Today, we finish our week-long, 20k Spectacular! You can catch up on part 1 here, and part 2 here. Lastly, hear from Mr. Dane Ritter about his top 20 albums of all time.
Ritter
Because Wu-Tang Clan ain't nothin' to fuck with. The Staten Island-based crew leaped onto the scene in 1993 with an unforgettable debut, accompanied by impeccable beat selection and production from RZA. I'd be lying if I said that the Hulu series wasn't tainting my memory of hearing this album for the first time, but then I listen to "C.R.E.A.M." again and I forget all about the god-awful portrayal of Ghostface Killah.
For many, Loretta Lynn broke arguably more boundaries in popular country music than her peers. How often does a woman from Butcher's Hollow, KY become a household name with a best-selling autobiography, song, and movie, all by the same name?
This might be the album that when everyone reviews this article, they'll stop and say -- "who now?" If you've never experienced the grace in Blossom Dearie's piano-playing, stop what you're doing now. Go find God (in Dearie's notes). Come back when you've found God.
17. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
It was late into my teens when I realized that Prince had soundtracked so many summers of my youth. From the Batman soundtrack to "Little Red Corvette," Prince was ever-present. What makes Purple Rain so special (besides the movie) to me is its experimental pop nature which broke Prince further into the mainstream with his first #1 album.
I always go back and forth on whether to include Nebraska or The River, but these are the tough decisions to make when you've got the unbelievable mid-80s discography of the Boss.
There are only a handful of albums that I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the moment they were released -- I think that many can say the same for Beyoncé's stellar and unforgivingly poetic masterpiece. It was a nationwide moment, everyone stopped what they were doing to be disappointed that Bey wasn't announcing her divorce on live TV.
14. Grateful Dead - American Beauty
There's a scene in the TV show, Freaks and Geeks, where (spoiler alert) the main character decides to drop out of school and follow the Grateful Dead on tour because of her first experience listening to American Beauty. Another character turns to her and says something to the effect of, "don't you wish you could hear 'Box of Rain' for the first time again? I'll never forget where I was when I first heard it." Yes, yes I do wish.
12. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
"Dead Presidents II" is one of my favorite hip-hop songs of all time, and easily one of the best composed. And the fact that it's accompanied by so many other great songs on one LP is absolutely mind-blowing. Peak Hova.
Lauryn Hill changed the rap game, undeniably so. And I would give an insane amount of money for her return.
11. Jeff Buckley - Grace
For the longest time, I considered myself more of a My Sweetheart, the Drunk man, but along came adulthood, and there's something about Buckley's effortless transition from anonymous, coffee shop-background guitarist to world-touring, face-melting rockstar that his post-humous sophomore album doesn't quite embody. Truly one of the greatest talents gone far before he delivered his true potential, and his influence (from Coldplay to Muse to John Mayer) is undeniable.
10. The Beatles - Revolver
And here we have the greatest Beatles debate of all time: Rubber Soul vs. Revolver? Well, the first may have "Norwegian Wood", but it'll never have "She Said She Said." The end.
9. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You
Someone sees this album and thinks "Oh, my God, 'RESPECT'" and I'm just here to tell you, stop ignoring Aretha's versions of "Drown in My Own Tears" and "A Change is Gonna Come". This album so much more to offer you than "Respect" (even though it is a bop).
8. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool
Yes, yes, I know: everyone loves Kind of Blue. But the early genius of Miles Davis in Birth of the Cool sows the seeds for his themes and exploration in Sketches of Spain, Blue, and even Sorcerer later in his career.
7. David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
I don't have much to say about this entry, rather than Bowie will be one of the most influential figureheads of all time, and that I cry every time I hear "Five Years". Instead, let me guide you to some out-of-this-world conspiracy nonsense, Kanye West is Ziggy Stardust.
6. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
I had trouble finding the best spot for this album, as it's my second favorite album of all time (see my #1). The amount of work and the intricacies of the narrative web and backstory Lamar weaved throughout each song is absolutely astounding. I still get chills once "Mortal Man" ends and we hear 2Pac revived, conversing with the greatest MC to ever touch a mic, King Kendrick.
5. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
This album evolves every time I listen to it. Props to Mr. Gaye for speaking out about ecological issues before it was even in the public sphere of concern. Hard to believe this was made 50 years ago!
4. Nina Simone - Nina Sings the Blues
While this album by the legendary Miss Simone does not feature my favorite and possibly the most important song ever written, "Strange Fruit", in my opinion, it showcases the most versatility and passion of Nina Simone. "Blues for Mama" is a particularly gut-wrenching spin on the classic blues format.
What makes Pet Sounds all the more fascinating is what followed in Beach Boys lore -- the catastrophe and ultimate limbo of Smiley Smile. The fact that Brian Wilson wanted so badly to experiment and warp his recording process was because he knew he'd created an unattainable masterpiece in Sounds.
2. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
So many look to "Sir Duke" and "Isn't She Lovely" as the defining songs of Stevie Wonders' unmatched career, but, dear God, how can you leave out "As"??? An entire song as a simile? Fricking genius. I will never tire of this album, there is not a bad note across the entire hour and twenty-plus minutes.
One thing me and my fellow cohorts here at channel.WAV have spoken about in reference to other websites/magazines' best albums of all time is the extreme issue of recency bias. It definitely affects list-makers' perceptions of what makes up a top 10 list, so, naturally, I'm going to be extremely hypocritical in the next paragraph.
Those close to (and some far from) me know how much I cherish and fangirl over Frank Ocean and his music, so when I say his 2016 album, Blonde, is a masterpiece? There's no hyperbole. I can't go into every detail here, so I'll just blow your mind with some fun trivia concerning the last track, "Futura Free". The first half of the song is a soaring, freestyle-ish exploration of Frank's fame, age, and ongoing feud with resident R&B-asshole Chris Brown. Then, suddenly it erupts into a brief period of silence, interrupted by what sounds like the audio from an old camcorder where Frank's loved ones are interviewed.
The last words during these interviews (and on the album) are "How far is a lightyear?" The question is meant to be both literal and open to interpretation. But for science's sake, a lightyear is 9.4 trillion kilometers long. "Futura Free"'s runtime is nine minutes and 24 seconds, and if you divide 24 (seconds) by 60 (seconds), the result is 0.4. This makes the song's runtime 9.4 minutes totaled. I'll stop here -- Lord knows I'd go forever -- but this is just one of the many gorgeous details in a timeless masterpiece.
Who is our biggest fan? Is it you? Fight it out in the comments below or let us know over on Twitter!!
- Ritter
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