Your Top 5 Favorite Albums

[zazthespaz]

CONGRATULATIONS! By entering this thread, I have put a gun to your head and am forcing you to live on an island for the rest of your life, now pick the 5 albums your gonna listen to for eternity!

Pretty simple, list your top 5 favorite albums of all time. Give one consolation album if you'd like, anymore than that and let's face it, nobody cares and will stop reading. Give a little explaination as to why you like the album so others may have some motivation to listen to them!

[Macca]

Almost certain I've already done this thread. Maybe it was on the old boards though.

[Andy92]

CONGRATULATIONS! By entering this thread, I have put a gun to your head and am forcing you to live on an island for the rest of your life, now pick the 5 albums your gonna listen to for eternity!

Pretty simple, list your top 5 favorite albums of all time. Give one consolation album if you'd like, anymore than that and let's face it, nobody cares and will stop reading. Give a little explaination as to why you like the album so others may have some motivation to listen to them!

*you're

[zazisaspaz]

HAHA well this thread is off to a rockin start!

and i'm not gonna make it any better (yet...give me some time, this is serious stuff so i have to think about it)

[zazthespaz]

Almost certain I've already done this thread. Maybe it was on the old boards though.

probably, i did a brief search for it and couldn't find it though...

CONGRATULATIONS! By entering this thread, I have put a gun to your head and am forcing you to live on an island for the rest of your life, now pick the 5 albums your gonna listen to for eternity!

Pretty simple, list your top 5 favorite albums of all time. Give one consolation album if you'd like, anymore than that and let's face it, nobody cares and will stop reading. Give a little explaination as to why you like the album so others may have some motivation to listen to them!

*you're

up you'res andy

I just spent about 15 minutes writing my post, hit preview and got prompted to log in. everything was erased and i can't go back to it...

[zazisaspaz]

don't worry, i know what it was for you:
1. Hannah Montana
2. Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
3. Spice Girls "Spice World"
4. Barbie "Working Out Barbie"
5. Backstreet Boys "Millennium"
you're welcome

[anguyen92]

Hmmm, I have a fave five bands (AB, Foo Fighters, Shinedown, Skillet, Sixx:AM), a fave five heroes (Myles, Mark, Chris Jericho, Nikki Sixx, Dave Grohl), but not really a fave five albums. Hmmm, which ones should I pick?

This is tough. I always try to listen to albums at once, and get a great enjoyment doing it, but I really don't know which ones to consider my true favorites other than the whole AB catalog. I got two others in consideration though.

Skillet's Comatose - I just loved the lyrics and the occasional duet voices between John and Korey Copper which molds pretty well. My favorites off that album are Rebirthing, The Older I Get, Comatose, Those Nights, and Say Goodbye.

Sixx: A.M's This is Gonna Hurt - Nikki Sixx, DJ Ashba, and James Michael create the album based on looking through the photographs in Sixx's book, This is Gonna Hurt and talks about the unorthodox and the weird and how it does not always have to be perceived as negative. In fact, it could be perceived as beautiful if people look deeper into it. My favorites are Are you With Me Now, Sure Feels Right, Help is On the Way, Oh My God, and Goodbye My Friends.

[zazthespaz]

1. One Day Remains - Alter Bridge

This is the album that changed the way I listen to music. Hearing the guitar parts is what made me look at it as more than a form of entertainment and more as a work of art. The dynamics of the album help keep it fresh to me, and the riffs, drums, and harmonies are what keep me hooked. Plus, inspirational lyrics and upbeat vibes appeal to the optimist in me.
2. What Once Were Vices are Now Habits - The Doobie Brothers

ODR changed my view of music, but this got the wheels turning. They are able to use full on acoustic guitars, full on electric guitars, vocal harmonies, two drum sets, and a wide range of other instruments together successfully in one song creating a wide range of sounds. The ability to transition from acoustic first half to full on rock 2nd keeps this album alive to me and is to me one of the most underrated albums of its time.
3. Wasting Light - Foo Fighters

Straight up rock and roll with no digitized filler. This to me is what a rock band should sound like and the way they accomplish it sets a new standard for all other bands. Gonna be a tough album to top in my opinion, even by the Foo Fighters. Can't really say more, if you don't get it, you never will.
4. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Female guitar player with impressive vocals is what attracted me initially, drums, guitars, keyboards, and harmonies on rest of album are what got me hooked. Good rock album with dynamic sounds and ranges. Each time I listen to it, I hear something new subtly mixed into the music that is barely noticeable, but the song would sound boring without it and the parts are normally pretty creative.
5. Open Letter to the Damned - As Fast As

Only indie/alternative album I own, but I love it. Cool keyboard parts and decent guitar keep the rock part of me interested, and the different sounds they use on the album make me feel intelligent. Check out "Something Fierce" for one of my album's favorites.

Consolation: All I Was - Mark Tremonti
Kick in the teeth album with great riffs and better solos.

**Side note - I wrote this twice since the first one got deleted as I posted it, so my reviews are kind of half-hearted since this task somehow wore me out**

[Macca]

I'll give it a shot. No particular order. My mind is on other things, so this'll distract me for a bit. But it'll prolly be shoddily written.


Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain

The first time I heard this album I was in awe. It floored me. And still does every time I listen to it. It's like a hybrid of post rock and black metal, and it works tremendously. The songs are structured excellently, the average length of the songs being around 10 minutes. The songs don't descend into long winded out passages of musical wankery or anything though, every minute of every song is a joy to listen to.


Dry The River - Shallow Bed

I kinda feel like I spoke about this one so much last year and so many people here already know it that I don't really need to say much about it. In my opinion, folk rock at its absolute finest.


Sigur Ros - Takk..

Hands down the most beautiful album I have ever heard in my life. There are a lot of beautiful/pretty albums out there, but this is easily my favourite. I can't actually put into words how I feel when I listen to this, it transports me elsewhere, and for a while all the shitty everyday problems of life seem to be put on hold. I don't care how cheesy that sounds. This album brings out the cheesiness in me. It's that good. Post rock for any who don't know.


In Flames - The Jester Race

One of those albums that helped pioneer an entire genre, melodeath, which almost 20 years later is still going strong as one of the most popular metal genres. Not only that, but in the almost 20 year history of the genre I've still never heard an album that does it as perfectly as this one does. I genuinely consider this to be one of the greatest metal albums ever written. And fuck anyone who disagrees.


Number 5 is a tough one, there are a few in the running that I can't decide between.

Jeff Buckley - Grace
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Alcest - Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde

Depends what mood I'm in

[zazisaspaz]

Dixie Chicks "Wide Open Spaces"
These girls kept a spotlight on a "true country" sound and have no problems keeping it simple. Harmonies, fiddles, steel guitars and all that good stuff made for an excellent record.
Eagles "Hell Freezes Over"
Who doesn't love the Eagles? No explanation needed
Joey + Rory "The Life of a Song"
Best way to describe this album is "pure." It's a husband/wife duo who create beautiful images with their lyrics and can perfectly cast emotion into every note that comes out of their mouths.
Martina McBride "Martina"
Martina McBride is essentially the reason why I started singing (and poor Cam had to put up with it haha)- she's just got an absolutely gorgeous voice and this album gives a variety of songs that displays all of her talents. This came out when I was starting to develop my own taste in music and is a big part of the reason why I became more aware of lyrics and the stories they tell. This record has a lot of stories that many can relate to or easily put themselves into the plot
Tim McGraw "Set This Circus Down"
I feel like I learn a life lesson everytime I listen to a song from this album. It's just wonderful.

(honorary mentions: GPN "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals" and Sundy Best "Door Without a Screen")

[cointurtlemoose]

Some artists I was torn between two albums, so they're in parenthesis.

Radiohead - Kid A (or The Bends)

Needless to say, this album came out of nowhere in 2000, and I honestly believe if Kid A were released today, it would still be considered "revolutionary" and "boundary-pushing". Not at all that that's its only merit though; as pioneering as it is, it doesn't float off up into the clouds, it also remains strangely accessible/catchy/sticky/etc... Radiohead is legendary, and I believe Kid A is their best work... or The Bends, depending on what mood I'm in

Sigur Ros - ( ) (or Ágætis byrjun)

Sigur Ros is my favorite band, so I'm partial. But ( ) (yes, the title of the album is just two parenthesis) is imo the most beautiful album that I have heard. It's one of those you just have to surrender yourself to, and let it take you where it will; in the case of ( ), it starts bright and ends bleak. To me, the journey is incredible, as it usually is with Sigur Ros albums. Ágætis byrjun is a more challenging listen, but more rewarding if you have the patience; I think it is purposefully uncomfortable at times.

Damien Rice - O

Navel-gazing, home-recorded, folk better than anything anyone has ever done. I am in love with the under-produced-ness, the sound of this album. It sounds like an old tree, if that makes any sense at all. The whole thing is just honest and beautiful, and the songs all flow together yet sound completely distinct.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (or Seven Swans)

Sufjan is definitely more of an album guy than a single guy, imo. I find it hard to describe just why I think he's so great... his composition, lyrics, and vocals all just add up to more than the sum of their parts somehow... and it's almost 2am, so I'm done being articulate, haha.

Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-E

Hearing this album changed the way I viewed live music performance, especially that of a singer-songwriter. Not only did it show me the true, nigh superhuman brilliance of Jeff Buckley's singing, but I feel like it opened possibilities in my mind about what music could/should be, specifically live performance. A lot of Jeff-lovers here, so I don't need to articulate too much about him, but figured I'd share this article. Most stuff on Rolling Stone is meh, but Chris Cornell writes well about Jeff:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists ... y-20101202

[cointurtlemoose]

Sigur Ros - Takk..

Hands down the most beautiful album I have ever heard in my life. There are a lot of beautiful/pretty albums out there, but this is easily my favourite. I can't actually put into words how I feel when I listen to this, it transports me elsewhere, and for a while all the shitty everyday problems of life seem to be put on hold. I don't care how cheesy that sounds. This album brings out the cheesiness in me. It's that good. Post rock for any who don't know.

[Timotheus]

If I ever got forced to live on an island for the rest of my life, I'd probably bring 5 compilation CD's with me, each CD having more than 40 songs for the diversity

But my top 5 are:

5. I don't really know what my 5th favourite album is. Some nominations: Porcupine Tree - Deadwing, Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf, anything from Biffy Clyro and Muse...

4. John Mayer - Where The Light Is - Live in LA: It's a live album, but it's the best live album ever made imo. There are no lows in this show. Every song is an experience, and every song makes me think: "I wish I were John Mayer..."

3. Jeff Buckley - Grace: Jeff Buckley was the best singer ever alive and also such a brilliant songwriter. This album is pure magic.

2. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction: Back when Axl could sing, he was one of the best singers alive. Add a bunch of really talented musicians and you've got yourself a good band. Add a lot of magic and you get Guns N' Roses aka one of the most legendary bands ever. UYI I & II both are really good records too, but they don't come close to Appetite imo.

1. Alter Bridge - Blackbird: I don't listen to this album as much as I used to, but everytime I turn it on, I'm still blown away. I can't really explain why this album does what it does with me.

[CreamCrazy]

1. Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)

What can I say... it's Rush's magnum opus for a reason. When you combine instrumental brilliance, catchy verses & chorus's along with intricate & deep lyrics you get one of the best albums ever made. No matter what era of Rush I listen to, this to me is their calling card of just why I love them so much. It took me awhile to fully appreciate it, but when I did I uncovered the genius that is Rush. They adapted to a popular rock formula & rose above all their contemporaries. I will never tire of listening to this album. It sums up what's so good about Rush & music in general to me. An album that tells many a story, ascends many an emotional mountain & fills me with plenty of happiness to help me reaffirm why I listen to music & can enjoy life knowing I have it.

2. The Jezabels - Prisoner (2011)

I often find it hard to describe this album... it's an album not many would have heard of so I will have to try to describe it anyway. The Jezabels have a wonderful knack of creating such a broad, mystical& intense atmosphere around their songs which sucks you right in & makes them a joy to listen to. The fact this is their DEBUT shocks me even more. It taps into the emotional receptors of my being with soaring vocals, effect-laiden guitars, sensual keyboards & ridiculously technical drumming creating a subspace for which this music can fester inside me. It gives me an utter sense of joy that music can be projected in such an abstract way yet create such vivd enjoyment. This album is to me at least an experience that I can never & will never forget.

3. Jeff Buckley - Grace (1994)

Talk about an emotional album... my god. Jeff, your voice... it dumbfounds me to this day. How a man could have such fragility in his voice yet be able to project such power & intensity at the same time I will never know. That my friends is a skill I have rarely been able to find in music. This album is simple in its sound but hits you on many different levels with the guitars, bass & drums doing what they can to accent the vocals & create a stunning aura around you. Overall, this is a very deep album that hits the heartstrings, & it never tires me to give this a spin when I want to emotionally unravel.

4. Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

I will admit, I am not a fan of house or dance music in general; so the fact I like this album a lot is actually a surprise to me. Nontheless, this album changed my life. It helped me understand the finer textures of what music can offer rather than just being noise; that says something. The fact that this album doesn't sound like a traditional house album, with guitar solos & emotional vocals littered througout as well as some of the catchiest beats I've ever heard is what has made it appeal to me; it still feels incredibly refreshing to hear such lovely crystal clear sounds from a genre that is often very difficult for me stomach. he animated movie that accompanies it, Interstella 555 further compounded the story & emotional rollercoaster this album is. Honestly until you see that film, this album isn't complete. Sound is a wonderful & expressive medium, & this album sums up why.

5. Living Colour - Vivid (1988)

Rock is a genre which many people try to do & fail. Rock is a genre which many people try to do & succeed. However there are few who have taken Rock, given it a kick up the arse & left their mark forever. Living Colour did it here. From the first track this album is an example of what good rock music sounds like... simply not just sticking to a formula, these guys threw in all their genre influences from Pop to R&B, Metal to Punk & crafted an album that excites me every single time I give it a spin. Simply because I know it's not going to bore me; the variety is just astounding. It carries many moods: frustration, happiness, sadness, lovestruck & anger; winding them up into one concise & brilliant package of musical brilliance. While it is underrated, this album will always get my attention.

[NytestrykerZ]

Living Colour is soooo fucking underrated. Love that album.

[zazthespaz]

I now have "Cult of Personality" stuck in my head which sucks because I only know the cult of personality part. Guess I have to check out the album...

[JaredWard]

In no particular order..












It's so hard to choose though. My top 5 change a lot.

[Andy92]

Alter Bridge - One Day Remains


Shinedown - Us & Them


Skillet - Collide


Metallica - Master of Puppets


Creed - Human Clay

[One Drew Remains]

5)Def Leppard, Hysteria (1987)... This is the album that got me into rock music. All kinds of vocal and guitar tricks on this one. Layers upon layers of vox and guitars. I think at one point you can hear 5 or 6 different guitar parts in the title track.


4) Sevendust, Animosity (2001)... I love this one. Just the perfect blend of metal and harmony. Possibly 'dust's best album ever.


3) Collective Soul, Dosage (1999)... Very underrated album. Beautiful melodies, a couple of buzzsaw riifs, some tender acoustic moments. And "Crown" may be one of my favorite songs ever.


2) Megadeth, Rust In Peace (1990)... My favorite metal album ever. Dave got sober for this one and made one of the best guitar albums ever. Has my favorite solo of all time (Tornado of Souls) in it. Holy Wars, Hanger 18, ect. AMAZING album

1) Alter Bridge, Blackbird (2007)... I don't feel like I have to tell anyone here why I love this one.

[Violent Corpse]

1) Opeth - Watershed
2) Mastodon - Crack the Skye
3) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion
4) Machine Head - The Blackening
5) Stone Temple Pilots - Purple