Blender 100 Greatest Albums

With culture's ever-reliable 20-year cycle meaning that all things 90s are very much back in vogue, now seems as good a time as any to take a look back at the original artists that did it first. Whether you're staring into the nihilistic, grunge abyss, indulging in some giddy Britpop escapism or charging up your riot grrl power, these are the tracks that started it all. Words: Priya Elan, Matthew Horton, Ben Hewitt Nowadays, Coolio whiles away the time ‘starring’ in US reality cooking shows, but for the briefest of periods in 1995 he was the epitome of cool. Eschewing any of the violent tropes of hip-hop, ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ was gospel-tinged and religion-indebted rap, with Coolio joined by tubby warbler L.V. as he twisted Stevie Wonder’s ‘Pastime Paradise’ into a dark tale of the pitfalls of gangster life. Shaun Ryder and Bez rode off together into the sunset following the implosion of the Mondays. They were still bringing baggy beats and grooves and remained adored by many – ‘Reverend Black Grape’, their first single, shifted more copies than ‘Step On’ – but weren’t immune to the odd spot of controversy, either: the track drew parallels between the Pope, the Catholic church and Nazism.
By the time the Modfather released his third solo album ‘Stanley Road’, he’d firmly found his feet as a solo artist and was flourishing even without The Jam or Style Council. In many ways ‘The Changingman’ could neatly serve as Weller’s mantra for the era: a recognition of the need for constant evolution and boundary-pushing, backed by a riff-heavy stomp and white-hot licks.Prom Dresses In Freehold Nj “She want the nigga with the biggest nuts, and guess what?/ He is I, and I am him” No self-deprecation for Calvin Broadus as he teamed up with Dr Dre for the first single from his debut LP ‘Doggystyle’. Patio Furniture Northfield NjSnoop’s idle, laidback style was another pivotal moment in the transformation of West Coast rap, as it moved further away from the abrasive violence of NWA into funkier, more melodic pastures.Self-Storage Units In Wooster Ohio
Regrettably, New Radicals didn’t make it to the 2000s, deciding to call it a day with just the one studio album under their belt in 1999. But they can rest content that they’re one of the most fondly remembered one-hit wonders of the decade: the feelgood guitar pop of ‘You Get What You Give’ stormed charts across the globe, and was named by U2 guitarist The Edge as the song he wished he’d written.Nah, the original version of ‘November Rain’ was (reportedly) only a piffling 18 minutes long; the video cost a mere $1.5 million to make. But it’s that ridiculous bluster that makes ‘November Rain’ such a killer tune, from the highfalutin’ deployment of the orchestra to Slash’s never-ending solo. Grandiose guitar blowouts don’t come much more epic. A potentially great UK Number One that was robbed of the top spot by cruel coincidence? Production duo Leftfield were onto a sure-fire winner when they put their brain-pummelling electronica in a blender with John Lydon’s sneering vocals, but his yelp of “Burn!
Hollywood Burn!” chimed uncomfortably in the wake of the Californian forest fires that spread the same week the track was released. Don’t let that innocently jangling melody fool you, folks. ‘Laid’ saw Tim Booth getting hot and heavy with lines such as “The neighbours complain about the noises above, but she only comes when she’s on top,” and subsequently found himself an audience on US college radio. And who could resist that snare roll... And lo did Dr Dre introduce the world to G-Funk, a new strain of West Coast rap with its slow, deep grooves and fat bass. The good physician wasn’t operating alone, though – Snoop Doggy Dogg provided the star turn, his languid drawl oozing machismo. “Before me dig out a bitch I have to find a contraceptive,” he purred, one eye already on a future in directing pornography. On the cusp of greatness, or at least mainstream recognition, Pulp released one of their best-loved songs, a tale of fancying your girlfriend’s sister and hiding in her wardrobe.
And who can say they haven’t done that? It hurtles along, and when Jarvis protests, “I only went with her ‘cos she looks like you… My God!” – well – 1992 peaks, doesn’t it?Students scramble to find new high school after last minute closure announcement West Village pastry spot has a sense of community baked in Contrary opinion: The trouble with the RTA plan Just because you like transit doesn't mean you vote yes in November. Here's why "it's complicated." See which Michigan colleges named 'Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth' 10:15 AM, Mon., August 29 Combine beer and knitting at Patrick J's Irish Pub tonight 9:30 AM, Mon., August 29 Melvin Davis headlines Soul Fest at Northern Lights Lounge 7:56 AM, Mon., August 29 Reports: Nemo's bus crashes into Leland Hotel downtown 6:38 PM, Sun., August 28 'Wine + Anger' photography exhibit is feminist and full of Barbies 8:10 AM, Sat., August 27 Detroit Burger Brawl takes over the Eastern Market
8:06 AM, Sat., August 27 The real car show happening at Kelly's Bar today 8:00 AM, Sat., August 27 One week left to help the Whiskey Charmers' crowdfunded album release 10:24 PM, Fri., August 26 There still time to register for Detroit's coney dog-eating contest 3:36 PM, Fri., August 26 Live Review: Counting Crows and Rob Thomas induce nostalgia at DTE 2:32 PM, Fri., August 26 Depressing DPS news of the day: November school board elections may just be symbolic 2:22 PM, Fri., August 26 Detroit area chefs to make pasta for Italy earthquake relief efforts 1:37 PM, Fri., August 26David Bowie Albums Ranked Worst to Best David Bowie is rock’s greatest chameleon. Never one to sit still, he’s pointed at a new musical direction on nearly every album he’s released in his career. However, not all of them have had the same artistic and/or commercial impact, so we’ve ranked all of his albums here, from worst to best. His earliest singles, which date back to the mid-’60s, found him, like so many other London-based musicians, trying his hand at copying American R&B sounds.
But his 1967 debut saw him dabble in music hall and whimsical baroque pop. Neither had any chart impact, but it still showed his willingness to experiment. It wasn’t until the “Space Oddity” single in 1969 — when he started looking towards the future instead of the past — that his fortunes began to change. Bowie also has a reputation as one of music’s most imaginative conceptual artists. As a writer and musician, Bowie usually attempts to convey a larger story within an album. And while sometimes that involves a total change in persona (Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White Duke), other times it requires a shift in musical perspective (“plastic soul,” “the Berlin trilogy”). But which one is best — both in terms of music and concept? We’ve delved into the 25 studio albums Bowie has released as a lead artist, leaving aside Tin Machine records and Labyrinth, in which Bowie splits compositional credits. Here’s a journey through his ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, as Ultimate Classic Rock ranks David Bowie albums from worst to best: