All-Time Favourite Albums

[The Business Man]

Hey all. Yet another "Top Music?" thread, but of course this one based on albums. Ever had an album that you just left in your car, CD player, etc. and it played over, over and over again? Yeah, this is for those albums, the ones that you love every track. I'll start this off, hopefully we can keep this to around 5 albums each?

5. Ænima by Tool

In my opinion, the best Tool album so far. Starts off with a solid pounding track in Stinkfist, then flows into a pair of amazing tracks in Eulogy and H. The intro of Eulogy really gets my going, and the actual song is great of course, killer riffs. Then the build up @ 5:00, turning into silence then into a nice mellow groove. I love Eulogy too :3. H. is a really nice track to just relax and listen to, I like to listen to it when I'm going to sleep. Then comes the "Intro tracks" as I like to call them. Useful Idiot, Message to Harry Manback, Intermission, Die Eir Von Satan, Cesaro Summability, and (-) Ions all are intrumental parts usually just with sound effects, or random spoken word stuff like Message to Harry Manback and (-) Ions. Forty Six & 2 and Ænima are within my top 3 favourite Tool tracks ever, along with Schism from Lateralus. The rest of the album is pretty much on par with Eulogy, H., Stinkfist, etc. Just a great album that I can listen to over and over again.

4. Nevermind by Nirvana

My favourite album from the 90's, and the 90's are my favourite decade in music. Hopefully everyone and their dog has listened to this album a few times over, so you should know why this is hear. My first real development into good music when I was 10 or 11 and hearing Smells Like Teen Spirit. I then picked up the album, and was introduced to the world of Grunge which introduced me into some of my favourite bands like Alice In Chains, Foo Fighters, Nirvana (duh), Pearl Jam, etc. Every track on this album is gold, and I pretty much like them all equally. I do have a soft spot for Breed as it was the first song I learned to play on my drums. :)

3. The Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden

Wow. My introduction into metal, which came after my introduction into grunge. The first Maiden song I heard was Run to the Hills, so I immediately bought the album. After 3 months the album hadn't left my CD player (I had most of my music on the computer, but I liked the CD player's sound more so I always played it from there). Honestly, this was my gateway album in which I found tons of bands because I loved the sound of the guitars, the amazing bass work of Steve Harris, the wailing vocals of Bruce, and the drums which Nikko isn't even playing on this album! From T#otB, I became introduced to stuff like Black Sabbath to Megadeth to Pantera to Death to At the Gates. My gateway to metal, plus I love every song to death. It was also the first entire album I learned to play on drums.

2. Crack the Skye by Mastodon

This might be slightly biased as this was released in March, but never before have I fallen so hard and fast for anything involving music. Brann Dailor is also my favourite drummer ever and I use a lot of Brann-esque stuff in my playing. Every song is amaaaaaazzzzzzzing. Oblivion is as good of an opening track as I've heard, Divinations is probably my 2nd favourite song by Mastodon (most listened to on Last.fm, but that doesn't count CD plays or record plays, etc.), and the rest of the album is as good if not better than those two. I'd have to say The Czar is my favourite song by Mastodon, and the play count would be higher if it wasn't 10 minutes long. That's three plays of Divinations for every play of The Czar! Anyway, this slot could change any time, but then again so could any other slot. But as of the exact moment in time, it sits @ #2.

1. The Second Stage Turbine Blade by Coheed and Cambria

My favourite band, my favourite album. I've seen them once already and I'm seeing them again this August in support of Heaven & Hell. This whole album has probably been played uncountable times from start to finish in everything that I can fit a CD in. I love it so much I bought the re-release version also just for the 3 bonus tracks that were only Elf Tower and two demos :|. But alas, I can't get enough of this album and I don't think this place will ever change, unless some new crazy good band comes and moves it. But I've never found anything I like more. I'm actually getting the dragonfly tattoo'd onto the inside of my bicep once I get the money.

Yeah, there ya go. How about everyone else then, eh?

 

[RoseSunglasses]

5. Slayer- Reign in Blood - Thrash metal classic, baby!
4. Opeth - Orchid- Excellent prog metal album, I highly recommend it. ;D
3. Rust in Peace - Megadeth- While his old band Metallica was beginning to sell out, Dave Mustaine and bandmates were releasing an amazing, epic album. :D
2. Slayer- Seasons in the Abyss - Very dark and eerie album by my favorite band ~ <3
1. Metallica- Ride the Lightning - They're not my all-time favorite band, but they definitely make the top five. I LOVE this album- old Metallica is the best!

 

[Doomsday]

If i had to pick solely 5 albums out of my whole music collection to take on a long, long trip, those would be my picks:
5. Pearl Jam - Ten - Pearl Jam at their best.
4. RHCP - Californication - My first album ever! I bought it for Otherside and Around the World, which were hits on the radio. My love for this album was re-kindled later when I discovered Velvet Glove, Californication, Purple Stain, Road Trippin'... This album would be perfect if not only for Porcelain.
3. Metallica - S&M - My first metal album... Good god the whole album is like a musical orgasm. There's a goddamn orchestra playing with Metallica. I think this is one of these albums I wouldn't be able to get bored listening from start to finish. However since this album could be considered a 'greatest hits' of some sort, it's not a surprise I guess!
2. Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane - Probably the most recent addition to this list. Very very solid album, there's not one single song I dislike. Has a sad, creepy aura around most songs.
1. Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory - Now this is what I consider the pinnacle of concept albums. It flows SO well, and it's so good at telling a story and making it fantastically musical to my ears, it's just almost perfect. Highlights? Everything.

 

[Bungalow Bill]

5. Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon- Probably the best Floyd album out there.
4. The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band- Amazing album, every song goes incredibly well together
3. Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin IV (Zoso)- Stairway to Heaven, Rock and Roll, Black Dog, there isn't a bad song on here.
2. The Beatles- Revolver- My first cd and, in my opinion, the height of the Beatles career.
1. Queen- A Night at the Opera- Although they're not my favorite band, they come in a second. There isn't a bad song on here, and it's filled with amazing songs.

 

[chaosmage]

5. Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast - Does anyone do metal solo's better then Maiden? An absolute monster of an album, there isn't a boring moment to be found. Also, it has Hallowed Be Thy Name.

4. The Beatles- Revolver - How the Beatles were able to make so many fantastic albums is beyond me, but they managed to outdo themselves with this one. A perfect pop album from start to finish.

3. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - How do you follow up one of the most popular albums of all time, which has been on the Billboard Charts in one form or another for over 30 years? Apparently by taking what you had done before, but doing everything better and in more interesting ways.

2. Metallica - Ride the Lightning - The album that got me "into" music. Finding just the right balance between the punk influences of Kill Em' All, and the longer more complex Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning does everything right. Metal simply doesn't get any better then this.

1. The Clash- London Calling - The Clash try to play every genre they could here, and they play them all perfectly. How this wasn't the biggest album ever is beyond me, it has the pop appeal, the anthems, everything. Simply put, if you don't listen to this album you're only missing out.

 

[MXIIA]

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
The Beatles - The Beatles 1
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Green Day - American Idiot
Super Smash Bros - all 314 Brawl Songs I compressed into one 700MB CD

In no particular order.

 

[Blln]

I kind of feel like we JUST had one of these but

5. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
5. Weezer - Pinkerton
5. Against Me! - The Disco Before the Breakdown
4. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
3. The Arrogant Sons of Bitches - Three Cheers for Disappointment
2. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
1. Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West

I guess I'll edit in some reasoning later but I'm having some trouble with that now.. I just don't really have very good tangible reasons for liking the music I like, I generally just LIKE it, like on a gut level, but maybe I'll be feeling a little more articulate later.

 

[Corkman]

Sikth - Death Of A Dead Day - a great combination of Tech Metal, and Core Styles. Absolutely Brutal album

Opeth - Ghost Reveries - yes i know this isnt the "correct" opeth album to like :P according to most internet communities...but this is the first one i ever heard..and although ive given all albums a good listen over the past few years, its still the one that stands out...goes to show, Elitist Metal Heads should try thinking outside the box every now and then...instead of going, OMG OMG BLACKWATER PARK, STILL LIFE!!! YEAH BOYS, these are still 2 great albums, but its just the obvious thing for people to say.

Mastodon - Discography - Every album by mastodon has blown me away, ive never been disappointed and they are always taking things to new heights, from the early days of Call of the Mastodon and Remission, to the epic story of Leviathan, to the spine chilling journey of Blood Mountain, and topping it off with the absolutely mind destroying, heart attack inducing Adventure that is Crack the Skye, i will always love mastodon.

Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve - Uncompromisable Brutality, nuff said.

The Ocean - Aeolian - although only a recent thing for me, these guys showed me heaviness i hadn't heard before, along with awesome technicality, this is definitely one of my favs.

 

[Big Poppa]

1. Grace - Jeff Buckley - Wow, is this an almost perfect album. No song on it is bad at all. Jeff's haunting voice and the different style of music is breath taking.
2. Are You Experienced? - The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Rock genius right here. 8]
3. In Between Dreams - Jack Johnson - Don't really know what it is about this album, but damn am I hooked to it.
4. We're Not Alone Here - Breaking Benjamin - First real rock band I started listening to, old favorite.
5. Walking Down Rainhill - Jake Shimabukuro - Ukulele god.

 

[User 12783]

4. RHCP - Californication - My first album ever! I bought it for Otherside and Around the World, which were hits on the radio. My love for this album was re-kindled later when I discovered Velvet Glove, Californication, Purple Stain, Road Trippin'... This album would be perfect if not only for Porcelain.

You and I should be friends. I love RHCP!

My favorite albums of all time:

• cLOUDDEAD - Ten : This album is my new found gem. It's abstract hip hop and compelling lyrics require more then one listen, and sometimes, just the lyrics alone are quite amazing.
• Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP : Raw. Hardcore. And almost everything else. Eminem can rap through almost any beat, and makes it seem like he owns it.
• Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind : Blissful and graceful. It is amazing for road trips.
• Radiohead - OK Computer / Kid A : Sorry but they are tied. Kid A is more low and my favorite, while OK Computer is a classic, and Karma Police just sticks in my head.
• Pixies - Doolittle : Amazing. Just amazing.

 

[Glen]

liars - drum's not dead
billy bragg - back to basics
ex models - zoo psychology
the gaslight anthem - sink or swim
clouddead - clouddead

 

[Darkvirus]

i dident realise somgoners had taste in music :P
In no order
Static X - Machine Top album 1st real heavy metal and loved it from there.
Linkin Park - Hybrid theory The 1st album i ever got myself after hearing one step closer on kerrang that has allways been one of my fave songs ever and the rest of the album is great too ( unlike some of thire softer shit as of recent).
Lamb of God - Sacrament What an album non stop epic drumming and gutaring Starts of with a song called walk with me in hell and that sets the tone of the whole album.
Machine Head - The Blackening There isent a song on this album i dislike, the guitar solos in this are mad and the drumming is impossible how they manage some of this stuff i have no clue.
Children Of Bodom - Are You Dead Yet (UK edition) Heavy metal from finland has a very distinctive sound from american/english. Give them a listen its well worth it if you into heavy metal and i personly think some of thire best stuff if off this album.

i could add soo many more this is just 5 that ive listened to recently

 

[Deschain]

Sikth - Death Of A Dead Day - a great combination of Tech Metal, and Core Styles. Absolutely Brutal album

Opeth - Ghost Reveries - yes i know this isnt the "correct" opeth album to like :P according to most internet communities...but this is the first one i ever heard..and although ive given all albums a good listen over the past few years, its still the one that stands out...goes to show, Elitist Metal Heads should try thinking outside the box every now and then...instead of going, OMG OMG BLACKWATER PARK, STILL LIFE!!! YEAH BOYS, these are still 2 great albums, but its just the obvious thing for people to say.

Mastodon - Discography - Every album by mastodon has blown me away, ive never been disappointed and they are always taking things to new heights, from the early days of Call of the Mastodon and Remission, to the epic story of Leviathan, to the spine chilling journey of Blood Mountain, and topping it off with the absolutely mind destroying, heart attack inducing Adventure that is Crack the Skye, i will always love mastodon.

Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve - Uncompromisable Brutality, nuff said.

The Ocean - Precambrian - although only a recent thing for me, these guys showed me heaviness i hadn't heard before, along with awesome technicality, this is definitely one of my favs.

i like you.

i'll try and flesh out a top five, but fuck guys...this is going to be excruciatingly difficult. -.-

 

[Altmer]

Blackwater Park is better than Ghost Reveries though.

Anathema - Judgement
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down
Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element Part 1

At this moment in time.

But it will be different tomorrow.

 

[alamaster]

Always changing but at this moment:

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Buckethead - Giant Robot
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
System of a Down - System of a Down
Protest the Hero - Kezia

 

[Xephyr]

5. Overcome - All That Remains
Whoa. Seriously, this album is serious business. There's some seriously heavy shit on here, and then there's some songs that are softish. Two Weeks definitely tops this album and is a fantastic song.

4. Amputechture - The Mars Volta
About as good as prog gets right here. Every song is different in its own little way and each song requires multiple listenings. Tetragrammaton blew me away the first time I heard it.

3. The Blackening - Machine Head
Could pretty much be defined as the perfect metal album. Every single song on this album is pretty much fantastic in it's own way. Incredible guitar playing with good vocals and drumming and everything just plain flows.

2. Ride the Lightning - Metallica
Oh, god, this album is so mind-blowingly awesome it's hard to describe in words. Containing absolute classics like For Whom the Bell Tolls and Fade to Black, it's hard not to love this album.

1. Appetite for Destruction - Guns n' Roses
How has nobody mentioned this album yet? Simply the greatest compilation of music I've ever heard. Every single song is fantastic.

 

[Chronos]

1.

This is my current fav PT album. With "Start of Something Beautiful" and "Arriving Somewhere", this album easily jumps to the top my of list.
"Mellotron Scratch" was my first time PT song. Recently picked up a physical copy and was pleasantly surprised by "Shesmovedon".
Highlights:
SOSB- 5 min mark
Halo- bass groove
ASBNH- riff on D
Open Car- drop d riff, chorus

2.

This is one of those albums that i downloaded a while ago randomly (don't remember where i got it) and then recently started listening to. And can't stop listening to.
I don't know what it is about this album (maybe it's because the songs I write end up sounding similar) but i love every song. Highly recommend it.
Oh, by the way, some of the songs take a while to develop, but man, once they do, it's eargasmic.
Highlights:
Commemorative 9/11 t-shirt: opening riff, 6:45
Unfamiliar: 6:30 and on
Trail of Fire: keyboards
Only Twin: so weird, but amazing :)
Sleeping Dogs and Dead Lions: opening verse
The Frame: my fav song, it's great

3.

My first CD. Grew up taking piano lessons, so this guy was an inspiration for me.
Highlights:
The Cradle
Snowman's Dance

4.

My fav C&C album, but not because of Welcome Home. I enjoy the story arc of this album the most.
I couldn't get into C&C until i heard this album.
Highlights:
Apollo 1: The Writing Writer.

5.

Just started listening to this this week, so it's not really one of my favorite albums of all time, but it's still amazing.
It's the most sing-alongish of their albums.
Highlights:
Angel of Death
Cattail Down
King Beetle

 

[DM]

I've been meaning to do this since the thread started, but I'm just now finally posting at home. I have no way of ranking these, so what you see is what you get:

Hum - You'd Prefer an Astronaut

The most important album of my entire life. It started me down the path of mid-90s emo, which led me (directly or indirectly) to every single band I listen to today. The wall of sound created by the guitars mixed with Matt Talbott's understated vocals hit me like no music ever had (and probably ever will again).

Built to Spill - Keep it Like a Secret

What can you really say about this album? It's the best album from probably my favorite band of all time. It's the epitome of true indie rock (remember what it used to be like? Oh, the glory days). Doug Martsch is a musical genius, and here he is at his absolute best.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

This is pure genius. An entire album influenced by Jeff Mangum's drug-riddled dreams about Anne Frank and the Holocaust? Perfect. Who would have ever thought horns could be haunting? I think it's strongest point is its simplicity (and, of course, Mangum's signature vocalizations and ridiculous lyrics).

Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

This album was so much more than I ever expected from Brand New. Coming from such average beginnings as an unimpressive generic emo band, an album like this astounded me. There is so much depth to each song, and just when you think you understand what it's all about, you hear a new note, a new word, and it completely changes your life. Take Limousine, for example... who knew it was biographical? Truly poignant and chilling.

Cursive - The Ugly Organ

Easily their best album, it has truly been all downhill from here. Gretta Cohn's last outing as their cellist shows them reach the apex of their song-writing ability, playing both songs that are angelic and moving surrounded by guttural and earthy, yet all strongly emotional. I love the work they've done with horns on the last two albums, but I fucking miss the strings like crazy.

The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine

Yeah I'm doing six albums, fuck you. I couldn't leave off TAC, they're seriously one of the greatest bands I've ever heard, it'd be a travesty not to mention them. This album has a perfect blend of past, present and future: the guitar-laden works reminiscent of their early emo days, the experimental and spacy sounds from the Low Level Owl years, and hints of their growing post-rock sound found on Sagarmatha. Such a great album.

 

[The Business Man]

Wow, a lot of good stuff going around here. Stuff I wish I could have included like The Mars Volta, Protest the Hero, Cursive, Porcupine Tree, Brand New, etc. I was honestly expecting a lot of shitty stuff like that other thread that talked about christian metalcore too much, but I've been pleasantly surprised. :)

I especially like the mentions of Machine Head's The Blackening. I love Aesthetics of Hate, and whenever I play it I immediately follow it with Cemetery Gates. Kinda like my own tribute, I guess.

Anyway, keep 'em coming! I've already discovered a new amazingness in The Appleseed Cast, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Gaslight Anthem as I've heard of them all before just never actually taken the time to listen. Good stuff!

 

[Ripchord]

Along with the already listed Aeroplane, Illinois, and Keep it Like a Secret, I would have to add:

Apologies to the Queen Mary - Wolf Parade

Spencer Krug + Dan Boeckner + Raw emotion


The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Many argue Funeral is better. I hold the opposite stance. I've listened to this album many, many times. I can't name a below average track on it, and can sure as hell name some amazing ones.

There are so many more I could probably think of, but these jumped out.

 

[Dexterity]

As of now it's (in no order)

Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You

The album art says it all; it's an incredibly bleak and depressing masterpiece. My only gripe is that it can be a little overwhelming (it's double-disc) but every track is great.

Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye

Probably one of the most progressive albums in the 21st century (at least from what I've heard).

Converge - Jane Doe

Wow.

Thrice - The Illusion of Safety

Dustin Krensue is one of my favorite vocalists and the guitars lines are great. Honestly, any Thrice album could have gone here.

Radiohead - Kid A

For a long time OK Computer was my favorite but Kid A has really grown on me these past weeks. It holds some of their best songs and is a little more consistent in my ears. Hell, I even like treefingers.

 

[Glen]

posting more love for the devil and god are raging inside of me as well as the admission that is it probably the best album cover of all time

 

[CaptKirby]

I think I probably said this last time, but whatever

1) Blind Guardian - Imaginations from the Other Side
2) Meat Loaf - Bat out of Hell
3) Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
4) Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys (the two "albums" were intended to be one album, only split up due to record label concerns, and I thus regard them as one)
5) Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild

 

[Altmer]

No Queen? No Queen.

 

[JimBob]

5. Aerosmith - Aerosmith I really see this album as one of the pinnacles of rock and roll. Aerosmith didn't really pull any tricks on this album, they didn't have any joke tracks or anything, they just recorded 35 minutes of straight up rock.

4. Godsmack - Godsmack Does pull some of the tricks that Aerosmith didn't, but when the band is playing on this record, their massive wall of sound pretty much obliterates most other noisy metal bands. I like the rest of their albums, but they all seem more polished, rather than the raw power contained here.

3. Pink Floyd - Animals I actually first heard about this album because I read a thread in the Entertainment Reviews forum. It's pretty much just three tracks (I mean there's about three minutes worth of intro and outro but come on), but they are fantastically crafted and transition from spacey to creepy to intense to heavy and back again, and overall just display incredible musicianship. Even though this isn't my most favorite album, I would recommend that if you haven't heard anything I listed and just check out just one thing, it should be this album.

2. Stone Temple Pilots - Core I've heard a lot of people diss this album but it still blows me away. They throw up some basic themes for songs and then just plod along, not going faster than they need to, just groovin

1. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality Over half of this album is consistently used in Black Sabbath "Greatest Hits" compilations that I've seen, and for good reason - this record is fantastic. While the equipment used in 1971 isn't as heavy, loud, or distorted as the bands have around today (see Godsmack), the riffs that Black Sabbath lays down are heavy as anything ever seen.


Well that's my five favorite albums. Other stuff that I really could listen to for days on end are Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti and Electric Wizard's Dopethrone, but you know 5 albums and all...