OK Computer best of the last 20 years

[Davey]

What else could you pick? I can't think of an album that has become more iconic in the last couple decades. The odd thing is that many critics didn't even pick it as the best of the year in 1997, but now it's almost universally praised. Even many who initially downplayed the significance and/or social impact of an album that manages to capture both the underground and mainstream music worlds have seemingly come around and gradually moved it up their lists. Not my favorite or most played album of the last 20, but hard to ignore what it has become. I remember plopping down almost 30 US dollars at the time to buy the beautiful EMI gatefold UK vinyl after hearing Karma Police on the radio. I had actually skipped getting The Bends after being somewhat disappointed with Pablo Honey, but this one really knocked me out and I did go out and pick up the Bends later (actually I think I traded something for it with a friend).

Anyway, you probably already heard the news on CNN or some other site that Spin selected it as the best of the last 20 years for their 20 year anniversary issue (and they were one that didn't even pick it as best of the year in 1997 ).

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Spin magazine named Radiohead's "OK Computer" the top album of the past 20 years, praising a futuristic sound that manages to feel alive "even when its words are spoken by a robot."

The British band's 1997 album edged out Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" on a list in Spin's 20th anniversary issue, currently on newsstands.

"Between Thom Yorke's orange-alert worldview and the band's meld of epic guitar rock and electronic glitch, ('OK Computer') not only forecast a decade of music but uncannily predicted our global culture of communal distress," reads the editorial note on what separated the release from the other 99 ranked albums.

Released between Radiohead's straight-ahead rock disc "The Bends" and the more experimental, electronic "Kid A," "OK Computer" was the album that propelled Radiohead to worldwide, stadium-sized popularity. Though it never went higher than No. 21 on Billboard charts, it won critical raves and a Grammy for alternative music performance.

Years earlier, Spin ranked Nirvana's "Nevermind" the greatest album of the nineties. In the time since, however, editor-in-chief Sia Michel and others simply found they were reaching for "OK Computer" more than the slightly less relevant "Nevermind."

Also in the top 10, in order, are Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted," The Smiths' "The Queen is Dead," Pixies' "Surfer Rosa," De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising," Prince's "Sign 'o' the Times," PJ Harvey's "Rid of Me" and N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton."

[nobody]

Public Enemy should have been number one. Or, at least something hip hop. I always seem to be speaking up for hip hop, which is funny since it probably only comprises maybe 20-25% or so of my listenig, if that much. Thing is, in the last 20 years, the development of hip hop has been the number one musical evolution in popular music that has simply changed the musical landscape like nothing since the birth of rock 'n' roll. If you're gonna pick a top album from this era, even though the earliy hip hp albums were a bit earlier, you may wanna lean in that direction if you don't wanna look foolish once the history books are written in the future.

Either way, looks like some good records made the top part of the list. Funny how yearly lists have so many obscure bands on them, but when things shake out and the decade long lists pop up, most of the big winners seem to be stuff that has had some level of public acceptance.

[MomurdA]

OK Computer was better than any hiip hop album ive ever heard, and i have heard many. I would agree with you about the significance of the rise of hip-hop, but there is another form of music which has taken off in every other country except the US: electronic music. No im not talking techno/rave bs. Im talking stuff like OK Computer, Air, hell even Kraftwerk. Bottom line: Synthesizers and looped sounds rock!

[Stone]

What else could you pick?

These would all be ahead of OK Computer for me (amongst a few others):

Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"
Nirvana's "Nevermind"
Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted"
The Smiths' "The Queen is Dead"
Pixies' "Surfer Rosa"
De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising"
Prince's "Sign 'o' the Times"

[Davey]

Public Enemy should have been number one. Or, at least something hip hop. I always seem to be speaking up for hip hop, which is funny since it probably only comprises maybe 20-25% or so of my listenig, if that much. Thing is, in the last 20 years, the development of hip hop has been the number one musical evolution in popular music that has simply changed the musical landscape like nothing since the birth of rock 'n' roll. If you're gonna pick a top album from this era, even though the earliy hip hp albums were a bit earlier, you may wanna lean in that direction if you don't wanna look foolish once the history books are written in the future.

Funny, over the weekend I saw the Billboard list for last week and it made me think of some of the conversations we've had in the past about the dominance of hip hop on the charts. At least that was your position, and some weeks it is hard to argue that rock sales were really very significant in the total picture. But last week it was just the opposite, without any real hip hop in the top ten (well, I guess Black Eyed Peas are kinda hip hop) and a few big rock records

1 - 1
Coldplay, X&Y
Capitol | 74786 | (18.98)
1
2 - 1
The Black Eyed Peas, Monkey Business
A&M | 004341* | Interscope | (13.98/8.98)
2
3 - 1
The White Stripes, Get Behind Me Satan
Third Man | 27256 | V2 | (18.98)
3
4 - 1
Shakira, Fijacion Oral Vol. 1
Epic | 93700 | Sony Music | (18.98)
4
5 1 9 Mariah Carey, The Emancipation Of Mimi 2
Island | 003943* | IDJMG | (13.98)
1
6 2 4 System Of A Down, Mezmerize
American/Columbia | 90648 | Sony Music | (18.98)
1
7 4 4 Toby Keith, Honkytonk University
DreamWorks (Nashville) | 004300 | UMGN | (13.98)
2
8 5 29 Gwen Stefani, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. 2
Interscope | 003469* | (13.98)
5
9 9 28 Kelly Clarkson, Breakaway 2
RCA | 64491 | RMG | (18.98)
3
10 3 3 Audioslave, Out Of Exile
Epic | 004603 | Interscope | (13.98)
1

[-Jar-]

I didn't hear OK COMPUTER until 1999. The only thing I had ever heard by them was "Creep." Lots of people said THE BENDS was great, but I didn't think it could be that good. Tons of people said OK COMPUTER was great, but I still didn't think the band that did "Creep" could be that good.. I even saw the "Karma Police" video, but hearing the sound out of a tv didn't impress me. When I finally got around to picking up OK COMPUTER I was pretty amazed. Went back and got the THE BENDS and was kicking myself for not investigating them sooner. They certainly encompass many of the aspects of 90's alternative music and older classic rock that I enjoy. They do what good bands do, they put things together in ways that others had not thought of. Plus, they also managed to bring it to the masses without watering it down.

-jar

[newtrix1]

Pretty subjective thing, but that album is a fairly safe pick. Like they said, innovative as well as accessible. My question is; did how many bands did Radiohead influence? What bands/artists drew from RH's sound? An important critera imo when making a claim like "best album of the last 2 decades".
I'd probably have a tough time selling this one 'round these parts, but what about Joshua Tree?

[Troy]

Best, my hairy a$$. Spin Magazine? Who cares . . . except Spin's editors and anyone duped into believing Spin is the only authority on the matter.

"OK Computer's" a better than pretty good (but not grrrreat IMO) record, but you're gonna get arguments for just about ANYTHING, because it's all just a matter of personal opinion.

My best is not his best, is not her best, is not their best. Leave Spin on the shelf and make up your OWN mind.

[-Jar-]

Spin hasn't mattered for several years, maybe even a decade. Alternative Press became the new Spin, and even they don't have much to say anymore either. I picked up Magnet, which I used to dig getting on occasion.. but didn't find much worth reading either.. same glowing reviews about the same bands that people in other magazines are raving about. How much to we really need to know about Sleater-Kinney?

-jar

[Duds]

Tool - Undertow, Aenima, Lateralus

What else could you pick? I can't think of an album that has become more iconic in the last couple decades. The odd thing is that many critics didn't even pick it as the best of the year in 1997, but now it's almost universally praised. Even many who initially downplayed the significance and/or social impact of an album that manages to capture both the underground and mainstream music worlds have seemingly come around and gradually moved it up their lists. Not my favorite or most played album of the last 20, but hard to ignore what it has become. I remember plopping down almost 30 US dollars at the time to buy the beautiful EMI gatefold UK vinyl after hearing Karma Police on the radio. I had actually skipped getting The Bends after being somewhat disappointed with Pablo Honey, but this one really knocked me out and I did go out and pick up the Bends later (actually I think I traded something for it with a friend).

Anyway, you probably already heard the news on CNN or some other site that Spin selected it as the best of the last 20 years for their 20 year anniversary issue (and they were one that didn't even pick it as best of the year in 1997 ).

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Spin magazine named Radiohead's "OK Computer" the top album of the past 20 years, praising a futuristic sound that manages to feel alive "even when its words are spoken by a robot."

The British band's 1997 album edged out Public Enemy's "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" on a list in Spin's 20th anniversary issue, currently on newsstands.

"Between Thom Yorke's orange-alert worldview and the band's meld of epic guitar rock and electronic glitch, ('OK Computer') not only forecast a decade of music but uncannily predicted our global culture of communal distress," reads the editorial note on what separated the release from the other 99 ranked albums.

Released between Radiohead's straight-ahead rock disc "The Bends" and the more experimental, electronic "Kid A," "OK Computer" was the album that propelled Radiohead to worldwide, stadium-sized popularity. Though it never went higher than No. 21 on Billboard charts, it won critical raves and a Grammy for alternative music performance.

Years earlier, Spin ranked Nirvana's "Nevermind" the greatest album of the nineties. In the time since, however, editor-in-chief Sia Michel and others simply found they were reaching for "OK Computer" more than the slightly less relevant "Nevermind."

Also in the top 10, in order, are Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted," The Smiths' "The Queen is Dead," Pixies' "Surfer Rosa," De La Soul's "3 Feet High and Rising," Prince's "Sign 'o' the Times," PJ Harvey's "Rid of Me" and N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton."

[jasn]

That list reads like something out of a Best Buy sale or something...

[tentoze]

10 posts in this thread and I still haven't seen anything mentioned that:

1) I have ever listened to
2) I currently own
3) I would like to own
4) I plan on ever owning

I love lists.

[Davey]

Leave Spin on the shelf and make up your OWN mind.

Well, I think we all do pretty much make up our own minds around here. Like I said, it's not my favorite or most played album, but still kind of fun to hear what others think and I thought it was kind of neat to hear something like OK Computer being talked about on CNN last night, even if it was linked to a meaningless magazine like Spin

[Davey]

10 posts in this thread and I still haven't seen anything mentioned that:

1) I have ever listened to
2) I currently own
3) I would like to own
4) I plan on ever owning

I love lists.

Hey, speaking of the Old Canes, I was listening to that one before work today and boy do I like that album. Think you mentioned listening to it recently too over at that other place, maybe? Gotta get it back in regular rotation.

[jasn]

C'mon now...Doesn't that list p*ss you off for being so stale? "Ahhhh...they don't make music the way they used to back in the 90's..."

[tentoze]

Hey, speaking of the Old Canes, I was listening to that one before work today and boy do I like that album. Think you mentioned listening to it recently too over at that other place, maybe? Gotta get it back in regular rotation.

Yeah, I hadn't trotted that one out in a few months. I've been rotating through a ton of stuff in the last coupla weeks breaking in new speaks.

[Davey]

C'mon now...Doesn't that list p*ss you off for being so stale?

Huh? It's just another list. Like Troy says, who really cares? I've only seen the top ten spots that they list in that AP story and most of them are critics favorites, although it was nice to see PJ finish that high. I was mainly just asking opinions about OK Computer. A collection of rock critics will always list the same old stuff, but that's why I tossed it out here. What do YOU think should be up there? I'd probably go for the PJ Harvey Dry debut album which I've played to death, or the Yo La Tengo Electr-o-pura album that I still listen to over and over, or The La's one and only brilliant self-titled release that became my morning soundtrack for longer than I can remember, or a handful of others, but that's just my silly picks

[Dave_G]

Radiohead irritates me more that Spocks Beard does, and man oh man, Spocks Beard really irritates me.

But that's just me.

I know zillions of people love Radiohead, and I am glad for that since Radiohead is kinda prog...

Dave

[jasn]

OK, maybe me acting p*ssed off is a little strong (get...a...life jasn). I own most of those titles and also agree with your additions Davey (especially The la's). I'm not so much in disagreement as I am struck by how safe Spin seemed to play it.

I've also learned to keep my own top [era] lists in my head. It never reads quite right after I've committed them to writing.

[DariusNYC]

No specific comment on OK Computer -- as many of you know, I'm a fan -- but I note that albums themselves have become less important over the last few years (especially over the last 5 of these last 20). Singles are back, baby, which is a great development in my book. The most influential music these days, and much of the most innovative, tends to be denominated in individual songs, and much of it is pop and hip hop. The albums on which these songs are located are often uneven or contain filler -- quite a throwback to yesteryear in a way, no? As is the fact that producers are back in a big way, and often the most influential and unique tracks are producer-driven with the named performer being secondary (and sometimes, of course, lacking significant vocal talent!). Finally, it's a bit retro that much of this crazy, weird sounding stuff is actually quite popular. So, I enjoy Top 20 lists and stuff like that if they contain well-written blurbs rhapsodizing about the music, because they're fun to read. I also like that 15-year-old would-be music geeks are encouraged to buy Public Enemy and the Smiths and whoever by the magazine. But the concept of Best 20 albums of the last 20 years seems a bit dusty and nostalgic to me. And, as others have mentioned, the state of the rock magaizine ain't what it used to be.

[MomurdA]

Perhaps the single has come back becuase there are very few bands that can even come up with an entire album these days. Or perhaps cuz the labels just want one mainstream song that will sell 'albums'. Bottom line: Albums rock, singles suck.
Peace

[Troy]

Daruis us right whether we like it or not.

Why the single has seen such a resurgence:

1. Short attention spans of the current generation of listeners. They are mentally incapable of listening to an entire album. They have far too much talking on the cellphone to do to listen to a whole CD.

2. The proliferation of "iTunes" type companies that base their sales on singles rather than albums.

2b. The whole mp3/online road that music took via napster also favored the single, just for bandwidth reasons alone. A chicken/egg argument could be made here, but I see it that iTunes' design and the nature of mp3 favors the single, so singles look hot and that makes singles hot by default.

I suspect that it will swing back the other way as artists and listeners realize that basing everything on the single format is extremely limiting when looking for a piece that gives total immersion, a place to go for more than 3:15.

AFAIC, the music scene today is just like the early 60s before the Beatles. Lots of parallels to the early 70s too. Vapid singers and prefab studio "bands" pukeing up innocuous pop dreck is what's moving the big numbers. It feeds on itself.

It WILL change again. Doesn't it just FEEL like there is a new thing in music that's gonna break huge in the next year or 3? A sea-change, like The Beatles or Punk; something to shake the whole thing to it's foundations.

[nobody]

I guess I just look it it like, if you were picking the greatest album from the 50s & 60s, it should proabbly be a rock and roll record. Sure, Sinatra put out great albums in the period, but the biggest musical shakeups were in rock, so I'd have to lean that way.

I guess if I though tthere was any way you could possibly pick out an objectively "best" album from such a long period of time with so much good music coming out, I would be less likely to disagree. But, since I think that notion's a bit silly, I guess I look for external signifigance to the pick.

I agree the electronic music rise is a huge musical development that has affected music across the board too, from rock to hip hop and beyond, really. I may be naive in saying it, but it seems to me that its the biggest European contribution to pop music, while hip hop is the what the US brought to the party. Sure, there are plenty of electronic bands in the US and plenty of Hip Hop ion Europe, but it seems like the biggest audiences and most firm roots make the case. But, if I weant to give a nod to electronic music, I'm gonna go a lot further than going to Radiohead to do so.

Davey...sorry I ignored the sales chart stuff. I just really don't look at 'em enough to be sure one way or another. It seems to me, I tend to see more hip hop and such with big nubers more often than rock, but I'm pretty out of the pop culture loo most of the time these days, so I could be way off base. Then again, maybe the answer is as simple as we live in a world where multiple strains of music are pumping at once and we just need to stop with all the linear thinking remember that we don't have to pick one or the other as of current signifigance.

[Davey]

Davey...maybe the answer is as simple as we live in a world where multiple strains of music are pumping at once and we just need to stop with all the linear thinking remember that we don't have to pick one or the other as of current signifigance.

Yeah, not sure what that's the answer to, but it makes sense to me

Heehee, I sometimes check out the Billboard chart because they put it in the music section of my newspaper on Friday on the reviews page. Usually I don't know who most of the artists are, but this week I was really surprised because I knew them all. Don't have any of the records, but still made me think of the past converstaion we had. Music has become pretty much the same as the movies in the modern era where a small handful of corporations control all the pop culture icons. They put all the ad budget and their stockholders good grace in just a couple big, bland releases each month and that's it. This month by coincidence those couple releases are mostly rock. Next month probably urban pop or hip hop. I'm way past caring except as a subject of internet music board conversation.

[Dusty Chalk]

...maybe the answer is as simple as we live in a world where multiple strains of music are pumping at once and we just need to stop with all the linear thinking remember that we don't have to pick one or the other as of current signifigance.

I concur! Many years ago, I wrote an "open letter to the record companies". In it, I rallied against the concept of "pop" music. My stance was, that the population had gotten too large, and too diverse for any one kind of music to appeal universally.

I think the same thing can be said about formats.

Oh, and in answer to the original question, I think not.

What would I pick instead? I don't know, maybe one of these:

Matt Elliott, The Mess We Made or perhaps Drinking Songs
Sigur Rós, ()
Stabbing Westward, Darkest Days
Notwist, Neon Golden
In The Nursery, Hindle Wakes

...maybe not...I'd have to think about it...