Best Ever Albums

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:06:39 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/11/2026 13:06

"Some folks are born into a good life, other folks get it anyway anyhow, I lost my money and I lost my wife, them things don't seem to matter much to me now"

One of the cleverest tracks

Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978) by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce expertly brings together the themes explored throughout the album, lost love, hardships, betrayal and redemption and even hope and unifies them into a single track.

It’s a magnificent song with the slow build-up and then it just bursts into life. A goosebump moment for me every time.

Always gets the crowd going when played live.

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Wed, 5 Aug 2026 06:41:47 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 08/05/2026 10:41

Factory

A song about the repetition of the working life, in this case factory-worker

Coming from a city that was built on the back of the industrial revolution and heavy industry, and although I never worked in a factory, I knew many that did, mainly feeding the larger car plant on Europe at the time, British Leyland or actually working there. The sweat, the hard hours, the harsh reality of your existence and the injuries that people sustained, some life changing.

So, this was and still is, a special song for me. It’s also beautifully written and performed. The lyrics are some of the most poignant ever written. It’s storytelling at its finest
Starting with that great piano intro, into those great harmonies and the sparse arrangement and Bruce’s almost weary delivery. Perfect

This is one of those songs that make me tear up. So wonderful.

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:09:29 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 07/28/2026 08:09

Bruce continues the punk influence here and it’s just a blistering track

It’s a song where suitors trade gifts for Candy’s affection. The artist Karon Bihari, whom Springsteen briefly dated in the 1970s, claimed the song was about her.

Love the piano intro which leads to a blistering drum and guitar lead main part of the track. I was trying to come up with a phrase to describe the energy on this track and then I read someone describe it as "physically urgent". Perfect!

It a great live track as well and I’ve heard The Boss play this a couple of time live. So visceral.

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Mon, 11 May 2026 04:26:04 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 05/11/2026 08:26

Spanish Castle Magic

One of Jimi’s faster paced tracks with heavy riffs, often compared to Foxy Lady in that regard and without doubt one of Hendrix best songs. I’m not quite sure what makes this a 100 / 100 track it just resonates with me. I adore it. Nothing deeper than that TBH

The solo at the end is mind blowing and the fade out is criminal. Would have been great to have seen this played live

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:21:16 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 04/12/2026 05:21

katerpillar wrote:

Link

This song feels like a walk in the afternoon with someone you love.

Thanks for sharing katerpillar. I hadn't heard this before. It's a really good track. This would be a 100 / 100 track for you I'm guessing?

If you have any others that you feel are 100 / 100, please share. Great to hear a track I wasn't familiar with

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

katerpillar — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:44:18 GMT

Author: katerpillar

Posted: 04/12/2026 04:44

Link

This song feels like a walk in the afternoon with someone you love.

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:19:27 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 04/01/2026 14:19

Romanelli wrote:

Johnnyo wrote:

Wild Horses

Another one of the 100 / 100 songs from Sticky Fingers. A fantastic country-rock ballad and a great counterpoint after the first two songs.

It’s a song that feels incredibly emotional to me with a beautiful melody and great acoustic guitar from Keith. You also must pay tribute to Mick’s vocals. Painfully beautiful.

It’s one of those songs that hard to quantify why I love it so much. On the surface it’s incredibly simple compared to other Stones songs, a little like Yesterday (The Beatles) but it grabs you somewhere deep inside and doesn’t let go.

Haven't found a YouTube video that I can post successful yet. Will keep trying

Here's the original version.

Burrito Deluxe (1970) by The Flying Burrito Brothers

Keith Richards gave Gram Parsons a demo of Wild Horses in 1969. It was recorded by The Flying Burrito Brothers, and was released as the last track on their second album, Burrito Deluxe, in 1970...a full year before Sticky Fingers.

This version features:

Gram Parsons - Lead Vocal
Chris Hillman - Bass, Vocals
Bernie Leadon - Guitar
Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel Guitar
Michael Clarke - Drums
Leon Russell - Piano

Link

Final note: The Rolling Stones are one of the greatest alt country bands of all time. Maybe THE greatest.

Thanks Rom.

I was aware of the FBB version, which I think is a great version BTW, but what I hadn't realised was that it was actually released first.

Two great versions of a classic.

Thanks for sharing. Great to hear the FBB version again

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Romanelli — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 10:07:35 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 04/01/2026 14:07

Johnnyo wrote:

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 04:26:44 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 04/01/2026 08:26

Wild Horses

Another one of the 100 / 100 songs from Sticky Fingers. A fantastic country-rock ballad and a great counterpoint after the first two songs.

It’s a song that feels incredibly emotional to me with a beautiful melody and great acoustic guitar from Keith. You also must pay tribute to Mick’s vocals. Painfully beautiful.

It’s one of those songs that hard to quantify why I love it so much. On the surface it’s incredibly simple compared to other Stones songs, a little like Yesterday (The Beatles) but it grabs you somewhere deep inside and doesn’t let go.

Haven't found a YouTube video that I can post successful yet. Will keep trying

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:11:12 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 03/25/2026 10:11

Despite the controversy and modern sensibilities around the lyrics to this song, (which I totally get by the way) it’s still one of the greatest track one, side ones of all time.

With the addition of Mick Taylor to the band this is the strongest line up that the Stones ever had. There’s a groove that runs through the whole album and this track sets the tempo for that.

This really is masterpiece with one of the greatest guitar riffs ever played. This is the Stones playing great blues and the use of the sax (more on that on later tracks as well), is inspired. The energy on the song and the whole album is, as someone described it, “gritty and groovy".

Just to address the lyrics, Keith Richards has defended the song as being about the "horrors of slavery," but others have labelled them gross and sexist. In 2021, the Rolling Stones removed "Brown Sugar" from their US tour setlist. Mick Jagger has stated he "never would write that song now" and would "probably censor [himself]" because the lyrics are so raw.

Couldn't find an album version that I could load so I've shared this rather good live version

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 16:05:24 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 03/11/2026 20:05

Dankel wrote:

Johnnyo wrote:

Racing In The Street by Bruce Springsteen (From the album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

"Tonight tonight the strips just right, I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats, so come out now everyone And we'll go racing in the street,"

Not just Bruce’s greatest ballad but his greatest song with the most beautiful piano intro from Roy Bittan.

The song, with its narrative about a guy in a dead-end job whose outlet is racing his car and winning money gambling on the outcome, fits seamlessly into the Springsteen narrative of the people that he grew up with. He writes and sings from the heart and about things that he understands.

Springsteen has said that this song commemorates the racing in the street that occurred outside Asbury Park, New Jersey. Springsteen songs from the 1970s often celebrated the car, another great track being Thunder Road, There seems to be something in the American male psyche that celebrate the car or the freedom that having a car affords you.

What can get lost on the narrative of this song is the part played by the girlfriend. There’s a lot of sympathy and understanding for the protagonists girlfriend in this song, which again, is a trait of Springsteen in his writing.

I love this song because it sounds “true”. It’s authentic and real and brilliantly, understatedly performed. The perfect Springsteen song. Hell, just a perfect song.

NB - I tried to post a YouTube of the track, but failed (yet again). Will try again later[/img]

Great Choice - I don't think there is a bad track on this album, although if I was to choose one track it would be Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Darkness is my favourite album of all time and I have four 100 / 100 tracks from the album to add to this thread. I just wanted to spread them out a bit. The title track just might be one of them.

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Dankel — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:05:19 GMT

Author: Dankel

Posted: 03/11/2026 17:05

Johnnyo wrote:

Great Choice - I don't think there is a bad track on this album, although if I was to choose one track it would be Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:25:57 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/23/2026 17:25

When Doves Cry

One of Princes’ greatest songs. I’ll be honest, I fell in love with this track as soon as I heard it back in 1984.

This being a worldwide hit when it was released has maybe made this track a little too familiar over the years, but when it came out it was monumental. Its commercial success was probably also helped by the accompanying video.

I think that to fully appreciate this song you must listen to the album version of the song with the ending guitar solo intact.

The opening guitar solo is simply iconic

As well as the astonishing guitar playing the pounding beat creates a phenomenal listening experience. It also has a darker feel to it than much else of Princes work prior to Purple Rain.

Put the lights down low and crank it up to 11

Link

I couldn't get the link to the extended version to load properly so this will have to do

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Fri, 6 Feb 2026 05:35:06 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 02/06/2026 10:35

The Chain by Fleetwood Mac

A song which I think anchors the whole of

Rumours (1977) by Fleetwood Mac

and for me is pretty much a perfect track.

A track which, unusually for Fleetwood Mac, was written by the whole band. In fact, and I don’t know whether this is true, it might be the only track ever to be written by the whole band.

"The Chain" is a mosaic of previously rejected material, including compositions from Buckingham, Nicks, and McVie.

Why do I love this track? For one reason, it probably contains the best bass progression ever from John McVie. Apparently, whilst Christine and Lynsey were recording, In the middle of the take, John McVie played the bassline that was ultimately used in the final version of song. The ending section was the only part from the original recording that the band kept for The Chain, It also has a phenomenal guitar opener from Buckingham and don't get me started on those harmonies

Stevie Nicks had written the lyrics separately, which were originally part of an entirely different song that included the words "if you don't love me now, you will never love me again". Again, jumping into the mosaic of the final song. Very much a collaborative effort

Following on from the beautiful, simple, Songbird, this is a complex rocker of a track and a great way to start side two of the album.

So, what were a bunch of unfinished pieces became probably, Fleetwood Macs’ most iconic song. I love it to death and never tire of hearing it

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:13:24 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 01/10/2026 09:13

Adam Raised a Cain by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band from the album

Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978) by Bruce Springsteen

This is where Bruce goes punk.

Hard rockin’ track from the start with that phenomenal guitar shredding from the outset. Driven by a heavy drumbeat and a riff played simultaneously by the guitars, bass, piano, and organ this is an irresistibly driven track. It cannot be ignored

The first time I heard this it blew my mind and it still does every time I hear it.

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Sun, 7 Dec 2025 07:02:51 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 12/07/2025 12:02

Link

Done

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Sun, 7 Dec 2025 05:29:41 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 12/07/2025 10:29

John Coltrane Stereo Blues

This is one of those songs that I find it incredibly hard to quantify why I love it so much, but I'll try.

It's from my favourite Dream Syndicate album (Medicine Show) and, for me, is the standout track from an album packed with fantastic songs.

I think that the reason I love this track so much is because it translates to the live experience so well. It's a phenomenal live track. I've see Dream Syndicate live countless times and every time, this is the highlight of the evening so nothing deeper or profound than that I'm afraid.

Will be posting a youtube video once I can find one that will load properly[/youtube]

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 08:06:38 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 11/28/2025 13:06

If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up

Not to be confused with the Hollywood actress. This is Betty Davis, the singer, performer, a funk pioneer and a great songwriter.

She was also the wife of Miles Davis (I only mention this to make the following point). The fact that she was married to one of the greatest musicians of all time can often overshadow what a great artist she was in her own right which is extremely unfair.

This is one of her most well-known tracks from her 1973 self titled debut album.

It’s quintessential Betty Davis with her raw and sexually charged funk sound that she did so very well. It's a masterpiece of funk

Link

Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Thu, 6 Nov 2025 06:24:42 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 11/06/2025 11:24

Can’t You Hear Me Knocking

This is the Stand out track on Sticky Fingers. According to Wiki, "The entire track was captured in one take, with the jam being a happy accident; the band had assumed the tape machine had been stopped, and were surprised to find the entire session had been captured. Originally they were going to end the song before the jam started, but were so pleased with the jam that they decided to keep it in."

Pretty much sums up why I love this track so much. I think that you generally get great much when it's more spontaneous rather than months or even years in the studio refining and refining and refining. Not always the case but here, most definitely.

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Re: 100 / 100 Songs

Johnnyo — Mon, 3 Nov 2025 05:43:58 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 11/03/2025 10:43

Romanelli wrote:

Johnnyo wrote:

New York, New York - This is a great, rockin’ track from Ryan from his debut album Gold, which has taken on far more cultural importance as the song was supposed to be released on September 11, 2001, but following the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers, it was postponed to November 26.

Following the attacks, the song was seen by many as an inspirational anthem of healing for the city of New York.

It’s actually a love / breakup song and I think the words New York need to be substituted for the word Amy (“I still live you Amy” rather than “I Still Love You New York”) as Adams wrote the song about his ex-partner called Amy Lombardi from his brief time living in New York.

According to Wiki “After the attacks, Adams decided not to play the song live and requested that the song would not be licensed for media, because he did not want people to feel as if he was exploiting the tragedy for his own personal gain. He made exceptions for the New York Yankees, who played the song during games in the old Yankee Stadium, as well as the NYPD and the New York City Fire Department.”

I wasn’t aware of any of this at the time of first hearing the song, I just thought that it had a great hook and was a brilliant song. Knowing this now, the song resonates more with me that ever.

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Gold is actually his second album...Heartbreaker was a year earlier. I believe Heartbreaker is the better of the two.

In 2001, I was busy promoting my album on MP3.com. At that time, MP3 was a site where independent unsigned artists stood side by side with those who had record deals and radio play. A huge community, and we actually got paid for our music there. That's where I met the brief BEA legend Father Time (another story altogether). Gold came out the same week as my album, so I had a lot of exposure to it. "New York, New York" got all of the attention, but for me, it wasn't the strongest song on the album. I was a big fan of songs like 'When The Stars Go Blue", "Sylvia Plath" and "Answering Bell".

The center of Gold, for me, has always been "Harder Now That It's Over". It was written by Adams and Chris Stills (the son of Stephen Stills and Veronique Sanson). Stills had released 100 Year Thing in 1998, which is an amazing and criminally underrated album (if you haven't heard it...you should). He's all over Gold, and plays bass on "New York, New York".

It's a fine song. I think it got a bit too much attention because of 9/11, and that attention caused better songs on the record to be overlooked.

Hi Romanelli. You're right it was Heartbreaker.

All of the tracks that you have mentioned from Gold are great, Sylvia Plath especially grabbed me, but NY, NY just resonated with me without necessarily appreciating the 9/11 connection. On this side of the Atlantic, I don't think that we really connected the two (the attack and the song) the same way that you folks would have done in the US.

I agree with what you say about 100 Year Thing. It's a lovely album.

You mentioned Veronique Sanson. I love this artist who is also criminally underrated on the site. I knew nothing of her until 23 years ago when I started dating my now wife, who is Swiss French who introduced me to a lot of French artists and I instantly gravitated towards Sanson.

De L'Autre Cote De Mon Reve, 7eme and the live album L'Olympia 1985 are all great listens.

Thanks for responding to me post