Magnet Magazine's Top 60 Albums, 1993-2003

dropsonde said:
Heading towards the finish line, nothing left but #1. Guesses by anyone who hasn't already read the list?

Glaswegians represent! Can't say I'm a huge fan of If You're Feeling Sinister -- it's a bit too twee for me -- but it's in interesting record because of its timing as an inflection point between grunge and the mainstream explosion of indie rock. Would it make my top 60 list? Probably not.

Seven months later, OK Computer is released. Tough to pick which album should represent Radiohead on this list but can't argue with this choice or its placement. (Maybe too low?)

GBV is finally here as @Matt M predicted. And @jamieanderson1968 called Alien Lanes so good on him. I LOLed at this in the blurb: "Alien Lanes reminds you why you first fell in love with the myth of beer-pounded, ex-teacher old dudes building four-track masterpieces in the basements of the Midwest."

I love Nirvana like most people but haven't actively listening to their music in many years. Probably because of over-saturation, it's emotionally exhausting, and it started feeling dated. But In Utero belongs on the list.

Note that the legend for the writers' initials is at the bottom.

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Number 4 might be my all time favourite album (it’s one of 4 or 5 that I couldn’t be without) but its kind of refreshing to see it not be at number 1 on such a clearly very self consciously cool list from this kinda era.
 
Didn't think about Belle & Sebastian - sacrilege for a Glaswegian! If you like them you love them (I do), so I don't have a problem with it being that high. In Utero was a given, and I absolutely love it. Same with Radiohead. Will be interesting to see what #1 is.
 
Thackeraye said:
Didn't think about Belle & Sebastian - sacrilege for a Glaswegian! If you like them you love them (I do), so I don't have a problem with it being that high. In Utero was a given, and I absolutely love it. Same with Radiohead. Will be interesting to see what #1 is.
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I can't complain about these 4 picks on this list at all. OK Computer is the only one that would have made my top 5, but everything is justifiable in its place.

It has got to be Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea for #1, right?
 
wmeugene said:
I can't complain about these 4 picks on this list at all. OK Computer is the only one that would have made my top 5, but everything is justifiable in its place.

It has got to be Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea for #1, right?
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the way nmh have been deified is utterly perplexing to me - they're a good band (well, sort of) with one great album, but it's only just inside my top 20 albums for 1998 in what was an extraordinarily strong year; 97 is justifiably regarded as one of the canon years in the history of rock n roll, but 98 was so strong too

my top 5 of 98:
massive attack - mezzanine
mansun - six
lucinda williams - car wheels on a gravel road
beck - mutations
air - moon safari
 
whatwhatsaywhat said:
the way nmh have been deified is utterly perplexing to me - they're a good band (well, sort of) with one great album, but it's only just inside my top 20 albums for 1998 in what was an extraordinarily strong year; 97 is justifiably regarded as one of the canon years in the history of rock n roll, but 98 was so strong too

my top 5 of 98:
massive attack - mezzanine
mansun - six
lucinda williams - car wheels on a gravel road
beck - mutations
air - moon safari
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Agreed that they are deified for that album. It's in my top 5 for 98, but wouldn't sniff the top 10 for this era for me. Put me in the its great, but still overrated camp.
 
*throws all paper near me into the air*

I give up. Lol

I agree with @Joe Mac - I do not understand the B&S love. The twee doesn't work with me. I don't dislike them. But I certainly don't agree that they put out a top 4 album of the decade. No effing way.

GBV and Nirvana - sure. Definitely.

#1 - based on its not showing up previously and my deep hope that it is a woman at the top: Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
#1 - based on Magnet's world in which woman make up 3 out of the top 50: Neutral Milk Hotel
 
I think everyone is dead on with the Neutral Milk Hotel pick. I mean, it hasn't shown up on the list, yet, so that has to be it. Because, it's definitely not my personal #1, but it's also definitely in the top 50.

Belle & Sebastian is too high. This is their best album, but it's still not top 20 of the era. And this is coming from a Belle & Sebastian fan who devoured absolutely everything they did up until Boy with the Arab Strap.

All of my friends were Guided By Voices kids and I just never got into them. It's one of those things where something gets shoved down your throat so much you just automatically start to reject it. I'm having a great time as an adult going back and "discovering" those bands without the stubbornness of youth clouding my judgment. I think GbV will be next on my list to look at.

Radiohead is right there for me. In fact, that might be my #1 for the time period. And Nirvana is Nirvana. Can't argue with that.

Yeah, Aeroplane Over the Sea has got to be their Number 1, hasn't it?
 
I have enjoyed this, reminded me of a few artists that I forgot about. Also reminded me how much Indie Rock is a bros club.

Funny, I get the dislike of B&S as being twee flag bearer (hard to lift that flag with those skinny little wrists). But I also find a lot of indie rock/pop of the last 10-15 years to be too twee and fey for my liking.
 
Also the idea of one album an artist is a bit ridiculous, some artists are just better than others and if they’ve done a few that deserve being in there then fair play to them...
 
Joe Mac said:
Confession, Id never heard of Neutral Milk Hotel or this album before forums. Further confession, what I’ve heard so far makes me think I’ll really dislike it so I’ve still never heard anything by them 😂
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Never like NMH. Had the cd back in '98 and sold it in the early '00s. Never really got the whole Elephant 6 collective, though I do like Olivia Tremor Control.
 
jamieanderson1968 said:
Never like NMH. Had the cd back in '98 and sold it in the early '00s. Never really got the whole Elephant 6 collective, though I do like Olivia Tremor Control.
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I’ll confess that I’ve not heard of either of those later 2 either. I’ve generally not enjoyed US indie as much as UK/Irish indie. I tend to prefer rock or singer/songwriter artists more from the western side of the Atlantic for whatever reason 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
Same with NMH. It's fine, but definitely not the best album of that period. I don't know if you had to be into them at the time to get the whole cultural impact of it.

Overall, it's a pretty good list of albums of the time. There's loads of gaps (I'd add Spiritualized into there, Teenage Fanclub, and that's just off the top of my head. Was Sleater-Kinney in the list?), but it'll be a good playlist to jump into every now and then.

Really enjoyed doing this actually, it's been great fun. Anyone got any more we can do?
 
Thackeraye said:
Same with NMH. It's fine, but definitely not the best album of that period. I don't know if you had to be into them at the time to get the whole cultural impact of it.

Overall, it's a pretty good list of albums of the time. There's loads of gaps (I'd add Spiritualized into there, Teenage Fanclub, and that's just off the top of my head. Was Sleater-Kinney in the list?), but it'll be a good playlist to jump into every now and then.

Really enjoyed doing this actually, it's been great fun. Anyone got any more we can do?
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I used to eat up these lists back in the day, I’m sure I have read piles by NME and Q down the years. That said I have absolutely no doubt that either my dad, or my brother when he took over the family home, have binned the ones I saved 😂
 
Teeeee said:
I do not recall seeing them! THE HORROR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I just went through and looked at the list a couple time, I could have sworn I saw them :) I do find they were underappreciated during their heyday, but they have a few classics that should be included in this list. And fairly high up the list too!

I dig the Neutral Milk Hotel and a good chunk of that Elephant 6 Collective work. Looking back and judging now, it wouldn't be number one. But at the time this list came out, it was big and getting a resurgence/building of love for it. I know a few years back I saw him in Portland, and I was shocked it was sold out at one of the bigger venues.
 
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