I Listened to Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time List and So Should You
If you have a little interest in music and popular culture then this is a must-do challenge.
Thanks to music streaming platforms, we’re offered an endless supply of music. But too much choice can also be a bad thing. Do you find it hard to remember particular albums from the past 10 years? I know I’ve listened to lots of new music but I can’t recall any single year being better than the last. It all just seems to blend into each other.
I first used Spotify in 2012 and found it to be a revelation. I no longer had to update my iPod and manage a library of 25,000 songs. I’ve used streaming services for the past 10 years, and have enjoyed discovering new music and revisiting classics.
In 2019 I noticed there was a gap in my music memory. I couldn’t place an album or song in any given year. Whereas, I can list dozens of albums that shaped my musical taste before 2012. I didn’t like that I wasn’t creating new musical memories. So I did something about it.
Rolling Stone Magazine’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
My friend Will and I decided to tackle the list at the start of 2020. I created a Google Sheet with columns for the ranking, year, album, artist, checkbox, rating, and review. We opted to listen to the albums in chronological order versus the Rolling Stone ranking. That way we could hear the evolution of popular music through the years.
The start of any new project is exciting. That is until you start making progress and realize just how much of a grind it is. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list is no exception. We invited a couple of other friends to do the challenge and most of them dropped off within the first 10 albums. I don’t blame them. This list is tedious and challenging. Especially if you always listen to music you like. Listening critically can be uncomfortable—especially during long double albums.
Don’t Let an Algorithm Choose
What I liked most about the 500 Greatest Albums challenge was that you had something new to listen to every day. I found using my spreadsheet preferable over a streaming platform algorithm. I was amazed by how much I was letting a computer decide my entertainment options. Granted, a list isn’t me choosing my music but it’s a much more analog way to discover new music.
One side effect of this challenge was that it influenced my Spotify recommendations. So when I wanted to listen to music casually, I was getting lots of weird classic rock suggestions. I suggest using a dedicated streaming platform for a list challenge versus your go-to application.
Stability During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Shortly after starting the 500 Greatest Albums challenge the COVID-19 pandemic took over. I think we’ll all look back on 2020 as one of the most uncertain times of our lives. An unintended side-effect of this challenge was that it provided me with a sense of stability during an unstable time. I know Will felt the same way.
I spent 20 hours a day in my bedroom during COVID—between sleeping and work. I know my situation isn’t unique. But it was nice to have something to look forward to each day. This list gave my day structure and rhythm. We take this for granted now that things have normalized, but at the time this was a big deal.
The best part of using Google Sheets is the commenting feature. Will and I talked back and forth on that spreadsheet. We wrote 346 comments on our spreadsheet about each other’s reviews and thoughts on a given album.
An Overview of the Greatest Albums of All Time List
Rolling Stone updated the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list at the end of 2020 with 154 new albums. We started with the 2012 version and also listened to new additions. So our endeavor took longer than initially planned. Isn’t that how life works out?
The 2012 List Overview
Most of the albums were great. The music often represented the time the artists were living in. If you don’t want to listen to all 500 albums then just listen to the Beatles and the 1970s albums. Radiohead—in my opinion—is the most prolific band of the last 30 years. And U2 is the most overrated band
I started listening on January 8, 2020, and finished on October 14, 2020, totaling 282 days.
1 - 5 ranking numbers:
Number of albums with a 5 rating: 119
Number of albums with a 4 rating: 147
Number of albums with a 3 rating: 150
Number of albums with a 2 rating: 71
Number of albums with a 1 rating: 13
My favorite albums by decade:
1950s: Kind of Blue - Miles Davis - Jazz
1960s: Revolver - The Beatles - Rock
1970s: Transformer - Lou Reed - Rock
1980s: Graceland - Paul Simon - Rock
1990s: OK Computer - Radiohead - Rock
2000s: Kid A - Radiohead - Electronic/Rock
2010s: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West - Hip Hop
My least favorite albums by decade:
1950s: All Killer No Filler Anthology - Jerry Lee Lewis - Rock
1960s: Live/Dead - The Grateful Dead - Rock
1970s: The Pretender - Jackson Browne - Rock
1980s: Guitar Town - Steve Earle - Country
1990s: Time Out of Mind - Bob Dylan - Rock
2000s: Modern Times - Bob Dylan - Rock
2010s: The Smile Session - The Beach Boys - Rock
The 2020 List Overview
I started listening to this list on January 21, 2021, and finished on August 24. I tried to listen to five albums a week. I listened to and reviewed 662 albums from both lists in 20 months. Here’s my analysis of what was good, what was bad, and whether or not this challenge is worth it.
Score breakdown:
Number of albums with a 5 rating: 31
Number of albums with a 4 rating: 52
Number of albums with a 3 rating: 52
Number of albums with a 2 rating: 26
Number of albums with a 1 rating: 1 album
My favorite albums by decade:
1950s: Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus\
1960s: Dictionary of Soul - Otis Redding
1970s: Ram - Paul McCartney
1980s: Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
1990s: Brown Sugar - D'Angelo
2000s: Madvillainy - Madvillain
2010s: DAMN - Kendrick Lamar
Overall, I think the additions to the 2020 list were great. This list felt much more democratic than critical compared to the other versions. I was happy to see more modern artists and fewer artists from the 60s.
Should You Do This Challenge?
Absolutely! If you have a little interest in music and popular culture then I think this is a must-do challenge. The diversity of music I listened to was beyond anything I had done before. I was stuck in a musical rut before this challenge. Now, if I find myself looking for something to listen to, I open up the list and revisit a top-rated album.
I especially liked the structure a list like this gives to your day. I’m fortunate to be able to listen to music while I work. I would begin my listening at the same time every day. Critiquing music like this was actually more fun than I had anticipated. The most challenging part was putting your biases aside and listening to a piece based on its relevance, sound, writing, and impact.
I liked doing this challenge so much that I’ve done others. I recently finished the 50 Greatest Prog-Rock Albums of All Time list as well as the Greatest Emo Albums of All Time. I’m currently listening to all of Bob Dylan’s studio albums critically. I’ll do a write-up for each of these lists in the future.
Let me know if you want to take on this challenge; I’d love to help you get started.
Thanks for your attention.
I love your approach to these things. I hesitate to attempt them like you have because I know I will either forget to keep up on them or lose interest. I’ve enjoyed reading your articles, I need to put in the effort and try something similar and hold myself to it.
I tend to fall back to the same music on Spotify when I choose to listen just because I have a hard time finding new music that I like. I will definitely try your suggestions here.