50. Ween – Chocolate and Cheese (1994)As Ween shifts effortlessly from genre to genre, Chocolate and Cheese makes the unstated case that the best substitute for both Prince and George Harrison is a bunch of nerdy white guys. “Freedom of ‘76” sounds like what Parade could have sounded like had Al Green stopped by Paisley Park to help Prince out. “What Deaner Was Talking About” could replace “Here Comes the Sun” on Abbey Road and no one would notice. In addition to the obvious homages are a slew of oddities about poisoned chickens and ponies with punctured lungs. It’s Weird Al on drugs, but musically complex.
49. Missy Elliot – Under Construction (2002)Missy Elliot may be a work in progress, but her art became complete with Under Construction. With moon-walking tape loops, sampled out funk grooves and even some exotic animals thrown in for good Measure, Missy creates an album where her body is the only thing that’s thinned out. The guest stars, including Ludacris, Beyonce, 50 Cent and Jay-Z, fill this album out, but the truest germs are when Reverend Elliot gets to preaching. Instead of using the traditional rap skits between tracks, Missy lays down where her mind is at with off-the-cuff rants on everything from condoms to Donald Trump.
48. Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)The Beasties layer samples thick like a Dagwood sandwich
And their lyrics are meaty like you’re eating a Manwich
The Dust Brothers mixin’ it up on production
Pulls your ears in just like aural suction
Sounds more scientific than Mr. Wizard
Crossin’, mixin’ styles up like Eddie Izzard.
Playin’ Beatles and Boogie Down in the nucleus
Blendin’ genres till they are smooth like an Orange Julius
Slippin’ bluegrass in on a “5-Piece Chicken Dinner”
And Cash in “Hello Brooklyn” – you know that’s a winner.
Spittin’ lyrics wiser than an Aesop fable
This is definitely worth spinnin’ on your turn table.
47. Stevie Wonder – Songs In the Key of Life (1976)Two LPs and an EP – this album was an expansive feast for any fan of funk and soul music. From the extended politicization of the experimental “Black Man” to the gorgeous celebration of his daughter’s birth, “Isn’t She Lovely,” Stevie Wonder was able to balance the avant garde innovation he’d become known for with the mass appeal hits he produced in equal number. The double-punch of the number one singles “I Wish” and “Sir Duke” is a sweet spoonful of pop genius. Having influenced everyone from Michael Bolton to Coolio, this album’s scope remains unparalleled and still sounds fresh today.
46. George Harrison – Brainwashed (2002)Since the breakup of The Beatles, George Harrison has undoubtedly been the coolest as a solo artist. On many of his early albums though, Harrison either got overproduced in a way which made him sound dated (All Things Must Pass) or he’d release an excellent single (“Crackerbox Palace”) that overshadowed the rest of the album; on Brainwashed the production is clean and every composition is strong. Coming fifteen years after his previous album (twelve if you count the Traveling Wilburys), Harrison had plenty of time to hone these tunes and imprint them with the Hawaiian flavor of his final years.
45. Prince – Parade: Music from the Motion Picture Under the Cherry Moon (1986)This is Prince’s piano album. In Under the Cherry Moon Prince plays a failed gigolo who makes his money playing piano, forcing the songs here to conform to the feel of cabaret ballads. Songs like “Do U Lie?” are gorgeous examples of this. Prince still finds time to rock out on tracks like “Kiss” and “Anotherlovenholenyohead.” The real gems though are the funk workout “Girls and Boys” and the heart-rending elegy of “Sometimes It Snows In April.” It might be vain for Prince to dedicate a song to Christopher Tracy, the character he played, but his sorrow sounds so real.
44. Stone Temple Pilots – Purple (1994)Bolstered by its big hits – “Interstate Love Song,” “Vasoline’ and “Big Empty” – Purple is the best album by the best band of the grunge era, Stone Temple Pilots. Though never favorites of the critics, the fans understood Scott Weiland’s visionary music, even if it was pseudo-visionary at best. “Pretty Penny,” “Unglued” and “Meatplow” were all excellent songs with distinct sounds. On “Kitchenware & Candybars,” (a song about slavery no less!) Weiland’s ragged vocals exude the proper pathos and Dean DeLeo’s soulful chords make the music live. This was my music in middle and early high school; it remains so today.
43. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine (1992)Chuck D has referred to Rage as some of the funkiest white boys alive. Listening to some of the wicked bass lines and guitar riffs on their debut album makes it clear why. In addition to killer musicianship, the band’s political commitment, as expressed in their lyrical content, is a strength as well. These sentiments are especially clear on tracks like “Bombtrack,” “Wake Up,” and “Freedom.” “Take the Power Back”’s deconstruction of the Department of Education is particularly effective. Even if the songs weren’t destined to become anthems of the revolution, they were still thought provoking and rocked the ideology.
42. Beatles – The Beatles (1968)Seven Favorite Songs:
- Savoy Truffle
- Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
- Happiness Is A Warm Gun
- Dear Prudence
- Sexy Sadie
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Continued Story of Bungalow Bill
- Revolution No. 9
- Wild Honey Pie
- Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?
- Glass Onion
41. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)Eminem sounds very scared, scared of every social institution in existence. Is The Marshall Mathers LP homophobic? Probably, but its just as religious-right-a-phobic. Marshall skewers both homosexuals and televangelists in the first verse of “Criminal.” And while he obviously hates the authority that institutions represent, he doesn’t hate individuals; notice how he doesn’t see any reason why “a man and another man can’t elope”? And while naming pop names, he slams all of boy-band pop. The closest we’ll get to how Eminem really thinks is the pathos-laden finale of “Stan” where he bares his soul replying to a troubled fan.
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