I'm Not Furious at Rolling Stones Top 40 Punk List
Big Black, Earth Atomizer Let's Go
Rolling Stone Magazine just put out their list of the Top 40 Punk albums of all time - you can read the article by clicking HERE.
Rolling Stone did a better than expected job with this list. As always, the devil is in the details (where things are ranked) and some of the bands that got left out (Circle Jerks anyone).
My biggest feeling about these lists is that the arguments they create are more about selection bias than anything else - If you grew up with Circle Jerks you will be mad that Blink 182 made the list etc.
It is nice to see a list where I have heard every single album (often many times).
I want to say now, just like I did with the drummer's list they put out last week, it is just good these artists are being celebrated. You should listen to these albums, there is no album on the list that I hate. You will have a pretty decent idea of why I think most conventional definitions of punk make no sense after listening to all of the albums on this list.
Victory Lap?
DEVO, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO
It is nice to see a list where almost every album has, at one time or another or in one way or another, been featured on my blog. As of last Monday, I have either written about or included songs from the following albums on my blog so far:
Dead Kennedy's Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (40)
DEVO Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO (39)
Fugazi, 13 Songs (35)
Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures (34) - two weeks ago
The Slits, Cut (33)
Replacements, Sorry Ma - Forgot to Take Out The Trash (29)
Germs, GI (28)
Minor Threat, Complete Discography (27)
Bikini Kill, The Singles (22)
Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Blank Generation (21) - just this week
X-Ray Spex, Germ-Free Adolescents (20)
Bad Brains, Bad Brains (19)
Green Day, Dookie (18)
Television, Marquee Moon (17)
New York Dolls, New York Dolls (15)
Sleater Kinney, Dig Me Out (14)
Husker Du, Zen Arcade (13)
Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady (11) - Just last week
Nirvana, Nevermind (10)
Minutemen, Double Nickles On The Dime (7)
Wire, Pink Flag (6)
Gang of Four, Entertainment (5)
The Stooges, Funhouse (4)
Sex Pistols, Never Mind The Bollocks (3)
Clash, The Clash (2) - the literal inspiration for this blog
Ramones, Ramones (1) - the first piece I wrote for the blog was about my love for this album
Disagreements?
My biggest head scratchers so far, and I am sure I will write about this again:
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's before Circle Jerks?
If Sonic Youth qualifies, why no James Chance or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks?
Where is Big Black?
Why is Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables so low?
How in the world is "Unknown Pleasures" below "Cut?" (not that I have anything against The Slits)?
Was EVOL really the Sonic Youth album to include?
I am going to think about this, might write more soon, but wanted to get something out. My gut tells me this is a pretty decent list considering all of the variables involved.
I realize, as with most lists, most people will disagree, these lists are for starting discussions and arguments more than anything else, but what is your opinion? Let me know, leave a comment!