you just went way up in my book.

@ Lucifer Sam: What do you think of Songs or the Deaf? Would that be your second after Rated R?

Yeah, probably. I have conflicting opinions about it now. Songs for the Deaf was a fantastic album, but it was way overhyped because of the aesthetic appeal (being a concept album and all). It had a great few songs and had a real nice punch to it, but there were weak songs as well (Another Love Song is a travesty) and I don't feel that critics considered them. Afterwards, when Homme kicked Olivieri out (for good reason, btw), critics just shat all over everything else he made and never gave him another chance.

Basically, I feel that a lot of people think that QOTSA was at their apex with Songs for the Deaf and hasn't produced anything memorable since, but I disagree strongly. The current lineup is the strongest ever and Era Vulgaris really was a refreshing album.

So yes. :)

Foetus is great. The albums "Gash" (the one I mentioned in this thread), "Hole" and "Nail" are all good places to start with him. PM me if you're interested in checking any of them out.

Any of those greatly appreciated.

Definitely best on the album. The intro is my favorite, great entrance to song.

No problem. Just give me a day or two.

As I assume for most, this list is based on where I was in my life when listening more than quality of albums or influence on a wider audience. (Longwinded--you can just look at bold… entries or just skip the post...)

10. OK Computer: Radiohead. This is my current “most important” because I'm now rediscovering great music that moves the heart and soul. There has been a portion of life in which I’ve been busy with--well, life (work, relationships, paying bills)—that I listened less closely to music than I did to the rest of the noise. I have some down time now to reflect; part of this reflection has been rediscovery of how wonderful music is (with lots of help from MB!!). I find Radiohead to be an excellent group that doesn’t deny the greats that came before them, but also forges its own tastes, sounds, experiments--that's heartening to me. OK Computer moves me the most of their albums.

9. Babylon the Bandit: Steel Pulse
8. We are Everyone of Us: Sweet Honey and the Rock
7. Tracy Chapman: Tracy Chapman
I list these together because, although different from one another, they represent various political awakenings for me at times in my life. For me, these 3 albums helped wake me up to the fact that “not all is alright in the world,” and we can sit back and complain about it, or we can attempt to make a difference, even if in the smallest way. These 3 best represent for me what Burning Spear asserts: “Some people might see [music] based upon money, some people might see music based upon opportunity and access. But I see music as life. I see music as inspiration.”

Babylon the Bandit helped me to see how some cultures have attempted to obliterate the influence of other cultures—e.g., in “Not the King James Version” ("Hidden from me I was never told; Ancient prophets black and gold; Like Daniel, King David and Abraham; Israel were all black men. I don't wanna lose you. Japhet tried his best to erase the godly parts we played. I says he came and took, and never mention in his book, in Esau's chapter of history, so little mention of you and me.")
We are Everyone of Us is an album by an all-female (mostly a cappella or with very basic traditional African instruments) group. They're influenced by black spiritual/African-American gospel style, and their songs have mainly a political message ("The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on, is when the reins are in the hand of the young, who dare to run against the storm… I’m a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard; At times I can be quite difficult, I’ll bow to no man’s word.") Bearnice Johnson Reagon, who founded the group, is KICK ASSSSS!
Tracy Chapman was important to me in grad school. I remember seeing her in concert in a small hall in Philadelphia just when she was coming onto the scene; the next week I was in Paris (dating someone French) and “Fast Car” was blaring at an outside café. That’s when I knew we were becoming “one world” in many ways. There’s not a bad track on the album and the lyrics are politically powerful.

6. Moffou, Salif Keita. Keita is a singer songwriter from Mali. Simply put, I think he has the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard. He is albino and was cast out by his village and family when he was growing up; (in his culture, having an albino child is thought to curse the family and the community, so albinos are basically “thrown out.” Yes, humans are vicious everywhere!) Some (but not all) of his music is political and consciousness-raising regarding the plight of albinos in Africa. (His daughter is albino, too.) His greatness is not limited to his music about albinism—his voice is to be heard! Though his albums have been somewhat inconsistent in quality (he’s gone the route of being discovered and nearly ruined by the mainstream industry), I think Moffou is his best album and represents his “coming back to his own” in his music.

5. Graceland, Paul Simon. This album helps me put together my love of rock, folk, and great songwriting (which PS represents for me), with my interest in Africa and African music. (I've traveled to Africa a lot for work.) The best tracks, for me, are those with African collaborators (Homeless, Gumboots, I Know What I Know, and Boy in the Bubble, the latter of which is genius.)

4. Point of Know Return, Kansas. Just an influential album musically for me when I was growing up. “Dust in the Wind” is haunting. (I’m surprised Kansas doesn’t get more play in this forum.)

3. Running on Empty, Jackson Browne
2. Teaser and the Firecat, Cat Stevens. I put these together because these were the “play over and over” albums for me earlier in life. I think each artist has a more “widely influential” album (JB-Late for the Sky; and CS-Tea for the Tillerman), but these were definitely my most-played. I would put Sweet Baby James in this category, too, but I can only have 10. :)

1. Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd. I simply think this is one of the most perfect albums ever made. It was the first, and continues to be, the work that makes me sit back in awe of the power and beauty of music. (tear in my eye :) )

This is a good thread

10 - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Reminds me of 42nd Street and 5th Avenue in Manchester, those nights out when I was 16, exciting times

9 - Turn on The Bright Lights - Interpol
Whenever I listen to this, I always think of waiting for a tram at 6.30 in the morning, pitch black, freezing at the G-Mex stop. Also reminds me of a legendary Interpol gig I went to at the Ardwick Apollo in Manchester, that was a good night.

8 - White Blood Cells - The White Stripes
This takes me back to when I was in a band, travelling up to Lancashire on the M66 for practice with this blaring out.

7 - Parklife - Blur
My first album

6 - The Queen is Dead - The Smiths
I remember listening to this album at college with a mate, and both agreeing it was the most beautiful creation we had ever heard.

5 - The Autumn Stone - The Small Faces
Now this is all about the missus, quite a special album for us both, with every song taking us back to the early days when we'd be living out at my mums.

4 - Definitely Maybe - Oasis
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High School, pure and simple, this was the soundtrack

3 - The Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks
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My all time favourite album, every song has probably been played too many times now, but it will always be one of the loves of my life.

2 - Is This It? - The Strokes
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In the early 2000's, it was Embrace, Stereophonics and bloody Travis, it was not good, yet this dross was played in my favourite clubs, night outs were getting a drag, then Is This It? came out and BANG! We're back, The Strokes, I'm eternally yours

1 - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts of the First Psychedelic Era
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They say this compilation changes lives. I wouldnt be spending the money I am each payday on music if it was not for this record. It opens the mind to the possibility that there is more out there then you could ever imagine. The motto of this record should be "best get kicking over those stones to see what's underneath them". A great release, and the best £5 I ever spent.

Can somebody please up the nuggets compilation? I want it so bad :(

Me too! I've never come across it..

The Devil's Discotheque: Nuggets : Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965 - 1968

Compilation links are okay, right?

You star

10) Goo Goo Dolls-Dizzy Up The Girl (1998)
I remember back in eighth grade when I had 200 songs and wasn't really sure what music was. This is one of the few albums that has stuck with me. It's really a great soft-rock album.

9) Angels & Airwaves-I-Empire (2007)
I'll be honest, I'm not a Blink fan. Never have been. So I was very skeptical when a friend handed me a copy of Delonge's new band's (I guess now it's a side project, is it possible for a side project to be better than the main band?) debut album, "We Don't Need To Whisper." I was surprised, it wasn't a bad album. I was intrigued when I heard they were releasing I-Empire merely a year later and wasn't quite sure what to expect. To me, I-Empire takes everything good from We Don't Need To Whisper and cuts out the filler. The only song that I don't really care for is Rite of Spring, people tell me that's b/c I'm not a Blink fan. Whatever. Both of the AVA albums are better than anything Blink's ever done IMO, but I-Empire is phenomenally good.

8) Pearl Jam-Ten (1991)
Best grunge album ever. Period. And Eddie Vedder is one of the top 5 vocalists of the past 30 years.

7) Dream Theater-Images And Words (1992)
I'm not much of a metal fan, I'll admit I thought Systematic Chaos was a load of garbage. Train of Thought wasn't much better. There's a few songs from Octavarium I can tolerate, Metropolis the album is alright, but this is and forever will be their masterpiece. From the beginning to the end, this album grabs you and doesn't let you go. Pull Me Under, Another Day, Take The Time, Metropolis Pt. 1, holy hell.

6) Tool-Lateralus (2001)
I used to listen to these guys a lot more than I do now, but this album is still one of my most-played.

5) Death Cab For Cutie-Transatlanticism (2003)
This was the first album I heard from these guys, and I'm still hooked on this one. Such a great album. It just has one of those flows where it's easy to listen to, there's no tracks you have to skip, there's nothing that disrupts the flow of the album. It's like sailing on smooth water.

4) Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (2000)
This album is so good. It's great for night driving, rainy days, or when you're stuck at the airport with a two hour layover.

3) Coldplay-Parachutes (2000)
This was another one of the first albums in my collection. I'd have to say A Rush Of Blood To The Head is better as this one fades slightly in the stretch, but the first seven or eight songs are damn near perfect.

2) Snow Patrol-tie between Final Straw (2003) and Eyes Open (2006)
My most-played band of all time. I have their earlier stuff and it's pretty good as well, but they definitely found their groove with these two albums. Their new album isn't bad either.

1) Explosions in The Sky-Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Live Forever (2001)
The album that got me into post-rock. I think The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place is better, but it's close. I can't really describe how I felt when I first heard this album, but I remember knowing it was like nothing I heard before.

It is, I'm glad it's revived. These are great lists/reasons.

I only have 71 albums. :( Once I work on that I'll get back you people.

You don't have to be a deejay to have favorite records. I have a good friend whom I challenged to make a top 100 and he was able to do it with ease.

Yeah gunnels go for it--there's no right answer here; it's what's important to you...

Messy, I'll finish it later, I have to go get some medicine.

4.
3. The Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk
It got me out of JUST rock, and introduced me to hip-hop. They were also my second favorite band (technically Emerson, Lake, and Palmer were my first favorite band, but that was when I was WAYYYY too little).
2. Blink-182 - Enema Of The State
Pretty much formed most of my elementary school childhood, it's all we would listen to on our boomboxes outside playing strange games that I still remember.
1. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
It's the first full album that I ever listened to, and my first 'favorite band'. I pretty much was in love with them until late last year.

That Nuggets comp is sweet!

I forgot all about this thread. I will do a list later. Just have to get my thinking cap on!

My ten, in no order...

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - It was the first Floyd that I listened to that wasn't Dark Side or the Wall and boy did open doors for me.

Led Zeppelin - IV - Speaking of opening doors... This album was the first classic rock album I ever really listened to. While I criticize Zeppelin to no end these days, I owe them quite a bit.

Radiohead - Kid A - :):):)

Neutral Milk Hotel - Aeroplane - It's hipster trash and it's STILL better than your favorite album.

The Strokes - Is This It? - Similar to Zeppelin IV in that it had a HUGE influence on what I listen to, but I still give this album regular spins.

Sigur Ros - () - The first post rock band I got into, and the album that can only be described as beautiful.

Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People - Let it be known if I could have one song to listen to for the rest of time that song would be "Hunted by a Freak."

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead - There was a point when I tried listening to this like 2 years ago and just found it unbearable. I revisited The Smiths 6 months or so ago and discovered that they are gods. After listening to this and enjoying it, I found myself able to listen to a lot of things I otherwise wouldn't have gotten around to.

The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium - I SHOULD NOT like this band. They are far different than anything that I listen to, yet they are among my favorites. This is their best work, though not by far.

Jeff Buckley - Grace - Perfection.



A very safe list, but I think these 10 albums have had a bigger impact on who I am today musically. All led me down roads that I would have otherwise never gone down. Loveless, The Velvet Underground & Nico, and Piper at the Gates could all very well have been on this list too.

Belinda Carlisle - Best Of
Got me interested in music
The Sisters Of Mercy - A Slight Case Of Overbombing
Got me interested in alternative/goth music
Cradle Of Filth - Vempire Or Dark Faerytales In Phallust (1994)
Opened my ears to more extreme music
Korn - S/T
Got me hooked up with other music fans.
Hole - Live Through This (1994)
A chart band that I actually liked
Belly - King (1995)
One of my first albums I loved every track
White Zombie - Astro-Creep:2000 (1995)
An album I bought on a camping holiday after never hearing a single note or info about that band (except a single being in the US charts). By the end of the camping trip everyone was "singing" to the tape, Yeah!
Faithful Dawn - Temperance (1997)
Another band I bought without hearing a note. This was my introduction to darkwave. Bought it from the now defunct Pink Pather Records shop in Carlisle which happened to be the area where the band was from (and I was on holiday at).
Katatonia - Tonight's Decision (2001)
My favourite album by my favourite band.
VNV Nation - Futureperfect (2002)
Introduced me into a whole new electronic arena.

i also only really wanna name 5^^^^^

5. Iowa - Slipknot
Got me into metal, granted not the best to start with, but at least I go into it. Before this I listened to Linkin Park and Blink-182. Then I went into my Slipknot/Korn stage. =]

4. Come Clarity - In Flames
Like 5 years ago. My girlfriend and my uncle died both in a short amount of time around each other. I was cleary sad. This amazing cd in my opinion, got me through some stuff times.

3. Painkiller - Judas Priest
Got me into priest, and just good metal in general.

2. Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked, Pt. 1 - Iced Earth
CD for summer 08 for me and my friends. Almost everyday I was with them this CD was in the car where ever we went. Just good memories.

1. Alive in Athens - Iced Earth
Got me into my favorite band, Iced Earth. Matt Barlow's voice on this double disc set is incredible. He has twice the emotion he does on album versions. He hits amazing notes on "Iced Earth" and "A Question of Heaven". Simply changed my life. =]

I prefer boring as a description but whatever :p:

Good thread though as GENERALLY it isn't people just posting their faves.

I will post them in chronological order and has been stressed in the thread, these albums shouldn't neccessarily be your favourites. Only the albums that shaped your musical tastes. ( the dates are when I first heard the album)

The Beatles - Red/Blue albums. (1975 onwards)

It is best to use these albums as catch alls for The Beatles music. My dad was and still is a big fan and my earliest recollection of music was hearing their music.

E.L.O - Discovery (1979)

Once again it's my dad's fault! I can remember hearing ELO and being utterly intrigued with the vocals and sound effects (obviously synthesisers but I didn't know that at the time!). It just sounded so different compared to early Beatles music.

Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984)

This one mainly because it was the first album I ever bought. I got it on cassette in 1984 to use with my first walkman. I still have a soft spot for this album and own it on CD.

Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1986)

This really kick started everything for me musically and it gave me an identity and a route into non mainstream music. I still absolutely love it.

Megadeth - Peace Sells..But Who's Buying? (1987)

I am pretty sure that this was the first thrash Metal album that I heard and I just love the changes in tempo and the aggression of the album. A continuation of my love for Metal.

Pink Floyd - Meddle (1989)

I heard this whilst working in my first full time job making fire extinguishers (!). A guy working there asked me what music I was into and I said Metal and was also a big fan of Marillion. He suggested trying Pink Floyd's Meddle. I listened and the A side (it was on vinyl) sort of left me a little bemused. Then I heard 'Echoes' which took up the entire B side and so began my love of Pink Floyd.

Tangerine Dream - Underwater Sunlight (1990)

I moved to the town I still live in, in 1990 and basically was an 18 year old kid getting pissed and sleeping on many sofas and floors. After a particulary heavy night out I awoke in a friends house and he was playing this album. The rich lush ambience was quite new to me and it just seemed to work perfectly with waking up with sun bearing down and a fuzzy head. Still a big favourite now.

Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants (1998)

I started a new job as a chef and they always played music that was not your usual Restaurant piped crap. this album was playing and the epic Banstyle/Sappys Curry was playing. It's over 15 minutes long and has a brilliant breakdown with an acoustic guitar kicking in and a slow build back up. It made me look at Dance music in a completely different light and I realised that there is just as much innovative and well made stuff in the genre as Rock music.

Melt Banana - Cell Scape (2007)

You are never too old to hear new music and although my genre tastes are wide, I had never experienced noise rock. Due to you good folk at MB this was my first taste of it and I was blown away by the energy and quirkiness. Again this opened up another avenue of musical exploration.

Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart (2008)

I do love my female singer/songwriters but I have never really been into Jazz. This represented the perfect way to ease into Jazz and what a fantastic album it is and now Jazz is a genre that i'm inching into all the time.

God help you if you find () boring...

It’s hard to keep this list to 10 albums, and really hard to pick the top ten. So I just wrote about the first 10 I could think of. I know we’re supposed to put these in order of how influential they are, but they are going to be in timeline order of when I first listened to them.

Best of Sam Cooke – Sam Cooke
Instrumental in getting me interested in soul and R&B music. What can I say? Sam Cooke had a great voice and style. His songs can be soulful, chipper, moving, or just plain fun. My mom had this one on vinyl, and would play it when I was liiittle (think 4 or 5 years old) and I couldn't get enough of it even then. Obviously, the older I got the more I began to appreciate it in a different way and let it motivate me to check out other soul artists. It’s just an awesome album and a fantastic genre of music that I’ll never stop loving.

There Must be a Better World Somewhere – B.B. King
I love this man. I don’t know how else to put it. When he passes (he’s gettin’ up there ya know), tears will be shed. He is the reason I love the blues guitar, and this is the album that started it all.

5150 – Van Halen
I remember my dad loved this album, and those nights when my mom was working and he was left to tend to us kids, this was one of the albums he would always put on. All three of us (my brothers and I) would rock out with Dad and it was good times! Later on, as I got a bit older and started having crushes and what not, some of the songs from this album like “Dreams” and “Why Can’t this be Love” really started to take on meaning for me. Now I listen to them and think “Gawd, what a bunch of overly sentimental fluff”, but they still bring back the good memories.

Metallica (Black Album) – Metallica
This is the album that got me into Metallica, and thereby metal in general. “Sad But True” was always my favorite song, but I pretty much listened to this album all the way through and loved every minute of it. I’ve since discovered better Metallica albums (well, better metal albums on the whole), but this one will always have the special spot as the first metal album that I really got.

Ledbetter Heights – Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band
This was the first blues album I ever bought on my own, having not heard or read any reviews and without any outside influences. I was perusing the blues section at Best Buy and came upon it. Up until that point in my life, I guess I’d thought of all blues artists as being older, and so when I saw the cover with a picture of this kid who looked to be not much older than myself, I was intrigued. I gave a couple of the songs a listen in the store and decided I liked it. Thus began my obsession with KWSB. I eventually saw him in concert 4 or 5 times. Now a-days, I’m no longer an obsessed fan, and I haven’t picked up that first album in a long while, as I much prefer his next two albums. But since this was my first foray into buying music on my own terms, it’s always going to be at the top of my list.

Tenors on Tour – The Three Tenors (Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti)
When I was young, I couldn’t understand how people could listen to opera and be moved to tears. That was until I heard this album, specifically Placido Domingo’s version a ‘Nessun Dorma’. There are a lot of songs on this album I don’t care for, but this song alone made it worth me purchasing a hard copy and listening to it over and over again. I remember the first time I heard it, I was in the car with my mom. She was always the one trying to put a little ‘culture’ in our lives. We listened to the entire album and got to that last song, and I remember trying to hide my tears by looking out the passenger window and not talking. His voice was so powerful and moving, and combined with the choir and the orchestra, I was blown away. When it was over, I was able to squeak out that it was “pretty good”. She understood.

Braveheart movie score
I’ve never been big on movie scores, usually preferring to listen to the compiled songs on the soundtracks. My husband actually had me listen to this one (before we were married) and I fell in love with it. We even used one of the songs in our wedding, for the walk down the isle. To me, it’s very emotional and beautiful and it reminds me of happier times.

The Moon and Antarctica – Modest Mouse
The first time I heard this album I remember thinking, “Man…this guy has a horrible voice! This is just terrible.” But the couple of people I knew who liked them insisted that I needed to keep listening. So I did…and it did end up growing on me. “3rd Planet” is trippy, “Gravity Rides Everything” is fun to sing along to, “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” has an awesome groove, and “Wild Packs of Family Dogs” makes me chuckle every time I hear it. This album is on my list because it proves that sometimes you do have to give music a second (or third, or forth) chance to realize its merit.

Based on a True Story – Fat Freddy’s Drop
I can’t remember the last time I listened to an album and instantly fell in love, but this is one of those albums. One of my MB gems. Is it reggae, dub, soul…all of the above? I’d never heard of dub before MB, and had very limited exposure to reggae, but I love me some soul music, always have. And this album has taken elements from all of these genres and put them together in one glorious music experience. I can easily sit and listen to this album all the way through, never skipping a song, and that’s hard for me to do normally. Also, I’ve been overly excited about sharing this album with other people, and I’ve gotten a few of my friends hooked.

The Flying Club Cup – Beirut
Another MB gem. I checked this out on a whim, and I haven’t been able to stop playing it since. I never, ever would have picked this up anywhere else besides Musicbanter. But Zach Condon’s voice haunts me and the music is completely different and unique compared to what I’ve been used to listening to. It’s on the list because it’s a reminder of why sites like this are a godsend and a great outlet for becoming exposed to new and exciting music.

Fat Freddy's Drop :thumb:. Nice read and a good thread too.

10. Nevermind by Nirvana
9. You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr.
8. Fungus Amongus by Incubus
7. Aenima by Tool
6. Good News for People Who Like Bad News by Modest Mouse
5. Dookie by Green Day
4. Siamese Dream by Smashing Pumpkins
3. Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine
2. Frizzle Fry by Primus
1. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers

..and why ARE they important albums? Random list's are boring to read.

Agreed.

I love browsing through random lists on RYM but it's so hard to find ones with a decent description/review for each item on the list.

Get yours out then (figureatively speaking)!

Because they are my favorites...

I'll think about it, but i cant do top lists etc, just too hard. Like I said before, I dont even have a favourite artist, lol.

Yes but why are they your favorites? The point of the thread is to write a little something about each of them.

I can do yours for you if you like. I'm sure you'll really like it and it will be a very accurate representation of your tastes. ;)

lol

Stop copping out. It's a list of milestones within your musical upbringing- not your fave ever albums!