How the fuck do THREE Kanye West albums make it to Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Kanye West gets 3 albums on Rolling Stone's revised 500 greatest list

By Mike Collett-White, Reuters

http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11430886-kanye-west-gets-3-albums-on-rolling-stones-revised-500-greatest-list?lite

LONDON -- Three Kanye West albums have made it on to the latest edition of Rolling Stone magazine's authoritative "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, placing him among the greats of popular music.

The new ranking, which combines a 2003 list (updated in 2005) with a later survey of the 2000s, saw two Radiohead records join the elite club, while long-established names including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan also had albums added.

Rolling Stone has published the list, along with details of the albums and several new recording histories based on first-hand accounts, in "bookazine" format available for $11.99 on newsstands between Friday and July 25 in the United States.

As with any survey that tries to put arguably the greatest rock and roll recordings into a particular order, there was plenty of heated debate among the journalists and editors who came up with the final list.

[bluesbassman]

1. If I was on that panel, my contribution to the "heated debate" would've been two words.

Unelieveable how far that rag has fallen.

[hifiguy]

2. Paaaaaaa-thetic. nt

[CBGLuthier]

3. Because they don't really care what anyone over the age of 30 thinks?

I have not bought that particular fashion magazine in years.

[Moondog]

4. It depends on who votes, I guess.

[dogknob]

5. RS has always given equal time to schlager

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlager_music

[Chan790]

6. Fuck Rolling Stone, I'm waiting for Pitchfork to release a book of the 500 greatest albums.

I trust Pitchfork more than Rolling Stone at this point.

If Pitchfork made a list, it would gore sacred cows and be honest, be pure.

[harmonicon]

7. That's hilarious.

Both are complete bullshit. Both exist to sell people things based on validating their existing feelings. That's why Rolling Stone changes their list periodically, and that's also why you think a Pitchfork list would be "better."

[Chan790]

8. Actually.

What's hilarious is lumping Pitchfork in with the industry-corrupt Rolling Stone. Hell, Spin is more credible at this point than RS and Spin doesn't even pretend to have any credibility.

A Pitchfork list would be better because Pitchfork doesn't profit from overhyping major-label commercial mediocrity or possess a need to keep labels happy in order to maintain access to artists since they don't publish interviews or anything for that matter except reviews.

Unlike Rolling Stone there is no motivation (existential, financial or otherwise) to say crap isn't crap or hype crap to keep the cash-spigot open. Rolling Stone has to put 3 Kanye albums on their list because...their continued existence as a publication requires them to have access to West and his labelmates, it requires them to kiss the asses of the major-label executives...it requires a lot at the expense of their credibility. That's probably true of 2/3 of the acts on their list. They're in bed with the money men of their critical subject.

Whereas, Pitchfork is not.

[harmonicon]

9. That's neither here nor there.

Rolling Stone doesn't have to make this list, and they don't do it all the time. I think you've just reinforced my point. Basically, you're saying that a Pitchfork list would be better because it would have bands on it that you like - that's the gist of it. As you say, "Pitchfork doesn't profit from overhyping major-label commercial mediocrity or possess a need to keep labels happy in order to maintain access to artists since they don't publish interviews or anything for that matter except reviews." Pitchfork profits from validating the feelings you already have about bands and the music industry, and they're even so successful at this that they've got people like you doing their advertising for them.

[JonLP24]

10. In my opinion

College Dropout and Late Registration were good albums. I'm completely unfamiliar with Dark Twisted Fantasy. I guess it comes down to personal tastes as there are probably albums I wouldn't like that other people like so I guess they tried cover all genres.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

12. I'm struggling with the Best 500 Albums "OF ALL TIME" thing.

We're basically talking about EVERY rock, pop, soul, metal, rap, hip-hop, R&B, album...whatever categories Rolling Stone is including...EVERY album EVER recorded.

I can't see that Kanye's made it into that club yet. There are too many other bands and performers who could blow him right out of the water.

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. It's like arguing over who belongs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

You could name any popular band or artist from any decade. You could say [fill in name of band/performer here] is just incredible -- one of the all time best, and someone will post "There are a bunch of bands that could blow that/those d-bag(s) off the stage!"

[Taylor Smite]

11. To get us talking about it

Thats what these lists are for. On every 'best of' list the writers throw in a few zingers to get us to discuss it AND subsequently discuss the publication. If Rolling Stone didnt add the Kanye albums there wouldnt be a post on DU about the list. I bet a lot of people who commented here went to the Rolling Stone website and read the list.

That is what they want. People talk about it, people go to the website or buy the magazine, RS makes $$$$$$$$$$$$

[OmahaBlueDog]

16. Lades and gentlemen - we have a winner!

It's like the AFI movie lists, or the lists of 100 worst songs of all time...they all cause arguments.

[Iggo]

13. It's Rolling Stone.

They're fuckin morons.

[Mendocino]

14. Maybe Kanye threatened

to beat up Taylor Swift it he didn't make the cut.

[Tabasco_Dave]

15. The mainstream music industry pretty much sucks now.

The music, radio, video and periodicals. No surprise to me.