New Book of Rock Lists

First published in the US 1994 by Fireside, and in the UK 1994 by Sidgwick & Jackson. Revised edition of ‘The Book of Rock Lists’ published in 1981 by Duke & Duchess Ventures Inc. All text taken in edited form from the book. Edited by Dave Marsh & James Bernard.

The book contains hundreds of lists, I’ve only included here some of them. The more esoteric ones really need the text alongside the list. eg: 10 Ways to Tell if a Rapper’s Career is on the Way Out; Malcolm McLaren’s 10 Lessons of Rock Success; etc, etc. I’ve used headings that are named after the chapters. Several lists are included from some chapters and none from others.

Record Companies

Sun Records 20 Greatest Hits

1. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On – Jerry Lee Lewis
2. Mystery Train – Elvis, Scotty & Bill
3. Good Rockin’ Tonight – Elvis, Scotty & Bill
4. Blue Suede Shoes – Carl Perkins
5. Milkcow Blues Boogie – Elvis Presley
6. Red Hot – Billy Riley & the Little Green Men
7. Lonely Weekends – Charlie Rich
8. Dixie Fried – Carl Perkins
9. Great Balls of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis
10. Flyin’ Saucers Rock & Roll – Billy Riley & the Little Green Men
11. That’s All Right – Elvis Presley
12. Just Walkin’ in the Rain – Prisonaires
13. Mystery Train – Little Junior’s Blue Flames
14. Ooby Dooby – Roy Orbison & the Teen Kings
15. High School Confidential – Jerry Lee Lewis
16. Who Will the Next Fool Be – Charlie Rich
17. I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash
18. When It Rains, It Really Pours – Billy ‘The Kid’ Emerson
19. Breathless – Jerry Lee Lewis
20. Devil Doll – Roy Orbison & the Roses

Motown’s Top 40

1. I Heard It Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
2. Reach Out, I’ll Be There – Four Tops
3. Do You Love Me – Contours
4. Heat Wave – Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
5. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
6. Since I Lost My Baby – Temptations
7. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
8. I Want You Back – Jackson 5
9. Bernadette – Four Tops
10. You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Supremes
11. Uptight – Stevie Wonder
12. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
13. My Girl – Temptations
14. Stop! In the Name of Love – Supremes
15. Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
16. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
17. Money – Barrett Strong
18. Shotgun – Jr Walker & the All Stars
19. I Can’t Help Myself – Four Tops
20. It Takes Two – Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
21. Fingertips Pt 2 – Little Stevie Wonder
22. Ain’t That Peculiar – Marvin Gaye
23. Ooo Baby Baby – Miracles
24. What Becomes of the Brokenhearted – Jimmy Ruffin
25. This Old Heart of Mine – Isley Brothers
26. If I Were Your Woman – Gladys Knight & the Pips
27. Papa Was a Rolling Stone – Temptations
28. Dancing in the Street – Martha Reeves & the Vandellas
29. Super Freak – Rick James
30. Way You Do the Things You Do – Temptations
31. Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours – Stevie Wonder
32. My Guy – Mary Wells
33. Every Little Bit Hurts – Brenda Holloway
34. I Second That Emotion – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
35. Leavin’ Here – Eddie Holland
36. Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
37. Got to Be There – Jackson 5
38. I Wish It Would Rain – Temptations
39. ABC – Jackson 5
40. Hunter Gets Captured by the Game – Marvelettes

25 Greatest Stax/Volt Hits

1. Hold On, I’m Comin’ – Sam & Dave
2. Knock on Wood – Eddie Floyd
3. (Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
4. In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett*
5. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long – Otis Redding
6. When Something is Wrong with My Baby – Sam & Dave
7. Green Onions – Booker T & the MGs
8. Everybody Loves a Winner – William Bell
9. 634-5789 – Wilson Pickett*
10. Who’s Making Love – Johnnie Taylor
11. Time is Tight – Booker T & the MGs
12. These Arms of Mine – Otis Redding
13. Private Number – Judy Clay & William Bell
14. Tramp – Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
15. Respect Yourself – Staple Sisters
16. Your Good Thing (is About to End) – Mable John
17. Mr Pitiful – Otis Redding
18. Walking the Dog – Rufus Thomas
19. Born Under a Bad Sign – Albert King
20. You Don’t Miss Your Water – William Bell
21. Last Night – Mar Keys
22. Raise Your Hand – Eddie Floyd
23. You Don’t Know Like I Know – Sam & Dave
24. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) – Otis Redding
25. In the Rain – Dramatics

*Note: Wilson Pickett recorded these two songs at Stax Studios, using the house musicians, but the Atlantic label issued these records.

Sugarhill’s Greatest Hits

1. The Message – Grand Master Flash & the Furious Five
2. White Lines (Don’t do It) – Grandmaster Melle Mel
3. Rapper’s Delight – Sugarhill Gang
4. That’s the Joint – Funky Four + 1
5. Apache – Sugarhill Gang
6. Adventures of Grand Master Flash on Wheels of Steel – Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five
7. Spoon’nin Rap – Spoonie Gee
8. Yes We Can Can – Treacherous Three
9. We Want to Rock – Crash Crew
10. Funk You Up – Sequence

Tommy Boy’s Greatest Hits

1. O.P.P – Naughty by Nature
2. Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
3. Looking for the Perfect Beat – Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force
4. Payoff Mix (Mastermix of G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid’s ‘Play that Beat Mr DJ’ – Double Dee & Steinski
5. Danger Zone – Planet Patrol
6. No Sell Out – Malcolm X & Keith LeBlanc
7. Doowutchyalike – Digital Underground
8. Me Myself & I – De La Soul
9. Tender Love – Force MDs
10. Ladies First – Queen Latifah
11. Humpty Dance – Digital Underground
12. Play at Your Own Risk – Planet Patrol

Production

Bill Stephney’s Top 20 Recordings of All Time

As a founding member of the Bomb Squad, Bill Stephney was one of the principal architects of the first two Public Enemy albums as well as Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. *= LP

1. Good Times – Chic
2. Sucker MCs – Run DMC
3. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy*
4. Heartbeat – Taana Gardner
5. Led Zeppelin (1st Album) – Led Zeppelin*
6. Make if Funky – James Brown
7. Love TKO – Teddy Pendergrass
8. Straight Outta Compton – NWA*
9. Gratitude – Earth, Wind & Fire*
10. Raising Hell – Run DMC*
11. Dance to the Drummer’s Beat – Herman Kelly
12. Set it Off – Stafe
13. Zenyatta Mondatta – Police*
14. Don’t Look Any Further – Dennis Edwards with Siedah Garrett
15. I Know You, I Live You – Chaka Khan
16. Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys*
17. Raw – Big Daddy Kane
18. Sugar Sperm – Captain Skyy
19. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder*
20. Mr Magic – Grover Washington Jr

Awards

Three Lashes with a Wet Noodle: The Wimp-Rock Top 40

Ranking on this list… , has to do with degree of wimpiness balanced by the degree to which such insufferables have been in our ears (and faces) of late.

1. Bolton, Michael
2. Wilson Philips
3. Osmonds
4. Air Supply
5. Shore, Pauly
6. Kansas
7. Seals & Crofts
8. Suede*
9. Duran Duran
10. Freddie & the Dreamers
11. Cowsills
12. Garfunkel, Art
13. 10,000 Maniacs
14. It’s a Beautiful Day
15. Marx, Richard
16. Moody Blues
17. Tesla
18. Morrissey*
19. Kramer, Billy J & the Dakotas
20. Hot Tuna
21. Richman, Jonathan & the Modern Lovers*
22. Chordettes
23. Spin Doctors
24. Cyrus, Billy Ray
25. Fresh Prince
26. Extreme
27. Bon Jovi
28. Mr. Big
29. Loggins & Messina
30. Duprees
31. Donovan*
32. Grant, Amy
33. Larsen, Nicolette
34. Sade
35. Denver, John
36. Costello, Elvis
37. Royal Guardsmen
38. Association
39. Crosby, Stills & Nash
40. Grateful Dead

* Demoted several places for being proud of it.

10 Worst Performers of All Time

1. Bolton, Michael
2. Boone, Pat
3. Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4. Fabian
5. Grateful Dead
6. Marx, Richard
7. Osmonds
8. Ronstadt, Linda
9. Vanilla Ice
10. Williams, Paul

First & Debuts

20 Best Debut Albums

1. Are You Experienced? – Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. With the Beatles
3. Elvis Presley
4. Here’s Little Richard
5. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
6. Plastic Ono Band – John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band
7. The Clash
8. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – Ice Cube
9. The Chronic – Dr Dre
10. Music from Big Pink – The Band
11. Introducing the Hard Line According to… - Terence Trent D’Arby
12. Bob Dylan
13. Rolling Stones
14. Of the Heart, Of the Cross: the Utopian Experience – PM Dawn
15. Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd – Lynyrd Skynyrd
16. Seal
17. My Aim is True – Elvis Costello
18. Jerry Lee Lewis
19. Pretenders
20. Murmur – REM

20 Best Debut Singles

1. I Want You Back – Jackson 5
2. That’s All Right – Elvis Presley
3. Anarchy in the UK – Sex Pistols
4. I Can’t Live Without My Radio – LL Cool J
5. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana (major label debut)
6. Maybellene – Chuck Berry
7. Lawdy Miss Clawdy – Lloyd Price
8. These Arms of Mine – Otis Redding
9. Mr Tambourine Man – Byrds
10. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
11. Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want to Meet) – Jackie Wilson
12. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
13. Holiday – Madonna
14. I Can’t Explain – The Who
15. Roxanne – Police
16. Be Bop a Lula – Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
17. Jump – Kriss Kross
18. Ooby Dooby – Roy Orbison
19. Let’s Go Trippin’ – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
20. I’m a Man/Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley

10 Most Ridiculous Debut Singles

1. Baby Kittens – Carole King
2. A Teenager’s Romance – Ricky Nelson
3. Baby Talk – Jan & Dean
4. Long Tall Sally – The Kinks
5. Movie Magg – Carl Perkins
6. My Bonnie – The Beatles (backing Tony Sheridan)
7. Love to Love You Baby – Donna Summer
8. Stormy Weather – Five Sharps
9. Suzie Q – Creedence Clearwater Revival
10. Taxi Blues – Little Richard

10 Most Disappointing Debut Albums

1. Blind Faith – Blind Faith
2. Grateful Dead – Grateful Dead
3. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash
4. McCartney – Paul McCartney
5. Wilson Phillips – Wilson Phillips
6. I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again, Mama – Janis Joplin
7. Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston
8. Song Cycle – Van Dyke Parks
9. Wednesday Morning 3am – Simon & Garfunkel
10. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the – Sex Pistols

Criticism

Bob Dylan’s 25 Greatest Hits

1. Like a Rolling Stone
2. Visions of Johanna
3. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (live version: B-side of ‘I Want You’)
4. All Along the Watchtower
5. When the Ship Comes in
6. I Want You
7. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
8. Stuck Inside a Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
9. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
10. Subterranean Homesick Blues
11. Mr Tambourine Man
12. I Shall be Free #10
13. I Don’t Believe You (live version – electric)
14. Every Grain of Sand
15. I Shall be Released
16. Ballad of a Thin Man
17. Tangled Up in Blue
18. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
19. Most Likely You Go Your Way
20. If You Gotta Go, Go Now
21. Blind Willie McTell
22. She’s Your Lover Now
23. When I Paint My Masterpiece
24. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

Reginald C Dennis’s Favorite Songs of All Time

Music editor of hip hop magazine, The Source.

1. La-Di-Da-Di – Doug E Fresh & MC Ricky D
2. Eric B is President – Eric B & Rakim
3. Rebel Without a Pause- Public Enemy
4. Message, the – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
5. 8th Wonder – Sugarhill Gang
6. Sucker MCs – Run DMC
7. Peter Piper – Run DMC
8. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
9. So What’Cha Sayin’ – EPMD

Sez Who? Bands & Singers Critics Love to Hate

1. Toto
2. 2 Live Crew
3. Bolton, Michael
4. Supertramp
5. Rush
6. Pink Floyd
7. Styx
8. Foreigner
9. Yes
10. ELP
11. Grateful Dead
12. Led Zeppelin
13. Kiss
14. Aerosmith
15. Ronstadt, Linda
16. Eagles
17. MC Hammer
18. Queen
19. Chicago
20. Genesis
21. Journey
22. Sting
23. Mötley Crüe
24. Too Short
25. Slick Rick
26. Kenny G
27. Cyrus, Billy Ray
28. Duran Duran
29. Kravitz, Lenny
30. Vanilla Ice
31. Madonna
32. Benatar, Pat
33. Idol, Billy
34. Kansas
35. Bee Gees
36. New Kids on the Block
37. Big Daddy Kane
38. Brown, Bobby
39. Marx, Richard
40. Marky Mark

What About Us? Musicmakers Critics Mistakenly Ignore

In alphabetical order:

1. AC/DC
2. Alabama
3. Beck, Jeff
4. Bland, Bobby
5. Cameo
6. Campbell, Luther
7. Crass
8. Crowell, Rodney
9. DJ Magic Mike
10. Dylan, Bob (Eh? – Ed)
11. Earth, Wind & Fire
12. Everybody in gospel music
13. Everybody in Latin Music, except Ruben Blades
14. Jackson, Janet
15. Jesus & Mary Chain
16. Jett, Joan
17. King, BB
18. Kool & the Gang
19. Loveless, Patty
20. Madonna
21. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
22. Metallica
23. Midnight Oil
24. O’Jays
25. O’Neal, Alexander
26. Oslin, K.T.
27. Professor Griff
28. Russell, Brenda
29. Santana
30. Sir Mix-A-Lot

Art

75 Great Album Cover Designs

1. EFIL4ZAGGIN – NWA
2. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Beatles
3. Their Satanic Majesties Request – Rolling Stones
4. London Calling – Clash
5. Elvis Presley
6. Two Sides of the Moon – Keith Moon
7. … And Justice for All – Metallica
8. We’re Only in it For the Money – Mothers of Invention
9. Goo – Sonic Youth
10. Yesterday & Today (Butchers sleeve) – Beatles
11. Death Certificate – Ice Cube
12. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
13. 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t be Wrong – Elvis’ Gold Records Vol 2 – Elvis Presley
14. Nothing’s Shocking – Jane’s Addiction
15. Sell Out - Who
16. Velvet Underground & Nico
17. Los Angeles – X
18. By All Means Necessary – Boogie Down Productions
19. Weasels Ripped My Flesh – Mothers of Invention
20. Feats Don’t Fail Me Now – Little Feat
21. Siren – Roxy Music
22. Ghost in the Machine – Police
23. Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
24. 1999 – Prince
25. Happy Trails – Quicksilver Messenger Service
26. Who’s Next – Who
27. Are You Experienced? – Jimi Hendrix Experience
28. Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
29. Maggot Brain – Funkadelic
30. Lotus – Santana
31. Axis: Bold as Love – Jimi Hendrix Experience
32. More Songs About Buildings & Food – Talking Heads
33. Beggars Banquet (toilet wall sleeve) – Rolling Stones
34. Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake – Small Faces
35. Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth
36. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
37. A Nice Pair – Pink Floyd
38. Fire – Ohio Players
39. Aoxomoxoa – Grateful Dead
40. Tommy – Who
41. Caravanserai – Santana
42. We Can’t Be Stopped – Geto Boys
43. Mysterious Traveler – Weather Report
44. Cheap Thrills – Big Brother & the Holding Co featuring Janis Joplin
45. Fair Warning – Van Halen
46. Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps
47. De La Soul is Dead – De La Soul
48. Presence – Led Zeppelin
49. Dinosaur Swamps – Flock
50. King of the Delta Blues Singers – Robert Johnson
51. Lumpy Gravy – Mothers of Invention
52. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
53. I Wish it Would Rain – Temptations
54. Two Steps from the Blues – Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
55. Bo Diddley is a Gunslinger
56. Seal (1st album)
57. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the… - Sex Pistols
58. Kids are Alright – Who
59. Zooropa – U2
60. Back in Black – AC/DC
61. Nevermind – Nirvana
62. Dirt – Alice in Chains
63. A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing – Black Sheep
64. Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
65. Bliss Album – PM Dawn
66. East Side Story – Kid Frost
67. Bringing it All Back Home – Bob Dylan
68. Dirty Mind – Prince
69. Off the Wall – Michael Jackson
70. Keep on Movin’ – Soul II Soul
71. Madonna (1st album)
72. Some Girls – Rolling Stones
73. Freedom of Choice – Devo
74. As Nasty as They Wanna Be – 2 Live Crew
75. Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon

You Can’t Judge a Book by It’s Cover: 10 Great Sleeves You Wouldn’t Want to Open

1. Climax – Ohio Players
2. Ceremony – Cult
3. Workingman’s Dead – Grateful Dead
4. Stranger – Billy Joel
5. Sports Weekend – 2 Live Crew
6. Journey Through the Past – Neil Young
7. Dr Feelgood – Mötley Crüe
8. 5050 (EP) – Eazy E
9. Love Gun – Kiss
10. All Samples Cleared – Biz Markie

Pedro Bell’s Favorite Album Covers of All Time

In alphabetical order. Pedro Bell – aka Capt Draw – composed the intricate, urban sci-fi flavoured covers for eight Funkadelic albums, as well as all of George Clinton’s solo albums.

1. Abraxas – Santana
2. Brain Salad Surgery – ELP
3. Chief – Dewey Terry
4. Come Go With Us – Pockets
5. Cross Collateral – Passport
6. Doremi Fasol Latido – Hawkwind
7. Evolution – Malo
8. Fiddler on the Rock – Sugarcane Harris
9. Hardcore Jollies – Funkadelic
10. Heartbeat City – Cars
11. Honey – Ohio Players
12. Hustler’s Convention – Lightning Rod
13. Live – World of Ike & Tina
14. New Hope for the Wretched – Plasmatics
15. Nightmares – J Geils Band
16. Nuggets: Original Artyfacts of the Psychedelic Era – Various Artists
17. Rock & Roll Queen – Mott the Hoople
18. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
19. Stepping – Pointer Sisters
20. Tales of Topographic Oceans – Yes
21. Technical Ecstasy – Black Sabbath
22. Clones of Dr Funkenstein – Parliament
23. Electric Spanking of War Babies – Funkadelic
24. They Say I’m Different – Betty Davis
25. We’re Only in it for the Money – Mothers of Invention

Lester Bangs Selects the Worst LP Covers by Major Rock Artists

1. Blank Generation – Richard Hell & the Voidoids
2. Growing Up in Public – Lou Reed
3. Saved – Bob Dylan
4. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the… - Sex Pistols
5. Let it Bleed – Rolling Stones
6. Hard Nose the Highway – Van Morrison
7. any Journey cover
8. On the Corner; In Concert; Big Fun; Water Babies – Miles Davis
9. any Cher cover, but most especially that album she made with Greg Allman – Allman & Woman
10. Lust for Life – Iggy Pop

Film

Best Rock & Rap Movies

title - director & year - main artist or actor/actress

1. Purple Rain Albert Magnoli – 1984 Prince
2. Truth or Dare Alek Keshishian – 1991 Madonna
3. Wild Style Charlie Ahearn – 1982 various
4. Stop Making Sense Jonathan Demme – 1984 Talking Heads
5. Superfly Gordon Parks Jr – 1972 Ron O’Neal
6. King Creole Michael Curtiz – 1958 Elvis Presley
7. Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle Julien Temple – 1980 Sex Pistols
8. Don’t Look Back DA Pennebaker – 1967 Bob Dylan
9. A Hard Day’s Night Richard Lester – 1964 Beatles
10. T.A.M.I. Show Steve Binder – 1965 James Brown/Rolling Stones/Supremes/Marvin Gaye/Chuck Berry/etc
11. Girl Can’t Help it Frank Tashlin – 1956 Little Richard/etc
12. Harder They Come Perry Henzell – 1972 Jimmy Cliff
13. Monterey Pop DA Pennebaker – 1968 Jimi Hendrix/Who/Otis Redding/etc
14. Privilege Peter Watkins – 1967 Paul Jones/Jean Shrimpton
15. O Lucky Man Lindsay Anderson – 1973 Malcolm McDowell
16. Buddy Holly Story Steve Rash – 1978 Gary Busey
17. Performance Nicholas Roeg & Donald Cammell – 1970 Mick Jagger
18. Krush Groove Michael Schultz – 1985 various
19. Beyond the Valley of the Dolls Russ Meyer – 1970 Dolly Read/Edy Williams
20. Wild in the Streets Barry Shear – 1968 Shelley Winters/Richard Pryor/etc
21. Kids Are Alright Jeff Stein – 1979 Who
22. Decline of Western Civilization Part II: the Metal Years Penelope Spheeris – 1988 Joe Perry/Steven Tyler/etc
23. Saturday Night Fever John Badham – 1977 John Travolta
24. Woodstock Michael Wadleigh – 1970 various
25. Last Waltz Martin Scorsese – 1978 Band/various
26. Jailhouse Rock Richard Thorpe – 1957 Elvis Presley
27. American Hot Wax Floyd Mutrux – 1978 Tim McIntire
28. Mister Rock & Roll Charles Dubin – 1957 Alan Freed
29. Having a Wild Weekend John Boorman – 1965 Dave Clark Five
30. Shake, Rattle & ROCK Edward L Cahn – 1956 Mike ‘Touch’ Connors/Joe Turner/Fats Domino
31. That’ll Be the Day Claude Whatham – 1974 David Essex
32. Decline of Western Civilization Penelope Spheeris – 1981 Black Flag/Circle Jerks/Fear/Germs/X/Alice Bag Band
33. Yellow Submarine George Dunning – 1968 (Beatles)
34. Tapeheads Bill Fishman – 1988 John Cusack
35. Wayne’s World Penelope Spheeris – 1992 Mike Myers/Dana Carvey

Worst Rock & Rap Movies

1. Lambada Joel Silberg – 1990 J Eddie Peck/etc
2. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Michael Schultz – 1978 Bee Gees/Peter Frampton/etc
3. Disorderlies Michael Schultz - 1987 Fat Boys/etc
4. Horror of Party Beach Del Tenney – 1964 John Scott/etc
5. Renaldo & Clara Bob Dylan & Howard Alk – 1978 Bob Dylan/etc
6. Song Remains the Same Peter Clifton & Joe Massot – 1976 Led Zeppelin
7. This is Spinal Tap* Rob Reiner – 1984 Michael McKean/Christopher Guest/Harry Shearer/Rob Reiner/etc
8. Celebration at Big Sur Baird Bryant & Johanna Demetrakas – 1971 Joan Baez/CSN&Y/Joni Mitchell/etc
9. Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo Sam Firstenberg – 1984 Lucinda Dickey/etc
10. Xanadu Robert Greenwald – 1980 Olivia Newton John/etc
11. Can’t Stop the Music Nancy Walker – 1980 Village People
12. Bye Bye Birdie George Sidney – 1963 Janet Leigh/etc
13. Who’s the Man? Ted Demme – 1993 Ed Lover/Dr Dre
14. A Star is Born Frank Peirson – 1976 Barbra Streisand/Kris Kristofferson
15. Rose, the Mark Rydell – 1979 Bette Midler
16. Riot on Sunset Strip Arthur Dreifuss – 1967 Aldo Ray/etc
17. House Party 2 Doug McHenry & George Jackson – 1991 various
18. Roadie Alan Rudolph – 1980 Blondie/Meat Loaf/etc
19. Journey Through the Past Neil Young – 1973 Neil Young
20. Sympathy for the Devil (One Plus One) Jean-Luc Godard – 1970 R. Stones
21. Thank God It’s Friday Robert Klane – 1978 Donna Summer
22. Doors Oliver Stone – 1991 Val Kilmer/etc
23. Tommy Ken Russell – 1975 Roger Daltrey/etc
24. Americathon Neil Israel – 1979 John Ritter/etc
25. It’s Trad, Dad Richard Lester – 1962 Chubby Checker/Dusty Springfield
26. Rude Boy Jack Hazann – 1980 Roy Gange/Clash
27. Ladies & Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones Richard Binzer – 1975 Rolling Stones
28. FM John A Alonzo – 1978 Martin Mull/etc
29. Rust Never Sleeps Neil Young – 1979 Neil Young
30. Sparkle Sam O’Steen – 1976 Philip M Thomas/etc
31. Blues Brothers John Landis – 1980 Dan Ackroyd/John Belushi
32. Under the Cherry Moon Prince – 1986 Prince
33. Beat Street Stan Lathan – 1984 Rae Dawn Chong/etc

* in my own humble opinion, as the editor of these lists, This is Spinal Tap should be top of the Best Rock Movies list, not included in the worst! See it soon!!

Best Unreleased Rock Films

1. Charlie is My Darling (Rolling Stones – 1965)
2. Cocksucker Blues (Rolling Stones – 1972)
3. Something is Happening (Bob Dylan – 1966)
4. Eric Clapton – Train Tour of Europe (1974-75)
5. Feast of Friends (The Doors – 1969)
6. Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine (The Doors – 1969)
7. Jimi Hendrix Live at the Albert Hall
8. Sweet Toronto (Jerry Lee Lewis/Little Richard/Bo Diddley – 1971)
9. David Bowie & the Spiders from Mars – Live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1972
10. Untitled film by Brian Depalma about the Animals c. 1965

Beyond the Big Chill – 25 Best Movie Soundtracks

1. Purple Rain – Prince
2. Mean Streets – Various Artists
3. Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff/Various Artists
4. Saturday Night Fever – Bee Gees/Various Artists
5. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid – Bob Dylan
6. Long Riders – Ry Cooder
7. Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
8. American Graffiti – Various Artists
9. O Lucky Man – Alan Price
10. Performance – Jack Nitzsche/Randy Newman/Mick Jagger/Various
11. Shaft – Isaac Hayes
12. Menace II Society – Various Artists
13. Valley (Obscured by Clouds) – Pink Floyd
14. Quadrophenia – The Who/Various Artists
15. Car Wash – Various Artists
16. Once Upon a Time in the West – Ennio Morricone
17. Juice – Various Artists
18. Sorcerer – Tangerine Dream
19. Maximum Overdrive – Angus Young
20. Last Action Hero – Alice in Chains/Various Artists
21. American Me – Various Artists
22. Peter’s Friends – Various Artists
23. Boyz N the Hood – Various Artists
24. Singles – Various Artists
25. Less Than Zero – Various Artists

Best Film Appearances by Rock & Rap Performers

1. Ice Cube (Boyz N the Hood – 1991)
2. Nelson, Rick (Rio Bravo – 1959)
3. Jagger, Mick (Performance – 1968)
4. Tupac (Juice – 1992)
5. Busey, Gary (Buddy Holly Story – 1978)
6. Jones, Grace (Boomerang – 1992)
7. Helm, Levon (Coal Miner’s Daughter – 1980)
8. Ice T (New Jack City – 1991)
9. Kristofferson, Kris (Cisco Pike – 1972)
10. Horovitz, Adam (Lost Angels – 1989)
11. Starr, Ringo (Candy – 1968)
12. Orbison, Roy (Fastest Guitar Alive – 1968)
13. Presley, Elvis (King Creole – 1958)
14. Strummer, Joe (Mystery Train – 1989)
15. Faith, Adam (Stardust – 1975)
16. Essex, David (That’ll be the Day – 1974/Stardust – 1975)
17. Ross, Diana (Lady Sings the Blues – 1972)
18. Lovett, Lyle (Player – 1992)
19. Jones, Steve (Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle – 1979)
20. Garfunkel, Art (Carnal Knowledge – 1971)
21. Queen Latifah (Jungle Fever – 1991)
22. LL Cool J (Toys – 1993)
23. Sting (Quadrophenia – 1979)

Worst Film Appearances by Rock & Rap Performers

1. Vanilla Ice (Cool as Ice – 1991)
2. Presley, Elvis (It Happened at the World’s Fair – 1963)
3. Diamond, Neil (Jazz Singer – 1980)
4. Williams, Paul (Phantom of the Paradise – 1975)
5. Daltrey, Roger (Lisztomania – 1975)
6. Garfunkel, Art (Bad Timing/A Sensual Obsession – 1980)
7. Jagger, Mick (Ned Kelly – 1970)
8. Coolidge, Rita (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid – 1973)
9. Streisand, Barbra (A Star is Born – 1976)
10. Village People (Can’t Stop the Music – 1980)
11. Zappa, Frank (Baby Snakes – 1980)
12. Horovitz, Adam (Roadside Prophets – 1992)
13. Ice Cube & Ice T (Trespass – 1992)
14. Jackson, Janet (Poetic Justice – 1993)
15. MC Shan (L.A.. Story – 1991)
16. Jagger, Mick (Freejack – 1992)
17. Sting (Dune – 1984)
18. Bowie, David (The Linguini Incident – 1992)
19. Madonna (Body of Evidence – 1993)



Broadcasting

KNAC’s Top 75 Songs

KNAC 105.5, L.A.’s premier metal station, compiled this list in 1993.

1. One – Metallica
2. Master of Puppets – Metallica
3. Paranoid – Black Sabbath
4. Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
5. Fade to Black – Metallica
6. Run to the Hills – Iron Maiden
7. Back in Black – AC/DC
8. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne
9. Livin’ After Midnight – Judas Priest
10. Peace Sells – Megadeth
11. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
12. Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden
13. Enter Sandman – Metallica
14. Anarchy X-Revolution Calling – Queensrÿche
15. Symphony of Destruction – Megadeth
16. Highway to Hell – AC/DC
17. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming – Judas Priest
18. Cowboys from Hell – Pantera
19. Seek and Destroy – Metallica
20. Rock and Roll all Nite – Kiss
21. Heaven & Hell – Black Sabbath
22. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
23. Runnin’ with the Devil – Van Halen
24. Go to Hell – Megadeth
25. No One Like You – Scorpions
26. Welcome Home (Saniatarium) – Metallica
27. Iron Man – Black Sabbath
28. 18 and Life – Skid Row
29. Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
30. Walk This Way – Aerosmith
31. Shout at the Devil – Mötley Crüe
32. You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
33. Last in Line – Dio
34. This Love – Pantera
35. 2 Minutes to Midnight – Iron Maiden
36. Cat Scratch Fever – Ted Nugent
37. For Those About to Rock – AC/DC
38. Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love – Van Halen
39. Breadfan – Metallica
40. South of Heaven - Slayer
41. Looks that Kill – Mötley Crüe
42. Empire – Queensrÿche
43. Round and Round – Ratt
44. Sweet Emotion – Aerosmith
45. You Could be Mine – Guns N’ Roses
46. Modern Day Cowboy – Tesla
47. War Pigs – Black Sabbath
48. Blitzkrieg – Metallica
49. Live Wire - Mötley Crüe
50. Ace of Spades – Motörhead
51. Thunder Kiss ’65 – White Zombie
52. Zoo, the – Scorpions
53. Mr Crowley – Ozzy Osbourne
54. Lights Out – UFO
55. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due – Megadeth
56. Hell Bent for Leather – Judas Priest
57. Photograph – Def Leppard
58. For Whom the Bell Tolls – Metallica
59. Queen of the Reich – Queensrÿche
60. Trooper, the – Iron Maiden
61. Smoke on the Water – Deep Purple
62. In My Darkest Hour – Megadeth
63. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
64. Stone Cold Crazy – Metallica
65. Lady Wore Black – Queensrÿche
66. Mr Brownstone – Guns N’ Roses
67. Eruption/You Really Got Me – Van Halen
68. Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/DC
69. Would? – Alice in Chains
70. Alive – Pearl Jam
71. Spirit of Radio – Rush
72. Black Dog – Led Zeppelin
73. Dirty Black Summer – Danzig
74. Back in the Saddle – Aerosmith
75. Love Gun – Kiss

Katherine Turman Picks the 10 Best Metal Videos

Katherine Turman is the senior editor of RIP magazine.

1. Tool – Sober
2. Nine Inch Nails – Head Like a Hole
3. Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
4. Mötley Crüe – Too Young to Fall in Love
5. Van Halen – Too Hot for Teacher
6. Soundgarden – Outshined
7. Alice in Chains – Man in a Box
8. Metallica – Enter Sandman
9. Iron Maiden – Run to the Hills
10. Def Leppard – Photograph

Literature

Rock & Roll Library – Best Rock Books

Biographies

1. Divided Soul: the Life of Marvin Gaye – David Ritz
2. Chuck Berry: the Autobiography – Chuck Berry
3. ‘Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky: the Life of Jimi Hendrix – David Henderson
4. Before I Get Old: the Story of The Who – Dave Marsh
5. Big Beat Heat: Alan Freed & the Early Years of Rock & Roll – John Jackson
6. Dance with the Devil: the Rolling Stones & Their Times – Stanley Booth
7. Standing in the Shadows of Motown: the Life & Music of Legendary Bassist James Jamerson – Dr Lix (Alan Slutsky)
8. Brother Ray – Ray Charles & David Ritz
9. Elvis & Gladys – Elaine Dundy
10. As Nasty as They Wanna Be: the Uncensored Story of the 2 Live Crew – Luther Campbell & John R. Miller
11. Route 666: On the Road to Nirvana – Gina Arnold
12. James Brown – James Brown & Bruce Tucker

History

1. Deep Blues – Robert Palmer
2. Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll (2nd Edit) – Jim Miller (editor)
3. Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise & Fall of the Motown Sound – Nelson George
4. Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix & the Rock & Roll Revolution – Charles Shaar Murray
5. Sound of the City: the Rise of Rock & Roll – Charlie Gillett
6. Girl Groups: the Story of a Sound – Alan Betrock
7. Honkers & Shouters: the Golden Years of R&B – Arnold Shaw
8. Like Punk Never Happened: Culture Club & the New Pop – Dave Rimmer
9. Nowhere to Run: the Story of Soul Music – Gerri Hirshey
10. Hip Hop: the Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music &Graffiti – Steven Hager
11. England’s Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock & Beyond – Jon Savage
12. Motown Story – Don Waller

Criticism & Theory

1. Psychotic Reactions & Carburetor Dung – Lester Bangs
2. Death of Rhythm & Blues – Nelson George
3. Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock & Roll Music – Greil Marcus
4. Runnin’ with the Devil: Gender & Madness in Heavy Metal Music – Robert Walser
5. Heart of Rock & Soul: the 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made – Dave Marsh
6. Rap Attack: African Jive to New York Hip Hop – David Toop
7. Best of Country Music: A Critical & Historical Guide to the 750 Greatest Albums – John Morthland
8. Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession – Greil Marcus
9. Feel Like Going Home: Portraits in Blues & Rock & Roll – Peter Guralnick
10. Written in My Soul: Conversations with Rock’s Great Songwriters ��� Bill Flanagan
11. Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America – Greg Tate
12. Looking Up at Down: the Emergence of Blues Culture – William Barlow

Art & Photography

1. Rock Dreams – Guy Peelaert & Nik Cohn
2. Art of Rock Posters from Presley to Punk – Paul D Grushkin
3. Private Elvis – Diego Cortez
4. Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll (1st Edit) – Jim Miller (editor)
5. Motown – Berry Gordy/Elvis Mitchell/Ben Fong-Torres/Dave Marsh
6. Country: the Music & the Musicians – Country Music Foundation
7. Rock ‘n’ Roll Times – Jurgen Vollmer
8. Face of Folk Music, the – Dave Gahr & Robert Shelton
9. Elvis Fifty-Six: In the Beginning – Alfred Wertheimer
10. Complete Air Guitar Handbook – John McKenna & Michael Moffit

Reference

1. Billboard Book of Number One Hits – Fred Bronson
2. Beatles: Recording Sessions – Mark Lewisohn
3. Joel Whitburn’s Pop Memories 1890-1954: the History of American Popular Music – Joel Whitburn (compiler)
4. R&B Book, the: A Disc-History of R&B – Big Al Pavlow
5. Illustrated Discography of Surf Music – John Blair
6. Gospel Sound: Good News & Bad Times – Tony Heilbut
7. Penguin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music – Donald Clarke (editor)
8. Duke/Peacock Records: An Illustrated History with Discography – Galen Gart & Roy C Ames
9. Down Home Guide to the Blues – Frank Scott & the staff of Down Home Music
10. Complete Beatles Chronicle – Mark Lewisohn

Real Rock Bottom Remainders – Worst Rock Books

1. Elvis – Albert Goldman
2. No One Gets Out of Here Alive – Danny Sugermann & Jerry Hopkins
3. Rock On – Norm N. Nite
4. Elvis World – Jane & Michael Stern
5. Lives of John Lennon – Albert Goldman
6. Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society – Tipper Gore
7. Rock Stars – Timothy White
8. Unsung Heroes of Rock ‘n’ Roll – Nick Tosches
9. Hit Men: Power Brokers & Fast Money Inside the Music Business – Frederick Dannen
10. Signifying Rappers: Rap & Race in the Urban Present – Mark Costello & David Foster Wallace
11. Poetry of Rock – Richard Goldstein
12. Sound Effects: Youth, Leisure & the Politics of Rock ‘n’ Roll – Simon Frith

History

She’s Your Lover Now: Best Non-Dylan Dylan Records

1. All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
2. Mr Tambourine Man – Byrds
3. Mighty Quinn – Manfred Mann
4. Tears of Rage - Band
5. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Them
6. Percy’s Song – Fairport Convention
7. Emotionally Yours – O’Jays
8. Like a Rolling Stone – Jimi Hendrix
9. Masters of War – Eddie Vedder/Mike McCready
10. Blowin’ in the Wind – Stevie Wonder
11. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bryan Ferry
12. Tomorrow is a Long Time – Elvis Presley
13. Foot of Pride – Lou Reed
14. It Ain’t Me Babe – Turtles
15. My Back Pages – Byrds
16. Sign on the Cross – Coulson, Dean, McGuinness, Flint
17. Only a Hobo – Rod Stewart
18. You Angel You – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
19. When I Paint my Masterpiece – Band
20. Just Like a Woman – Joe Cocker

Beatles Greatest Hits

Written by the Beatles

1. She Loves You
2. Ticket to Ride
3. I’m Down
4. Strawberry Fields Forever
5. I Saw Her Standing There
6. Don’t Let Me Down
7. A Hard Day’s Night
8. Revolution (single version)
9. Helter Skelter
10. Abbey Road (side two)
11. Help!
12. Back in the USSR
13. I Am the Walrus
14. We Can Work it Out
15. Norwegian Wood
16. Get Back
17. Slow Down
18. Dear Prudence
19. Day Tripper
20. You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away

Written by Others

1. Money (That’s What I Want)
2. Twist & Shout
3. Long Tall Sally
4. Boys
5. Words of Love

50 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs by Brian Keizer

Brian Keizer is a novelist, guitarist & critic living in San Francisco, where he does not have a Rolling Stones altar in his bedroom.

1. Satisfaction
2. Brown Sugar
3. Street Fightin’ Man
4. Honky Tonk Women
5. Gimme Shelter
6. You Can’t Always Get What You Want
7. Sway
8. Monkey Man
9. Get Off of My Cloud
10. Soul Survivor
11. Sympathy for the Devil
12. Tumbling Dice
13. Happy
14. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
15. Love in Vain (orig by Robert Johnson)
16. Torn & Frayed
17. 19th Nervous Breakdown
18. Dead Flowers
19. Sister Morphine
20. Midnight Rambler
21. Shine the Light
22. As Tears Go By
23. Time Waits for No One
24. Jigsaw Puzzle
25. Bitch
26. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
27. Memory Motel
28. Sweet Virginia
29. Salt of the Earth
30. I’m Free
31. Wild Horses
32. Start Me Up
33. Shattered
34. All Down the Line
35. Slave
36. You Got the Silver
37. Slave
38. Let it Bleed
39. Waiting for a Friend
40. It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll
41. Winter
42. Coming Down Again
43. Star, Star
44. Sleep Tonight
45. Winning Ugly
46. Beast of Burden
47. Respectable
48. Before They Make Me Run
49. Angie
50. Cocksucker Blues
51. Untitled: the piano loop at the end of Dirty Work

Best of Bruce Springsteen

Originals

1. Born to Run
2. Thunder Road
3. Badlands
4. Incident on 57th Street
5. Darkness on the Edge of Town
6. Growin’ Up
7. Reason to Believe
8. If I Should Fall Behind
9. Backstreets
10. River, the
11. Tunnel of Love
12. Independence Day
13. For You
14. Dancing in the Dark
15. Nebraska
16. Glory Days
17. Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
18. Because the Night
19. Rosalita
20. Soul Driver

Remakes (with Original Artist)

1. War – Edwin Starr
2. Quarter to Three – Gary US Bonds
3. Who’ll Stop the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. Across the Borderline – Ry Cooder
5. This Land is Your Land – Woody Guthrie
6. Jersey Girl – Tom Waits
7. Devil With a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly – Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels out of Shorty Long/Little Richard
8. Trapped – Jimmy Cliff
9. Gino is a Coward – Gino Washington
10. Chimes of Freedom – Bob Dylan

Sting & the Boys – Best of the Police

1. Every Breath You Take
2. Bed’s Too Big Without You
3. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
4. Spirits in the Material World
5. King of Pain
6. De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
7. So Lonely
8. Wrapped Around Your Finger
9. Walking on the Moon
10. Don’t Stand So Close to Me

The Royal Court – Best of Prince

1. Adore
2. Another Lonely Christmas
3. She’s Always in My Hair
4. Pop Life
5. When Doves Cry
6. Purple Rain
7. Head
8. I Wanna Be Your Lover
9. Starfish & Coffee
10. Soft & Wet
11. 7
12. Controversy
13. Kiss
14. Delirious
15. Anotherloverholenyohead
16. Little Red Corvette
17. Take Me With You
18. Do Me, Baby
19. Sign O’ the Times
20. Glam Slam
21. U Got the Look
22. 1999
23. Joy in Repetition
24. If I Was Your Girlfriend
25. Sometimes it Snows in April

The Purple Grail: Prince’s B-Sides, Boots & Rarities

Compiled by Steve Perry who, in addition to freelance work as a critic and journalist, edits City Pages, the stellar Minneapolis weekly.

B-Sides & Rarities

1. Erotic City
2. Good Love
3. 17 Days
4. Love or Money
5. She’s Always in My Hair
6. Gotta Stop (Messin’ About)
7. How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore
8. Horny Toad
9. Irresistible Bitch
10. Another Lonely Christmas
11. God
12. 4 the Tears in Your Eyes (USA for Africa album track)
13. Hello
14. Girl
15. Alexa de Paris
16. La, La, La, He, He, Hee
17. Shockadelica
18. Escape
19. Scarlet Pussy
20. 200 Balloons
21. Feel U Up
22. Sex
23. I Love U in Me

Bootlegged Tracks & Album Projects

1. Power Fantastic (c1986)
2. Noon Rendezvous (1984)
3. Crystal Ball (c1986-87)
4. Can I Play With You (c1985)
5. Case of You (live First Avenue, MI 1983)
6. Camille (unreleased album project c1986)
7. Black Album (unreleased album project at the time of this book, now available)



Reginald C Dennis’s 25 Musical Turning Points of Rap’s Old School

Music editor of hip hop magazine, The Source. Roughly chronological order 1979-85.

1. Rapper’s Delight – Sugar Hill Gang
2. Super Rappin’ – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
3. Funk You Up - Sequence
4. Rapture – Blondie
5. Breaks, the – Kurtis Blow
6. Adventures of Super Rhymes – Jimmy Spicer
7. Rapper Reprise – Sugar Hill Gang & the Sequence
8. Rappin’ & Rockin’ the House – Funky Four + 1
9. Body Rock – Treacherous Three
10. Love Rap – Spoonie Gee
11. Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
12. Showdown – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Vs the Sugar Hill Gang
13. Disco Dream – Mean Machine
14. Flash to the Beat – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
15. Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force
16. Message, the – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
17. Beat Bop – Rammellzee Vs K-Rob
18. It’s Good to be the King – Mel Brooks (the film-maker!)
19. Break Dance Electric Boogie – West Street Mob
20. Rockit – Herbie Hancock
21. Buffalo Girls – Malcolm McLaren
22. Problems of the World Today – Fearless Four
23. White Lines (Don’t Do It) – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
24. Street Justice – The Rake
25. Sucker MCs – Run DMC

150 Essential Post-Punk Records by Brian Keizer

Brian Keizer is a novelist, guitarist & critic living in San Francisco. Roughly chronological order by year, 1980-93.

1. London Calling – The Clash (Dec ’79)
2. Catholic Boy – Jim Carroll Band
3. Totale’s Turns – Fall
4. Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
5. Dirty Mind – Prince
6. Metal Box – PIL
7. River, the – Bruce Springsteen
8. Remain in Light – Talking Heads
9. Heart Attack & Vine – Tom Waits
10. Los Angeles – X
11. Black Sea – XTC
12. Greatest Hits – Throbbing Gristle
13. Queen of Siam – Lydia Lunch
14. Zenyatta Mondatta – Police
15. Pretenders II – Pretenders
16. Damaged – Black Flag
17. Sandanista! – The Clash
18. Bad Reputation – Joan Jett
19. Closer – Joy Division
20. Minor Threat – same title
21. Controversy – Prince
22. Wild Gift – X
23. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables – Dead Kennedys
24. Blasters – same title
25. Another Day/Another Dollar – Gang of Four
26. Solid Gold – Gang of Four
27. Talk Talk Talk – Psychedelic Furs
28. Ghost in the Machine – Police
29. Back from Samoa – Angry Samoans
30. Bad Brains – same title
31. Imperial Bedroom – Elvis Costello
32. Milo Goes to College – Descendants
33. Generic Album – Flipper
34. 1999 – Prince
35. Chronic Town – REM
36. Stink – Replacements
37. Singles: 45’s & Under – Squeeze
38. Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen
39. Songs of the Free – Gang of Four
40. Liliput- same title
41. Vs – Mission of Burma
42. Name of This Band is Talking Heads – Talking Heads
43. Shoot Out the Lights – Richard & Linda Thompson
44. Story of the Mekons – Mekons
45. Butthole Surfers – same title
46. Murmur – REM
47. Hootenanny – Replacements
48. Tom Tom Club – same title
49. Violent Femmes – same title
50. Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
51. More Fun in the New World – X
52. Non Fiction – Blasters
53. Synchronicity – Police
54. War – U2
55. Racer X – Big Black
56. Live ’84 – Black Flag
57. Zen Arcade – Hüsker Dü
58. Purple Rain – Prince
59. Double Nickels on the Dime – Minutemen
60. Reckoning – REM
61. Let It Be – Replacements
62. Smiths – same title
63. Sing No Evil – Half Japanese
64. Making History – Linton Kwesi Johnson
65. Repo Man (Original Soundtrack) – Various Artists
66. Run DMC – same title
67. Bulldozer – Big Black
68. Rembrandt Pussyhorse – Butthole Surfers
69. New Day Rising – Hüsker Dü
70. Fear & Whiskey – Mekons
71. 3-Way Tie for Last – Minutemen
72. Rum, Sodomy & the Lash – Pogues
73. Tim – Replacements
74. Meat is Murder – Smiths
75. Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
76. Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
77. King of Rock – Run DMC
78. Radio – LL Cool J
79. Terminal Tower – Pere Ubu
80. I Against I – Bad Brains
81. Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
82. Camper Van Beethoven – same title
83. Psychocandy – Jesus & Mary Chain
84. Pretty Little Baka Guy/Live in Rockville – Shonen Knife
85. Evol – Sonic Youth
86. Throwing Muses – same title
87. Whole Story – Kate Bush
88. King of America – Elvis Costello (Costello Show feat…)
89. Standing on a Beach: the Singles – Cure
90. Raising Hell – Run DMC
91. You’re Living All Over Me – Dinosaur Jr
92. Lion & the Cobra – Sinead O’Connor
93. Sign O’ the Times – Prince
94. Yo! Bum Rush the Show – Public Enemy
95. Document – REM
96. Pleased to Meet Me – Replacements
97. Sister – Sonic Youth
98. While You Were Out – Soul Asylum
99. LSD C&W – Eugene Chadbourne
100. Singles – Pretenders
101. Joshua Tree – U2
102. I’m Your Man – Leonard Cohen
103. I am Kurious Oranj – Fall
104. Nothing’s Shocking – Jane’s Addiction
105. Surfer Rosa – Pixies
106. Superfuzz Bigmuff – Mudhoney
107. If I Should Fall From Grace with God ��� Pogues
108. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
109. Daydream Nation – Sonic Youth
110. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
111. Land of Rape & Honey – Ministry
112. Tenement Years – Pere Ubu
113. Lucinda Williams – same title
114. Strictly Business – EPMD
115. Paul’s Boutique – Beastie Boys
116. Key Lime Pie – Camper Van Beethoven
117. Bleach – Nirvana
118. Doolittle – Pixies
119. New York – Lou Reed
120. Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste – Ministry
121. Cloudland – Pere Ubu
122. Repeater – Fugazi
123. Rock ‘n’ Roll – Mekons
124. I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got – Sinead O’Connor
125. Songs for ‘Drella – Lou Reed & John Cale
126. Giant – Shonen Knife
127. And the Horse They Rode in On – Soul Asylum
128. Ragged Glory – Neil Young
129. Harmony Corruption – Napalm Death
130. Rosy Jack World – Blake Babies
131. Pod – Breeders
132. Nevermind – Nirvana
133. Gish – Smashing Pumpkins
134. Still Feel Gone – Uncle Tupelo
135. Loveless – My Bloody Valentine
136. Green Mind – Dinosaur Jr
137. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – Ice Cube
138. Check Your Head – Beastie Boys
139. Bricks are Heavy – L7
140. Slanted and Enchanted – Pavement
141. Dry – PJ Harvey
142. Hey Babe – Juliana Hatfield
143. Bikini Kill – same title
144. Death Certificate – Ice Cube
145. U2 – Negativland
146. Rid of Me – PJ Harvey
147. In Utero – Nirvana
148. Live MCMXCIII – Velvet Underground
149. Where You Been – Dinosaur Jr
150. 14 Songs – Paul Westerberg

Most Important Women – Female Performers Who’ve Made the Greatest Impact

1. Madonna
2. Franklin, Aretha
3. Ross, Diana & the Supremes
4. Joplin, Janis
5. Smith, Patti
6. Turner, Tina
7. Khan, Chaka
8. Jackson, Mahalia
9. Summer, Donna
10. Brown, Ruth
11. Jett, Joan
12. Mitchell, Joni
13. Williams, Marion (solo & with the Clara Ward Singers & with the Stars of Faith)
14. Love, Darlene (solo, with the Blossoms & standing in for the Crystals)
15. Hynde, Chrissie
16. Jackson, Janet
17. King, Carole
18. James, Etta
19. Wilson, Anne & Nancy
20. Raitt, Bonnie
21. Gordon, Kim
22. Lynn, Loretta
23. Baker, LaVern
24. Baez, Joan
25. Wynette, Tammy
26. Ono, Yoko
27. Chapman, Tracy
28. Nicks, Stevie
29. Parton, Dolly
30. Shanté, Roxanne
31. Weymouth, Tina
32. Lee, Brenda
33. Faithfull, Marianne
34. Queen Latifah
35. Siouxsie Sioux
36. Wells, Kitty
37. Cervenka, Exene (X)
38. Harry, Debbie
39. LaBelle, Patti (with Sarah Dash & Nona Hendryx)
40. O’Connor, Sinead

Greatest Bands of the British Invasion

1. Beatles
2. Rolling Stones
3. Who
4. Animals
5. Yardbirds
6. Spencer Davis Group
7. Them
8. Kinks
9. Pretty Things
10. Searchers
11. Manfred Mann
12. Small Faces
13. Dave Clark Five
14. John Mayall’s Blues Breakers
15. Hollies
16. Swinging Blue Jeans
17. Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders
18. Zombies
19. Moody Blues
20. Merseybeats

You Can’t Say We Didn’t Warn You: 25 Most Absurd Group Names of the Psychedelic Era

1. Autosalvage
2. Ball Point Banana
3. Bubble Puppy
4. Charging Tyrannosaurus of Despair (later became Detroit Edison White Light Co)
5. Chocolate Watchband
6. Crab Cometh Forth
7. Daisy Overkill
8. Electric Prunes
9. Everpresent Fullness
10. Fifty Foot Hose
11. Frosted Suede
12. Frumious Bandersnatch
13. Hmmm
14. It’s a Beautiful Day
15. Jefferson Airplane
16. Jesus Christ & the Nailknockers
17. Lothar & the Hand People
18. Only Alternative & Other Possibilities
19. Peanut Butter Conspiracy
20. Purple Earthquake
21. Strawberry Alarm Clock
22. 13th Floor Elevators
23. Transatlantic Chicken Wicken No 5
24. Ultimate Spinach
25. Uncut Balloon

25 Best Rock & R&B Instrumentals

1. Rumble – Link Wray & His Ray Men
2. Pipeline – Chantays
3. Honky Tonk, parts 1 & 2 – Bill Doggett
4. Wild Weekend – Rockin’ Rebels
5. Green Onions – Booker T & the MGs
6. Wipe Out – Surfaris
7. TSOP (the Sound of Philadelphia) – MFSB
8. Night Train – Jimmy Forrest
9. Shotgun – Jr Walker & the All-Stars
10. Rockit – Herbie Hancock
11. Soul Finger – Bar Kays
12. Soul Twist – King Curtis
13. Hide Away – Freddie King
14. Lonely Surfer – Jack Nitzsche
15. One Mint Julep – Ray Charles
16. Last Night – Mar Keys
17. Machine Gun – Commodores
18. Memphis – Lonnie Mack
19. Let’s Go Trippin’ – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
20. Hot Rats (LP) – Frank Zappa
21. Love’s Theme – Love Unlimited Orchestra
22. Cissy Strut – Meters
23. Ain’t It Funky Now – James Brown
24. Via Tirado – El Chicano
25. Apache – Incredible Bongo Band

Sons of Kenny G: the Dozen Worst Instrumentals

1. Hocus Pocus – Focus
2. Tubular Bells (LP) – Mike Oldfield
3. Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band – Meco
4. Death Wish II (LP) (Soundtrack) – Jimmy Page
5. Classical Gas – Mason Williams
6. A Fifth of Beethoven – Walter Murphy & His Big Apple Band
7. Whole Lotta Love – CCS
8. Autobahn – Kraftwerk (What!!! – Ed)
9. Disco Lady (I Love Lucy Theme) – Wilton Place Street Orchestra
10. Morning Dance – Spyro Gyra
11. Batman (LP) (Soundtrack) – Prince
12. Outa Space – Billy Preston & Love is Blues – Jeff Beck


Heavy Metal Ore: Records That Dug the Pit from Which Metal Was Mined

All these records predate the first chart appearance (US) of Black Sabbath, in August 1970.

1. How Many More Years – Howlin’ Wolf (1951)
2. I’m a Man – Bo Diddley (1955)
3. Rumble – Link Wray & His Ray Men (1958)
4. Boom Boom – John Lee Hooker (1962)
5. I Want Candy – Strangeloves (1965)
6. Psychotic Reaction – Count Five (1966)
7. Mystic Eyes – Them (1966)
8. Are You Experienced? (LP) – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)
9. Journey to the Center of Your Mind – Amboy Dukes (feat Ted Nugent) (1968)
10. Yer Blues – Beatles (1968)
11. Vincebus Eruptum (LP) – Blue Cheer (1968)
12. Wheels of Fire (LP) – Cream (1968)
13. In A Gadda da Vida (LP) – Iron Butterfly (1968)
14. Led Zeppelin (LP) – Led Zeppelin (1969)
15. Deep Purple (LP) – Deep Purple (1969)
16. On Time (LP) – Grand Funk Railroad (1969)
17. Frijid Pink (LP) – Frijid Pink (1970)
18. Mississippi Queen – Mountain (1970)
19. Live at Leeds (LP) – The Who (1970)
20. Cactus (LP) – Cactus (1970)

Punk Roots: Records that Displayed the Punk Sound & Attitude Before the Sex Pistols (in Chronological Order)

1. Rumble – Link Wray & His Ray Men
2. Louie Louie - Kingsmen
3. Surfin’ Bird – Trashmen
4. Gloria – Them
5. My Generation – Who
6. Wild Thing – Troggs
7. Freak Out (LP) – Mothers of Invention
8. Velvet Underground & Nico (LP) – Velvet Underground
9. Kick Out the Jams (LP) – MC5
10. Stooges (LP) – Stooges
11. Bang a Gong (Get It On) – T.Rex
12. School’s Out – Alice Cooper
13. America Eats It’s Young (LP) – Funkadelic
14. All the Young Dudes – Mott the Hoople
15. New York Dolls (LP) – New York Dolls
16. Raw Power (LP) – Iggy & the Stooges
17. Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (LP) – Lou Reed
18. On the Beach (LP) – Neil Young
19. Tubes (LP) – Tubes
20. Horses (LP) – Patti Smith Group




10 Reasons Punk Had to Happen

Number One albums of two years preceding Anarchy in the UK – in descending order of awfulness.

1. Frampton Comes Alive! – Peter Frampton
2. Chicago IX: Greatest Hits – Chicago
3. Between the Lines – Janis Ian
4. Windsong – John Denver
5. Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John
6. Venus & Mars – Wings
7. Red Octopus – Jefferson Starship
8. Their Greatest Hits – Eagles
9. Presence – Led Zeppelin
10. Black & Blue – Rolling Stones


  
New Book of Rock Lists – Part Two

Who Put the Bomp (The Writers)

100 Best Songwriters

The Fifties

1. Berry, Chuck
2. Leiber, Jerry & Mike Stoller
3. Holly, Buddy
4. Pomus, Doc & Mort Shuman
5. Stone, Jessie (aka Charles Calhoun) (A principal architect of 1950s R&B)
6. Bryant, Felice & Boudleaux
7. Gordy, Berry
8. Bartholomew, Dave
9. Blackwell, Otis (John Davenport)
10. Orbison, Roy
11. Cooke, Sam
12. Dixon, Willie
13. Mayfield, Percy
14. Little Richard [Penniman]
15. Fuqua, Harvey (wrote for the Moonglows, Bo Diddley, & many at Motown)
16. Marascalco, John & Bumps Blackwell (wrote for Little Richard)
17. Pauling, Lowman (all the Five Royalles hits)
18. Barrett, Richard (wrote a lot of Doo Wop hits)
19. Domino, Fats
20. Bo Diddley (Elias McDaniel)
21. Belvin, Jesse
22. Price, Lloyd
23. Ballard, Hank
24. Toomes, Ruby (many R&B hits)
25. Charles, Ray

The Sixties

1. Dylan, Bob
2. Holland, Brian/Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland
3. Lennon, John & Paul McCartney
4. Jagger, Mick & Keith Richards
5. Robinson, Smokey
6. Mayfield, Curtis
7. Barry, Jeff & Ellie Greenwich
8. Hayes, Isaac & David Porter
9. Goffin, Gerry & Carole King
10. Townshend, Pete
11. Wilson, Brian
12. Ashford, Nickolas & Valerie Simpson
13. Bacharach, Burt & Hal David
14. Stone, Sly (Sylvester Stewart)
15. Fogerty, John
16. Simon, Paul
17. Toussaint, Allen (Naomi Neville)
18. Redding, Otis
19. Berns, Bert (Bert Russell)
20. Robertson, Robbie/Rick Danko/Richard Manuel (The Band)
21. Whitfield, Norman & Barrett Strong
22. Davies, Ray
23. Covay, Don
24. Ragavoy, Jerry
25. Brown, James

The Seventies

1. Wonder, Stevie
2. Marley, Bob
3. Springsteen, Bruce
4. Mitchell, Joni
5. Morrison, Van
6. Gamble, Kenneth & Leon Huff
7. Clinton, George
8. Van Zandt, Ronnie
9. Cohen, Leonard
10. Young, Neil
11. Becker, Walter & Donald Fagen
12. Bell, Thom & Linda Creed
13. Newman, Randy
14. Strummer, Joe & Mick Jones
15. White, Maurice
16. Browne, Jackson
17. Prine, John
18. Taylor, James
19. Gaye, Marvin
20. Smith, Patti
21. Costello, Elvis
22. Seger, Bob
23. McVie, Christine
24. Reed, Lou
25. Sex Pistols (with Glen Matlock)

The Eighties

1. Prince
2. Chuck D
3. Sting
4. Henley, Don
5. Run DMC (Run, DMC, Jam Master Jay)
6. Gabriel, Peter
7. L.A. & Babyface (Antonio ‘LA’ Reid & Kenneth ‘Babyface’ Edmonds)
8. Byrne, David
9. Hynde, Chrissie
10. Guns N’ Roses (Izzy Stradlin/Axl Rose/Duff McKagan/Slash)
11. Ice Cube
12. Westerberg, Paul
13. Thompson, Richard
14. Chapman, Tracy
15. Sir Mix-A-Lot
16. Hiatt, John
17. Crenshaw, Marshall
18. U2 (Bono & The Edge)
19. D’Arby, Terence Trent
20. Baerwald, David
21. Stipe, Michael
22. Nicks, Stevie
23. Culture Club (Boy George & Jon Moss)
24. Madonna
25. Cash, Roseanne

Musicians & Their Instruments

Best Guitarists

1. Hendrix, Jimi
2. Berry, Chuck
3. Townshend, Pete
4. Van Halen, Eddie
5. Baker, Mickey ‘Guitar’ (Mickey & Sylvia sessions)
6. Cropper, Steve
7. Clapton, Eric
8. Hazel, Eddie (Parliament/Funkadelic)
9. Page, Jimmy
10. Burton, James (Elvis/Ricky Nelson)
11. Richards, Keith
12. Isley, Ernie
13. Moore, Scotty
14. Bloomfield, Michael
15. White, Robert/Joe Messina (Funk Brothers – Motown session band)
16. Thompson, Richard
17. Vaughan, Stevie Ray
18. Mayfield, Curtis
19. Santana, Carlos
20. Link Wray
21. Beck, Jeff
22. Prince
23. Edge, the
24. Allman, Duane
25. Johnson, Jesse
26. Cooder, Ry
27. Marley, Bob
28. Womack, Bobby
29. Walsh, Joe
30. Slash
31. Robertson, Robbie
32. Dale, Dick
33. Satriani, Joe
34. Jones, Steve
35. Bo Diddley
36. Green, Peter
37. Lofgren, Nils
38. Gains, Steve (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
39. Nolen, Jimmy (James Brown)
40. Rhoads, Randy
41. Perry, Joe
42. Moore, Thurston & Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth)
43. Reid, Vernon (Living Colour & Defunkt)
44. Nugent, Ted
45. Buchanan, Roy
46. Hammett, Kirk
47. Gossard, Stone (Mother Love Bone & Pearl Jam)
48. Thunders, Johnny
49. Kramer, Wayne
50. Thayil, Kim (Soundgarden)

Vernon Reid’s Favorite Guitarists of All Time

Guitarist with Living Colour

1. Berry, Chuck
2. Fripp, Robert
3. Hendrix, Jimi
4. Holdsworth, Allan
5. Johnson, Bruce
6. Johnson, Robert
7. ‘The 3 Kings’ (Freddie/Albert/B.B.)
8. Martino, Pat
9. McLaughlin, John
10. Rhames, Arthur
11. Santana, Carlos
12. Ulmer, James Blood

Les Paul’s 12 Favorite Guitarists

1. Benson, George
2. Martino, Pat
3. Di Meola, Al
4. Beck, Jeff
5. Burton, James
6. Segovia, Andres
7. Reinhardt, Django
8. Hendrix, Jimi
9. Barnes, George
10. Lang, Eddie
11. Quinn, Snoozer
12. Montgomery, Wes

Danny Kortchmar’s 10 Favorite Guitar Players

Danny Kortchmar has played guitar with everyone from the Fugs to Jackson Browne and was one of the key members of Jo Mama & the Section.

1. Reinhardt, Django
2. Hendrix, Jimi
3. Spence, Joseph
4. Cropper, Steve
5. Leadbelly
6. Richards, Keith
7. Burlison, Paul
8. Moore, Johnny
9. Berry, Chuck
10. Hopkins, Lightnin’
45 Greatest Keyboardists

1. Lewis, Jerry Lee
1. Little Richard (tie)
2. Professor Longhair
3. Johnson, Johnnie (with Chuck Berry)
4. Jones, Booker T
5. Charles, Ray
6. Preston, Billy
7. Prince
8. Jimmy Jam
9. Hopkins, Nicky
10. Winwood, Steve
11. Domino, Fats
12. Wonder, Stevie
13. Bittan, Roy
14. Hudson, Garth
15. Nitzsche, Jack
16. Payne, Bill (with Little Feat, etc)
17. Worrell, Bernie
18. Smith, Huey ‘Piano’
19. Tench, Benmont
20. Beckett, Barry (the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)
21. Riley, Teddy
22. Doggett, Bill
23. Sancious, David
24. Tee, Richard (sessions)
25. McCartney, Paul
26. Emerson, Keith
27. Justman, Seth
28. Stewart, Ian (Rolling Stones)
29. MacLaglan, Ian (Faces & Rolling Stones)
30. Federici, Danny (E Street Band)
31. Eno, Brian
32. Manuel, Richard
33. Stone, Sly
34. Doerge, Craig (sessions)
35. Russell, Leon (sessions)
36. Neville, Art
37. Allman, Gregg
38. Kooper, Al
39. Nieve, Steve
40. Stoller, Mike
41. Franklin, Aretha
42. Harrison, Jerry
43. Babyface
44. Doctor Fink
45. Manzarek, Ray

Michael Azerrad Picks the 50 Greatest Rock & Roll Drummers

Michael Azerrad is contributing editor of Rolling Stone. He is also the author of Come As You Are: the Story of Nirvana, as well as being the drummer in the semi-legendary new wave cover band Utensil.

1. Moon, Keith
2. Bonham, John
3. Palmer, Earl
4. Baker, Ginger
5. Jackson, Al (Stax house band, Al Green)
6. Blaine, Hal
7. Benjamin, Benny (Motown house drummer)
8. Starr, Ringo
9. Watts, Charlie
10. Fontana, DJ (Elvis Presley)
11. Waller, Mick (Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart)
12. Stubblefield, Clyde (James Brown)
13. Starks, John ‘Jabbo’ (James Brown)
14. Mitchell, Mitch
15. Bruford, Bill
16. Dunbar, Sly (Bob Marley, Toots & the Maytals, etc)
17. Hawkins, Roger (Aretha, Wilson Pickett, etc)
18. Modeliste, Ziggy (Meters, New Barbarians, etc)
19. Keltner, Jim
20. Newmark, Andy (Sly & the Family Stone, Roxy Music, etc)
21. Copeland, Stewart
22. Thomas, Pete (Elvis Costello)
23. Budgie
24. Mullen, Larry Jr
25. Brailey, Jerome ‘Bigfoot’ (P-Funk)
26. Garibaldi, Dave (Tower of Power)
27. Chambers, Martin (Pretenders)
28. Bordin, Mike (Faith No More)
29. Perkins, Stephen (Jane’s Addiction, Porno for Pyros)
30. Praire Prince (Tubes, XTC)
31. Katche, Manu (Paul Simon, etc)
32. Allison, Jerry (Buddy Holly)
33. Kirke, Simon (Free)
34. Ramone, Tommy
35. Hayward, Richie (Little Feat, Robert Plant)
36. Crover, Dale (Melvins, Nirvana)
37. Hirst, Rob (Midnight Oil)
38. Drumbo (Captain Beefheart)
39. Grohl, Dave (Nirvana)
40. Purdie, Bernard ‘Pretty’ (sessions)
41. Aronoff, Kenny (John Cougar Mellencamp)
42. Thompson, Tony (Chic, Bowie, Madonna, etc)
43. Tucker, Maureen ‘Moe’ (Velvet Underground)
44. Barrett, Carlton (sessions)
45. DeFreitas, Pete (Echo & the Bunnymen)
46. Burnham, Hugo (Gang of Four)
47. Sharrock, Chris (World Party)
48. Horton, Yogi (David Byrne, etc)
49. Demeski, Stanley (Feelies)
50. Bralower, Jimmy (sessons)

Max Weinberg’s Favorite Freelance Drummers

1. Purdie, Bernard ‘Pretty’
2. Blaine, Hal
3. Keltner, Jim
4. Kunkel, Russ & Rick Marotta
5. Gregg, Bobby
6. Hawkins, Roger
7. Jackson, Al
8. Benjamin, Benny & Uriel Jones
9. Chester, Gary
10. Saltzman, Buddy
11. Palmer, Earl

J.D. Considine Picks the Top 50 Bass Players

J.D. Considine is a bassist and critic whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Musician, Request, Playboy, the Washington Post & a host of now-defunct music magazines. He is currently pop music critic at the Baltimore Sun.

1. Jamerson, James (Motown sessions)
2. McCartney, Paul
3. Rainey, Chuck (King Curtis All-Stars, Aretha Franklin)
4. Graham, Larry (Sly & the Family Stone)
5. Black, Bill (Elvis)
6. Barrett, Aston ‘Family Man’ (The Wailers)
7. Dunn, Duck (Booker T & the MGs)
8. Pastorius, Jaco
9. Entwistle, John
10. Edwards, Bernard (Chic)
11. Wyman, Bill
12. Cogbill, Tommy (Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section)
13. Bruce, Jack
14. Shakespeare, Robbie (Sly & Robbie)
15. Collins, Bootsy
16. Wimbush, Doug (Sugar Hill Band, Tackhead, Living Colour)
17. Levin, Tony (Peter Gabriel, King Crimson)
18. Palladino, Pino (Paul Young)
19. Sting
20. Prestia, Francis Rocco (Tower of Power)
21. White, Verdine (Earth Wind & Fire)
22. Dixon, Willie
23. Claypool, Les (Primus)
24. Johnson, Louis (Brothers Johnson)
25. Redding, Noel
26. Weeks, Willie (Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin)
27. Sheehan, Billy (Mr Big)
28. Williams, Jimmy (Philadelphia Int Rhythm Section)
29. Henderson, Michael (Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis)
30. Flea
31. Sklar, Leland (James Taylor, Phil Collins, etc)
32. Nelson, Billy ‘Bass’ (Parliament-Funkadelic)
33. McVie, John (Fleetwood Mac)
34. Bell, Robert ‘Kool’ (Kool & the Gang)
35. Wolk, T-Bone (Hall & Oates)
36. Danko, Rick
37. Sherrell, ‘Sweet Charles’ (James Brown, JBs)
38. Thomas, Bruce (Attractions)
39. Jones, John Paul
40. Hook, Peter
41. Washington, Ready Freddy (Al Jarreau, sessions)
42. Clayton, Adam
43. Hamm, Stuart (Joe Satriani)
44. Lowe, Nick
45. Haslip, Jimmy (Yellow Jackets, Bruce Hornsby)
46. Jackson, Anthony (O’Jays, sessions)
47. Miller, Marcus (Luther Vandross)
48. Aaronson, Kenny (Billy Idol, Sammy Hagar)
49. Lee, Geddy
50. East, Nathan (Eric Clapton, Phil Collins)

The 20 Best Harmonica Players

1. Williamson, Sonny Boy (II)
2. Little Walter
3. Horton, Big Walter
4. McCoy, Charlie
5. Glover, Tony
6. Gillum, Jazz
7. Magic Dick
8. Gazell, P.T.
9. Riddle, Jimmy
10. Cotton, James
11. Lyon, Southside Johnny
12. Reed, Jimmy
13. Terry, Sonny
14. Butterfield, Paul
15. Vliet, Don Van (aka Captain Beefheart)
16. Oskar, Lee
17. Sebastian, John
18. McClinton, Delbert
19. Young, Neil
20. Dylan, Bob

Reginald C Dennis Picks the Best Rappers of All Time

1. Spoonie Gee
2. Melle Mel
3. Grandmaster Flash
4. Kool Moe Dee
5. LL Cool J
6. Rakim
7. Del the Funkee Homosapien
8. Big Daddy Kane
9. D.O.C.
10. Ice Cube
11. MC Ren
12. Snoop Doggy Dogg
13. Treach
14. KRS One

Worst Rapper of All Time: Geraldo (Wack in 2 languages, English & Spanish)


Groups

Greatest Duos

1. Gaye, Marvin & Tammi Terrell
2. Sam & Dave
3. Righteous Brothers
4. Boogie Down Productions (KRS One & Scott LaRock)
5. Everly Brothers
6. Simon & Garfunkel
7. Mel & Tim
8. Turner, Ike & Tina
9. Gaye, Marvin & Kim Weston
10. Steely Dan
11. Jan & Dean
12. Ashford & Simpson
13. Eric B & Rakim
14. Peaches & Herb (70s)
15. Purify, James & Bobby
16. Communards
17. Erasure
18. Eurythmics
19. Pet Shop Boys
20. Hall, Daryl & John Oates

Greatest Trios (Alphabetical Order)

1. Beastie Boys
2. Cream
3. Crickets
4. Cypress Hill
5. De La Soul
6. Elvis, Scotty & Bill
7. Impressions
8. Isley Brothers
9. Jam
10. Hendrix, Jimi Experience
11. Minutemen
12. Nirvana
13. Police
14. Ramones
15. Rock & Roll Trio
16. Run DMC
17. Shalamar
18. Supremes
19. Third Bass
20. A Tribe Called Quest
21. ZZ Top

Greatest Quartets (Alphabetical Order)

1. B-52s
2. Beatles
3. Boyz II Men
4. Clash
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival
6. En Vogue
7. Four Seasons
8. Four Tops
9. Kinks
10. Led Zeppelin
11. Living Colour
12. Metallica
13. Ravens
14. REM
15. Replacements
16. Sex Pistols
17. Talking Heads
18. U2
19. Van Halen
20. Who

Greatest Quintets (Alphabetical Order)

1. AC/DC
2. Aerosmith
3. Animals
4. Anthrax
5. Band
6. Beach Boys
7. Buffalo Springfield
8. Byrds
9. Dave Clark Five
10. Def Leppard
11. Dells
12. Drifters (Ben E King & Clyde McPhatter editions)
13. Eagles
14. Guns N’ Roses
15. Jackson 5
16. New Edition
17. NWA (pre Ice Cube’s departure)
18. Rolling Stones
19. Temptations
20. Yardbirds

Katherine Turman Picks 30 Essential Metal Albums

Katherine Turman is senior editor of RIP magazine. Alphabetical order.

1. Ace of Spades – Motörhead
2. Agents of Fortune – Blue Oyster Cult
3. Alive I – Kiss
4. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
5. Back in Black – AC/DC
6. Badmotorfinger – Soundgarden
7. Balls to the Wall – Accept
8. Black Sabbath (1st Album)
9. Body Count – same title
10. British Steel – Judas Priest
11. Chaos AD – Sepultura
12. Diary of a Madman – Ozzy Osbourne
13. Go Girl Crazy – Dictators (listed as by Ministry in this book, a mistake, I think – Ed)
14. Highway to Hell – AC/DC
15. Inna Gadda Da Vida – Iron Butterfly
16. Iron Maiden (1st Album)
17. Kick Out the Jams – MC5
18. Machine Head – Deep Purple
19. Master of Puppets – Metallica
20. Montrose – same title
21. Persistence of Time – Anthrax
22. Psalm 69 – Ministry
23. Reign in Blood – Slayer
24. Scarred for Life – Rose Tattoo
25. Smell the Glove – Spinal Tap
26. Stay Hungry – Twisted Sister
27. Too Fast for Love – Mötley Crüe
28. Toys in the Attic – Aerosmith
29. Van Halen (1st Album)
30. Vulgar Display of Power – Pantera

Honorable Mention: any Led Zeppelin, any Jimi Hendrix, any Alice Cooper

Rich Whitesell’s Greatest Doo-Wop Groups

Rick Whitesell was editor of Goldmine & Classic Wax, and one of America’s best known historians and researchers on rock, R&B, and related music. Alphabetical order.

Black Groups

1. Cadillacs
2. Dells
3. Drifters
4. Five Keys
5. Flamingos
6. Harptones
7. Lymon, Frankie & the Teenagers
8. Midnighters
9. Moonglows
10. Orioles
11. Penguins
12. Platters
13. Ravens
14. Robins

White Groups

1. Danny & the Juniors
2. Dion & the Belmonts
3. Duprees
4. Earls
5. Elegants
6. Four Lovers (aka the Four Seasons)
7. Jay and the Americans
8. Mystics
9. Regents
10. Rivieras
11. Skyliners
12. Vito & the Salutations

On the Road

Greatest Live Albums

1. Live at the Apollo – James Brown
2. Live in Europe – Otis Redding
3. Live 1975-1985 – Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band
4. Live Hardcore Worldwide – Boogie Down Productions
5. It’s Too Late to Stop Now – Van Morrison
6. Live at Leeds – Who
7. Under a Blood Red Sky – U2
8. Kick Out the Jams – MC5
9. Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out – Rolling Stones
10. Band of Gypsys – Jimi Hendrix
11. Live at the Regal – BB King
12. Stax/Volt Revue Live in Europe – Various Artists
13. Live! At the Star Club Hamburg – Beatles
14. At Monterey – Jimi Hendrix/Otis Redding
15. Five Live – Yardbirds
16. Live at Madison Square Garden – James Brown
17. Live at Newport – Ray Charles
18. Live – Bob Marley & the Wailers
19. Live at the Royal Albert Hall, 1966 – Bob Dylan (Manchester Free Trade Hall)
20. Alive – Kiss
21. Woodstock – Various Artists
22. One More From the Road – Lynyrd Skynyrd
23. Running on Empty – Jackson Browne
24. Live Rust – Neil Young
25. Live at the Apollo Vol 2 – James Brown
26. Live – AC/DC
27. Greatest Live Show on Earth – Jerry Lee Lewis
28. That’s the Way it is – Elvis Presley
29. Made in Japan – Deep Purple
30. Name of This Band is – Talking Heads
31. Mad Dogs & Englishmen – Joe Cocker
32. At Fillmore East – Allman Brothers
33. Live at Pacoima Jr High School – Ritchie Valens
34. Live Shots – Joe Ely
35. Rock of Ages – Band
36. Blow Your Face Out – J Geils Band
37. Live at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival – Magic Sam
38. Live at Carnegie Hall – Buck Owens
39. Live – War
40. Live at Royal Albert Hall – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Worst Live Albums

1. IV: Live at Carnegie Hall – Chicago
2. Extremely Live – Vanilla Ice
3. Live at Budokan – Bob Dylan
4. Dylan & the Dead – Bob Dylan & the Grateful Dead
5. In Concert – Elvis Presley
6. Europe ’72 – Grateful Dead
7. Live: Right Here, Right Now – Van Halen
8. Four Way Street – CSN&Y
9. Flashpoint – Rolling Stones
10. Woodstock II – Various Artists
11. Live in Concert – 2 Live Crew
12. Miles of Aisles – Joni Mitchell
13. Love You Live – Rolling Stones
14. Wheels of Fire (live disc) – Cream
15. Live Album – Grand Funk Railroad
16. Yesshows – Yes
17. Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends – ELP
18. Live Bootleg – Aerosmith
19. Live at the Copa – Supremes
20. 11/7/70 – Elton John
21. Alive 3 – Kiss
22. Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra – Procol Harum
23. Rainbow Concert – Eric Clapton
24. Coast to Coast: Overture & Beginners – Faces
25. Got Live if You Want it – Rolling Stones

Bill Graham’s Most Memorable Concerts of the 60s & 70s

Bill Graham the most celebrated concert promoter in rock, until his untimely death in 1991. Chronological order.

1. all the early Jefferson Airplane & Grateful Dead concerts
2. Redding, Otis – at the Fillmore Auditorium 20-22/12/66
3. Bruce, Lenny/Mothers of Invention – Fillmore Auditorium 24-25/6/66
4. Hendrix, Jimi/John Mayall/Albert King – Fillmore Auditorium & Winterland 1-4/2/68
5. Matrix Benefit (Janis Joplin with Big Brother & the Holding Co/Steve Miller Blues Band/Santana/etc) – Fillmore West 16/6/68
6. Franklin, Aretha/King Curtis/Tower of Power – Fillmore West 57/3/71
7. Watkins Glen Festival (Grateful Dead/Band/Allman Brothers) – New York 28/7/73
8. S.N.A.C.K. Benefit (Grateful Dead/Neil Young/Santana/Dylan/etc) – Kezar Stadium, San Francisco 23/3/75
9. Last Waltz (Band/Bob Dylan/Neil Young/Van Morrison/etc) Winterland 25/11/76
10. Springsteen, Bruce – Winterland 15-16/12/78
11. Grateful Dead – Warfield Theatre, San Francisco 25 Sept-4 Oct 1980

Katherine Turman Picks the 10 Best Live Rock Shows

1. Guns N’ Roses – Tribute to Todd Crew, Coconut Teaser, Hollywood 21/7/87
2. Pink Floyd – the Wall Tour, L.A. Forum, 1981
3. Soul Asylum – Whisky, 15/11/90
4. Iggy Pop – Tijuana, Mexico 1990
5. Nirvana – Roxy, Hollywood 1992
6. AC/DC – any show 1980-1992
7. Pantera – Paramount Theatre, NYC 22/4/92
8. Ministry – Lollapalooza, Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA 1992
9. Rage Against the Machine – Whisky, 28/5/92
10. Boomtown Rats – Country Club, Reseda, CA 1981


Dancing

Larry Flick Picks the 50 Greatest Dance Hits

Larry Flick is the dance music editor at Billboard.

1. Last Dance – Donna Summer
2. Vogue – Madonna
3. Rock Lobster – B 52s
4. Into the Groove – Madonna
5. Disco Inferno – Trammps
6. Land of 1000 Dances – Chris Kenner
7. Le Freak – Chic
8. Stroll – Diamonds
9. Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
10. He’s the Greatest Dancer – Sister Sledge
11. One Nation Under a Groove – Funkadelic
12. Loco Motion – Little Eva
13. Dance with Me – Peter Brown
14. Conga – Miami Sound Machine
15. Work Your Body – Taana Gardner
16. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On – Jerry Lee Lewis
17. Get Down Tonight – KC & the Sunshine Band
18. Cool Jerk – Capitols
19. (Dance) Disco Heat – Sylvester
20. Workin’ Day & Night – Michael Jackson
21. Rock with You – Michael Jackson
22. Goin’ to a Go Go – Miracles
23. I’ve Got the Next Dance – Deniece Williams
24. You Make Me Feel Like Dancin’ – Leo Sayer
25. You Should Be Dancin’ – Bee Gees
26. Shadow Dancin’ – Andy Gibb
27. Dancing Queen – Abba
28. Dancing in the Sheets – Shalamar
29. Twist – Chubby Checker
30. No Parking on the Dancefloor – Midnight Starr
31. Le Spank – Le Pampelmoose
32. Do You Love Me – Contours
33. At the Hop – Danny & the Juniors
34. Mashed Potato Time – Dee Dee Sharp
35. Blame It on the Boogie – Jacksons
36. Disco Nights (Rock, Freak) – GQ
37. Night Fever – Bee Gees
38. Keep on Dancin’ – Gary’s Gang
39. Hustle, the – Van McCoy & the Soul City Symphony
40. Get Off – Foxy
41. Party Lights – Natalie Cole
42. Sidewalk Talk – Jellybean
43. Jingo – Candido
44. Tighten Up – Archie Bell & the Drells
45. Shake It Up Tonight – Cheryl Lynn
46. Do Ya Wanna Funk – Sylvester
47. Ain’t That a Groove – James Brown
48. Everybody Dance – Chic
49. Rock Around the Clock – Billy Haley & the Comets
50. Save the Last Dance for Me – Drifters

Greatest Dance Bands

1. Trammps
2. Sly & the Family Stone
3. Gap Band
4. Kool & the Gang
5. Time, the
6. JBs
7. Chic
8. Parliament-Funkadelic
9. Walker, Jr & the All Stars
10. Cameo
11. Commodores
12. Isley Brothers
13. Brown, Chuck & the Soul Searchers
14. Brass Construction
15. War
16. Earth, Wind & Fire
17. Prince & the Revolution
18. Ohio Players
19. Toni Tone Tony
20. Rufus

Top 25 Disco Hits

1. I Feel Love – Donna Summer
2. At Midnight – T Connection
3. Let No Man Put Asunder – First Choice
4. Relight My Fire – Dan Hartman
5. Got to be Real – Cheryl Lynn
6. Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
7. MacArthur Park Suite – Donna Summer
8. Brazil – Ritchie Family
9. Heart to Break the Heart – France Joli
10. Love & Desire – Arpeggio
11. There But for the Grace of God – Machine
12. I’m Coming Out – Diana Ross
13. It’s Raining Men – Weather Girls
14. In the Name of Love – Sharon Redd
15. More Than a Woman – Tavares
16. Boss, the – Diana Ross
17. Take Me Home – Cher
18. Heaven Must Have Sent You – Bonnie Pointer
19. Heaven Must be Missing an Angel – Tavares
20. I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
21. Touch & Go – Ecstasy, Passion & Pain
22. Love Sensation – Lolleata Holloway
23. Doctor Love – First Choice
24. Boogie Wonderland – Earth Wind & Fire
25. Love’s Theme – Love Unlimited Orchestra



Sound of Philadelphia: Philadelphia’s 20 Best Disco Records

Alphabetical order.

1. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead
2. Ask Me – Ecstasy, Passion & Pain
3. Bad Luck – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
4. Dirty Ol’ Man – Three Degrees
5. Disco Inferno – Trammps
6. Do It Anyway You Wanna – People’s Choice
7. Doctor Love – First Choice
8. For the Love of Money – O’Jays
9. I Love Music – O’Jays
10. I’ll Always Love My Mama – Intruders
11. Livin’ for the Weekend – O’Jays
12. Love Epidemic – Trammps
13. Love Train – O’Jays
14. Only You – Teddy Pendergrass
15. That’s Where the Happy People Go – Trammps
16. Love I Lost – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
17. TSOP (the Sound of Philadelphia) – MFSB
18. Turn the Beat Around – Vicki Sue Robinson
19. When Will I See You Again – Three Degrees
20. Where Do We Go from Here – Trammps

Worst Disco Records

1. D’Ya Think I’m Sexy – Rod Stewart
2. Miss You – Rolling Stones
3. Disco Duck – Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots
4. Funky Town – Lipps Inc
5. Grease – Frankie Valli
6. Lady Bump – Penny McClain
7. Dance a Little Bit Closer – Charo
8. Get Dancin’ – Disco Tek & the Sex-O-Lettes
9. This Girls’ Back in Town – Raquel Welch
10. Love Rush – Ann Margaret
11. Shame, Shame, Shame – Shirley & Co
12. Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (with No Big Fat Woman) – Joe Tex

15 Best Disco Albums

1. Bad Girls – Donna Summer
2. Once Upon a Time – Donna Summer
3. Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) – Bee Gees/Various Artists
4. Dr Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band – same title
5. Step Two – Sylvester
6. Chic – Chic
7. Diana – Diana Ross
8. Village People – same title
9. Never Gonna Let You Go – Vicki Sue Robinson
10. Four Seasons of Love – Donna Summer
11. Megatron Man – Patrick Cowley
12. We Are Family – Sister Sledge
13. Like an Eagle – Dennis Parker
14. Supernature – Cerrone
15. From Here to Eternity – Giorgio [Moroder]

10 Greatest Acts from the Disco Era – Compiled by Larry Flick

1. Summer, Donna
2. Sylvester
3. Village People
4. Chic
5. Cerrone
6. Bee Gees
7. Tavares
8. First Choice
9. Sister Sledge
10. Salsoul Orchestra

The Top Disco Producers

1. Rodgers, Nile & Bernard Edwards
2. Moroder, Giorgio & Pete Bellotte
3. Morali, Jacques & Henri Belolo (Village People, Ritchie Family)
4. Cowley, Patrick (himself, Sylvester)
5. Cerrone
6. Hartman, Dan
7. Montanta Jr, Vincent (Salsoul Orchestra)
8. Jabara, Paul (himself, Donna Summer, Weather Girls)
9. White, Barry
10. Richardson, Karl & Albhy Galuten (Bee Gees)

Best House Hits

1. Love Can’t Turn Around – JM Silk
2. Move Your Body – Marshall Jefferson
3. That’s the Way Love is – Ten City
4. Jack Your Body – JM Silk
5. Whistle Song – Frankie Knuckles
6. Gypsy Woman – Crystal Waters
7. French Kiss – Lil’ Louis & the World
8. Baby Wants to Ride – Jamie Principle
9. This is Acid – Maurice
10. Finally – CeCe Peniston
11. Pride (A Deeper Love) – Clivilles & Cole
12. Don’t Lose the Magic – Shawn Christopher
13. Where Love Lives – Allison Limerick
14. Power of Love – Deee Lite
15. Another Sleepless Night – Shawn Christopher

Best House DJs

1. Frankie Knuckles
2. Hardy, Ron
3. Levan, Larry
4. Morales, David
5. Vega, Little Louis
6. Vasquez, Junior
7. Humphries, Tony
8. MacIntosh, CJ
9. Benitez, John ‘Jellybean’
10. Pickering, Mike

Best House Producers

1. Hurley, Steve ‘Silk’
2. Morales, David
3. Jefferson, Marshall
4. Frankie Knuckles
5. Joshua, Maurice
6. Vega, Little Louis & Kenny ‘Dope’ Gonzalez
7. Sanchez, Roger
8. Mood II Swing
9. Pettibone, Shep
10. Clivilles, Robert & David Cole
11. Brothers in Rhythm
12. Snack Productions
13. Musto, Tommy
14. Chandler, Kerri
15. Basement Boys

Rhythm & Blues

100 Greatest Number One Rhythm & Blues Hits 1950-1993

All records made Number One on Billboard’s Rhythm & Blues charts. Chronological order.

1. Please Send Me Someone to Love – Percy Mayfield
2. Sixty Minute Man – Dominoes
3. Lawdy Miss Clawdy – Lloyd Price
4. Juke – Little Walter
5. (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean – Ruth Brown
6. Crying in the Chapel – Sonny Til & the Orioles
7. Money Honey – Drifters
8. Work with Me Annie – Midnighters
9. Earth Angel – Penguins
10. Pledging My Love – Johnny Ace
11. Ain’t It a Shame – Fats Domino
12. Maybellene – Chuck Berry
13. Great Pretender – Platters
14. Long Tall Sally/Slippin’ & Slidin’ – Little Richard
15. Fever – Little Willie John
16. Blue Monday – Fats Domino
17. You Send Me – Sam Cooke
18. It’s All in the Game – Tommy Edwards
19. Lonely Teardrops – Jackie Wilson
20. Stagger Lee – Lloyd Price
21. There Goes My Baby – Drifters
22. What’d I Say – Ray Charles
23. Save the Last Dance For Me – Drifters
24. I Pity the Fool – Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
25. Mother in Law – Ernie K-Doe
26. Stand by Me – Ben E King
27. You’ll Lose a Good Thing – Barbara Lynn
28. Do You Love Me – Contours
29. You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me – Miracles
30. Fingertips Part 2 – Little Stevie Wonder
31. Heat Wave – Martha & the Vandellas
32. It’s All Right – Impressions
33. My Girl – Temptations
34. In the Midnight Hour – Wilson Pickett
35. Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag – James Brown
36. Uptight (Everything’s Alright) – Stevie Wonder
37. When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
38. Hold On! I’m Comin’ – Sam and Dave
39. Reach Out, I’ll be There – Four Tops
40. Knock on Wood – Eddie Floyd
41. You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Supremes
42. I Never Loved a Man (the Way I Love You) – Aretha Franklin
43. Respect – Aretha Franklin
44. Cold Sweat – James Brown
45. Funky Broadway – Wilson Pickett
46. (Your Love Keep’s Lifting Me) Higher & Higher – Jackie Wilson
47. Soul Man – Sam & Dave
48. I Wish It Would Rain – Temptations
49. Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
50. Stay in My Corner – Dells
51. Who’s Making Love – Johnnie Taylor
52. I Heard it Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
53. Everyday People – Sly & the Family Stone
54. Only the Strong Survive – Jerry Butler
55. I Want You Back – Jackson 5
56. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) – Sly & the Family Stone
57. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) – Temptations
58. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
59. Family Affair – Sly & the Family Stone
60. Have You Seen Her – Chi Lites
61. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green
62. (If Loving You is Wrong) I Don’t Want to Be Right – Luther Ingram
63. Back Stabbers – O’Jays
64. I’m Still In Love With You – Al Green
65. If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
66. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
67. Could it Be I’m Falling In Love – Spinners
68. Let’s Get It On – Marvin Gaye
69. Lookin’ For a Love – Bobby Womack
70. Shining Star – Earth Wind & Fire
71. Low Rider – War
72. Wake Up Everybody – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
73. Flash Light – Parliament
74. One Nation Under a Groove – Parliament
75. Le Freak – Chic
76. Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
77. Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now – McFadden & Whitehead
78. (Not Just) Knee Deep – Parliament
79. Rock with You – Michael Jackson
80. Master Blaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder
81. Burn Rubber (Why You Want to Hurt Me) – Gap Band
82. Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
83. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
84. Atomic Dog – George Clinton
85. Beat It – Michael Jackson
86. When Doves Cry – Prince
87. I Feel for You – Chaka Khan
88. Nightshift – Commodores
89. What Have You Done for Me Lately – Janet Jackson
90. Word Up – Cameo
91. Fake – Alexander O’Neal
92. Wishing Well – Terence Trent D’Arby
93. Don’t Be Cruel – Bobby Brown
94. Me Myself & I – De La Soul
95. Keep on Movin’ – Soul II Soul
96. Poison – Bell Biv Devoe
97. Forever My Lady – Jodeci
98. End of the Road – Boyz II Men
99. My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It) – En Vogue
100. (Ain’t Nuthin’ But a) G Thang – Dr Dre

Sonny Rollins Lists His 10 Favorite Records

Sonny Rollins is one of the all-time great jazz saxophonists.

1. Amazing Grace (LP) – Aretha Franklin
2. Head Hunters (LP) – Herbie Hancock
3. Songs in the Key of Life (LP) – Stevie Wonder
4. Knock Me a Kiss – Louis Jordan & the Tympany Five
5. Body & Soul – Coleman Hawkins
6. Lover Man – Billie Holiday
7. I Can’t Get Started – Bunny Berrigan
8. Ko Ko – Charlie Parker
9. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter – Fats Domino
10. Afternoon of a Basie-ite – Lester Young

20 Most Influential Blues Performers

1. Johnson, Robert
2. Muddy Waters
3. King, B.B.
4. Howlin’ Wolf
5. Smith, Bessie
6. Little Walter
7. House, Son
8. Walker, T-Bone
9. Hooker, John Lee
10. Reed, Jimmy
11. James, Elmore
12. Williamson, Sonny Boy (II – Rice Miller)
13. Bland, Bobby ‘Blue’
14. Patton, Charley
15. Spann, Otis
16. Rainey, Ma
17. King, Freddie
18. Jefferson, Blind Lemon
19. Broonzy, Big Bill
20. Leadbelly

5 Greatest Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) Albums of All Time

1. Let’s Take it to the Stage (Funkadelic)
2. Mothership Connection (Parliament)
3. Standing on the Verge of Getting It on (Parliament)
4. Funkentelechy Vs the Placebo Syndrome (Parliament)
5. One Nation Under a Groove (Funkadelic)

10 Greatest Parliament-Funkadelic (P-Funk) Songs of All Time

1. One Nation Under a Groove
2. Cosmic Slop
3. Maggot Brain
4. P. Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)
5. Funkentelechy
6. Goose, the
7. Red Hot Mama/Vital Juices
8. Aqua Boogie
9. (Not Just) Knee Deep
10. I Wanna Know if It’s Good to You

It’ll Never Fit if You Force It: 10 Phoniest White Soulboys

1. Bolton, Michael
2. Clayton-Thomas, David
3. Vera, Billy
4. Palmer, Robert
5. Thorogood, George
6. Marky Mark
7. Snow
8. Rowland, Kevin
9. Frey, Glenn
10. Vanilla Ice

Life – Real & Surreal

Devil’s Disciples: 10 Most Dangerous Bands According to Jeff Godwin

Godwin presents his list in his book, the Devil’s Disciples (Chick Publications, 1985), fairly obviously, the text is taken from his book!

1. AC/DC: “This band has done more harm than almost any other group around today”.

2. Rolling Stones: These “miserable drug-eaten hedonists” “invented Diabolic Rock”.

3. Led Zeppelin: A “jaded group of occult thrill seekers” with a “catalog of dismal, melancholy dirges and hyped up, Heavy Metal sex operas”.

4. Mötley Crüe: “A ragtag gang of foul mouthed and vulgar fornicators who openly brag of their detestable lifestyles… “.
5. Kiss: “Not Content with the millions of dollars already stolen from an innocent fandom consisting mainly of thirteen year old girls, Kiss is still far from fading into the Rock & Roll trash heap”.

6. Twisted Sister: “(B)latant, ultra-macho, animalistic, ‘I’ll Kick you teeth in’ attitude combined with a sexual preference that is anybody’s guess,” “one of the weirdest, sickest, and most dangerous of the 80’s Slime-Rock groups”.

7. Judas Priest: “Flying Saucers, Nazi biker glory, smash-em-up and spit out your teeth. Violence, violence, violence. The world is insane enough without this disgusting group of Rock & Roll fascists”.

8. Black Sabbath: A “thudding, downer witch-Rock band of aging necrophiles”.

9. Ozzy Osbourne: Condemned for “repeated, disgusting, brainless acts of vulgar depravity.”

10. W.A.S.P.: “(U)nvarnished appeal to the basest and most perverse elements of today’s Rock. Their name means ‘We Are Sexual Perverts’ and their music proves it”.

Politics

Greatest Fifties Protest Songs (Alphabetical)

1. Almost Grown – Chuck Berry
2. Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley
3. Get a Job – Silhouettes
4. I’ve Had it – Bell Notes
5. Money (That’s What I Want) – Barrett Strong
6. Money Honey – Drifters
7. Riot in Cell Block # 9 – Robins
8. School Days – Chuck Berry
9. Slummer the Slum – 5 Royales
10. Summertime Blues – Eddie Cochran
11. Too Much Monkey Business – Chuck Berry
12. Tutti Frutti – Little Richard
13. Well All Right – Buddy Holly
14. What About Us – Coasters
15. Yakety Yak – Coasters

Greatest Sixties Protest Songs (Alphabetical)

1. Abraham, Martin & John – Dion
2. Alice’s Restaurant – Arlo Guthrie
3. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
4. Big Boss Man – Jimmy Reed
5. Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
6. A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
7. Choice of Colors – Impressions
8. Don’t Call Me Nigger, Whitey (Don’t Call Me Whitey, Nigger) – Sly & the Family Stone
9. Don’t Look Now (It Ain’t You or Me) – Creedence Clearwater Revival
10. Everyday People – Sly & the Family Stone
11. For What it’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
12. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
13. Games People Play – Joe South
14. Get Off of My Cloud – Rolling Stones
15. Get Together – Youngblooods
16. Give Peace a Chance – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
17. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
18. I Ain’t Marchin’ Anymore – Phil Ochs
19. I Don’t Live Today – Jimi Hendrix Experience
20. If I Can Dream – Elvis Presley
21. If 6 Was 9 – Jimi Hendrix Experience
22. Is It Because I’m Black? – Syl Johnson
23. Laugh at Me – Sonny
24. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll – Bob Dylan
25. My Generation – Who
26. People Get Ready – Impressions
27. People Got to be Free – Rascals
28. Pride of Man – Quicksilver Messenger Service
29. Revolution – Beatles
30. Something in the Air – Thunderclap Newman
31. Street Fighting Man – Rolling Stones
32. Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again – Sly & the Family Stone
33. This is My Country – Impressions
34. Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man – Rolling Stones
35. Vietnam – Jimmy Cliff
36. We Gotta Get Out of This Place – Animals
37. We’re a Winner – Impressions
38. Who’ll Stop the Rain – Creedence Clearwater Revival
39. With God on Our Side – Manfred Mann
40. Young Mod’s Forgotten Story – Impressions

Greatest Seventies Protest Songs (Alphabetical)


1. ‘A’ Bomb in Wardour Street – Jam
2. America Eats It’s Young – Funkadelic
3. Anarchy in the UK – Sex Pistols
4. Badlands – Bruce Springsteen
5. Before the Deluge – Jackson Browne
6. Brother Louie – Stories
7. Complete Control – Clash
8. Feel Like a Number – Bob Seger
9. 54-46 (That’s My Number) – Toots & the Maytals
10. George Jackson – Bob Dylan
11. Gimme Some Truth – John Lennon
12. Glad to be Gay – Tom Robinson Band
13. God Save the Queen – Sex Pistols
14. Had Enough – Who
15. Holidays in the Sun – Sex Pistols
16. I Don’t Like Mondays – Boomtown Rats
17. I Shot the Sheriff – Bob Marley & the Wailers
18. I’m So Bored with the USA – Clash
19. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye
20. Less Than Zero – Elvis Costello
21. Mercy, Mercy Me (the Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
22. Miss-tra Know it All – Stevie Wonder
23. Night Rally – Elvis Costello
24. Ohio – CSNY
25. Respect Yourself – Staples Singers
26. Right to Work – Chelsea
27. Southern Man – Neil Young
28. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
29. Thank You for Talkin’ Me to Africa – Sly & the Family Stone
30. There But for the Grace of God Go I – Machine
31. Waiting for the End of the World – Elvis Costello
32. Wake Up Everybody – Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
33. War – Edwin Starr
34. Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello
35. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding – Elvis Costello
36. White Riot – Clash
37. Won’t Get Fooled Again – Who
38. World is a Ghetto – War
39. You Haven’t Done Nothin’ – Stevie Wonder
40. Your Generation – Generation X

Greatest Eighties Protest Songs (Alphabetical)

1. Another Day in Paradise – Phil Collins
2. Bad Reputation – Joan Jett
3. Black Stations/White Stations – M + M
4. Bring the Noise – Public Enemy
5. Call Up, the – Clash
6. Dirty Laundry – Don Henley
7. Don’t Believe the Hype – Public Enemy
8. Don’t Give Up - Peter Gabriel
9. Eat the Rich – Krokus
10. F*** the Police – NWA
11. Fight for Your Right to Party – Beastie Boys
12. Five Minutes – Bonzo Goes to Washington
13. Freedom of Speech – Ice T
14. Funny Vibe – Living Colour
15. I Will Not Go Quietly – Don Henley
16. If I Had a Rocket Launcher – Bruce Cockburn
17. It’s Like That – Run DMC
18. Lawyers in Love – Jackson Browne
19. London Calling – Clash
20. Message, the – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
21. No Sell Out – Malcolm X/Keith LeBlanc
22. One – Metallica
23. Papa Don’t Preach – Madonna
24. Party for Your Right to Fight – Public Enemy
25. Pink Houses – John Mellencamp
26. Rain on the Scarecrow – John Mellencamp
27. Seeds – Bruce Springsteen
28. Sign O’ the Times – Prince
29. Solidarity – Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul
30. Still in Saigon – Charlie Daniels
31. Stop the Violence – Boogie Down Productions
32. Sun City – Artists United Against Apartheid
33. This is England – Clash
34. This Note’s For You – Neil Young
35. Two Tribes – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
36. Watching the Wheels – John Lennon
37. Way It is – Bruce Hornsby & the Range
38. (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thing – Heaven 17
39. White Lines (Don’t Do It) – Grandmaster Melle Mel
40. Who Protects Us From You? – Boogie Down Productions

Greatest Nineties Protest Songs So Far (Alphabetical)

1. Arrest the President – Intelligent Hoodlum
2. Bang Bang Bang – Tracy Chapman
3. Banned in the USA – 2 Live Crew
4. Born to Lose – Social Distortion
5. Bring the Noise – Public Enemy/Anthrax
6. Bush Killa – Paris
7. By the Time I Get to Arizona – Public Enemy
8. Cop Killer – Body Count
9. Countdown to Extinction – Megadeth
10. Crooked Officer – Geto Boys
11. Dead Homiez – Ice Cube
12. Elvis is Dead – Living Colour
13. Fight the Power – Public Enemy
14. Freedom Got an A.K. – Da Lench Mob
15. Fuck Compton – Tim Dogg
16. Get in the Ring – Guns N’ Roses
17. Good Evening Mr Waldheim – Lou Reed
18. Home – Iggy Pop
19. Homeless, the – Boogie Down Productions
20. How I Could Just Kill a Man – Cypress Hill
21. I Wanna Kill Sam – Ice Cube
22. Jeremy – Pearl Jam
23. KKK Bitch – Body Count
24. Letter from the KKK – Bushwick Bill
25. Louie Louie – Iggy Pop
26. Momma’s Gonna Die Tonight – Body Count
27. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night – Prince
28. National Anthem – Sir Mix-A-Lot
29. One – U2
30. 100 Miles & Runnin’ – NWA
31. One Time’s Got No Case – Sir Mix-A-Lot
32. Rodney K – Willie D
33. Size Ain’t Shit – Geto Boys
34. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
35. Souls of the Departed – Bruce Springsteen
36. Teachers, Don’t Teach Us Nonsense – Leaders of the New School
37. Tennessee – Arrested Development
38. Wrong Nigga to Fuck With – Ice Cube
39. Young Black Male – 2Pac
40. Youth Against Fascism – Sonic Youth

The Antiwar Top 40 (Alphabetical)

1. Alice’s Restaurant – Arlo Guthrie
2. Architecture of Aggression – Megadeth
3. Ball of Confusion – Temptations
4. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos – Public Enemy
5. Blackened – Metallica
6. Blowin’ in the Wind – Stevie Wonder
7. Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
8. Bring the Boys Home – Freda Payne
9. Call Up, the – Clash
10. Casualties of War – Eric B & Rakim
11. Civil War – Guns N’ Roses
12. Foxhole – Television
13. Give Peace a Chance – John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
14. Happy Xmas (War is Over) – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
15. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
16. He Looks a Lot Like Me – Dion
17. If I Had a Rocket Launcher – Bruce Cockburn
18. Imagine – John Lennon
19. Izabella – Jimi Hendrix
20. Kill for Peace – Fugs
21. Life During Wartime – Talking Heads
22. Lost in the Flood – Bruce Springsteen
23. Machine Gun – Jimi Hendrix Experience
24. Masters of War – Eddie Vedder/Mike McCready
25. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night – Prince
26. Ohio – CSNY
27. Oliver’s Army – Elvis Costello
28. Peace Train – Cat Stevens
29. Rompin’ Through the Swamp – Holy Modal Rounders
30. Sam Stone – John Prine
31. 2 + 2 = ? – Bob Seger
32. Universal Soldier – Buffy Sainte-Marie
33. War – Edwin Starr
34. War Pigs – Black Sabbath
35. We’ve Got to Have Peace – Curtis Mayfield
36. What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
37. (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding – Elvis Costello
38. With God On Our Side – Bob Dylan
39. Yes Sir, No Sir – Kinks
40. Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore – John Prine

Lee Ballinger Picks the 10 Best Antiwar Records

Lee Ballinger, managing editor of Rock & Rap Confidential, earned his antiwar credentials while in the navy in Vietnam.

1. Disorder – Slayer and Ice T
2. El Tiburon – Ruben Blades & Willie Colon
3. Machine Gun – Jimi Hendrix
4. Casualties of War – Eric B & Rakim
5. Blackened – Metallica
6. Money Don’t Matter 2 Night – Prince
7. If I Had a Rocket Launcher – Bruce Cockburn
8. Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos – Public Enemy
9. Architecture of Aggression – Megadeth
10. Viet Cong Blues – Junior Wells




Riding a Stairway to Perdition: Records Accused of Satanic Backmasking

These examples come from the following books, all written by good Christians: Rock’s Hidden Persuaders – The Truth About Backmasking by Dan and Steve Peters; The Devil’s Disciples – the Truth About Rock by Jeff Goodwin; and Backward Masking Unmasked by Jacob Aranza. (All of these books can be obtained at your local fundamentalist bookseller or other purveyor of fanatic wares). No credible academic study places any credence in the idea that passages recorded backward are somehow tumbled forward in the human brain and subliminally absorbed as commands to do certain things, whether to worship the devil, buy more popcorn or kill oneself.

Quotes are what the record is supposed to have concealed. According to these people. Always thought ELO were evil, just not quite in this way! - Ed.

1. Another One Bites the Dust – Queen
“Start to smoke marijuana, start to smoke marijuana”

2. Anthem – Rush
“Communications with the Devil” “Oh Satan, you are the one who is shining. Walls of Satan, Walls of Sacrifice. I Know it’s you are the one I love”

3. A Child is Coming – Jefferson Starship
“Son of Satan”

4. Darling Nikki – Prince
“How R U? I am fine becos the Lord is coming soon” (Lord meaning Satan here, apparently)

5. Day When Electricity Came to Arkansas – Black Oak
“Satan, Satan, Satan. He is god, he is god, he is god”

6. Eldorado – ELO
“Christ, you’re the nasty one, you’re infernal” “He’s there on the cross and dead”

7. Evil Genius – Pat Benatar
“Oh-h, Satan, that’s why I want you to hear my music. That voice makes my money”

8. Final Scream – Grim Reaper
“See you in hell”

9. Fire is High – ELO
“The music reversible but time is not. Turn back… turn back… turn back…”

10. Gonna Raise Hell – Cheap Trick
“Satan holds the keys”

11. Goodbye Blue Sky – Pink Floyd
“Congratulations! You’ve just decoded the secret message. Please send your answer to ‘Old Pink’ in care of the Funny Farm”

12. Hell’s Bells – AC/DC
“I will mesmerize you/But he is Satan/Let me out/Satan has me prisoner”



13. Helter Skelter – Mötley Crüe
“”Satan’s shouting that after these years he’s STILL the master of Rock & Roll!” “Backward mask where you are, oh, lost in error, Satan”

14. Hooked on a Feeling – Blue Swede
(has obscenities embedded in the background of the chorus, apparently)

15. Hotel California – Eagles
“Satan had help. He organized his own religion” “Yes, Satan, he organized his own religion… it was delicious”

16. Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
“Satan is really Lord”

17. In League with Satan – Venom
“Satan! Raised in Hell. Raised in Hell. I’m gonna burn your soul. Crush your bones. I’m gonna make you bleed. You’re gonna bleed for me” “It’s better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven”

18. Kiss, Kiss, Kiss – John Lennon & Yoko Ono
“Satan is coming… six six six… We shot John Lennon”

19. Looking for a Stranger – Pat Benatar
“And I love it… save us, please… help us, Satan… and I love it”

20. Meat City – John Lennon
“Can’t let you shoot my kids”

21. Metal Health – Quiet Riot
“Serve beast for money”

22. Rain – Beatles
“They might as well be dead/Can you hear me/can you hear me”

23. Revolution #9 – Beatles
“Turn me on dead man”

24. Shooby Doo – Cars
“Voices chanting in unison, Satan, Satan, Satan, Satan”

25. Snowblind – Styx
“Moves Satan in our voices” “Oh Satan, move in our voices”

26. Some Girls – Rolling Stones
(Apparently, backmasked the word ‘fucked’ to become ‘humped’!)

27. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
“Here’s to my sweet Satan” “No other made a path, for it makes me sad, whose power is Satan” “There was a little child born naked… Now I am Satan” “I will sing because I live with Satan”

28. Tops – Rolling Stones
“I love you said the Devil”



29. Young Americans – David Bowie
(Bowie apparently purchased “a record player to play records backward because he believes songs on his Young Americans album resemble Tibetan spiritualistic chants”)

30. You’re Not the One – Blue Oyster Cult
“Our father, who are in Heaven, Satan” (How could Satan be in heaven?)

Hits & Flops

50 Greatest Number One Hits (Through 1992) (Chronological)

1. Great Pretender – Platters
2. Don’t be Cruel/Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
3. Jailhouse Rock – Elvis Presley
4. You Send Me – Sam Cooke
5. Yakety Yak – Coasters
6. Kansas City – Wilbert Harrison
7. Save the Last Dance for Me – Drifters
8. Quarter to Three – Gary US Bonds
9. Duke of Earl – Gene Chandler
10. He’s So Fine – Chiffons
11. Fingertips Pt 2 – Stevie Wonder
12. She Loves You – Beatles
13. Oh Pretty Woman – Roy Orbison
14. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling – Righteous Brothers
15. My Girl – Temptations
16. Ticket to Ride – Beatles
17. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
18. When a Man Loves a Woman – Percy Sledge
19. Reach Out, I’ll be There – Four Tops
20. You Keep Me Hangin’ On – Supremes
21. Respect – Aretha Franklin
22. (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding
23. People Got to be Free – Impressions
24. I Heard it Through the Grapevine – Marvin Gaye
25. Everyday People – Sly & the Family Stone
26. I Want You Back – Jackson 5
27. Bridge Over Troubled Water – Simon & Garfunkel
28. War – Edwin Starr
29. Maggie May – Rod Stewart
30. Oh Girl – Chi Lites
31. Papa Was a Rolling Stone – Temptations
32. Superstition – Stevie Wonder
33. Let’s Get it On – Marvin Gaye
34. Hotel California – Eagles
35. Hot Stuff – Donna Summer
36. Good Times – Chic
37. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll – Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
38. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
39. Every Breath You Take – Police
40. Jump – Van Halen
41. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper
42. When Doves Cry – Prince
43. Let’s Go Crazy – Prince
44. West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys
45. Live to Tell – Madonna
46. Sweet Child O’ Mine- Guns N’ Roses
47. Wishing Well – Terence Trent D’Arby
48. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
49. Set Adrift on Memory Bliss – PM Dawn
50. Baby Got Back – Sir Mix-A-Lot

The 40 Worst Number One Hits (Through 1993) (Chronological)

1. Tammy – Debbie Reynolds
2. Honeycomb – Jimmie Rodgers
3. Why – Frankie Avalon
4. Hey Paula – Paul & Paula
5. Mrs Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter – Herman’s Hermits
6. Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire
7. Cherish – Association
8. Happening, the – Supremes
9. Honey – Bobby Goldsboro
10. Song Sung Blue – Neil Diamond
11. I Am Woman – Helen Reddy
12. Top of the World – Carpenters
13. Loco Motion – Grand Funk Railroad
14. Night Chicago Died – Paper Lace
15. My Eyes Adored You – Frankie Valli
16. Disco Lady – Johnnie Taylor
17. Disco Duck Part 1 – Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots
18. Blinded by the Light – Manfred Mann’s Earthband
19. Escape (the Piña Colada Song) – Rupert Holmes
20. Do That to Me One More Time – Captain & Tenille
21. Sailing – Christopher Cross
22. Stars on 45 – Stars on 45
23. Maniac – Michael Sembello
24. Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon
25. Sussudio – Phil Collins
26. A View to a Kill – Duran Duran
27. Kyrie – Mr Mister
28. Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
29. Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer
30. Glory of Love – Peter Cetera
31. At This Moment – Billy Vera & the Beaters
32. Don’t Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
33. Baby, I Love Your Way/Free Bird Medley (Free Baby) – Will to Power
34. Kokomo – Beach Boys
35. Satisfied – Richard Marx
36. Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
37. Baby Baby – Amy Grant
38. When a Man Loves a Woman – Michael Bolton
39. I’m Too Sexy – Right Said Fred
40. I’d Do Anything for Love – Meat Loaf

The 50 Best Number One Albums (1955-93) (Chronological)

1. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley
2. Elvis – Elvis Presley
3. Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music – Ray Charles
4. Meet the Beatles – Beatles
5. 2nd Album – Beatles
6. Our of Our Heads – Rolling Stones
7. Rubber Soul – Beatles
8. Revolver – Beatles
9. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Beatles
10. Electric Ladyland – Jimi Hendrix Experience
11. Beatles (White Album) – Beatles
12. Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival
13. Abbey Road – Beatles
14. II – Led Zeppelin
15. Cosmo’s Factory – Creedence Clearwater Revival
16. Sticky Fingers – Rolling Stones
17. Every Picture Tells a Story – Rod Stewart
18. Imagine – John Lennon
19. There’s a Riot Goin’ On – Sly & the Family Stone
20. Exile on Main Street – Rolling Stones
21. Harvest – Neil Young
22. Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
23. World is a Ghetto – War
24. 461 Ocean Boulevard – Eric Clapton
25. Fire – Ohio Players
26. Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
27. Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon
28. Gratitude – Earth Wind & Fire
29. Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder
30. Saturday Night Fever (Soundtrack) – Bee Gees/Various Artists
31. River, the – Bruce Springsteen
32. Thriller – Michael Jackson
33. Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
34. Purple Rain – Prince
35. Control – Janet Jackson
36. True Blue – Madonna
37. Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
38. Joshua Tree – U2
39. Tunnel of Love – Bruce Springsteen
40. Hysteria – Def Leppard
41. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
42. Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman
43. Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson
44. Out of Time – REM
45. EFIL4ZAGGIN – NWA
46. Metallica (Black Album) – Metallica
47. Use Your Illusion II – Guns N’ Roses
48. Nevermind – Nirvana
49. Predator – Ice Cube
50. Chronic, the – Dr Dre

The 40 Worst Number One Albums (1955-93) (Chronological)

1. Ballad of the Green Berets – Staff Sgt Barry Sadler
2. Waiting for the Sun – Doors
3. Blood Sweat & Tears – Blood Sweat & Tears
4. Hair (Original Cast) – Various Artists
5. III – Led Zeppelin
6. III – Blood Sweat & Tears
7. Jesus Christ Superstar (Original Cast) – Various Artists
8. America – America
9. American Pie – Don McLean
10. Thick as a Brick – Jethro Tull
11. V – Chicago
12. Seventh Sojourn – Moody Blues
13. Living in the Material World – George Harrison
14. VI – Chicago
15. A Passion Play – Jethro Tull
16. VII – Chicago
17. Have You Never Been Mellow – Olivia Newton John
18. VIII – Chicago
19. Windsong – John Denver
20. Live – Barry Manilow
21. Grease (Film Soundtrack) – Various Artists
22. Living in the USA – Linda Ronstadt
23. Briefcase Full of Blues – Blues Brothers
24. Breakfast in America – Supertramp
25. Get the… - Knack
26. Hi Infidelity – REO Speedwagon
27. Escape – Journey
28. Long Distance Voyager – Moody Blues
29. Asia – Asia
30. Welcome to the Real World – Mr Mister
31. Slippery When Wet – Bon Jovi
32. Tiffany – Tiffany
33. Electric Youth – Debbie Gibson
34. Repeat Offender – Richard Marx
35. Girl You Know it’s True – Milli Vanilli
36. To the Extreme – Vanilla Ice
37. True Love & Tenderness – Michael Bolton
38. Slave to the Grind – Skid Row
39. Timeless (the Classics) – Michael Bolton
40. Some Gave All – Billy Ray Cyrus

Chuck D Picks 11 Hip Hop Albums that No One Can Do Without

1. Raising Hell – Run DMC
2. Death Certificate – Ice Cube
3. Message, the – Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
4. Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
5. Criminal Minded – Boogie Down Productions
6. Paid in Full – Eric B & Rakim
7. Naughty by Nature – Naughty by Nature
8. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
9. Back in Black – Whodini
10. Looks Like a Job for… - Big Daddy Kane
11. Power – Ice T

The 40 Most Boring ‘Classic’ Albums (Alphabetical)

1. Abacab – Genesis
2. Another Ticket – Eric Clapton
3. Around the World in a Day – Prince
4. Blondes Have More Fun – Rod Stewart
5. Breakfast in America – Supertramp
6. Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash
7. Days of Future Passed – Moody Blues
8. Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
9. Diver Down – Van Halen
10. Down with the King – Run DMC
11. Edutainment – Boogie Down Productions
12. Escape – Journey
13. Faces – Earth Wind & Fire
14. Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
15. Hotter Than Hell – Kiss
16. In the Court of the Crimson King – King Crimson
17. It’s Hard – Who
18. Juliet Letters – Elvis Costello/Brodsky Quartet
19. Kilroy Was Here – Styx
20. Let It Be – Beatles
21. Long Run, the – Eagles
22. Nothing Like the Sun – Sting
23. People’s Instinctive Travels & the Paths of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
24. Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin
25. Pictures at an Exhibition – ELP
26. Planet Waves – Bob Dylan
27. Point of Know Return – Kansas
28. Red Rose Speedway – Paul McCartney
29. Ritual to Habitual – Jane’s Addiction
30. Sister – Sonic Youth
31. Storm Front – Billy Joel
32. Neither Fish Nor Flesh – Terence Trent D’Arby
33. Their Satanic Majesties Request – Rolling Stones
34. Thick as a Brick – Jethro Tull
35. Trans – Neil Young
36. True Stories – Talking Heads
37. Wall, the – Pink Floyd
38. Wheels of Fire – Cream
39. Woman in Red – Stevie Wonder
40. Yessongs – Yes

Note: “The Grateful Dead do not appear on this list because they have, instead, been awarded a special citation by the authors for their entire oeuvre, all of which is pretty near terminally boring”.

There are lots and lots more lists in the book, some are to esoteric to bother with, some have dated badly since the book’s publication. But they’re mainly not here, because my hands hurt from typing the ones I’ve done!! Ed.