This really is an awesome list, Brett.

That doesn't sound like a true commercial release to me. I'd keep the major label debut.

OK, Rage stays.

I'm going to send the list to Lew tonight and ask him about expanding the list. If all goes well I'll expand it to 150 or even 200 later this summer.

Thanks for the kind words Neg. Of course I had a lot of help in making it what it is, so thanks to everyone here who has helped.

I don't mean this in a condescending way, but what's the reason behing the placement of The Band's debut?

Also, does Please Please Me include the impact, et al of Introducing the Beatles?

Well, I think it's huge in impact. It really drove the back-to-basics moves that followed over the next couple of years. Eric Clapton quit Cream and basically rethought his whole musical direction because of it. It probably played a role in The Beatles' plans for the Get Back/Let It Be project, too. It's not huge in any other category, but it's not bad in any other category, either.



I think--and I'd like to know what Bruce thinks, since he was in on the original making of the list--that in cases like that, we do count the US version of the album, but perhaps somewhat discounted.

I wonder if the Hendrix album would be number one if the US version had a different title (it does have a different track listing and cover). This is probably something we should more explicitly address.

The Hendrix album as originally released in the UK and other countries did not even have "Purple Haze" on it.

As for the Beatles I do think the US versions of the albums have to count somewhat even if they are different. You can't just NOT COUNT the USA version of "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver" towards a 1960s list because it's different than the UK version.

I've changed the first post in this thread to reflect the new version of the list. I don't think Lew has updated the page as I'm typing this, but it should be up sometime tomorrow.

Lew also gave the go-ahead to expand the list, so later this summer I will expand it to at least 150, if not more. This will include albums that dropped off the list but are still eligible (Joe Cocker, Big Star, Vanilla Fudge, Queen), albums that have been suggested here but didn't get added yet (Dick Dale, The Darkness, Jeff Buckley), and more albums to be named later. I think REM's Chronic Town should be the first EP to make it.

One album that came to my attention after I submitted the list: Gonna Make You Sweat by C&C Music Factory. I think that's got to finish pretty high.

No rush on new suggestions, but whenever you've got 'em, thrown them in.

This list is one of the best of DDD.
I'd only suggest Jeff Buckley. His albums should be add, no doubt.

He will definitely be on the longer version of the list, coming soon. In the meantime, though, I'd love to hear your thoughts on why you think he does well under the critieria.

Thanks for the kind words!

Yes, BA has improved this list a lot since I handed it over to him.

I believe that "Grace" has a good lasting popularity. I will not say that Buckley influenced by his falsetto vocal, but surely this album has a great vocal influences. However, its highest point in the criterion is the musical impact. Today he is considered one of the most acclaimed albums of the 90s. Only for his musical impact, he can be on the list.

Imo, it belongs to the top 100 easily. But if you do not are thinking of change the current top 100, it must be one of the first in the expansion of list.

I don't use the definition of "musical impact" that a lot of lists on the site do. Acclaim has nothing to do with impact. Impact has to do with how the album affected the music business and scene at the time. For example, Boston's debut album led to more "arena rock" bands getting signed and more albums being marketed without the artists themselves getting a high profile. That sort of thing.

Honestly, I almost added it to the last revision, but then I got some other late suggestions which knocked it off. And I still have to add TLC and C&C Music Factory, which were huge. I do see it being near the top of the second 100, but I'm not convinced that it should knock out any of the albums in the top 100, almost all of which clearly beat it in popularity.

I did not know that you do not consider acclaim as musical impact. So, it becomes more hard for "Grace" be part of the top 100. But if you consider, would be part easily, I think you agree.

OK, here's what I have so far for the expansion. As you can see, I'm almost up to 150 albums. I included many of JB's suggestions from a while ago as well as other suggestions which came up in the thread. (I did go through everything in the thread, although I didn't go back to the old forum.) I haven't really changed the order of things that are already there (although I'm open to arguments).

For a list that was once really low on soul/R&B/hip-hop, I think if anything the list might be too heavy with that side of things now...not that I have any problem with the list being heavy on that, just that we might be missing some of the more AOR stuff. So I'd particularly like to know if we're missing anything important on that side, but of course all suggestions are welcome, including comments about the placing of stuff on the list as it is now. As always, please try to keep the criteria in mind and provide arguments for your choices.

***** indicates a new entry--obviously most of the lower part of the list qualifies.

1 Are You Experienced? (1967) - Jimi Hendrix Experience
2 Led Zeppelin (1969) – Led Zeppelin
3 The Doors (1967) – Doors
4 Ten (1991) – Pearl Jam
5 Elvis Presley (1956) – Elvis Presley
6 Run-D.M.C. (1984) – Run-D.M.C.
7 Licensed To Ill (1986) – Beastie Boys
8 Whitney Houston (1985) - Whitney Houston
9 The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) – Velvet Underground
10 Appetite For Destruction (1987) – Guns N' Roses
11 Van Halen (1978) – Van Halen
12 Mr. Tambourine Man (1965) – Byrds
13 Boston (1976) – Boston
14 Black Sabbath (1970) – Black Sabbath
15 My Aim Is True (1977) – Elvis Costello
16 Music From Big Pink (1968) – The Band
17 Please Please Me (1963) – The Beatles
18 Ramones (1976) – Ramones
19 Mariah Carey (1990) – Mariah Carey
20 Ready To Die (1994) – Notorious B.I.G.
21 If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966) – The Mamas & The Papas
22 The Fame (2008) – Lady Gaga
23 Fresh Cream (1966) – Cream
24 Gonna Make You Sweat (1990) – C&C Music Factory *****
25 Chicago Transit Authority (1969) – Chicago
26 Kill 'Em All (1983) – Metallica
27 In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969) – King Crimson
28 Songs In A Minor (2001) – Alicia Keys
29 Kick Out The Jams (1969) – MC5
30 The College Dropout (2004) – Kanye West
31 What's The 411? (1992) – Mary J. Blige
32 Paid In Full (1987) – Eric B & Rakim
33 Vincebus Eruptum (1968) – Blue Cheer
34 Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols (1977) – Sex Pistols
35 Yourself Or Something Like You (1996) – Matchbox 20
36 3 Feet High And Rising (1989) – De La Soul
37 Dire Straits (1978) – Dire Straits
38 Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip (1992) – TLC *****
39 The Stooges (1969) – Stooges
40 The Pretenders (1980) – The Pretenders
41 Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967) – Pink Floyd
42 Santana (1969) – Santana
43 The Cars (1978) – The Cars
44 Reasonable Doubt (1996) – Jay-Z
45 Freak Out (1966) – Mothers Of Invention
46 Illmatic (1994) – Nas
47 Unknown Pleasures (1979) – Joy Division
48 Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993) – Wu-Tang Clan
49 Can't Buy A Thrill (1972) – Steely Dan
50 My Generation (1965) – The Who
51 Rolling Stones (1964) – Rolling Stones
52 The Stylistics (1971) – The Stylistics
53 Forever Your Girl (1988) – Paula Abdul
54 Boy (1980) – U2
55 The B-52s (1979) – The B-52s
56 Bluejean Bop (1956) – Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps
57 The Chirping Crickets (1957) – Buddy Holly & the Crickets
58 The Clash (1977) – The Clash
59 Texas Flood (1983) – Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
60 Horses (1975) – Patti Smith Group
61 Look Sharp! (1979) – Joe Jackson
62 Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968) – Creedence Clearwater Revival
63 The Monkees (1966) – The Monkees
64 Dreamboat Annie (1976) – Heart
65 Beauty And The Beat (1981) – The Go-Go's
66 New York Dolls (1973) – New York Dolls
67 Madonna (1983) – Madonna *****
68 Outlandos d'Amour (1978) – The Police
69 Supa Dupa Fly (1997) – Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott
70 Shotgun (1965) – Jr. Walker & The All-Stars
71 The Smiths (1984) – The Smiths
72 Eagles (1972) – Eagles
73 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1976) – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
74 Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1973) – Bruce Springsteen
75 Steppenwolf (1968) – Steppenwolf
76 Procol Harum (1967) – Procol Harum
77 Aerosmith (1973) – Aerosmith
78 Rage Against The Machine (1992) – Rage Against The Machine
79 Foreigner (1977) – Foreigner
80 Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 (1969) – Jackson 5
81 Radio (1985) – LL Cool J
82 The Animals (1964) – The Animals
83 Green Onions (1962) – Booker T. & the MG's
84 Country Grammar (2000) – Nelly *****
85 The Stone Roses (1989) – The Stone Roses
86 Marquee Moon (1977) – Television
87 Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987) – Public Enemy
88 Psychocandy (1985) – The Jesus & Mary Chain
89 The Meters (1969) – The Meters
90 Iron Maiden (1980) – Iron Maiden
91 Big Brother & The Holding Company (1967) – Big Brother & the Holding Company
92 Is This It (2001) – The Strokes
93 Tubular Bells (1973) – Mike Oldfield
94 In The Heat Of The Night (1979) – Pat Benatar
95 Get The Knack (1979) – The Knack
96 19 (2008) – Adele
97 Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973) – Lynyrd Skynyrd
98 Pretty Hate Machine (1989) – Nine Inch Nails
99 Shake Your Money Maker (1990) – The Black Crowes
100 Long Live The Kane (1988) – Big Daddy Kane
101 Definitely Maybe (1994) – Oasis
102 Roxy Music (1972) – Roxy Music
103 Talking Heads: 77 (1977) – Talking Heads
104 The Young Rascals (1966) – The Young Rascals
105 With A Little Help From My Friends (1969) – Joe Cocker *****
106 Grace (1994) – Jeff Buckley *****
107 Toni Braxton (1993) - Toni Braxton *****
108 Stray Cats (1981) – The Stray Cats *****
109 # 1 Record (1972) – Big Star *****
110 Brown Sugar – D'Angelo *****
111 Walk Don't Run (1960) – The Ventures *****
112 The Modern Lovers (1976) - Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers *****
113 Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994) - Outkast *****
114 Funkadelic (1970) – Funkadelic *****
115 George Thorogood & The Destroyers (1977) – George Thorogood & The Destroyers *****
116 Vanilla Fudge (1967) – Vanilla Fudge *****
117 Queen (1973) – Queen *****
118 Buffalo Springfield (1966) – Buffalo Springfield *****
119 August And Everything After (1993) – Counting Crows *****
120 The Way It Is (1986) – Bruce Hornsby & The Range *****
121 Kurtis Blow (1980) - Kurtis Blow *****
122 It's About Time (1992) – SWV *****
123 Surfers' Choice (1962) – Dick Dale *****
124 Never Too Much (1981) - Luther Vandross *****
125 Do You Believe In Magic (1965) – The Lovin' Spoonful *****
126 Age Ain't Nothing But A Number (1994) – Aaliyah *****
127 Supa Dupa Fly (1997) - Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott *****
128 Vivid (1998) – Living Colour *****
129 Cooleyhighharmony (1991) - Boyz II Men *****
130 Permission To Land (2003) – The Darkness *****
131 Make It Last Forever (1987) - Keith Sweat *****
132 Chronic Town (1982) – REM *****
133 Blind Melon (1992) – Blind Melon *****
134 2Pacalypse Now (1991) – 2Pac *****
135 Baduizm (1997) - Erykah Badu *****
136 Pablo Honey (1993) – Radiohead *****
137 Guy (1998) – Guy *****
138 The Wham Of That Memphis Man (1964) – Lonnie Mack *****
139 The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators – The 13th Floor Elevators *****
140 Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 (2000) - Jill Scott *****
141 Surfin' Safari (1992) – The Beach Boys *****
142 Everything Is Everything (1970) - Donny Hathaway *****
143 Closing Time (1973) – Tom Waits *****
144 Talking Heads: 77 (1977) – Talking Heads *****