Opinions
and Additions
Contents:
* 100 GREATEST ALBUMS - Channel
4 Poll
* HALL OF FAME ARTISTS
* PERSONAL FAVOURITES LIST
* END OF YEAR POLLS
* ADDED REVIEWS
* RE-WRITES
100 Greatest Albums - Channel 4 Poll (Opinion)
Introduction:
During April 2005, British television
station Channel 4 made a 4-hour show about the 100 greatest albums
of all time. Quite a bold proclamation with some eye-opening
choices, not least the ranking order. The set-up was simple,
a panel of judges short listed 125 albums they considered to
be the "greatest" covering rock, jazz, pop, etc and
then ask the general public to vote which album they liked best.
Then 100 albums were ranked in order of popularity with the 25
albums with lowest number of votes removed from final list.
Opinion:
Of course, if your personal
favourite was not on the shortlist then you couldn't vote for
it, so no 'Master Of Puppets' for the metal fan. The results
were fairly predicable with some classics making the top 10 although
The Beatles fared much lower than expected, mainly because votes
were evenly split between three albums. U2 only has one album
on shortlist so all U2 fans voted for 'The Joshua Tree' even
if their favourite U2 album was War or Unforgettable Fire as
they didn't make the list.
From my personal perspective,
my own "albums of the nineties" OK Computer and Nevermind
made the Top 3, so I cannot disagree with the result. Dark Side
of the Moon is a timeless classic, agreed, same goes for Appetite
For Destruction and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. However,
Definitely Maybe is way too high, but as it's a British poll
and Oasis is still very highly regarded, then I can't be totally
surprised.
You gotta be kidding me!
Ranking positions that are against
musical taste:
#16 - Alanis Morissette - Jagged
Little Pill :- too high
#92 - Neil Young - After the Gold Rush :- too low
#91 - Robbie William - I've Been Expecting You ;- [feeling despair….]
#57 - Dido - No Angel :- [speechless]
Conclusion:
Predicable, safe, uncontroversial
public opinion. At least a dozen obvious omissions in Master
of Puppets, Physical Graffiti, Highway 61, Ramones, etc, but
at same time I would have to agree with most of the entries (but
not necessary the order). Would be difficult to satisfy everyone,
so in the end makes for quite a stable all-encompassing selection.
Probably a telling poll on the state of the UK's musical taste,
with what's the current revival (U2 and Madonna eighties material
back in "vogue") and who are the latest, most revered
artists (Libertines, The Strokes, Coldplay). Also, a low turnout
for US "alternative / metal" acts though.
Full Listing:
|
1. RADIOHEAD - OK
Computer
2. U2 ? The Joshua Tree
3. NIRVANA - Nevermind
4. MICHAEL JACKSON - Thriller
5. PINK FLOYD ? Dark Side of the Moon
6. OASIS ? Definitely Maybe
7. THE BEATLES ? Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
8. MADONNA ? Like a Prayer
9. GUNS N' ROSES ? Appetite For Destruction
10. THE BEATLES - Revolver
11. R.E.M. ? Automatic for the People
12. THE BEATLES ? The White Album
13. QUEEN ? A Night at the Opera
14. COLDPLAY - Parachutes
15. OASIS ? (What's the Story) Morning Glory
16. ALANIS MORISSETTE ? Jagged Little Pill
17. LED ZEPPELIN ? Led Zeppelin IV
18. THE VERVE ? Urban Hymns
19. JIMI HENDRIX ? Are you Experienced
20. THE SMITHS ? The Queen Is Dead
21. JOHN LENNON - Imagine
22. RADIOHEAD ? The Bends
23. BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS - Exodus
24. THE STONE ROSES ? The Stone Roses
25. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL ? Bridge Over Troubled Water
26. BJORK - Debut
27. THE DOORS ? The Doors
28. ABBA - Arrival
29. MICHAEL JACKSON ? Off the Wall
30. DURAN DURAN - Rio
31. SEX PISTOLS ? Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
32. DAVID BOWIE ? The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the
Spiders from Mars
33. THE BEACH BOYS ? Pet Sounds
34. JOY DIVISION - Closer
35. THE ROLLING STONES ? Let It Bleed
36. BLUR - Parklife
37. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ? Born to Run
38. BILLIE HOLIDAY ? Lady Sings the Blues
39. THE WHITE STRIPES - Elephant
40. BLACK SABBATH - Paranoid
41. THE SPECIALS - Specials
42. THE ROLLING STONES ? Exile on Main Street
43. FRANK SINATRA ? Songs for Swingin' Lovers!
44. THE CLASH ? London Calling
45. THE PRODIGY ? The Fat of the Land
46. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND ? The Velvet Underground and Nico
47. DIRE STRAITS ? Brothers in Arms
48. PIXIES - Doolittle
49. ARETHA FRANKLIN ? I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
50. THE LIBERTINES ? The Libertines |
51. HAPPY MONDAYS
? Pills 'N' Thrills and Bellyaches
52. PATTI SMITH - Horses
53. THE WHO - Tommy
54. LOU REED - Transformer
55. BOB DYLAN ? Blood on the Tracks
56. PRINCE ? Sign 'o' the Times
57. DIDO ? No Angel
58. AIR ? Moon Safari
59. ELTON JOHN ? Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
60. THE JAM ? All Mod Cons
61. JEFF BUCKLEY - Grace
62. FLEETWOOD MAC - Rumours
63. MOBY - Play
64. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS ? Blood Sugar Sex Magik
65. THE POLICE - Synchronicity
66. JONI MITCHELL - Blue
67. CURTIS MAYFIELD - Superfly
68. ELVIS PRESLEY ? The Sun Sessions
69. OUTKAST ? Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
70. PULP ? Different Class
71. KRAFTWERK ? Trans-Europe Express
72. MASSIVE ATTACK ? Blue Lines
73. BECK - Odelay
74. STEVIE WONDER ? Songs in the Key of Life
75. KATE BUSH ? Hounds of Love
76. TALKING HEADS - Fear of Music
77. EMINEM ? The Marshall Mathers LP
78. MARVIN GAYE ? What's Going On
79. GEORGE MICHAEL - Faith
80. SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER ? The Original Movie Soundtrack
81. PRIMAL SCREAM - Screamadelica
82. JOHN COLTRANE ? A Love Supreme
83. LOVE ? Forever Changes
84. PAUL SIMON - Graceland
85. NICK DRAKE ? Five Leaves Left
86. MEAT LOAF ? Bat Out of Hell
87. DUSTY SPRINGFIELD ? Dusty in Memphis
88. DE LA SOUL - 3 Feet High and Rising
89. THE STROKES ? Is this It
90. MADNESS ? One Step Beyond...
91. ROBBIE WILLIAMS ? I've Been Expecting You
92. NEIL YOUNG ? After the Gold Rush
93. PUBLIC ENEMY ? It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
94. BLONDIE ? Parallel Lines
95. THE EAGLES ? Hotel California
96. JAMES BROWN ? Sex Machine
97. THE STREETS ? A Grand Don't Come for Free
98. DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS ? Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
99. ROD STEWART ? Every Picture Tells a Story
100. The HUMAN LEAGUE ? Dare! |
Hall Of Fame Artists
UK Hall Of Fame - Opinion
about the show - Broadcasted during 2004
America has their own hall of
fame, honouring artists 25 years after they started in the business.
Britain didn't want to be left out, so the "UK Hall Of
Fame" was set up, turned into a Channel 4 TV show hosted
by Jamie Theakston. The show was broadcasted during September
and October 2004, prompts viewers to vote for the best artist
from each decade from 1950s to 1990s, making a fortune in telephone
revenues for the TV station. There are 10 artists per decade
selected by a panel of "music experts" and the public
decided which one becomes the winner at a star studded ceremony.
But what did the Hall Of Fame
actually achieve? There was an article in "Classic Rock"
magazine in the issue after the ceremony that wondered out loud
why rock was largely ignored on the shortlist by the voting panel
and why weren't they invited to judge. My feelings are quite
similar; where were The Who, Black Sabbath and Metallica? These
are huge, significant artists, and would easily be my absolute
necessities for a "best artists" listing. It makes
the poll open to easy criticism.
Five Automatic Inductees:
The Beatles, Bob Marley, U2, Madonna & Elvis Presley
The judging panel's choice of
five automatic entries, "artists without doubt the greatest"
is flawed and extremely populist. Of course The Beatles get the
nod, but the others are open to debate. Should U2 really get
the nod over The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin?
U2 are a great band with a consistent body of work but are not
greater than the bands I just mentioned. Next induction was Bob
Marley, the only Reggae artist most of the fair-weather mainstream
audience have heard of, his greatest hits album plays in every
holiday resort on Earth. Bob Marley does have a special talent,
but I'm still unconvinced of the vast acclaim. Madonna was a
brilliant entertainer of classic eighties dance pop in 'Papa
Don't Preach' and 'Holiday', but there are many solo artists
who deserve higher acclaim, Bob Dylan for one, and Frank Sinatra
for another. And due to his legend and die-hard hero worship,
Elvis Presley also gets inducted. I've never been a fan of Elvis,
or more accurately I don't own any of his records or feel the
need to listen to his music, but I can see his appeal, the showmanship
and shaping rock n'roll during the fifties, becoming a superstar
in the process. I still think he's slightly overrated, as the
obsessive fans drive me nuts. But still, Elvis would be an easy
decision to make.
Five Inductees Voted for
by the British Public: Cliff Richard (50s), Rolling Stones (60s),
Queen (70s), Michael Jackson (80s) & Robbie Williams (90s)
The British general public has
dubious musical taste. And as a Brit myself, that was uneasy
to say. When the winners were announced, I correctly predicted
that Cliff Richard, Rolling Stones, Queen, Michael Jackson and
Robbie Williams would get most votes because it was obvious due
to the fan bases voting. Cliff has such a large and dedicated
fan base; it's no surprise his middle-aged fan base who grew
up with his music would vote in droves. It would be a travesty
if The Rolling Stones didn't pick up the Sixties gong, as they
were the second greatest band behind the Beatles (who naturally
received automatic entry). I'm sure Queen won the Seventies award
because of the successful West End musical "We Will Rock
You" raising the band's awareness far beyond their mere
rock base. I'm certain ABBA received several votes also due to
the musical 'Mama Mia' and fawning revival of recent years. But
I like ABBA, so they deserve all the credit, as for too many
years they were classed as "uncool, untrendy disposable
pop" - which is untrue. Led Zeppelin stood no chance of
winning, despite being the greatest hard rock band of the seventies.
For Michael Jackson: see Cliff Richard. For the stunningly wrong
outcome of Robbie Williams awarded "greatest out of every
artist formed in the nineties", it is a sad state of just
how much the UK loves Robbie. He is by far the most successful
male solo artist of the past 10 years. For a comparison, most
successful British female = Dido. Mr "Cheeky Chappie"
Williams has a huge and dedicated fan base who voted in numbers
for him over the likes of Radiohead and Nirvana. Robbie may have
an infectious and cheeky persona, but he "shout-talks"
over Guy Chambers' studio tracks with no depth or feeling. It's
not music; it's cabaret down Butlins, and the real talent Guy
Chambers has left. I could spend all day writing negative comments
about "our Robbie" but would be pointless as anyone
with a shred of musical integrity would see why he cannot break
America, and why EMI wasted millions on his contract. American's
don't get Robbie's self-depreciative humour and see through the
mass hype.
There were some positives; it
wasn't all head scratching bewilderment at watching The Kinks
getting a nomination over The Who. Most of the entries were agreeable
and I got to watch some archive footage of great artists at their
prime. And the TV programme related to this 'Hall Of Fame' page
quite aptly, making me create my own lists. It was encouraging
to see Joy Division, Velvet Underground and Buddy Holly get praised,
and the usual suspects were present (Chuck Berry, Beach Boys,
Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, Bee Gees, REM). The talking heads
were too gushing though, constantly finishing sentences with
"the greatest ever", "changed music forever",
"best of all time" which got irritating after a while.
Even George Michael was praised to high heaven. It also proved
Noel Gallagher has a limited vocabulary to swear words and Henry
Rollins surprisingly praises a host of totally un-punk bands.
The biggest crime to musical
taste was in the nineties selection, the marketing man's dream,
the Spice Girls. OK, as a significant contributor to pop culture
and exporting pop music around the globe, the Spice Girls were
leaders, and spawned many feisty female groups in their wake,
but on a musical level, who really listens to SpiceWorld anymore?
(Or should that read: in the first place) The shallow pop songs
have not stood the test of time, and it's only been a few years
since the group imploded.
Nonetheless, this has got me
thinking about my own personal list of the top 10 artists of
each decade. It's difficult to put an artist into a particular
timeframe, for example, should Pink Floyd be counted under the
1960s or 1970s banner? - Probably 1970s since they spent the
whole decade releasing their greatest albums, although the late
1960s cannot be discredited for Syd Barrett's vision. Would Faith
No More be termed under eighties or nineties? - I would say nineties
as FNM were better known and releasing far more accomplished
albums. Rock artists are only represented in the list, because
if I made the boundaries to include every possible genre, the
likes of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin
would be considered for entry, and the scope would be too broad
for my limited tastes. OK, there are a few exceptions to the
rule in that Public Enemy, Beastie Boys and The Prodigy are included,
but they each have rock attitude which is good enough reason
for me.
Feedback:
"Kim Donegan" -
04 Feb'05
What about placing "Iron
Maiden" in your 80's list for the Hall of Fame. They are
a great influence on Lars Ulrich and Metallica as a result. Shouldn't
"Joy Division" really be "New Order"? Ian
Curtis committed suicide in 1980 and New Order resulted soon
afterwards.
