#5: The Beatles- “Abbey Road” (1969)

You know you’ve created a classic when something great in a different department is labeled the “Abbey Road” of its kind. The Beatles’ twelfth and second to last album is seen as possibly their defining album. 

It’s hard to imagine a band in today’s day and age that consistently dropped masterpiece after masterpiece in just under eight years. However, in the 60s and 70s, The Beatles were absolute powerhouses in just about every musical component. Not only did they get the most radio play out of any artist, but they were constantly one of the most forward-thinking and innovative bands of their generation. 

That of course is reflected upon on “Abbey Road.” From the opening baseline on the intro, ‘Come Together,’ you’re brought for a 47-minute ride through a masterful progressive pop album. Songs like ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ ‘Carry That Weight,’ and ‘The End’ prove “Abbey Road” to be a testament to how good an album from the 60s can sound. 

Of course you can’t talk about “Abbey Road” without talking about possibly the best song in The Beatles discography; ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy.)’ Even on first listen I was blown away by the production and progression on this track. 

Among all though, “Abbey Road’s” pacing is probably the best thing about it. There’s no filler or lack of substance on any song, even the now infamous ‘Octopus’s Garden.’ There isn’t a moment that lacks perfection across the entirety of this album. 

My favorite track from “Abbey Road” is ‘Something,’ just because of the beautiful writing by the most underrated songwriter of the time, George Harrison. 

#5 on Rolling Stone’s top 500 is without a doubt deserved, even if there definitely are greater albums. Pure magic from start to finish. 

My personal rating of “Abbey Road:” 10/10.

#4: Stevie Wonder- “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976)

One of the most well-respected soul musicians of all time, Stevie Wonder really goes all out on “Songs in the Key of Life.” What was originally supposed to be his final album turned into an album that would be cherished for not only the rest of our lives, but will likely be praised until the end of time. 

The man might be blind but he does not miss, there’s music that inspires you to change the world around you and there’s music that just makes you happy to be walking the Earth. This album is both.

“Songs in the Key of Life,” unlike many other albums on the list, doesn’t follow a concept or story throughout the album. It’s just two hours of bliss disguised as an album. Among this bliss, tracks like ‘Sir Duke,’ ‘Summer Soft,’ and ‘Another Star’ are the true standouts with all of them being viable contenders for the greatest song of all time. 

What Stevie was able to accomplish without vision is very inspiring, but even then, if a person who wasn’t visually impaired made this album, it would still receive boatloads of praise. It’s a true testament to how great of a writer and creative mind Wonder was. 

“Songs in the Key of Life’s” spot at #4 all-time was to be expected. Similar to “Abbey Road,” while it’s amazing and deserving of its spot, it isn’t necessarily where I would rank it. Nonetheless, this album is essentially a soundtrack for the better world and the bright future we all have ahead of us. 

My personal rating for “Songs in the Key of Life:” 10/10

#3: Joni Mitchell- “Blue” (1971)

Joni Mitchell is the real deal. Even though her genius has sort of become underrated in today’s day and age, it’s really easy to tell how ahead of her time she was with this album. 

While it doesn’t sound the best in terms of production, “Blue” shines in its lyrics. Every song has a place and purpose. The theme is strong and consistent. This album, while being short, is perfect for the setting that Mitchell sets up. 

When I first discovered “Blue,” I was surprised by how much hype it got from critics and fans alike. The songs are so simple in their structures and the feelings that they convey aren’t particularly unique. It’s the way Joni Mitchell describes her feelings of loss and transformation that makes this album so good. 

Tracks like ‘River,’ ‘A Case of You,’ and ‘Blue’ are great songs that I come back to frequently. Other songs like ‘The Last Time I Saw Richard’ and ‘All I Want’ define the album as a whole. 

This album’s spot at #3 on Rolling Stone’s list shocked me, and even after revisiting it, I can’t see why it’s in the spot that it is. It’s obviously a revolutionary singer-songwriter’s album, but there was nothing musically revolutionary about “Blue.” Nonetheless, it’s a great album, but overrated by Rolling Stone. 

My personal rating for “Blue:” 8/10

#2: The Beach Boys- “Pet Sounds” (1966)

For a band that made pretty soulless beach music for most of their early career, The Beach Boys broke records, barriers, and any doubt that I had for this album with their legendary record “Pet Sounds.”

First off, compared to nearly every other Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds” is just so much more experimental. Of course, there’s no way of talking about the album without mentioning the lead singer, Brian Wilson. After Wilson stopped touring with the rest of the band, he started working on “Pet Sounds” (which was basically a solo project) with the goal of making “the greatest rock album ever.”

While it isn’t the greatest rock record ever, it’s a lot better than most of them. Wilson shockingly took a more progressive and experimental approach to this album, unlike anything The Beach Boys had ever done. 

Among all the songs, ‘God Only Knows’ and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ easily stand out from the rest, as the two are commonly listed as some of the greatest songs of all time. Other tracks like ‘I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times’ and ‘You Still Believe In Me’ are standouts. 

Unfortunately, “Pet Sounds” is inconsistent. There’s always interesting ideas that either don’t reach their full potential or are greatly neglected into an annoying mess. 

While “Pet Sounds” may not define The Beach Boys, it’s easily their best. Because the album was under the name of one of the biggest bands ever, the experimentation became greatly influential. It’s said that “Pet Sounds” influenced albums such as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by the Beatles, and “Pink Moon” by Nick Drake. 

Its #2 spot on Rolling Stone’s list is largely unsurprising due to the influence it had, but once again a placement that I don’t agree with. 

My personal rating for “Pet Sounds:” 8/10

#1: Marvin Gaye- “What’s Going On” (1971)

At last, here it is. Across four parts, this is the greatest album of all time according to the untrustworthy Rolling Stone Magazine. Through all twenty of the albums I’ve covered, this may be my most controversial opinion: I don’t find “What’s Going On” to be a great album, let alone the greatest of all time. 

Marvin Gaye is at his most vulnerable on this album. In “What’s Going On,” Gaye preaches about his failing marriage, his sobriety, and his depression. 

I really love some of these tracks, but overall, “What’s Going On” feels empty. It makes me feel like Gaye realized he made some amazing songs and then tried to do the same thing repeatedly but with less success. 

Of course, songs like ‘What’s Going On,’ ‘Mercy Mercy Me,’ ‘What’s Happening Brother’ and ‘Inner City Blues’ are amazing, but there’s a thick mold of filler in every other part of the album. 

“What’s Going On” isn’t a bad album by any means, but after so many albums that are more deserving to be labeled the greatest, I just don’t see the vision. At best, I’d say “What’s Going On” is at the tail end of the top fifty albums of all time. 

Now, Marvin Gaye did a lot to change the way people view soul artists. Even if you exclude his music, Gaye was doing things that shaped the way many viewed African American men and singers. He famously grew out a beard and stopped wearing suits because he felt they were too stereotypical. However, despite all the things Marvin did for music as a whole, I don’t find “What’s Going On” to be a reflection of them. 

My personal rating for “What’s Going On:” 7/10

And there here you have it, the list is over. As much as I dislike Rolling Stone Magazine, I can’t deny that I discovered lots of new albums and artists from their list of 500. I disagree with a lot of the albums selected, but at the end of the day, their opinion is just as valuable as mine. 

Part 4 rankings:

1. The Beatles- “Abbey Road”
2. Stevie Wonder- “Songs in the Key of Life”
3. The Beach Boys- “Pet Sounds”
4. Joni Mitchell- “Blue”
5. Marvin Gaye- “What’s Going On”

10/10s: 

1. Radiohead- “Kid A”
2. Kendrick Lamar- “To Pimp A Butterfly”
3. Bob Dylan- “Highway 61 Revisited”
4. Michael Jackson- “Thriller”
5. The Beatles- “Revolver”
6. Prince- “Purple Rain”
7. The Beatles- “Abbey Road”
8. Stevie Wonder- “Songs in the Key of Life”

9/10s:

1. Kanye West- “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
2. Rolling Stones- “Exile On Main Street”
3. Lauryn Hill- “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”
4. Nirvana- “Never mind”

8/10s: 

1. Aretha Franklin- “I Never Loved A Man the Way I Love You”
2. Joni Mitchell- “Blue”
3. The Beach Boys- “Pet Sounds”
4. Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks”
5. Fleetwood Mac- “Rumours”

7/10s: 

1. The Clash- “London Calling”
2. Marvin Gaye- “What’s Going On”

6/10s:

1. Public Enemy- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back