pitchfork is dumb (#34985859340293849494 in a series.)

They sound primitive to me in the way that listening to Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard does compared to most 'rock' music created since.

― triggercut, Monday, September 10, 2018 7:16 AM (forty-two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yes, "Evenflow" >>> "Good Golly Miss Molly"

Tbh I'd be a lot more interested in a revised 2000s list, considering opinion she about that decade haven't quite solidified into a canon, and I would venture to say that a bit more of the people writing for the site have living memory of that decade than the 80s (I mean, I was born in 1990, so...)

That said, there's a whole bunch of shit I haven't heard yet, which is really what I value in these lists, and a lot of interesting things in the 101-200 region, but if you want a truly alternative list of best stuff of the 80s (even if I don't agree with it at all), y'all should check out the Fact Mag list from a while back

also calling PE and the Beasties (at least Paul's Boutique) "primitive" is...odd to me

I don't disagree with anything here except the idea that primitive is bad. Run-DMC sounds great in 2018 for the same reason a lot of 50's rock does - the simplicity really travels across eras.

Yeah, that's true. I don't think primitive necessarily means bad, but I do find that I rarely tend to reach for that kind of stuff when flicking through my library looking for something to listen to. It's more an interesting music history lesson to me than music that makes me feel something.

I get that a lot of people still genuinely love a lot of these 80s rap records, but I do feel like they're over-represented at the top of the list compared to how often I see people still talking about them lovingly in recent years. FWIW, I still really love the De La Soul and Slick Rick records and listen to them regularly.

Also, I don't agree with influence being a heavily weighted metric either, but I do think it's one they're trying to use here.

yes, "Evenflow" >>> "Good Golly Miss Molly"

I know you're being facetious, but I literally agree with this.

also calling PE and the Beasties (at least Paul's Boutique) "primitive" is...odd to me

The choppy production/sampling has aged these records badly for my ears. The closest thing to it these days is what Kanye has been doing lately, which also doesn't sound very good.

Also, what do you think are the reasons for the decline in Tom Waits stock? Rain Dogs down to 42, and Swordfishtrombone gone completely.

xpost ok then as far as I can tell you're just wishing a list was more to your personal taste like everyone does but acting it's like some structural or philosophical flaw in how it was constructed

During the ratskellar era we need only Rain Dogs and Bone Machine?

A lot of those "primitive" rap albums sound a lot better to me now than they did in 2002, or in 1995

Also, what do you think are the reasons for the decline in Tom Waits stock? Rain Dogs down to 42, and Swordfishtrombone gone completely.

― triggercut, Monday, September 10, 2018 7:24 AM (seventeen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

A different, younger cast of list contributors

I do wish that there was a bit more honesty in confronting stuff that hasn't aged particularly well

wanna give you a wedgie for this tangent

no 90125 or moving pictures no credibility

Very good point

Quick glance at the top 20, seems to be too much on there (and I presume the top 200 list as a whole) that's there because it's "important" rather than because it's the "best" or even particularly good. That is, in many cases albums much better represented through individual songs and singles lists rather than as albums. I do like seeing Sade up there and even Disintegration, both of which represent a shifting canon, but man, I still don't dig that NWA album (obvious canonical songs aside), and if anything I think its estimation has shifted too much. And sure, Thriller was an epochal event. (It was the first LP I ever bought with my own money, at Sears or Pathmark or something; I want to say it cost $5?). But the idea that it's just one slot below Purple Rain is nuts as anything more than making a weird symbolic point. Both are clearly important albums, but I can't think of the last time I listened to Thriller, let alone all the way through. Probably back when I first bought it.

Also, no 90125 or moving pictures no credibility.

You don't need to listen to Thriller because Thriller is everywhere.

Sade in the top 10 is definitely my favourite thing about this list.

Love seeing Tango in the Night

yeah, nearly every song from Thriller still pops up on radio. It doesn't matter when you stopped playing the album.

Thriller is not everywhere. The hits from Thriller (some of them) are everywhere, and I don't really want to hear the rest. Or even a couple of the hits either. Really, Michael Jackson is everywhere, more so than Prince, but that does not make Thriller a good album.

xpost What radio are you listening to? I hear Billie Jean and Wanna Be and Beat It out and about pretty regularly. Title track only around Halloween or children's school performance. PYT rarely. Girl is mine, etc. never. Human Nature not as much as I'd like; I hear the SWV version more. Couple of the other tracks never.

you're right. what makes it a good album is the music they chose to put on it.

dude, I heard "Baby Be Mine" on adult R&B yesterday and at least two of the seven singles once a week. It's woven into the culture.

Piecing together a playlist for this, still a long way to go.

https://open.spotify.com/user/olken2000/playlist/3FT4IqZf9kXh7APS5rCIZr?si=22NvmFrWSbS2wNkOV6i5QA

i.e. the hits from Thriller are seven of the nine tracks

By that standard there are other albums that should be way up there. Right?

It's clearly an important record, I just don't like it that much as a record. But obviously others do!

It's that high because it placed on just about every submitted list.

weirdest thing about the list to me is The Sensual World placing but not The Dreaming

if you’re listening for just the songs from thriller in toto* you’re missing a lot of the reason it’s still regarded so highly. the pyt sample on kanye’s “good life,” etc

* lol no pun intended

Wait for it...

are there any 9/11 references in this list or no

Love seeing Tango in the Night

― The Silky Veils of Alfred (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), 10. september 2018 15:27 (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yes! That's one of my favorite reevaluations.

weirdest thing about the list to me is The Sensual World placing but not The Dreaming

― ufo, 10. september 2018 15:38 (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, this is weird.

weirdest thing about the list to me is The Sensual World placing but not The Dreaming

― ufo, Monday, September 10, 2018 8:38 AM (twenty-two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

agreed, The Dreaming is sort of the Kate fan's Kate record in so many ways

fourth'd but also not mad that my favorite kate record made it

I feel like "This Woman's Work" has been having a bit of a moment over the last couple of years

Might be a factor

do you mean eighteen years?

Culturally, like

Obviously it's a masterpiece

I listened to Minor Threat this weekend. No idea why anyone thinks it should be that high.

Yeah, I'd say that's another good case of "important" vs. good.

There should just be a list of "angriest albums of the '80s."

"this woman's work" is always having a moment

Can’t load this thread to see if anyone’s said this already but they did this one already in 2002. The list is still up.

i think a lot of that is prob due to the aftershock of the maxwell cover which also still seems to be relevant and beloved xp

You underestimate ILM.

xp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSdHgq3oBD8

weirdest thing about the list to me is The Sensual World placing but not The Dreaming

― ufo, Monday, September 10, 2018 9:38 AM (forty-four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is partially my fault

Also, what do you think are the reasons for the decline in Tom Waits stock? Rain Dogs down to 42, and Swordfishtrombone gone completely.

― triggercut, Monday, September 10, 2018 8:24 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

this is also partially my fault

lol just saw the bottom of the list described as "a bunch of dance and dance-adjacent acts that they let brad nelson write about"