Thought this would be a fun exercise.
Here are mine, with bonus commentary.
- The Beatles, A Hard Days Night. The record and movie that launched thousands of bands. Seriously, if you weren’t around when it shipped, it’s hard to understand the impact of this album at the time. It was the first Beatles album comprised of entirely original material. It’s also still the most youthfully exuberant album I’ve ever listened to. Even the sad songs are full of energy.
- Big Star, Radio City. I’ve written about this record before. Really hit me emotionally as an eighteen-year old and still does. These guys were the victims of some of the worst promotional/distribution work of all time. I didn’t learn of the record until I read a Steve Simels’ review shortly after its release and by the time I went in search of it, it had already been relegated to cut-out bins — assuming you could even find it.
- Elvis Costello, This Year’s Model. This came out back in the day when I ordered a bunch of music imported from England. I liked Costello’s first album, so I managed to get a hold of TYM before I read any reviews. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more surprised by a record when I dropped the needle. Fierce, brilliant word play and musicianship to match.
- The Rolling Stones, Brussels Affair. The Stones at the height of their considerable powers. Mick Taylor rules! (But you knew that.) I’m pleased to say that I actually managed to tape the original, King Biscuit version when it aired in 1974, but the official 2011 release is much better sounding.
- Derek and the Dominos, Layla. All I can say is that it’s a real shame Eric Clapton didn’t pine after a few other men’s wives. He was never better than this.
Go ahead, take a shot in the comments.
Get The Picture 
Well, this is embarrassing but if I go back in time and actually remember what I listened to from a total number of full listens (when all I had to do was entertain myself at a young age and not deal with mortgage, children, etc), this is my list and obviously from a younger age:
Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes
Boston: Boston
Van Halen: Diver Down
Pretenders: Get Close
R.E.M: Murmur
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F’n a: Boston, VH and the Pretenders. Nice.
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Anybody else remember the video for “Brass in Pocket” from MTV’s early days?
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The White Album
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Abbey Road
Nevermind
Life’s Rich Pageant
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I’m honestly not sure, but this is probably close enough:
The Beatles, Abbey Road: That side two medley….
Led Zeppelin II: It’s the only Led Zeppelin album (CD) I owned for a long time, so I must have listened to it more than the others.
Queen II: Something about those second albums, i guess. Objectively, i can’t say this is their best album, but it’s certainly my favorite.
Yes, The Yes Album: I know most people prefer their later albums, after Wakeman joined the group, but I prefer the less busy synth work on this one.
Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen: Another second album! It maintains the energy of their debut album for the most part, but it also has better production values and a better collection of songs
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BR, no kidding Abbey Road #1 album of all time…especially side two. The greatest album side too.
Who’s Next
Aqualung
ABB Live at Fillmore
Sticky Fingers
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I have the exact same taste as you
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Appetite for Destruction – GNR
Before the Frost…Until the Freeze – Black Crowes
Laid Back – Gregg Allman
Red Headed Stranger – Willie Nelson
American Beauty – Grateful Dead
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Redheaded Stranger – best Willie ever. Close second is Teatro.
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I’ll have to go back to my childhood cassette tape and then later CD days because I wore some out!
Beastie Boys, License to Ill – first ever tape
Rage Against The Machine, Self Titles
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
Phish, Billy Breathes
Little Feat, Waiting For Columbus
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Beasties! But I can only take RAM in small doses.
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1) Prince – 1999 – loved every song on it … the soundtrack of my youth
2) Run DMC – Raising Hell – another soundtrack of my youth and have some still on my playlist today
3) Billy Joel – Glass Houses – another album I have a lot of songs on my current playlist
4) Prince and the Revolution – Purple Rain – damn, Prince could play that guitar
5) Jimmy Buffett – Songs You Know by Heart – a big part of the soundtrack of my college days in Athens
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In no order:
1. Pearl Jam: Ten
2. U2: War
3. REM: Eponymous
4. Nirvana: Nevermind
5. The Clash: London Calling
This is tough because I probably listened to the few tapes I had in high school (like War, the Violent Femmes first album, and The Smiths first album) tons in large part because I didn’t have many more tapes to listen to at that point…
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It’s funny seeing Violent Femmes twice on this list already. It was received by people our age at the time as such an AWESOME album but good grief, are they awful.
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That first album was awesome — to a college-aged idiot like myself who liked to consume massive amounts of alcohol and sing those lyrics a cappella.
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Come on, they’re not awful. That debut album is a beloved generational (X) touchstone
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Agree on the touchstone part but the sloppy acoustic and whiny voice hasn’t aged well, IMHO
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In an age where everything is digitally corrected, it has aged very well,
I wasn’t a big fan but might sing along then and I like them better now.
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I grew up in Milwaukee, so listening to the Femmes and the BoDeans was basically required as part of high school. And, the whiny voice is more nasally than whiny…which may reflect Wisconsin more than the Femmes, to be fair.
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The Violent Femmes are great! That first album might be the perfect teenage angst album (Gano did write those songs when he was in high school). They still put on a fun show too.
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I like you.
Might have shoulda put U2 Achtung Baby on my list. Now that I think about it, I listened to that A LOT.
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Hahaha! I listened to it a lot too, but it was during college so I had a bit less time to listen than while I was in high school!
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I only owned a few of CDs at one point, so I just listened to them over and over again, but it would probably be, in no particular order:
Metallica, Reload
Metallica, The Black Album
Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP
Matchbox 20, Yourself or Someone Like You
The Beatles, 1
Not saying that these are my all-time favorites (though some of them are), but by sheer number of times I’ve listened to them, I think those are the top five.
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I have some that I’ve listened to over and over for 20 years. And I have some newer stuff that I can’t stop listening to.
Pearl Jam, Ten
R.E.M., Automatic for the People
Amost Lee, self-titled
J. Roddy Walston & The Business, self titled
Family of the Year, Loma Vista
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Allman Bros at Fillmore East prob #1
The Who – Tommy
Are You Experienced – JH
Duane Allman Anthology 1
Willis Alan Ramsey
bonus album – Pet Sounds
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Like others, I have to reach back to my childhood when I listened to cassettes over and over. The first 2 were literally my only two tapes for a couple years. The other stuff came along via CD
1. REM – Document
2. U2 – Joshua Tree
3. Pearl Jam – Ten
4. Radiohead – Kid A (this is a bit odd but I lived alone w/ no TV and listened to this more than it probably warrants)
5. Bob Dylan – New Morning (my wife’s favorite and by the transitive rule…)
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Dwight Yoakam, This Time
Stevie Ray Vaughn, Soul To Soul
Cheap Trick, Heaven Tonight
Robert Palmer, Sneakin Sally Through The Alley
Paul McCartney & Wings, Band On The Run
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Tough question, really had to think, honestly not sure and it’s harder now that I’ve been streaming music forever now, but this is my best guess –
Metallica – Black album (1991)
Third Eye Blind – Third Eye Blind (1997)
Slipknot – Iowa (2001)
Chimaira – Chimaira (2005)
Machine Head – The Blackening (2007)
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In no particular order, these are just five albums (yes, albums) I have worn out listening to.
L.A. Women……The Doors
Livin’ and Dyin’n in 3/4 Time…J. Buffett
Who’s Next…The Who
The Wall…Pink Floyd
Bat Out Of Hell…Meat Loaf
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Embarrassed to say it’s probably five Rush albums. Ha.
Couple thoughts on your list:
-I got into Big Star back in the early 90’s when my regular hangout, The Engine Room, would play #1 Record all the time and it caught my ear (and this was pre-Shazam, kids, so it took some looking)
-Clapton is IMO the most overrated “classic” musician. The Layla album is the greatest thing he ever did because of Duane Allman and the band
-For all you REM fans, I found an original copy of Murmur on vinyl last weekend and am listening to it right now. It’s easy to forget how great they were – the IRS records are untouchable. Hard to overstate how meaningful those albums are to an Athens boy who came of age in the 80s
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I used to love the Engine Room, especially in my first year in Athens for law school in 1995-1996.
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Engine Room, right next to Jittery’s. Supposedly that space is making a come back.
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There’s no shame in Rush. They rock.
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I will say though in a different genre, I can probably rap Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by memory.
HUGELY influential album on me as a high schooler, and has to be on my list
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This was hard because I had to think about what albums I really listened to before I started making mixed tapes. I guess it says a lot for the ones I have on this list that I enjoyed so much I chose to listen to over a mix.
Van Halen – Fair Warning (first cassette I owned)
U2 – Under a Blood Red Sky
Drivin’ n Cryin’ – Whisper Tames the Lion
R.E.M. – Reckoning
Wide Spread Panic – Space Wrangler
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Led Zeppelin II
Led Zeppelin IV
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy
AC/DC Powerage
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
Being completely honest and not trendy, I spent a lot of time with these albums and tried to learn every lick on my guitar.
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Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus
Police – Zenyatta Mondatta
Cat Stevens – Teaser and the Firecat
Black Crowes – Amorica
R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction
Honorable mentions: Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti; Pixies – Surfer Rosa; The Who – Who’s Next; Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street; Husker Du – Candy Apple Grey
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oh f*ck!!! Forgot about Replacements/Tim. That has to be top 5. Probably bumps the Police out.
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Fables is your most listened to REM? That’s interesting!
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Yep – there is a somber quality to the overall record that I like. I think it stems from it being recorded in a bit of an emotional low point for the band. The opening track is very atypical and sets the tone. They were in London…it was cold and rainy….Buck hated Wendell Gee. The songs are great though. Driver 8, Green Grow the Rushes Go, Life and How to Live It…etc
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Top albums from my carefree days: (no special order)
Abby Road – Beatles
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – Moody Blues
Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes – Jimmy Buffet
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
Crosby Stills and Nash – Crosby Stills and Nash
Still dig ’em.
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Social Distortion – Live at the Roxy – my intro to punk outside the Ramones
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Bad Religion – Stranger Than Fiction
The Beatles – Sgt Peppers
REM – Chronic Town – I saw REM the first night I was living in Athens but had no idea who they were and didn’t really care for them. One of my fraternity brothers had the EP, I almost wore it out over the next year.
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Totally forgot about Social Distortion’s first album. I listened to that like crazy in the early 1990s.
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Are you talking about the self titled Social Distortion album or Mommy’s Little Monster? The self titled album was actually their 3rd after Prison Bound. Their first album was in the ’80’s. Not trying to be a d-bag, but people forget their punk roots. The band became very different after their 1st album.
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Oops — yeah, I jumped to the assumption that the self-titled one was their first one since it was the first one I listened too, but Mommy’s Little Monster is great.
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Led Zeppelin II
Widespread Panic- Everyday
Son Volt- Trace
Black Crowes- Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
Grateful Dead- Europe 72
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Man, do I love Southern Harmony. If you expanded the list to 15, it’d show up on mine. I could probably listen to Sometimes Salvation alone on repeat for a couple of hours.
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Rolling Stones – Some Girls
Lynyrd Skynyrd – One More From The Road
Rod Stewart – Footloose and Fancy Free
Bruce Springsteen – The River
John C. Mellencamp – Scarecrow
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in chronological order (that I listened to them, not their actual release):
Van Halen I
Licensed to Ill – Beastie Boys
Love – The Cult
Master of Puppets – Metallica
Ten – Pearl Jam
next 5 would be Parachutes – Coldplay, “Singles” soundtrack, Led Zeppelin II, Space Wrangler – Widespread Panic, Nevermind – Nirvana.
I listen to a much broader spectrum of music than this list but these are the albums that I truly wore out.
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Some good stuff on that list
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thankya, thankyaverymuch.
I don’t know if your handle has anything to do with Korn, the band, but I have seen them live and they pretty much killed it. Early 2000’s. Or maybe you just really like the vegetable, who knows.
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It most certainly does. There are bands that I like more, but Alice in Chains Dawg doesn’t have the same ring to it.
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Ha, nice. Love AIC, too.
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R.E.M. – Lifes Rich Pageant
Brian Eno – Another Green World
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
NIck Drake – Pink Moon
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
So many close calls: side 2 of Led Zep III, TNT by Tortoise, The Unforgettable Fire by U2, The Velvet Underground, Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division, Fables of the Reconstruction, Marquee Moon by Television, The Queen is Dead by The Smiths, What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye…mmm.
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ah man, Unforgettable Fire is a great one. I once saw it listed on a list of “100 Worst Albums of All Time” and was so irritated. “Pride” and “Bad” are two of the best tracks they recorded and foreshadowed Joshua Tree
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I’ll try to list non-Beatle albums (because I’ve listened to more Beatles than anything else In My Life) so here goes:
Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Wings, Venus & Mars
Chicago, Chicago Transit Authority
Led Zeppelin 1
King Crimson, In The Court of the Crimson King
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Chop – I’m with ya on CTA and King Crimson. Good times with good tunes!
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I saw what ya did there!
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In no specific order:
Appetite for Destruction – Guns ‘n Roses
And Justice for All – Metallica
Back in Black – AC/DC
Bigger and Deffer – LL Cool J
Badmotorfinger – Soundgarden
Pretty close would be Raising Hell – Run D.M.C. and the Best of the Doors double CD
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Showing my age here since# 2 was mostly recorded at my first live concert 1970. Five most played is really tough since the most played are the oldest and my music tastes have grown to include so many more types of music today. My music list now includes the classics and tunes light years from anything listed here. What i have learned is to be open, listen and good music is where you find it. It
s one of lifes greatest joys.Are you Experienced – Jimi Hendrix
Pirates World Fla. Live JW And – Johnny Winter
Pronounced – Lynrd Skynyrd
Live at the Fillmore – Allman Brothers
Ted Nugent – Ted Nugent some of which recorded live at AC`s ballroom
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Somewhat chronological
U2 – Rattle and Hum
The Cure – Disintegration
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dreams
Pearl Jam – Ten
VAST – Visual Audio Sensory Theater
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(1) Derek and the Dominoes-Layla. (2) Allman Brothers-Eat a Peach. (3) Evie Sands-Estate of Mind. (4) Linda Ronstadt—Heart Like a Wheel. (5) Chicago—Chicago’s Greatest Hits. I confess those were a long time ago. If you asked me what I am listening to now it would be mostly Jack Jones, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett recordings.
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The funny thing is, some of my favorite albums ever aren’t on this list, but every album on this list is a favorite. The last three are due most to having my ages 10-19 years in the 90’s. In release order:
The Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed — In my opinion, on the short list for greatest rock album of all time. I have to disagree with the Senator in that the four album run of Beggar’s Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St. are the Stones at the height of their powers, and this album is the zenith.
The Beatles, Abbey Road — Not the best Beatles album (that’s probably either Rubber Soul or Revolver), but this is their last true album as a group; as friends. Come Together is proto-hard rock, and Something is the best song George ever wrote; maybe the greatest Beatles song ever. I love how the album ends with a nonsensical medley of unfinished songs.
REM, Automatic for the People — Also not the best album for this treasured band, the greatest American rock band (search your feelings, you know it to be true), and everyone and their mama has an opinion on which is their best, but it feels like the most complete REM album, from start to finish.
Metallica, Metallica (The Black Album) — This album was my introduction to Metallica when I was in middle school. I was too young for their previous thrash metal albums before The Black Album came out, but with this album, I learned to love this band and still do. Every song on this album destroys.
Nirvana, In Utero — I know there are people who prefer Nevermind or even Bleach, but give me In Utero. The final album before Cobain’s death leaves his heart bare for the world to see. All Apologies and Heart-Shaped Box get me every time. I think of this album and the end of Cobain’s life in April of 1994, two months before I would turn 14 at the end of my 8th grade year as the end of my childhood. I listened to this album every single day on a loop that summer.
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I will never forget where I was when I learned of Cobain’s death. I was duty NCO that night in the barracks on Twentynine Palms, Ca. We had MTV playing in the duty hut/common area, and they announced it via MTV News. It wasn’t completely unexpected, but still shocking. But the real kicker for me, Kent Mercker threw a no hitter that night and I couldn’t watch it because Twentynine Palms had what must have been the only cable system in the US that didn’t carry TBS.
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What unit were you with at the stumps? I was Lima 3/4. God I hated that place. It’s the armpit of the earth. The Army abandoned it after WWII, saying it was unfit for human habitation, so of course the Marine Corps said, “That makes it perfect for us!” 😂
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3/7 H&S Co, 1992-1994
i was sent to 3rd LAI, now LAR, when I first arrived there in ’91. But someone didn’t like that I requested mast, so when 3/7 needed some Marines, they sent me. I liked it better at 3/7, anyway.
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When were you there Corch?
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01-02. Feels like a lifetime ago, because it was. Man, I was young.
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I was at 1st Tanks from 01-05. Did you know a cat named Funke? He’s a good buddy of mine and he was with 3/4 at that time. And I think he was Lima.
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Man, I don’t know. I don’t remember half the guys in the company, outside of my platoon there, or other guys I served all four years with at different duty stations. That’s almost 20 years ago.
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Lol I get it. Just wondering.
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Nonworries. The old grape ain’t what it used to be! 😂
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Automatic and Lifes Rich Pageant are 1a and 1b for me.
And I’ll take Beggar’s as my pick in that album run, but there’s no wrong answer, really
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Beggar’s Banquet is great, too. I mean, all four of those albums are pure rock’n’roll prowess, the cream of the crop.
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Confining my list to the ol’ days in Athens sigh:
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy & the Lash
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
Allman Brothers – A Decade of Hits
Jimmy Buffet – Songs You Know By Heart
Vigilantes of Love – Driving the Nails
Damn, that seems so long ago (because it was)…
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Springsteen – Born in the USA
REM – Document
John Prine – The Missing Years
Police – Synchronicity
John Hiatt – Stolen Moments
Next four in: Replacements, Pleased to Meet Me; U2, Joshua Tree; The Cars, Hello Again, Springsteen, Darkness on the Edge of Town.
I delivered pizzas in high school and had a car that only had a tape deck. I had only three tapes for a long time: Springsteen, Police and the Cars. Know every note by heart on those tapes.
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If there’s one thing I don’t miss, it’s cassettes. While the portability of a Walkman was cool, and Discmans NEVER worked if they weren’t sitting on a flat, still surface, the advent of CDs, MP3, and now, the reemergence of vinyl is so much better, sound-wise. All versions of magnetic tape cassettes (8-track, cassettes, Beta, and VHS) were just the lowest possible quality. Absolute garbage. But boy did I have a shit-ton of mixtapes! 😏
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I have a Maxell XLII-S 90 cassette with Love Over Gold/Wish You Were Here recorded off a Thorens turntable in the late ’80s. It resides in the CD-Cassette player of my wife’s ’95 Mustang ragtop. The sound was better than any CD of its time. Still sounds good. You got what you paid for in tapes.
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311 – Transistor
Chuck Berry – Gold
2pac – All Eyes on Me (or MATW)
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
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This exercise is interesting because it reflects changes in life circumstances over time. There are a few albums that could be on this list if I hadn’t curtailed my listening habits to be more appropriate for the young ears that are often near me these days.
White Stripes – Elephant
Weezer – The Blue Album
Lyle Lovett – Pontiac
Hem – Rabbit Songs
Manheim Steamroller – Christmas (definitely, though I’ll add another non-holiday one)
Kutiman – Thru You
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Love Lyle. I’ve probably spent more time with Road to Ensenada than any other.
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RtE is amazing, especially with Girl in the Corner thrown in
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Charles, shout out to anyone else that knows Hem, saw them at Smith’s Olde Bar in 2006 maybe when Sally was about 8 months pregnant, but still with the voice of an angel.
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Def Leppard- Hysteria
Guns n’ Roses- Appetite for Destruction
Alice in Chains- Dirt
Pearl Jam- Ten
Metallica- …And Justice for All
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I like the way you rock.
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I probably listened to Hysteria more than I remembered when I did my list above. Just a great listen beginning to end. Had 3rd row for that tour in the fall of 1988 and they were incredible. It’s easy to knock them as typical hair metal, especially with Pour Some Sugar on Me being their biggest hit, but these guys knocked it out of the park with Pyromania and Hysteria.
Alice in Chains – one of my biggest “I never saw them live” regrets. Love these guys.
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Hysteria is the album that got me into rock. I must have gone through 3 copies of that cassette, thank god for CDs. Finally got to see them in 2010 with Journey, they still rock.
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Not seeing AiC while Layne was alive is going to be one of my biggest regrets, but I never really had an opportunity. I did see them around 2010, and again after TDPDH came out. As long as they have Jerry, they’re fine with me.
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I had chances since I was in my 20s throughout their heyday of the 90s, just never took the opportunity when I should have. I knew they were good at the time, but since then have realized they were really, really good. “Would?” never gets old, “It Ain’t Like That” is their unknown gem and the Jar of Flies EP is a masterpiece, IMHO.
And yes, Jerry Cantrell is the shit.
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No particular order…
Bob Seger. Night Moves & Live Bullet
Stones. Some Girls
Mothers Finest. Another Mother Further
ZZ Top. Deguello
In reality, it is hard to list just 5…a Prince album could easily push one of the Seger’s off the top 5.
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GREAT list
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No particular order…..
Lynyrd Skynyrd – One more from the Road
Bad Co – Bad Co
Allman Bros – Eat a Peach
Atlanta Rhythm Section – Champagne Jam
Marshall Tucker Band – Where we all Belong
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Bad Co in my top 10 for sure. ARS too…
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Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
Oingo Boingo – Farewell (live)
Bad Religion – The Process of Belief
The Clash – Combat Rock
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men
I could probably throw Kiss – Alive II in here as well.
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Oh shit, that’s easy:
REM Document
REM Life’s Rich Pagent
REM New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Robert Earl Keen No 2 Live Dinner
Willie Nelson Redheaded Stranger
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Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes
Bad Religion – The Process of Belief
Oingo Boingo – Farewell (Live)
The Clash – Combat Rock
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men
I could probably throw Kiss – Alive II on here as well.
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Broken into two phases: 90’s to early 2000’s then early 2000’s to present day. 99x is to blame for the first list; an increased interest in recreational activities during my college years are likely to blame for the second.
(1) Green Day, Dookie
(2) Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
(3) Better Than Ezra, Deluxe
(4) Incubus, Morning View
(5) Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
(1) Widespread Panic: Light Fuse Get Away
(2) Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
(3) Drive-By Truckers: The Dirty South
(4) The Allman Brothers Band, At Fillmore East
(5) Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense
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Morning View is one of those sneaky great albums from a group that ALMOST broke through into the stratosphere but never quite joined their brethren.
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Also, for me, for the Smashing Pumpkins, jt’s Siamese Dream all day every day.
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Fugazi – 13 Songs
John Prine – Sweet Revenge
Stones – Sticky Fingers
Iggy & the Stooges – Raw Power
Replacements – Let it Be
Others receiving consideration: Guadalcanal Diary’s 2×4 (RIP Jeff Walls, who died this month), Feelies (Only Life or Crazy Rhythms), Public Enemy (Takes a Nation of Millions), Wilco (Being There), Jesus & Mary Chain (Psychocandy), Sonic Youth (Daydream), Beach Boys (Pet Sounds or Smile), Joy Division (Unknown Pleasures … Closer is better, but I can only do it about once every few years), the Kinks (Village Green Preservation Society), James Brown (Love Power Peace), Minutemen (Double Nickels), Neil Young (Tonight’s the Night), OutKast (I celebrate their entire canon), Randy Newman (Good Old Boys), Ry Cooder (Boomer’s Story), Flying Burrito Brothers (Gilded Palace of Sin), Gram Parsons (GP/Grievous Angel CD), Big Star (Third was the first of theirs I discovered and I was hooked, although #1 Record/Radio City are easier on the ears), Cheap Trick (everything through Budokan), ZZ Top (first three), Bob Dylan & the Band (Before the Flood), Townes Van Zandt (Live at the Old Quarter).
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Love Power Peace is incredible. Still amazes me that JB shut it down when the band left.
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Layla – My favorite album of all time. Clapton was a huge influence on my guitar playing, if for no other reason than he forced me to seek out records by Muddy, Freddie King, and Buddy Guy.
Jeff Beck, Blow By Blow – my favorite of Jeff’s work, although if pushed I might have listed Truth.
Bob Dylan, Blood On The Tracks – not my favorite Dylan album (that would be Brinhing It All Back Home) but a stellar collection of songs.
The Who, Live At Leeds – a “@&$) CLINIC in how to grab an audience and throttle them with sheer energy.
ELP, Welcome Back My Friends… – back in high school I was an insufferable music snob. Some say I still am. But ELP was my introduction to classical music. RIP, Keith. RIP, Greg.
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U2 – Joshua Tree
Grateful Dead – Reckoning
Neil Young – Harvest Moon
Bob Dylan – Blood on the Tracks
Talking Heads – Remain In Light
Runners up CSNY – déjà vu Son Volt – Trace Coltrane – Olé
Nirvana – unplugged
It’s hard. I wish I had an actual count. I know all these like the back of my hand. Should do a poll over most listened to albums in the last 3 years.
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I wore out the CD player in my car with Harvest Moon and Reckoning.
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Son Vokt -Trace. Definitely on my list.
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Boston – Boston
Van Halen – 1984
Eagles – Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
Jimmy Buffet – Songs You Know By Heart
Blues Brothers – Briefcase full of Blues
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I did not expect to see the Blues Brothers on this list but damn, good call. “Rubber Biscuit” came on the other day in the car and my daughters sat in stunned silence as I recited the lyrics. LMAO.
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Too Funny!
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In no particular order:
Grateful Dead- Tie- American Beauty/Workingman’s Dead. Both very different and really represent the transition out of early Dead (Workingman’s)- with heavy blues influence with PigPen and then transition into what became more of the modern Dead (American Beauty).
Dr. Dre- The Chronic- Blew my mind when I heard it the first time.
Nirvana- Nevermind- This was the real start of grunge. Pearl Jam Ten was phenomenal, but Nevermind was the quintessential grunge album.
The Police- Synchronicity.
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Oh Shit- I forgot NWA- Straight Out of Compton
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I was trying to explain the significance of Dre’s Chronic to my 13 y/o daughter recently. She tolerated “Nuthin but a G Thang” for one listen and when I started “Let Me Ride” she cut me off and said that she had heard enough.
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Allman Brothers Live at Filmore East (on my third album, wore out two)
Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Love Songs
Dire Straights Brothers in Arms
Beatles White Album
REM Automatic for the People
Boy have I just dated myself, nothing current on my list.
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BOSTON – Boston / Don’t Look Back / Third Stage
DEF LEPPARD – High ‘N’ Dry / Pyromania / Hysteria
VAN HALEN – Van Halen / 1984 / 5150 / OU812
ALTER BRIDGE – Blackbird / AB III / Fortress
TREMONTI – All I Was / A Dying Machine
When I listen to a group, I listen to all of my favorites by that group.
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The next exercise is to go through and guess when people graduated from HS based on their picks.
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Lol. I thought the same thing.
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Totally agree! You can definitely see the decades people grew in by reading through these lists.
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The Beatles –All albums. Favorites: Meet the Beatles, Sgt. Pepper, The White Album, Abbey Road.
Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model.
Cream – Wheels of Fire.
Yes – Yessongs
David Bowie – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
Honorable mentions: Led Zepplin – Led Zepplin, The Who – Tommy, Pink Floyd – Meddle, Jethro Tull – Thick As a Brick, Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus.
Want to add to the playpen? Who have you seen live most often? For me that’s Yes, Bruce Springsteen and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
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Great suggestion!
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Abby Road
Waiting for Columbus
Led II
Prince Dirty Mind
More recent: Lyle Road to Ensenada
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In no particular order:
1. Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
2. Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
3. Prince – Sign o’ the Times
4. Dwight Yoakam – Hillbilly Deluxe
5. Jason Isbell – Southeastern (this one made up a lot of ground in a hurry)
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I could make a non music addendum with Richard Pryor Greatest Hits. Lines from that still get referenced nearly weekly among my oldest friends.
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Grace Jones – Nightclubbing
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
Depeche Mode – Violator
D’Angelo – Voodoo
Prince – Sign O’ The Times
Bonus picks
Bob Marley -Legend
Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas
Dr. Dre – The Chronic
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This may be the most Boomerish post you’ve made here.
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AC/DC – Back in Black
The Mississippi Mass Choir – I’ll See You in the Rapture
Coldplay – X & Y
Carpenters – Christmas Portrait
Mahalia Jackson – Live in Concert, Easter Sunday, 1967
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This is f’n hard–
REM: Dead Letter Office
Radiohead: OK Computer
Pearl Jam: Ten
Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever
Derek and the Dominos: Layla and Other Assorted Songs
And after I think about it for a few hours, I bet I could come up with a total replacement 5.
Jeff Buckley’s “Grace.”
A random one- REM’s “Up.” Didn’t like it when it first came out, but I was on the road a ton a year or so later and it suddenly fit on road trips between cities along I-20 and it really grew on me.
Anything by The Beatles.
Nirvana’s “From the Muddy Banks of the Wishka” was another I could hit replay on and listen all night.
……this could go on all day…..
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Life’s Rich Pageant – REM
Synchronicity- The Police
Everyday- Widespread Panic
Morrison Hotel- The Doors
Blues Brothers soundtrack (1980)
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A lot of y’all have triggered my memory, thank you. So, Ima going to add Eat a Peach and Chicago, but I don’t think I could substitute them for the ones I already listed though.They all got worn out!
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Built to Spill – Perfect From Now On
My Morning Jacket – It Still Moves
Arcade Fire – Funeral
Brian Jonestown Massacre – Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request
Jimmy Buffett – Songs You Know by Heart
Honorable Mentions: Outkast – ATLiens; Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Sister Sweetly; Modest Mouse – Moon and Antarctica; Railroad Earth – Railroad Earth; Greensky Bluegrass – Elko, Led Zeppelin – II,III,IV,PG; Pink Floyd – DSotM, WYWH; Derek and the Dominoes – Layla, The Complete Jams; WSP – Panic in the Streets, Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed, Exile, Sticky Fingers, DBT – Dirty South, Brian Jonestown Massacre – Give It Back!, Take It From the Man!
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Silk Degrees. Boz Skaggs.
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every coed in Athens had a copy of that album in the mid 70s, and played it nonstop. So, of course, enterprising guys got it and played it, too. Frampton Comes Alive was another album women lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvved. Better than pretending to enjoy reading The Fountainhead to score points, I guess. 😉
Is it weird I can still remember all the words to The Lido Shuffle? Because it feels weird.
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Don’t forget Fleetwood Mac. You couldn’t walk down a dorm hallway without hearing that.
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Fleetwood Mac… Rumors………I was seduced by an over weight county banker’s daughter with that Album on the stereo. I was used, she used me …but it worked so well I bought the album myself. Not the greatest music but a very effective make out album.
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Boz can still bring it live.
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Nirvana- nevermind
Pink Floyd- Dark side of the moon
Tom Petty -Full moon Fever
The Ramones -the Ramones
Dr Dre-The Chronic
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Sgt. Pepper – The Beatles
Dark Side of the Money – Pink Floyd
Tommy – The Who
The Roaring Silence – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
Surfacing – Sarah McLachlan (big change of pace with this one)
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Jawbreaker – Dear You
OutKast – Aquemini
Jets To Brazil – Orange Rhyming Dictionary
Propagandi – Less Talk, More Rock
Jimmy Eat World – Clarity
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the mr. move – Easy
..is also fantastic, but I have to recuse myself on that one.
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Somewhat chronological:
Hank Williams Jr — Greatest Hits. Growing up in Rural South Georgia this cassette got wore out multiple times. In fact, since distributors are jacking up the prices to damn near every bourbon in Athens (if not straight up holding stuff back), I’ve been getting Old Grand Dad BIB — “And I like women I never had” lol.
Van Halen — Fair Warning. Thousands and thousands of Pushups busted out on the KittyHawk with “Unchained” cranked.
GNR — Appetite for Destruction. The soundtrack of training for my first triathlon. Literally, had a dude from Pasadena hand the tape to me and tell me to fire Van Hagar and start listening to this album. A possible physical confrontation hinged on my compliance.
Red Hot Chili Peppers — Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik. John Frusciante’s first album as a contributor to the band. While Patterson Hood was starting up the Ruth St Mafia, this was the soundtrack on Conrad Dr in Nort Athens.
DBT — Southern Rock Opera. Living out in Reno and missing the South, many a whiskey and cigar to this album (probably the most played) saved me.
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Live – Throwing Copper
Eminem – The Eminem Show
Tupac – Greatest Hits
Turnpike Troubadours – Goodbye Normal Street
Green Day- 21st Century Breakdown
Give me a couple more months and Cody Jinks will replace one of these.
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Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road, Murmur
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Man. Most listened too? Only 5? Whole albums, not just a couple of songs:
The Cars
1984
Born To Run
Viva Terlingua
Rumors
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Clint Black – Killing Time
Beastie Boys – License to Ill
The Black Crows – Shake Your Money Maker
Garth Brooks – No Fences
NWA – Efil4zaggin
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Great topic, this one, Senator. Everyone loves a list! Mine:
1.Pearl Jam – Ten it’s the first CD I ever paid my own money for. And rebought at least 3 times
2.Outkast- ATLliens Skipped school the day it came out to be at Best Buy when they opened
3.Allman Brothers – Dreams My dad is from Warner Robins/Macon, so I really had no choice but to love ’em!
4.Maxwell- Urban Hang Suite What can I say, this album is panty dropper, at least according to my wife!
5. Dave Matthews Band- Under the table and dreaming I blame this on my dad as well, for introducing me to jam bands
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Arcade fire – funeral
Radiohead – in rainbows
Tame impala – currents
The war on drugs – a deeper understanding
Metallica – and justice for all
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Green Day – dookie has always been in heavy rotation as well.
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Tull- Stand Up
George- All Things Must Pass
Dead-American Beauty/Workingman’s
Santana . First album
Airplane- Volunteers
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I’m showing my age here, but what the hey:
Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out
Carole King – Tapestry
James Brown – Live at the Apollo
Chicago – Chicago 5
Creedence – Willy and the Poor Boys
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Pup!
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Allmans-Live at the Fillmore
Clapton-Layla
Stones-Beggars Banquet
Stones . 12×5
Atlantic Rhythm And Blues 1947-1974
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No particular order
Boston-Boston
Rush-Exit Stage Left
Tool-Aenima
Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
Mettalica-S&M
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Toad the Wet Sprocket – Dulcinea
Stereophonics – Performance & Cocktails
Foy Vance – Joy of Nothing
Allman Brothers Band – Eat A Peach
Edwin McCain – Misguided Roses
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Beatles – Abbey Road
Stones – Sticky Fingers
Bowie – Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Neil Young and Crazy Horse – Zuma
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The Band Big Pink
Hendrix Experienced
Led Zep I
GFR On Time
Floyd Dark Side
Dylan Blood on Tracks
P. Simon Graceland
Moody Blues Every Good Boy Favour
Radiators Work Done on Premises
Beatles White
Prine (various lps)
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Pink Floyd – The Wall, or just as equally, Momentary Lapse of Reason or Wish You Were Here
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Elvis Presley – Live at MSG
G. Dead – American Beauty possibly tied with Allman Brothers – Eat a Peach tied with DMB – Under the Table and Dreaming
Jimmy Buffett – The Beaches, Boats, Bars, and Ballads Set
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I was really into Buffett for a while. I still love White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean as well as Living and Dying in 3/4 Time.
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Give me rock solid vicals and a wailing guitar.
1. Bad Company — Straight Shooter
2. Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here
3. Beatles — Abby Road
4. Fleetwood Mac — Fleetwood Mac
5. James Gang — Thirds
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In the mid to late 70’s college was a breeze, so music was always playing. Whether you were studying a bit or partying a lot. Always loved good guitar work Hendrix, Carlos, Jeff Beck, Robin Trower, Completely agree with the opinion that Derek and the Dominoes were so much more than Clapton. Without further ado and in no particular order:
Floyd Dark Side of the Moon/ Meddle
Layla and D&D Live
Allman Bros Live at Fillmore
Santana Moonflower, nobody else in to this double album? Wore it out and my ears
Petty Full Moon Fever (later)
Bonus: Little Feat Waiting On Columbus
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Love this topic.
My Top 5:
Dreams So Real – Rough Night in Jericho. My most played album ever. It’s criminal that they never received the acclaim and commercial success they deserved. Wrong label, wrong time. 2-3 years later with Gin Blossoms, Hootie, and Toad all enjoyed success that should’ve been for DSR. Classic Athens band.
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds. The most perfect album I’ve ever listened to. I still keep up hope that I’ll discover an album that moved me the way this did. Perfect headphone album.
The Band – The Band. Set the standard for all Americana music.
The Cure – Disintegration. Depressing, somber and amazing.
R.E.M. – Dead Letter Office / Chronic Town. Cheating a bit since this is a compilation +ep They did better albums (Murmur, Automatic, Reckoning) but this is the one I had in cassette in high school that I listened to non stop and at that time represented all that was Athens music scene – especially the songs on CT.
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DSOTM – Pink Floyd
Let it Be – The Replacements
New Day Rising – Husker Du
And Justice for All… – Metallica
Live at the Harlem Square Club – Sam Cooke
Great thread.
Six would be:
Same Train, Different Song – Merle Haggard
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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young — Deja Vu
The Doors — Morrison Hotel
Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here
Jimmy Buffett — A-1-A
Traffic– John Barleycorn Must Die
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My “most listened to” but not necessarily my most favorite (in no particular order) …
The Cars – The Cars
The Connells – Boylan Heights
R.E.M. – Fables Of The Reconstruction
Stevie Ray Vaughn – Couldn’t Stand the Weather
The Replacements – Let It Be
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I’m waiting for the release of Fuck That Traitor Trump.
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And the Republicans who put him in and continue to do so against the best interests of democracy and our country.
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I’m late to the party (loooong week at work), but I’ll play along. Wish I had an actual count:
XTC – Skylarking
REM -Murmur
The Who – Who’s Next
Yes – The Yes Album
Crowded House (any/all, but I’ll pick Woodface)
Others, since you didn’t ask, but I wore ’em out:
Get Happy and Imperial Bedroom, Starfish, Moving Pictures, Regatta de Blanc, The Wall, Trick of the Tail, Lifes Rich Pageant, London Calling, Jamboree, Big Plans for Everybody, Stcky Fingers/Exile, Pet Sounds, Revolver/Abbey Road, A Farwell to Kings, The Queen is Dead, Songs From the Big Chair, So, Duke, Temple of Low Men, Close to the Edge, Deadwing, Fear of a Blank Planet, Dark Side. Fragile, Ghost in the Machine, Permanent Waves, The Head on the Door, Tim, Love Over Gold, Night and Day, Big World. Aja, English Settlement, Together Alone, Try Whistling This, This Years Model, Apple Venus/Wasp Star, Fleet Foxes, The Color and the Shape, Zenyatta Mondatta, Nothing Like The Sun, Smile, Pet Sounds, Empty Glass, Face Dances, Signals, Welcome Interstate Managers, They Might Be Giants, Uncorrected Personality Traits, The Stranger, Whatever and Ever Amen, Spilt Milk, Bellybutton
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