The Guinness All Time Top 1000 Albums 1994
“All Time Top 1000 Albums presents the real ‘chart of charts’ for over 20 different genres of popular music. By taking critical opinion, reviews and public standing into account, instead of relying simply on sales figures and chart positions, Colin Larkin and his team of contributors from The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Popular Music have assembled the most detailed and comprehensive book of its kind.
The book is divided into charts by genres: if you need to know the top 50 soul albums of all time, the top 20 ‘bed-sitter’ albums or the top 100 jazz albums, they are all here”.
Editor’s Note: This was the first of Colin Larkin’s Top 1000 Albums books & was published in 1994. (The other 2 were published by Virgin in 1998 & 2000). It is the only one to be divided into genres. At the end of the book all 1000 albums were compiled into an all-time, definitive chart from 1 to 1000. I have reprinted all of the individual lists, but only the top 100 from that final compiled list. The top 250 of the overall list is very similar to the Top 250 Rock and Pop as this was, fairly obviously, the genre that dominated the voting anyway. (On a personal note: Simply Red’s Stars is not the 34th best rock and pop album of all-time!!)
See Also:
›› Virgin Megastores Chart of the century
›› The 1998 Colin Larkin 1000
›› The Full 2000 Colin Larkin List
Top 250 Rock and Pop Albums
1. Beatles – Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. Dylan, Bob – Highway 61 Revisited
3. Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
4. Dylan, Bob – Blonde on Blonde
5. Beatles – Revolver
6. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
7. Morrison, Van – Astral Weeks
8. Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
9. Beatles – Rubber Soul
10. Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
11. REM – Out of Time
12. Jackson, Michael – Thriller
13. Beatles – White Album
14. Springsteen, Bruce – Born to Run
15. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
16. U2 – Unforgettable Fire
17. Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust…
18. Velvet Underground - & Nico
19. Sinatra, Frank – Songs for Swinging Lovers
20. Jackson, Michael – Bad
21. Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
22. Turner, Tina – Private Dancer
23. REM – Automatic for the People
24. John, Elton – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
25. Love – Forever Changes
26. Bowie, David – Hunky Dory
27. Band – Band
28. Costello, Elvis – Imperial Bedroom
29. Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced?
30. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash
31. Prince – Purple Rain
32. Costello, Elvis – My Aim is True
33. U2 – Joshua Tree
34. Simply Red – Stars
35. Dury, Ian & the Blockheads – New Boots and Panties
36. Sinatra, Frank – Swing Easy
37. Nirvana – Nevermind
38. Beatles – Abbey Road
39. Doors – Doors
40. Cream – Disraeli Gears
41. Lennon, John – Imagine
42. Costello, Elvis – This Years Model
43. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms
44. T. Rex – Electric Warrior
45. Springsteen, Bruce – Born in the USA
46. Collins, Phil – Face Value
47. Hendrix, Jimi – Electric Ladyland
48. Gabriel, Peter – So
49. Joel, Billy – Stranger
50. Prince – Sign o’ the Times
51. Simple Minds – Once Upon a Time
52. Mitchell, Joni – Blue
53. Meat Loaf – Bat out of Hell
54. Jackson, Michael – Off the Wall
55. Simon, Paul – Graceland
56. Reed, Lou – Transformer
57. Roxy Music – Roxy Music
58. Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water
59. Dylan, Bob – Blood on the Tracks
60. Beatles – With the…
61. John, Elton – Elton John
62. Madonna – Like a Virgin
63. U2 – War
64. Young, Neil – After the Goldrush
65. Sinatra, Frank – Come Fly With Me
66. Blondie – Parallel Lines
67. Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
68. Doors – LA Woman
69. Beatles – Help
70. Police – Synchronicity
71. Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
72. Young, Neil – Harvest
73. Eurythmics – Be Yourself Tonight
74. Santana – Abraxis
75. Sinatra, Frank – A Swingin’ Affair
76. Doors – Morrison Hotel
77. Pearl Jam – Ten
78. Young, Neil – Rust Never Sleeps
79. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
80. Dire Straits – Making Movies
81. Steely Dan – Aja
82. Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow
83. Cole, Nat ‘King’ – Love is the Thing
84. Byrds – Notorious Byrd Brothers
85. Talking Heads – Remain in Light
86. Pretenders – Pretenders
87. Derek & the Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs
88. Springsteen, Bruce – River
89. Who – Who’s Next
90. Level 42 – World Machine
91. Miller, Steve Band – Fly Like an Eagle
92. Mitchell, Joni – Court and Spark
93. Traffic – Traffic
94. Byrds – Younger Than Yesterday
95. Police – Outlandos d’Amour
96. Morrison, Van – Moondance
97. Lennox, Annie – Diva
98. Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84)
99. Sade – Diamond Life
100. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà vu
101. Moby Grape – Moby Grape
102. Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends
103. U2 – Achtung Baby
104. Band – Music from Big Pink
105. Queen – A Night at the Opera
106. Crowded House – Woodface
107. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill
108. Dylan, Bob – John Wesley Harding
109. Eagles – Hotel California
110. Petty, Tom & the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes
111. Waits, Tom – Swordfishtrombones
112. Seger, Bob – Stranger in Town
113. Pink Floyd – Wall
114. Beach Boys – Surf’s Up
115. Prince – Parade
116. John, Elton – Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Piano Player
117. King, Carole – Tapestry
118. Traffic – Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys
119. Costello, Elvis – Get Happy!
120. Sinatra, Frank – Nice ‘n’ Easy
121. Eagles – Desperado
122. REM – Green
123. Zappa, Frank – Hot Rats
124. Simon, Paul – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
125. Hendrix, Jimi – Axis, Bold as Love
126. Sinatra, Frank – In the Wee Small Hours
127. Belafonte, Harry – Calypso
128. Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground
129. Eurythmics – Revenge
130. Morrison, Van – Avalon Sunset
131. Pet Shop Boys – Actually
132. Doors – Waiting for the Sun
133. Harrison, George – All Things Must Pass
134. Fleetwood Mac – Fleetwood Mac
135. Bowie, David – Low
136. Pretenders – II
137. Electric Light Orchestra – Out of the Blue
138. Oldfield, Mike – Tubular Bells
139. Mothers of Invention – Freak Out
140. Beach Boys – Today
141. Doors – Strange Days
142. Young, Neil – Everybody Knows this is Nowhere
143. Eurythmics – Touch
144. Buffalo Springfield – Again
145. Band – Stage Fright
146. Sinatra, Frank – Come Dance with Me
147. Springsteen, Bruce – Darkness at the Edge of Town
148. Costello, Elvis – Armed Forces
149. Queen – A Day at the Races
150. Velvet Underground – White Light, White Heat
151. Morrison, Van – St Dominic’s Preview
152. Police – Reggatta de Blanc
153. Little Feat – Feats Don’t Fail Me Now
154. Adams, Bryan – Reckless
155. REM – Document
156. Moyet, Alison – Alf
157. Collins, Phil – Hello, I Must be Going
158. Grateful Dead – American Beauty
159. Bowie, David – Young Americans
160. Little Feat – Sailin’ Shoes
161. Bowie, David – Aladdin Sane
162. Rolling Stones – Aftermath
163. Beach Boys – Smiley Smile
164. ABC – Lexicon of Love
165. Sinatra, Frank – September of my Years
166. Lennon, John – Plastic Ono Band
167. Little Feat – Last Record Album
168. Clapton, Eric – 461 Ocean Boulevard
169. Morrissey – Viva Hate
170. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
171. Queen – A Kind of Magic
172. Bush, Kate – Kick Inside
173. Reed, Lou – Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal
174. Winwood, Steve – Arc of a Diver
175. Kraftwerk – Autobahn
176. Journey – Escape
177. Heart – Heart
178. 10,000 Maniacs – In My Tribe
179. Costello, Elvis – Blood and Chocolate
180. Dire Straits – Dire Straits
181. Browne, Jackson – Pretender
182. Crosby, David – If Only I Could Remember My Name
183. Sinatra, Frank – Sings for Only the Lonely
184. Waits, Tom – Rain Dogs
185. Stills, Stephen – Stephen Stills
186. Bad Company – Bad Company
187. Madonna – Like a Prayer
188. Bowie, David – Let’s Dance
189. Joplin, Janis – Pearl
190. Miller, Steve Band – Sailor
191. Yes – Close to the Edge
192. Lovin’ Spoonful – Daydream
193. Roxy Music – Stranded
194. Jackson, Joe – Night and Day
195. Wings – Band on the Run
196. Spin Doctors – Pocket Full of Kryptonite
197. Rolling Stones – Some Girls
198. Thompson, Richard & Linda – I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
199. Richard, Cliff – Cliff Sings
200. Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic
201. Stewart, Rod – Every Picture Tells a Story
202. Queen – 2
203. Spirit – Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus
204. Free – Fire and Water
205. Thompson, Richard & Linda – Shoot Out the Lights
206. Petty, Tom – Full Moon Fever
207. Supertramp – Breakfast in America
208. Genesis – Duke
209. Roxy Music – Avalon
210. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River
211. Richard, Cliff – Me and My Shadows
212. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
213. Big Brother & the Holding Company – Cheap Thrills
214. Kinks – Face to Face
215. Blood, Sweat and Tears – Blood, Sweat and Tears
216. Lang, kd – Ingénue
217. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory
218. Squeeze – East Side Story
219. Beach Boys – Holland
220. Small Faces – Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake
221. Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society
222. Walker, Scott – Scott 2
223. Aerosmith – Rocks
224. Newman, Randy – 12 Songs
225. Human League – Dare
226. Yes – Yes Album
227. B-52s – B-52s
228. Bush, Kate – Hounds of Love
229. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
230. Monkees- Monkees
231. Rolling Stones – Rolling Stones
232. Lowe, Nick – Jesus of Cool
233. Collins, Phil – No Jacket Required
234. Buckley, Tim – Starsailor
235. Byrds – 5th Dimension
236. Eno, Brian – Here Come the Warm Jets
237. Monkees – More of the…
238. Country Joe & the Fish – Electric Music for the Mind & Body
239. Raitt, Bonnie – Nick of Time
240. Fleetwood Mac – Tango in the Night
241. Who – Tommy
242. Walker, Scott – Scott
243. Ackles, David – David Ackles
244. Stooges – Funhouse
245. Grateful Dead – Anthem of the Sun
246. Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen
247. Doobie Brothers – Captain & Me
248. Mitchell, Joni – Hejira
249. Squeeze – Argybargy
250. Buckley, Tim – Goodbye and Hello
Top 100 Jazz Albums
The ‘no compilations’ rule goes out of the window at this point! And the book doesn’t give label, or sometimes year of issue information either. No 9 (Louis Armstrong Hot Fives & Sevens) is the Columbia series, & rather daftly No 25 has an album cover illustration that indicates it’s the same series. The Louis Armstrong Story (No 25) was an earlier 7 Volume vinyl series, it does cover most of the same material, however. (Buy the 5 volume JSP set!). No 11: Hawkins’ Body and Soul – there have been about 50 albums with this title, so without the cover illustration you’re going to struggle, it gives a release date of 1958, but there was no compilation or album issued that year under this title, it’s a late 80s reissue of a 50s compilation.
1. Davis, Miles – Kind of Blue
2. Ellington, Duke – Blanton/Webster Years (RCA Bluebird)
3. Coltrane, John – A Love Supreme
4. Davis, Miles – Birth of the Cool
5. Parker, Charlie – Complete on Dial
6. Holiday, Billie – Lady in Autumn
7. Monk, Thelonious – Genius of Modern Music Vols 1&2 (Blue Note)
8. Davis, Miles – Miles Smiles
9. Armstrong, Louis – Hot Fives & Sevens 1-7 (1988 Columbia)
10. Davis, Miles – Milestones
11. Hawkins, Coleman – Body & Soul (1939-56 recs)
12. Goodman, Benny – Complete Vols 1-7 (RCA 1935-39)
13. Mingus, Charles – Black Saint and Sinner Lady
14. Mulligan, Gerry & Ben Webster – Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster
15. Parker, Charlie – Complete Savoy Sessions (1982 issue)
16. Coltrane, John – Giant Steps
17. Dolphy, Eric – Out to Lunch
18. Gordon, Dexter – Our Man in Paris
19. Coltrane, John – My Favorite Things (Atlantic 1960)
20. Basie, Count – Original American Decca Recordings (1937-39 recs)
21. Rollins, Sonny – Vol 2 (Blue Note)
22. Coleman, Ornette – Shape of Jazz to Come
23. Coltrane, John – Coltrane Jazz (Atlantic 1961)
24. Brubeck, Dave – Time Out (1959)
25. Armstrong, Louis – Story Vols 1-7 (Columbia)
26. Blakey, Art – Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
27. Coltrane, John – Impressions (1963 Impulse)
28. Rollins, Sonny – Saxophone Colossus
29. Herman, Woody – Thundering Herds 1945-47 (Columbia)
30. Carter, Benny – Jazz Giant (1958)
31. Davis, Miles – In a Silent Way
32. Hawkins, Coleman – Encounters Ben Webster
33. Evans, Gil – Out of the Cool
34. Bechet, Sidney – Bluebird Sessions (1932-43 recs)
35. Sun Ra – Heliocentric Worlds of Vol 1
36. Davis, Miles – Someday My Prince Will Come
37. Farmer, Art – Modern Art
38. Davis, Miles – Bitches Brew
39. Mingus, Charles – Ah Um
40. Nelson, Oliver – Blues and the Abstract Truth
41. Mingus, Charles – New Tijuana Moods
42. Morgan, Lee – Sidewinder
43. Ayler, Albert – Spirit’s Rejoice
44. Davis, Miles – ESP
45. Metheny, Pat – Offramp
46. Getz, Stan – Big Band Bossa Nova (1962 Verve)
47. Evans, Bill – Waltz for Debby
48. Jarrett, Keith – Belonging
49. Gillespie, Dizzy & Stan Getz – Diz and Getz
50. Getz, Stan – Jazz Samba
51. Kenton, Stan – New Concepts of Artistry in Rhythm
52. Coleman, Ornette – Free Jazz
53. Holland, Dave – Conference of the Birds
54. Coleman, Ornette – Change of the Century
55. Burrell, Kenny – Midnight Blue
56. Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the Cole Porter Songbook
57. Gillespie, Dizzy – And His Orchestra (RCA 1946-49 recs)
58. Corea, Chick – Return to Forever (ECM)
59. Burrell, Kenny – Guitar Forms
60. Coltrane, John – Meditations (Impulse 1966)
61. Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the Rodgers & Hart Songbook
62. Young, Larry – Unity
63. Smith, Jimmy – Organ Grinder Swing
64. McLaughlin, John/Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire
65. Fitzgerald, Ella – Sings the George & Ira Gershwin Songbook
66. Hancock, Herbie – Head Hunters
67. Coltrane, John – Blue Train (Blue Note)
68. Webster, Ben – Soulville
69. Zorn, John – Big Gundown
70. Hancock, Herbie – Maiden Voyage
71. Silver, Horace Quintet – Song for My Father
72. Bowie, Lester – Fifth Power
73. Green, Grant – Idle Moments
74. Metheny, Pat – American Garage
75. Davis, Miles – Tutu
76. Jordan, Sheila – Portrait of Sheila (Blue Note)
77. Lacy, Steve – Evidence
78. Hubbard, Freddie – Open Sesame
79. Braxton, Anthony – Creative Orchestra Music 1976
80. Hutcherson, Bobby – Dialogue
81. Sun Ra – Jazz in Silhouette
82. Hancock, Herbie – Empyrean Isles
83. Hawkins, Coleman – Soul (1959)
84. Scofield, John – Still Warm
85. Kirk, Roland – We Free Kings
86. Bley, Carla – Escalator Over the Hill
87. Bartz, Gary – There Goes the Neighbourhood
88. Kelly, Wynton Trio & Sextet – Kelly Blue
89. Jarrett, Keith – Facing You
90. Jordan, Sheila – Lost and Found (Muse)
91. Brötzman, Peter – Machine Gun
92. Lacy, Steve – Soprano Sax
93. Montgomery, Wes – A Day in the Life
94. Green, Benny Trio- Greens
95. Metheny, Pat – Still Life
96. Lee, Peggy – Black Coffee (Decca 1953 10”)
97. Smith, Jimmy – Cool Blues (Blue Note)
98. Ellis, Don – Electric Bath
99. Murray, David Octet – Ming
100. Freeman, Chico – Pied Piper
Top 50 Blues Albums
“Complete works (except by Robert Johnson) are not allowed otherwise Muddy, Wolf and B.B. would wipe the floor”
1. Hooker, John Lee – Healer
2. Johnson, Robert – King of the Delta Blues Singers
3. Mayall, John – Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton
4. Hopkins, Lightnin’ – Lightnin’ Hopkins (Vanguard 1959)
5. Smith, Bessie – Complete Recordings Vol 1
6. Leadbelly – Complete Library of Congress Recordings
7. Howlin’ Wolf – Moanin’ in the Moonlight
8. James, Elmore – Late Fantastically Great… (1964 compilation)
9. Reed, Jimmy – Just
10. Vaughan, Stevie Ray – Sky is Crying
11. Little Walter – Best of (1964)
12. Williamson, Sonny Boy – Down & Out Blues
13. King, B.B. – My Kind of Blues
14. Guy, Buddy – Damn Right I got the Blues
15. Hooker, John Lee – Blues (1960)
16. Big Maybelle – Big Maybelle (1958)
17. Muddy Waters – Folk Singer
18. Jordan, Louis – Go Blow Your Horn (1957)
19. King, Freddie – Getting Ready
20. Turner, Joe – Boss of the Blues
21. Howlin’ Wolf – London Sessions
22. Mayall, John & the Blues Breakers – A Hard Road
23. Watson, Johnny ‘Guitar’ – Gangster of Love (1991 compilation)
24. Wells, Junior – It’s My Life Baby
25. King, Albert – Born Under a Bad Sign
26. Spann, Otis – Blues of (1964)
27. Estes, Sleepy John – legend of…
28. Winter, Johnny – Second Winter
29. Hooker, John Lee/Canned Heat – Hooker ‘n’ Heat
30. Mayall, John – Blues Alone
31. Mayall, John – Bare Wires
32. Collins, Albert – Ice Pickin’
33. Vaughan, Stevie Ray – Couldn’t Stand the Weather
34. Reed, Jimmy – Boss Man of the Blues
35. Dupree, Champion Jack – Blues From the Gutter
36. Cray, Robert – Strong Persuader
37. Collins, Albert/Robert Cray/Johnny Copeland – Showdown!
38. Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal (1968)
39. Collins, Albert – Iceman
40. Korner, Alexis Blues Incorporated – R & B From the Marquee
41. Cray, Robert – I Was Warned
42. Hooker, John Lee – Mr Lucky
43. House, Son – Legendary (1966)
44. Cooder, Ry – Into the Purple Valley
45. Bond, Graham Organisation – Sound of ‘65
46. Walker, T-Bone – Truth
47. Fleetwood Mac – Peter Green’s… (1968)
48. Lenoir, J.B. – Alabama Blues!
49. Rush, Otis – This One’s a Good un
50. Butterfield, Paul Blues Band – East West
Top 50 Country Albums
Year of Release only given when necessary, and the years the book gives are given.
1. Williams, Hank – Moanin’ the Blues (1952 10”)
2. Rodgers, Jimmie – Country Music Hall of Fame (1962)
3. Williams, Hank – Ramblin’ Man (1955)
4. Williams, Hank – Memorial Album (1953)
5. Whitman, Slim – Favorites (1956)
6. Cline, Patsy – Showcase (1962)
7. Jennings, Waylon & Willie Nelson – Waylon & Willie
8. Robbins, Marty – Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs
9. Nelson, Willie – Always on My Mind (1982)
10. Williams, Hank – Sings (1952)
11. Haggard, Merle – Okie From Muskogee (1970)
12. Nelson, Willie – Red Headed Stranger
13. Jennings, Waylon – Ol’ Waylon
14. Nelson, Willie – City of New Orleans (1984)
15. Everly Brothers – Songs Our Daddy Taught Us
16. Snow, Hank – When Tragedy Struck
17. Brooks, Garth – No Fences
18. Black, Clint – Killin’ Time
19. Yoakam, Dwight – If There Was a Way
20. Brooks, Garth – Ropin’ the Wind
21. Travis, Randy – Always and Forever
22. Arnold, Eddy – My World (1965)
23. Travis, Randy – Storms of Life
24. Parton, Dolly/Linda Ronstadt/Emmylou Harris – Trio
25. Skaggs, Ricky – Highways & Heartaches
26. Parsons, Gram – Grievous Angel
27. Snow, Hank – Songs of Tragedy (1964)
28. Pride, Charley – Sensational… (1969)
29. Haggard, Merle – Same Train, Different Time
30. Jones, George – Salutes Hank Williams & Bob Wills
31. Strait, George – Chill of an Early Fall
32. Buffett, Jimmy – Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitudes
33. Ely, Joe – Joe Ely
34. Brooks, Garth – Garth Brooks (1989)
35. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle be Unbroken
36. Byrds – Sweetheart of the Rodeo
37. Gill, Vince – I Still Believe in You
38. Bare, Bobby – Lullabys, Legends & Lies
39. Reeves, Jim – Moonlight & Roses (1964)
40. Clark, Guy – Old No 1
41. Strait, George – Ocean Front Property
42. Flying Burrito Brothers – Gilded Palace of Sin
43. Gill, Vince – Pocket Full of Gold
44. Earle, Steve – Copperhead Road
45. Cline, Patsy – Story (1963)
46. Jackson, Alan – Don’t Rock the Jukebox
47. Harris, Emmylou – Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town
48. Yoakam, Dwight – Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc Etc
49. Charles, Ray – Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
50. Carpenter, Mary Chapin – Come On Come On
Top 50 Folk Albums
“In much the same way that country rock has become the pivot of new country music so folk rock has altered the course of folk’s development. Liege and Lief is probably the most important album in this selection because it took folk into previously uncharted waters. This is not a list for finger-in-the-ear-derry-derry-down-o’s, it is now as wide as the genre has become”.
1. Dylan, Bob – Times They are a Changin’
2. Fairport Convention – Liege and Lief
3. Dylan, Bob – Freewheelin’
4. Guthrie, Woody – Legend of American Folk Blues (Music Club compilation)
5. Martyn, John – Solid Air
6. Drake, Nick – Five Leaves Left
7. McGarrigle, Kate & Anna – Kate & Anna McGarrigle
8. Dylan, Bob – Bringing it all Back Home
9. Jansch, Bert – Jack Orion
10. Kingston Trio – Here We Go Again
11. Fairport Convention – What We Did on Our Holidays
12. Runrig – Big Wheel
13. Jansch, Bert – Bert Jansch
14. Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking
15. Kingston Trio – At Large
16. Paxton, Tom – Ramblin’ Boy
17. Prine, John – John Prine
18. Baez, Joan – No 5
19. Brady, Paul – Hard Station
20. Carthy, Martin – Second Album
21. Ochs, Phil – Chords of Fame
22. Johnstons – Give a Damn
23. Steeleye Span – Below the Salt
24. Prine, John – Sweet Revenge
25. Jones, Nic – Penguin Eggs
26. Oyster Band – English Rock ‘n’ Roll – Early Years 1800-1850
27. Pentangle – Basket of Light
28. Home Service – Alright Jack
29. Baez, Joan – Joan Baez (1962)
30. Runrig – Cutter and the Clan
31. Albion Country Band – Battle of the Field
32. Collins, Judy – Who Knows Where the Time Goes
33. Tabor, June – Aqaba
34. Gaughan, Dick – Handful of Earth
35. Steeleye Span – Please to See the King
36. Croce, Jim – I Got a Name
37. Paxton, Tom – Things I Notice Now
38. Watersons – For Pence and Spicy Ale
39. Albion Band – Rise Up Like the Sun
40. Incredible String Band – 5000 Spirits or the Layers of an Onion
41. Horslips – Book of Invasions
42. Oyster Band – Deserters
43. Oyster Band – Step Outside
44. Fairport Convention – Full House
45. Four Men and a Dog – Shifting Gravel
46. Dylan, Bob – Another Side of
47. Griffith, Nanci – Last of the True Believers
48. Strawbs – Grave New World
49. Thompson, Richard – Hand of Kindness
50. Donovan – Fairytale
Top 50 Heavy Metal Albums
“A number of items here would have qualified for the Rock and Pop chart, albeit heavy rock. Metal is deserving of its own chart, even if that chart restates the importance of Led Zeppelin – a band that was around before the genre was defined”.
1. Led Zeppelin – II
2. Led Zeppelin – IV (4 Symbols/Untitled)
3. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
4. Deep Purple – Machine Head
5. Deep Purple – In Rock
6. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet
7. AC/DC – Back in Black
8. Van Halen – Van Halen
9. Guns ‘n’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
10. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1st Album)
11. Iron Maiden – Number of the Beast
12. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1st Album)
13. Metallica – Metallica (Black Album)
14. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
15. AC/DC – For Those About to Rock, We Salute You
16. Van Halen – II
17. Deep Purple – Burn
18. Black Crowes – Southern Harmony & Musical Companion
19. Z.Z. Top – Eliminator
20. Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance
21. Osborne, Ozzy – Blizzard of Ozz
22. Rush – Moving Pictures
23. Def Leppard – Pyromania
24. Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind
25. Motorhead – Iron Fist
26. Metallica – Ride the Lightning
27. UFO – Strangers in the Night
28. Black Sabbath – Master of Reality
29. Van Halen – 1984
30. Van Halen – Diver Down
31. Rainbow – Rising
32. Scorpions – Lovedrive
33. Def Leppard – Hysteria
34. Slayer – Reign in Blood
35. Metallica – Master of Puppets
36. Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
37. Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
38. Motorhead – Ace of Spades
39. Queensrÿche – Operation Mindcrime
40. Nugent, Ted – Ted Nugent (1st Album)
41. Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden
42. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
43. Motley Crue – Dr Feelgood
44. Scorpions – Love at First Sting
45. Black Sabbath – Heaven and Hell
46. Scorpions – Blackout
47. Motley Crue – Shout at the Devil
48. Poison – Look What the Cat Dragged in
49. Black Sabbath – Vol 4
50. Faith No More – Real Thing
Top 50 Indie Albums
“Indie is the hardest category to define. The old definition of being independently produced and distributed is now outmoded as these days a major label needs only wave a cheque book and it has its own indie band. Indie is mainly guitar-based pop, as seen from this list”.
1. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
2. Smiths – Queen is Dead
3. Jesus and Mary Chain – Psychocandy
4. Smiths – Smiths
5. Primal Scream – Screamadelica
6. Inspiral Carpets – Life
7. Suede – Suede
8. Joy Division – Closer
9. Pogues – Rum Sodomy & the Lash
10. Sugar – Copper Blue
11. Inspiral Carpets – Beast Inside
12. Bragg, Billy – Talking with the Taxman About Poetry
13. Happy Mondays – Pills Thrills and Bellyaches
14. Smiths – Meat is Murder
15. Pixies – Surfer Rosa
16. Fall – Wonderful and Frightening World of the…
17. Orange Juice – You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever
18. James – Stutter
19. Shamen – Boss Drum
20. New Order – Low Life
21. Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque
22. New Order – Brotherhood
23. Pixies – Bossanova
24. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything
25. Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
26. Josef K – Young & Stupid (1989 compilation of non-album material)
27. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
28. Fall – Shift Work
29. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
30. Morrissey – Your Arsenal
31. Pixies – Doolittle
32. Cure – Pornography
33. Echo & the Bunnymen – Crocodiles
34. Harvey, PJ – Dry
35. Björk – Debut
36. Teardrop Explodes – Kilimanjaro
37. Aztec Camera – High Land Hard Rain
38. Smiths – Hatful of Hollow
39. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
40. Echo & the Bunnymen – Heaven Up Here
41. Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good
42. Happy Mondays – Bummed
43. Wonderstuff – Never Loved Elvis
44. Cocteau Twins – Garlands
45. Chameleons – What Does Anything Mean? Basically?
46. Chumbawamba – Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records
47. Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
48. La’s – La’s
49. That Petrol Emotion – Chemicrazy
50. Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
Top 50 Live Albums
1. Brown, James – Live at the Apollo
2. Marley, Bob – Live
3. Judas Priest – Unleashed in the East
4. Jarrett, Keith – Köln Concert
5. Garland, Judy – at Carnegie Hall
6. Ellington, Duke – At Newport
7. U2 – Rattle and Hum
8. Baez, Joan – In Concert (1962)
9. Garner, Erroll – Concert by the Sea
10. Carter, Betty – Audience with…
11. Cash, Johnny – At San Quentin
12. Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
13. Metheny, Pat – Travels
14. Clapton, Eric – Unplugged
15. Morrison, Van – It’s Too Late to Stop Now
16. Motorhead – No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith
17. Deep Purple – Made in Japan
18. Hendrix, Jimi & Otis Redding – Monterey International Pop Festival
19. AC/DC – If You Want Blood, You’ve Got It
20. Stranglers – Live (X Cert)
21. Band & Various Artists – Last Waltz
22. Young, Neil – Unplugged
23. Muddy Waters – At Newport
24. King, B.B. – Live at the Regal
25. Who – Live at Leeds
26. Frampton, Peter – Comes Alive
27. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Four Way Street
28. Cream – Wheels of Fire
29. Cheap Trick – Live at the Budokan
30. Young, Neil & Crazy Horse – Weld
31. Redding, Otis – Live in Europe
32. Cash, Johnny – At Folsom Prison
33. Mitchell, Joni – Shadows and Light
34. King, B.B. – Live at San Quentin
35. Grateful Dead – Live Dead
36. King, Albert – Live Wire/Blues Power
37. Various Artists – Concert for Bangladesh
38. King, B.B – Blues is King
39. Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails
40. Berry, Chuck – On Stage
41. Belafonte, Harry – At Carnegie Hall
42. Davis, Miles – My Funny Valentine
43. Baez, Joan – In Concert Vol 2
44. Kiss – Alive!
45. Horne, Lena – At the Waldorf Astoria
46. Peter, Paul & Mary – In Concert Vol 1
47. Thin Lizzy – Live and Dangerous
48. Yardbirds – Five Live Yardbirds
49. Seger, Bob – Live Bullet
50. Mayall, John – Turning Point
Top 50 Punk Albums
“Another genre that has a mixture of styles. We now look back at punk as music that shook the record industry to its roots. It cleaned out, woke up, shocked and produced a lot of second-rate music. The records listed here however, would and should sit well in any decent record collection and once again the winner is head and shoulders above the following.”
1. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the…
2. Clash – London Calling
3. Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus
4. Clash – Clash
5. Damned – Damned Damned Damned
6. Ramones – Ramones
7. Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady
8. X Ray Spex – Germ Free Adolescents
9. Television – Marquee Moon
10. Wire – Pink Flag
11. Ramones – Leave Home
12. Adverts – Crossing the Red Sea with the…
13. Undertones – Undertones
14. Stranglers – No More Heroes
15. Wire – Chairs Missing
16. Ramones – Rocket to Russia
17. Damned – Black Album
18. Jam – All Mod Cons
19. Siouxsie and the Banshees – Scream
20. Buzzcocks – A Different Kind of Tension
21. Jam – In the City
22. Stranglers – Black and White
23. Wire – 154
24. X – Wild Gift
25. PIL – Metal Box
26. Buzzcocks – Another Music in a Different Kitchen
27. Clash – Give ‘em Enough Rope
28. Heartbreakers – LAMF
29. Saints – I’m Stranded
30. Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
31. Jam – Sound Effects
32. Smith, Patti – Horses
33. Penetration – Moving Targets
34. MC5 – Kick Out the Jams
35. Buzzcocks – Time’s Up (compilation of early demos)
36. Vibrators – Pure Mania
37. Rezillos – Can’t Stand the Rezillos
38. Only Ones – Only Ones
39. Fall – Live at the Witch Trials
40. Killing Joke – What’s THIS For…!
41. Stiff Little Fingers – Nobody’s Heroes
42. Black Flag – Damaged
43. Robinson, Tom Band – Power in the Darkness
44. New Model Army – Vengeance
45. Johnny Moped – Cycledelic
46. Crass – Feeding of the 5000
47. Bad Brains – Rock for Light
48. Ruts – Crack
49. Generation X – Perfect Hits (1991 compilation)
50. Undertones – Hypnotised
Top 50 Rap Albums
“We allocated 50 albums to this comparatively new phenomenon because we recognise its importance in the 90s. It will be interesting to see once the genre has come into its own how many of the front runners will be sticking to their chosen style or if they move into other clearly defined areas”.
1. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
2. Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy – Hiphoprisy is the Greatest Luxury
3. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
4. NWA – Straight Outta Compton
5. Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of…
6. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – Message
7. Brand Nubian – One for All
8. Run DMC – Raising Hell
9. Jungle Brothers – Straight Out of the Jungle
10. Boogie Down Productions – Ghetto Music: the Blueprint of Hip Hop
11. De La Soul – Three Feet High and Rising
12. A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels & the Paths of Rhythm
13. Queen Latifah – All Hail the Queen
14. Public Enemy – Yo! Bum Rush the Show
15. LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out
16. Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary
17. Ice T – OG (Original Gangster)
18. Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill
19. LL Cool J – Bigger and Deffer
20. Kool G Rap & Polo – Wanted Dead or Alive
21. Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 the Enemy Strikes Back
22. Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
23. Paris – Sleeping with the Enemy
24. EPMD – Strictly Business
25. Del tha Funkee Homosapien – I Wish My Brother George was Here
26. KRS 1 – Return of Da Boom Bap
27. Salt ‘n’ Pepa – Black’s Magic
28. Digital Underground – Sex Packets
29. Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded
30. Queen Latifah – Nature of a Sista
31. London Posse – Gangster Chronicles
32. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
33. Dream Warriors – And Now the Legacy Begins
34. Gang Starr – Step in the Arena
35. Freestyle Fellowship – Inner City Griots
36. Overlord X – X Versus the World
37. Intelligent Hoodlum – Intelligent Hoodlum
38. Guru – Jazzamatazz
39. Eric B & Rakim – Follow the Leader
40. Dr Dre – Chronic
41. Yo Yo – Make Way for the Motherlode
42. Da Lench Mob – Guerrillas in tha Mist
43. Naughty by Nature – 19Naughty3
44. Brand New Heavies – Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol 1
45. PM Dawn – Of the Heart, Of the Soul and of the Cross…
46. Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggy Style
47. Black Moon – Enta da Stage
48. Ice Cube – Death Certificate
49. Goats – Tricks of the Shade
50. Stetsasonic – In Full Gear
Top 50 Rock ‘n’ Roll Albums
1. Presley, Elvis – Sun Collection
2. Presley, Elvis – Elvis Presley (1st Album)
3. Little Richard – Here’s Little Richard
4. Little Richard – Fabulous (3rd Album)
5. Cochran, Eddie – Memorial Album
6. Holly, Buddy – Story (1959)
7. Presley, Elvis – Loving You
8. Domino, Fats – Rock and Rollin’ With
9. Cannon, Freddie – Explosive! Freddy Cannon
10. Domino, Fats – This is
11. Berry, Chuck – One Dozen Berries
12. Presley, Elvis – Elvis (1959
13. Lewis, Jerry Lee – Greatest! (1962)
14. Cochran, Eddie – Singin’ to my Baby
15. Jackson, Wanda – Rockin’ with Wanda
16. Haley, Bill & His Comets – Rock Around the Clock
17. Nelson, Ricky – Ricky
18. Vincent, Gene – Bluejean Bop
19. Black, Bill – Solid and Raunchy
20. Burnette, Johnny – Dreamin’
21. Presley, Elvis – King Creole
22. Lee, Brenda – This is
23. Presley, Elvis – Elvis is Back
24. Eddy, Duane – Twangs the Thang
25. Holly, Buddy – Story Vol 2 (1960)
26. Burnette, Johnny – And the Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio
27. Shannon, Del – Hats Off to…
28. Fury, Billy – Sound of Fury
29. Presley, Elvis – From Elvis in Memphis
30. Johnny and the Hurricanes – Stormsville
31. Nelson, Sandy – Compelling Percussion
32. Lee, Brenda – All the Way
33. Haley, Bill and his Comets – Rock the Joint!
34. Cochran, Eddie – Cherished Memories
35. Black, Bill – Let’s Twist Her
36. Francis, Connie – Sings the Million Sellers
37. Lymon, Frankie – Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
38. Lee, Brenda – Brenda Lee (1960)
39. Everly Brothers – A Date with
40. Diamonds – Diamonds (1956)
41. Holly, Buddy & the Crickets – Chirpin’
42. Darin, Bobby – For Teenagers Only
43. Nelson, Sandy – Let There be Drums
44. Eddy, Duane – Have Twangy Guitar will Travel
45. Platters – Platters (1965 compilation)
46. Everly Brothers – Fabulous Style of (1960 compilation)
47. Haley, Bill & his Comets – Rock ‘n’ Roll Stage Show
48. Eddy, Duane – Especially for You
49. Champs – Tequila
50. Everly Brothers – It’s Everly Time
Top 50 Soul Albums
“Our writers have taken the compass point that starts with ‘music of a soulful nature’, which chronologically means Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin”.
1. Gaye, Marvin – What’s Going On
2. Redding, Otis – Otis Blue
3. Wonder, Stevie – Songs in the Key of Life
4. Wonder, Stevie – Talking Book
5. Sly and the Family Stone – Stand
6. Richie, Lionel – Can’t Slow Down
7. Charles, Ray – Genius + Soul = Jazz
8. Franklin, Aretha – Lady Soul
9. Charles, Ray – Genius of (1959)
10. Springfield, Dusty – Dusty in Memphis
11. Redding, Otis – Dock of the Bay
12. Sledge, Percy – When a Man Loves a Woman
13. Redding, Otis – Complete & Unbelievable… the Dictionary of Soul
14. Sly and the Family Stone – There’s a Riot Going On
15. Franklin, Aretha – Now
16. Carr, James – You Got My Mind Messed Up
17. James, Etta – Tell Mama
18. Wonder, Stevie – Innervisions
19. Franklin, Aretha – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
20. Pickett, Wilson – Exciting…
21. Four Tops – Reach Out
22. Mayfield, Curtis – Superfly
23. Gaye, Marvin – Let’s Get it On
24. Franklin, Aretha – Amazing Grace
25. Green, Al – Let’s Stay Together
26. Benson, George – Breezin’
27. Redding, Otis – Soul Album
28. Temptations – Cloud Nine
29. Floyd, Eddie – Knock on Wood
30. Robinson, Smokey & the Miracles – Going to A Go Go
31. Earth, Wind and Fire – I Am
32. Isley Brothers – 3 + 3 Featuring That Lady
33. Taylor, Johnnie – Wanted One Soul Singer
34. Sam and Dave – Double Dynamite
35. O’Jays – Backstabbers
36. Hayes, Isaac – Hot Buttered Soul
37. Kool and the Gang – Celebrate!
38. Downing, Will – Will Downing
39. Booker T & the MGs – Green Onions
40. Vandross, Luther – Give Me the Reason
41. Redding, Otis – Sings Soul Ballads
42. Sam and Dave – Soul Men
43. Flack, Roberta – First Take
44. Washington, Keith – Make Time for Love
45. Drifters – Under the Boardwalk (1964)
46. Sam and Dave – Hold On I’m Comin’
47. Booker T & the MGs – Soul Dressing
48. Jackson Five – Diana Ross Presents the…
49. Redding, Otis & Carla Thomas – King and Queen
50. Burke, Solomon – Proud Mary
Top 25 Greatest Hits and Compilation Albums
“The second most subjective list in the book has been compiled by considering artists whose greatest work was in the pop charts with a string of unforgettable hit singles. Bob Marley wins hands down because his selection is the most perfect representation of his work. The Hollies and Abba are both masters of outstanding three-minute hit singles. The most surprising omission is the Kinks, surely deserving of a definitive package – maybe their catalogue is too big. Hugely influential compilations are also represented. Two notable sets are: This is Soul and The Rock Machine Turns You On. Both acted as pivotal introductory samplers at a bargain price”.
1. Marley, Bob – Legend
2. Beatles – 1967-70
3. Queen – Greatest Hits
4. Various Artists – This is Soul (1968 Atlantic)
5. Beatles – 1962-66
6. Eagles – Greatest Hits 1971-75
7. Various Artists – That’ll be the Day (Soundtrack)
8. Abba – Greatest Hits
9. Carpenters – Singles 1969-73
10. Presley, Elvis – All Time Greatest Hits (1987)
11. Lewis, Jerry Lee – Great Balls of Fire (1964)
12. Hollies – Greatest Hits (1967)
13. Rolling Stones – Through the Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol 2)
14. Franklin, Aretha – Greatest Hits (1971)
15. Newman, Randy – Lonely at the Top
16. Morrison, Van – Best of (1990)
17. Simon & Garfunkel – Greatest Hits (1972)
18. Rolling Stones – Big Hits [High Tide and Green Grass]
19. Various Artists – Phil Spector’s Christmas Album
20. Cooke, Sam – Man and His Music
21. Lennon, John – Shaved Fish
22. Beach Boys – Endless Summer
23. Various Artists – Rock Machine Turns You On (1969, Columbia)
24. Robinson, Smokey & the Miracles – Anthology
25. Various Artists – Nice Enough to… Join in (1992, Island – combines two earlier compilations)
Top 25 Reggae Albums
“Please note for popophiles there is no Desmond Dekker or Musical Youth”. (But there is Chaka Demus & Pliers!!).
1. Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Catch a Fire
2. Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
3. Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Burnin’
4. I Roy – Gussie Presenting
5. Pablo, Augustus – King Tubby’s Meets Rockers Uptown
6. Abyssinians – Satta Massagana
7. Marley, Bob & the Wailers – Natty Dread
8. Wailers – Wailing Wailers (1965)
9. Big Youth – Screaming Target
10. Marley, Bob & the Wailers - Exodus
11. Isaacs, Gregory – Soon Forward
12. Toots & the Maytals – Funky Kingston
13. Big Youth – Dreadlocks Dread
14. U Roy – Version Galore (1971)
15. Brown, Dennis – Wolf and Leopards
16. Demus, Chaka & Pliers – Tease Me
17. Hudson, Keith – Flesh of My Skin, Blood of My Blood
18. Toots and the Maytals – In the Dark/Roots Reggae
19. Wailer, Bunny – Blackheart Man
20. Congos – Heart of the Congos
21. Might Diamonds – Right Time
22. Carlton & his Shoes – Love Me Forever
23. Andy, Horace – Skylarking
24. Heptones – On Top
25. Ranks, Shabba – As Raw as Ever
Top 20 Bedsitter Albums
“Those of us who are not too proud to admit to our emotions have all sat alone at some time in bedsitters or bedrooms listening to these albums. Usually it is during or after a relationship problem. Many of these artists have succeeded in making us feel worse, but the self-inflicted punishment is wonderful and good for the soul. Own up those who needed Leonard Cohen to take them one step away from suicide, or who revelled in the solitary nature of Cat Stevens’ acoustic music”!
1. Cohen, Leonard – Songs of…
2. Taylor, James – Sweet Baby James
3. Stevens, Cat – Tea for the Tillerman
4. Chapman, Tracy – Tracy Chapman
5. Stewart, Al – Bedsitter Images
6. Hardin, Tim – II
7. Martyn, John – Grace & Danger
8. Cohen, Leonard – Songs From a Room
9. Faithfull, Marianne – Broken English
10. Stevens, Cat – Teaser and the Firecat
11. Simon, Paul – Songbook (1965)
12. Armatrading, Joan – Joan Armatrading
13. Mitchell, Joni – Ladies of the Canyon
14. Vega, Suzanne – Suzanne Vega
15. Hardin, Tim – I
16. Cohen, Leonard – Songs of Love and Hate
17. Nyro, Laura – New York Tendaberry
18. Rush, Tom – Circle Game
19. Buckley, Tim – Happy Sad
20. Harper, Roy – Come Out Fighting, Genghis Smith
Top 20 Brilliantly Unlistenable Classics
“Many listed would have appeared in other genres while others have rotted in collections for years without being played. Why did we buy them in the first place, what made us punish ourselves with Tiny Tim, Sid Vicious or David Peel? Can we truthfully sit down now and wallow in the pomp of Rick Wakeman or the lengthy In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida? Of course we can, they are magnificently wretched”.
(Editor’s note: getting desperate for genres by this point. And Captain Beefheart – unlistenable?!)
1. Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica
2. Fischer, Wild Man – An Evening with…
3. Tiny Tim – God Bless Tiny Tim
4. Iron Butterfly – In A Gadda Da Vida
5. Wakeman, Rick – Journey to the Centre of the Earth
6. Lennon, John – Unfinished Music No 1: Two Virgins
7. Harrison, George – Wonderwall (Soundtrack)
8. Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band – Lick My Decals Off Baby
9. Byrds – Preflyte
10. Peel, David & the Lower East Side – Have a Marijuana
11. Sid Vicious – Sid Sings
12. Shatner, William – Transformed Man
13. Reed, Lou – Metal Machine Music
14. Screaming Lord Sutch - & Heavy Friends
15. Lennon, John & Yoko Ono – Unfinished Music No 2: Life with the Lions
16. Young, Neil – Journey Through the Past (eh!!!? – Ed)
17. Fahey, John – Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death (This is getting silly!)
18. Hansson, Bo – Lord of the Rings
19. Ono, Yoko – Approximately Infinite Universe
20. Velvet Underground – Live at Max’s Kansas City
Top 20 Film Soundtracks
“In recent Years it is the ‘great compilation’ that makes film music so memorable. In the past it was the film of the musical, transferred from a wooden stage to the wonders of wide-screen Todd AO. (Ed- ?!) The Blues Brothers and Easy Rider’s greatness was enhanced by the Musical content, but Oklahoma! and South Pacific stole our hearts”.
1. West Side Story (1962)
2. Oklahoma! (1955)
3. Woodstock
4. South Pacific (1958)
5. Sound of Music (1965)
6. Easy Rider
7. Saturday Night Fever
8. Harder They Come
9. A Clock Work Orange (Wendy Carlos)
10. Oliver! (1968)
11. Blues Brothers (1980)
12. Grease
13. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Henry Mancini)
14. King and I (1956)
15. Doctor Zhivago
16. Bodyguard
17. Dirty Dancing
18. Gigi
19. Paint Your Wagon
20. Around the World in 80 Days
Top 20 Stage Musical Albums
Editor’s note: I’ve given the years of release for most of these, as there are several released versions of a lot of them.
1. West Side Story (1958)
2. My Fair Lady (1956)
3. Sound of Music (1960)
4. Oliver! (1960)
5. Stop the World I Want to Get Off (1961)
6. Phantom of the Opera (1987)
7. Funny Girl (1964)
8. Fiddler on the Roof (1964)
9. Hair (1968)
10. Music Man (1958)
11. Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1991)
12. Hello Dolly! (1964)
13. Show Boat (1946)
14. Camelot (1961)
15. Flower Drum Song (1960)
16. Evita (1976)
17. Mack and Mabel (1974)
18. Godspell (1972)
19. Pajama Game (1955)
20. Cats (1981)
10 Albums Destined to Become Classics
“The most subjective list in the book (and that’s saying something – Ed). It attempts to reflect what has been acclaimed in recent months. Many of these albums are likely to gain strength before the next edition is prepared. This list also highlights the fact that the dinosaur album in not necessarily sacred as the new generation now listen before they decide”.
1. Nirvana – In Utero
2. Mann, Aimee – Whatever
3. Brooks, Garth – In Pieces
4. Pearl Jam – Vs
5. Lemonheads – Come on Feel the…
6. Crash Test Dummies – God Shuffled His feet
7. Weller, Paul – Wild Wood
8. Sting – Ten Summoners Tales
9. Crow, Sheryl – Tuesday Night Music Club
10. Counting Crows – August and Everything After
Top 10 New Age Albums
“The commercial success of Windham Hill Records and the popularist Enya dominate this small list. New Age did not quite fulfil the faith the major record labels had in it and the dedicated sections in the record stores are now tucked away. One unkind critic called it music for embalming to, if that means it is relaxing, then its intention was wholly successful”.
1. Winston, George – Autumn
2. Enya – Shepherd Moons
3. Enya – Watermark
4. Winston, George – Winter into Spring
5. Jarre, Jean-Michel – Equinoxe
6. Winston, George – December
7. Hedges, Michael – Aerial Boundaries
8. Winston, George – Summer
9. Isham, Mark – Vapour Drawings
10. Liebert, Ottmar – Nouveau Flamenco
Colin Larkin does give his own Top 5 albums of all time in the introduction:
1. Crosby, David – If I Could Only Remember My Name
2. Love – Forever Changes
3. Martyn, John – Grace and Danger
4. Davis, Miles – Kind of Blue
5. Buffalo Springfield - Again
[Top 100 of] Top 1000 Chart of Charts
“In compiling the overall chart, it is clear that rock and pop is easily the leading category. Other strong contenders were Heavy Metal, Live Albums, Greatest Hits & Compilations, Indie and Soul. The other specialist genres made up most of the last 100, with Folk, Rap and some Country finding it tough to compete with the more marketable mainstream albums. Latin, World and Grunge may appear next time”.
Ranking; Artist/Band; Album Title; Year of Release
1 Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967
2 Dylan, Bob - Highway 61 Revisited 1965
3 Beach Boys - Pet Sounds 1966
4 Dylan, Bob - Blonde On Blonde 1966
5 Beatles - Revolver 1966
6 Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon 1973
7 Morrison, Van - Astral Weeks 1968
8 Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed 1969
9 Gaye, Marvin - What's Going On 1971
10 Beatles - Rubber Soul 1965
11 Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers 1971
12 Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks 1977
13 R.E.M. - Out Of Time 1991
14 Jackson, Michael - Thriller 1982
15 Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) 1968
16 Springsteen, Bruce - Born To Run 1975
17 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours 1977
18 U2 - The Unforgettable Fire 1984
19 Bowie, David - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust 1972
20 Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico 1967
21 Redding, Otis - Otis Blue 1965
22 Sinatra, Frank - Songs For Swingin' Lovers 1955
23 Jackson, Michael - Bad 1987
24 Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet 1968
25 Turner, Tina - Private Dancer 1984
26 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II 1969
27 R.E.M. - Automatic For The People 1992
28 Davis, Miles - Kind Of Blue 1959
29 Marley, Bob - Legend 1984
30 John, Elton - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 1973
31 Ellington, Duke - The Blanton-Webster Band 1942
32 Love - Forever Changes 1968
33 Presley, Elvis - The Sun Collection/Sessions 1976
34 Bowie, David - Hunky Dory 1971
35 Band - The Band (Brown Album) 1969
36 Brown, James - Live At The Apollo, October 24, 1962 1963
37 Costello, Elvis - Imperial Bedroom 1982
38 Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV 1971
39 Hendrix, Jimi - Are You Experienced? 1967
40 Coltrane, John - A Love Supreme 1964
41 Dylan, Bob - The Times They Are A-Changin' 1964
42 Davis, Miles - Birth Of The Cool 1950
43 Crosby Stills & Nash - Crosby Stills & Nash 1968
44 Prince - Purple Rain 1984
45 Wonder, Stevie - Songs In The Key Of Life 1976
46 Costello, Elvis - My Aim is True 1977
47 Stone Roses - The Stone Roses 1989
48 U2 - The Joshua Tree 1987
49 Presley, Elvis - Elvis Presley 1956
50 Simply Red - Stars 1991
51 Wonder, Stevie - Talking Book 1972
52 Cohen, Leonard - Songs Of Leonard Cohen 1968
53 Dury, Ian - New Boots and Panties 1978
54 Clash - London Calling 1979
55 West Side Story [CBS Original Soundtrack] 1960
56 Sinatra, Frank - Swing Easy! 1955
57 Nirvana - Nevermind 1991
58 Beatles - Abbey Road 1969
59 Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! 1969
60 Richie, Lionel - Can't Slow Down 1983
61 Fairport Convention - Liege And Lief 1969
62 Smiths - The Queen Is Dead 1986
63 Doors - The Doors 1967
64 Marley, Bob - Live! (At The Lyceum) 1975
65 Cream - Disraeli Gears 1967
66 Lennon, John - Imagine 1971
67 Costello, Elvis - This Year's Model 1978
68 Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms 1985
69 T. Rex - Electric Warrior 1971
70 Springsteen, Bruce - Born In The U.S.A. 1984
71 Collins, Phil - Face Value 1981
72 Hendrix, Jimi - Electric Ladyland 1968
73 Parker, Charlie - On Dial, Volumes 1-6 1945-1947
74 Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy 1985
75 Smiths - The Smiths 1984
76 Charles, Ray - Genius + Soul = Jazz 1960
77 Beatles - 1967-70 1973
78 Gabriel, Peter - So 1986
79 Joel, Billy - The Stranger 1977
80 Dylan, Bob - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 1963
81 Oklahoma! [Original Soundtrack MCA/Capitol] 1955
82 Queen - Greatest Hits 1981
83 Nirvana - In Utero 1993
84 Prince - Sign O' The Times 1987
85 Franklin, Aretha - Lady Soul 1968
86 Holiday, Billie - Lady In Autumn: The Best Of The Verve Years 1946
87 Charles, Ray - The Genius Of Ray Charles 1959
88 Simple Minds - Once Upon A Time 1985
89 Mitchell, Joni - Blue 1971
90 Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell 1977
91 Thelonious Monk - Genius Of Modern Music, Volumes 1 & 2 1947/1951
92 Jackson, Michael - Off The Wall 1979
93 Simon, Paul - Graceland 1986
94 Black Sabbath - Paranoid 1970
95 Reed, Lou - Transformer 1972
96 Roxy Music - Roxy Music 1972
97 Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water 1970
98 Dylan, Bob - Blood On The Tracks 1975
99 Beatles - With The Beatles 1963
100 West Side Story [CBS Original Broadway Cast] 1957
