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Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums Of All Time

November 18, 2003 | Music
The Beatles landmark album Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band has been named the best of all time in Rolling Stone Magazine's list of 500 greatest rock records, as chosen by 273 musicians, critics, fans and historians. Elvis Presley is at number 11 with his collection of early rockabilly tunes, The Sun Sessions.

The Fab Four have three other albums in the top 10 – Revolver at number three, Rubber Soul at number five and the White Album at number 10. The Rolling Stones had one album on the Top 10 – Exile on Main Street, at number seven. The Beach Boys were at number two with Pet Sounds. Bob Dylan has two albums in the top ten: Highway 61 Revisited at four and Blonde on Blonde at nine. Motown’s top entry is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On at six.
Source:Google
Germain Tremblay wrote on November 19, 2003
I'd like to answer to GeeBee. I realise that you really don't know the importance of the album "Pet Sounds" of the Beach Boys. I think you need a lesson about that album. Pet Sounds is certainly the most important album in the history of pop music. The Beatles was able to make Sgt Pepper because of Pet Sounds. The vote is not for the entire Beach Boys work, but for that incredible album, much better than Sgt Pepper in my opinion. I have been an Elvis for 27 years now, and I think he is the greatest singer of all the times, but I can recognise the importance of others singers or groups. The legacy of Elvis goes beyond his albums. I think that the fact that Elvis was nominated The Artist of the Century is far more important for him rather than to have an album in the top ten list. Germain Tremblay. Repentigny, Canada
Kenneth wrote on November 19, 2003
i agree with vangogh and geebee,they kind of say it all.
TonyP wrote on November 20, 2003
Elvis appears just 3 times on the list, at the following positions. 11 – The Sun Sessions/ 55 – Elvis Presley/ 190 – From Elvis in Memphis. To see From Elvis in Memphis as low as 190 is ridiculous, particularly when you see some of the dross that is higher up in the list. There is no place for Elvis is Back, either of the two 60s gospel albums or That’s The Way It Is. Having said that, some landmark albums by true musical greats don’t make their first appearance until quite late on either, notably: Michael Jackson at 20 with Thriller, U2 at 26 with Joshua Tree, The Eagles at 37 with Hotel California and Simon and Garfunkel at 51 with Bridge Over Troubled Water. The latter I find quite ludicrous, when you see The Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks at 41. Even more ludicrous of course is From Elvis In Memphis being 149 places lower than that garbage. These lists should never be taken too seriously. They are always compiled by so-called experts in the music press, which often translates as people who make a career out of pseudo-intellectual commentary and the perpetuation of myths about what is and what isn’t ‘credible’ music. The thing is, who determines what is ‘credible’? Well the very same kind of people who compile such meaningless lists. How many of those involved do you think have ever sat through the whole of From Elvis in Memphis or Elvis is Back? For the record, I agree with those who have said that Sgt Pepper is not the Beatles best album. Personally I have always loved Rubber Soul – although the UK and US tracklistings for that album differ, so that always causes confusion.
Kevin K wrote on November 19, 2003
I pretty much agree with most of what's been said. Sgt Pepper's, while a great album, doesn't compare to other Beatles albums such as Revolver or Abbey Road. Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys, is simply quite amazing. It was the new era in Beach Boys music, and is beautiful to listen to.. Elvis is Back is underrated in the music world. It deserves so much more recognition for what it is.. a great, great album.
Jyroflux wrote on November 19, 2003
>What??? The Beach Boys at No. 2??? That just reduced the credibility of this list for me to nill. You know not of what you speak. The Pet Sounds album in unlike any other Beach Boys album. It has been hailed as a masterpiece for years by critics, artists and fans alike.
Neckywoudje wrote on November 18, 2003
Strange... The albums mentioned are classic albums...but not really the best ones. Albums like Black & White from Tony Joe White (wich featured polk salad annie) and Mysterie Girl from Roy Orbison for the top 10. Rolling Stone mentioned That's All Right as the big bang so why is the sun sessions lp not at 1?? BTW, Sgt pepper isn't that good... I think it's quite the same as all beatles stuff: simple and dated.
GeeBee wrote on November 18, 2003
What?? The Beach Boys at No.2?? That just reduced the credibility of this list for me to nill!
GeeBee wrote on November 20, 2003
Sorry, I did not mean to insult any Beach Boys fans who visit this site. I did not like the sound of the Beach Boys in the 60s and I do not like them now. I like a broad spectrum of music, but it is difficult for me to assess the value of a group whose sound I just do not like.
Sheila wrote on November 22, 2003
I do have something to say...first of all, I'm am sick and tired of the Beatles! Why? They did not stayed together long and I don't see what's so important about them after they broke up. Elvis should have the number one list and he did beat the beatles of all the hits he has! He performed for almost 20 years! He is still the KING! Here's what should be on the list for number one..."Elvis is Back!" and "The Sun Sessions". No one BEATS Elvis...I mean NO ONE!
VanGogh wrote on November 19, 2003
Actually, I have always thought that Sgt. Pepper hasn't aged well. I think Rubber Soul and the White Album are both better and sound less dated. The reason that Elvis never does very well on Album lists is that RCA usually consentrated on singles back then. Sgt. Pepper may have been the first real cohesive album of all time. Before that, albums were more like collections of songs. Sinatra put out a few theme albums, but Sgt Pepper was kind of a big bang of it's own as far as albums went. Elvis' best albums are the collections that came out after the fact. The Sun Sessions originally came out as an album in the late 70's and had no impact. Sure the songs on there were the most important things ever, and without them the Beatles wouldn't even exist, but it was an album of old singles. Frankly, I think the best album that Elvis put out, during his career, was Elvis is Back! It's hard to consider repackaged collections as real important albums. I bet that if "That's Alright Mama" came out as a single and then was followed up by an album with the rest of the Sun tracks back in 1955, it would easily be at number 1, but albums just didn't come into their own until the 60's and mostly because of Sgt. Pepper. That's why it is always #1 on this list; it my have been the first album that was somehow more than just the sum of it's parts. By the way, I love Elvis and Elvis's music and albums more than anyone or anything else. I just wrote all this as a way of explination.