Top 50 Greatest Music Albums
by thepurplemartin 
- Chart updated: 01/07/2025 02:15
- (Created: 02/13/2024 18:41).
- Chart size: 50 albums.
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Year of Release:
2010
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Rank Score:
1,317
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Tennyson’s catalog from the 10 years leading up to his debut has been a string of crunchy, pocket-filled singles and EPs built around obvious jazz, house and glitch influences. After discovering the young Canadian’s music through singles like “For You” and “Lay-by” in 2018, and growing to expect quality music from him in the following years, it’s really no surprise that I enjoyed my initial listen of Rot. What was unexpected for me was how much Tennyson deviated from the formula and sounds I had come to expect, and furthermore, how much that paid off for this project.
As a producer, Luke Pretty is anything but inexperienced in his craft, and the maturity and individuality with which these tracks were created is a testament to that. But it’s evident that he has dialed back the busyness of his instrumentals and the complexity of his rhythms to focus on some things which have taken a backseat in Tennyson’s body of work until recently; singing and songwriting. This is only reinforced by one of the major influences on Rot, which came from Pretty’s own life. In an interview for an episode of KEXP’s “Sound & Vision”, Pretty discusses a hearing condition he developed shortly before beginning work on the album. He had abruptly noticed an acute sensitivity to certain sounds; “I was upstairs and someone was doing dishes and I noticed that it was extremely loud. I went outside to try and relax and the sound of the birds were piercing and the sound of the wind in the leaves of the trees felt like sandpaper.” As a musical hobbyist, the thought of how I hear things being permanently changed or damaged is one of my greatest fears. For that to become reality for someone who lives and breathes music like Pretty, it must come with a wave of doubt and emotion.
This condition certainly effected the outcome of the album - Pretty mentions in the KEXP interview how it resulted in an overall “more mellow” sound as he had to turn down harsh consonants and avoid high-end percussion - so the shift from Tennyson’s normal sound is not simply one of curiosity and exploration, but one of overcoming new obstacles. Many an artist has faced limitations, both self-imposed and external, and yet creating transcendent art in spite. An extreme example of this would be Beethoven losing his hearing almost completely late in his life, but going on to write some of his most stunning and iconic compositions.
If Rot tells us anything, it’s that Pretty is resilient. Not only has he not allowed this potential roadblock to prevent him from playing live shows and recording new music, he’s also blossomed musically in the heat of conflict. Rot’s songs are not a meager compromise, but a triumphant victory. Even in its most melancholic moments, Pretty doesn’t let his songs get bogged down by negative emotion, his soundscapes reaching epic highs when his lyrics become too somber. There’s a notable sparseness that is a major contrast to the greater portion of Tennyson’s body of work, especially in Rot’s percussion, but there’s no shortage of detail, meaning that while the instrumentals back off a bit to give Pretty’s vocals room to breathe, there’s still something new to appreciate on every replay.
Taking queues from Thom Yorke and Björk, two inspirations Pretty has named specifically as influences on Rot, Tennyson’s lyrics are often cryptic or ethereal while still remaining personal and vulnerable. On “Nine Lives”, in pitched-down monotone he sings “Watch the ashes dance to the spin of the earth / Feed those flames ‘til there’s nothing left” followed by glitched-out vocals “Let fire undo my nights with you”. The theme of moving on and moving past is prevalent through the album, whether it’s over “Doors” synthetic harpsichord warbling - “Close this part of me that’s always seeing doors / … / Feels so much better if you just wipe the diskette clean” - or floating over delicate piano chords as on “Leaves”; “Thought we’re gonna have some fun / Everyone leaves / I keep my eyes on the road”. Indeed, as much as Rot is a new beginning for Tennyson’s approach to music, it’s also a reflection of fresh starts in his own life. “I’ve got my nine lives and I gotta go / Just get off my wings and let me go”.
Of course, there are still moments on the album that are a continuation of the ideas present in his older work. “Reallywanna” features a playful, groovy bounce reminiscent of earlier tracks like “XYZ” and “With You”, but eschews many of the signature progressive, jazz-fusion elements. Throughout Rot, Tennyson is committed to a new, unified sound, centered around the alt-pop songwriting that is somehow so much more satisfying to bite into. [First added to this chart: 04/03/2024]
As a producer, Luke Pretty is anything but inexperienced in his craft, and the maturity and individuality with which these tracks were created is a testament to that. But it’s evident that he has dialed back the busyness of his instrumentals and the complexity of his rhythms to focus on some things which have taken a backseat in Tennyson’s body of work until recently; singing and songwriting. This is only reinforced by one of the major influences on Rot, which came from Pretty’s own life. In an interview for an episode of KEXP’s “Sound & Vision”, Pretty discusses a hearing condition he developed shortly before beginning work on the album. He had abruptly noticed an acute sensitivity to certain sounds; “I was upstairs and someone was doing dishes and I noticed that it was extremely loud. I went outside to try and relax and the sound of the birds were piercing and the sound of the wind in the leaves of the trees felt like sandpaper.” As a musical hobbyist, the thought of how I hear things being permanently changed or damaged is one of my greatest fears. For that to become reality for someone who lives and breathes music like Pretty, it must come with a wave of doubt and emotion.
This condition certainly effected the outcome of the album - Pretty mentions in the KEXP interview how it resulted in an overall “more mellow” sound as he had to turn down harsh consonants and avoid high-end percussion - so the shift from Tennyson’s normal sound is not simply one of curiosity and exploration, but one of overcoming new obstacles. Many an artist has faced limitations, both self-imposed and external, and yet creating transcendent art in spite. An extreme example of this would be Beethoven losing his hearing almost completely late in his life, but going on to write some of his most stunning and iconic compositions.
If Rot tells us anything, it’s that Pretty is resilient. Not only has he not allowed this potential roadblock to prevent him from playing live shows and recording new music, he’s also blossomed musically in the heat of conflict. Rot’s songs are not a meager compromise, but a triumphant victory. Even in its most melancholic moments, Pretty doesn’t let his songs get bogged down by negative emotion, his soundscapes reaching epic highs when his lyrics become too somber. There’s a notable sparseness that is a major contrast to the greater portion of Tennyson’s body of work, especially in Rot’s percussion, but there’s no shortage of detail, meaning that while the instrumentals back off a bit to give Pretty’s vocals room to breathe, there’s still something new to appreciate on every replay.
Taking queues from Thom Yorke and Björk, two inspirations Pretty has named specifically as influences on Rot, Tennyson’s lyrics are often cryptic or ethereal while still remaining personal and vulnerable. On “Nine Lives”, in pitched-down monotone he sings “Watch the ashes dance to the spin of the earth / Feed those flames ‘til there’s nothing left” followed by glitched-out vocals “Let fire undo my nights with you”. The theme of moving on and moving past is prevalent through the album, whether it’s over “Doors” synthetic harpsichord warbling - “Close this part of me that’s always seeing doors / … / Feels so much better if you just wipe the diskette clean” - or floating over delicate piano chords as on “Leaves”; “Thought we’re gonna have some fun / Everyone leaves / I keep my eyes on the road”. Indeed, as much as Rot is a new beginning for Tennyson’s approach to music, it’s also a reflection of fresh starts in his own life. “I’ve got my nine lives and I gotta go / Just get off my wings and let me go”.
Of course, there are still moments on the album that are a continuation of the ideas present in his older work. “Reallywanna” features a playful, groovy bounce reminiscent of earlier tracks like “XYZ” and “With You”, but eschews many of the signature progressive, jazz-fusion elements. Throughout Rot, Tennyson is committed to a new, unified sound, centered around the alt-pop songwriting that is somehow so much more satisfying to bite into. [First added to this chart: 04/03/2024]
Total albums: 2. Page 1 of 1
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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 1 | 2% | |
| 1970s | 3 | 6% | |
| 1980s | 5 | 10% | |
| 1990s | 9 | 18% | |
| 2000s | 12 | 24% | |
| 2010s | 14 | 28% | |
| 2020s | 6 | 12% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Kanye West | 5 | 10% | |
| Portishead | 3 | 6% | |
| Björk | 2 | 4% | |
| Black Midi | 2 | 4% | |
| Kate Bush | 2 | 4% | |
| Mac Miller | 2 | 4% | |
| DJ Shadow | 1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
23 | 46% | |
 |
16 | 32% | |
 |
3 | 6% | |
 |
2 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 4% | |
 |
2 | 4% | |
 |
1 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 50 Greatest Music Albums chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 38 from 45th to 7thDiscovery by Daft Punk |
| Up 32 from 48th to 16thDopethrone by Electric Wizard |
| Up 21 from 34th to 13thKids See Ghosts by Kids See Ghosts |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 34 from 14th to 48thMichigan by Sufjan Stevens |
| Down 31 from 12th to 43rdHead Hunters by Herbie Hancock |
| Down 18 from 20th to 38thIt's Album Time by Todd Terje |
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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums ratings
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| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 01/25/2025 14:15 |  SomethingSpecial | 1,104 | 85/100 |
| ! | 09/15/2024 00:16 |  sssvnnn | 2,865 | 83/100 |
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