20 not by Brahms

The stats page reveals that most of my visitors aren’t dyed-in- the-wool classical fans. Pavement gets clicked on ten times more often than Brahms, even though Brahms has sold a hell of a lot more records. That’s OK — he's in no rush. To introduce myself to those nose-in-the-air, high-falutin' classicalphobes out there, I thought I’d put up another list, matching the “Top 10 Classical” I posted earlier. I’m not going to give a name to this one, though. I’m well aware of the yawning gaps, gulches, canyons, mid-oceanic trenches, interstellar voids, and metaphysical abysses as regards pop history, so don't get on my case with your sock-hop music and whatnot. Sasha will take care of you. This is just an irrational series of powerful attractions.

Duke Ellington, The Blanton-Webster Band
Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks*
Velvet Underground, Live 1969**
Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain
Louis Armstrong, The Hot Fives and Hot Sevens
Hank Williams, Ultimate Collection
Radiohead, Kid A***
Billie Holiday, Greatest Hits
Skip James, Complete 1931 Recordings
Bo Diddley, “Bo Diddley”
Led Zeppelin, III
James Brown, Live at the Apollo
Mahalia Jackson, Gospels, Spirituals, and Hymns
Beatles, The White Album
Frank Sinatra, Only the Lonely
Cecil Taylor, Alms/Tiergarten (Spree)
Björk, Vespertine
Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet****
Brian Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets
My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
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*The traumatic original version, not the official party mix. Bob, the world’s ready.
**Until the end of time it will be 42-7 at the half.
***Re: the raging debate on Will Carroll’s baseball blog about which Radiohead album is the awesomest, I honestly never really liked The Bends.
****In my iTunes library, “Fight the Power” gives way to Purcell’s “When I am laid in earth.” Hot. Is that a sample of Jon Hassell's Before and After Charm in there? or is it more "Funky Drummer"?