Ian McHugh
@tonemonkey.bsky.social
I’m a blues musician and DJ, host of Blues is the Truth and compère at the Ealing Blues Festival. Currently working my way through listening to Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 albums of all time and sharing my opinions which are many.
174/500 Jimmy Cliff et al-The harder The Come. If only all soundtracks grooved this hard! Just brilliant. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
174/500 Jimmy Cliff et al-The harder The Come. If only all soundtracks grooved this hard! Just brilliant. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
175/500 Kendrick Lamar-Damn. For the most part this is hip hop with a message, albeit one with more of the self than Public Enemy… it does sometimes fall into the trap of modern rap music but pretty quickly drags itself out.
#500best2020 #BestAlbums
#500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 22, 2025 at 9:01 AM
175/500 Kendrick Lamar-Damn. For the most part this is hip hop with a message, albeit one with more of the self than Public Enemy… it does sometimes fall into the trap of modern rap music but pretty quickly drags itself out.
#500best2020 #BestAlbums
#500best2020 #BestAlbums
176/500 Public Enemy-Fear of a Black Planet. When hip hop has something to say it really does it well. This is one of those records that really does that. Dealing with issues and having a massive influence across genres. Tell me you can’t hear this in the RHCP. #BestAlbums #500best2020
December 21, 2025 at 9:43 AM
176/500 Public Enemy-Fear of a Black Planet. When hip hop has something to say it really does it well. This is one of those records that really does that. Dealing with issues and having a massive influence across genres. Tell me you can’t hear this in the RHCP. #BestAlbums #500best2020
177/500 Rod Stewart-Every Picture Tells a Story. A great album from Rod. Great songs, great performances and a huge influence on a lot of my favourite music when I was a teen. You can really feel it. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 20, 2025 at 10:14 AM
177/500 Rod Stewart-Every Picture Tells a Story. A great album from Rod. Great songs, great performances and a huge influence on a lot of my favourite music when I was a teen. You can really feel it. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
178/500 Otis Redding-Otis Blue/Otis Sings Soul. Oh this is a wonderful thing compact and beautiful, full of soul and passion. I can’t recommend it highly enough especially in mono form. Warm and punchy! #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 19, 2025 at 4:43 PM
178/500 Otis Redding-Otis Blue/Otis Sings Soul. Oh this is a wonderful thing compact and beautiful, full of soul and passion. I can’t recommend it highly enough especially in mono form. Warm and punchy! #500best2020 #BestAlbums
179/500 The Notorious B.I.G.-Life or Death. Not a fan of this, no matter how prescient the final song is. It’s full of boastful self aggrandisement but lacks groove apart from when it’s directly taken from Diana Ross. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 18, 2025 at 8:49 AM
179/500 The Notorious B.I.G.-Life or Death. Not a fan of this, no matter how prescient the final song is. It’s full of boastful self aggrandisement but lacks groove apart from when it’s directly taken from Diana Ross. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
180/500 Love-Forever Changes. I don’t know what to write about this. I enjoyed it but in a passive way. It’s good, it’s groovy but I don’t remember much… #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 17, 2025 at 5:52 PM
180/500 Love-Forever Changes. I don’t know what to write about this. I enjoyed it but in a passive way. It’s good, it’s groovy but I don’t remember much… #500best2020 #BestAlbums
181/500 Bob Dylan-Bringing It All Back Home. A lot of everyone’s favourite Dylan songs are on here, no bad thing as they’re favourites for a reason. Other Dylan records move me more, but I get why this is here. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 16, 2025 at 8:51 AM
181/500 Bob Dylan-Bringing It All Back Home. A lot of everyone’s favourite Dylan songs are on here, no bad thing as they’re favourites for a reason. Other Dylan records move me more, but I get why this is here. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
182/500 James Taylor-Sweet Baby James. It’s a real songwriter’s album this, short, compact, & devoid of frippery. It’s all the better for it. The solos are compact, the production spare and it’s the song that is the first thing that sticks, despite the amazing musicianship. #BestAlbums #500best2020
December 15, 2025 at 8:55 AM
182/500 James Taylor-Sweet Baby James. It’s a real songwriter’s album this, short, compact, & devoid of frippery. It’s all the better for it. The solos are compact, the production spare and it’s the song that is the first thing that sticks, despite the amazing musicianship. #BestAlbums #500best2020
183/500 D’Angelo-Brown Sugar. Groove is all on this one, blending jazz into neo soul and making some truly great warm, all enveloping music. It’s hard to criticise, so I won’t. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
183/500 D’Angelo-Brown Sugar. Groove is all on this one, blending jazz into neo soul and making some truly great warm, all enveloping music. It’s hard to criticise, so I won’t. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
A new Blues is the Truth is out now, hosted by Ian McHugh, with a special nod to the legendary Steve Cropper whose music and influence live on. Featuring Otis Redding, Booker T and The MGs, Buddy Guy, GA 20 and more. Listen here hearthis.at/ian-mchugh/b... #BluesIsTheTruth #BluesMusic #SteveCropper
Blues is the Truth 782
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December 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
A new Blues is the Truth is out now, hosted by Ian McHugh, with a special nod to the legendary Steve Cropper whose music and influence live on. Featuring Otis Redding, Booker T and The MGs, Buddy Guy, GA 20 and more. Listen here hearthis.at/ian-mchugh/b... #BluesIsTheTruth #BluesMusic #SteveCropper
184/500 Cyndi Lauper-She’s So Unusual. For a while everyone knew Cyndi was cooler than Madonna. This is why. It’s a great pop record fun silly but tinged with emotion. It’s maybe higher than I’d have put it, but I think it deserves to be on the list and then some #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 13, 2025 at 11:43 AM
184/500 Cyndi Lauper-She’s So Unusual. For a while everyone knew Cyndi was cooler than Madonna. This is why. It’s a great pop record fun silly but tinged with emotion. It’s maybe higher than I’d have put it, but I think it deserves to be on the list and then some #500best2020 #BestAlbums
185/500 Rolling Stones-Beggars Banquet. Why is this one so low? Some of the Stones very best as they transition from a blues band to something bigger, broader and entirely its own thing. As other bands got lost in musical excess, this is all song and fire.
#BestAlbums #500best2020
#BestAlbums #500best2020
December 12, 2025 at 11:25 AM
185/500 Rolling Stones-Beggars Banquet. Why is this one so low? Some of the Stones very best as they transition from a blues band to something bigger, broader and entirely its own thing. As other bands got lost in musical excess, this is all song and fire.
#BestAlbums #500best2020
#BestAlbums #500best2020
186/500 Red Hot Chilli Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magic. In a slightly ridiculous way, this is the ultimate Chilli Peppers album. It’s coarse, childish, moving, political, vulnerable and vulgar. All the things they are are here and it’s really quite funky. #BestAlbums #500best2020
December 11, 2025 at 10:41 AM
186/500 Red Hot Chilli Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magic. In a slightly ridiculous way, this is the ultimate Chilli Peppers album. It’s coarse, childish, moving, political, vulnerable and vulgar. All the things they are are here and it’s really quite funky. #BestAlbums #500best2020
187/500 Ice Cube-Amerikkkas most wanted. Angry disaffected and actually quite powerful. The folks who make gangsta rap should listen to the old school like this. Yes there’s a lot of posturing but it really isn’t as stupid sounding as many that followed. #BestAlbums #500best2020
December 10, 2025 at 11:25 PM
187/500 Ice Cube-Amerikkkas most wanted. Angry disaffected and actually quite powerful. The folks who make gangsta rap should listen to the old school like this. Yes there’s a lot of posturing but it really isn’t as stupid sounding as many that followed. #BestAlbums #500best2020
188/500 T-Rex-Electric Warrior. Some of this sounds like a third rate British blues band from 5 years before they released this. The rest sounds like some of the most groovy inventive guitar music full of songs and promise. It’s more of the latter thankfully. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM
188/500 T-Rex-Electric Warrior. Some of this sounds like a third rate British blues band from 5 years before they released this. The rest sounds like some of the most groovy inventive guitar music full of songs and promise. It’s more of the latter thankfully. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
189/500 Sleater Kinney-Dig Me Out. Not a bad record in the slightest. Though it didn’t blow my mind it’s far more human, honest and musical than the likes of Shania Twain. It’s folks making their music and I respect that. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 8, 2025 at 10:24 AM
189/500 Sleater Kinney-Dig Me Out. Not a bad record in the slightest. Though it didn’t blow my mind it’s far more human, honest and musical than the likes of Shania Twain. It’s folks making their music and I respect that. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
190/500 The Who-Tommy. This is probably the most successful of the albums where they’re acting on Pete’s pretensions of grandeur and making rock opera. The songs are best when they’re more akin to the punchy attack of early records, that’s why we know them out of context. #BestAlbums #500best2020
December 7, 2025 at 9:39 AM
190/500 The Who-Tommy. This is probably the most successful of the albums where they’re acting on Pete’s pretensions of grandeur and making rock opera. The songs are best when they’re more akin to the punchy attack of early records, that’s why we know them out of context. #BestAlbums #500best2020
191/500 Etta James-At Last. A powerful collection of songs by an undeniably great singer. I do think her contemporaries get overlooked in her shadow, but that isn’t her fault. I’d highly recommend listening! #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
191/500 Etta James-At Last. A powerful collection of songs by an undeniably great singer. I do think her contemporaries get overlooked in her shadow, but that isn’t her fault. I’d highly recommend listening! #500best2020 #BestAlbums
A new Blues is the Truth is out now and a little Christmas sparkle is starting to creep in. Stunning music from Bessie Smith, Emma Wilson, Eddie Cotton, John Mayer, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Dave Kelly and more. Listen here hearthis.at/ian-mchugh/b... #BluesIsTheTruth #BluesShow #NewEpisode
Blues is the truth 781
by Blues is the Truth on hearthis.at | Blues
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December 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
A new Blues is the Truth is out now and a little Christmas sparkle is starting to creep in. Stunning music from Bessie Smith, Emma Wilson, Eddie Cotton, John Mayer, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Dave Kelly and more. Listen here hearthis.at/ian-mchugh/b... #BluesIsTheTruth #BluesShow #NewEpisode
192/500 Beastie Boys-Licensed to Ill. When I was young I looked at the Beastie Boys as a bit of a novelty act. Now with a little distance I realise they were saying something. Quite often something about White Castle. Worth a go as an intro to the band. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 5, 2025 at 8:53 AM
192/500 Beastie Boys-Licensed to Ill. When I was young I looked at the Beastie Boys as a bit of a novelty act. Now with a little distance I realise they were saying something. Quite often something about White Castle. Worth a go as an intro to the band. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
193/500 Creedence Clearwater Revival-Willie and the Poor Boys. More great music from Creedence, songs so steeped in American tradition they sound like they’ve always been there, but fresh enough to sound like they were written yesterday. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 4, 2025 at 8:53 AM
193/500 Creedence Clearwater Revival-Willie and the Poor Boys. More great music from Creedence, songs so steeped in American tradition they sound like they’ve always been there, but fresh enough to sound like they were written yesterday. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
194/500 Michael Jackson-Bad. I was young when this was released, and it's still hard to get over the ridiculous posturing of MJ being a bad boy gang member in the video for Bad. While it is still silly it is brilliant, great songs, astounding performances, brilliant production. #BestAlbums
December 3, 2025 at 2:48 PM
194/500 Michael Jackson-Bad. I was young when this was released, and it's still hard to get over the ridiculous posturing of MJ being a bad boy gang member in the video for Bad. While it is still silly it is brilliant, great songs, astounding performances, brilliant production. #BestAlbums
195/500 Leonard Cohen-The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Titled like a compilation it’s actually a debut. One filled with well founded confidence in the brilliance of the writing. Performance wise Leonard is not for everyone, but he’s honest, direct and simple which I like. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 2, 2025 at 8:53 AM
195/500 Leonard Cohen-The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Titled like a compilation it’s actually a debut. One filled with well founded confidence in the brilliance of the writing. Performance wise Leonard is not for everyone, but he’s honest, direct and simple which I like. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
196/500 Robyn-Body Talk. Robyn a near perfect pop artist, distinctive voice, great songs, and that uncanny knack of being deep and talking reality in two minute danceable chunks. This is a great example of her at her best. #500best2020 #BestAlbums
December 1, 2025 at 11:24 AM
196/500 Robyn-Body Talk. Robyn a near perfect pop artist, distinctive voice, great songs, and that uncanny knack of being deep and talking reality in two minute danceable chunks. This is a great example of her at her best. #500best2020 #BestAlbums