Mini Reviews of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums: 370-361
Back in September of 2020, Rolling Stone did something rather audacious and released out to the world a ranking of, in their estimation, the Top 500 albums ever made. By any musician, any band, anywhere.
It's a mammoth undertaking, of course, and one that is never going to be without controversy, dispute, and backlash. But Rolling Stone has to have known that by now, as this is actually their third go-round with this; the original "Greatest 500" was released to much furor in 2003, and then an updated list came in 2012. What sets this ranking apart is it's not just Rolling Stone contributors; this time, they sought input from some of the biggest artists and producers on the scene, to essentially make this ranking more of an aggregation of what are generally considered the greatest albums, than just a compilation ranking by the staff of one entertainment outlet, I suppose.
Anyways! I was always aware of this list, but at the outset of 2022, being ever the musichead, ever the listophile, I made a plan to complete what some might argue is just as audacious an undertaking: I want to listen to all 500, regardless of my familiarity (or lack thereof) with a particular album, regardless of my feelings towards its artist. I'm going to listen to all 500, in order. And I'm going to share my thoughts on them, but because there are literally hundreds of albums to get through, I pledge to keep said thoughts to a sentence or two.
I recognize this is going to take me ages. It's a marathon, not a sprint! In fact, as I imagined might be the case, there's already been a revision to the"500 Greatest Albums" before I even finished this edition. But regardless of whether you will take this epic journey with me, I hope you will check in on me from time-to-time, to gauge how I feel about what Rolling Stone deemed the 491st-best album of all time.
In case you need the link to reference the source material:
And in case you missed my previous entries, here were my rundowns on:
Here are my thoughts on numbers 390-381:
Rating: 8.5/10
I actually listened to this amidst the controversy of Lil Wayne being "passed over" for the Super Bowl Halftime Show-- a faux-controversy I found very annoying, and although I had my brief Lil Wayne era in high school, I have since soured on him, and thus was hoping I could roll my eyes at this album being on this list. Unfortunately, I cannot; this may lack the sheer volume of ready-made bangers that would come in Tha Carter III a few years later, but this album absolutely flows from start to finish. Great record from a rapper that was arguably THE rapper of the 2000s.
Rating: 8/10
Man, there's just nothing like 90s hip-hop. Not sure that any individual tracks stood out, but such a smooth listen from start to finish, apart from the various skits that lend to the profound and personal storytelling.
Rating: 9/10
Like any good lifelong Beatle fan, I listened closely to all 1 hour and 45 minutes of George Harrison's triple album, his full-length debut as a solo artist one year removed from the Beatle breakup. Were all 100+ minutes filler-free? Of course not, but it was pretty darn close, which is impressive. Just a phenomenal body of work, and "My Sweet Lord" remains one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
Rating: 6.5/10
I try not to make a habit of listening to Drake, so I haven't heard too many of his albums in full, including this one. I know this is widely considered one of his best works, and perhaps his best "straight-up rap" albums. My opinion on it is the same as my opinion on most of Drake's best rapping: fine! Nice beats, good flow, hit-or-miss lyrics, perfectly fine to listen to, not memorable at all.
Rating: 7.5/10
To be honest, I was never big into Aerosmith; I more favored the Brit rock that preceded them by a decade or so. But I'd be lying if I said this album wasn't a ton of fun. Just top to bottom "shook me all night long"-core.
Rating: 7/10
I'll confess I expected to like this record a little more than I did; I'm a Rap fan and am well aware how beloved this album (and Madvillain and MF Doom themselves) was in the Rap world. I think it was just a little too experimental to stick with me. As an overall project, though, still a wholly worthwhile listen, don't get me wrong.
Rating: 7/10
I'm not an avid follower of Talking Heads, but certainly am familiar and appreciative of their work. This album was pretty much in line with how I generally perceive David Byrne and his style: funky, groovy, flows together as a whole album really well, but not quite as noteworthy over recording as I imagine it would be in concert.
Rating: 8.5/10
I'm a simple man. If you recommend an album that's just 40 straight minutes of stanky funk, I'm gonna dig it. (Especially if said album includes "We Want The Funk," which basically became the unofficial anthem for the genre.)
Rating: 8/10
Heading into my first listen, I was unsure how much Luther Vandross I actually knew...and then instantly recognized the opening chords of the album! Coming in at less than 40 minutes, this is just a short and smooth, summery vibe. A must-play at block parties and cookouts.
Rating: 6/10
Pop punk as a genre does little for me, but this album as a whole at least comes from a golden era of pop punk-- and taps into some unfiltered, angsty middle school nostalgia for me. As a whole album, I probably won't return to it any time soon, but man, "Welcome To The Black Parade" is as incredible today as it was when I was in 6th grade.
Comments