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Steel's Top 100 Music Artists of All-Time


Steel Sponge

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All right, folks, here's this secret "little" project that I've been hyping up for a while. I'm going to be sending off my own tenure as a music reviewer with my own list for my favorite music artists of all time (or at least it will be as of that writing). Since the past year, I've gotten around to listening to a gauntlet of albums as means of setting up my list. I've now come close to completion for it, so I can at least start things off with this announcement. Of course, I'm not the first to do something like this when Wumbo has already sent off his Billboard year-end review thread with his own list, but he's said on that same thread that he is open to other members doing their own...:

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What I would encourage you to do is, and I'm being genuine here, make your own list! My opinion is not the be-all and end-all of musical taste on SBC, and I'm sure plenty of you are way cooler than me anyway. Have at it! I didn't invent the "Top 100 Artists" trope.

...Which is exactly why I'm doing my own list. So, here in this thread, you guys are all going to be given a closer look at what defines my music taste. I cannot give too much away already, but I can guarantee that despite me claiming that it will show diverse it is, there is going to be some perceived bias regardless of how I frame it.

And of course, before I start my reveals, and before discussion starts, here's a few things to consider:

1) The most important thing to consider is to keep things civil. It's not that I don't trust any of you to keep discussion respectful, but I still stress that are going to be some picks that will spark some disagreements, and I also say this to ensure to keep comments about accusations of me being genre/oldie/recency/etc.-biased to a minimum. At the end of any given day, this is my list, and it consists of MY opinions and my opinions only.

There's also a good number of names that you won't be seeing mentioned here, and while I will take questions regarding "what do you think about this artist/that artist?," after I finish the countdown, I prefer not to take answers regarding where one act is on my list and/or why they're not on my list. The collection of music I listen to will, of course, grow in the next several years with several other artists and genres that I haven't explored in-depth yet all already being in my docket. This list is a representation of my music taste at this very point in time.

2) While the format of this list is going to be structured in a similar fashion to that of Wumbo's, there are a few things that I will do different with my list.
-Despite that this is a top 100 list, I am going to push the envelope and make this a top 175 list, with the first 75 music acts to be named serving as a long list of honorable mentions. Of course, this is because I have a good number of painful cuts, and I still at least want to recommend and discuss them in some length.
-I will list my absolute favorite song and favorite album from the particular artist, but I will gradually increase the amount of songs recommendations after each set of 25 reveals until I reveal my top 10. To elaborate further on this...:
175-151 (The wildcards): 3 songs per act.
150-126 (The strong contenders): 4 songs
125-101 (The painful cuts): 5 songs
(The list proper) 100-76: 6 songs
75-51: 7 songs
50-26: 8 songs
25-11: 9 songs
10-1: 10 songs
I will try to keep my commentary for most of these music artists as minimal as I can allow, with a good chunk of exceptions, and of course, I will only provide a hyperlink for my top song for each artist, for already obvious reasons.

3) There are some ground rules made for forming this list. First of all, the cutoff for a certain music act to have released an album while having more than one under their belt is 2019, so any artist who began releasing albums in 2020 onwards will not make the cut. Artists with only one studio album to their name will also not make the cut, and while I do hold some current one album artists with high regard, don't expect to see names like SZA or Sky Ferreira to appear because of this rule. Although, I will bend that rule for one artist, but I will not disclose who that will be.

4) The music acts that make up my list and their placements are based on my personal judgments that are measured by a set of certain factors. Just because publications like Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, etc., and other fellow musicians like Kurt Cobain, Elton John, Elvis Costello, and etc. have said a particular artist to be one of their all-time favorites, that doesn't mean it's my all-time favorite. I, like just about everyone else, don't measure based on success, critical acclaim, how many best-of-all-time lists they appear on, or whatever else. 

5) Feel free to make any predictions for my lists if you want to start a bit of a conversation on here, but keep them light-hearted and serious. 

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So, after nearly ten years, this is what my listening experience has been building all up to ever since I started 'getting into music.' As even I'm aware, it still feels unorthodox of me to enter this lane, but I'm glad to have become a music fan as soon as I did, even with me being hearing impaired (contrary to what one may think though, I do listen to just about the same exact sounds that an otherwise normal hearing person can) and having to read off lyrics to almost everything that I consume for me to pick up my thoughts on any particular song from a lyrical standpoint, and I'm especially glad to have gotten to the point where I've expanded my taste beyond what's popular and looked into the kind of music that other fans and music publications alike were recommending that are unheard of elsewhere, and I've still been looking to broaden my scope to this day, so I would definitely see this list changing a lot in the next five years or so.

A lot of the acts that are going to be shown on my list I have come to know based on a variety of factors ranging from what my family enjoys listening to, what my e-friends on this very website enjoy listening to, my own personal encounters, what I've discovered from browsing certain music-focused websites like Pulse Music Board and The Singles Jukebox, what music critics like Todd in the Shadows, Spectrum Pulse, and Anthony Fantano have enjoyed, and among other things that I haven't mentioned.

Up to this very point, these are the music acts that have defined my personal taste the most, and you're all going to be given a look at that, starting now...

STEEL'S TOP 100 ARTISTS (#175-151)

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175. The Beach Boys

The Many Ups and Downs of the Beach Boys - Biography

I’m starting this long list of cuts from my top 100 with an act that I’ve come to respect more than I really enjoy, no matter if I do try to get into them more. The Beach Boys are a group of talented musicians (except Mike Love. Nobody likes you, Mike) that were built to compete with their contemporaries by releasing a batch of consistently good radio hits, and as well as a critically acclaimed album in Pet Sounds, which of course, sums up the bulk of my listening experience with the band. I’m pretty sure someone here knows more about getting into the Beach Boys more than I do, but I can at least still give them some credit when it’s due.

Best songs: God Only Knows, Good Vibrations, Surf’s Up
Best album: Pet Sounds

Spoiler

174. Billy Idol

Billy Idol on His Influences, His Hair and More – Rolling Stone

Taking this guy at face value, Billy Idol’s persona and sound can be best described as if he were David Bowie’s spunky, snot-nosed younger brother. To be blunt with you folks, Billy Idol snuck his way on here for one major reason. You’d think this guy didn’t sustain much of a 80s icon status after his 1993 album, Cyberpunk, suppressed his career, but it turns out his vestige has survived into my local classic hits radio stations. Billy Idol is what I consider to be the ultimate definition of a singles artist, but in a complimentary way of saying that. “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “Dancing with Myself,” “White Wedding,” “Hot in the City,” his cover of “Mony Mony,” among others, I’ve encountering my local stations playing all these and I’ve come to appreciate them and declared to myself that Idol was no flop as a hitmaker.

Best songs: White Wedding, Rebel Yell, Flesh for Fantasy
Best album: Rebel Yell

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173. Shania Twain

Shania Twain: That Don't Impress Me Much (Music Video 1998) - IMDb

Let's go, girls. For those who haven’t heard this from me, I have lived most of my childhood listening to country music on the radio, before I started developing my own taste in music. Shania Twain is here mainly for nostalgic reasons, as I’ve felt more attached to her music than any other country music act in the past. She had a big pop sensibility, so it should come to no surprise (with Come on Over being that surprised retrospective 2x diamond-certified album) that most of my nostalgia from listening to country came from her. She provided a little bit of something for everyone, and she did it pretty well.

Best songs: Man! I Feel Like a Woman, (Wanna Get to Know You) That Good!, Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?
Best album: Up!

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172. SOPHIE

SOPHIE Shares Video for New Song “It's Okay to Cry”: Watch | Pitchfork

When I said that I would make one exception to the ‘no one-album artists’ rule I implemented, this is the exception that I was referring to. SOPHIE is more than just a pioneering music artist in the hyperpop scene, they’re THE quintessional hyperpop music artist. With only one studio album to their name before their death (Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides), the world was robbed of a great, creative, and ahead-of-their-time talent too soon and they’re missed just about every day, and SOPHIE’s extraordinary craft doesn’t end on their sole album, as the songs on Product showcases those producer chops to an extent.

Best songs: It’s Okay to Cry, Faceshopping, BIPP

Spoiler

171. Oingo Boingo

Oingo Boingo

When I found about this one particular movie composer that I really like once leading a band with cult status (I’m not going to let it slip who that person is, but I’m sure you all already know who I’m talking about), I knew I had to try and get into Oingo Boingo, and yeah, this is how far I could go when it came to forming my list. While the easy comparisons to Devo are expected (with Mark Mothersbaugh also moving on to become a composer himself), what sets Oingo Boingo apart is their fusion of ska with their new wave sound, and it makes for an interesting look at how the celebrated frontman inherited his style.

Best songs: Nasty Habits, Who Do You Want to Be, Dead Man’s Party
Best album: Good for Your Soul

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170. Ghost

Appearance is everything for a band like Ghost

I can’t guarantee that there will be a lot of metal on this list, let alone newer metal stuff. Nonetheless, I like Ghost and I think they bring a unique style and an interesting flair to the table. Just about each song I’ve listened to from Ghost has the right amount of heaviness and energy for me to easily sink my teeth into.

Best songs: Rats, Dance Macabre, From the Pinnacle to the Pit
Best album: Meliora

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169. Sparks

Sparks: The greatest band you've never heard of - BBC Culture

Sparks is a peculiar band with a discography spanning six decades as of this writing, and they’ve almost never skipped a beat with their craft. For starters they are British glam rock-inspired band…from California and they shifted their sound over the years in ways that feel organic. Whether it’s glam rock like Kimono My House, new wave & synthpop like the superb No. 1 in Heaven, dance music like Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, and multi-genre experimentation like Lil’ Beethoven, their projects have given folks something to appreciate.

Best songs: The Number One Song in Heaven, Amateur Hour, Mickey Mouse
Best album: No. 1 in Heaven

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168. Missy Elliott

How Missy Elliott's Black iconoclasm gave me a sense of identity | Rap |  The Guardian

For my first hip hop reveal, it’s the one and only Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott. Together with frequent production collaborator, Timbaland, Missy has shown herself to be an enduring and distinct personality in hip hop, with the flair and flows to boot. Of course, it’s still been years since her last major project, the singles she has been releasing thereafter do prove that she hasn’t lost her touch, so hopefully if or when she comes out with a new major release, it’s worth all the wait.

Best songs: The Rain, Hot Boyz, Work It
Best album: Supa Dupa Fly

Spoiler

167. Fugees

Fugees turned up three hours late for a suprise performance in NYC - News -  Mixmag

Next up is Fugees, a trio with a short lifespan that otherwise had a long-lasting influence on hip hop after their breakup. Lauryn Hill is not only one of the best female rappers, but one of the best rappers period, while she, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel play off each other so nicely. The bulk of their songwriting and production talents are showcased within the music they’ve made together as Fugees, even though, once again, they didn’t get along for long.

Best songs: Ready or Not, Family Business, Zealots, with special mention towards their rendition of Killing Me Softly.
Best album: The Score

Spoiler

166. R.A.P. Ferreira

Underground Hip Hop Artist R.A.P. Ferreira to Play Urban Artifact this Week  | Cincinnati CityBeat

R.A.P. Ferreira, or the artist formerly known as Milo, has been one of my favorite newer rappers on the scene, whilst also being one of my most niche names on this list. His approach to jazz-infused hip hop has been a marvel to listen to and he has the bars to carry each of his songs. Also, I have being a Hunter x Hunter fan in common with him, so that’s really cool.

Best songs: LEAVING HELL, DUST UP, true nen
Best album: Purple Moonlight Pages

Spoiler

165. Javiera Mena

I Felt Alone, Especially As a Woman": Javiera Mena on Being a Trailblazer  in the LGBTQ+ Latin Community - EDM.com - The Latest Electronic Dance Music  News, Reviews & Artists

Since I haven’t talked of this before, I should acknowledge a little website called The Singles Jukebox before I talk about the artist in question, for it is responsible for my discovery. From when I discovered this site sometime during 2017 up until it was retired mere months ago this year, I’ve occasionally browsed The Singles Jukebox for their opinions on singles from a variety of music artists I either already knew, or didn’t know beforehand, and this was before I’ve expanded my interests towards albums. The site had some well-conceived reviews, some that were funny to read, and as well as some that were pretty intricate, so I did take most of what the reviewers said with a grain of salt (For example, they hated A LOT of alternative radio hits, including one particular Highly Suspect song that held the record for the lowest score given to a song. Listen to the song if it interests you, but speaking as someone who also really hates it, you’ve been warned.).

The highest score given to a song in 2012 was “Luz de piedra le luna” by a certain Latin synthpop singer from Chile going by the name of Javiera Mena, and that was where my discovery of her began. First impression of the song in question, and I could remember feeling blown away by how good it sounded. In fact, TSJ gave a lot of her songs high scores, which compelled me to look into her more. Although I haven’t mustered up the time to listen to some of her albums in full until after TSJ retired (so consider Mena’s placement here as my eulogy to them of sorts), but when I did, I could tell you right away that you may have to worry about language barriers to get into her music. Her discography is accompanied by beautiful-sounding vocals and a great ear for melody and production, with her 2010 album especially embodying pure pop bliss. With all that said, she’s yet another underrated music artist worth giving a listen.

Best songs: Luz de piedra de luna, Cuando hablamos, Otra era
Best album: Mena

Spoiler

164. Evanescence

Home - Evanescence

A part of me should feel embarrassed to confess that Evanescence was one of my gateways to metal, but on the other hand, I think most other folks representing my generation could say the same. In a scene filled with redundant and trashy nu-metal, Evanescence stood out by being a hit band with a symphonic style attached to them, and with the band being fronted by a woman. For a while, I never thought I’d feel so attached to them in retrospect, but the band had one enduring facet of the band that got me hooked on them – Amy Lee’s singing voice. I think she is one of several of the best vocalists in rock music as her angelic voice amplifies a lot of the band’s music and give the songs some depth. Even if most of their songs were grandiose, the grandiosity is what made them such a stellar band to me anyway.

Best songs: My Immortal (Band Version), Lithium, Cloud Nine
Best album: The Open Door

Spoiler

163. Phoebe Bridgers

Phoebe Bridgers on TIDAL

One of my favorite newer music acts on the rise is Phoebe Bridgers. After being so distraught with the popular hits at the time that were being categorized as ‘emo,’ Bridgers brought something fresh and nuanced with her craft in the style and gave me a change of heart towards emo in general. Other than that, her music is defined by her introspective and thought-provoking songwriting. Her first two albums are very consistent and followed a certain theme, with her sophomore release having quite a lot of tracks that could be considered as highlights, so I expect more great things to come from Bridgers later on.

Best songs: I Know the End, Motion Sickness, Graceland Too
Best album: Punisher

Spoiler

162. clipping.

Review: Clipping. Come Out Swinging & Unsettling on 'Visions of Bodies  Being Burned' - Atwood Magazine

Call it sacrilegious that Death Grips are nowhere on my list, yet I’ve made room for Daveed Diggs’ music project, clipping. This group, of course, has become my gateway to the more experimental side of hip hop, and while clipping. Isn’t completely unique in making industrial hip hop, they still have a sound that I could consider as distinct and astounding. Hutson and Snipes’s production work on the music is abrasive and raw in a lot of the right ways, while Diggs’ songwriting is clever and enthralling, while delivering some extraordinary flows. clipping. certainly isn’t for everyone, but regardless, they are worth checking out.

Best songs: Pain Everyday, Body & Blood, Knees on the Ground
Best album: Visions of Bodies Being Burned

Spoiler

161. Beck

Beck: 'I wanted to make something that felt good' | Beck | The Guardian

Even though Beck’s alt rock craft and genre-bending isn’t so groundbreaking today, it still felt fresh and innovative at the time he put himself on the map to justify his place as a critic darling. However, he didn’t just make weird yet effective songs, as he’s also made some heartfelt, sad, and introspective stuff too, like with his Sea Change album (which I still consider to this day as his true peak). Though every once in a while, he’ll still come around with something interesting to prove that his career isn’t quite on autopilot.

Best songs: Novacane, Lost Cause, Devils Haircut
Best album: Sea Change

Spoiler

160. Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol | Irish Rock n' Roll Museum Experience

I was quite like the typical American music listener when I thought this Scotland-based Irish band was nothing more than a one-hit wonder, but when I’ve seen music publications recommending “Run,” and came to realize that they were a bigger band everywhere else in the world including their native country, my feelings on this band had changed in an instant. Eventually, I came around to listening to a few of their albums and felt impressed with their approach to post-britpop, despite that they could be best described as diet Coldplay. Regardless of the easy comparisons, I found Gary Lightbody to be a more competent singer, and while most of their songs followed a certain formula where they start slow before progressing to a huge buildup, those bombastic moments have always felt rewarding. So even though they weren't the most original band in the sound they've represent, they've still managed to stick with me well enough to deserve a spot on here.

Best songs: Open Your Eyes, Please Just Take These Photos from My Hands, Black and Blue
Best album: A Hundred Million Suns

Spoiler

159. No Doubt

No Doubt to play six shows at Gibson Amphitheatre Nov. 24-Dec. 4 - Los  Angeles Times

While I was contemplating whether or not I should include No Doubt on my list, I came to the full realization of what gives the band their charm, and it all came down to the abilities of the band’s frontwoman herself, Gwen Stefani. Her range in music genre diversity is rather impressive and it showcases the creativity she has put into the band’s music. One moment No Doubt’s style can be described as ska punk, then reggae, then new wave, then punk rock, then hip hop, and so forth, and most of the time, they don’t fail to deliver.

Best songs: Spiderwebs, Don’t Speak, Suspension Without Suspense
Best album: Return of Saturn

Spoiler

158. Poppy

Best Poppy Songs of All Time – Top 10 Tracks | Discotech

Before Poppy would start her music career, I’ve come to recognize her as an eccentric internet personality. Once Moriah began her slow and steady dramatic shift in style from tongue-in-cheek bubblegum pop to heavy metal to shoegaze with her most recent album, Flux, whilst showing a side of her that was separate from her assumed persona in the process, that was when I really came to appreciate Poppy’s eccentricities, and so she’s become one of my favorite newer names in music ever since.

Best songs: I Disagree, Never Find My Place, BLOODMONEY
Best album: I Disagree

Spoiler

157. Our Lady Peace

Our Lady Peace's Raine Maida talks guns, Woodstock '99 and writing hits for  superstars

There are going to be a few acts on this list that I could admit that I got into because Wumbo turned me on to them, and Our Lady Peace just happens to be one of them. I don’t know what I could say about them that Wumbo hasn’t said already, especially since I haven’t gotten deep enough into their albums, but I’ll at least say that Our Lady Peace is a very competent 90s alt rock band that touches upon certain subjects with a great sense of depth. They’re not too interesting sound-wise, but the band’s quality has stayed consistently good for the most part from what I could gather, thus giving them a spot on this list.

Best songs: 4 AM, Life, Thief
Best album: Spiritual Machines

Spoiler

156. Bat for Lashes

http://www.loudandquiet.com/files/2017/06/Bat-for-lashes-phil-sharp-3.jpg

Bat for Lashes, a.k.a. Natasha Khan, has become an unexpected discovery and introduction to the more artistic side of pop music on my part. My interests were leaning mostly towards alternative at the time I’ve discovered Bat for Lashes, so it didn’t take me a while to get into her music and see the appeal. Most of her songs don’t click with me right away, but whenever I go back to them, they still feel distinctive and overwhelming as they did on the first listen.

Best songs: The Haunted Man, Daniel, Jasmine
Best album: Two Suns

Spoiler

155. Elton John

Terry O'Neill | Elton John (1970s) | Available for Sale | Artsy

As it should already be telling by this placement, I can tend to agree with most others that Elton John is pretty…overrated, despite how much I can understand why he’s cited as a historically significant figure in music. He has plenty of hits to his name that range from hard-hitting and competent piano ballads to energetic rock n roll to some simply catchy pop tunes. There were still a ton of music acts that I’m fonder of, but Elton John’s capabilities don’t go unnoticed.

Best songs: Crocodile Rock, Bennie and the Jets, The Bitch is Back
Best album: Madman Across the Water

Spoiler

154. Metric

Metric Gets Set For Biggest Canadian Tour Yet | FYIMusicNews

Metric is another one of those Canada-based bands that Wumbo turned me on to. However, I have discovered them since I started becoming a chart watcher for the alternative airplay chart. I didn’t care so much about them at first, but they have begun to grow on me when I re-listened to some of their singles, and it wasn’t until the album rollout for Art of Doubt that I became interested in them. Once I saw Wumbo saying his praise for their music though, that was when I have gotten around to listening to their albums in full. It’s been a slow climb, but they’ve now found their way into my list of favorites and their music has stayed consistently great, as their most recent release, Formentera, shows.

Best songs: Doomscroller (yes, I know, call it recency bias, but it is their own very equivalent to Bohemian Rhapsody), Satellite Mind, Dressed to Suppress
Best album: Fantasies

Spoiler

153. The Mars Volta

Deconstructing: The Rise, Demise, And Legacy Of The Mars Volta

One of the only other Spanish-language acts on my list (although the band’s lyrics are mostly in English, but still), is a band that fuses progressive rock sounds with Latin sounds, courtesy of Cedric Bixter-Zavala’s (who also fronted At the Drive-In) heritage and background. The Mars Volta is one of those bands that you would need the patience for to be able to appreciate their modern spin on progressive rock, their narrative-driven lyricism, their unique musical structures, and their general performing style. In the end, the listening experience is defined by a good selection of mind-blowing tracks. With all fairness, however, since they are one of the few last-minute inclusions I’ve made to the list, having only gotten through their first three albums, this is how high I could put them (but this may be the for the best, considering the amount of songs that I have to recommend for the later prog rock acts that you’re all going to see make an appearance).

Best songs: Inertiatic ESP, Cassandra Truth, Day of the Baphomets
Best album: De-Loused in the Comatorium

Spoiler

152. Spoon

Spoon Shares New Song, Will Return to Matador Records for March 2017 Album  – Billboard

Had I chose to continue my Discord album marathons, there were a select number of names I’ve had up for consideration – Lady Gaga, Panic! at the Disco, Tyler, the Creator, Coldplay, the Raimi Spider-Man soundtracks, and then there was Spoon. With all the hype surrounding Spoon having the most consistently great discography out of most other music artists with ten albums AND counting, I was compelled to check out this band, and of course, their albums live up to that hype (even their garage rock-esque debut is up to snuff). Almost each album has the band expanding their sound to different palettes and exploring certain, specific themes, while still showing some room for innovation in the process.

Best songs: Inside Out, You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb, Nobody Gets Me But You
Best album: Transference (Yeah, I’m going against the grain of what most folks say is the band’s best album, but Mic the Snare’s analysis on the album has made me grow so fond of it)

Spoiler

151. Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry, in his own words

I’m capping off this set of reveals with who I consider to be the true king of rock and roll. Sure, even he didn’t have the cleanest reputation and he’s not someone that I go back and listen to so often, but he still has some of the greatest bops in early rock and roll music, and he has had the long-lasting legacy to boast (and unlike Elvis, he actually writes his own stuff). After all these years, his music still holds up and it very well demonstrates that Berry is on top.

Best songs: Johnny B. Goode, Roll Over Beethoven, Rock and Roll Music
Best album: Chuck Berry Is on Top

 

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STEEL'S TOP 100 ARTISTS (#150-126)

 

Spoiler

150. T. Rex

Rock Hall 2020: T. Rex Inducted by Ringo Starr, Joan Jett, Billy Idol |  Pitchfork

T. Rex, otherwise known as the supreme frontrunners of the glam rock scene…until Queen came to quickly take their throne. Even though they reached an early peak (followed by frontman Marc Bolan’s untimely death in 1977), their influence in 70s rock music shouldn’t go without notice. Bolan has the animated presence and as well as the distinctive performing style to boast. The band as a whole has quite the selection of high energy rock jams in their arsenal, whether we’re talking about their biggest non-album hits, or their two greatest gems in Electric Warrior and The Slider. For anyone into 70s rock, T. Rex is a must-listen.

Best songs: 20th Century Boy, Children of the Revolution, The Slider, Metal Guru
Best album: The Slider

Spoiler

149. The Offspring

Punk Progeny: The Offspring | MusicWorld | BMI.com

Here I have what may as well be the trashiest band that I have on my list, and of all people that I have to credit for my discovery of The Offspring, it’s Jjs, who had me sample “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” when I approached him for music suggestions for my Guru Gakuto spin-off ages ago. Yeah, and I would re-discover the band through noticing a popular Rainbow Dash PMV of a nightcore edit of the same song not long after. Those were some strange times.

Okay, so that’s enough with my nostalgia of the band, what makes this band good enough for my list? The Offspring is one of those bands that I’ve grown to like naturally. I’ve come to appreciate their ear for fast-paced punk rhythms and for their earworm melodies once I discovered more of their songs. Dexter Holland is additionally underrated as a vocalist and his emotional range carries quite a lot of their songs. They have fallen off lately, but their older material will always hold a special place for me.

Best songs: Self-Esteem, Gone Away, Amazed, Hammerhead
Best album: Ixnay on the Hombre

Spoiler

148. Lily Allen

Lily Allen | iHeart

In a world full of disposable British pop music starlets, Lily Allen stood out among the rest. She debuted with a reggae and ska-influenced pop album containing a selection of humorous yet also sharply written tracks. Of course, the Amy Winehouse comparisons are to be expected when Allen also has ties to producer Mark Ronson whilst releasing a project around the same timeframe, but regardless, she still shines with a personality and style of her own that can be viewed through her craft. Her music career has been quiet for a while, so I can only hope that she manages to pull out something great for her comeback.

Best songs: The Fear, LDN, Smile, Everyone’s at It
Best album: Alright, Still

Spoiler

147. Father John Misty

Father John Misty Is Funny—Even When Life Isn't | GQ

Josh Tillman, a.k.a. Father John Misty, is the first of quite a few music nerd darlings that you’re going to be seeing on this set of reveals. Former drummer for Fleet Foxes (which, of course, won’t be on this list), Tillman puts his own eccentric spin on the indie folk and chamber pop sound, coupled by his oddly engaging songwriting (he’s been able to keep me on the edge of my seat with a 13 minute long piece about L.A.), with how he touches on topics like depression, drug use, and existentialism in ways that manage to make me feel touched by them.

Best songs: Pure Comedy, Total Entertainment Forever, Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings, I Love You, Honeybear
Best album: Pure Comedy

Spoiler

146. Julia Holter

Julia Holter: 'I tend to feel like everything I'm doing is crazy' | Julia  Holter | The Guardian

In this following reveal of music artists that I’ve put as high for respecting a lot more than enjoying, here’s Julia Holter, who is yet another niche music critic darling. Her albums from 2013 up till her most recent, Aviary, are all exceptionally good in their own right. I don’t come back to them so often, sure, so this is more out of respect than out of enjoyment, but an avant-pop artist as remarkable and innovative as Holter is still rewarding of a spot on my list.

Best songs: Silhouette, Words I Heard, Sea Calls Me Home, This Is a True Heart
Best album: Have You in My Wilderness

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145. Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean to headline Coachella in 2023, says Paul Tollett - Los Angeles  Times

Frank Ocean is one of those critic darlings that I do respect yet I also find to be pretty…dare I say, overrated. It may be because I don’t see myself having such a deep connection towards any of his songs that most others do to put him on such a high pedestal. On the other hand, he was still remarkable for what he was when he had established himself as this fresh, distinctive new personality in modern R&B and hip hop, and I can see how he’s made an impact. On top of that, he has made two really great albums, though I still feel is otherwise not enough for me to grasp if he is the best of the best. While he’s been quiet lately, I do hope he breaks that silence soon enough since I trust him to keep coming around with new, interesting material.

Best songs: Bad Religion, Self-Control, Pyramids, Nights
Best album: Blonde

Spoiler

144. Vampire Weekend

The Roots Of... Vampire Weekend

Yeah, I don’t feel the hype for this band as much as I used to when I discovered them, but I do still consider them as one of the most-defining indie pop artists from their era. They have a distinctive sound that is backed up by a good selection of bops including and not limited to “Oxford Comma,” “Diane Young,” “Run,” “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” “Cousins,” and “Obvious Bicycle,” and when the focus of their charm is not on their ear for melody, it’s towards their introspective songwriting as well. While there has been a lot of other music artists I’ve grown more attached to, Vampire Weekend is another name I can’t leave out.

Oh and these songs are good too: Giving Up the Gun, A-Punk, Hannah Hunt, California English
Best album: Contra

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143. Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World Announce 2022 North American Tour | Pitchfork

Jimmy Eat World was my introduction to the world of emo as I’m sure it was to most others. In some ways, they could be viewed as an entry-level act, but regardless, they do have plenty of good, memorable, and applicable songs in them, with their Bleed American album being the one that I’ve connected with most in my 20s. Even their earlier material from Clarity is something to be impressed with. They haven’t hit that same exact stride as album artists after they put themselves on the map, but every once in a while, they continue to show their original power pop spirit.

Best songs: A Praise Chorus, My Best Theory, The Middle, Blister
Best album: Bleed American

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142. Mitski

Mitski, the US's best young songwriter: 'I'm a black hole where people dump  their feelings' | Mitski | The Guardian

When I first heard Mitski’s music, I remember feeling pretty stunned. When I mustered up the time to listen to some of her albums, I could already tell why she’s an enduring critic darling. She has a gentle and as well as a strident side in her music that I find both to be engaging and filled with raw emotion, and I think my positives towards Mitski’s music is mostly factored into her voice, as her brooding vocal style captivates every time, no matter the tone she sets. In other words, Mitski is a very talented singer-songwriter. 

Best songs: Your Best American Girl, Francis Forever, Townie, Washing Machine Heart
Best album: Bury Me at Makeout Creek

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141. Panic! at the Disco

Panic! At The Disco New Album 'Viva Las Vengeance' Preorder

Okay…so after breezing through a variety of what I labeled as critic darlings, here’s one that is lesser of a darling. Panic! at the Disco, or the Brendon Urie Experience, (or, for those familiar with the meme I recently made, Dannon! at the Disco), is a difficult music act for me to discuss for a variety of reasons, and I’m going to start with the bluntest of them all – out of all 175 music acts in this countdown, I consider Panic! at the Disco to be the most fundamentally flawed. I could already guarantee that some folks will take issue with this placement, whether it’s because you feel like I should’ve put this lower than the critically acclaimed Father John Misty, Julia Holter, Vampire Weekend, Mitski, Spoon, The Mars Volta, and etcetera, along with proclaimed music legends like Chuck Berry and Elton John, or it’s because I have put this band-turned-solo act too low on my list, as their music resonates with those who grew up during their prime, including myself. Of course, this is my list after all, so I think this is a proper enough placement for a music act that I have a great deal of nostalgia towards along and as well as a great deal of grievances towards.

If it’s not already telling, my feelings towards Panic’s last two albums is a major contributing factor as to why they’re this high on my list. I was going to approach my long piece on Panic! with a closing statement where I express my hopes that Brendon Urie improves his craft, but as I’m writing this right now, it is in the wake of Brendon announcing the end of the said music project to start a family, so now I’m left with an eulogy of sorts to write up because of this inconvenient timing. First thing I should say, no matter what ideas or sounds Brendon or his long-former bandmates have latched onto, there wasn’t pleasing everyone. Their debut was lambasted by critics before being embraced by them within time and that was due to Panic! immediately being put on the map by those who had embraced their eccentric approach to pop punk with Brendon’s grandiose vocal work, the accompanying Vegas showmanship of the band’s sound, and their peculiar lyricism. Then when Pretty. Odd. came around, critics were quick to embrace this new direction, but the fans were quick to bemoan audience alienation as they were thrown off by it at first because it took away what made A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out so fun to listen to, but within time it became considered as Panic!’s best album, including by me (And I know what you may be asking, “Seriously, you think Pretty. Odd. is better than AFYCSO?” Yes, and while it so radically different, Panic! was so good at pulling off the faux-Beatles vibe it had going for it, and it is the album that I find to be Panic!’s most consistent-sounding.)

The mixed reactions of the second album almost led to the group’s breakup. Later on, what they were reduced to (Urie and Smith) came back with new material in 2011, and if anything I could say, Vices & Virtues just exists. Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! saw the momentum returning and has earned its fair share of fans, but things already went south when Dallon Weekes and Spencer Smith made their departure, forcing the now-sole member of Panic! to go it alone. So then was the start of the era as Panic! being a one-person band, and as well as the beginning of the end. While I am willing to defend Death of a Bachelor by some merits (“Crazy = Genius” is an underrated song btw), this was where I felt the cracks in Urie’s career were beginning to show, with the cheapening of the sound, the increase in overproduction, Urie’s heightened tendency to belt, and of course, the boosting of his ego. While I felt Death of a Bachelor was saved by well-excused ideas, these flaws became an even bigger problem with my experience listening to Pray for the Wicked, one of those rare albums from a band that I like I am completely comfortable in calling a massive letdown. The success of the singles “High Hopes” and “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” made Panic! bigger than it ever was, but it sacrificed so much of what made me love this music act.

Then the album that would end up being the last, Viva Las Vengeance, would come out – a scattershot album with a balanced number of high highs and low lows. It got praised by critics but got clowned on by music fans. Flash forward to now with the recent announcement of Panic! at the Disco’s one and only member calling it done, and like so, Panic! went out with a tragic whimper. In contemplation with the untimely dissolution of Panic!, I should start by saying that it was a good run while it lasted. Perhaps the next album after VLV could’ve been worse, or it could’ve been better as I‘d hope, but of course, all good things must come to an end.

Pushing aside all those negative thoughts I’ve had of Panic!, I’ll start my positives by saying that they were at their prime when they were a band. How predictable of me to say this, I know, but Panic!, as a band, allowed for cohesion and for Brendon to put his ego to rest. Regardless of the questionable songwriting for any particular tracks, Panic! were capable of churning out mindless fun songs in the long run. Even when Brendon Urie was by himself, he still had a good amount of moments to shine. While Urie’s vocals can tend to make or break a song, he still has such an impressive range despite his shortcomings. The production work is also another make or break deal, and while sometimes a song’s over-production can hinder my enjoyment, there are certain songs where the volume of the bombast feels just right.

Panic! at the Disco may definitely have its flaws, and the last two albums made me accept that it was for the best that Urie stopped making music for a while, but these shortcomings haven’t preventing me from keeping a strong nostalgic attachment to them. Even in the sickness of Panic! at the Disco’s demise, I’m just a white blood cell, fighting like hell for them.

Best songs: Time to Dance, Let’s Kill Tonight, This Is Gospel, That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed)
Best album: Pretty. Odd.

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140. Imagine Dragons

Why Imagine Dragons Are Flying Higher Than Ever – Billboard

Let me be frank with all of you – Imagine Dragons is great. I know this is going to be hard for me to talk about since this is technically the most controversial music act I have on my list and everyone is going to say that they’re more fundamentally flawed than Panic!, but I’m the one who makes the rules and the choices here and what I say goes, goes. Full disclosure, I was thinking a lot about how I were to approach telling everyone reading this that I like “the worst band ever,” and that I like them a lot, because of the schism that I expected this unanticipated moment to create and as well as my own internal hypocrisies, which…I’ll explain later…

Imagine Dragons are a popular band that publications box in as a rock band while cynics box in as nothing more than a pop band in retaliation, and yeah, pots calling the kettle black aside, whatever genre these guys are supposed to be does not matter to me at all. I was merely 17 when I discovered this band from flipping through Pandora radio stations and I thought they were this cool new band making their own mark into the alternative rock music scene, and when it came to my attention that they crossed over and most other folks had agreed with me that they seemed to be good, including Todd in the Shadows (at the time, lol), and as well as when I noticed Jjs showering them with praise, I was more inclined to believe that they were moving on to greater things. It was great, rooting for a band that was demonstrating its own interesting style to the current pop landscape…until, of course, it wasn’t….

https://www.alternativenation.net/imagine-dragons-worst-band-ever/

When Imagine Dragons kept scoring more hits, people started complaining about the band being overexposed, with their music being all over advertisements. Years went by and once as the band’s music became more prominently featured in the public eye and their forthcoming albums were given greater disdain from contemporary critics, most folks who had saw them in a decent light turned their backs against them, and the internet collectively decided that they were the new worst band ever, let alone “the new Nickelback,” thus creating the current mindset that the general public has towards the band since the past several years until the internet finds a new “Rock is dead!!!!” scapegoat and accepts it’s no longer cool to hate Imagine Dragons. It didn’t take so long for me to notice that the band’s overexposure was an issue to everyone else. I’ve even seen them being hyped up as “the new Nickelback” not long after they got put on the map, which should go to show that the general public learned absolutely nothing from their previous mindset and how desperate they are for self-validation to encourage this same petty behavior towards the other, newer band once it became apparent that Nickelback fell to irrelevancy. Given Imagine Dragons’ success and pop radio’s severe stranglehold on them over every other potential rock-leaning crossover act though, I can’t deny whatsoever that they were the one and only band that people could latch onto as their personal scapegoat.

After the band’s flaws became more apparent to me, I’ve considered to myself that I was giving Imagine Dragons a little too much credit. The moment that the hate campaigning against them became clearer to me, however, was when I started really caring about Imagine Dragons and saw the bigger picture in their music, and as a result, I had to endure a lot of the things that people were saying about the group and how they were being perceived while the stigma surrounding them continued to grow. Just about every big-name internet music reviewer that I knew all across the board treated Imagine Dragons like they’re a massive joke. A lot of my peers hate them as well and I even got told that the new album they released in 2021 that I initially thought was a decent improvement was unlistenable. People have staked claims that others blindly agreed to that Imagine Dragons’ music is fake deep and have no bigger meaning to them whatsoever, they ONLY make music to be played in commercials, they ONLY care about the amount of units their music sell, they ONLY appeal to “NPCs,” their sound was never really anything special or unique because they felt the band became super formulaic and because of other bands following their example later on, and finally, that they’re even worse than Nickelback – the one band they’re constantly lumped in with. Then there’s the claims people make about the fans, that they don’t care about ‘real’ or ‘good music,’ they’re just as faceless as the band itself, they’re just a bunch of kids whose music tastes haven’t fully developed (and mind you, I’m a 27-year old straight white guy but I was a teenager when I discovered them so I guess I still have some standards to live up to), they’re too thin-skinned to defend their “Imaggie Draggies,” and/or that they don’t even exist.

Having to endure all of that, it really hits me where it hurts. I feel like I’m the only passionate music discussant that likes Imagine Dragons whilst also trying to be put on the same pedestal as the well-spoken Todd, Fantano, Spectrum Pulse, Crash Thompson, and Mic the Snare, to name some (although there is one music reviewer I know that has given them constant praise, Cicabeot1, but because my peers blatantly wrote her off for being perceived as “genre-biased,” she is not relevant to this discussion and therefore I am practically alone here), and for that, I also feel like I’m carrying such a huge burden. After Claps and Wumbo slammed Mercury – Act 1, I just gave up trying to preach Imagine Dragons as a better band than most people let on, that they don’t deserve the title of being “the new Nickelback,” and that bands like AJR were worse and deserved to be dragged down more. Otherwise, it would be very selfish of me to try and change someone’s mind about a band that they honestly think is ‘the worst band ever’ anyway, so I had to learn to just…get used to everyone calling them that.

Of course, it’s not like I don’t understand the hate towards them at all. They’ve made some songs that I legitimately loathed (i.e. “I Bet My Life,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Believer,” “Giants,” “Only”), and as well as some songs that I could say that I have complex feelings towards (i.e. “Thunder,” “Cutthroat,” “Digital,” “Boomerang,” “Whatever It Takes”). The most popular reason for hating on the band, in which I’ve already mentioned, is because of overexposure, as these non-consenting folks feel like this band is being forced on them everywhere they go, which all sounds fair, but I can’t help but feel apathetic towards this mindset regardless. I’ve been an antisocial shut-in for most of my life that Imagine Dragons has been around. I don’t work in retail, I don’t go to parties or bars, I don’t willingly go to sporting events that Imagine Dragons would perform live at, I don’t go to whatever other public outing plays their music, I don’t even know the last time I’ve encountered their music in a commercial when I’ve been using an adblocker since the past couple years, and even while I listen to the radio, I keep it on the classic hits stations where I instead complain about the same 80s stuff being played on them. Therefore, I am not entitled to feel the same pain that other people have felt from being forced to listen to their music. On the other hand, I don’t know if I feel entitled to be a self-proclaimed fan, because I also wouldn’t say that their music ‘saved my life,’ made me feel proud about my sexual orientation, (they have a dedicated LGBTQ+ fanbase, in which I don’t represent outside of being an ally), helped me during my darkest moments, and/or that I have a deep enough story to convey to describe my feelings towards them since, like I said, my discovery is the plain and simple story of skimming through Pandora’s alternative music station as a late teenager whose taste hasn’t fully developed beforehand.

Look, I know if I continue to push down all this negativity about the group unto myself, I’m just letting the detractors win and I don’t ever want to succumb to that when this is my own list, I’m entitled to say all the good things that I have to say about the particular band, and I know better than to let a bunch of strangers on the internet try and affect my opinions, but here I am anyway presenting myself as though I fear to have my day ruined by someone telling me that I’m ‘not a real music fan’ for liking them, or that I have somehow ruined someone else’s day by simply telling them that I like a band that they hate. This isn’t just a matter of me liking Imagine Dragons, this is a matter of me STILL liking them even while everyone else is lamenting that they fell off. Most people I’ve seen that claimed to be a fan of Imagine Dragons have dropped them after Evolve or Origins, including Jjs himself, who I had mentioned prior, and that begs the big question…WHY? Why am I sticking my neck out for Imagine Dragons, why didn’t I drop them, and why am I being such a fragile snowflake over them when I’ve always been about going against the grain of what other people latch onto?

Here’s the thing, if I’m going to defend this band’s music right now, it would be for pretty much the same reasons that I’ve trashed the likes of Maroon 5, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Post Malone, post-Dreamland Glass Animals, and AJR, (the very latter in which I have been very outspoken of with my hatred towards them), all of which Imagine Dragons have been compared to by some merits. Despite all the grievances that I’ve expressed towards AJR, I have later come to terms with that I am no different from the band’s fanbase, having to deal with people trashing on a band they like on a daily basis and all (For FUCK’S sake, I had to take a gigantic L for liking Tones and I, which most other music fans have jumped the gun to say is even worse than AJR), and accepted that my deep-rooted hatred of their music is all just a matter of me having a really hard time understanding the appeal for them rather than it is a matter of what I’ve constantly perceived of them as being a bunch of untalented egotists…and just like with my big, stupid rant on my feud with AJR, here I am now, going on the same pointless tangents about my feelings of the Imagine Dragons hate.

The only thing that I know I can do to justify my opinion, of course, is to defend Imagine Dragons to hell and back. The fact that AJR’s fans are so willing to defend them even in a hostile music discussion environment should give me every reason to do the same for a band that I feel deserves a fair reappraisal, and I’ve meant to talk about Imagine Dragons at length to ricochet all of the things that the non-fans have been saying about the band itself and as well as their fans, so as to prove to them that I have legitimate reasons to be a fan. I like listening to their music. I don’t feel tortured listening to them. I don’t think they’re a laughingstock. I don’t think they’ve “fallen off.” I don’t think they’re a soulless corporate machine that otherwise don’t care about their own craft. I think they sound unique and interesting. I think most of their songs have a deeper meaning attached to them (and hey, even if some don’t, not every song they make has to be super deep or anything). I think they put a lot of talent and genuine heart into what they make. Is there anything wrong with perceiving them as such? Because I don’t see what the problem is. Did they still sell their music to a myriad of commercials? Yes – and so have a ton of other music acts like them (and besides, there’s been far more annoying music I’ve heard being played in ads). Are they overexposed? Yes – and so are a ton of other popular music artists in the past and present. Did they make some albums that even I would consider to be low points? Yes – and so have a lot of other music acts that I’ve liked that are going to appear later on this list, including some of the ones I’ve already revealed. Do I think they’re the most unique-sounding band and that they’re perfect in almost every way? No, but that doesn’t mean that Imagine Dragons are incompetent in everything that they do. They have their flaws, but no music artist is truly perfect.

What sets Imagine Dragons apart from the music acts that I’ve dragged is the maturity in their songwriting. They have stories to tell and they can sell them very well, and while they’re not the absolute best at it, they touch on subjects like depression, anxiety, separation, and death of a loved one with a greater sense of nuance than those other contemporaries I’ve mentioned. On top of that, I can say that there are a variety of songs that hit hard for me, which include and doesn’t limit to one particular song that deals with a long-lasting relationship falling apart with Dan taking in all the blame for it (“Bad Liar,” which still hits hard, come the most recent news of his second split from his wife), one that focuses on the similar subject but uses a specific metaphor to entail the impending feelings of facing the aftermath of separating from your past partner (“Birds”), one that involves the general perception of mortality that’s conceptualized through the shifting of the seasons (“The Fall”), one that deals with the consequences of fame (“Gold”), one that involves Dan’s spur-of-the-moment decision to pursue music by taking the big risk of dropping out of college and disappointing his parents as a result, while sticking to his own guns (“It’s Time”), one that could pretty much describe the feeling of being in a fragile state of mind (“Smoke and Mirrors”), and even one particular song that draws parallels to my irrational fear of destroying every significant relationship that I’ve had, and my internal dilemma with speaking out as a fan of ID that I’ve just vented about being among those reasons for it (“Shots”).

There’s a specific mood or scene that I pre-attach to nearly each song, along with a corresponding style to set the tone, which brings me to my next point. Imagine Dragons has an impressive genre versatility that few people ever acknowledge. Whether it’s pop, dream pop, electronica, dubstep, new wave, symphonic, folk, funk, hip hop, post-punk, and yes, even rock, the band has checked boxes for these music styles at least once. Then you have the vocals of Dan Reynolds, which can make or break any of their songs if I’m honest. Contrary to what others are going to say, the guy CAN sing. He’s not the best at it, but he has a great deal of passion and showmanship (mind the fact that they’re a Vegas-based band) to elevate each song. Their production style…is also imperfect in most places, as often times their songs will click on me after a while. To each of their own, but I’ll at least argue that anyone who proclaims that every song of theirs sounds directionless, muddled, or irritating solely because that’s how they describe “Believer” and/or “Thunder” and no other song beyond those is being short-sighted.

I could try to say more, but this clearly has gone on long enough. Imagine Dragons may never truly be considered important by anyone other than me, or maybe they will get their flowers at one point or another. While those who’ll continue to hate the band will keep saying that they’ll “never be loved” or they might look at all I’ve said and approach me by saying I can’t name 10 really good tracks from the group, that I’m over-compensating their flaws, or might say something along the lines of “BUT THEY MADE THUNDER!”, I’m just going to keep on loving them all the same. For as long as I’ll continue to stand in camaraderie with the group, I hope for nothing but the absolute best from their career in the coming years, so I REALLY hope they don’t break up before that could ever happen.

Best songs: Smoke and Mirrors, Amsterdam, The Fall, Shots, Dull Knives, Thief, Bad Liar, Wrecked, They Don't Know You Like I Do, I'll Make It Up to You
Best album: Smoke + Mirrors

Spoiler

139. Marianas Trench

Interview - Marianas Trench | Canadian Beats Media

After running my mouth about liking a much-despised pop rock band, how about I discuss another pop rock act that is more well-liked…and a little bit obscure? I don’t know if American fans of this group are as rare as the American Tragically Hip fan, but I guess I could be considered a rare breed nonetheless. Anyways, to put it lightly, Marianas Trench (not to be confused with the Mariana Trench) is, in a nutshell, a Canadian Fall Out Boy. Aside from the easy comparison, Marianas Trench has their own ideas, themes, and approaches to pop punk/pop rock to set them apart. With a variety of earworms, stylish production quality, and a competent singing voice to boot, Josh Ramsey’s chops as the main creative force of the group is something to feel impressed by. While I don’t feel such a strong attachment to them as say, fellow Canadian Mark a.k.a. Spectrum Pulse does, there’s no exaggerating how underrated they are in the pop music landscape.

Best songs: Astoria, Fallout, Celebrity Status, Acadia
Best album: Astoria

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138. Heart

The Heart hit that was inspired by an intra-band romance

Heart is the first band that calls to my mind whenever I trace myself back to a particular act that set the stage for women in rock music for years to come, let alone female-fronted rock bands. On top of that, Heart also happens to be one of the first few rock groups I’ve gotten into from when I tried to begin expanding my palette, so they hold a special place for me. The Wilson sisters play off each other so nicely with their vocal harmonies whilst having the right amount of passion to deliver their songs. Even their slow burners and power ballads work so well in their favor most of the time. Though I can’t say that I’m crazy about them, Heart remains as a big standard for classic rock.

Best songs: Straight On, Who Will You Run To, Dream of the Archer, Stranded
Best album: Little Queen

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137. The National

The National Was Stalled. Two Outsiders Got the Band Moving Again. - The  New York Times

The National is a post-punk revival band that takes a darker turn towards their style, alternating between the likes of Joy Division and Leonard Cohen, which already sets itself up for the best of both worlds. Despite the comparisons that could be made, The National have fostered an identity of their own with their music, with most of their songs being made of up gloomy slow burners that the band makes compelling with their lush production work and frontman Matt Berninger’s deep, brooding vocals. I thought I’d like this particular group more when they made one of my absolute favorite albums of 2013, but there’s quite a lot I’ve put above them. Still a great band, though.

Best songs: Sea of Love, Demons, Bloodbuzz Ohio, Apartment Story
Best album: Trouble Will Find Me

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136. Brand New

Brand New's 'Science Fiction': Album Review | Billboard – Billboard

Now this is a music act that’s going to be difficult for me to talk about, let alone not being able to discuss them without addressing the big elephant in the room that is Jesse Lacey and his sexual misconduct allegations. I know what you’re all thinking, yes, I know the whole “separate the art from the artist” wisdom (and this definitely won’t be the last time I will discuss this matter) that I’ve been sticking to for a long time, but still, the emotional scar tissue that I’ve dealt from this revelation has made it harder for me to keep this band on a higher pedestal. Okay, enough with the negatives surrounding the band’s whole behind-the-scenes turmoil. Brand New are one of the most decade-defining punk/emo/post-hardcore/whatever you may categorize them bands, with two very exceptional albums under their belt with an otherwise broad selection of introspective, emotional, and powerful songs. Regardless of Jesse Lacey’s troubles, that doesn’t change my feelings on the band being special.

Best songs: The Archers’ Bows Have Broken, Jesus Christ, Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don’t, The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
Best album: The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

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135. Flying Lotus

Flying Lotus · Artist Profile

As far as I’ve gotten into the experimental and more instrumental side of hip hop, Flying Lotus has been one of my favorites. Blending jazz with the wonky, atmospheric sounds of ‘intelligent dance music’ (seriously though, screw that genre name) and snappy hip hop drum beats, a lot of Flying Lotus’ tracks feel like an absolute trip to immerse into. In addition, his instrumentation work has that out-of-this-world feel to it, blurring the line between futuristic and spiritual and as well as between chaotic. In other words, the work of Flying Lotus is worth plenty of words.

Best songs: Do the Astral Plane, Turkey Dog Coma, Dead Man’s Tetris, German Haircut
Best album: You’re Dead!

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134. Foo Fighters

Best Foo Fighters music videos, from 'Big Me' to 'Walk'

Foo Fighters is one of those bands I feel like I should love more than I do, and I think the main reason for that is that their music doesn’t leave a whole lot for me to say other than that they’re very competent and consistent with their craft, and they put out a lot of great tunes most of the way, which is not a bad thing at all for the fighters of foo. Every once in a while though, they will impress me and give me every reason to believe that are more than just a typical alt-rock band. While they tend to be overshadow by a bunch of other bands for me, Foo Fighters is still very solid for what they are.

R.I.P. Taylor Hawkins

Best songs: Everlong, Learn to Fly, February Stars, DOA
Best album: The Colour and the Shape

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133. R.E.M.

R.E.M., America's best rock band, breaks up after 31 years – The Mercury  News

Most of what I’ve said about Foo Fighters could also be said regarding my feelings towards R.E.M., in which I could see why they’ve made such an impact, but their music doesn’t leave so much of a big lasting impression. However, R.E.M. are also one of the most significant bands to lead a new sound for rock music. They were really good when they got big, while their earlier material is nothing to sneeze at either. Really great early jangle pop rock, don’t know what else I need to add here.

Best songs: The Flowers of Guatemala, Losing My Religion, The One I Love, Man on the Moon
Best album: Lifes Rich Pageant

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132. Halsey

Halsey: 'I used to be a social queen – now I'm terrified of people' | Halsey  | The Guardian

When I was introduced to Halsey, she made a really bad first impression with the song “New Americana,” so if I told my past self that I would grow to like her a lot more, past me wouldn’t believe it’s so, but it is so. Once Halsey gave herself time to be established as a more competent and unique presence in modern pop, I was less inclined to view her as a poor woman’s Lorde or Lana and found myself feeling like she now deserved the right to call herself an alternative music artist like she preferred. A major contributing factor towards me showing my respect towards Halsey is how each of her albums was different in sound, styles, and themes than the last, including her most recent project in which its production was helmed by Nine Inch Nails that managed to work so well in her favor. I never found any of these albums to be anywhere near as bad despite the artist’s flaws, and seeing how she’s still been doing so well these days, I trust Halsey to continue putting out quality pop music in the future.

Best songs: Colors, You should be sad, Easier than Lying, Strangers
Best album: If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Spoiler

131. Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish proved anyone can access Grammy-winning gear | Engadget

Billie Eilish may currently have two mere albums in her career to date, but it’s amazing to see how much she’s accomplished, even at her young age. Once again, because of the familiarity with Lorde and Lana Del Rey, I wasn’t a big fan of her music right away, but once I had gotten used to her, I became accustomed to her minimalist approach to pop music and as well for more than just the delicate side of her music that I was initially fond of. She’s a very capable songwriter as well and has quite a good few songs that hit me hard despite me being much older than Eilish herself. While she is still too new for my top 100, she is yet another artist that I can’t go without mentioning.

Best songs: everything i wanted, xanny, Happier Than Ever, ocean eyes
Best album: Happier Than Ever

Spoiler

130. Sam Fender

Sam Fender, a Songwriter Caught Between Stardom and His Hometown - The New  York Times

While I’m still on the topic of up-and-coming music acts with only two albums in their name to date that have grown to become one of my fast favorites, here’s another one, a lad from the UK going by the name of Sam Fender. Considered by some to be a British Bruce Springsteen, given that Fender’s songwriting chops draw parallels to The Boss himself, but to say that Fender takes too much influence from Springsteen is really short-sighted since they’re both not all that alike sound-wise. For starters, Fender’s vocal style is more willowy while Springsteen’s vocals are rougher around the edges, and Fender’s lyrics focus on modern life in Britain while Springsteen’s focus on his experiences living in America. Even if the easy comparisons are still there, I can at least say that Sam Fender is essentially the Springsteen of my generation, even regardless of the regional divide. Fender holds no punches when it comes to the subjects he covers, whether it’s politics or real-life matters. His production style has a strong nostalgic touch to it, but it’s also fresh enough to for me to distinguish it towards him. Most of all, I found myself being able to resonate so much with Fender’s music, which is a major reason why he’s gotten this far up on my list.

Best songs: The Borders, Spit of You, Get You Down, Seventeen Going Under
Best album: Seventeen Going Under

Spoiler

129. Lana Del Rey

Lana Del Rey Fails to Challenge Herself on Latest Album - The Heights

She’s not a perfect vocalist, her albums aren’t perfect and sometimes struggle from inconsistent rollouts that otherwise result in delays, and she said some unpleasant things in recent times, but there’s no denying that Lana Del Rey changed the landscape of pop music in such a dramatic fashion when she’s the name that most people often trace back to when analyzing any 2010s female alternative pop artist of the ‘sadcore’ variety. Not that I think that this is best way to describe Lana’s music, but still, she had a minimalistic approach to pop that was, at the time, unique to her, so much so that others tried to follow her example to mixed results. Sometimes Lana’s gimmick doesn’t work all too well. Often times, however, it does, and Lana is able to show that she’s capable of writing a masterpiece track or two. As I should say, Lana’s music is an acquired taste, but trying to see the appeal in her has made me appreciate her craft quite a lot.

Best songs: Young & Beautiful, The Greatest, Video Games, Mariners Apartment Complex
Best album: Norman Fucking Rockwell!

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128. Patti Smith

Patti Smith', Robert Mapplethorpe, 1975 | Tate

I haven’t gotten to the ‘painful cuts’ part of my list yet and I already feel like Patti Smith is one. She has earned her rightful place as a historically significant figure in music as the proclaimed Godmother of Punk, and what an occult personality she is as one of punk’s leading artists. On top of being a punk rocker with stellar vocals, Patti Smith is also a poet, a side of her that overlaps well with the emotional depth in her music. Whether it’s expressing her more sensibility or showing off her chops as a vocalist, almost each song from Patti Smith has a certain payoff that’s worth staying for until the end.

Best songs: Land, Break It Up, Because the Night, Fireflies
Best album: Horses

Spoiler

127. Franz Ferdinand

The new Franz Ferdinand album Always Ascending is a frustrating affair

Franz Ferdinand is a consistently great band that otherwise peaked too early. Their self-titled debut was filed with instant bops while most of their material afterwards took a few re-listens to really click with me. Regardless, they haven’t lost their touch as their nostalgic garage rock-driven sound blended with modern dance-rock rhythms coupled with Kapranos’s silky-smooth vocals still makes Franz Ferdinand a worthy band to dance to, so anytime they release a new album, it feels like an event to me.

Best songs: Auf Achse, 40’, Evil Eye, The Fallen
Best album: Self-titled

Spoiler

126. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty Death: Mike Campbell's 2014 Interview About First Meeting Late  Singer | Billboard – Billboard

One of my earliest memories of being an SBC member was checking in on the SpongeBob Committee XAT and being greeted with the opening riff of “American Girl,” and having to pause the song every time it came on. Although, I’ve been made familiar with Tom Petty’s music earlier before, this is also one of my earliest known memories of him and his Heartbreakers. There’s two main sides of Tom Petty’s music, the hard-jamming tunes, and the more laid-back tones, both in which I’ve come to appreciate his music for. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers also have a great ear for melody, and because of that, there’s a lot of songs that have stuck with me in my memory. Petty’s loss was truly significant, and he’s still missed every day.

Best songs: Won't Back Down, Breakdown, Refugee, Into the Great Wide Open
Best album: Damn the Torpedoes

 

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Heart is definitely one of THE acts that define the 1980's from me (I'm SO lucky to have been able to see them in concert), and Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers were probably the closest thing that America ever got to having its own band equivalent to The Rolling Stones; I can't think of a single song they EVER wrote or performed that could EVER be classified as 'Sub-Par'. At least Mike Campbell is still around and doing work of his own, so at least there's that much! Enough said!

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Just letting folks know that this isn't dead. I'll post the next 25 reveals by late June. The top 100 reveals (by which the thread will transition into 10 reveals per post) will start sometime in early July after I return from an anime convention I'm planning on going to during that time.

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STEEL'S TOP 100 ARTISTS (#125-101)

Spoiler

125. Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga's 'The Fame' Led To Pop Superstardom – Billboard

When I think of pop music artists that dramatically changed the sound of pop music for years to come, Lady Gaga is the first that comes to my mind. Sure, “but Madonna did it first” some of you guys would say, but I felt Lady Gaga managed a better job in presenting herself as a pop music chameleon than most others did, she was able reinvent past pop music ideals into an identity of her own, and her craft has stayed consistently good. Lady Gaga has been a key factor in making me appreciate modern pop music, and even though I’ve been slow in getting into her music, I can at least say that the praise that she gets is deserved.

Best songs: Til It Happens to You, The Edge of Glory, Come to Mama, Dance in the Dark, Bad Romance
Best album: The Fame Monster

Spoiler

124. Billy Joel

Billy Joel

Billy Joel is one of the quintessential singer-songwriters of the 70s and 80s, and he doesn’t need much of an introduction. Anyone who knows Billy Joel will tell you how much they connect with his songwriting, and I believe that’s primarily because there’s a timeless quality to his craft. He’s got a good ear for melody as well as he’s an engaging songwriter whose messages can still resonate with just about anyone.

Best songs: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Why Should I Worry?, The Entertainer, We Didn't Start the Fire
Best album: The Stranger

Spoiler

123. Tears for Fears

What Happens When a 'Heritage Act' Wants More Than Playing the Hits? - The  New York Times

Tears for Fears are, without a doubt, one of the decade-defining bands of the 80s, with a very strong debut setting the standard of the UK new wave/synthpop scene and as well as with a strong follow-up with hits that I still play on repeat to this day and never seem to tire from. Yep, it’s just too bad they only made two albums. …Okay, yes, I know they clearly made more (including one from last year that I’ve planned on listening but just haven’t yet), but the point I’m trying to make is that they’ve never seemed to have made that same spark ever since Songs from the Big Chair. Regardless of my feelings towards their music past that point though, they still hold up as one of my enduring favorites.

Best songs: Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Memories Fade, Mad World, Shout, Woman in Chains
Best album: The Hurting

Spoiler

122. The Protomen

These Guys Made a Rock Opera About Mega Man — And It's Awesome | WIRED

But um….while I’m still on the subject of music acts that only made two albums, here’s one that literally only made two albums to date (and two really great albums, as I should specify). I don’t know how lame it is for me to admit this, but The Protomen is the main reason that I’ve recently been turned on to the Mega Man franchise. Their music and the stories attached to them gives the Mega Man lore a greater sense of depth. Sure, in a sense, it’s fanfiction (but I’ve been writing them for about 15 years sooooo…), but it still goes to show how much love and appreciation these folks have towards the blue android that shoots things. Even if you’re not too familiar with Mega Man, I guarantee that you will enjoy The Protomen regardless.

Best songs: Light Up the Night, The Hounds, The Sons of Fate, The Good Doctor, Vengeance
Best album: Act II: The Father of Death

Spoiler

121. Jane’s Addiction

Jane's Addiction's 'Nothing's Shocking' Turns 30: Oral History | Billboard  – Billboard

Then there’s Jane’s Addiction, who have made more than two albums, but are mainly on here because of my love for their first two albums and not much else beyond that. Dave Navarro is an underrated guitar player and his solos elevate the band’s songs by quite a lot, but Perry Farrell’s vocal work isn’t anything to sneeze at either. For some, his vocals can be annoying, but for me, he gives the band a lot of personality or just enough to keep me hooked. I may not feel the same way about their stuff from past their original breakup and being a band that releases a new album once a decade can make it a little harder for me to love Jane’s Addiction, but they still got the classics to boast, and they’re the primary reason why I give them a mention.

Best songs: Mountain Song, Had a Dad, Been Caught Stealing, Ocean Size, Of Course
Best album: Nothing’s Shocking

Spoiler

120. Mariah Carey

Mariah Carey | iHeart

Mariah Carey, the multi-million selling pop diva with the golden voice and the ubiquitous pop music icon of the 90s. This may not be the most generous spot to put her on, as I admit that I don’t actively go back to her music as often as I should, but her talents don’t go unnoticed. Whether it’s soulful or smooth R&B ballads or dance-y pop jams, Mariah Carey mostly doesn’t fail to deliver.

Best songs: Vision of Love, Emotions, Fantasy, Melt Away, Fly Like a Bird
Best album: Daydream

Spoiler

119. ABBA

Mamma Mia! Abba The Museum is a stunning tribute to the Swedish pop giants

ABBA is one of those bands in which anyone who knows them can very much tell you at least one song that they really like. ABBA will always be the band that folks will trace back to when finding the source to Sweden’s knack for crafting good pop melodies, as their music has this very relentless charm to it. Not only that, they are a very competent band too, with Super Trouper and The Visitors both being underrated albums and as well as showing the extent of their capabilities. ABBA are certainly a band that most people can’t bring themselves to hate, because if you hate them…well, I can’t be held responsible for the countless folks that will tell you that you don’t like fun.

Best songs: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!, The Visitors, The Way Old Friends Do, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Tiger
Best album: The Visitors

Spoiler

118. Stone Temple Pilots

Scott Weiland sues Stone Temple Pilots

Here they are – the “VeggieTales behind the wheel” band in the flesh. Stone Temple Pilots are a grunge band based not in Seattle, Washington, but in California. Even though I can’t name a really good song post-Tiny Music, which is why I have them this high up, their first three albums have some of the best 90s rock tunes that I’ve heard, and that is mainly because of their range of musical styles they brought to their grunge sound.

Best songs: Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart, Wicked Garden, Interstate Love Song, Still Remains, Tumble in the Rough
Best album: Purple

Spoiler

117. Cage the Elephant

Cage the Elephant Talk 'Melophobia,' Loneliness – Rolling Stone

These guys pretty much peaked with their third album, Melophobia, but they’ve stayed mostly consistent in quality during their run as a hit alternative radio band. They aren’t for everyone, as it seems, and while I suppose it’s because of their status as presumed entry-level alternative rock, or because they just haven’t been as great in years, I can’t rationalize what else makes them hated, because I think they have a handful of great songs, including some of their biggest hits. Whether it is emotional heavyweights like “Shake Me Down,” “Come a Little Closer,” and “Cigarette Daydreams,” or garage rock bangers like “Back Against the Wall,” “Aberdeen,” and “Around My Head,” Cage the Elephant has shown that they are up to snuff. Hopefully though, Matt Shultz keeps his nose clean by the time they release another album.

Best songs: Come a Little Closer, Spiderhead, Shake Me Down, Telescope, Tiny Little Robots
Best album: Melophobia

Spoiler

116. A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest: The Rise And Fall Of A Legend : The Record : NPR

A Tribe Called Quest is one of the definitive alternative hip hop acts. The group has represented a style of their own with their mainly jazz-inspired sound, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg’s sonic flows, and a versatile range of sampling choices that gives their songs some more layers to them. While the group’s tenure was cut due to the death of one of their own members, they at least went out with what I think is among the best swan songs from any music act.

Best songs: Buggin' Out, Lost Somebody, Dis Generation, Can I Kick It?, Electric Relaxation
Best album: We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service

Spoiler

115. Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye | Songwriters Hall of Fame

It should be sacrilegious to leave out Marvin Gaye from a top 100 list when he’s left such a long-lasting influence on music that continues today. I wouldn’t say that he’s one of the biggest pop music innovators, but there are clear reasons why he’s had a sustainable career as a hitmaker up until his unfortunate death. Gaye has plenty of classics under his belt that I’d still find myself listening to every once in a while, from his duets with Tammi Terrell to his best offerings on his album What’s Going On, the man’s legacy has not gone without notice. Now if only if his estate could try to stop suing everyone…

Best songs: Let's Get It On, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, What's Going On, Right On, Inner City Blues (Make Wanna Holler)
Best album: What’s Going On

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114. MGMT

MGMT - Read the Under the Radar Cover Story Interview | Under the Radar  Magazine

MGMT to me accomplishes more as a singles act more than they do as an albums band. Granted, they’ve gotten their way up here mainly due to the strength of their first three singles and as well as their singles from Little Dark Age. Nonetheless, their albums are worth listening to as it does show the impact that they’ve had towards the so-called indie music scene of yesterday and today. Overall, they’re just a great band to turn you if you’re looking for catchy and upbeat indie pop rock.

Best songs: Kids, Me & Michael, Little Dark Age, Electric Feel, Siberian Breaks
Best album: Little Dark Age

Spoiler

113. They Might Be Giants

I wrote it from the perspective of a night light': How They Might Be Giants  made Birdhouse in Your Soul | Music | The Guardian

They Might Be Giants is one of the first bands that come to my mind when I think of the concept of genreless bands. What I like about their style is that it isn’t something that you can put under the microscope. There isn’t a specific sound they stick to, and that allows for some of their songs to be easy to distinguish. When it comes to their music, there is a little bit of something for everyone, whether you knew them from Tiny Toons, Malcolm in the Middle, Cartoon Network Groovies, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the SpongeBob Broadway Musical, or just by chance, it’s plain to see how this band has made a name for themselves and why they’re loved by many.

Best songs: Ana Ng, Your Racist Friend, (She Was a) Hotel Detective, Why Does the Sun Shine?, Fingertips
Best album: Lincoln

Spoiler

112. Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash | American Recordings | In Review Online

One of the only other country singers on my list is the commonly-cited country music legend himself. Johnny Cash was also very renowned for his cover versions, which, let’s be real, actually make up for my favorite Cash songs (“Hurt,” “Won’t Back Down,” “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky,” “God’s Gonna Cut You Down,” “Rusty Cage”). But when he did have songs to call his own, he’s got his fair share of enduring classics. No matter if you’re a fan of country music or not, Johnny Cash is a music artist that I feel anyone can get into.

Best songs: Man in Black, Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire, Redemption, I Walk the Line
Best album: At Folsom Prison

Spoiler

111. Fleetwood Mac

The story behind Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours'

Regardless of the dirty laundry from each of the classic members, there’s no denying that the band is one of the most decade-defining acts of the 70s and that they have a great deal of classics under their belt (though I’d admit that most of them are from Rumours). Whether they didn’t or did get along, the band members sustain very good chemistry with one another and my favorite tracks from them are still in my regular rotation to this day whenever I feel the need to listen to music before my time.

Best songs: Landslide, The Chain, Don't Stop, Go Your Own Way, Oh Well
Best album: Rumours

Spoiler

110. Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five | Spotify

Whether it’s cynical/humorous tunes or songs tackling serious subject matter, Ben Folds Five is a band that’s accomplished within their songwriting craft. While the songs themselves aren’t very hook-heavy, Ben Folds has shown to have a very good ear for melody. They are my my favorite piano-based music group, and they’ve remained as such for quite a while. BTW, I also recommend listening to Ben’s solo album, Rockin’ the Suburbs, really good stuff.

Best songs: Selfless Cold and Composed, Brick, Philosophy, Boxing, Evaporated
Best album: Whatever and Ever Amen

Spoiler

109. Blur

Blur: every album ranked in order of greatness

When it comes to the battle of the 90s Britpop bands, alongside Oasis, Blur wins in terms of consistent album quality, but I’ll have to admit that their tendency to go overboard with their cynicism from their first few albums during the whole Britpop movement holds them back from being in my top 100 (I’d have to be in a good mood to enjoy certain songs from Parklife). At the same time though, their lyrical subject matter is where Blur does shine if you were to move past their quirks, and it’s a listening experience that shows that they’re truly more than just “Song 2” or “Girls & Boys.”

Best songs: The Universal, Beetlebum, Tender, Swamp Song, End of a Century
Best album: 13

Spoiler

108. Japandroids

It feels like it's about to implode': Japandroids on their favourite garage  punk records | Pop and rock | The Guardian

If there’s band that I can cite for keeping the high energy of rock music alive while being able to put out fresh material in a time where rock has been phased out from popularity, the Vancouver-based band, Japandroids, is one of the few that I’ll consider as one of the greatest in modern rock music. While they’ve started off as primarily noise rock, they would transition into a sound that I can describe as a mix of Bruce Springsteen’s passionate heartland rock and the punk energy of say...The Ramones and The Buzzcocks, and it works really well in the band’s favor (and it’s why I don’t have any songs from Post-Nothing listed as being among my favorites). So yeah, in other words, Japandroids – they rock, and I’m looking forward to hear some new music from them sooner or later.

Best songs: Near to the Wild Heart of Life, The House That Heaven Built, Younger Us, Fire's Highway, In a Body Like a Grave
Best album: Celebration Rock

Spoiler

107. The Doors

The Doors - Classic Posters

The Doors is a band that I feel guilty about leaving out from the list proper, but they were dangerously close. They were one of the most consistently great and innovative bands of the late 60s to early 70s, there’s no denying that. Between hard-rockers like “Break on Through (to the Other Side),” psychedelic organ-driven songs like “Love Her Madly” and “Light My Fire,” and songs that lean towards the more experimental side of things like “The End,” it’s easy to see how The Doors were built to compete with the likes of the winged elytra insects and the stones that roll.

Best songs: Love Me Two Times, Light My Fire, The Changeling, The End, L.A. Woman
Best album: L.A. Woman

Spoiler

106. Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse, “Float On” - American Songwriter

I also feel guilty for not making room for these guys, but I guarantee that Modest Mouse are a band worth getting into. As cliché it is for me to make this point, the band’s earlier material is where they really shine, as it contains their most lyrically and musically diverse tracks and as well as some of their most emotionally riveting performances. Their material from the 2004 onward is also nothing to sneeze at either and have their fair share of accessible, enjoyable songs while maintaining a sound that’s unique to the band.

Best songs: King Rat, Dramamine, Trailer Trash, Sugar Boats, Shit Luck
Best album: The Lonesome Crowded West

 

Spoiler

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My Bloody Valentine's 20 greatest songs – ranked! | My Bloody Valentine |  The Guardian

Yes, I know, My Bloody Valentine are RYM-core, but one listen to either of their first two albums will reward you with a very unforgettable listening experience. There’s something about the heavy guitar distortion to MBV’s music that gives it its dream-like quality that isn’t very easy to describe on why it sounds so good. In other words, it can be summed up as vacuum cleaner music, but My Bloody Valentine makes really good vacuum cleaner music nonetheless. For anyone who’s looking to get into shoegaze, MBV is the most essential way to start.

B̵̞̺̪̤̫̱̻̾́̆́͑̏͑e̸̟̹̣̹̯͉̒s̴̠͖͈̰͙̻̻̥̔͑̔̿͂͊̚ͅt̷̡̡̖̦͍̏͌̐́͝ ̶̧̛̠̼͉̾̊͗͒s̵̮͓̺̘̒̈́ǫ̸̘̥̱̘̲͚̈́͋̍̍̏̈̊̾̅n̵̗̘̅g̸̢̭͇̫͈̫̋̿̿̑̈́͑̕͠s̸̳͆̆͒̅̂:̴̠͕̥̤̻̇͑͊: Sometimes, You Made Me Realise, To Here Knows When, Feed Me with Your Kiss, Lose My Breath
B̵͙̫̝̯͖͕͍́̎͌͒̐͋̍ȇ̴̹̹͈̘͜ͅş̷̩̻̣̠̼͔͖͌̍̇͑̀̎͛͝͝t̸̬̼͔͚̮̝̒̐̓̅ͅ ̷̛̳̠̙̳͇̭̆͘ą̷͓͓̳͙̩̘̉ͅl̴̝̺̜̥̩̳̳̣̋͝ͅb̷̢̨̯̤̫̠̲͈͉̀ú̴̱̝̙m̴̧̤͎͓͓̬̲̽̅̍͛̚:̵̢̛̬͂̀̔: Loveless

Spoiler

104. Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple - Wikipedia

Fiona Apple is certainly an artist that I respect more than I enjoy. Regardless though, the amount of respect that I have for her music has gotten her very close to the top 100. What I think makes Fiona’s music so special is that each succeeding album has different sounds, ideas, and themes from the previous while managing to achieving the same highs. Even Extraordinary Machine, which I feel is her least-greatest album, has something to appreciate. Her songwriting is just as spectacular as her experimentation, as I think some of her best songs deal with mature subject matter. So yeah, give her music a try and you’ll s surely see why she’s a critic darling.

Best songs: Hot Knife, On the Bound, The Child Is Gone, Get Gone, Limp
Best album: When the Pawn…

Spoiler

103. Laura Marling

Laura Marling: 'I was in danger of being bored of myself' - BBC News

While I’m still on the topic of singer-songwriters I respect more than enjoy, here’s Laura Marling. Her greatest strengths, much like Fiona, is within her own songwriting, with the main difference being that she exhibits a more folk-sy sound. While I was trying to get into her, I was surprised to have liked her 2010 album as much as I did, and the key factors are the way Marling presents her narratives, how engaging they can be, and how she displays her folk sound – raw, but not too energetic, when compared to other similar contemporaries. If you’re looking for great current singer-songwriter music, Laura Marling is the music artist for you.

Best songs: Devil's Spoke, Alpha Shadows, Blackberry Stone, Held Down, Master Hunter
Best album: I Speak Because I Can

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102. Eminem

Eminem Interview - His Career, Addiction Battle, More - XXL

Oh man, I wish I liked Eminem more than I really do. I’ve never been able to get into his more recent material and my thoughts on Revival are indicative of my feelings of him falling off. But when Eminem is great, he really can pull off something great. He isn’t just one of the most influential rappers of the past two decades, he is a rare breed in outstanding white rappers. There isn’t much that I can say about Eminem that hasn’t been said already, his flows are phenomenal, most of the stories that tells with his music are engaging, and his lyricism is creative and versatile. No matter if he’s doing good or bad these days, Eminem still holds a somewhat special place in me and my personal music taste.

Best songs: Lose Yourself, Til I Collapse, Stan, Love the Way You Lie, Like Toy Soldiers
Best album: The Eminem Show

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101. Lorde

Lorde: The Music Phenomenon of the Year — Vogue | Vogue

Rounding out the long list of honorable mentions is what I think is my my most fitting choice for my #101. Lorde – perhaps one of the most unique and innovative pop artists of the 2010s. Her first two albums are undeniably among the best of the decade, although I’m afraid that she’s already peaked with Melodrama and might not reach close to that same high again, considering how much of a disappointment folks thought her third album was. Of course, I can’t put too much faith in Lorde and that everything she’ll make is solid gold, but I do have a lot of trust in Lorde that she’ll continue to succeed, based on my thoughts on her first two albums alone. Lorde had a big impact on modern music and it’s not hard to see why. When she was first put on the map, she had a sound that was unique to her. Several pop artists have tried to replicate that charm, but Lorde still reigned supreme when it came to the alt-pop style she fostered. She’s also a skilled songwriter, as her songs dealt with some serious subjects with a good deal of nuance that listeners, including myself, found easy to connect with. Despite that she narrowly missed my top 100, Lorde is a modern pop artist that I think is worth anyone’s time.

Best songs: Ribs, Green Light, Supercut, Sober, 400 Lux
Best album: Melodrama

 

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