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'

Yes, exactly what is lacking in music today: "Proper music by proper musicians!" ... and proper songs that are about something and have something to say! There are barely even any bands anymore, it is all really meaningless solo artists and terrible dance music which is even worse than the terrible dance music in the early 90's. My other half and I were listening to the Top 40 (or whatever it is called now) in the car a few weeks ago and every song made 2 Unlimited's No Limits sound like a masterpiece!

Nowadays, because it is relatively easy to make a hit, some music fans are equally easy to please.

There's great stuff around today! really, I promise you....it's not at all true that no good music is being made atm.

Gesaffelstein, DSL, Todd Edwards, 20Syl, Para One, EDC, Hocus Pocus, C2C, Justice, Cassius, Madeon....don't know if you'd see Daft Punk as recent (I like their old stuff more) but they're golden

Good music usually comes round in cycles, we are due a good year i think, i hope!

Ed Banger are releasing quite a few new albums in 2016 I think

Red Dirt Girl may be the most haunting song ever written but I've never met anyone in real life who knows it. I agree that Nebraska is the best Bruce Springsteen album so I'm going to have to go listen to everything else on your list, ThingWithFeathers.

Some of my favourites at the moment are
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
Melissa Etheridge - The Road Less Travelled
Alan Jackson - The Bluegrass Album

Marking my spot, and I'll give you

Phil Collins - But Seriously
And
Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing

As part payment!

And Prodigy - Fat of the Land......

I adore music, definitely my favourite hobby.

Love the choices. I haven't heard the Placebo and Prodigy albums for ages!

We were just talking about The Beautiful South and The Housemartins on the lyrics thread so a mention for 'Welcome to the Beautiful South' and 'London 0, Hull 4', respectively, on here too. Love Paul Heaton's songwriting ...

How about some:

Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell 2
Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway
Queen - Made in Heaven (Platinum Collection is a must must must too)
and
Armin van Buuren - Imagine

For a Monday morning....I shall be back, lol.

Definitely a seconded vote for Meatloaf, but the first 'Bat Out of Hell' for me and the theatrics on this song, especially!

Loving the Queen choice too! It's an obvious choice I know but my Queen choice would be 'A Night At the Opera'.

This is a good threat, it is nice to see other people with good music tastes!

I will put in a vote for NWA 'Straight Outta Compton' because my boyfriend and I watched the Straight Outta Compton film over weekend and loved it!

And a bit more hip hop I love ... De La Soul '3 Feet High and Rising' (Ten points if anybody can tell me where the main sample in this song came from ...)

... and Public Enemy 'It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back'. Love this song and also the Tricky version, so an additional vote for 'Maxinquaye'!

Haha I KNEW what song you were talking about even before I clicked the link. I have to say I prefer Patti Russo as a companion to Meatloaf but Kara DeVito absolutely killed that song on the BOOH tour. Perhaps my favourite ML song actually. BOOH is more raw, more emotional whilst the second has more polish. I still prefer the second ;)

Good day to listen to Queen music too, RIP Freddie...

I'm not a fan of rap but 2pac's music is eminently listenable, Changes is exceptional, hard to pick out a standout album.

Nightwish' Dark Passion Play is a dark, almost goth rock album I love. Equally Amaranthe's debut of the same name follows the same style. Also Elis' Dark Clouds in a Perfect Sky. Evanescence's Fallen is very good but Origin kicks it into touch.

More rock from Bryan Adams, Sting, Belinda Carlisle...and a Heart, I love Heart, so talented.

Switching up genres, all of Lene Marlin's albums are full of easy, soft and emotional songs. Savage Garden's Affirmation and all of Darren Hayes' solo albums (Darkness is a brilliant song). Madonna's Ray of Light (Frozen is yummy) and Something to Remember..... Everything by Per Gessle and Roxette.

Trance is by far my favourite genre of the past 20 years but it's hard to single out albums, vocalists like Jennifer Rene, Sarah Howells, Jes, Audrey Gallagher, Christina Novelli, Sue McClaren, Justine Suissa and Roxanne Emery all brighten the genre. Definitely worth checking out Oceanlabs' Sirens of the Sea (Remixed) album, and Faithless (new one really, 2.0). A huge nod to Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers too, and Culture Club.

Newer music, I'm liking Chvrches, Little Boots, Taylor Swift and Ellie Goulding.

So there's a nice little tapestry of music, I shall dig some YouTube links out later!

Yeah, I think it is the fact it is rawer that gets me with the first Meatloaf album. I like a bit of Jim Steinman too, he knows how to write an epic ... and you mentioned goth, so here is some Jim Steinman with Sisters of Mercy. I don't do much goth (although I do like the non-rubbish bands) but they were brilliant live and 'Floodland' is a great album!

Yes, RIP Freddie. I am actually hard-pressed to choose one Queen album because there are so many good ones. I should probably mention 'The Miracle' because my Dad had it on tape in the car for years and this was always my favourite song from it. Love the video too!

Love the Madonna mention too, 'Ray of Light' is such a great album. I will put in a vote for 'True Blue' because it was the first Madonna album I owned and still have it on vinyl.

Ooh, Fatboy Slim and Chemical Brothers too! I saw Fatboy Slim live at Roskilde Festival in Denmark and he was fantastic! A vote for 'You've Come A Long Way, Baby' by Fatboy Slim and 'Dig Your Own Hole' by The Chemical Brothers

And Sting? I love a bit of Sting too but more The Police than solo (although I do like a lot of his solo stuff). A vote for 'Outlandos d'Amour' and Sting's glasses on this video!

Also had to mention my latest purchase, my £5 best of Slade CD from Asda!! This might be one of the most underrated songs ever ...

A Night At The Opera - Queen
Generation Terrorist - Manics
The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie

My all time favourites but so many fantastic albums. Also love

Crossroads - Bon Jovi
Different Class - Pulp
Hopes and Fears - Keane
All Change - Cast
American Pie - Don McLean
Automatic For The People R.E.M.
Barcelona - Freddie Mercury & Monserrat Caballe
Brigade - Heart
Choke - Beautiful South
Come of Age - Vaccines
Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
Hunky Dory - David Bowie
Intro - J.J.
Queen II - Queen
The Kick Inside - Kate Bush
The Man Who - Travis
The Wall - Pink Floyd
This Is My Truth - Manics
Yours Truly, Angry Mob - Kaiser Chiefs

And tons more

Some more excellent choices, OnADarkDesertHighway! A definite yes to any Manics albums because I stupidly forgot to put any on my original list, duh! I think I have come to the conclusion that I can't limit my fvourite albums to ten!

I will add Guns 'N Roses 'Appetite For Destruction'; 'Use Your Illusion I' and 'Use Your Illusion II' today because of this ...
www.nme.com/news/guns-n-roses/89991 ... Need tickets now!

Guns n' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Nick Cave - The Boatman's Call
Live - Throwing Copper
Pearl Jam - Ten
Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
Audioslave - Cochise
Foo Fighters - One By One
Would struggle to pick a favourite Kings Of Leon album!

Love the choices chickensaresafehere, especially Guns 'N Roses and Nick Cave!

I'm excited for this reunion ... www.alternativenation.net/steven-adler-says-guns-n-roses-reunion-album-blow-away-appetite-destruction/

I love that there are so many Smiths fans on this thread! Great list as well op.

The albums that mean the most to me are:

The Queen is Dead -The Smiths (difficult to choose a favourite though, I love them all)
Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Elephant - The White Stripes
Three EPs - The Beta Band
Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness - The Smashing Pumpkins
Maxinquaye- Tricky
In Utero - Nirvana
Horses - Patti Smith

Automatic for the people- REM. Helped me through sooo much angst over the years.

Beautiful World- Take That.

Come Away With Me- Norah Jones.

Probably totally outed myself with those choices!

The Killers- Hot Fuss

I don't really listen to many albums, I'm more of a compilation type person but my all time, listen on reapeat favourite album is Paul Simon Graceland. It is wonderful.

Thank you SecretLocation! I love your list as well. It is nice to see The Beta Band on there too!

There is nothing wrong with your list at all LittleFishBigOcean, I like a lot of pop music too ... as long as it is the good pop music with good songwriting!

'Graceland' is a great choice Palomb, such a classic!

I just bought the book 'Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk' by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain to read on my way to Tenerife next weekend so I will have to mention 'Ramones' by The Ramones on this list and I will report back on my verdict about the book! ...

I guess that's what I was surprised about with beautiful world. Such a wide range of songs.

I just love this song.

I agree with you LittleFishBigOcean, I genuinely think Gary Barlow is an excellent songwriter ... 'Back For Good' is a great song for a start! I like this cover version too ... Not many people can write good pop songs these days, I actually think it is an underrated art. I like Robbie Williams' solo albums for the same reason, just really good pop songs. 'I've Been Expecting You' is my favourite. I'm nothing if not varied!