Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time - Updated in 2012

It would be nice if they waited for an album to be out at least 10 years before declaring it one of the best of all time.

 

No one is saying anything from that genre shouldn't be on the list. Others from that genre are on the list and they aren't being mentioned. The criticism has nothing to do with the genre. Like I said before, his albums aren't worthy for a "Best of" for its own genre let alone on a multi-genre list where the competition is even steeper.

Of course, those who don't want him on the list must not have heard his music.

 

Well that would mean Arcade's Funeral wouldn't qualify but it is certainly a momentous record in rock for the current generation.

Of course a real good "best of all time" that crosses genres wouldn't be 95% rock music like this list. I know it's the favorite form of music here but sorry it isn't the best either objectively (because how do you even quantify that and if so, classical and jazz require more pure knowledge and training and skill, just to start) nor subjectively (by definition).

As we discussed ad nauseum in my review thread, this should be the best "rock music of all time" thread and then not have Miles Davis and John Coltrane, in which case yes, it should totally have Funeral.

 

Based on what criteria?

 

5 straight number albums in 3 different categories (pop/rnb/rap), and EIGHTEEN Grammys??? He has only been out for 8 years. Thats unheard of. Its rare that a artist in this day and age has critical AND commercial success. His only rival is Adele in that field. Do you dispute her talents and merits?

 

To me

It appears they are just trying to sell magazines.

 

I'm not a huge Kanye West fan, but his influence is everywhere these days. Whether I like him or not, he's certainly an important voice in popular music. He deserves to be on the list.

Jeff

 

Oh boy. Thick as a brick. If the genre which Kayne represents is included at all then I think he can have one of his albums included. Not sure which one it'd be be as I haven't heard any of them. Presumably the on that is on the list is representative.

 

Yeah, like Jeff said.

 

I agree with the poster who said taking out ANY Beatles and replacing it with Kanye is a joke.

Removing works of art like Avalon/Country Life by Roxy Music & slotting in the likes of Kanye and Lil Wayne is just crazy.

Anyway as someone else said they are just selling mags it's the only way to explain it.

 

It looks like it's the 2003 list--which was put together by a large panel--with additions, deletions, and some re-rankings for 2012. It doesn't look like the list was re-started from scratch; the top 20 are the same albums in the same order in 2012 as they were in 2003, and there are many runs of albums appearing in the same order elsewhere.

This is why I'm thankful for Synthfreek having put together the list of additions/deletions, because that's the most pertinent new information in the 2012 edition as far as Rolling Stone's idea of the canon is concerned.

 

The likes of. Kanye = Lil Wayne? Because you think their albums aren't to the level of Public Enemy or NWA - is that what you mean?

 

Why?

 

There has to be some room made for some of the artists that the kids like. It hurts me too but after all i it is Rolling Stone.

 

Yea the country is changing. There are African-Americans, Latinos, tweens, women, asians etc that all enjoy music and have their own sets of heroes. Kanye may not mean much to 60 year old Bob in Oregon who likes the Beatles, but to many others he is their version of a superstar.

Im pretty sure the average black or Mexican 17 year old isn't bowing at the throne of Brian Wilson or T.Rex

 

Is Pet Sounds still at #2?

 

OK, I'm home now and have access to my copy. For clarification purposes, here is what is stated in the section called "The Voters":

"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 this new list of the greatest albums of all time"

What is a little ambiguous is how the results of these two polls were combined to form this list Was it simply left up to the editors to merge the results or was there some more methodical way in which the poll results were combined to come out with the most recent ranking?

 

Yes, and the Beatles still occupy four of the top ten spots.

 

Thanks for posting this. Rolling Stone's list is starting to sound about as definitive as the BCS rankings in college football.

Jeff

 

These are the additions that I've heard, and I've got to say--these are all worthy albums. "Funeral" stands the tallest among the rock additions. The only rap album I've heard among the additions, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", also belongs, for reasons Tangledupinblue has concisely put above.

I'm impressed but maybe shouldn't be too surprised that "Dig Me Out" was included. I remember it being on many best-of lists for 1997, but I think it holds up even stronger today than it sounded back then. The stripped-down, aggressive sound doesn't sound quite as unusual today as it did in 1997, perhaps because of the emergence of bands since then like the Strokes and the White Stripes.

I am surprised that PJ Harvey's "To Bring You My Love" was dropped in favor of the less hard, more conventional "Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea". I don't disagree with it, but I'm surprised Rolling Stone actually went ahead and did it.

As far as albums recorded since 2004 but not included as additions are concerned, the one I'd most liked to have seen join the top 500 is Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois". At least one album by the National--either "Boxer" or "High Violet"--would have been great, too.

 

I really only cut and pasted someone else's hard work so no need to credit me mschrist. I just thought the dormant thread needed the actual list of who is in and who is out. I figured that would get the ball rolling...especially seeing some canon rock albums exiting and some rap/hip-hop going in. I love to ruffle feathers.

 

I'm not sure if I'd add Kanye in top 500 ... maybe towards the bottom.

Uhh, and Chronicle replaced Green River? Very few greatest hits packages should be placed among the greatest albums of all time.
If anything, add Elvis' Golden Records. At least those hits weren't on any studio albums before the digital era.

 

Great points about the National and Sleater-Kinney.

It's hard to figure RS's take on indie rock ... two records from Pavement make the list, but nothing from Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, Flaming Lips, Superchunk, etc. Not even Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane over the Sea, which seems to be the one indie album almost every critic can rave about.

Jeff

 

I agree..the omission of NMH is a ridiculous oversight.

 

Anybody else surprised by the addition of Boz Scaggs - Boz Scaggs? It's an excellent album, but I'm surprised that they'd add a fairly obscure album from 1969, especially after removing some of the CCR and Nick Drake albums.