The question about the best albums of all time is probably the most frequently asked one in pop history. We last presented them in November 2004. A lot has happened since then. Artists such as Amy Winehouse, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Taylor Swift, Rosaliá and the Arctic Monkeys have shaped the music of the past two decades with groundbreaking albums, streaming has made the musical present and past just a click away, and the identity-political discourses of recent years have also changed our view of history.
So there were reasons enough to ask the question about the best albums of all time again after 19 years. We presented them to the largest jury we have ever assembled for such an occasion. It consisted of 135 artists, label owners, promoters, radio colleagues and music critics.
The result pleased us and sometimes surprised us. Fleetwood Mac and Kate Bush in the fast lane, Elvis Costello and the Rolling Stones in freefall. And Bob Dylan’s legendary double album Blonde On Blonde doesn’t top the list like it did in 2004 because we have a new number one. Big new entries from Kendrick Lamar and Amy Winehouse. More rap, more RnB, more female songwriters, less white male rock. Old classics, which were still at the top in 2004, slipped to the lower places or dropped out completely, new classics found their way into the top 20. The history of pop has changed since 2004.
In the coming days we will reveal highlights from the 50-page leaderboard. You can find the complete ranking in the August issue of the German ROLLING STONE. With newly written reviews of all 500 albums, the personal top ten of prominent jury members and texts on the making of some outstanding records.