Yeah, we’re slackers that post other people’s lists for y’all to make fun, and Q‘s recap of the finest singles and albums of the past two decades fits the bill perfectly. Starting with the singles:
20. Arctic Monkeys – “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor”
19. Eminem – “Stan”
18. Cornershop – “Brimful Of Asha”
17. The Prodigy – “Firestarter”
16. Madonna – “Like A Prayer”
15. Depeche Mode – “Personal Jesus”
14. Britney Spears – “… Baby One More Time”
13. Robbie Williams – “Angels”
12. Gnarls Barkley – “Crazy”
11. Blur – “Song 2″
10. The White Stripes – “7 Nation Army”
9. The La’s – “There She Goes”
8. Pulp – “Common People”
7. The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”
6. Oasis – “Live Forever”
5. U2 – “One”
4. Massive Attack – “Unfinished Sympathy”
3. Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine
2. Outkast – “Hey Ya!”
1. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
And the long players:
20. Gorillaz – Demon Days
19. Madonna – Ray Of Light
18. Massive Attack – Blue Lines
17. Prince – Sign O’ The Times
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers – By The Way
15. Bob Dylan – Time Out Of Mind
14. The Verve – Urban Hymns
13. Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
12. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
11. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
10. R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
9. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory
7. Radiohead – The Bends
6. U2 – Achtung Baby
5. Jeff Buckley – Grace
4. U2 – The Joshua Tree
3. Nirvana – Nevermind
2. Radiohead – OK Computer
1. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
Remember luv, it’s a British list, so most of it computes– but we’ll get ya started: Every single Pixies album was released within the past twenty years.
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10. The White Stripes – “7 Nation Army”
9. The La’s – “There She Goes”
8. Pulp – “Common People”
7. The Verve – “Bittersweet Symphony”
6. Oasis – “Live Forever”
5. U2 – “One”
4. Massive Attack – “Unfinished Sympathy”
3. Guns N’ Roses – “Sweet Child O’ Mine
2. Outkast – “Hey Ya!”
1. Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
- That’s not a terrible bunch of singles at all. My own top ten would include almost half of these (Pulp, Oasis, U2, Massive Attack) as far as I can guess.
*yawns*
I first started buying music 20 years ago, and I pity those who only have the above records in their collections.
There’s so much more than this hackneyed list. Although Like a Prayer is definately of the of the best songs EVER.
I also think that those compilers must think there’s only one nirvana album, cos only one ever shows up in the lists, and its always the lesser of the two records.
I am stoked that Cornershop is on the list. Brimful of Asha never gets old.
Why did this blog suddenly turn into VH1?
Well, there were four Nirvana studio albums. so…yeah. Q loves Oasis.
BRIMFUL OF ASHA! I love that list just for including that song.
‘Cause everybody needs a bosom for a pillow, etc.
Pretty terrible list really with a few exceptions.
The Arctic Monkeys? WTF?
> Why did this blog suddenly turn into VH1?
Next week: guest blogger Flavor Flav.
You know that guy you know who thinks his taste is really “cool” and “underground” and hates all that “radio stuff”? This his list. And he’s an annoying wanker.
This is seriously probably one of the better lists of its type I’ve seen recently. Too much Oasis, but beyond that, it’s pretty fair I think.
“By The Way”….”By The Way”?…….”BY THE F***ING WAY”???!???!?!?
*Kills everything*
Pretty terrible list really with a few exceptions.
The Arctic Monkeys? WTF?
I guess we have a verdict in the Oasis vs. Blur battle.
Not that there was really any doubt.
Out of the Lp list I only listen to radiohead and dylan. This single list is even worse…
This list seems sort of…I dunno, vague. And “By the Way” is possibly one of the worst albums ever recorded, let alone in the last 20 years.
I don’t think that they’re implying that those aren’t the only good albums in the world, but I would raise an eyebrow at a collection that lacked any of the above from the LP list. Don’t y’all think there are some albums you need to have on hand the same way you need to have flour in your cupboard and ketchup in your fridge (they’re not the most exciting things in your kitchen but they WILL be used)? From that point of view, it’s an okay list.
This list is faux-hipster bullshit. Notice it’s distinct lack of songs from the late 80′s. How could the singles list not include Just Like Heaven, Enjoy The Silence, Policy of Truth, the three biggies from the Joshua Tree, Roam, or Wicked Game (among many others)?
What?!! No Wonderwall?! No Tears In Heaven?! Fuck this list.
didn’t Q list the bends and ok computer as the 2 best albums of all time recently?
they shoud at least try to be consistent
Ray of Light would be a pretty cool record if Madonna didn’t open her big fucking mouth on it.
And yeah, when I think music in the last 20 years, I think By The Way.
Lists are fucking stupid.
i’ll try not to fall victim to lamenting over the choices; however, i do have a question:
why do people like safe from harm so much? I’ve got every massive attack song and can think of at least 10 i would rather listen to, but this song always comes up. Is there some culturaly relavance that I missing? I just saw them at the 9:30 in DC, and they were amazing, but i just don’t get the love of this song
In a knife-fight-to-the-death between Blur & Oasis, who would win?
Music lovers everywhere.
>Next week: guest blogger Flavor Flav.
I’d be okay with that, as long as Scott does as many posts as usual, too. I love Flav.
If I hear “Hey Ya!” again, I might snap the necks of anyone who claps to that song.
The Q is dead, boy
Being that “There She Goes” is, in fact, the greatest single of all time, I’m surprised it ranked so low.
“Demon Days” instead of “3 Feet High and Rising”?
BTFW?
I loved Demon Days as much as the next cartoon monkey fan. But to compare that to 20 years worth of much better music? Oh, and thats just number 20.
well I’m a brit but even I can’t fail to see some glaring (US) ommisions- what like we never got sonic youth over here? (don’t even get me started on the pixies!) If we’re talking impact shouldn’t ‘it this it?’ be in there somewhere too?
Coldplay? U2? Hang on, did someone’s dad compile this list…
it’s kind of a cliche by now, but given the anglo-spin of this list, shouldn’t My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” at least receive an honorable mention? ‘hey ya’ and ‘crazy’ seem more appropriate for a top list of ring-tones, not singles.
No Sam’s Town?
Blood sugar sex magick > by the way
Also, eminem and gnarls barkley are the only hip hop/rap in the top 20 singles.
Apparently The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Jay-Z never existed
I am glad that appetite for destruction and the bends are on the list though.
blah blah blah blahl balhalshdlfjkasdkfj
Loveless has become a hipster cliche for a reason. It’s held up over time.
For that matter, what about Daydream Nation? (And yeah, Surfer Rosa.)
But yeah, on second thought, the Chili Peppers’ By The Way is tons better than those three records. . . tons better.
Keep the lists coming, Scott!
This list looks really similar to another British one that came out just a few months ago, I think it was NME. I agree Is This It could probably be on there. As far as hating on Coldplay/U2, give it up. Those bands easily make this list. Too bad Q recognized Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood but Harp didn’t, even though they had 50 spots to fit it in, just based on albums since 2001. The idea that Coldplay is just soccer mom music is a bunch of spin put forth by jealous critics and snobs who didn’t discover Coldplay before they became popular, who’ve said it so much that people who wouldn’t know any better actually start to believe it. It’s “truthiness.” Coldplay is just as artistic and “rocking”, if not more so, than the majority of indie rock music out there, as well as much of the music on this list such as R.E.M. or The Verve.
APHEXXXXXXXX!!!!
the stone roses lp should be tied with oasis for no 1 /// and where is the first suede lp?
and “song 2″ by the blur? not freakin likely!
try “boys and girls” or “end of the century” /
“disintingration” by the cure is missing, as well
as “premillenial tension” by tricky…
who ever wrote this isnt very british or wasnt around then like some of us /
Hi there,
My name is Tom Hawkins, and i’m the label manager at Gryphon Records, where we are about to release the first album from an artist called Bishi.
Bishi gets a great deal of print press & over here and has recently been featured in the Vogue List (young women to watch) and the Telegraph top 50 Women in Britain. The Times, The Observer, iD, NME & Vogue have all expressed an interest in features around the album.
She is also well liked by TV & radio – Rob da Bank, Verity Sharpe & Bobby Friction at BBC Radio; MTV and Channel V are all keen to back her as an emerging talent. She will be going on tour in the the US in October with Bat For Lashes and Patrick Wolf.
I’d be very grateful if you could you tell me who is responsible for receiving music for review, so i can address a package to the right person.
All the best ,
Tom