Top Albums In The Past 20 Years
I was talking to my friend Dave about the state of music the other night. Actually, it was more like I was listening to him offer up his variation on the age-old whine, "there's no good new music any more."
My response to this is always, "bullshit."
It has to do with us, not the music.
First, as we get older, new, popular music (as opposed to jazz or classical) as a whole simply doesn't mean as much to us. That's a fact. Probably has something to do with us not having much opportunity to scrawl lyrics in the margins of spiral notebooks, anymore.
Second, as our sense of music history deepens, we realize that innovation is really derivation, which somehow lessens an album's impact. Interpol's debut was the best Joy Division album to come out since 1979. M. Doughty's sneer/whine combo is all Neil Young's fault, and of course, Yo La Tengo's whole oeurve is really just a bunch of outtakes from the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat," right?
So what? I loved Joy Division, was always bummed that they were a two-album band, and I actually think that the Interpol record is better in some ways than Unknown Pleasures. Neil Young got his schtick from Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs who got theirs from Leadbelly, Hank Sr. and Woody. And the Velvet Undergound kinda sucked when you get right down to it - at least, many bands figured out how to do their thing better than they could.
In response to Dave, I decided to put together a list of what I believe to be the top albums of the past 20 years - stretching way back to 1985.
Three criteria dictated an album's place on the list - artistic merit, fun quotient, and my own personal relationship with the work.
When I finished, and tallied it all up, the albums broke down as follows:
- 24 were released between 1985-89 (Husker Du, Replacements, Pixies, etc.)
- 20 were released between 1990-95 (Uncle Tupelo, Massive Attack, Nirvana, etc.)
- 26 were released between 1996-00 (Wilco, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, etc.)
- 8 were released between 2001-05 (Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Outkast, etc.)
The best year for music (for me) was 1987, with 10 releases making the list. 1989 and 1997 tied for second with 7 each, and 1993 took third place with 6 releases.
Now, here's the list, arranged in alpha order, within tiers. Let me know what you think I missed...
Top 20:
The Cure - Disintegration (1989)
Husker Du - New Day Rising (1985)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (1988)
Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)
Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1998)
Morphine - Cure for Pain (1993)
Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
Outkast - Speakerboxx/Love Below (2003)
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (1987)
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions... (1988)
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
REM - Document (1987)
Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me (1987)
The Smiths - Queen is Dead (1986)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1987)
Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom (1994)
Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990)
Wilco - Summerteeth (1999)
2nd 20:
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)
Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999)
Guns & Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Jayhawks - Sound of Lies (1997)
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (1999)
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville (1993)
PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories From The Sea (2000)
Portishead - Dummy (1994)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar... (1991)
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen... (1997)
Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997)
Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
Tortoise - Millions Now Living... (1996)
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
Wilco - Being There (1996)
Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing... (2000)
Honorable Mentions:
Air - Moon Safari (1998)
American Music Club - Mercury (1993)
Keren Ann - Nolita (2005)
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
Beck - Sea Change (2002)
Ben Folds Five - Forever and Ever Amen (1997)
Ben Folds Five - Unauthorized Biography of… (1999)
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologist (1996)
Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On (1997)
Death Cab for Cutie - Photo Album (2002)
Eminem - The Eminem Show (2002)
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Lambchop - Nixon (2000)
Jon Langford - Skull Orchard (1998)
Nas - Illmatic (1994)
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002)
Ministry - Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)
Modest Mouse - Moon and Antarctica (2000)
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
NWA - Straight Outa Compton (1988)
Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Replacements - Tim (1985)
Run DMC - Raising Hell (1987)
The Shins - Oh Inverted World (2001)
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)
The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come (1987)
Spacemen 3 - Perfect Prescription (1987)
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against... (1992)
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory (1991)
Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne (1994)
Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang (1993)
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (1997)
I was talking to my friend Dave about the state of music the other night. Actually, it was more like I was listening to him offer up his variation on the age-old whine, "there's no good new music any more."
My response to this is always, "bullshit."
It has to do with us, not the music.
First, as we get older, new, popular music (as opposed to jazz or classical) as a whole simply doesn't mean as much to us. That's a fact. Probably has something to do with us not having much opportunity to scrawl lyrics in the margins of spiral notebooks, anymore.
Second, as our sense of music history deepens, we realize that innovation is really derivation, which somehow lessens an album's impact. Interpol's debut was the best Joy Division album to come out since 1979. M. Doughty's sneer/whine combo is all Neil Young's fault, and of course, Yo La Tengo's whole oeurve is really just a bunch of outtakes from the Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat," right?
So what? I loved Joy Division, was always bummed that they were a two-album band, and I actually think that the Interpol record is better in some ways than Unknown Pleasures. Neil Young got his schtick from Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs who got theirs from Leadbelly, Hank Sr. and Woody. And the Velvet Undergound kinda sucked when you get right down to it - at least, many bands figured out how to do their thing better than they could.
In response to Dave, I decided to put together a list of what I believe to be the top albums of the past 20 years - stretching way back to 1985.
Three criteria dictated an album's place on the list - artistic merit, fun quotient, and my own personal relationship with the work.
When I finished, and tallied it all up, the albums broke down as follows:
- 24 were released between 1985-89 (Husker Du, Replacements, Pixies, etc.)
- 20 were released between 1990-95 (Uncle Tupelo, Massive Attack, Nirvana, etc.)
- 26 were released between 1996-00 (Wilco, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, etc.)
- 8 were released between 2001-05 (Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Outkast, etc.)
The best year for music (for me) was 1987, with 10 releases making the list. 1989 and 1997 tied for second with 7 each, and 1993 took third place with 6 releases.
Now, here's the list, arranged in alpha order, within tiers. Let me know what you think I missed...
Top 20:
The Cure - Disintegration (1989)
Husker Du - New Day Rising (1985)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (1988)
Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)
Massive Attack - Blue Lines (1991)
Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1998)
Morphine - Cure for Pain (1993)
Nirvana - In Utero (1993)
Outkast - Speakerboxx/Love Below (2003)
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (1987)
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions... (1988)
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
REM - Document (1987)
Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me (1987)
The Smiths - Queen is Dead (1986)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1987)
Soul Coughing - Ruby Vroom (1994)
Uncle Tupelo - No Depression (1990)
Wilco - Summerteeth (1999)
2nd 20:
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head (1992)
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister (1996)
Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)
The Cure - Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)
Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999)
Guns & Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Jayhawks - Sound of Lies (1997)
Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs (1999)
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville (1993)
PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories From The Sea (2000)
Portishead - Dummy (1994)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar... (1991)
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen... (1997)
Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997)
Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
Tortoise - Millions Now Living... (1996)
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)
Wilco - Being There (1996)
Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing... (2000)
Honorable Mentions:
Air - Moon Safari (1998)
American Music Club - Mercury (1993)
Keren Ann - Nolita (2005)
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
Beck - Sea Change (2002)
Ben Folds Five - Forever and Ever Amen (1997)
Ben Folds Five - Unauthorized Biography of… (1999)
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologist (1996)
Built To Spill - Perfect From Now On (1997)
Death Cab for Cutie - Photo Album (2002)
Eminem - The Eminem Show (2002)
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Lambchop - Nixon (2000)
Jon Langford - Skull Orchard (1998)
Nas - Illmatic (1994)
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002)
Ministry - Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)
Modest Mouse - Moon and Antarctica (2000)
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
NWA - Straight Outa Compton (1988)
Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Replacements - Tim (1985)
Run DMC - Raising Hell (1987)
The Shins - Oh Inverted World (2001)
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)
The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come (1987)
Spacemen 3 - Perfect Prescription (1987)
Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against... (1992)
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory (1991)
Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)
U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne (1994)
Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang (1993)
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One (1997)
posted by isaacjosephson at 6:32 AM
20 Comments:
Ike! You are a maximalist! There's so much here. It reminds me of when you send your political screeds, and I realize that in order to actually grok them I'll have to go back to college and/or move to a deserted island.
Still, in the spirit of the note you sent, I'll point out (quickly) where you went wrong and where you went right.
:-)
In your Top 20, the right entries are:
The Cure
Morphine
The Smiths
The really dumb entries are:
Husker Du (one of the most overrated bands of all time)
The Replacements (see above)
Soul Coughing (huh? for real? maybe I'll have to go back to that throwaway album and give it another chance)
Sonic Youth (at least as overrated as VU)
Wilco (n----, please)
Okay, so now I feel really cheap, reeling off my usual "you're wrong because you're wrong" invective without really backing up my arguments. Trouble is, this is all I have time (and intellect) for at this state of the game.
Funny. I expected to be dumped on for Morphine. I put that CD in there for the same reason the Soul Coughing made the cut. Both worked within a pretty original framework to deliver tons of catchy tunes with solid artist merit.
Los Lobos -- Kiko. Fuck La Bamba.
Beside the glaring omission of innovators such as Kenny G and the Spice Girls, not bad.
But give some love to the jazz word. Bill Frisell's Nashville, Brad Mehldau's Largo are 2 examples ... but that just opens up a pandora's box of music.
Los Aterciopelados from Colombia released the best rock albumfew people have ever heard, Gozo Poderoso
props for Morphine. very unique and somewhat timeline. their later albums faltered a bit IMO as they weren't able to grow all that much.
wait...Scott...what's wrong with wilco? the latest album is almost pure genuis. what gives?
Isaac...gots to disagree with the modest mouse album selection...M&A was the begining of their decline (IMO). too much form...to much conciseness (is that a word?) in the arrangements...not enough random gut wrenching soul.
anyway..nora jones?um...yeah...okay...
I think Scott was referring to Summerteeth making my top 20. IMO, Tweety traded in his songcraft after that. YHF and AGIB were ambitious, but bogged down by B-rated songs.
On Modest Mouse - Moon and..., I actually really appreciate that they managed to harness all the madness into a more perfect song - and still retain the essence of Modest Mouse. The gut still wrenches, but the toes are tapping along.
On Norah, just because something sells 10 million records doesn't mean it's automatically facile crap. Have you listened to that record? Fantastic production quality, perfect, languid songs. Leaps and bounds beyond anything ever attempted in that vein.
First off...this alleges to be a Top 20
Why are there no fewer than 73 albums on this page?
Massive Attack "Blue Lines" isn't even their best album, wait...it isn't even their 3rd best album, and Tricky released a far more groundbreaking album in 'Maxinquaye'.
NO 'Loveless' in the top 20?!?!?! The innovation contained within that album walks over to 'Ruby Vroom' beats it with a iron pipe, then pisses on the bloodied and dazed heap on the ground.
Too goddamn rock-entric too. Underworld's 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman' is in the pantheon of all great albums, and you, rock boy, sleep on it. You also neglected one of the great albums of the 90s in 'Screamadelica'.
If yer gonna go down the hip-hop route, Nas' 'Illmatic' is on a par in terms of sheer lyrical capability with PE's best output.
And New Order's 'Brotherhood' needs to go in there somewhere's too-- in the Top 50 for sure. Their best rock record, even better when you take out the non-sequitur that is 'Bizarre Love Triangle'
This is what happens when Zacos gets me firrrrred up.
--gm--
Maxinquaye made my Honorable Mentions list. There are a couple of real duds on that record which sinks it from a cohesiveness perspective. Blue Lines works better as a full album.
MBV's Loveless made my second 20 - mostly because I rarely got past the first track when I listened to it. I was so high that I fell asleep or got distracted by something else.
My bad on missing Dubnobass. Loved that album. Loved Underworld's first three, actually. They all deserve a place on this list.
New Order was for Cure fans who liked to dance (but were shitty dancers).
Boss,
As you are my former boss and I still idealize you in certain ways, especially now that you're like a New Yorker and everyhing living in Brooklyn and whatnot, I feel a little bit weird about pointing out some missteps in your list. Of course, that never stopped me before, so here goes:
The list(s) lean heavily on alternative, which isn't surprising given that what gets indie cred, critical acclaim, etc. I've just never been one for the Cure and whatnot (yes, probably in the minority).
A couple glaring ommissions and comments:
1. The White Stripes - Elephant. Probably the best rock record in teh last 20 years.
2. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It's ear candy and eerie.
3. Some others like:
Marah-Kids from Philly
Steve Earle-El Corazon or Transcendtal Blues
Tenacious D (geatest band on earth)
Beck-Odelay
Nirvana-Unplugged
My Morning Jacket- It Still Moves
Pearl Jam-No Code
Where they at?
4. Some random thoughts:
Automatic for the People is better than Document.
Paul's Boutique over Check Your Head.
Replacements are overrated, but Let it Be over the others.
that Nellie McKay chick is cooler than Norah.
Snoop's gotta be on here somewhere!
the Shins smell. and so do Radiohead.
Sound of Lies isn't better than Tomorrow the Green Grass.
Soul Asylum over Husker Du (ok, maybe not).
I hate Pavement, but that Terror Twilight wasn't bad.
Ah, it's been a long time since I "posted" something. Thank you for the privilege. Let the hazing begin...
Not bad! I found myself nodding my head through each
list. Wouldn't be surprised if these ones made my top
20 as well:
Husker Du - New Day Rising (1985)
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (1988)
Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (1992)
Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Prince - Sign O' The Times (1987)
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions... (1988)
Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)
Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me (1987)
The Smiths - Queen is Dead (1986)
I'd probably promote GnR's Appetite as well, perhaps
throw in soundgarten's superunknown, tom wait's rain
dogs, metallica's master of puppets, Beck's odelay,
and a few others that I'd probably think of if I put
my mind to it....
Ike, that's an impressive list. Nice work. I've got a couple to add:
Dinosaur Jr. “You’re Living All Over Me”
Jay-Z “The Blueprint”
Wilco “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”
Missy Elliott “Under Construction”
Elliott Smith eponymous
The Wrens “Meadowlands”
De La Soul “De La Soul Is Dead”
Trail of Dead “Source Tags and Codes”
DJ Shadow “Entroducing”
Nirvana “Nevermind”
Motley Crue “Dr. Feelgood”
Slint “Spiderland”
Public Enemy “Fear of a Black Planet”
Guided By Voices “Bee Thousand”
Sebadoh “III”
The Fall “The Nation’s Saving Grace”
Sunny Day Real Estate “How it Feels to Be Something On”
Green Day “Dookie”
Pavement “Crooked, Crooked Rain”
Arcade Fire “Funeral”
The Glands eponymous
Merle Haggard “Like Never Before”
Neil Young “Arc” and “Weld”
Guns N’ Roses “Appetite for Destruction”
Spoon “Girls Can Tell”
Hess, you sure you don't want to add a couple of your fey, twee, boy bands like Aluminum Group or Orange Peels?
Isaac, since you invited me, I have to chime in. Besides, ARE THERE NO WOMEN READ THIS WHO LISTEN TO MUSIC????
But definitely a nice list.
Here are my thoughts... I think your defense of Norah Jones is very lame. Feh. I will not acknowledge it with any sort of thoughtful discussion of how her music might be produced well, but that doesn't make it good or interesting. It just makes it well-produced.
I agree with some of what ferdman said [Automatic for the People is better than Document; Paul's Boutique over Check Your Head; Nellie McKay over Norah. Not to mention Marah, and I'll take Pearl Jam in pretty much any form.], but I'm all for Radiohead. But where's Bjork's "Debut" (or "Post")? And, yes (to Brandon), Nirvana's "Nevermind" surely should be somewhere here. And to whomever mentioned the White Stripes, I agree.
Also, you have Death Cab, but was there really no room for The Postal Service? Whatever you think of how insanely huge that album got, it's damn good, and, I think, did a lot to bridge/cross "genres" (How great is is that people who hate Death Cab love it? Or that people who can't listen to electronica do, too?).
... and Sleater-Kinney? Or, if you're skipping over Bjork, no SugarCubes? How abot the Violent Femmes' eponymous album? Or [please don't shoot me, but, continuing the trend] They Might Be Giants' eponymous album?
I'm a little out of my element here, and, admittedly, I'm thinking more in terms of groups than albums, but I wanted to add my small thoughts. I fully admit my knowledge skews to the rock stuff. ... and if I could actually see more than a few of my cds right now (they haven't seen the light of day in 3 years now), I might be able to come up with more.
Thanks for listening.
-cp
Ferdie - the new White Stripes is way better than Elephant. Still, I get exhausted/annoyed by them after 10 minutes.
I'm sure you and your 31 friends who comprise No Depression's total readership think that Marah's Kids in Philly is fab.
Nellie McKay is indeed way cooler than Norah, but let's face it: How many times do you listen to that record? Yeah, she's smart. Yeah, she's talented. But she's all over the place. One or two songs, then I'm out.
Andy - I forgot about Soundgarden's Superunknown. Yeah, that should be on my list somewheres.
Brandon - A few of those made the list, just not my top 20. The rest can go to hell.
Chickpea (sara) - Postal Service? Whatever. One song does not make an album. And check your dates, I believe the Femmes record came out pre-'85. I dug the Sugarcubes, but never got much past that "Motorcrash" ditty.
Remember where you came from, son. Don't forget that you were tapping your toes almost exclusively to Moe and Poi Dog Pondering and a smattering of psuedointellectual jazz fusion bands up until 1998. All the sudden your sending bands "to hell"? Indeed!
And another thing, listing two top 20s and a laundry list of also rans is a puss-out. Cowboy-up and don't give yourself all that wiggle room. This list seems more engineered for defence than personal taste.
I was never listening to Poi Dog, thank you. And I still don't really go in for your "I sucked down too much freon from the broken freezer in the garage too many times, and now I'm going to rock like I don't give a shit" music like Dinosaur Jr and early Pavement.
Entroducing was the perfect mood music when I was driving across rural Canada in the middle of the night back in 1997, but I've barely touched it since then.
YHF is a fair-to-middlin Jim O'Rourke record that Tweedy and the best drummer in the midwest (Koche) play on.
Nevermind is for fainthearted popsters with a hair metal fetish who can't handle In Utero.
The Wrens have no depth, and Trail of the Dead have no soul.
I'll give you the rest.
Purple Rain may have made it above Sign O the Times, without the 20-year constraint. But Sign O the Times was pretty damn ambitious, sprawling... and for the most part, accessible. The songwriting definitely topped Purple Rain, IMO, with themes of lost and empty relationships, and themes of the pitfalls of drugs, AIDS, etc.
Touche, Postcard's been trimmed down to about 10 subscribers and has more talk about baseball at this point then music. Still, Kids From Philly rules.
Some others:
DJ Danger Mouse - the Grey Album
Steve Earle - The Revolution Starts Now
Neil Young - Ragged Glory (was gonna post this before but forgot)
Widespread Panic - Light Fuse Get Away
Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory (hate to admit, but should be somewhere in the top 50)
Phish Live Vol. 1-43 (just kidding - minus the '94 Tinley Park show)
Johnny Cash - American Recordings
Where's yer Ani DiFranco?
Addendum: I listened to Automatic For the People again this past weekend, and yeah, it's damn good. Better, probably, than Document. But Document has a permanent place in my heart. It was what a few cool, older kids that I wanted to be like were listening to whenever I hung out with them the year the album came out. And remember, one of my three criteria for the list was my personal relationship to the work. That trumps artistic merit, methinks.
Wow, Isaac, we have almost nothing in common besides the uncanny coincidence that we both chose a twenty-year period for a top twenty list. I guess, since it is symmetrical, it is not such a stretch. Lots of music over twenty years. I did a top fifty list but, for lack of time, had to settle on the top twenty. Maybe I'll put the other thirty up some day. But looking at your list and seeing Morphine in there made me reach for my Basehead which made me want to hear They Might Be Giants. Now, I am off to cleanse the quirkiness you've aroused in me with a dose of some Deftones.
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