KEXP in Seattle has posted its top 903 albums (after its spot on the dial: 90.3), and the list – as a collection – is hard to scoff at, despite the ranking order being grossly, wildly out of whack. This was a list voted on by listeners, thus, the crazy high rankings of “new”-ish albums that haven’t even remotely stood the test of time. I don’t care what anybody says, but Arcade Fire’s Funeral at number 3 of all time? Fuck you, you’re insane. And Fleet Foxes in the top 60? What kind of crack is being smoked in Seattle? Oh, wait, that’s the home of Sub Pop, the label that spews out bearded lumberjack folk every few weeks. And I know everyone inexplicably loves Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville (I loathe it) but to be ranked ahead of Sticky Fingers AND Closer? It makes my brain hurt. In fact, I’m starting to hyperventilate just reading this list in order.
5 responses so far ↓
1 K // Oct 14, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Fleet Foxes is yet another band in a long list of bands I don’t get and don’t understand why everyone is all ga ga over them. I feel like I have aural leprosy or something.
2 Eric Greenwood // Oct 14, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I’m with you on this one. That band bores me to tears.
3 Big City Sheep // Oct 14, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I don’ t like Fleet Foxes (husband really digs them), and Eric, I totally agree about Exile in Guyville, which might be the most overrated release of the 1990s. (I totally predicted Liz Phair’s later selling out.)
As much as I’m an Okkervil River fangirl, why is The Stage Names #226? Ahead of Parklife? The Days of Wine and Roses? And why is Ride’s Nowhere at 623?!?
As infuriating as these lists are, they can be fun to dissect.
4 Drew // Oct 15, 2008 at 12:25 am
You’re spot on about some gross misplacings, but only a few are truly egregious. I do wonder about the generation gap in this poll.
As much as I love to bro down with Band of Horses, I can’t seriously argue that Everything All The Time is any bit more essential than some of the albums further down the list.
Yep. The skewing is easily be attributed to the Sub Pop connection.
But, seriously. Temple of the Dog at 550? Come on, Seattleites. “Hunger Strike” is so epic. You know it’s diese.
5 Arthur // Oct 17, 2008 at 8:57 pm
The cynic in me wonders if Jeff Buckley’s Grace would be so highly ranked if he were still alive.
There’s some great stuff in the 700s–Dream Syndicate, Chameleons, Joseph Arthur, Billy Bragg, Shearwater, Grant Lee Buffalo.
Odd to see Yankee Hotel Foxtrot so low. Maybe people think it hasn’t aged well? (Summerteeth, Being There and AM are all higher, as Mermaid Avenue.)