCA ‘77)
The Mekons: Fear and Whiskey (Sin import ‘85)
Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill (Def Jam ‘86)
Toots & The Maytals: Funky Kingston (Island ‘75)
Eno: Another Green World (Island ‘76)
Jimmy Cliff, et al: The Soundtrack to "The Harder They Come" (Mango ‘73)
Aretha Franklin: Who's Zoomin' Who? (Arista '85)
Arto Lindsay: Mundo Civilizado (Bar/None ‘97)
Bonnie Raitt: Luck of the Draw (Capitol ‘91)
The Pogues: Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (MCA ‘86)
Culture: Two Sevens Clash (Shanachie ‘87)
B.B. King: Live in Cook County Jail (MCA ‘71) Italic
Lou Reed: New Sensations (RCA Victor ‘84)
The Neville Brothers: Yellow Moon (EMI-America ‘89)
Patti Smith: Horses (Arista ‘75)
The Blasters: Non Fiction (Slash ‘83)
M People: Elegant Slumming (Epic ‘94)
Black Uhuru: Anthem (Island ‘84)
The Ramones: Rocket to Russia (Sire ‘77)
Michael Jackson: Off the Wall (Epic '79)


Top 10 Albums of the ‘60s

The Grateful Dead: Live/Dead
Joe Cocker: Joe Cocker!
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced?
Aretha Franklin: I Never Loved a Man
The Band: Music From Big Pink
The Rolling Stones: Beggar’s Banquet
"The Velvet Underground & Nico"
Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Top Artist(s) of the ‘60s
Ray Charles
Johnny Cash

Top 10 Albums of the ‘70s

The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main Street
Neil Young: Rust Never Sleeps
Randy Newman: 12 Songs
Al Green: Call Me
Derek & The Dominos: Layla
Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson
Sly & The Family Stone: There’s a Riot Goin’ On
Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic
Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story
The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols!

Top Artist(s) of the ‘70s
Linda Ronstadt
Elton John

Top 10 Albums of the ‘80s

"The Indestructible Beat of Soweto"
The Clash: London Calling
"Lucinda Williams"
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
Ornette Coleman: Of Human Feelings
Talking Heads: Remain in Light
DeBarge: In a Special Way
Prince: Sign o’ the Times
Aretha Franklin: Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
The Mekons: Fear and Whiskey

Top Artist(s) of the ‘80s
Madonna
Prince

Top 10 Albums of the ‘90s

David Murray: Shakill’s Warrior
Fugees: The Score
Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Iris Dement: My Life
James Carter: The Real Quietstorm
Tricky: Maxinquaye
Liz Phair: Exile in Guyville
Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind
P.J. Harvey: To Bring You My Love
P.M. Dawn: The Bliss Album ...?

Top Artist(s) of the 90's
P.M. Dawn
P.J. Harvey

Friday, January 23, 2009

OK, as promised: 2007’s Top Albums

1. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge)
2. M.I.A.: Kala (Interscope)
3. Gogol Bordello: Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
4. The Apples in Stereo: New Magnetic Wonder (Yep Roc)
5. Lil Wayne: Da Drought 3 (Purloined Datadisc)
6. Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather (Virgin)
7. Balkan Beat Box: Nu Med (JDub)
8. Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends (Frenchkiss)
9. African Pearls 1: Rumba on the River (Syllart)
10. Authenticité: The Sylliphone Years (Stern's Africa)
11. Rilo Kiley: Under the Backlight (Warner Bros.)
12. Wussy: Left for Dead (Shake It)
13. Youssou N'Dour: Rokku Mi Rakka (Give and Take) (Nonesuch)
14. Lily Allen: Alright, Still (Capitol)
15. Los Campesinos!: Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (Arts & Crafts)
16. Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Ever Sank (Epic)
17. Bright Eyes: Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)
18. White Stripes: Icky Thump (Warner Bros.)
19. Miranda Lambert: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Sony/BMG Nashville)
20. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Some Loud Thunder (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah)
21. Kanye West: Graduation (Roc-A-Fella)
22. Brakes: The Beatific Visions (Rough Trade)
23. Jill Scott: The Real Thing (Hidden Beach)
24. Lori McKenna: Unglamorous (Warner Bros.)
25. Nellie McKay: Obligatory Villagers (Hungry Mouse)

Thursday, January 22, 2009

2008’s Top Albums. Yes, I realize I never got around to fininshing 2007's list; I'll get to it some day. For now, call this the first of my very own Dean's Lists (as it were).

1. TV on the Radio: Dear Science (Interscope)
2. Orchestra Baobab: Made in Dakar (Nonesuch)
3. Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark (New West)
4. Coner Oberst: Coner Oberst (Merge)
5. K’naan: The Dusty Foot Philosopher (iM Culture)
6. Les Amazones de Guinee: Wamato (Stern’s Africa)
7. The Roots: Rising Down (Def Jam)
8. Girl Talk: Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)
9. Robert Forster: The Evangelist (Yep Roc)
10. Raphael Saadiq: The Way I See It (Columbia)
11. Randy Newman: Harps and Angels (Nonesuch)
12. Los Campesinos!: Hold On Now, Youngster… (Arts & Crafts)
13. Hayes Carll: Trouble in Mind (Lost Highway)
14. The Magnetic Fields: Distortion (Nonesuch)
15. LiL Wayne: Tha Carter III (Cash Money)
16. Love Is All: A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night (What’s Your Rupture)
17. James McMurtry: Just Us Kids (Lightning Rod)
18. Santogold: Santogold (Downtown)
19. Kate Nash: Made of Bricks (Interscope)
20. Nas: Nas (Def Jam)
21. The Raveonettes: Lust Lust Lust (Vice)
22. Old 97’s: Blame It On Gravity (New West)
23. Jesus H. Christ and the Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse: Happier Than Me (jesushchristrocks.com)
24. Taj Mahal: Maestro (Heads Up)
25. Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend (XL)