Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
"The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine Rolling Stone. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and industry figures. The first list was published in a special issue of the magazine in 2003 and a related book in 2005.[1]
Critics have accused the lists of lending disproportionate weight to artists of particular races and genders. In the original list, most of the selections were albums by white Anglo-American male rock musicians, with the top position held by the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). In 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised edition, drawing on the original and a later survey of albums released up until the early 2000s.[2]
Another updated edition of the list was published in 2020, with 154 new entries not in either of the two previous editions. It was based on a new survey and does not factor in the surveys that were conducted for the previous lists. This time, the list featured more black and female artists, topped by Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971).[2] It received similar criticisms as the prior lists.[3]
Background
The first version of the list, published as a magazine in November 2003, was based on the votes of 273 rock musicians, critics, and industry figures, each of whom submitted a ranked list of 50 albums. The accounting firm Ernst & Young devised a point system to weigh votes for 1,600 submitted titles.[4] The Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the list, with Rolling Stone's editors describing it as "the most important rock 'n' roll album ever made".[5] The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966) was ranked second in recognition of its influence on Sgt. Pepper.[6] The list also included compilations and "greatest hits" collections.[4]
An amended list was released as a book in 2005, with an introduction by guitarist Steven Van Zandt. Some compilation albums were removed, and Robert Johnson's The Complete Recordings was substituted for both of his King of the Delta Blues Singers volumes, making room for a total of eight new entries on the list.[nb 1]
On May 31, 2012, Rolling Stone published a revised list, drawing on the original and a later survey of albums up until the early 2000s.[7] It was made available in "bookazine" format on newsstands in the US from April 27 to July 25. The new list contained 38 albums not present in the previous one, 16 of them released after 2003. The top listings remained unchanged.
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Most of the albums on the initial lists were by white male rock musicians. Among the top 50 rankings, only 12 entries were by artists of non-white ethnicity, none of whom were female, and only three albums by white women figured in the top 50.[2]
On September 22, 2020, another revision of the list was published. It drew upon a new survey conducted with "more than 300 artists, producers, critics, and music-industry figures", including:[8]
Each voter was asked to submit a ranked list of 50 favorite albums.[9] This time, the list favored black and female musicians, with many such artists represented at higher rankings than on the previous lists.[2] 86 of the entries were 21st-century releases. One hundred fifty-four new entries were not on either of the two previous editions, and rap albums figured three times as much.[10] Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (1971) was featured at the number one spot.[8]
Reception
The original Rolling Stone 500 was criticized for being male-dominated, outmoded and almost entirely Anglo-American in focus.[11][12] Writing in USA Today newspaper, Edna Gundersen described the list as predictable and "weighted toward testosterone-fueled vintage rock".[4] Following the publicity surrounding the list, rock critic Jim DeRogatis, a former Rolling Stone editor, published Kill Your Idols: A New Generation of Rock Writers Reconsiders the Classics in 2004. The book featured a number of critics arguing against the high evaluation of various "great" albums, many of which had been included in the list.[13]
Jonny Sharp, a contributor to NME's own 500 greatest albums list, described the 2012 Rolling Stone list as a "soulless, canon-centric [list] of the same tired old titles," noting: "looking at their 500, when the only album in their top 10 less than 40 years old is London Calling, I think I prefer the NME's less critically-correct approach."[14]
Responding to the 2020 revision, Consequence of Sound's Alex Young wrote that the lesser representation of white male rock musicians was "the biggest takeaway".[2] According to CNN's Leah Asmelash, "The change represents a massive shift for the magazine, moving to recognize more contemporary albums and a wider range of tastes."[15]
InsideHook's Bonnie Stiernberg questioned whether the editors had made adjustments to the numbered rankings instead of presenting the true results, citing her own experience of helping to compile such lists.[3] She reported that the list "sparked plenty of debate, angering rockist Boomers and causing cynics to question whether certain albums made the cut because they’re really that great or because they happen to be made by someone who isn’t a white man".[3]
Statistics
Number of albums from each decade
| Decade | Number of albums | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 29 | 5.8% |
| 1960s | 126 | 25.2% |
| 1970s | 183 | 36.6% |
| 1980s | 88 | 17.6% |
| 1990s | 61 | 12.2% |
| 2000s | 13 | 2.6% |
| Decade | Number of albums | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10 | 2.0% |
| 1960s | 105 | 21.0% |
| 1970s | 186 | 37.2% |
| 1980s | 84 | 16.8% |
| 1990s | 73 | 14.6% |
| 2000s | 40 | 8.0% |
| 2010s | 2 | 0.4% |
| Decade | Number of albums | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 9 | 1.8% |
| 1960s | 74 | 14.8% |
| 1970s | 157 | 31.4% |
| 1980s | 71 | 14.2% |
| 1990s | 103 | 20.6% |
| 2000s | 50 | 10.0% |
| 2010s | 36 | 7.2% |
Artists with the most albums
The following table lists the artists who had at least three albums included on at least one edition of the list.
| Artist | Total number of albums by artist | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2012 | 2003 | ||
| The Beatles | 9 | 10 | 10 |
|
| Bob Dylan | 8 | 11 | 11 |
|
| Neil Young | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2003/2012/2020: Counts include one album credited to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and two credited to Neil Young & Crazy Horse. |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 10 | 10 | 2003/2012: One album in the top 10 at no. 7. |
| Kanye West | 6 | 3 | N/A | |
| David Bowie | 5 | 5 | 6 | |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 7 | 8 | |
| Aretha Franklin | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2020: One album in the top 10, at no. 3. |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Prince | 4 | 4 | 4 |
|
| Radiohead | 4 | 5 | 3 | |
| The Velvet Underground | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2003/2012/2020: Count includes one album credited to the Velvet Underground & Nico. |
| The Who | 4 | 7 | 7 | |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2020: One album in the top 10, at no. 4. |
| Fiona Apple | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| The Band | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2003/2012/2020: Count includes one album credited to Bob Dylan & the Band. |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2003/2012/2020: One album in the top 10, at no. 2. |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Beyoncé | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2020: Count includes one album as a member of Destiny’s Child. |
| Big Star | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| James Brown | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| The Clash | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2003/2012: One album in the top 10, at no. 8. |
| George Clinton | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2003/2012/2020: Counts include two albums as a member of Funkadelic, one with Parliament. |
| D'Angelo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2020: Counts include one album as D'Angelo and the Vanguard. |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 3 | 3 |
|
| Al Green | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Janet Jackson | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Jay-Z | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Kendrick Lamar | 3 | 0 | N/A | |
| Madonna | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
| Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Nirvana | 3 | 3 | 3 |
|
| Outkast | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| Pavement | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Tom Petty | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2003/2012/2020: Each count include one album as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. |
| Elvis Presley | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Sly and the Family Stone | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| James Brown | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| The Byrds | 2 | 4 | 5 | |
| Ray Charles | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2003/2012: Counts include one album as Elvis Costello & the Attractions. |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Eminem | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Grateful Dead | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| Elton John | 2 | 5 | 6 | |
| The Kinks | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Public Enemy | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| R.E.M. | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Otis Redding | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| Roxy Music | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Steely Dan | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| The Stooges | 2 | 3 | 3 | |
| Talking Heads | 2 | 4 | 4 | |
| U2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | |
| Cream | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| The Doors | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Nick Drake | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| Randy Newman | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| The Police | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| The Smiths | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| Tom Waits | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Muddy Waters | 1 | 3 | 3 | |
| Jackson Browne | 0 | 2 | 3 | |
See also
Notes
- The Complete Recordings was reinstated to the list in the 2012 edition.
References
- Levy, Joe; Van Zandt, Steven, eds. (2006) [2005]. Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (3rd ed.). London: Turnaround. ISBN 1-932958-61-4. OCLC 70672814.
Related news articles:- "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. No. 937. Straight Arrow. December 11, 2003. pp. 83–178. ISSN 0035-791X. OCLC 1787396.
- "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- "Rolling Stone updated its Top 500 Albums of All Time list so it's no longer just white dudes". Consequence of Sound. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
- Stiernberg, Bonnie (September 23, 2020). "Does the World Really Need Another 'Greatest Albums of All Time' List?". InsideHook. Retrieved September 28, 2020.
- "It's Certainly a Thrill: Sgt. Pepper Is Best Album", USA Today, November 17, 2003.
- Sawyers, June Skinner, ed. (2006). Read the Beatles: Classic and New Writings on the Beatles, Their Legacy, and Why They Still Matter. New York: Penguin. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-14-303732-3.
- Jones, Carys Wyn (2016) [2008]. The Rock Canon: Canonical Values in the Reception of Rock Albums. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-7546-6244-0.
- "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 31, 2012. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
- "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
- "Who Voted for the 500 Greatest Albums?". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
- Henderson, Cydney. "Beach Boys, Beatles, Beyoncé top Rolling Stone's new 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
- Biron, Dean. 2011. Towards a Popular Music Criticism of Replenishment. Popular Music & Society, 34/5: 661–682.
- Schmutz, Vaughan. 2005. Retrospective Critical Consecration in Popular Music: Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of All Time. American Behavioral Scientist, 48/11: 1510–1523.
- (ISBN 1-56980-276-9)
- Sharp, Johnny (October 24, 2013). "Mission Impossible: My 'NME 500 Greatest Albums' Voting Hell". The Quietus. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- Leah Asmelash. "Rolling Stone places Marvin Gaye at the top of its new, less rock heavy list of the best albums ever". CNN. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
Further reading
- Paul Donoughue, "Rolling Stone's 500 'greatest albums of all time' list makes us question the meaning of classic", Australian Broadcasting Corporation, September 26, 2020.
- "Internet reacts to Rolling Stone's more inclusive 500 Greatest Albums list", Radio X, September 24, 2020.
- "'Rolling Stone' Updates Its List of the Greatest Albums of All Time", National Public Radio, September 25, 2020.
- Sheldon Pearce, "The Futility of Rolling Stone's Best-Albums List", The New Yorker, October 2, 2020.
External links
- 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2012 edition) by Rolling Stone
- 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020 edition) by Rolling Stone