My friend Ken and I decided to listen to an album every day this year. Each week is themed. At the end of each week, we rank what we listened to. To be clear, we aren’t ranking every album that fits the theme. We are only ranking what we chose to listen to during the last seven days.
This week’s theme is “random Rolling Stone,” meaning albums on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest 500 albums of all time selected randomly. More specifically, each day we had a random number generator pick an integer between 1 and 500. We then went to that numbered album on Rolling Stone’s list. If we’d heard the album, we moved up the list until we found one new to our ears. Then we clicked play.
#7 Diana by Diana Ross (1980 - No. 394)
Diana Ross has always struck me as an unexpected diva. She doesn’t have the pipes of Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston. She also doesn’t have the vision of Madonna or Beyoncé. Because of that, Diana Ross sets herself apart through tone, her crystalline voice being the perfect combination of hypnotizing and evocative. The problem is that tone can’t do much when the songs aren’t very good.
Of course, there are two stone-cold classics on Diana: “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.” But I think people’s love for those songs distracts them from the fact that the rest of the album is lackluster. You get some nice Nile Rodgers’ rhythm guitar work on songs like “Give Up,” but even that can’t redeem the cheesiness of “Have Fun (Again)” and dreariness of “Friend to Friend.”
What was ranked around Diana? When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish, Something/Anything? by Todd Rundgren, Black Messiah by D’Angelo and the Vanguard, Diana by Diana Ross, 1989 by Taylor Swift, Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner by Ike and Tina Turner, Kaleidoscope by Kelis
#6 Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order (1983 - No. 262)
When I hated on New Order’s Movement during our “First Album, Second Act” week, I had multiple people tell me that I needed to give them a second a chance. Their first album is not representative of the quality of their work. When the random number generator spit back Power, Corruption & Lies this week, I got the chance to see if those people were telling the truth. They were.
Power, Corruption & Lies is dramatically better than Movement. The propulsive groove and howled lyrics on “Age of Consent” are transcendent. The synth hook on “Your Silent Face” goes down like a warm cup of tea on a cold winter’s day. Some songs, like “We All Stand” and “5 8 6,” felt half-baked, but I must give the people credit: I’m glad I gave New Order a second chance.
What was ranked around Power, Corruption & Lies? Wowee Zowee by Pavement, Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, A Hard Day’s Night by The Beatles, Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order, Check Your Head by Beastie Boys, Cut by The Slits, Pearl by Janis Joplin
#5 The B-52s by The B-52s (1979 - No. 198)
One thing I’ve learned listening to so many albums this year is that even songs that you are familiar with can still surprise you. Take “Rock Lobster” as an example. Probably The B-52s most famous song after “Love Shack,” I’ve heard “Rock Lobster” a million times. But I had no idea the album cut runs for nearly seven minutes. That’s a long time, especially for a song that mostly sits on one groove.
The decision to sit on that one groove for so long is actually representative of The B-52s and their self-titled record. Take “Planet Claire” as an example. The quintet is willing to ride one mysterious riff for an entire song. Their willingness to do that makes for music that is hypnotic, that urges you to move while also making you feel a bit uncomfortable.
What was ranked around The B-52s? Midnight Marauders by A Tribe Called Quest, Diamond Life by Sade, Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement, The B-52s by The B-52s, Meet the Beatles! by The Beatles, Body Talk by Robyn, Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
#4 20 Golden Greats by Buddy Holly (1978 - No. 166)
When Ken and I began this album quest, the only rules we set were that the choices could not be compilations, live albums, or double albums. The first two rules were added because we wanted to focus on studio records. The third was because we’re busy guys. We don’t have time for the two-plus hours of Sandinista or Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Thus far, we’ve followed these rules. Until today. As the name suggests, 20 Golden Greats is a Buddy Holly greatest hits compilation.
So, why did we decide to give Buddy Holly a pass? First, it was on the Rolling Stone list. Second, Buddy Holly died so young that he didn’t have time to put out many albums. Third, we love Buddy Holly. Because of that final point, we were familiar with much of this record, especially the rockers on the first half, like “That’ll Be the Day” and “Not Fade Away.”
But Buddy Holly was more than rockers. The back half of 20 Golden Greats gives you a taste of that. Tracks like “Raining in My Heart” and “True Love Ways” rely more on strings than your typical rock band setup. Those songs make Holly’s death all the more painful. It’s clear that his aspirations were bigger than many of his rock and roll contemporaries. Rest in peace, Buddy. We’re still asking “what if?” all these years later.
What was ranked around 20 Golden Greats? The Stranger by Billy Joel, Can’t Buy a Thrill by Steely Dan, Violator by Depeche Mode, 20 Golden Greats by Buddy Holly, Murmur by R.E.M., At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash, Saturday Night Fever by Various artists
#3 Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty (1989 - No. 298)
Not long after country star Jason Aldean took the stage at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, tragedy struck. A gunman opened fire from the cover of an area hotel leading to one of the deadliest mass shootings in US history. When Saturday Night Live took to the air a week later, the camera opened on Aldean. The frontman began to speak:
This week, we witnessed one of the worst tragedies in American history. Like everyone, I’m struggling to understand what happened that night and how to pick up the pieces and start to heal. So many people are hurting. There are children, parents, brothers, sisters, friends. They’re all part of our family. So I want to say to them, we hurt for you and we hurt with you. But you can be sure that we’re going to walk through these tough times together, every step of the way. Because when America is at its best, our bond and our spirit — it’s unbreakable.
Moments later, Aldean and his band kicked off a performance Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Given that it declares, “You can stand me up at the gates of hell / But I won’t back down,” “I Won’t Back Down” was a fitting selection in the wake of this tragedy. But it was doubly fitting. Tom Petty died of unrelated causes the day after the massacre.
“I Won’t Back Down” comes from Tom Petty’s 1989 solo record Full Moon Fever, an important record for a few reasons. First, it was Petty’s debut record without The Heartbreakers. Second, it’s part of a trio of albums by Traveling Wilbury alumni produced by fellow Wilbury, Jeff Lynne. Third, it contains Petty’s three biggest solo songs as measured by streams: “Free Fallin',” “I Won’t Back Down,” and “Runnin' Down a Dream.”
But the record’s context is not why I enjoyed it. It’s the directness of the songwriting. Not only would most people get laughed out of the room for writing something as direct as “I Won’t Back Down,” but they wouldn’t have the gall to even try. Tom Petty’s superpower is his directness. Songs like “The Apartment Song” and “Yer So Bad” are not steeped in symbolism. They are earnest statements about how things are and how they ought to be. That’s the reason Tom Petty is a guy whose music you can turn to after a tragedy.
What was ranked around Full Moon Fever? New York Dolls by New York Dolls, Come On Over by Shania Twain, Live at the Regal by B.B. King, Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty, So by Peter Gabriel, Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
#2 Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock (1973 - No. 254)
Whenever Rolling Stone publishes a list, the internet gets angry. Here are some replies from when they updated their greatest albums list in 2020:
“This has got to be your worst list yet. Congratulations are in order I suppose.”
“No Superunknown by Soundgarden!? Nowhere in the top 500!!?? Really!!!???”
“Where is the Monkees’ Headquarters or Pieces Aquarius Capricorn and Jones Ltd”
“Who would put Loretta Lynn on this list but exclude Shania Twain......that’s insane!”
I’ve been known to hate on Rolling Stone lists. I once wrote the magazine an angry letter when they left Stephen Foster off their list of greatest songwriters. But after I worked with The Pudding on massive of analysis of how the album list has evolved over the decades, I came to respect their process a bit more.
There is no perfect list. The Rolling Stone list, for example, is biased toward rock and pop. But if you were to sit down and listen to every album, you would get a great musical education. Head Hunters is a good reminder of that.
Head Hunters is a fusion album. It was also a commercial breakthrough for Herbie Hancock, the jazz legend that got his start in the bebop world. I have serious doubts that your average Rolling Stone list complainer has engaged with the works of Herbie Hancock. And they are missing out.
Though it’s only four tracks, Head Hunters has enough material to keep you entranced. “Chameleon” has grooves for days. “Watermelon Man” has an intro played on a beer bottle that somehow melts your brain. “Sly” has enough wild sax runs to please even the most ardent bebop fans. And “Vein Melter” has graceful, sinewy vibes to cool you off. Does Rolling Stone have it perfect? No. But give them a chance if it at least means you get some Herbie Hancock in your life.
What was ranked around Head Hunters? Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton, Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan, Head Hunters by Herbie Hancock, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! by Devo, Honky Château by Elton John
#1 Funky Kingston by Toots and the Maytals (1973 - No. 344)
I’ve often struggled with reggae albums because I find they get rhythmically redundant. Of course, this is likely driven by my lack of exposure to the genre. If I don’t complain about rock music for its love of the two and the four, then I shouldn’t take issue with the reggae skank. On Funky Kingston, I never took issue with the skank. In fact, I was begging for more.
Funky Kingston is this album’s name, but it is also its descriptor. It’s a funky take on music borne out of Kingston, Jamaica. And that funk is what drew me in. I could listen to the Maytals groove on songs like “Sailin' On” and “In the Dark” until the end of my days. And even if you’re a reggae skeptic, Toots and his group give you something to hold onto via their renditions of American classics “Louie Louie” and “Country Roads.”
Both songs fit the reggae rhythm seamlessly. This isn’t a shock for “Louie Louie.” Though most famously done by The Kingsmen, Richard Berry was inspired by the Afro-Cuban tune “El Loco Cha Cha” while writing the song. So, there is some island blood in “Louie Louie.”
The John Denver classic “Country Roads” has none of that blood. It comes from the hills of Appalachia. But when Toots sings, “West Jamaica, my ole mama / Take me home country roads,” you’d think that John Denver wrote the song on an island vacation. This is the power of music. A song cowritten by an American military brat can make as much sense to a listener in the Caribbean or the Far East as it does to those living in the countryside that inspired it.
What was ranked around Funky Kingston? Liquid Swords by GZA, AM by Arctic Monkeys, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle by Bruce Springsteen, Funky Kingston by Toots and the Maytals, Greatest Hits by Sly and the Family Stone, Let It Be by The Beatles, Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins
Shout out to the paid subscribers who allow this newsletter to exist. Along with getting access to our entire archive, subscribers unlock biweekly interviews with people driving the music industry, monthly round-ups of the most important stories in music, and priority when submitting questions for our mailbag. Consider becoming a paid subscriber today!
Recent Paid Subscriber Interviews: Pitchfork’s Editor-in-Chief • Vinyl Specialist • Spotify’s Former Data Guru • Hall of Fame Songwriter• John Legend Collaborator • Broadway Arranger • Indie Label Founder• Fender Exec
Recent Album a Day Themes: American Idol Disappointments • Butt Rock • Q but No Queens • 1990s Hip-Hop • Trading Favorites • Concept Records • Peaked at 200 • Alliterative Artists • Hip-Hop Groups • Supergroups • Punk Ladies • Short and Sweet • Long Closers
Want more from Chris Dalla Riva? Get a copy of his book Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves wherever books are sold.
I don't know much about jazz or reggae (to my detriment) but what I do know is Headhunters and Funky Kingston are both killer albums
Great choices!! It goes without saying that I approve of this week’s theme…