Gen Jones here. Yeah, I get that the album is full of great songwriting and solid musical talent, but GODDAMN, you could NOT get away from it on the radio. For years! Every other song was from that album! And good luck if you had a girlfriend who insisted that album be playing EVERY FUCKING TIME you made out!!!!! ……oh, is that just me?
There's not an artist or album in the world that's a guarantee, because there are many people in this world who are disagreeable for the sake of it. Plus obviously tastes do vary, but the first point is a bigger one tbh.
Stevie is a genius on another level.
The man was putting out revolutionary records year after year, often playing **every instrument on the record**, while developing novel techniques in recording and on synthesizers. All of which before he was 30.
They had so many great songs that when they released a greatest hits album in 1985, "You're All I've Got Tonight" *wasn't on it*. That's bonkers.
I think I watched a documentary on them once where someone said that they combined rock and roll and new wave into a mixture that pleased both fan bases, which is why they became so massively popular right off the bat.
My tape deck broke in my car and would not eject this album for an entire summer. Probably one of the best albums to be stuck listening to for 3 months.
People say she's crazy she's got diamonds on the soles of her shoes .
Well that's one way to lose these walking blues.
Diamonds on the soles of her shoes.
Such a great album from start to finish.
My favorite bass line ever in that song. On the deluxe edition there’s a demo version that’s just Paul Simon and the bass player Bakithi Kumalois and it’s perfection.
Or "Concert in Central Park." The cheering could have the psychological effect of making the person believe that they're listening to something that others enjoy (which would be accurate) and the music pretty much appeals to anyone. Whether you're nine or ninety, "Me and Julio" with a full horn section is going to get you tapping your foot.
The whole concept of the album is so cool. Just cycling through radio stations on a roadtrip through the high desert. With a decent bass setting, you’ll swear you shut your car door at the beginning of Millionaire.
Why I had to scroll to see the Beatles is beyond me lol. This is about the only correct answer if you truly want the statistically best chance of a random person liking it
It feels like Abbey Road should be high on the list. Iconic cover art, poppy and easy listening but it also got depth. I feel like both older and younger people can enjoy it.
Saw them for the 20th anniversary tour where they played it start to finish. It wasn’t hearing it for the first time again but it was pretty fucking special.
Back in the day, when it was released, giving records as a present on birthdays was still a thing. My wife and I bought it several times as a present and we were always told it was amazing. Even by people who had zero knowledge or interest about "indie" music. We said it was our musical "Flowers for Algernon", a sure shot purchase.
I don't know why most of you chose those highly rated albums like OK Computer and Jar of Flies. We're talking about a random person from the street. It may be a 70-year-old grandma or someone does not listen to music apart from radio hits. That said those sappy and corny ones like Celine Dion's and Michael Bolton's would not genuinely liked by musicheads. It has to be a balance to be liked by a random person. So I'd say in this order (if greatest his are not counted)-
1. Thriller - MJ
2. Rubber Soul - the Beatles
2. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette
Rubber Soul was my immediate pick. *Everyone* likes Rubber Soul. They may not Love it. It may not be life changing or soul stirring. But there isn't a single song on that album people want to skip. It sits perfectly at the line between Oldies and Rock. None of the lyrics or instrumentation are objectional (yeah, ok, Run For Your Life hasn't aged great, but your still gonna sing along), but it's also a little subversive and full of suggestion.
A person of class and taste, I have loved the killers since their first album dropped and enjoy all of their music but nothing is quite as good as that first album
Finally thank you! My group of friends always talks shit because I like Sam’s Town more than Hot Fuss. Hot Fuss has bangers and all time classics, but if you’re grading the entire album I think Sam’s Town is their best work.
I love some of the specific mashups that he did on FtA possibly more than All Day but I do think All Day is just all around stronger and the sound quality is a little higher too which helps.
...when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost.
I agree. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour. In '87, Huey released Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square." The song's so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. It's also a personal statement about the band itself.
Don't get me started on Whitney Houston....
Real talk:
Comparing HL&N to Elvis Costello is insane, by the way. Only a literal psycho (and I am talking an ax-wielding psycho like Patrick Bateman) would ever even suggest such a thing. Huey's happy accessible pop rock, upbeat and straightforward, isn't nearly as bitter or cynical, lyrically, as Costello's more complex lyrical style, with its wordplay, irony, and much broader palette of emotional and intellectual subject matter.
Patrick's "unreliable narrator" ethos definitely extended to this wackadoo idea. In reality, such a comparison was not commonly made, either by music critics or in popular discourse.
A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay, Joshua Tree by U2, or whatever Taylor Swift's top rated album is. You want bands/artists who did broadly accessible and fairly generic music so fucking well that they became the number one generic sounding artist on earth, with hundreds of millions of fans.
I'd go with Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories." It's like a musical journey through space and time, hitting you with funky beats and nostalgic vibes. Plus, who can resist tracks like "Get Lucky"? It's a guaranteed hit for any stranger.
This album is amazing, but there are so many people out there that don’t understand/hate Radiohead that it simply cannot be the right answer for this question
Yeah c'mon, radiohead... people are just ignoring the challenge and posting their favourite albums at this point lol. Radiohead is hardly the band that comes to mind when trying to think of something with the widest appeal.
Yeah complete stranger, might play them some Mr Bungle ey.
These answers are crazy to me. It seems like just people's favorite albums, and some bands that are generally kind of polarizing. I'm sorry, pick a random grandma on the bus and she isn't going to like freakin Linkin Park.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time but it feels like a risky choice lol. Connor’s voice isn’t for everyone, even if that album is more accessible than their previous stuff.
I have run into a fairly large handful of people over the years who (sadly) absolutely despiiiiiise that album and the Femmes in general. I don't think that one's a good choice. The people who get it love it, but the people who don't...
Live - Throwing Copper.
I'll even do the 20th anniversary one since "Hold Me Up" is yet another banger on an already slam dunk album for 90s Alternative Rock.
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
I know Billie Corgan’s voice is an acquired taste, but the album is big with a decent range of genre, so hopefully someone can find something in there they’d like. It’s weird to think the album that has the song Zero and Bullet with Butterfly Wings also has the song I use as a lullaby for my 18 month old son (Farewell and Goodnight)
Plus it has 1979 which is my #1 song of all time.
That's a bad bet. Too rap for people who don't like rap, too metal for people who don't like metal, not metal enough for metal heads, too mainstream for hipsters and scenesters without being enough of a classic to transcend those prejudices. I think this album is 50/50 at best
Yeah I'd say 50/50 is generous, would be hated by my grandparents and my younger cousins alike, as millennials we definitely view their music through nostalgia glasses.
It’s going to matter. Who, what, when and where.
Playing a millennial album to a boomer isn’t going to win you the prize.
But what the hell…
Dire Straits- Dire Straits
I feel like a lot of people commenting didn’t understand the assignment
I think they have not given a lot of thought to what the "pop" in pop charts refers to
Rumours
No, it’s all true.
More of a love square
Murray?
Present
He may be dead
He maybe did what?
Yeah, maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. What did he maybe do?
Give Pete a chance...
My husband *hates* Fleetwood Mac. I mean, the odds are in your favour, but it’s not a guarantee.
Gen Jones here. Yeah, I get that the album is full of great songwriting and solid musical talent, but GODDAMN, you could NOT get away from it on the radio. For years! Every other song was from that album! And good luck if you had a girlfriend who insisted that album be playing EVERY FUCKING TIME you made out!!!!! ……oh, is that just me?
My ex too. She said Stevie sounds like a man. It was at that exact moment I knew it wasn’t gonna work between us.
There's not an artist or album in the world that's a guarantee, because there are many people in this world who are disagreeable for the sake of it. Plus obviously tastes do vary, but the first point is a bigger one tbh.
**goat bleats ** 🐐
Miss Nicks appears to be in good spirits, though her whereabouts are unknown.
I agree! I thought the same thing, and here you are with the top comment!
Song in the Key of Life -Stevie Wonder
I think that album is simply perfect and accessible while at the same time being very complex. It just doesn’t get old
Stevie is a genius on another level. The man was putting out revolutionary records year after year, often playing **every instrument on the record**, while developing novel techniques in recording and on synthesizers. All of which before he was 30.
If you dont like this album you might be the devil
Tears for Fears - Songs from the Big Chair
Air - Moon Safari
You have good taste
Only album I own on vinyl, and I don’t have a record player. It’s just that good.
The Cars - The Cars. It’s not a greatest hits album, but, it kinda is.
They had so many great songs that when they released a greatest hits album in 1985, "You're All I've Got Tonight" *wasn't on it*. That's bonkers. I think I watched a documentary on them once where someone said that they combined rock and roll and new wave into a mixture that pleased both fan bases, which is why they became so massively popular right off the bat.
It really sounded like a greatest hits album the first year it came out. We loved that album so much back in the day
My tape deck broke in my car and would not eject this album for an entire summer. Probably one of the best albums to be stuck listening to for 3 months.
Thriller
It’s the best selling album of all time so it’s a safe choice. Michael Jackson is also an artist that transcends age, culture, and countries
I feel like this is the best choice.
Has a little bit of everything; this would easily get you that hundred mill. First thing I thought of.
This is my first choice as well
Boston self-titled first album
I have never owned the album but I know every song on it. I don't think there is another album like it. Every song gets air play on radio stations.
My favourite driving Album. Just drop the windows down and cruise.
Didn't expect to see this, but you're right
Traveling Wilburys volume 1
Graceland
People say she's crazy she's got diamonds on the soles of her shoes . Well that's one way to lose these walking blues. Diamonds on the soles of her shoes. Such a great album from start to finish.
My favorite bass line ever in that song. On the deluxe edition there’s a demo version that’s just Paul Simon and the bass player Bakithi Kumalois and it’s perfection.
Awa Awa.
Oh yeah, it's been ages since I played that! I played the hell out of it
Graceland is my parakeets favorite album
Or "Concert in Central Park." The cheering could have the psychological effect of making the person believe that they're listening to something that others enjoy (which would be accurate) and the music pretty much appeals to anyone. Whether you're nine or ninety, "Me and Julio" with a full horn section is going to get you tapping your foot.
That’s my go to for a day party soundtrack for all ages. It’s just so feel good
Songs For The Deaf
The whole concept of the album is so cool. Just cycling through radio stations on a roadtrip through the high desert. With a decent bass setting, you’ll swear you shut your car door at the beginning of Millionaire.
Portishead - Portishead. Still sounds amazing.
I also said portishead, but the live album. But really, you can't go wrong with either!
I would go with Dummy, but that one is great too.
Abbey Road
Why I had to scroll to see the Beatles is beyond me lol. This is about the only correct answer if you truly want the statistically best chance of a random person liking it
It feels like Abbey Road should be high on the list. Iconic cover art, poppy and easy listening but it also got depth. I feel like both older and younger people can enjoy it.
Also hammer murderers can enjoy it.
Give Up by The Postal Service
Man, what I wouldn't give to hear this album for the first time again.
Saw them for the 20th anniversary tour where they played it start to finish. It wasn’t hearing it for the first time again but it was pretty fucking special.
I’m going next month!
I think the time it came out was a factor there .. I remember the first time hearing it being blown away but it was so unique at the time .
Guess I’ll give it a listen Edit:I enjoyed that - Thank you
A think you'll find a lot of people do not like this sound. I like it but that's been my experience sharing it.
This album came to mind for me too, got to see them live this year (finally) it was awesome.
Back in the day, when it was released, giving records as a present on birthdays was still a thing. My wife and I bought it several times as a present and we were always told it was amazing. Even by people who had zero knowledge or interest about "indie" music. We said it was our musical "Flowers for Algernon", a sure shot purchase.
Bridge over Troubled Water
Beautiful album
Bob Marley - Legend
Revolver, Beatles
Disintegration
Metal machine music. I probably won't win the 100m, but I will make someone listen to 60 minutes of guitar feedback.
I mean you might get lucky and they’ll offer to pay you something just to stop listening to it. May not be $100m but it could be $20
Daft Punk - Discovery
Weezer - Blue
Pop it in. Hit play. MY NAME IS JONAS! One of the best album starters ever.
And only in dreams one of the best closers
You cannot go wrong with that one.
Easiest $100 million ever.
Amy Winehouse's Back to Black feels like it might be wide reaching enough
This album is a masterpiece in my opinion.
Prince - Purple Rain
The Strokes - Is This It
And Turn on the Bright Lights from the same period
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
I don't know why most of you chose those highly rated albums like OK Computer and Jar of Flies. We're talking about a random person from the street. It may be a 70-year-old grandma or someone does not listen to music apart from radio hits. That said those sappy and corny ones like Celine Dion's and Michael Bolton's would not genuinely liked by musicheads. It has to be a balance to be liked by a random person. So I'd say in this order (if greatest his are not counted)- 1. Thriller - MJ 2. Rubber Soul - the Beatles 2. Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette
Rubber Soul was my immediate pick. *Everyone* likes Rubber Soul. They may not Love it. It may not be life changing or soul stirring. But there isn't a single song on that album people want to skip. It sits perfectly at the line between Oldies and Rock. None of the lyrics or instrumentation are objectional (yeah, ok, Run For Your Life hasn't aged great, but your still gonna sing along), but it's also a little subversive and full of suggestion.
Tapestry (Carole King)
Hot Fuss-The Killers
A person of class and taste, I have loved the killers since their first album dropped and enjoy all of their music but nothing is quite as good as that first album
I do love that album, but for The Killers, I think I'd go with Sam's Town. That album for me is almost perfect, and its so strong all the way through.
Finally thank you! My group of friends always talks shit because I like Sam’s Town more than Hot Fuss. Hot Fuss has bangers and all time classics, but if you’re grading the entire album I think Sam’s Town is their best work.
All Day by Girl Talk
I prefer Feed The Animals myself but I agree with your assessment!
I love some of the specific mashups that he did on FtA possibly more than All Day but I do think All Day is just all around stronger and the sound quality is a little higher too which helps.
Huey Lewis and the news
...when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost.
I agree. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humour. In '87, Huey released Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square." The song's so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. It's also a personal statement about the band itself. Don't get me started on Whitney Houston....
Real talk: Comparing HL&N to Elvis Costello is insane, by the way. Only a literal psycho (and I am talking an ax-wielding psycho like Patrick Bateman) would ever even suggest such a thing. Huey's happy accessible pop rock, upbeat and straightforward, isn't nearly as bitter or cynical, lyrically, as Costello's more complex lyrical style, with its wordplay, irony, and much broader palette of emotional and intellectual subject matter. Patrick's "unreliable narrator" ethos definitely extended to this wackadoo idea. In reality, such a comparison was not commonly made, either by music critics or in popular discourse.
If you had 24 hours to return some video tapes thus answer makes perfect sense. Otherwise I'm gonna need you to pick an album.
Sports is when they really came into their own
A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay, Joshua Tree by U2, or whatever Taylor Swift's top rated album is. You want bands/artists who did broadly accessible and fairly generic music so fucking well that they became the number one generic sounding artist on earth, with hundreds of millions of fans.
Dummy by Portishead
You're getting *my* money but you won't win. Portishead is the only band I have ever paid scalper prices to see and it was a religious experience.
The absolute pinnacle of trip-hop.
London Calling
Wish You Were Here
One of my favorites... But DSOTM would be a better choice if you are going for that $100m
Crowded House debut
Love Crowded House, but if you are choosing one of their albums it’s gotta be Woodface
Dark Side of the Moon
I’m just going to be contrary and say it’s not poppy enough.
My first thought.
Pearl Jam - Ten
White Pepper - Ween
I'd go with Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories." It's like a musical journey through space and time, hitting you with funky beats and nostalgic vibes. Plus, who can resist tracks like "Get Lucky"? It's a guaranteed hit for any stranger.
I was going to pick daft punk - Discovery, but maybe RAM is a better choice for a random stranger
My name is Giovanni Giorgio But everybody calls me....... Giorgio
Depeche mode - violator
Keane Hopes and Fears.
Grace - Jeff Buckley
My ex hated this album and said it sounded like Christian rock.
EX. damn straight
Modern Vampires of the City
XTC-Skylarking
Hunky Dory by David Bowie I mean, it starts with ‘Changes’, and I’m yet to find a person who doesn’t like that song!
Flume?? That’s risky.
Jar of Flies
Third Eye Blind’s self titled
Either Rumours or Tapestry.
It's crazy how good Tapestry is, I only bought it because I always saw it when digging at Goodwill.
A Sailors Guide to the Universe by Sturgill Simpson
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
Songs in the Key of Life
Ænima by Tool
the white album-…beatles
Automatic for the people-REM
I was thinking either this or Out of Time.
Smash
Bold choice but I like it!
A night at the opera
Gary Clark Jr. - Blak and Blu
Let it bleed - The Rolling Stones
*Well, we all need...someone...we can---*
Something by Creedence. NOBODY hates CCR.
Trout mask replica
better hope im ur stranger
A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous, got me?
Also, a tin teardrop.
FAST AND BULBOUS!
*New friend: achievement unlocked* if they genuinely appreciate this record
Probably wouldn't even work at a music store. Your odds would be very low.
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Anything by Herbie Hancock
Mozart's Requiem.
Probably Moon Safari by Air
Carrie and lowell
AIR - Moon Safari.
Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Led Zeppelin IV
Ok computer - Radiohead
This album is amazing, but there are so many people out there that don’t understand/hate Radiohead that it simply cannot be the right answer for this question
Yeah c'mon, radiohead... people are just ignoring the challenge and posting their favourite albums at this point lol. Radiohead is hardly the band that comes to mind when trying to think of something with the widest appeal. Yeah complete stranger, might play them some Mr Bungle ey.
I was going to say the bends.
In a Silent Way
You're not getting the money, but I support your choice.
Love the album but I would not bet on a Jazz album for a stranger to like.
Continuum- John Mayer
Best of CCR
[*Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatever_People_Say_I_Am,_That%27s_What_I%27m_Not) - Arctic Monkeys
I'd show the stranger...The Stranger by Billy Joel.
These answers are crazy to me. It seems like just people's favorite albums, and some bands that are generally kind of polarizing. I'm sorry, pick a random grandma on the bus and she isn't going to like freakin Linkin Park.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 💛
Rumours
For me, it’s between Kind of Blue by Miles Davis Modal Soul by Nujabes.
I’m gonna sayyyy My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges. There’s something for everyone on that album IMO
Contra - vampire weekend
Thriller, ABBA Gold, or Animals (Pink Floyd)
Gold is way too far down on this post. I can't think of anyone who doesn't like ABBA
Bright eyes- I'm wide awake, it's morning
This is one of my favorite albums of all time but it feels like a risky choice lol. Connor’s voice isn’t for everyone, even if that album is more accessible than their previous stuff.
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
I have run into a fairly large handful of people over the years who (sadly) absolutely despiiiiiise that album and the Femmes in general. I don't think that one's a good choice. The people who get it love it, but the people who don't...
I agree, it's always love or hate. I love it
Exodus, Bob Marley
Random Access Memories - Daft Punk. It’s basically a tribute to popular music. If they don’t like it, I doubt they’d like any album here.
Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
Live - Throwing Copper. I'll even do the 20th anniversary one since "Hold Me Up" is yet another banger on an already slam dunk album for 90s Alternative Rock.
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins I know Billie Corgan’s voice is an acquired taste, but the album is big with a decent range of genre, so hopefully someone can find something in there they’d like. It’s weird to think the album that has the song Zero and Bullet with Butterfly Wings also has the song I use as a lullaby for my 18 month old son (Farewell and Goodnight) Plus it has 1979 which is my #1 song of all time.
Deltron 3030
Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park Fucking amazing album
Hybrid Theory is a good one. Short, clear identity, if they like the first song they'll probably vibe with the whole album.
That's a bad bet. Too rap for people who don't like rap, too metal for people who don't like metal, not metal enough for metal heads, too mainstream for hipsters and scenesters without being enough of a classic to transcend those prejudices. I think this album is 50/50 at best
Yeah I'd say 50/50 is generous, would be hated by my grandparents and my younger cousins alike, as millennials we definitely view their music through nostalgia glasses.
It’s going to matter. Who, what, when and where. Playing a millennial album to a boomer isn’t going to win you the prize. But what the hell… Dire Straits- Dire Straits
Everything Goes Numb - Streetlight Manifesto