The New Classics: Music

July 21st, 2008 | by Scott |

My musical tastes have evolved and, admittedly, narrowed quite a bit over the past 25 years. When EW began this list my tastes ran almost completely mainstream. In 1983 I was listening to Styx, REO, Stevie Nicks, etc. That progressed to a metal phase followed by a liberal singer-songwriter phase by the end of the 80s. (That is one reason why my political shift in recent years is not a movement to another extreme but more of a coming full-circle. I did vote for Dukakis, after all.)
I went through a CCM phase for a while and I was glad to see that pass. Over the last 10 years I have settled down into that singer-songwriter, lyric driven, folksy music that I love so much.
Those that are bolded are ones that I have owned at one point or another over the last 25 years. Those that are italicized are ones that I have either streamed repeatedly or would like to get at some point.

For the record, I think the list is horrendous. Where is Operation: Mindcrime? ‘Til Tuesday’s Everything’s Different Now? The amazing Son Volt debut? Josh Ritter? 10,000 Maniacs?, Blue Rodeo’s Five Days in May? The Once Soundtrack? Neutral Milk Hotel?
They do realize that Dire Straits released Brothers in Arms in 1985, right? Anyway, I digress.

1. Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution (1984)
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)
3. Achtung Baby U2 (1991)
4. The College Dropout Kanye West (2004)
5. Madonna Madonna (1983)
6. American Idiot Green Day (2004)
7. The Blueprint Jay-Z (2001)
8. Graceland Paul Simon (1986)
9. Back to Black Amy Winehouse (2007)
10. In Rainbows Radiohead (2007)
11. MTV Unplugged in New York Nirvana (1994)
12. Stankonia OutKast (2000)
13. You Are Free Cat Power (2003)
14. Disintegration The Cure (1989)
15. The Marshall Mathers LP Eminem (2000)
16. Rain Dogs Tom Waits (1985)
17. Odelay Beck (1996)
18. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm A Tribe Called Quest (1990)
19. Dangerously in Love Beyoncé (2003)
20. Tidal Fiona Apple (1996)
21. The Emancipation of Mimi Mariah Carey (2005)
22. 3 Feet High and Rising De La Soul (1989)
23. The Soft Bulletin The Flaming Lips (1999)
24. Come On Over Shania Twain (1997)
25. Turn On the Bright Lights Interpol (2002)
26. Time Out of Mind Bob Dylan (1997)
27. Funeral Arcade Fire (2004)
28. Illmatic Nas (1994)
29. Breakaway Kelly Clarkson (2004)
30. Appetite for Destruction Guns N’ Roses (1987)
31. FutureSex/LoveSounds Justin Timberlake (2006)
32. Lifes Rich Pageant R.E.M. (1985)
33. As I Am Alicia Keys (2007)
34. Is This It The Strokes (2001)
35. Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morissette (1995)
36. CrazySexyCool TLC (1994)
37. The Moon & Antarctica Modest Mouse (2000)
38. Raising Hell Run-DMC (1986)
39. Sheryl Crow Sheryl Crow (1996)
40. Ready to Die The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)
41. Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984)
42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Wu-Tang Clan (1993)
43. Paul’s Boutique Beastie Boys (1989)
44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road Lucinda Williams (1998)
45. If You’re Feeling Sinister Belle and Sebastian (1996)
46. Homogenic Björk (1997)
47. Exile in Guyville Liz Phair (1993)
48. American IV: The Man Comes Around Johnny Cash (2002)
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay (2002)
50. Sounds of Silver LCD Soundsystem (2007)
51. The Score Fugees (1996)
52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Spoon (2007)
53. King of America Elvis Costello (1986)
54. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson (1989)
55. It Takes a Nation of Millions… Public Enemy (1988)
56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco (2002)
57. Harvest Moon Neil Young (1992)
58. Surfer Rosa The Pixies (1988)
59. Ray of Light Madonna (1998)
60. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain Pavement (1994)
61. Paid in Full Eric B. & Rakim (1987)
62. OK Computer Radiohead (1997)
63. The Joshua Tree U2 (1987)
64. Mama’s Gun Erykah Badu (2000)
65. Elephant The White Stripes (2003)
66. The Chronic Dr. Dre (1992)
67. Metallica Metallica (1991)
68. Wrecking Ball Emmylou Harris (1995)
69. Give Up The Postal Service (2003)
70. My Life Mary J. Blige (1994)
71. Rock Steady No Doubt (2001)
72. 1984 Van Halen (1984)
73. The Queen is Dead Smiths (1986)
74. Play Moby (1999)
75. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen (1984)
76. Heartbreaker Ryan Adams (2000)
77. Dummy Portishead (1994)
78. Vs. Pearl Jam (1991)
79. Let It Be The Replacements (1984)
80. Back to Basics Christina Aguilera (2006)
81. The Downward Spiral Nine Inch Nails (1994)
82. Grace Jeff Buckley (1994)
83. Learning to Crawl The Pretenders (1984)
84. Low-Life New Order (1985)
85. Home Dixie Chicks (2002)
86. Loveless My Bloody Valentine (1991)
87. All Eyez on Me 2Pac (1996)
88. So Peter Gabriel (1986)
89. Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann (2000)
90. Toxicity System of a Down (2001)
91. Siamese Dream Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
92. The Writing’s on the Wall Destiny’s Child (1999)
93. Either/Or Elliott Smith (1997)
94. Synchronicity The Police (1983)
95. Trap Muzik T.I. (2003)
96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea PJ Harvey (2000)
97. Britney Britney Spears (2001)
98. Transatlanticism Death Cab for Cutie (2003)
99. Live Through This Hole (1994)
100. Faith George Michael (1987)

  1. 6 Responses to “The New Classics: Music”

  2. By Matt on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    I have or have had 61 albums on the list.

    Isn’t Bob Marley’s Legend a “Best Of” album? It seems like cheating to include that on the list.

  3. By Scott on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    61 is impressive. At one point in my life I had around 7,000 lps, cassettes and CD’s. But not a lot of overlap with this list.

  4. By Terri on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    HA! I only own 3 of those… 1, 5, & 75.

  5. By greg on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    I believe I have only 17 of these:

    3. Achtung Baby U2 (1991)
    10. In Rainbows Radiohead (2007)
    30. Appetite for Destruction Guns N’ Roses (1987)
    52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Spoon (2007)
    62. OK Computer Radiohead (1997)
    63. The Joshua Tree U2 (1987)
    65. Elephant The White Stripes (2003)
    67. Metallica Metallica (1991)
    71. Rock Steady No Doubt (2001)
    72. 1984 Van Halen (1984)
    74. Play Moby (1999)
    75. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen (1984)
    78. Vs. Pearl Jam (1991)
    88. So Peter Gabriel (1986)
    89. Bachelor No. 2 Aimee Mann (2000)
    91. Siamese Dream The Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
    94. Synchronicity The Police (1983)

    There are 4 or 5 others that I want to have, but don’t yet.

  6. By Jason on Aug 1, 2008 | Reply

    I don’t like the list either, not only for what I deem glaring omissions (a few I share with you, particularly Josh Ritter), but for their ranking choices for band’s they included more than once. For example, I appreciated Radiohead’s return to actually writing melodies on In Rainbows, and I understand the groundbreaking nature of how the album was released, but ranking it ahead of OK Computer, and by 52 spots no less?

  7. By Jason on Aug 1, 2008 | Reply

    I have no idea why I wrote “bands” as “band’s.”

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