Rolling Stone’s new “500 Best Albums of All Time” list ranks Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ ahead of Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, U2, Prince, Rolling Stones

Big Machine RecordsRolling Stone has updated its iconic list of the 500 Best Albums of All Time for the first time since 2012, and some of the rankings might surprise you.

Case in point: Taylor Swift‘s 2012 album Red is ranked #99 on the list.  Among the albums it outranks? Undisputed classics like Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., three Led Zeppelin albums, Elton John‘s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Madonna‘s Immaculate Collection, U2‘s The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, Prince‘s 1999, Queen’s A Night at the Opera, Pink Floyd‘s The Wall, The Eagles‘ Hotel California, Joni Mitchell‘s Court and Spark and The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers.

The publication writes of Red, “Taylor Swift shocked the world with her fourth album, breaking away from country music to make a record that recalled classics by the Beatles and Prince in the way it pulled from across the pop and rock landscape and transformed every sound it touched.”

While the list’s rankings will no doubt tick off many music fans, it’s all a result of voting by more than 300 artists, producers, critics and music industry figures, including members of U2, Stevie Nicks. Beyonce, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Billie Eilish, and members of The Police, The Cure, Beastie Boys, KISS, The Byrds, Linkin Park, Wu-Tang Clan, Eurythmics and even Taylor herself.

By the way, the top 10 albums on the list are as follows:

10. Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
9. Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
8. Prince & the Revolution, Purple Rain
7. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
6. Nirvana, Nevermind
5. The Beatles, Abbey Road
4. Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life
3. Joni Mitchell, Blue
2. The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
1. Marvin Gaye, What’s Goin’ On

By Andrea Dresdale
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