Zagat's -- Rates Music

[ggw]

'Born to Run' Tops Zagat Music Survey
 Tue September 23, 2003 01:43 PM ET
 By Barry A. Jeckell
 
 NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bruce Springsteen's 1975 breakthrough album "Born To Run" (Columbia) ranks No. 1 on the most popular albums list in Zagat Survey's first Music Guide.
 
 Best known for its surveys of restaurants, hotels and other leisure pursuits in major cities, Zagat queried more than 10,000 listeners to create a list of the 1,000 top albums of all time, as well as dozens of other tallies across more than 20 genres and eight decades of music.
 
 Four albums by the Beatles, two by U2, another by Springsteen and releases by Miles Davis and Pink Floyd round out Zagat's top-10 most popular albums.
 
 "Born To Run," which peaked at No. 3 and spent 110 weeks on Billboard's album chart, is also on top of the rock and classic rock lists and No. 5 on Zagat's overall quality tally. Springsteen & the E Street Band rank eighth on the list of most influential artists, which is led by the Beatles.
 
 Davis' 1959 release "Kind of Blue" (Columbia/Legacy), No. 6 on the most popular list, is the No. 1 album for overall quality and the top jazz album.
 
 The top hip-hop album is Public Enemy's 1988 classic "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back" (Def Jam). The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 1972 set "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" leads country albums, Massive Attack's "Protection" ranks as the favorite electronica set and Howlin' Wolf's "Moanin' in the Moonlight" is at the front of the blues class.
 
 "We knew this survey would be especially challenging since musical taste is so personal and top picks of all time stir passionate arguments," publishers Tim and Nina Zagat said in a statement. "To our delight, participants showcased their tastes with a depth of knowledge that stands up to the most critical musical ear -- these are people who know chapter and verse on their preferred genres and they avidly shared memories and associations that their favorite recordings evoke."
 
 The Zagat survey found that fans listen to music 24 hours each week, more than five of which is conducted on computers and MP3 players. Participants spend an average $343 per year on music to stock an average collection of 516 titles; 53% download music from the Internet and 55% burn their own CDs.
 
 Here is the top-10 of the Zagat Survey Music Guide's most popular albums list:
 
 1. "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen
 
 2. "Abbey Road," the Beatles
 
 3. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the Beatles
 
 4. "The Joshua Tree," U2
 
 5. "The White Album," The Beatles
 
 6. "Kind of Blue," Miles Davis
 
 7. "Darkness on the Edge of Town," Bruce Springsteen
 
 8. "Revolver," the Beatles
 
 9. "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd
 
 10. "Achtung Baby," U2
 
 Here are the Zagat Survey Music Guide's top albums by genre:
 
 Blues: "Moanin' in the Moonlight," Howlin' Wolf
 
 Classical: "Horowitz in Moscow," Vladimir Horowitz
 
 Country & Western: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
 
 Dance: "Dance Collection," Donna Summer
 
 Electronica: "Protection," Massive Attack
 
 Folk: "John Prine," John Prine
 
 Funk: "Funkify Your Life," the Meters,
 
 Hip-Hop: "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back," Public Enemy
 
 Jazz: "Kind of Blue," Miles Davis,
 
 Kids: "The Muppet Movie" soundtrack
 
 Musicals: "My Fair Lady" (Lerner and Loewe)
 
 New Age: "Nouveau Flamenco," Ottmar Liebert
 
 Pop Vocal (Contemporary): "Thriller," Michael Jackson
 
 Pop Vocal (Traditional): "Best of the Songbooks," Ella Fitzgerald
 
 R&B: "The Best," Luther Vandross
 
 Rock (Overall): "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen
 
 Rock (Alternative): "The Joshua Tree," U2
 
 Rock (Art/Experimental): "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd
 
 Rock (Classic): "Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen
 
 Rock (Garage/Underground): "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts," various
 
 Rock (Hard/Heavy Metal): "Master of Puppets," Metallica
 
 Rock (New Wave): "This Year's Model," Elvis Costello
 
 Rock (Oldies): "Elvis," Elvis Presley.

[markie]

what a fucking horrible record collection that list would make.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I think I own four of them...

[Guiny]

Originally posted by Bubba:
  what a fucking horrible record collection that list would make.

Somehow i knew that reaction would come up. I own one of those cd's (Master of Puppets).

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

I don't see anything on the list that isn't arguable a good album. A boringly unoriginal list, a good start to a collection in terms of obvious choices....

[markie]

What is the average age of those albums?

[Bags]

A friend of mine has a couple of friends in the music biz, so she found out about this early on and we could have signed up as reviewers.  I did that one year for the restaurant guide, but music is just too subjective and I knew I'd end up being pissed off at the results.  So I didn't bother.  It's a long-ass form to fill out.
 
 And I vote, as an FYI.

[SPARX]

Elvis costello's this years model is a great rekkid IMHO.His appearance doing Radio Radio on SNL after being told not to was "too cool for school" love that tune!!

Bilge, Mary J.

[ggw]

Originally posted by Bubba
 What is the average age of those albums?

25.33 years.
 
 When you exclude multiple entries and "best of" or compilation albums, the average age becomes 27.30 years
 
 
 Here is the top-10 of the Zagat Survey Music Guide's most popular albums list:
 
 1. "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen - 1975
 
 2. "Abbey Road," the Beatles - 1969
 
 3. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the Beatles - 1967
 
 4. "The Joshua Tree," U2 - 1987
 
 5. "The White Album," The Beatles - 1968
 
 6. "Kind of Blue," Miles Davis - 1959
 
 7. "Darkness on the Edge of Town," Bruce Springsteen - 1978
 
 8. "Revolver," the Beatles - 1966
 
 9. "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd - 1973
 
 10. "Achtung Baby," U2 - 1991
 
 Here are the Zagat Survey Music Guide's top albums by genre:
 
 Blues: "Moanin' in the Moonlight," Howlin' Wolf - 1962
 
 Classical: "Horowitz in Moscow," Vladimir Horowitz - 1986
 
 Country & Western: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - 1972
 
 Dance: "Dance Collection," Donna Summer - 1987 (Best of compilation)
 
 Electronica: "Protection," Massive Attack - 1994
 
 Folk: "John Prine," John Prine - 1971
 
 Funk: "Funkify Your Life," the Meters, - 1995 (Compilation)
 
 Hip-Hop: "It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back," Public Enemy - 1988
 
 Jazz: "Kind of Blue," Miles Davis, - 1959
 
 Kids: "The Muppet Movie" soundtrack - 1979
 
 Musicals: "My Fair Lady" (Lerner and Loewe) - 1964
 
 New Age: "Nouveau Flamenco," Ottmar Liebert - 1990
 
 Pop Vocal (Contemporary): "Thriller," Michael Jackson - 1982
 
 Pop Vocal (Traditional): "Best of the Songbooks," Ella Fitzgerald - 1993 (compilation)
 
 R&B: "The Best," Luther Vandross - 1989 (Best of)
 
 Rock (Overall): "Born To Run," Bruce Springsteen - 1975
 
 Rock (Alternative): "The Joshua Tree," U2 - 1987
 
 Rock (Art/Experimental): "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd - 1973
 
 Rock (Classic): "Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen - 1975
 
 Rock (Garage/Underground): "Nuggets: Original Artyfacts," various - 1972 (Various artists)
 
 Rock (Hard/Heavy Metal): "Master of Puppets," Metallica - 1986
 
 Rock (New Wave): "This Year's Model," Elvis Costello - 1978
 
 Rock (Oldies): "Elvis," Elvis Presley. - 1956

[Bags]

Well, I own more than four.  All the Beatles albums (though I only ever listen to "Revolver"), Joshua Tree and Miles Davis.  That's six.  But I'm a person with my basics covered; I also have Big Star, the Raspberries and the Beach Boys, but that hardly indicates my music preferences (except to say the power pop direction rather than roots or R&B rock n' roll of the Stones, etc.).
 
 

Originally posted by �?��?�³ �?ømþªÿ Ð�?�r§:
   

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
  I think I own four of them...

You would. [/b]

[walkman]

How could you possibly NOT own at least 4 of them?  I mean, it ain't all sophiticated-like, but some of them are absolute classics.  The only one of the top 10 I don't have is Born to Run.  Plus, 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken,' 'Nation of Millions' and 'This Year's Model' are all great records.

[Jaguär]

I don't think anyone under 35 had a say in this poll. More of an old Classics list for the grooving <sarcasm> middle aged set than anything. There are a few good selections there, and I won't bother picking and choosing, but as a whole, it's a pretty dull collection. (IMHO) Very reflective of those who had some musical interest in their youth and gave up on it once they got their careers and families going. You know that type.

Bilge, Mary J.

[Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer]

Amen bro.
 
 Will the Circle Be Unbroken is probably the best of the lot. Born to Run is good too.
 
 It takes a Nation of Millions was probably my favorite during my rap loving days...
 
 

Originally posted by walkman:
  How could you possibly NOT own at least 4 of them?  I mean, it ain't all sophiticated-like, but some of them are absolute classics.  The only one of the top 10 I don't have is Born to Run.  Plus, 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken,' 'Nation of Millions' and 'This Year's Model' are all great records.