Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums

[MntnMan62]

I agree. RS arguably does, too, and has it at 36.


You don't like Jimmy Cobb? See 31.

Overall, though, I really do not think Rolling Stone ought to be rating jazz, fusion, or funk, to the extent it should be rating anything. I barely give them a pass on Motown and R&B.

Playboy published its last print issue in Spring of 2020, the internet tells me. Apparently they were going to go to digital. I cannot tell whether they actually did or not. It only recently went back to having nudes.

Well said. I, too, found Playboy's annual music awards amusing. I had forgotten Edgar Winter played sax.

Of course I love Jimmy Cobb. You didn't copy and paste the part of my sentence that says the list is a long one. And as for whether Rolling Stone should be rating other forms of music, I agree. They shouldn't be rating anything. Because music isn't something that can be rated. It's entirely subjective. All Rolling Stone is looking to do is get people to argue which only leads to mentioning the magazine's name and sells copies. It's all about revenue. I don't give two ***** what RS rates about anything. All I care about is what I like. ME. I don't care about what anyone else likes. If at 58 I'm still giving two ***** what other people think then I might as well just end it all now.

 

[Old-Fashioned Coughy Pot]

When l first read this title l thought to myself; "Dang...! The Rolling Stones have THAT many albums?!?"

 

[SharpieB]

Those 2 guys were on the Pens in the 21st century. I'm still working on my 20th century team.

Crap. You are correct. Well, I helped you start your next top 100.

 

[tankerjohn]

Thanks for the heads up on the changes to the list. So Marvin Gaye moving to the top of the list is pretty blatantly motivated by the current political climate. Rolling Stone swings rather far left, so I guess that's to be expected. But Marvin Gaye is awesome - no problems there. Sure, he can be #1. That's fine. It also feels like Blood on the Tracks leapfrogging Highway 61 is a nod to the 2020 zeitgeist. Interesting that Sgt Pepper dropped so far down the list. But honestly, I never quite understood why it was #1 in the first place. Its nobody's favorite Beatles' album (at least nobody I know). Sure its basically perfect from a technical, production, and even musicianship standpoint. But most days I'd rather listen to Revolver or Abbey Road or even skip to my favorite tracks on the White Album.

Now finally on Pet Sounds. I am surprised, but very delighted, that it retained the #2 spot. It is truly an artistic and technical masterpiece. Unfortunately, its baroque pop style and heavy mid-60's production sound badly dated in 2020. But if you can get past that, it really is a treasure. Wouldn't It Be Nice is one of the great album openers of all time, and I don't think there is a better three song cycle than Sloop John B, God Only Knows, and I Know There's an Answer anywhere in rock and roll. But I'll tell you the one song that really clinches it for me is That's Not Me. For my money, that's the best deep cut in the Beach Boys catalog. Of course, its also the one song on the album that the Boys actually played the instruments on (and I do love Dennis' drumming). I wish Brian had let the band play on a couple more songs. But as it is, That's Not Me basically prevented the album from devolving purely into a Brian Wilson solo project. That, and maybe Carl's sublime vocals on God Only Knows, which might be the most perfect love song ever recorded.

 

[tankerjohn]

A couple more thoughts, if you'll indulge me. I went and looked at the write up on the RS website. I am amused that they described Blood on the Tracks as "Dylan's best album of the 70's" after they had just promoted it to his best album of all time. Is that just a bad "cut and paste" from the old list or a tell that Blood on the Tracks isn't really Dylan's best album - just the one that fits better in ragey, crazy 2020? There is no question that Highway 61 Revisited was far more consequential to rock history and influential to Dylan's contemporaries. Come on?! Dylan goes electric, man! And frankly, I like Desire better that Blood, as far as Dylan's 70's stuff goes.

Now one thing I think they got right is posting Abbey Road as the Beatles' best album at #5. Actually, I would say its better than the rest of the top five except Pet Sounds. Oh man, Abbey Road is so good. Ringo's killer drumming on Come Together. George's best work on Something and Here Come's the Sun. The Medley on side 2 is about as good as rock music gets. Just phenomenal.

Oh, and how is neither the The Who nor The Band anywhere in the Top 50. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Rolling Stone?

 

[The Knize]

<You didn't copy and paste the part of my sentence that says the list is a long one.>

Cool. I was really just kidding you slightly and perhaps too indirectly to be understood. Sorry! Just meant you mentioned Miles and Tony Williams and others and then said none of what you had in mind was on the list. However, Miles and Jimmy Cobb were on the list at number 36 in the form of Kind of Blue. Tony Williams replaced Jimmy Cobb with Miles. To me and you both were excellent drummers.

I won't disagree with you about RS trying to sell magazines. I do not think I have held that magazine in my hands in two decades. Someone ought to do something if they want that magazine to continue.

But Marvin Gaye is awesome - no problems there. Sure, he can be #1.

That is probably the best attitude. MG is awesome. That album is awesome.

But most days I'd rather listen to Revolver or Abbey Road or even skip to my favorite tracks on the White Album.

Absolutely!

t also feels like Blood on the Tracks leapfrogging Highway 61 is a nod to the 2020 zeitgeist.

That seems insightful.

That, and maybe Carl's sublime vocals on God Only Knows, which might be the most perfect love song ever recorded.

If Caroline, No isn't! But I agree Carl's vocals on GOK are sublime, transcendent, intensely personal.

I do not love I Know there's an Answer and That's Not Me as much as you do, but that could change.

You may be right that Pet Sounds sounds a tad baroque in 2020. I do not think that Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Caroline, or God Only Knows sound baroque. The first two sound like regular old Beach Boys to me. The latter two sound to me like giant steps for the Beach Boys.

 

[The Knize]

A couple more thoughts, if you'll indulge me. I went and looked at the write up on the RS website. I am amused that they described Blood on the Tracks as "Dylan's best album of the 70's" after they had just promoted it to his best album of all time. Is that just a bad "cut and paste" from the old list or a tell that Blood on the Tracks isn't really Dylan's best album - just the one that fits better in ragey, crazy 2020? There is no question that Highway 61 Revisited was far more consequential to rock history and influential to Dylan's contemporaries. Come on?! Dylan goes electric, man! And frankly, I like Desire better that Blood, as far as Dylan's 70's stuff goes.

Now one thing I think they got right is posting Abbey Road as the Beatles' best album at #5. Actually, I would say its better than the rest of the top five except Pet Sounds. Oh man, Abbey Road is so good. Ringo's killer drumming on Come Together. George's best work on Something and Here Come's the Sun. The Medley on side 2 is about as good as rock music gets. Just phenomenal.

Happy to indulge you! I can hardly even comment on the above. You and I could not agree more, except that I would put Abbey Road ahead of Pet Sounds. I do not even like Come Together that much except that Ringo's drumming takes it to another level.

 

[Chandu]

I first saw the title and had to click because I was thinking no way in hell have Mick and the Stone's released 500 albums forgot all about the magazine - which I'd read occasionally in the 1990's when I was in college.

Personally, I listen to what I like. Maybe it's the best, or maybe it's ****, but I like it and I don't care what any "expert" thinks.

 

[ZJ68]

Too many greatest hits and compilation albums. Especially posthumous ones. I’d quibble with some of the placings, like American Idiot ahead of Dookie? Come on. I looked over it pretty fast, and did I miss Paranoid? Anything by Motley Crue, Duran Duran, Garbage or No Doubt? How do you even have the ‘80s without Shout at the Devil and Rio?

 

[tankerjohn]

<You didn't copy and paste the part of my sentence that says the list is a long one.>

Cool. I was really just kidding you slightly and perhaps too indirectly to be understood. Sorry! Just meant you mentioned Miles and Tony Williams and others and then said none of what you had in mind was on the list. However, Miles and Jimmy Cobb were on the list at number 36 in the form of Kind of Blue. Tony Williams replaced Jimmy Cobb with Miles. To me and you both were excellent drummers.

I won't disagree with you about RS trying to sell magazines. I do not think I have held that magazine in my hands in two decades. Someone ought to do something if they want that magazine to continue.


That is probably the best attitude. MG is awesome. That album is awesome.


Absolutely!


That seems insightful.


If Caroline, No isn't! But I agree Carl's vocals on GOK are sublime, transcendent, intensely personal.

I do not love I Know there's an Answer and That's Not Me as much as you do, but that could change.

You may be right that Pet Sounds sounds a tad baroque in 2020. I do not think that Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, Caroline, or God Only Knows sound baroque. The first two sound like regular old Beach Boys to me. The latter two sound to me like giant steps for the Beach Boys.

Thanks for the kind words. Yes! I love Caroline, No! But I'm still giving the nod to God Only Knows. That's Not Me is one that stuck with me on repeated listens. And Mike's kind of doing his nasally lead vocal thing, which is something of an acquired taste. But I really love how it is relatively stripped down and organic compared to the rest of the album and in some ways is a harbinger of where the Beach Boys were headed post-Good Vibrations.

 

[tankerjohn]

Ringo's drumming takes it to another level.

100! Crazy to say about a Beatle, but Ringo might be the most underrated drummer in rock n roll.

 

[sternej]

My taste is more of Jazz and Prog and electronic music but I do like a lot of singer songwriters and some classic Rock but I've tired of most of it. So very little of what I listen to on a regular rotation hit the list, but much of what I used to listen to is on it. Most of what's on it I don't even think is good music. But the shocker for me is "Tommy" being 190 or something and not in the top ten. Also Joni Mitchell's "Blue" being number three? I love her but it's her most overrated album and she might even agree and be a bit embarrassed.

 

[tankerjohn]

My taste is more of Jazz and Prog and electronic music but I do like a lot of singer songwriters and some classic Rock but I've tired of most of it. So very little of what I listen to on a regular rotation hit the list, but much of what I used to listen to is on it. Most of what's on it I don't even think is good music. But the shocker for me is "Tommy" being 190 or something and not in the top ten. Also Joni Mitchell's "Blue" being number three? I love her but it's her most overrated album and she might even agree and be a bit embarrassed.

Dude, I’m totally with you. The list was clearly rebalanced to bring in more hip hop and that means less jazz and prog, which aren’t exactly the hottest genres right now. So from what I see, Miles Davis’ Some Kind of Blue got knocked back to 31. Meh, okay but at least it’s still Top 50. But that’s the only jazz record in the Top 50. Coltrane’s A Love Supreme got bumped out of the Top 50. Seriously!? And Brubeck got completely stiffed. I mean Take Five is only one of the most iconic pieces of music of all time from any genre; I’m sure there 500 better albums than Time Out. Sure.

As for Joni Mitchell...another nod to the woke moment. They needed a woman in the top 3. (Another reason I’m surprised The Beach Boys - privileged white dudes, if there ever were any - held in the silver medal spot). I think I’d have picked Emmylou Harris or Dolly Parton instead.

 

[Bakker1964]

Thread is TL/DR . . . I am just going to assume that, because it's Rolling Stone, it's legitimacy is suspect at best, and utter bollocks at worst. Rolling Stone has not been credible in over a decade, on any subject.

 

[Owen Bawn]

I wish Dr Thompson was here to write about the 2020 campaign.

 

[Doc4]

I am having trouble figuring out how I would define "better" for any list I made, but I would certainly rather listen to those three albums yet again than to SP.

Important to remember the difference between "my favourites" and "objective best".

For example, my four personal favourite classical music composers are Beethoven, Bach, Mahler, and Elgar. But I will readily acknowledge that the last two would be bumped down any sort of "best composers of all time" list. I'm not saying either of Mahler and Elgar are "better" than Mozart, Handel, Haydn, or Brahms.

When l first read this title l thought to myself; "Dang...! The Rolling Stones have THAT many albums?!?"

Unlike the magasine, the band has managed to retain much of its competency and relevancy through the recent half-century.

 

[MrSpeedy]

I am having trouble figuring out how I would define "better" for any list I made, but I would certainly rather listen to those three albums yet again than to SP.

It is fairly ridiculous to use terms such as "better" or "best" or even "bad" when discussing art, which is subjective. Certainly for the RS list popularity plays a large part in it.

I am tempted to say "you had to be there," but that does not seem to say much. It is a product of its times and helped create those times. I think it hangs together but is not really a concept album. I think John Lennon said specifically that it was not a concept album. I think there are many great cuts on the album. I do not know how to analyze "songs" for this purpose. I do not know that I want to hear anyone else do "A Day in the Life."

I admit that I do not really know Miseducation.

I get the idea that it helped create the times. But for me SP lacks the verve, joy, and "rock" that Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road have. Again, it's subjective.

 

[emwolf]

I think I might create my to 500 album list of my own. I'm a big Who fan and, while their studio albums always paled in comparison to their live performances, they made a series of 5 outstanding albums in a row: Tommy, Who's Next, Live At Leeds, Quadropehnia, and Who By Numbers that I think could easily be on any top 25 albums of all time list.

 

[Owen Bawn]

I think I might create my to 500 album list of my own. I'm a big Who fan and, while their studio albums always paled in comparison to their live performances, they made a series of 5 outstanding albums in a row: Tommy, Who's Next, Live At Leeds, Quadropehnia, and Who By Numbers that I think could easily be on any top 25 albums of all time list.

The Who Sell Out ain't bad, either.

 

[emwolf]

The Who Sell Out ain't bad, either.

Not bad, but there are some sour notes. Plus the concept falls apart toward the end of the album. For my money, a Who album is a lot like a Hitchcock movie. Even if it isn't great art, it's at least interesting. Their latest I found the first 4 tracks absolute rockers.