MjWorld Music Page

Hi its me, Mj. I have been inspired by a few of my friends to release my own ranking of Rolling Stones' top 500 albums of all time. I will be updating the list as I go, since I intend to listen to each album in full before I rank it. Also please note that you can click each album title to reveal my thoughts on the album. Most recent change is adding Innervisions, Rubber Soul, and A Love Supreme.

Mj's Top 500 Albums

1. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys [2 on their list]

   This is simply a gorgeous, lush sounding record. Wilson manages to balance melancholy with sweetness and hope in way that I feel truly reflects how it feels to move through life. I still remember well how, the summer after eighth grade, basically all I did during a two-week period over the summer was listen to the Beach Boys, play Skyrim, and read. Due to a series of upsetting events in my personal life, I think that this two-week span was the first experience I had with the rockiness of life. The Beach Boys helped me understand the emotions I was feeling. "Don't talk, put your head on my shoulder." "I guess I just wasn't made for these times." "I may not always love you, but long as there are stars above you, you'll never need to doubt it." I will always remember where I was, listening to "Surf's Up," when I learned of Brian Wilson's passing. To me, Wilson will always embody the power of an artist to connect with others through their craft. Pet Sounds was Wilson at the top of his game. Even if it doesn't have "Good Vibrations," it will always mean the world to me.
2. Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan [9 on their list]

   My relationship with Blood on the Tracks is a little strange, I will admit. I listen to it daily. Many of the songs, particularly "You're a Big Girl Now," "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," and "If You See Her, Say Hello" move me to tears. Bob Dylan understands what it means to feel like you have ruined the positive relationships in your life, but also, they are not beyond repair, but also, they are. Now, I do not feel this way all the time, thank God. But I think Dylan captures them well. His prose is literary, sorrowful, beautiful, gorgeous. "And I'm just like that bird, Oh, singin' just for you." Jesus Christ. The guitar and harmonica are the best on this album that it has ever been. I also think "Idiot Wind" is very funny. "I can't help it, if I'm lucky" always gets a chuckle out of me. This album is maybe music at the best it ever was outside of the Beatles and the Beach Boys and Kate Bush. Speaking frankly, I think this album requires a certain amount of willingness to hear Bob and absorb the deeply upsetting emotions he's expressing. If you can meet Bob where he's at, this album is magical. "I can make it through, You can make it too." But also, to be quite frank, I do not like "Meet Me in the Morning." Too twangy.
3. Abbey Road by The Beatles [5 on their list]

   It must be said: "Mean Mr. Mustard" is one of the best songs ever. Maybe the best song ever. I think the hook -- "Mean Mr. Mustard sleeps in the park" -- all the time. Rest of the album is good, too. I remember being so shocked when Alex said that he thought this was the best Beatles album. Well, I'm not shocked anymore. Abbey Road has forced me to confront how influenced by others I can be, but when the music is this good, its tough to care. "OH YEAH! ALL RIGHT! ARE YOU GONNA BE IN MY DREAMS, TONIGHT?" It simply does not get better.
4. Blue by Joni Mitchell [3 on their list]

   I recently had a bit of a nervous breakdown while on vacation, so this album has been pretty nice to listen to. I struggle with knowing when it's appropriate to reach out to other people with my many many many many many struggles, especially since basically everyone I know either works 30+ hour weeks or is starting graduate school. Also, in all honesty, I am bad at working through my emotions on my own. I would much rather an authoritative source (Brendan) tell me that I will be okay than do the difficult work of coming to that conclusion on my own. All of that is to say that it is nice to have the moderate option of turning to art when times are difficult. I have listened to California many times while dealing with how much I hate being on vacation and, ironically, how much I dislike California. It's nice to hear Mitchell talk about how much she misses her bed and think to myself "me too!" Also, all of what I've written before still applies: I like that this is a concept album for the color blue. And the music is good.
5. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye [1 on their list]

   What's Going On is simply a great sounding album. I almost find it difficult to articulate why I enjoy the album so much because my sense of enjoyment is so pure. It is the same struggle as, for example, explaining why I find the color blue soothing or why I like smelling flowers. It simply feels nice to listen to Marvin Gaye sing. I do not mean to make light of the heavy subject matter of several songs on the album. Rather, I think it is a testament to Gaye's talent and genuine emotion that the lyrics always come across as a genuine plea, demand, question, etc. "Who's willing to try to save the world?" When Gaye sings it, you are genuinely implored to stop what you are doing and consider how you can get involved. At least, that's how I feel. For one brief moment, listening to What's Going On makes me feel like I am part of something bigger than me.
6. The Beatles by The Beatles [29 on their list]

   Something new has happened to me. While listening to the white album, I heard the beginning of "Birthday" and I felt... euphoric. Ecstatic. It meant I had a whole entire second half of the album to listen to. Almost every song on the white album is a pleasure to hear. I think Alex really hit the nail on the head over on his blog where he commented that its "crazy" to have "Long, Long, Long" and "Helter Skelter" next to each other on an album. I would honestly argue that, if you cut out "Birthday," side C of the white album would be the best side of a record ever. Maybe even WITH "Birthday" it is. The Beatles achieve an unbeleivable diversity of sound on this record, and what's crazy is that it all sounds good. All except "Revolution 9." I get why Paul was mad this was included on the album. I would be too! It's a real dud on an otherwise perfect album.
7. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar [19 on their list]

   To Pimp a Butterfly is a great example of an album that really deserves to be listened to in order, as a cohesive project. Songs lead in to one another, and lines are made ironic or sincere based on their follow-ups on other tracks. Lamar's performance is painfully genuine--"U" and "Blacker the Berry" are standouts. But also, the songs sound really good. Thundercat's bass on "Hood Politics" is so great. Sufjan Stevens is sampled. Neat.
8. Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan [38 on their list]

   Blonde on Blonde may be my new favorite Dylan. It is Bob Dylan at his most arrogant, I believe. "Won't you come with me, baby, I'll take you where you wanna go. And if it don't work out, you'll be the first to know." "You say my kisses are not like his." "Your magazine husband who just had to go." I mean, come on! He's arrogant. And yet, "I Want You" and "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" are so gorgeous and romantic, I could never hold these lyrics against him. I shouldn't focus on Dylan's lyrics too much--there's a great George Harrison interveiw where he jokes that he wished that he could sing as incomprehensibly as Dylan when Harrison got tired on tour. The agitated guitar, vibrant harmonica, and wailing organ are beautiful. It is no wonder that "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" influenced "Long, Long, Long," one of my favorite songs on the White Album. Blonde on Blonde, to me, is an album that rewards every re-listen, as you get more acquainted with Bob's emotions and lyrics.
9. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West [17 on their list]

   Kanye West's career will never recover from what it was, for good reason. He released a song called "Heil Hitler" and has several pending sexual assault lawsuits against him. Candidly, I believe that Kanye West is too big to ever be truly removed from the public eye. He has done tremendous harm and moved the needle on both antisemitism and misogyny (look at how his fans construe Kim Kardashian, who has her own problems but is probably a better parent than a bipolar Nazi). I do not believe there is an utility in avoiding Kanye's music because he makes so little revenue from individual steams, already has millions and could easily make more, and has cemented his position in the public eye. If all of what I described above is enough to make listening to his music too unpleasant for you to bear... yeah I get that. Despite it all, I still love My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy for being a literary, great-sounding concept album about the mind of a man who recognizes his faults, yet feels powerless to stop himself when the world seems ready to indulge his every whim. Kayne on this album is not strong enough to resist the temptations placed at his feet. I like listening to his songs because... could I do any better than 2010 Kanye? Could you turn down the drugs and money and sex? Give "Power" a listen and ask yourself this question again.
10. Revolver by the Beatles [11 on their list]

    I think that I had previously been too hard on this album because I'm not a huge fan of "Eleanor Rigby." Just doesn't do much for me, and its one of their bigger tracks and the second song on this album, so it colored how I thought of Revolver. Well, I was over-hating on this album, it's actually really good. "For No One" is certainly the best song ever written in a ski resort bathroom. It was one of John's favorites that Paul wrote, and I get why--it's so gorgeous and melancholic. "And Your Bird Can Sing" was another song that stuck out to me, I really like the guitar melody. Frankly, its a great album that shows how, even early on, these four lads from Liverpool knew what was what. The cover weirds me out, through.
11. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine [73 on their list]

    "Sometimes" and "When You Sleep" are two of the greatest achievements in song writing. In my mind, at least. I love the way that one of the guitars on "Sometimes" slowly rises, reaching higher and higher, sounding almost like an organ. And "When You Sleep?" Gosh, it sticks with you! "Only Shallows" has my favorite vocals of the album. It's a little difficult for me to articulate why I enjoy shoegaze so much. It feels heavy, like a warm blanket that weighs you down into a mattress. It's cozy.
12. Rumors by Fleetwood Mac [7 on their list]

    Rumors has grown on me even more! While I still am not huge on many of the tracks Lindsey Buckingham sings lead vocals on, the songs where McVie and Nicks lead are so catchy. "You Make Loving Fun" is just SO good. "Dreams" and "The Chain" are also standouts. I have generally found that the highs of an album stick with me longer than the lows, which rewards albums that have a couple of phenomenal tracks mixed in with a few "meh" ones. But also, what album is banger after banger? I like all the albums on this list thus far, and I would only say that the top ten (approximately) are where you hit non-stop bangers. So Rumors rises like a phoenix, not because it has non-stop hits, but because its standout tracks have continued to grow on me.
13. Voodoo by D'Angelo [28 on their list]

    The mark of a powerful artist is their ability to generate emotions within the body of their listener. Sometimes, this will look like getting chills as The Beatles perform a medeley of the previous tracks on Abbey Road. Other times, the embodied reaction may be extreme emotions of grief as you're listening to Bob Dylan explain how he has ruined his relationships with the people in his life on Blood on the Tracks. Pet Sounds is my favorite album because of how virtuosically Wilson and the Beach Boys weave together conflicting emotions. All of that is to say that Voodoo is getting a higher ranking on this list because, well, I think this is a very sensual album and I was suprised by how strongly I felt that as I listened to the album over and over again. I do not say this because of the lyrical content of the songs, although that certainley became a factor as I went "wait what is he singing about." The very music itself is sexy! I couldn't tell you why. If this was a film, I could talk about close-ups of actors' faces, or the use of color or sweat on bodies to imply heat. I can't do that here. I don't know why this album is so sexy. It just is.
14. John Prine by John Prine [149 on their list]

    "When I woke up this morning things were looking bad." I, like John Prine, have been dealing with a downturn in my mood lately. It can be heavy to be a young person in a very uncertain, dangerous world, which I think Prine speaks to. So, my enjoyment of this album may come from my recent neuroses, or it may be influenced by how much Brendan likes this album, or maybe John Prine is simply a gifted songwriter--maybe it's all three of those things! Anyways, I appreciate Prine's subject matter, which ranges from satirical to serious, silly to somber. Also, I think that I maybe just enjoy folk music. This is really good folk music. "Hello in There" is really beautiful.
15. Lemonade by Beyonce [32 on their list]

    Right up front, I just want to acknowledge that this is a tremendous album that has the greatest diversity of sound I beleive Beyonce has ever put out. "Sorry," "Hold Up," "Don't Hurt Yourself," and "Daddy Lessons" are phenomenal. The obvious comparison to make is to say that Lemonade is like 4:44 since both albums are about the same marriage, but Lemonade reminds me much more of "To Pimp a Butterfly" in how it balences a lot of different sounds and covers both the personal ("Pray You Catch Me," "Love Drought") and the political ("Formation," "Freedom"). In terms of acheiving this balence, I would say that Lamar does it a little bit better since I think his lyrics tend to connect the personal and political better. He clearly articulates how racism and classism have impacted his self-image, which leads to him seeking out things that will quickly boost his self-esteem (violence, sex) that may have adverse effects on his relationships and the obligation he feels to his community. Beyonce is maybe in a trickier position because she could connect these dots for why Jay-Z cheated on her, but that's not really her story to tell beyond a refence to Jay-Z having sex with a white woman (Becky), or she could connect these dots for herself but... I feel like she doesn't. I don't know, I do not want to put words in her mouth. While it is clear that Beyonce is highly reflexsive of the way being a Black mother and billionare changes how she interacts with the world, I think she is less forthcoming when it comes to articulating how these forces influence her marriage. How have her intersecting identities as a celbrity, billionare, Black woman, and mother impacted how she considers her marriage? I don't think Lemonade, answers these questions, and it literally doesn't have to. I don't think the album would be better nessasarily if Beyonce tried to imitate Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar more. I just think it is interesting that Beyonce is, I would argue, much more private about her personal life than you would expect on an album about her husband cheating on her. Oh also I don't like "6 Inch" I think the sample is corny.
16. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane [66 on their list]

    Ok, I went out of order and listened to A Love Supreme because I like this album and wanted to listen to it. It's a great album! Great percussion. I cannot speak to the influence of any jazz albums or their formal qualities, all I can tell you is that I like what every instrument does on these four tracks and their combined sound is greater than the sum of their parts.
17. Folklore by Taylor Swift [170 on their list]

    My list is a reflection of my own personal tastes. To make an objective list would be a fool's errand. Such a task is not possible, and to pretend it is an insult to your and my intelligence. I like Folklore. I like "mirrorball," "invisible string," "Autumn," and "this is me trying" a lot. I think "this is me trying" is honestly Swift at her most vulnerable and interesting. Her writing is at its best on this album. The most interesting thing I can point out to you, and probably the most revealing about myself, is that I like Folklore for the same reason I love Blood on the Tracks: it explores how it feels to let down and hurt the people around you. This is a great wallowing album, and I fundamentally connect with that emotion.
18. Thriller by Michael Jackson [12 on their list]

    Several of the best singles of all time, with a few songs I think are okay. "Thriller" and "Pretty Young Thing" are just... so fire. Any lesser singer and producer pair would make a song with werewolf howls feel corny. And I have two words to end on: That Girl is Mine.
19. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Ms. Lauryn Hill [10 on their list]

    The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is beloved for a reason! Hill wrote the album while pregnant, and turned her tumultuous emotions from her extremely public pregnancy into a great-sounding, cleverly-written 78 minute-long album. My only criticism is that I think the album is front-loaded, which makes the back half feel extra long. That being said, a long listening experience is a small price to pay for the brilliant run of the first five tracks--yeah, that's right, I like the intro skit. Kanye West said it best: "Lauryn Hill said that her heart was in Zion. I wish her heart was still in rhymin'." Hill managed to write a complex, thought-provoking album about being a highly-visible young Black woman.
20. Innervisions by Stevie Wonder [34 on their list]

    Ranking Innervisions higher than Songs in the Key of Life? What am I thinking? Well, friend, this album feels a lot tighter and consistent than Songs in the Key of Life, although I think both albums are great. I really enjoy the grooviness of most of these songs. "Too High" is a great opener, "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" is really percussive. These fun tracks create a nice contrast with the slower, more expressive "Golden Lady" and "All In Love Is Fair." I could see myself one day changing the positions of Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life, but for now I'm feeling this album more.
21. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan [18 on their list]

    I don't think this album is going to persuade anyone who is not a fan of Dylan to suddenly like him, but, well, I like him. "Like a Rolling Stone" is probably one of my favorite of Dylan's songs--I don't think this is a rare opinion--and the rest of the album is pretty good, too. While I think Dylan's writing got a lot sharper as he aged, this is a perfectly good Dylan album.
22. Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder [4 on their list]

    Songs in the Key of Life is a great album and yet I cannot help but feel as though I am missing something. 4th on Rolling Stone's list, 2nd on Andrew's, and 13th on Alex's (impressively long) list. One of my favorite parts of listening to the album was recognizing samples I had heard dozens of times and having a "oh, that's where that's from" moment. Great album, it just isn't sticking in my head like I expected it to. But, I cannot stress this enough, great album.
23. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen [21 on their list]

    After listening to Born in the USA, I appreciate Born to Run more--but I really like both albums! The production on this album is simply too good. "Jungleland" and "Born to Run" are particularly great. I honestly don't have more to add, it's a good album.
24. Horses by Patti Smith [26 on their list]

    What a nice surprise! I like Smith's vocal delivery, and the production is pretty bare, but sounds great. I could see this album rising as I listen to it more. I could also see it falling as I listen to it more -- maybe it'll wear on me. Hopefully not, though. I do find it interesting that Horses jumped 18 spots from 2012 to 2020. In my opinion, this may have been a result of a broader desire post-Me Too to include more female rock trailblazers on the list. Well, in my opinion, yeah that's fine. It's a great album. If the critics inside Rolling Stone notice that certain artists' contributions and works were devalued on the 2003 and 2012 lists for structural reasons, should they just ignore it? Of course not. The corrections from the 2012 to 2020 list make sense to me. Nobody's spot is being artificially inflated.
25. Kind of Blue by Miles Davis [31 on their list]

    The first album I've listened to for this project with no lyrics is pretty good! I like that everyone involved in the recording of this album seems more concerned with subtlety and emotion than they do with playing as hard and fast as possible. The result is an introspective, melancholy piece of music. Also "All Blues" reminded me of the main theme for the film Vertigo. I can't explain this feeling well, maybe it's that both pieces capture with a low-level anxiety? Or they have crescendos (not sure I'm using this word correctly) that go upwards? Listen to the bit at 9:45 if you want to understand what I mean. Not that I even understand what I mean, to be quite frank!
26. Purple Rain by Prince [8 on their list]

    Good album! Good album! Prince manages to make an album of great pop songs that are all unique from one another. Also, the album cover is really great. The lyrics and production do not immediately invite great introspection upon listening to Purple Rain, but I think I would be a fool for suggesting that there is any album on this list that does not reveal more when read closely. For now, I have not read Purple Rain closely.
27. Ready to Die by the Notorious B.I.G. [22 on their list]

    This album, without a doubt, came out exactly 9 years before I was born. But that's not the only kind thing I have to say! Biggie is really good at telling stories you want to keep listening to. Whether I was hearing about the exotic fishes he can now purchase, or the way he eats women out, or his beef with Xscape, I leaned in. While many rappers have been able to produce beats that are extremely easy to listen to, it takes a real talent to write compelling lyrics.
28. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles [24 on their list]

    Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band my be my least favorite Beatles album, which is ironic given that it was inspired by Pet Sounds, my favorite album. Well, I feel like this album lacks what makes Pet Sounds so innovative! "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "A Day In The Life" are the only tracks that I find approach the raw emotion of Pet Sounds. Which is fine. Not every album needs to make you cry, don't get me wrong. I was just shocked about how little this album resembles The Beach Boys' seminal work. I don't even think this album resembles The Beatles' better works! It lacks the variation in sound that make The Beatles and Abbey Road so good. I am not trying to rag on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's a good album. But, unlike every other Beatles album I have heard, it's not great.
29. London Calling by The Clash [16 on their list]

    London Calling was the focus of one unit of a complit class I took, so I have been primed to appreciate this album. "The Guns of Brixton," "Jimmy Jazz," "London Calling," and "Lost in the Supermarket" are all really solid tracks that express the ennui of being a youth in the late 70s and early 80s. This album feels apocolyptic, which I think makes sense given that it was the middle of the Cold War and the genre of popular music had sort of collapsed and become vacuous post-Beatles. Overall, I think this album has aged extremely well, and my only real critique is that it maybe does not have enough bangers to constitute a double album. That being said, I am sure that every song on this album is at least someone's favorite song.
30. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy [15 on their list]

    It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is a great, evocative title. It makes clear the political project of this album, which I would vaguely describe as "to advance the consciousness of Black Americans and maybe also the Third World Movement." Really, you should listen to Public Enemy make their case, which they do on every single track extremely bluntly, with few changes in their flow. This album feels like poetry that plays with form, not content, so your millage may very. I liked it! Mostly, I liked the beats. "Don't Believe the Hype" is hype. "She Watch Channel Zero" has a great beat. "Rebel Without a Pause" has maybe one of the hypest beats I've heard lately. You get the idea.
31. Off the Wall by Michael Jackson [36 on their list]

    So good. Michael Jackson simply was the king of pop. I really love "Girlfriend," which is so gentle and was incidentally written by Paul McCartney. "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" is also a classic. God that song is so good. Fun album to listen to, even if the single don't feel as timeless as the singles I like on, say, Rumors.
32. Nevermind by Nirvana [6 on their list]

    I think I do not care enough for grunge. I like a bunch of Nirvana’s songs as singles, but when listened to as an entire album, I got kind of tired of listening to them. My ambivalence towards grunge as a genre is likely why both Nirvana and Hole are lower on my list than they are on Rolling Stone's. Oh well. The only reason Nirvana edges out Hole for me is because, while I enjoy Hole's "Doll Parts" more than anything on Nevermind, I like Nevermind more overall and found their music less same-y.
33. Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springstein [142 on their list]

    Although Born in the U.S.A. may lack the awe-inspiring production of Born to Run, I would argue that this album had its own charm. Springsteen delivers vignettes of American lives. The highway worker, the soldier, the deadbeat. The album has a powerful sense of dread that runs through it that made "I'm on Fire" one of my favorite tracks to listen to at dusk as a child. The album also has optimistic moments that makes it an utterly-fitting encapsulation of one man's attempt to paint a picture of the American Dream from his own perspective. Born in the U.S.A. hasn't become iconic for no reason.
34. Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience [30 on their list]

    It is hard to deny that "Hey Joe," "Foxey Lady," and "The Wind Cries Mary" are all undeniably strong songs. The album is a little long, though. I did not expect for these lyrics to be so straightforwardly about going through hard times given how groovy this album is.
35. Rubber Soul by the Beatles [35 on their list]

    At the time of writing this blurb (August 18th), Rubber Soul is currently Andrew's lowest-ranked Beatles album, Alex's second-lowest, and is becoming my lowest-ranked Beatles as soon as I hit "save." I just feel like Paul, John, Ringo, and George lacked the magic on this one! There is less of a diversity of sound, and I think these are some of their least interesting melodies. Lyrically, I don't think there's anything to write home about. That being said, even the worst Beatles album is still a pretty good album. "You Won't See Me," "Girl," and "I'm Looking Through You" are my favorites, if you're curious.
36. Sign o' The Times by Prince [45 on their list]

    Well, if you liked Purple Rain, the good news is that you are also probably going to like Sign o' The Times, which is more mature material-wise but a little less interesting melodically, in my opinion. It doesn't help that this is a double album, so already similar-sounding tracks feel like they go on forever. That being said, Prince's exploration of sensuality and androgyny feels so refreshing. "If I Was Your Girlfriend" imagines Prince in the role of male best friend and female lover simultaneously, blurring the lines between platonic affection and romantic overreach. I really like it. It’s a sad, beautiful song that epitomizes the best parts of Sign o' The Times as a whole.
37. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon [85 on their list]

    It's pretty good! "Hold On," "Remember," and "Love" all made a pretty strong impression. "Love" specifically is a pretty beautiful song. Otherwise, I found this album a little forgettable outside of a few great songs. I actually want to take a moment here to address the lack of Wings or other McCartney music more generally on Rolling Stones' list: what gives? They have Ram at like 450 and that's it! First off, Ram is really good. But second off, I am a huge fan of Paul's solo career in general. Maybe this is a sign of his music being considered less serious than the solo work of his fellow Beatles, but still. I'm miffed! Wings at the Speed of Sound would be high on my list.
38. Tapestry by Carole King [25 on their list]

    Melodically compelling, most of the time. Lyrically boring. The Joni Mitchell influence makes me yearn for Blue. Of course, King had a huge influence on how Blue turned out... probably...
39. Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) by the Wu-Tang Clan [27 on their list]

    Another album where I feel like I am missing something. There are some really fun samples on this album, but I was never wowwed. Without knowing anything about the Wu-Tang Clan or their history, I will say that I assume this album was very influential. Their use of R&B and TV show clips as samples feels like a clear iteration of what rappers like MF DOOM and Biggie would later do. But... well... I just feel like something's missing! I feel no impulse to return in the same way I keep coming back to It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back and Ready to Die. CREAM rocks, though.
40. Back to Black by Amy Winehouse [33 on their list]

    LET ME BE CLEAR!! This album is good. I still, 33 albums in, have not yet heard an album I do not like. Yet I cannot say that this form of modern, jazzy R&B is for me. The production is so clean I found it a little dull, and Winehouse's lyrics felt like the sort of yearning and longing you could catch on any jazz standard (that has lyrics, I guess). I am not doubting the authenticity of her feelings, nor am I trying to make light of her very real struggles with depression and substace abuse. If anyone has felt less alone after listening to Back to Black, I think that is a wonderful thing and the world owes Winehouse a debt we owe to all great artists. That being said, I think the straighforwardness and simplicity of the lyrics turns me off because its simply so easy to project your own longing/depression onto Winehouse's, which is not what I want. When I listen to Blood on the Tracks, Blue or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I enjoy getting insight into how those artists interpret their own depression through their lyricism. I just don't get that with Back to Black.
41. The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground [23 on their list]

    I like the John Cale songs and "Femme Fatale" a lot :) but part of ranking the top 500 albums of all time requires discerning a good album from a great one. In my opinion, this is a good album.
42. Kid A by Radiohead [20 on their list]

    I don't get it. I love In Rainbows. I really like Ok Computer a lot. But when I listen to Kid A, I get sooooo bored. Everything is so ambient and slow it flows in one ear and out the other.
43. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You by Aretha Franklin [13 on their list]

    I got really excited when "A Change is Gonna Come" started playing because I thought maybe Aretha Franklin originated it, but it is just a cover. I really prefer Sam Cooke's version, though, it is just so beautiful. Anyways, this was a good album. I appreciate its brevity, and how gorgeous Franklin's voice is. "Respect" is, obviously, solid. The album just didn't strike me.
44. Live Through This by Hole [106 on their list]

    "Doll Parts" is soooo good on an otherwise forgettable album. That being said, reading the Wikipedia page for "Doll Parts," and then for Courtney Love, and then for a few other topics gave me a new appreciation for Kim Gordon. She was a real trailblazer for women in rock, and on top of it I'm a fan of a few Sonic Youth songs.
45. Exile on Maine Street by The Rolling Stones [14 on their list]

    I like The Rolling Stones! I do! I did not feel like any song on this album had the sensitivity of "Wild Horses," the awesome melody of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," or the writing of One Piece. Maybe a future Stones album will do better for me. *shrugs and steps out of your way*
46. Take Care by Drake [95 on their list]

    I need to say something controversial: I like listening to Drake songs. I find it fun to indulge in a version of myself that is as incompetent socially and pathetic as Drake. Doesn't it feel a little nice to know that, when we feel our most pathetic, our most incompetent, that not only is Drizzy there with us, but actually that he manages to weaponize his patheticness to amazing career success? Ok, maybe you don't agree, but at least I've articulated myself. Anyways, that is how I feel about Drake singles. Drake albums are a different beast.Take Care felt 8000000 million trillion hours long. But "I think I'm addicted to naked pictures"? The "I hope no one heard that" line? Those are classics of pathetic music.