Top 5 Albums by Popular Rock Artists (Revision Version)

[ManPerson]

On your proposed Future list, my only disagreement is that I think it should be Pluto at #2 and We Don’t Trust You at #3. The way I see it is that Pluto wins influence and narrowly wins acclaim, while We Don’t Trust You narrowly wins popularity.

I could see that.

[Brian]

Then I think TCD has a slight edge overall. Of course, both albums are huge.

Two more artists now. First, Beyonce. I agree with adding Cowboy Carter at #4, moving Dangerously in Love to #5 and pushing B'Day off the list. However, I have doubts about moving self-titled ahead of Lemonade. I think Lemonade wins acclaim by more than self-titled wins popularity. So unless you want to argue that self-titled is more influential, I think they're good where they are.

For Justin Bieber, I agree with adding Justice and probably Swag, but since with him I think it mostly comes down to popularity, and Swag is recent enough that we can't see all of its popularity yet, this is how I'm inclined to go for him:

1. Purpose
2. My World 2.0
3. Justice
4. Believe
5. Swag

I would argue that since it's considered influential on video albums, surprise drops and led to the change of music release day.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying here.

[Brian]

Swag had some presence on year end lists which is why I could see it above Believe.

OK, I'll put Swag ahead of Believe.

I've now had time to look over the Tool list, and here's how it looks to me:

1. Ænima
2. Lateralus
3. Undertow
4. Fear Inoculum
5. 10,000 Days

Positions 3 & 4 are where the question may be. I'm thinking Undertow has some influence and wins popularity too. I don't think Fear Inoculum has enough of an advantage in acclaim to make up for its disadvantage in the rest of the criteria.

[ManPerson]

Then I think TCD has a slight edge overall. Of course, both albums are huge.

Two more artists now. First, Beyonce. I agree with adding Cowboy Carter at #4, moving Dangerously in Love to #5 and pushing B'Day off the list. However, I have doubts about moving self-titled ahead of Lemonade. I think Lemonade wins acclaim by more than self-titled wins popularity. So unless you want to argue that self-titled is more influential, I think they're good where they are.

For Justin Bieber, I agree with adding Justice and probably Swag, but since with him I think it mostly comes down to popularity, and Swag is recent enough that we can't see all of its popularity yet, this is how I'm inclined to go for him:

1. Purpose
2. My World 2.0
3. Justice
4. Believe
5. Swag

I would argue that since it's considered influential on video albums, surprise drops and led to the change of music release day.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying here.

I'm saying self titled is influential due to making surprise drops more common, influencing artists to make video albums and for leading to the day that most albums are released to be moved to Friday rather than Tuesday.

[ManPerson]

Swag had some presence on year end lists which is why I could see it above Believe.

OK, I'll put Swag ahead of Believe.

I've now had time to look over the Tool list, and here's how it looks to me:

1. Ænima
2. Lateralus
3. Undertow
4. Fear Inoculum
5. 10,000 Days

Positions 3 & 4 are where the question may be. I'm thinking Undertow has some influence and wins popularity too. I don't think Fear Inoculum has enough of an advantage in acclaim to make up for its disadvantage in the rest of the criteria.

I could see that too.

[pauldrach]

As I see it, these are the latest versions of newly proposed lists:

Alison Moyet/Yazoo
1. Upstairs at Eric's
2. Alf
3. Raindancing
4. You and Me Both
5. The Minutes

Charli XCX
1. Brat
2. Pop 2
3. Crash
4. How I'm Feeling Now
5. Sucker

The Coral
1. The Coral
2. Magic and Medicine
3. The Invisible Invasion
4. Roots & Echoes
5. Coral Island

Godspeed You! Black Emperor
1. Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
2. F♯A♯∞
3. Yanqui U.X.O.
4. 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
5. G_d's Pee at State's End!

Jeezy/Young Jeezy
1. Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101
2. The Recession
3. The Inspiration
4. TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition
5. Seen It All: The Autobiography

Mitski
1. Be the Cowboy
2. The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We
3. Puberty 2
4. Bury Me at Makeout Creek
5. Laurel Hell

Maybe "Nothing's About to Happen to Me" should be ahead of "Laurel Hell" by now?

Mos Def/Black Star
1. Black on Both Sides
2. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
3. The Ecstatic
4. The New Danger
5. No Fear of Time

Paramore
1. Riot!
2. This Is Why
3. After Laughter
4. Paramore
5. Brand New Eyes

Post Malone
1. Beerbongs & Bentleys
2. Hollywood's Bleeding
3. Stoney
4. F-1 Trillion
5. Twelve Carat Toothache

The Residents
1. Meet the Residents
2. Eskimo
3. Not Available
4. The Third Reich 'n Roll
5. Commercial Album

Robert Palmer/The Power Station
1. Riptide
2. The Power Station
3. Heavy Nova
4. Secrets
5. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley

Third Eye Blind
1. Third Eye Blind
2. Blue
3. Ursa Major
4. Out of the Vein
5. Dopamine

Vampire Weekend
1. Modern Vampires of the City
2. Vampire Weekend
3. Only God Was Above Us
4. Contra
5. Father of the Bride

Young Thug
1. Barter 6
2. So Much Fun
3. Jeffery
4. Beautiful Thugger Girls
5. Rich Gang: Tha Tour Part 1 [with Birdman & Rich Homie Quan]

I agree with all of them but would possibly add the latest Mitski.

[ManPerson]

I think we should wait until December/January for Mitski to see how it does on the eoy lists.

[Ryan]

As I see it, these are the latest versions of newly proposed lists:

Robert Palmer/The Power Station
1. Riptide
2. The Power Station
3. Heavy Nova
4. Secrets
5. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley

I could see getting rid of the Power Station entirely and adding Clues at #5

[Brian]

Then I think TCD has a slight edge overall. Of course, both albums are huge.

Two more artists now. First, Beyonce. I agree with adding Cowboy Carter at #4, moving Dangerously in Love to #5 and pushing B'Day off the list. However, I have doubts about moving self-titled ahead of Lemonade. I think Lemonade wins acclaim by more than self-titled wins popularity. So unless you want to argue that self-titled is more influential, I think they're good where they are.

For Justin Bieber, I agree with adding Justice and probably Swag, but since with him I think it mostly comes down to popularity, and Swag is recent enough that we can't see all of its popularity yet, this is how I'm inclined to go for him:

1. Purpose
2. My World 2.0
3. Justice
4. Believe
5. Swag

I would argue that since it's considered influential on video albums, surprise drops and led to the change of music release day.

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying here.

I'm saying self titled is influential due to making surprise drops more common, influencing artists to make video albums and for leading to the day that most albums are released to be moved to Friday rather than Tuesday.

I see. OK, I'll put self-titled ahead of Lemonade.

[pauldrach]

As I see it, these are the latest versions of newly proposed lists:

Robert Palmer/The Power Station
1. Riptide
2. The Power Station
3. Heavy Nova
4. Secrets
5. Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley

I could see getting rid of the Power Station entirely and adding Clues at #5

Well, I could see that too, but "The Power Station" wouldn't look out of place on a Palmer list either, seeing how he was lead vocalist and co-wrote every original song on the album. So, I'd keep it this way but would be inclined to change it if others agree with Ryan's take.

[Tim]

I am with paul here.

[Brian]

I saved the hardest list for last, the Nick Cave list. I think that all that's needed on that list is to replace Abattoir Blues with Ghosteen, and Murder Ballads is maybe a little high. The proposed list is the same as cave's top 5 at acclaimedmusic.net, but it seems that the rankings there are affected by critics getting to know Cave later on, so his '90s albums that are now held in high regard didn't have the benefit of making yearend lists at the time that the later ones did. So we see the most recent Cave album listed as his most acclaimed album, his 2nd most recent as his 2nd most acclaimed album, and his 3rd most recent as his 4th most acclaimed album, as if he didn't fully hit his stride until he was in his mid-50s, even with his retrospective acclaim reflecting the view that he was already quite good in 1984.

Let Love In appears to do quite well in lasting popularity, with easily the most ratings at RYM of any Cave album, and also the highest average rating, and 2nd to Abattoir Blues in scrobbles at last.fm. I think the latter was aided by one very popular song and from being released after last.fm started, unlike Let Love In. Let Love In also easily has the most people rating it at allmusic. So tough list, but taking into account lasting popularity and probably recentness bias at acclaimedmusic, I think this is the way to go:

1. The Boatman's Call
2. Let Love In
3. Skeleton Tree
4. Murder Ballads
5. Ghosteen

[ManPerson]

I could see that.

[Brian]

I just sent to Lew the revised versions of the lists that I've mentioned in the last several posts.

[pauldrach]

Charli XCX should probably have a list now
1. Brat
2. Pop 2
3. Crash
4. How I'm Feeling Now
5. Charli

Difficult list since popular and critical success don't necessarily align for her.

Acclaim:
1. Brat
2. Pop 2
3. How I'm Feeling Now
4. Charli
5. Crash

Popularity:
1. Brat
2. Crash
3. Sucker
4. Charli
5. How I'm Feeling Now

It feels kind of weird not to have "Sucker", her original commercial breakthrough, but as its acclaim is comparably meh, I'd consider it correct to keep it off.

Been looking into her list again and I arrived at the same top 4 as ManPerson but I now think that "Sucker" should indeed be #5 over "Charli". "Sucker" wins popularity pretty clearly, having been certified Silver in the UK, having sold more in the US and UK (according to Wikipedia) and having charted higher in most countries. "Charli" wins acclaim but not by all that much (Metascore of 80 against 75). Influence would seem to go to "Sucker", having been her breakthrough.

[ManPerson]

I could see that.