EW’s best 100 albums of the last 25 years.

I find myself sucked into these things. Back in 1987, rolling stone magazine put out a list of the best LPs of the prior 20 years and I had 56 of 100.

*1. Purple Rain – Prince and the Revolution (1984): Tosy wrote: “I have a hunch this is going to be one of those albums where I know most of the songs without realizing it.” Yes, Tosy, I’m sure it is.

*2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill (1998): I like, not love it.

*3. Achtung Baby – U2 (1991): only my 2nd favorite U2 album.

4. The College Dropout – Kanye West (2004): Not a big rap fan.

5. Madonna – Madonna (1983): Only have her greatest hits

*6. American Idiot – Green Day (2004): the problem with individual downloads is that one loses the sense of the album. This is an ALBUM, which I got from ADD.

7. The Blueprint- Jay-Z: (2001)

*8. Graceland – Paul Simon (1986): one of those albums I own both in vinyl and CD. Not always happy memories of two relationships, but that’s not the album’s fault.

*9. Back to Black – Amy Winehouse (2007): Someone gave it to me, listened a couple times, not bad. But her personal drama, I think, overwhelms an objective listen.
Curious.

10. In Rainbows – Radiohead (2007)

*11. MTV Unplugged in New York – Nirvana (1994): the Nirvana I used to play at work, before Cubicleland.

12. Stankonia – OutKast (2000): I actually have had this on my Amazon want list for a while. (Note to self: update Amazon want list with new releases by Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, and others.) I have “Hey Ya” on a mixed CD from Fred Hembeck.

13. You Are Free – Cat Power (2003)

14. Disintegration – The Cure (1989). I have one Cure album, not this one.

15. The Marshall Mathers LP – Eminem (2000)

16. Rain Dogs – Tom Waits (1985)

17. Odelay – Beck (1996). I have a mixed Beck album, which I like.

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): have to be in the mood.

21. The Emancipation of Mimi – Mariah Carey (2005)

22. 3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul (1989): have some De La soul, not this.

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). Only my 2nd favorite late Dylan album.

27. Funeral – Arcade Fire (2004)

28. Illmatic – Nas (1994)

29. Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson (2004). Bought her debut album for my wife.

30. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses (1987). Only have the double CD, which I listen to about 60% of.

*31. FutureSex/LoveSounds – Justin Timberlake (2006): given to me. Wouldn’t have bought for myself, but more enjoyable than I would have thought. Still, don’t play it much.

*32. Life’s Rich Pageant – R.E.M. (1985). Better than I had remembered.

33. As I Am – Alicia Keys (2007)

34. Is This It – The Strokes (2001)

*35. Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette (1995): by this point, I’d stopped listening to much radio and STILL heard three of these songs quite a bit.

*36. CrazySexyCool – TLC (1994)

37. The Moon & Antarctica – Modest Mouse (2000)

38. Raising Hell – Run DMC (1986)

*39. Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow (1996): probably haven’t listened to for a while.

40. Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

*41. Legend – Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984): it’s a very fine greatest hits album.

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) – Top 5 album of the 1990s for me

45. If You’re Feeling Sinister – Belle and Sebastian (1996)

46. Homogenic – Björk (1997): no Björk, though I do have a Sugarcubes aklbum

*47. Exile in Guyville – Liz Phair (1993): listened to this in the car ride to Virginia in April. Still like it.

*48. American IV: The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (2002). Have all five John R. albums; which one of the first four I favor tends to be changeable.

49. A Rush of Blood to the Head – Coldplay (2002)

*50. Sounds of Silver – LCD Soundsystem (2007): bought this solely on the basis of bloggers I respect. Like it, but haven’t played it enough to have imprinted into my soul.

*51. The Score – Fugees (1996). Love and hate in equal measure.

52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon (2007)

*53. King of America – Elvis Costello (1986). Have on vinyl. Not the first EC I would have thought of.

*54. Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson (1989): in spite of those perhaps silly attempts to be “relevant”, I really like this album.

55. It Takes a Nation of Millions… – Public Enemy (1988)

56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco (2002): still on my Amazon wish list. Have earlier Wilco.

*57. Harvest Moon – Neil Young (1992). at least Top 10 album of the 1990s.

58. Surfer Rosa – The Pixies (1988). I have Pixies on vinyl; will have to pull out.

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): don’t love it.

*63. The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987). I put this on my desert album list in 1988 and it remains.

64. Mama’s Gun – Erykah Badu (2000): have her first album.

65. Elephant – The White Stripes (2003): have White Blood Cells.

66. The Chronic – Dr. Dre (1992)

67. Metallica – Metallica (1991)

*68. Wrecking Ball – Emmylou Harris (1995): I have this friend who loved Emmylou, but hated this Daniel Lanois-produced album. I have a lot of Emmylou on vinyl, but this, my first Emmylou on CD, I quite enjoyed.

69. Give Up – The Postal Service (2003)

70. My Life – Mary J. Blige (1994)

71. Rock Steady – No Doubt (2001): have an earlier album.

72. 1984 – Van Halen (1984): have some VH, not this.

73. The Queen is Dead – Smiths (1986). No Smiths but I do have a Morissey.

*74. Play – Moby (1999). Could have seen him live in 1998 for free, but I had never heard of him. My loss.

*75. Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen (1984): my late brother-in-law bought me about six Springsteen CDs for Christmas in 2000, so I have this in two forms.

76. Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams (2000)

77. Dummy – Portishead (1994)

*78. Vs. – Pearl Jam (1991): have four Pearl Jam albums, but this is my favorite.

79. Let It Be – The Replacements (1984). Like the Don’t Tell a Soul album; should get this.

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): at some level, I suppose I like this album because the band managed to survive the loss of two of its members.

84. Low-Life – New Order (1985): have some earlier remix.

*85. Home – Dixie Chicks (2002): about a week after the political controversy, I was so annoyed with the backlash that I went out to the Rite Aid at lunch and bought this CD. I probably would have eventually – I had the first two Natalie Maines-led discs – but I was prompted to buy it right away. That I liked it was a bonus.

86. Loveless – My Bloody Valentine (1991)

87. All Eyez on Me – 2Pac (1996)

*88. So – Peter Gabriel (1986): one of those annoying things record companies did to promote the new CD technology was to put an extra song on the CD. Since I didn’t have a CD player, I bought the vinyl, but was annoyed. Years later, bought the CD. Ditto on this with #94.

89. Bachelor No. 2 – Aimee Mann (2000)

90. Toxicity – System of a Down (2001). Have their debut album.

91. Siamese Dream – Smashing Pumpkins (1993)

92. The Writing’s on the Wall – Destiny’s Child (1999). Have the follow-up, Survivor.

93. Either/Or – Elliott Smith (1997)

*94. Synchronicity – The Police (1983): Tosy wrote: “Easily their best, even with ‘Mother’.” Sounds right.

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)

33 out of 100 this time, if I counted correctly.

ROG

Author: Roger

I'm a librarian. I hear music, even when it's not being played. I used to work at a comic book store, and it still informs my life. I won once on JEOPARDY! - ditto.

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