We’ve seen our fair share of debates, both online and in real life, about who the greatest artist of all time is. And while music listeners from around the world are yet to have reached any kind of consensus on that exact matter, others have already shifted the focus and began wondering which of them has the best album cover— a question that American pop culture magazine Rolling Stone has sought to answer.
Last week, the renowned publication released their Top 100 Best Album Covers of All Time to celebrate the art that, despite often going unnoticed, remains a “crucial part of music history.” Cruising through all the genres that shape the sonic spectrum, the onus was placed on the catalyzing images that have made “a visual statement about where (an artist’s) music comes from and why it matters.”
Through different eras and pockets of music to different styles of photography and picture composition, this list, initially conceived to highlight a form of art that is often eluded from any form of critical attention, has itself in turn, overlooked the inclusion of many parts of the world, starting from our region. With a grand total of zero mentions of the Middle East and North Africa, the ranking seems to have missed an opportunity to recognize the influential contributions of many areas of the planet outside of the Western World– once again.
In the words of Lebanese music journalist Danny Hajjar, who previously criticized Apple’s “100 Best Albums” list for MILLE, this new tier-listing also feels “disingenuous and disrespectful to artists from other regions.” While then he argued that it reflected Apple’s lack of appreciation for the achievements, impact, and success of artists who come from elsewhere than he West, mere weeks later, it seems like Rolling Stone is sending the exact same message when it had the opportunity to not only be better but most importantly do better.
For all the success and leading positions Arab singers and artists have had, and still have, when it comes to vying for top spots on global music charts, it seems strange that they’ve failed to leave a mark in such an important ranking, missing out on the recognition some truly deserve. But is this really a shock? Not really; We’re sadly accustomed to it. If the omission was due to a lack of talent or impact, it would be understandable, but in reality, it reflects a broader pattern of exclusion that disregards the significant work of our own. homegrown artists.
And honestly, if it is so easy to overlook such a pivotal region in such a major music benchmark, then it’s equally easy for us to respond in kind. To reflect this sentiment, we will not be sharing their top 100 as, if we don’t matter to them, they don’t to us. simple.
