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Spin's 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985-2014)

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Tool, and any music in general with heavy Progressive influences are always looked down upon by music press. Prog has been the "uncool" genre for a very long time.

Same reason you wont see Mars Volta on a list like this (not that they necessarily should be on there)
There's nothing "uncool" about Tool, King Crimson and Rush. Lol the music press is crazy.
 
Yeah, there's no denying how important it was. If the list were for most important rock album of the last 30 years, I'd get that. It completely changed the songwriting and production for so much popular rock that followed.

But (for me), it's hardly even really listenable, anymore. Honestly, I don't even like it, now. Maybe that's more about me than it...

But that's the thing- it really didn't. A lot of the bigger alt-rock acts had been recording and touring for YEARS by the time Nevermind blew up, and many of them (Pearl Jam) were much better musicians. Badmotorfinger released within a month of Nevermind- it was Soundgarden's THIRD album and went double platinum.

Nevermind didn't change songwriting and production so much as it gave additional exposure to acts that already existed. By the time you got around to the second wave of acts that were conciously aping Nirvana/Alice In Chains/Stone Temple Pilots/Soundgarden/Pearl Jam/Smashing Pumpkins/etc, the alt-rock trend was rapidly dying, and we ended up with Electronica, Ska, and Brit-pop in it's place.
 

Dead

well not really...yet
Yeah, there's no denying how important it was. If the list were for most important rock album of the last 30 years, I'd get that. It completely changed the songwriting and production for so much popular rock that followed.

But (for me), it's hardly even really listenable, anymore. Honestly, I don't even like it, now. Maybe that's more about me than it...
When you look at the glut of utterly terrible, bland and by the numbers alt rock bands of the late 90s and early 2000s (shit even late 2000s) I think you could argue that Pearl Jam was just as influential in the long run than Nirvana, if not more. Their sound was by far the most copied.

Pearl jam essentially was one of the worst things to happen to modern rock
 
When you look at the glut of utterly terrible, bland and by the numbers alt rock bands of the late 90s and early 2000s (shit even late 2000s) I think you could argue that Pearl Jam was just as influential in the long run than Nirvana, if not more. Their sound was by the most copied.

Pearl jam essentially was one of the worst things to happen to modern rock

You can draw a straight line from Pearl Jam, through Seven Mary Three, then Creed, ending at Nickelback.

If anything, Nirvana didn't have as many derivatives, because Cobain was hard to replicate.
 

Maxim726X

Member
But that's the thing- it really didn't. A lot of the bigger alt-rock acts had been recording and touring for YEARS by the time Nevermind blew up, and many of them (Pearl Jam) were much better musicians. Badmotorfinger released within a month of Nevermind- it was Soundgarden's THIRD album and went double platinum.

Nevermind didn't change songwriting and production so much as it gave additional exposure to acts that already existed. By the time you got around to the second wave of acts that were conciously aping Nirvana/Alice In Chains/Stone Temple Pilots/Soundgarden/Pearl Jam/Smashing Pumpkins/etc, the alt-rock trend was rapidly dying, and we ended up with Electronica, Ska, and Brit-pop in it's place.

I agree completely... And just about *every* band you listed (except SP) is better.

It was the music video for Smells Like Teen Spirit that launched the band and genre into the stratosphere. After Cobain's death, it just solidified their place.
 

Chucker

Member
Brought me back to high school with those 90's records. Good feels.

Gonna listen to In Sides on the way home tonight.
 

Robot Pants

Member
lol starts off with American Idiot, and not a single Mars Volta album on there.
I don't even know why I bother reading these lists anymore
 

Dead

well not really...yet
I agree completely... And just about *every* band you listed (except SP) is better.

It was the music video for Smells Like Teen Spirit that launched the band and genre into the stratosphere. After Cobain's death, it just solidified their place.
Siamese Dream shits on every album made by all of those other bands listed.
 

flyover

Member
When you look at the glut of utterly terrible, bland and by the numbers alt rock bands of the late 90s and early 2000s (shit even late 2000s) I think you could argue that Pearl Jam was just as influential in the long run than Nirvana, if not more. Their sound was by far the most copied.

Pearl jam essentially was one of the worst things to happen to modern rock
You know, you may be right. The Album-oriented rock radio that was seemingly piped into every office in the 90s and 00s did sound like Pearl Jam being covered by James Taylor.
 
Siamese Dream shits on every album made by all of those other bands listed.
In their prime Smashing Pumpkins is good with the only barrier really being Billy Corgans vocals. Jimmy Chamberlain on drums was one of the best rock drummers from that era, I love me some OG Pumpkins.
 

Sorcerer

Member
Glad to see Liz Phair made it into the top 10, she even beats out My Bloody Valentine by 7 spots.

I loved Liz a lot back in the day.
 

PillarEN

Member
OK. Looking over the list yeah there are some really bad omissions. I'm not a stickler for order so I don't care where albums are placed.

Shocked that there is no Alice in Chains, don't understand why they chose Post for Bjork (the next 3 albums are so much better), Pearl Jam I would have preferred Ten or Vs. but whatever, Wrong Blink-182 album, Orbital I agree with In Sides but Orbital 2 needs to be there (required listening as far as I'm concerned). Finally I'm sad that there was no Crystal Castles or Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Still, they covered enough ground. Lists gonna list.

EDIT: Porcupine Tree and Temple of the Dog not there is dumb

EDIT 2: On a personal level Gallows - Grey Britain is a top 10 album for me.
 

Dead

well not really...yet
Glad to see Liz Phair made it into the top 10 she even beats out My Bloody Valentine by 4 spots.

I loved Liz a lot back in the day.
remember when she released this

BphUyBM.jpg


Pretty much a career ender
 

Humidex

Member
No KLF ??????? One (or preferably both) of these should have been on the list

The_KLF_-_The_White_Room.jpg


KLFcover-chillout.jpg

Good call. Also on the subject of KLF;

t7PgCIq.jpg


And no St. Vincent? Huh...

Besides that, I'd respectfully disagree about PJ Harvey's Stories..., it just hasn't aged that well. Rid of Me on the other hand, I can get behind.
 

Futureman

Member
No punk except Against Me! (and they pick their worst album that the band themselves admits is their worst)

they really said that? They are one of my favs, I have everything they've ever released, but I pretty much only listen to the last 3 albums anymore. I still like them all but I guess I overplayed their early stuff. I love "New Wave." "Ocean" may be my fav AM! track.
 

Zach

Member
they really said that? They are one of my favs, I have everything they've ever released, but I pretty much only listen to the last 3 albums anymore. I still like them all but I guess I overplayed their early stuff. I love "New Wave." "Ocean" may be my fav AM! track.

I love "New Wave", "Up the Cuts", "Americans Abroad", and especially "The Ocean".

That being said, I much prefer Reinventing Axl Rose, Eternal Cowboy, Searching for a Former Clarity, and Transgender Dysphoria Blues... but, I mean, it's their list.
 

Dice//

Banned
Pretty good list if it wasn't numerically labelled.

I mean, c'mon, Nirvana #1?

Eugh, Number 1 should have just been ___YOUR FAVOURITE ALBUM!!:D___
 

C4Lukins

Junior Member
As far as rock music, that is a great list. Not how I would rank things, but there is not a bad album listed that I have heard.

I remember making a playlist from some Pitchfork top 100, and I gave it a real chance, and it was horrible.
 
they really said that? They are one of my favs, I have everything they've ever released, but I pretty much only listen to the last 3 albums anymore. I still like them all but I guess I overplayed their early stuff. I love "New Wave." "Ocean" may be my fav AM! track.

Yeah, everything after Eternal Cowboy is pretty terrible for the most part aside from Transgender Dysphoria Blues (by AM! standards, at least). Nothing will ever touch their earlier work. If I had to rank pre-SfaFC AM! it would go:

Reinventing Axl Rose
Crime as Forgiven by...
The Disco Before the Breakdown EP
The Acoustic EP
As the Eternal Cowboy
Vivida Vis!

It's difficult to rank, however; they're all so good. I could probably compile a good album with the rest of their discography since there are specific songs on each of those that are up to their old standards (TDB not included, since it's great aside from a song or two). Hell, why the fuck not:

1. Exhaustion & Disgust/Take Aim/Whatever
2. How Low (the version from the stolen demo)
3. Joy
4. Even at Our Worst We're Still Better Than Most (The Roller)
5. Searching for a Former Clarity
6. Thrash Unreal
7. Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart
8. The Ocean
9. We're Breaking Up
10. Ache With Me
11. Bamboo Bones
12. You Must Be Willing

There—the rest is forgettable.
 
remember when she released this

BphUyBM.jpg


Pretty much a career ender

This album wasn't even that bad. The level of opprobrium she received (that P4K 0.0) for going pop was really over the top and uncomfortable. It felt like a bunch of possessive indie critic dudes got mad because their teenage crush grew up and betrayed them.

It's a shame people only talk about Exile. She had loads of other great songs in the 90s.
 
Endtroducing... up so high makes me happy. As does 36 Chambers.

I agree with others that Rage Against the Machine, Tool, and In Rainbows should be on there. And call me crazy, but no Jagged Little Pill? Everybody loved that album!
 
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