The fifty all time best albums by Q magazine readers...

What if you had room for 237 albums 'though?

some of these are just bewildering.

Blonde on blonde, and...

Oh, Exile on main street, as its a double and I haven't got/heared it.

Interesting Kid A being in the Top Ten now though, only five years ago non clued-in listeners would have found that one quite radical (yes I know, not really... I'm thinking of mums & dads not following the shifts of IDM & Electronica very closely), now it's the token 'radical' choice and they've run off with the 'New Beatles Substitute' honours.

I bet Coldplay wish they had pushed the limits a bit more on X&Y now eh?

-- Theorry Henry

18 forever!!

I think Kate is always in these lists btw. Feels horribly tokenistic in the (rocktastic) company but there you go.

1. Let's play domination
2. Marquee Moon
3. Forever changes
4. Nuggets box
5. Trout Mask
6. Os mutantes
7. Giant Steps Boo Radleys

to be continued...

to be continues.ss

I'm bored now.

Start again.

Nos 4, 6, 10, 17, 28, 34, 36, 39, 50, 51, 61, 66 (but de stijl's better), 72 (I'll give it a go), and finally 95.

And 28 > 20?

Really?

And you'd pick 6, 39 and 61 rather than 12 (even if it isn't the best album The Smiths did), 42, 43, 44 or (next best thing to a Beefheart album) 99?

I'm surprised.

And a little hurt.

28 > 20? Ah, I've heared it too much I guess. Actually, youre right. There's enough to love there. It's probably because of that 'deluxe' edition that I played once, like you said I would. My bad.

42 is one I don't need as I could play it in my head all the way through and hear odd little things I missed every time. The timpani solo in "I'll be your mirror". The oboe in "European son".

43 and 44 I don't know or care about.

And 99 I haven't got any tom. One day.

[.... rare moment of stunned silence.... ]

"And 99 I haven't got any tom. One day."

Oh you really should have. You should probably get that one first as well.

I have "Death to the Pixies" and dug it out recently to play in the car on a long journey. Enjoyed it, but not especially so.

"Closer", well I never got JD back in the day, really. Apart from the hits. Got a cheap copy of "Still" which was alright. I did get one of the compilations, but decided that they were one of those bands where albums were a piece, not mixeable.

As regards Joy Division albums 'though, I'm afraid Still was by far the worst one of the three to get - and isn't really a "proper" album itself anyway; "alright" is probably a fair appraisal; and you're probably right about JD compilations too (Closer could arguably be considered a compilation....)

Using exactly the same basis of assessment however, Unknown Pleasures and Closer are both absolute masterpieces and completely essential.

I was in Fopp today, looking for the Catpain's "Uncondit" album but it was £8 so no. They always have the JDs so may try tomorrow. Yup, back on the road soon.

I like all the Beatles and Stones recds in the list except Sgt Pepper and Sticky Fingers. Also really like Who's Next, Led Zep IV, Automatic For The People, Low, Setting Sons, The Doors, Dummy, Ziggy, Ray Of Light, Dark Side Of The Moon, Rumours, Doolittle.
It's not too bad a list really, is it? It's just seeing all these *really popular* records all together that makes us feel a bit queasy, right?

henry i have heard the entirety of HALF that top 20 and at least one 'representative' from the rest.

the idea that ray of light is madonna's best album is completely mental.

stevem, the last christina milian album is better than pretty much EVERYTHING on this list. apart from maybe kate bush.

Yes, of course it was; and no, of course it isn't.

When I wrote "Closer could arguably be considered a compilation....", the words that were going through my head; which I was instructing my fingers to type; and which I confidently believed I could see on the screen in front of me were (of course) "Still could arguably be considered a compilation....".

Yes, I am a twat.

I don't think that album has ever been on a Q list. (And I fully agree with the readers regarding that)

As for the list? It is better than the one they did a few years back, which had way too much garage rock, contemporary R&B and Aretha Franklin in it. But, seriously. Sure Radiohead is a great band and all that, but not that great!

"The Bends" at number two is overrated, and "Kid A" shouldn't have been in the list at all.

*giggle*

ihttp://www.beefheart.com/zigzag/pictures/MortonDeath1.jpg

otm. insane that there's no showing for at least one of those in the top 20. unless they rigged it that way!

http://www.greenplastic.com/2010/12/22/ok-computer-named-best-album-of-the-past-25-years/

Q Magazine readers recently voted Radiohead’s OK Computer as the best album of the past 25 years. No big surprise there, right? The band also took three other places in the top 30 – compiled to mark 25 years of the magazine – with The Bends at eight, Kid A at 18 and In Rainbows at 23. 13 years ago, Q Magazine had a similar poll where OK Computer was also named best album of all time. Now that is staying power.

Full list after the jump.

(thanks to Peter)

The Top 30 albums:

1. OK Computer – Radiohead
2. Nevermind – Nirvana
3. (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis
4. Definitely Maybe – Oasis
5. Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys
6. The Joshua Tree – U2
7. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. The Bends – Radiohead
9. Achtung Baby – U2
10. Black Holes And Revelations – Muse
11. Is This It – The Strokes
12. A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
13. Parklife – Blur
14. Screamadelica – Primal Scream
15. White Blood Cells – The White Stripes
16. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel
17. Hot Fuss – The Killers.
18. Kid A – Radiohead
19. Funeral – Arcade Fire
20. American Idiot – Green Bay
21. The Holy Bible – Manic Street Preachers
22. Absolution – Muse
23. In Rainbows – Radiohead
24. Only By The Night – Kings Of Leon
25. Demon Days – Gorillaz
26. Origin Of Symmetry – Muse
27. Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’Roses
28. Urban Hymns – The Verve
29. Automatic For The People – R.E.M.
30. Loveless – My Bloody Valentine

Fuck Q.

....'s readers

and the magazine

i always forget that muse exists until a Q or NME list makes the rounds

I always forget that Q exists until I see it in an airport bookstore as the only printed music magazine available

Neutral Milk Hotel is so so so so weird on that list.

"where are all the girlth"

5. Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not – Arctic Monkeys

amazing

Bob Marley had more way with a tune than any (true) reggae act ever before or since

no way, e.g., horace andy; cornell campbell; jimmy cliff; the congos.

I like Jimmy Cliff, but I feel like his melodies were more repetitive and harmonically less varied than a lot of Bob Marley's tunes. I don't like "Exodus" (the song) at all, but thankfully Bob Marley was usually able to go way beyong one chord songs like that one.