200 Albums They Want Us to Buy More Of

This list of "all-time great" albums, assembled by retailers with an eye towards mass popularity more than anything else, has been making the rounds. Taking a cue (but a much less exhaustive one) from Tom, here are some thoughts.

Bold = I Own It
Italics = I Want It
Underline = I actively want nothing to do with it

Let me also state that I'm not concerning myself (mostly) with what "belongs" and what doesn't, nor with what order these are in. I think it's pretty clear that no one (including whoever put it together) really thinks these are the "best" albums, but they are all important in the sense that they are either acclaimed or wildly popular, and I think looking at it from that perspective is worthwhile.

1. THE BEATLES – SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
I know I am supposed to have an opinion, but I really don't. Don't have it and am not all that curious about hearing it.

2. PINK FLOYD – DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
3. MICHAEL JACKSON – THRILLER
4. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN IV
Truth be told, Zeppelin bores me.

5. U2 – JOSHUA TREE
My favorite album ever. See here.

6. THE ROLLING STONES – EXILE ON MAIN STREET
7. CAROLE KING – TAPESTRY
8. BOB DYLAN – HIGHWAY '61 REVISITED
Brilliant, but no Blood on the Tracks.

9. THE BEACH BOYS – PET SOUNDS
I like it, and "God Only Knows" is sublime, but not sure I buy the hype.

10. NIRVANA – NEVERMIND
Only acquired recently. Good, but didn't shatter any worlds, certainly. (Then again, I know now most of the songs through cultural osmosis; maybe if I had bought it in 1991 I would think differently.)

11. PEARL JAM – TEN
12. THE BEATLES – ABBEY ROAD
13. SANTANA – SUPERNATURAL
It's pretty much universally acknowledged that that Rob Thomas song is the highlight. And I hate that song.

14. METALLICA – METALLICA
15. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – BORN TO RUN
I have the Essential Bruce CD, though, so I'm not in any particular hurry to get this either.

16. PRINCE – PURPLE RAIN
Curious. I know nothing about Prince save what you hear on the radio, and almost nothing about that even.

17. AC/DC – BACK IN BLACK
Not my style.

18. THE ROLLING STONES – LET IT BLEED
19. THE DOORS – THE DOORS
20. GRATEFUL DEAD – AMERICAN BEAUTY
Want it primarily because of its use in the last episode of Freaks and Geeks, honestly.

21. SHANIA TWAIN – COME ON OVER
Way not my style.

22. THE WHO – WHO'S NEXT
23. STEVIE WONDER – SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE
24. FLEETWOOD MAC – RUMOURS
25. PINK FLOYD – WALL
26. ALANIS MORISSETTE – JAGGED LITTLE PILL
27. NORAH JONES – COME AWAY WITH ME
28. EMINEM – MARSHALL MATHERS LP
Not a rap fan. . .

29. OUTKAST – SPEAKERBOXX-LOVE BELOW
But I've heard too much good stuff about this to not be curious.

30. DR. DRE – THE CHRONIC
31. BEASTIE BOYS – LICENSED TO ILL
32. GUNS 'N ROSES –APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
Best debut ever?

33. DIXIE CHICKS – WIDE OPEN SPACES
34. MILES DAVIS – KIND OF BLUE
One of the best things ever. I include on that list stuff like, you know, oxygen.

35. THE EAGLES – HOTEL CALIFORNIA
36. DEF LEPPARD – HYSTERIA
I was thirteen; what did I know?

37. SOUNDTRACK – GREASE
38. MARVIN GAYE – WHAT'S GOING ON
39. THE BEATLES – THE WHITE ALBUM
40. SOUNDTRACK – SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER
41. JIMI HENDRIX – ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?
42. THE BEATLES – REVOLVER
43. BOSTON – BOSTON
Not a fan.

44. BON JOVI – SLIPPERY WHEN WET
I was young and naive once.

45. U2 – ACHTUNG BABY
Genius. See here.

46. WHITNEY HOUSTON – WHITNEY HOUSTON
47. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN II
48. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – CRASH
Decent enough.

49. THE ROLLING STONES – STICKY FINGERS
50. GREEN DAY – DOOKIE
51. LED ZEPPELIN – HOUSES OF THE HOLY
52. JONI MITCHELL – BLUE
Just got this a few months ago, and I see what everyone has been talking about. Gorgeous stuff.

53. ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS AT SUN
54. AEROSMITH – TOYS IN THE ATTIC
Blech.

55. LAURYN HILL – THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL
56. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – BORN IN THE U.S.A.
57. 50 CENT – GET RICH OR DIE TRYIN'
58. AC/DC – HIGHWAY TO HELL
59. NOTORIOUS B.I.G. – LIFE AFTER DEATH
60. VAN HALEN – VAN HALEN
61. GREEN DAY – AMERICAN IDIOT
62. BLACK SABBATH – PARANOID
Ozzy's voice grates horribly.

63. EMINEM – THE EMINEM SHOW
64. JEWEL – PIECES OF YOU
65. COLDPLAY – A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD
Meh.

66. MEATLOAF – BAT OUT OF HELL
Theatrical rock that takes all of the bad qualities of theater music and none of the good.

67. USHER – CONFESSIONS
68. KID ROCK – DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE
69. GEORGE HARRISON – ALL THINGS MUST PASS
70. BILLY JOEL – THE STRANGER
I like Joel well enough, but don't really feel a need to own his music.

71. EAGLES – HELL FREEZES OVER
72. VAN MORRISON – MOONDANCE
73. R.E.M. – AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
Awesome.

74. PHIL COLLINS – NO JACKET REQUIRED
Another from the impressionable youth stage of my life.

75. METALLICA – MASTER OF PUPPETS
6. FAITH HILL – BREATHE
Blech.

77. JOHNNY CASH – AT FOLSOM PRISON
78. JOHN COLTRANE – A LOVE SUPREME
79. PINK FLOYD – WISH YOU WERE HERE
80. MICHAEL JACKSON – OFF THE WALL
81. MARVIN GAYE – LET'S GET IT ON
82. BOB SEGER – NIGHT MOVES
I do not like Bob Seger.

83. PAUL SIMON – GRACELAND
84. LINKIN PARK – HYBRID THEORY
85. PRINCE – 1999
86. DEF LEPPARD – PYROMANIA
87. JANET JACKSON – CONTROL
Not a dance music fan either.

88. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK
89. DIRE STRAITS – BROTHERS IN ARMS
Some filler tracks alongside some great sonic rock. And "Brothers in Arms" is an all-time great.

90. TUPAC – ALL EYEZ ON ME
91. MATCHBOX TWENTY – YOURSELF OR SOMEONE LIKE YOU
92. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – CALIFORNICATION
93. LED ZEPPELIN – PHYSICAL GRAFFITII
94. NELLY – COUNTRY GRAMMAR
95. CREED – HUMAN CLAY
96. THE CLASH – LONDON CALLING
97. CELINE DION – FALLING INTO YOU
(shudder)

98. NEIL YOUNG – HARVEST
99. SOUNDTRACK – DIRTY DANCING
100. DIXIE CHICKS – HOME
101. TOM PETTY – FULL MOON FEVER
102. VAN HALEN – 1984
103. SOUNDTRACK – TITANIC
Loves me my James Horner.

104. CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG – DÉJÀ VU
105. TLC – CRAZYSEXYCOOL
106. BECK – ODELAY
107. KENNY G – BREATHLESS
108. N.W.A. – STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON
109. SEX PISTOLS – NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS
110. THE BEATLES – RUBBER SOUL
111. RADIOHEAD – O.K. COMPUTER
112. SIMON & GARFUNKEL – BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER
113. DIXIE CHICKS – FLY
114. METALLICA – AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
115. MICHAEL JACKSON – DANGEROUS
116. MARIAH CAREY – DAYDREAM
117. SOUNDTRACK – TOP GUN
118. ELTON JOHN – GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
119. THE POLICE – SYNCHRONICITY
120. NO DOUBT – TRAGIC KINGDOM
121. THE ROLLING STONES – BEGGAR'S BANQUET
122. R. KELLY – R.
123. TOOL – LATERALUS
124. OASIS – WHAT'S THE STORY MORNING GLORY
125. BOB MARLEY – EXODUS
126. JOURNEY – ESCAPE
127. CHRISTINA AGUILERA – CHRISTINA AGUILERA
128. JAY-Z – BLUEPRINT
129. ALICIA KEYS – DIARY OF ALICIA KEYS
130. SOUNDTRACK – O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?
131. THE CARS – THE CARS
132. ENYA – A DAY WITHOUT RAIN
133. NATALIE COLE – UNFORGETTABLE: WITH LOVE
134. SOUNDTRACK – FOOTLOOSE
135. LIONEL RICHIE – CAN'T SLOW DOWN
136. SARAH McLACHLAN – SURFACING
137. BONNIE RAITT – NICK OF TIME
138. METALLICA – RIDE THE LIGHTNING
139. SHERYL CROW – TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB
140. FRANK SINATRA – IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS
141. EARTH, WIND & FIRE – GRATITUDE
142. ZZ TOP – ELIMINATOR
143. WILLIE NELSON – RED HEADED STRANGER
144. JOHN LENNON – IMAGINE
145. TONI BRAXTON – TONI BRAXTON
146. ETTA JAMES – AT LAST
147. ELVIS PRESLEY – ELVIS PRESLEY
148. CAT STEVENS – TEA FOR THE TILLERMAN
149. SMASHING PUMPKINS – MELLON COLLIE & THE INFINITE SADNESS
150. DAVE BRUBECK – TIME OUT
Everytime I go to buy it I realize that I already have hafl of it through compilations. Still.
151. JANET JACKSON – JANET
152. QUEEN – A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
153. OZZY OSBOURNE – BLIZZARD OF OZZ
154. WILL SMITH – BIG WILLIE STYLE
155. PRINCE – SIGN O THE TIMES
156. PUBLIC ENEMY – IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK
157. BOB DYLAN – BLOOD ON THE TRACKS
158. GEORGE MICHAEL – FAITH
159. BOYZ II MEN – COOLEYHIGHHARMONY
160. DESTINY'S CHILD – THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL
161. JAY-Z – THE BLACK ALBUM
162. AVRIL LAVIGNE – LET GO
163. THE FUGEES – THE SCORE
164. MADONNA – LIKE A VIRGIN
165. LED ZEPPELIN – LED ZEPPELIN
166. STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN – TEXAS FLOOD
167. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS – CORE
168. ORIGINAL CAST – PHANTOM OF THE OPERA HIGHLIGHTS
Yay! Musical theater!!!

169. JETHRO TULL – AQUALUNG
170. TUPAC – ME AGAINST THE WORLD
171. DAVID BOWIE – RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST
172. SHAKIRA – LAUNDRY SERVICE
173. SOUNDTRACK – FORREST GUMP
174. AL GREEN – CALL ME
175. CURTIS MAYFIELD – SUPERFLY
76. LIVE – THROWING COPPER
177. GEORGE BENSON – BREEZIN'
178. THE WHITE STRIPES – WHITE BLOOD CELLS
179. LYNYRD SKYNYRD – PRONOUNCED LEH-NERD SKIN-NERD
180. SADE – DIAMOND LIFE
No.181. FLEETWOOD MAC – FLEETWOOD MAC
182. PAUL McCARTNEY & WINGS – BAND ON THE RUN
183. BEYONCE – DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE
84. ANITA BAKER – RAPTURE
185. NAS – ILLMATIC
186. BARBRA STREISAND – A STAR IS BORN
187. EARTH, WIND & FIRE – THAT'S THE WAY OF THE WORLD
188. ANITA BAKER – RHYTHM OF LOVE
189. JAY-Z – IN MY LIFETIME VOL 1
190. LL COOL J – MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT
191. STEELY DAN – AJA
192. WILLIE NELSON – STARDUST
193. ARETHA FRANKLIN – SPARKLE
194. ANDREA BOCELLI – ANDREA
195. BOB DYLAN – BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME
196. LUTHER VANDROSS – NEVER TOO MUCH
197. U2 – ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND
See here.

198. RUSH – 2112
199. OUTKAST – AQUEMINI
200. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD – WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND

Until Whenever