Wax Ecstatic: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time Part 2 (Electric Boogaloo)

Part 2: 90-81

and

Aug 21, 2024

Hey there! You’ve landed at On Repeat Records, a newsletter & community recently described as ‘the nicest place on the internet.’ If you’ve been looking for an engaged community of people who share your love of music, you’re in the right spot.

We don’t run ads here. On Repeat is made entirely possible through the support of our paid supporters. You can back independent ad-free music journalism for less than $1 a week.

Become a friend of On Repeat here!

Good morning!

Here’s an affectionate attempt at ranking their records with the understanding that placing things you love in a rigid hierarchy is objectively insane
~Elizabeth Nelson

Welcome to Part 2 of this series, where Sam Colt and I take on the music world’s longest-running parlor game: ~~Who was better, David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar?~~ Er, which 100 records are the best?

We found ourselves increasingly annoyed with lists that seemed to either A: check the usual expected boxes or B: were clearly trying to farm engagement bait, lure in younger readers, or both.

We have strong thoughts about a lot of this, but we also realized that if we were going to trash talk other lists —and we have— the least we could do is put out our picks and make a case for each.

As noted last week, it's worth noting that the word “best” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. Some of these records changed the world. Some of them redefined a genre, inspiring legions of bands to follow in their footsteps. Others were unknown outside of an area code and live on mainly in the memories of those lucky enough to have been there at the time. Some rearranged my mind and (maybe) mine alone.

If you haven’t yet seen Part 1, check it out here.

Wax Ecstatic: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Kevin Alexander and Sam Colt

August 14, 2024

Read full story

For those of you who did read it, it’s likely that you found yourself muttering “wtf?!” at your screen at least once. That’s okay! Making a list is a tall enough ask. Making one that would please everyone would, frankly, make for incredibly dull reading. I have to believe no one is here for that.

Good, bad, or otherwise, these records made a lasting mark on us, and we want to hear how they impacted your lives as well.

Enjoy!

KA—

📻📻📻

90: Bruce Hornsby and the Range- The Way It Is (1986)

Long before it was relegated to hosting boat shows and MLM conventions, Portland’s Memorial Coliseum was home to a 600+ game sellout streak for the Blazers, 2-for-1 Winterhawks games, and was the place for bands to play. If you were taking the stage there, odds were good you’d made it.

For Christmas 1986, my dad surprised me early with tickets to Huey Lewis and the News. Once there, we would meet two or three of his coworkers. I should note that these were all computer programmers and embodied every stereotype you’d imagine. We looked like the cast from Halt and Catch Fire.

Bruce Hornsby and the Range opened the show, playing a lot of tracks from their debut. I knew the title track—that was it. This might’ve been a first record, but no note on it would have ever given you that idea. These weren’t rookies (Hornsby had been kicking around as a session musician, and bassist Joe Puerta had founded Ambrosia, for example), and this is a record that sounds like they’d been playing together for years.

It takes a lot of talent to create an expansive, simple, minimal sound, and these guys nailed it. The same goes for getting a bunch of nerds like us to dance in the aisles without any degree of self-consciousness. It also takes skill to write a song about social injustice and make it a hit. They managed all three.

The sound was like nothing I’d heard, and felt perfect against the backdrop of the wide open vistas of the American west, including (of course) my favorite “On The Western Skyline” (years later, I’d learn Hornsby was from Virginia, and he and his brother wrote most of the record through that lens. Oops.).

This was the first and only show my dad and I went to together, but it was only the first of countless times I’d listen to the songs on The Way It Is.

Sam’s pick and my take: Talk Talk- Laughing Stock (1991). Shit. I knew I’d forget a few records. Even with an obsessive fussiness that saw about 1000 iterations of this list, something was bound to slip through. A bit of On Repeat bar trivia: No record review, article, or whatever has driven more email responses than when I first reviewed this record. None. It’s not even close.

I wrapped up my review by stating,

For all the strife and excess that may have gone into its production, a clean crisp soundscape came out of it. The rooms may have been crammed with musicians, but not a single note seems crowded or stepped on here. Everything is distinct with every note holding its own space. In the end, most bands just want to produce the best work they can. To progress. Iterate. It’s clear that Talk Talk accomplished that with Laughing Stock.

Those stories aren’t mine to share, but going through my inbox, it quickly became clear that they accomplished something bigger. They’d made a record that meant a lot to a lot of people.

89: Sade-Diamond Life (1984)

1984 pop radio was dominated by bands like Duran Duran, Prince, and Madonna. It was a big party, and we weren’t ready for the quiet storm of Sade (yes, it’s a band) and its frontwoman, Helen Folasade Adu. With their smooth sound and her weapons-grade vocals, the band took funk, soul, and jazz and reanimated them into a pop record. It all made for a smooth elegance on the airwaves, a nice antidote to the teased hair and neon hitting our ears at the time.

Most people may only be familiar with “Smooth Operator.” A few others might know the stunning “Your Love Is King.” But those are just two beautiful tracks on a record brimming with them. Diamond Life recently turned 40, and if you didn’t know better, you’d be hard-pressed to guess the year it came out.

Sam’s pick & my take: the Stooges-Raw Power (1973): One of the best things about living on the block I did was being surrounded by older kids. I didn’t have siblings, so my neighbors became de facto big brothers who would find new music at the bigger, cooler school and bring it back to the neighborhood. At one point, one of my friends lent me an armful of tapes and several records, the idea being that I’d record and return them quickly. In the vinyl pile was Raw Power, and it rearranged my mind. I tried to stall as long as possible but had to return it far earlier than I would’ve liked. My recorded copy was cool, but it just wasn’t the same. Possible hot take: If Sam were ten years older, this would be 15-20 places higher.

88: Cannonball Adderley- 74 Miles Away (1967)

Anytime I see Miles Davis A Kind of Blue or Sketches of Spain on a Best of the list, I wonder if they’re on there because an editor barged into the meeting, looked at the board, and barked, “needs more jazz” before walking back out. They seem like de rigueur picks. Dave Brubeck, too, for that matter. There's nothing wrong with any of the three; there’s just so much more jazz to explore.

Similarly, this record isn’t on here to check a box; it’s on here ‘cause it’s a little bit swingin’, a little bit freeform, and a little bit boogaloo. In other words, my kinda jazz. There are bops and serious tunes in equal measure, but Adderley recorded this in a studio with a live audience, and the result feels like you’re sitting in on a helluva party surrounded by the hippest cats and swinging gals you can imagine. If I’ve piqued your curiosity here—and I hope I have!—

Robert C. Gilbert

writer of the fantastic Listening Sessions covered this record in wonderful detail. It’s well worth your time to dive into.

Sam’s pick and my take: Flaming Lips- The Soft Bulletin (1999): I like this band, but I’ve never been too far into them. I’ve never really like liked them, you know? I correctly identified Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots for a coworker, and that is the coolest I will ever be in the office. Still, there’s something to be said about a band lasting almost 40 years and showing no sign of slowing down or dropping off. Not bad for a group that came out of the same town and same time as Color Me Badd.

87: Superchunk- Tossing Seeds (Singles 88-91) (1992)

I knew about the scene in LA. I knew about the bands from the Bay Area. I would go and see the bands from Seattle. I lived in the scene in Portland. This record was my gateway to Chapel Hill and all the bands bursting out of there. The Veldt…Archers of Loaf… all would come soon enough. None would’ve found my ears without first hearing “Fishing” on MTV. Thanks 120 Minutes!

Sam’s pick & my take: Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006). A good record from an era when I was almost entirely disconnected from the music world. Having a (then) infant meant more time with lullabies and less time seeking out new sounds.

86: The Flying Burrito Brothers- Gilded Palace of Sin (1969)

Longtime readers may recall my trip home to rescue a box of my records. I flew out of here intending to grab one. I returned with 4— not just the box I was looking for but also boxes belonging to my mom, dad, and stepdad. This latter collection has continued to yield the most surprises, this record being one of them. It’s an album right at the crossroads of rock, country, and Americana. Gram Parsons had already been heading in that direction with The Byrds and finally had room to go for it. As one might expect, his vocals shine. The real star, though, is “Sneaky Pete” Kleinowit’s pedal guitar. If the discussion of the art of the album (writ large) ever comes up, this makes for a great People’s Exhibit A. It’s not an exaggeration to say this is ground zero for alt-country. Do we have the Jayhawks or Wilco, if not for the Flying Burrito Brothers? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Sam’s pick & my take: Lana Del Ray- Norman Fucking Rockwell (2019): Is Lana Del Ray one of the most underrated artists out there? The most overrated? My guess is the popular vote would be split 50/50. I lean toward the former. As much as she likes to keep people guessing, most of that noise is papering over some pretty interesting records. “NFR” is no exception. Not everyone will get the point, and I think that’s the point.

85: Liz Phair- Exile In Guyville (1993)

Look, there’s no denying Phair’s talent, but when Exile came out, owning it felt like a very performative thing to do. Girls liked it because it represented the fuck you they’d wanted to say for years. Guys bought it ’cause they wanted those girls to… like them.

None of that is fair to Phair, whose only crime was putting together a record with an openness, vulnerability, and ferocity we’d never seen before. Lost in titillating lyrics about blowjob queens and f’ing and running were a searing indictment (and mild hit) about the music scene (“Never Said”) and a track about the fine line between being friends and lovers and how that often becomes a tripping hazard (“Divorce song”).

We all caught up with her eventually, and Exile In Guyville has earned its rightful place in the alternative rock canon.

Sam’s pick & my take: Grizzly Bear— Yellow House (2006): I’m not gonna lie. I honestly thought this was going to be a hip-hop record. I don’t know why. I had no idea what I was getting into. Imagine my surprise as the first notes of “Easier” wafted through my speakers. Why didn’t anyone tell me?

84: JJ Cale -5 (1979)

The epitome of cool. Cale was content to kick back, rip a heater or two, and proceed to light up the room with some of the best guitar you’d ever heard. A common knock against him is that he sounds like everyone else. The critics have it backward. Whatever Clapton and co. were doing, Cale did it first. He just didn’t advertise; the best never do.

Sam’s pick and my take: Modest Mouse- The Lonesome Crowded West (1997): An incredible record from the second-best thing to ever come out of Kirkland, Washington. I probably shouldn’t like a song who’s opening line is “This plane is definitely crashing!” (“Shit Luck”), but I do. It’s the band at their most unhinged. “Trucks Atlas” is a next-level ride to adventure or oblivion. Dealer’s choice. I love this record and everything about it.

83: The B52s- S/T (1979)

Is it new wave? Is it dance? Is it kitsch? The answer, of course, is that it’s all of the above, and the record has defied easy categorization from Day 1. What else can you say about a record with a song about a rock lobster catchy enough to draw John Lennon back out of semi-retirement?

45 years on, it’s still making us do all 16 dances. The party never stops: from the Peter Gunn-ish riff on “Planet Claire” on one end to the cover of Petula Clark’s “Downtown” on the other.

Effie, Madge, Mabel, and Biddie wouldn’t hear of it.

On “Dance This Mess Around,” Cindy Wilson asks, “Hey, so don’t that make you feel a whole lot better, huh?” Yes, yes it does.

Sam’s pick and my take: GZA- Liquid Swords (1995): GZA is the most cerebral of the Wu-Tang clan, and his records reflect it. Liquid Swords is a wild ride through obscure samples that will have your brain spinning, trying to recall the titles, and a razor-sharp flow that bends language into shapes you never thought possible. Some of the other Wu-Tang adjacent records blend together. Not this one. You’ll die four times before your body hits the floor.

82: Men At Work- Business As Usual (1981)

In the early days of this project, I covered the band’s Helpless Automaton track, noting:

Men at Work seemed to be everywhere in the early 1980s. Their debut record Business As Usual was a smashing success, and 40+ years later, you can still hear “Down Under,” and “Who Can it Be Now” fairly often. When 2 of the first 3 tracks are enduring hits, it’s easy to stop there. But Business is a fantastic album and is full of underrated gems like “Helpless Automaton.”With a very new wave sound, reminiscent of Devo or even Reflex, “Helpless Automaton” is quite a departure from the rest of the record. It was fully written and sung by flutist Greg Ham instead of Colin Hay. Ironically, there is no flute in the song.
With its wacky lyrics and bright sounds “Down Under” is a mainstay of throwback radio and karaoke nights. “Helpless Automaton” is more sinister and feels like it should’ve been the theme song to an early 80s sci-fi TV show or movie.

Men at Work were casualties of their early success. It’s hard to overcome a massive first couple of singles, and for a long time, the band was unfairly pegged as both a one-hit wonder (not true) and a novelty band (not true or fair). Besides Helpless Automaton, this is also the record that gave us “Be Good Johnny” and “Down By The Sea.”

The people who actually picked up Business As Usual were rewarded with a solid record by musicians with chops. You can usually find it priced to move on places like Discogs. If you see a copy, grab one. You might be happily surprised.

Sam’s pick & my take: Neutral Milk Hotel- In The Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998): I know this is heresy in some circles, but I’m not a fan of this record. It’s not that it isn’t objectively good—it is—it’s that it just never really landed with me. Gonna listen to it with fresh ears and see if that’s changed at all. UPDATE: Nope.

81: Wang Chung- To Live and Die In LA soundtrack (1985)

I have a feeling I’ll get a lot of flack for this pick and have to do more to make its case than almost any other record on this list.

Hear me out here:

This movie is the ultimate mid-80s action thriller. A critic’s darling, a middling box office take, and a cult following are the stuff of Saturday at the Movies flicks your local TV station ran during baseball rain delays. It’s gritty, overheated, and had cousin Ira from Mad About You & William Petersen up against Willem Dafoe. Oh, and John Turturro, too. ‘Cause why not?

Meanwhile, the soundtrack shimmers like heat radiating off the southern California asphalt. Few modern songs capture the essence of a film the way the title track does here. Indeed, the soundtrack doesn’t just help flesh out the movie; it improves it, giving it a heft it otherwise lacked. It’s an incredible bit of synthpop and shows a much more serious side of the band than hits like “Everybody Have Fun.” “Wake Up Stop Dreaming” is as urgent as anything, and in another universe, could easily have been a 2nd single and/or hit for the band.

To Live and Die in LA would’ve been a good movie as it stood. Something fun to watch while you wait for the tarps to be rolled back up and play to restart. Adding this soundtrack is what makes it a great film.

Sam’s pick & my take: Missy Elliot- Supa Dupa Fly (1997): Ten(ish) years after Hornsby and his brother released a record about life in Virginia, Elliot showed us a different side of the Tidewater region. Already an established songwriter, Elliot made her own joint and brought friends like Lil’ Kim, Da Brat, Timbaland, and Magoo for the ride. “Hit ‘em Wit Da Hee” was a banger, and “The Rain” is an all-timer. This record put Virginia on the map for hip-hop and Elliot on the map as an MC.

📻📻📻

That’s a wrap on Round Two! Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, check out Sam’s thoughts on his picks, and stay tuned for Part 3 next week!

On Repeat Records