Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

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"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone . It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in a special issue of the magazine in 2003 and a related book in 2005. [1]

Contents

Critics have accused the lists of lending disproportionate weight to artists of particular races and genders. In the original list, most of the selections were albums by white male rock musicians, with the top position held by the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). In 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of albums released up until the early 2000s. [2]

Another updated edition of the list was published in 2020, with 269 entries not in either of the two previous editions. It was based on a new survey and did not consider the surveys conducted for the 2003 and 2012 lists. The 2020 list featured more artists of color and female artists, topped by Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971). [2] It received similar criticisms as the previous lists. [3] Another revision was published in 2023. [4]

Since 2020 Rolling Stone has also produced a weekly podcast called Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums, which, according to magazine, is based on an "updated version of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list". [5] The podcast is hosted by Brittany Spanos, a staff writer at the magazine. [6] [7]

Background

The Beatles (pictured in 1964) had nine albums on the most recent list The Beatles members at New York City in 1964.jpg
The Beatles (pictured in 1964) had nine albums on the most recent list

The first version of the list, published as a magazine in November 2003, was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics, and industry figures, each of whom submitted a ranked list of 50 albums. The accounting firm Ernst & Young devised a point system to weigh votes for 1,600 submitted titles. [8] The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the list, with Rolling Stone's editors describing it as "the most important rock 'n' roll album ever made". [9] The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) was ranked second in recognition of its influence on Sgt. Pepper. [10] The list also included compilations and "greatest hits" collections. [8]

An amended list was released as a book in 2005, with an introduction by guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Some compilation albums were removed, and Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings was substituted for both of his King of the Delta Blues Singers volumes, making room for a total of eight new entries on the list.[ full citation needed ] [nb 1]

On May 31, 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised list, drawing on the original and a later survey of albums up until the early 2000s. [11] It was made available in "bookazine" format on newsstands in the US from April 27 to July 25. The new list contained 38 albums not present in the previous one, 16 of them released after 2003. The top listings remained unchanged.[ citation needed ]

Marvin Gaye (1973) Marvin Gaye (1973).png
Marvin Gaye (1973)

Most of the albums on the initial lists were by white male rock musicians. Among the top 50 rankings, only 12 entries were by artists of color, none of whom were female, and only three albums by white women figured in the top 50. [2]

On September 22, 2020, another revision of the list was published. It drew upon a new survey conducted with "more than 300 artists, producers, critics, and music-industry figures", including: [12]

Each voter was asked to submit a ranked list of 50 favorite albums. [13] This time, the list included more musicians who were female and people of color, with many such artists represented at higher rankings than on the previous lists. [2] 86 of the entries were 21st-century releases. One hundred fifty-four new entries were not on either of the two previous editions, and rap albums figured three times as much. [14] Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971) was featured at the number one spot. [12]

The 2023 revision was created using the same method as the 2020 list. [4]

Reception

The original Rolling Stone 500 was criticized for being male-dominated, outmoded and almost entirely Anglo-American in focus. [15] [16] Writing in USA Today , Edna Gundersen described the list as predictable and "weighted toward testosterone-fueled vintage rock". [8] Following the publicity surrounding the list, rock critic Jim DeRogatis, a former Rolling Stone editor, published Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics in 2004. The book featured a number of critics arguing against the high evaluation of various "great" albums, many of which had been included in the list. [17]

Jonny Sharp, a contributor to NME's own 500 greatest albums list, described the 2012 Rolling Stone list as a "soulless, canon-centric [list] of the same tired old titles", adding: "looking at their 500, when the only album in their top 10 less than 40 years old is London Calling , I think I prefer the NME's less critically-correct approach." [18]

Responding to the 2020 revision, Consequence of Sound 's Alex Young wrote that the lesser representation of white male rock musicians was "the biggest takeaway". [2] According to CNN's Leah Asmelash, "The change represents a massive shift for the magazine, moving to recognize more contemporary albums and a wider range of tastes." [19] Conversely, Jonathan McNamara of The Japan Times criticized the list for underrepresenting Asian and non-Anglophone artists, stating that "It seems a shame then that Rolling Stone's musical brain trust of writers and industry contributors [...] didn't take the opportunity to hold up albums from the world's non-English-speaking artists and bands." [20]

Statistics

Number of albums from each decade

2003 edition
DecadeNumber of
albums
Percentage
1950s112.2%
1960s12625.2%
1970s18336.6%
1980s8817.6%
1990s6112.2%
2000s132.6%
2012 edition
DecadeNumber of
albums
Percentage
1950s102.0%
1960s10521.0%
1970s18637.2%
1980s8416.8%
1990s7314.6%
2000s408.0%
2010s20.4%
2020 edition
DecadeNumber of
albums
Percentage
1950s91.8%
1960s7414.8%
1970s15731.4%
1980s7114.2%
1990s10320.6%
2000s5010.0%
2010s367.2%
2023 edition
DecadeNumber of
albums
Percentage
1950s91.8%
1960s7114.2%
1970s15531.0%
1980s7114.2%
1990s10120.2%
2000s5110.2%
2010s367.2%
2020s61.2%

Artists with the most albums

The following table lists the artists who had at least three albums included on at least one edition of the list (71 artists in total).

Artist Total number of albums by artist Notes
2023 2020 2012 2003
The Beatles 991010
  • 2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 5.
  • 2003/2012: Four albums in the top 10, at no. 10, 5, 3, and 1.
Bob Dylan 881111
  • 2020/2023: Count includes one album credited to Bob Dylan & the Band; Dylan has one album in the top 10, at no. 9.
  • 2003/2012: Count includes one album credited to Bob Dylan & the Band; Dylan has two albums in the top 10, at nos. 9, and 4.
Neil Young 7766 2003/2012/2020/2023: Counts include one album credited to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and two credited to Neil Young & Crazy Horse.
Kanye West 663
Bruce Springsteen 5588
David Bowie 5556
Led Zeppelin 5555
The Rolling Stones 561010 2003: One album in the top 10 at no. 7.
Aretha Franklin 4422
Beyoncé 4300 2020/2023: Count includes one album as a member of Destiny's Child.
Joni Mitchell 4422 2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 3.
Pink Floyd 4444
Prince 4444
  • 2020/2023: Count includes one album credited to Prince and the Revolution; Prince has one album in the top 10, at no. 8.
  • 2003/2012: Count includes one album generally credited to Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain .
Radiohead 4453
Stevie Wonder 4444 2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 4.
The Velvet Underground 4444 2003/2012/2020: Count includes one album credited to the Velvet Underground & Nico.
The Who 4477
Al Green 3333
Beastie Boys 3322
Big Star 3333
Black Sabbath 3333
D'Angelo 3311 2020: Counts include one album as D'Angelo and the Vanguard.
Elvis Presley 3333
Fiona Apple 3300
George Clinton 3333 2003/2012/2020: Counts include two albums as a member of Funkadelic, one with Parliament.
James Brown 3334
Janet Jackson 3322
Jay-Z 3332
Kendrick Lamar 330
Marvin Gaye 3333
  • 2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 1.
  • 2003/2012: One album in the top 10, at no. 6.
Michael Jackson 3333
Madonna 3334
Nirvana 3333
  • 2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 6.
Outkast 3321
Pavement 3322
Sly and the Family Stone 3344
Taylor Swift 320
The Band 3333 2003/2012/2020/2023: Count includes one album credited to Bob Dylan & the Band.
The Clash 3333 2003/2012: One album in the top 10, at no. 8.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience 3333
Tom Petty 3311 2003/2012/2020/2023: Each count include one album as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Bob Marley and the Wailers 2345
Creedence Clearwater Revival 2223
Miles Davis 2233
Eminem 2223
Grateful Dead 2244
Elton John 2256
Ray Charles 2233
The Byrds 2245
The Kinks 2233
Public Enemy 2223
R.E.M. 2233
Otis Redding 2244
Steely Dan 2233
The Stooges 2233
Talking Heads 2244
The Beach Boys 2333 2003/2012/2020/2023: One album in the top 10, at no. 2.
U2 2255
Elvis Costello 1244 2003/2012: Counts include one album as Elvis Costello & the Attractions.
The Doors 1133
Tupac Shakur 1325 2003: His first 5 albums were included in the list.
Nick Drake 1113
Randy Newman 1133
Roxy Music 1224
The Police 1144
Simon & Garfunkel 1134
The Smiths 1144
Tom Waits 1133
Muddy Waters 1133
Cream 0133
Jackson Browne 0023

See also

Notes

  1. The Complete Recordings was reinstated to the list in the 2012 edition.[ citation needed ]

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References

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    Related news articles:
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rolling Stone updated its Top 500 Albums of All Time list so it's no longer just white dudes". Consequence of Sound . September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  3. Stiernberg, Bonnie (September 23, 2020). "Does the World Really Need Another 'Greatest Albums of All Time' List?". InsideHook. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
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  5. "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums". Amazon Music. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  6. Spanos, Brittany (November 17, 2020). "500 Greatest Albums Podcast: Taylor Swift on How 'Red' Changed Everything For Her". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  7. "Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Albums' podcast discusses how Shakira reshaped Latin pop". HOLA. December 31, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 "It's Certainly a Thrill: Sgt. Pepper Is Best Album", USA Today, November 17, 2003.
  9. Sawyers, June Skinner, ed. (2006). Read the Beatles: Classic and New Writings on the Beatles, Their Legacy, and Why They Still Matter. New York: Penguin. p. 97. ISBN   978-0-14-303732-3.
  10. Jones, Carys Wyn (2016) [2008]. The Rock Canon: Canonical Values in the Reception of Rock Albums. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 57. ISBN   978-0-7546-6244-0.
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  12. 1 2 "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  13. "Who Voted for the 500 Greatest Albums?". Rolling Stone . September 22, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  14. Henderson, Cydney (September 22, 2020). "Beach Boys, Beatles, Beyoncé top Rolling Stone's new 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". USA Today . Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  15. Biron, Dean. 2011. Towards a Popular Music Criticism of Replenishment. Popular Music & Society, 34/5: 661–682.
  16. Schmutz, Vaughan. 2005. Retrospective Critical Consecration in Popular Music: Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of All Time. American Behavioral Scientist, 48/11: 1510–1523.
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  18. Sharp, Johnny (October 24, 2013). "Mission Impossible: My 'NME 500 Greatest Albums' Voting Hell". The Quietus. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  19. Leah Asmelash (September 23, 2020). "Rolling Stone places Marvin Gaye at the top of its new, less rock heavy list of the best albums ever". CNN. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
  20. McNamara, Jonathan (September 30, 2020). "Ten Japanese albums that Rolling Stone missed on its '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' list". The Japan Times. Retrieved January 3, 2021.

Further reading