There's a list of 100 Influential Albums making the rounds on Facebook. While it has a lot of great records, there are also a bunch of really weird inclusions, bizarre choices for the represented artists, and ridiculous oversights. For example, there are no Black Sabbath albums and no hardcore of any sort. Plus, there's a massive single jazz album; either list a few or list none!
Here's the entire list, in the order it is presented; the ones I own are highlighted.
- The Pretty Things S.F. Sorrow
- Ride Nowhere
- Wire Chairs Missing
- The Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy
- Jimi Hendrix Axis: Bold as Love
- New Order Technique
- Harry Nilsson Nilsson Schmilsson
- Mazzy Star So Tonight That I Might See
- Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica
- Elliott Smith Roman Candle
- Devo Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
- Tim Buckley Goodbye and Hello
- Big Star Third/Sister Lovers
- Incredible String Band The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
- Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- Van Morrison Astral Weeks
- Yes Close to the Edge
- Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
- T·Rex Electric Warrior
- Talking Heads Remain in Light
- Bloc Party Silent Alarm
- The Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin
- The Fall Perverted by Language
- Blur Parklife
- The Stooges Fun House
- Love Forever Changes
- Cocteau Twins Heaven or Las Vegas
- Magazine Real Life
- Slint Spiderland
- XTC Drums and Wires
- Donovan A Gift from a Flower to a Garden
- The The Soul Mining
- Nirvana Nevermind
- Dexy's Midnight Runners Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
- Nick Drake Five Leaves Left
- Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
- Lou Reed Transformer
- The Stone Roses The Stone Roses
- AC/DC Back in Black
- Joy Division Closer
- Bert Jansch Bert Jansch
- The Go-Betweens Before Hollywood
- The Cure Disintegration
- Jeff Buckley Grace
- Pere Ubu The Modern Dance
- Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
- Belle and Sebastian If You're Feeling Sinister
- The Beach Boys Pet Sounds
- The Breeders Last Splash
- Stevie Wonder Innervisions
- David Bowie Hunky Dory
- Ramones Ramones
- Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory
- King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King
- Johnny Cash The Man Comes Around
- Neil Young After the Gold Rush
- Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
- The Strokes Is This It?
- My Bloody Valentine Loveless
- Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV
- Massive Attack Blue Lines
- Slowdive Souvlaki
- REM Automatic for the People
- Mercury Rev Deserter's Songs
- Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks
- Patti Smith Horses
- Gerry Rafferty City to City
- The Chameleons Script of the Bridge
- Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets
- Roy Harper Stormcock
- John Cale Paris 1919
- The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground
- Spritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
- The White Stripes Elephant
- Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Felt The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories
- The Clash London Calling
- Arcade Fire Funeral
- Marvin Gaye What's Going On?
- John Martyn Solid Air
- The Delgados Peloton
- Bon Iver For Emma, Forever Ago
- Super Furry Animals Radiator
- Cream Disraeli Gears
- I Am Kloot Gods and Monsters
- Pixies Doolittle
- The Wedding Present George Best
- Dave Brubeck Quartet Time Out
- The Smiths The Queen Is Dead
- The Beatles Revolver
- The Kinks Face to Face
- Television Marquee Moon
- Can Tago Mago
- Radiohead OK Computer
- The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
- The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street
- Joni Mitchell Hejira
- Kraftwerk Computer World
- Primal Scream Screamadelica
NOTA BENE: The Devo album actually belongs to my husband, but I probably listen to it more than he does.
8 biased opinions:
Even a hundred albums full is a small net to cast over such a large category (which, yeah, mysteriously includes one jazz record--tho' Time Out, popularizing time signatures other than 3 and 4/4, does make a splash). Ultimately, any such is the reflection of someone's taste. Many if not all of the bolds--likewise. Interesting that Hejira's on here. An old favorite but didn't know it was "influential". Now I do . . .
Weird. Seems like this list was put on the internet originally as a sneaky ad for some music streaming service or something. Definitely unclear WHAT these are all influential on, and especially if the ranking means anything at all.
I was surprised at the lack of Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, and dare I say it, Elvis. Rag time really changed the face of American music, and not one of them are listed, no Scott Joplin, no Jelly Roll Morton.....
As per usual, I was massively disappointed with this list of 100. However, honestly how can one truly quantify what is influential? Does one gage it by a monetary yardstick? Or the influence counted by the rush of "copy cats" that soon to follow? Could it be that after a while the artist is seen as an artist in their medium and not just another faceless musician? As much as I dislike rap there are several influential rappers missing from that list as well.
sorry i was logged into my other account, otaku is me, yeah?
Long time no comment...
Hey...I saw Bert Jansch a few years ago...he's still pretty darn good!
:-)
-Andy
Sadly, Bert passed away on Oct. 5, 2011. On a related note, when I get this blog thing going again, I have a Bert rarity to post.
What a strange list.
Many big-selling-but-not-neccessarily-influential records & plenty for which the opposite is true. Many strange omissions, (Zappa, Dylan, Sabbath, The Doors etc.), and it's all very caucasian in it's nature too. No James Brown? Prince? Public Enemy?
Seems more like 'a list of records which people who write lists of records think are influential because they've read that in other lists of records that are supposed to be influential'.
Blinkered & short-sighted.
The blind leading the cross-eyed into a revisionist ditch.
What was it fz said?
Something like, 'Writing about music is like dancing about architecture'.
He was a smart one was Frank, i miss him.
Put more crudely, opinions are like arseholes. Everyone has one & most of 'em stink.
On a more upbeat note, there's some really interesting music on your blog, many thanks to you for the sterling work you're doing here.
BFK
Okay, so i missed the Public Enemy & Dylan records when i first scanned that list, but what i said above still stands.
And only 4 black acts in a list of 100 records?
How very suburban of them.
Post a Comment