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Also coming: Black Math Horseman, Black Sabbath, Burning Saviours, Church Of Misery, Cobalt, The Devil's Blood, Franz Ferdinand, Ghost, Gozu, Graveyard, The Heavy Eyes, Kylesa, Kyuss Lives, Neurosis, Phoenix, Queens Of The Stone Age, Shrinebuilder, Soundgarden, Tool, Truckfighters, Vampire Weekend, Yawning Man.
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In 2003 I started listing more albums that rate an 8+ to 9-. As explained elsewhere, while an 8, B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several thousand albums out this year that are much better. I don't have the time, energy, nor desire to hear all the albums that might merit an 8+. I still receive unsolicited promo copies, and while I feel sorry I don't have time to review them (but not guilty, I only guarantee a review if I specifically ask for a copy, and I don't get paid for this), the least I can do is rate the few that might merit over an 8. In my world, 9-, even 9 often means I wouldn't buy it, but there are parts that are quite good. 8 to 8+ is an honorable mention, certainly not horrible, given you're still in the top 30% of the heap of 25,000+ yearly releases. So don't give up and sell your instruments. Except for maybe you, Britney. Sell one of your houses and go back to school.
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This year I'm listing more albums that rate an 8 to 9-. As explained elsewhere, while an 8, B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several hundred albums out this year that are much better. I've listened to plenty of of albums that would merit an 8+ that I don't list. I received unsolicited promo copies of these albums, and while I feel sorry I don't have time to review them (but not guilty, I only guarantee a review if I specifically ask for a copy, and I don't get paid for this), the least I can do is rate them. In my world, 9- means I wouldn't buy it, but there are parts that are quite good. 8 to 8+ is an honorable mention, certainly not bad, given you're still in the top 10 to 25% of the heap of 25,000+ releases. So don't give up and sell your instruments.
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I only list a few 8's to make a point that I heard the albums, but don't think they're that great. While a B or *** rating might be good enough for some people, at Fast 'n' Bulbous it means there are several hundred albums out this year that are much better. Which is why I usually don't bother with 8+ at all. Unless they're friends of yours, who cares about the also-rans? For a more accurate ranking, then, add about 300 to the numbers below. I'm not saying they're horrible. Just imagine the rankings of artists like Creed or Britney, who I'd give (perhaps over-generously) about a 4. With about 28,000 albums released, that puts them somewhere around 10,000.
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These are alphabetical because I have not yet heard them (but they come recommended by reasonably reputable sources)
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These Are Alphabetical Because I Have Not Yet Heard Them
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The albums below are hardly representative of all good music from 1949-1965. The list is restricted to LPs, which were introduced by Columbia Records in 1948 to replace 78s. The 33-1/3 RPM "microgroove" records (named for the narrower grooves that required a smaller stylus) changed the way music was heard, and conceptualized. They were issued in 10" format until the mid-50s, when they graduated to 12". Another concurrent post-war innovation improved sound quality in recordings by switching from gramophone recording to 1/4" magnetic tape recording.
Better sound and longer playing time shifted the emphasis from single three minute tunes to longer playing times. But because RCA Victor introduced the 7" 45 RPM records in 1949, pop music, blues, country and rock 'n' roll still focused on the single song format. So largely the only genre that really sunk its teeth into the LP as an artform unto itself before 1965 was jazz. Hence, below you'll find mostly jazz. The best of other genres are better represented by CD compilations, listed in the Other Lists section.
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The Best Artists of the 00s
The Best Artists of the 90s
The Best Artists of the 20th Century