Os 250 melhores álbuns americanos de todos os tempos, segundo a UCR

O site especializado em rock clássico Ultimate Classic Rock publicou uma extensa lista com os 250 melhores álbuns feitos por artistas dos Estados Unidos, cobrindo mais de seis décadas de produção musical.

A matéria, assinada pelo jornalista Nick DeRiso, resulta de uma votação interna da equipe do veículo, que buscou mapear como o formato "álbum" moldou a identidade musical americana entre meados dos anos 1960 e a virada do século - período em que o disco de estúdio se consolidou como principal forma de expressão artística no rock, superando a lógica dos hits avulsos e passando por três formatos físicos dominantes: vinil, fita cassete e CD.

Beach Boys - Mais Novidades

Pet Sounds no topo

A grande vencedora da lista é "Pet Sounds" (1966), dos Beach Boys, apontada como a obra-prima de Brian Wilson e uma referência estética frequentemente comparada à produção dos Beatles na mesma época.

Logo atrás aparece "Blonde on Blonde" (1966), de Bob Dylan - sobre o qual a publicação recupera uma frase de efeito da revista Spin, dizendo que o cantor "make simpler records, more beautiful records, but he'd never made a better record" ("faria discos mais simples, discos mais bonitos, mas nunca faria um disco melhor"). O pódio se fecha com "Purple Rain" (1984), de Prince and the Revolution, trilha sonora que permaneceu 24 semanas consecutivas no topo das paradas americanas.

Completam o top 10, na sequência: "Songs in the Key of Life" (1976), de Stevie Wonder; "Born to Run" (1975), de Bruce Springsteen; "Are You Experienced" (1967), do Jimi Hendrix Experience; "What's Going On" (1971), de Marvin Gaye; "Appetite for Destruction" (1987), do Guns N' Roses; "Graceland" (1986), de Paul Simon; e "Highway 61 Revisited" (1965), de Bob Dylan.

Um dos aspectos mais interessantes do ranking é a amplitude de estilos contemplados. Ao lado de nomes óbvios do rock clássico como Eagles, Aerosmith, Van Halen e Lynyrd Skynyrd, a lista também dá espaço a movimentos como o punk (Ramones, Patti Smith, Television, The Stooges), o grunge dos anos 1990 (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains), o metal e o thrash (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera) e até o rock alternativo mais recente, com discos como "American Idiot" (2004), do Green Day, e "Elephant" (2003), do White Stripes.

Artistas negros também ocupam posições de destaque no topo da lista, caso de Stevie Wonder (com mais de um álbum entre os 30 primeiros), Marvin Gaye, Sly and the Family Stone e Prince, sinalizando uma tentativa da publicação de equilibrar a tradicional predominância branca costumeira nesse tipo de ranking de "rock clássico".

Springsteen, Dylan e Allman Brothers lideram em quantidade

Em número de aparições, Bruce Springsteen é provavelmente o artista mais recorrente da lista completa, com discos espalhados por praticamente todas as fases de sua carreira, de "Nebraska" (1982) a "The Rising" (2002). Bob Dylan também aparece de forma abundante, assim como a Allman Brothers Band, cujo célebre registro ao vivo "At Fillmore East" (1971) figura entre os 12 primeiros colocados.

A lista reserva bom espaço para álbuns ao vivo, como "At Budokan", do Cheap Trick, "Europe '72", do Grateful Dead, e "Unplugged in New York", do Nirvana, reforçando a ideia de que os registros ao vivo dessa geração de artistas americanos tiveram peso simbólico equivalente ao dos discos de estúdio. Álbuns conceituais também recebem atenção especial, casos de "Operation: Mindcrime", do Queensryche, e "Welcome to My Nightmare", de Alice Cooper.

A equipe do Ultimate Classic Rock destaca que a ascensão de tecnologias como a MTV, o MP3 e, mais tarde, o streaming, desfez gradualmente a centralidade do álbum como unidade artística, devolvendo a música popular a uma cultura de faixas avulsas. A lista funciona, portanto, como retrato de uma era encerrada da indústria musical americana, na qual construir um conjunto coeso de canções era tão relevante quanto emplacar um single de sucesso.

Lista completa: os 250 melhores álbuns americanos

1. Beach Boys — Pet Sounds — 1966
2. Bob Dylan — Blonde on Blonde — 1966
3. Prince and the Revolution — Purple Rain — 1984
4. Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life — 1976
5. Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run — 1975
6. Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced — 1967
7. Marvin Gaye — What's Going On — 1971
8. Guns N' Roses — Appetite for Destruction — 1987
9. Paul Simon — Graceland — 1986
10. Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited — 1965
11. Eagles — Hotel California — 1976
12. Allman Brothers Band — At Fillmore East — 1971
13. Carole King — Tapestry — 1971
14. Sly and the Family Stone — There's a Riot Goin' On — 1971
15. Jimi Hendrix Experience — Electric Ladyland — 1968
16. Nirvana — Nevermind — 1991
17. Miles Davis — Bitches Brew — 1970
18. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — Damn the Torpedoes — 1979
19. Bob Dylan — Blood on the Tracks — 1975
20. Prince — Sign O' the Times — 1987
21. Stevie Wonder — Innervisions — 1973
22. Van Halen — Van Halen — 1978
23. Aerosmith — Toys in the Attic — 1975
24. R.E.M. — Automatic for the People — 1992
25. Steely Dan — Aja — 1977
26. Talking Heads — Remain in Light — 1980
27. Stevie Wonder — Talking Book — 1972
28. Creedence Clearwater Revival — Cosmo's Factory — 1970
29. Aerosmith — Rocks — 1976
30. Bruce Springsteen — Darkness on the Edge of Town — 1978
31. Ramones — Ramones — 1976
32. The Doors — The Doors — 1967
33. Lynyrd Skynyrd — (Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd) — 1973
34. Simon and Garfunkel — Bridge Over Troubled Water — 1970
35. Billy Joel — The Stranger — 1977
36. Bruce Springsteen — Born in the U.S.A. — 1984
37. Van Halen — 1984 — 1984
38. Funkadelic — Maggot Brain — 1970
39. Jimi Hendrix Experience — Axis: Bold as Love — 1967
40. ZZ Top — Eliminator — 1983
41. Tom Petty — Wildflowers — 1994
42. Bob Dylan — Bringing It All Back Home — 1965
43. Bruce Springsteen — Nebraska — 1982
44. Sly and the Family Stone — Stand! — 1969
45. Simon and Garfunkel — Sounds of Silence — 1966
46. Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground and Nico — 1967
47. Television — Marquee Moon — 1977
48. Creedence Clearwater Revival — Green River — 1969
49. Motley Crue — Shout at the Devil — 1983
50. Patti Smith — Horses — 1975
51. Eagles — Desperado — 1973
52. Jackson Browne — Running on Empty — 1977
53. Talking Heads — Stop Making Sense — 1984
54. Tom Petty — Full Moon Fever — 1989
55. R.E.M. — Murmur — 1983
56. Grateful Dead — American Beauty — 1970
57. Boston — Boston — 1976
58. Metallica — Master of Puppets — 1986
59. Pearl Jam — Ten — 1991
60. Aerosmith — Pump — 1989
61. Iggy and the Stooges — Raw Power — 1973
62. Harry Nilsson — Nilsson Schmilsson — 1971
63. Soundgarden — Superunknown — 1994
64. Kiss — Destroyer — 1976
65. The Cars — The Cars — 1978
66. ZZ Top — Deguello — 1979
67. John Mellencamp — Scarecrow — 1985
68. Alice Cooper — Billion Dollar Babies — 1973
69. Jane's Addiction — Nothing's Shocking — 1988
70. The Byrds — Sweetheart of the Rodeo — 1968
71. MC5 — Kick Out the Jams — 1969
72. Van Halen — Fair Warning — 1981
73. Grateful Dead — Workingman's Dead — 1970
74. Wilco — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot — 2002
75. Devo — Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! — 1978
76. Billy Joel — 52nd Street — 1978
77. Bruce Springsteen — The River — 1980
78. James Taylor — Sweet Baby James — 1970
79. Jane's Addiction — Ritual de lo Habitual — 1990
80. Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral — 1994
81. Kiss — Alive! — 1975
82. Green Day — Dookie — 1994
83. Cheap Trick — At Budokan — 1979
84. Tom Waits — Rain Dogs — 1985
85. Warren Zevon — Warren Zevon — 1976
86. The Doors — L.A. Woman — 1971
87. David Lee Roth — Eat 'Em and Smile — 1986
88. Pixies — Doolittle — 1989
89. Alice in Chains — Dirt — 1992
90. Love — Forever Changes — 1967
91. Lynyrd Skynyrd — Street Survivors — 1977
92. Allman Brothers Band — Eat a Peach — 1972
93. Green Day — American Idiot — 2004
94. Motley Crue — Too Fast for Love — 1981
95. Chicago — Chicago Transit Authority — 1969
96. Elvis Presley — From Elvis in Memphis — 1969
97. Montrose — Montrose — 1973
98. Van Halen — Women and Children First — 1980
99. The Replacements — Let It Be — 1984
100. Beach Boys — Surf's Up — 1971
101. Lou Reed — Transformer — 1972
102. Alice Cooper — Welcome to My Nightmare — 1975
103. Sonic Youth — Daydream Nation — 1988
104. Black Crowes — Southern Harmony and Musical Companion — 1992
105. Bob Dylan — Freewheelin' Bob Dylan — 1963
106. Janis Joplin — Pearl — 1971
107. R.E.M. — Out of Time — 1991
108. X — Los Angeles — 1980
109. Skid Row — Skid Row — 1989
110. Jackson Browne — The Pretender — 1976
111. Journey — Escape — 1981
112. Metallica — Ride the Lightning — 1984
113. Replacements — Tim — 1985
114. Van Halen — 5150 — 1986
115. Ween — The Mollusk — 1997
116. Nirvana — Unplugged in New York — 1994
117. Soundgarden — Badmotorfinger — 1991
118. Metallica — Kill 'Em All — 1983
119. Bon Jovi — Slippery When Wet — 1986
120. Megadeth — Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? — 1986
121. Foreigner — Double Vision — 1978
122. Paul Simon — The Rhythm of the Saints — 1990
123. Sleater-Kinney — The Woods — 2005
124. Megadeth — Rust in Peace — 1990
125. Blondie — Autoamerican — 1980
126. Jefferson Airplane — Surrealistic Pillow — 1967
127. Dio — Holy Diver — 1983
128. Big Brother and the Holding Company — Cheap Thrills — 1968
129. Santana — Abraxas — 1970
130. Foreigner — 4 — 1981
131. Ted Nugent — Double Live Gonzo — 1978
132. The Cult — Sonic Temple — 1989
133. Stone Temple Pilots — Purple — 1994
134. Billy Joel — The Nylon Curtain — 1982
135. Toto — Toto IV — 1982
136. Isley Brothers — 3+3 — 1973
137. Slayer — Reign in Blood — 1986
138. The Byrds — Mr. Tambourine Man — 1964
139. The Cult — Electric — 1987
140. Mothers of Invention — Freak Out! — 1966
141. Foo Fighters — The Colour and the Shape — 1997
142. Simon and Garfunkel — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme — 1966
143. Stone Temple Pilots — Core — 1992
144. Guns N' Roses — Use Your Illusion I — 1991
145. Husker Du — Zen Arcade — 1984
146. Kiss — Creatures of the Night — 1982
147. Guns N' Roses — Use Your Illusion II — 1991
148. Black Crowes — Shake Your Money Maker — 1990
149. Huey Lewis and the News — Sports — 1983
150. Smashing Pumpkins — Siamese Dream — 1993
151. The Cars — Heartbeat City — 1984
152. The Stooges — Fun House — 1970
153. Stevie Nicks — Bella Donna — 1981
154. Living Colour — Vivid — 1988
155. Warren Zevon — Excitable Boy — 1978
156. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band — Night Moves — 1976
157. Little Feat — Waiting for Columbus — 1978
158. Faith No More — The Real Thing — 1989
159. Simon and Garfunkel — Concert in Central Park — 1982
160. Creedence Clearwater Revival — Willy and the Poor Boys — 1969
161. Joe Cocker — Mad Dogs and Englishmen — 1971
162. Pantera — Vulgar Display of Power — 1992
163. Sleater-Kinney — Dig Me Out — 1997
164. Black Crowes — Amorica — 1994
165. Bonnie Raitt — Nick of Time — 1989
166. Captain Beefheart — Trout Mask Replica — 1969
167. Husker Du — New Day Rising — 1985
168. Journey — Infinity — 1978
169. Santana — Santana — 1969
170. Joe Satriani — Surfing With the Alien — 1987
171. The White Stripes — Elephant — 2003
172. Black Flag — Damaged — 1981
173. Lou Reed — New York — 1989
174. Nirvana — In Utero — 1993
175. Don Henley — Building the Perfect Beast — 1984
176. Talking Heads — Talking Heads: 77 — 1977
177. Metallica — The Black Album — 1991
178. ZZ Top — Tres Hombres — 1973
179. Bob Dylan — Time Out of Mind — 1997
180. The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground — 1969
181. Allman Brothers Band — Brothers and Sisters — 1973
182. Blondie — Parallel Lines — 1978
183. Grateful Dead — Live/Dead — 1969
184. Pearl Jam — Vs. — 1993
185. Simon and Garfunkel — Bookends — 1968
186. The Stooges — The Stooges — 1969
187. Bob Dylan — Oh Mercy — 1989
188. Blue Oyster Cult — Agents of Fortune — 1976
189. 13th Floor Elevators — The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators — 1966
190. Alice Cooper — Killer — 1971
191. Tom Petty — Into the Great Wide Open — 1991
192. Cheap Trick — Heaven Tonight — 1978
193. Jefferson Airplane — Volunteers — 1969
194. Hole — Live Through This — 1994
195. Steely Dan — Aja — 1977 (citado duas vezes na lista original, em posições diferentes)
196. Eagles — One of These Nights — 1975
197. Kiss — Lick It Up — 1983
198. Flying Burrito Brothers — The Gilded Palace of Sin — 1969
199. Bruce Springsteen — The Rising — 2002
200. Motley Crue — Dr. Feelgood — 1989
201. Nine Inch Nails — Pretty Hate Machine — 1989
202. Drive-By Truckers — Decoration Day — 2003
203. The Velvet Underground — White Light/White Heat — 1968
204. Don Henley — End of the Innocence — 1989
205. Daryl Hall and John Oates — Private Eyes — 1981
206. R.E.M. — Document — 1987
207. Bruce Springsteen — Tunnel of Love — 1987
208. Kiss — Revenge — 1992
209. Ratt — Out of the Cellar — 1984
210. Tom Waits — Bone Machine — 1992
211. Motley Crue — Motley Crue — 1994
212. Little Feat — Feats Don't Fail Me Now — 1974
213. Ted Nugent — Cat Scratch Fever — 1977
214. Chicago — Chicago V — 1972
215. Bob Seger — Live Bullet — 1976
216. Pearl Jam — Vitalogy — 1994
217. Bob Dylan — Love and Theft — 2001
218. Cheap Trick — Dream Police — 1979
219. Bon Jovi — New Jersey — 1988
220. Dio — The Last in Line — 1984
221. R.E.M. — Monster — 1994
222. Allman Brothers Band — Seven Turns — 1990
223. Queensryche — Operation: Mindcrime — 1988
224. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band — Live 1975-85 — 1986
225. Blue Cheer — Vincebus Eruptum — 1968
226. Grateful Dead — Europe '72 — 1972
227. Richard Hell and the Voidoids — Blank Generation — 1977
228. Butterfield Blues Band — East-West — 1966
229. REO Speedwagon — Hi Infidelity — 1980
230. Bob Dylan — Modern Times — 2006
231. The Byrds — Fifth Dimension — 1966
232. Lenny Kravitz — Let Love Rule — 1989
233. Warren Zevon — Life'll Kill Ya — 2000
234. Mothers of Invention — We're Only in It for the Money — 1968
235. Tom Waits — Mule Variations — 1998
236. John Mellencamp — Whenever We Wanted — 1991
237. The Byrds — Notorious Byrd Brothers — 1967
238. Bob Dylan — John Wesley Harding — 1967
239. Alice Cooper — The Last Temptation — 1994
240. Billy Joel — Songs in the Attic — 1981
241. Steely Dan — Countdown to Ecstasy — 1973
242. Bob Seger — Against the Wind — 1980
243. Allman Brothers Band — Allman Brothers Band — 1969
244. Black Keys — Brothers — 2010
245. Grateful Dead — Aoxomoxoa — 1969
246. Bruce Springsteen — The Ghost of Tom Joad — 1995
247. Lynyrd Skynyrd — Second Helping — 1974
248. Journey — Captured — 1981
249. Live — Throwing Copper — 1994
250. Styx — Paradise Theatre — 1981