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100. Pretenders
Pretenders
Although the Pretenders were a quartet of accomplished musicians—thre
e Englishmen and an American—it was the Ohio-born vocalist Chrissie H
ynde who was the focal point. Her tough and ingenuous persona coupled
with similarly forthright songs (the majority of which she wrote) sung
in her husky voice catapulted the new wave rock band to commercial su
ccess—first in the U.K. and then in the U.S. The Pretenders' self-tit
led debut, produced by Chris Thomas except "Stop Your Sobbing," by Nic
k Lowe, plays almost like a collection of singles—hit after hit with
B-sides interspersed. That's not far from the truth, actually; before
the 1980 release of The Pretenders, several tracks were already U.K. h
it singles: "Precious," "The Wait," "The Kid," and the Ray Davies-penn
ed "Stop Your Sobbing." "Brass in Pocket" was the first U.S. single, r
eaching No. 14, and also climbed to the No. 1 spot in the U.K. and Aus
tralia.
Precious
99. The Rolling Stones
Tattoo You
One of the Stones' most cohesive albums, Tattoo You was also perhaps M
ick Jagger's last gasp before sinking into self-parody. Ironically, th
e album consisted almost entirely of songs left over from previous ses
sions, which Jagger and Keith Richards subsequently compiled and flesh
ed out for this 1981 release. Still, bluesy ballads like "Waiting on a
Friend" and "No Use in Crying" meshed seamlessly with punkish rave-up
s like "Hang Fire." And, of course, despite its exploitation by TV ad
execs (thank businessman Jagger for that), "Start Me Up" remains a per
fect fusion of Mick's liver-lipped blooze and Richards' muddy riff-mon
gering.
Start Me Up
98. Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Predating the Year of the Female by nearly a decade, the unobtrusive n
eo-folkie singer-songwriter with the catch in her voice brought the cr
uel world into comfortable living rooms around the nation, pushing mor
e than a few to tears with her tales of isolation, desperation, and lo
st dreams. "Fast Car"'s aching melody is still one of the most eloquen
t and moving collection of notes ever assembled.
Fast Car
97. Prince
1999
With passion and purpose, Prince pranced, pouted, and provoked in his
proverbial purple, perfectly positioning himself for platinum success
with his fifth release, 1999. The double album crossed over from R&B t
o pop rock thanks to the hit "Little Red Corvette," which was among th
e first videos by a black artist to be shown on MTV. Very much a solo
artist and workaholic, Prince produced, arranged, composed, and perfor
med the album alone (the only contributions were backing vocals, guita
r solos on "Little Red Corvette," and the Jesse Johnson song "Lady Cab
Driver"). His attempt to marry funk and rock worked with danceable me
lodies and blatant sexual lyrics like "I've got a lion in my pocket/ A
nd baby he's ready to roar" ("1999") and "Girl you gotta take me for a
ride/ Up and down, in and out and around your lake" ("Delirious") as
well as sparse and left field songs like "Something in the Water" and
"Automatic." 1999 and Prince opened the door for black pop artists alo
ng with a slew of lingerie-garbed girls.
Little Red Corvette
96. Simon and Garfunkel
Bookends
A massive step forward for folk music's most popular duo, Bookends sho
wed Simon the songwriter to be far more mature ("Old Friends"), wittie
r ("Mrs. Robinson"), and edgier ("Hazy Shade of Winter") than their ea
rlier work had ever hinted. "America," meanwhile, disproved the critic
s who found his literary ambitions merely pretentious: It's a first-ra
te short story put to music. Through it all, Garfunkel provides gracef
ul harmonies—though even he must've begun to realize that Simon didn'
t really need him.
Mrs. Robinson
95. Guns N' Roses
Use Your Illusion I
For a band that made its name with a record that verged on punk rock (
Appetite for Destruction), the pomposity that pervaded many of the son
gs on both Use Your Illusion albums was cause for some bemusement. Whi
le Axl Rose revealed his fondness for Elton John in power ballads like
"November Rain" and "Don't Cry," many of the highlights came from the
contributions of rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, whose raw songs ("Du
st N' Bones," "You Ain't the First") carried on the spirit of Appetite
. Ignoring the truly dreadful rendition of Paul McCartney's "Live and
Let Die," Use Your Illusion 1 is a tighter, leaner affair than its par
tner and shows the Gunners on form for one last time.
Live and Let Die
94. The Wallflowers
Bringing Down the Horse
Despite Jakob Dylan's lyrical shortcomings ("Sometimes it's hard to te
ll/ The wishing from the well," he sings brightly on "Bleeders"), his
band's second CD is a solid and rather entertaining homage to lyric-dr
iven '60s and '70s rock. Jakob emulates his father's work, but, depend
ing on the song, he has filtered it through the vocal styles of more r
ecent bards: Bruce Springsteen ("Three Marlenas," with its Lou Reed-li
ke guitar part), Bruce Cockburn (the pretty "Invisible City," which so
unds a lot like a Dire Straits ballad), and Elvis Costello (several tr
acks). No new ground is broken, but "6th Avenue Heartache" was a break
through hit, and the rest makes for good overall listening.
One Headlight
93. The Mamas & the Papas
If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Released in early 1966, this album foreshadowed the flowers-in-your-ha
ir vibe that would sweep California a couple of years later. Boasting
gorgeous harmonies (especially on "Monday, Monday" and "California Dre
amin'") and a breezy sense of folk songcraft, the group was precisely
right for its time. Nearly as impressive as head Papa John Phillips' o
riginal songs was the group's choice of covers, which included a vaude
ville take on Lennon-McCartney's "I Call Your Name," and a swaggering
rendition of the classic, "The In Crowd." Though by decade's end the M
amas & The Papas' musical style would be passe, this debut constitutes
a fine still-portrait of mid '60s optimism.
California Dreamin'
92. Tori Amos
Little Earthquakes
Little Earthquakes boasts the brutal honesty, delicate vocal delivery,
and accomplished piano-playing that let Tori Amos quickly dodge every
Suzanne Vega/Kate Bush label that was hurled at her with the release
of her first solo album. While the sparse piano playing and wide-rangi
ng voice were impressive, it was the force behind the words that reall
y got listeners to sit up and listen. In "Crucify" Amos declares she's
"Looking for a savior beneath these dirty sheets," summing up the con
tradiction and quiet chaos that runs through so many of the songs here
. In every instance the subject matter is intensely personal: "Winter"
is a angst-ridden song to her father; "Leather" combines a catchy arr
angement with some of that trademark honesty ("Look, I'm standing nake
d before you, don't you want more than my sex?"); and the story of a h
orrific rape in "Me and a Gun" is told unaccompanied and covered with
enough haunting imagery to keep you awake for a week.
Silent All These Years
91. Sheryl Crow
Tuesday Night Music Club
After cutting her teeth as a backup singer for the likes of Michael Ja
ckson, Eric Clapton, and Rod Stewart, Crow's Tuesday Night Music Club
carries the same torch as Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, and Chrissie Hyn
de. Blues-rock was never as heartbreaking as the album's first hit sin
gle, "Leaving Las Vegas," and the laid-back "All I Wanna Do" became th
e summer anthem of 1994. Other great songs, such as "Run Baby Run" and
"Strong Enough" were gravy on top of that, and the multiplatinum sale
s helped women like Meredith Brooks get past the receptionist at recor
d labels.
Leaving Las Vegas
90. Nine Inch Nails
Pretty Hate Machine
Angry young man Trent Reznor unleashed his demons with a barrage of ca
tchy, sinister, industrial songs that became crossover alternative cla
ssics. Hearing "Head Like a Hole" was a vicarious form of angst releas
e for listeners with its driving, pounding rhythms and screeching voca
ls—"I'd rather die/ Than give you control." With Pretty Hate Machine,
Reznor spawned a generation of alienated teens, musical imitators, an
d, of course, Marilyn Manson.
Head Like a Hole
89. Soundgarden
Superunknown
A major local force for years and the first "grunge" band to sign a ma
jor-label deal, Seattle's Soundgarden finally broke into the mainstrea
m with the release of Superunknown, thanks in no small part to the loc
al street musician for whom "Artis the Spoonman" is named. "Black Hole
Sun" and "Fell on Black Days" have shades of the band's metal past, b
ut this softer side of Soundgarden fared much better commercially, eve
ntually earning the album multiplatinum status.
Superunknown
88. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Willy and the Poor Boys
Following fast on the heels of its sister classic, Green River, this a
lbum found CCR frontman John Fogerty further sharpening his social and
political commentary. Almost from start to finish, Willy and the Poor
Boys delivers reasoned but scathing attacks on everything from milita
rism to Walter Cronkite. As always, Fogerty抯 songs were imbued with a
ramshackle Delta spirit. In fact, on the basis of its music alone, no
one could have guessed that CCR hailed from the hippie capital of the
world, San Francisco.
Down on the Corner
87. Nine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral
In many ways the aural equivalent of a William Burroughs novel, The Do
wnward Spiral was brutal, putrid, intensely disturbing, and utterly co
mpelling. Recorded in part at the house where followers of Charles Man
son murdered actress Sharon Tate, this album found Trent Reznor lancin
g his psyche through a sonic montage seemingly hatched in hell抯 darke
st chamber. Rising from the maelstrom were occasional atmospheric nods
to Bowie and Eno抯 ?0s Berlin trilogy, but for the most part the albu
m was relentless in its bare-toothed industrial fury.
Closer
86. BlackSabbath
Paranoid
Pitting Tony Iommi抯 tombstone riffage against Ozzy Osbourne抯 caverno
us wail, Paranoid was a granite slab of goth-rock that hit like a forc
e of nature. Though the thunder and clatter of songs like "War Pigs" a
nd the title track were tempered by driving beats, others (especially
"Iron Man") slogged away at Frankenstein抯 pace, and highlighted Iommi
抯 slow-motion sledgehammer guitar work. For better or worse, essentia
lly every Spinal Tap-ish metalmonger to emerge since 1971 can trace it
s lineage back to Sabbath抯 pioneering second album.
Iron Man
85. The Rolling Stones
Sticky Fingers
Long before Mick Jagger turned into a preening, prancing caricature of
himself and Keith Richards kicked heroin by getting a blood transfusi
on, the Rolling Stones had a run as the toughest blues-rock band on th
e face of the earth. Sticky Fingers was recorded at the height of that
brilliant period, right in between Let It Bleed and Exile on Main Str
eet, and it's every bit the equal of those masterpieces. The playful i
nterracial hedonism of "Brown Sugar"; the rough-and-tumble, drug-weary
blues of "Sway"; and the tortured romantic anguish of "Wild Horses" a
re just a few of an album's worth of highlights. Jagger's vocals are r
agged and ballsy, and the guitar exchanges between Richards and Mick T
aylor are as hard-fought and thrilling as any of the Ali-Frazier heavy
weight championship bouts. The cover—a close-up on the crotch of a pa
ir of blue jeans, complete with working zipper—was by Andy Warhol.
Wild Horses
84. Cream
Disraeli Gears
The second album by rock抯 first superstar power trio combined blues,
pop, and psychedelia in a way seemingly designed to indulge the egos o
f its players. Fortunately, the band抯 collective self-importance was
matched by its immense talent. Disraeli Gears found Eric Clapton, Jack
Bruce, and Ginger Baker pushing one another to some of their finest m
oments on record. Thunderous drumming, melodic bass lines, and molten
guitar riffs combined to create a synchronous virtuosity that pushed s
ongs like "Sunshine of Your Love" to grandiose heights.
Sunshine of Your Love
83. Jefferson Airplane
Surrealistic Pillow
Pillow made acid rock palatable enough for the mainstream to accept. H
oisted on the twin pillars of two massive hits—"Somebody to Love" and
"White Rabbit"—the Jefferson Airplane抯 sophomore effort also served
as a clarion call for flower children to drop their worldly responsib
ilities and go west. Of all the albums released by the San Francisco b
ands during the late '60s, none approached Surrealistic Pillow in shee
r songwriting strength. Of course, the regal and commanding beauty of
Grace Slick didn抰 hurt sales, either.
Somebody To Love
82. Santana
Santana
Having already created a sensation at the Woodstock Festival in 1969,
Santana further proved its artistic and commercial viability with this
self-titled debut released later that same year. Led by a guitarist w
hose finely honed, minimalist style made him instantly recognizable, t
he band achieved an ethnic and regional crossover status rivaled at th
e time only by Sly & the Family Stone. Fusing elements of Latin-tinged
jazz, African percussion, and American blues, Santana laid the ground
work for a string of hits that crowded the airwaves throughout the ear
ly '70s.
Evil Ways
81. Eric Clapton
Layla
In August of 1970, Eric Clapton was hurting. Blind Faith had failed. H
is love for Patti Harrison remained unrequited—complicated by the fac
t she was married to his good friend George Harrison. He was beginning
to dip into heroin. If you believe that extreme circumstances can res
ult in great art, Layla is your proof, a double-album collection on wh
ich the guitar god bares his soul and reveals a level of angst that wo
uld scare the hell out of Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder. The intensity
is in the performances, too, with Clapton and guest Duane Allman engag
ing in an ax hero summit on which the participants push each other to
new heights—particularly in the title track. He's had his moments sin
ce, but Layla was a scintillating swan song for Clapton's musical divi
nity.
80. Hootie & the Blowfish
Cracked Rear View
Springing, as it did, from a rather pedestrian bar band based in Colum
bia, S.C., Cracked Rear View couldn't have been more startling in the
way it resonated with mainstream record buyers. With Darius Rucker's m
ud-mouthed, gospel-tinged baritone leading the charge, Hootie & the Bl
owfish proffered a feel-good, folk-rock vibe redolent of campfire toge
therness. Cynics winced, but as time passes the band's spirit and opti
mism seem hard to dismiss. Fittingly, as Cracked Rear View scaled the
charts, the television show Friends constructed an entire episode cent
ered around the cast's efforts to attend a Blowfish concert.
Only Wanna Be With You
79. Tears for Fears
Songs From the Big Chair
In the two years between their debut album The Hurting and this follow
-up, Tears for Fears lost some of its synthy intellectualism, submergi
ng it in a Big Pop Sound. And with the simplified formula, they achiev
ed great success. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout" coul
d be heard blaring on radios nationwide.
Everybody Wants To Rule the World
78. Red Hot Chili Peppers
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
After the Chili Peppers stumbled a bit with Mother's Milk in 1989, man
y fans thought that perhaps the band had run its course. What a pleasa
nt surprise it was, then, when this white-boy funk band successfully r
einvented itself and its own brand of Southern California-fried rock w
ith a great deal of help from producer Rick Rubin. Blood Sugar Sex Mag
ik provided the Chili Peppers with their first two bona-fide radio hit
s: "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge," the latter proving that the
hardcore funksters could even come up with a vaguely touching ballad.
Suck My Kiss
77. R.E.M
Murmur
When Murmur crawled out of the college-town environs of Athens, Ga., w
e had never heard anything like it—and, yet, we had heard everything
it had. Peter Buck's Rickenbacker guitar rang like the Byrds. The song
s were tightly constructed pop gems but with arrangements that sounded
like any number of garage rockers from the Nuggets collection, with a
bit of neo-psychedelic sensibility to boot. And then there were Micha
el Stipe's vocals, buried under that gauzy wall of sound as if they we
re one more instrument in the mix rather than the focal point of the s
ongs. Murmur was the album that launched a thousand (or more) indie gu
itar bands, and while R.E.M. has certainly pursued its own array of mu
sical directions since, its debut has a warm and innocent vibe that it
's never really recaptured.
Radio Free Europe
76. Green Day
Dookie
A true anomaly at the time of its release, Dookie was perhaps the firs
t instance of punk anger being presented in a wholly nonthreatening ma
nner. Like the bratty neighborhood kid who feigns toughness but goes r
unning off at the word "Boo," Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong
boasted a biteless bark that was, in the end, ingratiating. For its th
ird album, the band mixed walls of guitar noise, machine-gun rhythms,
and infectious melodies, then Osterized the lot into a tasty punk rock
daiquiri.
Welcome to Paradise
75. The Cars
The Cars
While often referred to as an early new-wave album, The Cars was reall
y a full on rock and roller, albeit one with slinky keyboards and cann
y pop sensibilities. Two decades after its release, songs like "My Bes
t Friend's Girl," "Good Times Roll," and "Just What I Needed" still ha
ve quietly become timeless rock classics, not kitschy "resurrection fl
ashback" tunes.
Good Times Roll
74. Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
If the mega-selling Dark Side of the Moon was a coolly detached contem
plation of former Floyd frontman Syd Barrett's descent into madness, t
hen this follow-up was, in many ways, a love letter to the genius-turn
ed-schizophrenic. With "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" as its centerpiece
, the album boasts some of the Floyd's richest melodies (the title tra
ck being the best example). Sadly and ironically, a fat and balding Ba
rrett showed up unexpectedly one day at the recording sessions, with t
he band at first failing to recognize him. Reportedly, none of the mem
bers have seen him since.
Wish You Were Here
73. Jewel
Pieces of You
The Alaskan's debut was a combination of earnest folkiness and high-pr
oduction pop that was perfectly characterized by the song that started
it all, "Who Will Save Your Soul?," a showcase for Jewel's impressive
vocal range, heartfelt lyrics, and knack for catchy hooks. That voice
got a real workout in songs like "These Foolish Games" and the impres
sive final track, "Amen." The young singer-songwriter's photogenic app
eal didn't hurt either, as MTV and VH1 turned "You Were Meant for Me"
into the video that always seemed to be on your TV. On top of the tidy
arrangements was a range of lyrical subject matter that wandered from
lovelorn and lonely to overtly political.
Who Will Save Your Soul?
72. Meat Loaf
Bat out of Hell
Meat Loaf (born Marvin Lee Aday) did what many others only dream of—p
ut his theater background to good use. After appearing in musicals, in
cluding Hair, as well as the cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Meat Loaf teamed up with musical writer and pianist Jim Steinman and p
roducer Todd Rundgren to record his debut, one of the most operatic (a
nd histrionic) albums of the '70s. Songs like the overwrought "Two Out
of Three Ain't Bad" and "You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" we
re big hits, and Bat Out of Hell became one of the most successful alb
ums of the decade.
71. Smashing Pumpkins
Siamese Dream
The "Next Nirvana" comparisons hounded the Smashing Pumpkins, in part
because both its debut, Gish, and Siamese Dream were produced by Butch
Vig (of Nevermind fame). But the difference between the bands came do
wn to idols—Billy Corgan抯 record collection surely contained a lot m
ore Pink Floyd and Mott the Hoople, whose influence inspired a collisi
on of pre-punk and post-punk--mid-tempo songs layered with psychedelic
guitar sounds and luscious production. The single 揟oday?took up resi
dence in MTV's heavy rotation, as Corgan sang, 揟oday is the greatest
day I抳e ever known.?In a single line, he summed up the ambition of th
e Pumpkins to make a big, memorable record, and to not be afraid to la
bel themselves rock stars.
Today
70. Counting Crows
August and Everything After
One of the best (and best-selling) debut albums of all time, August an
d Everything After introduced a new band that had clearly learned the
lessons of rock and roll's masters. The radio hit "Mr. Jones" pays exp
licit tribute to the Bard ("I want to be Bob Dylan," confesses singer
Adam Duritz), lifts a few sha-la-las from Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed G
irl," and wraps it all up in one of the most seductive hook-and-groove
packages this side of Motown. Duritz came off like a rock and roll Br
ando, a Method-acting vocalist who could dig deep into his lyrics and
deliver heartfelt performances, wringing every last drop of emotion fr
om insightful, introspective monologues like "Round Here" and "Sulliva
n Street." The rest of the band, as captured by producer T Bone Burnet
t, provided understated folk-rock backing that was less emphatic than
the E Street Band, but less cloying than the Eagles, making this the p
erfect album for a modern-day Rip Van Winkle waking to the dissonance
of mainstream '90s music.
Mr. Jones
69. David Bowie
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
As the only truly important record of the '70s glam-rock movement and
David Bowie's (arguably) best record, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stard
ust and the Spiders From Mars was Bowie's defining moment: a rock oper
a with enough beef (courtesy of Mick Ronson's chunky guitar) to appeal
to both art-rock enthusiasts and mainstream rock fans. As the peculia
r, title character (or should that read "caricature"?), Bowie tiptoed
along an androgynous tightrope, creating one of the most memorable roc
k personae in history, and indelible tunes like "Starman" and "Suffrag
ette City" served to cement that persona onto our collective, radio-de
voted consciences.
Suffragette City
68. The Beach Boys
Surfin' USA
In addition to making surf music a national phenomenon, Surfin' USA ca
tapulted the Beach Boys into stratospheric stardom. As exemplified by
the title track, chief composer Brian Wilson抯 early genius lay in his
ability to weld Chuck Berry-style guitar riffs to layered vocal harmo
nies inspired by groups like the Four Freshmen. Though little on Surfi
n' USA hinted at the magisterial songwriting that would come to fruiti
on on Pet Sounds, discerning listeners could already detect evidence o
f Wilson抯 burgeoning talents as an arranger.
Surfin' U.S.A.
67. Led Zeppelin
Physical Graffiti
Zeppelin's only double studio album was also the first for its newly l
aunched label imprint Swan Song. To critics, Physical Graffiti epitomi
zed the group's penchant for excess; for many fans, its combination of
epic offerings ("In My Time of Dying," "Ten Years Gone," "In the Ligh
t") and simpler affairs ("Down by the Seaside," "Wanton Song," "Boogie
With Stu") showcased the band's musical breadth like no other album i
n its catalog. With its mesmerizing orchestral riff and striking Easte
rn overtones, "Kashmir" remains the most distinctive and enduring of Z
ep's many anthems.
Kashmir
66. Oasis
(What's the Story) Morning Glory?
The British quintet's sophomore effort is hard hitting, assured, and u
n-self-conscious about flaunting its obvious influences. The Beatles a
re one such touchstone, evident in "Wonderwall," "Cast No Shadow," and
"She's Electric." Oasis isn't limited to the Fab Four, though: Traffi
c's "Dear Mr. Fantasy" is the root of the epic, seven-and-a-half-minut
e album closer, "Champagne Supernova," while the title track draws its
rhythmic structure from R.E.M.'s "The One I Love." Not to dismiss Oas
is as mere riff thieves. Songwriter and guitarist Noel Gallagher makes
those influences the base of Oasis' sound, using them to give some me
lodic shape to the band's dense, almost grungy guitar attack. When the
group is tearing through "Morning Glory" or pounding through the sing
-along choruses of "Roll With It," it merits considerably closer atten
tion than a simple game of Name That Influence.
Don't Look Back in Anger
65. Creedence Clearwater Revival
Green River
One of five brilliant albums Creedence Clearwater Revival released in
the span of but two years, Green River provided further evidence of fr
ontman John Fogerty's seemingly effortless knack for penning lyrically
trenchant radio fare. Songs like "Commotion" and the title track deli
vered the expected swamp boogie, but "Bad Moon Rising" presented CCR a
t its most potent. Like its sister song "Fortunate Son" (from Willy an
d the Poor Boys), "Bad Moon Rising" offered a succinct and disturbing
flip-side to the flower-power euphoria prevalent in those times.
Bad Moon Rising
64. The Rolling Stones
Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet was the album on which the Stones cast off the psyched
elic '60s. Coming into their own as songwriters, Mick Jagger and Keith
Richards penned their strongest material to date, including such clas
sics as "Street Fighting Man," "Stray Cat Blues," and (most notoriousl
y) "Sympathy for the Devil." Richards was much under the sway of Gram
Parsons at the time, a fact particularly evidenced on country-blues ex
cursions like "Factory Girl" and "No Expectations." A precursor of wha
t was to come, this album marked the start of the most authentic and c
reative period of the Stones' career.
Sympathy for the Devil
63. George Michael
Faith
Nobody knew what to expect when the Wham! singer went solo, but any do
ubt quickly subsided with the release of Faith. Michael discarded the
"Wham Rap" of his youth for a polished pop sensibility that sent two-t
hirds of the songs on Faith to the top of the charts, including "Faith
," "Father Figure," and "I Want Your Sex." And as writer, arranger, an
d producer for the many times platinum album, Michael proved he was mo
re than just a talented and pretty mouthpiece.
Faith
62. Aerosmith
Toys in the Attic
Bingo! Fueled by its two finest singles ever and produced by creative
catalyst Jack Douglas, Aerosmith's third album turned them into full-f
ledged rock stars. "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way" serve as models
for R&B-tinged hard rock—the first for its seamless integration of a
n open-sounding chorus filled with pop harmonies and a blustery, brist
ling verse; the second for its incredible mix of amped-up rock guitars
and a low-down, New Orleans funk groove. While there are certainly ot
her strong cuts here—a goofball cover of the sleazy novelty tune "Big
Ten-Inch Record," the Stonesy ballad "You See Me Crying," the pile-dr
iving title track—the album does have something of an uneven feel. Th
at said, it would be splitting hairs to try and rate whether this or R
ocks was Aerosmith's best.
Walk This Way
61. Simon and Garfunkel
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme
Simon and Garfunkel's first release following the massive success of "
The Sounds of Silence" is an intricately arranged showcase for their o
therworldly harmonies. "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" and "Homeward Bound
" were the big hits, but "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
" and "Cloudy" were breezy fun, while "The Dangling Conversation" and
"7 O'Clock News/Silent Night" were ammunition for those already cursin
g Simon's overt literary pretensions.
Scarborough Fair/Canticle
60. Dave Matthews Band
Under the Table and Dreaming
Essentially an acoustic-flavored pop album sprinkled with world beat s
pices, Under the Table and Dreaming struck a chord with fans of litera
te, richly melodic jam music. A formidable presence on the live scene
for years, DMB sought the services of noted producer Steve Lillywhite
for this second full-length album, and the veteran soundman helped pol
ish the band抯 rough-hewn compositions to a lustrous sheen. True, "Jim
i Thing" evoked the Doobie Brothers more than Hendrix, but the band抯
goals seemed directed more at good times than grand ambition, anyway.
What Would You Say
59. Soundtrack
Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
Released at the height of dance fever, this soundtrack to the John Tra
volta star-vehicle film of the same name perfectly captured the essenc
e of disco's brief reign. Quaint as it seems today, the album sported
unforgettable songs, many with titles that instantly evoke the Bee Gee
s' falsetto harmonies and strut-inspiring melodies, including "Night F
ever" and "Stayin' Alive." A smash hit with record buyers, the album a
t one point boasted four songs on Billboard's Top 10 chart. In the 20
years since Fever's release, the brothers Gibb have never again come c
lose to approaching the album's success.
Stayin' Alive
58. Beastie Boys
Licensed to Ill
The Nevermind of the white rap set, Licensed to Ill was the first and
only album of its kind, ever. Full of youthful promise and the risk of
stepping beyond boundaries, it found three scrawny white New Yorkers
laying down clever, goofball rhymes over seemingly anything with a bea
t, and sometimes without, including pervasive heavy metal riffs throug
hout. The song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" struck a
nerve throughout Middle America, leading many to equate this album wit
h the overthrow of teenage oppression.
She's Crafty
57. John Lennon
Imagine
John Lennon's most beloved solo album explores the many facets of his
personality, from political idealist (the anthemic title track) to tre
nchant social critic ("Gimme Some Truth") to tortured romantic ("Jealo
us Guy") to backstabbing former friend (the vicious anti-McCartney tra
ct "How Do You Sleep?"). Couched in the gorgeous layered sheen of Phil
Spector's dreamy production, Imagine lacked the brutal immediacy of L
ennon's first post-Beatles effort, John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band—whic
h may be one reason it has remained so popular.
Imagine
56. The Who
Who's Next
The Who's follow-up to Tommy was to have been another rock opera, titl
ed Lifehouse, which Pete Townshend planned to turn into a multimedia p
erformance extravaganza. This time, though, Townshend's ambitions outw
eighed his (and his band's) abilities, and his grand plan never saw th
e light of day. What was left was a batch of brilliant songs and a new
sound that used synthesizers to augment the Who's thunderous guitar-b
ass-drums attack. Much to Townshend's surprise, his salvage job was an
other triumph, an album that reflected on the disillusionment of the S
ummer of Love/Woodstock generation ("Baba O'Reilly," a.k.a. "Teenage W
asteland," and the furious, nine-minute masterpiece "Won't Get Fooled
Again") and on Townshend's increasing emotional isolation ("Behind Blu
e Eyes"—conceived for Lifehouse's villain, but the most nakedly autob
iographical song Townshend had ever written).
Baba O'Riley
55. Carole King
Tapestry
After spending much of the '60s co-writing hits for other artists, Car
ole King struck gold on her own with this 1971 solo album. Teeming wit
h irresistible, piano-based melodies, Tapestry was for a time the bigg
est selling album in history, with colossal hits such as "It's Too Lat
e" and "So Far Away" flooding the airwaves soon after its release. Per
haps daunted by the overwhelming attention and success, the intensely
private King retreated from the public limelight in subsequent years,
although she continued to record prolifically throughout the '70s.
It's Too Late
54. Bob Dylan
Blonde On Blonde
Dylan himself called Blonde on Blonde an album of "thin wild mercury m
usic," and while that phrase has no literal meaning, it's exactly righ
t. How else to describe this collision of Dylan's haunted voice, acous
tic and electric guitars, wild keyboards and harmonica, and a rock sol
id Nashville rhythm section? Likewise, Dylan's songs fit the mood evok
ed by the phrase—they're wild, drug-addled, startlingly lucid tone po
ems that tell stories, settle scores, and simultaneously reveal and co
nceal everything you might want to know about their author. If "Just L
ike a Woman" is the most tender put-down ever written, "Most Likely Yo
u Go Your Way (and I Go Mine)" is the most merciless; "Stuck Inside of
Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again" is a lyrical road comedy that ei
ther Kerouac or Nabakov would've been proud to write; "Visions of Joha
nna" is a ghost story told by the ghost, and infused with a ghost's ti
meless longing. This is music made far beyond the pale. Is it any surp
rise its maker was about to flip his motorcycle and break his neck?
I Want You
53. R.E.M.
Document
An album of firsts for R.E.M.: It featured the band's first Top 10 sin
gle, "The One I Love"; it was their first collaboration with Scott Lit
t (Indigo Girls, Liz Phair), who has produced all of their albums sinc
e; and it was their first album to capitalize on the commercial and so
nic strides of its immediate predecessor. Seizing on the vigor, vision
, and clarity of Lifes Rich Pageant, the songs react to the chaos that
left its mark on America in the mid- to late '80s. Immediate and unco
mpromising, the music and lyrics rail against sloth, demagoguery, and
U.S. foreign policy—most notably on the rapid-fire of "It's the End o
f the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)." The exception was "King
of Birds," a gentle oasis of nature and humanity. Document was the las
t album R.E.M. made for I.R.S. Records.
Strange
52. Eric Clapton
Unplugged
Considering the huge commercial success Eric Clapton had achieved to t
his point, the prospect of yet another variation on his greatest-hits
package didn't inspire much excitement. But Unplugged turned out to be
something quite different. Disposing with the electric guitar, Clapto
n shed his love of Muddy Waters blues in favor of something along the
lines of Robert Johnson. One secret to Unplugged's success was its rad
ical reworking of some of Clapton's most recognizable material. "Layla
," for instance, was transformed into a slow acoustic blues ramble san
s one of the most recognizable riffs in rock. Clapton also benefited f
rom performing in surroundings far more intimate than the stadiums in
which he had played for two decades: He gave inspired performances, pa
rticularly on the graceful "Tears in Heaven," a heartfelt ode to his l
ate son. Unplugged is a reminder of where Clapton's love of performanc
e began, before the Armani suits and the models ruined it all.
Tears in Heaven
51. The Moody Blues
Days of Future Passed
With its breathtaking symphonic accompaniment—courtesy of the London
Festival Orchestra—Days of Future Passed wedded classical and pop mus
ic in a way that would later inspire the likes of the Procol Harum and
ELO. Woven around the simple but effective theme of day passing into
night, the seven compositions that make up the album came off, miracul
ously, as unpretentious—a sentiment that could hardly be applied to t
he Moody Blues' subsequent work. Haunting and beautiful, the album's c
oncluding track (the FM-radio staple "Nights in White Satin") remains
compelling to this day.
Nights in White Satin
50. Sarah McLachlan
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Recorded in the aftermath of McLachlan抯 stay in Cambodia and Thailand
—where she had narrated a moving video documentary—Fumbling Towards
Ecstasy reflected the blossoming maturation of an artist whose musical
gifts had never been in question. Less overtly introspective than her
previous work, this album also found the Canadian songwriter lifting
her melodic skills to a level that matched her incisiveness as a lyric
ist. Although the Lilith Fair tours would later reveal McLachlan to be
a sophisticated organizer and leader, this collection exuded a soft-l
it presence that bespoke vulnerability.
Possession
49. Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run
Born to Run plays like a collaboration between Bob Dylan, Phil Spector
, and Elvis' delinquent kid brother. From the opening strains of "Thun
der Road" to the anguished, operatic finale "Jungleland," it's an albu
m about the dream and impossibility of escape. While the hero of the e
xplosive title track may be "Born to Run," most of the album's charact
ers are destined to be left behind, betrayed by friends and lovers ("B
ackstreets," "She's the One"), deluded by false hopes ("Meeting Across
the River"), "wounded, not even dead" in the words of the cinematic "
Jungleland," which ends with Springsteen's anguished, wordless cries.
Musically expansive and wildly poetic, this record may be the purest e
xpression of rock and roll's ethos ever committed to tape.
Born to Run
48. Billy Joel
The Stranger
Billy Joel was not an unknown quantity by the time he put out his fift
h album, The Stranger. He'd had a couple of modest hits ("Piano Man,"
"The Entertainer") and some notice as a literate singer-songwriter wit
h influences from several disciplines. But nobody was putting him in a
league with Paul Simon or Bruce Springsteen. That all changed with Th
e Stranger, a blockbuster breakthrough that came out of nowhere to bec
ome the album of late '77 and early '78. Was there a prom that year, o
r a yearbook dedication, that didn't in some way include "Just the Way
You Are"? Was there a hormonal teenage male who didn't understand the
desperate lust expressed in "Only the Good Die Young"? And was there
anyone who didn't relate to the tale of childhood sweethearts chronicl
ed in "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant"? Throughout The Stranger, Jo
el tapped a deep vein of experience and traced it from the nostalgic i
nnocence of high school to the sometimes bitter realizations of adult
life in "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)," "Vienna," and the title track.
All that—and one of rock and roll's great piano solos in "Italian Res
taurant," too. No wonder The Stranger hit us right between the eyes.
47. Queen
A Night at the Opera
For better or worse, A Night at the Opera saw Queen give full vent to
a bombastic approach that had always lurked beneath the surface of its
previous albums. Though on-stage lead singer-keyboardist Freddie Merc
ury had long exuded a Liza Minelli-cum-Liberace flamboyance, on vinyl
he had kept his more extravagant inclinations in check. "Bohemian Rhap
sody" changed all that in the span of six minutes. Chances are, no sin
ger will ever again have the temerity to multitrack himself emulating
the Barber of Seville ad infinitum.
Bohemian Rhapsody
46. Metallica
Metallica
Metallica had long been considered king within metal circles, but this
self-titled album earned it the title in the eyes and ears of the res
t of the world. In some ways, Metallica was a significant departure fr
om the band's earlier works—though still dark and blistering, the ban
d put hooks into songs like "Enter Sandman" earned heavy radio and MTV
airplay. Bob Rock's production also helped to clean up elements of Me
tallica's musical attack that were previously muffled (chiefly, moving
James Hetfield's vocals front and center).
Enter Sandman
45. Def Leppard
Pyromania
The British fivesome's third album, produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange (A
C/DC's Highway to Hell), paved the way for toned-down heavy metal. Aid
ed by the catchy and anthemic songs "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages," t
he band quickly rose to the top of the rock pile. This would turn out
to be a period of grace for that band, which would later encounter tra
gedies that would have sidelined lesser bands, including a car acciden
t in which drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm.
Photograph
44. Duran Duran
Rio
Aided in large part by the then relatively new MTV, these five fey lad
s from Britain championed the upbeat new romantic sound with haughty s
tyle and film star good looks. Don't let the Nagel on the cover scare
you off—the album is still one of the finest examples of new wave in
existence. Sweeping pop music and inspired vocals throughout, Rio enca
ses far more than the big hits "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" would
indicate.
Rio
43. Simon and Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Simon and Garfunkel's swan song is also their masterpiece. The title c
ut is a gospel hymn that makes the best use ever of Garfunkel's ethere
al, Jewish choirboy tenor; to Simon's credit, the song itself is as ti
meless as "Amazing Grace." "The Boxer," meanwhile, is novelistic in sc
ope, and finds Simon reaching deeper inside as a poet. Elsewhere, "El
Condor Pasa" and "Why Don't You Write Me?" are among Simon's first exp
lorations of world music, "Cecilia" is a playful, R-rated rocker, and
"So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" and "The Only Living Boy in New York" ar
e veiled meditations on the bittersweet end of their partnership. By t
he time the album closes, with a lone Simon singing his "Song for the
Asking," his solo career had already begun.
Bridge Over Troubled Water
42. Bob Dylan
Highway 61 Revisited
Let's be blunt: Bob Dylan is rock music's most important artist, and H
ighway 61 Revisited is his single greatest achievement. This isn't fol
k-rock—there's nothing folksy about it—it's rock and roll, plain and
simple, a hybrid of folk, blues, country, rockabilly, Shakespeare, be
at poetry, and Dylan's own inimitable genius. The aural equivalent to
On the Road, Highway 61 is a drifter's lament for a society on a downw
ard spiral from Kennedy to Nixon, from Ward Cleaver to Archie Bunker,
from Mom and apple pie to free love and LSD. The second the needle dro
pped, we knew we were headed for uncharted territory: The first cut (a
nd single), "Like a Rolling Stone," is longer, angrier, and musically
heavier than anything anyone had done before; it's a put-down, a battl
e cry, a startlingly vivid portrait that seems at once precise and uni
versal. The album closes with "Desolation Row," a vivid, acid-nightmar
e summary of Western literature (and, yes, with its acoustic setting,
Dylan's own past) that tells us it's time to move on. On Highway 61, D
ylan's command was simple: Don't look back. It didn't matter if we hee
ded his advice, because nothing ever looked—or sounded—the same agai
n.
Like A Rolling Stone
41. Smashing Pumpkins
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Don't tell the Smashing Pumpkins modern rock is a modest endeavor—on
this album the band thought big. Real big. Mellon Collie and the Infin
ite Sadness is a sprawling, engaging 28-song album spread over two CDs
. Sure, it's pretentious, but Mellon Collie supports the Pumpkins' bol
d ambitions, taking the conventions of the group's first two albums an
d nudging them in new directions. You want metal? Mellon Collie clocks
in with the stomping "Here Is No Why," the tempo-shifting "X.Y.U.," a
nd the industrial-tinged "Love." Punk? Try "Zero," "F--k You (An Ode t
o No One)," or "Bodies." Pretty, string-laden love songs? The Pumpkins
give you "Thirty-Three," "Lily (My One and Only)," and "To Forgive."
Nine down, 19 to go.
1979
40. Beck
Odelay
This instant classic hinted that Beck could be on the verge of the kin
d of groundbreaking innovation that Stevie Wonder exhibited in the '70
s. Odelay is a substantial advance over Beck's breakthrough album, Mel
low Gold; his mix-and-match array of samples, styles, and psychedelic
guitar demonstrates the sort of taste and craft he only hinted at with
his previous work. The opener, "Devils Haircut," mixes the Zombies wi
th dub reggae and hip-hop; "Hotwax" fuses blues with rap; and "The New
Pollution" melds lounge, R&B, and boogie pop with Ornette Coleman-inf
luenced free jazz. Beck's mishmash doesn't stop there. The first singl
e, "Where It's At," is a gorgeous rap-rock pastiche of mellotron, dist
orted guitar, and scratchy turntable, while "Minus (Karaoke Bloodperm)
" offers a blast of faux grunge.
Devils Haircut
39. Jimi Hendrix
Electric Ladyland
In his short "solo" career (roughly four years), master showman and le
gendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix changed the face of music with his inno
vative guitar techniques and psychedelic blues-fused sounds. On his th
ird album, Electric Ladyland, Hendrix sought perfection as a guitarist
, singer, and producer, creating superb trance-inducing sounds with hi
s controlled feedback. The double album of 16 songs allowed Hendrix ro
om for experimentation, including the happy pop of "Little Miss Strang
e," penned by bassist Noel Redding; the 15-minute blues of "Voodoo Chi
le," which included Steve Winwood (organ) and Jefferson Airplane's Jac
k Casady (bass); the heavy rock of "Crosstown Traffic"; the spacey, ca
tchy "Gypsy Eyes"; and a cover Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower,"
which he made into his own creation. While many of the Ladyland songs
are left off the "hits" albums, making them seem less familiar, most
of this record is exceptional and a testament to Hendrix, a left-hande
r who played a right-handed Fender Stratocaster upside down—as well a
s with his teeth.
Crosstown Traffic
38. The Clash
London Calling
While many of its peers were self-destructing, the Clash was writing s
ocially and politically aware punk songs about war, racism, and povert
y—and becoming successful. Following the London-based quartet's first
two albums—The Clash and Give 'Em Enough Rope, the band released its
most accessible work to date with this ambitious double album. This t
ime out, the Clash's signature three-chord rock included more instrume
nts (horns and piano) and and wide range of styles—from the down beat
s of reggae ("The Guns of Brixton"), bebop of jazz ("Jimmy Jazz"), and
updated blues (the revamped classic "Brand New Cadillac") to anti-nuc
lear anthems (the title track), power pop (the hidden track "Train in
Vain"), and sweet melancholy ("Lost in a Supermarket"). Though punks a
t heart, the brighter and cleaner production of the album actually sui
ted the voices of Mick Jones and Joe Strummer perfectly. With London C
alling, the Clash moved from mohawked icons to stadium rockers, and ke
pt their integrity intact.
London Calling
37. Madonna
Like a Virgin
Unified by former Chic-man Nile Rodgers' clean, inventive production,
Like a Virgin sent Madonna's career skyrocketing on the strength of hi
ts like "Angel," "Dress You Up," and the naughty-but-nice title track.
In the perky, teasing "Material Girl," Madonna struck the perfect bal
ance between innocent teenybopper energy and crass materialism. Her on
ly misstep here was an ill-advised cover of Rose Royce's "Love Don't L
ive Here Anymore." Although she would later find success with other ba
llads ("Crazy for You," from the Vision Quest soundtrack, and the haun
ting "Live To Tell"), this one was beyond her limited vocal skills. Al
l in all, though, Like a Virgin remains a consistently enjoyable guilt
y pleasure. To date, Like a Virgin has sold more than ten million copi
es in the U.S. alone.
Like a Virgin
36. AC/DC
Back in Black
AC/DC's first album without long-time lead singer Bon Scott (Scott die
d following a drinking binge in early 1980), Back in Black was one of
rock's most radio-friendly heavy metal albums. New vocalist Brian John
son's sandpaper rasp meshed perfectly with pint-sized guitarist Angus
Young's start-and-stop riffs, creating an overarching sense of playful
urgency. Spawning colossal hits in "You Shook Me All Night Long" and
the title track, the album remains a blueprint for metal heads who pre
fer humor to the genre's typically stoic pomposity.
Back in Black
35. Boston
Boston
Contrary to the song lyric, these monsters of AOR radio were hardly "j
ust another band outta Boston/ On the road to try and make ends meet."
In fact, Boston's 16-times platinum first album (still the best-selli
ng debut record ever by a band) was for all intents and purposes an el
aborate solo demo tape meticulously crafted over several years by guit
arist and Boston mastermind Tom Scholz. The MIT grad and Polaroid empl
oyee performed most of the music himself, tapping other players only f
or overdubs and eventually touring. The signature vocals of such hits
as "More Than a Feeling" and "Long Time," however, belong to singer Br
ad Delp, whose soaring voice was the perfect complement to Scholz's or
chestra of multitracked guitars.
More Than a Feeling
34. Crosby, Stills & Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash
When David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash came together to re
cord their first album, they brought to the table the best parts of th
eir former groups: the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and the Hollies, re
spectively. With their soothing harmonies and contemporary lyrics, CSN
made an indelible mark on folk-rock. Gems like "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
" and "Marrakesh Express" have been grooved to by countless teenage hi
ppies ever since. CSN's debut album also earned them the Best New Arti
st Grammy for 1969.
33. Paul Simon
Graceland
Simon had been exploring world music since his days with Garfunkel, an
d his solo career had featured numerous artistic and commercial succes
ses, most notably Still Crazy After All These Years. But nothing could
have prepared us for Graceland: Working with several different groups
of South African musicians, he came up with a hybrid of their buoyant
rhythms and his own brainy pop that topped the charts and crossed cul
tural and generational boundaries like nothing before or since. Thick
bass lines ("You Can Call Me Al"), Ray Phiri's delicate, ringing guita
r work ("Crazy Love, Volume II"), and Ladysmith Black Mambazo's soulfu
l native chanting ("Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes") are among the
album's individual pleasures, but it's Simon's vision of the world ("
Boy in the Bubble") and his own place in it (the title track) that def
ine Graceland as a genuine masterwork.
Graceland
32. U2
War
While U2's U.S. audience had been growing steadily since Boy, the pass
ionate anti-war statement "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (which documented Bri
tish troops' 1972 massacre of 13 unarmed Catholic demonstrators) was i
ts American breakthrough. The band's third record with producer Steve
Lillywhite and its most fully realized work to date, War saw U2 discov
er a distinct style and move away from its previous religious preoccup
ations and new-wave stylings to politicized questions and compelling a
rena-sized rock. Love entered the mix, too, from the soulful and sugge
stive "Red Light" to the romantic stillness of "New Year's Day," which
proclaimed, "I want to be with you/ Be with you night and day."
Sunday Bloody Sunday
31. Van Halen
Van Halen
Behind the blistering guitar wizardry of Eddie Van Halen and the unapo
logetic strut of David Lee Roth, Van Halen took the rock world by stor
m, kicking open the door through which Bon Jovi and Def Leppard would
later stroll. This debut album provided several of the numerous summer
anthems Van Halen would eventually unleash, including "Ain't Talking
'Bout Love," "Feel Your Love Tonight," and their explosive cover of th
e Kinks' "You Really Got Me." But aside from the rockers, Van Halen to
uched a sensitive spot or two ("Jamie's Cryin'"), and showed off the b
listering fretboard wizardry of Eddie Van Halen ("Eruption"). Atomic P
unk David Lee Roth, who smirked his way through "Ice Cream Man" and th
e next five Van Halen albums, deserves much of the credit for dragging
hard rock, kicking and screaming, into the mainstream.
You Really Got Me
30. The Rolling Stones
Let It Bleed
Fittingly, the Stones' last album of the '60s constituted a turning po
int for the band. Having been effectively banished from the group mont
hs before (to be replaced, ultimately, by Mick Taylor), founding guita
rist Brian Jones died during the sessions for Let It Bleed, and his pa
ssing etched the Stones' already dark reputation with even shadier hue
s. Nonetheless, songs like "Midnight Ramber" and "Monkey Man" teemed w
ith exuberance, and "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You
Want" further expanded the band's stylistic palette.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
29. The Beach Boys
Pet Sounds
Few people in the record industry were prepared for the stunning pop m
asterpiece known as Pet Sounds. Up until 1966, the Beach Boys had mine
d the surf-vocal idiom for all it was worth. But that all ended, albei
t temporarily, when Brian Wilson produced his masterpiece, the band抯
best realized, most thought-provoking effort to date, and along with t
he Beatles?Revolver, the best pop album ever made. It is bittersweet,
heartbreaking, joyous, and beautifully rendered, with Wilson articulat
ing angst, disappointment, love, and depression like no other songwrit
ing ever did or would. Unfortunately, save for the commercially unrele
ased Smile sessions, Wilson would never write this beautifully again,
making Pet Sounds a bittersweet (and indispensable) addition to any po
p record collection.
28. Van Halen
1984
The last Van Halen album to feature founding lead singer David Lee Rot
h, 1984 also marked the band's first effort to place synthesizers prom
inently alongside Eddie Van Halen's virtuosic guitar work. Inspired by
the gadgetry in his recently constructed home studio, the six-string
master surprised himself by composing a simple but elegant synth-riff
that served as the basis for "Jump," a song which remains Van Halen's
most successful single to date. Still, for metal purists who eschew su
ch decorativeness, the album boasted such hypercharged riff-bangers as
"Panama," allaying any fears the band had gone soft.
Jump
27. Radiohead
OK Computer
Radiohead's third album is undoubtedly its best yet, a brilliantly ima
ginative piece that derives its charm from the way the band absorbs ou
tside influences, soaking them up rather than trying to imitate them.
The opening, "Airbag," for example, begins softly enough, but then exp
lodes with the type of robust, voluptuous drum breaks that would make
any deejay proud. At times, Radiohead's use of orchestrated sounds mak
es OK Computer play out like a cinematic score: the tension and releas
e of "Exit Music (For a Film)" and the serenely enchanting "The Touris
t" are blatant examples of this approach. But other songs are more dir
ect, including the jingle-jangle pop of "Karma Police" and "Subterrane
an Homesick Alien," and the epic sweep of "Paranoid Android," which, w
ith three distinct progressive-rock movements, is arguably the most in
teresting song on the record.
Paranoid Android
26. Peter Gabriel
So
When MTV seized upon the inventive "Sledgehammer" video, art-rock turn
ed pop-rock, and Gabriel became a superstar. The song is one of the de
fining singles of the '80s, but only hints at the aural majesty of thi
s richly textured album. With key assists from Kate Bush and Senegales
e singer Youssou N'Dour (on "Don't Give Up" and "In Your Eyes," respec
tively), Gabriel let down his steely guard and allowed his emotions to
infuse his music. Daniel Lanois, in his first major role as producer
after years spent as an engineer, deserves much of the credit for So's
breathtaking sonics.
In Your Eyes
25. Elton John
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
At a time when he was the best-selling rock star on the planet, Elton
John released this two-record set, a dazzling smash that was as artist
ically rewarding as it was popular. Side one kicked off with the haunt
ing instrumental "Funeral for a Friend," then exploded with the bitter
fury of "Love Lies Bleeding," slowed down for the moving Marilyn Monr
oe tribute "Candle in the Wind," soared into the infectious pop fantas
y of "Bennie and the Jets," and reconsidered the price of stardom with
the lilting, meditative title track. If the rest of the album wasn't
up to side one's standard, it was still filled with small pleasures, f
rom the island rhythms of "Jamaica Jerk-Off" and "Sweet Painted Lady"
to the piano driven, lightly introspective "This Song Has No Title" an
d "Grey Seal." John's vocals and keyboard work are so sweet throughout
that it's easy to forgive Bernie Taupin's occasionally strained lyric
al reaches. ("I'm not a present for your friends to open"? Ugh.) Even
John's later public embarrassments—the overeager confessions about se
x and drugs; the mawkish, Princess Di-inspired rewrite of "Candle in t
he Wind"—don't take away from the pleasures of this expansive gem.
Bennie and the Jets
24. Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin II
Recorded primarily on the road while the band relentlessly toured Amer
ica in 1969, LZ II offered more of the distorted blues crunch of its p
redecessor through songs like "Whole Lotta Love" and "Heartbreaker." B
ut with "Thank You" and "Ramble On," the album also revealed Jimmy Pag
e to be as much a master of the acoustic guitar as he was the electric
. Elsewhere, "Living Loving Maid" suggested Zeppelin wasn't above a qu
ick pop ditty, and even the indulgent drum showcase "Moby Dick" is an
undeniable tour de force in terms of spotlighting the thundering percu
ssion prowess of the late John Bonham.
Whole Lotta Love
23. Prince
Purple Rain Soundtrack
Not only was Purple Rain the most commercially successful album of Pri
nce's career, it was also the most stylistically consistent. Perhaps i
nspired by the film he envisioned while recording the album, Prince co
mbined Hendrix-like guitar work, Sly Stone-ish funk, and Sgt. Pepper-s
prayed Technicolor hues to create a song cycle that bristled with ener
gy. Although "When Doves Cry" and the title track became monstrous hit
s, the album's most notorious moment was "Darling Nikki," a song whose
masturbatory references prompted Tipper Gore to found the Parents' Mu
sic Resource Center.
Let's Go Crazy
22. R.E.M
Automatic for the People
R.E.M. made a bold right-hand turn with Automatic, another fully reali
zed attempt at trying something different. Time off the road was spent
writing and recording, producing a collection of quiet, moody, and in
trospective songs in which death predominates. "Try Not To Breathe," "
Find the River," and its newest anthem, the pleading "Everybody Hurts,
" formed a crux around which the band reached for and came up with a f
itting sound. Stipe explored conspiracy theories in the delightful "Ma
n on the Moon" and generational discontent on "Drive." Unusual in its
breadth and consistency, Automatic teased and haunted its way into the
pop mainstream worldwide and left people wondering what could possibl
y come next.
Drive
21. Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Already a legendary session man, and the third of three gifted lead gu
itarists to play with the Yardbirds, Jimmy Page knew exactly what he w
anted by the time he set out to form his own band in 1968. He found a
powerhouse rhythm section and a striking young singer who possessed an
otherworldly shriek, and together they moved rock from the '60s to th
e '70s. Zeppelin's first effort is perhaps the most electrified blues
album ever recorded, with elements of psychedelia ("Dazed and Confused
"), folk ("Black Mountain Side"), West Coast rock ("Your Time Is Gonna
Come"), and proto-punk ("Communication Breakdown") woven within.
Good Times Bad Times
20. The Beatles
Let It Be
The Beatles' final release was recorded before Abbey Road but sat on t
he shelf for more than a year while they tried to figure out what to d
o with it. Originally slated to be a "live-in-the-studio" album (with
accompanying documentary), it was eventually remixed and (over)produce
d by Phil Spector. A disappointment by Beatles' standards, it's still
a classic, with McCartney's soulful "Let It Be," the rockabilly-tinged
stoner salute "Get Back," and Lennon's stream-of-consciousness "Acros
s the Universe" among the standouts. Most touching, though, is "Two of
Us," a gorgeous acoustic ballad inspired by Paul's newfound love, Lin
da, which also, thanks to John's graceful harmonies, turns into a refl
ection on the world's most famous friendship. (The original "live" ver
sion of the album, titled Get Back and produced by George Martin, has
been much bootlegged, and is generally preferred by Beatlemaniacs.)
Let It Be
19. Alanis Morissette
Jagged Little Pill
Alanis Morissette's rage knows no bounds. Whether she is addressing ab
usive parents, an ex-lover, or lecherous industry types, Morissette us
es her stunning voice as a weapon, lashing out at her targets with a f
ury that makes her music both invigorating and frightening. Her debut
album, Jagged Little Pill, attracted considerable attention thanks to
the hit single "You Oughta Know," a fiery, graphic rant at a former lo
ver who has found a replacement too quickly for the singer's liking. T
hough nothing else on Morissette's album comes close to matching that
stunning single, some of the other tunes are striking: "Head Over Feet
" is a hummable straight-ahead love song; on "Forgiven," meanwhile, Mo
rissette sings with a gentle beauty reminiscent of Tori Amos.
You Oughta Know
18. Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction
Axl, Slash, Izzy, Duff, and drummer Stephen were all about the dark si
de of rock and roll. Ratty hair, tattoos, swagger, leather, cigarettes
, booze, women—they lived the myth, and people responded feverishly.
Showing their tender yet still hard-edged side with the first single "
Sweet Child o' Mine," the song became an MTV staple. The follow-up hit
s, "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Paradise City," more firmly planted th
e lads in the upper echelon of rock mainstays. Appetite continues to s
ell thousands of copies a year.
Welcome to the Jungle
17. Bruce Springsteen
Born in the U.S.A.
A decade after earning the thorny crown of a "New Dylan," Springsteen
finally rose to the heights of Elvis Presley with Born in the U.S.A. R
arely has a work of such considerable artistry met with such adulation
, or such misunderstanding. A brooding but bombastic companion piece t
o the more starkly contemplative (and acoustic) Nebraska, Born in the
U.S.A. stared down the inequities of post-Vietnam America. Where did R
onald Reagan locate the "message of hope" he touted during his reelect
ion campaign? No doubt in the mock jingoistic chorus of the title trac
k, the story of a displaced Vietnam veteran, which, ironically, told t
he album's bleakest tale. Springsteen's other stories described dark l
ust ("I'm on Fire"), postadolescent insecurity ("Dancing in the Dark")
, the erosion of middle-class community ("My Hometown"), and a lighthe
arted ache of nostalgia ("Glory Days"). It was nothing for a nation to
feel good about, but Reagan won reelection by a landslide—and Spring
steen sold 15 million records.
Born in the U.S.A.
16. The Who
Tommy
The idea of rock opera struck some cultural watchdogs as unutterably p
retentious in the late '60s, but Pete Townshend's brilliant Tommy sile
nced even the stuffiest stuffed shirts. The story of a deaf, dumb, and
blind kid who sure played a mean pinball, the two-record set also mar
ked a monumental step forward in the musicianship of the Who, heretofo
re known primarily for their high volume, anthemic rock and roll ("My
Generation"), and their penchant for destroying their instruments and
hotel rooms. Townshend's breathtaking guitar playing made "Pinball Wiz
ard" the album's most notable track, but the overall effect owed almos
t as much to John Entwhistle's rock steady bass-playing, Keith Moon's
explosive drumming, and Roger Daltrey's powerful vocals. In 1969, this
was one of the most daring records ever made; who would've imagined t
hat, a quarter-century later, Tommy would seem tame by the standards o
f Broadway, where he had taken up residence.
Pinball Wizard
15. U2
Achtung Baby
I'm ready for what's next, attested the distorted voice of Bono in the
tricked-out, jerky trance-dance "Zoo Station," which opened U2's firs
t album of the '90s. Wildly different from The Joshua's Tree's made-fo
r-arenas sound and the American roots of Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby,
recorded in Berlin, held a brave new world of sounds and sophisticati
on that signaled another directional change for the band. "The Fly" an
d "Until the End of the World" hit with a new angular attack, as the E
dge's guitar playing changed from lyrical to mechanical. Elsewhere, th
e plaintive ballad "One" offered a softer, more familiar sound, and th
e wah-wah guitar-driven funk of "Mysterious Ways" struck the band's mo
st sensual groove ever.
One
14. The Beatles
Revolver
Time was, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the uncontested ch
oice for the Beatles best album, but that's changed over the years. Re
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