We did this a number of years ago. I think the list is here:
Should we try again and see how much has changed? I am prepared to collate them, will set a deadline of May 31st for it. It it could be a sticky mods then that might be helpful.
Rules in first comment, please try and adhere to this to make counting easier.
Rules:
1) Post 10 albums ONLY
2) Place them in order 1 to 10. Number 1 will be allocated 10 points down to 1 pt in 10th place.
3) If you post more than 10 only the first 10 will be counted.
4) If you don’t post a preference in the 10 then each will be allocated 5 pts
5) Post exactly like this :
Number – Album – Artist
e.g. 1 – Revolver – The Beatles
Use proper names not The Fabs or HJHM etc
If you don’t your choice may not be counted.
ADMIN/MODS, I know @dai is too nice to ask again but could you please stick this thread to or near to the top of the page.
Thank you. 😎🏆⬆️🍺🍷
Thanks BH and mods
1 – Kind Of Blue – Miles Davis
2 – A Love Supreme – John Coltrane
3 – All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
4 – The Beatles – The Beatles
5 – Veedon Fleece – Van Morrrison
6 – Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
7 – Basket Of Light – Pentangle
8 – Leige And Leaf – Fairport Convention
9 – American Beauty – The Grateful Dead
10 – Ptah The El Daoud – Alice Coltrane
This is incredibly difficult as there’s so many others that could jostle for a position, but this was a general round up.
1- XTC – Black Sea
2-Billy Bragg-workers Playtime
3-Christy Moore – Unfinished Revolution
4 – Elvis Costello – Armed Forces
5 – Ian Dury – Do it Yourself
6 – XTC – English Settlement
7 – Smith & Burrows – Funny looking Angels
8 – Police Dog Hogan – Westward Ho
9 – Bruce Springsteen – The River
10 – Simple Minds – Life in a Day
@bejesus
Good call on Worker’s Playtime. I was pondering a Billy Bragg album in my list.
1 – Forever Changes – Love
2 – Pet Sounds – Beach Boys
3 – Exile on Main St – Rolling Stones
4 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
5 – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
6 – Odessey and Oracle – The Zombies
7 – The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks
8 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
9 – The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars – David Bowie
10 – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco
Excellent choices especially No.1
Coolio! I’m-a-gonna choose the albums from among my faves and most-highly rateds that I still listen to most frequently at this stage in my existence:
1. Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
2. Dead Bees On A Cake – David Sylvian
3. Above The Bones – Mishka
4. Is A Woman – Lambchop
5. One Trick Pony – Paul Simon
6. The Köln Concert – Keith Jarrett
7. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. Blue Lines – Massive Attack
9. Blue Valentine – Tom Waits
10. Exodus – Bob Marley
Formatting already wrong. Doh!!! Thanks for your (excellent) entry.
Ah sorry, Dai, I didn’t take into account the initial dashes, but treated them as I would garnish on a lasagne. I hope my error serves to learn those what follow in my wake.
(At least I did better than Lemonhope, below. An embarrassment to all and sundry, quite frankly, if you ask me.)
I had to look at my list six times before I realised what I’d done wrong.
I’m not proud of that statement.
Sorry Dai
1 – Hejira – Joni Mitchell
2 – What About Me – 1 Giant Leap
3 – Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
4 – Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
5 – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon – Paul Simon
6 – Court & Spark – Joni Mitchell
7 – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
8 – The Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
9 – 1972 – Josh Rouse
10 – A Deeper Understanding – The War On Drugs
1. – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
2. – Dead Bees On A Cake – David Sylvian
3. – Above The Bones – Mishka
4. – Is A Woman – Lambchop
5. – One Trick Pony – Paul Simon
6. – The Köln Concert – Keith Jarrett
7. – The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
8. – Blue Lines – Massive Attack
9. – Blue Valentine – Tom Waits
10. – Exodus – Bob Marley
Oh yes, top Paul Simon choice that little gem.
Hear, hear. I dialled this up on my Spotify/Sonos thingy earlier. It is a fabulous album.
1. Joni Mitchell – Hejira
2. 1 Giant Leap – What About Me
3. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
4. Nick Drake – Bryter Layter
5. Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon
6. Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark
7. Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
8. Joni Mitchell – The Hissing of Summer Lawns
9. Josh Rouse – 1972
10. The War On Drugs – A Deeper Understanding
1 – Hejira – Joni Mitchell
2 – What About Me – 1 Giant Leap
3 – Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
4 – Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
5 – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon – Paul Simon
6 – Court & Spark – Joni Mitchell
7 – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
8 – The Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
9 – 1972 – Josh Rouse
10 – A Deeper Understanding – The War On Drugs
1 – Raindogs – Tom Waits
2 – Mock Tudor – Richard Thomson
3 – Rules for Jokers – Thea Gilmore
4 – Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
5 – Unhalfbricking – Fairport Convention
6 – If You Want Blood You’ve Got It – AC/DC
7 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
8 – King of America – Elvis Costello (or The Costello Show if you prefer)
9 – Life’ll Kill Ya – Warren Zevon
10 – Mount the Air – The Unthanks
All without thinking too deeply, just listing the albums never let me down when they are what I need to hear. I’m sure I’ll kick myself for leaving out plenty of others, probably when I see them listed here. In all honesty, the number two spot is really for the official bootleg live album Semi Detached Mock Tudor, but that may not be eligible. Thanks for taking this on @dai, I look forward to the nominations and results.
Correct formatting, 1 out of 3 so far.
“1 out of 3 so far” by Correct Formatting … an offshoot of the Art Ensemble of Chicago on BYG Actuel.
Not an easy listen.
I didn’t expect it to get a vote.
1 – Genesis – Selling England by the Pound
2 – Pink Floyd – Meddle
3 – The Beach Boys – Holland
4 – Popol Vuh – Hosianna Mantra
5 – Spacemen 3 – Playing with Fire
6 – Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells
7 – Brian Eno – Another Green World
8 – Pete Townsend & Ronnie Lane – Rough Mix
9 – The Durutti Column – Keep Breathing
10 – Deuter – Silence is the Answer
The remix
1 – Selling England by the Pound – Genesis
2 – Meddle – Pink Floyd
3 – Holland – The Beach Boys
4 – Hosianna Mantra – Popol Vuh
5 – Playing with Fire – Spacemen 3
6 – Tubular Bells – Mike Oldfield
7 – Another Green World – Brian Eno
8 – Rough Mix – Pete Townsend & Ronnie Lane
9 – Keep Breathing – The Durutti Column
10 – Silence is the Answer – Deuter
1. New Boots and Panties!! – Ian Dury
2. My Aim Is True – Elvis Costello
3. Hunky Dory – David Bowie
4. Message From the Meditations – The Meditations
5. For Your Pleasure – Roxy Music
6. The Heart of Saturday Night – Tom Waits
7. Real Life – Magazine
8. Wasp Star – XTC
9. Rattus Norvegicus – The Stranglers
10. Urban Renewal – Tower of Power
1 – Sail Away – Randy Newman
2 – Closing Time – Tom Waits
3 – Pontiac – Lyle Lovett
4 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
5 – Spooky Two – Spooky Tooth
6 – Pieces of the Sky – Emmylou Harris
7 – 69 Love Songs – Magnetic Fields
8 – Blue – Joni Mitchell
9 – Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
10 – Ten New Songs – Leonard Cohen
👍
1 – Murmur – REM
2 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
3 – For Your Pleasure – Roxy Music
4 – Forever Changes – Love
5 – The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
6 – The Man Machine – Kraftwerk
7 – Exile On Main Street – The Rolling Stones
8 – Hunky Dory – David Bowie
9 – The Wall – Pink Floyd
10 – Can’t Buy A Thrill – Steely Dan
All very Mojo’ish I must admit, but those are what I like best.
1 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
2 – Odessey and Oracle – The Zombies
3 – Sweet Things – Georgie Fame
4 – Aladdin Sane – David Bowie
5 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
6 – The Smiths – The Smiths
7 – Ram – Paul and Linda McCartney
8 – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn – Pink Floyd
9 – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
10 – Them Dirty Blues – Cannonball Adderley
Bubbling under (as they used to say)-
‘Moby Grape’- Moby Grape
‘New York Tendaberry’- Laura Nyro
‘A Beard of Stars’- Tyrannosaurus Rex
‘Live’- Mott the Hoople
‘Desire’- Bob Dylan
‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken (Volume One)- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
‘For the Lonely’- Frank Sinatra
‘The Beatles’- The Beatles
‘Spilt Milk’- Jellyfish
‘Go to School’ -Lemon Twigs
‘Egypt Station’- Paul McCartney
‘Yes’- Yes
1 – All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
2 – Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
3 – The Beatles – The Beatles
4 – A Farewell To Kings – Rush
5 – Foxtrot – Genesis
6 – Liege & Lief – Fairport Convention
7 – Misplaced Childhood – Marillion
8 – 3 – Peter Gabriel
9 – Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
10 – Going For The One – Yes
I hope 3 is an acceptable name for Peter Gabriel’s third solo album. That’s fertile ground for hair-splitters, I know.
Personally I prefer “3” to ” Melt”
As, of course, do all right-thinking people.
1. Talking Heads – Remain in Light
2. Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
3. Joni – Hejira
4. Joni – Hissing of Summer Lawns
5.Joan Armatrading- Show Some Emotion
6. Massive Attack- Mezzanine
7. Rickie Lee Jones – Rickie Lee Jones
8. Fever Ray – Fever Ray
9. David Bowie- Hunky Dory
10. Paul Simon – Graceland
Nice list, but I hold this as an example of how not to so it.
Order of albums and artists wrong, full names of artists not supplied and dots used instead of dashes 😉
It’s a sloppy shambles, innit? A total balls up. A fart in a thunderstorm A bloody disaster. I’ve written a letter.
I think you will find that the Sloppy Shambles album didn’t make it onto my list. Close call mind
1 – Quadrophenia – Who
2 – The Wall – Pink Floyd
3 – Never Mind The Bollocks – Sex Pistols
4 – Inflammable Material – Stiff Little Fingers
5 – Abbey Road – Beatles
6 – The Chronicles Of Modern Life – Henry Priestman
7 – The Crossing – Big Country
8 – Misplaced Childhood – Marillion
9 – Setting Sons – The Jam
10 – 30 Something – Carter USM
1 – Dixie Chicken – Little Feat
2 – The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
3 – Songs From the Wood – Jethro Tull
4 – Johnny Winter And Live – Johnny Winter
5 – Late for the Sky – Jackson Browne
6 – Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
7 – Liege and Lief – Fairport Convention
8 – Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
9 – Damn the Torpedoes – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
10 – Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited
Looking through all the lists there’s very few that contain albums I do not own.
Your list @Twang? I own every album. Highway 61 almost made my top 10.
You have great taste Baron.
1 – Forever Changes – Love
2 – Surf`s Up – The Beach Boys
3 – This Is The Sea – The Waterboys
4 – Graceland – Paul Simon
5 – Desire – Bob Dylan
6 – In Search Of The Lost Chord – The Moody Blues
7 – Live Rust – Neil Young
8 – Revolver – The Beatles
9 – 5th Dimension _ The Byrds
10 – The Coral – The Coral
My No1 will always be at No1, 2-10 could go up or down or disappear.
1 – Black Love – Afghan Whigs
2 – Blue Lines – Massive Attack
3 – Thunder And Consolation – New Model Army
4 – Wrecking Ball – Emmylou Harris
5 – Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) – Wu Tang Clan
6 – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – Neil Young
7 – Floodland – The Sisters Of Mercy
8 – Deserters Songs – Mercury Rev
9 – Onwards And Upwards – Culture Shock
10 – Left And Leaving – The Weakerthans
Off the T of my H
1) Miles Davis – Kinds of Blue
2) The Stooges – Fun House
3) The Stooges – The Stooges
4) The Ramones – Rocket to Russia
5) Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St
6) Nick Drake – Pink Moon
7) Aretha Franklin – Spirit In The Dark
8) John Coltrane – Ballads
9) Jimmy Reed – Upside Your Head
10) Otis Redding – Kind Of Blue
Raw Power at number 11?
The Stooges vs Fun House – tough to split, but the debut edges it for me
(but this is your Top 10 so ignore me …)
Otis Blue, Shirley?
Have made that correction
1 – Rust Never Sleeps – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
2 – MTV Unplugged in New York – Nirvana
3 – Definitely Maybe – Oasis
4 – Aquemini -Outkast
5 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
6 – Catch A Fire – Bob Marley & The Wailers
7 – Aladdin Sane – David Bowie
8 – Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
9 – A Northern Soul – The Verve
10 – The 3 EPs – The Beta Band
1 – Setting Sons – The Jam
2 – The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society – The Kinks
3 – Inflammable Material – Stiff Little Fingers
4 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
5 – Lexicon Of Love – ABC
6 – The Visitors – Abba
7 – In My Tribe – 10 000 Maniacs
8 – Blonde On Blonde – Bob Dylan
9 – Dazzle Ships – OMD
10 – Warehouse Songs & Stories – Husker Du
1 – I want to see the bright lights tonight – Richard and Linda Thompson
2 – One world – John Martyn
3 – Southeastern – Jason Isbell
4 – Wrecking Ball – Emmylou Harris
5 – 3 – Peter Gabriel
6 – Leaders of the Free World – Elbow
7 – Kate and Anna McGarrigle – Kate and Anna McGarrigle
8 – Mezzanine – Massive Attack
9 – Selling England – Genesis
10 – Diamond Mine – King Creosote/Jon Hopkins
Ooooh! Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Nice.
1 – Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
2 – Revolver – The Beatles
3 – St Dominic’s Preview – Van Morrison
4 – Station to Station – David Bowie
5 – Marquee Moon – Television
6 – Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon
7 – Blue – Joni Mitchell
8 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
9 – Wrecking Ball – Emmylou Harris
10 – Shoot Out the Lights – Richard and Linda Thompson
1 – Hejira – Joni Mitchell
2 – The Dreaming – Kate Bush
3 – Fried – Julian Cope
4 – Apple Venus Volume 1 – XTC
5 – In it for the money – Supergrass
6 – The Queen is Dead – The Smiths
7 – Gwerz Penmarc’h – Sonerien Du
8 – Orfeo – Fay Hield and the Hurricane Party
9 – Race the Loser – Lau
10 – Starless and Bible Black – King Crimson
1 – Violator – Depeche Mode
2 – Remain in Light – Talking Heads
3 – Dazzle Ships – OMD
4 – The Art of Falling Apart – Soft Cell
5 – Difficult Shapes…- China Crisis
6 – The Scream – Siouxsie and the Banshees
7 – The Pleasure Principle – Gary Numan
8 – Low – David Bowie
9 – New Gold Dream – Simple Minds
10 – Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk
I know all of these albums back to front and sideways. It seems my list stops at 1990 when I was 24. I considered throwing in some more recent ones to appear more eclectic and “with it” but right now, this is my list.
I am going to be jostled into a corner and duffed up in the bogs for saying this – but much as I love The Beatles, I prefer the compilations. Same goes for Bowie most of the time, particularly Changestwo. And Pet Shop Boys.
Don’t sweat it, BC. Per the link in the OP, last time we did this there were only two albums from the 21st Century – the best scraping into 90th place – and only one album from the nineties in the top 47. Not looking like that’s going to change based on what we’ve seen so far..
Indeed. I don’t for one minute believe that all of the 100 best pop records ever were all made in the last century and mostly in the 60s and 70s – but ultimately the ones I’ve listed mean most to me, and have stood the test of time.
After this maybe we should a poll of 21st century albums.
`After this maybe we should a poll of 21st century albums.` Why? If they are good enough surely their presence will be present in this poll.*
*I buy lots of new music just to set the record straight.
Intersting idea – starting my list now.
But Liberty of Norton Folgate would win (wouldn’t it?)
If they are good enough surely their presence will be present in this poll.
Not in an Afterword poll I fear…..
It’s harder to tell with more recent albums, innit though but. I was undecided whether to include Frank Ocean’s Blonde on my list. An album I listen to very regularly and have done since its release four years ago. But will I still feel the same after another four years? Dunno. There are quite a few albums I’ve adored over the last five years that I rarely bother listening to anymore.
Yes me too. But then there are albums I adored 40 years ago I hardly ever listen to now either.
I love lots of albums from the ’00’s, not all from ‘new’ acts but quite a lot.
Several American bands/singers come to mind, Allah-las, Woods, Jason Isabell, Arbouretum. From the UK Lau, Big Big Train. There’s many more and I’ve no doubt some of the albums by them will seep into my psych. Although they are up against it.
Yes “Southeastern” could easily be up there.
I think a follow on 21st century list is a splendid idea.
Yes, me too.
OK, I’ll let Dai get this one done then take it on. A queue for list threads on the Afterword; who’d have thought it?
Great stuff – I was trying to shoehorn something from the 21st into my list but it wasn’t going to happen. But there’s lots that I love…
1 – The Beatles – The Beatles
2 – Hergest Ridge – Mike Oldfield
3 – Endtroducing – DJ Shadow
4 – Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
5 – Wildflower – The Avalanches
6 – Innervisions – Stevie Wonder
7 – Deja Vu – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
8 – Animals – Pink Floyd
9 – Hats – The Blue Nile
10 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
1 – Still Life – Van der Graaf Generator
2 – Power and the Glory – Gentle Giant
3 – Maximum Darkness – Man
4 – Third – Soft Machine
5 – One World – John Martyn
6 – Unrest – Henry Cow
7 – Close to the Edge – Yes
8 – Red – King Crimson
9 – Camembert Electrique – Gong
10 – Country Life – Roxy Music
Doesn’t time just slip away. It’s 5 years since I posted that update from the old site, and even longer since the original poll was done. If anyone is interested, I still have all the original files – all your original top 100s, plus those from others not much here any more.
I looked at my top 100 to draw out 10. It wasn’t easy, but I’m happy enough with this lot for now:
1 – When in Rome – Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2 – Common One – Van Morrison
3 – Rising Above Bedlam – Jah Wobble’s Invaders Of The Heart
4 – Contraband – Kirsty McGee
5 – Life on a String – Laurie Anderson
6 – Back to Basics – Billy Bragg
7 – Black Milk – Gallon Drunk
8 – Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
9 – This Is Big Audio Dynamite – Big Audio Dynamite
10 – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
I’ve stuck a comment with all the number one selections in the original thread quoted in the OP above.
Interestingly (well to me anyway) my previous #1 is now my #3 – although I would hazard a guess that the Top 5 are pretty much the same, just in a different order……
What it was for you @Chrisf:
1. Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
2. Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
3. Skylarking – XTC
4. Hats – The Blue Nile
5. Hunky Dory – David Bowie
6. Hazards Of Love – The Decemberists
7. Duke – Genesis
8. Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust – Sigur Ros
9. Love Over Gold – Dire Straits
10. Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
(Selling England By The Pound was at No. 51)
Oh no. That is messing up my counting.
Sorry!
Do I get detention too for encouraging Sal?
So pretty much the same – Hats and Hazards almost made this years list and I often swap SEBTP and Duke in these such polls. Just that I have been listening to SEBTP a lot more recently.
Some great entries so far. I can’t imagine mine has changed very much from last time. I’ve got to know hundreds of great new and new-to-me albums over the past 4 years, but all but one of my top 10 have been favourites for decades, so they are going to take some shifting. Blonde On Blonde had to drop out to make way for Illmatic.
1 – The Man-Machine – Kraftwerk
2 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
3 – Revolver – The Beatles
4 – The Wall – Pink Floyd
5 – Jordan:The Comeback – Prefab Sprout
6 – Bringing It All Back Home – Bob Dylan
7 – A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night – Harry Nilsson
8 – Overcome By Happiness – Pernice Brothers
9 – The White Room – The KLF
10 – Illmatic – NaS
Looking down my long list, there are another few dozen that could easily be in my top 10, so I’ll just hope someone else nominates them!
1. Sgt Pepper – The Beatles
2. Good Old Boys – Randy Newman
3. We’re Only In It For The Money – Frank Zappa and the Mothers Of Invention
4. Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
5. Aja – Steely Dan
6. Kind Of Blue – Miles Davis
7. Zero Hour – Astor Piazzolla
8. Lodger – David Bowie
9. Skylarking – XTC
10. Get Happy – Elvis Costello
1 – Down in Albion – Babyshambles
2 – Sweet Baby James – James Taylor
3 – London Calling – The Clash
4 – Young Americans – David Bowie
5 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
6 – The Archandroid – Janelle Monae
7 – Chaleur Humaine – Christine and the Queens
8 – Tonight’s the Night – Neil Young
9 – Kala – M.I.A.
10 – The Nightfly – Donald Fagen
1 – Selling England By The Pound – Genesis
2 – Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
3 – The Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
4 – Skylarking – XTC
5 – Hunky Dory – David Bowie
6 – Love Over Gold – Dire Straits
7 – Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
8 – Jordan: The Comeback – Prefab Sprout
9 – Who’s Next – The Who
10 – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust – Sigur Ros
1 – There’s a Riot Going On – Sly and the Family Stone
2 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
3 – Abby Road – The Beatles
4 – Sticky Fingers – The Rolling Stones
5 – Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
6 – Who’s Next – The Who
7 – In Rainbows – Radiohead
8 – Random Access Memories – Daft Punk
9 – Wildflowers – Avalanches
10 – Led Zeppelin IV – Led Zeppelin
1 – Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
2 – Sticky Fingers – Rolling Stones
3 – Layla – Derek and the Dominoes
4 – Who’s Next – The Who
5 – My Aim is True – Elvis Costello
6 – Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
7 – Heat Treatment – Graham Parker
8 – Pretzel Logic – Steely Dan
9 – Setting Sons – The Jam
10 – On the Beach – Neil Young
1 – Nonsuch – XTC
2 – The Nightfly – Donald Fagen
3 – Gaucho – Steely Dan
4 – The Colour Of Spring – Talk Talk
5 – Songs To Remember – Scritti Politti
6 – A Trick Of The Tail – Genesis
7 – Dummy – Portishead
8 – Discipline – King Crimson
9 – The Flat Earth – Thomas Dolby
10 – Tour De France Soundtracks – Kraftwerk
1.Blue – Joni Mitchell
2.Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
3.Hats – The Blue Nile
4.Abbey Road – The Beatles
5.Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
6.Bop til you Drop – Ry Cooder
7.Squeezing out Sparks – Graham Parker & The Rumour
8.Exodus – Bob Marley and the Wailers
9.Songs in the Key of Life – Stevie Wonder
10.Never a Dull Moment – Rod Stewart
Not including Marvin Gaye,Bowie and Nick Drake which was a tough call.
1 – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
2 – Beggar’s Banquet – The Rolling Stones
3 – Forever Changes – Love
4 – Darkness On The Edge Of Town – Bruce Springsteen
5 – Holland – The Beach Boys
6 – Bringing It All Back Home – Bob Dylan
7 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
8 – Who’s Next – The Who
9 – Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
10 – John Barleycorn Must Die – Traffic
Coincidentally I’d been bunging a load of favourite albums onto my “throwdown” MP3 player – just in case I become indisposed.
1 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
2 – Ommadawn – Mike Oldfield
3 – Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
4 – Be Bop Moptop – Danny Wilson
5 – Spilt Milk – Jellyfish
6 – Corinne Bailey Rae – Corinne Bailey Rae
7 – Behaviour – Pet Shop Boys
8 – From Langley Park to Memphis – Prefab Sprout
9 – The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
10 – The Dream of the Blue Turtle – Sting
As with everybody else, it’s both difficult to rank them and “how did I miss…”, but these are albums that have lasted the distance.
1.Selling England by the Pound: Genesis
2. Aja: Steely Dan
3. Another Green World: Brian Eno
4. Hejira: Joni Mitchell
5. Blood on the Tracks: Bob Dylan
6. Pink Moon: Nick Drake
7. Abbey Road: The Beatles
8. Dark Side of the Moon: Pink Floyd
9. The Songs of Leonard Cohen: Leonard Cohen
10. Neil Young: After the Gold Rush
No Tull @steerpike?
Nice to see you BTW. How’s the guitar?
Hi Twang. Thank you for the kind words. Thick As A Brick was on the list but I made a last minute change (which I now regret).
I still have the guitar, but my job in recent years has been very demanding and my time with it has suffered. A poor excuse, I know but I am using it to also explain my absence from these august pages.
Now with the Travel Industry in the shitter, I find myself with more time.
I did still pop by from time to time.
1- Orange Juice – You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever
2 – Aztec Camera – High Land Hard Rain
3 – Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
4 – Elvis – Back in Memphis
5 – Jason & The Scorchers – Lost & Found
6 – The Clash – London Calling
7 – Nick Lowe – Jesus Of Cool
8 – David Bowie – Station To Station
9 – Blondie – Parallel Lines
10 – Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
Hmmm … a strong showing by former Postcard bands in Mr Turtleface’s Top Ten.
@turtleface I had the Orange Juice album in my list, but it got culled (with reluctance) when I’d got down to the last 14 or 15.
Great album. Al Green was my gateway into Orange Juice, via “L.O.V.E Love”, obviously. Can’t find my copy just now, but listening to the Esteemed compilation while typing.
I last did an exercise like this about four years ago. There have been changes since then as I have done a lot of listening to both of Nos 4 and 6, which moved from much lower in my estimation. Interestingly it is unlikely that No 4 would have been recored had it not been for the recording of No 6..
1 – HQ – Roy Harper
2 – Solid Air – John Martyn
3 – Highway – Free
4 – Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs – Derek & the Dominos
5 – Stones In The Road – Mary Chapin Carpenter
6 – All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
7 – Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
8 – The Charity Of Night – Bruce Cockburn
9 – Essence – Lucinda Williams
10 – Bachelor No 2 or The Last Remains Of The Dodo – Aimee Mann
I promise I’m not trying to be contrary (honestly I’m not!) but I find the concept of Best Album hard to get my head round. IMHO almost all pop music, even what I might claim is the work of genius, is ephemeral. What sounded amazing back in the day rarely stands the test of time (admittedly time in my own personal universe) and records I played over and over and over (admittedly when my collection consisted of 50 singles and 10 LPs) mostly today lie neglected.
And then what about records that I love love loved but played to death? If I was forced to choose then Blonde on Blonde is (obviously) the best record ever made but when last did I play it all the way through- 1975? Similarly I haven’t played Revolver or Sgt Pepper in decades – I just know all that stuff too well. However magnificent they are, the magic, at least for me, is gone.
If I play old records then it is mostly Feat and Dan (colour me surprised) but I muchly prefer to listen to music that’s new to me (both new releases and stuff I missed first time round). There’s so much music out there, in fact there’s too much music out there, I don’t have time or inclination to select my Top Ten Records (apart from the obvious fact that Blonde on Blonde is No1).
My last comment – as yet I see no mention above of the last two winners of our Album of the Year Poll. I rest my case.
I suppose with these types of things the tendency is to choose albums which have made an indelible stamp on our psyche and, by the very nature of the invitation, it is more than likely that most of us will opt for the records which have been with us the longest- probably the ones which helped form our musical taste and judgement when we were at our most impressionable. I too enjoy stuff I’ve never heard before but when asked to pick my all time Top Ten albums (impossible as it is), I would tend to go for something that I’ve loved since I was fifteen and continue to do so rather than something I heard last week and which may not be that crucial to me next month. I play ‘Abbey Road’ quite often but I needn’t. It’s all there on auto-play in my head and that fact that I don’t actually put the physical ‘record’ on every day doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t ‘listen’ to it.
Dark Side Of The Moon is the single best album ever recorded. So is Kind Of Blue. But they’re not on my list cos I never play them anymore. Whereas Astral Weeks, which is also the single best album ever recorded, I play regularly. Just this morning in fact. I’ll have to look up what “ephemeral” means, but I hope that answers your question.
Stuff you like a lot, there is no best album
Agreed. It’s fun. But scientifically impossible. I would only add, as a caveat, that it’s stuff you like a lot that you’ve liked a lot for a long time. Makes it easier to choose I reckon. And slightly closer to a science.
1 – Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
2 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
3 – Dear Mr Fantasy – Traffic
4 – Full House– Fairport Convention
5 – Career Moves- Loudon Wainwright
6 – Blonde On Blonde – Bob Dylan
7 – Low – David Bowie
8 – Do It Yourself– Ian Dury and The Blockheads
9 – The Clash– The Clash
10- Bridge over Troubled Water-Paul Desmond
You may claim I’m being overly pedantic, but the Traffic album is simply Mr Fantasy, while the song title, aware of etiquette requirements, adds the Dear.
Go on, then. Today, it is:
1 – The Beatles – The Beatles
2 – Spilt Milk – Jellyfish
3 – Skylarking – XTC
4 – Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
5 – Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell
6 – Risque – Chic
7 – I’m With Stupid – Aimee Mann
8 – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco
9 – Sheryl Crow – Sheryl Crow
10 – Utopia Parkway – Fountains of Wayne
Bubbling under: The Yes Album, Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock and The Black Crowes’ Southern Harmony…’
1 – No Parlez – Paul Young
2 – Nick Kamen – Nick Kamen
3 – Lulu – Lou Reed / Metallica
4 – Primitive Cool – Mick Jagger
5 – All The Right Reasons – Nickleback
6 – Blonde On Blonde – Bob Dylan
7 – White Feathers – Kajagoogoo
8 – Whenever You Need Somebody – Rick Astley
9 – Touch Me – Samantha Fox
10 – Into The Light – Chris de Burgh
You wag.
You’ve reminded me, another thread about Cherry Red Records sent me exploring their catalogue, where I was surprised to find that there is such a thing as a 6 cd Nick Kamen collection.
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/nick-kamen-the-complete-collection-6cd-boxset/
Disqualified.
Phew !
1 Born to run – Bruce Springsteen & the E St Band
2 Forever Changes – Love
3 Blood on the tracks – Bob Dylan
4 Heavy Horses – Jethro Tull
5 Phaedra – Tangerine Dream
6 Past Present & Future – Al Stewart
7 Black & blue – Rolling Stones
8 Old Ways – Neil Young
9 Hosianna Mantra – Popol Vuh
10 Diamond Dogs – David Bowie
‘Heavy Horses’ is a splendid album from top to bottom. Love ‘Weathercock’ in particular. And ‘Moths’ is such a joy.
Heavy Horses and Songs From The Wood are my desert island Tull albums.
I agree – “Moths” is one of my top ten tracks ever. Utterly sublime.And those two albums are, very definitely, my favourites.
Better be quick or I’ll have changed my mind in 10 minutes
1- A Wizard/A True Star – Todd Rundgren
2- Abbey Road – The Beatles
3- The Hissing Of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
4- Nobody’s Perfect – The Distractions
5- Close To The Edge – Yes
6- Hunky Dory – David Bowie
7- The Last Record Album – Little Feat
8- Wasp Star – XTC
9- The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
10- A Trick of The Tail – Genesis
Tricky business this voting malarkey.
You vote for what you want to be at no. 1/2/3/4/5 etc. – obviously, Beatles/Jimi/Dylan – and you’re not really being true to which Beatles/Jimi/Dylan albums you really listen to.
You vote for which Beatles/Jimi/Dylan albums you really listen to, and you end up with a puffed up public school ponce like Boris Johnson or David Cameron, or in the case of this list, Joe Strummer, ruling the roost.
As I say, tricky business, this voting malarkey.
1 – Get Happy! – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2 – Can’t Stand The Rezillos – The Rezillos
3 – Signing Off – UB40
4 – Black Sea – XTC
5 – Chateau Revenge! – The Silver Seas
6 – Coles Corner – Richard Hawley
7 – Spend The Night – The Donnas
8 – Shades In Bed – The Records
9 – This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
10 – Cheap Trick At The Budokan – Cheap Trick
Coles Corner is a great shout; certainly a 21st Century contender.
I’m still working through my albums but Coles Corner is on the long list.
@steady
Hats off to Cheap Trick…yellow vinyl I imagine?
Were there any black vinyl versions?
Only ever see the yellow ones for sale – usually with the word “Rare” in the description
Very good question, probably not. Very good album though.
Yes indeed. I forsook Kamikaze Yellow for a simple black version because of the rumour that the sound quality of yellow vinyl was inferior to black.
@carl
I think you might be the only one.
You read me like a book.. purchased from the mighty Sydney Scarborough in Hull
1 – Closer – Joy Division
2 – Laughing Stock – Talk Talk
3 – Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
4 – The Colour of Spring – Talk Talk
5 – Years of Meteors – Laura Veirs
6 – Wriggle Out the Restless – This is the Kit
7 – The Decline of British Sea Power – British Sea Power
8 – Out of Season – Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man
9 – The Optimist – Turin Brakes
10 – You Forget it in People – Broken Social Scene
Top ten in no order (hence chronological
Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
And Nico – Velvet Underground
Hejira – Joni Mitchell
Low – David Bowie
The Clash – The Clash
Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Another Music in a Different Kitchen – Buzzcocks
You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever – Orange Juice
Various Positions – Leonard Cohen
Blue Lines – Massive Attack
No Steely Dan, Stan Deely?
Just outside the top 10 with Katy Lied. An issue with some of my favourite artists – Van Morrison, Neil Young is that one album doesn’t particularly stand out above the rest of their output to be included.
I found it easy to compile my top 7 or 8 albums but then for the last two/three places I came up with a pool of about 12 to cull. could easily have included the Stooges, the Idiot, Harvest and had to think hard about Moondance – side 1 possibly the best 20 odd minutes of music in the modern music era, side 2 – not as good.
Thanks for your comment – which allowed me to share my nagging reservations when posting my ten.
I’m struggling with just ten as well. Should I ignore the whole of Jazz which could easily fill the entire ten? The Beatles, David Bowie, Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin, Little Feat, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bob Marley, The Rolling Stones, Brian Eno, Bill Evans, Theolonius Monk, Alice Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Chic in one guise or another, EWF, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Kanye West, Can, New Order, Elvis Costello, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Elvis Presley, or Bob Dylan etc could have five albums each!
That’s the problem. All I have to do, especially under these conditions, is revisit a loved album, and think to myself “Sorry my friend. I didn’t mean to not include you”.
I think most of seem to have adopted an unwritten rule of just one album per artist on our list, so at least we could look ten favourites in the eye and said we picked them, honest. Just hoping I don’t bump into Lucinda Williams, John Fogerty, Stevie Wonder or Mick Jagger in the pub and have to explain myself…
Very challenging, and will obviously change tomorrow, and the next day etc.
1 – Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy – Elton John
2 – Rattus Norvegicus – The Stranglers
3 – Animals – Pink Floyd
4 – The Boatman’s Call – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5 – The Year Of The Cat – Al Stewart
6 – Till The Sun Turns Black – Ray LaMontagne
7 – Egypt Station – Paul McCartney
8 – Western Stars – Bruce Springsteen
9 – Truelove’s Gutter – Richard Hawley
10 – Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
Nearly made it…Low (Bowie), New York (Lou Reed), Songs For Swinging Lovers (Radio Stars), Gentle Spirit (Jonathan Wilson), Automatic For The People (R.E.M.), Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton), Hergest Ridge (Mike Oldfield) and so many more
Boring & predictable me.
1 – Sgt Pepper – fabs
2 – abbey road – fabs
3 – white album – fabs
4 – Ziggy Stardust – Bowie
5 – hunky dory – Bowie
6 – Physical graffiti – led zep
7 – London calling – the clash
8 – All mod cons – the jam
9 – born to run – Broooce
10 – Slade alive – the mighty Slade.
That concludes the voting from Birkenhead.
Disqualified for not following the rules …
I’m going to follow your harsh but fair Rules in the 2020 Poll which should then mean that only Gary and my votes count (although Gary’s dubious taste may well lead to his disqualification too).
ps no votes yet for Jamie T which considering the dross that litters its way across this thread is frankly criminal.
pps I am remarkably cheered up by the fact that each and every list above contains at least one record that is IMHO awful
ppps my list when it arrives will be a thing of wonder, each and every one a gem
I’m very much looking forward to your list.
Although when I say I’m “looking forward to your list” I mean it more in the sense of wondering what’s on telly.
–
Still the same number one as last time and I notice that no-one’s including Various Artists collections so I’m reluctantly leaving Nuggets out of the list on this occasion.
1- Seventh Tree – Goldfrapp
2- #1 Record – Big Star
3- Troubadour – JJ Cale
4- Rabbit Songs – Hem
5- World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams
6- The Who Sell Out – The Who
7- In Search Of The Lost Chord – The Moody Blues
8- Bryter Later – Nick Drake
9- Nighthawks At The Diner – Tom Waits
10- Directors Cut – Kate Bush
(controversial last choice but I likes what I likes)
1-Tin Drum-Japan
2-Laughingstock- TalkTalk
3-Live at the Plaza-Eartha Kitt
4-The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl-The Beatles
5-Hearts and Bones-Paul Simon
6-The Raven-The Stranglers
7-Romance with Danny Williams-Danny Williams
8-Infected-TheThe
9-Fast Forward-Joe Jackson
10-Stationtostation-David Bowie
-Dai – I trust you are disqualifying Bellows and the Ancient Hippy?
– Honestly, you think they could read your blindingly clear instructions.
–
Oi! I was just following what had gone before. I wasn’t even going to participate. A template I could copy and paste would’ve been nice if we’re splitting heirs.
Don’t follow leaders, watch yer parking meters my friend. At my reckoning (reliably unreliable) 87.1% of correspondents, including you, have failed to follow Dai’s (admittedly OCD) instructions. Mutiny from stern to bow.
–
It’s a long way up to the top.
If you want a sausage roll
I have a Ginsters! Oh yes….
@Rigid😂👍
Nice choice @MrbellowsJJ`s `Fast Forward`, excellent album.
Yes and last year’s ‘Fool’ is no slouch either. Brilliant songwriter.
My guess is that Dai wanted the same format so he could copy each submission into Excel then use text-to-columns to split the position, album, artist easily. If that is the case consistency really would be a boon!
– indeed that was his intention. Gary, standing alone like a wary lighthouse overlooking a stormy sea, understood that from (nearly, almost) the beginning.
You just wait till Dai wakes up.
Sir Keir Starmer has just pointed out to me that I may have been too hasty dissing (yes, dissing was the word he used) Bellows and Ancient Hippy. I read the memo dated 11th May (since deleted) when, of course, I should have been referring to the subsequent amendment dated 13th May.
I apologise. I was Wrong.
–
Yes, Bellows should be ok though. Those who use . or ) or artists before albums may not be. I can deal with them, it just makes it a longer process.
I’d be happy to repost if it makes it easier for you?
Not necessary, have already grabbed your list.
OK, thanks.
Boy you really have to dwell a long time over who misses out on that no 10 slot. It feels like you are giving your children away. Anyway today its as follows (sorry Brian, Josh, Miles, Arthur)
1 – Bryter Layter – Nick Drake
2 – The Hissing of Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
3 – As Falls Wichita So Falls Wichita Falls – Pat Metheny
4 – Countdown to Ecstasy – Steely Dan
5 – Selling England By The Pound – Genesis
6 – Whats Going On– Marvin Gaye
7 – Spirit of Eden – Talk Talk
8 – Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
9 – Veedon Fleece – Van Morrison
10 – Solid Air – John Martyn
1 – Stramash – Colin Steele
2 – Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
3 – The North Star Grassman and the Ravens – Sandy Denny
4 – Rattus Norvegicus – Stranglers
5 – King of America – Elvis Costello
6 – Tarkus – E.L.P.
7 – The Light the Dead See – Soulsavers
8 – Hot Licks, Cold Steel and Truckers Favourites – Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
9 – Morris On – Ashley Hutchings et al
10 – Irish Heartbeat – Van Morrison and the Chieftains
An odd and contrary mix, based on those old staples that come out for long car journeys, compiled quickly, like said handfuls of CDs grabbed at speed at the last minute.
Hmmm … I’ve never heard of that Colin Steele album. It sounds interesting.
What happened to The Doors?
Dang, forgot about L.A. Woman. I’ll pop it back when we do this again. And @duco01 , Stramash is terrific: a blend of bebop, trad Scottish and chamber music. Steele has a rare gift of melody, sometimes missing and secondary to technique in today’s jazzers. His other records are pretty damn good too.
Jim Morrison died.
Yes. I have to admit they were never quite as good after that.
`Stramash` ordered due to high placing in Retro`s GREATEST ALBUM OF ALL TIME AND ETERNITY POLL PLACINGS!
Couldn`t find the fecking thing due to Googling `STARMASH`! Doh1
1-Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down
2-Talk Talk – Spirit of Eden
3-ABC – Beauty Stab
4-Simple Minds – Sparkle In The Rain
5-The Cardigans – Long Gone Before Daylight
6-Bruce Springsteen – Tunnel Of Love
7-The Smiths – Strangeways Here We Come
8-Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
9-Josh Rouse – Nashville
10-Electronic – Electronic
Love your first five!
doubt they’ll trouble the final list much
Makes me love them more.
I think he meant to put
Simple Minds-New Gold Dream at 4
Love new good dream, but sparkle benefits from huge lillywhite production
I have to disagree. That’s when the bombast rears it’s head. Also, losing Brian McGee was the beginning of the end for me.
Don’t Stand Me Down – it’s good, nay it’s very good. But I’ve never quite got the “genius” about it.
I may be alone here, but I think One Day I’m Going To Soar is the second best Dexys album (after Soul Rebels natch)
1 – Hissing On Summer Lawns – Joni Mitchell
2 – Passion – Peter Gabriel
3 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
4 – Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
5 – Low – David Bowie
6 – Skeleton Tree – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
7 – Dummy – Portishead
8 – Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
9 – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – Brian Eno & David Byrne
10 – Achtung Baby – U2
….as of today:
1 – Ting – Nits
2 – Wonderland Band No. 1 – Wonderland
3 – Lumpy Gravy – Frank Zappa
4 – Happy To Meet, Sorry To Part – Horslips
5 – Countdown To Ecstasy – Steely Dan
6 – Songs From Liquid Days – Philip Glass
7 – Hand.Cannot.Erase – Steven Wilson
8 – She – Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub
9 – Tripomatic Fairytales – Jam & Spoon
10 – Tokyo Rose – Van Dyke Parks
Some obscure (to me) titles there. ‘Ting’ sounds intriguing.
Always find these tough, but here goes;
1 – The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths
2 – Behaviour – Pet Shop Boys
3 – Violator – Depeche Mode
4 – Electronic – Electronic
5 – Technique – New Order
6 – Lifeblood – Manic Street Preachers
7 – Vauxhall & I – Morrissey
8 – Introspective – Pet Shop Boys
9 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
10 – Dare! – The Human League.
6 of these nearly made my list. I think you have excellent taste.
The closest list to my taste I’ve seen yet as well
Great minds…
My also rans included;
The Cure. Wish and Disintegration.
Depeche Mode. Songs of Faith and Devotion and Music For the Masses.
New Order. Lowlife.
Pet Shop Boys. Very.
The Smiths. Strange ways, Here We Come.
Initial scepticism banished I give you My Top Ten
1 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
2 – Fire in the Hole – Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Tornqvist
3 – People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm – A Tribe Called Quest
4 – Panic Prevention – Jamie T
5 – Electrif Lycanthrope – Little Feat
6 – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
7 – History – Loudon Wainwright III
8 – Murmur – REM
9 – In The Blue Light – Paul Simon
10 – A Friend Of A Friend – Dave Rawlings Machine
Ref’s Ruling required. Electric Lycanthrope, whilst better than almost everything mentioned in this thread, is a bootleg.
No bootlegs
Youse is Wrong. Electrif is one of those ex bootlegs now available as ‘proper’ from all reputable outlets inc Amazon, Spotify etc cos I assume the copyright ran out.
Get it back in or there will be…
Does Electrif Lycanthrope count? And choosing In The Blue Light is just contrary.
And it’s R.E.M. actually 😉
See above re Electrif and everything on Blue Light is better than the original.
Me and my friends used to have long drug-fuelled discussions on how to pronounce R.E.M. so don’t be messing with me re dots or no dots
The Blue Light One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor makes my toes curl.
Is that good toe-curling like just after you’ve had sex (although I fear that’s a distant memory for you) or bad toe-curling like waking up and find Gary next to you (again)?
This is simply impossible:
1 – Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
2 – The Beatles – The Beatles
3 – Roxy Music – Roxy Music
4 – Architecture & Morality – Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
5 – Blackstar – David Bowie
6 – Screamadelica – Primal Scream
7 – Drums And Wires – XTC
8 – Get Happy! – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
9 – Ocean Rain – Echo & The Bunnymen
10 – Common One – Van Morrison
Could’ve had 4 from Bowie, 3 from The Beatles and XTC. Wanted to include The Jam, The Clash, The Orb, The Unthanks, Johann Johannson, Talking Heads and oh so many more. Couldn’t think of a “favourite” of The Rolling Stones, Durutti Column, Dylan, Neil Young or Miles. I’ll stop now…
Brilliant list.
You are the God What Runs This Thing – no more “brilliant” comments unless it’s about my impeccable list
I was just talking about the formatting 😉
You are a card! Now please tell me that E Lycanthrope is allowed (cos it’s legally available)?
Ok
Whatever you were commenting upon…thank you!
It’s perfect in every way
Get a room
Here goes:
1) Still crazy after all these years – Paul Simon
2) Fisherman’s Blues – The Waterboys
3) Songs of – Leonard Cohen
4) Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell
5) Defending Ancient Springs – Jackie Leven
6) Debut album – Peter Case
7) Car Wheels on a Gravel road – Lucinda Williams
8) King of America – Elvis Costello
9) Ron Sexsmith – Ron Sexsmith (The one with Secret Heart on – often thought of as his debut but its not)
10) I want to see the Bright Lights tonight – Richard and Linda Thompson
Oh Steve, Steve – )))) !!!
Nice list apart from No2 ( and whatever No6 is) but Dai has just put his Big Red Pen through it.
superb choices @ 2, 5, 6, & 8 Mr. T.
No.6 is Peter Case by Peter Case or should I say Peter Case – Peter Case.
Can someone stick his big red pen where the sun don’t shine.
Terrific album
What I meant Steve was your formatting. Schoolboy mistake )))
1 – Reckoning – R.E.M.
2 – On the Way to the Peak of Normal – Holger Czukay
3 – Marquee Moon – Television
4 – Dare – The Human League
5 – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
6 – Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk
7 – Utopia Parkway – Fountains of Wayne
8 – New York Dolls – New York Dolls
9 – Quiet Life – Japan
10 – Even Serpents Shine – The Only Ones
Same albums as last time I reck, just a different order.
1- Starfish – The Church
2- Black and White – The Stranglers
3- Life’s hard and then you die – It’s Immaterial
4- Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
5- The Colour of Spring – Talk Talk
6- Technique – New Order
7- Live and Let Live – 10CC
8- The Small Price of a Bicycle – The Icicle Works
9- Swagger – The Blue Aeroplanes
10- Crime of the Century – Supertramp
You can all go back to sleep now.
1-Hounds of Love-Kate Bush
2-King of America-Elvis Costello
3-Parallel Lines-Blondie
4-Everything’s Different Now-Til Tuesday
5-Black Star-David Bowie
6-Apple Venus Pt 1-XTC
7-Setting Sons-The Jam
8-Hearts and Bones-Paul Simon
9-Around the world in a day-Prince
10-East Side Story-Squeeze
1 – Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
2 – The Man-Machine – Kraftwerk
3 – Station To Station – David Bowie
4 – Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
5 – Sign ‘O’ The Times – Prince
6 – Automatic For The People – R.E.M.
7 – IV – Led Zeppelin
8 – Script of The Bridge – The Chameleons
9 – Low-Life – New Order
10 – All Mod Cons – The Jam
Just missed out: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Heaven up Here, London Calling, Grand Prix. I am guessing I will be the only one on Script of the Bridge but it is perfect: splitting them out came down to bad tracks (All Mod Cons excepted) so Darkness..lost out because I find Adam Raised A Cain a bit meh. Love the rest of it, but without ARAC it might have sneaked in.
Oh I love Adam Raised a Cain, Streets of Fire would be the only relatively weak track for me.
@moseleymoles
Hooray…The Cams! I should have put Strange Times in my top ten.
They had a perfect storm of career shitness: multiple record company shenanigans (all 4 studio LPs on different labels), death of a band member, having someone called Reg in the band, no image or fashion sense at all, and even the fact that SOTB has one of the worst covers ever. Out of all that some wonderful wonderful music.
A brilliant live band as well (I’m in the audience on the “Live at the Gallery Club Manchester” DVD!).
I saw The Waterboys at The Gallery 83? 84? for the first time. That was a great little club and The waterboys a greatm live band.
Never cared much for The Chameleons but I`ve heard them on 6Music quite a lot lately and enjoyed what I heard.
Recommendations anyone? Thanks.
Baron, the Cams are one those underrated should have been bands.
The debut “Script of the Bridge” is the rawest and overtly angriest but yet still had trademark Cams dreamyness AND it contains the mighty Second Skin., a fans live favourite. The follow up, “What does anything mean. Basically “ sounds more keyboards based and sounds somehow bigger. Their 3rd and my favourite is “Strange Times, “ a sprawling almost goth-lite (but don’t be put off) meisterwerk. Contains Swamp Thing, another epic.
Then they split up and things were never quite the same for the so so reunion album “Why call it anything.” Plenty of compilations and live albums but the first 3 studio albums really stand up. And try and get hold of the Tony Fletcher ep.
All very true. And it’s Reg Smithies. Smithies. The most un-rock and roll name ever. But he’s back in the fold, the fans are delighted and Mark Burgess is doing some sort of crowd funding thing so he can afford to be in the band. Other bad luck…recording the Tony Fletcher ep on the day of their managers funeral…allegedly the glue that held them together.
And yes ⬇️ @duco01 they are excellent live.
I am with you @moseleymoles Adam raised a Cain is my least liked Bruce Song. Really grated on me however Candys Song and Racing in the Street are two of his best songs.
1 – Silver Town – The Men They Couldn’t Hang
2 – Edge of the Sun – Calexico
3 – Life’s a Riot With Spy vs Spy – Billy Bragg
4 – Kite – Kirsty MacColl
5 – In My Tribe – 10,000 Maniacs
6 – Broadsword and the Beast – Jethro Tull
7 – Power in the Darkness – Tom Robinson Band
8 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
9 – The Domino Club – The Men They Couldn’t Hang
10 – Fisherman’s Blues – The Waterboys
@davebigpicture
Was talking about In Your Tribe to a friend only recently…used to love it and the follow up (forgotten its name…) so will have to revisit. And Fisherman’s Blues too!
1 – Station To Station – David Bowie
2 – Exile On Main St – Rolling Stones
3 – Sgt Pepper – Beatles
4 – Meddle – Oink Floyd
5 – Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
6 – Live At The Old Waldorf 1978 – Television
7 – Hand. Cannot. Erase – Steven Wilson
8 – Notorious Byrd Brothers – The Byrds
9 – Nightclubbing – Grace Jones
10 – Norman Fucking Rockwell – Lana Del Rey
Wow a 2019 release
Wild and crazy, that’s me.
Pig Floyd – The Greatest Gig in the Sty.
Good work.
Not the greatest. Just great. There is something humbling about making a joke about a typo, and then spotting – after the fifteen minute edit deadline – that the joke contains a typo of your own.
Wasn’t a typo actually. I wrote the same thing last time we did such a list and I chose The Floyd. Get to see if anybody reads the post and mentions it. Pigs on the wing and all that. I have a mild little chuckle over it.
I did wonder. In footballing terms I think you get points for the assist.
Let’s call it that. You rose to the occasion.
I’ve changed my mind
1 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
2 – Southeastern – Jason Isbell
3 – Sleepwalking – Rae & Christian
4 – Late For The Sky – Jackson Browne
5 – Abandoned Luncheonette – Hall & Oates
6 – Georgia Satellites – Georgia Satellites
7 – De La Soul Is Dead – De La Soul
8 – Bring The Family – John Hiatt
9 – Underneath The Stars – Kate Rusby
10 – Bob Marley VS Lee Scratch Perry: The Best of The Upsetter Years 1970-1971 – Bob Marley
Nice.
I note that Fire in the Hole has been bumped…..most odd….
Of course Fire In The Hole must be in there… sabotage. I blame gremlins, Gary or Matt Hancock
Actually, Dai – can I have this as my “proper” list?
Shakes head in disbelief …
Off the top of my head and sticking to one album per artist.
1. Spirit Of Eden – Talk Talk
2. Trouble Will Find Me – The National
3. með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust – Sigur Ros
4. Rattlesnakes – Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
5. Peace At Last – The Blue Nile
6. Power, Corruption & Lies – New Order
7. Nixon – Lambchop
8. Hatful of Hollow – The Smiths
9. Weezer (Blue album) – Weezer
10. Let Go – Nada Surf
How do you folks manage to get hold of a Hopelandish keyboard?
Google Sigur Ros and then cut and paste. Takk!
Alternate list/bubbling over:
1 – Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
2 – The Who – Who’s Next
3 – Yes – Close To The Edge
4 – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin 3
5 – Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die
6 – Bob Dylan – Infidels
7 – CSN & Y – Deja Vu
8 – Stephen Stills/Manassas – Manassas
9 – Jethro Tull – Songs From The Wood
10 – The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis Bold As Love
One list only please otherwise they will be counted.
Oops! Sorry. I’ll just stick with the first then. It’s a random/fluid thing anyway.
Of course mine has changed already has too be treated as a snapshot.
Been working my way through my now-redundant iPods with cries of “Bugger, should have included this?” or “Bugger, how could I leave out that?”.
I could, and perhaps shall, produce a new daily list till the poll closes with only My No1 staying the same.
Just don’t post them here please 😉
I won’t and disregard today’s mischief, please
1-Exile On Main St- Rolling Stones
2-Raw Power-Iggy & The Stooges
3-Bitches Brew-Miles Davis
4-Who’s Next-The Who
5-Blood On The Tracks-Bob Dylan
6-The Harder They Come-Soundtrack (Jimmy Cliff Etc)
7-Stranded-Roxy Music
8-The Velvet Underground & Nico-Velvet Underground
9-Natty Dread-Bob Marley & The Wailers
10-Sweet Oblivion-Screaming Trees
Whither The Smiths? The Queen Is Dead used to be up there in these polls. The wazzock factor?
I was thinking the same thing. Haven’t listened to ver Smiffs for a while but when I do…sigh.
I am just not inclined to bother. I was keen at one time. Somewhat tainted.
I did put Hatful Of Hollow in my list.
And their debut was on mine.
Brave choice. I love the songs but prefer the Hatful versions just because the production is better. And the extra songs!
I love both those albums but I have a sentimental attachment to that debut. I loved it more than I ever thought it possible to love a record at that time. I still love it now despite the rather prosaic production. Morrissey’s singing has improved so much over the years. I am the only person on this site who reckons his covers album to be the most memorable and enjoyable collections of last year.
All The Smiths albums are excellent I think, including the 2 collections of non-album singles and more. I normally separate the art from the person (arsehole) but find it hard with Morrissey. His personality is so ptominent in their records. One day I will want to play them again I expect.
This is an interesting point. I think if we did this poll ten years ago I’d have put a Smiths album in my top ten. This time round I didn’t even consider them. But I don’t think that’s because Morrissey’s a knob: plenty of other people I like and listen to are. I just stopped listening to them, and stopped wanting to listen to them, and I think that might be more down to the music itself rather than anything external. I used to think the lyrics were profound, but now I just think they are a bit silly.
There were about 50 other albums just BEGGING to be let in to the top 10, but in the end I settled for these. I really wanted to include the “Jesus Dread” set by Yabby You (Blood & Fire), but ultimately, that’s a compilation, so it wasn’t permissible. I briefly considered including Sufjan Stevens’s “Carrie and Lowell”, but I thought that Lodestone might have some form of apoplectic fit if I did….
1. A Love Supreme – John Coltrane
2. Imperial Bedroom – Elvis Costello & the Attractions
3. Heart of the Congos – The Congos
4. Manassas – Stephen Stills
5. Djam Leelii – Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck
6. 69 Love Songs – Magnetic Fields
7. Penguin Eggs – Nic Jones
8. Live at the Blue Note: Complete (box) – Keith Jarrett
9. Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas – Townes van Zandt
10. Ys – Joanna Newsom
Bugger bugger, how could I forget Imperial Bedroom?
Hey, Dai – howsabout asking for Top 500 albums?
Bugger, bugger – how could I forget Heart Of The Congo’s?
69 Love Songs, Penguin Eggs, Ys! @duco01 goes up in even further in my estimation (if that was possible)
And Sufjan will be in my top 10, if I get a wriggle on.
DEADLINE CHANGE
Originally I put May 31st as a deadline.There have been many contributions and obviously most people currently have a lot of time on their hands so I am moving deadline forward to next Mon 18th May, midnight UK time.
Like everyone’s said, tough to whittle it done to 10, it’s not a greatest albums of all time, just my favourite 10
1.Hex – Bark Psychosis
2.Lexicon of Love – ABC
3.Forever Changes – Love
4.The Kick Inside – Kate Bush
5.Colour of Spring – Talk Talk
6.Bryter Later – Nick Drake
7.Food, Sex & Paranoia – Furniture
8.Station to Station – David Bowie
9.What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
10.The Queen is Dead – The Smiths
Bryter Layter has picked up quite a lot of votes, which has been very pleasing because in recent years Pink Moon has seemed to be the album that crops up the most in things like this, whereas I think Bryter Layter is miles better. It’s also pleasing because now I don’t feel as bad that it didn’t quite make my top 10!
If I have to go to the desert island, these are the 10 I would take:
1 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
2 – Otis Blue – Otis Redding
3 – The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones
4 – Unhalfbricking – Fairport Convention –
5 – Exile on Main Street – The Rolling Stones –
6 – A Night in San Francisco – Van Morrison
7 – East West – The Butterfield Blues Band
8 – Still Crazy After All These Years – Paul Simon
9 – Fresh Cream – Cream
10 – All The Road Running – Mark Knopfler & Emmy Lou Harris
These are just in the order that I though of them
1 – The Band – The Band
2 – Milestones – Miles Davis
3 – Southeastern – Jason Isbell
4 – The Imperial – The Delines
5 – Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
6 – Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
7 – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards – Tom Waits
8 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
9 – Marquee Moon – Television
10 – Not Dark Yet – Shelby Lynne & Alison Moorer
Off the top of my head.
1 – Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
2 – Trans Europe Express – Kraftwerk
3 – Achtung Bono – Half Man Half Biscuit
4 – Aja – Steely Dan
5 – Full House – Fairport Convention
6 – Tupelo Honey – Van Morrison
7 – Who’s Next – The Who
8 – Modern Music – Be Bop Deluxe
9 – How Dare You! – 10cc
10 – Shoot Out The Lights – Richard & Linda Thompson
I didn’t put any HMHB on my list, but to be honest I could do a top ten of their’s on its own (Cammell Laird Social Club would top it).
NOT TO COUNTED @dai but just for fun as they say, I asked Severe Jazz Son for his top 10…let’s just say
1 – Rich v Roach – Buddy Rich
2 – Roar of ’74 – Buddy Rich
3 – Open Sesame – Freddie Hubbard
4 – Soul Station – Hank Mobley
5 – Charlie Parker With Strings – Charlie Parker
6 – Crystal – Ahmad Jamal
7 – Xpander EP – Sasha
8 – 7:84 – Global Communication
9 – Big Swing Face – Buddy Rich
10 – Clifford Brown and Max Roach – Clifford Brown and Max Roach
He’s broadened his palatte considerably with 7 and 8…
Would anybody like me to conduct a workshop on the difference between hyphens and en dashes? No? Suit yourselves.
I’ll have a go! Are hyphens always immediately between two letters with no spacing, like TV’s Terry-Thomas? Or a have-a-go hero?
I have never heard of an “en dash”. Is this when you have a space dash space to break up a sentence – like what I did just then?
Exactly that, BC. An en dash is a more emphatic comma, used either singly or in pairs.
There used to be something called the em dash, which is longer and has no space on either side. When I was at copy-editing school back in the reign of Queen Victoria it was used to denote range (40–50) or passage of time, eg Queen Victoria reigned 1937—1901.
It seems only Americans use it now, but being typically ornery they have completely reversed the functions and usage of the two dashes. Go, as they say, figure.
It seems MS Word chooses two different characters for a dash (hyphen, etc) and also for quotation marks/double inverted commas. What’s that about?
I’ve given up wondering what anything Word does is about. I do know that two hyphens followed by a space will give you a dash. Never noticed the single/double quote marks thing. Better ask the paperclip. Or Bill Gates.
The two hyphens is something to o with typesetting layouts. In truth, there is only one hyphen, the other is a minus symbol.
Of the two speech mark variants – something to do with regional variations/preferences, and what works better with different fonts.
Word is so bloated to cater for all markets, and has a habit of trying to be helpful, but isn’t.
(c) returns the copyright symbol (unless you change the shipped default settings – same with (R) returning the Registered symbol.
Also if you enter 🙂 😉 or other variations it will return a winding face.
Oh wingdings – you know you can do Insert Symbol (which by default opens the windings palette) – if you know the Alt code number, you can hold down the Alt key type the number in the number pad and it inserts it for you without searching for it
The drawback here is that you need to know the Alt Code number
(I keep a printout in my desk drawer for just such purposes)
Me too, having lived in France. I used to know them by heart.
1 – Abbey Road – The Beatles
2 – Meddle – Pink Floyd
3 – The Yes Album – Yes
4 – African Dub Chapter Three – Joe Gibbs and the Professionals
5 – Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
6 – Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
7 – Basket Of Light – The Pentangle
8 – The Joshua Tree – U2
9 – Every Good Boy Deserves Favour – The Moody Blues
10 – Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
Thumbs up for Joe Gibbs and Errol Thompson, Foxy.
OK Computer at 11?
U2 but no Little Feat? Who has hacked @vulpes-vulpes account?
1 – The Beatles – The Beatles
2 – Jordan The Comeback – Prefab Sprout
3 – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – Brian Eno & David Byrne
4 – 69 Love Songs – The Magnetic Fields
5 – Come On Feel The Illinoise! – Sufjan Stevens
6 – Tomorrow,Tomorrow and Tomorrow – Bill Fay Group
7 – 20 Jazz Funk Greats – Throbbing Gristle
8 – Tilt – Scott Walker
9 – Drums and Wires – XTC
10 – Hex Enduction Hour – The Fall
Go on! Be honest. How many times have you listened to Tilt over the last twelve months?
Make that years. And, yes, I have got it somewhere.
Farmer in the City needs regular plays. One of the most beautiful things I have ever heard.
Probably 7 or 8 times. It’s a stunning experience. It was either that or Scott 4. Both show an artist pushing the boundaries, in different ways.
I like my Scott Walker three ways at least.
Crazy Scott for now.
Christ. That is awful.
No no no! That is exquisitely bonkers and brilliant.
Well that’s the enduring charm and wonder of this site. One person’s ‘bonkers and brilliant’ is another’s ‘unlistenable, pretentious and Emperor’s New Clothes twaddle.’
Tiggs, `Tilt` is a wonderfull album and gets regular plays at Harkonnen Towers.
1 – A Love Supreme – John Coltrane.
2 – The Koln Concert – Keith Jarrett.
3 – Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music Vol.2 – Ray Charles.
4 – Death Speaks – David Lang.
5 – Journey In Satchidananda – Alice Coltrane.
6 – Bert And John – Bert Jansch & John Renbourn.
7 – Lady In Satin – Billy Holiday.
8 – The Complete Tony Bennett & Bill Evans Recordings.
9 – Spiegel im Spiegel – Arvo Part.
10 – Song For My Father – The Horace Silver Quintet.
Excellent! I haven’t listened to Death Speaks for quite some time. I’m not sure I dare risk it right now.
I hope you are keeping well, pencil. The beard is looking tidy but what’s under the hat?
A lost Amazonian tribe and a six pack of Toffee Crisps.
That’s handy. Just make sure the Amazonian tribe don’t catch the virus.
You try getting them to wash their hands and they’ve eaten all the Toffee Crisps.
Could go all obscure, but would only be doing it for its own sake.
Couldn’t narrow down a Jimi, Nick or Scott, and The Impressions, Ska, Dusty, Tamla, Stax, The Who, The Kinks etc. are best served on 45.
Also picked the ones which are more summery and have the nicest sleeves.
Haven’t checked, but I rather hope none of these records clock in at over 35/36 minutes.
Warning: No dodgers were used in making of this list.
1. – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
2. – The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones
3. – All Summer Long – The Beach Boys
4. – Nashville Skyline – Bob Dylan
5. – Waiting For The Sun – The Doors
6. – It’s My Thing – Marva Whitney
7. – Here’s Larry Williams – Larry Williams
8. – Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. – The Monkees
9. – Four Sail – Love
10. – Absolutely Free – The Mothers of Invention
1 – Behaviour – Pet Shop Boys
2 – Songs for Beginners – Graham Nash
3 – Deja Vu – Crosby Stills, Nash & Young
4 – This is Hardcore – Pulp
5 – Dark side of the moon – Pink Floyd
6 – OK Computer – Radiohead
7 – The Kinks are the Village green preservation society – The Kinks
8 – The Lexicon of love –ABC
9 – All things must pass – George Harrison
10 – Blackstar – David Bowie
Today’s choice but could change if I did it tomorrow. Pity New Order never put their killer material on 1 album…(compilations don’t count!)
1 – Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
2 – Train a Comin’ – Steve Earle
3 – Dark Side Of The Moon- Pink Floyd
4 – I’m The Man – Joe Jackson
5 – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
6 – Indian Ocean – Frazey Ford
7 – Trouble – Ray Lamontagne
8 – Something More Than Free – Jason Isbell
9 – Move It On Over – George Thorogood and The Destroyers
10 – Love Me Tender – BB King
No particular order, so five points all round, I guess.
A ghost is born – Wilco
Seventh Tree – Goldfrapp
Sky at night – I am kloot
Radiator – Super furry animals
Abbey Road – Beatles
Blue Lines – Massive Attack
It takes a nation of millions to hold us back – Public Enemy
Postcard CV – Senseless Things
Third – Portishead
The Perfect Prescription – Spacemen 3
Of course there’s loads more bubbling under. A lot of these records are on the list as much because of the memories attached, as well as the great music contained therein.
Blue Lines didn’t quite make my list but was close – I’m slightly surprised It doesn’t seem to be getting more mentions – it’s a glorious record.
True. Mezzanine isn’t that far off the top 10, either. I can happily live without hearing 100 windows ever again however.
Blue Lines wasn’t far outside my top 10.
It has been a bit of a quest of mine, over the past 20 years or so, to find albums that sound like Blue Lines and albums that sound like Moon Safari by Air. ‘Sounds like’ is the wrong term really. ‘Feel like’ is more appropriate, or even just albums that make me feel the same as I do when I listen to those two albums. Sounds vague, but I’m sure you know what I mean! Bits of Zero 7 and Kid Loco come close to Moon Safari, whereas away from the Bristol sound, Ghostpoet has been the closest to giving me the Blue Lines feeling. However, I’ve recently listened to Overstanding by Alpha and Omega and not only is it the best new discovery I’ve made in ages (I’ve since gone on a downloading spree of their other albums), but bits of it give me the Blue Lines feel too.
Portishead seem to be missing here too. (I think. Long thread.)
I’ll give the alpha and omega a listen if it’s on Spotify.
That just made my trip to Sainsbury’s a whole lot better. Thank you. Reminded me slightly of the Galliano album ‘a joyful noise unto the creator.’
This was harder than I thought it would be, despite featuring all of my usual suspects. Many of these artists had two album contenders finishing neck-and-neck, almost impossible to separate. Some of the artists/albums ending up outside of the list were among the first ones I wrote down as obvious choices. But these ended up as the ten that suited my current mood the best.
1 – Folklore en Nueva Dimensión – Ariel Ramirez/Jaime Torres
2 – A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles
3 – Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder
4 – Black Sea – XTC
5 – Eli And The Thirteenth Confession – Laura Nyro
6 – All Things Must Pass – George Harrison
7 – Sky Blue Sky – Wilco
8 – The Real Thing – Taj Mahal
9 – Blonde On Blonde – Bob Dylan
10 – Remain In Light – Talking Heads
I’m reluctant to press Post Comment as I keep thinking of other albums that should be on the list!
1 – Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
2 – Space Ritual – Hawkwind
3 – Live at the Counter Eurovision 79 – Misty in Roots
4 – Bringing it all Back Home – Bob Dylan
5 – Hand of Kindness – Richard Thompson
6 – 69 Love Songs – The Magnetic Fields
7 – Pirate’s Choice – Orchestra Baobab
8 – The Beatles – The Beatles
9 – Blue Train – John Coltrane
10 – 3 – Peter Gabriel
Hmmm … yes, it was a real wrench for me not to include the brilliant “Live at the Counter Eurovision ’79” in my Top 10. Indeed, I felt like “a cabbage in this society” for doing so …
Well played, sir.
1 – Revolver – The Beatles
2 – Lifes Rich Pageant – R.E.M.
3 – Solid Air – John Martyn
4 – Exile on Main Street – The Rolling Stones
5 – A Walk Across the Rooftops – The Blue Nile
6 – Tusk – Fleetwood MAC
7 – Paul Simon – Paul Simon
8 – Pink Moon – Nick Drake
9 – Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
10 – Something Else by – The Kinks
I aren’t really a music buff, I’ve never heard Revolver, but here goes
1-Jailbreak -Thin Lizzy
2-Astral Weeks -Van Morrison
3-Vauxhall and I – Morrissey
4-Rumours -Fleetwood Mac
5-Bat out of Hell-Meatloaf
6-Guilty -Barbra Streisand
7-Parallel Lines -Blondie
8-Greatest Hits Vol 2-The Platters
9-Making Movies -Dire Straits
10-Hounds of Love-Kate Bush
@kalamo
Me and you both. In fact, I’ve even got Revolver and the rest of the Beatles albums and never listened to them . Listened to bits obvs but never felt the need to listen to them all the way through.
Parallel Lines would have gone in my top ten 42 years ago.
I haven’t the faintest idea where or, certainly, why I heard this (was I in a coma or something?), but I definitely once heard the arbiter of what not to listen to, Steve Lamacq – born the same year as Boris Johnson, don’t laugh – say he only had Revolver.
Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.
I saw you had Black and White right up there, Freddy. I tried to get Live X Certs in but it had to settle outside the ten.
Funny that. Never really been a fan of Live X Cert but been giving it a blast recently and it is much much better than I remember it. That bass sound! And Hugh’s mockney accent..
It’s my favourite live album, I’ve read reviews which haven’t rated it though. Hugh’s banter with the crowd and his putdown of the people spitting is funny, there’s some great songs on there as well though, especially Straighten Out.
Here are the votes from deepest Norfolk
1 – The Beatles – The Beatles
2- Blood On The Tracks – Bob Dylan
3- Abbey Road – The Beatles
4- Get Happy- Elvis Costello
5- The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
6- No Guru, No Method, No Teacher – Van Morrison
7 – Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
8- Dark Side Of The Moon – Pink Floyd
9 – Solid Air – John Martyn
10 – Ram – Paul McCartney & Wings
Today it’s
1-London Calling – The Clash
2-Quadrophenia – The Who
3- The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses
4-Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd
5- Abbey Road – The Beatles
6- Aja – Steely Dan
7- Chateau Revenge- The Silver Seas
8- What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
9-Funeral – Arcade Fire
10- Benji – Sun Kil Moon
1 – Bummed – Happy Mondays
2 – Hex Enduction Hour – The Fall
3 – Dubnobasswithmyheadman – Underworld
4 – White Light From the Mouth of Infinity – Swans
5 – Big Showdown at King Tubby’s – Scientist vs Prince Jammy
6 – Vauxhall & I – Morrissey
7 – Album – Public Image Limited
8 – Leftism – Leftfield
9 – The Wall – Pink Floyd
10 – Aerial – Kate Bush
About 15 years ago (or so) I was in the departure area at Luton airport. I spotted a CD that was in some way entitled ‘the greatest hits of leftfield.’ My travelling companion and I took great delight for the next few days with the pretend voice over (in a deep voice over voice) “Leftfield’s greatest hits! Featuring all of Leftism and the one from the Guinness ad.”
I do really like Leftism, by the way. Just unsure how the band had a greatest hits album around 2005.
Cool, you voted for Album! that album rooooooools!
This is difficult!
I have avoided looking at any of the lists or comments above, but I am sure that I am not alone in struggling to keep a list down to 10, agonising at deleting well-loved titles from a draft list.
My list is by-and-large a list of comfort listening, albums that I would go back to time and time again, albums that tend to remind me of certain times or people. It is perhaps not a very exciting list and certainly not “current”. Hey, maybe that’s me… not very exciting and not current.
Anyway, here it is:
1 – Swagger – The Blue Aeroplanes
2 – Armed Forces – Elvis Costello
3 – Murmur – R.E.M
4 – The Pretenders – Pretenders (1)
5 – Four Calendar Cafe – The Cocteau Twins
6 – Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie
7 – Country Life – Roxy Music
8 – The Trinity Sessions – Cowboy Junkies
9 – Lyle Lovett – Lyle Lovett
10 – Tattoo You – The Rolling Stones
It goes without saying that I could compile a second, third, fourth list (and more) that I’d be equally (un)happy with.
I’m off now to scroll through the thread.
Tattoo You? But how can this be – I’m the only person in the world who rates Tattoo You as the Stones’ best album! Which side you talking, 1 or 2?
Arggh … dunno.
*flips coin*
Heads – side 1…
Are you OK with side 2?
I’m happy to swap at half time.
I’m only interested in Side 2. Best run of songs in the Stones’ catalogue, ’tis. So good that I completely forget the existence of Side 1.
Excellent! No fisticuffs in the playground then.
I do like side 2 – I did actually flip a coin to decide what to reply – but happy enough to stick with side 1 … for the time being …
Side 2 is sublime.
For some reason I can’t listen to it during daylight hours.
It’s has a such a lovely, late night, intimate mood that goes well with a glass or two of red.
@pajp
Swagger! I know what you mean by comfort listening albums, my list has albums I go back too and don’t get bored of.
@freddy-steady
I love Swagger! I noticed it on your list too as I was scrolling. At least it’ll get a few points.
Swagger has one of the all time greatest openings “Take a card, any card – Wrong!”
It does. I still use that line when playing cards..,hilarious I know. Think David Hepworth liked it too.
`Swagger` could easily have made my top 10 and certainly would have had I thought of it at the time.
Like others, I found it difficult to cut the list down to 10. A top 25 would have been more varied and interesting. The list has changed even as I typed it.
1 – Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
2 – The Beatles – The Beatles
3 – 3 – Peter Gabriel
4 – Wish You Were – Pink Floyd
5 – Darkness on the Edge of Town – Bruce Springsteen
6 – Remain In Light – Talking Heads
7 – Imperial Bedroom – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
8 – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon – Paul Simon
9 – A Secret Wish – Propaganda
10 – Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
As I was going through my iTunes library, I realised that many of the records that introduced me to my favourites were compilations. I could make a good case that these are often the artists’ best records. Here are my top ten, starting with the first record I ever bought. They are mainly in the order I discovered them forming my musical education. (I have deliberately not used the proper hyphens not to confuse the adding up of results.)
1. Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits
2. 1967 – 1970 (The Beatles)
3. More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits
4. Decade (Neil Young)
5. Legend (Bob Marley)
6. The Best of the Beach Boys
7. Way to Blue (Nick Drake)
8. Carry on Up the Charts ( The Beautiful South)
9. The World Won’t Listen (The Smiths)
10. Dream Sequence (Tangerine Dream)
Thank you for that courtesy. I certainly agree about Legend and Carry On Up the Charts. Blue album was one of the first Beatles albums I heard too.
There was a recent Facebook ten day wotsit: Albums that influenced my musical taste.
When I did mine, I found that it’s compilations and live albums that pique interest and fire you off down new paths.
Beatles Red and Blue albums,
The Jam Snap,
Buzzcocks Singles Going Steady
Dr Feelgood Stupidity
Iron Maiden Live After Death
Motorhead No Sleep Til Hammersmith
They may not be “classic albums” in the normal order of things, but rank alongside the best in their catalogues
I used to be sniffy about Best of albums but not any more.
Doing a FB 10-a-day Live album thingy, not a great lover of such albums and I’m struggling to name 10 and of those I am naming probably only a couple will have been played with any sort of regularity. Oh and to please RD my latest choice was SLF – Hanx …. which did get a lot of play at the time.
That list of comps is the best 10 so far.
Not sure about that. I like a lot of comps but they don’t always make the best listening experience consisting of the more commercial, familiar tracks.
@davidg
Aaaargh..,how could I forget about A Secret Wish…immense!
I`m a sucker for compilations @Davidg and have the first 7 on your list. Even though I have for example all The Byrds Studio & Live albums I also have around 10+ compilations by The Byrds. Same with The Band, The Beach Boys, Beatles and that`s just the `B`s. Mad but so what!
Bugger, bugger – forgot about Bonnie Prince Billy. I’m off to write another Top 10.
1 – Hunky Dory – David Bowie
2 – Rust Never Sleeps – Neil Young
3 – The Beatles – The Beatles
4 – Court And Spark – Joni Mitchell
5 – Remain In Light – Talking Heads
6 – 3 – Peter Gabriel
7 – Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush
8 – The River – Bruce Springsteen
9 – King Of America – Elvis Costello
10 – Hearts And Bones – Paul Simon
Not a bit happy with that really – no place for Rickie Lee Jones, Van Morrison, T-Bone Burnett, K.D. Lang, Pink Floyd, Go-Betweens, John Martyn, XTC, U2, Waterboys and many more. 10 is difficult.
1 – The Man Machine – Kraftwerk
2 – Parade – Prince & the Revolution
3 – Li’l Beethoven – Sparks
4 – Sheer Heart Attack – Queen
5 – Moon Safari – Air
6 – Sabotage – Black Sabbath
7 – Farewell Aldebaran – Jerry Yester & Judy Henske
8 – Uncle Meat – The Mothers of Invention
9 – Different Class – Pulp
10 – Hounds of Love – Kate Bush
1 – The Show Must Go On – Sam Dees
2 – It’s Too Late to Stop Now – Van Morrison
3 – I am – Earth Wind and Fire
4 – Eli and the 13th Confession – Laura Nyro
5 – Francis Alberto Sinatra meets Antonio Carlos Jobim – Frank Sinatra
6 – The Songstress – Anita Baker
7 – Epiphany – Vince Mendoza
8 – Abandoned Luncheonette – Hall and Oates
9 – Raw Silk – Randy Crawford
10 – Back to Oakland – Tower of Power
Interesting choice of Anita Baker album. Its sound is much more analogue than her biggest hits, less eighties, and her voice is more raw and untamed. I can hear why you prefer it.
I’ll play…..
1. Get Happy!! – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2. Low – David Bowie
3. August & Everything After – Counting Crows
4. Innervisions – Stevie Wonder
5. Rain Dogs – Tom Waits
6. Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
7. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
8. Revolver – The Beatles
9. Parade – Prince
10. Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan
My scores on the doors, decided on only one entry per artist, so here goes…. struggling to press the ‘post’ button as I still want to change things…. oh bugger it here goes
1 – Forbidden Songs of the Dying West – Jackie Leven
2- Schools Out – Alice Cooper
3 – Blinking Lights and Other revelations – Eels
4 -Tunnel of Love – Bruce Springsteen
5 – Unknown Pleasures – Joy Division
6 – Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot – Sparklehorse
7 – Bob Mould – Bob Mould
8 – Harp and a Monkey – Harp and a Monkey
9 – Metal Box – Public Image Ltd
10 – Rum Sodomy and The Lash – The Pouges
Excellent pick at No.1 @Bogart. Jackie Leven is another that would make my Top 10 if I revised it. I miss the Big Man.
Last few hours before midnight deadline. Post if you’re going to!
Thank you for doing this
1 – Songs in the key of life – Stevie Wonder
2 – Sign of the Times – Prince
3 – Born to run – Bruce Springsteen
4 – Don’t stand me down – Dexys Midnight runners
5 – English Settlement – XTC
6 – Exodus – Bob Marley and the wailers
7 – Jordan the comeback – Prefab Sprout
8 – London Calling – The Clash
9 – Actually – Pet Shop Boys
10 – Universal Mother – Sinead o’connor
Despite being one of nature’s ditherers, I believe I could have done a better job with the original deadline, as, what was a methodical and ear-opening re-listen to the usual suspects, became a mad scramble to binge as many as I could rapido. So this is a snapshot of what moves me as of 18th May 2020 (although it is possible the shine really is wearing off some copper-bottomed classics to these jaded ears..)
1 – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back – Public Enemy
2 – You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever – Orange Juice
3 – Scott 2 – Scott Walker
4 – The Holy Bible – Manic Street Preachers
5 – Live! – Bob Marley & The Wailers
6 – The Cold Vein – Cannibal Ox
7 – Figure 8 – Elliott Smith
8 – All The Beauty In This Whole Life – Brother Ali
9 – Countrymen – The Twinkle Brothers
10 – Hurricane – Grace Jones
Special shout out to Mr Marley – several artists on this list wouldn’t get within a mile of the top 10 with any of their other albums but whenever I do this I always seem to pick a different Wailers album. This time, the exuberant joy of the live record wins.
Now to start listening to all my Century 21 faves in preparation for the next poll..
Thanks Dai!
No prob. Sorry to hurry you but an excellent choice at no. 4 (amongst others)
Clearly an impossible task but here’s my list for today…
1 – The Distractions – Nobody’s Perfect
2 – Sparks – Indiscreet
3 – The Waitresses – Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful?
4 – Talking Heads – ’77
5 – Ramones – Ramones
6 – Fountains of Wayne – Fountains of Wayne
7 – Elvis Costello – Armed Forces
8 – Caitlin Rose – The Stand In
9 – Big Star – Radio City
10 – David Mead – Dudes
Bollocks. I forgot Sparklehorse and Teenage Fanclub.
90 minutes left!!
I really struggled with ten. Didn’t we have the opportunity to vote for a lot more last time? In the end, I decided not to consider Jazz and World, otherwise I would never have made the deadline.
1 – Swordfishtrombones – Tom Waits
2 – No Deal – Melanie De Biaisio
3 – Revolver – The Beatles
4 – DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
5 – Electric Ladyland – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
6 – Fresh – Sly & The Family Stone
7 – The Last Record Album – Little Feat
8 – New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) – Erykah Bhadu
9 – Live! – Bob Marley & The Wailers
10 – Homogenic – Björk
Bubbling under, in alphabetical order, the fifty that almost made it:
Average White Band, Lemonade – Beyoncé, Screaming Target – Big Youth, Stationtostation – David Bowie, Untrue – Burial, Social Living – Burning Spear, Heart Of The Congos – The Congos, One Night Stand: Live At The Harlem Square Club – Sam Cooke, This Year’s Model – Elvis Costello & The Attractions, The Infinity Dub Sessions – Deadbeat & Paul St. Hilaire, 3 Feet High And Rising – De La Soul, LA Woman – The Doors, I Am – Earth, Wind & Fire, Scott 4 – Scott Engel, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – Eno & Byrne, Amazing Grace – Aretha Franklin, United – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, Truelove’s Gutter – Richard Hawley, Hot Buttered Soul – Isaac Hayes, Forces Of Victory – Linton Kwesi Johnson, Nightclubbing – Grace Jones, Trans-Europe Express – Kraftwerk, Just A Little Lovin’ – Shelby Lynne, Blue Lines – Massive Attack, Super Fly – Curtis Mayfield, Arise – Zara McFarlane, Hejira – Joni Mitchell, Sail Away – Randy Newman, Aventine – Agnes Obel, Super Ape – Lee “Scratch” Perry & The Upsetters, The Exciting Wilson Pickett – Wilson Pickett, Doolittle – Pixies, Dummy – Portishead, Elvis Back! – Elvis Presley, Parade – Prince & The Revolution, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back – Public Enemy, Kid A – Radiohead, Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul – Otis Redding, Beggars Banquet – The Rolling Stones, Agætis Byrjun – Sigur Rós, Stranded – Roxy Music, Paul Simon, Little Girl Blue – Nina Simone, Songs For Swinging Lovers – Frank Sinatra, We Are Family – Sister Sledge, Countdown To Ecstasy – Steely Dan, More Songs About Buildings And Food – Talking Heads, Second Toughest In The Infants – Underworld, Songs In The Key Of Life – Stevie Wonder and Rock Bottom – Robert Wyatt.
I’m sure I could have come up with another fifty without much thought, starting with Dylan, PiL, Joy Division, Dusty, New Order…..Kanye West. Oh, for feck’s sake.
10 focuses the mind! (and makes counting easier 😉 ) Some nice stuff bubbling under though
**** VOTING HAS CLOSED ***
Thanks for all the contributions.
I have got my slide rule out and results will be going up in the next few hours.