When lists are made, questions are inevitably raised and the list The Phoenix put together (that BV pointed out) is no exception.

 

Without further ado, their list of the ten albums that formed "indie rock":

 

10. The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
9. Replacements - Let It Be
8. R.E.M. - Murmur
7. Pixies - Surfer Rosa
6. Minutemen - Double Nickels
5. Joy Divison - Closer
4. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
3. Husker Du - Zen Arcade
2. Dinosaur Jr - You're Living All Over Me
1. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation

 

 

And their "honorable mentions":

 

Bad Brains, Rock for Light (Caroline, 1983)
Big Black, Atomizer (Touch & Go, 1986)
Butthole Surfers, Rembrandt Pussyhorse (Latino Bugger Veil, 1986)
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, From Her to Eternity (Mute/Elektra, 1984)
Cocteau Twins, Treasure (4AD, 1984)
The Cure, The Head on the Door (Elektra, 1985)
Descendents, Milo Goes to College (SST, 1982)
Dream Syndicate, The Days of Wine and Roses (Slash, 1982)
The Fall, This Nation’s Saving Grace (Beggars Banquet, 1985)
Flipper, Generic Flipper (Subterranean, 1982)
Government Issue, You (Giant, 1987)
Gun Club, Fire of Love (Ruby, 1981)
Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II (SST, 1984)
Melvins, Gluey Porch Treatments (Boner, 1987)
Minor Threat, Out of Step (Dischord, 1983)
Mission of Burma, Vs. (Ace of Hearts, 1982)
Moving Targets, Burning Acid (Taang!, 1986)
Naked Raygun, All Rise (Homestead, 1986)
Rites of Spring, Rites of Spring (Dischord, 1985)
Soul Asylum, Made to Be Broken (Twin/Tone, 1986)
Squirrel Bait, Squirrel Bait (Homestead, 1985)
Swans, Children of God (Caroline, 1987)
Throwing Muses, Throwing Muses (4AD, 1986)
Wipers, Youth of America (Park Avenue, 1981)
X, Wild Gift (Slash, 1981)

 

 

 

Alright, let's deal with this Top Ten. They're definitely on the right track and had to make some tough calls on a few bands. Let It Be instead of Tim? Closer instead of Unknown Pleasures? Surfer Rosa instead of Doolittle? Meat Is Murder instead of The Queen Is Dead? While the others migh be too close to call, that last one is unacceptable.

 

Also, it's clear that they didn't want to make any choices into the 1990s, which is understandable, as this is a list of formative records. But what the hell does "indie" mean anymore, anyhow? These albums were all released before that term was used the way it is now (aka before The Strokes).

 

We also could have used some Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Tom Waits, early Talking Heads, Gang of Four, etc., etc.

 

What this really is about, though, is the great Sonic Youth debate. I, for one, think they're inconsistent and overrated. Daydream Nation may have some kickass songs, but it has some crappy ones, too.

 

Kickass:

 

Crappy:

 

Yeah, that's right. I called "Providence" a crappy song, because it is. Get your artsy farts outta my face.

 

If an album is going to be Number One in anything, it needs to hit on all cylinders. To tell you the truth, I think SY's most recent, Rather Ripped, is better than Daydream Nation.

 

That is all.