Listosaurus Rex

I was delighted to stumble across a well-written, authoritative list of the 25 Greatest Rap Albums by hilarious blogger and commentator Byron Crawford from ByronCrawford.com. Here is his complete top twenty-five:

1. N.W.A. - STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (1988)
2. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG - DOGGYSTYLE (1993)
3. 2PAC - RAP PHENOMENON II (MIX TAPE, 2003)
4. RUN-DMC - RAISING HELL (1986)
5. PHARCYDE - BIZARRE RIDE II: THE PHARCYDE (1992)
6. LL COOL J. - MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT (1990)
7. EPMD - UNFINISHED BUSINESS (1989)
8. BEASTIE BOYS - PAUL’S BOUTIQUE (1989)
9. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - THE LOW-END THEORY (1991)
10. DE LA SOUL - BUHLOONE MINDSTATE (1993)
11. THE D.O.C. - NO ONE CAN DO IT BETTER (1989)
12. ERIC B. AND RAKIM - FOLLOW THE LEADER (1988)
13. GENIUS/GZA - LIQUID SWORDS
14. GHOSTFACE KILLAH - SUPREME CLIENTELE (2000)
15. GETO BOYS - THE RESURRECTION (1996)
16. WYCLEF JEAN - THE CARVINAL (1997)
17. ICE CUBE - AMERIKKKA’S MOST WANTED (1990)
18. SCARFACE - MR. SCARFACE IS BACK (1991)
19. JAY-Z - REASONABLE DOUBT (1996)
20. NAS - STILLMATIC (2001)
21. OUTKAST - AQUEMINI (1998)
22. PUBLIC ENEMY - IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLION TO HOLD US BACK (1988)
23. LAURYN HILL - THE MISEDUCATION OF LAURYN HILL (1998)
24. DJ QUIK - WAY 2 FONKY (1992)
25. DIZZIE RASCAL - BOY IN DA CORNER (2004)

I think this list is great because he gives credit where credit is due all around, and isn’t afraid to disagree with the so-called experts and music writers. Maybe if this list was just thrown out there I wouldn’t think very much of it, but if you read what he has to say about each album, it’s obvious this cat knows what he’s talking about when it comes to rap.

I like the distribution over time: he’s got Run DMC and Eric B. & Rakim, but he also has Outkast and Lauryn Hill. He doesn’t really play favorites by loading up the list with picks from just a few rappers. There’s plenty of range.

I may not agree with every pick — for example, I liked Illmatic more than Stillmatic, and I definitely would’ve included 36 Chambers — but Byron backs up every pick with solid reasoning.

I so liked the list that I wasted a half hour delving through his archives. He’s a pretty funny guy, and if you want a good chuckle, I recommend you check out his blog. His current topic of choice is the 2008 election, particularly the race issues behind it. Very thought-provoking and funny.

In short, check out this man’s list and his blog in general, too. He’s got some good stuff to say all-around.

Anyone who visits digg.com or reddit.com nowadays is bound to have seen some of Cracked.com’s feature articles, which are very often in list form. A lot of what’s on Cracked is among the funniest stuff I’ve seen on the ‘net, and this feature is no exception; it’s one of my favorites from the site.

The article provides exactly what the title promises, with plenty of humorous commentary along the way. Without spoiling anything, I think I was laughing out loud the entire time while reading what the site had written about #1 on this list. Top notch all around.

So if you think you might find remarks making fun of the music of Color Me Badd and Vanilla Ice entertaining, I wholeheartedly recommend you check this out.

I’m not sure exactly when they released it, but here is VH1’s list of the greatest songs from the 1990s. It was originally a TV special, which I did not watch, so I do not have the full context, but they did release the list itself.

Drumroll, please. The top ten:

1. Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
2. U2 - “One”
3. Backstreet Boys - “I Want It That Way”
4. Whitney Houston - “I Will Always Love You”
5. Madonna - “Vogue”
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot - “Baby Got Back”
7. Britney Spears - “…Baby One More Time”
8. TLC - “Waterfalls”
9. R.E.M. - “Losing My Religion”
10. Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U”

I definitely follow VH1’s reasoning… for two songs. Nirvana and U2: safe picks, great songs. Much has been written about how “Teen Spirit” shook up the entire music industry with its sound, lyrics, video, and attitude. And U2’s “One” is the most bittersweet song I’ve heard.

But, Backstreet Boys at number three. While that song encompasses everything that was good about the boy bands (catchy melodies, great vocals) while leaving out most of what was wrong with them, putting them at #3 is a big stretch.

The rest of the top ten is a little bit sketchy, too. I understand people accept Madonna as a very important figure in the industry, but I don’t really like “Vogue.” “Baby Got Back” is an acceptable guilty pleasure, in my opinion, but holds more camp value than anything else. Why not a Dre, Tupac, Nas, Jay-Z, or Eminem cut at that spot instead?

“…Baby One More Time” was, in all honesty, a good song. Good. Not great. Seriously, can any song which was on an album alongside a song called “E-Mail My Heart” be eligible for any sort of top ten?

Scanning the rest of the list, you definitely see some great songs, but also questionable picks. Spice Girls ahead of Oasis? Color Me Badd ahead of The Fugees? Christina Aguilera ahead of Weezer? I don’t know, man.

Overall, it’s a very interesting list with some great picks but also some duds. It seems like VH1 was using a combination of campiness and overall quality in making the picks. As the inclusion of MC Hammer proves.

One more time, the link.