Top 5 albums of all time

[SteveDeckchair]

I’ve had a look but can’t find anything previously, so apologies if this has been done before.


List your top 5 albums of all time. Not what you are listening to currently, but the ones you keep going back to..... I struggled enormously with this and there are many great albums I love that narrowly missed out.

Anyway, here goes. In no particular order by the way as it’s difficult enough to get it down to five!

Dub Pistols – Point Blank (1998)
I love this album and never grow tired of it. Understated, delicious beats, basslines and quality vocals/samples. Timeless.

Jet – Get Born (2003)
Play it loud. Kind of punk/rock with obligatory rough guitars. Brings back fond memories of Friday nights at Timepiece (Exeter).

Guru – Jazzmatazz vol.1 (1993)
A true pioneer of hip hop, he fused jazz and rap over smooth beats. Showcases rap as a true art form. Very few have attained this level since. He was the first.

Leftfield – Leftism (1995)
Pioneer of using heavy sub-bass in electronic music. House, drum & bass, ambient, it’s all here. Released in 1995? Unbelievable Jeff.

Jack Johnson – Brushfire Fairytales (2001)
Beautiful melodies and rhymes. For me, the perfect singer songwriter. Put it on, grab a beer and kick back in the garden on a beautiful summer’s day.


Wow. That was difficult, but I really think this is it for me. There are no songs on the above albums that i don't like and they have all had and continue to have, heavy listening. I could do a top 10 or 20 easily, but 5 will do. For today......

[Southampton Gull]

Queen - Day at the Races

Adele - 21

Tiesto - Kaleidoscope

UB40 - Labour of Love 4

Armand Van Heldon - Killing Puritans

In no particular order but all those albums are full of great songs.

And before any of you tarts start criticising me for liking Adele, you can do one

[happytorq]

The thing with any kind of best of list is that you're not only trying to remember the best music, but usually albums are accompanied by fond (or otherwise) memories of the time that you played them. Like with you and Jet. I mean...Jet. Anyway. For example, between lower 6th and upper 6th I had just about the best summer ever - it was Euro 96 - and for some reason the soundtrack of that summer is made up in large part by Alanis Morrissette's Jagged Little Pill. Crikey.

I had a go though.

In no particular order.

The Beatles: Revolver - 1966
Seems to be a mainstay of any top 100 lists. I've loved this so much I've bought the CD 4 times. (broken, stolen, left behind when I emigrated)

Radiohead: OK Computer - 1997
I was never really into Radiohead prior to this. The first time I heard it I wasn't that impressed but eventually it got under my skin, like mange. But in a good way.

Oasis: Definitely Maybe -1994
Yes, I know. For a while though, Oasis were the most exciting band in the world by a distance. Typically, I missed that time and really only noticed them when Be Here Now came out (which is a better album than most would have you believe, btw) because I was always more of a Blur fan. But I got this and played it to death. Still listen to it now. I bought a guitar just so I could learn how to play "Married With Childen"

Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood - 2006?
Brilliant debut album. Every song was great. Not really into them as much since they 'made it' but I go back to this one pretty regularly.

David Bowie - Hunky Dory - 1971
Greatness from beginning to end. I went through a Bowie phase in at university (I'm not old enough to have heard it the first time around) and even though other albums like Ziggy Stardust are great, it's this one that I keep coming back to.


All of these could quite easily change next week. Others that didn't quite make it - Stevie Wonder; Songs in the Key of Life (or Innervisions), Michael Jackson; Thriller, Blur; 13. I could go on..

[ferrarilover]

Well, ok, I'll have a go, but I can probably only do 2 off the top of my head. There are only two albums I've come across where I like every single track:

Neil Diamond - The Best Years of Our Lives - 1989.

One song half in Spanish (useful for convincing idiots that you're foreign), no massive hits but his most rock album and an absolute masterpiece.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon - 1973

Sounds like a populist choice, but no, I genuinely cannot find a track I don't like. From Money, through the utterly, utterly beguiling The Great Gig in the Sky to a tumultuous ending of Brain Damage and Eclipse, all of it, brilliant.

Three more to follow. Expect, probably, Sixx AM, Aerosmith and one other, maybe Garth Brooks.

Matt.

[usagullmichigan]

Oasis - Whats The Story Morning Glory

Snow Patrol - Final Straw

Elbow - Asleep in the Back

Damien Rice - O

Nizlopi - Half these songs are about you. (Before you take the pee listen to the album, some of you may be surprised).

[Regiment]

interesting topic, but so difficult to pick just 5. my music tastes have changed a little over the years and i was thinking of trying to include different genres, but in the end decided that albums which have survived the course of time and still get played now would have to make up my 5 :-

NWA - Straight Outta Compton

Notorious BIG - Ready To Die

Bob Marley - Legend

2Pac - Me Against The World

Musiq Soulchild - SoulStar


(only just missing out on top 5 were : Joe - All That I Am, Ice Cube - Death Certificate, K-Ci & JoJo - Love Always, Ice-T - Rhyme Pays, Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang, and Fine Young Cannibals - The Raw and The Cooked).

[SteveDeckchair]

Blimey, quite a few albums on my 'nearly made it' list!

Radiohead, Kings of Leon, Oasis, Bob Marley (was actually replaced with Guru in my list).

Happytorq. I think your taste in music might be similar to my own. At least you know who Jet are!

Regiment. NWA, quality album!!

Dave (SG). Adele? Pfffft.

[Regiment]

it's tough to choose, as there are some artists i really like, own all of their albums, such as Usher, Mary J Blige, but i don't consider any of their albums to be 'classics' so are not included in my list. greatest hits or compilation albums by such artists would be awesome, but that would be kinda cheating. i also liked Guru, Steve, but my choice would probably be GangStarr's Step In The Arena.

[SteveDeckchair]

That would have been in my top 10! I love that era of hip hop. Today's stuff just doesn't compare.....

Young MC, Run DMC, Eric B & Rakim, Lord Finesse, Digital Underground, De La Soul, Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Public Enemy. All on permanent rotation on my mp3 player.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Pearl Jam - TEN (1990) i think
Swervedriver - Raise (1990) ish
Paw - Dragline (1993)
Raging Speedhorn - Raging Speedhorn (2003) ish
Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue )2010)

oh, and JLS of course. )!!!!! like ****!!!

[Wisconsin_gull]

Yough to pick 5...
Not in any order

Blue – Joni Mitchell
Love Supreme – John Coltrane
Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
Solid Air – John Martyn
Why should the fire die – Nickel Creek

[usagullmichigan]

The thing with any kind of best of list is that you're not only trying to remember the best music, but usually albums are accompanied by fond (or otherwise) memories of the time that you played them. Like with you and Jet. I mean...Jet. Anyway. For example, between lower 6th and upper 6th I had just about the best summer ever - it was Euro 96 - and for some reason the soundtrack of that summer is made up in large part by Alanis Morrissette's Jagged Little Pill. Crikey.

I had a go though.

In no particular order.

The Beatles: Revolver - 1966
Seems to be a mainstay of any top 100 lists. I've loved this so much I've bought the CD 4 times. (broken, stolen, left behind when I emigrated)

Radiohead: OK Computer - 1997
I was never really into Radiohead prior to this. The first time I heard it I wasn't that impressed but eventually it got under my skin, like mange. But in a good way.

Oasis: Definitely Maybe -1994
Yes, I know. For a while though, Oasis were the most exciting band in the world by a distance. Typically, I missed that time and really only noticed them when Be Here Now came out (which is a better album than most would have you believe, btw) because I was always more of a Blur fan. But I got this and played it to death. Still listen to it now. I bought a guitar just so I could learn how to play "Married With Childen"

Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood - 2006?
Brilliant debut album. Every song was great. Not really into them as much since they 'made it' but I go back to this one pretty regularly.

David Bowie - Hunky Dory - 1971
Greatness from beginning to end. I went through a Bowie phase in at university (I'm not old enough to have heard it the first time around) and even though other albums like Ziggy Stardust are great, it's this one that I keep coming back to.


All of these could quite easily change next week. Others that didn't quite make it - Stevie Wonder; Songs in the Key of Life (or Innervisions), Michael Jackson; Thriller, Blur; 13. I could go on..

Happy I am with you on Be Here Now album.. Brilliant album, I listen to it alot, it is very raw I think. Also has Johnny Depp playing guitar on a track.

[happytorq]

Happy I am with you on Be Here Now album.. Brilliant album, I listen to it alot, it is very raw I think. Also has Johnny Depp playing guitar on a track.

It's what happens when you give a band total creative control - it was overproduced. most of the songs go on for too long. Think it could have been a classic if they'd brought in an actual producer rather than letting a bunch of coke-addled mancs do it

Depp played slide guitar on Fade In/Out

[westbaygull]

Elliot Minor - Solaris. Close call with their first album though.

Il Divo - 1st one, but any of them could be on the list. Had a swoontastic evening at BIC recently, what pro's, what voices, mmmmm

Amy MacDonald - A Curious Thing

Pulp - Different Class

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

If I could have top 10, it would include Muse, Steps, My Chemical Romance, Blondie, OMD, The Clash, Tiesto, Roxy Music and Bay City Rollers. Oh. That's more than 10...

[HeavenAndHele]

Tricky one, but off the top of my head:
XTC - Skylarking
PIL - Metal Box
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Radiohead - OK Computer
Red House Painters - 'Rollercoaster'
Plenty more bubbling under!