If you're gonna push something as the greatest of all time, you'd think it would be a constant seller in an R&B store like the one I was in, that's all I;m saying.

Should the greatest R&B album really be determined by white music critics and white music historians?

By the way, what about "Thriller?"

Why wouldn't "Thriller" be the greatest R&B album ever?

Im actually agreeing with Bruce here, simply cause often enough, greatest of all time simply translates to 'considered greatest in US and UK' . Live at the Apollo is a non existent album in this part of the world, whereas something like Thriller is quite literally worshipped

If I had to make a top 10 would be something like:

1. Thriller (1982) - Michael Jackson
2. What's Going On (1971) - Marvin Gaye
3. Innervisions (1973) - Stevie Wonder
4. Live at the Apollo (1963) - James Brown
5. Purple Rain (1984) - Prince
6. Songs In The Key Of Life (1976) - Stevie Wonder
7. I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You (1967) - Aretha Franklin
8. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music (1962) - Ray Charles
9. There's A Riot Goin' On (1971) - Sly & The Family Stone
10. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) - Lauryn Hill

HM:

Off the Wall (1979) - Michael Jackson
Sign O' The Times (1987) - Prince
Superfly (1972) - Curtis Mayfield
Talking Book (1972) - Stevie Wonder
Otis Blue (1965) - Otis Redding

I was gonna include Thriller here, but in the end I think of it more as pop than r&b.

Also I dont see what being white or black has to do with deciding the greatest r&b album.

If we're gonna consider Thriller to be r&b, then it might indeed edge out these two. It's just that I always see WGO being lauded with endless praise for it's songs and production.

What's going on definitely seems the most critically acclaimed of the lot

Here's what.

The term R&B (rhythm and blues) was coined not as a style of music, but as a term to replace "race " as the name of the Billboard chart that tracks which records are most popular with blacks. In the late 40s Jerry Wexler coined that term and it caught on. It was a way to try and market black music to more white people, as whites at that time were not generally interested in what blacks were listening to.

The Billboard race, R&B, soul, Black Contemporary, etc chart does not have anything to do with a style of music. It exists solely to let radio stations and record stores that cater to black customers know which records are most popular in the black community.

That being sais, since "rhythm and blues" is nothing more than a codework for "black," I would think that black people should be decidning which album is the greatest R&B (aka popular in the black community) album.

For me it is probably "Voodoo" by D'angelo. I'll take "What's Going On" out of these two options, but over the past year or so, "Let's Get it On" has probably eclipsed it on my list of favorite Marvin Gaye albums.

And Bruce is right, this forum should only be a place for discussion of white artists, because that's our frame of reference. Bruce can educate us on black artists though, because he's not really white, he worked at a record store after all. Plus, did you hear he was a DJ? What an honor to be graced with his funky presence.

"Discussing" is fine, but a bunch of white dorks deciding what is the greatest black album of all time seems a little presumptuous.

It would be like a bunch of Americans deciding what is the best French wine.

I thought this was a discussion...
What makes it a decision compared to a discussion? What's the difference?

I suppose it's a harmless thread.

Don't be so sure, we may just end up making the official decree to speak for all people of the R&B race

None of that changes the fact that any white person can be just as educated on black music as any black person.

Obviously, and an American can be just as educated on French wine as a French person, but wouldn't you say that it would mean more if French experts picked the best French wines than if American experts on French wine did the same?

Dorks? Do you know how much we party?