I find myself sucked into these things. Back in 1987, rolling stone magazine put out a list of the best LPs of the prior 20 years and I had 56 of 100.
*1. Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution (1984): Tosy wrote: “I have a hunch this is going to be one of those albums where I know most of the songs without realizing it.” Yes, Tosy, I’m sure it is.
*2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998): I like, not love it.
*3. Achtung Baby – U2 (1991): only my 2nd favorite U2 album.
4. The College Dropout – Kanye West (2004): Not a big rap fan.
5. Madonna – Madonna (1983): Only have her greatest hits
*6. American Idiot – Green Day (2004): the problem with individual downloads is that one loses the sense of the album. This is an ALBUM, which I got from ADD.
7. The Blueprint- Jay-Z: (2001)
*8. Graceland – Paul Simon (1986): one of those albums I own both in vinyl and CD. Not always happy memories of two relationships, but that’s not the album’s fault.
*9. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2007): Someone gave it to me, listened a couple times, not bad. But her personal drama, I think, overwhelms an objective listen.
Curious.
10. In Rainbows – Radiohead (2007)
*11. MTV Unplugged in New York – Nirvana (1994): the Nirvana I used to play at work, before Cubicleland.
12. Stankonia – OutKast (2000): I actually have had this on my Amazon want list for a while. (Note to self: update Amazon want list with new releases by Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, and others.) I have “Hey Ya” on a mixed CD from Fred Hembeck.
13. You Are Free – Cat Power (2003)
14. Disintegration – The Cure (1989). I have one Cure album, not this one.
15. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem (2000)
16. Rain Dogs – Tom Waits (1985)
17. Odelay – Beck (1996). I have a mixed Beck album, which I like.
18. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
19. Dangerously in Love – Beyoncé (2003)
*20. Tidal – Fiona Apple (1996): have to be in the mood.
21. The Emancipation of Mimi – Mariah Carey (2005)
22. 3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul (1989): have some De La soul, not this.
23. The Soft Bulletin – The Flaming Lips (1999)
24. Come On Over – Shania Twain (1997)
25. Turn On the Bright Lights – Interpol (2002)
*26. Time Out of Mind – Bob Dylan (1997). Only my 2nd favorite late Dylan album.
27. Funeral – Arcade Fire (2004)
28. Illmatic – Nas (1994)
29. Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson (2004). Bought her debut album for my wife.
30. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses (1987). Only have the double CD, which I listen to about 60% of.
*31. FutureSex/LoveSounds – Justin Timberlake (2006): given to me. Wouldn’t have bought for myself, but more enjoyable than I would have thought. Still, don’t play it much.
*32. Life’s Rich Pageant – R.E.M. (1985). Better than I had remembered.
33. As I Am – Alicia Keys (2007)
34. Is This It – The Strokes (2001)
*35. Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1995): by this point, I’d stopped listening to much radio and STILL heard three of these songs quite a bit.
*36. CrazySexyCool – TLC (1994)
37. The Moon & Antarctica – Modest Mouse (2000)
38. Raising Hell – Run DMC (1986)
*39. Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow (1996): probably haven’t listened to for a while.
40. Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
*41. Legend – Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984): it’s a very fine greatest hits album.
42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)- Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
43. Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys (1989)
*44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams (1998) – Top 5 album of the 1990s for me
45. If You’re Feeling Sinister – Belle and Sebastian (1996)
46. Homogenic – Björk (1997): no Björk, though I do have a Sugarcubes aklbum
*47. Exile in Guyville – Liz Phair (1993): listened to this in the car ride to Virginia in April. Still like it.
*48. American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2002). Have all five John R. albums; which one of the first four I favor tends to be changeable.
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay (2002)
*50. Sounds of Silver – LCD Soundsystem (2007): bought this solely on the basis of bloggers I respect. Like it, but haven’t played it enough to have imprinted into my soul.
*51. The Score – Fugees (1996). Love and hate in equal measure.
52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon (2007)
*53. King of America – Elvis Costello (1986). Have on vinyl. Not the first EC I would have thought of.
*54. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson (1989): in spite of those perhaps silly attempts to be “relevant”, I really like this album.
55. It Takes a Nation of Millions… – Public Enemy (1988)
56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco (2002): still on my Amazon wish list. Have earlier Wilco.
*57. Harvest Moon – Neil Young (1992). at least Top 10 album of the 1990s.
58. Surfer Rosa – The Pixies (1988). I have Pixies on vinyl; will have to pull out.
59. Ray of Light – Madonna (1998)
60. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain – Pavement (1994)
61. Paid in Full – Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
*62. OK Computer – Radiohead (1997): don’t love it.
*63. The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987). I put this on my desert album list in 1988 and it remains.
64. Mama’s Gun – Erykah Badu (2000): have her first album.
65. Elephant – The White Stripes (2003): have White Blood Cells.
66. The Chronic – Dr. Dre (1992)
67. Metallica – Metallica (1991)
*68. Wrecking Ball – Emmylou Harris (1995): I have this friend who loved Emmylou, but hated this Daniel Lanois-produced album. I have a lot of Emmylou on vinyl, but this, my first Emmylou on CD, I quite enjoyed.
69. Give Up – The Postal Service (2003)
70. My Life – Mary J. Blige (1994)
71. Rock Steady – No Doubt (2001): have an earlier album.
72. 1984 – Van Halen (1984): have some VH, not this.
73. The Queen is Dead – Smiths (1986). No Smiths but I do have a Morissey.
*74. Play – Moby (1999). Could have seen him live in 1998 for free, but I had never heard of him. My loss.
*75. Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen (1984): my late brother-in-law bought me about six Springsteen CDs for Christmas in 2000, so I have this in two forms.
76. Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams (2000)
77. Dummy – Portishead (1994)
*78. Vs. – Pearl Jam (1991): have four Pearl Jam albums, but this is my favorite.
79. Let It Be – The Replacements (1984). Like the Don’t Tell a Soul album; should get this.
80. Back to Basics – Christina Aguilera (2006)
81. The Downward Spiral – Nine Inch Nails (1994)
82. Grace – Jeff Buckley (1994)
*83. Learning to Crawl – The Pretenders (1984): at some level, I suppose I like this album because the band managed to survive the loss of two of its members.
84. Low-Life – New Order (1985): have some earlier remix.
*85. Home – Dixie Chicks (2002): about a week after the political controversy, I was so annoyed with the backlash that I went out to the Rite Aid at lunch and bought this CD. I probably would have eventually – I had the first two Natalie Maines-led discs – but I was prompted to buy it right away. That I liked it was a bonus.
86. Loveless – My Bloody Valentine (1991)
87. All Eyez on Me – 2Pac (1996)
*88. So – Peter Gabriel (1986): one of those annoying things record companies did to promote the new CD technology was to put an extra song on the CD. Since I didn’t have a CD player, I bought the vinyl, but was annoyed. Years later, bought the CD. Ditto on this with #94.
89. Bachelor No. 2 – Aimee Mann (2000)
90. Toxicity – System of a Down (2001). Have their debut album.
91. Siamese Dream – Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
92. The Writing’s on the Wall – Destiny’s Child (1999). Have the follow-up, Survivor.
93. Either/Or – Elliott Smith (1997)
*94. Synchronicity – The Police (1983): Tosy wrote: “Easily their best, even with ‘Mother’.” Sounds right.
95. Trap Muzik T.I. (2003)
96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea – PJ Harvey (2000)
97. Britney – Britney Spears (2001)
98. Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie (2003)
99. Live Through This – Hole (1994)
100. Faith – George Michael (1987)
33 out of 100 this time, if I counted correctly.
ROG