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[Joe]

For 2017 I thought I would try and listen to all the albums on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time list.

I figured other people may think this is a cool and interesting idea and might want to try it out as well.

You can listen in any order you want or in no order at all.

I'm personally starting from the top and working my way down by picking and choosing albums according to what mood I'm in.

Use this thread to discuss the artists/bands/albums on the list, your impressions or reviews, or whatever else you want to talk about regarding the list or the music on the list.

"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a 2003 special issue of American magazine Rolling Stone, and a related book published in 2005.[1] The lists presented were compiled based on votes from selected rock musicians, critics, and industry figures, and predominantly feature American and British music from the 1960s and the 1970s.

In 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised edition of the list drawing on the original and a later survey of albums in the 2000s.[2] It was made available in "bookazine" format on newsstands in the US from April 27 to July 25. The new list contained 38 albums not present in the previous one, 16 of them released after 2003.

The list (from updated 2012 revision):

1-250

251-500

Links:
Rolling Stone - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Wikipedia - Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Discogs 500 Greatest Albums (lists 250 per page with album covers)
Basic text list of all 500 albums

 

[Moppeh]

That sounds like fun. I've actually been very slowly going through the list myself (not in order, mind you) but I would love to find a reason to be more committed to it.

 

[JinjoUnchained]

I listened to #145 on the way to work today, so 499 to go.

 

[PassiveObserver]

Don't this list lean rockist as fuck?

Are Jackson Browne albums actually essential?

 

[DopeToast]

I love this idea, but will probably just watch the thread rather than join in. The list isn't perfect, because what list could be, but there are plenty, plenty good albums on there.

 

[axisofweevils]

Nice idea. I'd like to do this. Someone should make a spotify playlist.

 

[Very Berry Sunday]

There's also NME top 500 albums of all time (2013)

http://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-100-1-1426116

 

[pretty done]

It's still crazy to me that people consider U2 an actual great band. South Park has completely ruined Bono for me.

 

[FriedConsole]

Rolling Stone is run by Baby Boomer hippies. I don't need to look at the list to know it is heavy on hippie rock.

 

[Daft Bird]

Yeah I'll try, I'm gonna start from 500 and work up. It'll be great for when I'm running to have this list.

 

[LionPride]

I have listened to a lot of these albums holy hell

 

[Jezbollah]

It's still crazy to me that people consider U2 an actual great band. South Park has completely ruined Bono for me.

Not much of a U2 fan these days (was up till 2001) but if you get put off a band because of a cartoon perhaps you're not too serious about being a fan of music in general.

 

[Sgtpepper89]

More like greatest albums from the 60s & 70s eh.

 

[LionPride]

Okay now I'm salty because Aquemini could go above a lot of songs listed ahead of it

 

[NHarmonic.]

What an awful list, lots of genres unreprecented.

And yeah sure af we needed 10 The Beatles' albums.

 

[tchocky]

The one thing I never liked about the Rolling Stone list was that they included some greatest hits albums.

For anyone wanting an alternate list acclaimedmusic.net has lists combining multiple critics lists into a top 3000 as well as lists for individual years and decades as well as song lists which come with Spotify playlists.

 

[pretty done]

Not much of a U2 fan these days (was up till 2001) but if you get put off a band because of a cartoon perhaps you're not too serious about being a fan of music in general.

I like plenty of music, I just find U2's music to be really awful.

As for the rest of the list, it's cool they managed to sneak in Aquemini at 500 amongst 250 undeserving dad rock albums. No Slayer or Megadeth, yet two Metallica albums and some Arcade Fire and MGMT. A shitty Pearl Jam album but no Queens of the Stone Age. I can safely say the list is made by a deaf person.

 

[torre_avenue]

Sure. I'll participate. It seems I've only listened to about 10 or so of the albums on the list, so why not do this?

 

[Dishwalla]

Rolling Stone is run by Baby Boomer hippies. I don't need to look at the list to know it is heavy on hippie rock.

I mean just glancing at the list in the OP I see names like Tupac and Outkast and Weezer and X and Sleater-Kinney and MIA and so on. There's a lot of traditional "hippie rock"(whatever that even means) on the list, but there's also a lot of more modern stuff that isn't often associated with Baby Boomers.

 

[Moppeh]

What an awful list, lots of genres unreprecented.

And yeah sure af we needed 10 The Beatles' albums.

It really is amazing that the band that is considered the greatest of all time has made so many great albums.

 

[lightskintwin]

Don't this list lean rockist as fuck?

Are Jackson Browne albums actually essential?

Of course, there's a White, male, rock slant to the list. They can't help that, that's part of the subjectivity in providing their list. After acknowledging that bias, the list is still a good starting part dealing with culturally and historically important modern music.

 

[King_Moc]

There's also NME top 500 albums of all time (2013)

http://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-100-1-1426116

This one is a bit better. the Rolling Stone one is more like some 60 year olds picking their favourite albums from when they were young, then they got too old to form any kind of meaningful bond with newer music. There's great albums in there, but that top 150 or so seems absurdly elevated to me, and I feel it's to do with the age of the writers more than anything..

 

[kavanf1]

This one is a bit better. the Rolling Stone one is more like some 60 year olds picking their favourite albums from when they were young, then they got too old to form any kind of meaningful bond with newer music. There's great albums in there, but that top 150 or so seems absurdly elevated to me, and I feel it's to do with the age of the writers more than anything..

It might possibly be that these are considered albums that have been more influential on subsequent music than any others.

 

[Ravensmash]

If we can find an agreeable list then I am up for this.

Can't guarantee I'll complete it as quickly as I mainly listen to music when reading and therefore like instrumental stuff, but would be interesting to see how I find them.

 

[King_Moc]

It might possibly be that these are considered albums that have been more influential on subsequent music than any others.

Nah, not when they have Nirvana higher than the Pixies.

 

[Fugu]

I would be interested in doing this with a better list. This list is hella biased.

 

[Sgtpepper89]

I must be 60 y old and a hippie couse ive listened to atleast 60% of these albums, maby 20 albums this year already..

Im up for the challenge, is it ok to skip albums ive heard hundreds of times?

 

[Catvoca]

The one thing I never liked about the Rolling Stone list was that they included some greatest hits albums.

For anyone wanting an alternate list acclaimedmusic.net has lists combining multiple critics lists into a top 3000 as well as lists for individual years and decades as well as song lists which come with Spotify playlists.

I like this list, there's some recency bias I think but I prefer it to Rolling Stone's.

 

[yyzjohn]

There's also NME top 500 albums of all time (2013)

http://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-100-1-1426116

Just quickly browsing the NME list I already agreed with it more than the Rolling Stones list.

 

[Joe]

So far I've listened to:

James Brown - Live at the Apollo

I thought it was pretty good. I never listened to James Brown before and I was surprised by how good his voice was. Can't wait to try out a studio album.

Joni Mitchell - Blue

First time listening to Joni Mitchell and I liked this album a lot. I didn't like it all the way through but the songs I did like I liked a lot. I will definitely be listening to this again all the way through real soon.

Paul Simon - Graceland

This album really confused me. I never heard all of those sounds together mixed like that. My initial reaction was to cringe and really, really dislike it but for some reason I couldn't dislike it. It was like an odd taste that I cautiously couldn't get enough of. I want to listen to it again to see how I like it now that I know what to expect.

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush

This whole album blew me away. I really, really liked almost every song on the album. Even the songs I didn't really, really like were still good.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions - This Year's Model

My first ever listen to Elvis Costello and I can already tell I will be a fan. There was a lot of sounds and styles that I could hear influenced a lot of music that would come after it. Looking forward to listening to more by him and his band.

James Taylor - Sweet Baby James

I'm not really a big fan of folk music but I did love a couple of songs on this album. On the whole, I respect his ability as a songwriter but it's not for me. I might wait until I'm in a "folk music mood" and give it another listen.

 

[Joe]

Stop complaining about the list. If you want to do something similar but with a different list that's fine. Go make a thread about it. This thread is about listening to the Rolling Stone list not to complain and to critique the list. Thanks.

I must be 60 y old and a hippie couse ive listened to atleast 60% of these albums, maby 20 albums this year already..

Im up for the challenge, is it ok to skip albums ive heard hundreds of times?

Yeah definitely.

 

[Not]

If the Beatles weren't a thing, would Marvin Gaye have at least gotten #2?

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

It's still crazy to me that people consider U2 an actual great band. South Park has completely ruined Bono for me.

I mean, they were at one point. sort of like the Simpsons, their first nine seasons were some of the best television and now I can't be bothered to watch them.

Rolling Stone is run by Baby Boomer hippies. I don't need to look at the list to know it is heavy on hippie rock.

More like greatest albums from the 60s & 70s eh.

if we're going to use this tired old accusation NME's list is also heavily white, acclaimed music's list seems more fair. but good music is good music.

 

[Moppeh]

I've listened to the following before:

1. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds
3. The Beatles Revolver
4. Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
5. The Beatles Rubber Soul
6. Marvin Gaye What's Going On
7. The Rolling Stones Exile on Main St.
8. The Clash London Calling
9. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
10. The Beatles The Beatles
12. Miles Davis Kind of Blue
13. The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground & Nico
14. The Beatles Abbey Road
15. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Are You Experienced
16. Bob Dylan Blood on The Tracks
17. Nirvana Nevermind
18. Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
20. Michael Jackson Thriller
23. John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
26. Fleetwood Mac Rumours
28. The Who Who's Next
31. Bob Dylan Bringing It All Back Home
32. Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
35. David Bowie The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
39. The Beatles Please Please Me
40. Love Forever Changes
41. Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols
42. The Doors The Doors
43. Pink Floyd The Dark Side Of The Moon
53. The Beatles Meet The Beatles!
55. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland
58. The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
59. Creedence Clearwater Reviva Chronicle - The 20 Greatest Hits
61. Sly & the Family Stone Greatest Hits
62. Guns N' Roses Appetite For Destruction
64. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers
67. Radiohead Kid A
76. Prince and The Revolution Purple Rain
80. John Lennon Imagine
81. The Clash The Clash
83. The Jimi Hendrix Experience Axis: Bold As Love
87. Pink Floyd The Wall
88. Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison
93. Prince Sign "O" The Times
95. Miles Davis B***es Brew
97. Bob Dylan The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
108. David Bowie Hunky Dory
109. The Rolling Stones Aftermath
111. Radiohead The Bends
128. Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power
136. Elton John Greatest Hits
146. Jefferson Airplane Surrealistic Pillow
151. Arcade Fire Funeral
152. The B-52's The B-52's
162. Radiohead OK Computer
182. Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac
185. The Stooges The Stooges
186. Sly & the Family Stone Fresh
191. The Stooges Fun House
193. Green Day Dookie
211. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
225. Green Day American Idiot
284. The Cars The Cars
307. The Beatles A Hard Day's Night
310. Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
320. Radiohead Amnesiac
324. David Bowie Station to Station
331. The Beatles Help!
336. Radiohead In Rainbows
347. Pink Floyd The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
364. The Doors L.A. Woman
381. The Beach Boys Smile
392. The Beatles Let It Be
401. Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication
409. The Doors Strange Days
420. Buddy Holly and the Crickets Buddy Holly and the Crickets
433. George Harrison All Things Must Pass
486. Earth, Wind & Fire That's the Way of the World

Which is, frankly, better than I thought it would be. Though, the amount I've listened to steadily nosedives after number 150 or so. I also realized that I've never listened to a Led Zeppelin album in full. I listen to them fairly often but I don't think I've ever experienced an entire album at once or have even heard every song off of an album. So I'll probably start there.

 

[YaBish]

Funny enough, I'm doing an album a day challenge already. I started on a whim back in September, and I've been going strong since. Just knocked off #127 today.

 

[Jo Shishido's Cheeks]

My music backlog is already crazy but I might jump aboard...

 

[Kill3r7]

Tagged for later. I have listened to a decent amount of them because I enjoy having background music on while working.

I think it might be easier to break them down by artist.

The Beatles: 8
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Clubs Band (1), Revolver (3), Rubber Soul (5), The Beatles (10), Abbey Road (14), Meet the Beatles! (53), A Hard Day's Night (307), Help! (331)

Bruce Springsteen: 7
Born to Run (18), Born in the U.S.A. (86), The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (133), Darkness on the Edge of Town (150), Nebraska (226), The River (253), The Rising (424)

The Who: 6
Who's Next (28), Tommy (96), The Who Sell Out (115), Live at Leeds (170), My Generation (237), Quadrophenia (267)

Bob Dylan: 4
Highway 61 Revisited (4), Blonde on Blonde (9), Blood on the Tracks (16), Time out of Mind (410)

The Rolling Stones: 4
Exile on Main Street (7), Let it Bleed (32), Beggars Banquet (58), Sticky Fingers (64)

Led Zeppelin: 4
Led Zeppelin (29), Led Zeppelin IV (69), Physical Graffiti (73), Led Zeppelin II (79)

U2: 3
The Joshua Tree (27), Achtung Baby (63), War (223)

Radiohead: 3
Kid A (67), The Bends (111), OK Computer (162)

Pink Floyd: 3
The Dark Side of the Moon (43), The Wall (87), Wish You Were Here (211)

Elton John: 2
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (91), Greatest Hits (136)

David Bowie: 1
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (35)

More to come...

 

[Led_Zeppelin]

I think I listen to a lot of this already but this sound fun, though No Machine Head (I look for it quickly but I didn't see it) and Paranoid not in the top 100 seems really weird, I will not talk about the albums of Led Zeppelin and their position since I am clearly bias.

 

[omgkitty]

Considering the newest album in the top 50 of Rolling Stone's list is a Nirvana album from the early 90's, I would have to say the list is biased as fuck. Honestly, I much prefer RYM's list. It's based on user reviews on the site. It's not perfect by any means, but I think you'll find a much more varied list there.

http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time

 

[HollowCentral]

Rolling Stone is run by Baby Boomer hippies. I don't need to look at the list to know it is heavy on hippie rock.

But you may find something new you like?

 

[arts&crafts]

I like the Beatles a lot but do they really have 3 of the top 5 albums of ALL TIME? I guess music is all about personal taste so if they can make an argument for it, I will allow.

 

[Infernostew]

Just listen to London Calling and call it a day. Absolute perfection.

 

[arts&crafts]

There's also NME top 500 albums of all time (2013)

http://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-100-1-1426116

Strokes - Is this it? in the top 5

NME redeemed.

 

[tchocky]

I like the Beatles a lot but do they really have 3 of the top 5 albums of ALL TIME? I guess music is all about personal taste so if they can make an argument for it, I will allow.

Probably not but they don't have a consensus pick of their best, I imagine since it was a poll of a few hundred critics/musicians most people put 1 of those 3 near the top but the others lower down and when compiled they all end up near the top.

 

[anarchy_panty]

Considering the newest album in the top 50 of Rolling Stone's list is a Nirvana album from the early 90's, I would have to say the list is biased as fuck. Honestly, I much prefer RYM's list. It's based on user reviews on the site. It's not perfect by any means, but I think you'll find a much more varied list there.

http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time

Two Radiohead albums and two Pink Floyd albums in the top 5. Clearly less biased than Rolling Stone.

Why can't we just accept that every list like this is going to be ridiculously biased in some way and appreciate them for what they are?

 

[Elandyll]

Not being a big fan of the Beattles (I'm a Rolling Stones kinda guy) or Bob Dylan myself, I never realized that Rolling Stone mag had such a massive hard-on for these artists.

Holy crap.

Edit: pretty much half of the top 20 between these 2

 

[omgkitty]

Two Radiohead albums and two Pink Floyd albums in the top 5. Clearly less biased than Rolling Stone.

Why can't we just accept that every list like this is going to be ridiculously biased in some way and appreciate them for what they are?

I don't disagree with the list, but also the overall is much more varied than the RS list. Not having a single Radiohead album in their top 50 is ridiculous.

 

[HollowCentral]

Two Radiohead albums and two Pink Floyd albums in the top 5. Clearly less biased than Rolling Stone.

Why can't we just accept that every list like this is going to be ridiculously biased in some way and appreciate them for what they are?

Considering that it's just someone's opinion, that seems logical, but then again, people on the interwebs are rarely logical.

 

[lightskintwin]

Two Radiohead albums and two Pink Floyd albums in the top 5. Clearly less biased than Rolling Stone.

Why can't we just accept that every list like this is going to be ridiculously biased in some way and appreciate them for what they are?

This.

I don't disagree with the list, but also the overall is much more varied than the RS list. Not having a single Radiohead album in their top 50 is ridiculous.

It's varied in some instances, and not so much in others especially in regards to Black music. That list is just biased more towards your sensibilities and tastes.

 

[Goldenroad]

Sure. Why not? I'm positive I own, or have owned, every album in the top 50 (except no. 50), and I'm going to guess that I've heard at least 400 of the top 500, but some of it I haven't heard in a long time. Also, I'll probably skip the Doors albums.