A última vez que a edição americana da Rolling Stone havia escolhido os melhores discos de todos os tempos foi em 2003. O top 500 acabou se mostrando um reflexo da publicação fundada em 1967, com amplo destaque para os clássicos do rock, em uma lista que, ainda que no geral bem elaborada, foi criticada por se mostrar bastante conservadora. Algumas revisões foram feitas naquela relação e republicadas, inclusive no Brasil, 2012., mas só agora, em 2020, a revista reuniu novamente um grande painel para criar um "novo cânone".
E os resultados surpreenderam, com "What's Going On" de Marvin Gaye (1971) liderando o ranking e um top 10 com apenas uma presença dos Beatles ("Abbey Road" de 1969 em quinto) e Bob Dylan ("Blood On The Tracks", 1975, em nono). Para se ter uma ideia, o top 10 de 2003 tinha quatro discos dos Beatles e dois de Dylan (e o clássico do soul politizado e consciente de Marvin Gaye na sexta posição).
O fato é que, mesmo contando com boa parte dos discos tidos como "canônicos", e com o quarteto de Liverpool e Dylan como os mais lembrados, com nove e oito trabalhos respectivamente, essa lista é a primeira desse porte a reconhecer a importância, e alcance, do hip-hop, do pop contemporâneo e das mulheres no desenvolvimento da música popular nos últimos 65 anos (" In the Wee Small Hours" de Frank Sinatra de 1955 é o álbum mais velho da lista, ainda que compilações com faixas mais antigas também tenham entrado).
Assim, o que se viu foram álbuns, que já eram considerados fundamentais, ganhando um destaque inédito, e mostrando que certos artistas estão dialogando com mais força nesta segunda década do século 21 do que nunca. É o caso de "Blue" de Joni Mitchell (outro de 1971), que ficou em um surpreendente terceiro lugar (em 2003 estava em 30°), "Songs In The Key Of Life" de Stevie Wonder (quarto agora, 57° há 17 anos), "Rumours" do Fletwood Mac ( sétimo agora e 26° anteriormente) e "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (1998), esse a grande surpresa do top 10, já que em 2003 ele tinha aparecido no 314° lugar.
Por outro lado, nota-se que certos nomes perderam um pouco de sua força, U2, The Police, R.E.M. e os Smiths estão ali, mas de maneira mais discreta, e outros ganharam escopo, os casos de Amy Winehouse ("Back To Black' ficou no 33° posto) e Kanye West que colocou, nada menos que seis discos na lista, mais que David Bowie e o Led Zeppelin.
O novo século também já tem seus clássicos, com mais de 100 álbuns feitos a partir do ano 2000 no top 500 - "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", lançado por Kanye em 2010 é o mais bem colocado, no 17° posto, enquanto quatro discos de 2019, os mais recentes lançamentos de Harry Styles, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish e Kid Cudi já estão "eternizados".
Obviamente que a lista não é perfeita. A representatividade fora do eixo América do Norte/Inglaterra é praticamente nula e tem-se a impressão de que é praticamente impossível se fazer um bom disco de pop ou rock depois dos 40 anos.
Para chegar ao resultado final, a revista convidou mais de 300 pessoas, incluindo membros do U2, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Alice Cooper, H.E.R., Kesha e Stevie Nicks, além de jornalistas e figuras da indústria.
Confira o top 500:
1 | Marvin Gaye | What's Going On | 1971
2 | The Beach Boys | Pet Sounds | 1966
3 | Joni Mitchell | Blue | 1971
4 | Stevie Wonder | Songs in the Key of Life | 1976
5 | The Beatles | Abbey Road | 1969
6 | Nirvana | Nevermind | 1991
7 | Fleetwood Mac | Rumours | 1977
8 | Prince and the Revolution | Purple Rain | 1984
9 | Bob Dylan | Blood on the Tracks | 1975
10 | Lauryn Hill | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | 1998
11 | The Beatles | Revolver | 1966
12 | Michael Jackson | Thriller | 1982
13 | Aretha Franklin | I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You | 1967
14 | The Rolling Stones | Exile on Main St. | 1972
15 | Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | 1988
16 | The Clash | London Calling | 1979
17 | Kanye West | My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 2010
18 | Bob Dylan | Highway 61 Revisited | 1965
19 | Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly | 2015
20 | Radiohead | Kid A | 2000
21 | Bruce Springsteen | Born to Run | 1975
22 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Ready to Die | 1994
23 | The Velvet Underground & Nico | The Velvet Underground & Nico | 1967
24 | The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | 1967
25 | Carole King | Tapestry | 1971
26 | Patti Smith | Horses | 1975
27 | Wu-Tang Clan | Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) | 1993
28 | D'Angelo | Voodoo | 2000
29 | The Beatles | The Beatles (White Album) | 1968
30 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Are You Experienced? | 1967
31 | Miles Davis | Kind of Blue | 1959
32 | Beyoncé | Lemonade | 2016
33 | Amy Winehouse | Back to Black | 2006
34 | Stevie Wonder | Innervisions | 1973
35 | The Beatles | Rubber Soul | 1965
36 | Michael Jackson | Off the Wall | 1979
37 | Dr. Dre | The Chronic | 1992
38 | Bob Dylan | Blonde on Blonde | 1966
39 | Talking Heads | Remain in Light | 1980
40 | David Bowie | The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars | 1972
41 | The Rolling Stones | Let It Bleed | 1969
42 | Radiohead | OK Computer | 1997
43 | A Tribe Called Quest | The Low End Theory | 1991
44 | Nas | Illmatic | 1994
45 | Prince | Sign O' the Times | 1987
46 | Paul Simon | Graceland | 1986
47 | Ramones | Ramones | 1976
48 | Bob Marley and the Wailers | Legend | 1984
49 | OutKast | Aquemini | 1998
50 | Jay-Z | The Blueprint | 2001
51 | Chuck Berry | The Great Twenty-Eight | 1982
52 | David Bowie | Station to Station | 1976
53 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Electric Ladyland | 1968
54 | James Brown | Star Time | 1991
55 | Pink Floyd | The Dark Side of the Moon | 1973
56 | Liz Phair | Exile in Guyville | 1993
57 | The Band | The Band | 1969
58 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin IV | 1971
59 | Stevie Wonder | Talking Book | 1972
60 | Van Morrison | Astral Weeks | 1968
61 | Eric B. & Rakim | Paid in Full | 1987
62 | Guns N' Roses | Appetite for Destruction | 1987
63 | Steely Dan | Aja | 1977
64 | OutKast | Stankonia | 2000
65 | James Brown | Live at the Apollo | 1963
66 | John Coltrane | A Love Supreme | 1965
67 | Jay-Z | Reasonable Doubt | 1996
68 | Kate Bush | Hounds of Love | 1985
69 | Alanis Morrissette | Jagged Little Pill | 1995
70 | N.W.A | Straight Outta Compton | 1988
71 | Bob Marley & The Wailers | Exodus | 1977
72 | Neil Young | Harvest | 1972
73 | My Bloody Valentine | Loveless | 1991
74 | Kanye West | The College Dropout | 2004
75 | Aretha Franklin | Lady Soul | 1968
76 | Curtis Mayfield | Superfly | 1972
77 | The Who | Who's Next | 1971
78 | Elvis Presley | The Sun Sessions | 1976
79 | Frank Ocean | Blonde | 2016
80 | Sex Pistols | Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's the Sex Pistols | 1977
81 | Beyoncé | Beyoncé | 2013
82 | Sly and the Family Stone | There's a Riot Goin' On | 1971
83 | Dusty Springfield | Dusty in Memphis | 1969
84 | AC/DC | Back in Black | 1980
85 | John Lennon | Plastic Ono Band | 1970
86 | The Doors | The Doors | 1967
87 | Miles Davis | Bitches Brew | 1970
88 | David Bowie | Hunky Dory | 1971
89 | Erykah Badu | Baduizm | 1997
90 | Neil Young | After the Gold Rush | 1970
91 | Bruce Springsteen | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 1978
92 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience | Axis: Bold as Love | 1967
93 | Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott | Supa Dupa Fly | 1997
94 | The Stooges | Fun House | 1970
95 | Drake | Take Care | 2011
96 | R.E.M. | Automatic for the People | 1992
97 | Metallica | Master of Puppets | 1986
98 | Lucinda Williams | Car Wheels on a Gravel Road | 1998
99 | Taylor Swift | Red | 2012
100 | The Band | Music from Big Pink | 1968
101 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin | 1969
102 | The Clash | The Clash | 1977
103 | De La Soul | 3 Feet High and Rising | 1989
104 | The Rolling Stones | Sticky Fingers | 1971
105 | The Allman Brothers Band | At Fillmore East | 1971
106 | Hole | Live Through This | 1994
107 | Television | Marquee Moon | 1977
108 | Fiona Apple | When the Pawn... | 1999
109 | Lou Reed | Transformer | 1972
110 | Joni Mitchell | Court and Spark | 1974
111 | Janet Jackson | Control | 1986
112 | Elton John | Goodbye Yellow Brick Road | 1973
113 | The Smiths | The Queen Is Dead | 1986
114 | The Strokes | Is This It | 2001
115 | Kendrick Lamar | good kid, m.A.A.d city | 2012
116 | The Cure | Disintegration | 1989
117 | Kanye West | Late Registration | 2005
118 | The Eagles | Hotel California | 1976
119 | Sly and the Family Stone | Stand! | 1969
120 | Van Morrison | Moondance | 1970
121 | Elvis Costello | This Year's Model | 1978
122 | Nine Inch Nails | The Downward Spiral | 1994
123 | Led Zeppelin | Led Zeppelin II | 1969
124 | U2 | Achtung Baby | 1991
125 | Beastie Boys | Paul's Boutique | 1989
126 | Mary J. Blige | My Life | 1994
127 | Ray Charles | Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music | 1962
128 | Queen | A Night at the Opera | 1975
129 | Pink Floyd | The Wall | 1979
130 | Prince | 1999 | 1982
131 | Portishead | Dummy | 1994
132 | Hank Williams | 40 Greatest Hits | 1978
133 | Joni Mitchell | Hejira | 1976
134 | Fugees | The Score | 1996
135 | U2 | The Joshua Tree | 1987
136 | Funkadelic | Maggot Brain | 1971
137 | Adele | 21 | 2011
138 | Madonna | The Immaculate Collection | 1990
139 | Black Sabbath | Paranoid | 1970
140 | Bob Marley and The Wailers | Catch a Fire | 1973
141 | Pixies | Doolittle | 1989
142 | Bruce Springsteen | Born in the U.S.A. | 1984
143 | The Velvet Underground | The Velvet Underground | 1969
144 | Led Zeppelin | Physical Graffiti | 1975
145 | Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP | 2000
146 | Blondie | Parallel Lines | 1978
147 | Jeff Buckley | Grace | 1994
148 | Frank Ocean | Channel Orange | 2012
149 | John Prine | John Prine | 1971
150 | Bruce Springsteen | Nebraska | 1982
151 | George Michael | Faith | 1987
152 | The Pretenders | Pretenders | 1980
153 | PJ Harvey | Rid of Me | 1993
154 | Aretha Franklin | Amazing Grace | 1972
155 | Jay-Z | The Black Album | 2003
156 | The Replacements | Let It Be | 1984
157 | Oasis | (What's the Story) Morning Glory? | 1995
158 | Erykah Badu | Mama's Gun | 2000
159 | The Police | Synchronicity | 1983
160 | Pearl Jam | Ten | 1991
161 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | Crosby, Stills & Nash | 1969
162 | Pulp | Different Class | 1995
163 | Various Artists | Saturday Night Fever | 1977
164 | Johnny Cash | At Folsom Prison | 1968
165 | R.E.M. | Murmur | 1983
166 | Buddy Holly | 20 Golden Greats | 1978
167 | Depeche Mode | Violator | 1990
168 | Steely Dan | Can't Buy a Thrill | 1972
169 | Billy Joel | The Stranger | 1977
170 | Cream | Disraeli Gears | 1967
171 | Sonic Youth | Daydream Nation | 1988
172 | Simon and Garfunkel | Bridge Over Troubled Water | 1970
173 | Nirvana | In Utero | 1993
174 | Jimmy Cliff & Various Artists | The Harder They Come: Original Soundtrack | 1972
175 | Kendrick Lamar | DAMN. | 2017
176 | Public Enemy | Fear of a Black Planet | 1990
177 | Rod Stewart | Every Picture Tells a Story | 1971
178 | Otis Redding | Otis Blue | 1965
179 | The Notorious B.I.G. | Life After Death | 1997
180 | Love | Forever Changes | 1967
181 | Bob Dylan | Bringing It All Back Home | 1965
182 | James Taylor | Sweet Baby James | 1970
183 | D'Angelo | Brown Sugar | 1995
184 | Cyndi Lauper | She's So Unusual | 1983
185 | The Rolling Stones | Beggars Banquet | 1968
186 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Blood Sugar Sex Magik | 1991
187 | Ice Cube | AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted | 1990
188 | T. Rex | Electric Warrior | 1971
189 | Sleater-Kinney | Dig Me Out | 1997
190 | The Who | Tommy | 1969
191 | Etta James | At Last! | 1961
192 | Beastie Boys | Licensed to Ill | 1986
193 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | Willy and the Poor Boys | 1969
194 | Michael Jackson | Bad | 1987
195 | Leonard Cohen | Songs of Leonard Cohen | 1967
196 | Robyn | Body Talk | 2010
197 | The Beatles | Meet the Beatles! | 1964
198 | The B-52's | The B-52's | 1979
199 | Pavement | Slanted and Enchanted | 1993
200 | Sade | Diamond Life | 1984
201 | A Tribe Called Quest | Midnight Marauders | 1993
202 | Björk | Homogenic | 1997
203 | Nick Drake | Pink Moon | 1972
204 | Kanye West | Graduation | 2007
205 | Cat Stevens | Tea for the Tillerman | 1970
206 | David Bowie | Low | 1977
207 | Eagles | Eagles | 1972
208 | Lil Wayne | Tha Carter III | 2008
209 | Run-DMC | Raising Hell | 1986
210 | Ray Charles | The Birth of Soul | 1991
211 | Joy Division | Unknown Pleasures | 1980 [1979]
212 | Nina Simone | Wild Is the Wind | 1966
213 | Fiona Apple | The Idler Wheel... | 2012
214 | Tom Petty | Wildflowers | 1994
215 | Grateful Dead | American Beauty | 1970
216 | Elliott Smith | Either/Or | 1997
217 | Oasis | Definitely Maybe | 1994
218 | TLC | CrazySexyCool | 1994
219 | Raekwon | Only Built 4 Cuban Linx | 1995
220 | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Déjà Vu | 1970
221 | Rage Against the Machine | Rage Against the Machine | 1992
222 | Madonna | Ray of Light | 1998
223 | John Lennon | Imagine | 1971
224 | Dixie Chicks | Fly | 1999
225 | Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | 2001
226 | Derek and the Dominos | Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs | 1970
227 | Little Richard | Here's Little Richard | 1957
228 | De La Soul | De La Soul Is Dead | 1991
229 | Patsy Cline | The Ultimate Collection | 2000
230 | Rihanna | Anti | 2016
231 | Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Damn the Torpedoes | 1979
232 | John Coltrane | Giant Steps | 1960
233 | Tori Amos | Little Earthquakes | 1992
234 | Black Sabbath | Master of Reality | 1971
235 | Metallica | Metallica | 1991
236 | Daft Punk | Discovery | 2001
237 | Willie Nelson | Red Headed Stranger | 1975
238 | Kraftwerk | Trans Europe Express | 1977
239 | Boogie Down Productions | Criminal Minded | 1987
240 | Sam Cooke | Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 | 1985
241 | Massive Attack | Blue Lines | 1991
242 | The Velvet Underground | Loaded | 1970
243 | The Zombies | Odessey and Oracle | 1968
244 | Kanye West | 808s & Heartbreak | 2008
245 | Cocteau Twins | Heaven or Las Vegas | 1990
246 | LL Cool J | Mama Said Knock You Out | 1991
247 | Sade | Love Deluxe | 1992
248 | Green Day | American Idiot | 2004
249 | Whitney Houston | Whitney Houston | 1985
250 | Buzzcocks | Singles Going Steady | 1979
251 | Elton John | Honky Château | 1972
252 | Devo | Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! | 1978
253 | Pink Floyd | The Piper at the Gates of Dawn | 1967
254 | Herbie Hancock | Head Hunters | 1973
255 | Bob Dylan | The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan | 1963
256 | Tracy Chapman | Tracy Chapman | 1988
257 | Dolly Parton | Coat of Many Colors | 1971
258 | Joni Mitchell | The Hissing of Summer Lawns | 1975
259 | Janis Joplin | Pearl | 1971
260 | The Slits | Cut | 1979
261 | Beastie Boys | Check Your Head | 1992
262 | New Order | Power, Corruption & Lies | 1983
263 | The Beatles | A Hard Day's Night | 1964
264 | Pink Floyd | Wish You Were Here | 1975
265 | Pavement | Wowee Zowee | 1995
266 | The Beatles | Help! | 1965
267 | Minutemen | Double Nickels on the Dime | 1984
268 | Randy Newman | Sail Away | 1972
269 | Kanye West | Yeezus | 2013
270 | Kacey Musgraves | Golden Hour | 2018
271 | Mary J. Blige | What's the 411? | 1992
272 | The Velvet Underground | White Light/White Heat | 1968
273 | Gang of Four | Entertainment! | 1979
274 | The Byrds | Sweetheart of the Rodeo | 1968
275 | Curtis Mayfield | Curtis | 1970
276 | Radiohead | The Bends | 1995
277 | Alicia Keys | The Diary of Alicia Keys | 2003
278 | Led Zeppelin | Houses of the Holy | 1973
279 | Nirvana | MTV Unplugged in New York | 1994
280 | 50 Cent | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | 2002
281 | Harry Nilsson | Nilsson Schmilsson | 1971
282 | Frank Sinatra | In the Wee Small Hours | 1955
283 | Donna Summer | Bad Girls | 1975
284 | Merle Haggard | Down Every Road: 1962-1994 | 1996
285 | Big Star | 3rd/Sister Lovers | 1978
286 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Californication | 1999
287 | The Byrds | Mr. Tambourine Man | 1965
288 | The Modern Lovers | The Modern Lovers | 1976
289 | Björk | Post | 1995
290 | OutKast | Speakerboxxx/The Love Below | 2003
291 | Destiny's Child | The Writing's on the Wall | 1999
292 | Van Halen | Van Halen | 1978
293 | The Breeders | Last Splash | 1993
294 | Weezer | Weezer (The Blue Album) | 1994
295 | Daft Punk | Random Access Memories | 2013
296 | Neil Young | Rust Never Sleeps | 1979
297 | Peter Gabriel | So | 1986
298 | Tom Petty | Full Moon Fever | 1989
299 | B.B. King | Live at the Regal | 1965
300 | Shania Twain | Come On Over | 1997
301 | New York Dolls | New York Dolls | 1973
302 | Neil Young | Tonight's the Night | 1975
303 | ABBA | The Definitive Collection | 2001
304 | Bill Withers | Just As I Am | 1971
305 | Kiss | Alive! | 1975
306 | Al Green | I'm Still in Love with You | 1972
307 | Sam Cooke | Portrait of a Legend | 2003
308 | Brian Eno | Here Come the Warm Jets | 1974
309 | Joy Division | Closer | 1980
310 | Wire | Pink Flag | 1977
311 | Neil Young | On the Beach | 1974
312 | Solange | A Seat at the Table | 2016
313 | PJ Harvey | Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea | 2000
314 | Aaliyah | One in a Million | 1996
315 | Rosalía | El Mal Querer | 2018
316 | The Who | The Who Sell Out | 1967
317 | Billie Holiday | Lady in Satin | 1958
318 | Janet Jackson | The Velvet Rope | 1997
319 | The Stone Roses | The Stone Roses | 1989
320 | X | Los Angeles | 1980
321 | Lana Del Rey | Norman Fucking Rockwell! | 2019
322 | Elvis Presley | From Elvis in Memphis | 1969
323 | The Clash | Sandinista! | 1980
324 | Coldplay | A Rush of Blood to the Head | 2002
325 | Jerry Lee Lewis | All Killer No Filler! | 1993
326 | Prince | Dirty Mind | 1980
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