I remember thinking that the NME (That’s “New Musical Express” - I don’t know how popular it is around the world…) was an authority on modern music. It was the late 90’s when I first started reading it - I could read about generally good music in Q (Radiohead, The Manic Street Preachers), old bands in Mojo (Pink Floyd, Dylan) and young hip indie bands in NME (Belle & Sebastian, Bis, and some bands that now work in Virgin Megastore).
Maybe it’s because I was young, or maybe it’s because they were better back then, but I really thought that people who wrote for the music press were really cool, and I generally trusted their opinion on music (and listened out for the bands on Steve Lamacq or John Peel’s week night radio shows).
Over the last few years, however, I have grown up and I’m now about the same age as the average NME journo, and I’m buying the same records, and drinking in the same types of bars and dressing the same as them - and I see a little bit of NME in every indie kid at every indie concert - and I know that they all think they know about music, but they all really like the Arctic Monkeys.
And the Arctic Monkeys are the reason for me writing this (They just came on Radio One, too…) - I have nothing against them. I bought that single, and I think they are just a bunch of guys doing something different that has really caught on, and good for them. I might even have a listen to my brother’s album later.
But I went onto the NME’s website today, and they have the top ten of their top hundred British records of all time, as chosen by the NME. This is how they shape up:
1. The Stone Roses ‘The Stone Roses’
2. The Smiths ‘The Queen Is Dead’
3. Oasis ‘Definitely Maybe’
4. Sex Pistols ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’
5. Arctic Monkeys ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’
6. Blur ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’
7. Pulp ‘Different Class’
8. The Clash ‘London Calling’
9. The Beatles ‘Revolver’
10. The Libertines ‘Up The Bracket’
Yes, a fair enough top ten. No “Dark Side Of The Moon”, no “Ok Computer”, no “Unknown Pleasures” - But “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not” is at #5. WTF?! This is an album that has been out, what, a week? Granted, it is the fastest selling debut album in the UK ever, or something, but I fail to see how it can make it anywhere into the top 100, yet. I think an album has to stand “the test of time”.
Ok, they are all pretty good records, and I own all of them, besides “Revolver” and the Arctic Monkeys one. But I have no idea how the NME manage to get to these decisions. “London Calling” is a far better and far more important album than “Never Mind The Bollocks”, Blur had several albums that were, in my opinion, far better than “Modern Life Is Rubbish” (my choice would have been “The Great Escape”, or “Blur”). And the Stone Roses?
Maybe I should compile my own top ten?
I’ll comment on Q’s new Top 100 Albums Of All Time as soon as I get around to it.
Tags: NME, Music, Arctic Monkeys.
I’d like to read your favourite british albums? In fact i feel like having a go, but then maybe i haven’t heard enough yet.
I agree on NME and the list. Arctic monkeys don’t deserve to be anywhere on there at all, especialy since they are nothing too special. Yes, i did buy the single and the album but they aren’t that ‘different’ except for those damn lyrics which are just brilliant.
NME is slowelt decending and needs to have a re-invention or else its going to become crap.