500 Greatest Albums of All Time

[Vandle]

According to Rolling Stone.

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

To remake our greatest albums list, we tabulated Top 50 Albums lists from more than 300 artists, producers, critics, music-industry figures.

www.rollingstone.com

Decided to listen to all of these, in reverse order during 2024. Aiming for two per day. I walk to work and back, 40 mins each way plus an hour at the gym and usually have an hour or so to myself each evening either on my bike at home or in the sauna. Going to listen to the full album, in order. No track skipping.

Monday was great, the superb funeral by arcade fire while lying on the beach then Rufus and Chaka Khan when I got home as the sun when down drinking Aperol Spritzers. Yesterday wasn’t too bad, very different to my usual music but thats the whole point in doing it. Today however is only 8 hours old and already dreading having to listen to Shakira and then Boyz II Men. First month or two is going to be a bit of a slog.

Anyone done this before? Did you make it all the way?

 

[Shamikebab]

I just can't imagine forcing myself to listen to that much music I won't like.

 

[Vandle]

I just can't imagine forcing myself to listen to that much music I won't like.

Maybe you’d like it if you tried it?

I split the majority of my music listening between random 90s hip hop and liquid drum and bass (mostly bad) mixes on mixcloud and my suggested and daily playlists on Spotify. My discover weekly has variety but not much - Spotifys algorithm gives you music it thinks you will tolerate and therefore won’t skip, rather than something new or different you may actually like. I feel I am hearing the same thing over and over again. My CDs and LPs have been boxed up long ago and in fact some aren’t even in this country.

Anyway, gym session and one and a half albums more done. Shakira was actually ok, last track on the album was great and listened to it twice! Boyz 2 men decidedly average although most of their baselines and beats are ripped from hip hop tracks (in turn themselves stollen) so is bearable.

 

[Shamikebab]

I love music but I don't love all music and I am not sitting down listening to multiple Beyonce or Drake albums Even the top 50 looked pretty painful

 

[Vandle]

Ah yeah fair point, I’m not sitting down to listen to them though. I’m just listening while I do something I’d normally do anyway so it doesn’t feel like a waste of time.
That’s what I’m telling myself at least!

 

[Junglist]

An interesting idea but it would mean listening to a lot of stuff which I don't like and while I can sit through the odd song I dislike I'm not going to sit through 90 minutes of 'The Beatles', as an example, because I just don't like them.

It'll make you a menace in some musical quizzes though!

 

[Blackvault]

How can no Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd albums make the top 50?!
I would agree with some of the others here, there is a lot of music I wouldn't bother listening to as their genre doesn't interest me, E.g. Rap, but best of luck and enjoy doing it

 

[aardvark]

i had a look at most of that list and there is a lot of crap on there imo.
Also its very heavy on the rap, especially in the top 100.

 

[imtoooldforthis]

i had a look at most of that list and there is a lot of crap on there imo.
Also its very heavy on the rap, especially in the top 100.

I counted 16 'rap' albums in the top 100.

Whilst I disagree with some of the choices it seems a fair representation given it's been the biggest music genre on the planet outside of 'pop' for the past couple of decades.

 

[Junglist]

Lists like these are never going to appease everyone but it seems fairly mixed.

Bit of fools errand putting so many subjective albums into a 'definitive' list. In my mind I'm finding it hard to comprehend how Michael Jackson hasn't made the top 10 but the Beach boys have.

Probably just a good list to pick albums you haven't heard before from but I wouldn't put that much faith in it

Editted: beach boys, not pet shop boys.

 

[BUDFORCE]

How can no Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd albums make the top 50?!

What?????

Wasn't DSOTM like the best selling album if all time?

This top 500 sounds like a rouse to me, top 500 according to who?

 

[Shamikebab]

What?????

Wasn't DSOTM like the best selling album if all time?

This top 500 sounds like a rouse to me, top 500 according to who?

Did you try clicking the link? It tells you

 

[Vandle]

Going well with this up until now. Been pleasantly surprised and some of it although boys 2 men was a struggle. Up to 489. Back to mono, anthology of Phil Spectors work and influence. 4 CD compilation clocking in at 3 hours.
I don’t have an issue with such a subjective list but a best of box set I feel shouldn’t be in there. Reminds me of Alan Partridge when asked w he thought the best Beatles album was and he replied the best of the Beatles

 

[potatolord]

Going well with this up until now. Been pleasantly surprised and some of it although boys 2 men was a struggle. Up to 489. Back to mono, anthology of Phil Spectors work and influence. 4 CD compilation clocking in at 3 hours.
I don’t have an issue with such a subjective list but a best of box set I feel shouldn’t be in there. Reminds me of Alan Partridge when asked w he thought the best Beatles album was and he replied the best of the Beatles

The thing is: partridge was correct.

Very few bands can fill a twenty track "best of" without a few fillers creeping in.

 

[BUDFORCE]

I didn't like The Beatles personally.

Live and let die was good I know that wasn't the Beatles anyway.

 

[aardvark]

Going well with this up until now. Been pleasantly surprised and some of it although boys 2 men was a struggle. Up to 489. Back to mono, anthology of Phil Spectors work and influence. 4 CD compilation clocking in at 3 hours.
I don’t have an issue with such a subjective list but a best of box set I feel shouldn’t be in there. Reminds me of Alan Partridge when asked w he thought the best Beatles album was and he replied the best of the Beatles

yeah its a bit ridiculous - they have star time by james brown - its a 4 cd best of!

 

[jaybee]

It's just a list by people in the industry. People in the industry represent a minority of people that like and consume music. Is it therefore not a fairly pointless list?

 

[hudson86]

These lists feel a bit heavy on stuff industry people think your supposed to like rather than what they actually listen to.

 

[iamtheoneneo]

This is not a 500 list based on quality.

 

[mingeroonie]

Be interesting to see how far you get before giving up