Rolling Stone's "50 Coolest Albums of All Time"

Rolling Stone Magazine ^ | 03/19/02

[socal_parrot]

Top 50 Coolest Albums of All Time

1. Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat
2. Rolling Stones - Aftermath
3. James Brown - Live at the Apollo
4. Chuck Berry - The Great Twenty-Eight
5. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
6. Blondie - Parallel Lines
7. Aretha Franklin - Spirit in the Dark
8. Massive Attack - Protection
9. Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis
10. The Beatles - Revolver
11. Sly & the Family Stone - Fresh
12. Pavement - Wowee Zowee!
13. Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy
14. Prince - 1999
15. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
16. Bjork - Vespertine
17. Various - Heavyweight Sound: Blood and Fire Sampler
18. Otis Redding - The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
19. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
20. Chic - Real People
21. David Bowie - Station to Station
22. Jorge Ben - Africa Brasil
23. Frank Sinatra - Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
24. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
25. Culture - Two Sevens Clash
26. Brides of Funkenstein - Never Buy Texas from a Cowboy
27. Beck - Odelay
28. The Ronettes - Best of the Ronettes
29. Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
30. Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
31. Michael Jackson - Off the Wall
32. Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
33. Howlin' Wolf - Howlin' Wolf
34. White Stripes - De Stijl
35. Various - Super Bad is Back
36. Joan Jett - Bad Reputation
37. Jungle Brothers - Done by the Forces of Nature
38. Alexander Spence - Oar
39. Cheap Trick - Heaven Tonight
40. Bikini Kill - Reject All American
41. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Anthology
42. Merle Haggard - Songs I'll Always Sing
43. Roxanne Shante - Bad Sister
44. Quicksilver Messenger Service - Happy Trails
45. Serge Gainsbourg - Comic Strip
46. Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul
47. Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
48. Aphex Twin - Classics
49. The Strokes - Is This It
50. Madonna - You Can Dance

--

[fnord]

lots missing ...

• Elvis Costello - "My Aim is True"
• Lynnyrd Skynnyrd - "Pronounced ..."
• Bloodhound Gang - "Hooray for Boobies"
• CCR - "Cosmos Factory"
• Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell"
• Rush - "2112" and others
• REO Speedwagon - "Tune a Fish"

and they pick such a weak Dylan album (how about "Blood on the Tracks", "Blonde on Blonde", or "Bringing it all Back Home"?)

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

Rolling Stone ceased to be a serious magazine about the same time Jann Wenner decided he wanted to be on everybody in Hollywood and New York's A-list. Today, it's nothing more than a "People" or "Entertainment Tonight" type rag.

[E Rocc]

Basically this is a list for the pretentious, this becomes clear when they rank "Paul's Boutique" over "Licensed to Ill", a far cooler album that makes the "mistake" of being commercial.

-Eric

[E Rocc]

Rolling Stone ceased to be a serious magazine about the same time Jann Wenner decided he wanted to be on everybody in Hollywood and New York's A-list. Today, it's nothing more than a "People" or "Entertainment Tonight" type rag.

Any publication that occasionally prints P. J. O'Rourke can't be all bad. >:)

-Eric

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

I think PJ is writing for "The Weekly Standard" now.

[Caipirabob]

I guess "my man" Jim and and Leonard don't stand much a chance if "The Rollers" don't cut it...

Actually, I was surprised I didn't see Jethro Tull on the list. I thought that group was awesome. Definately a unique sound.

[E Rocc]

I think PJ is writing for "The Weekly Standard" now.

He's been doing both for awhile.

-Eric

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

"Highly Illogical" is a greatly underappreciated masterpiece, IMHO. 8^)

[Caipirabob]

"SPOCK ROCK" the trend that died, frankly, before it ever became a trend. Perhaps it's for the best...lol!

[Caipirabob]

Meat Loaf - "Bat Out of Hell"

Now this album is an American Icon. I can't name another track other than "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights" that's responsible for the destruction of more automotive upholstery in our generation...

[socal_parrot]

I guess "my man" Jim and and Leonard don't stand much a chance

Well, there's cool and then there's cool.

[chriservative]

This is so stupid. First off, the Strokes and the White Stripes don't belong anywhere near this list. They are crappy over-hyped bands that are getting a lot of attention because their parents were music superstars back in the day. Guns n' Roses "Appetite for Destruction" is the greatest rock n' roll record EVER MADE and it is not on this list. This list is garbage.

[aomagrat]

Montrose's first album. The ultimate rock and roll album.

[Moleman]

Fruitcakes at Rolling Stone

[Shooter 2.5]

What else is missing? What about Fleetwood Mac-Rumours.

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

How could they leave off "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"? That album was considered groundbreaking by most of the music industry. I expected to see it at or near the top of the list!

[a merkin]

Garage sale fodder.

[fnord]

This list is all screwy ... maybe they have a weird definition of 'cool'.

We need a list of the "Top 50 Songs That Get Guys Laid", in which case Meat Loaf's "Paradise" will rank highly :-)

[socal_parrot]

I think the folks at Rolling Stone were so worried about being diverse, they sacrificed their coolness. Dusty Springfield?

Speaking of uncool, I saw a commercial for an allergy medication last night on TV and the background music was We're Not Gonna Take It from The Who's Tommy. The horror!

[LouD]

Bjork? Chic? C'mon!

Michael Jackson was cool? When was that? I recall him going from bubble-gum child pop star to bubble-gum adult pop star to irrelevant has-been alleged pervert to certifiable whacko, but I seem to have missed the "cool" phase...

But no room for Aerosmith's Get Your Wings or Toys in the Attic?