#78 The Stone Roses by The Stone Roses

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

78

2011 Album Rank

54

Total Points

804

Year Released

1989

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

86

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

N/A (Sold fewer than 500,00 copies)

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The Stone Roses Album Details

Released on May 2, 1989, The Stone Roses is widely regarded as one of the most important British debut albums ever made. Blending 1960s psychedelic rock with jangly guitar pop, acid house rhythms, and northern swagger, the album became the defining statement of the emerging Madchester scene. With John Squire's shimmering guitar work, Mani's groove-laden basslines, Reni's tight, funky drumming, and Ian Brown's cryptic, attitude-laced vocals, the band crafted a sound that was retro and futuristic at once.

Tracks like I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs the Drums, Made of Stone, and I Am the Resurrection captured a uniquely British optimism and a brash, quasi-messianic self-confidence. While the album initially gained traction in the UK indie charts, it grew into a cultural juggernaut, inspiring the next wave of UK guitar bands and laying the groundwork for Britpop. More than just a record, The Stone Roses became a generational touchstone.

Interesting Facts about The Stone Roses

• The album's recording took place primarily at Battery Studios and Rockfield Studios, with producer John Leckie, who had previously worked with Pink Floyd, XTC, and Simple Minds. His textured, spacious production helped shape the band's expansive sound.
• The track I Wanna Be Adored opens the album with nearly a minute of ambient fade-in, a bold choice for a debut, signaling the band's sense of drama and importance.
• The chanted line "I don't have to sell my soul / He's already in me" in I Wanna Be Adored became a mantra of the band's mythic image detached, untouchable, and cool to the point of arrogance.
• Waterfall and its reversed instrumental reprise Don't Stop demonstrate the band's experimental tendencies, using tape reversal techniques that recall The Beatles' Revolver sessions.
• I Am the Resurrection features a four-minute instrumental coda, a euphoric jam that became the centerpiece of the band's live shows and a high-water mark for the entire Madchester era.
• The album cover was painted by guitarist John Squire and titled Bye Bye Badman. The lemons and tricolor references relate to the 1968 Paris student riots, a theme also echoed in the lyrics.
• While Elephant Stone and Fools Gold became iconic singles associated with the album, they were not on the original UK version. Later international editions included one or both tracks.
• The band insisted on releasing She Bangs the Drums as a single despite label resistance. It became their first Top 40 UK hit, solidifying their mainstream breakthrough.
• Reni, the band's drummer, is often cited by fellow musicians as one of the most technically gifted drummers of his generation. His loose, groove-based style distinguished the band from both indie and traditional rock acts.
• The band's refusal to perform on shows like Top of the Pops, unless allowed to play live, was part of their anti-establishment stance. Their BBC performance of Made of Stone is considered a watershed moment in UK indie music television.

The Stone Roses Tracklist

1. I Wanna Be Adored
2. Waterfall
3. She Bangs the Drums
4. Don't Stop
5. Bye Bye Badman
6. Elizabeth My Dear
7. (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
8. Made of Stone
9. Shoot You Down
10. This is the One
11. I am the Resurrection

I Wanna Be Adored Music Video

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