Rock and Reel

100 Favorite Albums of the 1990s: 100-81

I’ve done this for the ’70s and ’80s. How about a decade I was alive for in its entirety? Though to be fair, I wasn’t banging my head to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” when I was 2 years old.

I will compare my list with those of Paste and Slant because their ’80s lists started this madness in the first place.

As I did last time, I quantified the differences between my list and those of the two online magazines. I controlled for albums I have not heard, resulting in 58 albums I had heard on Paste’s list and 63 on Slant’s. A “+” indicates the album was higher on their list, and a “-“ indicates the album was higher on mine. I only used my top 58 and my top 63 to compare with the respective lists, but I posted all of my picks anyway.

100. Bruce Springsteen- The Ghost of Tom Joad

99. Leonard Cohen- The Future

98. Tom Waits- Bone Machine

Paste: #25 on adjusted list

Slant: #50 on adjusted list

97. Wilco- A.M.

96. Moby- Play

Paste: #32 on adjusted list

Slant: #29 on adjusted list

95. Lauryn Hill- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Paste: #15 on adjusted list

Slant: #24 on adjusted list

94. Aimee Mann- Magnolia

93. Missy Elliott- Supa Dupa Fly

Slant: #19 on adjusted list

92. Daft Punk- Homework

Paste: #55 on adjusted list

Slant: #16 on adjusted list

91. Green Day- Dookie

Paste: #45 on adjusted list

90. Wilco- Being There

Paste: #24 on adjusted list

89. Bob Dylan- Time Out of Mind

Paste: #43 on adjusted list

Slant: #63 on adjusted list

88. Jane’s Addiction- Ritual de lo Habitual

87. Cypress Hill- Cypress Hill

86. Basement Jaxx- Remedy

Slant: #37 on adjusted list

85. Stereolab- Emperor Tomato Ketchup

84. Nas- It Was Written

83. Mercury Rev- Deserter’s Songs

82. Johnny Cash- American Recordings

Paste: #36 on adjusted list

81. Elliott Smith- Elliott Smith

Next: 80-61

100 Favorite Albums of the 1970s: The Top 20

Previous: 40-21

20. Aretha Franklin- Young, Gifted and Black

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

19. Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

18. Neil Young- Tonight’s the Night

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

17. Michael Jackson- Off the Wall

Paste: -15

Pitchfork: -15

16. The Who- Live at Leeds

Paste and Pitchfork: excluded

15. Bruce Springsteen- Darkness on the Edge of Town

Paste: -15

Pitchfork: excluded

14. The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

13. Sex Pistols- Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols

Paste: +2

Pitchfork: -24

12. Elvis Costello- This Year’s Model

Paste: -22

Pitchfork: -26

11. Stevie Wonder- Innervisions

Paste: -4

Pitchfork: -10

10. The Stooges- Raw Power

Paste: -27

Pitchfork: -47

9. Al Green- Call Me

Paste: excluded

Pitchfork: -26

8. Neil Young- Rust Never Sleeps

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: excluded

7. Elvis Costello- My Aim is True

Paste: -14

Pitchfork: -21

6. David Bowie- Hunky Dory

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: -48

5. Joni Mitchell- Blue

Paste: -17

Pitchfork: -54

4. The Clash- London Calling

Paste: included in 80 Best Albums of the 1980s list

Pitchfork: +2

3. The Rolling Stones- Exile on Main St.

Paste: tie

Pitchfork: -8

2. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks

Paste: +1

Pitchfork: -3

1. Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run

Paste: -4

Pitchfork: excluded

100 Favorite Albums of the 1970s: 80-61

Previous: 100-81

80. ABBA- Arrival

79. MC5- Back in the USA

78. Roxy Music- Roxy Music

77. Talking Heads- More Songs About Buildings and Food

Paste: #26 on adjusted list

Pitchfork: #34 on adjusted list

76. Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle

75. Neil Young- Time Fades Away

74. Sly and the Family Stone- There’s a Riot Goin’ On

Paste: #16 on adjusted list

Pitchfork: #4 on adjusted list

73. Gang of Four- Entertainment!

Paste: #50 on adjusted list

Pitchfork: #8 on adjusted list

72. Van Halen- Van Halen

Pitchfork: #48 on adjusted list

71. Neil Young- Comes a Time

70. Janis Joplin- Pearl

69. Iggy Pop- Lust for Life

Paste: beginning of comparison; excluded

Pitchfork: #44 on adjusted list

68. Bob Marley- Exodus

Paste: excluded

67. B.B. King- Live at Cook County Jail

Paste: excluded

66. Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On

Paste: +56

Pitchfork: #36 on adjusted list

65. Miles Davis- A Tribute to Jack Johnson

Paste: excluded

Pitchfork: beginning of comparison; +24

64. George Harrison- All Things Must Pass

Paste: +29

Pitchfork: +8

63. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young- Deja vu

Paste: +15

Pitchfork: excluded

62. Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin III

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Pitchfork: +40

61. The Specials- Specials

Paste: excluded

Pitchfork: +30

Next: 60-41

Top 10 Tracks of 1978

Previous: 1977

I must have a musical bald spot because my metalhead is starting to show. Bob Dylan never stopped writing great songs, even with his weaker albums. I will never cease to be amazed by Eddie Van Halen’s work on “Eruption.” There are two by Elvis Costello because he’s the man, but Bruce is on top because he’s the boss.

10. The Police- Born in the 50’s (Listen)

9. Judas Priest- Beyond the Realms of Death (Listen)

8. Bob Dylan- Changing of the Guard (Listen)

7. The Clash- (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais (Listen)

6. Van Halen- Eruption (Listen)

5. Funkadelic- One Nation Under a Groove (Listen)

4. Elvis Costello- (What’s So Funny ‘About) Peace, Love and Understanding (Watch Bill Murray sing in Lost in Translation)

3. Elvis Costello- No Action (Listen to non-album live version)

2. Blondie- Hanging on the Telephone (Listen)

1. Bruce Springsteen- Racing in the Street (Listen)

Next: 1979

See Also: Top 10 Albums of 1973

100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: The Top 20

Previous: 40-21

20. N.W.A- Straight Outta Compton

Paste: excluded

Slant: +4

19. Prince- Sign O’ the Times

Paste: -5

Slant: +10

18. Run-D.M.C.- Raising Hell

Paste: -27

Slant: -26

17. Eric B. and Rakim- Follow the Leader

Paste and Slant: excluded

16. Pixies- Surfer Rosa

Paste: -2

Slant: -13

15. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Slant: -26

14. Talking Heads- Remain in Light

Paste: +7

Slant: +9

13. Tom Waits- Swordfishtrombones

Paste: excluded

Slant: -8

12. Bruce Springsteen- Born in the U.S.A.

Paste: +8

Slant: -16

11. R.E.M.- Lifes Rich Pageant

Paste: +6

Slant: -27

10. U2- The Joshua Tree

Paste: +2

Slant: -10

9. Pixies- Doolittle

Paste: +8

Slant: -18

8. The Replacements- Let It Be

Paste: -5

Slant: -24

7. The Replacements- Tim

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Slant: -38

6. Joy Division- Closer

Paste: -22

Slant: tie

5. Public Enemy- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Paste: -6

Slant: +2

4. Beastie Boys- Paul’s Boutique

Paste: -8

Slant: tie

3. Sonic Youth- Daydream Nation

Paste: -7

Slant: -22

2. R.E.M.- Murmur

Paste: -25

Slant: -9

1. The Smiths- The Queen is Dead

Paste: -1

Slant: -13

100 Favorite Albums of the 1980s: 60-41

Previous: 80-61

60. Bruce Springsteen- The River

Paste: #26 on adjusted list

Slant: excluded

59. Mission of Burma- Vs.

Slant: excluded

58. The Replacements- Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash

Slant: excluded

57. XTC- Skylarking

Paste: #30 on adjusted list

Slant: +11

56. Pretenders- Pretenders

Paste: #42 on adjusted list

Slant: +13

55. The Police- Synchronicity

Paste: +31

Slant: excluded

54. Bob Dylan- Oh Mercy

Paste and Slant: excluded

53. Paul Simon- Graceland

Paste: +43

Slant: +36

52. Elvis Costello- Blood & Chocolate

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by me

Slant: excluded

51. Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill

Paste: +12

Slant: +41

50. Roxy Music- Avalon

Paste: excluded

Slant: +16

49. Michael Jackson- Thriller

Paste: +43

Slant: +48

48. Prince- Dirty Mind

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by me and Paste

Slant: +9

47. The Replacements- Pleased to Meet Me

Paste: #46 on adjusted list; two-album rule exclusion by me

Slant: excluded

46. The Smiths- Strangeways, Here We Come

Paste: two-album rule exclusion by Paste

Slant: -2

45. Brian Eno and David Byrne- My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Paste: excluded

Slant: -10

44. Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime

Paste: +6

Slant: -7

43. X- Los Angeles

Paste: -9

Slant: -17

42. Dead Kennedys- Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Paste and Slant: excluded

41. Talk Talk- Spirit of Eden

Paste: -1

Slant: +1

Next: 40-21

Top 10 Albums of 2006

1. The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls in America

Listen: “Stuck Between Stations” [Non-Album Live Version]

2. Ghostface Killah- Fishscale

Listen: “Shakey Dog”

3. Belle and Sebastian- The Life Pursuit

Listen: “Another Sunny Day”

4. Yo La Tengo- I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

Listen: “Mr. Tough”

5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Show Your Bones

Listen: “Gold Lion”

6. Tom Waits- Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

Listen: “Missing My Son”

7. Bob Dylan- Modern Times

Listen: “Thunder on the Mountain”

8. Sonic Youth- Rather Ripped

Listen: “Another Sunny Day”

9. Bruce Springsteen- We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions

Listen: “We Shall Overcome”

10. Neil Young- Living With War

Listen: “Let’s Impeach the President”

Archival Highlight: Neil Young- Crazy Horse at the Fillmore 1970

Listen: “Winterlong”

Honorable Mention: Lily Allen’s Alright, Still; Islands’ Return to the Sea; My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade; Sufjan Stevens’ The Avalanche; Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds

Updated: November 2, 2012

Top 10 Albums of 2005

1. The Hold Steady- Separation Sunday

Listen: “Your Little Hoodrat Friend”

2. Franz Ferdinand- You Could Have It So Much Better

Listen: “Do You Want To”

3. Kanye West- Late Registration

Listen: “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix feat. Jay-Z)”

4. The White Stripes- Get Behind Me Satan

Listen: “Blue Orchid”

5. Sufjan Stevens- Illinois

Listen: “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois”

6. Wilco- Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

Listen: “At Least That’s What You Said”

7. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Listen: “Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)”

8. My Morning Jacket- Z

Listen: “Off the Record”

9. Serena-Maneesh- Serena-Maneesh

Listen: “Drain Cosmetics”

10. Art Brut-Bang Bang Rock & Roll

Listen: “Emily Kane”

Archival Highlight: Bob Dylan- The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack

Honorable Mention: Fall Out Boy’s From Under the Cork Tree, The New Pornographers’ Twin Cinema, Nine Inch Nails’ With Teeth, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ Nothing But the Water, Bruce Springsteen’s Devils & Dust, System of a Down’s Mezmerize; Tapes ‘n Tapes’ The Loon, Weezer’s Make Believe

Updated: March 9, 2013