Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2020 - 2026) - Music Diaries

AfterHours · 2020-01-03T12:42:55-05:00

WHAT IS THIS LOG??? This is a log where, over the course of a given week or set of weeks, I consistently track about 90% (or even as much as 100%, but not always) of the Rock, Jazz and Classical music I am listening to, and/or the Films, Paintings/Visual Art I am viewing. Sometimes I track all of it but when I am extra busy this is almost never the case. For the given week(s) I also rank all the selections. The rankings on this log only reflect how much I favored them during the given period of time, not "overall" or "all-time". Therefore, while higher rated works will more frequently out-perform works rated lower than them, this will not always be the case -- they will not always reflect the same rankings on my "Greatest" lists. Just because a work is rated above another does not mean I enjoy it more 100% of the time (just most of the time; closer to 100% the wider the ratings differential). Many factors can make me temporarily favor a lesser rated work over a higher rated one, including but not limited to: -Very often, a new work to me will rank higher than it usually might, even above others with higher ratings, due to being temporarily enhanced by the excitement of discovery. There can be a similar "excitement of discovery" when I've made a new realization about a familiar work, and especially if I've just upgraded it to a higher rating, or am considering doing so. -My mood or perhaps even something in my personal life during the given week(s) may cause me to temporarily favor a particular genre or expressive type. -I may be particularly focused on a genre or artist or type of art (etc) so my interest is more heightened towards those over others during the given week(s). -One of the factors taken into account for the rankings here is how much time I spent on a work and/or how much I listened to, viewed or evaluated the work during the given week(s). Ex: If I listened to Highway 61 Revisited 10 times but Velvet Underground and Nico only 1 time, there is a very good chance I was much more consumed by Highway 61 Revisited during that time frame, and it will likely out-rank it here, even if otherwise I usually would favor, rate and rank Velvet Underground and Nico above it. These kinds of factors are temporary and are ultimately not given permanent consideration in my overall ratings and rankings as they usually only apply for a matter of days or a week or two, so would tend to represent a minority of my experiences with a work. My overall ratings reflect the ranking and rating that work most consistently sustains over the course of time, not fleetingly. On this log, a higher ranking than expected for a lower rated work can be a legitimate reflection that I am strongly considering upgrading it. Similarly, a lower ranking than expected for a higher rated work can be a legitimate reflection that I am considering downgrading it. But neither of these are always the case -- just an indication that it might be. Sometimes, more revisits may be needed to make a final determination, especially if with a work that has been stably rated and ranked for a considerable period of time before that. To qualify for inclusion here, the work has to rate 6.8 or above -- or at least did so at some point during the given week(s). If I include an additional "Top 10+" for lower rated works (such as 4.8/10-6.7/10) then of course those can be included as indicated. Below the "Top 10+" list(s), you will find where I log any ratings changes to the music, films or paintings/visual art for the given week(s). This has usually been reserved for ratings changes to works rated 6.8/10+ (or upgraded to this), unless otherwise indicated. Ratings updates initially colored in BLUE are those I've revisited within the given week(s) or, if not, very recently before that (close enough). Ratings updates initially colored in RED are not based on a revisit of the work DURING the listed week(s) or very recently, but usually a result of ratings tweaks being made in comparison to others or it may be part of a "domino effect" of changes that can follow from a change in my ratings scale or a general reconsideration of an artist, type of work, genre, etc. Below that you will find where I track my "Top 50 Works of Art of the Year". These are what I favored the most over that year, whether the work is new or old to me. The higher the ranking, the more I favored that work and the more it dominated my interests over the course of that year. Again, this will not always reflect the same rankings as one will find on my overall "Greatest" lists, as it is for that year only, but will certainly tend to favor the higher rated works. Very rarely does anything below 8.8/10 end up winning for the year, and if it did, it was probably considered 8.8/10 or above at that time even if not any more. This log started back around 2008-2009 on a site called listology (that crashed later) and began as just a really good way to track what I was listening to or viewing and also became a good foundation from which to build my lists from as they were rapidly growing at that time (especially as these had expanded between rock, jazz, classical, cinema, and later, paintings). Updates could be difficult to keep up with as my lists expanded and this log became a good source to see them all in one spot so one didn't have to keep checking each individual list out to see if anything had changed. This log also soon became a good source from which a lot of interesting discussion would take place, and this remains my favorite reason for keeping it running. It is also just sort of a personal "game" (so to speak) with myself, to keep my interest and discipline peeked along the way, to help keep my mind "sharp" in thinking with and determining ratings/rankings along the way and across a huge scale of qualitative increments. Outside of that, the "Top 10+" rankings for each week or set of weeks, the "Top 50 of the year" rankings, and so on, are rather meaningless in the scheme of things, in that they're ultimately not too essential for the main lists that I work on but rather "notes" or a reflection of my thinking along the way. It's all terribly nerdy, of course, but it works for me, and over the years some users across listology and BEA seem to have found it of some interest too, and that community and discussion has been helpful for me in fine tuning my lists, my views, criteria, analyses, etc (and hopefully, helpful both ways, too). Ultimately, my favorite result is if the log leads to interesting discussion about the works themselves, about ratings/rankings, about discoveries in art, and the like. So if you feel inclined to share your thoughts or have a question, or have a recommendation, you are more than welcome to do so. I try to take up all discussion and answer all questions. Generally speaking, all are welcome (particularly those that are genuine, not trolling). Naturally, those questions best aligned to which works/genre(s) I'm most currently featuring on this log (which also displays my immediate, active interests), are (usually) those that get the better and quicker responses. If I am very focused on a particular art or genre, I am not usually all that good at discussing much about another, as I am best with those I am actively invested in, being inspired by and actively thinking about. While there are certain common denominators that make all art comparable, each art tends to require its own way of thinking and evaluating it in its own contexts, and I tend to get fairly immersed in this alone when I am seriously invested in a particular genre or type of work, therefore I find it difficult to shake that mindset and discuss other works as freely and with as much interest. That said, if you have something to say or ask about any of the various arts I pursue, whether I am actively logging it or not, just go for it. It can never hurt and I'm not here to stop or inhibit you from saying what you want when you want to say it. Even if I don't give a good answer right then and there, it's harmless to get it out there and we can always come back to it when it's more aligned to my active interests (and you can always remind me later too). One last note: I lead a fairly busy life and when I am replying or posting on BEA, it is usually in between things plus often from my phone (not the best for typing). So although I usually keep a BEA tab open throughout the day for quick access, I am not (usually) ACTIVELY on the site for more than short spurts of time here and there and am often hurried when I reply or say something. So forgive me if those replies can be haphazard (poorly written, punctuated, descriptively rushed, etc). They are usually a bit sloppy with me banking on the hope that I still got the gist of my main idea(s) across. You are always welcome to follow up if you want clarification or don't know what the hell I meant! I can usually explain something better if I return to it with a little more time or by the second or third crack at it (we hope), but I usually don't try and further clarify any of these unless someone continues the discussion or asks me to. My more official reviews/analyses for a given work (though infrequent) tend to be better, more well thought out, better detailed and specified, examples of what I actually think about said work(s) than my often haphazard replies or the notes in this log, which are usually more the "gist" or "general idea" or an "abbreviated version" of my thoughts. So take my more haphazard replies/notes with that in mind, and feel free to ask further if I haven't explained myself well enough. I do hope to add more official reviews/analyses in the future. _________________________________ Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week (2020) NOTE: This is a log of my favorite works of music, cinema and/or visual art for the given week(s). The rankings here will not necessarily parallel my overall rankings, as these are only what I favored for the given week(s). To qualify for inclusion, the work must be rated 6.8/10 or better (or at least was at some point during the week). This log will also include updated ratings for my various lists (below the "Top 10+" section) Below that, there will be a running listing of my "Top 50 Works of Art of the Year". This is simply a log of my favorite art over the course of this whole year, whether old or new to me. This list is cumulative, week-to-week, until its final standings at the end of the year. Recommendations and suggestions welcome. For my criteria, go here: http://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15503 Bold = Newly added Bold + Italics = Was already listed but recently upgraded/downgraded Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week(s): 1-1-2020 - 1-12-2020 The Doors - The Doors (1966) Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) The Third Man - Carol Reed (1949) A Genuine Tong Funeral - Carla Bley/Gary Burton (1967) Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane (1969) We Insist! Freedom Now Suite - Max Roach (1960) All Bitches Die - Lingua Ignota (2017) Let the Evil of His Own Lips Cover Him - Lingua Ignota (2017) ...NOT RATED YET ... but probably at least 7.5+ & excellent chance at 7.8+ with further listens Sunset Boulevard - Billy Wilder (1950) Millions Now Living Will Never Die - Tortoise (1996) History of Heat - Sadaf (2019) ...NOT RATED YET ... but probably at least 7.3+ & solid chance at 7.8+ with further listens Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - Neil Young (1969) Suspicion - Alfred Hitchcock (1941) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino (2019) ...Echoes Tarantino's influences throughout, such as Sergio Leone, Welles (Touch of Evil), Scorsese, old B movies (etc). The whole film plays with the idea of a "western within a western", and its nostalgic recreation of late 60s Hollywood makes several references to the present while also being the past. The ending in which Tarantino subverts history, replaces it with his own ultra violent resolution, thus giving the middle finger to his critics that have denounced him for this very thing, can be viewed from several angles. Here he seems to be using it to alter the course of history, as a force of "good", to rearrange the trajectory of the very period and sort of filmmaking that shaped his own, but this is also left very ambigious, open ended and allusory for the viewer to recreate how events may have transpired in this new "course of history", and thus rendering the whole period lovingly immortal instead of its actual horrific end. Here he seems to transform the "end of the 60s" (which Tate's murder symbolized) into an immortalization of it, lending extra creedence to the nostalgia trip we've partaken in with him in all the previous scenes (which seemed shaky in their necessity, or were they?). Is Tarantino also alluding to not just a salvaging of a bygone hollywood era but perhaps Polanski too thus rewriting the trajectory of his life and potentially altering a key historical precedent to the recent Hollywood climate to which Tarantino himself has been lambasted for ("#Metoo" etc)? Im not sure but the film begs many such possible questions/ambiguities and interpretations in its apparent motivations and in its many quotations (of Leone, Welles, through the revisionist characters and events, etc) and the many possible allusions stemming from this. This may all hold the potential for one of the better films of the decade, potentially very intriguing in the context of a swansong and the conflation of period, Hollywood, Tarantino's influences, personality and juxtaposition with the time-line and inspiration of his life and career. Quite an interesting work and extraordinary in ways, but overall I am somewhat torn on just how great it is. But as noted, there seems potential left for much more interpretation and significance depending on just how profoundly Tarantino has conflated these elements and influences with his own art and how well this holds up through multiple views (does it hold up AS cinema, IN the filmic language itself or is too much of this only relevant if you know the history, backstories etc?). At times Tarantino's integration seems significant while during stretches I wasn't sure, or perhaps missed the correlation... Well worth another viewing or more, with potential for upgrade. Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix (1967) Miracle in Milan - Vittorio de Sica (1951) Pavilion of Dreams - Harold Budd (1978) Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus (1972) Late For the Sky - Jackson Browne (1974) Laura - Otto Preminger (1944) Odd Man Out - Carol Reed (1947) A Better Tomorrow - John Woo (1986) This Year's Model - Elvis Costello (1978) Blood On The Tracks - Bob Dylan (1975) FAMILIAR ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RE-RATED: Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965) 8.2/10 to 8.3/10 Let My Children Hear Music - Charles Mingus (1972) 8.3/10 to 8.2/10 Pavilion of Dreams - Harold Budd (1978) 8.3/10 to 7.9/10 NEWLY ASSIMILATED ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RATED: All Bitches Die - Lingua Ignota (2017) 7.6/10 FAMILIAR FILMS - RE-RATED: The Third Man - Carol Reed (1949) 7.3/10 to 7.6/10 Miracle in Milan - Vittorio de Sica (1951) 8.1/10 to 7.6/10 Suspicion - Alfred Hitchcock (1941) Not Rated to 7.3/10 Laura - Otto Preminger (1944) 7.3/10 to 7.0/10 A Better Tomorrow - John Woo (1986) Not Rated to 7.0/10 NEWLY ASSIMILATED FILMS - RATED: Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino (2019) 7.1/10 Odd Man Out - Carol Reed (1947) 7.0/10 TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2019) PAST WINNERS: 1995 - 2018 (NOTE: My series of "Top 10 of the Week" lists only actually goes back to 2008. Prior to that are simply my noted favorite works of each given year without any attempt to keep further record) 2018: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 2017: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2016: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2015: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 2014: Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2013: Requiem - Giuseppe Verdi (1874) 2012: Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 2011: Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 2010: Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 2009: Nostalghia - Andrei Tarkovsky (1983) 2008: The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963) 2007: Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart (1968) 2006: Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 2005: A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964) 2004: Kid A - Radiohead (2000) 2003: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002) 2002: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1998) 2001: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 2000: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 1999: Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor - J.S. Bach (1723) 1998: OK Computer - Radiohead (1997) 1997: The Bends - Radiohead (1995) 1996: 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick (1968) 1995: Throwing Copper - Live (1995) TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2019) 1. Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 2. The Doors - The Doors (1966) 3. Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 4. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) 5. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822) 6. Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 7. Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) 8. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground (1966) 9. Das Lied von der Erde - Gustav Mahler (1909) 10. String Quintet in C Major - Franz Schubert (1828) 11. Mass in B Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach (1749) 12. Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" - Franz Schubert (1826) 13. Symphony No. 5 - Gustav Mahler (1902) 14. Requiem - Guisseppe Verdi (1874) 15. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 16. Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992) 17. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1808) 18. Elektra - Richard Strauss (1909) 19. Don Giovanni - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1787) 20. Symphony No. 41 in C Major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1788) 21. Dreamtime Return - Steve Roach (1988) 22. Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix (1968) 23. Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino (1994) 24. Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat Major "Hammerklavier" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1818) 25. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1804) 26. Winterreise - Franz Schubert (1828) 27. Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart (1969) 28. The Blue Angel - Josef Von Sternberg (1930) 29. M - Fritz Lang (1931) 30. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette (1995) 31. Desertshore - Nico (1970) 32. Pelléas et Mélisande - Claude Debussy (1898) 33. Peter Grimes - Benjamin Britten (1945) 34. Variations in Dream-time - Anthony Davis (1982) 35. Symphony No. 5 in E Minor - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1888) 36. The Days of Wine & Roses - Dream Syndicate (1982) 37. Sonata in G minor for Piano and Cello, Op. 19 - Sergei Rachmaninoff (1901) 38. Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones (1972) 39. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (1991) 40. Glagolitic Mass - Leos Janacek (1926) 41. Symphony No. 8 in G major - Antonin Dvorak (1889) 42. Quartet for the End of Time - Olivier Messiaen (1941) 43. Fidelio - Ludwig van Beethoven (1805; revised 1806-1814) 44. Dimension Gate - Aurora (1994) 45. Master Of Puppets - Metallica (1986) 46. Post to Wire - Heather Duby (1999) 47. Frigid Stars - Codeine (1990) 48. Hejira - Joni Mitchell (1976) 49. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 50. Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta - Bela Bartok (1936) TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE DECADE (2010-2019) 1. Sistine Chapel (Ceiling & The Last Judgement) - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1512; 1541) 2. Symphony No. 9 in D Major - Gustav Mahler (1910) 3. Symphony No. 9 in D Minor "Choral" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1824) 4. Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974) 5. The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground (1967) 6. Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941) 7. The Doors - The Doors (1967) 8. Brazil - Terry Gilliam (1985) 9. Peasants' War Panorama - Werner Tubke (1987) 10. The Garden of Earthly Delights - Hieronymus Bosch (circa 1500) 11. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel (1998) 12. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006) 13. Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" - Franz Schubert (1826) 14. Requiem - Guisseppe Verdi (1874) 15. Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992) 16. Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan (1966) 17. Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822) 18. Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band (1969) 19. Symphony No. 15 in A Major - Dmitri Shostakovich (1971) 20. Symphony No. 4 in E Minor - Johannes Brahms (1884) 21. Mass in B Minor - Johann Sebastian Bach (1749) 22. Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958) 23. Nostalghia - Andrei Tarkovsky (1983) 24. Faust - Faust (1971) 25. Symphony No. 5 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1808) 26. Glagolitic Mass - Leos Janacek (1926) 27. The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963) 28. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964) 29. Metropolis - Fritz Lang (1927) 30. Symphony No. 9 in E Minor "From the New World" - Antonin Dvorak (1893) 31. Symphony No. 41 in C Major - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1788) 32. Symphony No. 3 in F Major - Johannes Brahms (1883) 33. Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1804) 34. Have One On Me - Joanna Newsom (2010) 35. The River - Bruce Springsteen (1980) 36. Even the Sounds Shine - Myra Melford (1994) 37. Variations in Dream-time - Anthony Davis (1982) 38. Lady of the Mirrors - Anthony Davis (1980) 39. Improvisie - Paul Bley (1971) 40. Philosophy, Medicine & Jurisprudence - Gustav Klimt (1907) 41. The Reminiscences of Judge Schulze (Parts II, III, & VII) - Werner Tubke (1967) 42. The Beethoven Frieze - Gustav Klimt (1902) 43. Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock (1958) 44. Astral Weeks - Van Morrison (1968) 45. Werckmeister Harmonies - Bela Tarr (2000) 46. Afternoon of a Georgia Faun - Marion Brown (1970) 47. Ptah, the El Daoud - Alice Coltrane (1970) 48. Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino (1994) 49. Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese (1976) 50. Hex - Bark Psychosis (1994)

DelBocaVista Profile

New-ish Scaruffi interview dropped: https://www.furious.com/perfect/pieroscaruffi2026.html

Revelations:
- he thinks he might have overrated Trout Mask due to its initial shock value and the desire to remain oppositional
- (restricted to production/sound quality at least) he "enjoys" Sgt. Pepper
- he was peer-pressured into keeping Type O Negative at a 9/10 for a while (no longer the case...)

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

DelBocaVista wrote:

New-ish Scaruffi interview dropped: https://www.furious.com/perfect/pieroscaruffi2026.html

Revelations:
- he thinks he might have overrated Trout Mask due to its initial shock value and the desire to remain oppositional
- (restricted to production/sound quality at least) he "enjoys" Sgt. Pepper
- he was peer-pressured into keeping Type O Negative at a 9/10 for a while (no longer the case...)

Thanks!

It’s a curious position he may be posing on TMR that I’ve kinda-sorta shared for moments here and there in recent years. Sometimes, especially after emerging from more classically formed masterpieces (like classic architecture, classical music masterpieces from the Baroque through Romantic periods…) I get so used to a masterpiece being more “goal oriented” or “purpose-ful” and clearly or finely organized into a wholly aligned work, then it takes me a little bit to re-acclimate to TMRs near refusal to be as such and allow it to re-wire how a masterpiece should be. Occasionally I’ve wondered if this added effort should count against it? But then… While at the same time it is yet also a sign of just how staggering and original and creative it remains to this day… Sometimes I think it’s a 9 and not 9.3+ but the feeling isn’t strong enough or consistent enough to drop it, and it usually makes up for it a listen or two later anyway…

Scaruffi, the ever expanding enigma… ❓ 💡 ❓
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DelBocaVista Profile

AfterHours wrote:

Thanks!

It’s a curious position he may be posing on TMR that I’ve kinda-sorta shared for moments here and there in recent years. Sometimes, especially after emerging from more classically formed masterpieces (like classic architecture, classical music masterpieces from the Baroque through Romantic periods…) I get so used to a masterpiece being more “goal oriented” or “purpose-ful” and clearly or finely organized into a wholly aligned work, then it takes me a little bit to re-acclimate to TMRs near refusal to be as such and allow it to re-wire how a masterpiece should be. Occasionally I’ve wondered if this added effort should count against it? But then… While at the same time it is yet also a sign of just how staggering and original and creative it remains to this day… Sometimes I think it’s a 9 and not 9.3+ but the feeling isn’t strong enough or consistent enough to drop it, and it usually makes up for it a listen or two later anyway…

Scaruffi, the ever expanding enigma… ❓ 💡 :?:

I read the Type O Negative part of the interview too quickly, but anyway, yeah I see what you mean. So long as TMR's refusal to play by the old rules can be seen as an expansion of those rules, then it's rating should stand. But if the rules are sacred then it falls short a few ticks.

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

Working on this now (still movies too…). Recommendations, discussion welcome

I also have made the overall “Greatest” list more user friendly by adding a space between each listed entry so (with their oftentimes extended titles/artists) they can now be easily differentiated from along the whole list. List is here: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15560

Paintings, Sculpture, Architecture - Ratings Updates - Running Log

Guernica - Pablo Picasso (1937) / Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain [Painting] 8.6/10 to 8.5/10

The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci (circa 1495 - 1498) / Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy [Painting] 8.6/10 to 8.5/10

Sainte-Chapelle - Jean de Chelles or Thomas de Cormont (1242 - 1248) / Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.4/10 to 8.3/10

The Conversion of Saul and The Crucifixion of St. Peter - Michelangelo Buonarroti (circa 1542 - 1545; circa 1546 - 1550) / Pauline Chapel, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Painting] 8.4/10 to 8.3/10

Notre-Dame de Paris - Main construction principally directed under Bishop Maurice de Sully (1163 - 1260, main construction; various additions, updates, restorations thereafter; reconstruction of fleche and roof from fire damages: 2019 - 2024) / Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.1/10 to 7.9/10

Monreale Cathedral - Begun by William II of Sicily in 1174; various modifications thereafter (1267) / Monreale, Sicily, Italy [Architecture, including Mosaics and Structural Sculpture] 8.4/10 to 8.2/10; 8.2/10 to 7.9/10

Batalha Monastery - Afonso Domingues (1388 - 1402); Huguet (1402 - 1438 in which several Flamboyant Gothic elements were added; changed architects posthumously, continued construction, revisions, additions through completion circa 1517) / Batalha, Portugal [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.0/10 to 7.7/10

Strasbourg Cathedral Not Rated to 7.7/10

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC) Not Rated to 7.6/10

Houses of Parliament (London) Not Rated to 7.5/10; 7.5/10 to 7.6/10

Sacré-Cœur Basilica Not Rated to 7.6/10

St Paul’s Cathedral (London) Not Rated to 7.6/10

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral Not Rated to 7.6/10
Note: 7.6 or above is a bit dependent on how much of the elaborate interior design/decoration/wall and ceiling paintings/sculpture should be counted towards a combined single rating. Currently I am counting much of it, but more study is still needed… On architecture mostly or alone it is still compelling and rather unique on the exterior, but not as high…

Süleymaniye Mosque Not Rated to 7.6/10

Salisbury Cathedral Not Rated to 7.5/10

Westminster Abbey (London) Not Rated to 7.5/10

Ulm Minster - Heinrich Parler (Main Design and Principal Architect, mainly 1387 - 1391; continued construction and modification thereafter over centuries; first major construction phase: 1377 - 1543; further construction, modifications thereafter until 1890) / Ulm, Germany [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.6/10 to 7.5/10

Imam Mosque - Ali Akbar Isfahani (1611 - 1629) [aka, Shah Mosque] / Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Esfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran [Architecture] 8.1/10 to 7.5/10

Basilica of Saint-Denis - Abbot Suger (Principal Architect, Main Construction including the Gothic innovations: 1135 - 1144; key Nave and Transept additions thereafter, mainly 1230 - 1280 with modifications thereafter) / Saint-Denis, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.6/10 to 7.5/10

Jeronimos Monastery Not Rated to 7.4/10

Winchester Cathedral Not Rated to 7.4/10

Laon Cathedral Not Rated to 7.3/10

Church of Notre Dame du Haut, Ronchamp Not Rated to 7.3/10

King’s College Chapel Not Rated to 7.3/10

Church of Gesù Nuovo Not Rated to 7.5/10; 7.5/10 to 7.3/10

Amiens Cathedral - Robert of Luzarches (1220 - 1228; Building Plan and Principal Architect); Thomas and Regnault de Cormont (1228 - 1258); Renaud de Cormont (1258 - 1288; Mostly constructed 1220 - circa 1270; modifications thereafter) / Amiens, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.5/10 to 7.2/10[/b]
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Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

Last edited by AfterHours on 04/09/2026 15:24; edited 13 times in total

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

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_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings

AfterHours Profile
The Zone

AfterHours wrote:

Working on this now (still movies too…). Recommendations, discussion welcome

I also have made the overall “Greatest” list more user friendly by adding a space between each listed entry so (with their oftentimes extended titles/artists) they can now be easily differentiated from along the whole list. List is here: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15560

Paintings, Sculpture, Architecture - Ratings Updates - Running Log

Guernica - Pablo Picasso (1937) / Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, Spain [Painting] 8.6/10 to 8.5/10

The Last Supper - Leonardo da Vinci (circa 1495 - 1498) / Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan, Italy [Painting] 8.6/10 to 8.5/10

Sainte-Chapelle - Jean de Chelles or Thomas de Cormont (1242 - 1248) / Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.4/10 to 8.3/10

The Conversion of Saul and The Crucifixion of St. Peter - Michelangelo Buonarroti (circa 1542 - 1545; circa 1546 - 1550) / Pauline Chapel, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Painting] 8.4/10 to 8.3/10

Monreale Cathedral - Begun by William II of Sicily in 1174; various modifications thereafter (1267) / Monreale, Sicily, Italy [Architecture, including Mosaics and Structural Sculpture] 8.4/10 to 8.2/10

Notre-Dame de Paris - Main construction principally directed under Bishop Maurice de Sully (1163 - 1260, main construction; various additions, updates, restorations thereafter; reconstruction of fleche and roof from fire damages: 2019 - 2024) / Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.1/10 to 7.9/10

Batalha Monastery - Afonso Domingues (1388 - 1402); Huguet (1402 - 1438 in which several Flamboyant Gothic elements were added; changed architects posthumously, continued construction, revisions, additions through completion circa 1517) / Batalha, Portugal [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 8.0/10 to 7.7/10

Strasbourg Cathedral Not Rated to 7.7/10

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC) Not Rated to 7.6/10

Houses of Parliament (London) Not Rated to 7.5/10; 7.5/10 to 7.6/10

St Paul’s Cathedral (London) Not Rated to 7.6/10

Süleymaniye Mosque Not Rated to 7.6/10

Salisbury Cathedral Not Rated to 7.5/10

Westminster Abbey (London) Not Rated to 7.5/10

Ulm Minster - Heinrich Parler (Main Design and Principal Architect, mainly 1387 - 1391; continued construction and modification thereafter over centuries; first major construction phase: 1377 - 1543; further construction, modifications thereafter until 1890) / Ulm, Germany [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.6/10 to 7.5/10

Imam Mosque - Ali Akbar Isfahani (1611 - 1629) [aka, Shah Mosque] / Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Esfahan, Isfahan Province, Iran [Architecture] 8.1/10 to 7.5/10

Basilica of Saint-Denis - Abbot Suger (Principal Architect, Main Construction including the Gothic innovations: 1135 - 1144; key Nave and Transept additions thereafter, mainly 1230 - 1280 with modifications thereafter) / Saint-Denis, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.6/10 to 7.5/10

Winchester Cathedral Not Rated to 7.4/10

Amiens Cathedral - Robert of Luzarches (1220 - 1228; Building Plan and Principal Architect); Thomas and Regnault de Cormont (1228 - 1258); Renaud de Cormont (1258 - 1288; Mostly constructed 1220 - circa 1270; modifications thereafter) / Amiens, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture] 7.5/10 to 7.2/10[/b]

FYI for those interested: I will be updating the “images and links” section, updating the entries with fuller listings (architect, dates, etc), and adding new pages (on the “Greatest” thread) for any and all new entries as soon as I have more time… for now I’ve just been in a rush and put some key links for each on their listed entry, in bold blue (on the main list, first page, “Greatest” thread)…
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lesbianwalrus Profile

Nice blog!

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lesbianwalrus wrote:

Nice blog!

Thanks ❗

You’re back!?!?!?
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Link

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EXPLANATION: WHAT IS THIS LOG??? Go here: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=571094#571094

For my criteria page, go here: http://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15503

To visit my Main lists, go here:
Greatest Classical Music Works: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15098
Greatest Albums (Rock & Jazz): https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15276
Greatest Songs/Tracks/Movements: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15246
Greatest Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15558
Greatest Paintings, Sculpture and Architecture: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15560
Greatest Works of Art: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16117

Various (in progress) genre lists, listed in order of how recently I've worked on them:
Best Action/Adventure Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=749761#749761
Best Comedy Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=748991#748991
Greatest Literature: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=691617#691617
Best Teen and/or Coming of Age Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=683219#683219
Best Gangster and/or Hood Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=682513#682513
Best Editing/Structure in Film History: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=667443#667443
Best Visuals (Color) / Best Visuals (Black and White): https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=666231#666231
Best Horror Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=656102#656102
Best Hip Hop/R & B/Soul/Funk Albums: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=650323#650323
Best Animated Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=647884#647884
Best Comic Book/Superhero Films: https://www.besteveralbums.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=646189#646189

Bold = Newly added
Bold + Italics = Was already listed but recently upgraded/downgraded

Top 10+ Music, Movies, and Visual Art of the Week(s): 3-30-26 - 4-12-26

Strasbourg Cathedral

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Washington DC)

Houses of Parliament, London

The Beethoven Frieze - Gustav Klimt (1902) / Secession Building, Vienna, Austria [Painting]

Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992)

The Gates of Hell - Auguste Rodin (1889 "Expressionist" Version; Unfinished, revised between two main versions, 1880-1917; Bronze cast 1926-1928) [Sculpture]

Salisbury Cathedral

St. Peter's Basilica - Principal Architects: Donato Bramante (Original design and began construction of central Greek Cross plan: 1503 - 1514); Michelangelo Buonarroti (Revised plan and construction with updated Greek Cross design heavily informing the final result less the later addition of Maderno's Nave and Facade; revision and main design of the central Dome: 1546 - 1564); Carlo Maderno (Revised to Latin Cross plan with addition of central Nave; addition of Facade: 1603 - 1629); Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Revision of St. Peter's Square, addition of Colonnade: 1656 - 1667) (Building completed and opened by 1626; various revisions and additions thereafter) / Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Architecture, including Structural Sculpture]

Sacré-Cœur Basilica

The Starry Night - Vincent van Gogh (1889) [Painting]

Chartres Cathedral - Master of Chartres (Anonymous French Architect) (early phase of construction from 1120s - circa 1165, with only the crypt, towers and West Facade surviving a fire of 1194; thereafter the main Gothic structure as currently seen was largely established structurally from 1194 - 1221; further completion and details from circa 1221 - circa 1250 with consecration in 1260; various modifications and additions thereafter) / Chartres, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]

David - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1501 - 1504) / Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, Florence, Italy [Sculpture]

Sainte-Cécile Cathedral

Süleymaniye Mosque

Westminster Abbey

Santiago de Compostela Cathedral (original construction, primarily Romanesque: 1075 - 1211, Pricipal Architect: Bernard the Elder (late 1000s - mid 1100s?); Master Esteban (completed Romanesque Facade: 1103); Pórtico da Gloria, an early work of Romanesque sculpture, Master Mateo (completed 1188); Gothic construction, modifications (especially in the Cloister and some Interior features), more prominently major Baroque construction and modifications, these mainly from 1400s - circa 1770; most notably Fernando de Casas Novoa, constructing the North Tower (aka, da Carraca) and Baroque Facade (circa 1738 - 1760); various other, additions, modifications during that period and thereafter) [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]

Notre-Dame de Paris - Main construction principally directed under Bishop Maurice de Sully (1163 - 1260, main construction; various additions, updates, restorations thereafter; reconstruction of fleche and roof from fire damages: 2019 - 2024) / Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]

Death and the Maiden - Egon Schiele (1915) [Painting]

Church of Gesù Nuovo

The Sleeping Venus - Paul Delvaux (1944) [Painting]

Rondanini Pieta - Michelangelo Buonarroti (circa 1552 - 1564; possibly unfinished or "an endless beginning") / Sforza Castle, Milan, Italy [Sculpture]

The Deposition - Michelangelo Buonarroti (circa 1547 - 1555; unfinished, abandoned) [aka, "Bandini Pietà" or "The Lamentation over the Dead Christ"] / Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Florence, Italy [Sculpture]

Seville Cathedral - Alonso Martinez (Lead Architect of Main Structure, peak building period of: 1401 - 1506; after main structure completion, there were several variations and additions across centuries, each main period as follows: Main Gothic structure: 1401 - 1528; Renaissance additions/revisions: 1528 - 1593; Baroque additions/revisions: 1618 - 1758; Academic additions/revisions: 1758 - 1823; Gothic Revival additions/revisions: 1825 - 1928) / Seville, Andalusia, Spain [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]

Apollo and Daphne - Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1625) [Sculpture]

Saint-Nicolas Church - Walter Maria Förderer (1971) / Heremence, Switzerland [Architecture]

Winchester Cathedral

Laon Cathedral

King’s College Chapel

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa - Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1647 - 1652) / Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome, Italy [Sculpture, Architecture and Painting]

Top 10+ SONGS/TRACKS for the Week(s)

FAMILIAR ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RE-RATED:

NEWLY LISTENED - ROCK/JAZZ ALBUMS - RATED:

NEWLY LISTENED - CLASSICAL WORKS - RATED:

FAMILIAR CLASSICAL WORKS - RE-RATED:

FAMILIAR SONGS/TRACKS/MOVEMENTS - RE-RATED:

NEWLY LISTENED - SONGS/TRACKS/MOVEMENTS - RATED:

FAMILIAR FILMS - RE-RATED:
SEE HERE FOR RECENT “ACTION/ADVENTURE” UPDATES: https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=752087#752087

NEWLY WATCHED FILMS - RATED:

FAMILIAR PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART - RE-RATED:
SEE HERE FOR RECENT “PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART” UPDATES:
https://www.besteveralbums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=753512#753512

NEWLY VIEWED PAINTINGS/VISUAL ART - RATED:

FAMILIAR LITERATURE - RE-RATED:

NEWLY READ LITERATURE - RATED:

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TOP 50 WORKS OF ART OF THE YEAR (2026)
A Love Supreme - John Coltrane (1964)
Spiderland - Slint (1991)
Suicide - Suicide (1977)
Geek the Girl - Lisa Germano (1994)
Down Colorful Hill - Red House Painters (1992)
Yerself is Steam - Mercury Rev (1991)
St. Peter's Basilica - Principal Architects: Donato Bramante (Original design and began construction of central Greek Cross plan: 1503 - 1514); Michelangelo Buonarroti (Revised plan and construction with updated Greek Cross design heavily informing the final result less the later addition of Maderno's Nave and Facade; revision and main design of the central Dome: 1546 - 1564); Carlo Maderno (Revised to Latin Cross plan with addition of central Nave; addition of Facade: 1603 - 1629); Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Revision of St. Peter's Square, addition of Colonnade: 1656 - 1667) (Building completed and opened by 1626; various revisions and additions thereafter) / Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Architecture, including Structural Sculpture]
Improvisie - Paul Bley (1971)
The Doors - The Doors (1966)
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - Charles Mingus (1963)
Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor - Ludwig van Beethoven (1822)
Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006)
Y - Pop Group (1979)
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1820)
Laughing Stock - Talk Talk (1991)
Chartres Cathedral - Master of Chartres (Anonymous French Architect) (early phase of construction from 1120s - circa 1165, with only the crypt, towers and West Facade surviving a fire of 1194; thereafter the main Gothic structure as currently seen was largely established structurally from 1194 - 1221; further completion and details from circa 1221 - circa 1250 with consecration in 1260; various modifications and additions thereafter) / Chartres, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
The Velvet Underground and Nico - The Velvet Underground (1966)
Bullet in the Head - John Woo (1990)
The Sagrestia Nuova - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1520 - 1533; final composition completed later: 1559) / Medici Chapel, Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy [Sculpture and Architecture]
Mission: Impossible III - J. J. Abrams (2006)
Good - Morphine (1992)
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan (1965)
Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)
David - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1501 - 1504) / Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze, Florence, Italy [Sculpture]
Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor "Appassionata" - Ludwig van Beethoven (1805)
St Paul’s Cathedral
Laurentian Library - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1524 - 1534; completed posthumously: 1571; Tribune of Elci rotunda added by Pasquale Poccianti in 1841) / Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, Florence, Italy [Architecture]
Reims Cathedral - Jean d'Orbais (Principal Architect: 1210 - 1228; additional architects, construction, modifications thereafter with the main phase of construction from 1211 - 1275; further modifications through 1345, High Gothic, Rayonnant Style) / Reims, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Notre-Dame de Paris - Main construction principally directed under Bishop Maurice de Sully (1163 - 1260, main construction; various additions, updates, restorations thereafter; reconstruction of fleche and roof from fire damages: 2019 - 2024) / Parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean-Paul-II, Paris, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Milan Cathedral - Begun by Simone da Orsenigo; Several architects thereafter (Begun 1386; several stages of development through 1965) / Milan, Italy [Architecture and Sculpture]
Batalha Monastery - Afonso Domingues (1388 - 1402); Huguet (1402 - 1438 in which several Flamboyant Gothic elements were added; changed architects posthumously, continued construction, revisions, additions through completion circa 1517) / Batalha, Portugal [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Houses of Parliament, London
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral (original construction, primarily Romanesque: 1075 - 1211, Pricipal Architect: Bernard the Elder (late 1000s - mid 1100s?); Master Esteban (completed Romanesque Facade: 1103); Pórtico da Gloria, an early work of Romanesque sculpture, Master Mateo (completed 1188); Gothic construction, modifications (especially in the Cloister and some Interior features), more prominently major Baroque construction and modifications, these mainly from 1400s - circa 1770; most notably Fernando de Casas Novoa, constructing the North Tower (aka, da Carraca) and Baroque Facade (circa 1738 - 1760); various other, additions, modifications during that period and thereafter) [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Westminster Abbey
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E Major - Ludwig van Beethoven (1820)
Mission: Impossible — Fallout - Christopher McQuarrie (2018)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - George Lucas (2005)
The Conversion of Saul and The Crucifixion of St. Peter - Michelangelo Buonarroti (circa 1542 - 1545; circa 1546 - 1550) / Pauline Chapel, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Painting]
Repeater - Fugazi (1990)
Safe as Milk - Captain Beefheart (1967)
Il Paradiso - Jacopo Tintoretto (assisted by son Domenico Tintoretto) (1588 - 1594) / Doge's Palace, Sala del Maggior Consiglio, Venice, Italy [Painting]
Ulm Minster - Heinrich Parler (Main Design and Principal Architect, mainly 1387 - 1391; continued construction and modification thereafter over centuries; first major construction phase: 1377 - 1543; further construction, modifications thereafter until 1890) / Ulm, Germany [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
Basilica of Saint-Denis - Abbot Suger (Principal Architect, Main Construction including the Gothic innovations: 1135 - 1144; key Nave and Transept additions thereafter, mainly 1230 - 1280 with modifications thereafter) / Saint-Denis, France [Architecture, including Stained Glass and Structural Sculpture]
On the Way Down From Moon Palace - Lisa Germano (1991)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch - Joe Dante (1990)
Pieta - Michelangelo Buonarroti (1498 - 1499) / St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy [Sculpture]
The Marble Index - Nico (1968)
Hex - Bark Psychosis (1994)
Sackcloth 'n' Ashes - 16 Horsepower (1996)
Desertshore - Nico (1970)
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