We published our procurement top 41 albums of all time a couple of weeks ago. We invited votes – we’ve had a few but really need more if we’re going to come up with the definitive procurement community top albums of all time! Our list is below – choose our top ten from here and then you can add three choices of your own. You can do it as a “comment” or send me an email - psmith (at) spendmatters.com
We (the eminent selection panel) got a bit of flack for the conventional nature of the list. That is partly a feature of consensus of course, and also our genuine feeling that very recent albums for instance just haven’t been around long enough to position in the long-term pantheon of greatness.
But what we have done is asked our panel to recommend three less well known albums as well for our readers’ delectation. So over the summer we’ll be featuring these hidden gems – we’ll start today with my own. Hope you enjoy them – and please do vote!
Fanny are arguably, even 40 years on, the greatest all-female rock group ever, and Mother’s Pride is a tremendous album. An inspiration to Bowie amongst others, they could rock, they could write great tunes, their lyrics were funny or moving... yes, they were attractive as well, not that I noticed that as a young lad... (ahem). They could do lovely ballads like this too. I can’t find a live video of a Mother’s Pride song unfortunately).
Whiskeytown were Ryan Adams’ band before he went off to carve out a pretty successful solo career, and their Stranger’s Almanac is perhaps my favourite album ever.. Just great songs that somehow make an incredibly satisfying album where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Rock, country, blues influences all there – just a brilliant album. Here’s one of the more rock-based tracks.
I’ve got a soft spot for country-rock females – Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Maria McKee being right at the top of my list. But let’s go for Brandi Carlile with The Story, which contains 2 or 3 all time classic songs, including the title track, and this one.
And here again is the top 41 – please vote!
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FACES |
A NOD’S AS GOOD AS A WINK |
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BEATLES |
ABBEY ROAD |
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GREEN DAY |
AMERICAN IDIOT |
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ELVIS COSTELLO |
ARMED FORCES |
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VAN MORRISON |
ASTRAL WEEKS |
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REM |
AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE |
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MEATLOAF |
BAT OUT OF HELL |
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BOB DYLAN |
BLONDE ON BLONDE |
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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN |
BORN TO RUN |
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SIMON AND GARFUNKEL |
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER |
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BOB DYLAN |
BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME |
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PINK FLOYD |
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON |
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ROD STEWART |
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY |
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ROXY MUSIC |
FOR YOUR PLEASURE |
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ARCADE FIRE |
FUNERAL |
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ELTON JOHN |
GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD |
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KILLERS |
HOT FUSS |
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EAGLES |
HOTEL CALIFORNIA |
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DAVID BOWIE |
HUNKY DORY |
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STEVIE WONDER |
INNERVISIONS |
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LED ZEPPELIN |
LED ZEPPELIN IV |
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CLASH |
LONDON CALLING |
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SEX PISTOLS |
NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS |
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NIRVANA |
NEVERMIND |
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QUEEN |
NIGHT AT THE OPERA |
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ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN |
OCEAN RAIN |
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BLONDIE |
PARALLEL LINES |
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BEACH BOYS |
PET SOUNDS |
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PAUL & LINDA McCARTNEY |
RAM |
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FLEETWOOD MAC |
RUMOURS |
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NEIL YOUNG |
RUST NEVER SLEEPS |
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BEE GEES |
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER |
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BEATLES |
SGT PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND |
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PETER GABRIEL |
SO |
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ROLLING STONES |
STICKY FINGERS |
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CAROL KING |
TAPESTRY |
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DAVID BOWIE |
THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST |
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MICHAEL JACKSON |
THRILLER |
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MARVIN GAYE |
WHAT’S GOING ON |
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OASIS |
WHAT’S THE STORY MORNING GLORY |
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WHO |
WHO’S NEXT |
abbey road
Automatic for the People
Dark Side of the moon
London Calling
Pet Sounds
Rumours
Ziggy
What’s going on
Who’s next
That’s only 9 I know, but I’ll stick rather than twist
3 more to add (based on how I feel now rather than in 5 minutes, or tomorrow or whenever)
Liege and Lief – Fairport Convention
In Rainbows – Radiohead
Pretzel Logic – Steely Dan
1. The Velvet Underground & Nico
2+ mere detail
B & T – that explains so much!
To be fair, even if you dont agree with the actual albums chosen, the artist selected are probably the greatest artists of the late 20th century, so the list is valid either way.
My tops would be
Elvis (Costello, was there another one?)
The Who
Queen
As to my secret 3 they would be
James – Laid (though I’d prefer their live album, but I guess thats sort of a compilation)
Radiohead – OK Computer
The The – Dusk
Infact its interesting that at least 4 posters have gone for The The and we have all chosen different albums, so maybe they are the ultimate secret choice. I could happily have gone with Infected or Mind Bomb (not sure about Soul Mining)
Definitely a list born of consensus. What’s the minimum time limit before greatness is conferred then? Might have been interesting to see the list you couldnt agree on. Something must have happened to music in the last 10 years or so. And, good lord, The Killers? How do they get on a best of anything list?
OK. In a non-compliant way, my additional 3 are:
Radiohead – Ok computer
Prince – Sign of the Times
Beck – Odelay
the Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Talking heads – Remain in Light
Husker Du: Warehouse Songs and Stories
The Stairs – Mexican RnB
The The – Soul Mining
Otis Redding – Otis Blue
From the list of 41 (in no particular order):
Simon and Garfunkel
REM
Stones
Who
Springsteen – wrong album. The wild the innocent and the estreet shuffle.
Dylan
Roxy Music
Marvin Gaye
Neil Young
Nirvana
What an old fogies list! Whats wrong with anything from the last 20 years, is it that you ‘cant hear the words and its got no melody?’ And choosing the Killers as just about the only album of the last decade is definitely a result of the dumbing down, perhaps its the only album from this century that all the judges own?
SO, in the interests of a bit of rebalancing
Mumford and Sons, Sign no More. Not folk, more a mix of folk, bluegrass, country etc. But an album that is alive and full mature lyrics
Elbow – Seldom Seen Kid – Probably an overated band, APART from this album
Bellowhead – Re invented, relaunched Folk. Not sure if it counts as they didnt write any of the sogs themselves, but anyone who can get 20 year olds excited about 300 year old songs must have something going for them.
And if you will not allow Bellowhead, then I’ll replace it with Maccabees, Wall of Arms, particularly the extended version with Drove all Night on it. Sublime.
And Night at the Opera, Armed Forces, Who’s Next, Funeral, Pepper. All good bands, but not their best work
Well said – “The Stone Roses” by the stone roses didn’t make the cut either…
I am sneaking this on, because its very hard to release, a “Best of” in 1971 when the band is still touring today & most of these were only otherwise released as singles.
Fleetwood Mac – Greatest Hits
Turn up your head phones and hang onto to your sanity as Peter Green pretty nearly drags you down with him.
Hello Peter
Well assuming that I have read the requirements correctly “choose our top ten from here and then you can add three choices of your own” firstly from your list my top ten are:
1 EAGLES HOTEL CALIFORNIA
2 PINK FLOYD DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
3 SIMON AND GARFUNKEL BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
4 MEATLOAF BAT OUT OF HELL
5 FLEETWOOD MAC RUMOURS
6 ELTON JOHN GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
7 BEATLES ABBEY ROAD
8 LED ZEPPELIN LED ZEPPELIN IV
9 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BORN TO RUN
10 BEACH BOYS PET SOUNDS
Then three personal choices that are not on your list and neither are the bands/artists are:
1 AC/DC Let There Be Rock
2 YES Close To The Edge
3 King Crimson In The Court Of The Crimson King
Great fun just hoping I got the rules right – must obey the rules in any procurement exercise LOL
Sensei
Not a bad list. From it my top three are all 70s
1. London Calling
2. Parallel Lines
3. Armed Forces (although I’m not sure that it’s his best.
If we go for best album titles of all time, I was reminded the other day of my favourite – Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake Small Faces.