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Not American Idol but music related;

The National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have put together a list of 200 albums that should be in every music collection.

Let the debate begin.

Some quick thoughts of my own:

- Three Dixie Chicks records in the top 113...huh? For a group that does not write their own songs and are average musicians, this is insane. And for Wide Open Spaces to be ranked at #33 ahead of such records as Miles Davis's Kind of Blue at #34, Jimi Henrix's Are You experienced, Green Day's American Idiot at #61, Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head at #65, Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here at #79 and Radiohead's OK Computer is just stupefying.

- R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People on the list at #73 while Murmur is left off. For any original R.E.M. fan that is just patently ridiculous. Automatic is about their 7th best record and pales in comparison to paradigm shifting albums like Murmur

- Shania Twain's Come on Over at #21 is also interesting. I realize it was one of the early pop-country breakout records but #21 ahead of several mentioned above just doesn't make sense.

Some records that I think are vastly underrated:

- The Clash - London Calling at #96 is way to low for a seminal post-punk record that helped inspire bands such as U2.

- Green Day's American Idiot album is too low at #61 and should be switched with their Dookie album sitting at # 50. While I do not agree with green day's politics, American Idiot is an absolutely brilliant written record and achieves perfectly what the band was hoping to accomplish.

- For the First Frank Sinatra record to appear at #140 is a tragedy. frank inspired countless artists on this list and more and his music should be given a higher ranking. Three Dixie Chicks records better than all Sinatra's? Give me a break...

- Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - Billy Corgan's musical genius as a writer, singer, instrumentalist, producer, etc. should get the recognition it deserves. one of the most under appreciated artists of the last 20 years.

All of those "Top 100" or "Best 200 of ALL TIME!!!" lists are full of crap, to me. This one that you referenced is about the most ridiculous. "Automatic For the People"? That was REM's Jump the Shark moment. "Murmur" did change the music scene in America, plain and simple.

No Elvis Costello. No Sublime. And they're putting Shania Twain on that list?

And the Dixie Chicks? Jeez, I really didn't need to read any more from these Politics Pimps at NARM....