In celebration of Rolling Stone's 40th Anniversary, we've handpicked the 40 albums they got wrong. Each and every one of these gems deserved their greatest praise: 5 Stars.
To avoid confusion, here are a few pointers:
1) Some albums were not evaluated in initial Rolling Stone issues.
2) Some albums were not given Star scale ratings (pre-1980s usually).
3) Many albums' initial reviews were changed (usually for a higher score) for the Rolling Stone Album Guide (abbreviated 'AG' below).
4) The most recent albums are not in the AG.
The third point is perhaps the most important, because what many of these albums prove is that Rolling Stone got it really wrong the first time around and, in some cases, corrected their mistake (and in some cases, didn't).
The real hinge upon which this article rotates is this: When a supposed beacon of music criticism gives 5 Stars to Mick Jagger's Goddess in the Doorway, but not to the 40 albums listed below, can we really trust them anymore?
40. Built to Spill – Keep It Like a Secret - 3.5 Stars; Changed to 4 in AG
Idaho’s Built to Spill sort of invented the term 'indie' in the 1990s with their homemade releases and distinctive sound, spearheaded by frontman Doug Martsch. In short, BTS keeps it ultra-real and this is their hallmark.
