“Rolling Stone” Gives Its Blessing To M.I.A.

jharv | December 17, 2007 4:15 am
kalaaaaaaa.jpg

Nothing quite as batshit on Rolling Stone‘s Best Albums Of ’07 list as Randy Newman landing at No. 2 on the magazine’s list of the year’s best singles, but that’s not to say the list isn’t full of surprises, some far less pleasant than M.I.A.’s Kala taking the top spot.

THE GOOD: Far more hip-hop and R&B–and far more music made (and listened to) by folks under 35–than one may have expected. That’s not to say there’s a lot, of course, or that RS doesn’t rank Bright Eyes and John Fogerty ahead of most of it. THE BAD: Gee, who’d have thunk the Top 10 would be yet another worthy-but-dull Magic Neon Silver Rainbows Ga Ga Graduation kind of affair? Is it 2008 yet? THE WHAAAA? One has to assume that Rilo Kiley placing in the Top 10 has something, if not everything, to do with the dreaded hot pants.

50 Britney Spears – Blackout 49 Dropkick Murphys – The Meanest of Times 48 Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back 47 Band of Horses – Cease to Begin 46 Fall Out Boy – Infinity on High 45 Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace 44 Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block 43 Smashing Pumpkins – Zeitgeist 42 Wilco – Sky Blue Sky 41 of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? 40 Amy Winehouse – Back to Black 39 Dr. Dog – We All Belong 38 Imperial Teen – The Hair the TV the Baby & the Band 37 Down – Over the Under 36 Alicia Keys – As I Am 35 Feist – The Reminder 34 Chris Brown – Exclusive 33 Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price – Last of the Breed 32 Maroon 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before Long 31 Kings of Leon – Because of the Times 30 Youssou N’Dour – Rokku Mi Rokka 29 Mary J. Blige – Growing Pains 28 The Apples in Stereo – New Magnetic Wonder 27 Lil Wayne – Da Drought 3 26 Miranda Lambert – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 25 Linkin Park – Minutes To Midnight 24 Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – Raising Sand 23 1990s – Cookies 22 Paul McCartney – Memory Almost Full 21 Nine Inch Nails – Year Zero 20 Melissa Etheridge – The Awakening 19 Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon 18 Lucinda Williams – West 17 The White Stripes – Icky Thump 16 Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends 15 Common – Finding Forever 14 Gogol Bordello – Super Taranta! 13 Lily Allen – Alright, Still 12 Bright Eyes – Cassadaga 11 John Fogerty – Revival 10 Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga 09 Against Me! – New Wave 08 Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight 07 LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver 06 Radiohead – In Rainbows 05 Kanye West – Graduation 04 Arcade Fire – Neon Bible 03 Jay-Z – American Gangster 02 Bruce Springsteen – Magic 01 M.I.A. – Kala

Rolling Stone’s Top Albums Of ’07 List [Stereogum]