June 20, 2004

From The Guardian Observer

Lists. Don't you just hate them. And yet, don't you just love them. Hate them because they're all wrong, they're biased, they're fixed, they miss too much out, they're in the wrong order, they're utterly arbitrary, they try to cage musical beasts that should be allowed to run free in our imaginations without the indignity of being branded with numbers. The Top Ten British Albums 1. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses 2. The Beatles - Revolver 3. The Clash - London Calling 4. Van Morrisson - Astral Weeks 5/6. The Beatles - Sgt Peppers/White Album 7/8. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers/Exile On Main Street 9. Massive Attack - Blue Lines 10. P.I.L. - Metal Box

posted by dng 19 years ago
  • Cheers DNG - I toyed with the idea of posting this last night when I got the Observer - but wimped out. I was delighted to see this list, in an email debate with some friends after Q did the same thing about 18 months ago, I put Stone Roses, Revolver and London Calling at 1,2,3 and got howled down!! But I listened to Stone Roses and Revolver this morning and they remain my favourite albums. London Calling's up next. London Booted is an interesting update on London Calling ... But I liked Miranda Sawyer's argument too !!
  • They are nice and all. But ah... why keep repeating this common idea of good music? Just to give yourself a slap on the shoulder saying 'I now all of them'? But give me a list of the best brazilian records or french or moroccan albums. That would be something I'd be more interested in - in another way than saying 'buh.. Elvis Costello should be in the top twenty' and 'where is Eric Clapton'. You know, we all know these albums are pretty good. And, yes, there are a few other albums pretty good, too. But yes, we know this.
  • Best J-Pop albums: (according to me, anyway) Supercar: Jump Up 米米CLUB: Octave Mr. Children: Atomic Heart Chage and Aska: Super Best II Kyousuke Himuro: Jealousy trf: World Groove Towa Tei: Last Century Modern UA: Turbo Le Couple: My Special Thanks Tomoyasu Hotei: Supersonic Generation Wyolica: Almost Blues Do As Infinity: Deep Forest
  • jernie: good thoughts but I'm afraid your argument has one fatal flaw: There are no best French pop albums !!! (OK so you could argue about Air/Daft Punk/Jacques Brel etc ...)
  • There are no best French pop albums !!! Look over here. And here.
  • No Menswear? Huh!
  • Best Computer Game Theme Song Ever: 1. Jon Dunn - Robocop (Spectrum 128k version)
  • I don't understand the Stone Roses. Sounds like a bunch of wimpy vocal maundering by a non-singer plus a wah pedal or two on top of a fake JB beat to me. /deaf, no fun
  • *kills flashboy*
  • This list is just proof that british music sucks. At least radiohead wasnt in the top 10. *ducks* To be fair, I like pink floyd and the clash.
  • WOW. PiL in the top ten. For that alone, I love this list.
  • Thanks, dng! (but I was just using France as an example, I love the older french, poppy pop, like Poupée de cire poupée de son)