MUSIC JUNKIES ANONYMOUS

ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUM LISTS

This section is intended to showcase what albums are the most truly recommendable 'best all time' in the opinions of those on this site.  Click a link for the appropriate reviewer picks.  Feel free to send in your own lists (even if you don't write reviews for the site or if anything on there hasn't been reviewed specifically).

Last update: December 29, 2004

Submit your all time favorite album lists here

NICK KARN

WARNING: LIST SOMEWHAT DATED!!!!

Since my rating system is heavily influenced by the 'relative' best-of-artist/genre ones employed by The All Music Guide, The Collector's Guide To Heavy Metal, and to a better extent, the sites of Mark Prindle, George Starostin and John McFerrin, the range of 9's and 10's for me is probably a little wider than most, probably because I have a desire to give credit to the albums I really hold a special place for, in that I love all or most of the songs, but for one reason or another (probably due to factors like how it holds up through repeated listening or uniqueness), I wouldn't consider them absolutely vital to my musical existence, even though seriously recommended.  So I decided to create a list that would point out which records are among both my 'God-like' and moderate favorites (and everything in between!) - I'm not even gonna try to rank them all individually though.  I also add short commentary on each one, just to sum things up nicely.

Of course, this list will be far from permanent, because there are a whole lot of great bands whose classic output I'm either just scratching the surface for or haven't even heard a note from yet in extreme cases.  So as this site ages I'll be adding more albums to it for sure.  Here goes...

My 'God-like desert island albums' (the highest plane)

This is a very, very limited category that actually has gotten slightly bigger over the past few months, as there are only a handful of records that I would classify as, 'You need to buy this album now!!!  Steal it if you have to!' just because it's extremely hard for any band to make an album so special that any flaws it may have are minor enough to not dent the experience one bit. These are the ones I'd save if my house was burning down without hesitation.

  1. The Beatles-Revolver - They may have more revolutionary and/or better albums, but like the most truly worthy Beatles' music, everything here is just a timeless gem that seems like it always existed.
  2. The Beatles-The Beatles (White Album) - This is quite possibly the most diverse and best sequenced album ever recorded, in an over an hour and a half set of prime Beatles music that goes all over the place.  Exceptional.
  3. The Beatles-Abbey Road - I'm inclined to believe the 'greatest rock album ever' hype for this one (and not Sgt. Pepper).  The emotional impact and maturity of the songs is just more shattering than I can express.
  4. Dream Theater-Images And Words - My favorite album of the 90's, and for a very long time, my undisputed all time favorite.  Simply a stunning, effortless merge of all these brilliant prog/hard rock influences.
  5. Faith No More-Angel Dust - This is an absolute essential example of possibly the greatest schizophrenic vocal work ever recorded, and it's extremely diverse (and at the same time coherent) as well.
  6. Jane's Addiction-Ritual De Lo Habitual - Unreal, truly unique, powerfully bombastic beyond imagination funk/art rock.  Has there ever been a better epic sequence than "Three Days" and "Then She Did"?
  7. Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti - A lot of people would disagree with this being here, but I don't really care.  This is a highly exhilirating and quintessential look at all the different approaches they took in their career.
  8. Pink Floyd-Animals - A masterpiece of mood that simply cannot be beat.  Roger Waters really had it going with a powerful concept.  And it doesn't hurt that this is their greatest song collection as well.
  9. The Rolling Stones-Beggars Banquet - Maybe it's sequel may have been slightly superior, but still, this is an absolutely amazing diverse blend of styles into a timeless roots rock sound - plus it has "Sympathy For The Devil'!
  10. The Rolling Stones-Let It Bleed - Certainly an extremely vital album from the 'second greatest rock and roll band of all time', it has everything from the epic to the laid back to the melodic, all within one 42 minute document.
  11. The Who-Quadrophenia - Hmm, maybe the greatest double album of all time and the greatest 'rock opera' ever.  There has never been a better example of teen angst than this, propelled by classic songs.
  12. Yes-Close To The Edge - Originally I ranked this merely a high 9 underneath Fragile, but repeated listenings really sucked me in to an otherworldly universe this album creates unlike any other.  Beyond stunning.

Extremely incredible masterpieces

This is probably the next level of 'classic albums' after my desert island picks.  Some of them pretty damn close to absolute perfection, though there could probably be a few less than amazing songs and/or moments that keep them from being so.  Nevertheless, these are all albums I would still enthusiastically tell you to buy today - they're that good (IMHO).

  1. The Beatles-Rubber Soul - The turning point album in the band's career, and that's nothing to ignore.  Tons of extremely great songs, and probably one of the first fully coherent classic albums.
  2. The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - This is a very unusual 'compromise'.  On one hand, this is the only album in this category I wouldn't give an objective 10, simply because in my mind it's highly uneven and the actual quality of the songs overall really pales to their best albums.  However, this is shattering in its' influence in that rock would never be the same without it, so I have tremendous respect here.
  3. The Beatles-Magical Mystery Tour - Yeah, it's an album from the American 'bastard' catalog.  Yeah, it's not as revolutionary as Sgt. Pepper.  But it's still the Beatles - and still a goddamn classic.  Period.
  4. The Beatles-Past Masters Volume 2 - I normally think compilations are a cop out, but this is worth mentioning because of its' many non-album singles and B-sides that are just as classic as the album tracks.
  5. The Doors-Strange Days - The scariest, most psychedelic, and most melodic Doors album.  It's also one of the most extremely even albums I own too.  "When The Music's Over" is intimidating.
  6. Dream Theater-Falling Into Infinity - Quite diverse in proving that this band didn't have to be totally technical all the time to write really powerful songs.  And this is 78 minutes! More DT is better DT!
  7. Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited - Revolutionary, and a highly amazing vibe flows through the whole thing that leaves you feeling completely drained afterwards.  Definitely the mark of a genius.
  8. Peter Gabriel-Us - The ultimate Gabriel solo experience.  Timeless atmosphere and gutwrenching lyrical emotion mixed with great uptempo moments, and done with supposedly 'horrible' musical influences.
  9. Genesis-Selling England By The Pound - Wow. A ton of the best melodies ever found on any progressive rock album can be found here.  Peter Gabriel is one strange theatrical character.
  10. Jimi Hendrix-Are You Experienced? - It isn't perfect, but the electric guitar would never be the same after this.  And there's just too many phenomenal psychedelic/hard rock classics on here.
  11. Jethro Tull-Thick As A Brick - This album simply embodies progressive rock to the extreme, which naturally means I love it to death.  Prepare yourself for quite an interesting journey throughout.
  12. The Kinks-Arthur (Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire) - A long title, and a very very thrilling set of songs throughout.  A brilliant showcase of Ray Davies' distinct English wit, and amazing melodies.
  13. Led Zeppelin-II - Bludgeoning hard rock at its' finest.  One of the most fantastic bass guitar albums ever recorded.  One of the best guitar solos of all time in "Heartbreaker". What more do you want?
  14. Metallica-Master Of Puppets - Very likely the greatest, and most quintessential, heavy metal album of all time.  The complex and intelligent arrangements and riffs are simply something spectacular.
  15. Pink Floyd-Dark Side Of The Moon - A masterpiece of synchronization that's almost pointless to say anything about.  A wonderful journey that's extremely well worth experiencing.
  16. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here - Only a few overlong moments in "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" keeps this from perfection.  Some of the most emotionally amazing music ever written.
  17. R.E.M.-Murmur - At one point in my musical existence, this was my favorite album ever. I don't consider it as special now, but this thing has an extraordinary mysterious atmosphere and it's so catchy.
  18. R.E.M.-Reckoning - My favorite R.E.M. album because it comes closest to completely and totally brilliant consistency, and it manages to be intriguing and unique in a totally different way than Murmur.
  19. The Rolling Stones-Between The Buttons - One hell of a classic pop album.  Who knew this classic rock 'n' roll band could write such timeless, beautiful and fun pop songs with exceptional melodies?
  20. Rush-Moving Pictures - One of those rare progressive albums where the songs are still extremely catchy without at all compromising the technical precision. A perfect synthesis of what they were best at
  21. The Who-Live At Leeds - Without a doubt, the greatest live album I've ever heard, which may not be saying a lot, but even to hear a live act like this on record is something truly special.
  22. Yes-Fragile - Extraordinary epics and very memorable solo bits add up to the most exciting disc that the quintessential prog band has to offer.  Another one for the 'bass guitar' hall of fame as well.

Great albums well worth your listening time

This is most likely the lowest level of brilliance there is.  Some of these records song-wise I enjoy just as much as the ones I ranked higher, but other factors, whether it be overall consistency, listenability and uniqueness, keep them from being in that sphere.  I really love this stuff, however, as it's all among my favorites, and you should have at least some of these in your collection.

  1. Alice In Chains-Facelift - One of the bleakest and scariest albums ever recorded, with the first half in particular being harrowing - and this is a debut!
  2. Belle And Sebastian-The Boy With The Arab Strap - Man, no one even comes close to the quality of these melodies nowadays.  Without a doubt, the most shining example of modern 'pop' I've heard.
  3. Black Sabbath-Paranoid - An extremely key album in metal's history - a powerful set of riffs and a classic cartoonish Satanic vibe.
  4. Jeff Buckley-Grace - One of the most astonishingly beautiful records ever conceived - only a couple somewhat weak covers prevent me from giving it a higher grade.
  5. The Clash-The Clash - Probably the finest 'punk rock' album there is - fine melodies to along with the sheer rebellious attitude.
  6. Deep Purple-Purpendicular - I don't know what it is exactly, but there's something about this record that absolutely takes my breath away.
  7. Def Leppard-Hysteria - If there was ever an essential 'hair metal' album it's this one. Top notch melodies and an extremely energetic production.
  8. The Doors-The Doors - The first shot of this highly intriguing and unique band, and also the freshest.  Hard for me to deny the superiority of "Light My Fire".
  9. Dream Theater-Awake - A powerful showcase of sheer progressiveness, and emotional heavyness - and the truly timeless atmosphere of "Space Dye Vest".
  10. Dream Theater-Scenes From A Memory - Noticeably flawed, but still darn near classic. A highly intriguing concept to go along with spectacular songs.
  11. Bob Dylan-The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - One of the ultimate revolutionary peaks in singer-songwriting, and quite a fascinating journey to boot.
  12. Brian Eno-Another Green World - One hell of an album for 'background' music, with fantastic instrumental landscapes and great melodies galore.
  13. Extreme-III Sides To Every Story - Even if evokes the Queen and Metallica spirit a bit too much, this is still a stunning conceptual outing.
  14. Faith No More-The Real Thing - One of the essential uncategorizable hard rock band albums, worth it for an "Epic" and so much more.
  15. Peter Gabriel-Peter Gabriel (III) - Really creepy, beautiful and innovative all at once, this is powerful stuff in a totally different style than his Genesis work.
  16. Peter Gabriel-Security - The good sides of drum machines and electronica, those that may be.  You can trust anything in Peter Gabriel's hands, pretty much.
  17. Genesis-Foxtrot - A truly staggering epic like "Supper's Ready" guarantees this album an immortal place in history.  A true cornerstone in progressive rock, no doubt.
  18. Genesis-The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - One of the most impenetrable progressive rock concept albums ever, and an incredible flowing journey.
  19. Guns N' Roses-Use Your Illusion II - Dark, disturbed, epic, beautiful, and powerful hard rock all at the same time.  A journey into the psyche of Axl Rose.
  20. Jane's Addiction-Nothing's Shocking - Majestic, provocative and downright entertaining. Quite a controversial edge to this thing as well.
  21. Jethro Tull-Stand Up - Tull starts to come into their own with this one, crafting impressively distinct and diverse hard rock/folk tunes.
  22. King Crimson-In The Court Of The Crimson King - This list can't be denied one of the most historically critical prog rock albums.
  23. King's X-King's X - The most satisfying and quintessential of the distinct 'heavy harmonies' output of these guys.  Excellent melodies.
  24. The Kinks-Muswell Hillbillies - I don't know how, but the band somehow built one of the most intriguing sounds of a single record ever out of outdated musical genres.
  25. Led Zeppelin-I - This has become almost the critical favorite recently, and while I don't quite hold it that high, it's an extremely powerful heavy blues showcase.
  26. Led Zeppelin-IV (ZoSo) - Yeah, it is overrated and it does have a couple clunkers, but some of this stuff is just so exceptional, including that "Stairway" jam.
  27. Metallica-Ride The Lightning - A vastly important contributor to the thrash metal sound of the 80's, the first Metallica classic containing their three best tunes to boot.
  28. The Moody Blues-Days Of Future Passed - No, the orchestration doesn't obscure the incredible beauty of this art rock landmark one single bit.
  29. Mr. Bungle-California - Maybe a little much in the unconventional spirit of Zappa or whatever, but an experimental masterpiece that must be heard to be believed.
  30. Pearl Jam-Vs. - One of the truly great edgy records of the 'grunge' era (and probably in the top three of that time) - with a lot of passion here too.
  31. Pink Floyd-The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - Defines the frightening aspects of the psychedelic era.  Too bad Syd had to leave so early.
  32. Queensryche-Empire - Fine, kill me for putting their 'sellout' at a high position, but it's too energetic, catchy and thoughtful for me to think otherwise.
  33. R.E.M.-Green - Probably the most diverse of all the R.E.M. outings, which is saying something, and all of this record's sides work too.
  34. R.E.M.-Up - The band at their most experimental, and they sound very comfortable at it, with some of the most emotional highs of their career.
  35. Radiohead-The Bends - Shattering highs like "Street Spirit", "Fake Plastic Trees", and "High And Dry" contribute to make this a truly special and unique record.
  36. The Rolling Stones-Aftermath - The slight inconsistency prevents it from being higher, but the opening stretch and "Going Home" can hardly be beat for excellence.
  37. The Rolling Stones-Sticky Fingers - Fabulous 'obscene' hard rockers and brilliant mellow country-ish ballads make for probably one of their more quintessential.
  38. Rush-Signals - Whatever anyone may say, incorporating new wave-ish synths with their prog/hard rock style (and the lyrics) I think was a brilliant move.
  39. Rush-Power Windows - The music may be too 'sterile', but I could care less - I'm absolutely thrilled with the combination of prog, new wave and hard rock here.
  40. Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream - With their pretentiousness, simplicity and whiny voicedness, this could have been a record I despise.  Well, it ain't.
  41. The Tea Party-Splendor Solis - Eastern music, pure poetry, and driving hard rock. Maybe not too original, but oh so powerful.
  42. U2-The Joshua Tree - A tad overrated, but still a powerful account of what effect this band could have when it's songs were at their best.
  43. Van Halen-Fair Warning - I love the dark side of Van Halen more than any other - and it doesn't hurt that probably every band member is at their peak.
  44. The Who-The Who Sell Out - The eternal proof that The Who were anything but a one-dimensional hard rock band.  Extremely well done melodies.
  45. The Who-Who's Next - Another overrated album, but that's very relative.  Bombast can produce some of the most stunning results in the world, you know.
  46. Yes-Yessongs - Put a ton of epics all in one place, with all their energy and tightness still intact, and you get my favorite prog rock live album of all time.

FREDRIK TYDAL

The Desert Island Picks

  1. The Beatles- "Revolver" - What is there left to say? I practically don't have to listen to the album anymore; I know it by heart.
  2. The Beatles - "Abbey Road" - Same here. Probably the best farewell album ever.
  3. Bob Dylan - "Highway 61 Revisited" - Complete brilliance. Any album that kicks off with "Like A Rolling Stone" and closes with "Desolation Row" has to be a winner. And the material in between isn't that bad either.
  4. Bob Dylan - "Blonde On Blonde" - And he follows it with another absolute master-piece! If you want a good analysis on why the album rules, check out George Starostin's eight-page review...
  5. The Beatles - "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - Not overrated. Certainly deserves all praise it can get.
  6. The Who - "Tommy" - Cannot be described in words. The melodies, the riffs, the emotions... Magnificent. Clearly The Who's peak.
  7. The Rolling Stones - "Let It Bleed" - Not a weak cut in sight. The Stones never got better.
  8. Crosby, Stills & Nash - "Crosby, Stills & Nash" - One group who never bettered their debut. A fantastic collection of songs that blend together perfectly. Unfortunately, Neil Young had to come and ruin the group on the next album...

The Extremely Incredible Masterpieces

  1. Bob Dylan - "Bringing It All Back Home" - Dylan goes electric and shakes the very foundation of popular music in the process. Ironically also the peak of his acoustic period.
  2. Bob Dylan - "Blood On The Tracks" - Perhaps slightly overrated, but certainly an incredible effort and most probably Dylan's last master-piece.
  3. The Rolling Stones - "Beggar's Banquet" - Kicks off with "Sympathy For The Devil" and keeps the pace all the way through.
  4. The Who - "Live At Leeds" - Best live album of all time. Period. From the opening chords of "Heaven And Hell", you know you're in for a ride.
  5. The Beatles - "The Beatles (White Album)" - Everything has been said about this one, hasn't it? Great diversity.
  6. The Beatles - "Magical Mystery Tour" - If you look at the actual songs, this is *grand*.
  7. Bob Dylan - "John Wesley Harding" - A bit of an outsider, but which all the same always has been present in my personal Dylan Top 5. One of those where you have to get the 'vibe' to fully appreciate it.
  8. The Beatles - "Rubber Soul" - "Drive My Car", "Nowhere Man", "Norwegian Wood", "Girl", "Michelle", "I'm Looking Through You", "In My Life" - are there anything but classics on this record?
  9. The Grateful Dead - "American Beauty" - Hey, go and listen to the album before you laugh. An impressive, inviting smorgasbord of American music; folk, blues, country and bluegrass - it's all here, and it's very tasty. The only weak cut "Attics Of My Life" simply cannot hurt the utter and complete genius of the other tracks.
  10. The Zombies - "Odyssey And Oracle" - Some of the best pop music you will ever hear. Not as good as some say, but fantastic all the same.
  11. The Byrds - "Younger Than Yesterday" - A great album that unfortunately was lost among all the other great albums of 1967. Sci-fi, country, folk, Dylan, torch ballads, pop, psychedelia - it's all here.
  12. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Electric Ladyland" - Some would not agree, but I believe that this is the man's master-piece. It should never be listened to in part, as it gives an incredible impression when listened to as a whole. Am I the only one who gets this really strong feeling when the first chords of "All Along The Watchtower" comes in after "House Burning Down"?
  13. The Rolling Stones - "Sticky Fingers" - Fabulous all the way through. "Sister Morphine" is scarier than anything the Velvet Underground ever did... Breathtaking.
  14. Derek And The Dominos - "Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs" - Eric Clapton's peak. Duane Allman's peak. The peak of British blues rock. I just wish radio would play the original "Layla" instead of that wimpy unplugged one...
  15. The Kinks - "The Village Green Preservation Society" - Grand in its Britishness. Not a weak cut.
  16. The United States Of America - "The United States Of America" - The best album you've never heard and also one of the Holy Grails of Sixties music. Advanced electronica in... late 1967? Yep. Not a guitar to be found on the whole album.
  17. The Grateful Dead - "Live/Dead" - "St. Stephen" through "The Eleven" and "Turn On Your Lovelight" is some of the *tightest* playing you will ever hear in your life.
  18. Neil Young - "After The Goldrush" - Young's one masterpiece. No one can take that away from him.

And a few honourable mentions...

  1. The Rolling Stones - "Exile On Main Street" - The least impressive of The Stones' Four Great In A Row. Very consistent.
  2. Jefferson Airplane - "Surrealistic Pillow" - Personal favourites of mine, but would never make the Desert Island list. But "Somebody To Love" and "White Rabbit, wow...
  3. Jefferson Airplane - "Crown Of Creation" - Same here. Any bass player would kill for doing what Casady does on the title track. No wonder Casady was the first person McCartney hooked up with when he visited San Francisco in the Sixties...
  4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Are You Experienced?" - The sheer amount of original riffs on this one is mind-blowing...
  5. The Who - "Quadrophenia" - Slightly excessive in places and inferior to "Tommy", but the final four tracks are so emotional and devastating that I cannot listen to them too often...
  6. The Kinks - "Arthur" - "Shangri-La" might be the best song they ever did and "Victoria" is really catchy...
  7. Alexander "Skip" Spence - "Oar" - Lost classic. Sold less than thousand copies back in 1969, but has gained a lot of respect nowadays. Spence, just out from mental hospital, play every instrument and produces as well. Haunting.
  8. The Doors - "The Doors" - A great debut, in spite of the filler. Influential.
  9. The Byrds - "Fifth Dimension" - Pioneering psychedelia? Cool, guys.
  10. Led Zeppelin - "Led Zeppelin" - Another smashing debut. And how heavy it is. Can you believe this was the Sixties?
  11. Led Zeppelin - Well, the fourth one - Simply great. Some filler, but the mastodon epic "Stairway To Heaven" doubtlessly makes up for it, along with other stand-outs like "Black Dog", "Rock And Roll" and, most significantly, "When The Levee Breaks".
  12. The Flying Burrito Brothers - "The Gilded Palace Of Sin" - Hillman and  Parsons complement each other perfectly and it pays off in classics such as  "Sin City". Pioneering country rock.

RICH BUNNELL

Desert Island Discs

  1. Beatles - "Abbey Road" - Duh.

  2. R.E.M. - "Murmur" - This album simply has no flaws. The pinnacle of jangle-rock, long before Matchbox 20 and the Goo Goo Dolls brought shame to the genre.

  3. Police - "Reggatta De Blanc" - A fiery, intense set of songs, from an era when Sting knew how to rock.

  4. XTC - "Skylarking" - One of the only concept albums ever to live up to its concept musically, and absolutely gorgeous to boot.

  5. Dukes of Stratosphear - "Chips From The Chocolate Fireball" - XTC do a '60s pastiche album under an alter-ego, and manage to do it with more class than almost any given '60s band.

  6. The Jam - "Setting Sons" - Paul Weller was an absolute flippin' musical genius in the '70s, and his strongest, darkest, and most hook-filled songs are to be found here.

  7. They Might Be Giants - "Every Album They Ever Made" - People are stupid and can't get over the fact that nasal voices don't necessarily make a band bad. Oh, open your heart, man!!

  8. David Bowie - "Station To Station" - A transitional album between Bowie's funk period and his Eno/art period, and probably the only transitional album in history to be not only stronger than its surrounding ones, but the artist's entire catalogue.

  9. The Who - "Tommy" - Filler??? "Fiddle About" rules, you flaming frigs!

  10. Talking Heads - "Stop Making Sense '99" - The full, newly-restored version of one of the most complete concerts ever set to tape. Don't confuse it with the ripoff '84 version, though!

Really F'in Awesome Discs

  1. R.E.M. - "Lifes Rich Pageant" - Stipe & Co. crank up the guitars and enter the mainstream with an absolutely glorious outing.

  2. Yes - "Relayer" - The most complex, bizarre, messy song structures Yes ever committed to tape - and the album rules!

  3. Oingo Boingo - "Nothing To Fear" - Danny Elfman's original brainchild over-orchestrates their way into the hearts of millions of weirdos the world round. I'll never think of insects the same way again...

  4. XTC - "Black Sea" - The peak of XTC's early, loud period, and probably the only album they ever made which truly "rocks."

  5. David Bowie - "Heroes" - Side 1 is some of the greatest art-disco ever recorded. Side 2 is some of the greatest ambient music ever recorded. The title track is one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Any questions?

  6. Midnight Oil - "10, 9, 8..." - The Bee Gees? AC/DC? Gimme a break. THIS is prime Aussie music.

  7. Beatles - "Revolver" - Sorry, but having "Yellow Submarine" with me on an island would just make my brain explode. But there is no denying that this is one of the all-time classics.

  8. Elvis Costello - "Trust" - An overlooked set of songs, with the nerdier Elvis finally emerging as a songwriter.

  9. Radiohead - "OK Computer" - If I kept this with me on a desert island, I'd probably go all depressed and suicidal. But it's really friggin' good.

  10. Talking Heads - "Remain In Light" - Ditto previous comment.

  11. Talking Heads - "Fear Of Music" - Ditto two previous comments. One of the most unintentionally funny albums ever (and in a good way). You haven't lived until you've heard David Byrne rant about how much he's scared of paper.

  12. The Clash - "London Calling" - Overrated, shmoverated - so it has four or five bad songs. Big deal, that just means it has fourteen or fifteen great ones.

  13. U2 - "Achtung Baby" - Maybe the fact that I rate this above "Joshua Tree" shows what a deluded youth I am, but THESE SONGS ARE SO COOL, DUDE!

  14. Blur - "The Great Escape" - Blur go all-out Britpop, and though some might peg the results as weak, such people are no fun at all. HE LIVES IN A HOUSE, A VERY BIG HOUSE IN THE COUNTRAAAAY!

  15. The Flaming Lips - "Hit To Death In The Future Head" - The picture of a toilet on the cover is in no way representative of the contents of the album.

  16. Duran Duran - "Rio" - Yeah, you heard me.

  17. Pet Shop Boys - "Discography" - As long as I'm ruining my credibility by including Duran Duran on a Best Albums Ever list, I'd might as well put down this must-own hits collection by one of the most underrated synth bands of all time.

  18. Genesis - "Selling England By The Pound" - Might as well at least salvage some of my dignity before going on to the next list. One of the greatest prog albums ever.

Really Awesome Discs, But A Smidge Less Awesome Than The Previous Ones

  1. XTC - "Wasp Star" - Probably the most pure fun you'll ever find in an XTC album.

  2. Elvis Costello - "This Year's Model" - Man, was he bitter about chicks!!! Are you feeling all right, Declan?

  3. Matthew Sweet - "100% Fun" - Don't listen to Nick, people. As far as pure, conventional pop goes, this is the pinnacle.

  4. Beatles - "Sgt. Peppers" - Probably should be higher. In fact, pretend it is.

  5. Supertramp - "Crime Of The Century" - I just thought that I'd break everyone's brains by putting Supertramp after the Beatles.

  6. Genesis - "A Trick Of The Tail" - A.K.A. "What Phil Collins Can Achieve When He Isn't Writing Any Of The Material"

  7. Genesis - "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - A.K.A. "What Peter Gabriel Can Do When He's Given Two Albums Of Space To Run Wild"

  8. Blur - "13" - Self-consciously artsy, granted, but at least the songs measure up.

  9. <STRIKE>9. Starland Vocal Band - "Starland Vocal Band" - Man, "Afternoon Delight" is the greatest so</STRIKE>  Err...technical difficulties...

  10. U2 - "War" - Politics never rocked this much.

  11. Rush - "Moving Pictures" - Could there be a cooler song than "Limelight"? No other Rush album comes close to making this list, except possibly "Permanent Waves."

  12. Brian Eno - "Before And After Science" - The world's greatest producer at his solo peak.

  13. The Kinks - "Village Green Presevation Society" - Like "Sgt Peppers," probably should be higher. Pretend this one is, too.

  14. Camel - "The Snow Goose" - Gorgeous sonic textures abound in this great instrumental album by an underrated second-generation prog band.

  15. The Simpsons - "Songs In The Key Of Springfield" - Oh yeah, like I'm gonna leave THIS album out! "Who controls the British crown, who keeps the metric system down? WE DO! WE DO!"

PHILIP MADDOX

Before I get this train a-rollin', I'll preface it with one comment statement here - my record collection is far from complete and is being added to constantly. I may have 300 or so CDs, but I'm still missing a bunch of supposedly great albums that I really, really want. I will be acquiring these CDs as soon as I can afford them (hey, this site IS Music Junkies Anonymous. What else would I buy?). I might want to take some off and add some on at some point in the future. However, as of today, December 1, 2000, this is my personal lists. If you're wondering about the lack of a certain album, there's a good chance that I just haven't heard it yet, but want it. Of course, I might just not be that impressed by the album in question. It's all my opinions, so there. One more quick thing about that - I haven't heard Quadrophenia yet, but I have heard Abbey Road, which is good, but in my opinion, not good enough to make the list. Let the hate mail begin!!!

Also, there are a few bands that are among my favorites, but I haven't heard a whole lot of their stuff or else they never made a breathtakingly perfect album, so I've made a couple of little sections at the end to inform you of these particular artists. Results may vary. And another thing - apart from the little headings at the top, these aren't ranked at all. Ranking them would suck. I loves 'em all! They're all simply here, for your entertainment Either way, here come the lists!

The Cream Of The Crop: All Time Favorite Picks

Well duh. The best (or at least my personal favorites). Records I'd recommend to absolutely anyone (except people that I hate - I'd poke them with a stick instead).

  1. Jethro Tull-Thick As A Brick - Progressive rock at its absolute best. One single 45 minute track brimming with great ideas and gorgeous melodies. Overblown? Sure! But this is so good, it deserves to be overblown.

  2. The Beatles-The White Album - The Fab Four never put out another album quite THIS good. With the exception of ONE dippy song (the idiotic "Honey Pie", not "Wild Honey Pie", which I love), everything here absolutely rules. It's got nearly every style of music you can imagine, too! Awesome, baby! Plus, it's got "Blackbird" on it! Beat that!

  3. The Who-Live At Leeds - Unbelievably good rock music played at unbelievably loud volumes, with predictably awesome results. "A Quick One" is particularly breathtaking here. 80 minutes of rock and roll bliss.

  4. Genesis-Selling England By The Pound - One of the grooviest little records you'll ever find. Goofiness, prettiness, mysticism, anthemic song structures, and plenty of other good things, all topped off with Peter Gabriel's inspired vocals. Absolutely no complaints.

  5. Jethro Tull-Stand Up - Perhaps the coolest hard rock album of the sixties, I've come to love it more now than ever. Perfect blues riffs, gorgeous orchestration, sweeeeet flute lines, and awesome lyrics turn this into one of the greatest albums you could ever seek out.

Impeccably Excellent Albums: Extremely Close Runners-Up

These albums don't beat me over the head like the last set do, but they come REAL close. Basically just as good as the albums above. I'd get 'em anyway.

  1. Frank Zappa-We're Only In It For The Money - One of the coolest "experimental" albums of all time. Lots of sound experiments and such wrapped around biting lyrics and bouncy, strange, yet great melodies.

  2. Genesis-Foxtrot - Epic prog rock that doesn't get remotely dull for even a second. Every song here, even the 23 minute "Supper's Ready", manages to pull me in for the entirety of the album. Classic.

  3. The Beatles-Magical Mystery Tour - Pieced together and all, but the melodies are nearly perfect. Even the less loved stuff on here, from "Your Mother Should Know" to "Hello Goodbye", rules. Even my least favorite tune here, "Baby You're A Rich Man", is good. Very high quality Beatles.

  4. The Beach Boys-Pet Sounds - Even if the mood throughout never really changes, the absolute majesty and beauty of tunes like "Here Today", "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulders)", and "Sloop John B" insures that the album hits me pretty hard upon every listen.

  5. Metallica-Master Of Puppets - In spite of the huge anti-Metallica bash-a-thon that's been taking place lately due to their "new" images, no one has said bad word one about this album. And there's a reason for that - it rules. Complex prog structures mixed with loud metal. Aural bliss.

  6. Jethro Tull-Songs From The Wood - I know that this isn't a particularly well recieved album outside of the ranks of Tull fans, but I love this album silly. The album has a warm, romping-through-the-forest feel and lots of cool, original tunes from the brain of Ian Anderson. Plus, his flute solo on "Pibroch" is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.

  7. R.E.M.-Lifes Rich Pageant - Michael Stipe came out of his shell to reveal what a wonderful singer he really is. Plus, the melodies here are at their jangliest, catchiest, and all-around best. Any R.E.M. album is a solid buy, but this is especially so.

  8. The Moody Blues-On The Threshold Of A Dream - So overblown that it becomes funny, but the actual melodies are just so, so good. Plus, no matter what you have to say about 'em, the Moodies had gorgeous voices. This album, although I wish it was longer, is infinitely enjoyable.

  9. The Who-Who's Next - I've called it "slightly overrated" in the past, but it really isn't. How can you complain about an album that has "Baba O'Riley", "Won't Get Fooled Again", "Bargain", and "Behind Blue Eyes" on it?

  10. John Prine-John Prine - My favorite folk album of all time. It's got a bit of a country sound too it if that bothers you, but these melodies are so good that it shouldn't matter. If you've never heard them, go listen to "Far From Me", "Quiet Man", or "Hello In There". Beautiful, no?

Other Great Albums: Close Contenders

These albums aren't quite as good as the ones that came before them, but they're certainly worth your time and money. Opinions may vary quite a bit here, as I'm just going to kind of say "screw everything here except for the actual listening pleasure I get out of it", so you may see some weird picks here. You've been warned.

  1. Led Zeppelin-IV, Zoso, Whatever... - Overrated to be sure, and I never liked "Four Sticks" that much, but when I hear "Black Dog", "The Battle Of Evermore", "Misty Mountain Hop", or, well, ok, "Stairway To Heaven", I'm perfectly content.

  2. Type O Negative-Bloody Kisses - Yeah, you heard me. Every song on this particular release sets its dark, gloomy mood perfectly, the lyrics are great, blurring the lines between irony and sincerity, and Peter Steel has a fantastic voice. Call me a "sell out" or whatever you will, this album rules.

  3. The Beatles-Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The most famous rock album of all time, and yeah, I can see it, even if it isn't my personal favorite - epics like "A Day In The Life", great rock like "Good Morning Good Morning", and great experiments like "Within You Without You" make this a superb album. Plus, I love "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" more than I probably should, so I basically get a kick out of every song here. Hoorah!

  4. Frank Zappa-Freak Out! - Great pop music smothered in great lyrics, goofy vocal effects, cool instrumentation, and a fascinating, 20 minute groove at the end that never stops being entertaining. Fantastic! Zappa records can be a risky buy, but pretty much everyone loves this one, including me.

  5. Simon and Garfunkel-Bookends - Very short, unfortunately. Still, though, you get "America", "Mrs. Robinson", and about 8 other songs just as great. S&G had some beautiful voices, too. A guaranteed pleasure.

  6. Neil Young-After The Gold Rush - Sure, a couple of the songs are a bit unnecessary, but when an album includes the awesome title track, "Tell Me Why", "When You Dance I Can Really Love", "Don't Let It Bring You Down", and even more awesome stuff, what choice do I have to do anything but rave?

  7. The Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols - Not a particularly groundbreaking album, like some would have you believe, but the tunes are so damn catchy and energetic, and Rotten's voice pulls off such a perfect punk sneer that I can't help but love it.

  8. Green Day-Dookie - You know what? Eat me. I love this album, even though I can bet that most of you are scratching your heads at this inclusion. The album isn't innovative at all or anything, but these songs are just so catchy and fun. It's the perfect sing along record. Tons of fun and good times for all. And I couldn't care less about how much everybody is snickering at me right now.

  9. Jethro Tull-Bursting Out - An awesome live double album, showcasing Anderson's breathtaking flute, Barre's blazing guitar, and the rest of the band's overall awesomeness. These guys could put on a show. Plus, when you pick the group's best material and put it in an energetic live setting, heaven's just around the corner.

  10. Neil Young-Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - You get 2 of the most awesome guitar jams ever in "Down By The River" and "Cowgirl In The Sand". You get one of the best rockers of all time in "Cinnamon Girl". You get the beautiful "Running Dry". You get the cool country rockers of the title track and "The Losing End". You get the pretty good "Round And Round". You get a very good album.

  11. Talking Heads-Little Creatures - I haven't heard a whole lot of Heads records, but this one's my favorite. It's pop, but it's so weird, groovy, and quirky that it remains interesting even after I've had it for all these years.

  12. Peter Gabriel-So - One of the coolest pop records of the eighties, I like it more the more often I play it. Even the sappier songs rule. And "Sledgehammer"? Duuuude...

  13. R.E.M.-Automatic For The People - R.E.M. goes for smooth, catchy adult pop, and they pull it off better than anyone else could. You've heard all the hits, and the rest is just as good. Awesome record.

  14. Jimmy Buffett-Songs You Know By Heart - I feel bad for putting a best of album here, but really, Jimmy Buffett never released a consistent record, and this one's got all the classics, all of which are great, good time, laid back music. I like this way more than I should. I've even got a Jimmy Buffett t-shirt, for God's sake! It's a parrot in a spacesuit. The man's music can be really fun, and this is a good way to get the best of it without wading through any bad songs. Though, if you wanna spend more, buy the boxed set and crank up Disc 1 of it, subtitled "Boats". It rules!

  15. Beastie Boys-Hello Nasty - 22 songs on a rap record, every one of which sounds totally different? And, for the most part, totally awesome? Groovy, man. These guys know how to make you MOVE, and I mean that in a good way. As much as I dislike most rap, these guys known how to do it right. Plus, the lyrics are great! "Flying off the hook like Latrel Sprewell" indeed.

  16. Jethro Tull-Aqualung - You didn't expect me to dog this one, did you? Most of Tull's hits, plus some stuff that's just as cool ("Up To Me") or even cooler ("My God") that you've never heard. Hard prog, you could call it. It rules. Any questions?

  17. Jimi Hendrix-Are You Experienced? - I don't need to say anything. You've heard all the songs before. I do think it's a bit overrated, but still, I can't complain.

  18. The Who-The Who Sell Out - The Who branch out in every direction and succeed across the board. Plus, it's got "I Can See For Miles"! Beat that tune!

  19. Yes-Close To The Edge - Longwinded and pretentious, but it's so damn good! You gotta love these 3 songs, overblown as they may be.

  20. Mystery Science Theater 3000-Clowns In The Sky II - OK, this is just an inclusion so I can feel good about myself. The songs from seasons 8 and 9 of the world's greatest show. Ever hear "The Canada Song"? It starts with Tom Servo talking about how great Canada is, but eventually gives in to peer pressure and begins to bash it in an unexpectedly violent way ("Oh I wish I was blowing up Prince Edward's island/Then going on to bomb Ontario!/The destruction of Canada and all of its culture/Is by far my favorite scenario!"). It's amazing what a simple bad movie can do to you, isn't it?

Possibilities For The Future?

There are some groups I'm not familiar enough with to include in the list, or else they never made an album consistent enough to make the list. I'll honor those bands in this little section.

  1. The Rolling Stones - Some of my favorite songs of all time are in their singles, but I only have a couple of their albums, neither of which are supposed to be among their best work. The problem is that all their albums cost a lot of money, and they have a lot of 'em. Give me time, and they'll be here.

  2. The Police - They never made an album consistent enough to make the list, but their best stuff is still godlike. Buy something by the Police. You won't regret it.

  3. KMFDM - Excellent industrial band, though they never made a relentlessly good album. Still, there's some great stuff in their catalogue. If you want a good start, get the greatest hits album Retro. Proceed from there.

  4. Beastie Boys - I know I included them above, but I only have 2 of their albums as of now. I'm gonna get more. These guys are awesome!

  5. The Doors - I've heard a lot of their stuff, but it's been so long ago that I wouldn't feel right talking about it. Needless to say, a lot of it rules. I need to buy it again.

  6. The Ramones - Their first 2 albums are supposedly the peak of punk, but I don't have them yet. I will soon, though!

And though this isn't a particular band, I'm gonna be getting a lot more black metal stuff. It's overblown and ridiculous, but a lot of it is really cool. The extreme satanism and such in the lyrics kinda adds to the charm, actually. It's fun. Gimme time to get some.

And, well, that's it. Hope I didn't forget anything good. Get on outta here now. Shoo. Shoo.

THOUGHT09

I just went and quickly grabbed some albums that I feel could easily be in my top 10, here goes...

in no particular order

  1. Jethro Tull - Stand Up
  2. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
  3. Beatles - Abbey Road
  4. U2 - The Joshua Tree
  5. U2 - Achtung Baby
  6. The Who - Who's Next
  7. Stephen Stills/Manassas - Manassas
  8. Santana - III
  9. Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday
  10. Led Zeppelin - II

Allman Bros.'s Eat a Peach is amazing too. If jazz counts, then I'd put in Miles Davis's 'Kind of Blue'. All of the above albums (except maybe Manassas) are basically perfect to me with nary a bad track. Absolutely amazing.

SETH EDWARDS

Desert Island Picks!

  1. The Beatles "Abbey Road" - Quite possibly their most mature and strongest album ever, in addition to my personal favorite.
  2. The Rolling Stones "Let it Bleed" - Their absolute peak, never again did they incorporate all of their influence side by side with such irresistable songwriting.
  3. Bob Dylan "Blonde on Blonde" - The one word I can use to describe this album is "breathtaking". A powerful listening experience, to say the very least.
  4. The Who "The Who Sell Out" - One of my very favorite concept albums because it follows its concept for the duration of the album! No shortage of strong melodies, either.
  5. The Beatles "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - I side with the people who say this album is definitely not overrated in the least!
  6. U2 "The Joshua Tree" - Their peak album, displaying both artistic and creative peaks (unlike their later stuff). No shortage of smash singles, either!
  7. Van Morrison "Moondance" - Captivating from start to finish, and it never gets old. This album doesn't recieve the credit it deserves among 'net reviewers.
  8. The Doors "Morrison Hotel" - Proves that the Doors were much more than a scary psychedelic band, they could ROCK too!
  9. The Rolling Stones "Beggars Banquet" - "Let it Bleed" is just better to my ears, and that's it. 'Sympathy for the Devil' may be one of their strongest songs ever.
  10. John Lennon "Plastic Ono Band" - The best he ever did as a solo artist. That's fairly high praise.

Extremely Good Albums

  1. Rolling Stones "Sticky Fingers" - A bit too over the top, but the songs here are all great anyways. Just overshadowed by "Let it Bleed" and "Beggars Banquet"
  2. The Beatles "Revolver" - I couldn't justify my entire desert island list being all Beatles, so this one has to go here. "I Want to Tell You" is fairly weak in my opinion.
  3. The Clash "London Calling" - Proved that punk could sound like pop and have top notch quality songwriting.
  4. The Beatles "Rubber Soul" - A strong collection of songs which would be the transitional album between the group's early and mature period.
  5. Bob Dylan "Highway 61 Revisited" - The lack of ballads hurts, because I feel that Dylan's ballads are usually his strongest work. "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Tombstone Blues" are my absolute favorites here.
  6. Led Zeppelin "Led Zeppelin" - When they did what they were best at, heavy blues. No pretensiouss mysticicm here!
  7. The Who "Live at Leeds" - Best live album ever? You betcha!
  8. The Jimi Hendrix Experience "Are You Experienced?" - Guitar innovation, psychedelia and the best songs he ever wrote!
  9. Cream "Disraeli Gears" - Probably one of the best albums of 1967, and that's saying a lot.
  10. The Stooges "Fun House" - Raw, intense, but with strong melodies you might not notice at first.

Honorable Mentions

  1. Rolling Stones "Get Yer Ya Yas Out" - a reissue with a full concert would be nice, but the material here shows that the Who weren't the only band at that time capable of onstage perfection.
  2. Marvin Gaye "What's Going on" - The best album from a motown artist, that's for sure.
  3. Bob Dylan "Bringing it All Back home" - Crucial to anyone's understanding of rock music. Dylan goes electric!
  4. The Doors "Strange Days" - Improves on every aspect of their debut album.
  5. Black Sabbath "Paranoid" - One of the finest heavy metal albums ever made.
  6. Metallica "Master of Puppets" - See above!
  7. Eric Clapton "Slowhand" - Compare this to his stuff from the 80s in order to appreciate this one the most.
  8. John Lennon "Imagine" - Not as emotional as "Plastic Ono Band", but more musically diverse.
  9. Van Halen "Van Halen" - Guitar players owe themselves a listen to this album.
  10. Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" - I'm no huge Jazz fan, but this is my favorite Jazz record.

PAT D.

Note: For all concerned, this has nothing to do with how I've rated an album, unless that album got a very low score.

Desert Island

  1. Pearl Jam- Vs. - Simply put, the greatest album I've heard come out of the 90s. Eddie's voice is at is at its absolute peak (you know, before the onset of the warbly mumbling disease), the guitar and bass hooks are all there, and the band had its best lineup with Abbruszze on the drumkit. And wow---except for a slight lack of bass, Brendan actually managed to figure out how to produce for one album. Too bad he would suck otherwise. Oh well.
  2. Dream Theater- A Change of Seasons - The finest song ever written occupies side A, and the only reason I didn't give this album a 10 is because the Live tracks are less than incredible.
  3. Stone Temple Pilots- Purple - I'm gonna take a lot of heat for this one, but there is not one bad song on this entire album. And oh, that Dean DeLeo Les Paul tone. Drool.
  4. Metallica- Master of Puppets - The finest metal album ever. The songs are so amazing because they survive and thrive despite a largely underwhelming effort in the solo department by Hammett, and that talentless fuck Flemming Rasmussen.
  5. U2- Zooropa - I need this one to remind me of how bad an album can suck.
  6. Iron Maiden- Powerslave - Easily the best power metal album I've ever heard. The production is perfect, and oh, those dueling, intertwining guitar breaks.
  7. Sepultura- Beneath the Remains - People call this death metal, and if you're one of them, this is by far the best death metal I've ever heard. I call it thrash though, and its up there with the best of that genre. Such incredible, shifting riffage, and killer guitar tone.
  8. Yngwie Malmsteen- The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection - Just kidding. ;-)
  9. Megadeth- Rust in Peace - Still to this day the finest guitar soloing I have ever heard. Marty Friedman rules. Oh yeah, and that Dave guy is ok too. You know, the rhythm guitar dude.
  10. Slayer- Reign in Blood- Yeah, I rated South of Heaven higher, but I cannot live without the classics on this one.

Worst albums:

Again, no relevance in ratings I've given

  1. U2- Zooropa - I still think this is the worst album I have ever heard by any band. "Lemon" is probably the least excruciating, but that doesn't mean it's any good. Its too bad, cause this is the same band that did War and Joshua Tree, and I even dig that new Beautiful Day song.
  2. Bush- Deconstructed - What can I say? Bush goes electronica. This one was doomed from the start. Although we don't have to hear that crappy drummer try to play.
  3. Megadeth- So Far So Good So What - This album is not even particularly annoying, except for the horrible murky mix and Dave's voice. Its a different kind of bad. None of the songs are interesting in the least except the cover of "Anarchy in the U.K.".
  4. Yngwie Malmsteen- The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection - The guitar playing is unbelievable technically, but there is not an ounce of emotion in any of it. Don't let any Yngwie fanatic tell you otherwise. Oh yeah, and "Judas" and "Liar" while not only being almost the exact same song, are by far the most laughably bad and dated songs by any band i have ever heard.
  5. Talk Show- Talk Show - If you ever want a lesson on how (a) to hire a bad singer or (b) to write horrible lyrics, this is your album.
  6. Anthrax- Persistence of Time - I hate to do this to one of my favorite bands, but this album is pretty poor. There are like 4 great tracks on it, and the rest is long, boring, go nowhere riffage and irritating one dimensional Joey Belladonna whining.
  7. AC/DC- Ballbreaker - It doesnt get any worse than boring ol' AC/DC doing an album that AC/DC fanatics find boring.
  8. Bush- Razorblade Suitcase - Terrible. Although "Greedy Fly" is a great song despite its horrible opening line. Nice chord sequence.
  9. Limp Bizkit- Significant Other - Jeez, when is Fred Durst going to say something meaningful. I feel sorry for Wes Borland and John Otto, who actually do have a little bit of talent. Too bad you have that lousy frat boy belting out crappy pointless rhymes in front of them.
  10. Testament- Practice What You Preach - I got this album a few months ago. Chuck Billy is the worst singer in metal history, bar none. And the production is unbelievably bad. Too bad, cause Alex was a fucking great lead player.

ALEX R.

DESERT ISLAND (Not In Any Specific Order)

  1. AC/DC-Back In Black: Let's just say that if CD's weren't around today and vinyls were, this would have been worn out many times by now.
  2. Bad Religion-Suffer: An essential Punk Rock document. Not one dull moment.  IMO, Bad Religion were the kings of Punk in the late 80's.
  3. Black Sabbath-Heaven And Hell: Who needs Ozzy?? Dio and Iommi never sounded better. Incredible Martin Birch mix! One of the greatest Metal albums ever.
  4. Iron Maiden-Powerslave: Perfect production, all the songs rule and Dave Murray and Adrian Smith were the greatest Metal guitar duo in the 80's. Just listen to this album and you'll see what I mean.
  5. Pink Floyd-The Wall: Features (IMO of course) the greatest Guitar solo ever in "Comfortably Numb". This album cannot be overrated, just listen to side 3.
  6. Megadeth-Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?: Heavy and Raw to the Max! Just the way I like it! The cover song really sucks, but the other 7 songs?? YEE-HAW!!
  7. AC/DC-Highway To Hell: Ride On Bon!
  8. Iron Maiden-Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son: Maiden at their absolute peak. Another fantastic production and superb musicianship! Don't really understand the concept though.....
  9. AC/DC-Powerage: This album holds great memories for me. Brought it home on December 26th 1995. Listening to it and really diggin it for months and months and still can't get enough of it! Angus and Bon were awesome on this one! This made me an AC/DC fan for life.
  10. Megadeth-Countdown To Extinction: After listening to tracks 2-7, I knew that I got my money's worth. Not their best but the songs that cook really COOK!!

PAT B.

Desert Island Discs (no particular order)

  1. The Beatles- The White Album- My all time favorite Beatles album. Includes beautiful ballods (Julia, Blackbirds), powerful rock songs (Helter Skelter, Yer Blues), funny songs (Bungalo Bill), Beach Boys parodies (Back in the USSR) etc... Just a well written, stunning album by the best band in history.

  2. Pink Floyd- The Wall- Brilliant, horrifying Roger Waters classic.

  3. John Lennon- Plastic Ono Band- Better than Imagine. The best Beatle's best album.

  4. Clash- London Calling- Gotta have my punk. Great album by best punk band.

  5. David Bowie- The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars- Best Bowie album, and just a great, spacey glam album. This, and Lou Reed's Transformer are the best glam rock albums.

  6. Nirvana- Nevermind- great record.

  7. Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers- great cover, great songs, great album, great band

  8. Neil Young- After the Goldrush- This, and Harvest, are Young's best. I'll take this one, all because of "Only Love Can Break Your Heart."

  9. The Who- Quadrophenia- Best concept album, although over the top.

  10. Radiohead- OK Computer- Best album in last 5 years.

  11. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication- Stunning, toungue in cheek album 2nd best album in last 5 years.

  12. Pink Floyd- Dark Side Of The Moon- WAY ahead of it's time.

BEN GREENSTEIN

Desert Island Picks

  1. Genesis "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"

  2. 10cc "Two From Ten" - the band's first two (and best two) albums packaged together, these guys are the greatest!

  3. XTC "Oranges And Lemons" - ...or maybe these guys are the greatest. Hard to tell, you know.

  4. Yes "Close To The Edge" - or maybe "Yessongs," since that one's longer.

  5. The Billy Nayer Show - any of their albums except maybe "The Ketchup And Mustard Man," just because that one's so short. Defenitely America's best kept secret.

  6. Mr. Bungle "California" - Quite impressive. I just wish this band would come out with albums more often.

  7. Beastie Boys "Paul's Boutique" - for variety, if nothing else.

  8. The Bogmen "Life Begins At 50 Million" - another unknown group which deserves a lot more attention then they've recieved.

  9. Frank Zappa "One Size Fits All" - why this isn't his undisputed masterpiece will always bewilder me.

  10. Randy Newman "Sail Away" - Bob Dylan as the world's best singer songwriter? Hardly!

Other Stuff That I Like A Lot But Wouldn't Take To A Desert Island

  1. Talking Heads "Speaking In Tongues" - I used to think "Remain In Light" was their best, but this one is a little more challenging and a little more rewarding.

  2. David Bowie "Heroes" - miles ahead everything else in his catelogue.

  3. Mahavishnu Orchestra "Birds Of Fire" - jazz/rock fusion at its highest peak.

  4. Steely Dan "Gaucho" - contrary to fan belief, they only have two great albums. And this one is a bit better than "Royal Scam," although not by far.

  5. David Byrne "Feelings" or "Uh-Oh"

  6. Genesis - all of their albums from "Nursery Cryme" to "Abacab" (even "Duke"!)

  7. The Beatles - any of their albums starting with "A Hard Day's Night." Especially "Rubber Soul."

  8. Peter Gabriel "Us" - his best album, no doubt.

  9. King Crimson - a live album, either "Absent Lovers" or "Cirkus."

  10. Spinal Tap - a hard choice between this and AC/DC's "Back In Black." I need some sort of novelty cock rock, don't I?

Also, maybe some Charles Mingus or Duke Ellington, for the jazz lover in me. Maybe that 2-CD "Dr. Demento" retrospective. Maybe some Who or They Might Be Giants albums. How can I really say for sure which ones are my favourites now and which ones will last me into adulthood? But never anything by Pink Floyd or the Rolling Stones. I will always consider those groups to be incredibly overrated.

XAVIERDUMONTEIL

  1. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here.

  2. The Stone Roses: The Stone Roses.

  3. R.E.M.: Murmur.

  4. Oasis: Definitely Maybe.

  5. The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead.

  6. Pearl Jam: Ten.

  7. The Beatles: Sergeant Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band.

  8. U2: Achtung Baby.

  9. Crowded House: Woodface.

  10. Nirvana: Nevermind.

RUDAGER P. MARSHALL

  1. Beatles - Abbey Road
  2. John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
  3. Beatles - Sgt. Pepper
  4. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
  5. Beatles - White Album
  6. Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
  7. Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
  8. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
  9. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
  10. Beatles - Revolver

Other very decent to excellent albums, in no particular order:

KEVIN AKSTIN

This is my tentative favorite albums list. Expect it to change at some point in the future:

  1. Slayer - Reign in Blood
  2. Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
  3. Sepultura - Chaos A.D.
  4. The Crown - Deathrace King
  5. Nile - Black Seeds of Vengeance

EVAN P. STREB

MY GOD-LIKE AWESOMELY COOL PERFECTION DESERT ISLAND LIST:

  1. R.E.M. - Murmur - Ha! And to think! When I first heard this album I HATED it! This album works best if you pump the bass up real loud and play it in your car, especially during "9-9," "Shaking Through,"and "Laughing."
  2. The Flaming Lips - Zaireeka - It's ill 'cause you can't get tired of it. And you can mix it all up in so many different ways. Go to Yahoo and type in "Some Zaireeka Starting Points" and check that page out.  THEN you'll understand why this is so cool.
  3. The Stone Roses - Self-Titled - The best, most joyous, happiest, and darn near PERFECT purely pop album ever. The best dancey grooves too. One of those albums that you swear has the healing power because, no matter what kind of mood you're in, if you put it on it always makes you happy. Or at least it does me. I don't even know why I should bother writing this, because everybody that's already heard this knows how great it is.
  4. Blur - Parklife - More pop perfection. Was there ever a more awesome lyric than "I git out when ah want, except on Wednesdays when ah get roodely awakened by da dustman, Parklife!"? Even the instrumentals are fantastic.
  5. The Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique - Hands down the finest hip hop record of them all. There are so many samples and references here that every time you listen to it you ALWAYS pick up something new. Like just the other day I noticed that when they rap "Space cake cookies, I discover who I am. I'm the wretched old bum a hurdy gurdy man." during "Car Thief," you hear a drum fill during the words "hurdy gurdy man." Well as it turns out, that drum fill is from the actual SONG "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan! All those samples and clever lyrics make "Paul's Boutique" the rap album for people who think they hate rap. Of course this WAS released in 1989, and most of the samples I don't recognize. If they'd only make a rap album like this that samples 90s music like, say, "Black Hole Sun," "Wannabe," "Baby One More Time," "Popular," "Cut Your Hair," "Paranoid Android," and the Macarena, THAT would be the greatest listening experience that the world has ever known.
  6. Beatles - The Red Album - Sure they're the greatest band of all time and all, I just don't get how their earlier "Ooh I need your love, babe." work is about 50 billion times more fun than their later "We all want to change the world." work. And the early albums are WAYYY too inconsistent ("Boys"?? "Mr Moonlight"??? What IS this crap???). So buy this one instead. The White Album blows, by the way. I listened to that last night and it's WAY too inconsistent for me. Half of it sounds like that "music for the grannies to dig" that John Lennon hated so much. "Wild Honey Pie"??? "Piggies"??? "Long Long Long"??? What the hell were those boys thinking??
  7. Radiohead - OK Computer - Their best because it has sort of a conceptual unity that the others don't. Ever notice that at the very end he keeps singing "Hey man, slow down! Idiot, slow down." and then I guess the story goes back to the beginning because the guy's amazed that "An airbag saved my life."?
  8. Various Artists - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychodelic Era - Beatles Schmeatles! THIS was the stuff that brought rock and roll out of its wasteland in the mid-60s. All American teenagers from Suburbia pick up a bunch of instruments, learn a couple of chords, give themselves a moniker like "The Transatlantic Chicken Wicken #5" and set out to prove they can conquer the world (or at least get some girls). This was the first punk rock (doubters check "You Burn Me Up and Down," "You're Gonna Miss Me," "Psychotic Reaction," "Baby Please Don't Go," "Oh Yeah!" and especially the Blues Magoos' cover of "Tobacco Road.") Forgivable flaw: No "96 Tears"???
  9. The Replacements - Let It Be - My favorite album from my favorite band of all time. Even the punky songs that everyone hates are great. And SUCH great lyrics. "How do you say 'I miss you' to an answering machine?". Sure it may not seem like much on paper, but when you sit right down and LISTEN to it, it's amazing.
  10. R.E.M. - Chronic Town - More an EP, than an album, but hey, so what? Five great songs no bad ones. Five seconds into this one and you KNOW it's gonna rule. The intro guitar line in "Wolves, Lower" is just AMAZING. And "Carnival of Sorts" was the very first song I ever learned how to play the guitar to, so that's cool too.
  11. Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City - Not only an essential part of your library because it crams two albums on one CD, it captures Beatlesque guitar pop better than the Fab Four themselves. I mean, "O My Soul"??? "The Ballad of El Goodo"??? "ST 100/6"??? "September Gurls???" "Back Of A Car"??? Mind you these wonderful guitar melodies WILL NOT seem very catchy nor good the first time you hear em. You just have to be patient with them and give it time, then all of a sudden you'll be singing along merrily to "Never you mind, go on and have a good time." all day. By the way, I don't why they spelled it G-U-R-L-S. Anybody know?

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

WORST ALBUM EVER:

Sonic Youth - Goodbye 20th Century

TIM WEST

My Best 10

In no particular order:

*Honorable Mention* Love- forever changes and Zombies-Odyssey and oracle. Kinks- a few of their albums

MARK PRINDLE

I know I'm forgetting a ton of 'em but here are the ones that popped into my head immediately.

  1. Dirty Rotten Imbeciles - Dirty Rotten LP
  2. Suicidal Tendencies - S/T
  3. Ramones - Leave Home
  4. Cows - Sexy Pee Story
  5. Fall - entire catalogue!
  6. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
  7. Slayer - Reign In Blood
  8. GBH - City Baby Attacked By Rats
  9. AC/DC - Back in Black
  10. Aerosmith - Pandora's Box box set
  11. Alice Cooper - Life and Crimes box set
  12. Accused - Return of Martha Splatterhead
  13. Guess Who - Share The Land
  14. Paul Revere and the Raiders - Spirit of '67
  15. Wire - Pink Flag
  16. Yes - Fragile
  17. Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba
  18. Beatles - White Album
  19. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
  20. Who - Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy
  21. Nick Cave - Let Love In
  22. Pink Floyd - The Wall
  23. Syd Barrett - Madcap Laughs
  24. Misfits - Earth AD/Wolfsblood
  25. Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician
  26. Sonic Youth - Confusion is Sex
  27. Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 - Lovelyville
  28. New Bomb Turks - Destroy-Oh-Boy!!!
  29. Vandals - Live Fast Diahhrea
  30. Bad Religion - Against The Grain
  31. Cars - Just What I Needed compilation
  32. Frank Zappa - We're Only In It For The Money
  33. Mark Prindle - Keep On Zaccin'
  34. Primus - Sailing The Seas of Cheese
  35. Pixies - Trompe Le Monde
  36. Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children
  37. Led Zeppelin - III
  38. Corrosion of Conformity - Eye for an Eye
  39. Flipper - Generic
  40. Public Image Ltd. - Second Edition
  41. Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
  42. The Clash - London Calling
  43. Replacements - Pleased To Meet Me
  44. ZZ Top - The Six-Pack box set
  45. Descendents - Two Things At Once
  46. Angry Samans - Back From Samoa
  47. Action Swingers - Decimation Blvd.

JOHN MCFERRIN

We all need certain albums to survive, don't we? The following is a list of the albums that, if I could only take a 50 album 'sampling' of my collection, that I would grab. Note also that this list does not necessarily correspond directly with my 'overall' ratings on my site - I'm just looking for a good summary.

Anyhoo, the list, running through my CD rack (now alphabetized by artist)

  1. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs. Everybody needs a whee bit of unfettered insanity in their lives, after all, and TML gives that hardcore.

  2. The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night. The greatest pop album ever.

  3. The Beatles - Revolver. The greatest album ever, in my book at least.

  4. The Beatles - The Beatles. If ever I need a 1-hour summation of what rock and pop music are, I can always put this in.

  5. The Beatles - Abbey Road. Ok, so maybe _this_ is the greatest album ever. I'd need it, either way.

  6. The Beatles - Past Masters 2. What is life without Paperback Writer or Rain or Revolution?

  7. The Doors - Strange Days. Creepiness and great melodies rolled into one sleek package.

  8. Bob Dylan - Freewheeling Bob Dylan. Singer-songwriting doesn't get better than this.

  9. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde. LOOK AT THAT TRACK LISTING.

  10. Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding. When you have songs that honestly sound like they were written in the 19th century, you know you've got a masterpiece on your hands.

  11. Emerson Lake and Palmer - Welcome Back My Friends. I can understand the raised eyebrows, but this provides a terrific summation of ELP when they were great. Plus, it's got a better version of Tarkus than the studio one (which is impressive in itself).

  12. Brian Eno - Before And After Science. How-to-make-bouncy-rock-and-folksy-ambient-not-sound-at-all-disjoint 101. A masterpiece for the ages.

  13. Peter Gabriel - III. Side one is the greatest psychological thrill-ride in the history of pop music, and side two has four good songs. What else do you need?

  14. Peter Gabriel - Security. Proof that electronica and drum-machines could have been worthwhile, after all. If in the right hands, that is.

  15. Peter Gabriel - Us. An emotionally crushing masterpiece, a perfect combination of introspective lyrics, beautiful melodies and clever 'world music' arrangments. Possibly the best of the 90's.

  16. Genesis - Foxtrot. Yeah, like I'm not going to want my copy of Supper's Ready. Worth it if only for the emotionally devestating (in a good way) guitar parts in As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs, and the rest of the song kick ass too.

  17. Genesis - Selling England By The Pound. The greatest progressive rock album ever. A no-brainer.

  18. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Great music, and the trippiest story in the history of mankind.

  19. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass. Like a baptism by fire every time you listen to it.

  20. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?. Duh.

  21. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland. Yeah, there's crappy filler, but the extended pieces are amazing.

  22. Jethro Tull - Stand Up. The great forgotten record of 1969. Fabulous hard-rockers interspersed with beautiful ballads, with aggressive flute everwhere.

  23. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick. One track, forty-five minutes, impeccable melodies, terrific arrangments. And more great flute.

  24. Jethro Tull - Live: Bursting Out. Probably the finest progressive live album ever released. Tull may be erratic in the studio, but they always put on a fabulous show.

  25. King Crimson - Absent Lovers. New-wave crossed with progressive rock. It may not sound that great in the studio with 80's production values sucking the life out of everything, but live it works fabulously. The Live at Leeds of the 80's.

  26. Led Zeppelin - I. Heavy blues, Plant's only truly great singing, and a fabulous guitar tone throughout.

  27. John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band. Proof that melodies are what ultimately count, not complexity of arrangments. No collection is complete without Mother or God.

  28. Metallica - Ride the Lightning. Master of Puppets may be more consistent, but nothing on there reaches the level of Fight Fire with Fire or Creeping Death.

  29. Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed. The birth of art-rock as we know it. Beautiful melodies set to a concept that is about both about an archetypical day and a metaphor for a full life. A masterpiece.

  30. Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children. Completely indescribable in its mood, with FABULOUS melodies and rich vocal harmonies crossed with gorgeous arrangments (yay mellotrons!). Side two is the best side of Moody Blues ever, side one is second best.

  31. Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Dark psychadelia, baby. Who needs acid when you've got this and some headphones?

  32. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon. I don't listen to it much, but what kind of collection doesn't have this?

  33. Pink Floyd - Animals. Arguably their best album. Pink Floyd out of nowhere strips back down to a four-person band, with sound effects only augmenting and not replacing the fabulous melodies. An actual _rock_ album from Pink Floyd, and an amazing one at that.

  34. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale. Mmmmm, symphonic rock.

  35. Rolling Stones - Now!. If you're only going to get one early Stones album, this is it. They keep the motownish stuff to a minimum, and the rest is an uncompromising and blistering collection of blues and proto-rock covers. Friggin' great.

  36. Rolling Stones - Flowers. People who say that Stones are only good at 'roots rock' are dumbasses, plain and simple. This is one of the most amazing pop albums I've ever heard, with a wonderfully ironic combination of unfettered misogyny and beautiful Brit-pop melodies.

  37. Rolling Stones - Beggars' Banquet. The ultimate roots rock casserole. Latin music, whacky mellotrons, hard-rocking acoustic overdriving and parodies of populist odes are just some of what you'll find here.

  38. Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed. As close to a perfect album as one could possibly imagine. EVERYTHING on here is fabulous. Who needs a second guitarist anyways?

  39. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street. The White Album may be where one goes to define rock and pop music, but if you want to understand the music of Black America, THIS is what you need. On this album, I almost completely forget that the players are white, British honkys. Even the 'filler' has some great aspects, and the riffs are incredible.

  40. The Who - The Who Sell Out. The most humorous concept album ever, with hilarious commerical jingles interspersed with brilliant pop ballads and the ultimate Who song.

  41. The Who - Live at Leeds. The Who at their loud and crunchy live best. This hasn't been called the best live album ever for nothing.

  42. The Who - Live at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. A whee bit sloppier, but so much more energetic, with a complete live Tommy and the most incredible guitar tone of all time. My favorite Who album, and my favorite live album ever.

  43. The Who - Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy. The greatest compilation ever, a collection of the singles that made The Who so famous in the 60's."

  44. The Who - Quadrophenia. Screw the 'mods' backstory - this album is timeless, with themes of angst that can apply to all, young and old, male and female. Not to mention that the melodies are friggin' great, or that it contains John Entwhistle's best bass work.

  45. Yes - BBC sessions. A wonderful compilation of performances of Yes' first incarnation, marred only by the horrendous sound quality. Even songs I never noticed before, like Then, sound good here.

  46. Yes - Yessongs. I could grab the three studio albums this covers, but I'm looking for concision, after all. Plus, the performances are vicious as hell, and even most of the 'solo spots' are interesting.

  47. Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans. Yeah, yeah, I know, but while The Ancient may irritate me at times, the overwhelming spirituality of this album, crossed with pretty melodies (albeit heavily deconstructed at times) and strong evocations and suggestions of the four Aristotlean elements make this a MUST HAVE in my collection.

  48. Yes - Relayer. HOW COULD I LIVE WITHOUT THE GATES OF DELIRIUM??!!! Side two is pretty cool, too.

  49. Yes - Going for the One. A textbook example of how to mainstream your sound and still not 'sell out'. The melodies are great, and the harp/organ duet in Awaken kills me every time (not to mention the incredible "Master of Time" climax)

  50. Yes - Endless Dream. A questionable addition, sure, but this bootleg hits vritually ALL of 'Yeswest's' high points and neglects the crap. Plus, the Talk material is waaaaaaaaaaay better on here than in the studio.

PS:

51. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. I didn't put this in my original list? What was I thinking??!! Drop the Yes BBC Sessions (which aren't _that_ good, enjoyable as they are) and throw this in instead.

JAMIE ANTHONY

If I was to make a list of all the albums I would want to live with on a desert island, it would be long enough to form a bridge leading back to the mainland, or make a raft out of, or something. So here's a bunch of discs that I really like. Please note I am NOT including jazz or classical or folk etc. - it's only rock & pop included.

And some compilations, I guess:-

Sheesh... and I've still managed to miss out about 500 CD's.

IOAN CORA

My All time favorites:

  1. King Crimson "Red" The best of the best
  2. Van der Graaf Generator "World Record"
  3. Frank Zappa "Joe's Garage"
  4. Nektar "Journey to The Center Of The Eye"
  5. Gentle Giant "Gentle Giant"
  6. Lacrimosa "Stille" it's not a prog band but it's GREAT
  7. YES "Close to the edge"
  8. King Crimson "Islands"
  9. Van der Graaf generator "Pawn Hearts"
  10. EL&P "Tarkus"

JOHN SIEBER

Damnit, I know this'll get outdated as I buy more music but hey, imperfection is life! So, what I'm going to do is go through my CD's and give you the 10 I cannot live without, then go through and find honorable mentions! HU-AH!

In no particular order:

Honorable Mentions:

DAN P.

  1. Queen-Sheer Heart Attack
  2. Kiss-Alive II
  3. Led Zeppelin-III
  4. Black Sabbath-Master Of Reality
  5. King's X-Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
  6. Kiss-Alive!
  7. Queen-Queen
  8. Phish-Hoist
  9. Radiohead-O.K. Computer
  10. Led Zeppelin-Physical Grafitti
  11. Rush-2112
  12. Aerosmith-Get Your Wings
  13. Blue Oyster Cult-Secret Treaties
  14. Neil Young-Weld
  15. Dream Theater-Images And Words
  16. Faith No More-Angel Dust
  17. Blue Oyster Cult-Cultosaurus Erectus
  18. Yes-Close To The Edge
  19. Judas Priest-Stained Class
  20. Metallica-Master Of Puppets

MUGGWORT

DESERT ISLAND LIST

  1. R.E.M: Reckoning:  This has got to be the most catchy album every made by R.E.M. and the songwriting is the best R.E.M. has ever done, turning it into an incredible album.
  2. Various Artists: Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era: There is only one word that describes this ramshackle collection of sex starved suberbia boys, wow!
  3. Captain Beefheart:: The Trout Mask Replica: This album is weird, cerebral and playful. And it is one of the best ever.
  4. PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love: Scary feminine beauty. Does life get any better!?!
  5. The Minutemen: Double Nickles On The Dime: Arty funk rock. Catchy as a fish hook and twice as good!!!
  6. The Fall: 458489 A Sides: A best of collection that does live up to its name.
  7. Sonic Youth: Daydream Dation: Avant garde at it's most scary and melodic. And also this is ethereal and cerebral 2 pluses!!!!
  8. Nirvana: Nevermind: A great and influential album by a great and influential band.
  9. The Talking Heads: Remain In Light: A crazy schizophrenic whiteboy funk fest. I really really love this one.
  10. The Doors: The Doors: Sure, it has a bit of filler but it has 7 or 8 of the best rock songs ever.

JLJOEALEE

  1. BEATLES"Abbey Road"
  2. BEATLES"The Beatles"
  3. BEATLES"Rubber Soul"
  4. BEATLES"Revolver"
  5. BEATLES"Sgt.Pepper's lonely hearts club band"
  6. DAVID BOWIE"Aladdin sane"
  7. DAVID BOWIE"Station to station"
  8. JEFF BUCKLEY"Grace"
  9. JOHN COLTRANE"Blue Train"
  10. JOHN COLTRANE"Giant Steps"
  11. JOHN COLTRANE"A Love Supreme"
  12. MILES DAVIS"Kind of Blue"
  13. MILES DAVIS"Sketches of Spain"
  14. MILES DAVIS"Filles de Kilimanjaro"
  15. THE DOORS"Strange Days"
  16. THE DOORS"L.A. Woman"
  17. GEORGE HARRISON"All things must pass"
  18. JIMI HENDRIX"Are you experienced"
  19. JIMI HENDRIX"Electric Ladyland"
  20. LED ZEPPELIN"Led Zeppelin I"
  21. LED ZEPPELIN"Led Zeppelin II"
  22. LED ZEPPELIN"Physical Graffiti"
  23. PAT METHENY"Bright Size Life"
  24. PAT METHENY"Offramp"
  25. JACO PASTORIUS"Jaco Pastorius"
  26. PINK FLOYD"Piper at the gates of dawn"
  27. PINK FLOYD"Dark side of the moon"
  28. PINK FLOYD"The Wall"
  29. RAINBOW"Rising"
  30. ROLLING STONES"Beggar's banquet"
  31. ROLLING STONES"Let it Bleed"
  32. ROLLING STONES"Sticky fingers"
  33. ROLLING STONES"Exile on main st."
  34. RUSH"Moving Pictures"
  35. TYPE O NEGATIVE"Bloody Kisses"
  36. TYPE O NEGATIVE"October rust"
  37. U2"Unforgettable fire"
  38. U2"Achtung baby"
  39. YES"Fragile"
  40. YES"Close to the edge"

TONY SOUZA

These are my personal favorites (so far), in no particular order:

  1. The Who- Live at Leeds
  2. The Who by Numbers
  3. The Who- Odds and Sods (latest version with extra tracks)
  4. Be-Bop Deluxe- Drastic Plastic
  5. Jeff Beck- Wired
  6. Earth, Wind and Fire- Gratitude
  7. Marshall Tucker Band- Where We All Belong
  8. Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane- Rough Mix
  9. John Fogerty- John Fogerty
  10. The Smithereens- Especially For You
  11. The Smithereens- God Save the Smithereens
  12. Living Colour- Vivid
  13. Living Colour- Time's Up
  14. Mason Ruffner- Gypsy Blood
  15. Nirvana- Nevermind
  16. Pearl Jam- No Code
  17. Frank Black- Frank Black
  18. Frank Black- Teenager of the Year
  19. King's X- Dogman
  20. Tragically Hip- Live Between Us
  21. Tragically Hip- Trouble at the Henhouse
  22. Uncle Tupelo- No Depression
  23. Morphine- Cure for Pain
  24. Paul Westerberg- 14 Songs
  25. Soundgarden- Down on the Upside
  26. John Paul Jones- Zooma
  27. Super 8- Super 8
  28. Kula Shaker- K
  29. Darlahood- Big Fine Thing
  30. Neil Young- Ragged Glory
  31. Neil Young- Mirror Ball
  32. Soulhat- Good to be Gone
  33. Fishbone- Reality of my Surroundings

DAVE B. WAGNER

In no particular ord-ah:

This is all I can think of right now... curse my memory for the shoddy piece of Mexican engineering that it is!

JOE H.

  1. Beatles: Abbey Road - Each Beatles album I love the most usually changes all the time, but I think pound for pound, this one is the one that blows me away the most.
  2. Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - I dont think I need to explain this.
  3. The Who - Sell Out - Most may prefer Tommy (or Live At Leeds), but i for one prefer this album in the end, as songs like "Our Love Was", "I Cant Reach You", and "I Can See For Miles" blow me away with their genuine sincerity (before on Who's Next they would go on to pretentiously, and bombastically try to go for the same sincerity), and also songs like "Odorono" balencing the whole thing making an absolutely blissful pop experience.
  4. Frank Zappa - We're Only In It For The Money - A brilliant hodgepodge of wonderful ideas and parodys, mixed with cynical social commentary (and humor! Lots of it!) and amazing experimentation.
  5. Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde - A really cathartic and masterful batch of songs that have you thinking thoughtfully, or merely singing along with glee. (Also, REM's - Murmur, which I wouldnt be afriad to say is the finest album (not to mention band!) the 80's had to offer.)
  6. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers - The perfect parodox album. This album masterfully mixes beautiful, with raw, dirty rock 'n roll. "Moonlight Mile" is one of the best songs ever written.
  7. Butthole Surfers - Locust Abortion Technician - One strange, fucked up album, and yet is a perfect listening experience at the same time. I wish this album were longer though.
  8. Syd Barrett - Madcap Laughs - Syd might of been a little troubled mentally (or so they say), but man he was an absolute mastermind at creating music. Simple, but effectively concise, these songs say more with just vocals and acoustic/electric then any smarmy, overproduced, bombastic act could ever say or evoke.
  9. Nirvana - Incesticide - A brilliant collection of some awesome Nirvana-ified cover songs, early creatively frigged up and outtakes-that-shouldnt-of-been-outtakes material. Even though not totally eviscerated (its missing some really amazing tunes), this album contains some amazing songs, and to think, they are just b-sides and outtakes!
  10. Replacements - Let It Be - This album is one of those hidden gems, buryed under all that overproduced, faceless shit that was popular in the year this was released. Achingly heartfelt these songs are, and "Answering Machine" is the best song anyone could of closed their album with (besides "The End" and the aforementioned "Moonlight Mile").

Other albums I love:

ROBERT GRAZER

I've been writing for Music Junkies Anonymous for a year now, so I figured why not come up with one of these all-time favorite albums list. Most of these I've reviewed already, and I think I've at least mentioned all of them at some time or another. So basically what I've done is listed fifty albums that I consider to be truly great examples of rock music at its best, split them up into different categories and listed them alphabetically. There are all albums that I'd give a 10+ or a 10 or a 9 to, since in some way or another they have been that special to me, and I'd definitely give out a solid recommendation to anyone. And I know that I'm missing a lot of other great classics, and I'm finding more excellent albums nearly everyday, so maybe in another year I'll rewrite this list. I mean, I compare the to lists I made a year ago, and there is quite a noticeable difference. But hopefully this will do for now.

God-Like Flawless Desert Island Albums

Very, very few albums can have an effect on me so great that I would drop them into this category. These are albums that have proved time and time again to leave all others in the dust. These albums (and particularly the first two) are the only albums that I wouldn't hesitate to call perfect, as I see little to no flaw in them, and their effect on me has been far greater than even the greatest masterpieces from any other band.

  1. Blackball – Super Heavy Dreamscape – For a couple years now I've been proclaiming this to be the best album of the 90s, and I still stand by that. Christopher Scott put together a collection of deeply personal and powerful songs that work together perfectly to form a truly classic album.
  2. Phil Keaggy – The Master and the Musician – Quiet, peaceful, but stirring, unlike anything else. Instrumental beauty that manages to say more to me than dozens of ridiculous 'rock poets' do. A perfect beginning to the instrumental career of the best guitarist ever.
  3. Pink Floyd – Animals – My favorite album for a long time, and even though I don't quite hold it that high anymore, I still have yet to hear an art-rock album from anyone that has matched it. Excellent concept and strong, memorable songs make this a sure winner.
  4. Queensryche – Operation: Mindcrime – Heavy metal's peak. This set a standard that I’ve yet to see any metal band top. Perhaps the most emotionally intense album made by anyone, and the most satisfying concept album I know of. Every song is near-perfect, and the overall effect is overwhelming.

Desert Island Albums

A very small step down, no longer do I throw around the word 'perfect' with these, but they are still fantastic displays of extremely strong songwriting and performing and so on. A amazing album any way you look at.

  1. The Beatles – Abbey Road – I used to consider it overrated, but with time it grew on me greatly, to the point that now it's easily my choice for the band’s best moment, a head above all of their other albums for providing a maturity in their music that wasn’t there before.
  2. Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick – The epic of epics, a dozen different songs pretending to be one, but it works unbelievably well, and ends up a whole lot less pretentious and overblown than you may think. Start your prog collection here.
  3. Phil Keaggy – Beyond Nature – An hour of Phil Keaggy instrumentals, and perhaps his most serious and well-received work to date. Deeply moving, but peaceful and calm all the same, a quality that only the finest musicians can capture.
  4. Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother – Extremely underrated by damn near everyone, but I'll stand by my statement that this is better than either Dark Side or The Wall. One of the most atmospheric albums I've ever heard, with five of the bands most memorable songs.
  5. Stavesacre – Friction – One of the strongest debuts ever. Even though they're unsure of their direction, the music is surprisingly powerful. "At The Moment," "Burning Clean," and "Stars And Clouds" alone earn Friction a high place on this list.
  6. Stavesacre – Absolutes – Their finest moment, one of the greatest albums of the 90s, or, for that matter, ever. A true musical journey down the path the band sets up so well, backed by their strongest songwriting and Salmon's vocal peak, which says a lot right there.
  7. Yes – Close to the Edge – Progressive rock doesn’t get any better than this. An otherworldly journey in a way that only Yes have been able to produce. A certain epic unity that they'd never capture keeps this a head above all of their other albums.

Extremely Incredible Masterpieces

Another little step down, these don't quite compare to those listed above, of course, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and get these now. Each one of these is extremely rewarding in its own unique way.

  1. The Beatles – Rubber Soul – A transition for the band, before the big leap of Revolver they had already begun further expanding their sound. A remarkable collection of music from the Fab Four, several of the songs on here being among their finest.
  2. The Beatles – Revolver – A continuation and a leap at the same time, resulting in one of the most universally acclaimed releases ever. Diverse, consistent, loaded with classic songs. Like every other Beatles album, except more so.
  3. Edge of Sanity – Crimson – For a single album Dan Swano was able to completely display his full potential in a 40 minute epic that takes everything good about any sort of extreme music and ups it to a degree that I've yet to see any other band of this style reach.
  4. Genesis – Selling England By The Pound – Heavily acclaimed by the online reviewing community, and for good reason. One of the most melodic prog albums out there, Peter Gabriel’s wild vocal peak with a medieval atmosphere unlike any other.
  5. Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son – At the last minute I switched this one around with Powerslave. The overall atmosphere is quite powerful, and the conceptual aspect gives this one the slight edge. It's a climax to the band's golden age, and probably their finest release.
  6. Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – A stronger atmosphere makes this one an even more amazing listen than their previous album. Some times I even prefer it to Atom Heart Mother. Floyd were good with 5 song albums, weren’t they?
  7. R.E.M. – Automatic For the People – An incredibly mature sounding album, quiet and reflective, overrated by some, and underrated by others, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve got one of the best albums of the early 90s here.
  8. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead – Dark, depressing, but extremely catchy, Morrissey’s longing voice and lyrics alone make this a sure winner. When you add that to Johnny Marr’s excellent guitar lines and the band's fantastic sense of melody, you have one of the best albums ever.
  9. Yes – The Yes Album – A leap, somewhat uncertain, but damn near perfect all the same. Ranging from their best know to flat out best, they’ve come up with one of prog's defining moments, a musical statement that few, prog or otherwise, have been able to top.
  10. Yes – Relayer – Chaotic, but still well formed and epic. An attempt to bring the Close to the Edge style to a different sound, and a definite success. "The Gates Of Delirium" is truly one of the greatest songs ever written.

Honorable Mentions

A wide range of albums as far as quality goes, but that's just because this is the loosest category of favorites. Some here I'd give a sure ten, others a nine, but ratings really don't matter here. If you don't have these I'd say that you really should look into some time in the future.

  1. The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour – The Beatles' psychedelic peak, a collection of songs that create an album better than Sgt. Pepper could ever be.
  2. The Beatles – The Beatles – Maybe the best double album out there (even though I rarely like those things much), simply because there are so damn many great songs on here, and a filling tune here or there really doesn't matter in the face of the best work on here.
  3. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds – Overrated, sure, but that doesn't mean that it isn't great. There's a whole lot here to like, some of the most beautiful music of the 60s.
  4. Blackball – Hope – You might think it would be impossible for Scott to make an album that could even begin to hold up against the band's debut, but here he shows that yes, it is possible. Not to mention that this is an album with "One Thousand" on it.
  5. Blind Guardian – Nightfall In Middle Earth – I really don't want to put this on here, because this really is one of those albums that I do feel a little ashamed of liking so much (since it is incredibly overblown), but the melodies are so incredibly good that I can't deny it a spot on here.
  6. Boston - Boston – The best 'arena rock' album, with the consistent quality of the songs completely justifying this album's popularity in the radio.
  7. Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms – Call it a sell out or whatever, but if this is a crowd-pleaser than it does succeed. A truly touching release.
  8. Dream Theater – Images and Words - The progressive album of the decade. Stunning, powerful, and the only Dream Theater album that doesn't seem overly pretentious to me. Their sure peak, something that I doubt that they'll ever be able to top.
  9. Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced? – Nothing much to add. One of the first and best hard rock albums.
  10. Holy Terror – Mind Wars – Look , I'm not all that big into speed metal, but this is the one thrash album that I just can't seem to stop listening to. On first glance it may not seem to be as 'intelligent' of a release as those by Metallica or Iced Earth, but I think song by song it's the better than anything those two have put out.
  11. Iron Maiden – Powerslave – Laugh all you want, but with the combination of great melodies and epic songs with Bruce Dickinson's powerful vocals and a bunch of the best guitar solos ever, I’m not going to leave this one off of my list.
  12. Jane's Addiction – Ritual De Lo Habitual – Groundbreaking, daring, defiant, but not without also being gentle and thoughtful. An album I could never get tired of.
  13. Phil Keaggy – The Wind And The Wheat – A magical journey, Keaggy's most popular work among critics, certainly one to get if you've enjoyed his other work; you won't be disappointed.
  14. Phil Keaggy – Acoustic Sketches – You'd think it would get boring listening to a guy play an acoustic guitar for an hour, but if you give this time and let it grow in you, it can be one of the most rewarding listens out there.
  15. King Crimson – In The Court of the Crimson King – Aside from a certain major flaw, this album still holds up as one of the finest prog releases ever.
  16. Joni Mitchell – Blue – How can you not like this album? Ten truly beautiful and moving tunes creating a favorite among quite a many people, me included.
  17. Nightingale – The Closing Chronicles – Dan Swano shows how he can break completely away from metal and into art-rock and still make amazing music, and certainly not lacking strong melodies.
  18. Paramaecium – Within The Ancient Forest – The symphonic touches work perfectly making this a truly unique and compelling concept album, one of the most beautiful death metal albums I've heard.
  19. Pennywise – Unknown Road – For me this is the best punk rock album out there, the one album that takes the style pure ridiculous attitude and angst and breathes true sincerity and feeling into it.
  20. Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon – Needs no explanation, really. It's not my favorite Floyd album, but it's extremely well made and well produced, a rewarding journey.
  21. Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning – Just a hair ahead of Prologue as one of the progressive peaks of the 70s, melody and beauty abound in every song, along with Annie Haslam's best vocal performance.
  22. Schaliach – Sonrise – A beautiful melodic death metal release. I couldn't imagine not putting an album that has "Coming of the Dawn" and "A Whisper From Heaven" on a favorite albums list.
  23. Bruce Springteen – Born In The U.S.A. – When I listen to this album it becomes no small wonder that it was such a major success spawning so many chart-topping songs. The music here is exceptionally good, making this album a sure winner.
  24. Stavesacre – Speakeasy – A more commercialized and accessible effort with just enough of their old sound to still make it enjoyable for long time fans such as myself.
  25. The Stone Roses – The Stones Roses – One of the downright most melodic albums I've ever heard in my life, a set unbelievably catchy songs that creates one of the most memorable listening experiences ever.
  26. U2 – The Joshua Tree – One album that has grown on me like nothing else since I first listened to it, and now I can honestly say that this is one of the best albums of the decade.
  27. The Who – Tommy – Easily their best. Who albums generally aren't that consistent, so I can easily overlook some filler on here and find some of the best songs of their career.
  28. Yes – Fragile – A defining moment for the band, with the stunning epics and interesting solo pieces perfectly painting a picture of everything the band was at the time.
  29. Yes – Going for the One – Their last great album, and it was one hell of a finish to their string of classics. Some of the band’s best material can be found here.

NICK SERGAKIS

My fisrt list sucked, so here is the real one. Mistake Free.

  1. Megadeth-Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
  2. Metallca-Master Of Puppets
  3. Faith No More-The Real Thing
  4. Slayer-Seasons In The Abyss &nbsp;
  5. Anthrax-Sound Of White Noise
  6. The Clash-London Calling
  7. Anthrax-Persistence Of Time
  8. Fantomas-The Director's Cut
  9. Fear Factory-Demanufacture
  10. Stray Cats-Built For Speed
  11. Faith No More-Angel Dust
  12. Pink Floyd-Dark Side Of The Moon
  13. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
  14. Megadeth-Rust In Peace
  15. Pantera-Vulgar Display Of Power
  16. (tie) Alice In Chains-Dirt-Facelift
  17. Sacred Reich-The American Way
  18. Type O Negative-Bloody Kisses
  19. Suicidal Tendencies-How Will I Laugh Tomorrow...When I Can't Even Smile Today
  20. Black Label Society-1919 Eternal
  21. Ozzy Osbourne-No More Tears
  22. Motorhead-Ace Of Spades
  23. Pink Floyd-The Wall
  24. The Who-Who's Next
  25. Iron Maiden-Killers
  26. George Harrison-All Things Must Pass
  27. Led Zeppelin-4
  28. Disturbed-Believe
  29. Black Sabbath-Sabbath Bloddy Sabbath
  30. Fantomas/Melvins Big Band Project-Milenim Mosterwork 2000

JOHN SCHLEGEL

My Top 20

(I'm sure this list is subject to change, but here are my picks for the time being.)

  1. The Beatles - Abbey Road - The single most impressive and compelling CD I have purchased within AT LEAST the last two years. A most respected album too, of course, and justifiably so.
  2. Midnight Oil - 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - A blasting, innovative, melodic, unrelenting masterpiece from down under. My favorite disc from my favorite band.
  3. REM - Life's Rich Pageant - REM rocked harder than ever in '86 and took their first step into the mainstream--and they never sounded better.
  4. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic - Some sophisticated fusion-rock from the '70s, and a nearly-perfect piece of pop craft. Very consistent.
  5. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willie and the Poorboys - Humble, simple, resiliant rock that manages timelessly infectious melodies throughout. A beautiful album.
  6. XTC - The Big Express - Sure, Skylarking is better, but this one is rawer and quirkier; creativity unadulterated! An interesting LP with lots of great songs, and the great "second phase" of this band took shape here.
  7. Elvis Costello and the Attractions - This Year's Model - A blistering record of angst-ridden, punk-infested New Wave. The momentum and songwriting of this album are very strong; I'll take it all, including the "Extended Play" section of the Rykodisc reissue.
  8. The Smithereens - Blown to Smithereens/The Best of the Smithereens - Horribly underrated band that had that "A Girl Like You" hit in 1990. Plenty of mid-tempo, Beatle-esque pop rock tunes with hooks to spare.
  9. Living Colour - Vivid - Great record, and a breath of fresh air in '87 when bad dance pop and hair metal dominated the air waves and MTV. There are plenty of musical styles here to go around--did these boys have some CHOPS!! One of the best hard rock albums of the '80s.
  10. Squeeze - Argybargy - A cheesy band upon first glimpse, but these guys are deceptively talented muscians and songwriters. One of the better collections of '80s pop rock out there.
  11. Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Vols. I-II - Arrogant guy, but a true hit-maker. There are so many classics on these two discs that it still baffles me from time to time.
  12. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians - Greatest Hits (A&amp;M) - This guy's about as weird as they come, but he's one talented dude, and the marriage of catchy, radio-friendly pop and eccentricity here is nothing short of remarkable.
  13. Beck - Mutations - I find most '90s music uninteresting, but this is a beautifully laid-back set of off-kilter, accoustic folk-rock songs. Much better than all of Beck's other stuff.
  14. Crowded House - Temple of Low Men - The great Crowded House album no one has heard. Darker and more introspective than their usual, more radio-friendly formula, this is easily the band's most intriguing work.
  15. Boston - Boston - I know, it's cheesy '70s arena-rock. But this is still one of the most consistent and instantly likable albums I have ever heard.
  16. Garth Brooks - The Hits - That's right, you're reading me correctly. Hey! There are lots of great pop songs on here. I stand by my opinion . . .
  17. The Beatles - Rubber Soul - My favorite of their earlier period. Some incredible stuff here.
  18. XTC - Oranges and Lemons - Another gaudy, excessive album from the boys from Swindon, this is a phenomenal album if you take it song for song. At worst, it has some of the group's best songs on it.
  19. The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta - The first two thirds are amazing; the last third is pleasant enough background music.
  20. Los Lobos - Kiko - Very talented boys. Rich, musical, Mexican-tinged rockabilly.

More Friggin' Great Records

(This is a pretty arbitrary assortment if I do say so myself.)

  1. XTC - Skylarking
  2. The Beatles - Hard Day's Night
  3. R.E.M. - Document
  4. Midnight Oil - Red Sails in the Sunset
  5. Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstasy
  6. The Smithereens - Especially for You
  7. Squeeze - Singles, 45's and Under
  8. Yes - The Yes Album
  9. Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians - Fegmania
  10. Overkill - Horrorscope
  11. Duran Duran - Decade
  12. U2 - The Joshua Tree
  13. Van Halen - Van Halen
  14. Van Halen - Van Halen II
  15. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
  16. The Beatles - Revolver
  17. The Church - Starfish
  18. The Doors - The Best of the Doors
  19. Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman
  20. Midnight Oil - Earth and Sun and Moon
  21. R.E.M. - Reckoning
  22. The Police - The Classics
  23. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
  24. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits
  25. Johnny Cash - 16 Biggest Hits

GUY PETERS

  1. The Beatles - Rubber Soul
  2. The Beatles - Revolver
  3. Television - Marquee Moon
  4. Black Flag - Damaged
  5. The Dream Syndicate - Days of Wine and Roses
  6. Al Green - Call me
  7. Richard Thompson - Small Town Romance
  8. Meat Puppets - Forbidden Places
  9. Slayer - Reign in Blood
  10. The Clash - The Clash
  11. AC/DC - Powerage
  12. Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour '74
  13. Steely Dan - Countdown to Ecstacy
  14. Steve Wynn - Here Come the Miracles
  15. The Feelies - Time for a Witness
  16. Richard Thompson - Shoot out the Lights
  17. Rollins Band - The End of Silence
  18. Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
  19. The Stooges - Fun House
  20. MC5 - High Time

BEVAN SEXYLEX

****God-like albums****

  1. Metallica - Master Of Puppets : The greatest and most intelligent heavy metal album ever. 'Nuff said.
  2. Marilyn Manson - Antichrist superstar : Say what you want, but this guy really knows how to write creepy, emotional music. forget the stage antics and bible bashing, the music speaks for itself
  3. Megadeth - Rust in Peace : sure its not perfect, but its my favourite guitar album of all time. Mustaine mastered the thrash riff and Marty Freidman is GOD on lead guitar. why is isnt spoken of with the likes of Hendrix, Keaggy and Page is beyond me. maybe he needs a catchier name...
  4. Faith no more - Angel Dust : This album rules. wierd as hell, mike patton is one of the most talented psychotic singers going around. The other band members are also at their peak. i cant believe someone actually said 'caffiene' is the worst song on here.
  5. Tool - Aenima: one of the best albums of the ninetees, and an interesting approach at metal. very creative and diverse. the lyrics and the cover are also something to behold...
  6. Dream Theater - Awake : i'll probably get hunted down in the streets and beaten by DT fans, but i think this one is better than images and words. so sue me...'Space Dye Vest' is one of the best ballads ever made. EVER
  7. Pantera - Vulger display of power: Pat.D seems to disagree, but i think this is pantera's peak, featuring some of their best songs, including 'mouth for war'. yeah...
  8. Led Zepplin - untitled : yeah, everyones been bashing this one lately, but it has some real rippers on it. i mean, its got 'stairway to heaven' and 'when the levee breaks' on it. come on...
  9. Metallica - Ride the lightning : its not as good as 'puppets' but it has some thrash classics on it. 'creeping death' and 'fade to black' kick ass, and the only let down is 'trapped under ice'.
  10. Rammstein - Herzeleid : what heavy metal would have sounded like in the sixties. some great tunes, but a lot of people hate this band. i guess its some hidden Prejudice against germans.

ATHENE ANDERSON

Next to each album is the best song on the album.

  1. Tool - Aenima - Pushit
  2. Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory - Home
  3. Pink Floyd - Animals - Dogs
  4. Tool - Lateralus - The Patient
  5. Dream Theater - Awake - Scarred
  6. Pearl Jam - Vs - Rearviewmirror
  7. Alice In Chains - Dirt - Would?
  8. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - Time
  9. Tool - Undertow - 4 Degrees
  10. Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland - Gypsy Eyes
  11. Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute - Deep Kick
  12. Dream Theater - Images and Words
  13. Pearl Jam - Ten - Porch
  14. The Doors - L.A Woman - L.A Woman
  15. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik - Power of Equality
  16. Alice In Chains - Facelift - Bleed the Freak
  17. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Blind Faith
  18. Soundgarden - Superunknown - Limo Wreck
  19. Primus - The Brown Album - Fisticuffs
  20. Alice In Chains - Jar of Flies - Rotten Apple
  21. The Beatles - The White Album- Happiness is a Warm Gum
  22. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - That's the Way
  23. Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity - Trial of Tears
  24. Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension 2 - Acid Rain
  25. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? - Purple Haze

SHAUN DOWNTON

best song on album next to album name

  1. tool aenima Jimmy
  2. tool lateralus The grudge
  3. Pink floyd animals pigs
  4. dream theater images and words learning to live
  5. jimi hendrix axis:bold as love castles made of sand
  6. dream theater scenes from a memory beyond this life
  7. tool undertow intolerance
  8. alice in chains facelift real thing
  9. pearl jam ten porch
  10. red hot chili peppers one hot minute deep kick
  11. pink floyd meddle echoes
  12. janes addiction ritual de lo habitual three days
  13. jimi hendrix electric ladyland crosstown traffic
  14. pink floyd dark side of the moon us and them
  15. alice in chains dirt them bones
  16. red hot chili peppers blood sugar sex magik sir psycho sexy
  17. soundgarden superunknown black hole sun
  18. dream theater awake erotomania
  19. slayer south of heaven live undead
  20. incubus science calgone
  21. the doors strange days when the music's over
  22. led zeppelin II the lemon song
  23. deftones white pony passenger
  24. pantera vulgar display of power hollow
  25. pearl jam Vs rearview mirror

Also i dont know where you'll put this but heres my top 10 fave artists

  1. tool (maynard's voice dannys drumming justin's and adam's not technically exciting guitarwork but really cool riff writing)
  2. Pink floyd ( in my opinion the ultimate trip out music the most atmospheric i have come across)
  3. dream theater (the most overindulgent instrumentally technical experts i have heard sometimes i just sit back and they blow me away)
  4. jimi hendrix( refreshingly creative really laidback and cool. and he has a cool voice . A musical genius. Perhaps the single greatest musician to ever live.)
  5. Alice in chains( consistently good. from their rockin tracks (them bones, real thing) to the mellow shit (rotten apple, i stay away) the vocal pairing of layne staley and jerry cantrell is something beyond spectacular)
  6. Red hot chili peppers (the best band of the 80s , the first band to combine rap and hard rock, good singer best rapper, 2nd best bassist in the world. Awesomely Funky)
  7. Pearl Jam (i used to rate them a lot higher. eddie is a amzaing singer witha beautiful voice. their first 2 albums are so close to being flawless except for the last songs on both of them)
  8. Soundgarden (not really consistently good. they exploded on superunkown . chris cornell is one of the best singers ever. the other musicians arent really amazing but they write really good songs)
  9. The doors (Jim Morrison/best poet /best voice/trippy music a band that stood the test of time doesnt sound outdated at all)
  10. Janes Addiction( the singer takes a few listens to get used to . but ritual de lo habitual is one of the best albums of the nineties)

JIM HULL

If I had to strip it to 10 forever:

  1. Beatles--Rubber Soul
  2. Ramones--Rocket To Russia
  3. Aerosmith--Rocks
  4. Cheap Trick--Budokan
  5. Steely Dan--Can't Buy A Thrill
  6. Slade--Slayed?
  7. New York Dolls
  8. Ramones--It's Alive
  9. Alison Krauss and Union Station--So Long, So Wrong
  10. Rolling Stones--Hot Rocks

HUGHES

Albums that deeply impressed me:

JUDE BOLTON

Hi my name is Jude Bolton. I'm a 20 yo male from Australia, and here's a bunch of my favourite albums in no particular order. I'm gonna copy a couple of other people's lists and put my personal favourite track from each album in brackets.

Cheers!

  1. Nirvana - In Utero (Pennyroyal Tea)
  2. Foo Fighters - One By One (Low)
  3. Live - Throwing Copper (Lightning Crashes)
  4. The Verve - Urban Hymns (The Drugs Don't Work)
  5. Beatles - Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (Help From My Friends)
  6. Beach Boys - Sunflower (This Whole World)
  7. Rolling Stones - Aftermath (Under My Thumb)
  8. Kinks - Village Green Preservation Society (Do You Remember Walter)
  9. The Doors - Morrison Hotel (Roadhouse Blues)
  10. Pearl Jam - Ten (Jeremy)
  11. Radiohead - OK Computer (Paranoid Android)
  12. Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants (Juanita...)
  13. Orbital - Orbital 2 (Lush 3-1)
  14. The Clash - London Calling (London Calling)
  15. Ramones - Ramones (Havana Affair)
  16. U2 - Zooropa (Lemon)
  17. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Bennie & The Jets)
  18. Ben Folds - Rockin The Suburbs (Losing Lisa)
  19. Something For Kate - Beautiful Sharks (Whatever You Want)
  20. Jay Z - The Blueprint (The Ruler's Back)
  21. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle (Gin & Juice)
  22. Outkast - Speakerboxx / The Love Below (Ghettomusick)
  23. Soundtrack - Grease (Hopelessly Devoted To You)
  24. Madonna - Immaculate Collection (La Isla Bonita)
  25. Queen - Greatest Hits (Bohemian Rhapsody)

[email protected]

  1. Joy Division - Closer
  2. Lou Reed - Berlin
  3. Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
  4. Eels - Electro-Shoc Blues
  5. XTC - Skylarking
  6. The Smiths - Meat is Murder
  7. Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
  8. The Doors - LA Woman
  9. Television - Marquee Moon
  10. The Kinks - Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire
  11. David Bowie - Low
  12. John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band
  13. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
  14. Radiohead - OK Computer
  15. Nirvana - In Utero
  16. The Sound - From the Lion's Mouth
  17. Magazine - The Correct Use of Soap
  18. Mazzy Star - So tonight that i might see
  19. The Chameleons UK - Strange Times
  20. The White Stripes - Elephant

[email protected]

A list of records you probably won’t find in the used bins:

  1. Van Halen 1984
  2. Van Halen Fair Warning
  3. Van Halen
  4. Aerosmith Rocks
  5. Aerosmith Toys in the Attic
  6. Aerosmith Get Your Wings
  7. Jeff Beck Truth
  8. White Stripes Elephant
  9. Scorpions Lovedrive
  10. Scorpions Blackout
  11. Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance
  12. Judas Priest British Steel
  13. Police Regatta D’ Blanc
  14. Blondie Parallel Lines
  15. The Who Who’s Next
  16. Sammy Hagar Standing Hampton
  17. Rush Moving Pictures
  18. Jimi Hendrix Are You Experienced
  19. Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers
  20. Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
  21. Rolling Stone Let it Bleed
  22. Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy
  23. Led Zeppelin IV
  24. Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti
  25. Queen Sheer Heart Attack
  26. Queen Night at the Opera
  27. David Bowie Ziggy Stardust
  28. Queensryche Empire
  29. UFO Strangers in the Night
  30. Stone Temple Pilots Thank You

WEEGIE

These are chosen because I can listen to them again and again and never get tired of hearing them, and I can listen to them after months away and instantly know what's coming next -

1. Physical Graffiti (Zepp) - the ultimate hard rock album that many have copied but none have come close.

2. Bleach (Nirvana) - nearly put "nevermind" but after listening to this over and over this does it for me. Nirvana were finished after In Utero, some bands last and some blaze their way through the sky and fade out.

3. Very Best of Bobby Darin - stop laughing at the back there, what a singer and all round entertainer this man was. You can have Sinatra and Bennett, I'll have Bobby.

4. Station To Station (Bowie) - The Man's finest vinyl moment. Made a big impression on me during a very impressionable time in my life.

5. The Free Story - it must have been fantastic growing up in the early 70s (I didn't) another band who crashed and burned. Brought this in Camden Market 1991 and very glad I did.

6. The Southern Musical & Harmony Companion (Black Crowes) - Chris Robinson and the Crowes' finest hour, fabulous tunes, different styles and accomplished playing. I don't listen to Time Will Tell, the cover at the end, so My Morning Song goes down for me as the best closing record on any album in my whole collection.

7. Labour of Love (Hue and Cry) - why were this band never massive? That Kane boy has a wonderful voice and the songs are slick, clever and humourous. A perfect Sunday morning listen.

8. Fabrique (Fashion) - came out at the tail end of New Romanticism in late 81. This album was so ahead of its time it could have been recorded last week. Songs about late nights, break-ups, drugs and shagging!! Mainman Dee Harris did an album with Dave Mason of all people. Has the wonderfully named Zeus B Held producing.

9. Beyond Good & Evil (The Cult) - some people hate this, on first impressions I wasn't too sure, but repeated plays force me to admit this is just good old power chord rock and roll, the musical equivalent of a Bond film, you know what is coming next but you still enjoy it.

10. Appetite For Destruction (GnR) - is it just me or does the inner sleeve deliberately smell of Morrocco's finest on purpose? Yes, it was all done before in the 70s, but the guitars pull it off from being just A N Other US rock album.

Thanks for indulging me,

ROB EUSTACE

ALL TIME TOP ALBUMS

1. Shazam - The Move (1970)

Quite simply the most criminally ignored album in the entire history of popular music. There's nothing groundbreaking or original about it, but it's deviously inventive, delightfully ambitious and absolutely flawless.

2. Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles (1967)

An exquisite collection of imaginative, ambitious and perfectly sequenced pop. The White Album could have been stronger as a single disc, but due to that albums over indulgence Sgt Pepper remains the prime offering from the worlds greatest recording artists.

3. The White Album - The Beatles (1968)

The double album that contains the tracks that would have made up the greatest single album of all time. In the end it's too diverse for its own good, but the quality and atmosphere of the key tracks always ensure its rightful position as a true classic.

4. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970)

These are the tracks that Harrison couldn't squeeze onto the late period Beatle albums. Beatle George has the last laugh however as his 1970 debut casts a huge shadow over the remainder of the solo Beatle output.

5. Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin (1975)

The six tracks on the first disc would have been sufficient to merit this albums status alone, but the inclusion of the second disc tracks assure Physical Graffiti's position as most complete Zeppelin album.

6. Hatful Of Hollow - The Smiths (1984)

The Queen Is Dead tends to steal the crown as Morrissey & Marr's most rewarding release, but this flawless release showcases the band and the joy that is Morrissey the lyricist to perfection.

7. Let It Be - The Beatles (1970)

Not the strongest, but possibly the most underrated of all Beatle albums. There's a freshness and edge found among the tracks that gives the album a distinctive feel from the remaining Beatle catalogue.

8. New Boots And Panties - Ian Dury (1977)

A stunning collection of unique and timeless material, a bolt from the blue from the world's most unlikely rock star

9. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin (1971)

An incredible album that presents the perfect balance of styles tested on the albums that preceded it.

10. Revolver - The Beatles (1966)

The chain of progression never advanced more than between Rubber Soul and Revolver. The tracks that close each side are absolute classics and this is possibly McCartney's greatest venture, but there are minor flaws to be found that relegate the album behind other Beatle albums.

11. Innvervisions - Stevie Wonder (1973)

Sheer musical genius, an uplifting masterwork that sits proudly at the peak of one of the most consistent artist catalogues of the 1970's.

12. Rattus Norvegicus - The Stranglers (1977)

An aggressive, dark and menacing experience but a sheer delight from start to finish.

13. Abbey Road - The Beatles (1969)

A step back from The White Album and Sgt Pepper but an incredible venture no less. Beatle flaws were few, but when an inspector called it was usually McCartney and Starkey who were on trial.

14. Southpaw Grammar - Morrissey (1995)

The definitive Morrissey album, "Brit Pop" was the flavour of the month, Morrissey's new album was released and the media simply decided that you really shouldn't like it. Ridiculously maligned as Morrissey's guitar album, it appears far too few have actually bothered to listen to Southpaw Grammar.

15. Aja - Steeley Dan (1977)

Timeless, sophisticated and polished to perfection, and so laid back for a release during this period of fevered angst and aggression

16. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)

The legend is finally delivered, but why was it never completed in 1967. Beatle competition or not, it's truly shameful that the directionless Smiley Smile was released as the follow up to Pet Sounds.

17. A Hard Days Night - The Beatles (1964)

The earliest of all pop masterpieces and the album that confirmed Lennon & McCartney were leagues ahead of their nearest contemporaries

18. In Rock - Deep Purple (1970)

Memories of Rod Evans are diminished and Jon Lord's forgiveness for the appalling Concerto for Group & Orchestra is instant as Gillan and the band roll out one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.

19. The Slider - T.Rex (1972)

The complete glam rock album and Bolan at an absolute peak, commercially and creatively.

20. Wake Up - The Boo Radleys (1995)

Martin Carr's wall of noise is lifted to reveal the kind of beauty you always knew existed on the Boo's earlier albums

21. Wizzard Brew - Wizzard (1973)

"See My Baby Jive" this ain't. Roy Wood makes a grand statement artistically and goes a long way to destroying his reputation commercially by showcasing this unique blend of 50's nostalgia and heavy rock.

22. Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory (1998)

One great songwriter meets another with incredible results and by far Costello's greatest collaboration. Much maligned but seriously underrated and makes Costello's ventures with McCartney seem irrelevant.

23. Second Coming - The Stone Roses (1994)

A genuinely rewarding follow up to the equally enthralling debut and a natural progression for John Squire. Unfortunately the critics and the fans simply wanted more of the same, these things take time, and too few have listened too little.

24. Grand Prix - Teenage Fanclub (1995)

Another of the bands who commercially and artistically should have blown acts like Oasis and Blur off the face of the planet. A glorious collection of captivating songs that hang themselves squarely on the peg marked power pop.

25. Tommy - The Who (1969)

Don't judge Tommy as a concept, and don't ever contemplate trying to comprehend the story. Tommy should be appreciated simply for what it is, a wonderful collection of songs and The Who's supreme album.

26. The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1984)

Far from the first rap album, but nevertheless the legacy of The Message should not be understated. Who could possibly have believed in 1984 that this genre would explode in the way it did, and that rap would grow to be the saleable commodity that it remains to this very day.

27. Ass - Badfinger (1973)

A seriously underrated album from an equally underrated band. The bands fond farewell to Apple Records and whilst the influences are all too obvious the quality of the material is generally equal to it.

28. Marquee Moon - Television (1977)

A truly incredible collection of innovative material that sadly Tom Verlaine never quite managed to replicate

29. Rubber Soul - The Beatles (1965)

The incredible artistic progression continues as Rubber Soul's new maturity sees the band take a giant step towards evolving into the legend The Beatles would become.

30. For Your Pleasure - Roxy Music (1973)

Roxy surpass the magnificent debut with this cold yet sophisticated tour de force, a stunningly sinister album.

PEDRO ANDINO

WELCOME TO MY ALL TIME FAVORITE ALBUM LIST!

1.SMASHING PUMPKINS- SIAMISE DREAM

2.PINK FLOYD- DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

3.SMASHING PUMPKINS- MELLON COLLIE AND THE INFINITE SADNESS

4.PINK FLOYD- THE WALL

5.U2- JOSHUA TREE

6.JIMI HENDRIX- ELECTRIC LADYLAND

7.STIGMATA

8.JOE SATRIANI- THE EXTREMIST

9.SANTANA- ABRAXAS

10.THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS

11.FRANZ FERDINANAD(2004)

12.ELTON JOHN- TUMBLEWEED CONNECTION

13.JOE SATRIANI- SURFING WITH THE ALIEN

14.THE DONNAS- SPEND THE NIGHT

15.COLDPLAY- A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD

16.COLDPLAY- PARACHUTES

17.LED ZEP- THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME(1976)

18.JET- GET BORN

19.RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS- MOTHER'S MILK

20.JIMI HENDRIX- AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE

21.PEARL JAM- TEN

22.NINE INCH NAILS- THE FRAGILE

23.SANTANA- DANCE OF THE RAINBOW SERPENT

24.METALLICA- RELOAD

25.STEVE VAI- THE ELUSIVE LIGHT AND SOUND VOL.1

26.KANSAS- POINT OF KNOW RETURN

27.JOE SATRIANI- TIME MACHINE

28.U2- OCTOBER

29.ELTON JOHN- DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER

30.ELTON JOHN- MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER

31.YES- CLOSE TO THE EDGE

32.METALLICA- LOAD

33.THE WHO- ODDS AND SODS

34.CHARLOTTE CHURCH- VOICE OF AN ANGEL

35.JIMI HENDRIX- BAND OF GYPSYS

36.SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (BEE GEES)

37.RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS- BY THE WAY

38.RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS- WHAT HITS!?

39.YES- RELAYER

40.AUDIOSLAVE(2002)

41.THE WHO- TOMMY

42.SANTANA 3

43.THE WHO SELL OUT

44.AEROSMITH(1973)

45.BECK- ODELAY

46.RUSH- 2112

47.U2- BOY

48.HEART' GREATEST HITS

49.PRINCE- DIAMONDS AND PEARLS

50.PRINCE- EMANCIPATION

51.RADIOHEAD- KID A

52.MARVIN GAYE- WHAT'S GOING ON

53.OUTKAST-STANKONIA

54.GREEN DAY- AMERICAN IDIOT

55.BECK- MUTATIONS

56.THE WHO- TOMMY(1975 SOUNDTRACK)

57.KANSAS- MASQUE

58.JOHN LENNON- MIND GAMES

59.VAN HALEN(1978)

60.JANE'S ADDICTION- NOTHING'S SHOCKING

61.RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS(1984)

62.PHIL COLLINS- FACE VALUE

63.NIRVANA- NEVERMIND

64.PEARL JAM- NO CODE

65.MATCHBOX 20- MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU ARE

66.SPIN DOCTORS- POCKET FULL OF KRYPTONITE

67.RATT- REACH FOR THE SKY

68.TOP GUN

69.WINGS GREATEST

70.KISS- DYNASTY

71.RUSH- FLY BY NIGHT

72.RUSH- VAPOR TRAILS

73.AEROSMITH- NINE LIVES

74.KISS- CARNIVAL OF SOULS

75.EVE'S PLUM- CHERRY ALIVE

76.KYLIE MINOGUE- FEVER

77.BLUE OYSTER CULT- FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN

78.KANSAS- LEFTOVERTURE

79.JOHN LENNON- DOUBLE FANTASY

80.AC/DC- HIGH VOLTAGE

81.ELTON JOHN- GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

82.MADONNA- THE IMMACULATE COLLECTION

83.PEAL JAM- YIELD

84.THE CRANBERRIES- BURY THE HACHET

85.THE DOORS- STONED IMMACULATE(TRIBUTE)

86.BJORK- GREATEST HITS

87.BJORK- HOMOGENIC

88.BECK -MELLOW GOLD

89.SANTANA- MOONFLOWER

90.STEVIE WONDER- GREATEST HITS VOL.1

91.STEVIE WONDER-GREATEST HITS VOL.2

92.A PERFECT CIRCLE- MER DE NOMS

93.QUEENSRYCHE- GREATEST HITS

94.VELVET REVOLVER- CONTRABAND

95.THE CRANBERRIES- TO THE FAITHFULL DEPARTED

96.FU MANCHU- GO FOR IT LIVE

97.SPIDER MAN(SOUNDTRACK)

98.PINK FLOYD- DELICATE SOUND OF THUNDER

99.PINK FLOYD- ANIMALS

100.THE DOORS- AN AMERICAN PRAYER

MATTHEW BYRD

Oooh, oooh, I get to make an album list! Here are my 25 favorite albums.......... there are no Beatles, I'm sick 'o' them for now.

1.Blonde On Blonde - Bob Dylan - What!? How did THIS get on here? Well, I'm not even sure. I used to actually HATE this album but I gave it a lot of chances. One day it just happened, I just started to like it. I can't think of any collection of pop songs I like more.

2.Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen - The few, the proud, the people who actually like Born To Run! Yep, I'm one of 'em. Bruce Springsteen rules.

3.Songs In The Key Of Life - Stevie Wonder - Yeah, it gets preachy........... but, we can forgive the guy, I mean, as a George Starotasin (or however he spells it) has said, well, he said Songs In The Key Of Life is the greatest statement of optimism in music that he has heard. I fully agree.

4.Sign 'O' The Times - Prince - Purple Rain is Prince's best, isn't it? Not on your life! Sign 'O' The Times is a great display of talent, I mean, when this guy has a guitar solo you actually WANT to hear it. How can you resist the guy? Well, why don't you just marry him you ask? I guess I would if I could................. ok, maybe not. I might though.

5.Graceland - Paul Simon - Another damn Jew, that's Paul Simon for ya. The Jews control everything. Oh well.

6.The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks - As a guitar-pop album, this is the best. I'd compare the best of The Kinks with the best of The Beatles ANY DAY.

7.All Over The Place - The Bangles - Hot damn! The harmonies on Going Down To Liverpool are almost.......... enough to make you want to destroy a building in glee! Ok, I guess not........... but, you get the picture. Man, this is a great guitar and harmony record. Overlooked for no bloody reason! It ticks me off. I'm mad/upset.

8.At Folsom Prison - Johnny Cash - 'I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die'.

9.Imperial Bedroom - Elvis Costello - Tin Pan Alley pop, that's what this is. Elvis Costello is talented to the tips of his toes......... eeerr, I guess. Just SO much of his stuff is SO hard to like. Imperial Bedroom is one of those albums that Costello actually lets you enjoy.

10.Rain Dogs - Tom Waits - This album is suprisingly enjoyable, you have to give it a chance (or a couple) though. 'Hang Down Your Head' and 'Downtown Train' are both gorgeous.

11.London Calling - The Clash - Punk? Nope, this is shining guitar-pop, the only reason it's not at 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 is becuase it has some questionable material......... I mean, 'Lover's Rock' and 'Koka Kola'? FILLER. Otherwise, this album is perfect.......... well, I'm not a huge fan of 'Revolution Rock' and 'Brand New Cadillac' but, excluding these 4 cuts, this album would easily be in my top 5.

12.Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen - Yep, believe it, another Springsteen album.

13.Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones - I used to really like the Stones more than I do now. The albums that stuck include this one, Aftermath, Between The Buttons, Some Girls, Beggar's Banquet and Let It Bleed.

14.Bringin' It All Back Home - Bob Dylan - Yep, I have nothing really to say about it.

15."Heroes" - David Bowie - I've always been suprised at the mixed reviews this album gets, I really like it. The title track is maybe the greatest ballad I've ever heard.

16.Low - David Bowie - Low is basically as good as "Heroes". Peaches En Regalia kicks the crap out of all the instrumentals found on this album, though.

17.Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen - Aside from 'Cover Me', 'I'm On Fire' and 'Glory Days' this is the best top 40 pop album ever made.

18.Arthur - The Kinks - The Kinks - The Kinks, everybody should at least give one of their albums a listen.

19.Beggar's Banquet - The Rolling Stones - What can I say?

20.Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon And Garfunkel - This is the shortest (about 45 min) double album I've ever heard. If you listen to the album you'll get what I mean.

21.My Aim Is True - Elvis Costello - Clocking in at about 30 min.......... ok, I have nothing to say after that great opening statement.

22.Something Else - The Kinks - Oh man, Waterloo Sunset!

23.Let It Bleed - The Rolling Stones - Thumbs up!

24.Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young - How in the hell did this wacko get on my list?

25.Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan - hmmmmm........ this was my #1 a few months ago.

Back

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1