10 Favorite Albums of All-Time

I already know this was a bad idea. The other day I found myself saying to a friend that the CD we were listening to was one of my favorite albums. Then, I remembered that I had said that just a few days earlier about a different CD. This is a great opportunity to create a Top 10 List, I foolishly thought to myself. It will be fun!

Wrong. How in the world do you reduce hundreds of albums and years of experiences into just 10 choices? You don't, at least not very successfully. The list below doesn't even include a single album by the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, or Phish, and only one from Elvis Costello and U2. And yet, I continue! I am smart enough to know one thing though, these are not the 10 Best Albums of All-Time. My collection is too small and my exposure too limited to claim that.

These are the albums that I love every single time I listen to them. I hope you enjoy the list, including links to iTunes. Be sure to post your favorites!

Top 10 Favorite Albums of All-Time

10. Chris Isaac, San Francisco Days

I'm always amazed at how much I love this album. It's just so perfectly sweet and enjoyable. I think it has to do with the fact that I used to listen to it while putting Ben to sleep.

9. Moby, Play

I think I listened to this at least once a week for about two years. So much good stuff.

8. Paul Simon, Graceland

A great novel set to music. He says more in a verse that most people manage in a hundred pages.

7. Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen

From beginning to end, just a fantastic record, with an incredible range of emotion, including a healthy dose of bitterness and sarcasm.

6. Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom

The hardest part was choosing which album, but you can't go wrong with Imperial Bedrooom.

5. The Who, Who's Next

It feels like you're listening to a greatest hits album. Just perfect rock n' roll.

4. The Clash, London Calling

Punk never sounded so good, in music or lyrics.

3. U2, All That You Can't Leave Behind

This is when I knew this was a fool's errand. I could do a Top 10 list made up entirely of U2 albums. Everybody has one band that feels like they're part of your soul - that's U2 for me.

2. The Who, Quadrophenia

This has always been my favorite Who album, from the first time I heard it when I was 15. Nobody has better captured the conflicted emotions of a young man.

1. Leonard Cohen, The Future

So much of music is written for kids about being a kid, and I'm thankful for that. But there's something so powerful about this music and the lyrics that go with it. The songs are written and performed by an adult for adults. The songs are about ideas, politics, spirituality, and love that takes longer than four minutes to figure out. I get something new out of it every time.

Comments

[Matt Murph]

Great post Brian. I like your list too. It shows good diversity and represents great musical talent; which shows that you listen to “real” music and are not swayed by the half the junk and one hit wonders that clear channel stations try to force feed us daily.

I’ve actually invented three new music genres to classify some of the recent poop that gets frequent radio play. I’m just waiting for the terms to spread nation wide at this point, so I can get my own book deal on music commentary. So with this comment, I’ll unveil the 3 new music genre titles, as well as share my own top 10 album list. (I’ll pretend you asked for people to share such things).

I’ll say upfront that I throw a cautionary ear to any music that falls in these three categories:
1. Angry Pop
2. Bubble-Gum Pop
3. Whiny Rock

I feel confident that you can already think of bands that fit those categories, but in case you need some suggestions… Angry Pop are those bands that are mad at the world and sing about it, all the while keeping the tone of the music just “poppy” enough be played in the main stream before and after Brittney and Justin songs. (stuff like Nickleback, Papa Roach, more recent Green Day material). Bubble-Gum Pop is cheesy pop music that usually captures the Jr. & Sr. High audience for a short period of time. It’s easy to spot Bubble-Gum pop… just imagine the song being played 2 years ago… or 2 years from now… if it seems cheesy and way out of place…it’s definitely a piece of Strawberry Bubble-Gum Pop. The 3rd genre, Whiny Rock, is the easiest to spot. It’s the song on the radio that was written right after the artist’s parents grounded them from the mall and their car. You know… stuff like Good Charlotte (“good” being a compliment), All American Rejects (truer words were never spoken), Simple Plan (on short living the music industry). Many of these bands are like waves tossed about the sea… they come and go… some grow large… but they are quickly diminished by the tides of time.

Now that I got that off my chest…. I’ll share my own top 10. I won’t endorse the lyrics, just the raw musical talent and influence. I won’t include “greatest hits” albums… because that’s not really fair.

10. Metallica – Black Album
9. Andrea Bocelli – Romanza
8. Led Zeppelin – IV
7. Billy Joel – Stranger
6. Maroon 5 – Songs about Jane
5. Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction
4. Stone Temple Pilots – Core
3. Matchbox Twenty - Yourself or Someone Like You
2. Pearl Jam – Ten
1. U2 – Joshua Tree

(Since I don’t have a blog of my own, my posts tend to be lengthy)
That’s all Folks

[eloy]

I did not know Murph was writing a book too..he happily included the first chapter for us :)...just kidding

alright...here we go

__________________________
Although I am a fan of the top ten lists, i actually work in a Top 5 format in which all are favorites. So for my list here I will adhere to the Top Ten format...but only in items and not in ranking.
________________________

10. Rush - Moving Pictures
9. Van Halen - Van Halen I
8. Zhane - Pronounced Ja-Nay
7. The Police - Synchronicity
6. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
5. Lenny Kravitz - 5
4. DC Talk - Free At Last (1st million dollar non contemporary christian album. Without this album (and another Michael W. Smith album) christian music as we know it today would be very sad)
3.DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince - Summertime
2. Linda Ronstadt - Canciones De Mi Padres
1. John Coltrane - My Favorite Things

- eloy

[Scott]

Oh man, I LOVE that you gave a shout out to Ben Folds. I've loved that album for years. It's a great album! This album is one that signals to me a persons good taste in tunes.

This was a fun post. Thanks!

[Brad Murray]

Here are the albums I find myself listening to the most. They are not necessarily what I would consider the best, but the ones that I enjoy listening to frequently

10. EELS - Daisies of the Galaxy
9. Styx - Grand Illusion
8. Burlap to Cashmere - Anybody Out There
7. Nouveaux - Listen
6. The Orb - Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld
5. Pink Floyd - The Wall
4. U2 - Joshua Tree
3. Scorpions - Moment of Glory
2. Whitesnake - Whitesnake
1. Delirious - Cutting Edge

Brad

[phil crissman]

Who's Next has got to be one of the greatest rock albums ever, period. I had not thought about that album in a long time... Great pick!

I can't make a list here, as I'd need more time to think. Maybe I'll try to post one sometime. Maybe. ;-)

[jtm9734]

The following are CDs that are all worth listening to straight through. I.e., every song is a good song and you don't get tired listening to these CDs - ever.

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
3. Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind
4. Yngwie Malmsteen - Marching Out
5. Rush - Signals
6. Rush - Counterparts
7. Journey - Captured
8. Michael W. Smith - The Live Set
9. Dave Weckl (Band) - Transition
10. Vital Information - Fiafiaga (out of print, but worth the 30 bucks to get it)
11. Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil
12. Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love
13. Whitesnake - Whitesnake (debut album)
14. Jay Perez - The Voice
15. Jay Perez - Toda Mi Vida (AU5 (gold))
16. Anthrax - Among The Living
17. Ron Kenoly - Lift Him Up
18. Buddy Rich - Big Swing Face
19. Dave Weckl - Perpetual Motion
20. Van Halen - Van Halen I (first album)