To those who said Prince would be overly represented, you were absolutely right, of course.

To that end, I extended this into the top 60, feel free to eliminate 10 albums at will, in your mind at least.

Thanks to all the contributors, we got a pretty well rounded list of some really great albums.

I added some comments. They are just my opinions, though they may be written like facts. Feel free to add your opinions!

The original poll is here:

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/190989

1. Prince--Sign o' The Times—1028 We all knew this list would be slightly biased towards the little guy. But this cd appeared on about 2/3 of the individual top 25 lists, which says that even in the highly disputed realm of which Prince era/album you prefer, this album is something most of us can agree upon. Sign might not be Prince’s most exotic beauty, but it is voluptuous and nearly flawless, presenting the man as not only a musical genius, but a strong lyricist and style-maker, a package he’d struggle to present us with again, and with much argued results.

2. Prince--Purple Rain—812—This album may have suffered from its own popularity. Among us hardcore fans it’s just plain boring to say you like this album the best. But even so, it scored the second position. Probably no worse than Sign of the Times, the original double album featuring Erotic City, 17 Days, and God might have made this the only choice for #1, but as is, it will have to settle for about 20 million in sales and #2 on this list.

3. Prince--Parade—542—The bias of the contributors rears its head with this choice. Non Prince fans would never have this album so high. Of course, it’s a brilliant album. Never before or after would Prince make such a European sounding album. Perhaps it’s because the movie was set in France, some say it’s Wendy & Lisa. To me this album is even more of a kaleidoscope of sounds than Sign. He was flirting with jazz, classical, while still bringing the grooves and giving us sounds we’d never heard before. And while the album is among his most creative & experimental, he still delivered one of the all time great pop tunes with Kiss. If the movie had only been better received, this would be more of a classic among all fans of music, not just Prince’s.

4. The Beatles--Abbey Road—418—This is not the Beatles’ most groundbreaking album, or their best collection of songs, but it’s maybe their most perfect all around effort. It’s certainly their most beautifully performed, with the most modern sounding production. As tremendous as their songs were and are, they broke such ground that some of their best music sounds like a work in progress production-wise, with odd stereo panning or inaudible bass & drums. Abbey Road, however, is something younger fans of rock can appreciate without the distraction of the limitations of 1960’s recording methods. The A-Side runs from classic to classic, funky to goofy, psychedelic to psychotic. The B-Side remains one of the best song sequences in rock, and indeed all pop, music, even without any classics save Here Comes The Sun.

5. Prince--Dirty Mind—379—With Dirty Mind, Prince became Prince. He also presented us with possibly the hottest album he’d ever make. Prince was a live wire in 1980, and he stripped not only his clothing but his music to an exciting blend of funk, rock, and new wave/punk. Prince’s first albums were good, but this was a whole new style of music, one that he’s continued to pursue (if not often enough) till this day.

6. Prince--1999—337 Prince solidified his standing as a mainstream pop star with this album, giving us what may be his most famous song (1999), as well as what may be his greatest pop song (Little Red Corvette). But what’s really amazing is his ability to combine the incredibly catchy with the incredibly nasty and the incredibly funky, all the while stretching the songs to incredible lengths. And, incredibly, he did most of it himself (though the Revolution is credited on the cover). It’s no wonder this album is a favorite of both casual and hardcore fans.

7. David Bowie—Ziggy Stardust—323—Many say that without Bowie there’d be no Prince. I’m not sure what a fan Prince was of Bowie, but there sure are similarities. Both are not nearly as popular as they should be. Yet both cannot help but be worldwide superstars because of their unique natures and obvious talent. Bowie was on a roll with Ziggy, coming off the heels of Hunky Dory, and inventing the first (and most successful) of several personae. When an artist is on top of his game, they can get away with almost anything, and Bowie does that here. Lady Stardust might not rock like Moonage Daydream, but in the right context Bowie’s showtunes are way cooler than most hard rock of the day. Nearly ever song is a classic here, something I feel Bowie (like Prince) hasn’t done often enough for his talent.

8. Marvin Gaye--Whats Goin On—317—The standard to which all R&B records are held. Some may have even outdone it, but Marvin created the consummate R&B album first. James Brown was perhaps a greater genius, but his arena was the stage & the single. Marvin (perhaps taking a cue from the Beatles) didn’t limit himself to singles & songs. It’s hard to imagine these songs separate from each other. He also wasn’t limited to normal pop arrangements or instrumentation. The album plays like a symphony, not so much R&B, not so much classical or jazz, but a new kind of blend of virtually all music up to that point. Add to that the socially conscious lyrics, lyrics that don’t sound particularly dated even thirty years later, and it’s easy to see why Marvin was so inspiring even though the subject matter was fairly depressing. What’s Goin On isn’t so much a song, or an album, but it’s its own world.

9. Radiohead--OK Computer—314—A modern rock classic. Outside of the single Karma Police, this album didn’t get too much radio play (at least here in the States), but then that’s nothing new for the ironically named Radiohead. Nobody would have imagined that the one hit wonder that produced Creep in the high holy days of grunge would go on to be the new (if less popular) Beatles. Their previous album, The Bends, indicated that they were trying to stick around and even grow, but it wasn’t weird or pop enough to get much attention. They turned a corner and found a new niche with OK Computer. Each song on this album has the anthemic quality and melodic sense of U2, but the originality of 1967 era Beatles. Radiohead hit a peak here, as their creative nature seemed to become more important than winning over new fans. Each Radiohead album has great songs, but they seem to want them hidden in anti-pop. OK Computer is as creative as any album needs to be, but it also manages to be fairly no-nonsense.

10. Stevie Wonder--Songs In The Key Of Life—300—Songs causes a lot of arguments among Stevie fans. Some say Talking Book & Innervisions are far better, and with Songs, Stevie met the pop monster that would try to take him from us. I say that Songs is every bit as good as Innervisions & Talking Book, and then some…some fat. Yes, I could do without If It’s Magic & I Am Singing, but I couldn’t do without I Wish, Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise, As, Joy Inside My Tears, and on and on any more than I could do without Living For the City & Big Brother.

11. The Beatles--White Album—272 The Beatles have no shortage of supporters, but not everyone loves them. They were, to some extent, victims of their own diversity, just too musical to be cool all the time. While hard rock fans don’t always get them The White Album for some reason remains their great Classic Rock album. Perhaps it’s because they mostly abandoned silly costumes and psychedelic themes in favor of a more stripped down rock & roll sound. But why some people accept Wild Honey Pie or Obladi Oblada and not I Wanna Hold Your Hand is beyond me! Nevertheless, when the White Album is great, it’s about as good as it gets. The incredible ground covered by this album has made it the album all "sprawling achievements" by later musicians are inevitably compared to, and the one Beatles album to buy (if you really can stop at one!)

12. Micheal Jackson--Off The Wall—268 Oh, Michael, what happened. Did we kill you with love? You were so damn great! Was it just Quincy that made you shine? Off The Wall definitely could pass as a Quincy Jones album, but there’s a reason Ai No Corrida wasn’t as big as Off The Wall. Michael was a great singer as well as an incredible performer and intriguing persona. While Thriller catapaulted him to realms unknown by other performers, Off The Wall is probably stronger, more cohesive, possibly for sticking more to one style of music. Thriller seems aware of what it would become, and it may just cover too much ground, like it needs to have something for everyone. Off The Wall is just a great album, with no pretense. And it may be the last album from a semi-normal human being named Michael Jackson.

13. Nirvana--Nevermind—299 To many people, Nirvana is hopelessly overrated. Their songs are simple. They didn’t create grunge. They didn’t have great guitar solos. Kurt Cobain’s lyrics made no sense even if you could understand them. But rock radio was very different after Nevermind. Alternative rock became grunge. Heavy Metal became grunge. Hard rock became grunge. And soon, grunge became classic rock. Shit, even Prince wore flannels in The Morning Papers video! And while other bands were good at the style, too, nobody seemed to embody the reckless spirit, sound, fashion, drug abuse, and misery of Generation X better than Nirvana. And Nirvana was a band, but the vision was all Kurt Cobain. Perhaps that’s why their style was more focused than the relatively faceless collective efforts of Pearl Jam & Soundgarden. Somehow Nirvana did so much with so little. Fans might prefer the even more personal and raw nature of In Utero, but it was Nevermind that changed music. The songs all rock, too.

14. Prince--Controversy—266 Dirty Mind set the stage, but Controversy worked the stage. Prince starts to get more creative, stretching the songs out while keeping them fun. His confidence and greater awareness of his new style is apparent, and he takes even greater chances, not only with subject matter, but with sounds. He takes the sound of Dirty Mind and gives it cleaner production. He introduces us to what is now an old friend, the Linn drum machine. He creates Prince poetry singing/speaking songs about people that have funny names. He speaks with presidents. He feels "so cold." He invits us to do things that I really don’t want people to do in a restaurant. Prince, we hardly knew yet, but you were on quite a roll.

15. Kate Bush--Hounds Of Love—257 I’m familiar with several of Kate’s albums, but not this one. This one was picked far more than any other of her records. She’s an uncompromising artist, one can see why she and Prince would be attracted to each other artistically. She’s a unique blend of sexuality, beauty, creative music, excellent arrangements & musicianship, and singular vision.

16. Prince--Lovesexy—241 Another fan favorite that probably wouldn’t appear anywhere but here. Also, the source of much arguing. Younger Prince fans think it’s not as funky, nasty, and doesn’t rock as hard as The Gold Experience. Older fans say the same in comparison to Dirty Mind or 1999. But for those who were there, this album might have just changed your life a bit. It offered fun, weird, interesting, funky music, but more than that, it offered a philosophy. It offered a psychology lesson. And it offered an acceptable way for even an atheist to look at God. It’s also maybe, just maybe, the last of the great Prince albums.

17. U2--Actung Baby—240 U2’s legacy is similar to the Beatles. They didn’t need to prove anything after The Joshua Tree in order to go down as one of the great rock bands. But rather than dry up, like most rock bands, they continued to set the bar to new heights. With Actung Baby, they put out their most experimental album to date, and just happened to fill it with a bunch of classic songs as well. U2 is not particularly musically adventurous, but Actung Baby makes it sound like they are. The songs are still basic rock, but they are framed in such brilliant arrangements that they sound avant garde without being gimmicky. Like all great albums, Achtung has that rare magic. As Bono put it: "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts."

18. The Cure—Disintegration. I didn’t listen to the Cure in the 80’s, or ever for that matter. Somehow I thought I was better than that. Instead of listening to whiny bands like the Cure, I was whining along with James Ingram on Just Once. My friends liked them, and it hurts me to say that they were more musically sophisticated than I was at times. Well, the opposite is true, too. Looking back, I think I just didn’t want to listen to a freaky looking guy in makeup...

19--Jimi Hendrix--Are You Experienced—226 Only Jimi could work the cosmos so that his albums score exactly the same number of points. Normally great music takes me some time to like. But Jimi’s the exception. Purple Haze blew my mind, and it still does. Jimi arrived on the scene fully formed. Not that he repeated himself, but his style was there from the beginning. Nearly every song is a classic, and has become an indelible part of every young guitar player’s psyche. Of all 60’s music, only Dylan & the Beatles is as essential to me as Jimi. He was even more representative of 1967 than the Beatles were, too. Part because he was truly a free spirit, but also because it wasn’t really such a great time, and Jimi’s sound displayed the pain of the day, masked in a smoky light show. We get Jessica Simpson…

20. Jimi Hendrix--Electric Ladyland—226 Jimi didn’t really change his style, but Electric Ladyland is "Jimi without borders." He created a truly psychedelic experience that was not so much song based as it was sound based. He’s already shown us what he could do with a guitar, and we knew he had great songs, but Electric Ladyland showed us what he was capable of in terms of music making. It’s not just a collection of songs. That is said often about song collections, but this album comes close to doing away with songs altogether. The music is given a chance to grow and exist outside the constraints of pop formulas. But you don’t have to be on acid to appreciate it. It’s remarkably succinct and straightforward for such revolutionary material. Jimi’d step back into more conventional music, but then he could have gone about anywhere and it would be worth following.

21. Stevie Wonder--Innervisions—209 Among more hardcore fans, Innervisions is the hipper choice for favorite Stevie album. In fact, if it weren’t for Talking Book stealing many of its votes, Innervisions might be more popular than Songs in the Key of Life (and the opposite is true, too). Stevie really stretches out here, beginning with the psychedelic jazz of Too High, to the non-syrup non-love ballad Visions, to what may be his all time great song Living for the City. Hints of syrup are here (All Is Fair In Love) but they remain honest and beautiful, and the album just plain doesn’t have any weak songs, something that distinguishes it from Songs…

22. Tori Amos--Boys For Pele—208 I’ve never owned any Tori Amos, but I recognize her talent, not only as a songwriter & singer, but as a piano player & arranger. She’s got a unique style, and a dedicated bunch of fans, two qualities that count for a lot in a pop singer. This got way more votes than any other Tori album.

23. David Bowie--Hunky Dory—204 Something happened before Hunky Dory which finished Bowie’s education in songwriting. To be sure, he’d already written some great songs (Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold the World) but on Hunk Dory it’s all so easy. Beginning with Changes Bowie takes us on a journey through his influences, from Beatles to Dylan to Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol (this song seems the basis for Sinead O’Connor’s career, as well), but never manages to sound anything but unique. The songs never lose focus, and are highly intelligent, if pretentious at times. But then great artists are allowed to be pretentious.

24. The Beatles--Revolver 196 Again, this is the hipper choice for favorite than the classic answers Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road & White Album. There are two reasons for this. First, nearly every song is brilliant and highly original, being from the Beatles’ moment of greatest musical growth, and none of them sound the same. Second, while nearly every song is a Beatles classic, somehow they never get the same kind of airplay that their earlier & later music got & still gets. This keeps the album sounding fresher than others.

25. The Smiths--The Queen Is Dead—193 I never liked the Smiths, but similarly to the Cure, I think it’s due mostly to childhood prejudice, the same kind that keeps people from liking Prince. But Morrissey has remained in the spotlight for so long after leaving the Smiths, I imagine there must be something to them.

26. David Bowie--Station to Station—187 An early memory of mine is watching Bowie sing TVC15 in a dress on Saturday Night Live. With Bowie, his odd moments are not so much gimmicky as they are artsy. With an intellect and knowledge like his, you have so many ideas outside the pop world to choose from that you will always be interesting. I don’t own this album, but it may be my next purchase.

27. Stevie Wonder--Talking Book—178 Funny that the album thought of as not so pop or syrupy as Songs in the Key of Life opens with You Are the Sunshine of My Life. Maybe Your Baby must erase the sweet taste. But even at his most sentimental Stevie was writing standards like You & I. He also taught society a lesson while transcending musical genre with Big Brother, his voice making you feel like you know just what he’s talking about. I grew up middle class, a white kid in Malibu, but it felt like my life, too.

28. Steely Dan--Aja—175 Steely Dan may sound like lite jazz, and they are, but they’re so much more. They write very catchy, yet musically challenging songs, with clever and surprisingly offensive lyrics that slip by in the Trojan Horse of their smooth music. All Steely Dan records have clunkers except Aja. The title track is a minor symphony, and the others are FM Radio at its finest.

29. Janet Jackson--Velvet Rope—175 I don’t agree with all the results, but I can’t deny the popularity of this or Rhythm Nation. I’m not a huge Janet fan, there’s no doubt that she’s done some strong songs, nor can I discount her resolve to not be just another failed Jackson solo artist. In some ways, her collection is more impressive than Michael’s which is defined by higher, but perhaps fewer, peaks.

30. Sinead O’Connor--I Do Not Want What What I Haven't Got—161 In the running with Terence Trent D'Arby for "greatest sabotage of ones own career by a talented superstar", this will always be Sinead's claim to fame. Unfortunately (except to Prince fans) her biggest song is a remake. This is a tribute to her talents as a singer, but doesn’t do justice to her songwriting. She’s almost like Dylan with a beautiful voice, writing simple, yet penetrating songs that reveal a woman who was perhaps too sensitive to be a star. (See: 'The Last Day of Our Acquaintance')

31. David Bowie--Aladinsane—158 One of the weirdest piano solos ever. Other than Prince, Bowie had the most albums on the list, a tribute to his consistency and perhaps his similarity to Prince. Alladinsane warms up Ziggy, often with great results (Watch that Man) and occasionally weak ones (Lets Spend the Night Together). The result is a patchy album that comes from his most creative & energetic period, but at the tail end of it.

32. Prince—-Come 158 Amazingly this got more points than The Gold Experience. I guess it has a small but very dedicated following. And rightly so. I feel Prince’s 90’s "lesser" or "in between" albums like Come, Chaos & Disorder, even New Power Soul, are funner and cooler than the "majors." They have a nice flow, they sound more relaxed, and take more chances. But like crack, the high comes fast and doesn’t last as long. Of these, Come is probably the best, more representative of his style than Chaos, and better songs & more organic sound than NPS.

33. Smashing Pumpkins--Siamese Dream—153 This was the last time I liked Smashing Pumpkins. I think Billy Corgan longed for the kind of scrutiny of his issues that Kurt Cobain couldn’t stand, and it made him appear whiny and self-absorbed. This, along with his mission to avoid a nice vocal sound, wore thin with the public. But Siamese Dream has him at his least annoying, with catchy songs that really rock, are not pretentious, and have a slightly different, more lush sound than other alternative music of the time.

34. Bjork--Homogenic—148 Bjork has always been not of this Earth. But, like Radiohead, after her initial breakthrough Debut, she seemed more determined to make albums that are interesting rather than fun listens. People don’t seem to have casual feelings about her, they either love her or hate her. Homogenic is an exercise, a concept album, but the music is the concept. Using only beats, voice & strings, she constructs her usual eclectic mix of sounds, from the beautiful Bachelorette to the abrasive Pluto to the catchier Alarm Call. She’s an uncompromising artist, someone who only comes around once.

35. Depeche Mode Violator—148 Depeche Mode, along with the Smiths & the Cure, represented all the music I hated in the 80’s. But they really were innovative, mixing rock and dance in a way that influenced NIN years later. Never heard this record, other than Personal Jesus, but it’s interesting that this, the highest scoring Depeche Mode album, came after what I would have thought was their glory days of People Are People or Black Celebration.

36. Led Zeppelin IV—144 On a hard rock fan’s list, IV would have to rank higher than this. Nearly every song is a staple of radio more than 30 years later. Like Sgt. Pepper, fans may have grown tired of it (Wayne’s World wasn’t kidding, you can’t play Stairway To Heaven in some guitar shops, along with Smells Like Teen Spirit) favoring Physical Graffiti or II. But with objective ears, Stairway is epic (the best word for Zeppelin), as is the whole album, from the odd rhythm’d metal blues of Black Dog to the soft Going to California, to the churning Misty Mountain Hop to the straight up Rock and Roll (damn you Cadillac!)

37. Prince--Prince—138 For You was impressive, but if Prince kept this up, he’d probably never have a hit. Prince is full of them. The production is still the late disco style, not yet the Minneapolis sound, but I Wanna Be Your Lover, I Feel For You, It’s Gonna Be Lonely, Bambi, said that Prince was destined to be a huge star, even though the record didn’t quite do that for him.

38. Pink Floyd--The Wall—133 I'm a walking cliché. The first time I smoked pot was when I went to see this on campus with some friends. My girlfriend said she did the same and she’s always hated The Wall. It’s no Yellow Submarine. Pink Floyd managed to update their sound (not for the first time, either) without losing anything that made them who they were, and extended their usual cohesive album structure into this huge double album opera. The Wall is slightly easier to listen to than other Floyd, with shorter songs that are great but not terribly challenging. But the subject matter, almost an update of Catcher in the Rye, is something that appeals to the college crowd and probably always will.

39. Janet Jackson--Rhythm Nation 1814—132 With Rhythm Nation, Janet proved she was no fluke, separating herself from the rest of her family, who never sustained solo careers (except Jermaine, though he eventually lost momentum, too) or got out from under Michael’s shadow. You could argue that the music is more a product of it’s producers, but Janet seems to have the same talent Madonna has of knowing who to work with and what style to adopt.

40. Bjork--Vespertine—128 I haven’t heard this album, but her fans love are any indication, her music keeps growing and is always worth listening to. If you liked it in the first place, that is.

41. John Coltrane--A Love Supreme—128 Much of Coltrane’s most accessible work was done with Miles Davis. On his own, he did several albums before, some might say, going absolutely insane on record. Coltrane was very religious, and he became something of a religion himself, based much on this one album. It’s really like nothing else you’ve ever heard (like any of his later albums) but it’s somehow very easy to listen to (unlike his other late albums), which is shocking since the song structure is nearly impossible for even a musician like me to find.

42. Nine Inch Nails—The Downward Spiral—126 Trent Reznor was maybe the best new musician of the early-mid 90's. Not the trendsetter that Nirvana was, he was nevertheless a more complete all-round musician, playing all the instruments and creating more varied music. For some reason, I never really bought his 'angst' - as with Billy Corgan, it seemed kind of forced to me. Perhaps if I'd gotten the earlier stuff, like 'Pretty Hate Machine', I'd have been more into this record. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn't.

43. Madonna--Like A Prayer—125 The fact that Madonna is not so much a musician as a star overshadows the fact that she’s done a lot of great songs. She’s never gotten lazy with her music. And whether or not she writes it or plays is, she decides what goes on the record, and she decided exceptionally well with Like A Prayer. She was at her most controversial here, after the title track’s video made Pepsi look like idiots (didn’t they watch the damn thing first?) but had some of her best pop, most notably Express Yourself.

44. Bob Dylan--Highway 61 Revisited—124 Any number of Dylan albums could have appeared here, and it’s a tribute to his greatness that fans of the ultra slick music of Prince would like him at all. This wasn’t Dylan’s first stab at electric rock, but it’s maybe his first full rock record. Like A Rolling Stone is worth the price of admission (and is almost long enough for its own album), but the rest is Dylan in top blues form on Highway 61, and the beautiful It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.

45. The Beach Boys--Pet Sounds—124 After years of hearing that this was one of the greatest rock albums ever, hearing it was quite a disappointment. It doesn’t rock at all. But the quality of the songs comes through after too long. The melodies are highly original and the music is accomplished, lush, and beautiful. Through it all, there’s a great spirit that characterizes the Beach Boys, even though the music is not what you would typically think of as Beach Boys music.

46. The Velvet Underground & Nico—124 Not my favorite Velvet Underground record. I prefer the more normal rock & roll albums like Loaded and The Velvet Underground, and I was never a fan of Nico. But this album is their most artsy, and it made the most impact. The album is not just songs, it’s a whole style, a subset of Andy Warhol’s pop movement. It’s almost like they’re not really a rock and roll band, but a movie of a rock & roll band. Such high concept was too subtle for mass success, but the part they played in a genuine art movement made them one of the most influential bands to budding musicians and rock snobs alike.

47. David Bowie--Diamond Dogs—122 The last of Bowie’s glam rock records, there are a lot of great songs, but it feels like Bowie’s running out of not only steam, but original ideas. Of course, this wasn’t true, but that particular phase was coming to an end. But even sub-par Bowie has more to offer than some artists’ entire catalogs.

48. John Lennon--Plastic Ono Band—120 Such a personal album, but one that many people connect to, as well. I lived eight years with little knowledge of Lennon as an individual (I knew the Beatles well enough) until he died in 1980, while Paul was a huge star my whole life. Plastic Ono Band was all it took to make John’s solo career more important than all of Paul’s hits put together. I’d never heard music so personal, and to think it came from a successful, celebrated icon, showed the feelings to be universal. He showed feelings that everyone experiences from time to time, hopefully not all the time, though! "MAMA DON’T GO!!!!! DADDY COME HOME!!!!!"

49. David Bowie--Low—119 A bold album, but probably not helped in popularity for being half instrumental music. The songs are good—including Sound & Vision, Be My Wife—but the remarkable aspect of the album was the willingness to throw caution to the wind and do what musicians are supposed to do, which is not make hits, but make music.

50. Sly & The Family Stone--Stand—117 One of those greatest hits albums, Stand is the pop pinnacle of Sly’s career. Fresh is funkier, There’s a Riot Goin On is more innovative, but Stand will probably be more lasting. Sly is a legend but doesn’t get nearly the credit similar artists like P-Funk, James Brown, Prince, or the Beatles get. The positive nature of his music never seems forced, and never seems naïve. The eclectic mix of his music was inspired, representing the times, but transcending them, as well.

51. The Rolling Stones--Sticky Fingers—116 Exile on Main Street is the normal choice for best Stones album, but Sticky Fingers is just as good, and much easier to get into. Exile is more epic, but Sticky Fingers is more creative (Moonlight Mile), has better hits (Brown Sugar), and rocks just as much (Can’t You Hear Me Knocking).

52. Prince—The Gold Experience—115 A huge fan favorite. This was an exciting time to be a Prince fan. He’s changed his name, was leading a crusade, and implied that he had a new revolution in music for us. Gold is less a revolution than a good collection of songs. It’s not as technically challenging as , but it's more focused. More importantly, while Prince let’s great musicians play the music to its full potential, he keeps the spotlight on himself and the music.

53. Miles Davis--A Kind Of Blue—113 I think when millions of people hear the word "jazz," Kind of Blue is what they hear in their head. When I first heard it I didn’t understand the hype, what could separate So What & Freddie Freeloader from an actual song like Round Midnight. What was important about the structure of the songs was a technical difference between modal playing & bebop that most people will never understand, or care about. The song structure is secondary to the playing of one of the best bands ever assembled, jazz or otherwise. The important thing about the music is that it’s some of the best jazz ever recorded.

54. Stone Roses—Stone Roses—111 Here’s an album I just have to hear eventually. I have only heard one of their later hits and I really didn’t like it. But their debut gets so much hype, I’m really curious.

55. Pink Floyd--Dark Side of the Moon—111 Pink Floyd makes you work for its music. They often make you sit through what could almost be the band tuning up before getting to business. Be patient and this record is worth it. The band has a lot of style of their own, but the biggest compliment I could give them is that they often sound to me like what the Beatles might have evolved into if they could have lasted.

56. Michael Jackson--Thriller—111 The biggest selling album of all time might have been higher ranked by People Magazine, but true fans of music recognize that while it’s great, it was Michael and his videos that made the album such a success as much as it was the music. You can’t say the same about Off The Wall, as it came before MTV. Still, Wanna Be Starting Something, Billie Jean, Human Nature, and Pretty Young Thing are great songs, classic pop.

57. The Clash--London Calling—111 One of my all time favorites. I have listened to it hundreds of times, and I never get tired of it. It’s maybe not punk enough for some, but it’s not as wandering as the follow up Sandinista. More importantly, this double album really doesn’t have filler. Even The White Album has filler.

58. Prince--Around the World In A Day—106 This record separated the new true fans from the masses gathered with Purple Rain. Like most post-breakthrough albums, Around the World is the product of an inspired period, but ultimately not as artistically successful as the records surrounding it. Perhaps it tried a bit too hard, succeeding on many songs, but not holding together quite as well as Purple Rain or Parade.

59. Peter Gabriel--So—105 A huge commercial breakthrough, due mostly to the video to Sledgehammer, So has shown great staying power. Never bland, the album still has easy hits running through it, and Big Time, In Your Eyes, and Red Rain are still radio staples

60. Radiohead--The Bends—101 A transitional album. Radiohead wasn’t quite yet the innovative critic darlings that they would eventually become, but they showed on The Bends that they were interested in being more than a trendy alternative band. These songs are alternately beautiful, heavy, and interesting, but they still seem to be searching for their ultimate sound, which they would find on OK Computer.
[Edited 6/19/06 11:02am]
[Edited 6/19/06 14:32pm]

Very cool! I have 33 of these albums. And seeing as how this list was made by orgers, I'll trust the results and pick up a few records mentioned that I don't have.

BTW, Janet's fourth album is Rhythm Nation 1814.

Thanks, now let me read it.

sextonseven said:

Thanks, I always confuse her with Tchaikovsky.

I wish the Beatles, Marvin, and Stevie were higher, but hey, this is PRINCE.org. Very decent list nevertheless. Good commentary-read, too!

sextonseven said:

I have 21 of them and most are Prince Only one album on my list made it to top 50

NDRU said:

I just listened to the 5.1 surround sound version of this album yesterday. It was friggin' incredible. I was hearing things I've never heard before coming at me from all different directions. Even a song like "Closer" that I've already heard a million times had parts (particularly the last minute or so) that I never knew were there before. This record never appeared on any of my recent best-of lists that the org asked for, but I will remedy that in the future.

NDRU said:

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Interesting results.
Wonder how this would have turned out without the Prince-skew?

Regarding your comments on Depeche Mode/Violator.
Not a big fan of the band myself, but after hearing Policy of Truth on the radio, I had to dl it from iTunes.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Seven from my list made the final tally. After reading NDRU's comments, I'm really exciting about listening (or re-listening) to some of those older records from the 60s and 70s that I tend to neglect. Time to go album shopping!

NDRU said:

10 out of 50 or 11 out of 60. More than what I expected, but still a lot less than half of the list like some people predicted.

I never would have guessed 'Come' or 'Prince' would make the finals. I didn't think that many Prince fans held those albums in such high regard.

sextonseven said:

I love the come album LOVE IT

I always liked Come better than Gold, but I recognize the songs aren't quite as strong. But it feels wilder, and I liked it immediately, where Gold had to grow on me.

I only got 20 of them

A very interesting list!

...and thanks ndru for the notes...

NDRU-Are there any on this list that you actually have never heard?

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

I think he says so in his commentary--like the Stone Roses album.

sextonseven said:

OH! I'm not done reading the list

And the 10 album that I would eliminate are...

1. Nirvana Nevermind. Yes, overrated.
2. Janet Jackson Velvet Rope. Not sure if I would eliminate this or OK Computer better
3. Sinead O’Connor--I Do Not Want What What I Haven’t Got
4. The Smashing Pumpkins--Siamese Dream
5. Pink Floyd--The Wall. Gimme better Jethro Tull any day
6. Pink Floyd-- The Dark Side of the Moon. Boring.
7. Michael Jackson--Thriller. Its not that good imo.
8.Nine Inch Nails-The Downward Spiral
9.Peter Gabriel--So. Very overrated.
10. Radiohead--The Bends

bublebath said:

Velvet Rope should be scratched the hell off the list but the rest absolutely deserve to be here. If The Wall, Thriller and OK computer are not good enough for this list, nothing is.....


.
[Edited 6/19/06 12:52pm]

10 of my top 25 make it to the final 60

but no Parallel Lines around!

and just one album by The Rolling Stone and one by Dylan!

could prince be in it anymore?


how but just compile a 50 greatest of prince.

NDRU? How about fleshing this list out by removing the Prince albums and inserting albums that would have been contenders if not for the high Prince turnout

.
[Edited 6/19/06 13:01pm]

Wow, thank you very much for your work, NDRU! A very nice read.

dammme said:

And 2 by Janet Jackson.
Nirvana can fuck right off. Was ever such a fuss made about so little? If Axl Rose had blown his brains out in 94 instead of Dirt Cobain you can bet your life Appetite 4 Destruction would be here instead of Nevermind
I've tried listening to Tori Amos, but as far as I can hear she doesn't seem to be able to craft a memorable melody or a cohesive lyric (except for Crucify). Also, Kate Bush should get royalties on her songs.
I think David Bowie is drastically overrated too. He's done some good things, but nothing to warrant the reverence he gets.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Stop copying me.





tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

good work and a fun read - thanks!

theAudience said:

did you say that and I didn't see it?

sextonseven said:

Also Hounds of Love & Vespertine I've not heard a note. Some, like the Cure & Depeche Mode, I've heard some of, but not all.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

That's why I did 60 instead of 50. There are 11 Prince albums total. Put about 10 spaces before Sign and 10-20 spaces in between the other albums and it would be a more accurate representation of the general population. But that's not how it turned out. This is the Prince.org top 50.

NDRU said:

you would think I coulda figured that out huh?