What’s your favorite album?

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My answer has changed over time, of course. These, as best I can remember, are the ones which occupied my top spot over the last, say, 35 years. Very rough chronological order. Doesn’t count singles, radio hits and other musical crushes/influences.

Also, I have tried to be brave and admit the sins of my past as well as the guilty pleasures of today.

Shocked by anything here? Shocked by something that isn’t here?

  • Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin IV
  • AC/DC: Back in Black
  • Journey: Escape
  • Ozzy Osbourne: Diary of a Madman
  • Mötley Crüe: Too Fast For Love
  • Iron Maiden: Killers, The Number of the Beast
  • Black Sabbath: Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Sabbotage
  • Rush: Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves
  • The Police: Syncrhonicity
  • Prince: Purple Rain, Sign O’ The Times
  • Yellowjackets: Shades
  • Elvis Costello & The Attractions: Best Of (1985), Blood and Chocolate
  • Todd Rundgren: Healer
  • Bob Marley & The Wailers: Legend
  • Paul Simon: Graceland
  • Peter Gabriel: So
  • Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
  • Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill
  • Enya: The Memory of Trees
  • Various Artists: Lilith Fair 1998 Music Sampler
  • R.E.M: Eponymous, Green
  • Violent Femmes: 3
  • Sting: The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, Mercury Falling, Soul Cages, Brand New Day, Ten Summoner’s Tales
  • Indigo Girls: Nomads Indians Saints, Rites of Passage, Swamp Ophelia, Shaming of the Sun, Come On Now Social, Become You, All That We Let in
  • David Arkenstone: Valley in the Clouds
  • The Brian Setzer Orchestra: The Dirty Boogie
  • Sarah McLachlan: Surfacing, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Afterglow
  • U2: Rattle and Hum, The Unforgettable Fire
  • Natalie Merchant: Tigerlillly
  • Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
  • Bjork: Greatest Hits, Gling-Gló
  • Liz Phair: Whitechocolatespaceegg
  • BT: Emotional Technology
  • Frou Frou: Details
  • Cibo Matto: Stereo Type A, Viva La Woman
  • Smokey & Miho: The Two EPs
  • The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
  • J. Ralph: The Illusionary Movements of Geraldine & Nazu
  • Delerium: Poem, Chimera
  • Psapp: Tiger My Friend
  • Girlyman: Remember Who I Am
  • Venus Hum: Big Beautiful Sky, The Colors in the Wheel, Mechanics & Mathematics, Songs for Superheroes
  • Toby Lightman: Little Things
  • Butterfly Boucher: Flutterby
  • MIA: Arular

6 thoughts on “What’s your favorite album?”

  3. Pretty good list. A little heavy on the heavy at the start there. How about Hoodoo Gurus, Mars Needs Guitars and Willy Porter, Dog Eared Dream.

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  5. Great topic. I miss the ‘album rock’ era. There are some that I can listen to beginning-to-end over and over.

    If I had to pick a #1 Favorite, I still would have to break them down by decade:

    1960;s: The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night
    1970′s: Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
    1980′s: Pink Floyd – The Wall**
    1990′s: Stone Temple Pilots – Core
    2000′s: Did they still make albums this decade? I honestly cannot recall buying any. All my music was purchased as individual songs, movie soundtracks, or remastered albums from earlier decades. For the 2000′s decade I can only choose the best rock group: Foo Fighters.

    ** The Wall was technically released in November of 1979, but is considered a 1980 hit album. If I was to choose the best based on actual decade of release, I’d rank The Wall #1 of the 1970′s, and GNR’s – Appetite for Destruction as #1 for the 80′s.

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  6. I was also a big Pink Floyd fan for a while. Everything from Dark Side of the Moon to The Final Cut. I probably could have included one or more of these albums in my list.

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