Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time (480-471)

With our next group of ten, I listened to my first albums from artists I've never heard of before, question the placement of an eighties hair band into the Top 500 and listen to one of my favorite albums of all time.

480. George Michael-Faith

At this point in his career, George Michael is better known for his tabloid stories than his music. Like Eurythmics and Cyndi Lauper before him on this list, I was quite wary about the artist I heard nonstop on the radio growing up. I know many of the songs from Faith through constant replays on Top 40 radio in the early 90s. I’ve never been anti-George Michael, but I’ve never gone out of way to give him a fair chance. Faith is Michael after Wham! and trying to be taken more seriously, the 80s equivalent of Justin Timberlake’s Justified album. Like Justified, it is quite a surprise. The tone is drastically different from what we know of the now-solo artist and the songs are not as surprisingly, catchy. “Faith” hasn’t been destroyed, even after the terrible Limp Bizkit rap-rock interpretation and even the nine-minute plus track “I Want Your Sex” doesn’t over stay its welcome. With many of these artists that were based in the eighties, I have been pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Suggested Track: “Father Figure”

479. Richard and Linda Thompson-I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight

Husband and wife duo Richard and Linda Thompson are the first artists I can truly say I know nothing about and had no preconceived ideas about. The combination of Richard and Linda works well, each taking turns on varying songs, but the album at times sounds a bit too Renaissance Fair-y. It is an album that sounds like you expect an album from the seventies to sound like, if that makes any sense. But Richard’s guitar makes this album an interesting listen, especially on tracks like “The Calvary Cross” that showcases the best of the twosome.

Suggested Track: “The Calvary Cross”

478. LL Cool J-Radio

With our third album in this group of ten, I must say I’ve been mostly disappointed. LL Cool J’s Radio, like the previous two albums, isn’t a bad album by any stretch of the imagination. In fact it is pretty good, especially when you consider that LL was only seventeen when this album came out. This debut stays true to the rappers that paved the way for him, while adding the Rick Rubin production that speaks of things to come in hip-hop. That being said, LL doesn’t flow in the way that I appreciate, like the style of The Sugarhill Gang or Run-D.M.C. Radio shows the cockiness and swagger of a young rapper, but it doesn’t have as much excitement as I hoped it would.

Suggested Track: “Radio”

477. The Fugees-The Score

It’s a true shame that The Fugees never made more than two albums. The more popular of the two, The Score, became a instant hip-hop classic that I’m quite frankly surprised isn’t higher on this list. The Score has two songs that showcase individual members of the band: “Killing Me Softly” for Lauryn Hill and “No Woman, No Cry” for Wyclef Jean. My only real problem with The Score is that Pras, the vastly underrated rapper, doesn’t get this same treatment. But The Score has the trio working together brilliantly and playing off each other in phenomenal ways. Listening to The Score sixteen years after, to the week in fact, it’s hard to not hear the influence on such great rappers at Talib Kweli, Common and Mos Def. The Score is three incredibly important artists in hip-hop performing at their best, only empowered by each other.

Suggested Track: “Ready Or Not”

476. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band-The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band is another one of the first bands I knew nothing about, but their self-titled debut was a nice change for me. I feel like by the end of this list, I will end up liking blues more than I did starting out. Paul Butterfield will most likely be the impetus for this change. I do very much like the fact that they were one of the first blues acts to have both white and black members. To be honest listening to the album, I had no idea Butterfield was white. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band is the kind of blues I like; not having to stick to a certain cadence or style between songs and can still be fun, even while singing the blues.

Suggested Track: “I Got My Mojo Working”

475. Bruce Springsteen-Tunnel of Love

Springsteen is one of the few artists on this list that I know the recent work of, but not so much about the classic albums that have made the artist so great. I was never a true fan of Springsteen and I felt his super-patriotism to be a bit off-putting. But then I listened to The Rising and completely fell in love with Springsteen. Since then, I have been more open to his style and sound and after seeing his performance at the Grammys this year, I was excited to listen to Tunnel of Love.

Tunnel of Love is completely different than anything I’ve listened to of Springsteen prior and yet it also makes sense. Tunnel of Love was the first album Springsteen made without the entire E Street Band and it definitely does have a softer, more introspective feel to Springsteen’s music, which is what I like about him.

While I say I didn’t fall in love with Springsteen music until The Rising, I was a pretty big fan of his song “Secret Garden”, which Tunnel of Love does strongly remind me of. It’s also an album that does sound decidedly eighties, using synthesizers and drum machines in very obvious ways. Tunnel of Love makes me excited to listen to the other Springsteen albums on this list and reassures me of my love for Springsteen.

Suggested Track: “Brilliant Disguise”

 474. Otis Redding-Live in Europe

There are a few great artists on this list that I recognize as legends, but I am nowhere near familiar with them. One such artist, embarrassingly for me, is Otis Redding. Before listening to Live in Europe, I knew two things about Redding: 1. I could at least recognize his distinctive voice and 2. That one of my favorite tracks on Watch the Throne sampled Redding, probably because the song is titled “Otis”.

This lack of knowledge of Redding is why Live in Europe is basically the perfect introduction to me to the great singer. The album features plenty of Redding tracks, but also some other famous works that I already am familiar with, such as “My Girl”, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Day Tripper”. I adored Redding’s takes on these songs. Even if I still for the most part love the originals more, it is always great to hear different interpretations of songs that you already admire.

It doesn’t hurt that Redding does one of my favorite songs of all time, “My Girl”. Had I not known that this was a live album, I would have had no idea. Redding and his band perform every song perfectly and every song is a great experience. Live in Europe is a great primer for me into the world of Redding and I can’t wait to hear more.

Suggested Track: “My Girl”

473. Coldplay-A Rush of Blood to the Head

After 27 albums before it, I finally get to an album that I’ve listened to the entirety of before. And in full disclosure, it is an album I consider one of my all time favorites. There has been a lot of vitriol against Coldplay in recent years, most of which I can understand. Every album since A Rush of Blood to the Head has been a disappointment, never living up their first two albums. But even if their latest three albums have been pretty mediocre, it is hard to discount the brilliance of A Rush of Blood to the Head.

The album starts with one of the greatest opening tracks I can remember, “Politik”, which immediately tells the listener that this is going to be nothing like their debut Parachutes. A Rush of Blood to the Head is filled with incredible tracks like “The Scientist”, “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” and their biggest hit “Clocks”. Looking at the album critically though, it is easy to notice a bit of filler in the middle. “A Whisper” is repetitive and doesn’t really offer much while “In My Place” is their first real misstep and shows the possible vocal restraints that Chris Martin has. But the good here overwhelms the bad.

The album ends with two albums that show the darker side of Coldplay, the side shown on Parachutes and a side that hasn’t really been explored since A Rush of Blood to the Head. The title track is a simple, building track of revenge, desperation and a bit of love, while “Amsterdam”, a song I consider one of my all time favorite songs is sung with such defeat, regret but ends with beautiful hope that it chokes me up every time. When Martin sings “I’m dead on the surface, but I’m screaming underneath,” you believe it, and sounds like the cries of a man of a ledge, ready and willing to jump. And that build at the end, oh goodness, what a great finale to a phenomenal record.

I can understand the current disgust with Coldplay. I really can, even if I do enjoy the occasional newer track. But A Rush of Blood to the Head is Coldplay at their most brilliant, mixing the overenthusiastic piano-based rock of current Coldplay with the heartbroken Coldplay of the past to form a perfect balance.

Suggested Track: “Amsterdam”

472. Def Leppard-Hysteria

Is the best album in a crappy genre of music a good album, or just the lesser evil? I wondered this when I saw Def Leppard on this list. I think back to terrible genres of music in the past (rap-rock, the pop resurgence of the 90s, the current dubstep craze) and amongst these I would include the 80s hair metal that Def Leppard succeeded in. Very much so, in fact Hysteria sold 12 million copies in America alone. In case you’re wondering, that wasn’t even the most successful album of 1987, second only to Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. So with much trepidation, I checked out Hysteria and to my surprise, I didn’t hate it.

Like I’ve said before, I like bands that parody the style of eighties rock such as Andrew W.K. and The Darkness, except with those artists, there is an underlying irony to their albums. Def Leppard is completely dedicated to their style. In fact Def Leppard took over three years to make their follow up to their hit Pyromania. Even crazier, before the release of this album, their drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm, yet continued to perform with Def Leppard.

So I haven’t really said what I thought of Hysteria yet, but the simplest review I can give is that I thought it was okay. It’s definitely over the top and ridiculous, but that does make it fun. I mean any album that has songs called “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Armageddon It” is going to bring some guilty enjoyment. Does all of this make me an instant fan, like it did with Kiss? No it doesn’t. I mean it gets me past having one of the worst names in music history, and I admire their determination, but I have not a gigantic fan now. Hysteria is fun and Def Leppard is much better than I expected, but that’s about all it did for me.

Suggested Track: “Rocket”

471. Echo and the Bunnymen-Heaven Up Here

Echo & the Bunnymen are another blind spot for me, even though I was familiar with the band, mostly for their song “Under the Killing Moon” due to its use in Donnie Darko. Heaven Up Here was quite a surprise for me, sounding almost like The Smiths meet The Talking Heads with a bit of The Cult, which works very well. Heaven Up Here has a very distinctive sound, one that is dark, brooding and I found to be beautiful. There’s an almost ghoulish nature to the sound of the music, especially in the vocals of Ian McCulloch. Heaven Up Here is one of those nice surprises that came out of nowhere that is the reason why I started listening to this entire list in the first place.

Suggested Track: “A Promise”


Here are my personal rankings for the albums I've listened to so far (original chart rankings in parenthesis):


1. Coldplay-A Rush of Blood to the Head (473)
2. The Smashing Pumkins-Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (487)
3. Funkadelic-Maggot Brain (486)
4. The Fugees-The Score (477)
5. The Notorious B.I.G.-Life After Death (483)
6. Bruce Springsteen-Tunnel of Love (475)
7. Otis Redding-Live in Europe (474)
8. Echo & the Bunnymen-Heaven Up Here (471)
9. Kiss-Destroyer (496)
10. D'Angelo-Voodoo (488)
11. Earth, Wind and Fire-That's the Way of the World (493)
12. Loretta Lynn-All Time Greatest Hits (485)
13. Public Enemy-Yo! Bum Rush the Show (497)
14. The Smiths-The Smiths (481)
15. Cyndi Lauper-She's So Unusual (494)
16. Steve Earle-Guitar Town (489)
17. Gang of Four-Entertainment! (490)
18. The Paul Butterfield Blues Band-The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (476)
19. Husker Du-New Day Rising (495)
20. Mott the Hoople-All the Young Dudes (491)
21. Merle Haggard-Branded Man (484)
22. Eurythmics-Touch (500)
23. Pearl Jam-Vitalogy (492)
24. George Michael-Faith (480)
25. Richard and Linda Thompson-I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight (479)
26. Elvis Costello & the Attractions-Armed Forces (482)
27. Def Leppard-Hysteria (472)
28. LL Cool J-Radio (478)
29. Albert King-Born Under a Bad Sign (499)
30. ZZ Top-Tres Hombres (498)


Also if you'd like to follow along, here's my link for the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums on Spotify.