#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.
No. 031
“The B-52’s sounds like high school friends cramming their in-jokes, wacky sounds and private nicknames into a New Wave LP.”
Artist: The B-52’s
Album: The B-52’s
Released: 1979
Label: Label
Rolling Stones Ranking: 152
I blew my own mind today when I realized that I knew TWO songs from The B-52’s! Not only do I know the ever popular “Love Shack”, which is not on this album, but I also know “Rock Lobster”. I had no idea that The B-5s’s did “Rock Lobster”, but it’s very fitting. This album feels like it is out of the mid-’80s, but is is actually from 1979. It really feels ahead of its time, and stands out as unique because of it. Many of the songs feel like they could be placed into a soundtrack of a spoof sci-fi film from the 1950s, which has to be what they were going for. This self-titled debut album is catchy as hell, weird as ever, and just good, ol’ fashioned fun to listen to. I have to admit that I sure as hell didn’t expect the band from The Flintstones live-action film from 1994 to show up on this journey, but I am actually glad they did as I have a whole new respect for them now.
Cinefessions’ #315Albums Rating: 68%
Image and quote courtesy of Rolling Stone Magazine.
Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.
