Genres defined by single records

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Okay, now this relates to both the genre specialists thread and the posthumous etc.
I'm thinking of albums that are generally the token example of a certain genre. Compilations count.
These are the ones that people who are only marginally interested in the genre own, often maligned by genre specialists.
eg:
Bob Marley Legend (Reggae)
Minor Threat Discography (hardcore)
Portishead S/T (electronica)
Crypt Cheapo Sampler (garage, until like two years ago)

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Portishead surely Trip Hop...?

― michael (michael), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Nirvana's NEVERMIND (grunge)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever" (disco)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't think that portishead's second album defines electronica, except maybe in very narrow us indie circles. Their first album may well define trip hop (bristol division), or prehaps more accurately Blue Lines + Dummy + Maxinquaye = trip hop (bristol division)

by the same token, the headz compilation defines trip hop (non bristol division)

Martin Denny 'Quiet Village' = Exotica

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

MBV "loveless" for shoegazing.

"Blue Lines + Dummy + Maxinquaye = trip hop (bristol division)"

I agree.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

"Blue Lines + Dummy + Maxinquaye = trip hop (bristol division)"

Irrefutably.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Nuggets!

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

= garage rock, obv.

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Punk = Avril Lavigne's "Skater Boi" ;-)

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Dummy...of course. How soon I forget.
Maybe, that Garbage alb is better for Electronica

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:39 (twenty-two years ago)

"Maybe, that Garbage alb is better for Electronica"

Surely not. It's a rock album, for starters.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

See, but that's the point! Not what IS, but what it's widely PERCEIVED AS.

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm...I see your point Horace, but is it widely perceived as an electronica album?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Or, more specifically, THE electronica album.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't it held up as being the bold ambassador of this new genre come to maw on the remains of grunge, made all the more ironic because it's braintrust had played such a big role in creating the grunge sound?

I think that anything from the late 90s that had keyboards and female leads was called eletronica.

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

only by lazy US critics...

― michael (michael), Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

That's exactly what I'm going for with this post!!!

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Scratch OMPS -- DJ

― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm talking about in the minds of people who buy no more than 10 full-priced albums per year.

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

O Brother, Where Art Thou, as I put a gun to my head.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

>I'm talking about in the minds of people who buy no more than 10 full-priced albums per year.

But people who only buy ten albums a year certainly wouldn't buy anything from Minor Threat.

But, anyways,
The Downward Spiral = Industrial.

― fletrejet, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

fletrejet, tell that to my sister!

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

What about Smokey Robinson's "A Quiet Storm"? The term quiet storm became a genre of R&B through the '80s.

― Aaron W, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Never Mind The Bullocks... = UK Punk
The Ramones = US Punk
(Duran Duran's) Rio = New Wave

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess SAW II is the genre-defining ambient album.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Whats Going On vs A Guiet Storm FITE for R&B

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt Them = Rap

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Big Shiny Tunes, genre being moronic

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Shania Twain's Come On Over (in a nose slightly over No Fences) = Country despite not being a country album.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Anthology of American Folk Music for better or worse.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Endtroducing might be better for Electronica

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

No New York

― Paula G., Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree, Lou Reed's New York album is indeed the best representative of Electronica,
that's what you mean, right?
RIGHT!

― Horace Mann, Thursday, 2 January 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Wanna Buy a Bridge? = post-punk

― Adam A. (Keiko), Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"But, anyways, The Downward Spiral = Industrial."

Fucking *NOT*! Nine Inch Nails merely co-opted "industrial," never defined it.

I'd sooner point to Einsturnzende Neubauten or Throbbing Gristle.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

These are the ones that people who are only marginally interested in the genre. Otherwise I'd beat myself senseless for saying MC Hammer.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Aphex Twin/Rich D James lp - Drill n bass
autobahn/krautrock
clicks + cuts comp - microhouse
any merzbow record - noise/powerelectronics
parliament/p funk earth tour -funk
terry riley/in c - minimalism

― geoff, Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Horace,

Yes! That's exactly what I meant. In addition, I now suggest Eno's "No New York" anthology as defining album for the "no wave" genre.

― Paula G., Thursday, 2 January 2003 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Mo'Wax's Headz II: Parts A and B -- Trip-Hop

― christoff (christoff), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure's Faith = goth

That fucking Blur album, the one with Park Life on it = brit-pop

That fucking Limp Bizkit album, the one with all those crap songs on it = nu-metal

― Callum (Callum), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I take issue with Sat Night Fever = disco. however, i can;t think of a better LP. I have C'est Chic but that is not quite it.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Thursday, 2 January 2003 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

'90s punk = Green Day's "Dookie"

― Curtis Stephens, Thursday, 2 January 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I would throw out that Prodigy album "Fat of the Land" as the "electronica" album. It sold a couple of million copies in the U.S. on the strength of a couple of singles and was hyped as the album that would break the genre.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Thursday, 2 January 2003 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Now wait a minute, Brian Eno's 'On Land' is the genre-defining ambient record, not SAWII.

― jot eff pe, Thursday, 2 January 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"In The Nightside Eclipse" as the one black metal album for every non-metalhead? (and for generally defining "third wave" BM)

― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 3 January 2003 00:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Right-O Bruce! That's why ILM is better than a blog. Prodigy, indeed. What about singer-songwriter album? Neilyoung's Decade seems fairly ubiquitous at bad parties I get invited to. It's always next to James Taylor or Cat Stevens or somesuch.

― Horace Mann, Friday, 3 January 2003 02:25 (twenty-two years ago)

While we're on this topic, I think it's interesting that 'Bitches Brew' is commonly considered the genre-defining fusion album, even though it basically sounds like no other fusion album, except some of Miles' other work of course...

― arjun, Friday, 3 January 2003 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

why is it only in the US that electronica seems to mean "uh, cos it's on CD"?

― zemko (bob), Friday, 3 January 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

fusion contender = i sing the body electric?

kind of blue might work for a certain type of jazz. i'm wanting to mention giant steps but i'd get myself into trouble trying to correctly identify the genre - post-bop? hard bop? hell, i don't know

what you said abt legend is of course true, but i find this fact particularly frustrating!!

― ron (ron), Friday, 3 January 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm wanting to mention giant steps but i'd get myself into trouble trying to correctly identify the genre

Insert Boo Radleys gag here...

― Charlie (Charlie), Friday, 3 January 2003 04:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"That fucking Limp Bizkit album, the one with all those crap songs on it"

Not sure which one you mean Callum, can you possibly narrow it down a bit further?

"I think it's interesting that 'Bitches Brew' is commonly considered the genre-defining fusion album, even though it basically sounds like no other fusion album, except some of Miles' other work of course..."

Not like The Mahavishnu Orchestra at all?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 3 January 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiderland = rock-not-rock
Tragic Epilogue = rap-not-rap
The Chronic = G-funk
SupaDupaFly = 00s funk

― Etienne Menu (Etienne), Friday, 3 January 2003 17:38 (twenty-two years ago)

The Kick Inside = grunge
Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts = synth-pop
Pet Sounds = glitch

― thom west (thom w), Friday, 3 January 2003 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiderland certainly defines SOMETHING, though what I don't know.

That Limp Bizkit album with "Rollin'" on it. You know, the sellout one.

Coldplay's Parachutes = Radioheadcore.

― Callum (Callum), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

some jandek album = jandek

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Might I suggest Ready for the House?

― Jandek (amateurist), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Every genre ever.

― dwh (dwh), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I mean: surely.

― dwh (dwh), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought some of your later work was better and more diverse, Jandek. But the first LP is important too!

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:17 (twenty-two years ago)

okay so if we had to pick one record to define post-rock, what would it be?

millions now living will never die?

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

consults fourfa.com...

Rites of Spring - End on End = Early Emo / Emocore
Indian Summer - Discography = Emo
Portaits of Past - 1010101010 = Hardcore Emo
Sunny Day Real Estate - LP2 = "post-emo indie rock"
Orchid - Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow = post-emo hardcore
Milemarker - Frigid Forms Sell You Warmth - Post-emo style rock
Saetia - Discography = Screamo

I feel weird leaving some bands off of here: Hoover, The Getup Kids, Moss Icon, Heroin, Mohinder, Braid, Cap'n Jazz

* "EMO" HATERS TO THREAD *

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 3 January 2003 21:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the Unbroken LP - new school hardcore

― Jonathan Williams (ex machina), Friday, 3 January 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

LThe Cure's Faith = goth

Correction: Bauhaus, "Bela Lugosi's Dead" = goth

― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 3 January 2003 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

the Unbroken LP - new school hardcore

Which one?

I say: Landed Everything's Happening defines the Providence rock n' roll scene, and The Fall Hex Enduction Hour defines post-punk.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 3 January 2003 23:20 (twenty-two years ago)

More like Minor Threat's STRAIGHT EDGE defining Straight Edge
and Embrace's Egg Hunt defining EMO

― BIENPEDO, Friday, 3 January 2003 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Zen Arcade defines my postpunk so nahnahabobo

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 3 January 2003 23:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Autechre's "Tri Repetae" for modern IDM and/or glitch.
Plastikman's "Musik" for minimacid progressive ambietroit techno.

― Leee (Leee), Friday, 3 January 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Momus: The Little Red Songbook (Analog Baroque)
Momus: Folktronic (Folktronica)
Momus: Oskar Tennis Champion (Spooky Kabuki)

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― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 4 January 2003 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

and Embrace's Egg Hunt defining EMO

Embrace and Egg Hunt were two separate bands, neither of which defined emo.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 4 January 2003 00:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure's Faith = goth
Cure Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me == Goth Pop/Rock
Dead Can Dance Spleen and Ideal == Goth New Age
Inkubus Sukkbus Belladonna and Aconite == Gothic Wiccan Gospel
Shinjuku Thief Bloody Tourist == Gothic Darkwave/Goth Ambient
Rosetta Stone Adrenaline == Goth Cock Rock
Type O Negative Bloody Kisses == Goth Metal

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Saturday, 4 January 2003 04:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Prog Rock is Close To The Edge by Yes.

Psych is, for me, Balaklava by Pearls Before Swine, though I'm sure others would disagree.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 4 January 2003 04:52 (twenty-two years ago)

i can't believe no one has mentioned the "artificial intelligence" warp records compilation that practically by itself spawned an entire genre and subsequent subgenres, and subgenres of those subgenres.

― jason m, Saturday, 4 January 2003 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Original post: These are the ones that people who are only marginally interested in the genre own, often maligned by genre specialists

Ah! I have one.

Phil Collins' No Jacket Required: Music.

:-)

― OleM (OleM), Saturday, 4 January 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Clicks + Cuts comp - Glitch

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Saturday, 4 January 2003 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

did u know that keith emerson's nickname is EMO ???

― masonicboom, Saturday, 4 January 2003 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Shinjuku Thief Bloody Tourist == Gothic Darkwave/Goth Ambient

Where does Lustmord The Place Where The Black Stars Hang get into the picture?

― Siegbran (eofor), Sunday, 5 January 2003 00:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Orchid - Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow = post-emo hardcore

But I like Chaos Is Me so much better!

― original bgm, Sunday, 5 January 2003 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bitches Brew" does not sound like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, btw. I mean, not at all.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 5 January 2003 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Where does Lustmord "The Place Where The Black Stars Hang" get into the picture?
Dunno. Haven't heard them yet.

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Sunday, 5 January 2003 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Trout Mask Replica = surely a genre unto itself?

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Sunday, 5 January 2003 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Subthread....
Taking Sides: Lustmord vs Shinjuku Thief...FITE!

― Lord Custos Omega (Lord Custos Omega), Sunday, 5 January 2003 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to reassert Anthology of American Folk Music because it isn't just that it was the best-selling or most famous exemplar of a genre. It tied together disparate kinds of music that were then judged by many to be American Folk Music; a musical category perhaps, but these days also a niche marketing strategy (see "american primitive" section of Other Music).

So two ways to approach this thread's challenge: albums which "define" a genre because it is the only album most people would own from that genre; and albums that can be said to have galvanized the recognition/identification of a genre. The latter is more interesting I think, because the former presumes all kind of speculation about what "normal" people (ahem) listen to and harping on their bad taste, etc.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 5 January 2003 05:13 (twenty-two years ago)

So on that note, it obviously wouldn't have been an album that did it, but what single do you think galvanized the recognition of rap (or hiphop) as a discrete genre of music? Should I make a new thread of this?

― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 5 January 2003 05:15 (twenty-two years ago)

>>Orchid - Dance Tonight, Revolution Tomorrow = post-emo hardcore
>But I like Chaos Is Me so much better!

... but why? Dance Tonight... is the perfect dose of Orchid; not too long, the songs are all fantastic, and it's relatively varied. It's got the epic closing track, the ridiculously short songs and the songs in between. The lyrics are much better than on Chaos Is Me; they don't wallow in their own depression so much as ruminate on romance with a touch of philosophy (which was brought to fruition and made much more irritating on their final LP.)

― Ian Johnson (orion), Sunday, 5 January 2003 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm kind of guessing here, but to answer Amateurist's question, and to extend my own previous post, "Rapper's Delight" may not have gotten the kind of nation-wide, saturation airplay that "Rapture" got. I heard the former on the radio as a kid for sure, but I heard "Rapture" more, and the former may have been partially a function of me growing up in the orbit of New York.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 5 January 2003 08:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Ian: Well, since I generally can't even understand the words, I pay them no mind when listening to Orchid. Except for on that lousy last lp, like you mentioned. (the spoken word segments are annoying as all hell on that). But yeah, basically I like Chaos Is Me better because it seems heavier, more over the top, and more catchy than Dance Tonight.

Plus, the songs incline more towards that mid-range which is where I like em. Last time I listened, Dance Tonight seemed to have a few too many of those 30 sec. songs for my liking. Though I haven't listened to it for a year or so at least, so I'm gonna go and do that now.

― original bgm, Sunday, 5 January 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm.... used some questionable phrasing there, so avert your eyes!

― original bgm, Sunday, 5 January 2003 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the first identified-as-rap record would have been even before "Rapper's Delight" let alone "Rapture".... I'll have to think on it some more.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Sunday, 5 January 2003 23:29 (twenty-two years ago)

NWA - 'Straight Outta Compton' for Gangsta Rap

DJ Shadow - 'In Flux' / 'Lost & Found' EPs for trip hop (general)

Fatboy Slim - 'Better Living Thru Chemistry' for Big Beat

Luomo's album for 'micro-house'

Warp Records for 'intelligent dance music'

Dem 2 'Destiny' or MJ Cole's 'Sincere' for 2-step garage

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 6 January 2003 02:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The Indian Summer/Ordination of Aaron split 7" defines emo. Right down to the packaging--hand silk screened manilla envelopes, writing from the label owner about alienation and lack of song titles.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Monday, 6 January 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

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