Chuck Eddy

150 Best Albums of 1969 My five favorite records on the November 17, 1969 WLS Chicago Top 40 Hit Parade are, in order of preference: R.B.

NEW!!! ≈4000 words about boogie plod, classical prog, blue-eyed swamp soul, heavy blues, (possibly) peak bubblegum & reggae, fringed suede vests, moonshots, Altamont, whether Led Zep were unoriginal, whether Paul was dead, whether the Stooges stunk, Detroit radio and my 150 favorite albums of 1969.

Yes and No (I don't think.)

150 Best Albums of 1969 My five favorite records on the November 17, 1969 WLS Chicago Top 40 Hit Parade are, in order of preference: R.B.

NEW!!! ≈4000 words about boogie plod, classical prog, blue-eyed swamp soul, heavy blues, (possibly) peak bubblegum & reggae, fringed suede vests, moonshots, Altamont, whether Led Zep were unoriginal, whether Paul was dead, whether the Stooges stunk, Detroit radio and my 150 favorite albums of 1969.

Pazz & Jop Product Reports, 2026 This post is a tool; it’s how I keep track of new music I hear — thus enabling me, for one thing, to put together long lists of albums I like when the year comes to an end.

PAZZ & JOP PRODUCT REPORT—early March 2026

YEAH: Whodamanny: Onda Biloba (Periodica Italy) 7; Mo’ong & Bilawa: Mo’ong & Bilawa (Bloxham Tapes UK) 7; Mandy, Indiana: Urgh (Sacred Bones UK) 7; Joshua Chuquimia Crampton: Anata (Puro Fantasía EP) 5...

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Power Ballots and Second Thoughts Nobody agrees with my 2026 R&R Hall of Fame votes -- including me!

To meet reader demand, here’s who I voted for on my 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ballot last week, and related thoughts on the subject (including on everybody nominated, whether I voted for them or not. Do I have opinions, or what??) If I don’t agree with my votes, why should you?

Power Ballots and Second Thoughts Nobody agrees with my 2026 R&R Hall of Fame votes -- including me!

To meet reader demand, here’s who I voted for on my 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ballot last week, and related thoughts on the subject (including on everybody nominated, whether I voted for them or not. Do I have opinions, or what??) If I don’t agree with my votes, why should you?

Pazz & Jop Product Reports, 2026 This post is a tool; it’s how I keep track of new music I hear — thus enabling me, for one thing, to put together long lists of albums I like when the year comes to an end.

PAZZ & JOP PRODUCT REPORT—early March 2026

YEAH: Whodamanny: Onda Biloba (Periodica Italy) 7; Mo’ong & Bilawa: Mo’ong & Bilawa (Bloxham Tapes UK) 7; Mandy, Indiana: Urgh (Sacred Bones UK) 7; Joshua Chuquimia Crampton: Anata (Puro Fantasía EP) 5...

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Half-Heartedly Defending Mariah Carey Sometimes I vote for her and sometimes I don't

I wrote this screed 2 years ago; not sure why I didn’t mention the Hole/L7-inspired grunge CD Mariah covertly helped record and release in 1995. Reviving the post now because just this week I submitted another R&R Hall of Fame ballot, and this time I *didn’t vote for her. Though maybe should have.

Let Kama Sutra Guide You Blindfold Test #24

25 songs 1961-1997: Abwärts, Airplay, A.R. & Machines, Autosalvage, George Benson, Cymande, Al Downing, Gaza Sisters, Heavy Metal Kids, Jack Off Jill, Manfred Mann, Barbara Mason (twice), Maximum Joy, McCoys, Mr. President, Negative Trend, Asha Puthli, Pyrolator, Jesse Rae, Tams, Twilight 22, more.

Rock & Roll Hall of Facebook In which people tried to guess who I voted for

I have never cared who gets into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame. But they started sending me ballots several years back, and voting’s kinda fun. As is letting people try to guess who I’m voting for. Which is exactly what I did on facebook from 2018 through 2021. You can follow the play-by-play here.

Rock & Roll Hall of Facebook In which people tried to guess who I voted for

I have never cared who gets into the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame. But they started sending me ballots several years back, and voting’s kinda fun. As is letting people try to guess who I’m voting for. Which is exactly what I did on facebook from 2018 through 2021. You can follow the play-by-play here.

Let Kama Sutra Guide You Blindfold Test #24

25 songs 1961-1997: Abwärts, Airplay, A.R. & Machines, Autosalvage, George Benson, Cymande, Al Downing, Gaza Sisters, Heavy Metal Kids, Jack Off Jill, Manfred Mann, Barbara Mason (twice), Maximum Joy, McCoys, Mr. President, Negative Trend, Asha Puthli, Pyrolator, Jesse Rae, Tams, Twilight 22, more.

And now the line is much longer than when I got there.

Probably took me two hours total at my polling place in South Austin, including the vote itself.

I will reveal next week whether I did, or didn't. Stay tuned....

150 Best Albums of 1988 “Possibly the most revered year in hip-hop,” the sticker on my copy of Ohio backpack rapper and producer Blueprint’s 2005 CD 1988 calls the year it’s named after, and “widely regarded as the greatest ...

Almost 1800 words on hip-hop's supposed greatest year ever, what genre had an even better year, dance music by other names, Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Singles of All Time list, the relationship between Arto Lindsay and Ava Max, pre-Radiohead post-rock, and above all my 150 favorite 1988 albums.

Half-Heartedly Defending Mariah Carey Sometimes I vote for her and sometimes I don't

I wrote this screed 2 years ago; not sure why I didn’t mention the Hole/L7-inspired grunge CD Mariah covertly helped record and release in 1995. Reviving the post now because just this week I submitted another R&R Hall of Fame ballot, and this time I *didn’t vote for her. Though maybe should have.

Exactly. I just wanted to get it over with, too much on my plate already.

I'll put them in a Substack post (which I'll link to here) next week. (Of course, I'm already second-guessing who I voted for.)

150 Best Albums of 1988 “Possibly the most revered year in hip-hop,” the sticker on my copy of Ohio backpack rapper and producer Blueprint’s 2005 CD 1988 calls the year it’s named after, and “widely regarded as the greatest ...

Almost 1800 words on hip-hop's supposed greatest year ever, what genre had an even better year, dance music by other names, Spin magazine's 100 Greatest Singles of All Time list, the relationship between Arto Lindsay and Ava Max, pre-Radiohead post-rock, and above all my 150 favorite 1988 albums.

Okay! I'd forgotten Luther was in there. (Not sure I've ever really written about him otherwise. But I do like the guy.)

...but wait, Luther Vandross in my profile?? I'm confused.

It'd sure make voting a lot easier!

4 out of 7, not bad!

No but anyone who wants to guess my ballot is welcome to, and I'll gladly reveal how many they got right.

Scored more than 30 percentile points (and I think 200 or so regular points) higher in math on my SATs than verbal. I'd say it has both helped and hurt me over the years.

My personally emailed Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot informs me that "7 selections are required for your votes to count," when I could comfortably stop at three. I clearly have some coins to flip today.

150 Best Albums of 2023 As the hottest year on record so far wound down to a holiday season portending what’s sure to be an even hotter and otherwise frightening on many fronts 2024, an article began making the rounds on wha...

5200 words on redoing old songs for no good reason, the deadly scourge of "indie folk," pop's middle class, listening to sped-up music on purpose, jazz revisiting century-old music, a kind of music somebody named "futurismus" and maybe they weren't even joking, and my 150 favorite albums of 2023.

150 Best Albums of 2023 As the hottest year on record so far wound down to a holiday season portending what’s sure to be an even hotter and otherwise frightening on many fronts 2024, an article began making the rounds on wha...

5200 words on redoing old songs for no good reason, the deadly scourge of "indie folk," pop's middle class, listening to sped-up music on purpose, jazz revisiting century-old music, a kind of music somebody named "futurismus" and maybe they weren't even joking, and my 150 favorite albums of 2023.

He's always been pretty bland. Only album I've ever liked much is Like Red On a Rose, one of the worst-selling of his hit-making (i.e. pre 2010) era, closest he's come to a jazz record. Otherwise, I'm sure I could put together a decent 10-song best-of if somebody paid me.