A listening journal
Rolling Stone 500 · 2013

Number 486

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire · 1975

486
That's The Way Of The World by Earth, Wind & Fire album cover
Cover unavailable

Earth, Wind & Fire

That's The Way Of The World

Released1975
Journal statusOriginal note recoveredPreserved from the 2013 email journal.
Journal checkpointJune 20–24, 2013Interval between retained album-bearing emails · not an exact listen date.
Album details
First releasedMarch 1975
Genresdance, disco, funk, pop, r&b
LabelColumbia
Reference editionUnited States · Digital Media · August 20, 2013
Track count8
Running time38 min 55 sec
Albums by original release year

1975 · 18 albums that year

#278 · Various Artists — Anthology Of American Folk Music (1952)#101 · Frank Sinatra — In The Wee Small Hours (1955)#56 · Elvis Presley — Elvis Presley (1956)#308 · Frank Sinatra — Songs For Swingin' Lovers (1956)#50 · Little Richard — Here's Little Richard (1957)#420 · Buddy Holly — The "Chirping" Crickets (1957)#12 · Miles Davis — Kind Of Blue (1959)#103 · John Coltrane — Giant Steps (1959)#154 · Howlin' Wolf — Moanin' In The Moonlight (1959)#216 · Bo Diddley — Go Bo Diddley (1959)#248 · Ornette Coleman — The Shape Of Jazz To Come (1959)#265 · Ray Charles — The Genius Of Ray Charles (1959)#348 · Muddy Waters — At Newport 1960 (1960)#358 · Miles Davis — Sketches Of Spain (1960)#119 · Etta James — At Last! (1961)#217 · Bobby Bland — Two Steps From The Blues (1961)#105 · Ray Charles — Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music (1962)#238 · Howlin' Wolf — Howlin' Wolf (1962)#25 · James Brown — Live At The Apollo (1963)#39 · The Beatles — Please Please Me (1963)#97 · Bob Dylan — The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)#142 · Phil Spector — A Christmas Gift For You (1963)#53 · The Beatles — Meet The Beatles (1964)#198 · Little Walter — The Best Of (1964)#282 · Muddy Waters — Folk Singer (1964)#307 · The Beatles — A Hard Day's Night (1964)#422 · The Ronettes — Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (1964)#447 · Stan Getz And Joao Gilberto Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim — Getz/Gilberto (1964)#4 · Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited (1965)#5 · The Beatles — Rubber Soul (1965)#31 · Bob Dylan — Bringing It All Back Home (1965)#47 · John Coltrane — A Love Supreme (1965)#78 · Otis Redding — Otis Blue (1965)#116 · The Rolling Stones — Out Of Our Heads (1965)#141 · B.B. King — Live At The Regal (1965)#180 · The Rolling Stones — The Rolling Stones Now! (1965)#233 · The Byrds — Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)#237 · The Who — The Who Sings My Generation (1965)#271 · The Beach Boys — The Beach Boys Today! (1965)#273 · Smokey Robinson And The Miracles — Going To A Go-Go (1965)#331 · The Beatles — Help! (1965)#355 · The Yardbirds — Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds (1965)#468 · The Paul Butterfield Blues Band — The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)#2 · The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds (1966)#3 · The Beatles — Revolver (1966)#9 · Bob Dylan — Blonde On Blonde (1966)#102 · Cream — Fresh Cream (1966)#109 · The Rolling Stones — Aftermath (1966)#112 · The Mamas & The Papas — If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966)#195 · John Mayall — Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (1966)#202 · Simon And Garfunkel — Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (1966)#246 · The Mothers Of Invention — Freak Out! (1966)#254 · Otis Redding — Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul (1966)#350 · The Yardbirds — Roger The Engineer (1966)#384 · The Who — A Quick One (Happy Jack) (1966)#1 · The Beatles — Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)#13 · The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)#15 · The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced (1967)#40 · Love — Forever Changes (1967)#42 · The Doors — The Doors (1967)#83 · The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Axis: Bold As Love (1967)#84 · Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)#114 · Cream — Disraeli Gears (1967)#115 · The Who — The Who Sell Out (1967)#124 · Moby Grape — Moby Grape (1967)#127 · The Byrds — Younger Than Yesterday (1967)#146 · Jefferson Airplane — Surrealistic Pillow (1967)#188 · Buffalo Springfield — Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)#289 · The Kinks — Something Else By The Kinks (1967)#303 · Bob Dylan — John Wesley Harding (1967)#347 · Pink Floyd — The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967)#357 · The Rolling Stones — Between The Buttons (1967)#409 · The Doors — Strange Days (1967)#491 · Albert King — Born Under A Bad Sign (1967)#10 · The Beatles — The Beatles ("The White Album") (1968)#19 · Van Morrison — Astral Weeks (1968)#34 · The Band — Music From Big Pink (1968)#55 · The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Electric Ladyland (1968)#58 · The Rolling Stones — Beggars Banquet (1968)#85 · Aretha Franklin — Lady Soul (1968)#88 · Johnny Cash — At Folsom Prison (1968)#100 · The Zombies — Odessey And Oracle (1968)#120 · The Byrds — Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968)#143 · Dr. John — Gris-Gris (1968)#161 · Otis Redding — The Dock Of The Bay (1968)#171 · The Byrds — The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)#205 · Cream — Wheels Of Fire (1968)#234 · Simon And Garfunkel — Bookends (1968)#258 · The Kinks — The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)#266 · Blood, Sweat & Tears — Child Is Father To The Man (1968)#288 · Grateful Dead — Anthem Of The Sun (1968)#293 · The Velvet Underground — White Light/White Heat (1968)#297 · The Mothers Of Invention — We're Only In It For The Money (1968)#338 · Big Brother And The Holding Company — Cheap Thrills (1968)#459 · The Drifters — Golden Hits (1968)#14 · The Beatles — Abbey Road (1969)#29 · Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin (1969)#32 · The Rolling Stones — Let It Bleed (1969)#45 · The Band — The Band (1969)#60 · Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band — Trout Mask Replica (1969)#79 · Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin II (1969)#89 · Dusty Springfield — Dusty In Memphis (1969)#96 · The Who — Tommy (1969)#121 · Sly & The Family Stone — Stand! (1969)#149 · Santana — Santana (1969)#185 · The Stooges — The Stooges (1969)#189 · Quicksilver Messenger Service — Happy Trails (1969)#190 · Elvis Presley — From Elvis In Memphis (1969)#192 · The Flying Burrito Brothers — The Gilded Palace Of Sin (1969)#210 · Neil Young & Crazy Horse — Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)#220 · The Meters — Look-Ka Py Py (1969)#247 · Grateful Dead — Live Dead (1969)#262 · Crosby, Stills & Nash — Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)#294 · MC5 — Kick Out The Jams (1969)#309 · Creedence Clearwater Revival — Willy And The Poor Boys (1969)#316 · The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground (1969)#373 · Jefferson Airplane — Volunteers (1969)#496 · Boz Scaggs — Boz Scaggs (1969)#23 · John Lennon — John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970)#51 · Simon And Garfunkel — Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)#61 · Sly & The Family Stone — Greatest Hits (1970)#66 · Van Morrison — Moondance (1970)#74 · Neil Young — After The Gold Rush (1970)#95 · Miles Davis — Bitches Brew (1970)#104 · James Taylor — Sweet Baby James (1970)#110 · The Velvet Underground — Loaded (1970)#117 · Derek And The Dominos — Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)#131 · Black Sabbath — Paranoid (1970)#147 · Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Déjà Vu (1970)#170 · The Who — Live At Leeds (1970)#175 · Carpenters — Close To You (1970)#191 · The Stooges — Fun House (1970)#207 · Santana — Abraxas (1970)#208 · Cat Stevens — Tea For The Tillerman (1970)#243 · Black Sabbath — Black Sabbath (1970)#261 · Grateful Dead — American Beauty (1970)#264 · Grateful Dead — Workingman's Dead (1970)#356 · Randy Newman — 12 Songs (1970)#392 · The Beatles — Let It Be (1970)#433 · George Harrison — All Things Must Pass (1970)#446 · MC5 — Back In The USA (1970)#458 · Elton John — Tumbleweed Connection (1970)#6 · Marvin Gaye — What's Going On (1971)#28 · The Who — Who's Next (1971)#30 · Joni Mitchell — Blue (1971)#36 · Carole King — Tapestry (1971)#49 · The Allman Brothers Band — At Fillmore East (1971)#64 · The Rolling Stones — Sticky Fingers (1971)#69 · Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin IV (1971)#80 · John Lennon — Imagine (1971)#99 · Sly & The Family Stone — There's A Riot Goin' On (1971)#108 · David Bowie — Hunky Dory (1971)#125 · Janis Joplin — Pearl (1971)#160 · T. Rex — Electric Warrior (1971)#172 · Rod Stewart — Every Picture Tells A Story (1971)#295 · Leonard Cohen — Songs Of Love And Hate (1971)#300 · Black Sabbath — Master Of Reality (1971)#301 · Dolly Parton — Coat Of Many Colors (1971)#337 · Jethro Tull — Aqualung (1971)#364 · The Doors — L.A. Woman (1971)#452 · John Prine — John Prine (1971)#454 · Alice Cooper — Love It To Death (1971)#479 · Funkadelic — Maggot Brain (1971)#499 · B.B. King — Live In Cook County Jail (1971)#7 · The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St. (1972)#35 · David Bowie — The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)#72 · Curtis Mayfield — Super Fly (1972)#82 · Neil Young — Harvest (1972)#90 · Stevie Wonder — Talking Book (1972)#122 · Jimmy Cliff — The Harder They Come (1972)#173 · Todd Rundgren — Something/Anything? (1972)#194 · Lou Reed — Transformer (1972)#196 · Various Artists — Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968 (1972)#222 · Professor Longhair — New Orleans Piano (1972)#232 · The Kinks — The Kink Kronikles (1972)#240 · Steely Dan — Can't Buy A Thrill (1972)#268 · Paul Simon — Paul Simon (1972)#285 · Stevie Wonder — Music Of My Mind (1972)#286 · Al Green — I'm Still In Love With You (1972)#318 · The O'Jays — Back Stabbers (1972)#321 · Nick Drake — Pink Moon (1972)#322 · Randy Newman — Sail Away (1972)#359 · Elton John — Honky Chateau (1972)#368 · Eagles — Eagles (1972)#404 · Dr. John — Dr. John's Gumbo (1972)#434 · Big Star — Number 1 Record (1972)#444 · War — The World Is A Ghetto (1972)#484 · Mott The Hoople — All The Young Dudes (1972)#495 · Bonnie Raitt — Give It Up (1972)#24 · Stevie Wonder — Innervisions (1973)#43 · Pink Floyd — The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)#91 · Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)#126 · Bob Marley & The Wailers & The Wailers — Catch A Fire (1973)#128 · The Stooges — Raw Power (1973)#133 · Bruce Springsteen — The Wild, The Innocent And The E Street Shuffle (1973)#148 · Led Zeppelin — Houses Of The Holy (1973)#165 · Marvin Gaye — Let's Get It On (1973)#186 · Sly & The Family Stone — Fresh (1973)#215 · New York Dolls — New York Dolls (1973)#267 · The Who — Quadrophenia (1973)#279 · David Bowie — Aladdin Sane (1973)#290 · Al Green — Call Me (1973)#319 · Bob Marley & The Wailers & The Wailers — Burnin' (1973)#344 · Lou Reed — Berlin (1973)#370 · Mott The Hoople — Mott (1973)#380 · Toots And The Maytals — Funky Kingston (1973)#396 · Roxy Music — For Your Pleasure (1973)#400 · The Temptations — Anthology (1973)#403 · Lynyrd Skynyrd — (Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd) (1973)#418 · Wings — Band On The Run (1973)#432 · Brian Eno — Here Come The Warm Jets (1973)#450 · Jackson Browne — For Everyman (1973)#490 · ZZ Top — Tres Hombres (1973)#113 · Joni Mitchell — Court And Spark (1974)#136 · Elton John — Greatest Hits (1974)#139 · The Meters — Rejuvenation (1974)#181 · Bob Marley & The Wailers & The Wailers — Natty Dread (1974)#274 · Labelle — Nightbirds (1974)#283 · Barry White — Can't Get Enough (1974)#339 · Tom Waits — The Heart Of Saturday Night (1974)#375 · Jackson Browne — Late For The Sky (1974)#386 · Steely Dan — Pretzel Logic (1974)#394 · Randy Newman — Good Old Boys (1974)#405 · Big Star — Radio City (1974)#411 · Eric Clapton — 461 Ocean Boulevard (1974)#423 · The Supremes — Anthology (1974)#425 · Gram Parsons — Grievous Angel (1974)#471 · Richard & Linda Thompson — I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)#16 · Bob Dylan — Blood On The Tracks (1975)#18 · Bruce Springsteen — Born To Run (1975)#44 · Patti Smith — Horses (1975)#52 · Al Green — Greatest Hits (1975)#73 · Led Zeppelin — Physical Graffiti (1975)#158 · Elton John — Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)#159 · Kiss — Alive (1975)#182 · Fleetwood Mac — Fleetwood Mac (1975)#183 · Willie Nelson — Red Headed Stranger (1975)#211 · Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here (1975)#229 · Aerosmith — Toys In The Attic (1975)#231 · Queen — A Night At The Opera (1975)#276 · Parliament — Mothership Connection (1975)#292 · Bob Dylan And The Band — The Basement Tapes (1975)#330 · Neil Young — Tonight's The Night (1975)#374 · Roxy Music — Siren (1975)#429 · Brian Eno — Another Green World (1975)#486 · Earth, Wind & Fire — That's The Way Of The World (1975)#33 · Ramones — Ramones (1976)#37 · Eagles — Hotel California (1976)#57 · Stevie Wonder — Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)#59 · Creedence Clearwater Revival — Chronicle, Vol. 1 (1976)#174 · Bob Dylan — Desire (1976)#176 · Aerosmith — Rocks (1976)#324 · David Bowie — Station To Station (1976)#382 · Modern Lovers — Modern Lovers (1976)#391 · Jackson Browne — The Pretender (1976)#445 · Steve Miller Band — Fly Like An Eagle (1976)#489 · Kiss — Destroyer (1976)#26 · Fleetwood Mac — Rumours (1977)#41 · Sex Pistols — Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols (1977)#70 · Billy Joel — The Stranger (1977)#81 · The Clash — The Clash (1977)#106 · Ramones — Rocket To Russia (1977)#130 · Television — Marquee Moon (1977)#132 · Various Artists — Saturday Night Fever (Original Soundtrack) (1977)#145 · Steely Dan — Aja (1977)#168 · Elvis Costello — My Aim Is True (1977)#169 · Bob Marley & The Wailers — Exodus (1977)#251 · David Bowie — Low (1977)#256 · Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express (1977)#291 · Talking Heads — Talking Heads: 77 (1977)#325 · Eric Clapton — Slowhand (1977)#343 · Meat Loaf — Bat Out Of Hell (1977)#412 · Wire — Pink Flag (1977)#441 · Suicide — Suicide (1977)#443 · Cheap Trick — In Color (1977)#92 · Buddy Holly — 20 Golden Greats (1978)#94 · Hank Williams — 40 Greatest Hits (1978)#98 · Elvis Costello — This Year's Model (1978)#140 · Blondie — Parallel Lines (1978)#150 · Bruce Springsteen — Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)#177 · Parliament/Funkadelic — One Nation Under A Groove (1978)#260 · Willie Nelson — Stardust (1978)#270 · The Rolling Stones — Some Girls (1978)#284 · The Cars — The Cars (1978)#354 · Billy Joel — 52nd Street (1978)#383 · Talking Heads — More Songs About Buildings And Food (1978)#415 · Van Halen — Van Halen (1978)#426 · Cheap Trick — At Budokan (1978)#428 · The Police — Outlandos D'Amour (1978)#442 · Devo — Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)#449 · Big Star — Third/Sister Lovers (1978)#456 · Marvin Gaye — Here, My Dear (1978)#8 · The Clash — London Calling (1979)#68 · Michael Jackson — Off The Wall (1979)#87 · Pink Floyd — The Wall (1979)#152 · The B-52's — The B-52's (1979)#200 · AC/DC — Highway To Hell (1979)#315 · Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers — Damn The Torpedoes (1979)#334 · Graham Parker — Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)#351 · Neil Young & Crazy Horse — Rust Never Sleeps (1979)#360 · Buzzcocks — Singles Going Steady (1979)#372 · The Police — Reggatta De Blanc (1979)#461 · Public Image Ltd — Metal Box (1979)#475 · Elvis Costello And The Attractions — Armed Forces (1979)#483 · Gang Of Four — Entertainment! (1979)#77 · AC/DC — Back In Black (1980)#129 · Talking Heads — Remain In Light (1980)#155 · Pretenders — Pretenders (1980)#157 · Joy Division — Closer (1980)#206 · Prince — Dirty Mind (1980)#253 · Bruce Springsteen — The River (1980)#287 · X — Los Angeles (1980)#407 · The Clash — Sandinista! (1980)#417 · U2 — Boy (1980)#438 · The Cure — Boys Don't Cry (1980)#213 · The Rolling Stones — Tattoo You (1981)#323 · The Police — Ghost In The Machine (1981)#333 · X — Wild Gift (1981)#340 · Black Flag — Damaged (1981)#414 · Go-Go's — Beauty And The Beat (1981)#463 · Echo & The Bunnymen — Heaven Up Here (1981)#20 · Michael Jackson — Thriller (1982)#21 · Chuck Berry — The Great Twenty-Eight (1982)#163 · Prince — 1999 (1982)#166 · Elvis Costello — Imperial Bedroom (1982)#226 · Bruce Springsteen — Nebraska (1982)#332 · Richard & Linda Thompson — Shoot Out The Lights (1982)#197 · R.E.M — Murmur (1983)#223 · U2 — War (1983)#398 · ZZ Top — Eliminator (1983)#448 · The Police — Synchronicity (1983)#487 · Cyndi Lauper — She's So Unusual (1983)#492 · Eurythmics — Touch (1983)#46 · Bob Marley & The Wailers — Legend (1984)#76 · Prince — Purple Rain (1984)#86 · Bruce Springsteen — Born In The U.S.A. (1984)#241 · The Replacements — Let It Be (1984)#242 · Run-DMC — Run-DMC (1984)#345 · Talking Heads — Stop Making Sense (1984)#413 · Minutemen — Double Nickels On The Dime (1984)#455 · Los Lobos — How Will The Wolf Survive? (1984)#473 · The Smiths — The Smiths (1984)#137 · The Replacements — Tim (1985)#257 · Whitney Houston — Whitney Houston (1985)#269 · The Jesus And Mary Chain — Psycho Candy (1985)#296 · The Smiths — Meat Is Murder (1985)#352 · Dire Straits — Brothers In Arms (1985)#388 · Various Artists — The Indestructible Beat Of Soweto (1985)#399 · Tom Waits — Rain Dogs (1985)#439 · Sam Cooke — Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 (1985)#440 · The Pogues — Rum Sodomy And The Lash (1985)#470 · LL Cool J — Radio (1985)#488 · Hüsker Dü — New Day Rising (1985)#71 · Paul Simon — Graceland (1986)#123 · Run-D.M.C — Raising Hell (1986)#167 · Metallica — Master Of Puppets (1986)#187 · Peter Gabriel — So (1986)#218 · The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead (1986)#219 · Beastie Boys — Licensed To Ill (1986)#329 · James Brown — In The Jungle Groove (1986)#482 · Steve Earle — Guitar Town (1986)#27 · U2 — The Joshua Tree (1987)#62 · Guns N' Roses — Appetite For Destruction (1987)#93 · Prince — Sign O' The Times (1987)#203 · Michael Jackson — Bad (1987)#228 · Eric B. And Rakim — Paid In Full (1987)#363 · New Order — Substance (1987)#369 · The Smiths — Louder Than Bombs (1987)#462 · R.E.M — Document (1987)#464 · Def Leppard — Hysteria (1987)#467 · Bruce Springsteen — Tunnel Of Love (1987)#472 · George Michael — Faith (1987)#48 · Public Enemy — It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)#144 · N.W.A — Straight Outta Compton (1988)#263 · Tracy Chapman — Tracy Chapman (1988)#312 · Jane's Addiction — Nothing's Shocking (1988)#317 · Pixies — Surfer Rosa (1988)#328 · Sonic Youth — Daydream Nation (1988)#453 · EPMD — Strictly Business (1988)#156 · Beastie Boys — Paul's Boutique (1989)#227 · Pixies — Doolittle (1989)#230 · Bonnie Raitt — Nick Of Time (1989)#239 · Madonna — Like A Prayer (1989)#277 · Janet Jackson — Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)#326 · The Cure — Disintegration (1989)#346 · De La Soul — 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)#389 · Don Henley — The End Of The Innocence (1989)#498 · The Stone Roses — The Stone Roses (1989)#22 · Robert Johnson — The Complete Recordings (1990)#184 · Madonna — The Immaculate Collection (1990)#302 · Public Enemy — Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)#342 · Depeche Mode — Violator (1990)#408 · Sinead O'Connor — I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990)#421 · Various Artists — The Best Of The Girl Groups, Volumes 1 And 2 (1990)#17 · Nirvana — Nevermind (1991)#54 · Ray Charles — The Birth Of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm And Blues Recordings (1991)#63 · U2 — Achtung Baby (1991)#65 · Phil Spector — Back To Mono (1991)#75 · James Brown — Star Time (1991)#153 · A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory (1991)#209 · Pearl Jam — Ten (1991)#214 · Ike And Tina Turner — Proud Mary: The Best Of Ike And Tina Turner (1991)#221 · My Bloody Valentine — Loveless (1991)#255 · Metallica — Metallica (1991)#310 · Red Hot Chili Peppers — Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)#377 · John Lee Hooker — The Ultimate Collection (1948 - 1990) (1991)#397 · Massive Attack — Blue Lines (1991)#135 · Pavement — Slanted And Enchanted (1992)#138 · Dr. Dre — The Chronic (1992)#178 · Curtis Mayfield And The Impressions — The Anthology 1961 - 1977 (1992)#236 · Jackie Wilson — Mr. Excitement! (1992)#249 · R.E.M — Automatic For The People (1992)#365 · Rage Against The Machine — Rage Against The Machine (1992)#245 · Jerry Lee Lewis — The Jerry Lee Lewis Anthology: All Killer No Filler! (1993)#327 · Liz Phair — Exile In Guyville (1993)#362 · Smashing Pumpkins — Siamese Dream (1993)#387 · Wu-Tang Clan — Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)#406 · PJ Harvey — Rid Of Me (1993)#435 · Nirvana — In Utero (1993)#134 · The Notorious B.I.G — Ready To Die (1994)#193 · Green Day — Dookie (1994)#201 · Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral (1994)#212 · Pavement — Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)#281 · Mary J. Blige — My Life (1994)#299 · Weezer — Weezer ("The Blue Album") (1994)#304 · Jeff Buckley — Grace (1994)#311 · Various Artists — The Sun Records Collection (1994)#313 · Nirvana — Unplugged In New York (1994)#335 · Soundgarden — Superunknown (1994)#366 · Johnny Cash — American Recordings (1994)#379 · TLC — CrazySexyCool (1994)#402 · Nas — Illmatic (1994)#419 · Portishead — Dummy (1994)#460 · Hole — Live Through This (1994)#485 · Pearl Jam — Vitalogy (1994)#111 · Radiohead — The Bends (1995)#376 · Björk — Post (1995)#378 · Oasis — (What's The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)#480 · Raekwon — Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)#250 · Jay-Z — Reasonable Doubt (1996)#306 · Beck — Odelay (1996)#469 · Fugees — The Score (1996)#477 · Merle Haggard — Down Every Road (1996)#162 · Radiohead — OK Computer (1997)#259 · Janet Jackson — The Velvet Rope (1997)#272 · Sleater-Kinney — Dig Me Out (1997)#410 · Bob Dylan — Time Out Of Mind (1997)#476 · The Notorious B.I.G — Life After Death (1997)#305 · Lucinda Williams — Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)#314 · Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998)#367 · Madonna — Ray Of Light (1998)#500 · Outkast — Aquemini (1998)#11 · Elvis Presley — Sunrise (1999)#224 · Neil Diamond — The Neil Diamond Collection (1999)#275 · Eminem — The Slim Shady LP (1999)#341 · Moby — Play (1999)#401 · Red Hot Chili Peppers — Californication (1999)#416 · Tom Waits — Mule Variations (1999)#465 · The Magnetic Fields — 69 Love Songs (1999)#67 · Radiohead — Kid A (2000)#235 · Patsy Cline — The Ultimate Collection (2000)#244 · Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)#280 · U2 — All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)#361 · OutKast — Stankonia (2000)#431 · PJ Harvey — Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000)#481 · D'Angelo — Voodoo (2000)#38 · Muddy Waters — The Anthology (1947-1972) (2001)#179 · ABBA — The Definitive Collection (2001)#199 · The Strokes — Is This It (2001)#252 · Jay-Z — The Blueprint (2001)#320 · Radiohead — Amnesiac (2001)#385 · Bob Dylan — Love And Theft (2001)#474 · Manu Chao — Proxima Estacion Esperanza (2001)#493 · Wilco — Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)#497 · The White Stripes — White Blood Cells (2001)#164 · Linda Ronstadt — The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt (2002)#424 · Bruce Springsteen — The Rising (2002)#427 · Peter Wolf — Sleepless (2002)#436 · Beck — Sea Change (2002)#466 · Coldplay — A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)#478 · Loretta Lynn — All Time Greatest Hits (2002)#107 · Sam Cooke — Portrait Of A Legend: 1951-1964 (2003)#349 · Jay-Z — The Black Album (2003)#390 · The White Stripes — Elephant (2003)#151 · Arcade Fire — Funeral (2004)#225 · Green Day — American Idiot (2004)#298 · Kanye West — The College Dropout (2004)#118 · Kanye West — Late Registration (2005)#457 · My Morning Jacket — Z (2005)#204 · Bob Dylan — Modern Times (2006)#371 · Arctic Monkeys — Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)#451 · Amy Winehouse — Back To Black (2006)#336 · Radiohead — In Rainbows (2007)#393 · M.I.A — Kala (2007)#395 · LCD Soundsystem — Sound Of Silver (2007)#494 · Mgmt — Oracular Spectacular (2007)#430 · Vampire Weekend — Vampire Weekend (2008)#437 · Lil Wayne — Tha Carter III (2008)#353 · Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)#381 · The Beach Boys — The Smile Sessions (2011)
1950196019701980199020002010

Each block is one album from the list; the highlighted block is this album. Range includes the final 2011 release.

Runtime across the list

38 min 55 sec

04080120160+

Selected-edition runtimes for 494 albums. 20 albums above 160 minutes are grouped at 160+; 6 do not yet have a usable runtime.

Listening notes

Yeah, that's quite a contrast! 80s pop to real soulful music

title track isn't my favorite, Shining Star is my second favorite EW&F track (after September)

no Oxford Comma (but who gives a F...)

I always liked their faster numbers to their ballads. I guess I don't care much for the funk ballad - but they might be better for seducing? But this slow talking on All About Love is pretty great