With all the political melodrama going on in the world I thought it was time to take a break. Music is what binds us all together, its what soothes us, its what makes us dance, and cry and jump around. So here is the challenge. Select your top 20 albums of all time. Remember, top 20 all time, not what you think is great now but what you think is great all the time. Add your top 20 to the comments section and I’ll post them all. Let’s share some cool music with each other. Below is my top 20 and below that is a good friend’s list who was kind enough to play along.
My Top 20 Favorite Albums (in no particular order)
The Smiths The Queen Is Dead
Van Morrison Astral Weeks
The Clash London Calling
The Clash Sandinista
Sex Pistols Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s The Sex Pistols
U2 War
Bob Dylan Blood On The Tracks
Bob Marley Live At The Rainbow Room
Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
David Bowie The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Devo Are We Not Men? We Are Devo
Jesus and Mary Chain Psychocandy
Whiskeytown Stranger’s Almanac
Sonic Youth Daydream Nation
REM Murmur
Prince Sign O’ The Times
The Stooges Raw Power
Dinosaur Jr Green Mind
Big Audio Dynamite This Is Big Audio Dynamite
Ramones Ramones
R. Mucci, MA
Allman Brothers Eat a Peach
Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
Van Morrison Astral Weeks
Willie Nelson Red Headed Stranger
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
Bob Dylan Blood on the Tracks
Bob Dylan Desire
Van Morrison Into the Music
U2 The Joshua Tree
Cowboy Junkies The Trinity Sessions
Sinead O’Connor I Do Not Want What I Have Not Got
Clash Sandinista
Jimmy Cliff, Others The Harder They Come
Tony Bennett I Left My Heart in San Francisco
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
Tom Glazer Namu the Killer Whale and Other Folk Songs
Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Rod Stewart Every Picture tells a Story
U2 Achtung Baby
Derek and the Dominos Layla and other Assorted Love Songs
Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Blind Faith Blind Faith
Derek and the Dominoes Layla and other Assorted Love Songs
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
The Dillards Tribute to the American Duck
Earl Scruggs Revue Live on Austin City limits
Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison
The Clash London Calling
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
Traffic On the Road
The Greatful Dead American Beauty
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Texas Flood
ZZ Top Tres Hombres
James Brown Live at the Apollo
Rolling Stones Let it Bleed
The Bangles All Over the Place
The Doors Morrison Hotel
Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo’s Factory
Cream Disraeli Gears
Comment by greyhawk — October 10, 2007 @ 7:57 pm
Hmmm.. my faves do change frequently; however, Astral Weeks, London Calling and quite a few mentioned above are in there (Devo! I used to empty rooms out with that one, before other people were READY for it!). Here’s a few not already mentioned:
Television- Marquee Moon
Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life
Outkast- Speakerboxx/The Love Below (which is like a rap Key of Life)
David Byrne- Rei Momo (incredible, endlessly inspired)
Talking Heads- Fear of Music
Comment by Evolver — October 10, 2007 @ 8:23 pm
Except for #1 in no particular order, and there may be more than 20 (so sue me):
Black Sabbath – Paranoid (the greatest album of them all)
Pink Floyd – D.S.O.T.M. or W.Y.W.H.
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
The Doors – The Doors
AC/DC – High Voltage
Alice Cooper – Killer or Billion Dollas Babies
Deep Purple – Made In Japan
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Brain Salad Surgery
Blind Faith
Cream – Disraeli Gears
Metallica – Master Of Puppets
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
Judas Priest – Hell Bent For Leather or British Steel
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
Paul Simon – Graceland
Van Halen – Van Halen
Tool – any
The Who – Live At Leeds (remastered 2-cd set)
Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent
Slade – Alive! or Slayed?
Rush – All The World’s A Stage
The Beatles – Abbey Road
Ten Years After – Rock & Roll Music to the World
Neil Young – Decade
Comment by animaux — October 10, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
ELO – Out of the Blue
Genesis – Wind and Wuthering/Duke (tie)
Jethro Tull – Aqualung
Spock’s Beard – V
Crowded House – Woodface
Beatles – Rubber Soul/Revolver (tie)
Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump
Radiohead – OK Computer
Level 42 – World Machine
The Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin
Richard Thompson – Shoot Out the Lights
Ben Folds Five – Whatever and Ever Amen
The Radar Bros. – …And the Surrounding Mountains
Kevin Gilbert – The Shaming of the True
Wilco – Summerteeth
Kansas – Leftoverture
Duster – Contemporary Movement
Pat Metheny – …Wichita Falls
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Steely Dan – The Royal Scam/Katy Lied (tie)
…is that 20? Jeez, I just rattled those off without even thinking about it. I could *easily* do another 20.
Comment by chezdan9 — October 11, 2007 @ 8:06 am
That is a tough call but here are the first ones that pop into my mind:
REM – Murmur
New Order – Power, Corruption and Lies
Bruce Cockburn – Humans
Toad The Wet Sproket – Pale
The Samples – No Room
Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend
U2 – The Joshua Tree (and Under a Blood Red Sky)
The Cure – Head on a Door
The Police – Reggatta de Blanc
Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Beatles – Sgt Peppers
9 more later…
Comment by Chicago Jim — October 11, 2007 @ 11:40 am
What, no Zeppelin Four?
No Dark Side, No White Album, no Garbage 2.0?
Comment by Bart — October 11, 2007 @ 11:55 am
Bart says:
What, no Zeppelin Four?
No Dark Side, No White Album, no Garbage 2.0
They limited us to 20. That cut me down a lot.
Comment by greyhawk — October 11, 2007 @ 12:19 pm
Pet Sounds -Beach Boys
Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings -ohn Prine
Blond on Blond -Bob Dylan
Excitable Boy - Warren Zevon
Traveling Willburys
Pearl- Janice Joplin
Waiting for Columbus- Little Feat
Revolver -Beatles
Blue Train- John Coltrain
Come on Come on - Mary Chapin Carpenter
Aja -Steely Dan
Live at Filmore East -Allman Brothers
Chicago Transit Authority
Easy - Cowboy Mouth
Running on Empty -Jackson Browne
Guilded Palace of Sin -Flying Burrito Brothers
Sweethearts of the Rodeo -Byrds
Blue Kentucky Girl -Emmylou Harris
Zuma -Neil Young
The Last Waltz -The Band
Comment by tsakshaug — October 11, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
Bart-
Give us your top 20 and then Zep and Garbage will be represented.
Comment by N — October 11, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
Yes – Fragile
Jefferson Airplane – Surealistic Pillow
Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
Buffalo Springfield
Garbage
Edgar Winter – They Only Come Out at Night
Prince – Purple Rain
The Doors – Absolutely Live
Heart – Dreamboat Annie
Supertramp – Breakfast in America
Steely Dan – Aja
Frank Zappa – Overnight Sensation
Led Zeppelin I
Tom Petty – Damn the Torpedoes
The Police – Ghost in the Machine
Styx – Grand Illusion
Jim Croce – Life and Times
Journey – Evolution
Cream – Disraeli Gears
Bob Segar – Night Moves
Comment by FritzDaCat — October 11, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
Love-Forever Changes
Stooges-Funhouse
Velvet Underground & Nico
Kraftwerk-The Man Machine
Butthole Surfers-Locust Abortion Technician
Talkingheads-Remain In Light
David Bowie-Low
Simply Saucer-Cyborgs Revisited
Funkadelic-Free Your Mind
Hawkwind-Space Ritual
Beatles-White Album
Pink Floyd-Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Ramones-It’s Alive
Spacemen 3-The Perfect Prescription
Devo-Duty Now for the Future
Cynics-Rock & Roll
Stooges-Raw Power
Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures
James Brown-Roots of a Revolution
Roxy Music-For Your Pleasure
Comment by quisp_quake — October 11, 2007 @ 2:38 pm
In no particular order and trying not to be redundant:
Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw
The La’s – The La’s
Donald Fagen – The Nightfly
Joni Mitchell – Blue
Rickie Lee Jones – Flying Cowboys
The Byrds – Eight Miles High
Cream – Fresh Cream
Joe Jackson – Night and Day
Buffalo Springfield – Again
Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East/West
Beatles – Hard Days Night
Beatles – Yesterday and Today
John Mayall & The Blues Breakers w/ Eric Clapton
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
Getz/Gilberto – featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim
Yusef Lateef – Eastern Sounds
Paul Simon – Graceland
John Coltrane – My Favorite Things
The Mamas & the Papas – If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
Comment by beachbreak — October 11, 2007 @ 2:47 pm
Hmm…I like a lot of songs from albums, but it’s rare that I ever listen to an album all the way through. Here’s what I could come up with:
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Postal Service – Give Up
Paula Cole – This Fire
Something Corporate – Leaving Through the Window
Comment by idealistferret — October 11, 2007 @ 5:02 pm
In no particular order:
The Beatles – Revolver
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico
Pink Floyd – Animals
Marianne Faithfull – Broken English
Frank Sinatra – …Sings For Only The Lonely
Spiritualized – Let It Come Down
Nick Drake – Bryter Layter
Nico – Desertshore
Tindersticks – Tindersticks II
Elbow – Asleep In The Back
The Verve – A Northern Soul
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus
Joy Division – Closer
Hole – Live Through This
Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin I
Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish
PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street
Comment by VenusInFurs — October 11, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
Beatles 1
Cream Disraeli Gears
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
Frank Zappa Apostrophe
Tom Waits Small Change
Led Zeppelin IV
Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall
Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland
Paul Whiteman Rhapsody in Blue
Dave Brubeck Take Five
Creedence Clearwater Revival Willie and the Poor Boys
Simon and Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Talking Heads Stop Making Sense
Eurythmics Sweet Dreams
The Clash London Calling
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Nirvana Nevermind
Michael Jackson Thriller
Johnny Cash Live at Folsum Prison
Ludwig van Beethoven Ninth Symphony
Personally I don’t care for a couple of these albums. Some of them aren’t my favorite by the artist.
A best of album would probably be a better choice for a couple of the artists. I’ve only gone that way with the Beatles because their sound changed fundamentally from one album to the next. (Also cause they’re the freakin Beatles)
But all of them will be getting air play after all of us are past being worm food.
Comment by Buzzcook — October 11, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
great titles so far,
here are mine, in no particular order
forever changes-love
joshua tree-u2
francis albert sinatra & antonio carlos jobim
physical graffiti-led zeppelin
smile-brian wilson
white album/abbey road (tie)-beatles
blood on the tracks-bob dylan
we’re only in it for the money-frank zappa
stardust-willie nelson
magnetic south-mike nesmith
68 comeback special-elvis
katy lied-steely dan
tales from topographic oceans-yes
strawberry jam-animal collective
rehearsals for retirement-phil ochs
song cycle-van dyke parks
american beauty-grateful dead
camofleur-gastr del sol
melvin-lysol
mastodon-leviathan
yikes, that was tough
Comment by jdm333 — October 11, 2007 @ 6:50 pm
In no particular order:
Pink Floyd – Meddle
Pink Floyd – The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (mono mix)
The Beatles – Abby Road
Yes – Close To The Edge
Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Hawkwind – Warrior on the Edge Of Time
The Roots – Game Theory
Jimi Hendrix – Rainbow Bridge
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Jethro Tull – Thick as a Brick
King Crimson – Larks’ Tongues In Aspic
King Crimson – ProjeKct X
Frank Zappa – Roxy and Elsewhere
Frank Zappa – The Best Band You’ve Never Heard In Your Life
Frank Zappa … well, this could keep going. Moving on…
ELP – Pictures At An Exhibition
Genesis – Foxtrot
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III
Roger Waters – Radio KAOS
David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name…
Hmmm… Looks like I just dated myself.
Note: The above should be listened to on vinyl. The lo-fi CD copies just don’t cut it! Unfortunately ProjeKct X and Best Band are only available in the lo-fi CD format.
Comment by CaptainFisheye — October 11, 2007 @ 7:12 pm
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Pingback by BartBlog - The Blog of BartCop.com » Your Top 20 Albums, So Far — October 11, 2007 @ 7:43 pm
I’ll take a crack at it, with the disclaimer that if I were to pick 20 tomorrow, they’d likely be different.
Tom Russell – The Man From God Knows Where (about the best folk album and the best concept album I’ve ever heard – with Dave Van Ronk and Iris Dement)
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate
Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man
Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde
Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (shame he can’t live up to these standards anymore)
Cheryl Wheeler – Driving Home (her others have better novelty songs, but this one is solid throughout.)
Bill Morrissey – Standing Eight
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will the Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 1 (a classic that stands tall after 30 odd years)
Seldom Scene at the Cellar Door (I miss John Duffey)
Townes Van Zandt – Live at the Old Quarter
Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy (but The Wind was a moving farewell)
Bruce Springsteen – Ghost of Tom Joad (after a few brilliant records early in his career, I lost interest during his rock star years, but this one proved his legendship.)
Beatles – Yesterday and Today
Fred Eaglesmith – Drive In Movie
Steve Earle – The Revolution Starts Now (this has balls)
Gram Parsons – Grevious Angel (with some of the best stuff Emmylou ever did.)
Eliza Gilkyson – Land of Milk and Honey
Mary Gauthier – Mercy Now
Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote
Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line (the original Columbia release)
Dory Previn – Mythical Kings and Iguanas (so personal this can get uncomfortable)
Is this 20 yet?
Comment by CountryKen — October 11, 2007 @ 10:01 pm
I’m always disappointed in reading lists like this that are made up of rock music only. Of course, having said that, my top 30 are made up of Beatles and Pink Floyd exclusively. But after that . . .
1 Soundtrack to Goldfinger
2 Vince Guaraldi – A Charlie Brown Christmas
3 Benny Goodman – The Carnegie Hall Concert
4 Henry Mancini – Mr. Lucky
5 Beethoven – Sixth Symphony (by any Orchestra)
6 Astrud Gilberto – Getz Au Go Go
7 Phil Austin – Roller Maidens From Outer Space
8 Duke Ellington – The Nutcracker Suite
9 Soundtrack to Dumbo
10 Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
11 Fairport Convention – Liege & Lief
12 Jai Uttal – Footprints
13 Mary Hopkin – Postcard
14 Brian Eno – Music For Airports
15 Renaissance – Prologue
16 Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
17 Jan & Dean – Ride the Wild Surf
18 Thunderclap Newman – Hollywood Dream
19 Rare Bird – As Your Mind Flies By
20 Coyote Oldman – In Beauty I Walk
21 Dave Brubeck – Brandenburg Gate Revisited
Comment by Yurgil — October 12, 2007 @ 12:41 am
I never said it had to be specifically rock music. If rock isn’t your thing tell us what is. I love all types of music but my top 20 just happens to be rock.
Comment by N — October 12, 2007 @ 9:43 am
The Dillards Tribute to the American Duck
Earl Scruggs Revue Live on Austin City limits
Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Ummmm, rock?????
Comment by greyhawk — October 12, 2007 @ 10:43 am
Memo to Country Ken: Dylan’s last few records are, IMHO, as good as the stuff he did in the ’60′s. Not world-changing, because he already changed that world, but insanely great records anyway.
There are so many masterpieces that I don’t find a top 20 even meaningful anymore. Here’s a few more obscure (or not) masterpieces I remembered:
George Winston- Autumn (piano solos)
Various artists- Tea Pad Songs Vol. 1 (drug-themed songs from the Jazz Age, played by very talented maniacs)
Captain Beefheart- Trout Mask Replica
Brian Eno- several different records
Jean-Pierre Rampal and Claude Bolling- Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
Magazine- The Correct Use of Soap
Firesign Theater- Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me The Pliers
King Crimson- Discipline
Todd Rundgren- The Hermit of Mink Hollow
The Motels
New Grass Revival and its various members- several records
Joni Mitchell- several
Dan Hicks- Beatin’ the Heat
There’s just too much amazing stuff, if you really look. There is never a time when nobody’s making great music (which is not to say that certain periods aren’t special… the mid-to-late ’60′s, for example).
Comment by Evolver — October 12, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
No particular order, these are albums that I can listen to straight through from the first time I put it on until the present and enjoy the entire album:
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Joshua Tree – U2
Making Movies – Dire Straits
The Wall – Pink Floyd
The Final Cut – Pink Floyd
Enlightenment – Van Morrison
Live at Liberty Lunch – Joe Ely
Heart Attack and Vine – Tom Waits
Abbey Road – The Beatles
Greendale – Neil Young
Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
August and Everything After – Counting Crows
Wonder Bar – Martin Sexton
News of the World – Queen
This is the Sea – The Waterboys
Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen
Unforgettable Fire – U2
Bat Out of Hell – Meatloaf
Saint Mary of the Woods – James McMurtry
The Distance – Bob Seger
Comment by bobman1234 — October 12, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
You had to limit it to twenty; well, okay then…
They are in no particular order (don’t make me rank them; my head hurts enough, alrite?).
Turn the kids on to some of these “undisputed classics”.
This list is/was continuously modified.
“Beginnings” – The Allman Brothers Band
“Hey Jude (or The Beatles Again)” – The Beatles
“Then Play On” – Fleetwood Mac
“Live/Dead” – The Grateful Dead
“American Beauty” – The Grateful Dead
(I want “Ripple” and “Brokedown Palace” played at my funeral, in that order.)
“Electric Ladyland” – Jimi Hendrix
“After Bathing At Baxter’s” – Jefferson Airplane
“Blows Against The Empire” – Paul Kantner (Jefferson Starship)
“The Best” – Leo Kottke
“Physical Graffiti” – Led Zeppelin
“Waiting For Columbus” – Little Feat
“One More From The Road” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Outlaws” – The Outlaws
“Meddle” – Pink Floyd
“Bridge Of Sighs” – Robin Trower
“Tres Hombres” – Z.Z. Top
“We’re Only In It For The Money” – The Mothers Of Invention
“Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar” – Frank Zappa
“Apostrophe (‘)” – Frank Zappa
“Easy Rider” (Music from The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
BTW…Notice Boston isn’t on anybody’s list so far?
I haven’t played my copy in 10 years, yet I hear the damn thing every day,
whether I want to or not.
I turn on the radio, and there it is.
I can only assume it’s the same wherever you are.
Comment by hoghead — October 12, 2007 @ 11:01 pm
Another “No Particular Order”
These are either alltime faves or albums I would take to a desert isle…
This does Not include CD compilations (sorry, Otis Redding…)
1 Have Moicy- Hurley, Fredricks, Stamfel and friends
2 Sticky Fingers- Stones
3 Old And In The Way- original album
4 We’re Only In It for The Money- Mothers Of Invention
5 Hard Days Night- Beatles
6 Live Dead-Grateful Dead
7 Candide- 1956 Soundtrack album
8 James Brown Live At the Apollo 1962
9 Buffalo Springfield Again
10 Dumbo soundtrack
11 London Calling- Clash
12 Live at Folsom Prison- Johnny Cash
13 Take Five- Dave Brubeck
14 Band Of Gypsies Live
15 Velvet Underground And Nico
17 The Who Sell Out
18 How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying soundtrack 1961
19 Bookends- Simon and Garfarkle
20 Cripplin’ Crutch- Joe Flood
Comment by crocostimpy — October 15, 2007 @ 3:50 am
1. Supertramp: Breakfast in America
2. Eagles: The Long Run
3. Garth Brooks: Double Live
4. Prince: Purple Rain
5. Cowboy Mouth: Mouthin’ Off
6. Edwin McCain: Honor Among Thieves
7. Billy Joel Greatest Hits
8. REO Speedwagon: You can tune a Piano but you can’t Tune a Fish/R.E.O. (2 Disc Set)
9. Will Smith: Big Willie Style
10. Micheal W. Smith: The Wonder Years
11. Toto: IV
12. Breakfast Club Soundtrak
13. Counting Crows: August and Everything After
14. Sting: Mercury Falling
15. Crash Test Dummies: God Shuffled His Feet
16. Alison Kraus: Now that I’ve found you
17. DC Talk: Free at Last
18. Brian Setzer Orchestra: Dirty Boogie
19. Sinatra: The Capitol Years
20. Madness: Complete Madness
Comment by Volholler — October 15, 2007 @ 3:41 pm