Best Albums of the Last 30 Years?

‘My arse,’ as Jim Royle might say.

Radio Two listeners are having to pick the supposed best album of the last 30 years out of the motley list below. Maybe the list is selected from only the people who can be bothered to turn up to receive the award at the Brits? It’s difficult to imagine a bigger bunch of crap — who on earth shortlisted this rubbish? In many cases the album isn’t even the best that the artists concerned has made.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay: they might be a decent band if they got a singer. I thought ‘Viva la Vida’ was ok but most of Coldplay is pretentious whining — cock rock for middle-class students.

No AngelDido: this is actually a very good album and balances the pop influences of Rick Nowells (Stevie Nicks, Belinda Carlisle) with the trip-hop influences of her brother’s band Faithless. At least with names like Dido and Rollo, they had to admit they were posh — not kids off da street like most middle-class musicians. Because of inverted snobbery by middle-class music journalists the only people who were allowed to admit they liked Dido were those who had impeccably ‘street’ credentials — like Eninem, who knew a good tune when he heard one.

Diamond Life – Sade: this one is good too. It has the mark of a good album in that some of the non-single tracks are equally memorable as those that got in the charts. It’s got a lot of period charm.

Hopes And Fears – Keane: I don’t know anything about this one or Keane, in fact, apart from their song ‘Spiralling’ was ok.

What’s The Story Morning Glory – Oasis: a load of over-hyped, third-rate bombastic imitiations of Beatles tracks

No Jacket Required – Phil Collins: unbelievable — ‘Face Value’ was genuinely an album of its time with a single that has endured (even if the drumming gorilla didn’t save Cadbury’s). ‘No Jacket Required’ was loveable geezer Phil at his showbiz worst.

The Man Who – Travis: I’m the man who can’t remember anything about Travis, let alone their supposedly brilliant album

Rockferry – Duffy: OK but largely a throwback to the 60s in musical style — is imitating 40 year old music something that makes the best album of the last 40 years. At least it isn’t Amy Winehouse.

Urban Hymns – The Verve:I bought this on cd when it first came out, listened to it once and then never bothered again. Good opening tune but wasn’t it derived from the Rolling Stones?

Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits: like the Phil Collins selection, not their best album — they did some decent stuff a few years earlier but this is stadium formula bloat-rock.

Seems like whichever nerd put the shortlist together selected their favourite album (probably Keane or Travis) and then put it up against a load of other dross to ensure it wins — while milking Radio Two listeners for phone votes. It will be interesting to see how the women artists compare. I think anyone with any independent taste should organise a Rage Against the Machine campaign to make Dido’s ‘No Angel’ the top album of the last 30 years. It’s certainly the best there but that says everything about the competition.

I’ll try and think of my own list.

3 Replies to “Best Albums of the Last 30 Years?”

  1. “Urban Hymns – The Verve:….Good opening tune but wasn’t it derived from the Rolling Stones?”

    The Stones I assumed I’d like them bought a box set of everything from 64 to 70 listened to it once and taped the ones I liked. The Verve album is far better than anything the Stones did.

    They did 2/3rds of a decent riff or song but never finished them – Sympathy for the Devil just finishes with whooping and screaming – they never finished a single song and almost every half decent cover beats them. Rant Over. Urban Hymns has 4 or 5 songs better lyrically than any song the Stones ever did – they actually say something.

  2. I didn’t say that I liked the Rolling Stones much. I also got one of their Greatest Hits and I hardly ever listen to it. A handful of songs are ok — like ‘Paint it Black’, ‘Gimme Shelter’, ‘Angie’ and ‘Brown Sugar’ (but is this racist?). Most of the rest is posturing crap of the sort that came to define the worst of the next 40 years of rock music — middle-class narcissists pretending to feel the emotion of the blues. The fact Microsoft used ‘Start Me Up’ for Windows 95 says it all.

    I didn’t say the Verve was rubbish, just that I’d never bothered to listen to it, which might be my loss.

  3. I was merely informing not critiquing. Generally agree with your premise.

    Was aware. I just happen to think the Stones are horribly over rated and whilst not a huge music fan Urban Hymns which I know better was at least of some merit. The Stones were some sort of stylish counter point to The Beatles I guess.

    The Stones are the ultimate sound byte – great choruses ‘Paint It Black’, ‘You can’t always get what you want’ but most of their stuff comes over as unfinished or botchly done. You hear bits of their stuff on TV shows and think it sounds great but listen to it and after 2 minutes musically and lyrically and they run out of steam or the whole thing is hollow shit to start with – Pop really without the pop – The Macdonalds of 60s music.

    The Stones are at their worst trying to ape the slower pace of Blues. Ruby Tuesday is an abortion of a song.

    People confuse record sales, image of the time and fashion with musical merit. The Stones weren’t Travis but then they were not the Beatles either.

    Microsoft should have used Weller’s Start….

    If we get through for two minutes only,
    It will be a start!
    For knowing that someone in this life,
    Loves with a passion called hate

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