HMV/Q "Best British Albums Ever " List. Do The UK Music Buying Public Suck?

holy shit the top ten is almost exactly as it was ten years ago. except for keane.

Only remotely interesting, in the most generous sense possible, thing about this list is surprisingly high placing for Violator

i think the fact it is so uninteresting is interesting. when 'ok computer' was made best album ever in that q poll in 1998 it was seen as a big deal, kind of thing. none of this is a big deal.

The Violator thing has to be a concerted fan club endeavour.

OK Led Zep is in there. At a lowly 29

Paul Rees should go and choke on a cock.

That's my summation of matters.

herman why are you fixated on shitty 70s hard rock not making it?

You think Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are shitty?

51. MIA - Arular

52. Danger Mouse - The Grey Album

53. http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/415KA1RXZFL._AA240_.jpg

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great, 14 Jul 2007
By Paul R. Burkard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This is the greatest album I have ever heard. Vinnie Jones makes Gandhi look like a child pornographer.

omfg

54. 'Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy' or whatever the fuck

55 belle + sebastian 56 annie from norway 57 teddybears shtml 58 dismemberment plan 59 andrew wk 60 donald peers

compare and contrast with

Greatest British Albums (June 2004) - Observer Music Monthly

“OMM polled 100 critics, industry figures and pop stars asking each for a list of the 10 records they consider the best of British, excluding compilations”.

1. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
2. Beatles – Revolver
3. Clash – London Calling
4. Morrison, Van – Astral Weeks
5. Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
6. Beatles – Beatles (White Album)
7. Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
8. Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
9. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
10. PIL – Metal Box
11. Bowie, David – Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars
12. Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
13. Clash – Clash
14. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the…
15. Soul II Soul – Club Classics Vol 1
16. Drake, Nick – Five Leaves Left
17. Specials – Specials
18. Joy Division – Closer
19. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
20. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
21. Smiths – Smiths
22. Bush, Kate – Hounds of Love
23. Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure
24. Radiohead – OK Computer
25. Pink Floyd – Piper at the Gates of Dawn
26. Roxy Music – Roxy Music
27. Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking
28. Beatles – Abbey Road
29. Roxy Music – Stranded
30. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
31. Dury, Ian & the Blockheads – New Boots & Panties!
32. Beatles – Rubber Soul
33. Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
34. Stewart, Rod – Every Picture Tells a Story
35. Drake, Nick – Bryter Layter
36. Wyatt, Robert – Rock Bottom
37. Smiths – Queen is Dead
38. Echo & the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
39. Bowie, David – Low
40. Led Zeppelin – II
41. Radiohead – The Bends
42. ABC – Lexicon of Love
43. La’s – La’s
44. Happy Mondays – Bummed
45. Lennon, John/Plastic Ono Band – Plastic Ono Band
46. Martyn, John – Solid Air
47. Smiths – Hatful of Hollow
48. Led Zeppelin – IV
49. Eno, Brian – Here Come the Warm Jets
50. Small Faces – Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake
51. Yes – Yes Album
52. Steel Pulse – Handsworth Revolution
53. Bunyan, Vashti – Just Another Diamond Day
54. Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching for the Young Soul Rebels
55. Gang of Four – Entertainment!
56. Jam – All Mod Cons
57. Kinks – Village Green Preservation Society
58. Slits – Cut
59. Verve – Urban Hymns
60. Tricky – Maxinquaye
61. Costello, Elvis – My Aim is True
62. Smiths – Meat is Murder
63. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
64. Bowie, David – Aladdin Sane
65. New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies
66. Kinks – Something Else
67. Morrison, Van – Moondance
68. Primal Scream – Screamadelica
69. John, Elton – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
70. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory
71. T. Rex – Slider
72. Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix
73. Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak
74. Who – Quadrophenia
75. Streets – Original Pirate Material
76. Blur – Parklife
77. Springfield, Dusty – Dusty in Memphis
78. Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
79. Jones, Nic – Penguin Eggs
80. Bowie, David – Station to Station
81. Portishead – Dummy
82. Pentangle – Basket of Light
83. Who – My Generation
84. Young Disciples – Road to Freedom
85. Bowie, David – Hunky Dory
86. Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
87. Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
88. Bowie, David – Young Americans
89. Wings – Band on the Run
90. Police – Regatta de Blanc
91. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
92. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
93. Coldplay – Parachutes
94. Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour
95. Dizzee Rascal – Boy in da Corner
96. Human League – Dare
97. Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
98. Cole, Lloyd & the Commotions – Rattlesnakes
99. Manic Street Preachers – Holy Bible
100. Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams

Just for Quitney , Compare and Contrast with
Kerrang! The 100 Best British Rock Albums Ever!

As Voted By The Readers – 1ssue #1044 - Feb 19 2005

1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath - 1970
2. Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast – 1982
3. Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks… - 1977
4. Led Zeppelin – IV – 1971
5. Black Sabbath – Paranoid – 1970
6. Muse – Absolution – 2003
7. The Clash – London Calling – 1979
8. Queen – Sheer Heart Attack – 1974
9. Iron Maiden – 1980
10. Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible – 1994
11. Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti – 1975
12. Judas Priest – British Steel – 1980
13. Def Leppard – Hysteria – 1987
14. Black Sabbath – Vol IV – 1972
15. The Darkness – Permission To Land – 2003
16. Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard Of Oz – 1980
17. The Wildhearts – Earth Vs The Wildhearts – 1993
18. Lostprophets – Start Something – 2004
19. Queen – A Night At The Opera – 1975
20. Muse – Origin Of Symmetry – 2001
21. Ash – Free All Angels – 2001
22. Motorhead – Ace Of Spades – 1980
23. Stereophonics – Performance And Cocktails – 1999
24. Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go – 1996
25. Feeder – Echo Park – 2001
26. Led Zeppelin – II – 1969
27. Cradle Of Filth – Cruelty And The Beast – 1998
28. Iron Maden – Brave New World – 2000
29. The Clash – The Clash – 1977
30. Funeral For A Friend – Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation – 2003
31. Therapy? – Troublegum – 1994
32. Feeder – Comfort In Sound – 2003
33. Ozzy Osbourne – Diary Of A Madman – 1981
34. Deep Purple – Machine Head – 1972
35. The Dammed – Machine Gun Etiquette – 1979
36. Def Leppard – Pyromania – 1983
37. Hundred Reasons – Ideas Above Our Station - 2002
38. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon – 1973
39. The Prodigy – Fat Of The Land – 1997
40. Muse – Showbiz – 1999
41. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin – 1969
42. Manic Street Preachers – Generation Terrorists – 1992
43. Ash – 1977 – 1996
44. Iron Maiden –Killers – 1981
45. Pitchshifter – Www.Pitchifter.Com – 1998
46. Judas Priest – Screaming For Vengeance – 1982
47. Idlewild – Hope Is Important – 1998
48. Biffy Clyro – Infinity Land – 2004
49. Reef – Glow – 1997
50. Napalm Death – Scum – 1987
51. Lost Prophets – The Fake Sound Of Progress – 2001
52. Saxon – Wheels Of Steel – 1980
53. The Cult – Electric – 1987
54. Skunk Anansie – Paranoid And Sunburnt – 1995
55. Bush – Sixteen Stone – 1994
56. Deep Purple – Deep Purple In Rock – 1970
57. ‘A’ – Hi Fi Serious – 2002
58. Hell Is For Heroes – The Neon Handshake – 2003
59. Whitesnake – 1987 – 1987
60. Terrorvision – How To Make Friend And Influence People – 1994
61. Free – Fire And Water – 1970
62. Led Zeppelin – Houses Of The Holy – 1973
63. Black Sabbath – Master Of Reality – 1971
64. Judas Priest – Stained Class – 1978
65. Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows – 2000
66. Skunk Anansie – Stoosh – 1996
67. Killing Joke – Killing Joke - 1980
68. Venom – Black Metal – 1982
69. Iron Monkey – Iron Monkey – 1997
70. The Wildhearts – P.H.U.Q. – 1995
71. Motorhead – Overkill – 1979
72. Queen – Queen II – 1974
73. Feeder – Yesterday Went Too Soon – 1999
74. Rainbow – Rising – 1976
75. Sisters Of Mercy – Floodland – 1987
76. Therapy? – Nurse – 1992
77. Biffy Clyro – Blackened Sky – 2002
78. Godflesh – Streetcleaner – 1990
79. Earthone9 – Arc’tan’gent – 2000
80. Bush – Razorblade Suitcase – 1997
81. Stereophonics – Word Gets Around – 1997
82. 3 Colours Red – Pure – 1997
83. Cathedral – The Ethereal Mirror – 1993
84. Thunder – Backstreet Symphony – 1990
85. Raging Speedhorn – Raging Speedhorn – 2000
86. Paradise Lost – Draconian Times – 1995
87. Feeder – Polythene – 1997
88. Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material – 1979
89. ‘A’ – ‘A’ Vs Monkey Kong – 1999
90. Discharge – Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing – 1982
91. The Ruts – The Crack – 1979
92. Fudge Tunnel – Hate Songs In E Minor – 1991
93. Baby Chaos – Love Your Self Abuse – 1996
94. Carcass – Symphonies Of Sickness – 1989
95. Gang Of Four – Entertainment – 1979
96. Orange Goblin – Time Travelling Blues – 1998
97. The Exploited – Troops Of Tomorrow – 1982
98. Cradle Of Filth – Dusk And Her Embrace – 1996
99. Anathema – A Fine Day To Exit – 2001
100. Therapy? – Infernal Love – 1995

Two Keane albums in that poll and no Snow Patrol has to be considered 1x massive failure for Snow Patrol's marketing department. Apart from, like, the millions of records sold and all that.

The fact that The Fat Of The Land still gets anywhere near these things is kind of insane.

sort of interesting about the metal/rock list how there's no recent metal high up, only indie-rock crossovers (including muse as this). maybe there would be a couple from the last two years now but no idea who these would be.

these are the current best ranked British albums in the top 200 albums of all time in my private network on rateyourmusic.com (based on my friends & favourite rym users)

i have left in compilations.

2 The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars David Bowie

3 Unknown Pleasures Joy Division

7 Closer Joy Division

8 Laughing Stock Talk Talk

12 In the Court of the Crimson King King Crimson

20 OK Computer Radiohead

23 Spirit of Eden Talk Talk

25 Red King Crimson

27 Kid A Radiohead

28 Dummy Portishead

29 Pink Moon Nick Drake

32 Rock Bottom Robert Wyatt

33 Hatful of Hollow The Smiths

38 The Smiths The Smiths

40 Paranoid Black Sabbath

44 Disintegration The Cure

46 Tindersticks Tindersticks

48 Abbey Road The Beatles

50 Chairs Missing Wire

51 Five Leaves Left Nick Drake

59 First Utterance Comus

61 The Queen Is Dead The Smiths

64 Hex Bark Psychosis

65 154 Wire

69 Larks' Tongues in Aspic King Crimson

70 Revolver The Beatles

72 Violator Depeche Mode

76 The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway Genesis

79 Standing on a Beach: The Singles The Cure

80 Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd

82 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society The Kinks

85 Pornography The Cure

90 Sapphie Richard Youngs

91 Bela Lugosi's Dead Bauhaus

94 Close to the Edge Yes

96 Black Sabbath Black Sabbath

99 Script of the Bridge The Chameleons

101 From the Lion's Mouth The Sound

104 Alternative 4 Anathema

105 Substance New Order

109 The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd

111 Sticky Fingers The Rolling Stones

112 Hunky Dory David Bowie

114 Foxtrot Genesis

116 The Colour of Spring Talk Talk

120 Singles Going Steady Buzzcocks

123 Low David Bowie

125 Selected Ambient Works 85-92 Aphex Twin

130 In the Flat Field Bauhaus

131 Thick as a Brick Jethro Tull

135 Psychocandy The Jesus and Mary Chain

139 Souvlaki Slowdive

140 London Calling The Clash

144 Tri Repetae Autechre

154 Animals Pink Floyd

157 Selling England by the Pound Genesis

158 Mezzanine Massive Attack

165 The Pleasure Principle Gary Numan

166 Substance 1977-1980 Joy Division

168 This Heat This Heat

171 Entertainment! Gang of Four

172 Pink Flag Wire

177 The Beatles The Beatles

181 Another Green World Brian Eno

182 Secrets of the Beehive David Sylvian

184 Heart and Soul Joy Division

189 Deceit This Heat

190 D. I. Go Pop Disco Inferno

193 Treasure Cocteau Twins

Why are we ever even 'shocked' by this kind of wankery anymore?

I like Oasis (at least the runnerup in this chart is great). But claiming Oasis > Beatles is just stupid.

Surprising to see Duran Duran and Depeche Mode performing so well. Depeche have released lots of better albums than SOFAD though.

Big lists like these are basically the epitome of TL;DR. It was printed in "Q" magazine, who gives a fuck what "Q" magazine says, seriously (OK apart from Geir, that is)

off topic, currently the best ranked album of all-time in my private network on rateyourmusic.com is...

Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s17906.jpg

Bela Lugosi's Dead is not an album.

correct, however rateyourmusic.com best ranked on users settings includes all formats mashed together.

Bauhaus is British so i left it in.

sort of interesting about the metal/rock list how there's no recent metal high up, only indie-rock crossovers (including muse as this).

I take it black metal fans don't read Kerrang then....

Kerrang doesn't cover much metal really.

Apart from bands that are mainstream or feature Pantera members.

so why are its readers seemingly able to get with Sabbath, Maiden etc. but not newer metal? or is it just that Kerrang retains a legion of grizzly veterans who stick to the old stuff alongside cryin emo kids and never the twain.

Maybe sabbath and maiden are to heavy rock/metal like the beatles/stones are to other lists.
Ozzfest probably has a lot to do with it too

Most genres have their 'canon'.

Maybe sabbath and maiden are to heavy rock/metal like the beatles/stones are to other lists.

yeah but Kerrang is supposed to have a younger readership than Q-Jo. Ozzfest a good point tho.

I think a lot of Kerrang readers these days are teenagers but they still get told about certain bands and like I said Ozzfest has had a huge influence. Plus Maiden, AC/DC etc all played Donington in the 90s so are still fresh in the memory of the slightly older readers. I'm sure there might be quite a few people who read it in the 80s who still do hence the Saxon vote..

Kerrang has gone downhill in the late 90's/00's just like NME. I think Kerrang has been outselling NME so I doubt it's going to change too soon.

yeah it seemed unlikely there'd still be a signficant number of Kerrang readers over a certain age (um, 20?)

"A list that features the likes of Radiohead's OK Computer and The Beatles' Revolver is a testament to the popularity of Oasis and their music."

yeah it seemed unlikely there'd still be a signficant number of Kerrang readers over a certain age (um, 20?)

I wonder what the average ages of Terrorizer and Metal Hammer readers are?
Probably a lot of old Kerrang readers were lost to Classic Rock Magazine.

You know, the list looks roughly like the one published 10 years ago. Which says that, well, maybe Oasis have more of a lasting impact than some people thought anyway?

("Don't Believe The Truth" will not be in the Top 50 in 2018 though)

I bet people would never have thought Be Here Now would be in a list in 2008

for the first and only time in my life, i agree with dom passantino.

still, it cannot be said often enough: radio 1 listeners in 1988 voted "i owe you nothing" by bros the GREATEST SINGLE OF ALL TIME. that is precisely how seriously - or not - these should be taken.

I bet people would never have thought Be Here Now would be in a list in 2008

That is of coure nuts. Must be some kind of fanclub mobilizing. Even more than "Violator"'s high placing
(And as for fanatical fans, where are The Cure's otherwise very loyal fans when they need them?)

Noo, I don't reckon that at all (re Geir's Oasis theory)

It sold bucketloads. Because of Hype. And if enough Q readers are still in love with it (don't laff, it could happen), then they would still vote for it.

Oasis fans would not vote for it, as it was their greatest embarassment, and would more likely vote their best album one or other of the first two, their return to form being their last one, or contraryness vote for one of the undersung ones.

Or was it the case that voters were given a set list of say 100 albums and had to choose from those?

Oh, The Cure's fans? There's not really one album that has the majority vote, is there? Biggest vote split victim, I'd say.

Apart from those Q reading fall fans. oh wait...

The list is enough to make one want to take up scuba diving, or stamp collecting, or anything rather than listen to music.

i doubt even noel gallagher would put 'be here now' in this list.

but Liam would. So there it is, in microcosm.

MVE won't even put Be Here Now in its shop.

It shares this honour with Into The Gap by the Thompson Twins so the absence of the latter from the HMV list is mysterious indeed.

On ebay, BHN goes for between £1 and £3.50, depending on condition, on CD. The LP is £20-£40. So maybe now it's OK to put it into the shop.

I didn't look up "Into the gap", I can guess...

Hmm. One LP went for £1.50 (the rest unsold), a cassette version went for 30p, and the original CD for £14! (this is the ThomTwinz intogap)

I should try my "Be here now" on original Creation minidisc, see how that goes!

Is Be Here Now any worse than the Oasis albums that followed it?

Depends whether you consider Flaming Pie better than Press To Play.

list seems to indicate that many people actually believe Don't Believe The Truth really was a A Stunning Return To Form after unplaced Heathen Chemistry and Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants - altho these are probably in the top 75 anyway. strange that these two, crap as they are, weren't among the others.

24. Rio - Duran Duran
I mean - WHY?????????????

Can someone give me a proper, thought-through explanation as to why this joke of a record which got a deserved all-round critical drubbing in '82 is now the official signed-up representative of its times? Did I miss a meeting? It is wind and piss and so are they.

Because it's the only Duran album with a famous single's name in the title?

80's revivalism.

All those "I heart the eighties" progs are to blame.

I blame Gene Hunt

The Falklands War really ought to have gone on a bit longer.

Definitely Maybe - Oasis = the most despicable mainstream British rock album of the past 30 years

^CHALLENGING OPINION

It's still their best album.

Definitely Maybe - Oasis = the most despicable mainstream British rock album of the past 30 years

http://cdn.last.fm/coverart/300x300/2034031.jpg

i don't believe anyone who's heard leisurenoise would say that

^Captain Save-A-Drummer

Agreed. I've never heard it. (xp)

me neither

2nd most despicable mainstream British rock album of the past 30 years = Paul Weller - Wild Wood

no, it's better than Stanley Road

i imagine

i don't believe anyone who's heard leisurenoise would say that

-- blueski, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 13:40 (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

since when did gay dad crack the mainstream anyway

"Definitely Maybe" is overrated, "Morning Glory" is underrated. That last one is the one and only masterpiece album by Oasis, showing off a more varied stylistic approach than the debut, with a couple of classic ballads that will always be played a lot on the radio.

Geir you're wrong.

... most overworked phrase in the history of the internet

Tom D will never speak to me again after I defended Definitely Maybe.

"classic ballads that will always be played a lot on the radio"

So will "Sometimes When We Touch" and "On My Own". "Wonderwall" and "Don't Look Back In Anger" are just about on that level, although Our Friends in the North almost made the latter sound good.

the only thing about 'wonderwall' that interests me now is whether noel actually did base the guitar hook on 'bonnie and clyde' via 'renegade soundwave'. would make a lot of sense.

82. Pentangle – Basket of Light

this has restored my faith in humankind. thankyou, OMM in 2004

I've had Basket Of Light on repeat ever since the above post. I'm not in the slightest bit bored yet :-)