The New Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums List • Page 25

I think the whole "is this actually punk or not" discussion is played out so definitely not worth bringing any of that up in regards to this list even if the thought crossed my mind a few times, but I do wanna say that I just truly don't get The Sex Pistols. They're not good. I feel like they're included by default for "legacy" but even when it comes to that so many bands did it better. Oh well, it's unsurprising, I just wanted to say I think they are bad and Never Mind the Bollocks is not a good album.

 

Reading the top 20, the X Ray Spex album surprised me, I barely know of them - wasn’t expecting to see that at number 2. The Sleater Kinney album was also a surprise, though I do think that record is excellent so happy to see it there.

As always if you’re being genre specific with a list, some stuff on here that probably wouldn’t “count” if I was making this list, but you can’t please everybody with genre lines.

Love that Minutemen record, was not expecting it to be that high.

 

Against the Grain as the Bad Religion pick is wild (and Stranger Than Fiction, really expected Suffer and No Control)

 

Here's the list, if anybody else struggles getting the RS website to reliably work while scrolling;

100. D.R.I. - Dealing With It! (Metal Blade, 1985)
99. Paramore - Brand New Eyes (Fueled by Ramen, 2009)
98. The Faith / Void - The Faith / Void (Dischord, 1982)
97. Naked Raygun - Jettison (Caroline, 1988)
96. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come (Burning Heart, 1998)
95. Downtown Boys - Full Communism (Don Giovanni, 2015)
94. Redd Kross - Born Innocent (Smoke 7, 1982)
93. IDLES - Brutalism (Balley, 2017)
92. Sick of It All - Blood, Sweat and No Tears (In-Effect/Relativity, 1989)
91. L7 - Smell the Magic (Sub Pop, 1990)
90. The Damned - Damned Damned Damned (Stiff, 1977)
89. Angry Samoans - Back from Samoa (Triple X, 1982)
88. Social Distortion - Mommy's Little Monster (13th Floor, 1983)
87. Negative Approach - Tied Down (Touch and Go, 1983)
86. Jawbreaker - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy (Tupelo/Communion, 1994)
85. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (Elektra, 1969)
84. Frightwig - Cat Farm Faboo (Subterranean, 1984)
83. Blink-182 - Dude Ranch (Cargo/MCA, 1997)
82. Priests - Nothing Feels Natural (Sister Polygon, 2017)
81. Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing (Clay, 1982)
80. NOFX - Punk in Drublic (Epitaph, 1994)
79. Agnostic Front - Victim in Pain (Rat Cage, 1984)
78. Various Artists - No New York (Antilles, 1978)
77. Crass - The Feeding of the 5000 (Crass, 1978)
76. Dead Boys - Young, Loud and Snotty (Sire, 1977)
75. Blondie - Blondie (Private Stock, 1976)
74. The Birthday Party - Junkyard (4AD/Missing Link, 1982)
73. Meat Puppets - Meat Puppets II (SST, 1984)
72. Various Artists - Oi! The Album (EMI, 1980)
71. Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems (Epitaph, 2022)
70. The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey (Sin, 1985)
69. SS Decontrol - The Kids Will Have Their Say (Dischord/X-Claim, 1982)
68. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (Cherry Red/I.R.S., 1980)
67. Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die (Hellcat, 1998)
66. Suicide - Suicide (Red Star, 1977)
65. Le Tigre - Le Tigre (Mr. Lady, 1999)
64. Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (Rough Trade, 1979)
63. Screaming Females - Ugly (Don Giovanni, 2012)
62. Fear - The Record (Slash, 1982)
61. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (Total Treble/Xtra Mile, 2014)
60. Flipper - Album – Generic Flipper (Subterranean, 1982)
59. Iceage - New Brigade (What's Your Rupture?, 2011)
58. LiLiPUT - Kleenex/LiLiPUT (Off Course, 1993)
57. The Gun Club - Fire of Love (Ruby, 1981)
56. Public Image Ltd. - Second Edition (Virgin/Island, 1980)
55. Operation Ivy - Energy (Lookout!, 1989)
54. The Cramps - Songs the Lord Taught Us (I.R.S./Illegal, 1980)
53. Devo - Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Warner Bros./Virgin, 1978)
52. The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (Stiff/MCA, 1985)
51. Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Epitaph, 1995)
50. Circle Jerks - Group Sex! (Frontier, 1980)
49. The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (Beserkley, 1976)
48. Team Dresch - Personal Best (Candy Ass/Chainsaw, 1995)
47. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour (Kamera, 1982)
46. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell (Interscope, 2003)
45. Bad Religion - Against the Grain (Epitaph, 1990)
44. The Slits - Cut (Island/Antilles, 1979)
43. The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F. (Track, 1977)
42. Mannequin Pussy - Patience (Epitaph, 2019)
41. Rites of Spring - Rites of Spring (Dischord, 1985)
40. Wipers - Is This Real? (Park Avenue, 1980)
39. Turnstile - GLOW ON (Roadrunner, 2021)
38. Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation (Sire, 1977)
37. The Jam - All Mod Cons (Polydor, 1978)
36. Bratmobile - Pottymouth (Kill Rock Stars, 1993)
35. Misfits - Misfits (Caroline, 1986)
34. Various Artists - Wanna Buy a Bridge? (Rough Trade, 1980)
33. The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (Verve, 1968)
32. Big Black - Atomizer (Homestead/Blast First, 1986)
31. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Factory, 1979)
30. Fugazi - Repeater (Dischord, 1990)
29. The Replacements - Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (Twin/Tone, 1981)
28. The Germs - (GI) (Slash, 1979)
27. Pere Ubu - Terminal Tower: An Archival Collection (Twin/Tone, 1985)
26. Ramones - Rocket to Russia (Sire, 1977)
25. The Raincoats - The Raincoats (Rough Trade, 1979)
24. Mission of Burma - Vs. (Ace of Hearts, 1982)
23. Descendants - Milo Goes to College (New Alliance, 1982)
22. Minor Threat - Complete Discography (Dischord, 1989)
21. Television - Marquee Moon (Elektra, 1977)
20. Green Day - Dookie (Reprise, 1994)
19. Bikini Kill - Reject All American (Kill Rock Stars, 1996)
18. Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady (I.R.S., 1979)
17. Bad Brains - Bad Brains (ROIR, 1982)
16. Gang of Four - Entertainment! (EMI/Warner Bros., 1980)
15. New York Dolls - New York Dolls (Mercury, 1973)
14. X - Los Angeles (Slash, 1980)
13. Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade (SST, 1984)
12. Patti Smith - Horses (Arista, 1975)
11. Black Flag - Damaged (SST, 1981)
10. The Clash - London Calling (CBS/Epic, 1979)
9. Nirvana - Nevermind (DGC/Sub Pop, 1991)
8. The Stooges - Fun House (Elektra, 1970)
7. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (Virgin/Warner Bros, 1977)
6. Wire - Pink Flag (Harvest, 1977)
5. Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out (Kill Rock Stars, 1997)
4. The Clash - The Clash (CBS, 1977)
3. Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (SST, 1984)
2. X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents (EMI, 1978)
1. Ramones - Ramones (Sire, 1976)

 

#83 should be #1

 

I mean, whether you like them or not, it's undeniable they had a huge impact on the genre and the UK punk scene in general. I think it's naive to think they're being included out of habit and not because of any legitimate reasons.

 

Some of the more recent picks on there are absurd and absurdly high but that’s overall much better than I would expect

 

Sounds like a classic rolling stone list!

 

I disagree and think they are worse versions of better UK bands and Johnny Rotten is a fraud

 

What are you basing this on? I mean, personal opinions aside, I'm talking about matters of historical record.

 

What are you basing any of your shit on? I already said it’s unsurprising that they were included for “legacy” and just that bands like The Clash did it so much better at the same time, they also believed what they said unlike the Sex Pistols who were full of shit and Johnny Rotten denounced anarchy and simped for capitalism. Seems like you’re just trying to say I’m invalid for…talking about the list and whether or not I like the album?

 

I've clearly touched a nerve here, so I'm just going to disengage and wish you a good rest of your day.

 

There’s a couple good tracks on that record. Anarchy in the UK is a great song.

 

I said I was disengaging but I don't want to leave the conversation like this either.

First, I am not intending to be dismissive of your personal take on how you feel about their music or them as people. I guess I don't follow what you mean about "legacy", because to me it reads like you're saying they did nothing to deserve their place, and that's what I take issue with.

 

No Relationship of Command?!

honestly not a horrible list tho

 

I mean I do think when an artist is included, there's always a different artist that gets left off, and I think that's worth thinking about when it comes to these older albums especially as we have so many new artists being included like the Paramore album and the Turnstile album that were on this, and as someone just mentioned an album like Relationship of Command had to be left off in the process and I think it's worth evaluating these extremely old albums as well and being like "why couldn't it be Never Mind the Bollocks?" Like if people don't wanna listen to it like that why not exclude that instead? And when the answer comes across like reading a Wikipedia article I think it's okay to leave off an artist like that. Does that mean they didn't "deserve" it? No not really, but did Relationship of Command not "deserve" it? That album was incredibly influential as well. So it does read as "well they just get their legacy spot for this album being around forever" because they're not ever subject to the same kind of risk that a slightly newer album may be subject to even if that album was also influential and important.

I don't have an issue with people liking the album obviously, if you like it or even are like "oh I like songs on this" then yeah whatever that's cool! I support it. But it is very annoying to say that I don't like the album and even bring up the possibility of it being challenged and then having the band explained to me like I can't possibly have known that. Like I don't need a devil's advocate on whether or not I like The Sex Pistols haha, express your own opinion or whatever I support that, but don't read to me their Wikipedia page to explain that I'm supposed to just say "yes they are here" and move on when I did already say that yes of course it's unsurprising they are here.

 

I do think the list in general is good enough that that's really the only thing I felt like talking about in regards to the list, I do also ignore placement on these in general and just say "inclusion is a win"

 

I took a college course on the history of punk music, actually.

 

Sorry, that was a knee-jerk response.

What I really mean to say is it's not my intention to talk at you or "punksplain" but this began with you saying you don't get them and feel they're included by default, and all I'm saying is it's a circle isn't it? They wouldn't have had the impact they did if people didn't genuinely appreciate what they did, so if they're placed "by default" it's because they earned the right to be there.

Like, we both weren't around when this band did their thing so I think it's easier for us to give fuck-all about their work because we're seeing it backwards. We're seeing the stuff that came later that derived from what they did, that speaks to us, but I totally understand why this band is on the list and why people still put them there.

You wouldn't make a metal list without Black Sabbath or Metallica, would you?

 

You could make lists without a band like KISS that was eeeeeeeverywhere and not bat an eye

When I said I don't get them I meant musically, not that I didn't know about them. Regardless it does still just feel like punksplaining haha, I don't think saying it isn't erases that. Being on lists like this isn't a "right" is what I'm getting at, albums are added and removed all the time, it's extremely subjective and treating them like an objective band that has to be included is bullshit IMO, when it comes to recognizing great albums. When it comes to recognizing history in general? Sure. But otherwise nah

 

It should probably be on the list but it shouldn’t be number one under any circumstances, especially not when the clash is right there

 

no Enema no care

 

They put Dude Ranch, which is a choice.

 

And Out Come The Wolves should be higher, certainly than Turnstile.

 

Come on, put Insomniac on there.