I don't know if this was posted already, but here's the list to the recent
1001 Albums To Hear Before You Die book.
http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steve...1001albums.htm
I did a brief search and found Hot Rats as the only Zappa recording mentioned and no Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator, Magma, or Area, so I don't think I'm liking it.
However, they did include Soft Machine's Third and The Residents' Duck Stab, so it isn't entirely useless.
Oh, and not
one mention of Cecil Taylor, Eric Dolphy, or Albert Ayler...or Satchmo.
And they somehow decided that Zorn playing Ornette Coleman was more significant than any of Coleman's own recordings.
Of course, it's also implied that there's nothing of significance recorded prior to 1950.