Taking Issue With Spin's 100 Greatest Albums




Spin magazine has unveiled its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the Spin era (1985-2005) in its July issue. It should come as no surprise that any list containing Nirvana's Nevermind would come under fire by Music 4 Life. However, as time marches on, I'm softening my stance on Nirvana and taking issue with the likes of Pavement, PJ Harvey and Pulp.

I'm not picking on artists whose names that start with P. And I'm not knocking the artistic merits of any of the above artists or their albums. Instead, I'm having problems with Different Class, Rid of Me or Slanted and Enchanted being listed ahead of, or even among, Odelay, Achtung Baby and OK Computer. I realize Spin has a different audience than Rolling Stone, Blender or Teen People (no Backstreet Boys on this list!). But come on, how do you rank Beck's masterpiece at No. 16 while Pavement's Slanted takes the No. 4 slot?

There are a lot of great albums on Spin's list. But there is a surprising number of long-forgotten and almost-never-was bands on the list. Crowding masters like De La Soul, The Smiths and The Cure are Fugazi, Raekwon and At The Drive-In. And we mustn't forget the lasting impact of Neutral Milk Hotel's 1998 masterpiece (never heard of 'em), Elastica's Elastica (barely remember them) and Big Black's Atomizer (they were big in Vegas).

You are forgiven if you haven't heard of any of these artists because neither have many others. I realize editors and contributors to magazines like Spin and Rolling Stone compile these lists to facilitate discussion, stir debate and ultimately spur subscriptions. But at the same time it makes you wonder if they really have a finger on the pulse of the music consuming public.

I'm not saying an album has to be played on the radio or sell a million copies to be ranked among the greatest of all-time. I believe quite the opposite actually. However, the albums or artists should be recognizable. Shouldn't they?

Spin's Top 5

1. Radiohead - OK Computer
2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions...
3. Nirvana - Nevermind
4. Pavement - Slanted And Enchanted
5. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

Posted: Mon - June 27, 2005 at 10:43 PM      

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