Lauryn Hill’s “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” has been named the best album ever, according to a new list released by Apple Music. And the rest of the top 10 shows a strong push toward hip-hop and R&B artists, and away from the classic rock titans who have long dominated similar canonical roundups.
Apple Music called Hill’s 1998 LP “an incredibly raw and profound look at the spiritual landscape of not only one of the era’s biggest stars, but the era itself”, praising Hill for being a “once-in-a-generation talent whose inspiration and innovation can be heard across the decades.
Hill’s album, his solo debut after enjoying international success with The Fugees, won five Grammy Awards upon its initial release, setting a new record for the most Grammys won by a female artist in a single ceremony.
The new Apple Music roster was determined with input from artists, songwriters, producers, industry professionals and Apple editorial staff. Apple Music emphasized that this is not a reflection of the platform’s most streamed offerings, but rather a “love letter to the records that have shaped world music fans live and in listen “.
Top 100 albums lists have long been a staple of music industry media, popularized by outlets such as Rolling Stone, whose own lists over the decades have cemented the “all-time” reputation of baby stalwarts -boom such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob. Dylan and the Beach Boys.
In contrast, Apple Music’s new roster is more heavily focused on female artists and artists of color. Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean all ranked among Hill’s finalists, although The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” and Nirvana’s “Nevermind” secured their positions in the overall top 10:
- Lauryn Hill, “The Bad Education of Lauryn Hill” (1998)
- Michael Jackson, “Thriller” (1982)
- The Beatles, “Abbey Road” (1969)
- Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain” (1984)
- Frank Ocean, “Blonde” (2016)
- Stevie Wonder, “Songs in the Key of Life” (1976)
- Kendrick Lamar, “Good kid, mAAd city” (2012)
- Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” (2006)
- Nirvana, “Whatever” (1991)
- Beyoncé, “Lemonade” (2016)
Beyoncé, Prince, Stevie Wonder, the Beatles and Radiohead are the only groups to have more than one album represented on the overall 100 list.
Apple Music’s top 10 includes four albums from the 21st century, while even the most recent edition of Rolling Stone’s best albums list (which placed Hill’s album at No. 10) remained mostly a pre-emptive zone. -year 2000. The 1990s were overall the most represented decade, with 23 albums included. Oldest album on the list: “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis (1959).
As for Bob Dylan, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones, their included albums ranked 14th (“Highway 61 Revisited”), 20th (“Pet Sounds”) and 53rd (“Exile on Main Street”).
The most represented genre among the top 100, according to Apple Music’s own tags, is hip-hop; more than a fifth of the list is made up of albums in this genre, compared to 18% of albums labeled rock and 16% classified under pop.
Those who follow Lamar’s beef with rapper Drake Note that the latter, although appearing on the overall list of 100 albums, ranks much lower than its sparring partner: Drake’s 2011 album, “Take Care”, appears in 47th place.
Swifties can rest easy: Taylor Swift made the list, coming in at No. 18 with “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
Grub5
