EW's best 100 albums of the last 25 years.

I find myself sucked into these things. Back in 1987, rolling stone magazine put out a list of the best LPs of the prior 20 years and I had 56 of 100.


*1. Purple Rain - Prince and the Revolution (1984): Tosy wrote: "I have a hunch this is going to be one of those albums where I know most of the songs without realizing it." Yes, Tosy, I'm sure it is.

*2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill (1998): I like, not love it.

*3. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991): only my 2nd favorite U2 album.

4. The College Dropout - Kanye West (2004): Not a big rap fan.

5. Madonna - Madonna (1983): Only have her greatest hits

*6. American Idiot - Green Day (2004): the problem with individual downloads is that one loses the sense of the album. This is an ALBUM, which I got from ADD.

7. The Blueprint- Jay-Z: (2001)

*8. Graceland - Paul Simon (1986): one of those albums I own both in vinyl and CD. Not always happy memories of two relationships, but that's not the album's fault.

*9. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse (2007): Someone gave it to me, listened a couple times, not bad. But her personal drama, I think, overwhelms an objective listen.
Curious.

10. In Rainbows - Radiohead (2007)

*11. MTV Unplugged in New York - Nirvana (1994): the Nirvana I used to play at work, before Cubicleland.

12. Stankonia - OutKast (2000): I actually have had this on my Amazon want list for a while. (Note to self: update Amazon want list with new releases by Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, and others.) I have "Hey Ya" on a mixed CD from Fred Hembeck.

13. You Are Free - Cat Power (2003)

14. Disintegration - The Cure (1989). I have one Cure album, not this one.

15. The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem (2000)

16. Rain Dogs - Tom Waits (1985)

17. Odelay - Beck (1996). I have a mixed Beck album, which I like.

18. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest (1990)

19. Dangerously in Love - Beyoncé (2003)

*20. Tidal - Fiona Apple (1996): have to be in the mood.

21. The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey (2005)

22. 3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul (1989): have some De La soul, not this.

23. The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips (1999)

24. Come On Over - Shania Twain (1997)

25. Turn On the Bright Lights - Interpol (2002)

*26. Time Out of Mind - Bob Dylan (1997). Only my 2nd favorite late Dylan album.

27. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)

28. Illmatic - Nas (1994)

29. Breakaway - Kelly Clarkson (2004). Bought her debut album for my wife.

30. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987). Only have the double CD, which I listen to about 60% of.

*31. FutureSex/LoveSounds - Justin Timberlake (2006): given to me. Wouldn't have bought for myself, but more enjoyable than I would have thought. Still, don't play it much.

*32. Life's Rich Pageant - R.E.M. (1985). Better than I had remembered.

33. As I Am - Alicia Keys (2007)

34. Is This It - The Strokes (2001)

*35. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette (1995): by this point, I'd stopped listening to much radio and STILL heard three of these songs quite a bit.

*36. CrazySexyCool - TLC (1994)

37. The Moon & Antarctica - Modest Mouse (2000)

38. Raising Hell - Run DMC (1986)

*39. Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow (1996): probably haven't listened to for a while.

40. Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

*41. Legend - Bob Marley and the Wailers (1984): it's a very fine greatest hits album.

42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)- Wu-Tang Clan (1993)

43. Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys (1989)

*44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams (1998) - Top 5 album of the 1990s for me

45. If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle and Sebastian (1996)

46. Homogenic - Björk (1997): no Björk, though I do have a Sugarcubes aklbum

*47. Exile in Guyville - Liz Phair (1993): listened to this in the car ride to Virginia in April. Still like it.

*48. American IV: The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash (2002). Have all five John R. albums; which one of the first four I favor tends to be changeable.

49. A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay (2002)

*50. Sounds of Silver - LCD Soundsystem (2007): bought this solely on the basis of bloggers I respect. Like it, but haven't played it enough to have imprinted into my soul.

*51. The Score - Fugees (1996). Love and hate in equal measure.

52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon (2007)

*53. King of America - Elvis Costello (1986). Have on vinyl. Not the first EC I would have thought of.

*54. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson (1989): in spite of those perhaps silly attempts to be "relevant", I really like this album.

55. It Takes a Nation of Millions... - Public Enemy (1988)

56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002): still on my Amazon wish list. Have earlier Wilco.

*57. Harvest Moon - Neil Young (1992). at least Top 10 album of the 1990s.

58. Surfer Rosa - The Pixies (1988). I have Pixies on vinyl; will have to pull out.

59. Ray of Light - Madonna (1998)

60. Crooked Rain Crooked Rain - Pavement (1994)

61. Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim (1987)

*62. OK Computer - Radiohead (1997): don't love it.

*63. The Joshua Tree - U2 (1987). I put this on my desert album list in 1988 and it remains.

64. Mama's Gun - Erykah Badu (2000): have her first album.

65. Elephant - The White Stripes (2003): have White Blood Cells.

66. The Chronic - Dr. Dre (1992)

67. Metallica - Metallica (1991)

*68. Wrecking Ball - Emmylou Harris (1995): I have this friend who loved Emmylou, but hated this Daniel Lanois-produced album. I have a lot of Emmylou on vinyl, but this, my first Emmylou on CD, I quite enjoyed.

69. Give Up - The Postal Service (2003)

70. My Life - Mary J. Blige (1994)

71. Rock Steady - No Doubt (2001): have an earlier album.

72. 1984 - Van Halen (1984): have some VH, not this.

73. The Queen is Dead - Smiths (1986). No Smiths but I do have a Morissey.

*74. Play - Moby (1999). Could have seen him live in 1998 for free, but I had never heard of him. My loss.

*75. Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen (1984): my late brother-in-law bought me about six Springsteen CDs for Christmas in 2000, so I have this in two forms.

76. Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams (2000)

77. Dummy - Portishead (1994)

*78. Vs. - Pearl Jam (1991): have four Pearl Jam albums, but this is my favorite.

79. Let It Be - The Replacements (1984). Like the Don't Tell a Soul album; should get this.

80. Back to Basics - Christina Aguilera (2006)

81. The Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails (1994)

82. Grace - Jeff Buckley (1994)

*83. Learning to Crawl - The Pretenders (1984): at some level, I suppose I like this album because the band managed to survive the loss of two of its members.

84. Low-Life - New Order (1985): have some earlier remix.

*85. Home - Dixie Chicks (2002): about a week after the political controversy, I was so annoyed with the backlash that I went out to the Rite Aid at lunch and bought this CD. I probably would have eventually - I had the first two Natalie Maines-led discs - but I was prompted to buy it right away. That I liked it was a bonus.

86. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (1991)

87. All Eyez on Me - 2Pac (1996)

*88. So - Peter Gabriel (1986): one of those annoying things record companies did to promote the new CD technology was to put an extra song on the CD. Since I didn't have a CD player, I bought the vinyl, but was annoyed. Years later, bought the CD. Ditto on this with #94.

89. Bachelor No. 2 - Aimee Mann (2000)

90. Toxicity - System of a Down (2001). Have their debut album.

91. Siamese Dream - Smashing Pumpkins (1993)

92. The Writing's on the Wall - Destiny’s Child (1999). Have the follow-up, Survivor.

93. Either/Or - Elliott Smith (1997)

*94. Synchronicity - The Police (1983): Tosy wrote: "Easily their best, even with 'Mother'." Sounds right.

95. Trap Muzik T.I. (2003)

96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea - PJ Harvey (2000)

97. Britney - Britney Spears (2001)

98. Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie (2003)

99. Live Through This - Hole (1994)

100. Faith - George Michael (1987)

33 out of 100 this time, if I counted correctly.

ROG