The 100 Greatest Albums of National Rock (Spanish: Los 100 mejores discos del rock nacional) is a 2007 special issue of Rolling Stone Argentina, the local edition of the American magazine that is published monthly by S.A. La Nación. It was made available in newsstands on April 3.[1] That month, Rolling Stone Argentina was issued as a special "double anniversary edition", with the list being released alongside the magazine's usual publication. The issue celebrated the forty years of Argentine rock and the nine years of Rolling Stone Argentina.[2] In 2013, a revised "bookazine" edition of the list was released, incorporating more albums from the 2000s.[3]
The list focuses on Argentine rock, which is locally known as rock nacional (Spanish for "national rock") and is considered a distinct style of rock music, born in the late 1960s in Buenos Aires at a time when the city was experiencing a cultural blossoming.[4] Rock nacional has been defined as "fusion music of various rhythms, completely identifiable as belonging to the urban areas of the country. It is a synthesis of the original [rock] with other expressions that, in the opinion of the foreigners, sometimes sounds like tango or [folk music]."[5] Although rock and roll already existed in Argentina, the countercultural, young bohemians of Buenos Aires were the first to create a local version of rock that spoke of their own concerns, with the particularity of featuring Spanish lyrics at a time when it was frowned upon.[4] [6] [7] The release of Los Gatos' debut single, "La balsa" on July 3, 1967 is generally considered to be the origin of the movement, as it established its commercial viability and turned it into a widespread youth culture phenomenon.[8] For this reason, The 100 Greatest Albums of National Rock only includes records released after "La balsa", and was issued in commemoration of the forty years of the single's release or, in other words, the fortieth anniversary of the genre.[2]
The number one album was Artaud by Luis Alberto Spinetta (credited to Pescado Rabioso).[9]
Made in a similar fashion to Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, the list was voted for by 180 people related to the genre, including musicians, journalists, photographers and members of the recording industry.[10] Each album entry is accompanied by a journalist commentary, with the exception of Clics modernos, which Charly García wrote himself.[2]
Among the first twenty albums selected, nine were recorded before 1983, the year Argentina's last military dictatorship ended.[11]
| Title | Year | Artists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artaud | 1973 | Luis Alberto Spinetta (credited to Pescado Rabioso) | |
| 2 | Clics modernos | 1983 | Charly García | |
| 3 | Manal | 1970 | Manal | |
| 4 | Oktubre | 1986 | Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota | |
| 5 | Divididos por la felicidad | 1985 | Sumo | |
| 6 | Almendra | 1969 | Almendra | |
| 7 | La era de la boludez | 1993 | Divididos | |
| 8 | Treinta minutos de vida | 1970 | Moris | |
| 9 | Canción animal | 1990 | Soda Stereo | |
| 10 | Alta suciedad | 1997 | Andrés Calamaro |
| Title | Year | Artists | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Artaud | 1973 | Luis Alberto Spinetta (credited to Pescado Rabioso) | |
| 2 | Clics modernos | 1983 | Charly García | |
| 3 | Manal | 1970 | Manal | |
| 4 | Oktubre | 1986 | Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota | |
| 5 | Divididos por la felicidad | 1985 | Sumo | |
| 6 | Almendra | 1969 | Almendra | |
| 7 | La era de la boludez | 1993 | Divididos | |
| 8 | Pappo's Blues Volumen 2 | 1972 | Pappo's Blues | |
| 9 | Canción animal | 1990 | Soda Stereo | |
| 10 | Alta suciedad | 1997 | Andrés Calamaro |