This is the 14th post in this series. Click here to start from the beginning: Inhailer's Top 500 Albums of All-Time: (#500--476)
Every Friday, Inhailer is counting down our totally objective, completely undisputed, most-correct list of the Top 500 albums of all time. We're doing so in bite-size chunks of 25 albums (nobody has the energy in their thumbs to scroll through 500 albums in one sitting). Last week we continued our countdown with the likes of Pearl Jam, Nucleus, and Dr. Dre. This week we continue with Nos. 175-151. The ask was simple: excluding compilation albums, what are the 500 best albums of all-time, ranked? Here's the fourteenth list in the countdown:
175. David Bowie - Low (1977)
As 'The Man Who Fell to Earth,' Bowie retreated to West Berlin with Iggy Pop, using this recording process to become sober and test his new love for Krautrock.
174. Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)
The least acclaimed member of the "unholy trinity" did their part with this album, contributing to the burgeoning mainstream success of '70s heavy metal.
173. Laura Nyro - Eli & the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
Stunningly confessional and unapologetic, Nyro blended pop instrumentation with her sincere vein of gospel songwriting.
172. A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)
Non-commercial, alternative hip-hop was just becoming a possibility. Tribe made it an inevitability.
171. The Toms - The Toms (1979)
Engineer Tommy Marolda had a cancellation in his studio, and used the gap in his schedule to record an entire album. He played every instrument on this cult D.I.Y. power pop that is anything but lo-fi.
170. The Apples in Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution (1997)
Intentionally reinvigorating Beatles' psychedelia, The Apples added their jaded indie rock attitude, agile solos, and agile rhythm section.
169. Outkast - Stankonia (2000)
Outkast mastered the 'Dirty South' sound, cementing their legacy of instantly recognizable and instantly danceable hip hop song with B.O.B., So Fresh, So Clean, and Ms. Jackson.
168. The Clash - The Clash (1977)
The boys from London exploded onto the scene with an urgent political sentiment wrapped tightly in accessible 2 and 1/2 minute punk.
167. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (2011)
Justin Vernon headed back to the woods of Wisconsin and set his project in a new, more experimental baroque folk direction.
166. J.J. Cale - Naturally (1972)
This is one of the great 'lost' album of the '70s, blending boogie boogie, funk, and blues. It is also one of the earliest albums to use a drum machine.
165. The Replacements - Tim (1985)
Their first major label release is packed with their best compositions, including "Bastards of Young," "Here Comes A Regular," and "Swingin Party."
164. Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity (1993)
This masterpiece of West Coast rap samples obscure funk, R&B, and jazz songs of the '70s, and became synonymous with the clever wordsmithing of the Oakland sound.
163. The Cure - Wish (1992)
Besides their smash hit "Friday I'm In Love," this album is packed with melancholy in tracks such as "High," "Apart," and "A Letter To Elise."
162. Blondie - Blondie (1976)
A crucial album for the early development of new wave, Blondie flipped the tight structure of happy '60s pop songs on its head.
161. Patty Griffin - 1,000 Kisses (2002)
Ruminating with her country and folk styles, Griffin tells you the real story without flowery language or instrumental pomp.
160. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
50 Cent was shot nine times in Queens, New York, dropped by his first label, and came back three years later with one of the biggest selling debuts of all-time.
159. Big Star - Third/Sister Lovers (1978)
The birth of alternative music eventually traces back to 1974 and the beautiful self-destruction of Alex Chilton & his longtime drummer, Jody Stephens.
158. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
This frenzied, dense post-hardcore album centers on a man entering a week-long coma an after O.D. on morphine and rat poison.
157. The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St. (1972)
Jagger & Richards finally dropped some of the pretension after a string of top albums in the late '60s & early '70s, stripping back everything but a raw blend of blues and country.
156. Ramones - Rocket to Russia (1977)
As major labels were throwing contracts at any decent punk band, the Ramones were a few steps ahead, with improved recording quality contrasting the brutal raggedness of their songs.
155. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (1969)
The quiet, lanky British folk artist was just 20 years old when sat on a stool in the centre of the studio and laid down his brooding debut.
154. Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains (1984)
The former Soft Boy settled down with an acoustic guitar by his third solo LP, recording an underrated folk collection with psychedelic tinges.
153. Death Cab For Cutie - Plans (2005)
"One of my favorite kind of dark jokes is, 'How do you make God laugh? You make a plan.'," says songwriter Ben Gibbard of the album's theme.
152. Sufjan Stevens - Michigan (2003)
In 2003, Stevens announced he was going to make fifty albums for the fifty United States. Here, he started with a delicate ode to his home state.
151. Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever (1989)
Petty temporarily ended things with the Heartbreakers to record solo with Jeff Lynne, and sessions proved fruitful, including his hits "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down," and "Runnin' Down a Dream."
Want to listen to our choice cuts from this list? Follow our countdown playlist on Spotify!
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