100 Records That Changed The World!

The Pontiac

This greatest 100 list was in the June 2007 edition of Mojo magazine. The panel was made up of around ninety musicians including The Edge, Nicky Wire, Tom Waits, Smokey Robinson, Steve Earle, Brian Wilson, Patti Smith and many more...too many to list.

I love this list more than any other because it was made up by great musicians, as opposed to a few music journalists.

What do people make of it? Would you include some other record, or maybe put one already there higher up the list.

From Autobahn to Iron maiden, they're the 100 albums, singles and 78's that made us see the world differently, that made grown women to lose their minds and 13-year-old boys buy plywood guitars from the Littlewoods catalogue. The most infleuntial and inspirational recordings ever made, they changed music - the way it was played, bought or even imagined. But don't take our word for it, because we've recruited MOJO's favourite musicians to nominate and venerate the records that moved the Earth for them.

All LPs, unless indicated otherwise.


1. Little Richard - Tutti Frutti [single]
2. Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand [single]
3. Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel [single]
4. Bob Dylan - Freewheelin’
5. Kraftwerk - Autobahn
6. Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers
7. Velvet Underground - & Nico
8. Various Artists - Anthology of American Folk Music: Compiled by Harry Smith
9. Ray Charles - What’d I Say [single]
10. Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen [single]
11. Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours
12. Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode [single]
13. Woody Guthrie - Dust Bowl Ballads
14. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Purple Haze [single]
15. James Brown - Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag [single]
16. Beatles - Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
17. Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone [single]
18. Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
19. Rolling Stones - (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction [single]
20. Led Zeppelin - IV
21. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
22. Ramones - Ramones
23. Howlin’ Wolf - Howlin’ Wolf [aka Rocking Chair Album]
24. Clash - London Calling
25. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
26. Charlie Parker - KoKo [single]
27. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit [single]
28. Patti Smith - Horses
29. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message [single]
30. Hank Williams - Move it on Over [single]
31. David Bowie - Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
32. Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel (aka T for Texas) [single]
33. Michael Jackson - Thriller
34. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus
35. Davy Graham with Alexis Korner - 3/4 AD [EP]
36. Stooges - Fun House
37. Jeff Buckley - Grace
38. Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line [single]
39. New York Dolls - New York Dolls
40. Beatles - Revolver
41. Link Wray & His Ray Men - Rumble [single]
42. Various Artists - Nuggets
43. Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
44. Who - My Generation [single]
45. Ronettes - Be My Baby [single]
46. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
47. Sam Cooke - You Send Me [single]
48. Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil [single]
49. Doors - Doors
50. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
51. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
52. Buddy Holly - That’ll be the Day [single]
53. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
54. Chic - Good Times [single]
55. John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
56. Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne [single]
57. Byrds - Sweetheart of the Rodeo
58. Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief
59. Upsetters - Blackboard Jungle Dub
60. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things
61. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
62. Can - Tago Mago
63. Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On
64. David Bowie - Low
65. Joni Mitchell - Blue
66. Love - Love
67. Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit [single]
68. Brian Eno - Discreet Music
69. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
70. Kingsmen - Louie Louie [single]
71. Public Image Ltd - Public Image
72. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
73. T.Rex - Get it On (Bang a Gong) [single]
74. Carole King - Tapestry
75. REM - Murmer
76. Big Youth - Screaming Target
77. Gang of Four - Entertainment!
78. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
79. Pixies - Surfer Rosa
80. Smiths - This Charming Man [single]
81. Band - Music from Big Pink
82. Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
83. Cure - Pornography
84. Shadows - Apache [single]
85. Sonic Youth - EVOL
86. Animals - House of the Rising Sun [single]
87. Radiohead - The Bends
88. Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
89. Oasis - Definitely Maybe
90. Phuture - Acid Tracks [single]
91. Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five - West End Blues [single]
92. Strokes - Is This It
93. Nina Simone - To be Young, Gifted & Black [single]
94. Libertines - Up the Bracket
95. Green Day - Dookie
96. Donna Summer - I Feel Love [single]
97. Television - Marquee Moon
98. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
99. Stone Roses - Stone Roses
100. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy [single]

bullpost

No Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Roxy Music, Kate Bush, Pogues hmmmmm

The Pontiac

bullpost wrote: »

No Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Roxy Music, Kate Bush, Pogues hmmmmm

I know what you're saying alright. Tom Waits is my favourite artist ever, but he still has very much of a cult following. Cohen would fall into that category too imo, and I'm a huge fan of his also.

I don't think any of their music had a huge effect on the world.

bullpost

Ok but Strokes - Is This It, Nina Simone - To be Young, Gifted & Black [single],
Libertines - Up the Bracket, Green Day - Dookie, Donna Summer - I Feel Love
did not change the world IMO.

<Ollie> wrote: »

I know what you're saying alright. Tom Waits is my favourite artist ever, but he still has very much of a cult following. Cohen would fall into that category too imo, and I'm a huge fan of his also.

I don't think any of their music had a huge effect on the world.

The Pontiac

bullpost wrote: »

Ok but Strokes - Is This It, Nina Simone - To be Young, Gifted & Black [single],
Libertines - Up the Bracket, Green Day - Dookie, Donna Summer - I Feel Love
did not change the world IMO.

Well you're definitely right that some of the records mentioned down the list probably didn't "change the world" or have as much an effect as the higher ranking ones. But that's why it's a list. They had less effect as records.

The Nina Simone single mentioned probably had a bigger effect than we realise. Just going by the title of the song alone and the year of its release, I'm sure it's there for a good reason. I could be wrong though.

Greenday - Dookie , Greenday brought pop-punk or punk-rock or whatever they call it to the mainstream in a big way. They didn't "change the world" as much as others, but that's why they're number 95 on the list.

The Libertines - Up the Bracket, I'll leave this for someone else. Again they're 94 on the list.

Personally I'm glad The Strokes made it on there.

loveissucide

Strokes and Libertines set the tone for the decade in indie,like it or not.

tman

No "Laurie Anderson - Big science" (but at least Brian Eno got a mention...)

This list wouldn't even be suitable for toilet paper!

liah

What, no Michael Jackson? Thought he was OMGTHEBESTARTISTEVAAARR.

:rolleyes:

Spiritoftheseventies

Strokes is this it was a good album but dont think it was that groundbreaking. Losing my religion by REM i thought would have made the list, also for what its worth by Buffalo Springfield which is an immensely powerful record. Also Public Enemy records really blew me away when i first heard them

The Pontiac

liah wrote: »

What, no Michael Jackson? Thought he was OMGTHEBESTARTISTEVAAARR.

:rolleyes:

He's number 33 (thriller). They got that about right IMO. Maybe a little too generous even.

Handsome Bob

liah wrote: »

What, no Michael Jackson? Thought he was OMGTHEBESTARTISTEVAAARR.

:rolleyes:

Go back and check No.33.:p

liah

Haha, I just skimmed it. Still, according to basically everyone he was the best artist to ever have walked the earth, you'd figure he'd be #'s 1-100 by the way people are going on lately..

RedivideR

john coltrane - giant steps (1960)??

Rigsby

It's a fairly well balanced list IMO, though how the Stone's "Satisfaction" "changed the world", escapes me. Nice to see Alexis Korner getting a mention.

gscully

No Band Aid, USA for Africa or Artists Against Apartheid??

No Chico or Pete & Jordan?

Ridiculous!

Rigsby

gscully wrote: »

No Band Aid, USA for Africa or Artists Against Apartheid??

I think you may be missing the point a little here IMO. In the two mentioned above, the music per se did not "change the world", but the concerts themselves may have done so.

gscully

Rigsby wrote: »

I think you may be missing the point a little here IMO. In the two mentioned above, the music per se did not "change the world", but the concerts themselves may have done so.

Your opinion is of course valued, but the songs by the groups I mentioned raised a lot of money for Africa, and started the ball rolling for the concerts, which is a hell of a lot more than Gnarls Barkley did!

davylee

Bit of an extreme title ha, changed the world!! whats that about

nlgbbbblth

I remember seeing the list in the magazine.

It fails for one simple reason.

Including singles AND albums in the one list.

They should be kept separate.

Rigsby

gscully wrote: »

Your opinion is of course valued, but the songs by the groups I mentioned raised a lot of money for Africa, and started the ball rolling for the concerts, which is a hell of a lot more than Gnarls Barkley did!

I agree. But my interpretation of the title of this thread is of music that changed the world, by it's musical statement or content alone. Maybe the OP could confirm if I have this correct ?

jill_valentine

Gnarls Barkley sticks out like a sore thumb, IMHO.

Rigsby

davylee wrote: »

Bit of an extreme title ha, changed the world!! whats that about

I agree. I suppose it means "change the course of music" as say beep bop did. Another interpretation would be ,"stood out from other music".

deisedude

I would have thought OK Computer or Kid A by Radiohead would be more worthy choices than The Bends. Far more groundbreaking records IMO

deisedude

jill_valentine wrote: »

Gnarls Barkley sticks out like a sore thumb, IMHO.

Gnarls Barkley was the first song to go to No. 1 in Britain on downloads alone i think. Maybe the person compiling the list felt this was the start of a musical revolution. Thats the only reason i can think of it being included. Prob not merited being there musically

Rigsby

deisedude wrote: »

I would have thought OK Computer or Kid A by Radiohead would be more worthy choices than The Bends. Far more groundbreaking records IMO

That's the trouble with this kind of list. You'll never please everyone. I mentioned beep bop in another post. If ever a branch of music was ground breaking, it was this, but not a mention. :rolleyes: I suppose you have to take these lists with a pinch of salt.

deisedude

Rigsby wrote: »

That's the trouble with this kind of list. You'll never please everyone. I mentioned beep bop in another post. If ever a branch of music was ground breaking, it was this, but not a mention. :rolleyes: I suppose you have to take these lists with a pinch of salt.

Well i suppose my idea of 10 groundbreaking albums would be different from yours and to everyone else on here. Its all relative i suppose.

loveissucide

These sort of lists make more sense in chronological order.

jill_valentine

deisedude wrote: »

Gnarls Barkley was the first song to go to No. 1 in Britain on downloads alone i think. Maybe the person compiling the list felt this was the start of a musical revolution. Thats the only reason i can think of it being included. Prob not merited being there musically

Yeah, makes sense, but I don't think it really changed the industry landscape or anything. It was a milestone of the times, rather than the catalyst.

deisedude

jill_valentine wrote: »

Yeah, makes sense, but I don't think it really changed the industry landscape or anything. It was a milestone of the times, rather than the catalyst.

I'd agree with that.

Spiritoftheseventies

No some albums and records can change the world at the same time.

The Pontiac

Rigsby wrote: »

I agree. But my interpretation of the title of this thread is of music that changed the world, by it's musical statement or content alone. Maybe the OP could confirm if I have this correct ?

You're right Rigsby. That's the way I see it anyway..