U2 crush Beatles in top album poll Tania Branigan Guardian Thursday November 22, 2001 After nearly 40 years of dominating the British music scene, the Beatles have finally been knocked off the top spot by U2, it appears. The Fab Four were toppled in a poll of more than a quarter of a million music fans, who yesterday judged The Joshua Tree to be the greatest album of all time. Usually the Beatles take first place in such surveys with Revolver or Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This time those releases were relegated to numbers eight and nine by the voters, the viewers of the music channel VH1. Michael Jackson's Thriller, which shifted 47m copies to become the biggest selling album of all time, was at No 2. Even Beatles wannabes Oasis beat their heroes, with (What's The Story) Morning Glory? taking third place. Critics would no doubt take issue with many of the findings of the survey: Shania Twain scrapes into the top 30, while the Velvet Underground & Nico are languishing at No 89. But there are plenty of classics in the top 100, including Nirvana's Nevermind (5), Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life (7), and the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks (14). "It's refreshing that it's so different from the critics' lists," said Paul Trynca, editor of the music magazine Mojo. "Like any list it tells you more about the people who compiled it than the relative values of these records. For many people their nostalgia starts in the early 80s, whereas for another demographic [group] it would be the early 60s." He added: "U2 have almost posted an application for being the biggest rock and roll band in the world and in a sense this is their vindication." 100 reasons to argue: the VH1 vote 1 U2 The Joshua Tree (1987) 2 Michael Jackson Thriller (1982) 3 Oasis (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) 4 Meat Loaf Bat Out of Hell (1978) 5 Nirvana Nevermind (1995) 6 Radiohead The Bends (1995) 7 Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life (1976) 8 The Beatles Revolver (1966) 9 The Beatles Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 10 Madonna Ray of Light (1998) 11 Radiohead OK Computer (1997) 12 Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon (1973) 13 Robbie Williams Sing When You're Winning (2000) 14 Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols (1977) 15 Oasis Definitely Maybe (1994) 16 Marvin Gaye What's Going On (1971) 17 The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (1989) 18 Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) 19 Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction (1987) 20 Travis The Man Who (2000) 21 U2 Achtung Baby (1991) 22 Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1999) 23 Coldplay Parachutes (2000) 24 REM Automatic for the People (1992) 25 Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain (1984) 26 Destiny's Child Survivor (2001) 27 UB40 Labour of Love (1999) 28 David Gray White Ladder (2000) 29 Shania Twain Come on Over (1997) 30 The Eagles Hotel California (1976) 31 The Verve Urban Hymns (1997) 32 The Beach Boys Pet Sounds (1966) 33 Prince Sign 'o' the Times (1987) 34 Dire Straits Brothers in Arms (1985) 35 Michael Jackson Off the Wall (1979) 36 Dido No Angel (1999) 37 REM Out of Time (1991) 38 Shaggy Hot Shot (2000) 39 Moby Play (1999) 40 Stevie Wonder Innevervisions (1973) 41 Primal Scream Screamadelica (1991) 42 David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) 43 AC/DC Back in Black (1980) 44 Alanis Morissette Jagged Little Pill (1995) 45 The Clash London Calling (1979) 46 Massive Attack Blue Lines (1991) 47 George Michael Older (1996) 48 INXS Kick (1987) 49 Jimi Hendrix Experience Electric Ladyland (1967) 50 Craig David Born to do it (2000) 51 The Smiths The Queen is Dead (1986) 52 Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauren Hill (1998) 53 Portishead Dummy (1994) 54 David Bowie Hunky Dory (1972) 55 Blondie Parallel Lines (1978) 56 Blur Parklife (1994) 57 Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin II (1969) 58 Duran Duran Rio (1982) 59 Van Morrison Astral Weeks (1968) 60 The Who Who's Next (1971) 61 The Specials The Specials (1979) 62 Bruce Springsteen Born to Run (1975) 63 Bob Marley & The Wailers Exodus (1977) 64 The Jam Sound Affects (1980) 65 Texas White on Blonde (1997) 66 Paul Simon Graceland (1986) 67 Massive Attack Mezzanine (1998) 68 Tina Turner Private Dancer (1984) 69 Fleetwood Mac Rumours (1977) 70 The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers (1971) 71 Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) 72 Soul II Soul Club Classics Vol. One (1989) 73 NWA Straight Outta Compton (1998) 74 Fatboy Slim You've Come a Long Way, Baby (1998) 75 Peter Gabriel So (1986) 76 Queen A Night at the Opera (1975) 77 Pulp Different Class (1995) 78 Bob Dylan Bringing it all Back Home (1965) 79 Fugees The Score (1996) 80 Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water (1969) 81 Gabrielle Rise (2000) 82 Bee Gees Saturday Night Fever (1977) 83 Elvis Costello and the Attractions Armed Forces (1993) 84 Roxy Music For Your Pleasure (1973) 85 James Brown Sex Machine (live) (1970) 86 Madonna Like a Prayer (1989) 87 The Human League Dare! (1981) 88 Janet Jackson Control (1986) 89 The Velvet Underground & Nico The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967) 90 Kate Bush Hounds of Love (1985) 91 Public Enemy It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back (1988) 92 Chemical Brothers Dig Your Own Hole (1997) 93 Police Synchronicity (1983) 94 Simply Red Stars (1991) 95 Iggy and the Stooges Raw Power (1973) 96 Macy Gray On How Life Is (1999) 97 Queen A Kind of Magic (1986) 98 Kraftwerk TransEurope Express (1977) 99 ABC The Lexicon of Love (1982) 100 The Doors The Doors (1967) -- ※ Origin: 交大機械工廠 ◆ From: 61-220-188-189.HINET-IP.hinet.net