Ew is right. In celebration of issue 1,000, Entertainment Weekly put together a number of lists documenting so-called “New Classics” in movies, books, television, and, of course, music. There are also individual lists like Will Arnett‘s Wire-spoiling list of television moments that made him cry (“When I realized the theme song to The Greatest American Hero was the best song ever, and that I would never hear a better song again”), Beck‘s non-list, and Jack Johnson fan Liz Phair on lazy Sundays. We’re most interested in the “100 Best Albums From 1983 – 2008.” (Thanks for the tip, Joe.) It’s a bizarre concoction that finds Loveless beat out by the Dixie Chicks, Mariah and Kelly Clarkson. Oh, and Kelly Clarkson tops OK Computer and Appetite For Destruction. Thing is, this list is so all-inclusive and in spots, bizarre, that you almost have to take it on its own terms. I’m just trying to figure out what those terms might be….
100 George Michael – Faith (1987)
99 Hole – Live Through This (1994)
98 Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism (2003)
97 Britney Spears – Britney (2001)
96 PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea (2000)
95 T.I. – Trap Muzik (2003)
94 The Police – Synchronicity (1983)
93 Elliott Smith – Either/Or (1997)
92 Destiny’s Child – The Writing’s on the Wall (1999)
91 Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)
90 System of a Down – Toxicity (2001)
89 Aimee Mann – Bachelor No. 2 (2000)
88 Peter Gabriel – So (1986)
87 2Pac – All Eyez on Me (1996)
86 My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
85 Dixie Chicks – Home (2002)
84 New Order – Low-Life (1985)
83 The Pretenders – Learning to Crawl (1984)
82 Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
81 Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)
80 Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics (2006)
79 The Replacements – Let It Be (1984)
78 Pearl Jam – Vs. (1993)
77 Portishead – Dummy (1994)
76 Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker (2000)
75 Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
74 Moby – Play (1999)
73 Smiths – The Queen is Dead (1986)
72 Van Halen – 1984 (1984)
71 No Doubt – Rock Steady (2001)
70 Mary J. Blige – My Life (1994)
69 The Postal Service – Give Up (2003)
68 Emmylou Harris – Wrecking Ball (1995)
67 Metallica – Metallica (1991)
66 Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)
65 The White Stripes – Elephant (2003)
64 Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun (2000)
63 U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)
62 Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
61 Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full (1987)
60 Pavement – Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (1994)
59 Madonna – Ray of Light (1998)
58 The Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)
57 Neil Young – Harvest Moon (1992)
56 Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
55 Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions… (1988)
54 Janet Jackson – Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
53 Elvis Costello – King of America (1986)
52 Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007)
51 Fugees – The Score (1996)
50 LCD Soundsystem – Sounds of Silver (2007)
49 Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
48 Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
47 Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (1993)
46 Björk – Homogenic (1997)
45 Belle and Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
44 Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)
43 Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)
42 Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
41 Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984) – Legend
40 The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)
39 Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow (1996)
38 Run-DMC – Raising Hell (1986)
37 Modest Mouse – The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
36 TLC – CrazySexyCool (1994)
35 Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)
34 The Strokes – Is This It (2001)
33 Alicia Keys – As I Am (2007)
32 R.E.M. – Life’s Rich Pageant (1985)
31 Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006)
30 Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
29 Kelly Clarkson – Breakaway (2004)
28 Nas – Illmatic (1994)
27 Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
26 Bob Dylan – Time Out of Mind (1997)
25 Interpol – Turn On the Bright Lights (2002)
24 Shania Twain – Come On Over (1997)
23 The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin (1999)
22 De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
21 Mariah Carey – The Emancipation of Mimi (2005)
20 Fiona Apple – Tidal (1996)
19 Beyoncé – Dangerously in Love (2003)
18 A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)
17 Beck – Odelay (1996)
16 Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
15 Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
14 The Cure – Disintegration (1989)
13 Cat Power – You Are Free (2003)
12 OutKast – Stankonia (2000)
11 Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)
10 Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
09 Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2007)
08 Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)
07 Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
06 Green Day – American Idiot (2004)
05 Madonna – Madonna (1983)
04 Kanye West – The College Dropout (2004)
03 U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)
02 Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
01 Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain (1984)
Remember, this list goes back to 1983, but it was Metallica that made it, not Kill ‘Em All (1983), Ride The Lightning (1984), Master Of Puppets (1986), or …And Justice for All (1988). (My vote: Master.) Now study the top 20 again closely and scratch your head some. It’s almost admirably weird. If you’re interested in exploring more lists, head here.
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Sheer and utter Garbage!
this is truly a Shit List
Nevermind
Thriller
Paul’s Boutique
Check Your Head
1984
Pretty Hate machine
Downward Spiral
Ten
Vs
takes a nation of millions…
the chronic
straight outta compton
Purple Rain
maxinquaye
ok computer
the bends
achtung baby
mezzanine
Aenima
siamese Dream
Mellon Collie
Rage against the machine
evil empire
Appetite for destruction
Aquemini (or Southerplayalistic)
Here’s what probably got the most mileage in my cd player the last 25 yrs….in no particular order…
Feel free to remove any duplicate artists with these (sine I didn’t realize I left them out…and I’m leaving out a million more…but man EW…wooo-wee….that was rough.
Weezer – Blue album
Wilco – yankee Hotel foxtrot
Green day – Dookie
Eric B & Rakim – Paid in Full
2pac – Me Against the World
BIG – Ready to Die
…there almost a top 25…of sorts.
Or you can edit these in also…if having more than one artist is a big deal…
Weezer – Blue Album
Eric B & rakim – paid in Full
Wilco – yankee hotel Foxtrot
B.I.G. – ready to Die
2Pac – Me Against the World
Snoop – Doggystyle
I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who would rather see Pinkerton on there than Blue Album?
Isn’t anyone else happy to see 36 Chambers on an EW list?
Mind you…this is Entertainment Weekly….what the hell could these guys know?
1. Jesus And Mary Chain: Psychocandy
2. Arthur Russell: World Of Echo:
3. Smog: Red Apple Falls
4. Dolly Parton: White Limozeen
5. Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks: Orange Crate Art
6. Magnetic Fields: Holiday
Just a few albums I felt were inapproriately snubbed–
for reasons I mostly understand.
Though it’s nice to see Nirvana, Radiohead, and U2 represented by albums other than Nevermind (In Utero’s their best), OK Computer (I’m still partial to The Bends) and The Joshua Tree, this list IS weird. But the whole issue is like that. It really is something more along the lines of most-popular/most-iconic, rather than best.
Oh, yeah, I mean Back to Black totally should be 50 spots ahead of OK Computer.
Even though Im not a fan, Michael Jackson waaaay deserves to be on there. Like the most watched music video of all time, Thiller? hello? Tell me a kid that hasn’t heard that song.
If you planned on putting up a shitty list anyway, why not go all out? Where’s a Kerrang! list?
OMG this list actually pisses me off immensely. I feel like throwing my computer at ongoing traffic. WTF is The College Droout doing on this list at all let alone number 4? When I saw Dangerously In Love I felt like strangling myself and then when I saw The Emancipation of Mimi I just did strangle myself. WTF! is wrong with that Entertainment Weekly place, what a bunch of fucking dickheads. God I am pissed off. It is as if a bunch of 15 year olds made this list with no knowledge of music at all. How the fuck are Beyonce Knowles, Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Justin Timberlake and Shania Twain (just to name a few) in the top 50, but The Smiths and The Stone Roses don’t even get on the list at all? This is obscenely pathetic and it is sad that anyone could make such a shit ass list. I bet their were more EW magazines in public bins that week than there was paper bags.
Hahahahaha
U people are funny!
I agree the list is shit but I think I liked the bends better than ok computer but is this it well diserving being on the list. Oh and ten by pearl jam that album is a classic
hey , what about michael jackson? ¬¬