Flux-Rad Top 100 Albums Ever
100 Evergreen - Seven Songs LP
This is one of those albums that becomes more popular and less available, but it stands up for me as a beautiful reflection of emo’s birth in the mid-90’s and everything that was great about the sound before it got bastardized and overdone. The rumor goes that there were 600 LPs printed, and 300 accidentally left on the side of the road during the tour, after a tire change. 300 of the most talked-about LP in indie rock (and was, even then) is special enough, but add the fact that music is actually really fucking gorgeous and you have something worth taking note of. One of those I found melted in a basement after moving into a new place.
99 Jurassic 5 - Jurassic 5 (1998)
This debut EP, produced by Cut Chemist, stands strong as one of the strongest rap albums ever. Jurassic 5 brought back tried and true old-school influences with an undeniably unique style to put forth what is probably the best hip hop album of the 90’s, something you shouldn’t miss even if you aren’t into much rap or hip hop. I’m not (as this list will reveal), but I love this EP, can’t live without it. “Concrete Schoolyard” makes rainy days shiny and shiny days, well, shinier.
98 John Spencer Blues Explosion - Orange (1994)
Where blues has nothing really to do with the band’s sound, and Jon Spencer’s image is ultimate, Orange still shines for me as one of the best albums of the 90’s. During a time when plaid flannel and dirty fingernails were all the rage, Spencer was strutting about in bell bottoms, singing about fucking his wife while someone knocks on the front door. You love him or hate him, but you can’t deny him his masterpiece. Nothing was ever as fresh after this album, but that’s sort of how it goes with bands like the Blues Explosion - and that’s ok with me.
97 Sebadoh - Harmacy (1996)
In some way, all Sebadoh albums are the same: wildly fluctuating between incredible and intolerable, but for me, Harmacy sort of perfects Lou Barlow’s charms and failures by making lo-fi accessible enough to enjoy (I’m generally not a fan) thanks to its cleaner production. In a certain sense, The Folk Implosion took this concept to the next level, but never really managed to blend Barlow’s roots with the newer sound as Harmacy did.
96 Cat Power - You Are Free (2003)
Whenever I hear the spare piano opening for “I Don’t Blame You” pop up in a shuffle, I know I’m going to end up listening to the whole album. You Are Free travels between emotive AM Gold, country, blues, and ballads, but emerges as one of Chan Marshall’s strongest showings and a must-have for anyone interested in actual songwriting.
95 Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (1997)
Assisted by gospel choirs, Dr John appearances, and lots and lots of drugs, Ladies and Gentlemen floats above the rest of the so-called “headphone symphonies” inhabiting this genre’s neighborhood. The entire album glows with a sort of perfect feeling of resolution that only letting go can give, yet remains sad (despite heroic rock efforts like “Electricity”) as it becomes clear that the only release from the pain that continues to make appearances is drug abuse. It’s not over-the-top the way some musicians *cough Kurt Cobain cough* advertise(d) their dependencies, it’s subtle and honest and stunning. “I will love you till I die, and I will love you all the time” echoes in and out of the title track, absorbing itself and re-appearing again (and again, and again) as if to say “This is what I’m going through, this is what this album is about.” And it is.
94 Seam - Are You Driving Me Crazy (1995)
No one else but me thinks this is their best work, but with tracks like “Berlitz” and “Haole Redux”, this one consistently gets more play than the others. Sooyoung Park’s incredibly fraught yet thorough voice combined with the band’s uncanny (and often impersonated) ability to blend heavy beats and loud guitars with sentimental melodies and quiet masterpieces makes all of Seam’s stuff great, but Are You Driving Me Crazy is excellent.
93 Yo La Tengo - Painful (1993)
Yo La Tengo is always hit or miss with me, whereas it seems like most fans LUV everything they do, I definitely have albums I like and albums I can’t listen to. Fakebook (oddly, considering it’s a different sound than usual) and I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One are also favorites, but I like Painful because it’s less Experimental Jazz Drug Addict and more Dreamy Songwriting Influenced by 70s Guitar Rock, which I can definitely handle.
92 The Germs - GI (1979)
Hey look, it’s the first record not from the 90’s, wtf? I had no idea I liked so much stuff from the 90’s. If you like the Germs, you like GI, if you haven’t hear them before you’re pr0bably not going to start now, but suffice it to say that GI was a huge influence on me, not just as a rebel girl in high school (not in the Bikini Kill way, just the normal way the words are used) but as a music lover as well. While most people go on about Darby Crash (and with good reason), I couldn’t get enough of Pat Smear’s guitar style - and as a pre-teen just starting to form her own music tastes, this album (an a few other punk classics that will appear later) changed the way I thought about music in the most drastic way.
91 Jawbreaker - Unfun (1990)
Another rock band stuck with the term “pop punk” for sort of no reason, Jawbreaker created what might be one of the most perfect punk albums of the 90s with this emotional and electric collections of songs about hurt, friendship, love and want. In fact, “Want” remains one of my favorite songs evar, and when I wrote Blake a letter in 10th grade to tell him so, he wrote me back (on pink kitty cat stationary) to tell me about having the flu and breaking up with a girlfriend. It was on my nightstand for years. Memories aside, Unfun is a manatory album for anyone who grew up in the 90s and still stands strong even 16 years later.
90 Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (1998)
Merge darlings Neutral Milk Hotel crafted the most complex lo-fi album ever, layering drum-line marches with ethereal, wispy moments of sheer psychedelia (is that a word? whatever) through what plays as one really long statement of an album. The only thing I’ll never know is what the fuck he was talking about through all that.
89 Smog - Red Apple Falls (1997)
Bill Callahan’s moody, self-reflective and dark-but-lovely brand of singer/songwriter compositions haven’t ever been this beautiful, and might not ever be again. Moving past a simple lo-fi home recording crap-fest, Callahan included strings, horns, drum machines and lap steels to show off his talent (finally). You either love him or hate him, but when you love him, you’ve got to love this one the most. “To Be of Use” shows off his always brilliant lyrics (”Most of my fantasies are of making someone else come/ To be of use/ To be of some hard, simple, undeniable use / Like a spindle, like a candle, like a horseshoe, like a corkscrew”), and “Ex-Con” wraps his talent as a story-teller with his gift as a songwriter, marrying a trumpet with a drum machine in the most perfect way possible. Definitely my favorite Smog, but also definitely one of the strongest albums of the 90’s.
88 Heart - Little Queen (1977)
This isn’t just here because “Barracuda” appears on this album, though I would argue that the aforementioned song is one of the greatest in rock history. No, Little Queen is a stunning rock album as a whole, displaying incredible guitar work, heavy, Jimmy Page-ish blasts of near-metal, and folk-inspired ballads like “Treat Me Well” that feature Wilson’s voice beautifully.
87 Prince - Purple Rain (1984)
What can you say about Purple Rain? Every song is amazing, each more admirable than the last. I haven’t ever been too into a lot of his other albums as wholes, this one just deserves a place on anyone’s list. A must-have and a true classic.
86 Unrest - Imperial f.f.r.r. (1992)
Mark Robinson is just as brilliant as Abraham Fucking Lincoln, mkay? Unrest’s debut combines darkly humorous lyrics with straight-ahead pop (”Isabel” is still one of the greatest pop songs ever written) to make up this practically perfect album. If you’ve never listened to Unrest, this is the place to start, and it’s probably ok to finish here, too.
85 Guided By Voices - Bee Thousand (1994)
Dayton, Ohio’s favorite ex-school teacher turned uber-prolific recording artist, Robert Pollard, churned out plenty of albums that sounded a bit like this one before this one appeared, but Bee Thousand actually caught the attention of other music geeks, not just the ones in Pollard’s basement. “Hot Freaks” aside, I’ll always argue that Bee is the most cohesive and worthwhile GBV effort, worthy of all the attention, and well worth the attention it takes to appreciate their sound.
84 Spoon - Girls Can Tell (2001)
This album, in between sharp jabs and sparing bounce, features Daniels’ broad scope of influences while chiseling away at the Spoon sound we started to grasp with Series of Sneaks. I know the popular vote is for Kill the Moonlight (also great), but the combined strength of all the songs on Girls Can Tell make this one my favorite of the bunch.
Unless you want to drive around listening to “Sister Jack”.
83 Spacemen 3 - Playing With Fire (1989)
I can only handle a very little bit of acid rock in my catalog, so I might as well enjoy the best, right? And here is Jason Pierce’s second appearance on my countdown, this time for Spiritualized’s papa bear, Spacemen 3. If you love flange, let’s get it on. Great make-out album, btw.
82 Nick Drake - Bryter Layter / Pink Moon (1970, 1972)
His legend probably does outweigh his talent, but Nick Drake’s gorgeous Donovan / Morrison-ish vocals and songwriting skills are without a doubt amazing displays of brilliance. With accompanying bits by John Cale, Richard Thompson and the production of John Boyd, Drake’s collections of songs between these two albums are incredibly simple yet dense, glowing yet subtle, rich and sparse.
81 Minor Threat - Out of Step (1984)
I love that MacKaye et al were putting this out the same year we were all listening to “I Would Die 4 U”. Fucking love it. Did I ever tell you the story about antique shopping with Jeff Nelson? No? Well I will someday, it’s pretty hilarious.
80 Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites (2005)
Yeah, 2005. I’m saying it. I’ve tried tirelessly to force you all to familiarize yourself with these Danish dudes, and a few of you have caught on. This album isn’t just a collection of songs, it’s doing exactly what few albums do anymore: creating a landscape, an entire body of work that is whole and cohesive while moving past their old work and into the varied fields of operatic lullabies and thick, bass-heavy face smashers. Think J Mascis and Queen have a baby, but they don’t pee on it. This album will probably end up rising on my list as time goes on.
79 Nina Simone - I Put a Spell on You (1965)
This list will reveal (if it hasn’t already) that I’m pretty particular with female voices. I’m not sure why that is, but it’s undeniable. A woman’s voice needs to ring clear as open sky or give me shivers or fucking terrify me into remembering it, or I just don’t ever get acquainted. Plus, I’m generally sick of hearing songs about breaking up with people, unless you’re Feist. But come with me to 1965 and listen to The voice, performing classics like “Ne Me Quitte Pas”, “Feeling Good” and the title track. Classic and beautiful, Nina Simone.
78 The Nation of Ulysses - Plays Pretty for Baby (1992)
Over the top rock and roll rebellion featuring great fucking hair and tongues in cheeks. This album still sets me on fire with it’s frantic spirit and assaulting sound. Somewhere in between spastic poetry performances, gospel choirs and good old fashioned D.C. punk arrived The Nation of Ulysses, and their stamp on the sound of their time has yet to be matched by any band, with half as much style.
77 Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses (1987)
What can you say about an undisputed classic? Gore and Gahan’s music had never been so popular, and yet Violator was still to come. Can you hear it in there? I can.
76 Cocteau Twins - Treasure (1984)
A practically perfect album, featuring the kind of music that makes groups like Sigur Ros and Xiu Xiu possible (though not quite as obtuse as Xiu, the elegant fractures still sound familiar enough to draw the parallel) today. In fact, listen to “Ivo” or “Lorelei” and don’t let yourself be distracted by all the incredible vocal layers and harmonies, just let yourself focus on the guitar work of Guthrie. Fucking incredible, and probably deserves to be higher on this list.
75 Radiohead - Ok Computer (1997)
This is tough. I actually forgot about this album when I originally put the list together, and ended up bumping someone (guess who? nah) to put it here. It’s not an afterthought, though, I could kick myself for forgetting what an impact this record had on me. Yes, Kid A and Amnesiac break even further through the bounds, but you gotta realize that I fucking love The Bends, and wasn’t really ready in 1997 for any kind of change that drastic. I do know that the first time I heard “Let Down” (not even the strongest track), I felt like I had found music that matched my soul.
I was kind of depressed at the time. Let’s not get into the Philadelphia years, mkay?
74 Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque (1991)
They weren’t just “that band that sounds like Big Star”, ok? They’re Loveless and they pre-date Stoned and Dethroned, and they’re fucking gorgeous and dense melody wrapped in some kind of bizarre experimental paper. “What You Do to Me” has appeared on more mix tapes than I’d care to mention (I’m really not that much of a glutton for punishment, I swear), and this entire album will always be one of my sentimental favorites.
73 Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987)
Ok now. Calm down. If you know me at all, you knew this was coming. And I’m not alone in my admiration. If you strip away the Behind the Music meltdowns, the inevitable clustering with the rest of the long hairs of the time, and just consider the fact that it was 198fucking7 and fucking “Mr Brownstone” and “Nighttrain” were emerging from the sewers of the grossly cartoon-ish L.A. rock scene, you should be able to appreciate it as its own work of grandeur. If you play guitar and can’t appreciate Slash’s attention to detail and showmanship in general on this record, you might need your head examined. Or you might need to be forced to listen to it - I’ll commentate.
72 My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)
Two years spent on one album that created an entire genre of imitators = badass. Hollering guitars that have the appeal of dandelions, produced to perfection vocals and densely intricate compositions make this one of the most incredible records of all time. The album has a sort of sexual appeal that makes it one of those timeless classics for affectionate as well as appreciative reasons. They should have covered “I Feel Like Makin’ Love”, because hot damn, papa. But seriously, incredible musicianship, never matched.
Wait - wanna make out? 71 is sort of hard to digest…
71 Slint - Tweez / Spiderland (1989, 1991)
I’ve been trying not to do ties, but Spiderland only has 6 songs, ok? Slint emerged through Rough Trade in the late 80s creating music that you can either really sink into and absorb or you just have to walk away. There’s not a lot easy about Slint, but they’re fucking brilliant anyway. They invented the whole “omg things are quiet wait a sec they’re really fucking loud” thing that bands love to do these days (think Mogwai and a bazillion other bands), but they did it with bizarre guitar work and impassioned, original and fucking poetic vocals and lyricism. Don’t forget the rhythm section, with bass and drum intensity rarely matched, or Albini’s production, or David Pajo’s (Tortoise, Pajo) guitar work. Just incredible.
70 Heavy Vegetable - Frisbie (1995)
I’m beginning to feel like some of my choices are pretty obtuse, but you have to understand something about me. I really enjoy difficult music, and while a spare and simple ballad can move me just as much, musicians who bend the rules and break out of traditional ruts always stick with me. Rob Crow’s Heavy Vegetable wasn’t just melodic and swinging and toe-tapping, it was drop-D metal, and furious punk, and lovely male-female harmony and indirect approaches to songwriting that resulted in, if nothing else, some of the most innovative songs of the 90s. The compositions are electric jolts of WTF, most of them over just as you’re starting to catch on to the time changes and patterns. Most people want to ejaculate all over Pinback, but as nice as Pinback is, it doesn’t come close to reaching the creativity and sheer interestingness of Heavy Vegetable.
69 MC5 - Kick Out the Jams (1969)
Who else could make their debut album live? Well, it could be argued that KISS should have, but they didn’t. MC5’s raucous Detroit performance rivals any other live recorded performance in history, and though it doesn’t totally represent their sound as a whole, it’s by far the most energetic and exciting album they ever released. Bust it out, turn it up, get free.
68 Big Black - Songs About Fucking (1987)
Can music sound like razors? Can grumbly bass and songs about fucking really be this high on the list? Fuck, higher than Nina Simone’s classic? Hell yeah, that’s right. Steve Albini has gone on to become one of the most influential producers in independent music, but in 1987, he was washing blood out of the back of his pickup truck, and without any of that squirrelly cryptic shit so popular among bands of the day. No metaphor, no bullshit, just songs at the speed of light. I had this on vinyl for years, but gave in to get the CD when I learned that Cheap Trick’s “He’s a Whore” was included.
67 Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
Just in terms of musical landscape and compositional excellence, this album tops all other Tortoise recordings, but it’s not just that. The production is immaculate, and “Djed” persists as one of the most incredible songs they’ve ever created. And it’s a good thing, too, because if you’re going to open an album with a 21 minute song, it had better be one of the best songs ever, am I right? This album moved Tortoise out of the ecclectic guitar-driven theme of the day, and into experimentation with sparse compositions as well as meanderings into pure electronica, jazz, and dub. If you’re into any sort of electronic or instrumental music at all, you’re already quite familiar with this, and if you’re not, you really should be.
66 INXS - Shabooh Shoobah (1982)
Most people think this is their “almost there” work, still working up to Kick, and while that’s probably true, I could survive without Kick in my collection easier than I could survive without “Don’t Change” or “The One Thing”, both classic songs regardless of whatever came after Shabooh. In fact, if Kick had never appeared, this album would be their indisputably strongest effort, taking cues from U2, Bowie and Roxy Music to put together a cohesive album rounded by a couple of the greatest songs of the 80’s. It’s not often you can claim the last track on an album as your favorite (or if it is often for you, please explain), but it’s a no-brainer with Shabooh.
65 Codeine - White Birch (1994)
Codeine didn’t get to revel in sounding like nothing else out there for long, as “slow-core” rapidly became omnipresent after the release of White Birch in 1994. While it’s a good thing they ended there (nowhere to go after this one, not without releasing a handful of Weezer-inspired “Hey we still sound the same but aren’t you still excited?” albums), it’s no less impressive as a release. White Birch is not hopeful, not inspiring (unless you’re looking for that last push before pushing that razor down your forearm), not rushed. It’s filled with moments of waiting and longing, and is one of those rare albums that perfectly marries mood and purpose: “A white ship sails on a black sea, Takes my love from me. And it takes so long, But then I understand,” can only be appreciated for how incredible it is by being listened to within Codeine’s soundscape and tone. Oh, and David Grubbs is there. I love David Grubbs. I could really go on about this one, but I’ll leave it to someone who has taken the time to really get to the heart of it.
64 AC/DC - Back in Black (1980)
I feel like a traitor choosing this album, because I can get teary-eyed if you talk to me about Bon Scott after I’ve had a few Lone Stars, but this album isn’t just an album, it’s a rock ‘n roll statement. Triumphing past what had to be one of the most tragic experiences in any of their lives (Scott’s death), Angus Young et al replaced a lead singer (no easy task) and released one of the most influential rock albums of all time. There’s not a weak track to be found.
63 Paul McCartney - McCartney (1970)
As much as I love Band on the Run (look at that album art! “Jet”!), this album still strikes me as his best solo effort. Recorded at home, McCartney performing all the instruments himself (no shit? I just learned that), McCartney was treated as a throwaway, a mediocre work by many expecting Beatles-ish stuff from him, but the simplistic and charming album was probably exactly what he (and his fans) needed to get used to after coming down from Beatlemania. And then there’s “Maybe I’m Amazed”.
62 Patti Smith - Horses (1975)
Unconventional (you’ve realized I’m into that by now, right?), stunning and poetic in the truest sense of the word, Horses is one of those that changes you the first time you listen. Songs about death, sex, lesbian suicide, and familial relationships emerge in between concentrated vocal tracks and pure rock. Along with Bob Dylan and (though I say this begrudgingly) Jim Morrison, Smith crafted a gorgeous and truly artistic collection of songs with Horses, worthy of as many listenings as you are willing to give it.
61 Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
In the mood for some freewheelin’ punk ideals spat at you in 1 min. 30 second intervals 44 times? Bust this record out of your storage room and give it a whirl, you’ll find it’s still as kick ass, still as wonderful, still as broad in its range of influences, while remaining firmly planted in undeniable punk rock greatness. We’d probably still be listening to them in some way or another had Boon not passed away, but you know, we’ve still got Mike Watt.
60 Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994)
Here’s another sentimental favorite, and I’m not the only one who can remember the first time she heard it. I was riding in the backseat of a car full of friends, and it was playing. We were all just quiet, listening in some sort of unspoken agreement to shut up and enjoy. I love all kinds of Tom Petty, but this album is my favorite because of songs like “Crawling Back to You” and “You Wreck Me”. So good, y’all. “I’ll be the boy in the corduroy pants, you’ll be the girl at the high school dance, run with me, wherever I go …”
59 Pulp - Different Class (1995)
I love every Pulp album with varying degrees of intensity and fervor, but this one is easily my favorite. Not just because of “Common People”, though that’s definitely a great fucking song. No, every track on this album is brilliant and sexy and rich in its own way. Thrilling, theatrical and moody, Different Class is the culmination of all Pulp’s previous efforts, combining Cocker’s clever lyrics with the band’s tightly-wound glitz and meta-drama beautifully. Always studying sex and social class (and how the two themes parallel), Pulp crafted one of the most elegant, glowing and stunning albums of the 90’s. Listen to it, tell me you don’t feel like getting busy with someone who has a strong command of the English language and some tight t-shirts.
58 Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary / LP2 (1994, 1995)
They were from Seattle, they signed to Sub Pop, but they had nothing in common with their grunge contemporaries. Jeremy Enigk wrote songs that were perfect for lovey mix tapes if it wasn’t for the fact that they were all about God, and Will Goldsmith, their incredibly talented drummer (listen closely to LP2, it’s some of the most intricate and finely tuned drumming evar) Will Goldsmith (along with bassist Nate Mendel) left the band for the Foo Fighters, but in between all that drama, Sunny Day Real Estate wrote the emo album of the 90’s with Diary and followed up with LP2, a shockingly mature sophomore effort. To call it emo is shortchanging it, even though Enigk’s vocals were possibly the most vulnerable and distinctive in rock music at the time, and the songs themselves weren’t simply emotive - they were gritty and thick and assaulting, too. Gorgeous.
57 Rites of Spring - End on End (1991)
Recorded in 1986 (and thereabouts), this release of all Guy Picciotto’s (Fugazi) emotionally charged and brilliantly executed work with Rites of Spring (also featuring drummer Brendan Canty of Fugazi) is definitely one of the most influential and thrilling albums in the history of punk and emo. God, I hate that word. Still, their mark on the sound is undeniable, and reflects the perfect marriage of D.C. hardcore and precise, focused emotion.
56 Pixies - Doolittle (1989)
I don’t need to introduce you to the Pixies. All you need to know is that Doolittle is fucking awesome.
55 The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk (1981)
Yeah, you know “Pretty in Pink”, but did you know that this entire album is fucking brilliant? Do I say brilliant too much? Can there really be that much brilliance in the world? Eh, whatever. Longing, anger, fear and pop never mixed so beautifully.
54 Husker Du - Zen Arcade (1984)
A sprawling album of varying degrees of genius, Zen broke through all the hardcore stereotypes with ballads, noise, experimentation and classic pop with this album. The liner notes reveal that the entire album was finished in 85 hours and consists entirely of first takes. Not bad for one of the most cutting-edge and important albums of the 80’s.
53 Misfits - Walk Among Us / Static Age (1982, 1978 via 1991)
Static was recording in ‘78, released in ‘91 thanks to the boxed set, and showcases the Misfits’ messy sounding blasts with Danzig’s incredible voice perfectly. Walk is the actual debut, and for any Misfits fan, a must-have. You know what to expect, you get it in spades, and there isn’t anything else on Earth like a good Misfits listening party. These are songs that cover topics like skullfucking, face raping (yes, it’s different from skullfucking), murder and zombie whores, but you sing along and you fucking love it.
52 Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique (1989)
Where was the last rap or hip hop album on this list? Oh yeah, the first 10, Jurassic 5. So you can tell what I think of most music in this genre. Yet, this album comes across just as intriguing, just as clever and just as dense as it did back then. Back then, when sampling wasn’t something that artists quibbled and argued over. With the help of the Dust Brothers, the Boys gave us all a glimpse of what sampling could do for the genre (and music in general) right before the whole concept turned into a money-maker and (therefore) costly endeavor for bands to engage in. Even without all that important impact shit, Boutique is fun and classic, and I couldn’t ever live without it.
51 U2 - Joshua Tree (1987)
I love October and I also really love Boy, but this is fucking Joshua Tree.
50 Flaming Lips - Soft Bulletin (1999)
I think as these get closer to 100, I’m going to have less prolific ways to describe how I relate to them. With Soft Bulletin, I found myself surprised to not be hearing about aliens, spaceships and the various uses for Vaseline, but I was welcomed to a sensitive, orchestral and big gorgeous hug of an album that I don’t wait to be topped: I don’t want it to be.
49 Wire - Pink Flag (1977)
Have you been keeping up with how many of these albums were released in 1977? Quite a few, and I can only wonder if its an accident that it’s the year of my birth. But regardless of that, what is there to say about Wire? Brief, essentials-only British punk, short shotgun blasts of songs, stomping past you quickly and steadily. All that, and no frills - real punk rock, real bare, electric and incredible punk rock.
48 Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
Because I’m black and I’m proud. A bitch slap of a record, this one changed the game. Well, as far as this honkey can tell.
47 Red House Painters - Songs for a Blue Guitar (1996)
Since Kozelek is such a weird OCD perfectionist, it’s hard to listen to songs like “Make Like Paper” and his brilliant rendition of “Silly Love Songs”, and their intricate and seemingly off-the-cuff guitar solos and keep whatever you previously thought of Kozelek straight in your mind. The word on the street is that this record was done differently on purpose, with new musicians and unfinished songs being worked on in a group setting, instead of Kozelek writing and instructing everyone else. Aside from that, this album revealed some Kozelek moments that introduced us to the side of him that is a huge Angus Young fan, the side of him that has earned his spot as one of the greatest songwriters of our time, and the part of him that understands what makes other people’s songs great, as well. The Cars cover (”All Mixed Up”) is one of his greatest moments ever, and if you can forgive his sometimes hokey lyrics (even he must realize that rhyming ‘nice’ with ‘nice’ is kinda lame), this album is a stand-out and relative masterpiece.
46 Yes - Fragile (1972)
Constantly surprising arrangements, brilliant melody and flawless performances make this album a classic. Don’t argue, mkay?
45 The Beatles - White Album (1968)
Um, it’s the White Album, y’all. I could go into the filler, and give you my “Back in the USSR” speech, or I could tell you the story about Rocky, or I could even tell you the story about losing my virginity to some mixtape and realizing how I could make sense of “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, or how about how my French tutor in college sang “Blackbird” to our graduating class with his acoustic in McDowell, but what’s the point of all that?
44 Television - Marquee Moon
So you’re my friend, right? And we’re hanging out and I’m talking about Malkmus, and you’re fine with that because I can tend to do that, but what you’re surprised by is my on-going semi-thesis on how this one album is probably more responsible for everything I loved about Pavement than anything else in the world, and that’s saying a lot because I consider Malkmus to be quite the genius, and totally capable of creating masterwork after masterwork without the influence of anyone else. Yet, my Pavement attachment aside, no one can deny Marquee Moon of its place in history, and Tom Verlaine is my boyfriend when we’re all dead and hanging out in heaven.
43 Rollerskate Skinny - Horsedrawn Wishes (1996)
It’s really no surprise that a Shields brother was once in this band, and while this album’s constant comparisons to Loveless aren’t unfounded, I do hold it distinct in my mind from MBV and their work. It’s hard, when a band is constantly being compared to something else and that something else happens to be a benchmark for a genre - you’re doomed to never be appreciated for how incredible you might be, and if you ever change your sound to break out of that mold, you’re a disappointment to people waiting to hear more records by the band you were originally compared to. Any of this making sense? It’s like having the misfortune of being in a band that someone with some influence compares to Radiohead. You poor, poor shmuck. Anyway, if you like the orchestral shoe-gazing genre but lean more towards the Mercury Rev / Flaming Lips side of things, you’ll probably really love this. But don’t download listen to just one song, do it as an album, for cryin’ out loud.
42 Palace Songs - Hope (1996)
Crawling out from behind the disguise of hillbilly crooner with a heart of gold (and some potentially dangerous internal dialogues), Will Oldham let a full band, backing vocals and the rich mixture of his unconventional but strong singing voice and his poetic lyrics present a playful (”Winter Lady”, a Leonard Cohen cover) but loving (”Christmastime in the Mountains” is one of the most beautiful songs ever) collection of six beautiful, timeless songs. He’s prolific and constantly calling himself something else, but if you’re in need of an Oldham introduction, this would be a great place to start.
41 Led Zeppelin - II (1969)
I interviewed a band a few weeks ago for a freelance job and was talking about finding time to write new material, and I casually mentioned that it must be hard, if you’re coming up with new material or leave for a tour with a few beginnings of songs, then have to sort of put them on the back burner to play songs that you’ve probably been playing for a year or two, every night. The interviewee made a point of telling me how impossible it was to even think about coming up with new stuff while on the road, carefully explaining how busy tours are, how there’s no way to do anything remotely different or new on the road. And while I can wrap my brain around that, having spent a few summers in a van myself, I spent the entire conversation thinking, “I wonder if this kid knows that II was recorded in the middle of a tour, in short bursts here and there.” And I also wonder if he knew that “Lemon” was about getting your blls drained, and I also wonder if he ever listened to “Ramble On”, and if he had, could he still consider himself a rock star?
40 Echo and the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain (1984)
Ian McCulloch helped me through high school, and this lush and haunting album is just incredible, start to finish. “The Killing Moon” remains one of my favorites songs ever. This album turned down the guitars and turned up the orchestra, making it the band’s most ambitious work at the time, and one of the classic 80’s albums, from start to finish.
39 Paul Simon - Paul Simon (1972)
Thank God he and Garfunkel broke up, because if I didn’t have this, I’d be miserable.
38 David Bowie - Low (1977)
I was never too into Ziggy and the majority of Bowie’s late 60’s-early 70’s stuff, but from Low right on up to Let’s Dance (or thereabouts), I’m smitten. If you know me, you know I really love stuff that is harsh but sensitive underneath, stuff that plays with dissonance and difficulty levels, but at the end of the day, I still love a good love song. In many ways, this is the perfect example of what I love, as “Be My Wife” jots through angular transitions and robotic percussion to reveal a lonely person’s desire to be with the one he loves. The juxtaposition there, and across this album, make it a benchmark for me in terms of what I love about music.
But I’ll still dance to “Modern Love” until the sun comes up.
37 Queen - Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
It’s hard to deal with Queen because the body of work is so broad and varied. This album is my favorite, but even 1991’s Innuendo, an unpopular effort among many fans, draws me near, with “The Show Must Go On” and “Bijou” echoing through the hole in my heart where Freddie Mercury used to live. Queen can make me happier than a pig in shit, and can bring me down, down low. “Somebody to Love”, “You Take My Breath Away”, and all of Mercury’s ballads sting, because it’s common knowledge how intimate and personal they were. But, getting back to this album, songs like “Stone Cold Crazy”,”Killer Queen” and “Misfire” succeed in displaying the innovation these guys had, the incredible talent of Brian May, and the young hopefulness of a true genius destined to leave us before his time.
36 The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight (1980)
I discovered this album late, very late, but it doesn’t change how incredible it is. You can’t question Robyn Hitchcock’s influence on 80’s rock without first appreciating his monumental contributions to the future of post-punk with this album. Taking songs that, by any other band, would simply be re-hashings of obscure 60’s guitar-rock bands and turning them into catchy, almost psychedelic toe-tappers, The Soft Boys get under your skin, like little bugs.
35 The Clash - London Calling (1979)
There’s always an argument to be had about the actual greatness of this album, but to me it’s their best work. Best punk album ever? We’d probably argue.
34 Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy and Stoned & Dethroned (1985, 1994)
If MBV and The Velvet Underground had a baby and spit on it, this is what it would look like. Look at how far apart the albums are in terms of years, and realize what a turd I am for calling it a tie! I’m a cheat! I don’t care, though. Psychocandy represents how I fell in love with them, and Stoned represents the pinnacle of their sound, the perfection of what they started. Think simple pop melodies leveled with feedback, angst and fuzz. Think Mascis meets Brian Wilson. Brilliance, through and through.
33 Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime (1994)
Damn 1994, you kicked my ass. “Luau” (featuring Rob Crow) is without a doubt one of the greatest rock n roll songs ever written, if you’d give it a chance, and the entire body of work here is elevated above everything else coming out of the scene at that time. Complex, difficult and dense Yank Crime will kick your ass and hand it to you with a snarl. Reis and Froberg’s guitars are epic and miraculous, unable to be imitated, and Trombino’s drumming is what initially got me interested in percussion and rhythm. Can’t fight it, just enjoy it. Don’t call it metal, either. I’ll fight you. PS if you have the Pitchfork 7″ I’ll give you my pinkie finger.
32 Kate Bush - Hounds of Love (1985)
I know at least one person who is going to be royally pissed that Kate Bush is ahead of Jehu, but I can’t help it. The sensuality and beauty of this album is incredible. Yes, more sensuous that Sensuality. And besides, I can’t bear to hear “This Woman’s Work” one more time or I’ll throw up in my mouth.
31 Peter Gabriel - So (1986)
This might seem like a cop out choice, considering how accessible Gabriel became with this record, but I have to be honest when trying to decide which of his is my favorite. “In Your Eyes” still makes me teary-eyed, all the songs still sound as exciting and fresh as they did then, even after years of over-exposure, and the Kate Bush duet should really be played at least once a day by anyone who has anything trying going on in their life.
30 The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989)
One of the best examples of how to write good pop music there will ever be. I’m finding it hard to pontificate on these albums, I’m getting to the point where I think everything should be obvious. Maybe the top 10 will be done without any words.
29 Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - I See a Darkness / Ease Down the Road (1999, 2001)
Both of these albums are beautiful, Darkness for its depth and sinister undertones, and Ease for its minimal arrangements and more direct sentimentality. On both albums, Oldham maintains his signature style, style that either bothers people or enamors them, a style that involves his soothingly off-kilter voice, his poetry, and his talent for making simple songs lifetime classics with hardly a sound. Yesterday I was talking about Bowie and how complex and obtuse arrangements get me worked up, but this is the other kind of sound that makes me swoon. Simple, elegant arrangements made beautiful by the sound’s relationship to silence.
28 George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970)
I spent a lot of time talking about this album here. Sorry for the redirect, it’s just too easy. Plus, this album is pretty emotional for me - a few of the songs really mean something to me, and George was my favorite Beatle. Let’s not get sad, though, this is a beautiful record.
27 The Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
I had this on vinyl for a while, and I’ll never forgive myself because I traded it to someone for something that I can’t recall. I must have wanted whatever it was pretty bad, though, because this is a great, great record. David Byrne is one of the only people who can do the whole “As an artist, I’m different from the rest of you” attitude into charming and even enviable nonchalance, and with Eno on board here, his typical obtuseness is diffused a bit by the superb production. Quite the sophomore effort, and one of their best, for sure. Even if we only listen to “Take Me to the River” when no one else is around.
26 Stevie Wonder - Talking Book (1972)
I grew up with Stevie Wonder’s body of work, but as I got older and started actually listening to the individual albums, I always came back to this one. For whatever reason, I went years without this one on hand, one of those weird thing where I had it on a cassette, then a CD, then lost the CD, then let a friend borrow one, then (shh) downloaded it again last year. We’ve been through a lot, but we always return to each other. That’s what you do when something is really great.
25 Dire Straits - Making Movies (1980)
I have to remind myself that this was 1980. It doesn’t sound like 1980 to me. If you’re not familiar with Knopfler’s catalog, this is the one with”Tunnel of Love” and “Romeo and Juliet”, two of my favorite songs ever, with very sentimental attachments. Sometimes, things are hard, and sometimes the timing is off, but there are also bonds that don’t break just because other things do.
24 Pavement - Wowee Zowee (1995)
Zowee’s sprawling and eccentric slap in the face to the world’s expectations post Crooked Rain made me love the world again. I know that most Pavement fans either love or hate this one, but I have to say, it’s been seriously mistreated. From Malkmus’ sparing and ballsy opener “We Dance” (rumored to be an homage to Suede) to the “Generation” anthem to the return to classic rock roots with “Rattled by the Rush” and “Grounded”, this album travels through all of the band’s quirky affections. And it’s awesome.
23 Fugazi - 13 Songs (1990)
Um, duh.
22 The Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986)
These aren’t just Morrissey’s most beautiful songs, they’re most indicative of Marr’s talent as a composer. I’m assuming you’re familiar with this one, it’s not a radical choice for a favorite, and “I Know It’s Over” is fucking brilliant and heart-wrenching and miserable in the most amazing way possible, I don’t know what else to say.
21 Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
I love how people say this album showed that the Boss didn’t have to be a downer all the time, but the title track is one of his saddest. What, would it have been cooler if I chose The River? This album is full of incredible songs, though, title track and its abuse aside. “I’m on Fire”, “Downbound Train” and “Cover Me” are my personal favorites. And fuck, it’s the Boss. Geez.
20 Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (1993)
It might seem weird for me to list this record so high, but it’s impossible for me to pretend it didn’t have the impact on me it did. The album, which stands as (essentially) a really well-produced lo-fi masterpiece, isn’t the song-by-song response to Exile on Main Street you might have heard it is, but it is patterned after it, with its rusty tambourines and clunky transitions ever mocking the male ego. That is, when its not mocking Phair’s own ego. Ultimately this album, all the hype and talk and geeky girl w/guitar fantasies aside, would never be matched by Phair or any of her copycats. It’s also one of those that will take me right back to 1993. Or 1997. Or New Year’s Eve, 1998. Or summer of 2000. Or even now.
19 Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority / II (1969, 1970)
I know a few of you will think it’s pretty hilarious, but I fucking love Chicago. And back then, they kicked ass. “I’m a Man”, anyone? Jazz, rock n’ roll, ballads, you name it. Just let me pretend the 80’s never happened to them, ok?
18 Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (1966)
The rock n roll album Dylan would never duplicate again - from “Rainy Day Women” to “I Want You”, this one is practically perfect. A friend once told me that there are two kinds of Dylan fans - those that obsess, own everything, know every word, and sort of concentrate more on his poetry, his influence as a wordsmith and story-teller, and there are those that know what they like and don’t mess with all the heavy shit. Well, I definitely fall into that second category. I’ll leave the poetry to Cohen (not to knock Dylan’s talent), and the incredible songwriting to Dylan, this album.
17 Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
I don’t know, I just like it. I like polyrhythms. I like “Crosseyed and Painless”. I like 1980.
16 The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972)
My favorite rock songs are the ones that form a dense cloud of weight, bleak layers and a real sort of feeling (not some fake, ‘hey we’re playing the blues’ feeling) over the sound itself. Plenty of people have written about this record in a much more careful and memorable way, so it’s hard to get my point in with one or two sentences, but you have to understand, this album has every genre, every emotion, every sound you ever heard.
15 Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)
When music geeks sit around and talk about great production, layered tracks and even when they move into ambient and electronic stuff, they owe a big wave and jelly donut to Wilson and this album. Not only did it set a creative and technical bar at its time, its an album comprised of fucking excellent songs, performed flawlessly.
14 Led Zeppelin - IV (1971)
Man, how lucky was everyone in the 70’s? It’s such a fucking shame that even intelligent people talk about the music of the 70’s like it was some big coke-fueled dance party. Um, duh ppl. Yes, this is the one with “Stairway”. But you know what, fuck that - it’s not even the first track, it’s not even the closing track. And you know what? Fuck it if it was, “Stairway” is fucking great. But even if you have a problem with the song’s over-exposure, don’t dismiss this album as its device: “Black Dog”, “When the Levee Breaks” and “Battle of Evermore” are all incredible, the whole album is, top to bottom.
13 The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers (1976)
For not being too crazy of a Velvet Underground fan, I sure do like a lot of groups influenced by them. Jonathan Richman is right at the forefront of that gang of chaps, and his Modern Lovers (who recorded the album with John Cale in ‘73) presented 1976 with a style of New England geek punk that took minimalistic riffs, real emotion and the comedic abstract and packaged them up so nicely, they earned a spot in my heart foreverz. My favorite song? “Girl Friend”.
12 Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (1979)
This album plays like a golf match with an elephant, and I fucking love it. It’s another one of those albums with lofty aspirations that are met (with fucking fantastic results) at times, and at others leaves you scratching your head with your wtf finger. Never the less, “Save Me a Place”, “Tusk”, “What Makes You Think You’re the One” and “Walk a Thin Line” stand out as incredible manifestations of Buckingham’s dominance and the girls’ balancing act between their more mellow roots and their need to keep up with him.
11 Euphone - Euphone (1997)
I tell you and I tell you and I tell you that I love percussion and innovation and showing the fuck off when you’ve got talent, and you just nod and grin like I’m a silly school girl who gets excited about white gravy in the lunch line. No, I really fucking mean it, and this album is the epitome of what I love about skillz. There are so many wonderful albums out there, so many great songwriters, but once in a while, you need a great composition and a man with 9 arms.
Mmm, a man with nine arms.
10 Carole King - Tapestry (1971)
One of the most intimate and emotional albums ever, delivered with a pure and unaffected sincerity that only the early 70’s could provide. This one has special status with me for a few reasons, but one of them is the fact that it can float in and out of regular rotation with me but still reappear as a favorite, and even though I grew up listening to it, it always hits me like a ton of bricks. Big, emotional bricks.
09 Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
Springsteen’s third album reflected on the fading memories of a street-tough lifestyle with a much louder and more full sound, but got a little more angry and depressing. Yet, songs like “Thunder Road” kept that strange Midwest via New Jersey optimism alive, mixing last chance scenarios with hopeful endings.
Heaven’s waiting on down the tracks
Oh-oh come take my hand
We’re riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh Thunder Road oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it’s late we can make it if we run
Oh Thunder Road sit tight take hold
Thunder Road
08 Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968)
I love all of his work, but this is my favorite. Don’t think I didn’t struggle with this one, either. Like a lot of the albums I love, Morrison mixed genres and influences and came out with a pure and gorgeous collection of songs that are still just as impressive as they must have been then. And as is the case with a lot of these albums near the top, the choice is my favorite by an artist that I hold in high regard, but I can honestly say that even if I didn’t give two shits about Morrison, I’d still hold this one near and dear.
07 The The - Dusk (1993)
Forget all that dance shit, we’re bringing in Johnny Marr and singing red, shimmering and dusky songs that sound and feel like their subject matter. Matt Johnson sang about lust, desperation, sadness and hope in ways that I have never been able to completely understand or discover anywhere else, and the sheer depth and longing of the entire album makes it totally irresistible, even if you’re sitting right on top of cloud 9. If this is one that you’re no familiar with, I beg you to track it down.
06 New Order - Power Corruption and Lies (1983)
What can I say about this record? It’s been in my pretty elastic top 10 list for years, and I never grow weary of it. “Blue Monday” aside, this record mastered the genre, emerged from the Joy Division shadow, and brought its subject matter to a new and innovative spotlight. One of the best albums start to finish ever recorded. I can’t think of a moment on it that I’d skip.
05 Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
There are a lot of really incredible singer/songwriters to unearth from the never-ending basement of records that is the 1970’s, but for my buck, Cohen is the master. Not only do the songs read like poetry (well, they are poetry, adapted), but Cohen’s gently intimidating voice is the centerpiece amidst highly reflective and even philosophical songs. “Avalanche”, “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Joan of Arc” are my standout favorites, but the entire album is incredibly dense and stunning. Even the “hate” songs reflect undeniably identifiable feelings, the feelings of someone who was capable of a great love, an astounding care, dethroned. No one matches Cohen. I’ll fight you on that.
04 Fleetwood Mac - Rumors (1977)
Here’s 1977 again, rearing it’s beautiful head. Buckingham’s bittersweet “Go Your Own Way” against the loveably cheesy “You Make Loving Fun” and everything in between make this one a classic. This album is another one that I had around a lot growing up, but only came to know intimately as a teenager, driving around with my girlfriend, learning to drive stick and smoking in empty parking lots. One of my fondest memories of my late teen years involves dancing on the roof of a ‘78 Cadillac to “Don’t Stop”. Now I know that’s not what makes an album great, but I really shouldn’t have to argue for Fleetwood Mac.
03 Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain /Gold Soundz Single (1994)
Immediately engaging and (to their chagrin) more accessible than Slanted and Enchanted, Crooked brought Malkmus’ roots in classic rock and obscure British noise into a whole new landscape. Everything that makes Pavement incredible is featured here: so-what transitions, head-scratching wordsmithery and multi-genre play amidst the familiar Pavement fuzz. I could write an epic about this one. Oh, why is the “Gold Sound” single included? Well, maybe you’ve heard of it, “Strings of (Fucking) Nashville”?
02 Red House Painters - Ocean Beach (1995)
Man, this one fucking wrecks me. Every. single. time. Kozelek’s capabilities as a songwriter and composer were never more evident, as the album floats through disaster after disaster, ray of light after flickering, distant ray of light. Still deeply nestled in the sparing and sort of droning melodica that fans knew him for, the sprinkling of Simon and even Cohen-ish compositions made this one a high point. I’m not sure we’ll ever hear anything this beautiful again.
01 Beatles - Revolver (1966)
I’m a Beatles girl, I guess. And I’m one of those Beatles girls that doesn’t grow tired of the songs she loves. Sure, White is incredible, and yeah, there’s a lot of incredible stuff out there that the Fab Four are responsible for, but what can I say, this is my favorite. “Eleanor Rigby”, “Taxman” and come on, one of the greatest songs ever, “Tomorrow Never Knows” … come on! Besides that, the theme of groups experimenting with different genres comes to full fruition on this one, as it stands as one of the most successful attempts at playing with different sounds evar.
