The N&G Top 500 Albums of All Time!!!
- Thread starter Woob_woob
- Start date
MikeH
Well-Known Member
My 2 cents:
*each person submits a top 50 ranked 1-50.
For me personally, I don’t know that I’d have the time to do a top 100 and still put down something I truly care about at #100. the challenge of doing a top 50 keeps it interesting and makes it so that every album is likely a well-thought out choice.
* points system is 50 for #1 pick, 49 for #2 pick...way down to 1 for #50 pick.
*favorite albums! not most important historically. Do I think Third Eye Blind’s self-titled is a top 10 album of all time historically? No. Would it be in my personal top 10 favorites?
*i love @duke86fan’s idea of doing a short write up about your favorite album. When the list is compiled at the end, we can include some people’s write ups in album descriptions.
*No greatest hits albums. No compilations (although I’d say we can make an exception for something like a Robert Johnson comp where the artists songs aren’t released on a full length album anywhere else). No live albums since those can often be greatest hits albums more or less.
*soundtracks are fair game if it’s all original music.
*closed ballots until everyone has handed theirs in and results are announced. Then people can post their own lists in comparison.
I’d love to see what everyone here puts as a top 50. But part of the fun too is going “how could I have forgotten about that one!” If people are constantly posting their lists here before people have a chance to post their own, I definitely think there will be more groupthink. It would influence what albums I put, not in a ranking sense, but I would see albums I hadn’t thought of and my list wouldn’t be as organic to my actual favorites off the top of my head.
*after everything is tabulated, we release the N&G top 100.
We should hopefully have enough people participating to make a top 100 list even if we only do top 50 each.
I also think it might be worth looking into some kind of standardized google sheet or something for people to use to fill out their favorites for submission. There would likely be a way to combine them and automate the scoring tally later on. But I’ll let those who are smarter than me figure that out!
*each person submits a top 50 ranked 1-50.
For me personally, I don’t know that I’d have the time to do a top 100 and still put down something I truly care about at #100. the challenge of doing a top 50 keeps it interesting and makes it so that every album is likely a well-thought out choice.
* points system is 50 for #1 pick, 49 for #2 pick...way down to 1 for #50 pick.
*favorite albums! not most important historically. Do I think Third Eye Blind’s self-titled is a top 10 album of all time historically? No. Would it be in my personal top 10 favorites?
*i love @duke86fan’s idea of doing a short write up about your favorite album. When the list is compiled at the end, we can include some people’s write ups in album descriptions.
*No greatest hits albums. No compilations (although I’d say we can make an exception for something like a Robert Johnson comp where the artists songs aren’t released on a full length album anywhere else). No live albums since those can often be greatest hits albums more or less.
*soundtracks are fair game if it’s all original music.
*closed ballots until everyone has handed theirs in and results are announced. Then people can post their own lists in comparison.
I’d love to see what everyone here puts as a top 50. But part of the fun too is going “how could I have forgotten about that one!” If people are constantly posting their lists here before people have a chance to post their own, I definitely think there will be more groupthink. It would influence what albums I put, not in a ranking sense, but I would see albums I hadn’t thought of and my list wouldn’t be as organic to my actual favorites off the top of my head.
*after everything is tabulated, we release the N&G top 100.
We should hopefully have enough people participating to make a top 100 list even if we only do top 50 each.
I also think it might be worth looking into some kind of standardized google sheet or something for people to use to fill out their favorites for submission. There would likely be a way to combine them and automate the scoring tally later on. But I’ll let those who are smarter than me figure that out!
debar22
Well-Known Member
I like everything here except the no live albums. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis / Live! would probably be in my top 10.My 2 cents:
*each person submits a top 50 ranked 1-50.
For me personally, I don’t know that I’d have the time to do a top 100 and still put down something I truly care about at #100. the challenge of doing a top 50 keeps it interesting and makes it so that every album is likely a well-thought out choice.
* points system is 50 for #1 pick, 49 for #2 pick...way down to 1 for #50 pick.
*favorite albums! not most important historically. Do I think Third Eye Blind’s self-titled is a top 10 album of all time historically? No. Would it be in my personal top 10 favorites?
*i love @duke86fan’s idea of doing a short write up about your favorite album. When the list is compiled at the end, we can include some people’s write ups in album descriptions.
*No greatest hits albums. No compilations (although I’d say we can make an exception for something like a Robert Johnson comp where the artists songs aren’t released on a full length album anywhere else). No live albums since those can often be greatest hits albums more or less.
*soundtracks are fair game if it’s all original music.
*closed ballots until everyone has handed theirs in and results are announced. Then people can post their own lists in comparison.
I’d love to see what everyone here puts as a top 50. But part of the fun too is going “how could I have forgotten about that one!” If people are constantly posting their lists here before people have a chance to post their own, I definitely think there will be more groupthink. It would influence what albums I put, not in a ranking sense, but I would see albums I hadn’t thought of and my list wouldn’t be as organic to my actual favorites off the top of my head.
*after everything is tabulated, we release the N&G top 100.
We should hopefully have enough people participating to make a top 100 list even if we only do top 50 each.
I also think it might be worth looking into some kind of standardized google sheet or something for people to use to fill out their favorites for submission. There would likely be a way to combine them and automate the scoring tally later on. But I’ll let those who are smarter than me figure that out!
I was going to mock up some sort of Google Form to see if that would help @Woob_woob compile & tabulate results, but I gotta find some free time to do so.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Yea...the live album thing is difficult. That's a good point too about Curtis...haha. I guess at the end of the day, if people want to put live albums then we do live albums too! I feel more strongly about no compilations/no soundtracks that aren't original music, even though Prime Prine would probably be a top 50 favorite because of sentimental value.
Crabbers
Well-Known Member
I feel Live albums have to be included...Nirvana and AIC unplugged are epic
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
See here is where i hard disagree, and am going to keep banging on about. The excercise is no where near as much fun if its months of hidden answer sheets submitted up and then a reveal. There’s no chat or fun or “wow you picked that, i hadn’t heard of it/thought of it etc”. First and foremost we’re a community and these things are all about interaction. We’re not electing a president here! Equally i just dont get this fear that we’ll all sudeenly become mindless drones that forget their own taste just because other people chose different albums? Is a large chunk of people posting Dark Side of the Moon in their top 10 going to make me all of a sudden like it and post it there in place of albums that i actually think are good? FUCK NO!
Thackeraye
Well-Known Member
+1.
Crabbers
Well-Known Member
Closed ballot, slow reveal would be fun!!!
50-41 one week then discuss, 40-31, 30-21....etc leading up too top 10
Crabbers
Well-Known Member
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
Each of us individually slow dripping out 50’s? Seems a bit contrived
Also a slow drip down from 500 on the master list would take forever and people would end up bored before the end...
Crabbers
Well-Known Member
No @Woob_woob slowly reveals the results of top 50
Thackeraye
Well-Known Member
My only fear with a list of 100. Might put a few folk off. I’m happy to do it as it’s something to do during lockdown, but it could be faff for some...
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Yea! I like the slower reveal. 50-41 first, etc.
Thackeraye
Well-Known Member
What about EP’s? Having access to My Father My King by Mogwai and Aglio E Olio by the Beastie Boys will change my list a bit!
My opinions on the rest (To start with, I love Lists and love this idea).
- I like the top 50 ranked 1-50 with points from 50-1 like others suggested. 100 is daunting and alot of work for @Woob_woob considering alot of the 51-100 picks likely wont even make it on the final 500
- Favorite Vs Best? Do whichever you want! Personal Bias and love is part of music. Critical acclaim is directly connected to peoples love of music. Do a mix, whatever. My top 10 list of favorite movies vs. top 10 best movies Ive ever seen would probably almost be completely different. Same with Music.
- Multiple picks from the same artist. I don't you can restrict this. I do love diversity but then there's some artists I LOVE where my favorite of their albums is definitely different from what I think is their Best album, or I love a few. I don't think my top 50 can be restricted to only 1 White Stripes, Bright Eyes, U2, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, etc. This is where I also think 50 will help, because if people only have 50 picks instead of 100, they'll be forced to trim down a little and HOPEFULLY that would mean knocking off some albums where you already have an artist there. If you have 100, we're gonna have alot of Beatles, Dylan, etc like every other list.
- I hate greatest hits album in general and definitely don't think they should be on a best albums list. They were created specifically to highlight career highs. They arent albums, they're cliffnotes.
- Live albums on the other hand I think should definitely be included. The thought that albums like 'At Folsom Prison' or 'At Filmore East' can't be included seems crazy (not to mention all the Jazz albums that are actually live performances). I get the philosophy that some live albums are like greatest hits albums, but unlike greatest hits comps it greatly depends on the performance and recording quality and could be better or worse than studio version. I for one prefer the 'How the West was Won' version of Stairway to Heaven to the 'Led Zeppelin IV' version, and the former would probably make it to my list while the latter wouldn't.
- Soundtracks I think should be fair game too as they arent put together for the same goal as 'Greatest Hits'. They are made with a certain purpose and theme, and can be hit or miss. Albums like 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou?', 'Purple Rain' (I know this is kinda studio too), Trainspotting, any Sofia Coppola movie, or even modern ones like 'Spider-verse', 'Hamilton', 'or Black Panther' are well curated and in most cases entirely original. It's tougher when you think about ones that are mostly comps but still great (like a Tarantino soundtrack or Guardians of the Galaxy), but I think we shouldnt have many of those, and I think they are still more deserving than a greatest hits.
- Closed ballots. I agree that open will cause bias. We'll all forget albums but that will make it fun.
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
There are EPs longer than some LPs so as far as I'm concerned the nomenclature is arbitrary. There will definitely be some EPs on my list.
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
Oh so 500-50 revealed in one go and then slow drip from 50 down?
I still hate the closed ballot because it’s a big nothingness between the opening of ballots and the reveal, it’s boring and not a community exercise. No fun/debate etc. I don’t see the bias argument at all, it seems insane that someone else putting something on their list is going to somehow make me think my list is not worthy and that I must include it, the ballots being open promotes conversation.
Woob_woob
Well-Known Member
If we do do it by secret ballot we could have a For Your Consideration period where people argue and suggest albums and such. People could post what they are thinking for their list, but the one submitted in private is the real one? I could also release individual lists on the way towards releasing the main list. Idk I dont care either way and plan on just listening to the votes.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
I think you still get that aspect of it later though. Heres the N&G top 100. "WHAT! How did that album get so high up?? This is what I had for my top 50! Oh I totally forgot about that album! Can't believe your favorite Dylan album is Love and Theft", etc hah. I'd have no qualms sharing my list later.
Also, to be honest, for me, I simply won't feel as motivated to do a proper PERSONAL top 50 list if a ton of people have already posted theirs on here. I understand I may be alone in that feeling. I would have more fun with it if I'm looking through my record stacks, revisiting albums, looking through my Roon library, etc. It also makes the grand reveal of the N&G top 100 more fun and surprising.
And there's no way that people won't be influenced, even subconsciously, about what they put once people start posting their personal top 50s. As you said, people will start thinking "oh i hadn't thought of that album!" and it will make its way into their lists instead of peoples' gut reactions to favorites. I'd rather see peoples' unfettered ballots later on then see people's lists trickle in over the next month or so. I think we will see much more interesting results that way. My personal interest in this will be to see where peoples' tastes organically lie and also to learn about albums I may have overlooked or haven't revisited in awhile.
The point is to have a N&G top 100 or 50 reveal and a discussion around that and what people did differently in their own personal selections. I think a lot of discussion is to be had especially if a reveal is done how @Crabbers suggested. If we're doing top 100, for example, the first day, we reveal 100-80, second day reveal 79-60, then get down to 10-1 revealed at the end.
If we have already seen everyone's ballots, then what's the point? Tabulating scores at that point is moot and it's going to be hard work for @Woob_woob to put all the scores together. The only downside, as I see it, to not releasing ballots earlier is that we just have to wait longer to see results. I'm okay with that because I think it will lead to more interesting discussion later.