The Paris - Chinese Border
25 October 2009
The Top 20 Records of the 1990's
Though a decade of separation has allowed us to step back and analyze trends and fads and trace our steps back to what we liked at the time and why, I still maintain strong sentimental attachment to the music that shaped my teen age world. I loved some pretty awful stuff back then, but I really don't care. No one is born into criticism. It happens as we age and the world around us shows us what is good and what we should like. Anyway, that's a rabbit trail discussion to extrapolate over a pint at the pub. This is a hybrid list, 60% sentimental and 40% critical.
Though a decade of separation has allowed us to step back and analyze trends and fads and trace our steps back to what we liked at the time and why, I still maintain strong sentimental attachment to the music that shaped my teen age world. I loved some pretty awful stuff back then, but I really don't care. No one is born into criticism. It happens as we age and the world around us shows us what is good and what we should like. Anyway, that's a rabbit trail discussion to extrapolate over a pint at the pub. This is a hybrid list, 60% sentimental and 40% critical.Here we go!
20. Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I - 1999
19. Weezer - Blue Album - 1994
19. Weezer - Blue Album - 1994
18. Pedro the Lion - It's Hard To Find A Friend - 1998
17. Unwound - New Plastic Ideas / Future of What / Repetition 1994-96
16. Mogwai - Young Team - 1997
15. Gillian Welch - Revival - 1996
14. Built to Spill - Keep It Like A Secret - 1999
13. Silver Jews - American Water - 1998
12. Hum - You'd Prefer An Astronaut - 1995
11. Slint - Spiderland - 1991
10. Elliott Smith - Either/Or - 1997
9. U2 - Achtung Baby - 1991
8. Nirvana - Nevermind - 1991
7. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing - 1996
6. Jeff Buckley - Grace - 1994
5. Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary - 1994
4. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted - 1992
3. Radiohead - OK Computer - 1997
2. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream - 1993
1. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless - 1991
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Bonus - An Historical Compare & Contrast:
Top 5 - 'Grunge'
5. Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion - 1992
4. Stone Temple Pilots - Core - 1992
3. Alice In Chains - Dirt - 1992
2. Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger - 1991
1. Pearl Jam - Ten - 1991
Top 5 - Teen Pop Sensations
5. Christina Aguilera - Christina Aguilera - 1999
4. N'Sync - *NSYNC - 1998
3. Backstreet Boys - Backstreet's Back - 1997
2. Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time - 1999
1. Spice Girls - Spice - 1996
Labels: 1990's, albums, decade, list, music
¶ 10/25/2009 11:56:00 AM 1 Comments
01 October 2009
The Top 20 Records of the 2000's
It's times like these I wish I was a professional writer for a reputable publication so I could spend countless hours pouring over every release of the decade and debating their merits. Piles and piles of CD's revisited and grouped and noted and ranked with the intent to develop the most comprehensive, authoritative list of the the decade's best music. But alas, here I sit at the desk of my construction management job, sneaking some time in for this posting. It pays the bills, as they say.
Here we go!
20. Fennesz – Venice - 2004
19. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow - 2003
18. Wolf Parade – Apologies To the Queen Mary - 2005
17. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain - 2006
16. Joanna Newsom – Ys - 2006
15. Sufjan Stevens – Greetings From Michigan, the Great Lake State - 2003
14. Four Tet – Rounds - 2003
13. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver - 2007
12. Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People - 2003
11. Radiohead – In Rainbows - 2008
10. Arcade Fire – Funeral - 2004
9. Panda Bear – Person Pitch - 2007
8. Explosions in the Sky – Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever - 2001
7. Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2 (and Pt. 1)
6. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts - 2003
5. Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank the Cradle - 2002
4. Radiohead - Kid A - 2000
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion - 2009
2. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun - 2001
1. Unwound – Leaves Turn Inside You - 2001
Heavily Considered / Honorable Mentions:
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant EP - 2008
Daft Punk – Discovery - 2001
Animal Collective – Sung Tongs - 2004
New Pornographers – Mass Romantic - 2003
Damien Jurado – Ghost of David - 2000
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colors - 2008
Post Script:
I will always look back on this decade as a time of personal musical awakening, mostly via the world wide webs. Though the '90's were littered with periods of mainstream grunge obsession sparked by my friends CD collections and scouring MTV for the next 120 minutes episode, the fact still remained that our family vinyl collection in my formative years centered around Amy Grant and Sandy Patti as queens of the evening soundtrack. Maybe some Stan Getz or Steely Dan if things got a little crazy. I don't fault my Mom for sheltering me as she did. She was raising me the best way she knew how. Fortunately, the timing for the demolition of that shelter at college in the late 90's, and the onset of the internet age of (unlimited access to extensive resources) was nearly perfectly synced.
Fast forward 10 years, and it's official: count me in the hoards of insatiable geeks, eagerly anticipating the next Loveless, the next Pet Sounds, the next Odyessy & Oracle, to break . Not in order to be cool, but because I love music. I love creativity. I love hearing something and being moved.
Here we go!
20. Fennesz – Venice - 2004
19. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow - 2003
18. Wolf Parade – Apologies To the Queen Mary - 2005
17. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain - 2006
16. Joanna Newsom – Ys - 2006
15. Sufjan Stevens – Greetings From Michigan, the Great Lake State - 2003
14. Four Tet – Rounds - 2003
13. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver - 2007
12. Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People - 2003
11. Radiohead – In Rainbows - 2008
10. Arcade Fire – Funeral - 2004
9. Panda Bear – Person Pitch - 2007
8. Explosions in the Sky – Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever - 2001
7. Microphones – The Glow Pt. 2 (and Pt. 1)
6. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts - 2003
5. Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank the Cradle - 2002
4. Radiohead - Kid A - 2000
3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion - 2009
2. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun - 2001
1. Unwound – Leaves Turn Inside You - 2001
Heavily Considered / Honorable Mentions:
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes/Sun Giant EP - 2008
Daft Punk – Discovery - 2001
Animal Collective – Sung Tongs - 2004
New Pornographers – Mass Romantic - 2003
Damien Jurado – Ghost of David - 2000
Cut Copy – In Ghost Colors - 2008
Post Script:
I will always look back on this decade as a time of personal musical awakening, mostly via the world wide webs. Though the '90's were littered with periods of mainstream grunge obsession sparked by my friends CD collections and scouring MTV for the next 120 minutes episode, the fact still remained that our family vinyl collection in my formative years centered around Amy Grant and Sandy Patti as queens of the evening soundtrack. Maybe some Stan Getz or Steely Dan if things got a little crazy. I don't fault my Mom for sheltering me as she did. She was raising me the best way she knew how. Fortunately, the timing for the demolition of that shelter at college in the late 90's, and the onset of the internet age of (unlimited access to extensive resources) was nearly perfectly synced.
Fast forward 10 years, and it's official: count me in the hoards of insatiable geeks, eagerly anticipating the next Loveless, the next Pet Sounds, the next Odyessy & Oracle, to break . Not in order to be cool, but because I love music. I love creativity. I love hearing something and being moved.
Labels: albums, decade, list, music
¶ 10/01/2009 10:46:00 AM 1 Comments
