Best Albums Lists

[Zing]

I received an email today about the "300 best albums in the last 30 years" according to SPIN magazine. Certainly a list this large is going to include something for everyone though you may not agree with its ranking (i.e., CMonster is going to love the list because Radiohead albums are plastered all through the top 60...Batman, not so much because his beloved Bon Iver couldn't have been ranked much lower).

I thought about starting a thread for it but first decided to see what some of the comments were. Two of the first three comments I read were complaints about how they couldn't believe something didn't make the list while something else did. Sound familiar? So immediately decided to scrap the idea but then found myself writing this post. And since I'm here, and brought up the topic, how can I not include a link to the list? I guess this was a full-circle exercise in futility.

The link, starting at #300.

 

[Flint]

I have one comment... or analysis... of this idea.

The problem with lumping albums recorded in the last five years with albums recorded 25 or 30 years ago is that very often the music we consider amazing and ground breaking at the moment it is released slowly turns dull and uninteresting once the genre or style is imitated by much better and more creative artists. We then lose all interest in that music which was amazing to use during the first few months it was out and music from older albums which have lasted the test of time with us are more important.

It is like the new gadget you buy for your kitchen or home theater. At first it is really cool and solves all your problems with doing things the old fashioned way, but after a few months you find you are doing things the old fashioned way again and that "couldn't live without it" gadget is rusting in a drawer somewhere.

So, it is painful to look at lists of music, movies, TV shows, or books which compare some modern flash in the pan with the classic you'll cherish forever and always want to go back to enjoy.

 

[Flint]

I should add...

I think that it is good that we have both exciting new short lived bursts of temporary brilliance to make life more exciting and to open our bored and rotting minds as well as the classics which we will cherish, honor, refer back to, and continue to praise and analyze for our entire lives. I am not suggesting the flash in the pan stuff is bad, I am suggesting that comparing the two types of music in one list is fraught with danger.

 

[Zing]

I have a slightly different take.

I think this list - and all others like it - are purely to generate buzz and publicity. By its very subjective design, I think they want some people to read it and say "Look! My favorite album is #1. I have awesome taste in music!" and they also want others to cry out "How could you not include such-and-such?!?!" or "How could you rank such-and-such so low (or so high)?" Either way, people are talking about the list...and posting it on forums... :doh:

 

[Deleted member 133]

I haven't looked yet, but if all of Lady Gaga's albums are not on the list, I'm a gonna be pissed!

Jeff

 

[mcad64]

Hey look... one of my favourite albums is at 300.