Github Github logo GitLab GitLab logo Twitter Twitter Mastodon Mastodon logo Wikipedia Wikipedia logo Stack Overflow Stack Overflow logo Stack Overflow Stack Overflow logo OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap logo Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0

100 Records That Set The World On Fire (while no one was listening)

published

From the Wire #175, September 1998: 100 Records That Set The World On Fire (scans).

In The Wire 175, we polled our writers to nominate records that should have ignited the world’s imagination - but somehow got forgotten along the way.

List obtained from different places (1, 2).

Where the album was available on Spotify I linked the album, otherwise the artist. I’m in the process of autogenerating and annotating this list with information from different sources, but it’s not quite ready yet.

Enjoy!

  • Charles Ives – Symphony No. 4 (1910–16) (Grammophon, 1988)
  • Blind Willie Johnson – Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground (Columbia, 1929)
  • Bob Graettinger – City Of Glass/This Modern World (Capitol, 1953)
  • Louis & Bebe Barron – Forbidden Planet OST (Small Planet, 1956)
  • Esquivel And His Orchestra – Other Worlds Other Sounds (RCA, 1958)
  • The Blue Men – I Hear A New World (RGM White Label/RPM, 1960)
  • Joe Harriott – Abstract (Columbia/Capitol, 1961)
  • Son House – The Original Delta Blues (Columbia/Legacy, 1964)
  • William S. Burroughs – Call Me Burroughs (ESP, 1965)
  • Steve Reich – Early Works: Come Out/It’s Gonna Rain (Elektra, 1965)
  • Albert Ayler – In Greenwich Village (Impulse!, 1967)
  • Bill Dixon Orchestra – Intents And Purposes (RCA, 1967)
  • Gottfried Michael Koenig – Terminus II/Funktion Gruen (Deutsche Grammophon, 1967)
  • Sun Ra – Strange Strings (Saturn, 1967)
  • Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum (Philips, 1968)
  • Dr. John the Night Tripper – Gris–Gris (Atco, 1968)
  • Pearls Before Swine – Balaklava (ESP, 1968)
  • Spontaneous Music Ensemble – Karyobin (Chronoscope, 1968)
  • The United States Of America – The United States Of America (CBS, 1968)
  • El Camaron De La Isla & Paco De Lucia – Al Verte Las Floras Lloran (Philips, 1969)
  • Ram John Holder – Black London Blues (Beacon, 1969)
  • Phil Ochs – Rehearsals For Retirement (A&M, 1969)
  • Buffy Sainte–Marie – Illuminations (Vanguard, 1969)
  • Sonny Sharrock – Black Woman (Vortex, 1969)
  • Silver Apples – Contact (Kapp Records, 1969)
  • Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence – Oar (Columbia, 1969)
  • Kevin Ayers & The Whole World – Shooting At The Moon (Harvest, 1970)
  • Comus – First Utterance (BGO, 1970)
  • Michael Gibbs – Michael Gibbs (Deram, 1970)
  • Alvin Lucier – I Am Sitting In A Room (Lovely Music, 1970)
  • Cluster – Cluster 71 (Philips/Sky, 1971)
  • The Last Poets – This is Madness (Douglas Music, 1971)
  • The Master Musicians Of Jajouka – Brian Jones Presents The Pipes Of Pan At Jajouka (Rolling Stones, 1971)
  • John Cale – Paris 1919 (Reprise, 1972)
  • Alice Coltrane – Universal Consciousness (Impulse!, 1972)
  • Miles Davis – On The Corner (Columbia, 1972)
  • Hugh Hopper – 1984 (CBS/Cuneiform, 1972)
  • Modern Lovers – The Original Modern Lovers (Mohawk, 1972)
  • Annette Peacock – I’m The One (RCA, 1972)
  • Pierre Akendengue – Nandipo (Saravah, 1973)
  • Faust – The Faus Tapes (Virgin) 1973
  • Herbie Hancock – Sextant (Columbia, 1973)
  • Larry Young – Lawrence Of Newark (Perception, 1973)
  • Betty Davis – They Say I’m Different (Vinyl Experience, 1974)
  • Furry Lewis – In His Prime 1927–1928 (A&M, 1975)
  • Pere Ubu – 30 Seconds Over Tokyo (Hearthan, 1975)
  • Lee Perry – Revolution Dub (Cactus, 1975)
  • Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music (RCA, 1975)
  • The Electric Eels – Cyclotraon/Agitated 7” (Rough Trade, 1977)
  • Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band – Bat Chain Puller (Unreleased, 1976)
  • Henry Cow – Concerts (Recommended, 1976)
  • The Residents – Satisfaction (Ralph, 1976)
  • Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson – Ain’t That A Bitch (DJM, 1976)
  • Ornette Coleman – Dancing In Your Head (A&M, 1977)
  • Glenn Gould – The Solitude Trilogy (CBS, 1967–77)
  • Al Green – The Belle Album (Motown, 1977)
  • Ron ‘Pate’s Debonairs featuring Rev Fred Lane – Raudeluna’s ‘Pataphysical Revue (Say Day Bew, 1977)
  • Iggy Pop & James Williamson – Kill City (Bomp, 1977)
  • Tim Souster – Swit Drimz (Transatlantic, 1977)
  • The Human League – Being Boiled (Fast Product, 1978)
  • The Walker Brothers – Nite Flights (GTO Records, 1978)
  • Chrome – Half Machine Lip Moves (Siren/Beggars Banquet, 1979)
  • Lol Coxhill – Digswell Duets (Random Radar, 1979)
  • Robert Fripp – Exposure (EG/Polydor, 1979)
  • Nurse With Wound – Chance Meeting On A Dissecting Table Of A Sewing Machine And An Umbrella (United Dairies, 1979)
  • Family Fodder – Monkey Banana Kitchen (Fresh, 1980)
  • Fire Engines – Get Up And Use Me (Pop: Aural, 1980)
  • La Nimba De N’Zerekore – Gon Bia Bia (Syliphone, 1980)
  • Nancy Sesay & The Melodaires – C’est Fab 7” (It’s War Boys, 1980)
  • Monoton – Monotonprodukt 07 (Monotonprodukt, 1981)
  • Derek Bailey – Aida (Incus/Dexter’s Cigar, 1982)
  • Bad Brains – Bad Brains (ROIR, 1982)
  • Kip Hanrahan – Desire Develops An Edge (American Clave, 1983)
  • Youssou N’Dour – Djamil (Senegalese Cassette) 1983
  • Mark Stewart & The Maffia – Learning To Cope With Cowardice (On–U Sound, 1983)
  • Jonathan Harvey – Bhakti (NMC, 1984)
  • The Homosexuals – The Homosexuals (Recommended, 1984)
  • Cheba Fadela & Cheb Sahraoui – N’Sel Fik (Factory/Mango, 1985)
  • Christian Marclay – Record Without A Cover (Recycled, 1985)
  • Arthur Russell – World of Echo (Upside/Rough Trade, 1986)
  • Fingers Inc – Another Side (Trax, 1988)
  • Conlon Nancarrow – Studies For Player Piano (Wergo, 1988)
  • Dead C – Trapdoor Fucking Exit (Siltbreeze, 1990)
  • Royal Trux – Twin Infinitives (Drag City, 1990)
  • Fushitsusha – DBL Live (PSF, 1991)
  • Public Enemy – Apocalypse 91 … The Enemy Strikes Black (Def Jam, 1991)
  • Galina Ustvolskaya – No. 1 (Hat Art, 1991)
  • Steven Jesse Bernstein – Prison (Sub Pop, 1992)
  • Bally Sagoo – Wham Bam 2: The Second Massacre (Oriental Star Agencies, 1992)
  • Luke Skywalker – I Wanna Rock 12” (Luke Records, 1992)
  • Bernhard Gunter – Un Peu De Neige Salie (Selektion/Table of the Elements, 1993)
  • Ken Ishii – Garden On The Palm (R&S, 1993)
  • Jean C Roche – A Nocturne Of Nightingales (Sittele, 1993)
  • Jeff Mills – X–103 Atlantis (Axis/Tresor, 1993)
  • Paul Dolden – L’Ivresse De La Vitesse (Empreintes Digitales, 1994)
  • 4 Hero – Parallele Universe (Reinforced, 1994)
  • Joey Beltram – Places (Tresor, 1995)
  • Oval – 94 Diskont (Mille Plateaux, 1995)
  • Tony Conrad – Four Violins (Table Of The Elements, 1997)
  • Cathy Lane – Nesting Stones (Unknown Public, 1998)

The 30 others that did not make it into the original article:

  • King Sunny Ade – Ju–Ju Music (Island, 1982)
  • Arcane Device – Engines Of Myth (1988)
  • The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – Fanfare For The Warriors (Atlantic, 1974)
  • Baby Ford – Ford Trax (Rhythm King, 1988)
  • Ray Charles – The Spirit Of Christmas (CBS, 1985)
  • Vinicius Cantuaria – Sol Na Cara (Gramavision, 1997)
  • Charles Brown Superstar – Days Of Our Drive/Sweet Piece Of Ass (Win, 1995)
  • Lowell Davidson – Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP Disk, 1965)
  • Dead Can Dance – The Serpent’s Egg (4AD CD, 1988)
  • Eric Dolphy – Out To Lunch (Blue Note, 1964)
  • Bob Dylan – Live At The Manchester Free Trade Hall (Columbia, 1966)
  • The 49 Americans – We Know Nonsense (Quartz LP, 1982)
  • Jimmy Giuffre – Free Fall (Columbia, 1962)
  • Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet – Golden Gate Gospel Train (Bluebird, 1937)
  • Hot Gossip – The Hollywood Jungle (DinDisc unreleased, 1981)
  • Howlin Wolf – The Howlin’ Wolf Album (Chess/Cadet, 1968)
  • Lee Konitz – Motion (Verve, 1961)
  • Labradford – A Stable Reference (Kranky/Flying Nun, 1995)
  • Last Exit – Last Exit (Enemy, 1986)
  • JB Lenoir – Alabama Blues (Bellaphon CD, 1965)
  • Derrick May – Debut LP (Transmat unreleased)
  • Rachel’s – Music For Egon Schiele (Quarterstick CD, 1996)
  • The Soul Stirrers (featuring Sam Cooke) – Jesus Gave Me Water (1951)
  • The Staple Singers – Uncloudy Day (Vee Jay Records, 1959)
  • Cecil Taylor – Looking Ahead! (Original Jazz Classics, 1958)
  • Willie Mae Thornton – Hound Dog (Vogue, 1953)
  • Lennie Tristano – I Can’t Get Started With You (Keystone, 1946)
  • Various Artists – Ice Cream And Suckers (Mercury, 1963)
  • David S Ware – Third Ear Recitation (DIW, 1993)
  • Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing (King, 1969)