The Smiths ‘The Queen Is Dead’ Named Greatest Album by NME

[musiclipse]

The Smiths’ 1986 LP came top of the list, above albums by The Beatles and David Bowie.

In his recent number one best-selling book Autobiography, Morrissey attacks the NME and accuses them of conspiring against him. Ironically the alternative music publication’s staff has named The Smiths’ 1986 album ‘The Queen Is Dead’ as the greatest in history.

‘The Queen Is Dead’ is The Smiths third studio album, recorded in 1985 and includes the songs ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, ‘The Boy With The Thorn In His Side’ and ‘Frankly Mr. Shankly’. Produced by Johnny Marr and Morrissey, the album peaked at number 2 in the chart upon its release. One of the reasons of the choice claimed by NME, is that the record is just as relevant today as it was 27 years ago. The Smiths top higher than the The Beatles ‘Revolver’, David Bowie ‘Hunky Dory’, Pixies ‘Doolitle’ and Radiohead ‘Ok Computer’.

‘The Queen Is Dead’ appeared at No. 8 on NME’s previous list of the greatest albums, while The Stone Roses’ self-titled release was at No. 1. Among the fresh entries, there are Kanye West’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ and Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black.’, there is also a big surprise by the number 4 by The Strokes ‘This is It’.


NME’s top 25 Greatest Albums of All Time

1. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
2. The Beatles – Revolver
3. David Bowie – Hunky Dory
4. The Strokes – Is This It
5. The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground
6. Pulp – Different Class
7. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. Pixies – Doolittle
9. The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album)
10. Oasis – Definitely Maybe
11. Nirvana – Nevermind
12. Patti Smith – Horses
13. Arcade Fire – Funeral
14. David Bowie – Low
15. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
16. Joy Division – Closer
17. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
18. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
19. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
20. Radiohead – OK Computer
21. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
22. Blur – Parklife
23. David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
24. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St
25. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On


What do you think of this list? A bit risky The Smiths in the first place?


Regards,

[Mr. Charlie]

I never know what to make of top xx lists by magazines like Rolling Stone and NME. They claim to focus only on including 'great' or 'important' or 'influential' albums, but what is great or important or infuential is still only a matter of opinion. In other words they're aiming at something that is impossible - objectivity.

Better to just list the albums you love and give up any pretension.

[Taxman]

That just goes to show how much NME sucks

[Taxman]

And these list should be taken as opinions, so it is always very pretentious when they call them '20 best albums ever' or whatever.

[Isbjørn]

No matter what you say, The Queen is Dead was a great choice and one I agree with.

[Good Guy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

I never know what to make of top xx lists by magazines like Rolling Stone and NME. They claim to focus only on including 'great' or 'important' or 'influential' albums, but what is great or important or infuential is still only a matter of opinion. In other words they're aiming at something that is impossible - objectivity.

Better to just list the albums you love and give up any pretension.

Yup yup.

The biggest boo boo is attempting to treat something subjective as if it were rooted in absolute objectivity. A lot of the times these lists attempt to feign eclecticism to maintain credibility too.

That being said I don't really have an issue with The Queen Is Dead, but I don't think that This Is It (or Arctic Monkeys) should be anywhere on that list.

[Janszoon]

It always cracks me up how these magazines put out these ridiculously rock-centric lists but then toss in a smattering of hip hop and R&B to not appear as myopic as they clearly are. They should have just been honest about it and made a best rock albums list.

[Sansa Stark]

They're wrong though

s/t >>>>>> Meat Is Murder >>>> The Queen is Dead

[Ninetales]

atleast you got the s/t being their best part right.

[Sansa Stark]

I love the Smiths more than u do u mad