Favourite Albums

[thefutureofpolitics]

I thought I would start a post about favourite albums because I am a bit of a music obsessive. These are ten of my favourite albums, although I have many favourites:

1. Suede 'Dog Man Star'
   
2. David Bowie 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars'
   
3. Sex Pistols 'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols'
   
4. Pulp 'Different Class'
   
5. Oasis 'Definitely Maybe'
   
6. The Smiths 'Hatful of Hollow'
   
7. Elvis Costello 'Armed Forces'
   
8. Pixies 'Surfer Rosa'
   
9. The Beatles 'Revolver'
   

10. Dexys Midnight Runners 'Searching for the Young Soul Rebels'

[penguinsarecool]

You got good music taste

[ShowOfHands]

Gosh. Isn't music subjective? You've listed some albums I'd happily never listen to again. It's fascinating.

[ShowOfHands]

A couple I agree are very good btw. It's just remarkable that your favourites could be in my most irritating list.

Do you associate any of them with a particular time in your life?

[thefutureofpolitics]

These are just some of my favourites, just off the top of my head. Yes, I was brought up on the whole Britpop thing, so some are from that era. Other than that, although it has been said many times, I think that Never Mind the Bollocks is one of the greatest political and sociological statements ever made; I like albums with scope, scale and a manifesto hence Searching for the Young Soul Rebels; Armed Forces was the first Costello album I ever owned and played it death to the point where I know it word for word; I followed the Pixies around Europe when they first reformed so Surfer Rosa has memories of that; Erm, and I just love The Smiths and The Beatles. I think that's it really. There is so much music that I love, this is just the tip of the iceberg really.

[thefutureofpolitics]

Thank you penguinsarecool!!

[MadeMan]

"Isn't music subjective?"

Yes it is. I very rarely talk to anyone about music anymore because it is so subjective and in my experience it can end up being a bit like talking about politics or religion.

I never want to hear another Lennon versus McCartney debate down the pub ever again; they're both crap in my opinion.

[mrstweefromtweesville]

OP, two out of your ten would be on my list, and a third would be a runner up.

[mewkins]

I like some on your list (love Pulp, Smiths, dexys and definitely Pixies!) I don't live Oasis but actually I know that album back to front as we listened to it on repeat doing our art a-level coursework so it brings good memories and the smell of acryllics!
I couldn't pin down ten. But, like you I love music and have songs running through my head all the time. I want to throw into the mix some of my old favourite albums and some more recent favourites:
Astral Weeks- Van Morrison
Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
Kings and Queens - Jamie T
The King is Dead- The Decemberists
Heartbreaker- Ryan Adams
Lovesongs for underdogs - Tanya Donelly

[mewkins]

Btw, I struggle with whether we are still meant to consider albums as things these days - I still sometimes buy a cd and often find that album tracks are my favourite. I hope albums don't die out with the age of digital music.

[RusholmeRuffian]

My top ten (which will probably change tomorrow) in no particular order are:

Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
The Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About
Weakerthans - Left & Leaving
Buffalo Tom - Let Me Come Over
Counting Crows - August & Everything After
The Gaslight Anthem - The 59 Sound
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Neil Young - Harvest
Chuck Ragan - Feast or Famine

I spent ages thinking about that! I bet I change my mind the minute I click post.

[thefutureofpolitics]

I am absolutely loving the top albums lists, thank you everybody. Mewkins, I love that you mentioned Tanya Donelly 'Lovesongs for Underdogs', that is such a fantastic album! And RusholmeRuffian, I really had to stop myself from changing my mind or making a list of about 100. I can now think of so many more that were worthy of inclusion, lots of Britpop era albums (eg. the first Elastica album), the second Tindersticks album or some really obscure ones which I played to death at the time.

[Cocolepew]

No particular order.

Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads
Plastic Letters and Parallel Lines, Blondie
Rolled Gold, The Rolling Stones
Best of Neil Diamond
Purple Rain and Parade, Prince
Vital Idol, Billy Idol
Sandinista, The ClashClash
El Camino The Black Keys

[mewkins]

Thefuture...es isn't it brilliant? I love her voice and totally odd lyrics. I think she put a lot of herself in that album. I am loving these lists too. Can't beat a recommendation for discovering new stuff.

[penguinsarecool]

Graham Coxon - Happiness in magazines
Donovan- Sunshine superman
Beatles - White Album
Libertines - Up the bracket
Radiohead - Ok Computer
White Stripes - White blood cells
Amy Winehouse - Back to black
Elliott Smith - Figure 8
Chemical Brothers - Push the button
Gorrilaz - Plastic beach

[mewkins]

Yes!!! White Stripes White Blood Cells! Totally brilliant

[thefutureofpolitics]

It really is a wonderful and very underrated album, Mewkins. I always loved Belly, The Breeders and Throwing Muses too, then that solo album was so different to those bands, definitely a very personal and unique album. And I agree about albums being a dying thing / art in the digital age. I don't download at all and would rather buy the physical product but a lot of the time, it seems to be just the artists who have been around a lot longer who still do 'real albums'. I love the Savages album because it is one of the only recent albums by a new band I have found which still has that sensibility. I like albums with a beginning, middle and an end, etc. And more great lists cocolepew and penguinsarecool!

[mewkins]

Yes Belly and Breeders are brilliant. I wish there were more female fronted bands these days. Have you heard the Maccabees Marks to Prove it? It is a fab album and very much structured like one with the proper progression and a-side b-side feel to it. I love it.

[BikeRunSki]

Green Day - American Idiot
World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
I Am Kloot - Northern Skies
Peter Gabriel - So
Natalie Merchant -Tiger Lily
Teenage Fan Club - Grand Prix
Jethro Tull - Crest of a Knave

I might have to kick out Teenage Fan Club for Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense

[horsewalksintoabar]

Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
The Smiths- Hatful of Hollow and everything else really
The Cure- Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me
Bjork- Vespertine
Nils Frahm- Spaces

[velouria]

Oooh will have to download that Tanya Donnelly album, randomly happened on the video for bright lights years ago and loved it.

[bigTillyMint]

Some great albums mentioned - love all of these
Pulp 'Different Class'
Oasis 'Definitely Maybe'
The Smiths 'Hatful of Hollow'
Elvis Costello 'Armed Forces'
Amy Winehouse - Back to black
Beatles - White Album
Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads
Parallel Lines, Blondie
Purple Rain, Prince

Plus, amongst others,
Bob Marley Legend
Madness 'One Step Beyond'
The Undertones 'The Undertones'
Carole King 'Tapestry'

[workshyfop]

These are the ones I listen to most now.

Alison Moyet - Voice
Neil Young - After the Goldrush
Kate Rusby - Underneath the Stars
Nick Cave - The Lyre of Orpheus
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand

[MyBoysAreFab]

Great list OP. Numbers 6, 7, 8 and 10 would be on my list I think.

Loved Belly.

Off the top of my head, i'd add Aztec Camera - High Land Hard Rain. Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy. The Go Betweens - 16 Lovers Lane. So many more..

[MyBoysAreFab]

Fannies - Bandwagonesque/Grand Prix.

[MeganChips]

Difficult, some great albums already listed though. I think I would go for:

Villagers - Awayland
Bjork - homogenic
The War on Drugs - Lost in a dream
Passion Pit - Gossamer
Lamb - Fear of fours
The The - Mind Bomb
Airborne Toxic Event- the airborne toxic event
New model army - Thunder and consolation
Late of the pier - Late of the pier
Any Laura Marling!