The "objective" greatest and best albums list? - Music

Kiki

Over the past 4-5 years greatest albums charts have been something which I have enjoyed viewing. As much as sort of lists of peoples own opinions (which this site has on a much larger scale) I have found interest in looking at the big classic lists from the many publications out there. Checking what they have and comparing mentally in my head.

Anyway, recently I have been thinking about creating my own list like this. Sort of a homage to those lists.

I'm aware that I can't make it 100% objective as subjective views will always seep through. Is there anything else that I should be aware of when I take up this project? What should I take into consideration?

Also this is not DEFINITIVE. It is nothing which will be taken too seriously and what order I put it in will not become the law. Razz

Will anyone be interested in seeing such a list? Even if you disagree with the premise would you take a peak to see what order things are in?

cartoken
The Seer

Gender: Male
Age: 39
Location: Paris

What's the point of that kind of chart ! Is it a secret desire of conformity ? to get the majority approval ?
If it's to show what the majority thinks is the best albums ever, I can't see how you can make a chart as intresting or solid as BEA, RYM or Acclaimedmusic charts about what the majority thinks. Your Own top 100 is more relevant I think.

Last edited by cartoken on 02/15/2012 21:26; edited 1 time in total

Kiki

cartoken wrote:

What's the point of that kind of chart ! Is it a secret desire of conformity ? to get the majority approval ?
If it's to show what the majority thinks is the best albums ever, I can't see how you can make a chart as intresting or solid as BEA, RYM or Acclaimedmusic charts about what the majority thinks. You Own top 100 is more relevant I think.

Well I'll be the last person to "conform" Razz

It is to pay tribute I suppose and to see what I can come up with. The more I'm listening to music, the less harsher I am towards albums. I'm wondering if albums I once considered "bad" got me at a wrong time and they would be much better now. Basically there is some merit in everything.

And I can't really build my own top 100. I have a bunch of albums that I like and a few hundred others I would put on anyway. I couldn't possibly rank my own.

Mother Nature's Son

Gender: Male
Age: 31

If all people on this site were 100% subjective, the overall chart would in time be 100% objective. But people aren't 100% subjective.

If people didn't put weird albums on their chart just to make it more spectacular and interesting, if people didn't put too obvious choices on, even though they don't like them, just to be ¨safe¨.. If people didn't care about others opinions, then the overall chart would be objective.

Robert Anton Wilson
Epic Proghead

Gender: Male
Age: 56
Location: Inside

Sgt Pepper: Truly the first ever "best ever" pop album that made albums a worthy media in and of themselves.

Kind of Blue (Miles Davis): Before pop/rock, jazz dominated album sales even though the idea of a jazz album is a bit of an oxymoron with jazz being about improvisation and fluid structures and never doing the same thing twice. Kind of Blue proved that even though jazz albums are not as truly jazz as actual performances they are a worthy commodity and lord did many jazz album followed improvisation or not

Pet Sounds: the Beach Boys: .

Thriller by Michael Jackson: The ultimate demonstration of how much bigger one album can be to anything which is its contemporary. You think you made it big, here is how big you have to make it before people say you couldn't have done it bigger.

Like a Virgin, Madonna: the proof that when making it big talent and substance is optional. A very reductive album but it changed the face of female pop/rock forever.

Dark Side of the Moon: The proof that sometimes success is demonstrated by the test of time rather than by the greatest "box office" success.

Exile on Main Street Proof that the underlying art which is necessary to make an album can be disassociated from the necessary catchyness and popularity necessary for making a single.

OK Computer, Radiohead: Proof that it can still be done within a somewhat rock realm (as opposed to hip hop or pop)

Tommy, The Who: The first hugely popular rock opera/album elaborate enough to made into a movie.

The only one that might still deserve to be included is either Born to Run or Nebraska by Bruce but I am not sure.

... Anything beyond is clearly subjective ...

Guest

I don't think I could make an 'objective' chart.

I would not be able to put an album on a chart if I don't personally like it, just because a bunch of other people think it is good. What makes their opinions any more or less valid than mine? Maybe they haven't heard album x that I love so don't know how great it is? Do I really care what other people think?

I would much rather put my name to what I like and look at other specific sites or publications for a more 'accepted norm'. I tend to browse charts/chart sites for albums I don't know and for other ideas. I know the accepted top 100 and know what bits of it I like and what I don't so am not really interested in exploring that further.

I would say stick to your own objective chart as it is personal and says something about you! Very Happy

Kiki

Mother Nature's Son wrote:

If all people on this site were 100% subjective, the overall chart would in time be 100% objective. But people aren't 100% subjective.

If people didn't put weird albums on their chart just to make it more spectacular and interesting, if people didn't put too obvious choices on, even though they don't like them, just to be ¨safe¨.. If people didn't care about others opinions, then the overall chart would be objective.

Great points raised there Smile

I should mention before we go further that this idea will not be posted as my chart but will end up on a thread here and notebook elsewhere.

Robert Anton Wilson
Epic Proghead

Gender: Male
Age: 56
Location: Inside

Mother Nature's Son wrote:

If all people on this site were 100% subjective, the overall chart would in time be 100% objective. But people aren't 100% subjective ... If people didn't care about others opinions, then the overall chart would be objective.

Funny you should say that. Statistically speaking, you are totally right. Wanting to make it objective actually makes it less objective.

Mother Nature's Son wrote:

If people didn't put weird albums on their chart just to make it more spectacular and interesting

Well ... I am sort of guilty of that one but I am not doing it for the purpose of making it more spectacular but definitely for the purpose of making it more interesting. I think the addition of thematic lists will make this less of a problem by allowing us to make interesting recommendations without needing to put the album we want to push on a best ever chart.

Kiki

Robert Anton Wilson wrote:

Sgt Pepper: Truly the first ever "best ever" pop album that made albums a worthy media in and of themselves.

Kind of Blue (Miles Davis): Before pop/rock, jazz dominated album sales even though the idea of a jazz album is a bit of an oxymoron with jazz being about improvisation and fluid structures and never doing the same thing twice. Kind of Blue proved that even though jazz albums are not as truly jazz as actual performances they are a worthy commodity and lord did many jazz album followed improvisation or not

Pet Sounds: the Beach Boys: .

Thriller by Michael Jackson: The ultimate demonstration of how much bigger one album can be to anything which is its contemporary. You think you made it big, here is how big you have to make it before people say you couldn't have done it bigger.

Like a Virgin, Madonna: the proof that when making it big talent and substance is optional. A very reductive album but it changed the face of female pop/rock forever.

Dark Side of the Moon: The proof that sometimes success is demonstrated by the test of time rather than by the greatest "box office" success.

Exile on Main Street Proof that the underlying art which is necessary to make an album can be disassociated from the necessary catchyness and popularity necessary for making a single.

OK Computer, Radiohead: Proof that it can still be done within a somewhat rock realm (as opposed to hip hop or pop)

Tommy, The Who: The first hugely popular rock opera/album elaborate enough to made into a movie.

The only one that might still deserve to be included is either Born to Run or Nebraska by Bruce but I am not sure.

... Anything beyond is clearly subjective ...

Great stuff Smile

And I have listened to all of them apart from the Madonna one. Might have to give that a go.

Mother Nature's Son

Gender: Male
Age: 31

Robert Anton Wilson wrote:

Well ... I am sort of guilty of that one but I am not doing it for the purpose of making it more spectacular but definitely for the purpose of making it more interesting. I think the addition of thematic lists will make this less of a problem by allowing us to make interesting recommendations without needing to put the album we want to push on a best ever chart.

Yes, thematic lists, or perhaps year charts, would clearly make this problem better. And don't feel guilty at all. Even though obscure choices aren't completely honest, they are definitely more interesting to see than the same 100 albums you see in every chart.