Art asked what I thought of the recent “definitive 200” album list produced by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I suspect that my response will be the same as everyone else: disappointment and incredulity. Lots of “How could they not include XYZ?!”, mixed with a few “What’s THAT piece of junk doing there?.
So yes, there are a bunch of albums that I consider “definitive” that aren’t included, and I can’t really see how they could have been overlooked. (I’ve listed a few below.) But going beyond my own preferences, there are some other problems.
First is the superstar effect. Albums from five artists – the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Bob Dylan – make up 10% of the entire list. Yes, I know that this is supposed to be the list of definitive albums, not of definitive artists, but even so… this concentration reinforces the sense that the list reflects a relatively narrow perspective (in taste and time).
Second, it’s really unfortunate that several entire genres have been overlooked. There’s no folk music. The entire punk phenomenon is reduced to one album (and that one is filed under “Rock”!). What about “jam bands”? There’s no Phish, no Blues Traveler, and the Grateful Dead is (mis)represented by one studio album. There’s nothing from the diverse world of electronica – no ambient, no deep house, no jungle; nothing by Orbital or John Digweed, or Underworld, or the Orb. No industrial. Only one reggae. (On the other hand, there are 17 rap albums and 7 “adult contemporary”.) It’s these categorical omissions that really expose the failure of the project.
Let me finish by listing a few of my own “How could they not include…” candidates. I’ll limit myself to five. Yes, these are all oldies – but then it takes a while for an album to achieve definitive status. (I’m amazed that the list includes several 2004 releases.) Anyway, none of these should be controversial:
- “Forever Changes” by Love
- “The Velvet Underground & Nico” by the Velvet Underground
- “Electric Ladyland” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience
- “The Future” by Leonard Cohen
- “Hot Rats” by Frank Zappa