This thread was going to be about something that I thought would engender fiery and intelligent debate...

17. Nevermind, Nirvana
62. Achtung Baby, U2
110. The Bends, Radiohead
133. Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G.
134. Slanted and Enchanted, Pavement

137. The Chronic, Dr. Dre
139. All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2
154. The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest
162. OK Computer, Radiohead
193. Dookie, Green Day

200. The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails
207. Ten, Pearl Jam
210. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Pavement
219. Loveless, My Bloody Valentine
247. Automatic for the People, R.E.M.

248. Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z
252. Metallica, Metallica
256. The Velvet Rope, Janet Jackson
260. Buena Vista Social Club , Buena Vista Social Club
273. The Slim Shady LP, Eminem

oh i can't even be bothered

Nice to see Trout mask in there.

'part from that

"No alarms and no surprises..."

"lets have a heated debate"

Hint: Rolling Stone is just a magazine. It's not a societal doctrine. It has a mostly-white distribution and staff. That's what you'll get. Latin Beat probably doesn't have much Asian music in it.

2. Pet Sounds, Michael Jackson
3. Revolver, Phil Spector
5. Rubber Soul, Michael Jackson
6. What's Going On, Michael Jackson
9. Blonde on Blonde, Phil Spector
10. The Beatles ("The White Album"), Michael Jackson
11. The Sun Sessions, Michael Jackson
13. Velvet Underground and Nico, Phil Spector
15. Are You Experienced?, Michael Jackson
16. Blood on the Tracks, Phil Spector
18. Born to Run, Michael Jackson
20. Thriller, Michael Jackson
25. Rumours, Michael Jackson
28. Who's Next, Michael Jackson
31. Bringing It All Back Home, Phil Spector
32. Let It Bleed, Phil Spector
34. Music From Big Pink, Michael Jackson
36. Tapestry, Phil Spector
37. Hotel California, Michael Jackson
39. Please Please Me, Michael Jackson
42. The Doors, Michael Jackson
43. The Dark Side of the Moon, Phil Spector
44. Horses, Michael Jackson
46. Legend, Michael Jackson
47. A Love Supreme, Phil Spector
48. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Michael Jackson
50. Here's Little Richard, Michael Jackson
51. Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Michael Jackson
54. Electric Ladyland, Phil Spector
55. Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson
57. Beggars Banquet, Michael Jackson
60. Greatest Hits, Phil Spector
61. Appetite for Destruction, Michael Jackson
63. Sticky Fingers, Michael Jackson
65. Moondance, Michael Jackson
67. The Stranger, Michael Jackson
68. Off the Wall, Michael Jackson
76. Imagine, Michael Jackson
77. The Clash, Phil Spector
78. Harvest, Michael Jackson
81. Graceland, Michael Jackson
82. Axis: Bold as Love, Phil Spector
83. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, Michael Jackson
86. Let It Be, Phil Spector
87. The Wall, Phil Spector
88. At Folsom Prison, Phil Spector
90. Talking Book, Michael Jackson
91. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Michael Jackson
92. 20 Golden Greats, Michael Jackson
94. Bitches Brew, Phil Spector
96. Tommy, Michael Jackson
98. This Year's Model, Phil Spector
100. In the Wee Small Hours, Michael Jackson

RS's 1987 best album list changed my life--I went out and bought a new one or two of those records every week for over a year. And it skewed my ideas of what an album was, particularly with regards to race. If you're a not-particularly-hip music fan, RS has a huge influence. And as such has a responsibility to society, whether they accept that or not.

"It has a mostly-white distribution and staff."

Meaning? Their audience shouldn't be surprised by ANY of the choices? Then they should have called it "The Top 500 Records You Already Own." Your survey of music should be skewed to meet your audience's supposed notions race & artistry?

Besides all the staffers I know have better taste than this list would lead you to believe, especially when it comes to "black" music.

"Latin Beat probably doesn't have much Asian music in it."

But again Latin Beat doesn't pretend to present a comprensive overall view of musical history. If you're going to say that the Eagles have made a greater contribution to music than Al Green, Prince, Muddy Waters, Otis Redding and Aretha Fucking Franklin then why not just leave them off the list and stick with "What's Goin' On" and "Thriller."

(Esp. if you consider Led Zep and Black Sab the Run-DMC and Public Enemy and Metallica the Jay-Z equivalents, other than those you really never see any great metal records make these things.)

Is this actual issue out yet or just on the Web? I've got a subscription (sort of -- if should have expired two years ago and I never renewed it, yet they keep appearing in the mailbox), but that issue hasn't arrived at my door yet.

Yep, it's really fun at parties because it has a lot of hilarious stories about Nick Lowe and Randy Newman.

Read the book, motherfuckers!

*psst Keith, God wins!*

random observations gleaned from perusing this list while watching Jason Williams single-handedly beat the Sonics:

With a few exceptions, this list essentially covers the past 50 years of English-speaking pop music (yep, Keith, Buena Vista = rest of world), right? So, hip-hop is the dominant musical form of the past 25 years, right? So, there are 13 Beatles/Dylan/Stones records before the first hip-hop appearance and 21 Beatles/Dylan/Stones before second hip-hop.

Of the top 100, 26(!) come from the classic-rock top-five of Beatles(+Lennon solo)/Dylan/Stones/Hendrix/Led Zep

There is no reggae that isn't either Bob Marley or HArder They Come.

I think what might bother me most is that it isn't just anti recent music or even anti unconventional/non-mainstream music, but that the generational/classic-rock bias is so extreme that pre-Sixties rock-and-roll is just as slighted. There are more Simon & Garfunkel, Pink FLoyd, Grateful Dead, Cream/Yardbirds records here than Elvis (whose huge post-Sun hits are totally absent -- how is 30 #1 Hits or some equivalent comp not on this list? Did I overlook this? I'm flabbergasted.). Fats Domino, Coasters, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carl Perkins, Shirelles, etc. are shut out.

What's the most surprising 90s omission: Sleater-Kinney or Tupac? (I agree with the later, but still surprised)

Much like life.

Chris, I'm not a big 'Pac guy at all, but in the scheme of what made the list he probably should have been on.

The only reggaie record I've really listened to alot, The Congos Heart of the Congos should have made it too.

ARGH! As muttered elsewhere, I just got the joke...

(but FYI: i did count cases where I don't actually have the specific record Rolling Stone referenced; for example, I own all of Al Green's 70s records on Hi, so I "counted" his Greatest Hits, even as I don't actually own that particular record. Similarly, I own all the Sly & the Family Stone records up through when George Clinton propped him up again or whatever, so I "counted" Sly's greatest disc. Oh, and I own the Muddy Waters Chess box [as well as a bunch of other ephemera], so i felt like i could count that recent 2 disc compilation set they selected. i mean, I'm sure I have everything on it. funny how this only happens with the black artists though)

Somehow, I don't think the people who compile these lists (there's one or two new ones every month) spend much time thinking about them. They're ploys for attention. And with the internet, we get deluged with lists from every magazine and website because the editors know that people will post them to the internet and we all get reminded that Rolling Stone/Spin/Blender, etc. still exist. "Go look at the website, spread the word, click on an ad, buy a copy of the magazine with the list so you can read it on your lunch break".

Nearly every music forum I read has discussed the RS list. It's a publicity tactic that works.

As for the attention this gets, I think it IS different from other lists (even if maybe it shouldn't be) because it's Rolling Stone and it still has that cachet, especially among the majority of people who don't pay that close attention to music. I.E., when I return to work next week, I'm gonna be peppered with questions from co-workers about this list who assume it's a standard-setter, in the same way I was when that despicable AFI 100 film list came out. That's one reason why this is different from the latest list of whatever on VH-1.

There are some albums on this list I am completely embarrassed not to own, so I won't get into any further details.

I mean I have Pat Travers records(Which I bought purely based on the song title "Snorting Whiskey and Drinkin' Cocaine"), and still don't own a ton of stuff on the list.

that's because he's (a) american; (b) people not into techno know who he is. ((b) also applies to the prodigy, of course, but (a) doesn't so AFA RS is concerned i guess they don't exist).

moby:techno::fugees or arrested development:hip-hop.

Who am I supposed to believe, you or Eminem?

or at least it's the fastest way to make it look really silly.