Best Albums By Women

[poorpete]

Round 2 bracket:
https://challonge.com/2h99qng4

Round 1: Elimination by Listen-count
As I complete listening to all these at-least-once, I've come up with an idea on how to rank these. I'm going to make note when I eliminate an album from my listening queue. When I choose to stop listening to an album, I will make note here. Some albums have the added advantage of me owning and having listened to them a lot, but I'm confident a few of the new-to-me albums will be competitive.

Here's my excel spreadsheet.


Of course I'd love if you share your thoughts on particular albums, or if you think this is a terrible idea, or that it should be a blog or podcast instead, please share

[poorpete]

150. Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band – Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band
NPR Ranking: 135
Listens before elimination: 1

I've heard worse albums, but not on a best albums of all time list. I feel sad for anyone who saw this list list and picked this album to listen to first.

I've liked other Yoko Ono songs, and some here pass as listenable. I appreciate her style, even when I can't stand her style. I appreciate its influence on stuff I actually do like. But this is overall not-for-my-ears, feels lazily made (most of it was recorded in one afternoon session) where the musicians feel uninspired, except for Yoko, who seems inspired to irritate the listener. Check out her Double Fantasy work instead, where she and her backing musicians treat their songs and their listeners with respect.

Last year, I made it a rule to give every album a fair three listens. But it's a new year, and I'm using my agency to forgo anymore listens.

A better album not on the list:

[Phoebe]

I want to join you on this venture, ya. Can't do it yet due to work situation, but soon. Soon.

[poorpete]

Sounds good

149. Diamanda Galás – The Litanies of Satan
NPR Ranking: 111
Listens before elimination: 1

Woah is this an experience. Her talent is undeniable. I haven't heard anything like it. It's good at what it does! Yet, I'm done with it and will choose to spend my free time not listening to an accurate portrayal of human suffering. I don't fault anyone for getting any kind of peace, catharsis, belonging, or grounding, or even enjoyment from her music, but I currently don't need to hear it repeatedly and kinda hope to never need it.

In film, an analogy to this is Schinder's List or Requiem for a Dream. This might be a better album than some of the remaining 148, but by rules of elimination-by-listens, this is the second to go.

A better album not on the list:

[poorpete]

148. Britney Spears – …Baby One More Time
NPR Ranking: 93
Listens before elimination: 2

"Email My Heart" is totally non-weird weird. So earnest. No winks or hints of "isn't this absurd" or "kids these days, we so crazy". But at least it's notable in its non-weird weirdness. All the other new-to-me songs are forgettable. The title song is still amazingly catchy, but the other hits have not faired as well. It's not bad, but it didn't blow-away my low expectations either.

A better album not on the list,

[Phoebe]

I'm impressed you made it through two listens. I can see it with the singles, for fun, but the whole album is not really a treasure Trove of gems.

[poorpete]

147. Lil Kim - Hard Core
NPR Ranking: 96
Listens before elimination: 2.93

I liked most of this album. There's a lot to enjoy here, like the track above. I'd listen to some of this again. But guess what, this is an album list and an elimination game, and listening to the track 1's uber-explicit skit twice was twice too much. If I can't listen to the full album, that's enough to eliminate it.

An album title has never been more accurate. This is hard core. At some point a less aggressive more-boring album will be eliminated, but when you are upfront with your attitude, you demand attention from my ears, for better or worse.

A better album not on this list:

[poorpete]

146. Shania Twain - Come On Over
NPR Ranking: 89
Listens before elimination: 3

So you're Shania Twain? That don't impress me much. Kidding. She's good, there's some very good songs on here, and some good ones that would be great with less sass and more bravado. Look, I dunno. I am very mixed about this Def Leppard-goes-country sound. It works well when it does. Other times can be grating. Anyways, it's 5 albums in and I'm already feeling bad about eliminating albums, and I can't, otherwise this will never end. It's Good. Bye Shania.

A better album not on this list: .

[poorpete]

145. Astrud Gilberto – The Astrud Gilberto Album
NPR Ranking: 73
Listens before elimination: 3

After 3 listens to this, and 3 listens last year to Getz/Gilberto, i stand by my belief that Bossa Nova is the french fries of music. My soul eats it up for a good 5 to 10 minutes, but then, it just doesn't last. I may have liked this a little bit more than the classic Getz/Gilberto, for the interesting takes on some standards and her distinct voice. No doubt if I hear one of these songs playing in Starbucks, it'll make me happy. But again, it's an album elimination, not an-occasional-song-appreciation, so this goes.

A better album not on this list:

[poorpete]

144. Spice Girls - Spice
NPR Ranking: 64
Listens before elimination: 3

This is much much better than I ever thought it would be. A pleasant surprise! I expected it to be well-produced, but didn't expect it to be catchy as hell. I expected it to be completely annoying and the only thing that was annoying was what I've always found annoying: Wannabe. What I really really want is an album with that song removed. I could listen to much of this again.

I know that me knocking it 80 spaces looks like I'm singling it out unfairly (maybe) (probably) but this is nowhere near the best on this list, and I gotta start kicking some of these out, to make space for the true competitors (the ones with more girl powah I guess).

A better album not on this list:

[poorpete]

143. Pauline Oliveros – Deep Listening
NPR Ranking: 128
Listens before elimination: 3

Nice, relaxing, meditative, acupuncture music. Good on NPR for having a true eclectic mix of modern music on this zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Better album not on this list:

[poorpete]

142. Sonic Youth - Sister
NPR Ranking: 127
Listens before elimination: 3

Some of the albums on this list are not 100% female led. Of the 10 songs, Kim Gordon gets full lead on only two of them. 20% feels like it needs to be a beyond-excellent album to be considered for this list. After 3, I don't hear the beyond-excellence. Now, she is my favorite singer in the band, and I do like the album overall, and I know that conversations about women in music should include her, but I do find it weird listening to this mostly hearing Thurston Moore grump over loud guitars.

A better album not on list list: Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation which I liked a little bit more, but would still have many of the same issues.

[poorpete]

So, here's the thing.

There's a lot of good stuff here. Also, there's a lot of great stuff. Also, albums I thought I'd eliminate after a second or third listen, are continuing because (shock!) I'm starting to like them! It's like the whole reason I give albums a fair shake is proving to give a fair shake to albums that NPR consider some of the greatest albums ever.

Anyway, this adds hours and hours onto a game that's already going to take forever.

So I'm turning this into a bracket. My plan: each weekday two albums will face off against each other. 140 games later we'll have a winner. The nine albums here will automatically forfeit their games to their competitors (as promised, I will not listen to them again).

Games Forfeited Round 1:
126. Pauline Oliveros - Deep Listening
129. Marianne Faithfull - Broken English
(Would have liked to see this match through, Faithfull would still have probably won but maybe on a different day I'd have been Oliveros. Faithful goes on to play Joni Mitchell's Blue. Expect bloodbath.

111. Diamanda Galas - The Litanies of Satan
146. Patty Griffin - Flaming Red
(Galas would have had to win 7 more games to win and I could barely make it past 1)

121. Joni Mitchell - Hejira
136. Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band
(Would have been the most lopsided game)

127. Sonic Youth - Sister
130. Teena Marie - Wild and Peaceful
(Teena lucky to be moving on, but facing the formidable Miseducation of Lauryn Hill next)

Games Forfeited Round 2:
33. Queen Latifah - All Hail the Queen
96. Lil' Kim - Hard Core
(Queen would've won this easy)

36. Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
93. Britney Spears - ... Baby One More Time
(Huh, was the original title of Spears' debut "Hit Me")

40. The Staple Singers - Be Altitude
89. Shania Twain - Come On Over
(Ooof, at least they didn't call it "Bee Altitude")

64. Spice Girls - Spice
65. Cassandra Wilson - Blue Light Til Dawn
(Spice would have had a hard time winning here. Cassandra goes on to face the winner of Marianne Faithfull vs. Joni Mitchell's Blue. Ooof!)

56. X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents
73. Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
(Da, dada, da dada)

[poorpete]

Next game:

113. Aretha Franklin - Young Gifted and Black
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMrVtFm ... Ur6ukQinIQ
144. The Breeders - Last Splash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeenTDf ... MALntkrblh

Ooof, I really like both of these albums.
I'll listen to the two again (you can too and give feedback / sway my decision) and give the winner tomorrow.

[Phoebe]

I get it, most of us like that Kim Deal
She's clever and makes pop songs with a zing
Comparing to Aretha? Let's be real.
This album tells us what it means to sing.

[poorpete]

Then it's agreed. I will say, It's a retroactive wish,
that the teenage me could have owned this,
it's so up my alley it's such a dish,
but i guess i was sexist or at least scared-ish.
But this is awesome rock and roll,
And truly sad to see it go,
But every great album may fall,
To one of the greatest of all.

(note: the bracket game, unlike the previous, does not keep me from continuing to listen to the kicked-out albums)


Next game:
Oumou Sangare – Moussolou (Women)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUO6P7y ... MvMo_lYf_5
Mercedes Sosa – Mercedes Sosa en Argentina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlDF0i1 ... 5F0BB85C4B

[poorpete]

Here's the insanity in bracket form: https://challonge.com/2h99qng4
I've included double-elimination, though I don't expect to litigate every game in the losers bracket.

[poorpete]

Mercedes advances, Oumou makes soul dances.
Love the music of Mali, always enjoyed by me,
Don't miss this album, even though,
Rules state we must let it go...



Next:
Anita Baker - Rapture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w6udgi ... 7b8mUfbcEU
Ofra Haza – 50 Gates Of Wisdom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcgI8uK ... E3VH0JQrj7

(No favorite in this one, they are both good, so I am very susceptible to influence)

[Phoebe]

I have started listening to it because of you, yes!! People keep interrupting me!!

[poorpete]

Anita Baker's Rapture is ousted by me
And unlike everything in the Survivor game,
She can truly blame poorpete,
This was a close one all the same.



Next:
125. Fiona Apple - Tidal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9Wnh0V ... ySTpU1gvKH
132. Shelby Lynne - I am Shelby Lynne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otVRWvw ... -x2zB1_7KM
(another one with no clear fav going in)