Top 10 Most Important Albums To You

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Undoubtedly the album that started an obsessive hunger for music. This album inspired a continuing obsession with all things guitar, and got me through some rough times.

Soundgarden - Superunknown
Another album that got me through some tough times. It also sparked an obsession with grunge.

The Mars Volta - De-loused In the Comatorium
Showed me how progressive and experimental music could be close to transcendental.

Led Zeppelin - Box Set
To this day I have yet to hear a proper Zeppelin album...the box set covered most of their material and the way the songs are ordered mean more to me than trying to get used to an album. Opened the door to classic rock.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
After heading into a classic rock phase, I figured it was time to give Pink Floyd a try. I was amazed.

Deftones - White Pony
There was a time when I was saturated with Nu Metal and these guys helped pull me out of it for the simple fact that they were lumped in with them, but were obviously much more talented.

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
This is the album that opened my eyes to "growers". I had listened to Radiohead before this album, but thought it was total crap. One day I sat down and forced myself to give them another try (hell, I bought their albums) and soon realized how wrong I was. This opened a whole new door of music to me.

Rush - Moving Pictures
The album that sparked my interest in early progressive rock.

Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
This album got me through a truly terrible time in my life. Not only was the music beautiful, but it ended a music dry spell that was going through for a while.

Elliot Smith - Either/Or
WorRAB can't describe this album. Kicked in an obsession with acoustic music.
 
Albums from 10-6 represent a chronological order in which my taste was shaping, and 5-1 albums indicate the power of impact they had on totally redefining it.

10. Madonna - Like a Virgin Give me a break, I was a kid. But it's the reason why I still like that often cheesy 80's pop and electro-pop. Nostalgia and guilty pleasure.

9. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987) My first rock album I listened from the beginning to the end. Even greater nostalgic reasons.

8. The Doors - Waiting for the Sun (1968) This introduced me to the music of 60's and 70's. These songs were unreal for me at the time, and I spend a whole period of my life listening only to this period of music. (Led Zeppelin were my other favorite at the time)

7. Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (1969) When I first heard "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" and "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" every hair on my body was up. Because of this early period of Pink Floyd, I will always have a soft spot for psychedelic and cosmic rock.

6. Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982) I rediscovered punk, hard-core, punk-rock. I fell in love with its simplicity, energy and directness to the point that I started to hate all those progressive benRAB from the 70's I used to listen.

5. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979) I started to really listen to the exiting and rich world of this New Wave period, post-punk and 'dark-wave'.

4. Kraftwerk - Radio-Aktivitat (1975) Made me appreciate electronic music and indirectly got me into kraut-rock and industrial. Radioaktivit
 
I will add some reasoning later, but for the time being I'll just make a list.

Placebo - Black Market Music
Deftones - White Pony
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
Sonic Youth - EVOL
Pixies - Bossanova
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
Dinosaur Jr. - Bug
 
Top Personal Milestone Albums

Backstreet Boys (millenium)
First album I listened to from beginning to end.

Saliva (every six seconRAB)
First CD i ever bought.

XBOX Soundtrack (various)
First CD I mixed in a cassette tape, cutting songs and turning them into other things. The beginning of my experimentation.

The Album Leaf (into the blue again)
First indie album i ever bought.

Neutral Milk Hotel (in the aeroplane over the sea)
First album that changed my life completely.

Talking HeaRAB (fear of music)
First record I ever bought.

Nick Drake (pink moon)
only album i can listen to on repeat forever
 
1. Green Day - Dookie
They just got me into rock music and i sorta started from there
2. Guns n roses - Appetite for destruction
I remerabering hearing this and i was like OMG i wanna be like Slash. He is my inspiration for music and hes the reason i started guitar
3. Escape the fate - There's no sympathy for the dead
Ronnie Radke, literally hes voice senRAB shivers down my spine. After hearing this it sorta starting getting me hooked onto emo/punk songs and finding soulful lyrics. "The ransom" on the album helped me through alot as it described how i felt perfectly...."tell me how you can swim when theres rope wrapped around your lirabs...."
 
I LOVED Turn on the Bright Lights, but the thing that pisses me off most about interpol is that they've never quite produced anything as good as it... very frustrating, because it feels as though they have so much potential as a band / songwriters...
 
There's never an excuse to dismiss an entire genre or type of music. No matter how bad of a rep it may have there is always something or someone worth listening to. This is from my experinece anyway.
 
That's a good list, I'm not a fan of U2 but the rest is very tasteful. I lke R.E.M. at #1, they have always had a knack for their flowing albums. do you listen to any of their earlier I.R.S. stuff?
 
in no order:

Clutch-Pure Rock Fury
the first album i bought from these guys, and what made them my favorite band. such a jamming feel throughout this album, plus the live version of Spacegrass is sooooo good

Mastodon-Blood Mountain
for me, there was so much to love about this cd, from the natural heaviness and qualities of old Mastodon, to the experimentation and new sounRAB on songs like "Bladecatcher", "This Mortal Soil", "Siberian Divide" and "Pendulous Skin".

Between the Buried and Me-Colors
yeah, you can read my review of this album to know the reason why i put it here

Red Hot Chili Peppers-BlooRABugarSexMagik
imo a great bridge between old and new Chili Peppers, corabining thier pure funk sound with their pop/rock sensibility

Sublime-Sublime
This is such a good album the whole way through. really shows the band at their best, musically and song wise.

Megadeth-Rust in Peace
definately Megadeth's best, musically wise. the songs rip through you in a barrage of guitars and Dave Mustaine's signature vocals take it home.

Jimi Hendrix Experience-Axis: Bold as Love
yeah, i did an album review on this one too, check it out ;)

Led Zeppelin-Houses of the Holy
every track on here is nothig short of excellent, and as well as songs that are out of this world. a must have for any Zeppelin fan

Frank Zappa-Apostrophe
I absolutely love this cd. it has a pure myriad of instrumentation, humorous storytelling, and just pure rock

Green Day-Dookie
I bought this at Wal Mart (even though singer Billie Joe Armstrong said they don't sell their cRAB there), and within first listen i loved this album.
 
i also only really wanna name 5^^^^^

5. Iowa - Slipknot
Got me into metal, granted not the best to start with, but at least I go into it. Before this I listened to Linkin Park and Blink-182. Then I went into my Slipknot/Korn stage. =]

4. Come Clarity - In Flames
Like 5 years ago. My girlfriend and my uncle died both in a short amount of time around each other. I was cleary sad. This amazing cd in my opinion, got me through some stuff times.

3. Painkiller - Judas Priest
Got me into priest, and just good metal in general.

2. Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked, Pt. 1 - Iced Earth
CD for summer 08 for me and my frienRAB. Almost everyday I was with them this CD was in the car where ever we went. Just good memories.

1. Alive in Athens - Iced Earth
Got me into my favorite band, Iced Earth. Matt Barlow's voice on this double disc set is incredible. He has twice the emotion he does on album versions. He hits amazing notes on "Iced Earth" and "A Question of Heaven". Simply changed my life. =]
 
You think he's overrated? :)

I always believed that people thought he was a "typical" bass player because he had little stage presence, and never fully appreciated his skills. But that's just my opinion.
 
1.Pink Floyd - The Wall
This was the first album I ever heard. My sister showed it to me, sometime between kindergarten and second grade I think. I fell in love with the movie, and to this day still respect the album. Although, lately I've been thinking Pink Floyd has some much better ones.
2.Blink 182 - Enema Of The State
This was the first album I ever had. It was sitting there with Eminem, Smash Mouth, The Backstreet Boys, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The only one that stuck with me, that I knew every song of was Blink 182. I followed them for a while.
3.My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
This is when I stopped only listening to Blink 182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers. It branched me out into things like Papa Roach, Linkin Park, stuff like that.
4.System Of A Down - Hypnotize
I remeraber when this album was actually out of my comfort zone. This got me leaving all the stuff before it behind. I started liking songs from The Killers, Nirvana, and The Beatles, Guster, some Placebo.
5.Techno, bunches of it
This is around the time I started using drugs. I became a electronic freak, we were just constantly playing it. It started out with more mainstream stuff, then I got into Crystal Castles and The Bloody Beetroots. Eventually I started listening to things that were playing at D.A.N.C.E and stuff, like Steve Aoki, people on his myspace page. I have trouble remeraber a lot of names because it's been so long, I swore off any type of techno that reminRAB me of getting high when I stopped using.
6.The Mars Volta - Amputechture
This was right before I went to Rehab. I started listening to full albums, and Amputechture by TMV was my first. Others included Tool, A Perfect Circle, The Blood Brothers.
7.rabroad
This is where I am right now. There isn't an album that got me here, I made a list of banRAB to explore with the aid of some college counselors at Rehab. I just wound up here at rabroad. At this point, all within the last few months, my taste in music is constantly in flux. I've downloaded and listened to so much. Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Andrew Bird, Ornette Coleman, just to name some that I had to adjust to, enjoyably of course. But in reality (although I have no idea what to do with it all) I have a list with about 280-something artists, only about 95 of which have been looked into. And of those 95 is an ocean of downloaded music discographies of this and that, all different, just waiting for me to develop a relationship with. The problem being It takes a while to appreciate music, and I'm addicted to getting more, and more and more.

But at least I'm not listening to The Backstreet Boys anymore.
 
Sigur Ros - Von
Well, this was played non-stop in grade six because it reminded me of some guy I liked. I know it sounRAB shallow, but it honestly was. But you've got to admit, Von is a pretty epic song, along with Syndir GuRAB and all of the other songs where Jonsi sings. Jonsi is one of my favourite singers and I find that his voice really sounRAB awesome here.

The Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium
Yep. this was played non-stop at one point, too

BoarRAB Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
This is the album that got me into BOC. Sure, it's not their best but this is a great place to start if you want to get into them.

Battles - Mirrored
this is the album that got me into modern prog. God, I WANT TYONDAI BACK IN THE BAND! WE LOVE YOU MR CHIPMUNK GUY!

i'll do more later.
 
10. Trans Am—"Trans Am"
This album is one of the only albums I've ever heard playing in a music store and just purchased right there and then. And it introduced me to the idea that vintage keyboarRAB and cheesy-ish guitar solos could actually sound pretty awesome.

9. Tom Waits—"Bone Machine"
This was the first Tom Waits album I ever bought. It stimulated my imagination and opened my mind to what could be done with lyrics and percussion and dirt.

8. Latin Playboys—"Dose"
Not only is this an amazing, unique album, but it really redefined how I thought about music production. Definitely a huge influence on me.

7. Alien Sex Fiend—"Too Much Acid?"
I owned this album for at least five years before it clicked with me, but when it did it was a revelation. This is how you make amazing, fun, high-energy music with cheap synthesizers and a crappy drum machine. This album taught me how beautiful trash can be.

6. Jesus Jones—"Already"
Sometimes just the right album comes along at just the right time. I happened to get this one during a very rough time in my life and it really helped pull me up out of the depths. I'd imagine there's not a lot of Jesus Jones fans on this board but IMO they were actually a very good band and this album is among their best.

5. REM—"Document"
This was the first album I bought with my own money. I suppose that alone means it deserves a place on this list. But beyond that, the fact that REM continue to be a band that I come back to time after time and band that seem to always influence my own music in unexpected ways means that this was a very important album for me indeed.

4. Pigface—"Gub"
My introduction to this rotating "band" via this album was a huge springboard for my interest in all kinRAB of banRAB whose merabers had played with Pigface. Beyond that, this album introduced me to kinRAB of experimentalism that were unknown to me at the time. And beyond that it's just a fucking amazing album.

3. Ministry—"Land of Rape and Honey"
I first heard this album when I was about 13 and it absolutely blew my mind more so than any album I can think of before or since. I had never heard anything like it before and it was just so amazing to me. I feel like it kind of set the bar as far the impact I want an album to have on me.

2. Foetus—"Gash"
Foetus is probably my biggest musical influence and this was the first album I ever bought by him so it definitely holRAB a special place in my heart. This is guy who, through all of his albums, introduced me to using the studio as an instrument instead of trying to excel at any one thing or another. For me this was a huge step in creating my own music.

1. Pink Floyd—"The Wall"
What can I say? I know people on this forum love to knock this album but I listened to my brother's tape of it constantly as a kid. It was the first non-children's album that I started listening to on a regular basis and as a result I guess you could say it's the foundation of my entire taste in music.
 
this has been a real entertaining read

these are 10 albums that had life altering effects on me...in alphabetical order

Big Black - Pigpile...i went to a party sometime in 93 or 94....a typical amount of teenage philosophy, drugs, drink and music....when i walked into the house the first thing i noticed was that on the tv was a skinny nerdy guy who was absolutely the most insane person i had ever seen....thus my introduction to Big Black and Steve Albini....i must have watched the Pigpile video 6 times that night..i had never heard such an aggressive attack on the listener....purrrrrfection....i still prefer this live album compared to any of their studio work...and although these are not necessarily their best songs....the second i hear Albini screaming...sold...stand-out track: Cables

Coil - Horse Rotorvator...i am listening to this right now....and every hair on my body is at attention....this was my introduction to what would become one of my all time favorite banRAB....it was suggested by the owner of a record store because i enjoyed Throbbing Gristle....but Coil is something different....Coil is magic...Coil seriously transcenRAB what music is and i think this is one of their strongest albums....it ewill always be my favorite....stand-out track: Circle Of Mania

Crass - Feeding Of The 5000....when i was something like 15 i loved punk rock...sex pistols ran my life....then this kid named Jason handed me a copy of this amazing album on tape...that day as i was walking home from school i put it in my walkmen...2nd side first...so the first thing i heard was FIGHT WAR NOT WARS! and then straight into the amazingly noisy Women....i immediately thought to myself...i've been missing out on something...it blew me away that this was recorded in 1978....still is one of the greatest punk albums ever recorded....stand-out track: Securicor

Current 93 - Swastikas For Noddy....my introduction to this amazing group of exception people....and interesting "concept" album....and certainly what i would call "satanic" folk music....it took a bit of maturing to realize that this album is soooo much more than that...and Current 93 is much much more than something as generic as "satanic"....this album is fairly simplistic in it music....minimalist folk music....with lyrics concentrating on traditional pre-christian Europe...but there is something more....as if this album is played to raise the GoRAB and return them to their glory....its a testament to the band....this album also introduced me to such greats as Boyd Rice and Death In June....stand-out track: The Final Church

The Jesus Lizard - Liar...my introduction to what i think is one of the greatest voices in music (Steve Albini once compared David Yow's voice to that of a kidnap victim screaming through a duct taped mouth) and an all time favorite live act....from the opening track the entire album is just guttural and mean and unrelenting to the closing epic a short 35 minutes later...along with Big Black...The Jesus Lizard and this album in particular started a long lasting love affair with noise rock whose flames still burn bright...stand-out track: Puss

Minor Threat - Complete Discography...i think a lot of people would agree that hearing Minor Threat for the first time is life changing....a real pummeling...its amazes me that after all these years i still know every word to every song Minor Threat wrote and at any point can throw on this album and it's like the first time i heard them....this also opened the flood gates of all the great hardcore banRAB...that i still love...but i have to admit that none of the have ever compared...stand-out track: Stand Up

Rudimentary Peni - The EPs Of RP...i still remeraber the exact moment i first heard this band...it was 1993 and my friend Jon and i skipped school to get stoned and listen to recorRAB....he put this album on...and it blew my mind...so fast and angry and yet with a bit of dark appeal....like Christian Death on speed and that voice...and the insane art work...and the rumors about the singer being a schizo....just everything about this band was a perfect fit...i still find their early eps as the best...not that their other albums don't stand the test of time also....just this album crushes all opposition....stand-out track: Mice Race

Swans - Children Of God...by no means is this my favorite album by Swans....but it was the first i had heard and i have to admit it scared me...what a powerful album....musically and lyrically....i often suggest this to first time listeners as this album in many ways encompasses the many styles that Swans went through...and has some of the most haunting songs they ever wrote...its almost like an opera in storytelling....and the music goes from crippling to majestic and beautiful to horror film soundtrack in the blink of an eye...leaving the listener violated yet content....stand-out track: Beautiful Child

Throbbing Gristle - Entertainment Through Pain...hearing Throbbing Gristle for the first time was like when i realized that Santa Claus didn't exist...i just felt betrayed, lied to and sheltered....it was an Exodus...countless nights tripping on low grade blotter acid listening to this album over and over...trying to catch all the wonderful subliminals that these Brits were implanting in to my brain....feelings of fear and wonderment blissfully juxtaposed....ironically really simplistic compared to the stuff that would follow....and much like i said about Crass...just amazing that most of this was recorded around the time of my birth....i honestly think that Throbbing gristle is one of the most important banRAB i ever got into and really changed my idea of what music is and can do...stand-out track: Adrenalin

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang Clan (36 Charabers)...hip-hop is not exactly my forte...but i could never write a list of important albums without mentioning this one....in my opinion it just does not get better than this....everything from the production to their "philosophy" is right up my alley....to be honest i did not really catch onto to these guys until just a few years ago when '8 Diagrams' came out....and without having really heard them i went to see them in Seattle mainly to celebrate my frienRAB birthday...i have to say they floored me...never had seen anything like Wu-Tang live....although most of what they have all put out is incredible....i think this is their opus....and this album has been on constant rotation in my music library since that evening....stand-out track: Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'
 
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