NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums: The Final List

This is the finale. After an enduring selection and weeding out process, combined with a very scientific poll (results are to your right, I voted four times), we present NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums. If you have not been following along, and want to know how we arrived here, I urge you to check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. When we first embarked on this journey, we had no idea we would be filling such a huge void left by the now-defunct Blender Magazine when it comes to mindless music lists, but we couldn't be happier to do so. Although the first three parts were divided into each contributor's selections and deletions, we now stand as one. And with that spirit, we present the top 50 deserted island albums:

Abbey Road by The Beatles
Ænima by Tool
Aqualung by Jethro Tull
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
At Dawn by My Morning Jacket
Beggars Banquet by The Rolling Stones
Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River
Chairs Missing by Wire
Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins
Closer by Joy Division
Clouds Taste Metallic by The Flaming Lips
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement
Doolittle by Pixies
Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen
Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Furnace Room Lullaby by Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
The Futureheads by The Futureheads
Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams
Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
I See a Darkness by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Kid A by Radiohead
Kill the Moonlight by Spoon
Laughing Stock by Talk Talk
London Calling by The Clash
Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse
Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest
Maggot Brain by Funkadelic
Mclusky Do Dallas by Mclusky
The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
Off the Wall by Michael Jackson
OK Computer by Radiohead
On Fire by Galaxie 500
Perfect From Now On by Built to Spill
Rabbit Songs by Hem
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder
Stankonia by Outkast
Stop Making Sense (expanded edition) by Talking Heads
Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits
Tago Mago by Can
Tidal by Fiona Apple
Tim by The Replacements
Weezer (the blue album) by Weezer
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
You & Me by The Walkmen

NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums, Part 3: Just When You Think You're Out, We Pull You Back In!

Ladies and gentlemen, Part 3 of NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums. The first week six of us chose five albums that we would like to bring along to a deserted island. The second week we all chose five more. This week each of us gets to eliminate two albums chosen by our idiot brethren that we want no part of. Each choice had to be defended, which, as you will see, could constitute a one-word response from Mr. Powers, or a rant from Audrey that tells us she probably won't be hanging out with Holly, Charlemagne, and Gideon anytime soon. In the comments section, we will each vote for two outcasts that we wish to remain on the island, but each contributor is forbidden from voting for any of their own albums that were shunned. The two albums that receive the most votes will be allowed to stay, and we'll be left with 50. Those will be posted next week. But alas, the fun starts now.

Alex Crisafulli
Bob Marley - Babylon By Bus (chosen by Scott): Since we're looking at a 5:1 ratio of guys to girls on this island, it would probably be best to refrain from any music that might promote some sort of Rastafarian lifestyle.

Wire - Pink Flag (chosen by Brian): I like Wire, sort of. But two albums from Wire is excessive. In choosing between Pink Flag and Chairs Missing (Jim's pick), the first thing that came to mind was "I am the Fly" from Chairs Missing. I've always liked that song. Therefore, Pink Flag gets the heave-ho. Sorry, Brian.

Brian Herrmann
The Beatles - The White Album (chosen by Scott): If the consensus seems to be one album per band, I'll take Abbey Road's cohesion over The White Album's bombast any day.

Beethoven - Symphonies 3, 5, & 9 (chosen by Scott): There's no room for classical music on my island. Also, I feel like picking on Scott.

Travis Newman
Ween - Chocolate & Cheese (chosen by Scott): I appreciate Ween's ability on this album (or is it their entire schtick? I'm not sure) to successfully mimic many different genres. However, I never want to hear that creepy spinal meningitis song EVER again in my life, let alone have it be one of the approximately 500 or so songs we would have to listen to on our island.

Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk (chosen by Audrey): I'm sorry, I just don't like Belle & Sebastian. Maybe it's because they always remind me of that shitty cartoon from which they take their name? However, it's more likely because I cannot stand their music.

My tribe has spoken.

Jim Powers
The Walkmen - Bows + Arrows (chosen by Audrey): I love the Walkmen and this is a good album. But if we're only taking 50 albums, two from this band seems a little excessive and I'd rather have You & Me. This doesn't mean that I have a problem with taking two albums from any artist though. Also, I might have to smuggle a copy of "The Rat" to the island somehow if this one gets cut.

Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator) (chosen by Scott): Eh.

Scott Rudolph
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out...

The Smiths – Louder Than Bombs (chosen by Travis): I was thinking that one of the good things about being stranded on a desert(ed) island would be not having to ever hear Morrissey's pouty, pretentious little whine ever again.

Okkervil River – Down the River of Golden Dreams (chosen by Audrey): One Okkervil River album will suffice, I think. And if we must pick one to stay, let us choose the one to with fancy strings and the like (Black Sheep Boy).

Audrey Wen
The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America (chosen by Alex): Can't stand them. I have given them quite a bit of play time, trying to understand their appeal and I just don't get it. I dislike the way Craig Finn talks/sings, pumps his fists, rolls up his blazer sleeve and dress shirt. I don't like Boys and Girls in America, save "Southtown Girls." I also hate that they use the article "the" in their name. It reminds me of "The Brigham and Women's Hospital," like they are the greatest things on earth. Also, isn't it grammatically incorrect? An article before a command? Maybe I'm slamming the band more than the album, but these guys just don't do it for me, if that's not already abundantly clear. I'd gladly give up any of my ten albums to never hear this band again.

Michael Jackson – Off the Wall (chosen by Audrey): I pick my own album, Michael Jackson's Off the Wall to emphasize my point about the Hold Steady.

NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums, Part 2: The New Batch

This is Part 2 of our journey to the Top 50 NQL Deserted Island Albums. The ground rules were laid out in Part 1, but just to recap, six NQL contributors are now laying down ten of their essential albums that they would like to have along if they were stranded on a desert(ed) island. Last week we each presented our first five. This week, the next five. Stay tuned for next week (or perhaps the week after that since Audrey is at SXSW and not checking her NQL Blackberry as she was told) where we each vote two undesirables off the island. That's when things will get messy and fun. But until then, here is our second round of deserted island albums:

Alex Crisafulli
Beggars Banquet – The Rolling Stones
Clouds Taste Metallic – The Flaming Lips
Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
The Midnight Organ Fight – Frightened Rabbit
Tim – The Replacements

Brian Herrmann
Electric Ladyland – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Low End Theory – A Tribe Called Quest
Kill the Moonlight – Spoon
Pink Flag – Wire
Stop Making Sense (expanded edition) – Talking Heads

Travis Newman
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain – Pavement
Lonesome Crowded West – Modest Mouse
Mclusky Do Dallas – Mclusky
Tago Mago* – Can
You & Me – The Walkmen

Jim Powers
Chairs Missing – Wire
Chutes Too Narrow – The Shins
Closer – Joy Division
Kid A – Radiohead
Sung Tongs – Animal Collective

Scott Rudolph
Babylon By Bus – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Maggot Brain – Funkadelic
Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
Symphonies 3, 5, & 9 – Ludwin van Beethoven
Rabbit Songs - Hem

Audrey Wen
Bows + Arrows – The Walkmen
Down the River of Golden Dreams – Okkervil River
Furnace Room Lullaby – Neko Case and Her Boyfriends
Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams
Weezer (the blue album) - Weezer


*This album was chosen when it was collectively decided that Use Your Illusion I & Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses could not count as one album.

NQL's Top 50 Deserted Island Albums, Part 1

If you ever listen to Sound Opinions on Chicago Public Radio, you know that at the end of each episode either Greg Kot or Jim DeRogatis pick one song to be added to the "desert island jukebox." (When we were discussing this post, Jim Powers actually came up with a strong point in that the correct term should probably be "deserted" and not "desert," but whatever.) Basically, one of them picks a song that every music fan would not, or should not, want to live without.

Well, NQL is going to spend the next few weeks doing something of similar vein. Only we're going to focus on albums. Here's how it's going to work:

• For this week, six of our contributors each picked five albums they would want to bring to the island. We posted the albums in a thread on Gmail on a first come, first served basis. Therefore, if one person had already picked an album, it could not be chosen by anyone else.
• Next week, we're all going to once again choose five albums. That will bring the number to 60 albums.
• The third week, each contributor is going to vote two albums selected by others off the island. They will have to add a brief sentence or two to show cause as to why they could not handle the idea of being on the same island as such-and-such album. At this point, personal insults involving the album, the band that is responsible for said album, and the contributor who thought to bring along the album will not only be tolerated but strongly encouraged. After this is done and friendships are destroyed, the albums will have been whittled down to 48. Now, in the comment section of this particular post, each contributor will select two albums that were banished that they wish to remain on the island. Contributors will not be able to vote for any of their own albums that were told to piss off. The top two vote-getting banished albums will be allowed to stay. That will bring the number of albums to a nice, even 50.
• The fourth week we will post the official NQL Top 50 Deserted Island Albums.

So as you see, we're basically ripping off Sound Opinions, only with a little bit of Lost, Lord of the Flies, and a few episodes of the old television show Benson mixed in as well. We have no idea why we were sent to this island, nor why we all had the foresight to pack our favorite albums. Nevertheless, we're hoping at least one of them will help fight off scurvy. And now that the rules have been explained, here is our first round of deserted island albums:

Alex Crisafulli
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
Black Sheep Boy by Okkervil River
Boys and Girls in America by The Hold Steady
On Fire by Galaxie 500
Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins

Brian Herrmann
Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen
I See a Darkness by Bonnie "Prince" Billy
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Laughing Stock by Talk Talk
Stankonia by Outkast

Travis Newman
Ænima by Tool
Here Come the Warm Jets by Brian Eno
London Calling by The Clash
Louder Than Bombs by The Smiths
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie

Jim Powers
Abbey Road by The Beatles
Aqualung by Jethro Tull
The Futureheads by The Futureheads
OK Computer by Radiohead
Perfect From Now On by Built to Spill

Scott Rudolph
Chocolate and Cheese by Ween
Doolittle by Pixies
Songs in the Key of Life by Stevie Wonder
Time (The Revelator) by Gillian Welch
The White Album by The Beatles

Audrey Wen
At Dawn by My Morning Jacket
Off the Wall by Michael Jackson
Tidal by Fiona Apple
Tigermilk by Belle & Sebastian
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco