The All-TIME 100 Albums

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By JOSH TYRANGIEL AND ALAN LIGHT Published: Monday, November 13, 2006

So here's how we chose the albums for the All-TIME 100. We researched and listened and agonized until we had a list of the greatest and most influential records ever - and then everyone complained because there was no Pink Floyd on it. And that's exactly how it should be. We hope you'll treat the All-TIME 100 as a great musical parlor game. Read and listen to the arguments for the selections, then tell us what we missed or got wrong. Or even possibly what we got right.

2000s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

The Essential Hank Williams Collection: Turn Back the Years	Hank Williams	Mercury, 2005
The College Dropout	Kanye West	Roc-a-Fella, 2004
Portrait of a Legend 1951 - 1964	Sam Cooke	ABKCO Music & Records, 2003
Elvis: 30 No. 1 Hits	Elvis Presley	BMG/Elvis, 2002
The Anthology, 1947 - 1972	Muddy Waters	Chess, 2001
Kid A	Radiohead	Capitol, 2000
Stankonia	Outkast	LaFace, 2000
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea	PJ Harvey	UMG Recordings, 2000
The Marshall Mathers LP	Eminem	Interscope, 2000

1990s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

Sunrise	Elvis Presley	BMG / Elvis, 1999
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road	Lucinda Williams	Universal, 1998
OK Computer	Radiohead	Capitol, 1997
Time Out of Mind	Bob Dylan	Sony, 1997
Endtroducing...	DJ Shadow	Mo' Wax, 1996
(What's the Story) Morning Glory	Oasis	Sony, 1995
Live Through This	Hole	Geffen, 1994
My Life	Mary J. Blige	MCA, 1994
Ready to Die	The Notorious B.I.G.	Bad Boy, 1994
Slanted and Enchanted	Pavement	Matador, 1992
The Chronic	Dr. Dre	Death Row/Interscope, 1992
Achtung Baby	U2	Island, 1991
Nevermind	Nirvana	DGC Records, 1991
Out of Time	R.E.M.	Warner Brothers, 1991
Phil Spector, Back to Mono (1958 - 1969)	Various Artists	Abkco, 1991
Ropin' The Wind	Garth Brooks	Capitol, 1991
Star Time	James Brown	Polydor, 1991
The Low End Theory	A Tribe Called Quest	Jive, 1991

1980s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

Like a Prayer	Madonna	Sire/London/Rhino, 1989
Paul's Boutique	Beastie Boys	Capitol, 1989
The Stone Roses	The Stone Roses	Jive, 1989
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back	Public Enemy	Def Jam/Columbia, 1988
Straight Outta Compton	N.W.A	Priority, 1988
Document	R.E.M.	I.R.S. Records, 1987
Paid in Full	Eric B. and Rakim	Island, 1987
Sign O' The Times	Prince	Paisley Park, 1987
The Joshua Tree	U2	Island, 1987
Graceland	Paul Simon	Warner Brothers, 1986
Master of Puppets	Metallica	Elektra/Wea, 1986
Raising Hell	Run-DMC	Arista Records/Profile, 1986
Legend	Bob Marley and the Wailers	Island/Tuff Gong, 1984
Purple Rain	Prince	Warner Brothers, 1984
Stop Making Sense	Talking Heads	Warner Brothers/Wea, 1984
The Great Twenty-Eight	Chuck Berry	MCA, 1982
Thriller	Michael Jackson	Sony, 1982
Back in Black	AC/DC	Atlantic, 1980

1970s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

London Calling	The Clash	Sony, 1979
One Nation Under a Groove	Parliament / Funkadelic	Warner Brothers, 1978
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols	The Sex Pistols	Warner Brothers/Wea, 1977
Rumours	Fleetwood Mac	Warner Brothers, 1977
Hotel California	The Eagles	Elektra/Wea, 1976
Ramones	The Ramones	Sire, 1976
Songs in the Key of Life	Stevie Wonder	Motown, 1976
Born to Run	Bruce Springsteen	Sony, 1975
Horses	Patti Smith	Arista, 1975
Red Headed Stranger	Willie Nelson	Sony, 1975
Call Me	Al Green	The Right Stuff, 1973
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road	Elton John	MCA, 1973
The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust	David Bowie	RCA, 1972
Exile on Main Street	The Rolling Stones	Virgin, 1972
Talking Book	Stevie Wonder	UMG Recordings, 1972
The Harder They Come	Jimmy Cliff and Various Artists	Island, 1972
Blue	Joni Mitchell	Warner Brothers/Wea, 1971
Coat of Many Colors	Dolly Parton	RCA, 1971
Hunky Dory	David Bowie	RCA, 1971
Led Zeppelin IV (a.k.a. Zoso)	Led Zeppelin	Wea International, 1971
Paranoid	Black Sabbath	Warner Brothers, 1971
Sticky Fingers	The Rolling Stones	Virgin, 1971
Tapestry	Carole King	Ode/A&M, 1971
What's Going On	Marvin Gaye	Motown, 1971
Who's Next	The Who	Mobile Fidelity, 1971
After the Gold Rush	Neil Young	Reprise, 1970
Bridge Over Troubled Water	Simon and Garfunkel	Columbia, 1970
John Lennon	Plastic Ono Band	Apple/EMI, 1970
Moondance	Van Morrison	Warner Brothers/Wea, 1970

1960s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

Abbey Road	The Beatles	Capitol, 1969
Bitches Brew	Miles Davis	Sony, 1969
Stand!	Sly & the Family Stone	Epic, 1969
The Band	The Band	Capitol, 1969
Astral Weeks	Van Morrison	Warner Brothers/Wea, 1968
At Folsom Prison	Johnny Cash	Sony, 1968
Lady Soul	Aretha Franklin	Atlantic, 1968
The Beatles ("The White Album")	The Beatles	Capitol, 1968
Are You Experienced	The Jimi Hendrix Experience	Experience Hendrix, 1967
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You	Aretha Franklin	Atlantic, 1967
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	The Beatles	Capitol, 1967
The Velvet Underground and Nico	The Velvet Underground	Polydor/Pgd, 1967
Blonde on Blonde	Bob Dylan	Columbia, 1966
Pet Sounds	The Beach Boys	DCC, 1966
Revolver	The Beatles	Capitol, 1966
Highway 61 Revisited	Bob Dylan	Columbia, 1965
Otis Blue	Otis Redding	Atlantic, 1965
Rubber Soul	The Beatles	Capitol, 1965
A Love Supreme	John Coltrane	Impulse, 1964
Live at the Apollo (1963)	James Brown	Polydor, 1963
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music	Ray Charles	ABC/Paramount, 1962
King of the Delta Blues Singers	Robert Johnson	Columbia, 1961

1950s

Album

Artist

Label/Year Released

Kind of Blue	Miles Davis	Sony, 1959
Here's Little Richard	Little Richard	Specialty, 1957
Songs for Swingin' Lovers	Frank Sinatra	Capitol, 1955
In the Wee Small Hours	Frank Sinatra	Capitol, 1954

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TIME 100 ALBUMS PODCASTS