Apple Music’s ranking of the 100 greatest albums ever released this month naturally sparked a heated discussion. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’s 1998 album took first place. Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Abbey Road by The Beatles, and Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution were next. Frank Ocean’s Blonde, one of the most contentious selections on the whole list, came in at number five. Many fans were surprised by the inclusion of newer albums like Blonde in the top rankings, sparking debates about the criteria for determining greatness. Despite the controversy, the list serves as a reminder of the diverse range of influential albums that have shaped music history.
Jermaine Dupri, a prominent figure in the R&B music industry, has criticized Apple Music’s R&B ranks as incorrect. Dupri argued that R&B artists are often overlooked and underrepresented, calling for more inclusive and accurate genre representation on streaming platforms. He emphasized the importance of celebrating and supporting R&B music in the industry.
Joe Budden has now offered his thoughts on his podcast, as responses to the list keep coming in. He concurs with some of the rankings, including the inclusion of Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, in the top 10. On the other hand, Budden claims that Apple Music handled R&B poorly overall. He pointed out that some of the genre’s best-known records are either too low on the list or left off entirely. Budden also expressed his disappointment in the lack of representation for specific eras and regions in the list, feeling that it does not fully capture the impact of those albums on music culture. Despite his criticisms, he acknowledged the subjective nature of such rankings and encouraged listeners to create their lists based on personal preferences.
He explained,
“Just talking about solely R&B, what they did with [Sade‘s] Love Deluxe, [Usher‘s] Confessions, [SZA‘s] Ctrl, Prince and [Michael Jackson] is egregious,”
“This list is disrespectful to a lot of R&B actually. There’s a lot of phenomenal R&B albums [missing] . [Marvin Gaye‘s What’s Going On not making the Top 10] tells you that they disrespected the rest of R&B.”
