The Best and Worst Rock Records of All-Time? By Jimmy Guterman

For many years (starting in late elementary), Jimmy Guterman's lists of the Best and Worst Rock Records of All-Time informed much of my sense of what was "critically acceptable" to listen to.  (That's a good thing and a bad thing).  His first book looked at the 50 Worst Singles and 50 Worst Albums.  I can easily see his point on almost all of these, but there are a few catchy tunes, and a couple entries (like Jethro Tull's "Aqualung") that completely confuse me.  It's not a bad album!
The copy of the list linked above also includes the sections on bands that stayed around too long (Van Halen without David Lee Roth, for example), and a table showing how out of touch Elvis was in the 1960s (comparing his contemporary single to what was actually at #1 on certain keys dates).  There's also a long section on "Worst Rock and Roller of All-Time," and the link above shows Paul McCartney and Duran Duran as runners-up to Billy Joel.  I swear that the book also included human Cabbage Patch Doll Phil Collins as a runner-up.  Maybe I'm mis-remembering.

Guterman wrote the "Worst" book with Owen O’Donnell, and later completed a "100 Best LP" book on his own.  This is a VERY eclectic and unexpected list, which clearly shows the pre-grunge tendency towards obscure punk and R&B, and away from so-called "classic rock."  That's even within an artist's own discography: most lists cite The Beatles' later work (Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road) as their best; Guterman picks their simple, rocking debut, "Please Please Me."  Nothing wrong with any of that, it's just different than what Mojo, Rolling Stone or other music magazines tend to do.
And he seems to get many of the artists right, but makes a weird choice for their best.  I wouldn't say that Elvis Costello's "King of America" (#28) is better than, say, his first three albums (all classics, which are not on this list).  Or that Sly & the Family Stone's "There's a Riot Goin' On" (#52) is better than "Stand!"  Still, Guterman makes some inspired choices for semi-obscure LPs which I've found to be excellent: Wilbert Harrison's "Let's Work Together," or Ry Cooder's "Paradise and Lunch" and The Contours' "Do You Love Me," to name three.  His rule about only including one disk per artist is different from most rock lists (which otherwise become one-third Beatles/Stones/Springsteen), and he also allows compilations (which is a great way to get in The Temptations' anthology and James Brown's "Star Time").  Anyhow, I've named a big chunk of the list already.  Go see for yourself!

P.S. Guterman passed away in July, 2016, and I never got to thank (and alternately berate) him for his work!  His books -- plus Greil Marcus' "Mystery Train," and "The Big Book of Rock Lists"-- were probably the biggest influences on my musical tastes in elementary/middle school (for better or for worse).