For years I have read and re-read Rolling Stone magazines, primarily for their music news and reviews. They have lured me in with “Top” lists and “Best of” lists. Some of these have been good; some of these have been garbage. All in all, though, they’re still a decent source for music news, and some of their music reporters (David Fricke, Rob Sheffield) have written some amazing pieces on music.
I originally went to their website today to find an article about the Black Keys in the studio when I stumbled upon the “100 Best Albums of the ‘00s” (http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-albums-of-the-2000s-20110718). Intrigued, I stopped my search and took a look at this list. What I saw baffled me. One comment spoke most intensely to me; basically the commenter said “no Animal Collective record on here makes this list basically irrelevant”. After looking at the list, I think the commenter is right.
I have come to the conclusion, after reading through the list (including the captions with the albums), that the whole thing is about which artists were popular during the decade and what albums they released. Basically, it’s more of a pop culture snapshot than it is a list of the best records released during the period. I guess too much indie is a bad thing. You have to give credit to the artists that actually sold a boat load of records (or digital tracks). Oddly, the magazine tried to appeal to the readers that have an appreciation for all music, regardless of whether the albums were a commercial success or not.
Keeping in mind that the magazine’s editors have created a pop culture list while trying (ineffectively) to maintain one foot in the indie door, I decided I would comment on a few of the artists and albums listed here. I’ll start with an easy one here—U2. U2 is represented by three albums here: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (#68), No Line on the Horizon (#36), and All That You Can’t Leave Behind (#13). U2 is a fantastic band; I have been a fan of theirs since I first heard “Pride (In the Name of Love)”, though I didn’t really appreciate them until Achtung Baby came out. The three albums on this list are by far not their best records. They’re not bad records, but these records are really only on here because of a couple of singles: “Beautiful Day” from All That You Can’t and “Vertigo” from How to Dismantle (why No Line is even on here I don’t know). Those songs were EVERYWHERE—on Apple commercials, rom-com movies, and every other outlet they could force down your throat. They had some great singles from those two albums, but the albums as a whole were spotty in terms of greatness. To me, the only album that belongs on this list is How to Dismantle; that had more good spots than bad and better lyrics.
And here’s another question I have for Rolling Stone’s editors—why does every young band get compared to U2? “Don’t call them the southern Strokes—call them the American U2” (in speaking of Kings of Leon). “From the beginning, it was clear that Chris Martin and company had designs on U2-level stardom” (in speaking of Coldplay). I suppose that speaks to the enduring power of U2’s music, but at some point we need to move away from those comparisons and just say “Kings of Leon used to know how to write good southern punk records but fame got in the way” or “Coldplay can’t seem to find its own sound and step out as the new benchmark for rock music”. These U2 comparisons just reinforce the fact that there really hasn’t been much original music released in years.
Speaking of Coldplay, they, too, are represented by three records here: Viva la Vida (#85), Parachutes (#73), and A Rush of Blood to the Head (#21). The only one of these three that should be on the list should be A Rush of Blood. Viva la Vida is essentially a poor version of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sung by Chris Martin. I know people get sentimental for “Yellow”, so maybe Parachutes could appear on the list, but maybe at the end. A Rush of Blood, however, is a masterpiece to me. I have no problem with its position on the list. I played that record out for all of 2004. That record might have been the only time I felt that Coldplay had their own sound.
As for Kings of Leon (another band represented with three records), a listener would be able to easily see a difference between their best record, Youth and Young Manhood (#80), and their famous record, Only by the Night (#53). Youth is sex, drugs, booze and debauchery wrapped into three-minute Thin Lizzy tunes and plays extremely well from beginning to end. Caleb Followill doesn’t sound like he’s oozing machismo here; his voice is ragged yet powerful in each track. Night, though, sounds like an over-the-top PG-13-rated rom-com, with its ever-popular “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody” filling the airwaves (but the lyrics just not at the same level). I like Kings of Leon, but they are the poster children for what happens when a band gets too much money and fame too suddenly. Had they eased into this, I think we would be seeing the standard upon which good rock music is judged.
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