Top 10 albums

[Rude]

So I don’t think there’s a topic like this, but this is prob the most subjective topic in this forum because of the different eras and areas we all grew up in. I’m throwing in 2-3 that may seem outrageous or insane even but when I heard them it completely changed me and that’s the definition of a formative album. Go weird. No shame in your choices. If Selena Gomez spoke to you it’s all good. No one can tell you she didn’t help u when u needed that. 

 

 

1. Pink Floyd—The Wall (perfectly brilliant)

 

2. Pink Floyd—dark side (best psychedelic album ever so in my formative years it was a go to many a night 

 

3. Led Zeppelin-Led zeppelin. To debate which of 1-4 is better is futile imo. It’s like arguing is Scarlett better than sugar mags. 

 

4.  Fleetwood Mac-Rumors. 

 

5. Grateful Dead—live Dead. 1st Dead album I had. 

 

6. Grateful Dead—skeletons from the closet. 2nd Dead I had. Music club. Who knew this wasn’t really their greatest hits lol. 

 

7. NWA—straight out of Compton. This album was the theme album of our basketball team in high school. I went from innocent kid to saying fuck the police and knowing strawberry is a girl selling pussy for crack to the dopeman. For a 16yr old sheltered kid from west KY to have his mind projected into the violent California ghettos was like watching the deer hunter for the 1st time. 

 

8. Steve Miller band greatest hits. We wore this out. 

 

9. Red Hot Chili Peppers—Blood sugar sex magic. This album has it all. So many styles. Rick rueben’s Masterpiece. Prob played this as much as any CD ever 

 

10. GnR-Appetite for destruction. Wake up late honey put on your clothes and take your credit card to the liquor store or your daddy works in porno now that mommy’s not around. She used to love her heroin but now she’s underground. For prob 3 years in my insane coked out wild college days we lived this album. Axl inspired us at least with this one. His other shit made us want to vomit. 

 

So these were just a few that popped in my head and note that several no longer resonate at all and don’t hold the test of time while I’m playing Animals right now even though it didn’t make the list but still hits. 

 

Edit:  I left out Blsck sabbath Black Sabbath which was one my dad had on album and started my love of hard rock that led me to zeppelin lol. Led me to zep 😛

 

[Dead duck]

Dark side/Wall are my 1-2 also

Beauty/Workingmans probably my 3-4. 

The rest I’d have to think about. Top Albums to me are ones you can play front to back top to bottom and not want to skip anything. Probably would be some old country in there. Rumors is a good one too. Agree about the Zep albums although I might lean IV if I’m thinking right. If I included live stuff my whole list would be replaced with live dead and Dicks/Dave’s picks besides the Floyd albums most likely. 

[Greg from Chestertown]

 Formative, huh? Ok. Ten? I ‘ll try.

1) Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced. When I got my first stereo for my bedroom for Christmas, I also got a handful of albums. This was one of them. I don’t remember the others but I played this until I wore it out.

2) ZZ Top, Tres Hombres. 

3) ELO, El Dorado

4) Pink Floyd, Dark Side

5) James Taylor’s Greatest Hits. I love acoustic guitar.

6)Frampton Comes Alive. My first concert,JFK Stadium, Philly. 140,000 people.

7)Genesis, Wind and Wuthering. That led to Trick of the Tail, which led to And Then There Were Three, which led to Seconds out, which led to their entire catalog.

😎 Steely Dan countdown To Ecstasy, which led to everything they did. It’s all good, Aja is their best.

9) Little Feat, Time Loves A Hero, which led to their entire catalog. 

10, Yes, Fragile, which led to damn near everything they did.

 Then I got turned on to American Beauty, Europe ‘72, Wake of the Flood, which led to their entire catalog. 

Honorable mentions, Steve Winwood, Arc of a Diver. Jean-Luc Ponty, Cosmic Messenger. Aerosmith, Toys in the Attic. Robert Palmer, Sneakin’ Sally through the Alley.  Marshall Tucker Band, actually,  top ten. Doobie Brothers, Rikki Lee Jones, Ritchie Blackmore, David Bromberg, billy Joel, CSNY, Bob Seeger, but pretty much nothing but Grateful Dead since 1980. 

[Mango]

I'll play...see if i can remember things...

 

GD live/dead. Not really and album per say but had the biggest impact on me, exploding the boundaries of What music could be.

 

GD american beauty...my intro to the dead. Perfect album.

 

Steely Dan can't buy a thrill. They hit the ground running, classic song after classic song

 

Punk Floyd dark side of the moon. My mom gave it to me. I preceded to fall alseep to it every night for a long time. Burned into my memory- Animals as well.

 

The Pixies greatest hits? I honesty don't remember what album but back in my skateboarding days it was huge.

 

Operation Ivy...greatest hits/Compilation of their three albums. Skater days...good shit

 

Steely dan...hmmm which one? I'll go Aja. Perfect

 

GD wake of the flood. A well made album with many of my favorite songs

 

GD blues for allah...From the very first chords of Help on the way i was SOLD

 

Yes close to the edge. More recent discovery...amazing

 

Led zep III...agree about 1-4 but I'll pick this one

 

John coltrane...ok cheating...Love supreme, favorite things, blue train

 

Miles Davis...cheating again...in a silent way, kind of blue

 

Jorma's quah. If you haven't, listen.

 

Ok i lost count. This on no way represents any hierarchical anything...just stuff i like. I'm sure i missed many crucial albums...

 

Good topic, thanks

[Tom Banjo]

Higher order thinkers have spoken. My opinion has no place here. 

[Mango]

4 minutes ago, Mason's Child said:

Higher order thinkers have spoken. My opinion has no place here. 

Feelings hurt? It's subjective, everyone can contribute.

[Rude]

Doesn’t mean “album” literally. Doesn’t have to be vinyl. 

Pixies—surfer Rosa is one of my favs. Doesn’t make a top 20 but it’s a pretty brilliant album with lots of different styles and themes. I think albums like The Wall and blood sugar sec magic had so many different styles of songs that my mind got blown you could do ballad to punk to funk to blues. 

48 minutes ago, Mason's Child said:

Higher order thinkers have spoken. My opinion has no place here. 

 

This is subjective as shit. What did u play out in high school.  If the Jonas brothers and their chastity promises made you want to be a better person, boom that’s as valid as Dark side. 

[Blindman]

Ah yes...  the Top 10 albums thread.  Been started and discussed since the dawn of... well... the late 60's. 

 

The answer has consistently boiled down to Led Zeppelin's first six albums.  Yes, all six are in the all time Top 10.  If this answer raises suspicion, please listen to those albums closely before responding. 

 

The remaining slots belong to Purple Rain, Rastaman Vibration, Appetite for Destruction and Straight out of Compton.  Kudos for the above starheads for nailing the last two on the list.  

[Island Bro]

I would add:

 

Neil Young, Harvest

 

and Van Morrison, Astral Weeks

 

This thread could go on and on as there is so much...

[Tom Banjo]

Just surprised that this thread subjective thinking is okay but the other thread subjective thinking is frowned upon. I don’t know to decipher the difference thread to thread. I subjectively give me two cents wherever they are wanted and warranted. I don’t see my opinion needed on the Dso forums for a minute. Didn’t feel challenged by anything. I found your comment to be a rude and unnecessary in relation and context to the subjective conversation. Sometimes it’s better to just not hit send. I’m clearly aware of my deep delusions about the greatness of the GD. I’m gonna hold onto them. 

 

Im sure I will return when I truly have something to say. Maybe after the Jamacain waters bring healing and light.  Until then, subject away. I will be reading. Enjoying your discussions. 

[acududeman]

Coltrane - A Love Supreme

Miles Davis  - Kind of Blue

Dave Brubeck - Take Five

Little Feat - Waiting For Columbus

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Beatles - Revolver

Simon & Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence

Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left

Fleetwood Mac - Rumors

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

 

Honorable Mention: 

       Grateful Dead - Live Dead, American Beauty

       Phish - Billy Breathes

       Talking Heads - '77

       Beatles - White Album

       Rolling Stones - Her Satanic Majesties Secret Request

       Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow

        Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter

       Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority

       Radiohead - (all of it)

       B-52's - first 2 albums

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

Hey, MC. I would love to hear what you listened to before you found the Dead. I’ve never met you but consider you my friend. (I thought I met you at the Anthem but it turned out to just be some guy named Mason) this isn’t really about opinions. For me, it was the times when I was a young teenager, early to mid seventies. That dictated what albums I fell into, along with what my buddy’s older sister listened to, combined with what friends of friends listened to. It’s all a simple twist of fate. You can’t be wrong. Come on, let ‘er rip. What did you listen to before you found Jerry and the Boys?

[bs69]

I'll throw a few out for consideration:

Stones/ Let it bleed,  when I was a kid my aunt gave me her old 8 track player and this tape to play on it, played the hell out of it

 

Chicago/ Chicago Transit Authority,  A lot of people hear Chicago and immediately think of the sappy 80's ballads,  this is a very different animal and a must listen if you haven't

 

Moody Blues/ In search of the lost chord, spent many an evening staring at the ceiling and listening to this straight through

 

Beatles/ White album,  tough to choose but this one has so many great songs

 

Hendrix/ Axis bold as love,  mind blowing Hendrix

 

Zeppelin/ Physical Graffiti,  this is difficult to decide because I love zeppelin but hey this one's a double. Really like a lot of the deeper tracks here: Ten years gone,  In the light,  Sick again, In my time of dying,  down by the seaside 

 

Pink Floyd/ Animals and Meddle, The wall, Dark side and wish you were here are all awesome and introduced me to Floyd but I really dig these two and play them more probably because they didn't get the airplay

 

Stevie Ray Vaughan/ Texas Flood,  brought on my blues phase

 

Yes,  Classic Yes,  wore this one out.  When I worked at a ski resort in Colorado in the late 80's I would listen to Heart of the Sunrise on my way to work every morning, it was the exact length of my commute

 

Rush/2112, brilliant from start to finish

 

I honestly never listened to GD albums always live tapes,  after listening to the live stuff I find it difficult to listen to studio versions

[Mojo Hand]

These are the albums I wore out the most.  In no particular order.

(for me.....I do not include the Grateful Dead in any of these discussions. They are an art form unto themselves.  "The only ones at what they do."  I don't really put them in song/artist/albums comparisons.)

 

Van Halen - Women and Children First

Neville Brothers - Yellow Moon

Crosby Still and Nash - self-titled 1969 "CSN" album

Neil Young - Harvest Moon (1992)

Martin Sexton - Black Sheep

Old and In the Way - self-titled album

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - UFOTOFU

Dar Williams - Mortal City

The Hooters - Amore

Blues Traveler - self-titled 1st album 

God Street Wine - $1.99 Romances

Guns and Roses  - Appetite for Destruction

 

Hon Mention:

The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta

Allman Brothers - Eat a Peach

Natalie Merchant - Tigerlilly

Van Halen - Diver Down

Miles Davis - at least a handful of his albums

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Texas Flood

 

 

 

 

 

[Hardpan]

Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station: my first and some of my most dear GD music

Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die: my favorite before discovering I like the Grateful Dead at the end of high school, snippets play in my mind every day

J.D. Crowe and the New South - self titled (Rounder 0044): some of the finest bluegrass

The Bluegrass Album Band: The Bluegrass Album (all volumes) what can I say, I'm a Crowe freak

Tony Rice - Church Street Blues: what a lovely surprise to discover, upon beginning my obsession with bluegrass, that Tony Rice wasn't just some schlub that Jerry and Grisman had tagging along on the Pizza Tapes, but the finest bluegrass guitarist of all time. What a great album, probably my favorite non Grateful Dead music. The definitive cut of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan: In Session: two blues guitar greats getting it done, fabulous.

Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily: The voice of the lead angel in the angel band, what a voice 😍

Flatt and Scruggs - At Carnegie Hall: bluegrass 101, if you want to learn it, listen to this.

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver: The Original Band: more bluegrass, this is a double album of the first band Doyle put together in 1979, after working with many fine groups.

 

Sorry for all the bluegrass, can't really think of many stand alone albums that influenced me more than the bluegrass albums I played over and over and over and over to learn how to play it. My music interest went from rap in high school, to Grateful Dead, to bluegrass, which I eventually burned out on, back to Grateful Dead, with a scattering of other stuff, but pretty much monogamous in my listening during those periods of my life.

 

 

 

 

[PoetryGirl]

Doors The best of the doors

Yes Classic Yes

Rush Exit ...Stage Left

Big Brother and the holding company  cheap thrills

Shrine Auditorium Nov 10/11, 1967

Workingman’s Dead 

Pink Floyd Meddle and Animals

REM Fables of Reconstruction

Violent Femmes Violent Femmes

The Cure Disintegration  

Joni Mitchell complilation by a friend 

CSNY Deja Vu

 

[John A]

There's a lot of responses here and surprised that I only saw the Beatles typed once.

 

And haven't seen any mention of Who's Next so I'll add that to the growing list. I'd put Who's Next top 5.

 

Nor has there been a single mention of a Dylan album.  Also shocking.

 

Hardpan - good call on Tigerlily.  That's great stuff.

 

One more I'll add that's a bit off the beaten path - Dire Straits Making Movies.  Side 1 in particular is mind-boggling.

[Rude]

2 hours ago, PoetryGirl said:

Doors The best of the doors

Yes Classic Yes

Rush Exit ...Stage Left

Big Brother and the holding company  cheap thrills

Shrine Auditorium Nov 10/11, 1967

Workingman’s Dead 

Pink Floyd Meddle and Animals

REM Fables of Reconstruction

Violent Femmes Violent Femmes

The Cure Disintegration  

Joni Mitchell complilation by a friend 

CSNY Deja Vu

 

 

Best of the doors, femmes, cure, REM and rush were huge for me early too. So much music coming back. In middle school through early high school REM was prob my favorite. I can still sing 90% of the end of the world and keep up. The other 10% I’ll mumble effectively. Driver 8 was the only thing I ever learned to play on guitar lol. I could only do the intro but still  Reckoning through document were awesome. Once Green hit I lost interest. 

 

Its finny bevayse i remember a chick friend of mine putting on candles and listening to the Cure lol. Simple pleasures like candles, a Mexican pressed weed joint and music were great 

[Greg from Chestertown]

I thought of who’s next after I posted along with a bunch of others. Rikki Lee Jones didn’t get put up high enough on my list. Her first two albums spent a lot of time on my turntable. No one sings like her. 

[Billy DeLyon]

In no particular order.  I could probably name another 10 but here's what I got without paging through my "Bible" of CDs, and yes I still have one, albeit most of the disc are probably scratched

 

1. Grateful Dead ~ Without a Net
2. Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits
3. Guns & Roses Appetite for Destruction
4. Allman Brothers Band - A decade of hits 1967-1979
5. In Session (Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan)
6. The Doors in concert Live (2 disc)
7. Jimi Hendrix Are you Experienced?
8. Jerry Garcia Oregon State Prison + bonus trax
9. Bob Marley Legend
10. Led Zeppelin IV
11. Pink Floyd Darkside of the Moon

 

Yea I know 11 is one more than 10.  Didn't have time for these albums to battle it out in my head while at work

Honorable Mentions:

2-Pac All Eyes on Me

Dr. Dre The Chronic
Jethro Tull Original Masters
Bad Company - The Best of Bad Company Live
Beatles - Sgt. Peppers
Weezer Blue Album
Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Sublime 40 oz. to Freedom

The Cream of Clapton

Rory Gallagher - The complete BBC Sessions

[PoetryGirl]

My favorite Cure song is the Kiss. Not really a candle song, more a funeral pyre. 

[Rude]

16 hours ago, Mason's Child said:

Just surprised that this thread subjective thinking is okay but the other thread subjective thinking is frowned upon. I don’t know to decipher the difference thread to thread. I subjectively give me two cents wherever they are wanted and warranted. I don’t see my opinion needed on the Dso forums for a minute. Didn’t feel challenged by anything. I found your comment to be a rude and unnecessary in relation and context to the subjective conversation. Sometimes it’s better to just not hit send. I’m clearly aware of my deep delusions about the greatness of the GD. I’m gonna hold onto them. 

 

Im sure I will return when I truly have something to say. Maybe after the Jamacain waters bring healing and light.  Until then, subject away. I will be reading. Enjoying your discussions. 

 

This isn’t an opinion thread. Every response is correct. I’m enjoying seeing what inspired or made people groove and feel alive when they were younger before we were full blown deadheads.  Note the Jonas brothers wasn’t a crack on you and if u loved them then nothing else matters. On that note, I also listened to tons of Metallica too. Master of puppets is definitely an honorable mention. Been a while since I popped that on but last time I did prob 5-10 years ago it was a little hard to enjoy. 

 

Just to show my vulnerability, the very 1st CD I got with my CD player my junior year of high school for Christmas was Tone Loc that had the song funky cold Medina.  I had a nice receiver and speakers but when I heard the perfect sound of a CD vs my denon tape deck which was a solid tape deck, I was blown away. So Tone Loc was the 1st time I heard perfect sound. I set the bar pretty low.

 

I also am playing several albums I forgot about completely until I saw them listed by people here. Thanks for the ideas. 

[Dead duck]

24 minutes ago, Rude said:

 

This isn’t an opinion thread. Every response is correct. I’m enjoying seeing what inspired or made people groove and feel alive when they were younger before we were full blown deadheads.  Note the Jonas brothers wasn’t a crack on you and if u loved them then nothing else matters. On that note, I also listened to tons of Metallica too. Master of puppets is definitely an honorable mention. Been a while since I popped that on but last time I did prob 5-10 years ago it was a little hard to enjoy. 

 

Just to show my vulnerability, the very 1st CD I got with my CD player my junior year of high school for Christmas was Tone Loc that had the song funky cold Medina.  I had a nice receiver and speakers but when I heard the perfect sound of a CD vs my denon tape deck which was a solid tape deck, I was blown away. So Tone Loc was the 1st time I heard perfect sound. I set the bar pretty low.

 

I also am playing several albums I forgot about completely until I saw them listed by people here. Thanks for the ideas. 

Embarrassing fact: I have a Jonas show on my resume. Made more embarrassing that I only have two boys. Made even more embarrassing by the fact my oldest was so excited he puked when we walked into (deer creek). They watched Disney so it was crammed down all our throats. Lol

Also random shows on the resume: Coolio (Spring break ‘96) Monkees/Weird Al (87ish). 

[Rude]

Seeing the Hendrix reference, how many of you have been to Electric ladyland Louisville. I remember my 1st time in 89 when in high school. There weren’t head shops in the Midwest back then but electric ladyland in Louisville was a pioneer. I’d bet most of you midwesterners visited it in the 80/90s or later. I was thinking it closed at one point but it shows it’s still open. Bs69 I’m sure you visited and I’d bet Dino has visited half a dozen times. A Head shop to a 17yr old was like a fuck you to the conservative establishment when I was trying to figure the world out. Just the existence of that place was a beacon of hope. Prob made 5 road trips there in my life. 

[chuckvegas]

I've never really listened to music that much and I can't name ten albums that were formative or otherwise had a great impact on me while I was growing up. As an art form it simply does not move me in the same manner that it does others. I recognize the names of some of the bands listed in this thread because I had friends in college who would play the records on occasion.

 

But two I recall getting as a young teenager when they came out (coincidentally in the same year) are Liege & Leaf by Fairport Convention and Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane. I suppose 1969 was a significant year in America, as the country was involved in an unpopular war and the young people as a whole did not care for the president, and at age 14 my habits may have reflected the tenor of the times. But that was then. Now at least the current war is less visible because there is no draft and the body count is smaller.