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The ES Actual Best 200 Albums List: 1950-1990


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Singer/Songwriter edition:

 

Stevie Wonder: Innervisions (1973)

 

Steviewonder_innervisions.jpg

 

This album might be my answer to the age-old "if you could only have one record to listen to for the rest of your life, what would it be" question. Of Stevie Wonder's "holy trinity" (this, Talking Book, and Songs in the Key of Life) this one is my pick for the best. Stevie Wonder is not afraid to explore a variety of genres and topics and is probably at his best as a song writer.

 

Billy Joel: The Stranger (1977)

Thestranger1977.jpg

You can put me down as "1970s Billy Joel" guy. Yes, he had some great releases in the 1980s and hit his peak as a pop star in that decade, but from a creative standpoint, I don't think it gets better than his first 5 or 6 albums. From the raw, but promising "Cold Spring Harbor" (if you have a chance, listen to the remastered version where the record is pressed properly and everything isn't sped up) to this. Really is a murderer's row of Billy Joel tracks.

 

Carole King: Tapestry (1971)

Carole_King_-_Tapestry.jpg

Nothing says wispy, sensitive, "shut up, you guys, it's really good if you give it a chance" like Carole King's Tapestry. King had already made a name for herself as a songwriter and even recorded her version of one of her biggest hits "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" on this one. It's amazing what she can do with that piano and that earthy, alto voice of hers. She sings a lot of the tracks on this album in a BBC concert from the same year with very little accompaniment (apart from a cameo by, soon to be, singer/songwriter super star James Taylor).

Yes, you're going to have to get in touch with your sensitive side for this one, but it's well worth the effort. King is an excellent performer and songwriter.

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1 - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles - 1967

2 - Grace Under Pressure - Rush - 1987

3 - Van Halen - Van Halen - 1978

4 - Abbey Road - The Beatles - 1969

5 - Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys - 1966

6 - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominoes - 1970

7 - Tons of Sobs - Free - 1969

8 - In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson - 1969

9 - Beginnings - The Allman Brothers Band - 1973

10 - Axis: Bold as Love - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1967

11 - Truth - Jeff Beck - 1968

12 - I Got a Name - Jim Croce - 1973

13 - Smash Hits - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1968

14 - The Doors - The Doors - 1967

15 - Strange Days - The Doors - 1967

16 - Sin after Sin - Judas Priest - 1977

17 - Thriller - Michael Jackson - 1982

18 - The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads - Otis Redding - 1965

19 - Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul - Otis Redding - 1966

20 - Exile on Main St. - The Rolling Stones - 1972

21 - Moondance - Van Morrison - 1970

22 - Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin - 1975

23 - Led Zeppelin I - IV - Led Zeppelin - 1969-1971

24 - Sheer Heart Attack - Queen - 1974

25 - Murmur - R.E.M. - 1983

26 - Back in Black - AC/DC - 1980

27 - Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder - 1973

28 - What's Going On - Marvin Gaye - 1971

29 - At Fillmore East - The Allman Brothers Band - 1971

30 - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music - Ray Charles - 1962

31 - Then Play On - Fleetwood Mac - 1969

32 - A Long Time Comin' - Electric Flag - 1968

33 - Together For the First Time - Live - B.B. King & Bobby Bland - 1974

34 - Couldn't Stand the Weatehr - Stevie Ray Vaughan - 1984

35 - The Best of the Atlanta Rhythm Section - Atlanta Rhythm Section - 1982

36 - Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton - John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers - 1966

37 - Let's Hide Away and Dance Away With Freddie King - Freddie King - 1961

38 - Machine Head - Deep Purple - 1972

39 - Tommy - The Who - 1969

40 - Folk Singer - Muddy Waters - 1963

41 - Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet - The Miles Davis Quintet - 1955

42 - Elton John Greatest Hits - Elton John - 1974

43 - Rocket to Russia - Ramones - 1977

44 - Band of Gypsies - Jimi Hendrix - 1970

45 - The Joshua Tree - U2 - 1987

46 - Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen - 1975

47 - Some Girls - The Rolling Stones - 1978

48 - Rocks - Aerosmith - 1977

49 - Remain in Light - Talking Heads - 1980

50 - Graceland - Paul Simon - 1986

51 - It Serve You Right to Suffer - John Lee Hooker - 1966

52 - Life's Rich Pageant - REM - 1986

53 - Rock and Roll Animal - Lou Reed - 1974

54 - Live and Dangerous - Thin Lizzy - 1978

55 - Fascination Street - The Cure - 1988

56 - Rumours - Fleetwood Mac - 1977

57 - A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio - 1965

58 - It's Only a Movie - The Raybeats - 1983

59 - Kind of Blue - Miles Davis - 1959

60 - Master of Puppets - Metallica - 1986

61 - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses - 1989

62 - Appetite for Distruction - Guns N' Roses - 1987

63 - Doolittle - Pixies - 1989

64 - Who's Next - The Who - 1971

65 - East-West - The Butterfield Blues Band - 1966

66 - On the Beach - Neil Young - 1974

67 - Time Out - The Dave Brubeck Quartet - 1959

68 - ... And Justice for All - Metallica - 1988

69 - Revolver - The Beatles - 1966

70 - Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A - 1988

71 - Sabotage - Black Sabbath - 1975

72 - Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash - 1969

73 - At Last! - Etta James - 1961

74 - Ritual de lo habitual - Janes Addiction - 1990

75 - The Cars - The Cars - 1978

76 - Bleach - Nirvana - 1989

77 - The Royal Scam - Steely Dan - 1976

78 - Leftoverture - Kansas - 1976

79 - Let It Be - The Replacements - 1984

80 - The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths - 1986

81 - Dirty Mind - Prince - 1980

82 - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spider From Mars - David Bowie - 1972

83 - At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash - 1968

84 - The Clash - The Clash - 1977

85 - Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan - 1975

86 - Damn the Torpedoes - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 1979

87 - My Favorite Things - John Coltrane - 1961

88 - American Beauty - Grateful Dead - 1970

89 - Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd - 1973

90 - Moanin' in the Moonlight - Howlin' Wolf - 1959

91 - 1984 - Van Halen - 1984

92 - Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith - 1975

93 - Like a Virgin - Madonna - 1984

94 - Five Man Acoustical Jam - Tesla - 1990

95 - Fifth Dimension - The Byrds - 1966

96 - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy - 1988

97 - Disraeli Gears - Cream - 1967

98 - Paid in Full - Eric B. & Rakim - 1987

99 - Ghost in the Machine - The Police - 1981

100 - Music from Big Pink - The Band - 1968

101 - The Band - The Band - 1969

102 - Kind of Blue - Miles Davis - 1959

103 - Power, Corruption, & Lies - New Order - 1983

104 - Please Please Me, With the Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!, Rubber Soul, Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles (White Album), Let it Be - The Beatles - 1963-1970

105 - Aftermath - the Rolling Stones - 1967

106 - Willy and the Poor Boys - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1969

107 - Loaded - Velvet Underground - 1971

108 - LA Woman - The Doors - 1971

109 - Raw Power - Iggy & the Stooges - 1973

110 - Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk - 1977

111 - Computer World - Kraftwerk - 1982

112 - Closer - Joy Division - 1980

113 - Animals - Pink Floyd - 1977

114 - Sonic Temple - The Cult - 1989

115 - License to Ill - Beastie Boys - 1986

116 - King of Rock - Run-D.M.C. - 1985

117 - Raising Hell - Run-D.M.C. - 1986

118 - Bach: The Goldberg Variations - Glen Gould - 1956

119 - Hot Buttered Soul - Isaac Hayes - 1969

120 - The Chicago Transit Authority - The Chicago Transit Authority - 1969

121 - Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Little Feat - 1974

122 - Beggars Banquet - The Rolling Stones - 1968

123 - Let it Bleed - The Rolling Stones - 1969

124 - Innervisions - Stevie Wonder - 1973

125 - The Stranger - Billie Joel - 1977

126 - Tapestry - Carole King - 1971

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since greatest hits are allowed under "special circumstances"... i'm amazed that nobody has Bob Marley and the Wailers greatest hits --- the most greatest hits-iest greatest hits that ever existed.  Everysinlepersonontheplanet, and their little sister, had that album at one point (and almost nobody has actual Wailers albums)... .. and other than the fact that you may have gotten tired of it (because every single little sister on the planet played it often), everyone liked this to some degree or another.   I'm also shocked that nobody has put-up London Calling and Velvet Underground and Nico -----although good <but lesser> albums by both groups ARE representing those bands on the list.  So OK...

 

 

I'll nominate:  The Specials, Specials.

 

the-specials-by-the-specials.jpg


and i was torn... probably 80% of the time i would've put Fishbone up as my lone offering instead... but it is early morning, i am tired, and my caffeine free brain wants something more relaxed right now.

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I stand by my decision to add Loaded instead of TVU&N. I figured someone else would add the latter. Actually figured each of the first four albums would get added. Loaded is my personal favorite. It was my introduction to the band and the first one I really listened to in depth. Similar situation to why I like Magical Mystery Tour better than Sgt. Pepper, Aftermath better than Exile on Main St., and Physical Graffiti better than Led Zeppelin IV.

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