Board 8 > Rank the Album Volume 1 RESULTS

(+) Yeah! (+)

Our participants:
CasanovaZelos
ChainLTTP
Giggsalot
HBJDubs
Jesse_Custer
Johnbobb
neonreaper
Raetsel_Lapin
Seanchan
Snake5555555555
SpikeSetsFire
VeryInsane

The albums being ranked:
Air - Moon Safari
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
Nirvana - Nevermind
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Pixies - Doolittle
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Killers - Hot Fuss
The Strokes - Is This It
U2 - Achtung Baby
Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album)
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJhx6bizOCA

25. Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (1995)
Average Rank: 19.5
Top Three Tracks: Philosophy, Underground, The Last Polka

Rankings:
Jesse_Custer: 5
Raetsel_Lapin: 6
Seanchan: 16
SpikeSetsFire: 18
Giggsalot: 23
HBJDubs: 23
Snake5555555555: 23
VeryInsane: 23
CasanovaZelos: 24
ChainLTTP: 24
neonreaper: 24
Johnbobb: 25

Snake5555555555: Slightly corny but also quite catchy, heartfelt and humorous in parts, with great if repetitive instrumentation

Seanchan: Great piano work but oh boy that singing

Johnbobb: probably the only album we've listened to that I actively disliked, and it sucks that I did because the instrumentals were excellent. Ben Folds' terrible singing just made this something I never want to listen to again

VeryInsane: It is a decent low fi album but Ben Folds never really clicked for me

CasanovaZelos: Essentially doomed to last place - not necessarily due to its quality but because every other album we covered in the first batch is generally considered near the peak of their respective genres - unless an album got some serious backlash, this was out of its league by design. Nevertheless, I hope to see more personal favorites as the series progresses, as this was the only album I had not heard before and I like discovering new music.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFElidiwxYU

24. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
Average Rank: 18.33
Top Three Tracks: 1901, Lisztomana, Lasso

Rankings:
Jesse_Custer (9)
Raetsel_Lapin (11)
SpikeSetsFire (12)
Seanchan (15)
neonreaper (17)
CasanovaZelos (19)
ChainLTTP (20)
Giggsalot (21)
Johnbobb (23)
VeryInsane (24)
HBJDubs (24)
Snake5555555555 (25)

Snake5555555555: Repetitive and the definition of spinning your wheels musically, with only 2, admittedly amazing, highlights

Seanchan: The "fodder" line - Thats a bit harsh but this album was continually my mental separation point when trying to place an album. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoneix has 2 great opening songs and then the rest is just good. Its a perfectly pleasant album, which is why I nominated it, but I recognize that it lacks compared to the albums above.

Johnbobb: I barely remember this one! But also remember not being impressed.

VeryInsane: Fine and harmless, but doesnt really have any real highs to me

CasanovaZelos: One of the definitive frontloaded albums - I think everything past the opening is still good, but it ultimately blurs together. Which, a few of my favorite albums similarly blur together, but the baseline quality is also higher on those works.

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Tag

Not really surprised by last place, but it deserved better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knU9gRUWCno

23. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)
Average Rank: 17.5
Top Three Tracks: Someday, Last Nite, Hard to Explain

Rankings:
ChainLTTP (8)
CasanovaZelos (13)
VeryInsane (13)
Giggsalot (17)
Seanchan (17)
SpikeSetsFire (17)
HBJDubs (19)
neonreaper (19)
Snake5555555555 (19)
Johnbobb (22)
Jesse_Custer (23)
Raetsel_Lapin (23)

Snake5555555555: Repetitive but in a way that kinda works in the right mood? And I do quite enjoy the singles too.

Seanchan: Much like The Strokes in general, I feel like I should like this album more than I did. It does itself a big favor though by being a short listen.

Johnbobb: I barely remember this one!

VeryInsane: I have a soft spot for this album just because it was a gateway album for me. It is still good in a few ways

CasanovaZelos: One of the last mega hits of traditional rock music, at least in the popular sphere. I get that a lot of these songs sound similar, but unlike Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, I think the basic sound on display here is exceptional throughout. Not a weak moment, but also not doing anything to leave a greater impact.

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Nothing too surprising so far. I know all 3 of those were nearer the middle of my personal list but I can easily see why those are near the bottom.

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oh nice, bottom three are all in my bottom 4

the handful of bland albums among a mostly great collection

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM63Tzv-uZg

22. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020)
Average Rank: 17.17
Top Three Tracks: Shameika, Heavy Balloon, Cosmonauts

Rankings:
CasanovaZelos (3)
Johnbobb (10)
VeryInsane (10)
Jesse_Custer (13)
Snake5555555555 (14)
Giggsalot (16)
ChainLTTP (22)
HBJDubs (22)
neonreaper (23)
Raetsel_Lapin (24)
Seanchan (24)
SpikeSetsFire (25)

Snake5555555555: Clever and catchy songwriting, just an unabashedly weird, timely, and ambitious piece of pop music, it's great

Seanchan: Happy to have listened to this and expanded my horizons. But this one is the reason I gave this tier its name ("Let's be honest, I'm never going to listen to these again").

Johnbobb: One of the biggest and best surprises to come out of music in the last few years

VeryInsane: This is pretty neat, really like it still even if Im unsure if it was the best album of 2020 as everyone kept saying it was

CasanovaZelos: After kicking off her career with some strong and accessible piano rock, Fiona Apple has increasingly rejected typical pop ideals in pursuit of something greater. Fetch the Bolt Cutters is the culmination, art pop like never seen before. This is assuredly pop music, but warped to be abrasive in a way I typically only experience in harsher forms of electronic and metal. It is aggressive, an album with no intent of meeting its listener halfway. As such, divisive, but I fall on the side of people who absolutely adore it.

---

This is a really busy day so I might not update much

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InupuylYdcY

21. Lin-Manuel Miranda - Hamilton (2015)
Average Rank: 16.67
Top Three Tracks: Satisfied, Wait for It, Non-Stop

Rankings:
Raetsel_Lapin (1)
neonreaper (4)
Seanchan (11)
Johnbobb (12)
Jesse_Custer (15)
Snake5555555555 (18)
CasanovaZelos (20)
VeryInsane (20)
SpikeSetsFire (24)
ChainLTTP (25)
Giggsalot (25)
HBJDubs (25)

Snake5555555555: Its high points are immaculate but there's a lot of filler that don't work as stand-alone listens for me

Seanchan: I enjoyed Hamilton quite a lot and this would likely be even higher on my list if not for two reasons. One, its a play and it loses something from only listening and not watching. Two, at nearly 2.5 hours its too long for a casual listen.

Johnbobb: yeah it's hamilton ok

VeryInsane: This is good, but to me what makes Hamilton great is the choreography and theatrics. Its hard to rank a Broadway album to me and it is admittedly a little bloated with a ton of callbacks, but as a show it was excellent (saw it a few years back)

CasanovaZelos: Hamilton is fun as long as you can accept it as the hip hop version of a musical - it doesn't really compare to any traditional hip hop album but still feels fresh when compared to others in its intended medium. The number of motifs and callbacks is staggering.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiU

20. The Killers - Hot Fuss (2004)
Average Rank: 15.67
Top Three Tracks: Somebody Told Me, Mr. Brightside, All These Things That I've Done

Rankings:
Seanchan (5)
Jesse_Custer (8)
Raetsel_Lapin (10)
SpikeSetsFire (10)
HBJDubs (16)
ChainLTTP (17)
Johnbobb (17)
Giggsalot (19)
neonreaper (20)
Snake5555555555 (21)
VeryInsane (22)
CasanovaZelos (23)

Snake5555555555: Proof The Killers work better off their singles

Seanchan: The very definition of solid. Not my favorite Killers album but relistening to this reminded me again why I enjoyed those first few albums by the group.

Johnbobb: Not as good as Sam's Town!

VeryInsane: Decent pop songs but beyond that it doesnt really have the same scale and the top stuff is pretty overplayed

CasanovaZelos: Another super frontloaded album, but the back half just offers nothing interesting to me.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo-x4PU8S6g

19. Weezer - Weezer (The Blue Album) (1994)
Average Rank: 14.92
Top Three Tracks: Say It Ain't So, Undone - The Sweater Song, Buddy Holly

Rankings:
Seanchan (6)
HBJDubs (8)
ChainLTTP (10)
Giggsalot (12)
CasanovaZelos (14)
Snake5555555555 (16)
Jesse_Custer (17)
VeryInsane (17)
neonreaper (18)
SpikeSetsFire (19)
Johnbobb (20)
Raetsel_Lapin (22)

Snake5555555555: Surfy, punky, self-reflective, not the best but certainly solid

Seanchan: Despite liking some Weezer songs, Ive never considered myself a fan of the band. Turns out this album has most of those songs I like and the rest is a really fun listen.

Johnbobb: My Name Is Jonas is excellent. Everything else is basically the same song

VeryInsane: Good stuff all around, but to me the hits are the weak links and the deep cuts are incredible. It is what it is.

CasanovaZelos: A breezy yet strong listen throughout, top of the line light alternative.

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How the hell did Blue rank below fucking meat loaf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftjEcrrf7r0

18. U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)
Average Rank: 14.5
Top Three Tracks: One, Mysterious Ways, The Fly

Rankings:
Jesse_Custer (1)
Raetsel_Lapin (7)
SpikeSetsFire (7)
HBJDubs (14)
neonreaper (14)
Snake5555555555 (17)
CasanovaZelos (18)
ChainLTTP (18)
Giggsalot (18)
VeryInsane (19)
Seanchan (20)
Johnbobb (21)

Snake5555555555: Good if sometimes nondescript alt. rock, but its high points are genuinely amazing

Seanchan: Never been a U2 fan and this didnt change my mind.

Johnbobb: U2 is pretty hit or miss for me in general, but this is more on the miss end overall.

VeryInsane: this is when U2 started changing its sound a little bit, and honestly the earlier stuff sounds more feisty and with more spirit. But that is just me

CasanovaZelos: Half the tracks are all-time greats, the other half is largely forgettable - I could enjoy this a lot more if a couple tracks were cut.

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ChainLTTP posted...

How the hell did Blue rank below fucking meat loaf

Yeah everything's going about as I'd hoped, meat loaf aside

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I think my original goal would have been to get through most of these on Sunday but then sudden birthday party in another town happened so most of my day was eaten up. Sorry for the slower than intended reveal.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqmORiHNtN4

17. Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid (2010)
Average Rank: 14.17
Top Three Tracks: Cold War, Faster, Tightrope

Rankings:
Seanchan (3)
neonreaper (9)
CasanovaZelos (12)
Giggsalot (13)
SpikeSetsFire (13)
Johnbobb (14)
ChainLTTP (16)
VeryInsane (16)
HBJDubs (18)
Jesse_Custer (18)
Raetsel_Lapin (18)
Snake5555555555 (20)

Snake5555555555: Cool genre experimentation and great singles, but its cinematic ambitions miss the mark for me

Seanchan: The ArchAndroid has an amazing first half; the second half is still good but its really Suite III doing the heavy lifting.

Johnbobb: Not at all what I expected JM to sound like, but I kinda loved it

VeryInsane: First half was excellent, second half was ok. A little uneven but fine

CasanovaZelos: A chaotic explosion of genres that I realized upon revisiting does not hold up as much as I had remembered - still a wonderful time, but I think Dirty Computer might be the stronger Monae album at this point.

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Tag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ES7ueI7p0

16. Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell (1977)
Average Rank: 13.75
Top Three Tracks: Bat Out of Hell, Paradise by the Dashboard Light, Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Rankings:
Seanchan (1)
neonreaper (2)
Raetsel_Lapin (3)
SpikeSetsFire (5)
Snake5555555555 (8)
Jesse_Custer (12)
HBJDubs (13)
ChainLTTP (23)
Giggsalot (24)
Johnbobb (24)
CasanovaZelos (25)
VeryInsane (25)

Snake5555555555: Operatic rock at its finest, with the occasional slow skipper

Seanchan: Bat Out of Hell is a special album for me. Ive heard it a million times (and Ill hear it a million more) but I never get tired of it.

Johnbobb: hair metal isn't very good

VeryInsane: This just felt really campy and out of place to me as a goofy rock opera.

CasanovaZelos: I have listened to every album among the top 1000 as listed on Acclaimed Music and this is my second least favorite among the entire batch. I honestly do not understand the appeal.

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CasanovaZelos posted...

CasanovaZelos: I have listened to every album among the top 1000 as listed on Acclaimed Music and this is my second least favorite among the entire batch. I honestly do not understand the appeal.

What's your bottom?

ChainLTTP posted...

What's your bottom?

No Other by Gene Clark, which I have absolutely no recollection of but Gene Clark helped found a band I am generally underwhelmed by (The Byrds) so I'm assuming it earned my indifference.

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yeah I don't really get the love for that

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuHeAs0rw5M

15. Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
Average Rank: 13.42
Top Three Tracks: Wave of Mutilation, Monkey Gone to Heaven, Hey

Rankings:
CasanovaZelos (2)
Johnbobb (3)
VeryInsane (3)
Giggsalot (7)
neonreaper (8)
SpikeSetsFire (9)
ChainLTTP (19)
Jesse_Custer (19)
HBJDubs (21)
Raetsel_Lapin (21)
Snake5555555555 (24)
Seanchan (25)

Snake5555555555: I should like this more but it's a muddled sound of noise and indie rock for me, but Debaser rules

Seanchan: There was never much doubt that this was the bottom of my list. I just hated the sound here.

Johnbobb: I wish I had gotten into the Pixies long before I did, because this is exactly the type I thing I would have become obsessed with in my teens. Grungy and powerful and catchy as hell.

VeryInsane: its the tightest package IMO. The album itself doesnt reach the heights of some of the other albums around here but its consistent and pulls no punches

CasanovaZelos: Though alternative rock had already formed as a concept, this was the perfect powder keg to pave the way for the 90s alternative scene. Aggressive, quirky, no song overstaying its welcome.

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It's insane to me how divisive Doolittle is here; half of us have it in our top 9, the other half in the bottom 7.

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aw what

snake you betrayed me

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Its kinda funny that Bat Out of Hell and Doolittle had pretty much opposite spectrums of voters

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3CnfFQENkw

13 (tie). Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012)
Average Rank: 13.25
Top Three Tracks: Sing About Me I'm Dying of Thirst, m.A.A.d. city, Money Trees

Rankings:
CasanovaZelos (4)
ChainLTTP (4)
VeryInsane (4)
Giggsalot (5)
Seanchan (12)
Raetsel_Lapin (15)
Snake5555555555 (15)
Johnbobb (16)
HBJDubs (17)
Jesse_Custer (20)
SpikeSetsFire (22)
neonreaper (25)

Snake5555555555: Always liked this one quite a bit, fantastic lyricism and flows

Seanchan: Kendrick is a newer rapper that Id never listened to but gotten the impression is well respected. I listened to this album and quickly understood why. Both the rhymes and beats are engrossing.

Johnbobb: Pretty hit or miss for me overall. Some great tracks and some I didn't care for nearly as much.

VeryInsane: Reinvigorated my interest in rap almost single handedly

CasanovaZelos: Kendrick Lamar might just be the finest lyricist since Bob Dylan, and good kid, m.A.A.d. city is a storytelling masterpiece matched with phenomenal production.

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Johnbobb posted...

aw what

snake you betrayed me

No one is more disappointed than I am!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVEZNvqecdE

13 (tie). LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007)
Average Rank: 13.25
Top Three Tracks: All My Friends, Someone Great, Get Innocuous!

Rankings:
CasanovaZelos (1)
Seanchan (4)
Johnbobb (8)
HBJDubs (9)
Snake5555555555 (11)
ChainLTTP (12)
VeryInsane (12)
Raetsel_Lapin (17)
Giggsalot (20)
Jesse_Custer (21)
neonreaper (21)
SpikeSetsFire (23)

Snake5555555555: One of the best surprises of this series, pulsating and intelligent

Seanchan: Sound of Silver is awesome from start to almost finish. I really dont like the very last song.

Johnbobb: Been meaning to listen to more LCD for years now, because everything I hear from them is great.

VeryInsane: I like this a bunch, its trendy and neat. Its like a 80s album with modern production

CasanovaZelos: James Murphy merges phenomenal lyrics with an eclectic set of styles. Every song here is a distinct entity (except the two short bursts of dance-punk) yet it all works as one cohesive movement.

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If there was an overall deviation from the rankings score, Im guessing Id have first place.

LiquidOshawott posted...

Its kinda funny that Bat Out of Hell and Doolittle had pretty much opposite spectrums of voters

Chances are that I would hate Doolittle then, seeing as I enjoy the heck out of all four Bat Out of Hell albums (the fourth being "unofficial" because of record label shit but still). Jim Steinman was a genius (RIP) and Meat Loaf was the perfect person to belt out his songs.

I can understand why some people wouldn't like it since it all comes down to taste, but it's fun, angsty, and epic all at once, complete with a brilliant operatic feel. I'd think people who don't like the Bats take music more seriously than they need to tbh.

(I am lurking in here... and also working on the Iron Maiden ranking jsyk)
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I'm surprised how low Bat out of Hell ranked.

I love any thing Jim Steinman (rip) wrote.
Not just his stuff with Meatloaf. Total eclipse of the heart and Making love out of nothing at all are great too.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMnQwBTJnMM

12. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Average Rank: 12.83
Top Three Tracks: Runaway, Power, All of the Lights

Rankings:
ChainLTTP (3)
Giggsalot (4)
CasanovaZelos (7)
Seanchan (7)
VeryInsane (11)
HBJDubs (12)
Snake5555555555 (13)
Raetsel_Lapin (14)
Johnbobb (15)
SpikeSetsFire (21)
neonreaper (22)
Jesse_Custer (25)

Snake5555555555: I don't really like Kanye as a person but I gotta give respect to this album where it's due, everything from the production to the samples are fantastic

Seanchan: Just a bombastically beautiful piece of...pop rap (is that the right term?). Anyway, theres some really good stuff here that makes this very relistenable.

Johnbobb: Just because this was a shockingly good album doesn't mean I like Kanye now

VeryInsane: I felt really weird ranking this outside the top ten just because Ive probably listened to this more than any album listed here, and there are still elements I really like, but honestly this felt right just because it doesnt push the envelope the way other Kanye albums do for me. And the weak songs have started looking way weaker

CasanovaZelos: Some of the finest production hip hop has ever seen, while Kanye somehow makes his massive ego work in his favor thematically.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQ5o7b7qf0

11. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
Average Rank: 12.75
Top Three Tracks: Oblivion, The Last Baron, The Czar

Rankings:
HBJDubs (5)
neonreaper (5)
VeryInsane (5)
Snake5555555555 (6)
Raetsel_Lapin (9)
Giggsalot (10)
ChainLTTP (14)
SpikeSetsFire (15)
Johnbobb (18)
CasanovaZelos (22)
Jesse_Custer (22)
Seanchan (22)

Snake5555555555: One of the best sludge/prog metal albums of all time

Seanchan: Oblivion is a cool song but the rest just wore thin.

Johnbobb: I used to be a lot more into this kind of metal than I am now. It's not bad at all, but doesn't get close to being an instant favorite like it might've when I was a teen.

VeryInsane: just a hard hitting slapping metal album that pulls no punches, always enjoy listening to it

CasanovaZelos: I immediately forget what Mastodon sounds like after I stop listening. I remember liking this as I listened, but absolutely nothing has stuck with me.

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Sorry I got to the final case of Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and it was suddenly 1 in the morning after I finished

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Understandable.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTuD8k3JvxQ

10. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)
Average Rank: 12.25
Top Three Tracks: Them Bones, Down in a Hole, Rooster

Rankings:
neonreaper (1)
Snake5555555555 (1)
HBJDubs (4)
Johnbobb (4)
Raetsel_Lapin (13)
Seanchan (14)
SpikeSetsFire (14)
Giggsalot (15)
VeryInsane (15)
CasanovaZelos (21)
ChainLTTP (21)
Jesse_Custer (24)

Snake5555555555: An all-time favorite. Dark, heavy, wrought with emotion and pain, but also filled with killer riffs to make you try and forget it all

Seanchan: I didnt expect to like this one as much as I did but each listen brought more clarity. A step (or 4) below its contemporary grunge mate (Nevermind) but still eminently listenable.

Johnbobb: Most of the big 5 grunge bands can make a run for my favorites, and Dirt is among the best albums to come from the movement. Almost forget how good it is between listens.

VeryInsane: Hey I like AIC a lot we just need to stop nominating good albums so it could place higher

CasanovaZelos: I feel the need to point out that, even though I'm among the biggest detractors here, 22 of these 25 albums would probably land in my top 1000 albums (out of 3,000 total) - it just happens that 10 of these would also be in my top 100. Dirt is a great album that happens to be competing against several of my all-time favorites.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyHNuVaZJ-k

9. Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
Average Rank: 12.17
Top Three Tracks: Feel Good Inc., DARE, El Manana

Rankings:
Johnbobb (2)
Jesse_Custer (3)
SpikeSetsFire (6)
Giggsalot (8)
ChainLTTP (9)
Raetsel_Lapin (12)
neonreaper (13)
CasanovaZelos (15)
HBJDubs (15)
VeryInsane (18)
Snake5555555555 (22)
Seanchan (23)

Snake5555555555: Not a favorite but I appreciate its eclectic taste of genre and sounds

Seanchan: Feel Good Inc is a cool song but I didnt really enjoy very much of the rest.

Johnbobb: in my top 5 albums. This one's been a favorite of mine since middle school, and I've never stopped loving it even a little.

VeryInsane: This is kinda fine, I feel like this one peaks at the first half for me and then kinda falls a little bit. Plastic Beach rules though.

CasanovaZelos: Growing up obsessed with animation during the 2000s, Gorillaz make me instantly nostalgic. This is a fun, catchy album that maybe runs a bit long but proves the project is more than a gimmick (though its popular success makes me really wish Blur caught on in the States).

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I feel the need to point out that the last 8 albums all fell in the 12-13.99 average range; these results were very close throughout and any additional list might have drastically changed the final placements.

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So we have

Abbey Road
OK Computer
Nevermind
Rumours
Moon Safari
Mezzanine
Enter the 36 Chambers
The Wall

for whats left right?


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s

8. Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)
Average Rank: 11.83
Top Three Tracks: Teardrop, Angel, Risingson

Rankings:
Giggsalot (1)
Jesse_Custer (6)
HBJDubs (7)
VeryInsane (7)
Snake5555555555 (9)
Johnbobb (11)
neonreaper (11)
ChainLTTP (15)
CasanovaZelos (16)
SpikeSetsFire (16)
Seanchan (18)
Raetsel_Lapin (25)

Snake5555555555: Near unmatched sense of darkness, dread, and anxiety in music form, but also strangely relaxing at the same time

Seanchan: This was a vibe album for me. In the right mood this is a good listen.

Johnbobb: This might be my new chillout album if I hadn't also discovered Moon Safari in this topic series.

VeryInsane: I havent listened to this album in like a decade and Im slapping myself for not doing so. Angel is arguably the best song on this ranking so it has that going for it

CasanovaZelos: Though Teardrop is the only song I truly love on its own, Mezzanine as a whole has a wonderfully moody atmosphere.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecRs1sWZIL4

7. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Average Rank: 10.67
Top Three Tracks: C.R.E.A.M., Da Mystery of Chessboxin, Protect Ya Neck

Rankings:
Giggsalot (2)
Snake5555555555 (4)
ChainLTTP (5)
Johnbobb (5)
Jesse_Custer (7)
VeryInsane (9)
HBJDubs (10)
CasanovaZelos (11)
neonreaper (15)
Raetsel_Lapin (19)
SpikeSetsFire (20)
Seanchan (21)

Snake5555555555: One of the best hip-hop albums of all time, the Clan's flows are endlessly infectious and I love the martial art movie samples

Seanchan: Didnt care too much for the hardcore/gangster rap on offer here.

Johnbobb: A while back I listened through all the biggest and most influential of 90s rap, and nothing came close to hitting me the way that 36 Chambers did.

VeryInsane: every time I listen to this I keep forgetting how good it is, its raw and just digs straight at you

CasanovaZelos: Astonished this beat out the more accessible hip hop albums, but I'm not complaining. Definitely the album that jumped the most for me upon revisiting.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-xTttimcNk

6. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)
Average Rank: 10.58
Top Three Tracks: Comfortably Numb, Hey You, Run Like Hell

Rankings:
HBJDubs (1)
Johnbobb (1)
Raetsel_Lapin (5)
Snake5555555555 (5)
neonreaper (7)
SpikeSetsFire (8)
ChainLTTP (13)
Seanchan (13)
Jesse_Custer (14)
CasanovaZelos (17)
VeryInsane (21)
Giggsalot (22)

Snake5555555555: Slick and accessible prog. rock that doesn't loose any meaning or soul in the process

Seanchan: A fun concept album with lots of good songs.

Johnbobb: my favorite album of all time. The perfect concept album. An incredible, compelling story wrapped up entirely in a single package, told through all sorts of varied vocals, instrumentals, etc.

VeryInsane: 13 year old me would probably have put this at 1, but like 15 years later it just kinda felt pretentious. (I do like some other Floyd albums still though)

CasanovaZelos: I tend to prefer albums that are a bit more contained - few double albums have gripped me the whole way through. Which, I think this is a rare example that actually justifies the length - I am not sure where I would start cutting if I had to pare this down to a standard length. The only problem is I am not as big on Pink Floyd's general sound as other people.

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I will stop there for the night. The next album has a 9.58 average, while everything else fell in the 7-7.83 range. So, there was no real runaway winner, but four albums clearly stood ahead of the pack.

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Predix:

1. OK Computer
2. Abbey Road
3. Moon Safari
4. Nevermind
5. Rumours

Really heartwarming to watch people universally fall in love with Moon Safari in this topic.

Out of the final 8, the last 5 being

Abbey Road
OK Computer
Nevermind
Rumours
Moon Safari

makes sense (personal opinions on these aside).

My guess...hmmm, it's a tough call because I know Moon Safari had a lot of positive vibes from its ranking week...but I'll say:

5 - Moon Safari
4 - Abbey Road
3 - Rumours
2 - Nevermind
1 = OK Computer

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Come on, Rumours!


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Ah damn, just missed top 5

1. Rumours
2. Moon Safari
3. Nevermind
4. Ok Computer
5. Abbey Road

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OK Computer
Rumours
Abbey Road
Moon Safari
Nevermind

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Here's one before I head in to work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4U19zwFENs

5. Air - Moon Safari (1998)
Average Rank: 9.58
Top Three Tracks: La femme d'argent, Ce matin la, All I Need

Rankings:
SpikeSetsFire (2)
HBJDubs (3)
Giggsalot (6)
Johnbobb (6)
Seanchan (9)
CasanovaZelos (10)
Jesse_Custer (10)
ChainLTTP (11)
Snake5555555555 (12)
VeryInsane (14)
neonreaper (16)
Raetsel_Lapin (16)

Snake5555555555: Amazingly chill and nostalgic vibes, I'll be putting this one on more in the future

Seanchan: Never heard of Air before this but enjoyed this album a lot. Its just a nice easy listen.

Johnbobb: I've listened to this far more than any other album that was new to me. It's my new go-to relaxation album.

VeryInsane: I didnt get a chance to listen to it at ranking because I was dealing with some personal stuff, but when I did I was pretty impressed. Its the only album I wasnt initially familiar with so it was a neat little treat. Maybe I gave more bonus points for that

CasanovaZelos: This is music to be played at a top-line retailer where everything is too expensive to buy. It's wild how inventive this is while maintaining an easygoing atmosphere throughout, the type of sound that should be cheesy but Air make effortlessly cool.

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wooo, 1 for 1 so far!

Lowest ranker was at #16. I have to wonder if that will be the best low ranking of the remaining albums. I know it's not OK Computer because of myself. Abbey Road I feel like some people weren't high on. Hard to think of why anyone would dislike Nevermind or Rumours though but who knows. I feel like Rumours is more likely to have a low outlier of those 2...but I still think it would be my guess for "best low ranking". It'll be close though. I'm thinking the number for "best low ranking" is somewhere around #12-#13. And no, I didn't go back and look at the submitted lists ;) I just have fun speculating.

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