Rolling Stone's Best Albums Of '06
List season is in full swing, and we fully acknowledge how difficult it is to put one together without everyone shitting all over it. Hell we revel in it. But Rolling Stone ... Stadium Arcadium at #2?! Umm. Well Rolling Stoners, we invite you to anonymously post in the comments and tell us how embarrassed you are to work there. Even if your desks are really clean!
50. It's Never Been Like That - Phoenix
49. Pick A Bigger Weapon - The Coup
48. Public Warning - Lady Sovereign
47. Brightblack Morning Light - Brightback Morning Light
46. You Don't Know Me: The Songs Of Cindy Waker - Willie Nelson
45. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case
44. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
43. Tropicalia: A Brazilian Revolution In Sound - Various Artists
42. Under The Skin - Lindsey Buckingham
41. Friendly Fire - Sean Lennon
40. Make History - Thunderbirds Are Now!
39. The Tragic Treasury - The Gothic Archies
38. 10,000 Days - Tool
37. Alive And Kickin' - Fats Domino
36. I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass - Yo La Tengo
35. Once Again - John Legend
34. The Eraser - Thom Yorke
33. The Devil You Know - Todd Snider
32. Supernature - Goldfrapp
31. Like Father, Like Son - Birdman And Lil Wayne
30. Robbers & Cowards - Cold War Kids
29. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions - Bruce Springsteen
28. Broken Boy Soldiers - The Raconteurs
27. Pieces Of The People We Love - The Rapture
26. FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake
25. Blue Collar - RhymefestHey look at #18, Ahmir! Somebody still loves ya. Think maybe the editorial staff took the week off and let these kids put it together? 'Cause ya know, making lists really pays off. Usually in vagina.
24. The Information - Beck
23. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists
22. Night Ripper - Girl Talk
21. Begin To Hope - Regina Spektor
20. The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
19. Taking The Long Way - Dixie Chicks
18. Game Theory - The Roots
17. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - Arctic Monkeys
16. Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco
15. Wolfmother - Wolfmother
14. American V: A Hundred Highways - Johnny Cash
13. Pearl Jam - Pearl Jam
12. One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This - The New York Dolls
11. Continuum - John Mayer
10. Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers And Bastards - Tom Waits
09. Blood Mountain - Mastodon
08. Boys And Girls In America - The Hold Steady
07. Hell Hath No Fury - Clipse
06. The Greatest - Cat Power
05. Fishscale - Ghostface Killah
04. Return To Cookie Mountain - TV On The Radio
03. Rather Ripped - Sonic Youth
02. Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
01. Modern Times - Bob Dylan
Posted at 2:49 PM in Shit List, Year-End List
Tags: Red Hot Chili Peppers
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Its good to see Dylan as no.1. His music on this album is a return to the root of Rock 'n Roll, for those who can remeber its inception. And his poetry is as usual though provoking, lonely, and original. What else could you ask for outside of a good hymn?
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Who cares about returning to the root of rock 'n roll? How 'bout if dinosaur mags like Rolling Stone would instead focus on celebrating music that's actually inventive and new?
And I reserve my ire not only for uber-oldsters. I think Rather Ripped at #3 is an equally heinous choice.
(Perhaps I should also add that I own every Dyland and SY album, so it's not from a dislike of either that I write these comments.)
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I don't think it's that bad of list considering the audience they are writing to. If Rolling Stone didn't put in some really major acts, the ones that have no business being there, there would be nothing for their readers to relate to and therefore probably wouldn't try and look at those artists they didn't recongize. So hopefully some of the people that read it will go out and find some good music to listen to.
Basically, they are not trying to appeal to the people that read this blog.
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RHCP @ #2? Seriously? Who gives a fuck about this band anymore? That album is fucking GOD AWUL and yet it's earning Grammy nods up the ying and falling at #2 here? I mean...I know RS ain't the be all end all but come on...there has to be some serious payola going on for that pile of shit to be getting ANY year-end attention at all.
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as a respected friend once said, "a good backing band does not a good album make." that being said, Dylan should not be #1. All of RS's favorites are undeservedly high on this list- pearl jam, beck, sonic youth, john mayer...
Rolling Stone continues to be a joke of a rag when it comes to reviewing new music.
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Inventive and new? You are forgetting about futuresex/lovesounds...
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Who cares about returning to the root of rock 'n roll? How 'bout if dinosaur mags like Rolling Stone would instead focus on celebrating music that's actually inventive and new?
And I reserve my ire not only for uber-oldsters. I think Rather Ripped at #3 is an equally heinous choice.
(Perhaps I should also add that I own every Dyland and SY album, so it's not from a dislike of either that I write these comments.)
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There IS some inventive and new stuff on the list, of course. Didn't mean to imply that everything listed was Dylan-esque...
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John Mayer is #11. Bwaaahahahaha
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Phoenix, The Rapture, Wolfmother, and Cold War Kids all made the list, but no Joanna Newsom, Band Of Horses, etc. One could posit that the Stone only picks 'indie' bands with crossover potential and certified indie heavyweights, like the Decemberists or TV On The Radio. Of course, Belle & Sebastian, The Black Keys, The Rakes, Tahiti 80, and others aren't here, so that shoots that down. And WTF? moments like Goldfrapp are just way out in left field.
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To be honest, since Tom Waits and the Hold Steady are in the top 10, I really don't care about the rest of the list, however abominable it may be.
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I saw Neko Case at 45 and lost interest. Acknowledging that her album exists and then ranking it anywhere under 10 implies some sort of mental retardation.
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yeah, neko should have been higher.
what's up with them "getting" Cold War Kids, Brightblack Morning Light and Girl Talk
yet snubbing Midlake, Grizzly Bear, Beirut
easily 3 of the best albums of the year
A bummer list, but I suppose all around not that surprising
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This list is about as good and diverse as you're going to get from a major magazine.
And it's almost entirely made up of artists/bands you've actualy heard of - exceptions being the Brazilian compilation and The Gothic Archies. Anyone care to explain what they sound like and if they're really any good? Did STEREOGUM cover them earlier this year and I miss the item?
Also, did anyone else pick up on the subtle New Orleans-vibe on this list? Fats Domino is on this list! And Bruce Springsteen's Seeger Sessions CD has New Orleans-style music/musicians written all over it.
And as far as SY and RHCP being high up on the list is concerned, maybe they don't belong numbers 2 and 3 albums of 2006 but I think they're both worthy of the Top Ten; I would definitely have Rather Ripped ahead of Stadium Arcadium, simply because it's a more coherent and plain better album as a whole - no fillers.
Having said that, I would also point out that a recent Guitar Player magazine article in which John Frusciante described the recording process and guitar work behind every song on SA made me (and should make you) appreciate the album and the effort that went into it a while lot more.
As far as the rest of the list is concerned, it's not worth it to complain about the ORDER of where bands are on these lists, just that they make it at all. I'm surprised that RS didn't include the new Mars Volta CD on this list (since their guitarist appears on the RHCP's SA and it's gotten high priase from so many critics ... and from good friends of mine).
And speaking of dinosaur rock, I'm surprised the new CAT STEVENS/YUSUF CD didn't make it on here. And I know it must have killed the Rolling Stone staff to not include THE WHO's new album in their year end list - it got so many mixed reviews that they knew they couldn't justify it being an album of the year contender. Same with Tom Petty's '06 CD.
Overall, this RS list is as good as you're going to find anywhere (and that doesn't include a bunch of obscure artists).
SPIN magazine? Your list is bound to disappoint, but I'll read it anyway when it comes in the mail.
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Considering the source...not bad at all (I mean, Ghostface is no. 5, that's some impressive shit right there).
However, Dylan's token no.1 slot is the pussiest choice possible.
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willie nelson, lindsey buckingham, sean lennon, fats domino, bruce springsteen, dixie chicks, pearl jam, ny dolls, john mayer and rhcp. Ten starbucks/vh1 artists that have no business on a top 50 of 2006 list. That's 20% of the list. Better than many past RS "best of" lists, but still pretty sucky.
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Hey indie yuppies, this list looks pretty great to me. My guess is they put the Chili Peppers in there just so that blogs like this, and people like us will waste keystrokes talking about it.
Isn't Jann Wenner's desire for clean desks a good thing? Who wants to look at your homely cubicle neighbor's 36 pictures of her cousin's ugly newborn and collection of Beanie Babies anyway?
but seriously, Chili Peppers at #2?
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Is it just me, or has 2006 been a really lame year for music?
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RHCP deserves to be on that list and SA is an amazing album. It features master production by Rick Rubin, and SA is an example of how a band can continue to grow. RHCP may not be indie, but they are true artists. That's more that can be said for a lot of those making music these days.
P.S. Thanks to Chuck for recommending that GP interview with Frusciante -- very electric.
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yay, cold war kids!
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How can KT Tunstall not be on this list? and who actually listens to Bob Dylan except for his classics?
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RHCP deserves to be on that list and SA is an amazing album. It features master production by Rick Rubin, and SA is an example of how a band can continue to grow. RHCP may not be indie, but they are true artists. That's more that can be said for a lot of those making music these days.
P.S. Thanks to Chuck for recommending that GP interview with Frusciante -- very electric.
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RHCP deserves to be on that list and SA is an amazing album. It features master production by Rick Rubin, and SA is an example of how a band can continue to grow. RHCP may not be indie, but they are true artists. That's more that can be said for a lot of those making music these days.
P.S. Thanks to Chuck for recommending that GP interview with Frusciante -- very electric.
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You can laugh all you want at John Mayer, but Continuum is a pretty damn good album, actually. I'd put it on the list. That doesn't change the fact that some of their choices/omissions are absolutely shocking. Where is Beirut and Joanna Newsom? Those albums are absolutely astonishing. Also, Bob Dylan as #1? I guess I'm not really surprised by that. It IS Rolling Stone afterall...
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NORMZ LIST
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I'm pretty surprised that Springsteen didn't make the list. Seems perfectly logical choice to me, and it was certainly worthy of making the top 50.
I'm sure the list was compiled by taking various staffers top 10 lists and seeing who got the most votes, so its understandable that the indie acts that were worthy but likely didn't pass across everyone's desk had no chance of making it in.
It does hurt my Okie heart that neither the Lips nor the Starlight Mints made it, but that's like in the plains I guess.
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This thing's a mess. There's a whole lot of crap. Some unexpected low key albums, and somewhere, lost in there, some legitimate good stuff. But it just seems like market research gone awry.
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Anyone else surprised that Gnarls Barkley didn't make it on the list, but Goldfrapp did? I guess "Ooh La La" was the preferred over-saturated song of the year for RS.
IN re: RHCP. I'll probably read that Frusciante interview being that I WAS a RHCP (SA pissed me off) but AM a Frusciante fan (those solo albums are terrific). Frusciante's very magnetic and could make crap like SA seem exciting just by talking about it.
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No love for Gnarls? Come on!
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Does anyone else see this as an indication of the sad and vapid state in which contemporary music finds itself? I absolutely love Bob Dylan, but this is like Duke Ellington winning the Rolling Stone Poll in 1967. Except wait, by 1967, the following albums had already been released:
All of Dylan's stuff up til Blonde on Blonde
Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Peppers, Bookends, Strange Days, Pet Sounds....need I go on?
It warms my heart that for each of the thousands of "TVOTR"s, there is one, and only one, Robert Zimmerman, but man, shouldn't we be moving forward a bit?
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Does anyone else see this as an indication of the sad and vapid state in which contemporary music finds itself? I absolutely love Bob Dylan, but this is like Duke Ellington winning the Rolling Stone Poll in 1967. Except wait, by 1967, the following albums had already been released:
All of Dylan's stuff up til Blonde on Blonde
Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Peppers, Bookends, Strange Days, Pet Sounds....need I go on?
It warms my heart that for each of the thousands of "TVOTR"s, there is one, and only one, Robert Zimmerman, but man, shouldn't we be moving forward a bit?
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has one of you fuckers that are blasting Stadium Arcadium listened to the album at all? or do you just not like Dani California and assume it all sounds like that... cause it doesn't...
you guys should be the first ones to know that a single doesn't represent the album... so go listen to it, both cds, and then come back...
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has one of you fuckers that are blasting Stadium Arcadium listened to the album at all? or do you just not like Dani California and assume it all sounds like that... cause it doesn't...
you guys should be the first ones to know that a single doesn't represent the album... so go listen to it, both cds, and then come back...
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I think I need to stop reading these year end lists. I just get angry. Red Hot Chilli Peppers? JEzus.
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Still better than any Brit mag's list.
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I really don't understand everyone's beef here with Mayer. Should he have been number 11? No. But his album is really great and have some of the best tracks I've heard all year from any band. I think that article that talked about Americans only liking what is cool is right (I'm American too by the way)...
The list sucks though, where the hell is the Islands??
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Still better than any Brit mag's list.
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yeah, I listened to the RHCP and Mayer discs. they suck.
and it's sad that it's now become obligatory to embrace each new dylan disc no matter the quality/consistency. presumably as other baby boomer artists get farther away from their best output but closer to being visited by the grim reaper, some are also going to get the same treatment (i'm looking at you neil young, etc.)
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ok...what's wrong with john mayer? nothing just because they play his shit on pop radio and mtv doesn't mean he sucks. i give that list a C for no joanna newsom and for fucking my chemical romance before decemberists and for no gnarls
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Nothing wrong with John Mayer if you are a teenage girl or a soccer mom. No nine minute harp songs - count your blessings.
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i seriously cannot wait til the day when that arctic monkeys cd will finally be too old to show up on any list...
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I guess that America only liking what is cool article is right eh Dean? Your post seems to prove that perfectly.
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Hey Charlemagne, Bruce Springsteen IZ on the RS list! At #29! How you missed that, I don't know but he's there alright.
Also, one more shocking omission from a list belonging to Rolling Stone: NEIL YOUNG'S LIVING WITH WAR CD. Nevermind that it could've been produced better - I believe Neil remixed it and the remixed LwW should be out soon if it isn't already - it's the RAW POWER, the patriotic songs and politically-charged ones that I thought Rolling Stone, especially the National Affairs department would naturally fall in love with!
I would love to hear/read from RS why they omitted it from their not top 20, but TOP 50!
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they did a good job with their hip-hop selections: Hell Hath No Fury is a furious, fantastic album.
But Neko Case should have been higher than that.
I mean, Sean Lennon?
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That Thom Yorke album does not deserve to be anywhere near this list. Biggest disappointment of 2006. Then again, there's a lot to complain about here. Meh. It's not worth the effort.
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What is wrong with Stadium Arcadium? "It sucks" or some equivalent is not an acceptable answer.
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Rolling Stone has been a crap mag ever since they stopped folding it in half. It's nothing but a Gap ad now. Neko Case's CD should be at least in the top 20. No Neil Young, M. Ward, or Joanna Newsom. Sigh.
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stadium arcadium was much better when it was released 8 years ago as "one hot minute"
...zing!
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What's wrong with Stadium Arcadium? After listening to it a couple of times, I don't want to listen to it again. The best songs on it do not have that special something that grabs you and makes you want to hit repeat over and over again. The lyrics are nothing special as well. Do Stadium Arcadium and the Mayer disc have some, actually many, fans for which that is the response - sure; pretty much any disc has some people that love it. But, by and large, most people who would describe themselves as music fanatics and search for varied artists often in the indie sphere have gone "eah" after listening to those discs.
I wouldn't call the Hold Steady or the Modern Times (should be on list, just not No. 1) cool, but they are good discs, with a high percentage of good tracks.
I'd also be the first to admit that indie/blog consensus can be as dull as mainstream consensus. If you look at all the "best of" lists on the mp3 blogs, there is a high percentage of stifling conformity.
But it's not like the indie crowd always hates what's popular in terms of sales/airplay. There's been a lot of love in the past for some stefani/clarkson, etc. tracks/albums.
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One Hot Minute doesn't sound anything like SA, and the only song off OHM that really would fit with the SA tracklisting and overall sound is "Tearjerker."
If you listened to the production on OHM, especially with the guitar work and Anthony's vocals, it's completely different.
AND
ONE HOT MINUTE IS DAVE NAVARRO, NOT JOHN FRUSCIANTE.
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Yeah what no Gnarls Barkley??
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Thank goodness John Mayer and The Dixie Chicks are in the top 20. Makes me realise the importance of Rolling Stone and how it's so in tune with music.
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well i kinda like this list. Regina spektor (even though begin to hope wasn't as good as soviet kitsch), goldfrapp (even though supernature wasn't as good as black cherry) and the decemberists (although the crane wife and any other album by them will never compare to castaways and cutouts). although i don't like the fact that yeah yeah yeahs are so high up the list at #44. whatever.
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Inventive and new? C'mon people, despite the Pearl Jam & RHCP inclusion, Mastodon is at #9. If Rolling Stone can at least recognize this brilliant album, they deserve just a little bit of credit. But not much more.
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The shit talk on Dylan is too much for me. You can say you personally don't like his music, but to descredit him is ridiculous. This is the most important musical figure since Elvis and here we are 50 years later and he's still making albums that are as good as anything else coming out. Yes, he does traditional American music, but we're in America. The argument about his backing band is blown out of proportion, it's more about his ability to invoke a certain sensibility, because the band really isn't doing anything that crazy. I think he just has a broad appeal that most modern people find familiar and interesting, all while maintaining the highest level of integrity, which to me is an art ideal.
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And saying music is in a sad state is also ridiculous. Remember when Limp Bizkit and Creed were making headlines. Wow, that was sad. Indie bands and new innovative bands get tons of exposure thanks to blogs and a whole new scene of labels and fans like yourselves.
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Hey, RHCP and John Mayer I can take, barely (I mean, hey -- retards have to listen to something, too). But that horrible New York Dolls rehash was a putrid pile of puke. Of course, it made the old geezers at RS nostalgic (like about half of the top 15), so they put it at #12. If I want to know what RS thinks about music, I'll just bypass them and ask my old stoner aunt.
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No Strokes? I could see why the Killers were left out, but the Strokes?
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Strokes...and about 20 other great bands releasing exciting new sounds. But RS has to have room for all the 60s revivalists! Only they didn't put the most-deserving 60s revival band on the list -- the Pipettes!
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Sorry, who's Bob Dylan?
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2006 has been kind of... blah.
Cookie Mountain is pretty freaking awesome - but no Arcade Fire type shit going down here.
I can list probably 20 really good to great cd's copped this year - but I can't think of anything that I've managed to listen to at a consistent pace all year.
Except maybe Beirut and Mylo. But I feel that music this year progressed at a much slower rate then the past 3. There were big, unarguably forward jumps made by lots of artists from 2002 ro 2005. This year felt like everyone tried to anticipate the jump a little too much - sound wise that is.
That is - unless you saw Daft Punk live this year. Cause that's fucking the greatest bit of musical entertainment ever made.
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2006 has been kind of... blah.
Cookie Mountain is pretty freaking awesome - but no Arcade Fire type shit going down here.
I can list probably 20 really good to great cd's copped this year - but I can't think of anything that I've managed to listen to at a consistent pace all year.
Except maybe Beirut and Mylo. But I feel that music this year progressed at a much slower rate then the past 3. There were big, unarguably forward jumps made by lots of artists from 2002 ro 2005. This year felt like everyone tried to anticipate the jump a little too much - sound wise that is.
That is - unless you saw Daft Punk live this year. Cause that's fucking the greatest bit of musical entertainment ever made.
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2006 has been kind of... blah.
Cookie Mountain is pretty freaking awesome - but no Arcade Fire type shit going down here.
I can list probably 20 really good to great cd's copped this year - but I can't think of anything that I've managed to listen to at a consistent pace all year.
Except maybe Beirut and Mylo. But I feel that music this year progressed at a much slower rate then the past 3. There were big, unarguably forward jumps made by lots of artists from 2002 ro 2005. This year felt like everyone tried to anticipate the jump a little too much - sound wise that is.
That is - unless you saw Daft Punk live this year. Cause that's fucking the greatest bit of musical entertainment ever made.
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I don't get how they'll make Crazy their #1 song, then leave St. Elsewhere off the top 50 albums. I have Gnarls on top on both lists for myself.
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Fuck this shit. I'm going to listen to Joanna Newsom while I sip on a Mai-Tai. Bitches.
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2006: a year of remembering better days.
all i have to say is that this year's album releases have been good, respected artists that release blah, monotone music.
the top 50 is just a collaboration of ppl who we know and love for their past songs, not really their new.
pearl jam? RHCP?? Cat power is even just a collectin of her greatest hits.
except, i do agree that the strokes new FIOTE was exciting, new, and brilliantly done.
and i love anything regina spektor releases.
2007, dont disappoint me!
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The real question is where is Jim Jones on the list. BAAALLLLLIIIIN'
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Hey what about Joanna Newsom? Justin Timberlake! Dumb asses. Who cares about Rolling Stone magazine anyway these days.
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Hey what about Joanna Newsom? Justin Timberlake! Dumb asses. Who cares about Rolling Stone magazine anyway these days.
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Hey what about Joanna Newsom? Justin Timberlake! Dumb asses. Who cares about Rolling Stone magazine anyway these days.
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Hey what about Joanna Newsom? Justin Timberlake! Dumb asses. Who cares about Rolling Stone magazine anyway these days.
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For all of you people who are bagging on Stadium Arcadium...you all can shut the fuck up,and take your
shitty comments and shove up your ass!Have you even listened to the album? If Rolling Stone wants to name
Stadium Arcadium the second best album of 2006,so be it.That's their opinion.I don't think the album is the worst piece of garbage on earth. It's actually pretty good. Compared to all of the crappy music being released today,RHCP are geniuses.I guess all of you like listening to Britney Spears,and Ashley Simpson lip synching her way to stardom.
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I'd say Rolling Stone has got it right. Bob Dylan is #1 as he is so surreal and classy in his writing and not his same old cheap sale sex appeal by the likes of Timberlake. Ahh SARSfest in Toronto, those water bottles thrown at him made me laugh. I do feel bad for him but his music and that whole sex thing is so paling to the glory of actually great music. RHCP are good too but theres just something about Stadium Arcadium that should have put it a little lower, maybe ten spots down but its not #2 material. I love Pearl Jam and some of those Mayer songs actually sound really good.
Dylan is a lasting voice from a former era that knew itself better and while I like artists from today, I wish I could have grown up with the older stuff cause its music that gains more respect and integrity rather than just to play at some dumb dance club.
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in the previous comment I made a mistake, it should say "and not THE same old cheap sale sex appeal..." on the second line
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