# Top 5 albums of all time & why?



## Caveat (21 Aug 2007)

Can you still call them albums?  Sounds a bit old -fashioned now.  Mind you, journalists still say 'records'.

Anyway, thought Top 10 was asking too much but provide 10 if you want.

I'll have to have a think about mine!


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## elefantfresh (21 Aug 2007)

Never Mind the Boll*cks - Sex Pistols 
Probably one of the best rock albums ever made. They didn't do much else but the energy and venum that came out of that album will never be repeated. At a time when people could still be shocked.
The music and lyrics are very ofter over looked and people automatically snub their noses at it as its "just punk/noise" but they couldn't be further from the truth. I accept that lots of punk was just noise but this was special.
Impossible to name just 5 albums as there are so many good ones. Maybe 5 from each genre!!


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## Caveat (21 Aug 2007)

Would probably change all the time.

But here we go (in no particular order)

*Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin* (flawed, arguably has 'filler' but still the definitive Zeppelin album & worth it for the likes of The Rover & Kashmir alone. Brought 'hard rock' to a new level/broader horizons)

*Hunky Dory - David Bowie* (...or any of about half a dozen Bowie albums. The absolute master of strange art-rock/pop)

*Forever Changes - Love *(manages to be melodically weird and catchy as well. Very clever arrangements - truly unique.)

*The White Album - The Beatles *(Their most varied and in many ways most innovative. Some startling tracks e.g. 'Helter Skelter'; 'Happiness...')

*Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd *(Atmospheric, soothing, arousing, unsettling - it can be all these things. Possibly the greatest 'ambient' album ever)

Loads I wanted to include and as I said - could easily change depending on mood etc!!


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## elefantfresh (21 Aug 2007)

> *The White Album - The Beatles *(Their most varied and in many ways most innovative. Some startling tracks e.g. 'Helter Skelter'; 'Happiness...')


 
Sexy Sadie


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## Caveat (21 Aug 2007)

elefantfresh said:


> Sexy Sadie


 
Mmmm!


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## Cahir (22 Aug 2007)

Like most people my favourite albums probably change all the time but the first ones that come to mind are:

Judgement - Anathema
Somewhere in Time - Iron Maiden
Hey Stoopid - Alice Cooper
Living after Midnight - Judas Priest
Vulgar Display of Power - Pantera
Disintigration - The Cure
Master of Puppets - Metallica

Sorry that's more than 5 but the reason I like these albums is because there isn't one bad song on them to spoil them.


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## Caveat (22 Aug 2007)

Strange to see The Cure nestling among the metal! - great album though.

I reckon my No.s 6-10 would have seen some more metal kicking in (Metallica, AC/DC, Slayer)


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## Jock04 (22 Aug 2007)

This morning it's: (in no particular order)

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here. Atmospheric genius

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail. My favourite bands best album- every track better than the one before.

Ry Cooder - Borderline. Stunning guitar, great songs. Classic 

Led Zeppelin - 4 symbols. Hard to pick only 1 LZ, but this one today for "Rock'n'Roll", "Black Dog" "Stairway to Heaven"

Beatles - White Album. Ground-breaking, stunning.

Respect to some of the others already listed above too.

ps Although I wasn't asked not to, I've stayed away from Best Of and Live albums. The usual way of things when these questions come up on music forums.


subject to change next time I look for a CD to put on.


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## Cahir (22 Aug 2007)

Caveat said:


> Strange to see The Cure nestling among the metal! - great album though.
> 
> I reckon my No.s 6-10 would have seen some more metal kicking in (Metallica, AC/DC, Slayer)



I was going to put in The Smiths too but I couldn't choose just one album.  Same for AC/DC.


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## ubiquitous (22 Aug 2007)

Leonard Cohen - The Future
R.E.M. - Green
William S. Burroughs - Dead City Radio
The The - Infected
Massive Attack - Blue Lines


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## Caveat (22 Aug 2007)

Jock04 said:


> ps Although I wasn't asked not to, I've stayed away from Best Of and Live albums. The usual way of things when these questions come up on music forums.


 
Yes. Good point Jock - and nice choices!



Cahir said:


> I was going to put in The Smiths too but I couldn't choose just one album. Same for AC/DC.


 
Mmmm 'The Queen is Dead' maybe? For AC/DC, my choice is probably controversial, but it would be 'Powerage'


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## elefantfresh (22 Aug 2007)

I forgot Bowie at the Beeb


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## Jock04 (22 Aug 2007)

I didn't forget Bowie's Hunky Dory or Ziggy, or Yes's Close to the Edge, or Montrose's Rock the Nation, or Hendrix's Are You Experienced or......so many others who deserve to be there!

ahhh...these threads usually mean I'm in for a musical evening & Mrs Jock can hog the Sky remote!


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## Ceist Beag (22 Aug 2007)

Interestingly most albums so far are pretty old ones - does that mean ye think new bands are crap or just that ye won't consider an album great until it's at least a certain number of years old? I love some of the recent albums from bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon but wouldn't consider them candidates for top 5 (or even 10) until at least 5 years on - if I still love them then they've passed the test of time! For the record, would put the following into my hypothetical desert island suitcase! Can't restrict to 5 and to be honest if I was to look over my collection I'm sure I would add others to this that I've forgotten off the top of my head!

Radiohead - The Bends
U2 - Acthung Baby
Cocteau Twins - Four Calendar Cafe
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Pixies - Doolittle
REM - Green
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellancollie & the infinite sadness


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## Caveat (22 Aug 2007)

Ceist Beag said:


> Interestingly most albums so far are pretty old ones - does that mean ye think new bands are crap or just that ye won't consider an album great until it's at least a certain number of years old? I love some of the recent albums from bands such as Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire and Kings of Leon but wouldn't consider them candidates for top 5 (or even 10) until at least 5 years on - if I still love them then they've passed the test of time! For the record, would put the following into my hypothetical desert island suitcase! Can't restrict to 5 and to be honest if I was to look over my collection I'm sure I would add others to this that I've forgotten off the top of my head!
> 
> Radiohead - The Bends
> U2 - Acthung Baby
> ...


 
Well your Radiohead, Pixies & Pumpkins examples would all feature highly on my lists (so that's me up to date  ) To be honest, I don't think I would rate anything this century as high as others - yet. I think there probably is a re-evaluation period where 5 years on maybe releases don't look quite as 'classic' as were first thought. Your above example aside, Oasis are a case in point.


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## MrMan (22 Aug 2007)

Nirvana - MTV unplugged, but any of them could be included.

REM - Automatic for the people, safe choice, but some great songs, def survived the test of time.

Prodigy - music for the jilted generation, was an absolute masterclass in how to get a weekend going and still sounds fresh.

guns n roses - Appetite for destruction.

Christy Moore, Live at the point - just to add an irish flair to it


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## blueshoes (22 Aug 2007)

britney spears and girls aloud greatest hits.woohoo especially turned up to the max!!

great for cleaning the house especially hoovering and a bop in the car.


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## elefantfresh (22 Aug 2007)

> britney spears and girls aloud greatest hits


 
I can see why this could be good music to clean the house to but to be included in an all time top 5 albums? I'm not so sure. I guess we'll only know in 20 years time...


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## Gabriel (22 Aug 2007)

blueshoes said:


> britney spears and girls aloud greatest hits.woohoo especially turned up to the max!!
> 
> great for cleaning the house especially hoovering and a bop in the car.



If you can't see them jiggling around I just don't see the point!


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## gianni (22 Aug 2007)

1) Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (meandering 10 minute tracks, I love 'em!)

2) Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (could have been 1 of many albums..great lyrics... an, even though he'd disagree, he was the voice of his generation)

3) U2 - Joshua Tree (Edge's amazing riffs & Adam's thumping bass!)

4) Moby - Play (the soundtrack to my youth!)

and an Alan Partridge favourite...

5) The Beatles - The Best of the Beatles


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## jonnyhotspur (22 Aug 2007)

Stone Roses
Green
The Queen is Dead
Never mind the Bollocks
Ok Computer

Probably in that order.

Also rans
Achtung Baby
Funeral
The Bends
Exile on Main Street
Gentlemen


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## MOB (22 Aug 2007)

"Prodigy - music for the jilted generation was an absolute masterclass........ "

Agreed.  All of my children love 'smack my ***** up'.  Thanks to an inspired lie from yours truly, they think the lyrics are 'smell my picture'.  I don't know how long I can preserve their innocence...........


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## bankrupt (22 Aug 2007)

Miles Davis - Kind of blue.
Primal Scream - Screamdelica.
Otis Spann w/ Peter Green - The biggest thing since colossus.
Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles.
Stone Roses - The Stone Roses.


Of all time.  For now, end of discussion ;-)


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## daithi (22 Aug 2007)

My top five would be:

1. This is the Sea -The Waterboys
2. OK Computer -Radiohead
3. The Wall -Pink Floyd
4.  Achtung Baby-U2
5. Revolver -The Beatles

Honorable mentions to
Automatic for the People-REM
Odelay-Beck
If you want blood,You've got it-AC/DC
Astral Weeks- Van Morrison
Five leaves left-Nick Drake

d


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## aircobra19 (23 Aug 2007)

I think my list would have to include some greatest hits and  compilation albums as I tend to listen to them more, as I re-buy my old albums on CD. 

But off the top of my head.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Blues
Ozzy Osbourne -  Blizzard Of Ozz
Van Halen - Van Halen
Led Zeppelin's  - BBC Sessions 
G'n'R - Appetite For Destruction
Loudness - Live Loud Alive (Loudness In Tokyo)


Whats a "Top" album? Theres a bunch of other albums I'd like to include. Hard to know to list your favourite album, albums you know are classic's, well constructed etc. Theres always similar threads on these forums.

[broken link removed]
[broken link removed]


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## CCOVICH (23 Aug 2007)

MOB said:


> "Prodigy - music for the jilted generation was an absolute masterclass........ "
> 
> Agreed. All of my children love 'smack my ***** up'. Thanks to an inspired lie from yours truly, they think the lyrics are 'smell my picture'. I don't know how long I can preserve their innocence...........


 
Smack My ***** Up wasn't on Music For A Jilted Generation!

Cool video though.........


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## Jock04 (23 Aug 2007)

Jock04 said:


> ahhh...these threads usually mean I'm in for a musical evening & Mrs Jock can hog the Sky remote!


 

and that's just what happened!
Thanks to the random button on my Zen, I also now offer the following:

Lynyrd Skynyrd - pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd.  Classic American Rock.

Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed.  Hard to pick the Stones best album, but for today this one, with Gimme Shelter, You can't always get what you want & Midnight Rambler does it for me.

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. Just full of great songs, probably the album that really established CD as a music medium. Stunning production.


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## aircobra19 (23 Aug 2007)

Jock04 said:


> ...
> Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms. Just full of great songs, probably the album that really established CD as a music medium. Stunning production.



Desperately over played though. Ruined it for me.


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## Jock04 (23 Aug 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> Deperately over played though. Ruined it for me.


 
Aye, bit of a victim of its own success, I suppose.

Can't argue with the quality of the product though.


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## Caveat (23 Aug 2007)

Just out of interest Jock - are you a 'headphones' man or a 'blast it through the speakers' man? Have never got into the headphones thing myself.


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## Jock04 (23 Aug 2007)

Hi Caveat,

I'm very much a speakers man! 

Since I like it cranked up, I have to bow to common courtesy occassionaly & stick the bins on if Mrs Jock wants to watch the telly.

But since our musical tastes aren't totally aligned, I tend to wait till she's out & give it some ooomph then!  Nothing beats a room filled with crystal clear quality music in my book.

Oh, have to admit though- I still remember (cos I'm old enough!) the new-found pleasure of listening to Dark Side of the Moon & Led Zep 2 on the headphones & hearing-almost feeling- the music swarm round your head!
happy days (daze)


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## Squire (23 Aug 2007)

Top 5 and even top 20 would change all the time for me but currently and in no particular order.

Deep Purple - Made in Japan (at their very best)
Johnny Cash - Legacy (Just because it has all the great songs on it)
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. (What rock is all about in my opinion - Raw, unsanitised and downright great fun. Big Balls is a classic)
Aslan - Made in Dublin (Classic Christy, great songs)
Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous.


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## aircobra19 (23 Aug 2007)

Caveat said:


> Just out of interest Jock - are you a 'headphones' man or a 'blast it through the speakers' man? Have never got into the headphones thing myself.



A few kids helps develop an interest in "phones" and hiding the HiFi.


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## Caveat (23 Aug 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> A few kids helps develop an interest in "phones" and hiding the HiFi.


 
 

Also, thankfully, have never got into the kids thing myself either.


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## zag (23 Aug 2007)

A Tonic for The Troops - Boomtown Rats
Purple Rain - Prince
Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen
Substance - Joy Division
Road To Ruin - Ramones
Anything by Sonic Death Monkey (Japanese import, original release ONLY) - I used to work with a guy in the band, sounds like some of you guys did too . . .

z


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## Pique318 (23 Aug 2007)

Sooo happy to see so many people listing Zep in this !! Must be an older crowd. Most people my age (early 30s) don't know them apart from Stairway. Have to say that I love the BBC Sessions CD but my fave Studio one is Led Zep III. Love the Accoustic-ness of it.


Soo,
LZ III
AC/DC - Let There Be Rock (1st one I bought so my fave)
Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast.
Nirvana - Nevermind
Metallica - Black Album
Green Day - Dookie
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
and
and
and

I could go on....


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## Jock04 (24 Aug 2007)

Caveat

Slightly off topic, but since we share similar tastes in music and how we listen to it.....and indeed the lack of kids to stop us listening to it!..........

are/were you much of a concert-goer?

I'm lucky enough to have attended literally hundreds over the years, including all the real big names that I wanted to see.
You?


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## Caveat (24 Aug 2007)

Plenty I would like to have seen but didn't - and am unlikely now to have the chance (e.g. Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc) but then again I wasn't old enough

Am *much *less of a gig-goer these days. About 20 years ago I went to everything I could, mostly metal gigs, but also Stones, Queen, Bowie...

I would still make the effort these days if it was something special - e.g. I'm a big Bowie fan and would probably still catch him - did so in the point a couple of years ago. Saw Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead in _relatively_ recent times(!) Also,  Metallica last summer & there are a few more obscure bands I haven't seen and would definitely go to if they played here e.g. Killing Joke, Voivod, King Crimson (whatever incarnation they may take!)

You say literally _hundreds?_ Any unusual examples?

(maybe we should PM this particular tangent!)


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## aircobra19 (24 Aug 2007)

Pique318 said:


> Sooo happy to see so many people listing Zep in this !! Must be an older crowd. ......



I think its because often people find music they like then find other similar music by association, influences etc. Also they listen to their friends music, and often their friends might be listening to their older siblings music etc. Eventually they trace it back to the source. Pretty much any music journey of rock is going to pass Zep on the way at some point on their way to Robert Johnson. 

[broken link removed]


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## elefantfresh (24 Aug 2007)

> are/were you much of a concert-goer?


 
Used to go to gigs all the time - saw loads of my favs over the years.
Iron Maiden, Slayer, Janes Addiction, Orbital (loads of times!), New Model Army, The Wedding Present, Anthrax, Mega City 4, NIN, Acid Reign, The Mission, Underworld, Ozric Tentacles, Eat Static, Subhumans.

Man, i've seen so many i just can't remember 1/2 of them. And all different genres too. Started off with metal/punk then got into the acid house stuff and then back to good old noisy guitars which is where i'm at now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!


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## Jock04 (24 Aug 2007)

Caveat said:


> (maybe we should PM this particular tangent!)


 

Indeed. You have a fairly lengthy pm!


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## Caveat (24 Aug 2007)

Thanks - Just replied to it!


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