Listed below are the overall rankings for the best albums in history as determined by their aggregate positions in over 59,000 different greatest album charts on BestEverAlbums.com! (Chart last updated: 1 hour ago).
"Pom Pom is absolutely one of 2014's strangest albums. I remain a little on the fence as to whether or not it's one of the year's best. In its favor I'll say it succeeds utterly in busting down any notion of musical genre, residing somewhere in the ambiguous terrain carved out by the likes of Fran...""Pom Pom is absolutely one of 2014's strangest albums. I remain a little on the fence as to whether or not it's one of the year's best. In its favor I'll say it succeeds utterly in busting down any notion of musical genre, residing somewhere in the ambiguous terrain carved out by the likes of Frank Zappa in the 1970s. At its best Pom Pom is campy, funny, bizarre, and oddly mesmerizing. Then again, it's also obnoxious at times, with a kind of smirking irony that I find generally distasteful. The fact that you're seeing it appear in my 2014 chart is indication that I've tentatively come down on the side of finding it more a valuable contribution than a detraction, but I'll also confess that five years later I'm still chewing on it but not quite able to digest it. A polarizing album that still leaves me unsure which pole I'm drawn to."[+]Reply
"When Vampire Weekend reformed and released Father of the Bride in 2019 I was just glad that my favourite band in my teenage years could still produce fun and exciting music, even if the output was a bit less consistent in quality than the stuff I'd grown to love years earlier. Only God Was Above ...""When Vampire Weekend reformed and released Father of the Bride in 2019 I was just glad that my favourite band in my teenage years could still produce fun and exciting music, even if the output was a bit less consistent in quality than the stuff I'd grown to love years earlier. Only God Was Above Us is a different prospect altogether, we're back to a shorter 10 track structure with each of these brimming with ideas and none having the throwaway quality of some of FotB's worse tracks. There's something else though, I've always found something very warm and reassuring in the band's earliest records and I'm finding it here as well, the baroque pop of Capricorn or Connect feels like the natural next step from Don't Lie and Everlasting Arms. It's a tough quality to completely describe but there's an effortless feel to these tracks, as though they simply grew from the emotions of the band members and the city setting. Maybe losing the pressure of delivering for a big comeback album has helped the band out or maybe they've just fully adjusted to Rostam's departure, either way they really feel back to their full powers here.
Through their early records, the improvements in the lyrics really charted the band's overall progress. The self-titled's sometimes anxious commentary on campus life gave way to something more emotionally resonant on Contra, before Modern Vampires of the City took the elaborate lyricism that the band were known for and twisted it into something strangely evocative and profound. Only God Was Above Us comes in at a similar level, there's lots of lines that I couldn't totally explain to you, but I could tell you how they made me feel. It's strong musically as well, the quirks in each of the tracks still hold close to the overall feel of a track and never feel like they were thrown in to try to make a song more interesting. None of the tracks stand out quite as much as Classical, where the multiple tracks of percussion, warm keys and wilder guitars & brass blend in this beautiful way. Ezra's vocals, reaching that mournful but not hopeless place he's so good at getting to, really wrap it all up as one of the band's best ever songs. There's no stand-out bad or even lacklustre tracks across the rest of the record, but it doesn't reach this level again. I'm also not always 100% sure about some of the more dissonant elements on some of these tracks, the final moments of Capricorn are especially guilty of this, as one of the better songs here starts to fall apart under the weight of the sound. Still, these are pretty minor points to make about an indie band which has had to adapt to so many changes in the musical landscape while either on hiatus or between albums. As a teenage Vampire Weekend obsessive I think I built myself up for the release of Modern Vampires of the City more than I have for any album before or since, I got a pleasant surprise with these subsequent two releases where I held much less of an interest in what was coming prior to their release, but with this I've really taken notice again and will be glad to be back on the VW hype train when it next rolls into the station."[+]Reply
"The New York Dolls' first LP is a confident sounding release chock full of good rockin' catchy tunes. The band plays with a sense of wild abandon that is infectious."Reply
"Mos Def - Black on Both Sides is an album I' ve always had the impression that it has achieved an "almost classic" status, which is a shame, as I don't think there is anything that separates it from the widely accepted classics. I was browsing through various relevant online articles/lists etc. a...""Mos Def - Black on Both Sides is an album I' ve always had the impression that it has achieved an "almost classic" status, which is a shame, as I don't think there is anything that separates it from the widely accepted classics. I was browsing through various relevant online articles/lists etc. and sadly my suspicion was confirmed for the most part. Maybe it has to do with what babyBlueSedan pointed out, that it's hard to include it in a sub-group inside the hip hop umbrella, maybe it has to do with the course of his career further down the road and his acting shenanigans, or maybe his music is just "too black" to be universally acclaimed. Anyway, not much needs to be said about the defining attributes of this album. The production is top notch, his delivery is practically flawless, but the main function both of these aspects serve is that they allow his lyrics to come through, so that the message can reach the audience loud and clear. Fear Not of Man is an ideal example of this - and of my two favorite moments of the album. It's a case of more speaking than rapping and gives us some of his best -and not only his, to be honest -lyrics. He begins by wondering about the future of hip hop and I really like the way he explains it is closely tied to the future of our civilisation/society and how humans have lost their focus, no matter if they are hip hop artists or regular citizens ("tell em, "You know what's gonna happen with hip-hop? Whatever's happening with us" If we smoked out, hip-hop is gonna be smoked out If we doin' alright, hip-hop is gonna be doin' alright People talk about hip-hop like it's some giant livin' in the hillside Comin' down to visit the townspeople We are hip-hop Me, you, everybody, we are hip-hop So hip-hop is going where we going So the next time you ask yourself where hip-hop is going Ask yourself: where am I going? How am I doing? Till you get a clear idea So if hip-hop is about the people And the hip-hop won't get better until the people get better Then how do people get better? (Hmm) Well, from my understanding people get better When they start to understand that they are valuable And they not valuable because they got a whole lot of money Or 'cause somebody, think they sexy"). Also noteworthy is the use of a sample from Nigerian Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti. Then comes Hip Hop , where he expands on the same theme and further reflects on the duty of the artist to communicate his ideas and raise the political awareness of his audience ("Young man, where you from? Brooklyn number one! Native son, speaking in the native tongue I got my eyes on tomorrow (there it is) While you still tryin to find where it is I'm on the Ave where it lives and dies, violently but silently Shine so vibrantly that eyes squint to catch a glimpse Embrace the bass with my dark ink fingertips"). Love changes the scenery a little bit with a jazzy/bluesy tune and -as expected- stresses the important of love -not only its romantic side, any kind of love. A minor complaint would be that the outro drags unnecessarily. Ms. Fat Booty is another huge track, though I sometimes feel that the tremendously powerful and captivating Aretha Franklin vocal sample overshadows anything else that's going on in this song. By no means does this make it any less enjoyable, I mention it mostly because it's one of the few occasions where the lyrics may remain into the background. Speed Law is a song with a rockier vibe. Lyrics-wise it's not one of my favorites, as it comes dangerously close to becoming one of those typical self-praising songs -but it keeps the balance, as it's more substance than style, while in this kind of songs it's usually the other way around -, plus the outro felt somewhat repetitive. Do It Now features Busta Rhymes, a great guest ("Take the arch rivalry stance up on the podium And give the flavor to niggas but keep it low on sodium Possess shit that got you wondering how we holdin em Things that'll lay you out like a piece of linoleum") and his chemistry with Mos Def is on a very high level. Got is my least favorite song of the album, it gets annoyingly repetitive. Not much to comment on UMI Says, he says it best himself ("Put my heart and soul into this song I hope you feel me From where I am, to wherever you are I mean that sincerely Tomorrow may never come For you and me, life is not promised Tomorrow may never appear You better hold this very moment very close to you Very close to you, so close to you So close to you, don't be afraid, just let it shine"). It's almost impossible not to be moved by his passion. New World Water is a song about water -thank you captain obvious- that can be interpreted in different levels, either directly related to environmental consciousness or to the underlying sociopolitical causes of water pollution and how the transformation of the human nature leads to the deterioration of our natural environment ("Used to have minerals and zinc in it (New World Water) Now they say it got lead and stink in it (New World Water)"). In Rock N Roll I'm not sure if the concept is flawed to begin with , or if it has to do more with the execution. However, the last minute frenzy was great. Know That begins with a Star Wars reference -can't go wrong with one of those. It is one of the funkiest tunes and features Talib Kweli ("Intellectual property I got the title and the deed I pay for rent, with the tears and sweat and what I bleed MCs imitate the way we walk, the way we talk You cats spit lyrical pork with no spiritual thought Plus your flow a little bit off You come across soft Back in the days niggas like that on stage got tossed off Need to get crossed off the guestlist It's like you gotta be disrespected and thrown out the exit To get the message"). Along with the opening track they are my two favorite moments of the album. Considering the competition, that's quite an achievement. Climb might seem weird or even a bit off as a standalone song, but in the context of the album provides a welcome change of pace, relaxing the listener after the highly energetic previous track and makes for a smooth transition to Brooklyn, which also has a chill jazzy atmosphere. Habitat takes another stab at tackling the problem of social injustice and inequality ("Partner, all that's left to want is more While these cats that's less privileged is just more raw Less space cause the projects laced with more flaws Less sleep cause the nights ain't peace, it's more war The can is raw like thirsty, rainy season thunder claps On the block with your old pop pleading number act To the spot with the red top fiends is huddled at To the crib where the little kids spend their summers trapped"). Mr. Nigga is a creative way to show the impact of race based prejudices ("One problem; even with the Os on his check The po-po stop him and show no respect "Is there a problem officer?" Damn straight, it's called race That motivate the jake (woo-woo) to give chase Say they want you successful, but that ain't the case You living large, your skin is dark, they flash a light in your face"). Mathematics is the epitome of classic, full of quotable lines ("The universe expands length The body of my text possess extra strength Power-lift the powerless up out of this towering inferno My ink so hot it burn through the journal I'm blacker than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle Hip-Hop passed all your tall social hurdles Like the nationwide projects-prison-industry complex Working-class poor, better keep your alarm set Streets too loud to ever hear freedom ring Say evacuate your sleep, it's dangerous to dream"). May-December, the closing track, is an instrumental that gives you some room to breathe and try to comprehend what you' ve experienced.
To sum it up, nothing short of a classic. (The review got bigger than I'd have liked, but it's mostly because I've quoted so much stuff. His lyrics are phenomenal, I couldn't resist the temptation.)"[+]Reply
"When I was 13, this album would have received a 100. But I am 21 now and while my consumption of alcohol has only increased, my exuberance for music that gets teenage blood pumping has sobered. Plenty of other bands have fallen by the wayside, but My Chemical Romance remains as one of my picks fo...""When I was 13, this album would have received a 100. But I am 21 now and while my consumption of alcohol has only increased, my exuberance for music that gets teenage blood pumping has sobered. Plenty of other bands have fallen by the wayside, but My Chemical Romance remains as one of my picks for best acts of the mid-2000's. Their image is often marred by their association with the late emo punk scene, leading to countless accusations of whiny three chord noise made in the garage of somebody's mom.
But I'm willing to put my neck out for this band because I believe they are not properly merited. Three Cheers exhibits tremendous ambition by attempting to exhibit the fatalistic dramatics of The Smiths in a hardcore-inspired punk setting. Gerard Way is crafty with his singing, balancing between anthemic melodies, melodramatic sound effects, and exasperated screams. Ray Toro's guitar contributions are indispensable - his technical solo virtuosity bring in a late 80's metal energy and intricacy that only a few other bands at the time, namely Avenged Sevenfold, were displaying. The result is an album that is incredibly bloated, yet earnest. MCR had some work to do in improving their chops and sound diversity, but they came up with the exact sound they were looking for, and this indulgence in theatrics earned them a considerable loyal following."[+]Reply
"I love a band that can be both wistfully beautiful and crushingly powerful within the same album. The amount of different sounds they tackle on this album is staggering. The playing is fantastic especially the drums. Clearly Like Herod and Mogwai Fear Satan are the big guns here if you’re thinkin...""I love a band that can be both wistfully beautiful and crushingly powerful within the same album. The amount of different sounds they tackle on this album is staggering. The playing is fantastic especially the drums. Clearly Like Herod and Mogwai Fear Satan are the big guns here if you’re thinking purely crescedo- core Post Rock with their head banging payoffs. Like Herod in particular reminds me at times of Sister-era Sonic Youth, Godflesh, and a more Kim Thayil focused Soundgarden. But the other tracks are killer too. Katrien is like Velvet Underground’s the Gift set to ferocious post rock and the drumming is superlative.
Then there’s Radar Maker’s haunting, emotive piano and Summer’s Slint & Filosofem-style Burzum mashup. Tracy is simply drop dead gorgeous, and With Portfolio stuns with a white noise loop that seems to shoot from speaker to speaker. Then R U Still In It finally answers the question of what would happen if either Kurt Wagner (Lambchop) or Stuart Staples (Tindersticks) had decided to front a post-rock band. A Cheery Wave sounds like Faith-era The Cure if Robert Smith had been, um.. cheery. Finally, Mogwai Fear Satan recalls MBV era Loveless and probably most likely influenced Justin Broadrick’s Jesu. That’s a lot of ground to cover in just one hour. Highly Recommended! ****"[+]Reply
"The music world needed this album and this woman in the worst way. Badu is the definition of real. There's no pretention, or attempts to be something she's not. There's just the coolest woman in the business putting it out on a soulful, funky record. Brilliant."Reply
"This is one album I just have to give a 10/10. It's in my top three of all time and is pure, unadulterated AC/DC in the middle of their prime. Lack of a hit single may turn off some people from caring for this album, but it grows on you until you realize just how damn perfect it is."Reply
"One of the most underrated Genesis albums alongside And Then There Were Three and Trespass. Requires more time and repeated listens than A Trick Of The Tail for it to really “sink in,” but it’s fantastic when you finally start to get into it. It also has a very rich, atmospheric, romantic, classi...""One of the most underrated Genesis albums alongside And Then There Were Three and Trespass. Requires more time and repeated listens than A Trick Of The Tail for it to really “sink in,” but it’s fantastic when you finally start to get into it. It also has a very rich, atmospheric, romantic, classical sound that bridges the band’s prog and pop eras quite nicely. If they took out “All In A Mouse’s Night” and replaced that song with the buried forgotten gem “Inside And Out”, this would’ve been a near perfect record. My favorite release in their catalogue with Phil Collins at the mic."[+]Reply
"Despising this Album at first, it quickly grew on me. Now its one of my absolute favorites, from the trippy feel of Dramamine to Space Travel is Boring. It established Modest Mouse as a unique alternative band."Reply
buzzdainer | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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swhaze | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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dmercado | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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junodog4 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
