The Lists: Best Albums (500-401)

Image courtesy of Black Sabbath.

The third - previously, favorite books and TV shows - of my four all-time lists is the Top 500 Best Albums. I've broken the list down into five parts (500-401, 400-301, etc.) to make it a little easier to scroll through.

The albums on the list are primarily from the rock 'n' roll era - or, the 1950s through the present, although there are some jazz albums on here as well. With this list, I tried to both represent my own personal favorite albums as well as include records that I believe deserve to be on such a list.

Also, I've tried to represent as many eras and genres as possible, though I'll admit you won't find much country here, unless you include Johnny Cash. And there's not a whole lot of albums from the past five years or so and only a handful since the beginning of this century. Here are numbers 500-401:



500. Blood, Sweat and Tears- Blood, Sweat and Tears
499. Dr. John- Gris Gris
498. Captain Beefheart- Trout Mask Replica
497. Black Sabbath- 4
496. Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth- Mecca and the Soul Brother
495. Pearl Jam- Vitalogy
494. The Specials- The Specials
493. The Doobie Brothers- Takin' It to the Streets
492. Blue Oyster Cult- Fire of Unknown Origin
491. Al Stewart- Year of the Cat
490. Dwight Twilley Band- Twilley Don't Mind
489. Eagles- The Long Run
488. Earl Klugh- Living Inside Your Love
487. Stone Temple Pilots- Core
486. Crowded House- Crowded House
485. The Church- Starfish
484. Brothers Johnson- Look Out for #1
483. Talking Heads- Speaking in Tongues
482. David Bowie- Diamond Dogs
481. Iggy Pop- The Idiot
480. The Replacements- Pleased to Meet Me
479. Ride- Nowhere
478. Wire- Pink Flag
477. Huey Lewis and the News- Sports
476. Husker Du- Candy Apple Grey
475. Siouxsie and the Banshees- The Scream
474. Pixies- Bossanova
473. The Clash- Combat Rock
472. The Reivers- Translate Slowly
471. Nillson- Nillson Schmillson
470. The Pharcyde- Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
469. Steve Earle- Guitar Town
468. John Hiatt- Bring the Family
467. Led Zeppelin- In Through the Out Door
466. Creedence Clearwater Revival- Pendulum
465. Jim Croce- I Got a Name
464. The Rolling Stones- Black and White
463. Van Morrison- Saint Dominic's Preview
462. Elton John- Elton John
461. Lou Reed- Street Hassle
460. Bob Dylan- Modern Times
459. Earth, Wind and Fire- That's the Way of the World
458. Joni Mitchell- Clouds
457. Alice Cooper- Love It To Death
456. Kevin Ayers- Bananamour
455. Madonna- Madonna
454. Roxy Music- For Your Pleasure
453. Method Man- Tical
452. Bob Dylan- Nashville Skyline
451. Jackson Browne- Late for the Sky
450. The Modern Lovers- The Modern Lovers
449. Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP
448. Phil Collins- No Jacket Required
447. The Roots- Things Fall Apart
446. The Rolling Stones- It's Only Rock 'n' Roll
445. The Doors- L.A. Woman
444. Beastie Boys- Check Your Head
443. Faces- A Nod is as Good as a Wink to a Blind Horse
442. A Tribe Called Quest- Midnight Marauders 
441. Eagles- One Of These Nights
440. Kool and the Gang- Spirit of the Boogie
439. James Brown- The Payback
438. No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom
437. Blue Oyster Cult- Agents of Fortune
436. Todd Rundgren- Todd
435. Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms
434. Nas- It Was Written
433. The Doobie Brothers- Toulouse Street
432. Heart- Little Queen
431. Pink Floyd- A Momentary Lapse of Reason
430. Janes Addiction- Nothing's Shocking
429. Big Star- Radio City
428. Santana- Santana
427. Yes- The Yes Album
426. Raekwon- Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
425. Blondie- Parallel Lines
424. Husker Du- Zen Arcade
423. Marvin Gaye- Here, My Dear
422. Wilco- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
421. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- Damn the Torpedoes
420. Simple Minds- New Gold Dream (81 82 83 84)
419. Joe Cocker- With a Little Help from My Friends
418. David Bowie- Young Americans
417. The Byrds- Younger Than Yesterday
416. The Notorious B.I.G.- Life After Death
415. Patti Smith- Wave
414. Marvin Gaye- I Want You
413. Cheap Trick- Heaven Tonight
412. Electric Light Orchestra- No Answer
411. David Bowie- Low
410. Kool and the Gang- Wild and Peaceful
409. Outkast- Aquemini
408. Annie Lennox- Diva
407. Madonna- Erotica
406. Funkadelic- Funkadelic
405. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Blood Sex Sugar Magik
404. GZA/Genius- Liquid Swords
403. The Police- Outlandos D'Amour
402. Electric Light Orchestra- A New World Record
401. Beck- Odelay