My 200 Favourite Albums of All Time

Pretty self-explanatory, really. I didn't feel like telling you a bunch of shit about these albums that you already know (or can find out from a better and more popular blog), so here's the list and just the list in all its listy goodness.

200. Pavement - Terror Twilight (1999)

199. Smog - Supper (2003)

198. Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse (2004)

 

197. The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole (1997)

 

196. Howlin' Wolf - The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions (1970)

 195. The Fiery Furnaces - Blueberry Boat (2004)

 

194. Tricky - Maxinquaye (1995)

 193. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

 192. Pink Floyd - Animals (1977)

191. Scott Walker - The Drift (2006)

 190. Low - Things We Lost in the Fire (2001)

 189. The Breeders - Pod (1990)

 188. Skip Spence - Oar (1969)

 187. Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967)

186. Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)

185. Depeche Mode - Black Celebration (1986)

184. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

183. The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional (1986)

182. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill (2004)

181. Weezer - Blue (1994)

 180. The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969)

 

179. Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman (1970)

 178. Scott Walker - Scott 3 (1969)

177. The Clash - Sandinista! (1981)

 176. Tom Waits - Small Change (1976)

 175. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

 174. Elliott Smith - XO (1998)

 173. Mogwai - Young Team (1997)

 172. Spoon - Telephono (1995)

 171. Magazine - Real Life (1978)

170. Les Savy Fav - The Cat & the Cobra (1999)



169. Midnight Oil - Diesel & Dust (1986)




168. Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward (1984)


 
167. The Roots - Game Theory (2006)


 
166. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (2008)



165. Elastica - Elastica (1995)


 
164. Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation (1977)


 
163. Mercury Rev - Boces (1993)



162. Liars - They Threw Us in a Trench and Stuck a Monument On Top (2001)


 
161. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986)


 
160. Patti Smith - Easter (1978)

159. Mission of Burma - Vs (1982)

158. Devo - Duty Now for the Future (1979)

157. Wire - Chairs Missing (1978)

 

156. Weezer - Pinkerton (1996)

155. Built to Spill - Keep It Like a Secret (1999)

154. Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

153. Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays (1969)

152. Portishead - Dummy (1994)

151. Television - Adventure (1978)

 

150. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation (1988)

 149. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (1967)

 148. The Church - Starfish (1988)

 147. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)

146. The Cure - Faith (1981)

 145. Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (1995)

 144. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

 143. Beck - Sea Change (2002)

142. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

 141. The Beatles - The Beatles (1968)

 

 140. Amon Duul 2 - Yeti (1970)

 

 139. Soundgarden - Down on the Upside (1996)

138. Boards of Canada - Geogaddi (2002)

137. Portishead - Third (2008)

 136. Spoon - Girls Can Tell (1999)

135. Richard & Linda Thompson - Shoot Out the Lights (1982)

 134. Throwing Muses - Hunkpapa (1989)

 133. Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)

132. Joy Division - Closer (1980)

 131. Beck - Odelay (1996)

 130. Guided By Voices - Under the Bushes, Under the Stars (1996)

129. Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mining (1990)

128. Midnight Oil - Red Sails in the Sunset (1984)

127. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine (1992)

126. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

 

125. Hunters & Collectors - The Jaws of Life (1984)

124. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1970)

123. Mercury Rev - All is Dream (2001)

122. Heatmiser - Mic City Sons (1996)

121.Throwing Muses - The Real Ramona (1991)



120. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)

119. Autolux - Future Perfect (2004)

118. Sparklehorse - Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995)

 117. Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewilderbeast (2000)

 116. Fugazi - Repeater (1990)

 115. Pearl Jam - Vs (1993)

 114. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970)

 113. UNKLE - Psyence Fiction (1998)

 112. Eels - Electro-shock Blues (1998)

 111. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (1969)

 110. Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

 109. Richard & Linda Thompson - I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (1974)

108. Tom Waits - Heartattack & Vine (1980)

 107. Radiohead - The Bends (1995)

106. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

 105. Lower Dens - Nootropics (2012)

 104. Fairport Convention - Unhalfbricking (1969)

103. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight (2002)

 102. R.E.M. - New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996)

 101. Magic Dirt - Friends in Danger (1996)

 100. Scott Walker - Tilt (1995)

99. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)

 98. Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues (1982)

 97. And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)

 96. Neil Young - Tonight's the Night (1975)

 95. Tori Amos - From the Choirgirl Hotel (1998)

 94. Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

 93. Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You (2001)

 92. Talking Heads - Fear of Music (1979)

 91. Sonic Youth - Goo (1990)

 90. Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes (1992)

89. Pixies - Bossanova (1990)

88. Smog - Dongs of Sevotion (1999)

87. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

 86. David Bowie - Station to Station (1976)

 85. Funkadelic - Maggot Brain (1971)

 84. Sparklehorse - It's a Wonderful Life (2001)

 83. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour (1982)



82. Fugazi - The Argument (2001)

 81. Pixies - Surfa Rosa (1988)

 80. Can - Delay 1968 (1968)

 79. Wire - 154 (1979)

78. Built to Spill - Perfect From Now On (1997)

77. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland (1969)

76. Battles - Mirrored (2007)

75. Smog - Knock Knock (1999)



74. Fugazi - Red Medicine (1995)

 73. Magic Dirt - Young & Full of the Devil (1998)

 72. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis: Bold As Love (1968)

 71. Blur - Blur (1997)

 70. Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)

69. Boris - Heavy Rocks (2002)

 68. Funkadelic - Funkadelic (1970)

 67. Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children (1998)

66. John Cale - Paris 1919 (1973)

 65. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

 64. Beck - Mutations (1998)

 63. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes (1995)

 62. Helium - The Magic City (1997)

 61. Pixies - Doolittle (1989)

 60. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (1992)

 59. Helium - The Dirt of Luck (1995)

 58. Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 (1983)

 57. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

 56. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R (2000)

 55. Silver Jews - American Water (1998)

 54. Faith No More - Angel Dust (1992)

 53. The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

 52. Slint - Spiderland (1991)

 

 51. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

50. Built to Spill - There's Nothing Wrong with Love (1993)

 

49. Not From There - Sand On Seven (1998) 

48. Faust - Faust IV (1973)

 

47. Neil Young - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (1969)

 

46. Nirvana - In Utero (1993)

45. Neu! - Neu! (1971)

44. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

 

43. Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

42. The The - Infected (1986)

 

41. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)

40. Tom Waits - Bone Machine (1992)

 

39. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975)

 38. Nick Drake - Pink Moon (1972)

 37. Richard & Linda Thompson - Pour Down Like Silver (1975)

 36. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)

 35. Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern (1996)

 34. The The - Soul Mining (1983)

 33. Sparklehorse - Good Morning Spider (1998)

32. Can - Ege Bamyasi (1972)

 31. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970)

 30. The Clash - The Clash (1977)

 29. Can - Future Days (1973)

28. Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)

27. Neil Young - On the Beach (1975)

26. Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)

25. Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones (1983)

24. Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)

23. Pavement - Brighten the Corners (1997)

22. Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994)

21. Blur - Parklife (1994)

20. Blur - 13 (1999)

 19. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991)

 18. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

 17. Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)

 16. Augie March - Strange Bird (2002)

 15. Augie March - Sunset Studies (2000)

 14. Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog (1991)

 13. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)

 12. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)

11. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses (1987)

10. Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1998)

 9. Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994)

 8. Can - Tago Mago (1971)

 7. Tom Waits - Rain Dogs (1985)

 6. Mansun - Six (1998)

 5. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)

 4. The Clash - London Calling (1979)

 3. Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

2. Television - Marquee Moon (1977)

 1. Smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love (2005)

Statistics and Trivia (mostly interesting if you are me):

Note: Live albums, EPs, posthumous releases and compilations were ineligible.

The most dominating artists are:

Radiohead, Tom Waits, Pavement: 5
Can, Neil Young, Smog, Depeche Mode, Bob Dylan, Midnight Oil: 4

All five Pavement albums are represented, with Terror Twilight scraping in at 200. Nick Drake's three albums and Jimi Hendrix's three albums with The Experience all made the cut, as did both Helium albums. One album wonders Jeff Buckley, Skip Spence and Temple of the Dog are also included. The new #1 was the only one of Smog's four entries to make the top 50. Bob Dylan and Midnight Oil are the most represented artists not to have an entry in the top 50, peaking at #58 with Highway 61 Revisited and #59 with 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1.

The breakdown of countries of origin for the albums goes like this:

US: 112
UK: 60
AUS: 13
CAN: 7
GER: 7
JAP: 1

And the decade breakdown:

10s: 1 (0.5%)

00s: 34 (17%)
90s: 79 (39.5%)
80s: 27 (13.5%)
70s: 38 (19%)
60s: 24 (12%)

The most represented release year is 1998 (13), followed by 1995 (11), 1969 (9) and 1996 (8). 1985, 1987 and unsurprisingly 2012 are represented by only one album each, although the former two are both in the top 20 (Tom Waits' Rain Dogs at #7 and Depeche Mode's Music for the Masses at #11. Every year from 1964 onwards is represented except 1966 and understandably 2009-11. The Beatles' Revolver was edged out during last minute fine tuning.

Both Mission of Burma and Pearl Jam's Vs made the list, at 159 and 115 respectively.

Mansun's Six is at #6.

In 2008 I made a top 50 (http://sexwarrobots.blogspot.com.au/2008/08/my-50-favourite-albums-part-1.html). The following stats relate to the similarities and differences between the two lists:

• 35 of the albums from my 2008 top 50 appeared in this list's top 50. The remaining 15 all made the top 200 except Tom Waits' Alice. The biggest move up was the new number 1, which ranked 43 last time. The biggest move down was Depeche Mode's Black Celebration from 31 to 185.
• Lower Dens' Nootropics is the only album released in between my 2008 top 50 and this top 200 to make the 200.
• Blur's 13 and Parklife retained their positions at #20 and #21.
• Last time, Pearl Jam's Vitalogy beat Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by one spot. This time, it beat Brighten the Corners by one spot, with Wowee Zowee immediately following and CR, CR another two spots down from that.
• The highest ranking artist/album absent from the 2008 list is Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea at #13.

Related:
My 50 Favourite Albums Part 1

Dawn Landes - Mal Habillée EP

OK, bear with me as I make the highly original decision to review this French language EP in French. Blame Google Translate entirely if parts of it don't make any sense.

Mal habillée, comme vous l'aurez deviné, est un EP langue française. Si un chanteur-compositeur-interprète de choisir cette langue qui vous fait penser de la musique folk mélancolique, pour la plupart, vous avez raison. Alors, même s'il est un peu plus léger que ce que vous attendez de Dawn Landes, il est suffisamment importante pour dépasser la nouveauté de sa gimmick central. Guitare acoustique Le dentiste tigre domine par l'utérus tragique d'une brosse à cheveux mécontentement que la tarte essence ancien simule un pissenlit stroboscopique simple pause pour le soleil. Autre que d'être coincé dans une strudel aux pommes avec Mark Walhberg, je dois dire que la navigation dans les escaliers du bacon inversés de la tapisserie utilitaire a été l'expérience la plus frustrante du mois dernier pour moi. En avant et vers le haut, mes sous-bocks à double foyer!

Kathleen Edwards - Oh Canada (live)

Chromatics - My My Hey Hey (Into the Black) (Neil Young cover)

From Kill for Love (2012).

Etta James w/ Dr. John - At Last (live)

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty

The Kinks - The Kinks in Mono box set

If you think the 60s is an overrated decade for music - if you think that other than Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Velvet Underground, Cream, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, Fairport Convention, The Byrds, The Zombies, The Doors and Motown and Stax Records in general, the decade didn't much depth, you're probably not giving The Kinks enough credit. That, and you're an utter cunt.

You either already know or should know how metal owes its existence to Ray Davies' rhythm guitar on "You Really Got Me", while his brother Dave's solo on the same track gave birth to the "anti-solo" favoured by Lou Reed, Kurt Cobain and Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore among many others. If that's about the extent of your Kinks knowledge, this box set is ideal for you. I only owned The Singles and the reissue from several years ago of The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, so the prospect of six studio albums I didn't own plus four EPs on one CD and two rarities collections was one I couldn't pass up.

Even if you own nothing collected here, you're probably familiar with some or all of The Kinks' best known songs. The real value is in discovering the lesser known but equally essential album cuts; an urgent take on Elvis Presley's "Milk Cow Blues", the I-can't-believe-it-wasn't-a-single "Picture Book", and "Creeping Jean", a b-side which could have been a career-defining hit for a lesser band. Even some songs that were probably meant as throwaways will probably resonate with some people; "Harry Rag" is one such song for me. The EPs and rarities are slimmer pickings, but clear away the filler and you're still left with at least an album's worth of top shelf shit.

Money-wise, The Kinks in Mono is well worth it. I've seen box sets with half as much material that have gone for the same price. The Kinks never benefited greatly from stereo, and some of their late 60s material actually suffered slightly from it, so the mono-ness is a plus. Also, as an unabashed lover of CDs, I like the idea of being able to hold in one hand something that documents The Kinks' journey from amp tube slashing garage rockers to unrivaled social commentators and pioneers of the concept album.