Another list of albums

Philadelphia station WXPN, has compiled a list, with the help of its listeners, of the top 885 albums. Over at Throwing Things, they’ve monitored the list with some interesting discussions.

Of the 885 chosen, turns out I own 89 and 17 of these are in their original vinyl. I probably had a handful more, but they’ve disappeared over the years. The majority were most likely cassettes that have long since disintegrated.

Not too much to say about the list, other than noting the heavy reliance on 60s geezer acts. My most likely number 1 album, Let it Be by The Replacements, is at 202. Lack of owning the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen kept my numbers down. I’ve always felt the Stones and Springsteen were overrated. Dylan, I like, just not enough to buy an album. And I burned out on the Beatles 30 years ago. I own the White Album - don’t know why as I never listen to it.

Looking over the their releases, I could see being a huge Rolling Stones fan, if someone other than Mick Jagger was singing. Just can’t stand his voice. Everybody else is fine and Keith Richards is an immortal rock God; Mick’s voice, though…gives me a migraine. Those Rolling Stones songs I do enjoy, I enjoy even more when someone else sings. Examples: Satisfaction, DEVO or Otis Redding; Beast of Burden, Bette Midler, Buckwheat Zydeco.

I’m actually working on a quicky review of music from 1960 to the present. I’m somewhere in the 1980s and I think I have 1964 scoring the highest. This is the year the Beatles broke with 5 songs in the top 20 and 9 in the top 100. Good songs, basic American R&B, not really out of line with other music of the time. What I think is the most significant song on the list and a portent of where music would be going is the Kinks’ You Really Got Me. This charted at #78, between Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.

1965: Beatles and Stones each have a song in the top 10: Satisfaction and Help! Advantage Stones. Then there’s the Kinks at #62 with All day and all of the night. Now that’s rock and roll. It’s the Kinks who were defining where rock will be heading.

Like I said, of the 885 chosen I own 89. Here they are:

870 – THE J. GEILS BAND – Live – Full House
844 – RICKIE LEE JONES – Flying Cowboys
825 – THE REPLACEMENTS – Don’t Tell A Soul
817 – DEVO – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
813 – TRAFFIC - Traffic
794 – ROBERT JOHNSON – King Of The Delta Blues
775 – THE SPECIALS – Specials
772 – PJ HARVEY – To Bring You My Love
763 – QUEEN – Queen II
721 – LOU REED – Transformer
720 – MODEST MOUSE – Good News For People Who Love Bad News
716 – VINCE GUARALDI TRIO – A Charlie Brown Christmas
714 – X – Los Angeles
708 – B-52’S – Cosmic Thing
696 – U2 – October
693 – PJ HARVEY – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
690 – THE ENGLISH BEAT – I Just Can’t Stop It
683 – BECK – Midnite Vultures
673 – BADLY DRAWN BOY – The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
661 – X – Under The Big Black Sun
645 – EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER – Brain Salad Surgery
638 – SLY & THE FAMILY STONE – There’s A Riot Goin’ On
623 – U2 – Under A Blood Red Sky
621 – JIMMY BUFFETT – Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
609 – P.J. HARVEY – Rid Of Me
590 – CAKE – Fashion Nugget
577 – MELISSA ETHERIDGE – Yes I Am
568 – RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – Poses
563 – SUGAR – Copper Blue
554 – ZAP MAMA – Seven
547 – B-52’S – B-52’s
532 – SINEAD O’CONNOR – The Lion And The Cobra
531 – RICKIE LEE JONES – Rickie Lee Jones
518 – FRANK ZAPPA – Joe’s Garage
514 – KIRSTY MACCOLL – Tropical Brainstorm
510 – LOU REED – New York
508 – SINEAD O’CONNOR – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
496 – JIMI HENDRIX – Band Of Gypsies
89 – WORLD PARTY – Goodbye Jumbo
482 – Saturday Night Fever (soundtrack)
455 – JANE’S ADDICTION – Ritual De Lo Habitual
452 – RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – Want One
439 – SHERYL CROW – Tuesday Night Music Club
438 – PRINCE – 1999
429 – NICK DRAKE – Five Leaves Left
422 – K.D. LANG – Ingenue
417 – TALKING HEADS – Little Creatures
412 – Jesus Christ Superstar (soundtrack)
393 – TALKING HEADS – Speaking In Tongues
391 – JOAN ARMATRADING – Joan Armatrading
371 – TORI AMOS – Under The Pink
366 – THE REPLACEMENTS – Tim
350 – LIVE – Throwing Copper
340 – U2 – Rattle & Hum
330 – MARC COHN – Marc Cohn
327 – THE REPLACEMENTS – Pleased To Meet Me
323 – NICK DRAKE – Bryter Layter
314 – FRANK ZAPPA – Apostrophe
313 – JACK JOHNSON – In Between Dreams
302 – BONNIE RAITT – Nick Of Time
278 – RICKIE LEE JONES – Pirates
272 – TORI AMOS – Boys For Pele
266 – PRINCE – Sign O’ The Times
265 – DEPECHE MODE – Violator
209 – PUBLIC ENEMY – It Takes A Nation Of Millions…
202 – THE REPLACEMENTS – Let It Be
191 – TRACY CHAPMAN – Tracy Chapman
189 – MATTHEW SWEET – Girlfriend
182 – JOHN PRINE – John Prine
170 – BOSTON – Boston
169 – TOM WAITS – Rain Dogs
164 – QUEEN – A Night At the Opera
159 – VIOLENT FEMMES – Violent Femmes
156 – NICK DRAKE – Pink Moon
149 – WARREN ZEVON – Excitable Boy
145 – TALKING HEADS – Remain In Light
134 – MEATLOAF – Bat Out Of Hell
118 – BECK – Odelay
112 – TALKING HEADS – Stop Making Sense
64 – PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION – Purple Rain
62 – TORI AMOS – Little Earthquakes
60 – R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
55 – THE WHO – Tommy
54 – STEVIE WONDER – Songs In The Key Of Life
39 – JIMI HENDRIX – Are You Experienced?
20 – VAN MORRISON – Moondance
18 – PAUL SIMON – Graceland
7 – U2 – The Joshua Tree
6 – THE BEATLES – The Beatles (White Album)