Rolling Stone Magazine's 5 star rated albums

[Maoilbheannacht]

Rolling Stone Magazine's 5 star rated albums

Some of these albums are simply reissues, especially the ones from this decade.


Numbers by decades:

1920s-1950s: 11
1960s: 46
1970s: 58
1980s: 29
1990s: 3
2000s: 16


2000s

2009; ALBUM: No Line On The Horizon; ARTIST: U2
2008; ALBUM: Thriller 25 Deluxe Edition; ARTIST: Michael Jackson
2007; ALBUM: Magic; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
2006; ALBUM: Modern Times; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
2005; ALBUM: Late Registration; ARTIST: Kanye West
2004; ALBUM: Smile; ARTIST: Brian Wilson
2004; ALBUM: The Very Best of Jackson Browne; ARTIST: Jackson Browne
2004; ALBUM: Goodbye, Babylon; ARTIST: Various Artists
2003; ALBUM: Elephant; ARTIST: The White Stripes
2002; ALBUM: Let It Be; ARTIST: The Replacements
2002; ALBUM: The Rising; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
2002; ALBUM: Sea Change; ARTIST: Beck
2002; ALBUM: Forty Licks; ARTIST: Rolling Stones
2002; ALBUM: Essential Leonard Cohen; ARTIST: Leonard Cohen
2001; ALBUM: Love and Theft; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger


1990s

1992; ALBUM: Slanted & Enchanted; ARTIST: Pavement
1992; ALBUM: Automatic for the People; ARTIST: R.E.M.
1991; ALBUM: Metallica; ARTIST: Metallica


1980s

1989; ALBUM: The Sound Of The Smiths: The Very Best of the Smiths; ARTIST: The Smiths
1989; ALBUM: Freedom; ARTIST: Neil Young
1989; ALBUM: Doolittle; ARTIST: Pixies
1988; ALBUM: Straight Outta Compton; ARTIST: N.W.A.
1988; ALBUM: Daydream Nation; ARTIST: Sonic Youth
1987; ALBUM: Tunnel of Love; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
1987; ALBUM: The Joshua Tree; ARTIST: U2
1987; ALBUM: Sign 'O' the Times; ARTIST: Prince
1987; ALBUM: Document; ARTIST: R.E.M.
1987; ALBUM: Appetite for Destruction; ARTIST: Guns N' Roses
1986; ALBUM: The Queen is Dead; ARTIST: The Smiths
1986; ALBUM: Raising Hell; ARTIST: Run-D.M.C.
1986; ALBUM: Master of Puppets; ARTIST: Metallica
1986; ALBUM: Graceland; ARTIST: Paul Simon
1985; ALBUM: Rain Dogs; ARTIST: Tom Waits
1985; ALBUM: Essential Clash; ARTIST: The Clash
1984; ALBUM: Diamond Life; ARTIST: Sade
1984; ALBUM: Born in the U.S.A.; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
1983; ALBUM: The Final Cut; ARTIST: Pink Floyd
1982; ALBUM: Tug Of War; ARTIST: Paul McCartney
1982; ALBUM: The Message; ARTIST: Grandmaster Flash
1982; ALBUM: The Blue Mask; ARTIST: Lou Reed
1982; ALBUM: Original Musiquarium I; ARTIST: Stevie Wonder
1982; ALBUM: It's Hard; ARTIST: The Who
1981; ALBUM: Tattoo You; ARTIST: The Rolling Stones
1981; ALBUM: Pirates; ARTIST: Rickie Lee Jones
1980; ALBUM: Zenyatta Mondatta; ARTIST: The Police
1980; ALBUM: Sandinista!; ARTIST: The Clash
1980; ALBUM: Remain in Light; ARTIST: Talking Heads



1970s

1979; ALBUM: The B-52's; ARTIST: The B-52's
1979; ALBUM: Off the Wall; ARTIST: Michael Jackson
1979; ALBUM: Look Sharp!; ARTIST: Joe Jackson
1979; ALBUM: London Calling; ARTIST: The Clash
1979; ALBUM: Damn the Torpedoes; ARTIST: Tom Petty & the Heartbeakers
1978; ALBUM: More Songs About Buildings and Food; ARTIST: Talking Heads
1978; ALBUM: Darkness on the Edge of Town; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
1978; ALBUM: Comes a Time; ARTIST: Neil Young
1977; ALBUM: Trans-Europe Express; ARTIST: Kraftwerk
1977; ALBUM: The Clash; ARTIST: Clash
1977; ALBUM: Slowhand; ARTIST: Eric Clapton
1977; ALBUM: Running on Empty; ARTIST: Jackson Browne
1977; ALBUM: Rumours; ARTIST: Fleetwood Mac
1977; ALBUM: Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols; ARTIST: The Sex Pistols
1977; ALBUM: My Aim Is True; ARTIST: Elvis Costello
1977; ALBUM: Marquee Moon; ARTIST: Television
1977; ALBUM: Low; ARTIST: David Bowie
1977; ALBUM: Aja; ARTIST: Steely Dan
1976; ALBUM: Songs in the Key of Life; ARTIST: Stevie Wonder
1975; ALBUM: Wish You Were Here; ARTIST: Pink Floyd
1975; ALBUM: The Essential Sly & the Family Stone; ARTIST: Sly & the Family Stone
1975; ALBUM: The Basement Tapes; ARTIST: Bob Dylan & the Band
1975; ALBUM: Siren; ARTIST: Roxy Music
1975; ALBUM: Red Headed Stranger; ARTIST: Willie Nelson
1975; ALBUM: Horses; ARTIST: Patti Smith
1975; ALBUM: Chocolate City; ARTIST: Parliament
1975; ALBUM: Born to Run; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
1975; ALBUM: Blood on the Tracks; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
1974; ALBUM: I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight; ARTIST: Richard & Linda Thompson
1974; ALBUM: Good Old Boys; ARTIST: Randy Newman
1974; ALBUM: Court & Spark; ARTIST: Joni Mitchell
1974; ALBUM: 461 Ocean Boulevard; ARTIST: Eric Clapton
1973; ALBUM: Houses Of The Holy; ARTIST: Led Zeppelin
1973; ALBUM: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; ARTIST: Elton John
1973; ALBUM: Funky Kingston/In the Dark; ARTIST: Toots & the Maytals
1973; ALBUM: Dark Side of the Moon; ARTIST: Pink Floyd
1973; ALBUM: Countdown To Ecstasy; ARTIST: Steely Dan
1973; ALBUM: Catch A Fire; ARTIST: Bob Marley & The Wailers
1972; ALBUM: Talking Book; ARTIST: Stevie Wonder
1972; ALBUM: I'm Still in Love With You; ARTIST: Al Green
1972; ALBUM: Exile on Main Street; ARTIST: Rolling Stones
1972-1979; ALBUM: The Very Best of the Eagles; ARTIST: The Eagles
1971; ALBUM: Nilsson Schmilsson; ARTIST: Harry Nilsson
1971; ALBUM: Who's Next; ARTIST: Who
1971; ALBUM: The Allman Brothers at Fillmore East; ARTIST: Allman Brothers
1971; ALBUM: Let's Stay Together; ARTIST: Al Green
1971; ALBUM: Hunky Dory; ARTIST: David Bowie
1971; ALBUM: Every Picture Tells a Story; ARTIST: Rod Stewart
1971; ALBUM: Blue; ARTIST: Joni Mitchell
1971-1979; ALBUM: Anthology; ARTIST: Al Green
1970; ALBUM: Workingman's Dead; ARTIST: The Grateful Dead
1970; ALBUM: Sweet Baby James; ARTIST: James Taylor
1970; ALBUM: Plastic Ono Band; ARTIST: John Lennon
1970; ALBUM: Live at Leeds; ARTIST: Who
1970; ALBUM: Gets Next to You; ARTIST: Al Green
1970; ALBUM: Bridge Over Troubled Water; ARTIST: Simon & Garfunkel
1970; ALBUM: American Beauty; ARTIST: The Grateful Dead
1970; ALBUM: After The Gold Rush; ARTIST: Neil Young


1960s

1969; ALBUM: Green River; ARTIST: Creedence Clearwater Revival
1969; ALBUM: VU; ARTIST: The Velvet Underground
1969; ALBUM: Tommy; ARTIST: The Who
1969; ALBUM: The Band; ARTIST: The Band
1969; ALBUM: Let It Bleed; ARTIST: Rolling Stones
1969; ALBUM: Led Zeppelin 1st; ARTIST: Led Zeppelin
1969; ALBUM: Green River; ARTIST: Creedence Clearwater Revival
1969; ALBUM: From Elvis in Memphis; ARTIST: Elvis Presley
1969; ALBUM: Abbey Road; ARTIST: The Beatles
1968; ALBUM: Music from Big Pink; ARTIST: The Band
1968; ALBUM: Beggars Banquet; ARTIST: Rolling Stones
1968; ALBUM: Astral Weeks; ARTIST: Van Morrison
1967; ALBUM: The Soul of Rock and Roll; ARTIST: Roy Orbison
1967; ALBUM: The Velvet Underground & Nico; ARTIST: The Velvet Underground
1967; ALBUM: The Doors; ARTIST: The Doors
1967; ALBUM: Something Else by the Kinks; ARTIST: The Kinks
1967; ALBUM: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; ARTIST: The Beatles
1967; ALBUM: Moby Grape; ARTIST: Moby Grape
1967; ALBUM: John Wesley Harding; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
1967; ALBUM: Axis; ARTIST: Jimi Hendrix
1967; ALBUM: Are You Experienced?; ARTIST: Jimi Hendrix Experience
1967-1970; ALBUM: Sly & the Family Stone - Greatest Hits; ARTIST: Sly & Family Stone
1966; ALBUM: Pet Sounds; ARTIST: The Beach Boys
1966; ALBUM: Otis Blue; ARTIST: Otis Redding
1965; ALBUM: A Love Supreme; ARTIST: John Coltrane
1965-1994; ALBUM: 30 Years of Maximum R & B; ARTIST: Who
1965-1973; ALBUM: There Is A Season; ARTIST: The Byrds
1965-1970; ALBUM: Peel Slowly and See; ARTIST: The Velvet Underground
1965-1968; ALBUM: Nuggets; ARTIST: Various Artists
1964; ALBUM: Live at the Star Club, Hamburg; ARTIST: Jerry Lee Lewis
1964-1966; ALBUM: The Best of the Animals; ARTIST: Animals
1963; ALBUM: With the Beatles; ARTIST: The Beatles
1963; ALBUM: Please Please Me; ARTIST: The Beatles
1963; ALBUM: Live at the Apollo; ARTIST: James Brown
1963; ALBUM: Chuck Berry/More Chuck Berry; ARTIST: Chuck Berry
1963-1988; ALBUM: Crossroads; ARTIST: Eric Clapton
1963-1977; ALBUM: A Musical History; ARTIST: The Band
1962-1988; ALBUM: Best of Broadside 1962-1988; ARTIST: Various Artists
1962-1966; ALBUM: The Best of the Ronettes; ARTIST: The Ronettes
1961; ALBUM: Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow; ARTIST: Sun Ra
1961-1985; ALBUM: Good Vibrations; ARTIST: The Beach Boys
1961-1985; ALBUM: Biograph; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
1961-1971; ALBUM: Deliver; ARTIST: The Marvelettes
1960s; ALBUM: Rare Live & Classic; ARTIST: Joan Baez
1960-1969; ALBUM: From Nashville To Memphis; ARTIST: Elvis Presley
1960-1967; ALBUM: Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding; ARTIST: Otis Redding


1920s-1950s

1957-1959; ALBUM: Cadence Classics; ARTIST: The Everly Brothers
1956; ALBUM: We Travel the Spaceways/Bad and Beautiful; ARTIST: Sun Ra
1956; ALBUM: Super-Sonic Jazz; ARTIST: Sun Ra
1956-1984; ALBUM: Star Time; ARTIST: James Brown
1956-1977; ALBUM: ELV1S 30 #1 Hits; ARTIST: Elvis Presley
1955-1973; ALBUM: 3-CD Chess Boxed Set; ARTIST: Chuck Berry
1952-1959; ALBUM: Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings; ARTIST: Ray Charles
1949-1964; ALBUM: Original Greatest Hits; ARTIST: B.B. King
1948-1958; ALBUM: 20th Century Masters; ARTIST: Muddy Waters
1933-1958; ALBUM: Billie Holiday; ARTIST: Billie Holiday
1925-1928; ALBUM: The Complete Hot Five and Hot Seven Recordings; ARTIST: Louis Armstrong


Rolling Stone Announces More Five-Star Rated Albums And All I Got Was This Lousy Feed @ErikJHeels

 

[u2popmofo]

I like how many greatest hits compilations and reissues have received 5 stars....

 

[Lila64]

yeah, those shouldn't count!

 

[the tourist]

I'm glad Achtung Baby isn't on the list, even though no one thinks Rolling Stone is credible.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Bruce's latest album, Working On A Dream, got 5 Stars from Rolling Stone this year as well. But it is not on the list. It's these kinds of things that keep me up past the dawn.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

wow, the 90's did really suck...

 

[powerhour24]

I love "Magic" and some of "Working on a Dream", but "The Rising" is the only one that needs to be even near this list for Bruce this decade. Not a lot of love for stuff right off the bat, as with most critics it either takes people awhile to realize the worth of some releases, or pretend to recognize what their readers already have.

 

[Jive Turkey]

wow, the 90's did really suck...

In retrospect, the '90s did suck. though at the time, my plaid shirts and doc martins would say differently. There isnt much from that decade that I still listen to. It hasnt aged very well. Though I can think of a few albums that I would put on the 5 star list


Edit: I would like to revise my statement. 90s American music sucked

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I'm trying to think of any true "5 Star" albums from the 90's... There were a lot of 4's and 4.5's.... Achtung Baby, (What's The Story?) Morning Glory and OK Computer come to mind...

 

[The Sad Punk]

2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

.

 

[DaveC]

There's something fishy about that list. There has to be at least one 5-star album between 1992 and 2001.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Are you questioning Rolling Stone and their infinite wisdom Dave?

 

[If you shout...]

2000s

2009; ALBUM: No Line On The Horizon; ARTIST: U2
2008; ALBUM: Thriller 25 Deluxe Edition; ARTIST: Michael Jackson
2007; ALBUM: Magic; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
2006; ALBUM: Modern Times; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
2005; ALBUM: Late Registration; ARTIST: Kanye West
2004; ALBUM: Smile; ARTIST: Brian Wilson
2004; ALBUM: The Very Best of Jackson Browne; ARTIST: Jackson Browne
2004; ALBUM: Goodbye, Babylon; ARTIST: Various Artists
2003; ALBUM: Elephant; ARTIST: The White Stripes
2002; ALBUM: Let It Be; ARTIST: The Replacements
2002; ALBUM: The Rising; ARTIST: Bruce Springsteen
2002; ALBUM: Sea Change; ARTIST: Beck
2002; ALBUM: Forty Licks; ARTIST: Rolling Stones
2002; ALBUM: Essential Leonard Cohen; ARTIST: Leonard Cohen
2001; ALBUM: Love and Theft; ARTIST: Bob Dylan
2001; ALBUM: Goddess in the Doorway; ARTIST: Mick Jagger

Fucking hilarious. Also, Let It Be isn't from this decade. It's almost 30 years old. Same goes for Thriller, obviously. With or without them, though, that is some embarrassing-ass stuff. lol

 

[u2popmofo]

I'm trying to think of any true "5 Star" albums from the 90's... There were a lot of 4's and 4.5's.... Achtung Baby, (What's The Story?) Morning Glory and OK Computer come to mind...

It's all pretty relative. I thought of about 5 or 6 I'd give "5 stars" in about 10 seconds time.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

Dylan's last two albums earned 5 stars, but the far superior Time Out of Mind didn't?

 

[Jive Turkey]

I'm trying to think of any true "5 Star" albums from the 90's... There were a lot of 4's and 4.5's.... Achtung Baby, (What's The Story?) Morning Glory and OK Computer come to mind...

Those three for sure. I'd also be tempted to add The Bends to that list. But ya, going back and having a look, there were a lot of albums that had 3 or 4 really solid singles, but nothing much beyond that.....How are they going to leave The Stone Roses out of '89 though?????

 

[joyfulgirl]

I'm trying to think of any true "5 Star" albums from the 90's... There were a lot of 4's and 4.5's.... Achtung Baby, (What's The Story?) Morning Glory and OK Computer come to mind...

It's all pretty relative. I thought of about 5 or 6 I'd give "5 stars" in about 10 seconds time.

Yep. I'd have to throw 5 stars at my girl's Little Earthquakes for starters.

 

[mad1]

not one RHCP.

 

[u2popmofo]

Yep. I'd have to throw 5 stars at my girl's Little Earthquakes for starters.

Agaetis friggin' Byrjun.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Agaetis friggin' Byrjun.

I was going to name that one, but is it really 5 star? I dunno... 4, 4.5... I would agree, but 5?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Agaetis friggin' Byrjun.

Oh yeah. For sure. I give that 6+ stars.

 

[u2popmofo]

500 stars

 

[joyfulgirl]

I was going to name that one, but is it really 5 star? I dunno... 4, 4.5... I would agree, but 5?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

did I lose hipster points or something?

 

[LemonMelon]

You can actually see RS' relevance going downhill, starting with Goddess In The Doorway. Fascinating.

As far as 5 star '90s albums go, I could name dozens. No RHCP though.

 

[joyfulgirl]

did I lose hipster points or something?

You? Never.

But you do need to listen to A-B again soon.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I love A-B but it always seems pale when compared to the awesomeness that is Takk...

 

[LemonMelon]

I love A-B but it always seems pale when compared to the awesomeness that is Takk...

Agaetis Byrjun is stronger and more consistent, but I find Takk easier to pick up and play whenever.

 

[Jive Turkey]

What '00s albums would you guys add to that list?

 

[u2popmofo]

Agaetis Byrjun is stronger and more consistent, but I find Takk easier to pick up and play whenever.

I agree with this.