Your 20 Greatest Albums Ever

J.R. Hudson

J.R. Hudson

Spirit Animal
We did this awhile ago, and I'm positive my mood has changed. Here are my Top 20 Albums ever (Never in any particular order) and I'm sure somone will list an album that makes me go YES !

20 Albums I absolutely need

! NO PICKING COMPILATION OR GREATEST HITS ALBUMS ! (oTHERWISE i'D SELECT tHE cURE'S sTANDING ON A bEACH)


The Eagles - Hotel California
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
The Cure - Disintegration

The Clash - London Calling
The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
The Beatles - The White Album
Nirvana - Nevermind
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Van Halen - 1984
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Pearl Jam - Ten
Bon Jovi - 7800 Degree Fahrenheit
The B-52's - The B-52's

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
Jane's Addiction - Nothings Shocking
Depeche Mode - Violator
Def Leppard - Pyromania
 
Led Zeppelin - IV
Dave Matthews Band - Crash
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
Nirvana - Unplugged (compilation, but I just can't help it, it's too good)
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon

Neil Young - Harvest
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Ray Lamontagne - Trouble
Vietnam - Vietnam
Counting Crows - Recovering The Satellites

Neko Case - Fox Confessor
Elliot Smith - (Can't decide which album to put here)
Fleetwood Mac - Rumors
Led Zeppelin - I
Nas - It Was Written (had to put a rap album in the top 20)


Big Brother & The Holding Company - Cheap Thrills
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
Richard Swift - Dressed Up For The Letdown
Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
Ramones - Ramones
 
I just made a top 15 list a few months ago - complete with the long, boring reasons for my picks - so I'll paste that here.

I do have one compilation CD in there, and I agree that it's breaking the rules, but I think it's too great to not include.


Here goes (in alphabetical order):

Aerosmith – Live! Bootleg
Aerosmith was, I think, my first favorite band as I was growing up and these songs will always hold a special place in my ears. Also, this recording of "Dream On" is pretty fantastic.

The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
Brian Wilson is ridiculous and this album is filled with all kinds of amazing and, as lame as it sounds, important songs.

The Beatles – Rubber Soul
The Beatles are hyped and talked about incessantly, but I'm okay with saying that whatever; they deserve it: They're insanely good at cranking out huge and, I'll say it, brilliant hits. This album happens to be my favorite of theirs.

Chuck Berry – Chuck Berry Is On Top
This one's tough. Chuck Berry makes my top ten, even my top five, with no problem, but his work is so scattered that it's really tough to pick a favorite record. I'd really like to go with The Chess Box or Chuck Berry: The Anthology, but I'll hold back for now, as this one is already a bit of a compilation, which seems unfair (see next pick). It is, however, the first LP with most of these songs, namely "Johnny B. Goode" (as far as I know).

Creedence Clearwater Revival – Chronicle, Vol. 1
I know, I know: You can't put a best of on a best of list! I agree in most cases, but this happens to be maybe the best compilation ever (close call with band from my #12 pick). Every track on this album is just way too good. It's not fair that one band can have all these songs. I could listen to this on repeat for days.

Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism
This is their most popular album and I'd really like to pick something a bit more obscure, but this album really is solid from beginning to end, and I can't not include it.

Doyle Dykes – Gitarre 2000
This album amazes me every time I listen to it. He's my favorite fingerstyle guitarist and this was the album that introduced me to him and remains my favorite of his.

Elliott Smith – XO
I know a lot of people might think Figure 8 and Either/Or are his best records, but the second half of XO, I think, is just some of the best music ever. If there were an album with the first half of Figure 8 and the second half of XO, I'd go with that one, and it sucks to leave out "Needle in the Hay," from his self-titled, but the last two songs on XO, "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" and "I Didn't Understand," solidify this choice for me.

Five Iron Frenzy – The End is Here
I love their music, but mainly because of Mr. Reese Roper's lyrics, Five Iron Frenzy is my favorite band and this album happens to have my favorite recording of my favorite song, "Every New Day." Unfortunately, I had not yet moved to Colorado by the time they played this show and was not there to see it. Tear.

Okkervil River – The Stage Names
This band is a relatively recent find for me, but I am pretty freaking amazed. Will Sheff's lyrics, though depressing, are incredibly brilliant and the music is equally impressive. At least check out the track, "John Allyn Smith Sails" – one of the best covers I've ever heard.

Pedro the Lion – It's Hard to Find a Friend
Five Iron Frenzy is my favorite band, but Pedro doubtless has a higher play count in my iTunes player. Winners Never Quit and Control are probably David Bazan's best albums, but this one has a lot of meaning for me. These two albums, It's Hard to Find a Friend and The End is Here, would I think be the hardest for me to part with out of all the music I own.

Queen – A Night at the Opera
This one is really tough for me. Their next album, A Day at the Races, is right up there, and, really, if I weren't trying to stick away from compilations, I'd go with Greatest Hits I, but as it is, this album has "Bohemian Rhapsody," so I gotta go with this one.

Randy Newman – Sail Away
Not the best production value on this album in my opinion (although it could be that I only have a crappy digital iTunes copy), but the tracks on this one are my favorite of his. Pretty amazing stuff here.

Thrice – The Illusion of Safety
I'll be into punk rock until the day I die if only because of this album. The beautiful, brilliant lyrics, the 80s metal riffs, the slightly mathy rhythms, the mix of soaring melodies and emotionally driven screaming: It's just too good!

Weezer – Pinkerton
I'll admit that I am picking this over The Blue Album partly because it's less praised, but this album really is one of the best ever made and I love that it's a bit of a departure from other Weezer stuff. In the end though, the two albums are neck-and-neck for me.
 
I've never done one of these so this will be a work in progress!

Radiohead - Kid A

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
(Easily my fav band right now, if you don't know Omar Rodriguez-Lopez now, you will soon enough)

Nirvana - Nevermind



More to come!
 
first, I Grew up listening to Hip-hop from the begining.

Eric B & Rakim-Paid in Full
Big Daddy Kane-Long live the Kane
Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation Of Millions....
NWA-Straight Outta Compton
Dr. Dre.-The chronic
Dr. Dre-The Chronic 2001
Nas-It was written
Nas-Illmatic
B.I.G.-Ready to Die
Jay-z-Reasonable Doubt
Outkast-ATliens
Michael Jackson-Thriller
Outkast-Southernplayalisticadillacmusic
Stevie Wonder-Songs in the Key of life
Lauryn Hill-Miseducation
The Fugees-The Score
EPMD-Strictly Business
LL Cool J-I'm Bad
Guns and Roses-Appetite for destruction
BDP-By any means neccessary
Nirvana-nevermind
 
This was really hard. I have over 2,000 CD's and narrowing it down to 20 was painful, but here they are:

Aimee Mann - Bachelor #2
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Cars - The Cars
The Clash - London Calling
Death Cab for Cutie - Plans
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly
ELO - A New World Record
Elvis Costello - Imperial Bedroom
Fiona Apple - Tidal
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Joe Jackson - I'm the Man
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Prince - Purple Rain
Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
U2 - War
Van Morrison - Poetic Champions Compose
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
 
I've got 5:

Elton John: 11-17-70
Donny Hathaway: Live
The Wood Brothers: Ways Not To Lose
Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker
The Kinks: Lola Vs. Powerman and the Money-Go-Round
 
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band - Greatest Album ever made

The Beatles - Sargeant Pepper's
The Beatles - The White Album
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Beatles - Revolver

Oasis - Definately Maybe
Oasis - What's the Story/Morning Glory

Radiohead - OK Computer
Radiohead - The Bends

Fiano Apple - When the Pawn
Fiano Apple - Extraodinary Machine

Led Zeppelin - 1, 2, 3, and 4

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Nirvana - Nevermind

That is what I have for now. I am sure I am missing a bunch.
 
Neko Case - Fox Confessor
Click to expand...


Love Neko Case.

Elliott Smith – XO
I know a lot of people might think Figure 8 and Either/Or are his best records, but the second half of XO, I think, is just some of the best music ever. If there were an album with the first half of Figure 8 and the second half of XO, I'd go with that one, and it sucks to leave out "Needle in the Hay," from his self-titled, but the last two songs on XO, "Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands" and "I Didn't Understand," solidify this choice for me.
Click to expand...

This is such a terrific album, and the yes, the last half of the album is killer. Bottle up and explode, Bled white, the whole album is killer.

Oasis - Definately Maybe
Oasis - What's the Story/Morning Glory
Click to expand...

Those two are definetly on my list. Huge Oasis fan.

I'm not sure if I could select just 20 albums.

I'll see what I can come up with.
 
If there were an album with the first half of Figure 8 and the second half of XO, I'd go with that one
Click to expand...

This is why I couldn't decide which album to put down for him.

Love Neko Case.
Click to expand...

I'd highly recommend her Live From Austin City Limits DVD and/or CD if you haven't seen or heard it already. Terrific voice
 
Man this was hard ... but ... if I was leaving THIS MOMENT and packing up 20 CDs, here are the ones I'd take.

Muse - Absolution
Skillet - Collide
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Incubus - Make Yourself
Cake - Fashion Nugget
The Prodigy - Fat of the Land
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Alter Bridge - One Day Remains
Breaking Benjamin - Saturate
Tool - Lateralus
AC/DC - Back in Black
Boston - Boston
Collective Soul - Collective Soul
Led Zeppelin - Led Zepellin II
Live - Throwing Copper
RATM - The Battle For Los Angeles
RHCP - By the Way
Weezer - Blue Album

picking 50 or 10 albums would have been easier. 20 just gives you a taste of what could be on a bigger list, there's GLARING holes in my list, which is why if you asked me list tomorrow, 10 of them might change (like some GnR, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Rush, Journey, Kansas, Deftones, Hot Hot Heat, etc ...)
 
Last edited:
I don't know if I could ever pick the 20 greatest albums ever, but I can list some of my favorites:

Doolittle by The Pixies
Return to Cookie Mountain by TV on the Radio
Antics by Interpol
Either/Or by Elliott Smith
The Velvet Underground and Nico by The Velvet Underground
Tago Mago by Can
London Calling by The Clash
Transformer by Lou Reed
The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse
The Stooges by The Stooges
Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
Disintegration by The Cure
Fever to Tell by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Post by Bjork
 
So painful....

Led Zeppelin - II
AC/DC - Back in Black
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Radiohead - OK Computer

Boston - Boston
Weezer - Blue Album
Metallica - And Justice for All
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced

Beatles - White Album
Beck - Odelay
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
The Doors - The Doors
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Cream - Disraeli Gears
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
The White Stripes - De Stijl
The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium
Green Day - Dookie
 
You've got a great list there, JR.
I'll put my list together later and it won't be exactly the same as yours but it's close and I think 90% of what you have listed is definitely near the top IMO>

:thumbup:

J.R. Hudson said:
20 Albums I absolutely need

The Eagles - Hotel California
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Guns N Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
The Cure - Disintegration

The Clash - London Calling
The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols
The Beatles - The White Album
Nirvana - Nevermind
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

Van Halen - 1984
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
Pearl Jam - Ten
Bon Jovi - 7800 Degree Fahrenheit
The B-52's - The B-52's

Michael Jackson - Thriller
Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy
Jane's Addiction - Nothings Shocking
Depeche Mode - Violator
Def Leppard - Pyromania
Click to expand...

 
Spoon - Gimme Fiction
The New Pornographers - Electric Vision
Nirvana - In Utero
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
mewithoutYou - Catch Us For The Foxes
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn
Underoath - Define The Great Line
Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation
Bright Eyes - Lifted
Black Keys - Rubber Factory
Black Keys - Magic Potion
Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales

it's not 20, but it's all I can think of...
 
Meddle - Pink Floyd
War - U2
The Lonesome Crowded West - Modest Mouse
This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About - Modest Mouse
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground
Young Americans - David Bowie
The Man Who Sold the World - David Bowie
Dreams - The Whitest Boy Alive
Take Off's and Landings - Rilo Kiley
Viva Hate - Morrissey
Gorrilaz - Gorrilaz
Felt Mountain - Goldfrapp
Discovery - Daft Punk
Misery Is A Butterfly - Blonde Redhead
Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Belle & Sebastian
Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? - The Unicorns
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
18 - Moby
Michigan - Sufjan Stevens
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel.

In no particular order. I did this really fast so I'm sure I'm missing something.
 
Led Zeppelin - EVERYTHING! (sorry, but got to have it)
Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
Dead Boys - Young, Loud & Snotty
Rush - 2112
Genesis - Wind & Wuthering
Visitor - Visitor
Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - Tails
Todd Rundgren - With A Twist
Pink Floyd - Animals
Van Halen - Van Halen (the one that started it all)
Nickel Creek - This Side
The Samples - The Last Drag
Kansas - Masque
Uriah Heep - Demons & Wizards
Annie Lennox - Bare
Thomas Dolby - Aliens Ate My Buick
Rick Derringer - Derringer Live
Rickie Lee Jones - Flying Cowboys
Donald Fagen -The Nightfly
AC/DC - Back In Black

Damn... this is tough!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top