# Rolling Stone’s 50 Top Albums Ever



## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

I was perusing the Internet and found an article: “Rolling Stone’s 50 Top Albums Ever”. I thought I would check it out. The people choosing these albums do not have my taste in rock/pop/ music.

There were some good albums on the list. But many great albums not on the list. Let me state that the #1 album was Marvin Gaye: “What’s Going On”.
I like Marvin Gaye OK, but number 1!

Here are some that I can’t believe aren’t on the list. (They are in alphabetical order, not best to worst or vice versa.)

Note: The albums with an *, I realize that these wouldn’t be included in this type of list because of not getting the publicity to be seen in a list like this. But they are as good as it gets, throughout the entire album.

Aqualung – Jethro Tull
Blow by Blow – Jeff Beck
Blues for Salvador – Carlos Santana *
Eat A Peach – Allman Brothers
Full House – Live – J. Geils Band *
Heartbeat City – The Cars *
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek and the Dominos – Really this is not in the top 50?
Legend (was #48 out of 50) – Bob Marley – 48/50 for a classic Bob Marley?
Little Creatures – Talking Heads *
Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys - Traffic
Quadrophenia – The Who – The Best. This is number 1! I’m sure you all agree. 
Tarkus – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Trilogy – Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Truth – Jeff Beck with Rod Stewart *
Who's Next - The Who
The Yes Album – Yes

I know that individual’s selections are very subjective. You can see from my selections what I like. But come on. None of these albums are in the top 50?

Anyway, I just wanted to post this for others to view.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Because . . . . *Rolling Stone* is a piece of crap. The longer I live the less relevance they seem to have in the music scene.

I rarely agree with them. They hype crappy bands, and insult good ones. And they seem to think *Bruce Springsteen* is God.

Their lists are only good as a basis to start a discussion, which will usually begin with why their list sucks. I'll start with why *The Velvet Underground & Nico* is always on these lists. It's a pretty sucky album.

Impressed that 5 *Beatles* albums are on the current list, down from 6 on the list 17 years ago.

No way that the *Ramones* or *Jay-Z* or *Dr. Dre* would ever make it on my own personal list. Or *The Notorious B.I.G.*? And who the hell is *A Tribe Called Quest*? Is that the guy from the *Jimmy Fallon Tonight Show*?

And I hate the way their website clickbaits it all, where there are only 10 selections per page.

Of course, choosing the 50 best albums from tens of thousands of albums will leave out many, no matter how you slice it. I could easily come up with a list of what I feel are the best 100 albums of all time, but to then trim that down to 50 means comparing *Abbey Road* to *Band on the Run* to *Rumours* to *Close to the Edge* to *Benefit* to *Electric Ladyland* Wish You Were Here to dozens of albums that are flawless from start to finish, like *Roger Hodgson*'s debut album *In the Eye of the Storm* and *ELP*'s debut album.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Gee, have *The Rolling Stones* even released fifty albums? I suppose they might.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

The new wokeness-compliant list I see. At least have Otis Redding in it instead of some of those rap/soul albums (but keep Public Enemy!)


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

My few thoughts and musings:


1) The list from Rolling Stone is very America centric, no surprise really. I gave up with pop charts, Rolling Stone magazine, and the Grammys as a judge of good music about 6 microseconds after I started seriously listening to and appreciating music back as a tween. 

2) I agree with the post above, I think there is a certain amount of 'wokeness' in these lists: what should be considered to be the best to make me look good as a consumer of music. 

3) I might use lists like these to find music, but never to judge music. But that's me. 

4) I've noticed for many listeners of popular music, hit songs are all that matter. And some think that if an artist doesn't make the hit parade, the artist isn't any good, in fact, some think that it's all the artist is really interested in - making a number one hit. 

5) Do people even listen to complete albums anymore? I do, but I'm obviously weird and in the minority. (I'm not counting all of you good people here, I'm not sure we're typical listeners.) I got an email today from Spotify listing the songs I listened to the most this year. Of course, the list includes all the songs on a complete album. I don't pick songs to listen to, I pick complete albums.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Any 'best ever' list is always going to be contentious but surely one major prerequisite is to feature albums which will still stand up to scrutiny thirty years or more after their conception. Judging by this latest list it's obvious that some certainly will not.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

If it is permitted (and why shouldn't it be?) to compile a list from a combination of studio albums, live albums, and Best Of compilation CDs (within reason), then all my needs would be met for a 50-album desert island sojourn. Rock and Pop would get each its proper billing. I find often that great Pop is often underrepresented in many of the more "serious" lists, and then the Pop that is accepted is reclassified as being of higher _gravitas_ and therefore allowed through the gate. Examples to ponder: Journey, ELO, The Rascals--I would find it difficult to not hear these bands again on the island.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

A thread about a list without the list. Okie, dokie! RS loves lists.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Strange Magic said:


> If it is permitted (and why shouldn't it be?) to compile a list from a combination of studio albums, live albums, and Best Of compilation CDs (within reason), then all my needs would be met for a 50-album desert island sojourn. Rock and Pop would get each its proper billing. I find often that great Pop is often underrepresented in many of the more "serious" lists, and then the Pop that is accepted is reclassified as being of higher _gravitas_ and therefore allowed through the gate. Examples to ponder: Journey, ELO, The Rascals--I would find it difficult to not hear these bands again on the island.


Ah. Compilations. Forgotten about that.

*The Byrds Greatest Hits* contains the best eleven tracks of the Byrds released before 1967. It's a stunning collection, far better than any of the four albums they'd released up until then.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

starthrower said:


> A thread about a list without the list. Okie, dokie! RS loves lists.


RS usually deliberately makes it awkward to copy their lists. They'll be spread out over several pages with content about each list entry between each item.

Fortunately for you "ConsequenceOfSound.net" has compiled it for us:

*Rolling Stone Top 50 Albums of All Time (2020):*

01. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
02. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
03. Joni Mitchell - Blue
04. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
05. The Beatles - Abbey Road
06. Nirvana - Nevermind
07. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
08. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
09. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
10. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
11. The Beatles - Revolver
12. Michael Jackson - Thriller
13. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
14. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
15. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
16. The Clash - London Calling
17. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
18. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
19. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
20. Radiohead - Kid A
21. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
22. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
23. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
24. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
25. Carole King - Tapestry
26. Patti Smith - Horses
27. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
28. D'Angelo - Voodoo
29. The Beatles - The White Album
30. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
31. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
32. Beyoncé - Lemonade
33. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
34. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
35. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
36. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
37. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
38. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
39. Talking Heads - Remain in Light
40. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars
41. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
42. Radiohead - OK Computer
43. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
44. Nas - Illmatic
45. Prince - Sign O' the Times
46. Paul Simon - Graceland
47. Ramones - Ramones
48. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Legend
49. OutKast - Aquemini
50. Jay-Z - The Blueprint

*Rolling Stone Top 50 Albums of All Time (2003):*

01. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
02. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
03. The Beatles - Revolver
04. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
05. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
06. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
07. The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
08. The Clash - London Calling
09. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
10. The Beatles - The White Album
11. Elvis Presley - The Sun Sessions
12. Miles Davis - Some Kind of Blue
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground
14. The Beatles - Abbey Road
15. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
16. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
17. Nirvana - Nevermind
18. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
19. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
20. Michael Jackson - Thriller
21. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight
22. Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
23. John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
24. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
25. James Brown - Live at the Apollo
26. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
27. U2 - The Joshua Tree
28. The Who - Who's Next
29. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
30. Joni Mitchell - Blue
31. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home
32. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
33. Ramones - Ramones
34. The Band - Music From Big Pink
35. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and Spiders From Mars
36. Carole King - Tapestry
37. The Eagles - Hotel California
38. Muddy Waters - The Antology
39. The Beatles - Please Please Me
40. Love - Forever Changes
41. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the ********, Here's the Sex Pistols
42. The Doors - The Doors
43. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
44. Patti Smith - Horses
45. The Band - The Band
46. Bob Marley and the Wailers - Legend
47. John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
48. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
49. The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East
50. Little Richard - Little Richard


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

There are so many problems with the list (vis-à-vis what it is trying to represent) that I won't even bother getting into them.

But, as with the previous lists, my biggest issue is the token inclusion of a couple of jazz albums. RS should just be more narrow and explicit about which genres they are really trying to represent: classic rock, pop, rap, etc. If you are going to include jazz then it should probably realistically take up about half of the top 50. Having KoB as the sole representative of the genre (in the top 50) at #31 is laughable. Obviously just an attempt at feigning being comprehensive while still keeping their ridiculous biases. Oh well, I hope no one (who's not a complete neophyte) actually takes this list at all seriously...


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Also, to the OP, hoping for a magazine as commercial as RS to endorse prog is pointless. Don't even bother ...


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Consider how RS makes its selection. Here are guidelines published with the 2012 edition of _Rolling Stones The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time_.

The RS 500 was assembled by the editors of ROLLING STONE, based on the results of two extensive polls. In 2003, ROLLING STONE asked a panel of 271 artists, producers, industry executives and journalists to pick the greatest albums of all time. In 2009, we asked a similar group of 100 experts to pick the best albums of the 2000s. From those results, ROLLING STONE created [the 2012 list].

It isn't one or two persons selecting favorites (as is done on this website and in this particular thread). The final list is a consensus from professionals who operate within the music business. One hundred opinions (or 271) averaged out can be considered more highly accurate, I would suggest, than one individual's complaints about what is good and what is not. No one person's agenda gets priority. Because of that, I'll take the RS list over any list by anyone else on this Forum thread, even my own. The RS list is well-grounded and highly unbiased, unlike a list made by any one of us. I'm sure that any one of the 100 persons who helped compile the list would agree that it is not their favorite list, but I'm also sure they appreciate the final result as a rather valid consensus worthy of serious consideration.

I compare the two lists above and find intriguing differences, some of which are rather obvious. I especially note that the number 1 albums have changed considerably. The older list's _Sgt. Pepper_ at number 1 position reflects societal differences between then and now, where the current no. 1 is Marvin Gaye's socially conscious _What's Going On_. A lot has changed between a time when artsy-ness in music proved more important, perhaps, than social equality. The fact that the Marvin Gaye album moved a fewer number of notches in its ranking than did _Sgt. Pepper_ speaks to the inherent quality of the album.

I note that Miles Davis's _Kind of Blue_ slipped quite a few notches. I would rank this album very highly on my own list, but there could well be viable reasons for a consensus vote to lower its status. And this listing is not particularly concerned with jazz, modal or otherwise. I would certainly have many more jazz albums on my personal list of top 50 records, including the Dave Brubeck classic _Time Out_, and the bossa nova hit _Getz/Gilberto_, both hugely influential.

I also note that my own album collection has all but 4 of the discs on the earlier list (probably the 2012 list rather than one from 2003) and all but 18 of the discs in the 2020 list, which suggests immediately something about the 2020 list and something about me and my tastes and, perhaps, purchasing habits over that time span. (I don't add rap records or much of the "new pop music" to my collection, and the later list is heavier on these issues.)

So, don't take the lists too seriously. Rather, enjoy the music you like to listen to. Stop complaining about others' opinions about music. Their opinion is no more valid than is yours. Or mine. Except to each one of us individually, which is rather meaningless in the end anyhow.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Its a bad list even for RS. Pet Sounds is such a weak album lyrically, number 2 of all time? No Zeppelin? Lol. I would like to urinate on this list.


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

no Marquee Moon!

no relevance!


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

tdc said:


> Its a bad list even for RS. Pet Sounds is such a weak album lyrically, number 2 of all time? No Zeppelin? Lol. I would like to urinate on this list.


Funny you should mention it.

*Pet Sounds* never captivated me as *Rubber Soul, Revolver*, or *Sgt. Pepper's* did. And if I love _those_, it was expected that I'd love _that_. And I don't

I can _appreciate_ it, but I don't _love_ it.

I do have a deluxe CD copy of *Pet Sounds*, which has all the songs in stereo, then all the songs in mono. I prefer the stereo versions.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

tdc said:


> Pet Sounds is such a weak album lyrically, number 2 of all time?


Really? How so? I think it's one of the best albums lyrically (if not the best). I challenge you to name an album with better lyrics than _Pet Sounds_.


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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist said:


> Really? How so? I think it's one of the best albums lyrically (if not the best). I challenge you to name an album with better lyrics than _Pet Sounds_.


Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, Marquee Moon, Blood on the Tracks, etc. LOTS

But I do think the lyrics in Pet Sounds are good in an intentionally plain and underplayed sort of way.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Well, I'm not usually much of a "lyrics" guy, so . . . *Pet Sounds* . . . whatever.

There's some neat stuff on the album, but I can say that about a lot of albums I wouldn't necessarily put in my personal Top 50.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Phil loves classical said:


> Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde, Marquee Moon, Blood on the Tracks, etc. LOTS
> 
> But I do think the lyrics in Pet Sounds are good in an intentionally plain and underplayed sort of way.


I don't know... I tend to think Dylan's lyrics are a bit overhyped at times (and this is coming from someone who up until yesterday had _Blood on the Tracks_ as his avatar). Too wordy, too busy, too vitriolic, too "cool". Often makes me want to say "Sir, this is an Arby's". He was a genius for sure, and at his best (Visions of Johanna, All Along the Watchtower, Tangled up in Blue, etc, etc) he's really something, but lyrically I prefer _Pet Sounds_ to any of those albums you mentioned, except maybe _Blood on the Tracks_. Maybe I just like "plain" and "underplayed"... they're certainly purely emotional, not cerebral like a lot of Dylan's stuff. But that doesn't take anything away from their effectiveness.

I haven't heard _ Marquee Moon_ before. I'll have to give it a listen.


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

I've studied some of those lists, '_1001 Albums You Need To Hear_ ...' etc. etc., also buying up a lot of stuff, and it's been very educational, but in the end I found the info too conformist and away from my own taste. Also, it's incredibly focused on native, English-speaking mainstream releases.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Rach Man said:


> I was perusing the Internet and found an article: "Rolling Stone's 50 Top Albums Ever". I thought I would check it out. The people choosing these albums do not have my taste in rock/pop/ music.
> 
> There were some good albums on the list. But many great albums not on the list. Let me state that the #1 album was Marvin Gaye: "What's Going On".
> I like Marvin Gaye OK, but number 1!
> ...


For the most part these sorts of lists tend to focus on studio albums, not compilations. In rare cases a live album is given inclusion . . . like *Frampton Comes Alive, The Last Waltz, The Who Live At Leeds, James Brown's Live at the Apollo*, and a dozen others.

I understand the exclusion of compilations . . . a retrospective of the BEST of an artist is likely to be better than mere studio albums. Really, name a *Beatles* compilation that ISN'T great. Even *All This and WW2* and *Across the Universe*, Beatles soundtrack compilations by various artists are astonishingly good.

Personally I find *The Byrds Greatest Hits* to be a fabulous album . . . only the great songs, none of the also-rans or filler.


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## Merl (Jul 28, 2016)

jim prideaux said:


> no Marquee Moon!
> 
> no relevance!


Similarly, no Black Sabbath (Sabbath Bloody Sabbath at the very least). Ridiculous list. More Beatles bum-licking for the most overrated band in history.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Comparing the two lists (2020 & 2003) I'm struck by just how much new hip hop and rap are included on this year's list, and the albums that were dropped in order to make room for them:

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
The Doors – The Doors
The Eagles – Hotel California
The Beatles – Please Please Me
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
Chuck Berry – The Great Twenty-Eight
Elvis Presley – The Sun Sessions
The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bull ocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
Muddy Waters - Anthology 1947-1972
Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
U2 – The Joshua Tree
James Brown – Live at the Apollo
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Top 50 Albums is a really dumb exercise. But their three sentence reviews of forgettable music is the magazine's true asset.


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