Wax Ecstatic: The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

Part 1: 100-91

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Aug 14, 2024

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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

Is there anything more quixotic than putting together a best-of list? Maybe not, but we love making them—doubly so as music lovers. We like talking about them, too, and some of us have made our bones writing about them.

Which is what we’re gonna do here.

Welcome to the first in a weekly series that will walk through the best 100 records. Each week, we’ll count down by 10 until we reach the top.

Before going further, 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.

My partner in crime is

Sam Colt

, the man behind the incisive and insightful This Is A Newsletter! Being able to write something that’s both relatable and a laugh riot isn’t easy to do; Sam does it every week. It’s a never-miss for me, and if you haven’t seen it yet, I hope it becomes one for you as well.

This isn’t our first project together- he and I were part of a group along with

Jami Smith

and

Steve Goldberg

that shared our 2023 Albums of the Year together this past December. Stay tuned for more on that as the end of the year gets closer. In short, Sam knows his stuff.

He’s also from a different generation and grew up on a different coast than I did. One of the things I’m genuinely curious to see is how much those environmental factors play into our respective lists. Limbering up at the starting line, the easy answer is that it’ll color the entire list, but given how timeless some releases are, I’m not ready to make that a declarative statement… yet.

How this’ll work:

I’ll post my ten and Sam’s corresponding picks each Wednesday with a few quick thoughts about them. A mirror opposite version will run on his ‘Stack simultaneously. Because we’re ~~agents of chaos~~ enjoy a challenge, we are sharing these picks with each other ten at a time. You’ll see our respective choices not too long after we have.

Rules? We don’t need no stinkin’ rules!

Okay, maybe a couple. There aren’t any real guardrails. Compilations, greatest hits, etc., are technically kosher but will appear sparingly. In my case, a couple representing a tectonic shift in the music world (or my life) warranted locking in a spot. I also know myself well enough that I was judicious with New Order records. If you’ve been with us for over a week or two, you know how dangerously close this came to having their entire discography represented. You also know there will be no Radiohead…at least from me—but that’s all the spoilers you’ll get.

No best-of list would be complete without resounding yesses and a chorus or two of boos. You are highly encouraged to chime with praise or scorn. Damning with faint praise is also allowed. Hot takes? Encouraged.

Mostly, we want to hear what these records have meant to you in your life.

In the top quote, Elizabeth Nelson was referring to Yo La Tengo’s discography. Ranking those alone is a tall order. To try and cover everything? Well, we’re just crazy enough to try.

So strap in and join us on a ride through 200 amazing records.

Enjoy!

KA—

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100: 808 State- Gorgeous (1993)

I once described this record as the perfect pairing to taking NyQuil. That’s a little unfair—when it came out, it was the perfect pairing with many, much stronger things. It was fun to have these sounds swirling around at the club or in your headphones while the walls shapeshifted around you.

That said, it’s more than that; it’s a beautiful sonic landscape that transcends the era it was made in and many of the records that came out of the same place. And to be fair, tracks like “Nimbus” still make for a great escape no matter what you are doing or what you’re on. If you like your EDM more bouncy and less beepy/bloopy, put this on.

Sam’s pick and my take: Solange—A Seat at the Table (2016). Living in your sister's shadow has to be tough, yet I get the impression that Solange Knowles has never given it a thought. Before Sam shared this pick, I hadn't listened to more than a song or two from Beyonce’s sister. I’d been missing out.

99: The Church-The Blurred Crusade (1982)

I had a chance to see The Church a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it was the time of night…maybe it was the average age of the crowd, but it just felt like the vibes were off (shoutout to the guy in front of me who literally spent the entire show checking/rechecking his email. Dunno what he was waiting for, but I hope he got it.).

I think a lot of people were hoping for a play the hits kind of night, and that’s not the type of show Steve Kilbey is ever going to deliver.

They did play “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” and “Metropolis,” but after that largely focused on newer stuff from 2023’s The Hypnogogue and this year’s Eros Zeta and the Perfumed Guitars. They played a couple from 1982’s The Blurred Crusade (Interlude, You Took), which is a solid pop record if there is ever one. The LP starts with “Almost With You” and never really lets up. This is also the record with the gorgeous/haunting “To Be In Your Eyes.” The Hypnogoue meanders in places, but The Blurred Crusade has no time for that, and the result is a tight, economical album.

As part of his stage banter, Kilbey talked a lot about how the latest records related to time travel—if only he’d gone back to 1982 and drawn further from this well, maybe that guy would've put his phone down.

Sam’s pick & my take: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib— Pinata (2012): I’ve never heard of this record. I have a feeling that’s gonna be a recurring theme as we work our way through these lists. One’s tastes usually (roughly) relate to their age and artists discovered in their formative years. This initial batch of records bears that out. Will that continue as we make our way(s) to #1? Who knows, but I’m excited to find out.

98: Stereolab- Transient Random Noise Bursts w/Announcements (1993)

For their major label debut, most bands often try to dial things back toward the more palatable. Not Stereolab. If anything, it’s one of the furthest out, most experimental records for a band not exactly known for cranking out boilerplate tacks.

Describing a record as demanding of your attention is often shorthand for saying you have no idea how to describe it. In this case, that’s half-true— if anything, it feels like a bunch of different labels apply: experimental, distorted, noisy, Karautrock-y…the list goes on. Meanwhile, Laetitia Sadier and the late Mary Hansen’s vocals flutter across the top of this mangled landscape like two butterflies over a pile of twisted metal. Transient…is a mind-bending journey for anyone willing to ride along. Those that do are rewarded with incredible tracks like the 18+ minute “Jenny Ondioline.”

Sam’s pick and my take: Vampire Weekend— Contra (2010): A band that defies convention and categorization. If you Google the band, one of the top related searches is, Is Vampire Weekend Ska? and the answer is…kinda? But also (fill in the genre of your choice). It’s one component in what frontman Ezra Koenig once described as “one of the 17 secret ingredients in our proprietary Vampire Weekend recipe.” Dunno what the other 16 ingredients are, but “music people like to listen to over and over:” Has gotta be one of ‘em.

97: Pere Ubu- Cloudland (1989)

I recently wrote about Cloudland and how it has popped up not just once but twice at just the right moment in my life, first, as an on-ramp to a wonderful band, and second as proof that you can find your holy grails while crate digging. This record has delivered. Unlike Sterolab above, this is a case of an avant-garde band experimenting with pop and pop formulas with beautiful results. And it got them a slot on David Sanborn’s TV show w/Blondie singing backup. Bus Called Happiness? I’ll take two tickets, please.

Sam’s pick & my take: Weyes Blood Titanic Rising (2019) Another artist I’ve read about many times that gets many reviews from listeners I trust (like Sam), and that I’ve never heard a note of. I’ll change that here ASAP.

96: Velocity Girl-Copacetic (1993)

This is a record easy to find faults in, but one I love. I think it does well to showcase the band. Some of their sound is lost in poor production and spots where the band took swings and misses, but I’ll take a group trying to push the envelope any day over one doing the same thing over and over.

Sam’s pick & my take: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds— Let Love In (1994). Okay! Finally, something I know a little something about. This is a great record, and I wish I would’ve made some room for it on my list. Cave’s newsletter is also a great read.

95: Guns and Roses- Appetite For Destruction (1987)

There are a handful of songs whose opening riffs are universally known. The Beatles “Revolution” is one. I’d dare say that Huey Lewis and the News’ “I Want a New Drug” is another. “Welcome to the Jungle” is a third. An iconic riff that kicks off a descent into the debauched world of 1980s Los Angeles and the rogue's gallery of characters that inhabited it. Groupies? Big hair? All the drugs? Check, check, check.

If you got the money, honey.

The late ‘80s were a time of manufactured moral panic, where suburban parents were convinced everyone was a degenerate, into satanism, or both. Part of this album’s appeal was that it did absolutely nothing to assuage those fears.

Sam’s pick & my take: Tame Impala- Lonerism (2012) A home run from a musical genius. The world would be a better place if more people knew this band and this record. Plus, the man behind the band is named Kevin. Can’t go wrong with a name like that! Is this on my list as well? We’ll see!

94: Janet Jackson- Control (1986)

On paper, this was Jackson’s third album. For all intents and purposes, it was her first- or at least a rebirth (Be honest, does anyone remember Dream Street?). Heading to the Twin Cities, Jackson placed her trust in the hands of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The leap of faith paid off, and the result was a statement record if ever there was one. Penny was long gone, and Miss Jackson was here to stay.

Sam’s pick and my take: Death Grips—The Money Store (2012). For quite a while, I would ask readers to suggest records for me to review (note: paid subscribers still get to take advantage of this!). The only name to make the list every time? Death Grips. I still don't know nearly enough about them to say anything of substance, but people love ‘em, and their shows are apparently not to be missed.

93: Ralph Tresavant- S/T (1990)

New Edition was the gift that kept on giving: Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Bell Biv Devoe, and Ralph Tresvant. His self-titled debut gave him a chance to truly shine and to show us what he could do, whether it was smoothed-out tracks like “Sensitivity” or “Love Takes Time.” The late ‘80s and ‘90s are littered with boy band singers who thought they could do better rolling solo; Tresvant is one of the few who pulled it off.

Sam’s pick and my take: Bone Thugs-n-Harmony— E.1999 Eternal (1995). A person’s reaction to hearing this band is a tell. If they reflexively start singing the chorus to “1st of tha Month,” you’ll know. Wild that Cleveland gave us both Pere Ubu and this band.

92: The War On Drugs- Lost in the Dream (2014)

You ever have a song come on the radio when you’re almost home that makes you circle the block a couple of times until it’s over? That was “Under the Pressure” for me. It was unlike anything else I was hearing at the time, and the record was more of the same. Lost in the Dream redefined what the Philadelphia sound meant to me, and opened the door to several other bands. And if your drummer looks like Ted Lasso’s older, cooler brother? Well, then, it’s all the better.

Sam’s pick & my take: Tyler, The Creator- IGOR (2019): “Earfquake” is a banger on a record stuffed with ‘em. IGOR feels like the sort of record execs are afraid you’ll make. In my head, I have a vision of Tyler gathering up all the formulas, tricks, and hacks shoving them off the table, and spreading out a roadmap of his tastes in their place. A good record always keeps you guessing about what’s coming next, and IGOR does that from start to finish.

91: Luscious Jackson- Electric Honey (1999)

With equal parts slinky grooves and infectious beats, Luscious Jackson showed they belonged. Anything you could do, they could do better. “Nervous Breakthrough” sounded great blaring out of my Honda Civic’s speakers when it first came out. Detachable face stereos are a thing of the past, but this LP turned 25 not too long ago and sounds just as good as ever streaming through my car’s Bluetooth.

Sam’s pick & my take: Stereolab- Dots and Loops (1997): This is an incredible record, and it immediately made me wonder if I should’ve picked it instead of the LP I chose. I stuck with what I had, but damn, did I have some second thoughts…

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That’s a wrap on Round One! Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments, check out Sam’s thoughts on his picks, and stay tuned for Part 2 next week!

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