Great, great lists already here. I dig this a lot more than just a straight up top whatever albums list. That's the kinda thing you could never settle on. I do have these ten albums, though, that really are very important to me and, while I don't think they say too much about who i am as a music lover, they're certainly all pretty okay. No particular order
The Name of This Band is Talking Heads
Talking Heads - 1982
This actually is my favorite album and i think it does say something about me as a music lover. This is a work you can appreciate even more if you've heard all these songs in their studio incarnations many times over, but virgin ears could probably get into it, too. I mean, I don't care who you are: listen to "Love Building on Fire" really ****ing loud and just try to deny yourself that lighting bolt begging to run up your spine
69 Love Songs
Magnetic Fields - 1999
Kind of top heavy, with I'd say every track up until "I Think I Need a New Heart" being a stone cold personal classic. But there are still some real gems sprinkled throughout the rest and considering how hard it is to write one halfway-decent song about love, 25+ great songs about love on one album is pretty amazing. "Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side" is the most surefire cure for the blues i have in my arsenal. Also helps I discovered the album with my first girlfriend and it just made everything feel so right. Does anyone not love this thing?
The Blue Mask
Lou Reed - 1982
This is Lou Reed at the height of his powers. Pretty sure his solo stuff, as a whole, trumps the Velvet Underground's catalogue and The Blue Mask, in particular, is just the balls. Reed's got that palpable visceral, volatile energy going that no one else has and I listen to this when I want to feel something. That's why everybody listens to music, I think
Anthologies 1-3
The Beatles - 1995, 1996, 1996
Bit of a cop out, but the anthologies sustained The Beatles for me and I think that's important. I went through what most kids in my generation went through: Going ape**** for The Beatles when I was like 13, but by 16 being totally burnt out on them. Bummer. But, yeah, the anthologies were such a breath of fresh air and they reintroduced me to a band that, for a little while, I thought I was too cool to love anymore
In My Tribe
10,000 Maniacs - 1987
The miserable curmudgeon in me would give this album a low C+ on its own merits and wouldn't allow it within striking distance of any sort of top ten list of mine. This is my girlfriend's absolute favorite album, though, and I love her very much. So here it is. "Hey Jack Kerouac" is a great song, to be fair, and Natalie Merchant was a fox
Doolittle
Pixies - 1989
Doolittle literally rocked a twelve year old me's world. This is why I'm such a music geek now. It might not have happened without Doolittle. Many, many silly drunken nights have been played out with this album as the sole soundtrack. All that absolutely has to count for something and, the best part is, I still love the actual music
3 Feet High And Rising
De La Soul - 1989
What can you even say? This is the best summer album I've ever heard, and it's not even close. Listen to this ruckus straight through and you just feel so dang good, it's ridiculous. Such an indescribable feeling of pure, life-affirming joy. It's glorious. I'm listening to "Eye Know" right now
The Presidents of the United States of America
The Presidents of the United States of America - 1994
Eh, first album I ever bought. It's okay
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Pavement - 1994
Yes! Best album to drive around to, bar none. Also the best album to sing along to in the shower, for some reason. Anyway, there is not a single track or note or anything out of place here. I've been through it so many times but it still sounds so flippin fresh
Left of the Dial: Dispatches From The 80's Underground
Various Artists - 2004
My taste in music was almost fully sculpted by this improbably great collection of songs. Introduced me to bands like XTC that have, no joke, changed my life. The only way I can do this its proper justice is to just list the tracklist below. Wonderful, wonderful stuff
Disc 1
1. R.E.M. - "Radio Free Europe" - 4:06
2. The Jam - "Going Underground" - 2:56
3. The Cure - "A Forest" - 4:55
4. Dead Kennedys - "Holiday in Cambodia" - 4:39
5. The Passions - "I'm in Love With a German Film Star" - 4:01
6. The Replacements - "I Will Dare" - 3:19
7. Mission of Burma - "That's When I Reach For My Revolver" - 3:53
8. X - "Johnny Hit and Run Paulene" - 2:50
9. The Jesus and Mary Chain - "Just Like Honey" - 3:02
10. Depeche Mode - "Black Celebration" - 4:53
11. Dream Syndicate - "Tell Me When It's Over" - 3:33
12. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Hollywood (Africa)" - 5:03
13. New Order - "Temptation" - 5:44
14. Japan - "Ghosts" - 4:32
15. Magazine - "A Song From Under the Floorboards" - 4:11
16. Aztec Camera - "Oblivious" - 3:12
17. Hüsker Dü - "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" - 3:32
18. Black Flag - "Rise Above" - 2:26
19. Wall of Voodoo - "Back in Flesh" - 3:43
20. The Go-Betweens - "Cattle and Cane" - 4:01
Disc 2
1. The Pretenders - "Message of Love" - 3:26
2. Ultravox - "Vienna" - 4:40
3. Dinosaur Jr. - "Freak Scene" - 3:37
4. The Smiths - "This Charming Man" - 2:44
5. Ministry - "Stigmata" - 5:45
6. Lone Justice - "Ways to Be Wicked" - 3:26
7. Killing Joke - "Wardance" - 3:47
8. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - "Enola ***" - 3:32
9. The English Beat - "Mirror in the Bathroom" - 3:08
10. The Raincoats - "Fairytale in the Supermarket" - 3:00
11. The Smithereens - "Behind the Wall of Sleep" - 3:24
12. Minutemen - "Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing" - 1:32
13. Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl" - 2:39
14. Concrete Blonde - "Still In Hollywood" - 3:45
15. Joy Division - "Love Will Tear Us Apart" - 3:27
16. Violent Femmes - "Blister in the Sun" - 2:26
17. Meat Puppets - "Lake of Fire" - 2:00
18. The DB's - "Amplifier" - 3:08
19. Prefab Sprout - "When Love Breaks Down" - 3:46
20. The Cramps - "Goo Goo Muck" - 3:07
21. The Sisters of Mercy - "This Corrosion" - 8:59
22. XTC - "Senses Working Overtime" - 4:36
Disc 3
1. Echo & the Bunnymen - "The Cutter" - 3:55
2. Bad Brains - "Pay to ***!" - 1:28
3. The Sugarcubes - "Birthday" - 3:59
4. Robyn Hitch**** & The Egyptians - "Madonna of the Wasps" - 3:07
5. Faith No More - "We Care a Lot" - 4:05
6. Sonic Youth - "Teen Age Riot" - 6:58
7. Gang of Four - "To Hell With Poverty" - 3:28
8. The Feelies - "Fa Cé-La" - 2:03
9. They Might Be Giants - "Ana Ng" - 3:21
10. The Chameleons UK - "Swamp Thing" - 6:00
11. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "The Mercy Seat" - 5:12
12. Rain Parade - "I Look Around" - 3:07
13. The Psychedelic Furs - "All That Money Wants" - 3:52
14. The Church - "Under the Milky Way" - 4:59
15. Public Image Ltd. - "Rise" - 6:08
16. Love and Rockets - "Kundalini Express" - 5:51
17. Green on Red - "Gravity Talks" - 2:34
18. Throbbing Gristle - "Adrenalin" - 3:58
19. The Stone Roses - "She Bangs the Drums" - 3:45
Disc 4
1. Pixies - "Monkey Gone to Heaven" - 2:56
2. The The - "Uncertain Smile" - 4:54
3. Bauhaus - "Bela Lugosi's Dead" - 9:34
4. Siouxsie & the Banshees - "Christine" - 2:59
5. Minor Threat - "Straight Edge" - 0:46
6. Lyres - "I Want to Help You Ann" - 2:30
7. Beat Happening - "Our Secret" - 2:48
8. Jane's Addiction - "Jane Says" - 4:53
9. Julian Cope - "World Shut Your Mouth" - 3:34
10. Kate Bush - "Running Up That Hill" - 5:00
11. The Gun Club - "Sex Beat" - 2:48
12. Camper Van Beethoven - "Take the Skinheads Bowling" - 2:30
13. Suicidal Tendencies - "Institutionalized" - 3:49
14. Cocteau Twins - "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" - 4:11
15. Happy Mondays - "24 Hour Party People" - 4:38
16. Hoodoo Gurus - "I Want You Back" - 3:11
17. Descendents - "Surburban Home" - 1:42
18. The Pogues - "A Pair of Brown Eyes" - 4:53
19. The Three O'Clock - "Jet Fighter" - 3:27
20. Butthole Surfers - "Moving to Florida" - 4:31
21. Billy Bragg - "A New England" - 2:13
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