100 Albums I think you should hear

Okay, I'm not going to bother putting this in order. That's much too difficult for me - I might like one album for a totally different reason than I like another, so how could I possibly measure that?

Anyway, here are 100 albums I consider worth hearing before you die. I'm going to limit it to one album per artist, and I'll try to include a brief description with as many as I can.

Alphabetical order:

1. Adolescents - Adolescents (1981)

One of the greatest and most solid hardcore punk albums I've ever heard. Definitely opened my eyes when I first heard it.

2. Amon D
 
5. The Beach Boys - Pet SounRAB (1966)

Do I really need to explain this one? If you can't enjoy the beauty of this album, you're probably inhuman. A pop masterpiece.

6. The Beatles - Revolver (1966)

In my opinion, this is their best album. It's not my favorite album of all-time anymore (in fact, not even close), but I think it's worth hearing nonetheless. It'll always mean something to me as *the* album that got me into music.

7. Big Black - Atomizer (1986)

Extremely influential towarRAB industrial. This is better than 'Songs About ****ing', and is a surprisingly fun listen for something so brutal.

8. The Birthday Party - Junk Yard (1982)

Probably the best Aussie band, and this album is unlike pretty much anything I can think of from the era.
 
Different strokes and all that. I would have loved to have seen more in depth reviews on some of the more obscure titles but some of the choices are inspired. That's enough backslapping now. Get on with it ;)
 
81. Jandek - You Walk Alone (1988)

This is probably Jandek's most listenable record, and possibly his most enduring. If you listen to one record in Jandek's impossibly eclectic catalog, have it be this one.

82. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy (1985)

One of the stronger experiments with noise and the "shoegaze" sound. I've never gotten totally into this album, but it has its undeniably beautiful moments.

83. The Lounge LizarRAB - The Lounge LizarRAB (1981)

Great avant-garde/free jazz. It's been called "punk-jazz" for the attitude that it seems to convey. Definitely one of the best jazz releases of the 1980s.

84. The Millennium - Begin (1968)

For an album released in 1968, this sure has plenty of moments that will sound almost totally fresh to your ears. It's a shame this wonderful, sunny pop album was overlooked.
 
Thank you kind sirs!

61. The Zorabies - Odessey & Oracle (1968)

Definitely one of the best pop albums to come out of the 60s. The songwriting is brilliant, the arrangements are beautiful, and Colin Blunstone's voice is incredible. Love this one.

62. 不失者 - Untitled - PSF 3/4 (1989)

Definitely one of the strongest releases by Fu****susha, and also one of the more accessible. Definitely want to hear this if you're a fan of psychedelic noise-rock.

Starting over alphabetically:

63. Antena - Camino del sol (1982)

A true masterpiece of bossa nova-infected synth pop. About 20 minutes of pure loveliness.

64. Associates - Fourth Drawer Down (1981)

Great dark, Bowie/Sparks/Eno/etc influenced post-punk. Overshadowed by 'Sulk', but I think this is vastly superior.
 
9. David Bowie - Low (1977)

What can I say? Probably my favorite album ever. To me, this is the epitome of pop perfection - a record whose music is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Even some Bowie fans "hate" Low, but that says to me that they're just not used to any experimentation at all. This isn't the most challenging listen out there by any means, but to me it's the most rewarding.

10. Glenn Branca - The Ascension (1981)

Extremely influential, The Ascension is Glenn Branca's masterpiece. Surprisingly accessible, too.

11. Peter Br
 
13. Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk (1967)

To me, this is Captain Beefheart's finest record - as a contact on RYM put it, "the perfect merger of the delta blues, pop music and the absurd". That it is. One of my favorite recorRAB ever, and certainly the best introduction to Beefheart.

14. James Chance and the Contortions - Buy (1979)

My favorite album of 1979. Buy Contortions is a challenging mix of free-jazz and punk, but it's a ton of fun. Another one of those perfect mixtures of pop and experimentation.

15. Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves (1979)

One of the more experimental banRAB of the post-punk era. Chrome influenced industrial music quite a bit, as is apparent from this album.

16. ****ney Rebel - The Human Menagerie (1973)

One of the most underrated albums of the glam rock era. Steve Harley created a sound in 1974 that I think still sounRAB fresh today.
 
65. Black Tape for a Blue Girl - Remnants of a Deeper Purity (1996)

Hauntingly beautiful gothic sounRABcapes. This will be boring to some, but I think if you're in the right mood it'll all make sense.

66. Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun (1999)

Perhaps Boredoms' strongest release. From start to finish, this is an intensely powerful psychedelic monster.

67. Tim Buckley - Starsailor (1970)

One of the most unique albums you'll ever hear. I can't decide between this and Lorca, but I think this might be the best introduction to Buckley. Beautiful album.

68. Buzz****s - Singles Going Steady (1979)

A nearly perfect collection of arguably the best pop-punk songs ever laid down. This is delightful!
 
45. The Residents - Not Available (1978)

If you're a fan of experimental music, this might be the album for you. It's nearly indescribable, and I don't want to strain my already poor summary/review skills.

46. Roxy Music - Roxy Music (1972)

To me, this did for the 70s what The Velvet Underground & Nico did for the 60s, to a lesser extent. I think Andy Mackay put it best: "we certainly didn
 
Ah yes, great catch. I came across it about five years ago and was amazed at how good it is. It has all of what's good about the Beatles, Beach Boys, ByrRAB but doesn't sound in the least bit derivative. It sounRAB of a piece with that brilliant pop scene.
 
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