# TC's Top 100 most recommended NON CLASSICAL albums



## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

I thought this would be really awesome. A list of non-classical albums as recommended by classical enthusiasts.

Please list your 12 favorite albums (ANY GENRE)

No ranking or order needed. If enough people participate, I will try to assimilate some order, even if be it alphabetical.

All music genres are fine: jazz, rock, blues, world, hip hop, r&b, electronic, pop, dance, house, singer/songwriter, broadway, standards, vocal, easy listening, soundtrack ETC

If you choose to rank it, please make it clear that you have ranked it.

Have fun!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

The topic is a little too broad. I don't have 12 favorites out of the thousands of albums I've listened to.


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

OK guess I'll start:

1. ELLIOTT SMITH - Either/Or
2. ELLIOTT SMITH - XO
3. ELLIOTT SMITH - From A Basement On The Hill
4. GENESIS - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
5. JONI MITCHELL - Blue
6. KEITH JARRETT - The Survivor's Suite
7. THE BEATLES - The White Album
8. ELLIOTT SMITH - Elliott Smith
9. CHARLES MINGUS - Mingus Ah Um
10. JONI MITCHELL -For The Roses
11. DUKE ELLINGTON - Never No Lament (aka The Blanton Webster Big Band)
12. ELLIOTT SMITH - Figure 8
12b. NICK DRAKE - Pink Moon


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

starthrower said:


> The topic is a little too broad. I don't have 12 favorites out of the thousands of albums I've listened to.


yes you do


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

No I don't, but I'll list some of the artists/bands I've listened to the most over the past 30 years.
Most likely no one gives a damn, because this stuff is mostly progressive jazz/rock/fusion which
people love to hate these days.

Frank Zappa
Allan Holdsworth
Pat Metheny
The Dixie Dregs
Miles Davis
Weather Report
Mike Keneally
Leo Kottke
Richard Thompson
Bruce Cockburn
Talking Heads
Gentle Giant
Tribal Tech


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

And I just thought I'd mention that a few on your list are favorites of mine. I have lots of Joni Mitchell, Mingus, and Keith Jarrett.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

1. Kate Bush - Hounds of love
2. Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
3. Genesis - Selling England by the pound
4. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a blank planet
5. Tori Amos - Scarlets walk
6. Genesis - Trick of the tail
7. Dire Straits - Love over gold
8. Kayak - Merlin, Bard of the unseen
9. Bryan Ferry - As time goes by
10. Meat Loaf - Bat out of hell
11. Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
12. Paul Simon - Graceland


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

Difficult to limit it to just twelve, but ok.....

-Beatles...Revolver
-John Coltrane...A Love Supreme
-Miles Davis...Kind Of Blue
-Bob Dylan...Blonde on Blonde
-Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington...The Duke Ellington Songbook
-Charles Mingus...Tijuana Moods
-Joni Mitchell...Blue
-Thelonious Monk...Monk's Music
-Rolling Stones...Sticky Fingers
-Dusty Springfield...Dusty in Memphis
-Talking Heads...Remain in Light
-Stevie Wonder...Songs in the Key of Life


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## ksargent (Feb 8, 2012)

My list at this moment in time (no particular order):


Revolver – The Beatles 
Blue – Joni Mitchell
Shoot Out the Lights – Richard and Linda Thompson
Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
A Love Supreme – John Coltrane
Blonde on Blonde – Bob Dylan
Disintegration – The Cure
London Calling – The Clash
I'm Your Man – Leonard Cohen
In the Wee, Small Hours – Frank Sinatra
Pure Religion and Bad Company – Rev. Gary Davis
Saxophone Colossus – Sonny Rollins

Ken


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Pink Floyd - Animals
Bad Religion - Suffer
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Grateful Dead - Skeletons In The Closet
Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man
The Doors - The Doors
Green Day - American Idiot
Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds


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## Jupiter (Aug 1, 2011)

An insane question, but here's 12 to take to my desert island. No ranking.

Love - Forever Changes
Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On
Stooges - Fun House
Will Oldham - Master and Everyone
Velvet Underground - Velvet Underground (their third album)
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
Rolling Stones - Let it Bleed
Joy Division - Closer
Gun Club - Fire of Love
Beatles - Beatles (White Album)
Neil Young - On the Beach

Of course, the hard part is to pick which Dylan/Young/Beatles/Miles album!


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## regressivetransphobe (May 16, 2011)

Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
Cecil Taylor - Unit Structures
Nurse With Wound - Spiral Insana
Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun
The Stooges - Fun House
Throbbing Gristle - D.o.A.
Psychic TV - Dreams Less Sweet
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour
Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
Big Black - Songs About ****ing
Wire - Pink Flag


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Led Zeppelin - IV
Pink Floyd - Meddle
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
Days of the New - Orange
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Commatorium
U2 - Achtung Baby
Ellington - Blue Note New York
Michael Jackson - Thriller
The Tragically Hip - Fully Completely
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Frank Zappa - Strictly Commercial
Stone Temple Pilots - Core


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## Crudblud (Dec 29, 2011)

This is about as close as I can get on such short notice, and it's in no order except for the #1 spot.

The Mothers - Uncle Meat
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
Frank Zappa - Roxy & Elsewhere
Atheist - Unquestionable Presence
Rudimentary Peni - Cacophony
Captain Beefheart - Doc at the Radar Station
Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual
Naked City - Naked City
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
Bobby Joe Ebola & the Children MacNuggits - At One with the Dumb
Captain Beefheart - Strictly Personal
Frank Zappa - Läther (1977 original ver.)


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## neoshredder (Nov 7, 2011)

Not in order
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
The Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord
Yngwie Malmsteen - Rising Force
Pink Floyd - The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear
Vinnie Moore - Time Odyssey
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Tony MacAlpine - Maximum Security
The Scorpions - Love at First Sting
The Scorpions - Taken By Force
Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

sun ra - atlantis
robert pete williams - free again
andrew hill - judgment!
albert ayler - witches and devils
michael mantler - hapless child
tim buckley - happy sad (or lorca)
robert wyatt - rock bottom
miles davis - miles smiles
residents - not available
feedtime - feedtime
herbie nichols - complete recordings
abbey lincoln - straight ahead

something like this, with painful exclusions for booker little (out front), pop group , mingus (black saint and the sinner lady), van morrison (astral weeks), paul desmond and ed bickert (pure desmond) and many others...


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## DavidMahler (Dec 28, 2009)

norman bates said:


> herbie nichols - complete recordings
> booker little (out front)


Both genius, especially Nichols who is my favorite songwriter in jazz after Ellington


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

Maybe something like this:

Current 93 - Of Ruine Or Some Blazing Starre
Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind
Current 93 - Earth Covers Earth
Current 93 - Swastikas For Noddy
Comus - First Utterance
The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
Death In June - The Wall Of Sacrifice
Ulver - Kveldssanger
Current 93 - Christ And The Pale Queens Mighty In Sorrow
Current 93 - Sleep Has His House
Black Widow - Sacrifice
Pearls Before Swine - Balaklava


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

1) Pain of Salvation: The Perfect Element: Part One
2) Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime
3) Dream Theater: Metropolis Part II; Scenes from a Memory
4) Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
5) Rory Gallagher: Crest of a Wave, best of
6) The Doors: The Doors
7) Within Temptation: The Heart of Everything
8) Evergrey: The Inner Circle
9) Rise Against: The Sufferer and the Witness
10) Lacuna Coil: In a Reverie


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

In alphabetical order

Bryan Ferry - As time goes by
Dire Straits - Love over gold
Genesis - A trick of the tail
Genesis - Selling England by the pound
Kate Bush - Hounds of love
Kayak - Merlin (Bard of the unseen)
Paul Simon - Graceland
Peter Gabriel - Plays live
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a blank planet
Tori Amos - Little earthquakes
Tori Amos - Scarlet's walk


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## davinci (Oct 11, 2012)

Sisters of Mercy - First Last and Always
Bauhaus - In the Flat Field
Joy Division - Closer
Hendrix - Are you Experienced
Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Kate Bush - Lionheart
Led Zepplin - IV
Jeff Beck - Wired and Guitar Shop (tied)
Lou Reed - R&R Animal
Velvet Underground & Nico


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

No order (sorry).

Led Zeppelin - IV
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Jethro Tull - TAAB2
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Rush - Spirit of Radio
Rush - 2112
Rush - Moving Pictures
Skream - Freezim History
General Mumble - Spikezilla (okay, maybe not recommended, but it's one of my faves)


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## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

The Residents - Meet The Residents
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Trout Mask Replica
The Red Crayola - The Parable of Arable Land
Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom
Faust - Faust
Popol Vuh - Hosianna Mantra
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Soft Machine - Third
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance
The Residents - Not Available
Can - Tago Mago


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## dmg (Sep 13, 2009)

Not a list of favorites, just a list of currently recommended:

Pink Floyd - Meddle
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble - Texas Flood
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
Artillery - By Inheritance
Tool - Lateralus
Alice in Chains - Dirt
The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky
Tool - Aenema


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Sonata said:


> 1) Pain of Salvation: The Perfect Element: Part One
> 2) Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime
> 3) Dream Theater: Metropolis Part II; Scenes from a Memory
> 4) Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
> ...


Hmmm....I just realized that I'd like to have either Miss Saigon or Phantom of the Opera in there. I have a lot of progressive metal represented. So maybe I'd take out Scenes from a Memory and put one of those in.


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## nikola (Sep 7, 2012)

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out of Season
Billy Joel - Storm Front
Ennio Morricone - Once upon a time in America
Brandi Carlile - Give up the Ghost
Katie Melua - Piece by Piece
Coldplay - X & Y
Phil Collins - But Seriously
Yanni - In My Time
Angelo Badalamenti - Twin Peaks soundtrack (from TV show)
ABBA - Arrival
Vangelis - Blade Runner soundtrack


Hard to remember all my favorite albums... I didn't want to repeat from 1 artist more albums.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Brian Eno - Ambient 2: The Plateaux of Mirror
Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land
Klaus Schulze - Mirage
Klaus Schulze - Moondawn
Michael Stearns - Planetary Unfolding
Steve Roach - Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces
Steve Roach - The Magnificent Void
Tangerine Dream - Ricochet
Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
Vangelis - Blade Runner


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## HoraeObscura (Dec 4, 2012)

My favourite non-classical albums are mostly electronic: 

1. Venetian Snares - Rossz csillag alatt született
Superb mixture of jungle/drill'n'bass and classical music

2. Talvekoidik - Silent Reflections
Dreamy melancholic electronica... I think he also uses samples from orchestral instruments, or he uses synths that sound like it

3. Venetian Snares - My Downfall
Venetian Snares second album with classical influences, still good but not as good as his first one > Rosz csillag alatt született

4. V.A. - I Love Fuse
Not really techno but more like dreamy electronica and some chilled down dream techno... Released by the biggest techno club in my country... Still like it a lot even though I don't listen a lot to techno anymore...

5. Ufomammut - Idolum
Sludge metal with a psychedelic twist, very downtempo and very melancholic

6. UndaCova - Intrusion
Not for the faint of heart... Very uptempo electronica, almost speedcore like, but quite intriguing to say the least... I'm a big fan of all his work (it's not all rough, some is downtempo) he also creates music under other monikers like AtomHead, Erratic etc

7. Black Lung - The First Tender Cut
Very hard to describe... It's like rock meets electronica zombie/halloween style... just give it a listen 

8. V.A. - Wipe Out 2097
Yes, soundtrack of a video game  here it all started for me... I only knew trance and techno back then but thanks to this I started my big exploration of the electronic music genre  Big Beat, Dark d'n'b etc... 

9. Aderlating - Spear Of Gold And Seraphim Bone 
I thought Lustmord was dark but this takes it to another level... creepy, haunting, dark, very dark ambient... Luv it, girlfriend hates it 

10. Ka-Sol - Ghost Story
Uptempo goa/psytrance but the Swedish style...

Yes I'm very much into electronic music...


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## Kieran (Aug 24, 2010)

1. Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
2. Bob Dylan - Bringing it all Back Home
3. Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde
4. Bob Dylan - Love & Theft
5. Bob Dylan - Time out of Mind
6. Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
7. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water
8. Bob Dylan - Desire
9. Bob Dylan - Street Legal
10. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan

That's about as objective as I can be... :tiphat:


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Sonata said:


> 1) Pain of Salvation: The Perfect Element: Part One
> 2) Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime
> 3) Dream Theater: Metropolis Part II; Scenes from a Memory
> 4) Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes
> ...


Looking at this list, I'd consider removing The Doors and replacing them with the original recording of Miss Saigon. Can't go wrong either way.


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## hashes (Nov 23, 2012)

First post, and it is not even about classical! I promise to be better in the future.

John Frusciante - Niandra LaDes and Usually Just a T-Shirt (1994)
Tim Buckley - Happy Sad (1969)
Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica (1969)
Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom (1974)
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963)
David Bowie - Station to Station (1976)
Pharoah Sanders - Karma (1969)
Opeth - Morningrise (1996)
Янка Дягилева - Ангедония (1989)
The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat (1968)
Natural Snow Buildings - The Dance of the Moon and the Sun (2006)
Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (1985)


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

hashes said:


> Sam Cooke - Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 (1985)


Fantastic live. 
What is this "Янка Дягилева - Ангедония"?

By the way, in my list i have guiltily forgot about Nuno Canavarro's Plux Quba, probably my favorite electronic album ever.


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## Hayze (Jul 4, 2012)

I think there would be too many different albums to actually be able to compile a top 100 list. How about a top 100 non classical artists? seems more doable to me.
Anyway, here's mine (in alphabetical order):

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Doors - The Doors
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - OK Computer


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## Ondine (Aug 24, 2012)

Just some of them & not in order...

---

Nobody's Perfect... Deep Purple

Deep Purple in Rock... Deep Purple

Dire Straits... Dire Straits

Animals... Pink Floyd

Stripped... Rolling Stones

Beggars Banquet... The Rolling Stones

101... Depeche Mode

Unplugged in New York... Nirvana

Land... Patti Smith

The Carnegie Hall Concert... Carole King

Born to Be Wild... Steppenwolf

Live in Africa... B.B. King 



...more to come later on.


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## hashes (Nov 23, 2012)

norman bates said:


> Fantastic live.
> What is this "Янка Дягилева - Ангедония"?


Probably should have written it in Latin alphabet - it is an album called "Anhedonia" by the lovely Russian punk singer-songwriter Yanka Dyagileva released in the final years of late Soviet Union, with she herself unfortunately not lasting any longer either. One of the most emotional musical works I have ever heard, really intense from start to finish. Not something that would cheer you up, but it is certain to move you. 10/10



regressivetransphobe said:


> Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
> Cecil Taylor - Unit Structures
> Nurse With Wound - Spiral Insana
> Boredoms - Vision Creation Newsun
> ...


Damn, I like this list more than my own! Special props to _Unit Structures_ and _'Out to Lunch!'_, both works were a hair away from making mine. Cecil Taylor really plays the piano like no other, here is a brilliant example:


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## Schubussy (Nov 2, 2012)

King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
Wire - Pink Flag
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Joy Division - Closer
Nas - Illmatic
Sly & The Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On

Way too many albums to do this properly..


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

hashes said:


> Probably should have written it in Latin alphabet - it is an album called "Anhedonia" by the lovely Russian punk singer-songwriter Yanka Dyagileva released in the final years of late Soviet Union, with she herself unfortunately not lasting any longer either. One of the most emotional musical works I have ever heard, really intense from start to finish. Not something that would cheer you up, but it is certain to move you. 10/10


it seems very interesting, but I hope it's possible to find a good translation for the lyrics...


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## userfume (Nov 21, 2012)

just a couple - 
Born to Run & Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours


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## techniquest (Aug 3, 2012)

In no particular order:

Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon
Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow
Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte
The Art of Noise - The Seduction of Claude Debussy
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling
Helium Vola - Omnis Mundi Creatura
Bruno Mars - Doo-**** and Hooligans
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
The Beatles - Sergeant Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

The Beatles - The White Album
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - Animals
Dream Theater - Images and Words 
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Supertramp - Breakfast in America
Tears for Fears - The Seeds of Love
Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
Spock's Beard - X

As you can see, I'm a big fan of modern prog.


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## cwarchc (Apr 28, 2012)

Not in any order

Gil Scott Heron - Tales of Gil Scott Heron
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Frank Zappa - Shut up & play your guitar
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Perennial Favorites
Arthur Brown - Journey
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Robert Calvert - Captain Lockheed and the Starfighters
Charlie Parker - cant possibly pick just one?
Velvet Underground & Nico - self titled
Godley & Creme - Consequences
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here (the very first album I ever bought, still have it)
Gil Scott Heron - Winter in America


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

The Mothers/ Zappa - Uncle Meat
Me - Ionisation
Frank Zappa/ Mothers - Filmore East
Frank Zappa/ Mothers - One size Fits All
Flo & Eddie- Illegal, Immoral and Fattning
Frank Zappa/ Mothers - FZOZ
Split Enz - True Colours
Daddy Cool - Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven
Michael Hedges - Live on the Double Planet
Joe Jackson - Big World
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons - Screaming Targets 
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (not the BBQ)
Pat Metheny - Song X
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Peter Green - Various 

So theres more than 12 - the more time signatures the better.........


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## farmerjohn (Jan 24, 2013)

I think it's hard because before the beatles pop music was all about singles. Albums were just collections of tracks thrown together by the record label. For instance, Chuck Berry would be warming up in the studio and later on find the warm up given a name by the record company and released as an instrumental on his next LP! It was only really from the late 60s onwards that LPs started to become the focus more so than singles. As a result, I think a list of albums will tend to favour later artists over earlier ones.

Elvis - Rock n' Roll #2 (Pop music as we know it today would simply not exist if it wasn't for this)

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard (This man is a one off. The wildest music i'm ever likely to hear. surprised the recording studio didn't disintegrate)

Buddy Holly - Buddy Holly (2nd LP) (Buddy showed it is possible to be cool even if you wear glasses. As I am as blind as the proverbial bat I am eternally grateful for this. Ironically the cover of this LP is the only photo of Buddy without his glasses on.) 

Chuck Berry - After School Session (great songs, great guitar, great band, great vocals, great cover pose)

Gene Vincent - Blue Jean Bop (Often Rock musicians with their inflated egos start taking themselves too seriously. They should be made to listen to this. Music is meant to be fun. I don't think I've ever heard anything more fun than "Bop Street".) 

The Clash - The Clash (1st LP) (okay the technique is limited but there's so much passion on this record and the songs are like a breath of fresh air)

Derek & Dominos - Layla (The guitar work on "Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad?" is incredible)

Bob Dylan - Another Side Of Bob Dylan (No one ever mentions this LP, but I think this is the best collection of songs he ever wrote - "all i really want to do" has to be heard to be believed. Bob often gets criticised for his singing but its spot on on this record.)

Hank Williams - as Luke The Drifter (If you don't want to slash your wrists you will after hearing this)

Howlin' Wolf - Rockin' Chair LP (This music is brutal - makes the Sex Pistols sound tame)

Muddy Waters - Fathers & Sons (The closing "Got My Mojo Working" is amazing. Just when you think it can't get any better, Muddy and his pals crank up the intensity each verse. Paul Butterfield's harmonica playing is so good its ridiculous. Wow.)

Phil Spector - Back To Mono (I am cheating here because this is a box set released in the 90s but these tracks were originally released as singles. However, as far as I am concerned, this is as good as pop music gets. Spector didn't care for LPs. He believed the true power of Pop Music lay in the single. I would agree. The crescendo on "Ebb Tide" is way over the top but that's what makes it so special.)

Okay so thats my 12. Now a couple of honourable mentions/bubbling under.
Firstly, what i consider a hidden gem - something less predictable that no one else will mention, but I love it. 

A Tramp Shining - Richard Harris

This last album could appeal to classical fans if they give it a chance because all the songs are heavily orchestrated. All of the songs were written by Jimmy Webb. Famously, MacArthur Park was the number 1 single off this album and was ground breaking for it's unusual structure (being more like a suite of songs stuck together in a weird way) and unprecedented length for a single (approx 8 minutes long). Another standard opens the LP "Didn't We". It is a bit melodramatic for some tastes, but I love it.

I got a CD called "MacArthur Park" which featured this and the follow up 2LPs on 1 CD for a bargain price. Not sure if it's still available.

Sam Cooke is a big favourite of mine, but I consider him more of a singles artist again. 

Also need to mention a couple of Willie Nelson LPs:

"Red Headed Stranger" is a country opera. No, I mean "Red Headed Stranger" is THE country opera.

"Phases and Stages" is a country concept album. It is about the break up of a marriage. One side of the record tells the tale from the Woman's side of the story, the other side of the record tells the tale of the breakup from the man's point of view. Very different and highly recommended.

Almost forgot my hero Ray Charles.

"Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music Vols 1 & 2" are immense.


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## RonP (Aug 31, 2012)

Deep Purple - Machine Head
Rush - 2112
Rush - Moving Pictures
Led Zeppelin - IV
Aerosmith - Toys In the Attic
Yes - Fragile
Beatles - Revolver
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
Dio - Holy Diver
Judas Priest - Point of Entry
Rainbow - Rising
Alice Cooper - Love it to Death


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## Mesa (Mar 2, 2012)

Tom Waits - Franks Wild Years
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
The Doors - The Doors
The Doors - LA Woman
Simon & Garfunkel - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
The Cure - Disintegration
Charles Mingus - Ah Um Mingus
Pixies - Doolittle
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Paul & Linda McCartney - RAM
Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band - Safe as Milk
Daft Punk - Homework


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## oogabooha (Nov 22, 2011)

Ray Lynch--Deep Breakfast
The Magnetic Fields--69 Love Songs
Chris Cappello--I'm Not Afraid of My Own Name
The Beach Boys--Smile
The Frogs--It's Only Right and Natural
Kanye West--My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Weezer--Pinkerton
Daniel Johnston--Hi How Are You?
Muse--Black Holes and Revelations
Radiohead--Amnesiac
Black Flag--Family Man


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## mgj15 (Feb 17, 2011)

The Mars Volta -Deloused in the Comatorium
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
The Allman Brothers Band - Fillmore Concerts (Live at the Fillmore East)
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The White Stripes - Elephant
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead- In Rainbows
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Tool - Lateralus
Talking Heads - Remain in Light

...and for the record I feel entirely guilty for leaving a number of worthy albums out. but so these threads go..


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

FWIW, *Billboard Hot 100* will be using YT plays in determining.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/a....html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0&pagewanted=all


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## Avey (Mar 5, 2013)

Sufjan Stevens, Illinoise


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## Ravndal (Jun 8, 2012)

Ulver - Perdition City
Ulver - Shadows of the sun
Ulver - Metamorphosis
Ulver - Teachings in silence
Ulver - Lyckantropen Themes
Ulver - A Quick Fix Of Melancholy
Fennesz - Endless Summer
Fennesz - Venice
Murcof - Martes
Biosphere - Shenzhou


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Cold Chisel - East
Mightnight oil - red sail in the sunset
Mightnight oil - 10,9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 ,3 ,2 ,1
Daddy Cool - Sex drugs Rock and roll Teenage Heaven
Cold Chisel - Circus Animals
Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs- More **** Than Class
Chain - Toward the Blues
Split Enz -True Colours
The Dingoes - The Dingoes
Models- Local &/or General


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## jani (Jun 15, 2012)

Metallica master of puppets
Metallica the black album
Yngwie.J.Malmsteen rising force
Steve Vai passion and warfare
Children of bodom blooddrunk
Dream theater Tragic turning of evcents
Nightwish Imagenarium 
Dragonforce inhuman rampage ( Just keep hating, i don't change my opinion)


Just a few, i will probably add more later.


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

Art Rock said:


> 12. Paul Simon - Graceland


I've never heard this album, but I just watched the "Classic Albums" documentary on it from Eagle Rock Entertainment, and now I think I have to.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

Blind Melon - Blind Melon
Pink Floyd - Animals
Bad Religion - Suffer
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Grateful Dead - Skeletons In The Closet
Johnny Cash - American III: Solitary Man
The Doors - The Doors
Green Day - American Idiot
Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
Pink Floyd - Obscured By Clouds
Rage Against The Machine - RATM
Rollins Band - The End of Silence
Luke Bryan - Tailgates and Tanlines


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

jani said:


> Metallica master of puppets
> Metallica the black album
> Yngwie.J.Malmsteen rising force
> Steve Vai passion and warfare
> ...


I love Dragonforce! Pretty much any fantasy-based power metal is alright by me.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

I must agree with the others; this seems an impossible task. I started typing and this is what I got, which I then arranged alphabetically.

Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Arcade Fire – Funeral 
Blut Aus Nord – 777
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (Will Oldham) – I See a Darkness
Elliott Smith – Either/Or
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven!
Isis – In the Absence of Truth
Joanna Newsom – Ys.
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme 
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate
Liturgy – Aesthethica 
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Otis Redding – Otis Redding Sings Soul
Pearls Before Swine – Baklava
Phil Ochs – All the News That's Fit to Sing 
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans
Tom Waits – Small Change
Townes Van Zandt – Our Mother the Mountain
Van Morrison – Veedon Fleece
Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestial Lineage


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## EricABQ (Jul 10, 2012)

kv466 said:


> Blind Melon - Blind Melon


That album doesn't get nearly the credit it deserves.

I wore that thing out.


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## appoggiatura (Feb 6, 2012)

Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
Damien Rice - O
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Rose Hill Drive - Moon is the new earth
Coldplay - Parachutes
Stacey Kent - Raconte-moi
Justin Timberlake - futuresex / lovesound
Corinne Bailey Rae - "
Wicked jazz sounds band - the biggest sin
Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething
Norah Jones - come away with me 
George Michael - older
The Gathering - Alone


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## Katie (Dec 13, 2013)

In this age of nuanced niches, "fantasy-based power metal" is news to me.

Anyway, were I fortuitously exiled on a desert island that (1) was hooked into a power grid and (2) had a sound system, then I'd be compelled to bring along the following *releases*:

(ALERT: Liberal interpretation of the O/P rules ahead; drive carefully)

1. The Grateful Dead: Europe '72 
2. The Grateful Dead: Fillmore West '69
3. The Grateful Dead: Winterland June '77
4. The Smiths: Louder Than Bombs* 
5. CSNY: The Complete Fillmore Tapes 
6. The Doors: Felt Forum
7. Floyd: AMLOR 
8. REM: Red Rain 
9. Berlin Philharmonic: Centenary Edition
10. Toscanini: The Complete RCA Collection

11. My golden retriever
12. Toilet paper

That pretty much rounds out life's essentials!

*Okay, at first I had the Complete box, but realized that - even within my generously skewed parameters - this selection eclipsed reasonability; conversely, this specious bit of integrity justifies inclusion of the "limited" Tosca series...though I admit things are getting a bit murky by this point!/K


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

1. Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
2. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
3. Radiohead - OK Computer
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
5. Grateful Dead - American Beauty
6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical
7. Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
8. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
9. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
10. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
11. Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti 
12. Sigur Rós - Ágætis Byrjun

HM - Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
HM2 - Andrew Bird - The Mysterious Production of Eggs


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

An alphabetic sketch of the _most significant_ albums* of the Rock Era:

Art Bears - Winter Songs
Art Bears - The World as it is Today
Baba Zula - Psychebelly Dance Music
Cabaret Voltaire - 2x45
Cabaret Voltaire - Red Mecca
Can - Monster Movie
Can - Tago Mago
Captain Beefheart - Mirror Man Sessions
Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Kicking Against the Pricks
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - Tender Prey
Chrome - Red Exposure
Tony Conrad & Faust - Outside the Dream Syndicate
Einstürzende Neubauten - Silence is Sexy
Einstürzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)
Bryan Ferry - The Bride Stripped Bare
Hubert von Goisern - Aufgeigen statt Niederschiassen
Peter Hammill - Nadir's Big Chance
Hawkwind - In Search of Space
Kraftwerk - Trans Europa Express
Nico - The End
Nico - The Marble Index
Rammstein - Mutter
Rammstein - Sehnsucht
Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure
Talking Heads - Fear of Music
Talking Heads - More Songs about Buildings and Food
Tangerine Dream - Zeit
Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff
Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life
Velvet Underground & Nico
Velvet Underground - (Fully) Loaded
Frank Zappa - Cruising with Ruben and the Jets
Frank Zappa - Freak Out

*from my CD collection, that have proven themselves to be ageless


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## Gilberto (Sep 12, 2013)

Katie said:


> 1. The Grateful Dead: Europe '72


Even though I bought this on vinyl when it came out and have listened to it from time to time, I never felt that it had the "flow" of a live performance. I deleted it from my HD...only because I have the complete edition. As long as we are counting multi-disc selections


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## Guest (Jan 8, 2014)

Some of mine:

Miles Davis - A Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck - Take Five
The Clash - London Calling
The Ramones - The Ramones
Van Halen - 1984
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Black Flag - Damaged
Velvet Underground - White Light, White Heat
Joy Division - Closer
Social Distortion - Social Distortion


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

I can't do cross-genre comparisons, so sticking to Rock...

How many of my top 12 have already been mentioned?



Art Rock said:


> Genesis - Trick of the tail





jhar26 said:


> -Bob Dylan...Blonde on Blonde





regressivetransphobe said:


> Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica





Crudblud said:


> The Mothers - Uncle Meat





Mitchell said:


> Van Morrison - Veedon Fleece





brotagonist said:


> Nico - The Marble Index


To these I have to add:

*Marvin Gaye*, _What's Going On_

*The Who*, _Quadrophenia_

*Crosby, Still and Nash*, _Crosby, Still and Nash_

*Roy Harper*, _Stormcock_

*IQ*, _Ever_

*The Band*, _The Band_


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

No particular order and restricting myself to one album per artist

Pink Floyd - Animals
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
A-ha - Scoundrel Days
Mike Oldfield - Incantations
Future Sound of London - Lifeforms
Pet Shop Boys - Very
Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight
Crowded House - Together Alone
Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Beatles - White Album
Peter Gabriel - Passion


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Stand Up Tull
Benefit Tull
Aqualung Tull
Thick as a Brick Tull
Passion Play Tull
Minstrel in the Gallery Tull
Songs from the Wood Tull
Heavy Horses Tull
Stormwatch Tull
Crest of a Knave Tull
etc


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

I want to redo the list

Alec Wilder - Music for lost souls and wounded birds
Andrew Hill - Judgment!!!
Nuno Canavarro - Plux Quba
Van Morrison - Astral weeks
Herbie Nichols - Complete recordings
Robert Pete Williams - Free again
Monoshock - Walk to the fire
The residents - Not Available
Michael Mantler - The hapless child
Robert Wyatt - Rock bottom
Booker Little - Out front
Miles Davis - Miles smiles


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## Oreb (Aug 8, 2013)

MagneticGhost said:


> Mike Oldfield - Incantations


The public broadcaster here in Oz used to play this on unpredictable days, generally in the five minutes between 'Dr. Who' and the 7.00 pm news, haunting and tantalising a generation of music lovers (as you'll see in the YouTube comments 

Exquisite.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Keeping the list at only 12 is an almost impossible task.

Genesis (England) - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
YES (England)- Relayer
Banco (Italy)- Io Sono Nato Libero

One of the best prog albums ever recorded. If you're into the 1st wave of prog and you don't own this one (or the rest of their catalog), shame on you!

Magma (France)- Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh
Mahavishnu Orchestra (England/USA) - The Inner Mounting Flame
King Crimson (England)- Larks Tongues In Aspic
Thinking Plague (USA)- In Extremis

Avant-garde prog from 1998. 

Premiata Forneria Marconi (Italy) - Storia Di Un Minuto
After Crying (Hungary)- Megalazottak Es Megszomoritottak

Modern prog band from Hungary. Have been classified as 'chamber prog'. Just great stuff, extremely well played.

Anglagard (Sweden) - Epilog

The band that is considered responsible for the revival of prog in the early 90's.

Pain of Salvation (Sweden) - Remedy Lane

Still the best prog-metal band, IMO. 

National Health - Of Queues and Cures

Ask me another day and the list would probably be quite different.


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## MagneticGhost (Apr 7, 2013)

Oreb said:


> The public broadcaster here in Oz used to play this on unpredictable days, generally in the five minutes between 'Dr. Who' and the 7.00 pm news, haunting and tantalising a generation of music lovers (as you'll see in the YouTube comments
> 
> Exquisite.


Great clip. Thanks for the share


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

starthrower said:


> No I don't, but I'll list some of the artists/bands I've listened to the most over the past 30 years.
> Most likely no one gives a damn, because this stuff is mostly progressive jazz/rock/fusion which
> people love to hate these days.


I beg to differ.

Since the mid 90's and still going strong, there has been a resurgence of the type of artists you list.

Prog bands like: Anglagrad (Sweden), Deus Ex MAchina (Italy), Echolyn (USA), Thinking Plague (USA), The Flower Kings (Sweden), The Underground Railroad (USA), Akinetón Retard (Chile), Kenso (Japan).... the list goes on and on.

And fusion bands like: Spaced Out (Canada), Forgas Band Phenomena (France), OHM (USA), Uncle Moe's Space Ranch (USA), Richard Hallebeek Project (Holland), Alex Machacek (Austria), The Aristocrats (USA/England)...this list also goes on and on.

There are also many prog festivals (over 40 in 2014) all over the world with a great combination of prog genres and new and old bands.

BajaProg, a 4 day festival (April 2,3,4,5) in Mexicali, Mexico pretty much sells out every year. I go with quite a few friends every year.

I'm not affiliated with any of these, but here are a few distributors of prog and fusion:

https://www.lasercd.com/ - great selection of new and classic stuff.
http://synphonic.8m.com/ - prog. prog-metal, fusion, pysch of all eras.
http://www.waysidemusic.com/ - all prog genres, jazz, and avant-garde.
http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/ - label that specializes in avant-garde prog and jazz.


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## maestro267 (Jul 25, 2009)

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Porcupine Tree - Up the Downstair
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Dream Theater - Images and Words
Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Pink Floyd - Animals
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Crowded House - Together Alone
Supertramp - Breakfast in America
Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories)


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## Alypius (Jan 23, 2013)

Chronological order:

Miles Davis, _Kind of Blue_ (1959)
Joe Henderson, _Inner Urge_ (1964)
Wayne Shorter, _Speak No Evil_ (1965)
Jimi Hendrix, _Electric Ladyland_ (1969)
Miles Davis, _Bitches Brew_ (1970)
Led Zeppelin, _Led Zepplin IV_ (1971)
Stevie Ray Vaughan, _Texas Flood_ (1983)
Talking Heads, _Stop Making Sense_ (1984)
Talk Talk, _Spirit of Eden_ (1988)
Pearl Jam, _Ten_ (1991)
Dave Matthews Band, _Under the Table and Dreaming_ (1994)
Tortoise, _TNT_ (1998)
Dave Holland Quintet, _Prime Directive_ (1999)
Dave Douglas, _The Infinite_ (2002)
My Morning Jacket, _Z_ (2005)
The National, _Boxer_ (2007)
Marcin Wasilewski Trio, _January_ (2008)
Radiohead, _In Rainbows_ (2008)


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## Winterreisender (Jul 13, 2013)

My 12 favourite non-classical albums (in alphabetical order, limiting to one per artist):

Björk - Post
Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman
Dream Theater - Images & Words
Garth Brooks - No Fences
Jackson Browne - Late For The Sky
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Mike Oldfield - Songs of Distant Earth
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks
Yes - Relayer

...so my taste is basically a mix of folk/country/singer-songwriters and progressive rock


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Alypius said:


> Chronological order:
> 
> My Morning Jacket, _Z_ (2005)
> The National, _Boxer_ (2007)


Nice! Nice! Nice!


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## samsondale (Nov 22, 2013)

Black Sabbath - Vol. 4
Neil Young -- Tonight's the Night
Yes - Close to the Edge
Stones - Exile on Main Street
King Crimson - Red
Jim Hall - Commitment
Planxty - s/t
Led Zeppelin IV
Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
Grateful Dead - American Beauty
Derek and the Dominoes - Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

an update to my previous list and now in order

1. Michael Stearns - Planetary Unfolding
2. Steve Roach - The Magnificent Void
3. Steve Roach - Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces
4. Klaus Schulze - Mirage
5. Klaus Schulze - Moondawn
6. Tangerine Dream - Rubycon
7. Brian Eno - Ambient 4: On Land
8. Vangelis - Blade Runner (OST+ disc 2 from 25th anniversary edition)
9. Steve Roach & Vir Unis - Blood Machine
10. Blood Box - The Iron Dream


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## FleshRobot (Jan 27, 2014)

The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Who - Who's Next
The Who - Quadrophenia
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Chico Buarque - Construção
The Doors - Strange Days
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin (I)
Robert Johnson - The Complete Recordings
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life

Too many albums to choose from. I doubt many albums will get more than 1 vote


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2014)

DeepR said:


> an update to my previous list and now in order
> 
> 1. Michael Stearns - Planetary Unfolding
> 2. Steve Roach - The Magnificent Void
> ...


I only have the Steve Roach, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and Brian Eno stuff here but, damn, that's a cool list. I have too many rock roots to go with all that ambient, but it doesn't really get any better in that genre.

So you like The Magnificent Void the best huh? And Structures From Silence didn't make it? Nor Klaus Schulze "X"? Fair nuff, I suppose.


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

Structures from Silence and X are great but don't have my personal preference. The first 8 I'm pretty sure of. 9 and 10 may be different every time.


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

My choices will vary from time to time. But in the spirit of this thread and in no particular order...

Beach Boys - Love You
Beach Boys - Sunflower
Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Joe Pass - Blues for Fred
Duke Ellington - Masterpieces by Ellington
Lester Young - Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio
Ella Fitzgerald - sings the Cole Porter songbook
Phil Spector - Back to Mono
The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Frank Sinatra - In the Wee Small Hours
Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
Gerry Mulligan - The Original Quartet With Chet Baker


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## Piwikiwi (Apr 1, 2011)

Miles Davis - kind of blue
Miles Davis - birth of the cool
John Coltrane - a Love supreme
John Coltrane - Giant steps
Bill Evans - Waltz for debby
Sonny Rollins - Saxophone colossus 
Sonny Rollins - Live in europe 58
Sonny Rollins - Live at the village vanguard
Madvillain - Madvillainy 
Gerry Mulligan Sextet - Western reunion 
Charlie Parker - With strings
Stan Getz- with the Oscar Peterson trio


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## Vesteralen (Jul 14, 2011)

DavidMahler said:


> Please list your 12 favorite albums (ANY GENRE)


Benny Goodman - Together Again
Lionel Hampton - The Lionel Hampton Quintet
Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out
Beatles - Abbey Road
Linda Ronstadt - Heart Like a Wheel
Emmylou Harris - Cimarron
Renaissance - Prologue
Yes - Going for the One
Thompson Twins - Into the Gap
Alan Parsons Project - Vulture Culture / The Time Machine
Jonatha Brooke - 10-cent wings / Back to the Circus

whoops...that's 13


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## shangoyal (Sep 22, 2013)

One per artist, in order

The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Doors - The Doors
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
R.E.M. - Murmur
Tim Buckley - Happy Sad
Joni Mitchell - Blue
Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
The Replacements - Let It Be


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2014)

DeepR said:


> an update to my previous list and now in order
> 
> 1. Michael Stearns - Planetary Unfolding
> 2. Steve Roach - The Magnificent Void
> ...


Another question for my fellow ambient friend.

Tell me about Blood Box. Any comparisons?


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

Captain Beefheart: Trout Mask Replica
Atahualpa Yupanqui: L'Integrale (vol 1-5)
Pandit Pran Nath: Midnight (Raga Malkauns)
Masters of Persian Music: Faryad
Hamza El Din: The Water Wheel

* There's many more.


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## Svelte Silhouette (Nov 7, 2013)

Abbey Road and Sticky Fingers


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## DeepR (Apr 13, 2012)

arcaneholocaust said:


> Another question for my fellow ambient friend.
> 
> Tell me about Blood Box. Any comparisons?


Relatively obscure dark ambient project. Or maybe I'd just call it ambient because it's not as cliche as some of the music from that genre. Really deep stuff, very well constructed and with nice melodic touches. The album I mentioned is absolute sonic wizardry. If you're already into ambient a mesmerizing headphones trip is pretty much guaranteed.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Johnny Winter: Progressive Blues Experiment, Johnny Winter, Second Winter, Still Alive and Well, Captured Live, Guitar Slinger, Hey Where's Your Brother

Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding, Self Portrait, Basement Tapes

Neil Young: Harvest, Sleeps With Angels


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

erm I think the question is a bit broad, so I'll have to think of it


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

*Aphrodite's Child - (1972) 666*

Proof that Vangelis (who fronted the band) wasn't always a 'New Age' ham. This album is one of the few masterpieces in the rock idiom and better than anything the Beatles ever concocted with their team of producers and arrangers.

View attachment 36236


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

*Suicide - (1977) Suicide*

Another underrated album.


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## Katie (Dec 13, 2013)

Lope, that'd be a kick *** instrumental album, but most trax are submarined by those flaccid, washed out vocals...some seriously awesome instrumentation though...thanks for the intro/Katie


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Sorry that so many major artists don't make my list, but choosing only 10 has to be very personal. Oddly there's a 25 year gap which includes the era of my teens and twenties! I've gone for some personal favourites, classics, cult favourites and a few great modern artists that classical fans should check out.

Carole King - Tapestry (1971)
Joni Mitchell - Blue (1971)
Yes - Close to the Edge (1972)
Judee Sill - Heart Food (1973)
Kate and Anna McGarrigle - ST (1976)

Gillian Welch - Time The Revelator (2001)
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (2005)
Joanna Newsom - Ys (2006)
Anathallo - Canopy Glow (2008)
DM Stith - Heavy Ghost (2009)


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## drvLock (Apr 2, 2014)

too many to put on a list, but yet, I'll try:

Metallica - Master of Puppets
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Fear Factory - Obsolete
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Dimmu Borgir - Stormblast
(those are my favorites under heavy metal)
Noisia - Split the Atom
Black Sun Empire - Lights and Wires
Black Sun Empire - Cruel and Unusual
Skream - Skreamizm vl.2
Funker Vogt - Survival
Eisenfunk - 8-bit
(those are my favorites under electronic music and industrial/aggrotech)


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## southwood (Jul 25, 2012)

I rather like The Sea II on ECM. 
Ketil Bjornstad piano 
Terje Rypdal guitar 
David Darling cello 
Jon Christensen drums. 

Apparently The Sea I is actually better but I still like no.II.


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## Guest (Apr 4, 2014)

Lope de Aguirre said:


> This album is one of the few masterpieces in the rock idiom and better than anything the Beatles ever concocted with their team of producers and arrangers.


Obviously it's an internet forum and we know this is just your opinion. However, I would advise you not to use such black and white thinking lest the people that are newer to internet forums get all up in arms.

Cheers


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## Bimperl (Apr 8, 2014)

Head spins just thinking about all the genres to choose from, but just for a jumpstart -- check out these tracks! Artie may slightly edge Glenn Miller for "Desert Island" choice from the Big Band Era.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential...TF8&qid=1398622752&sr=8-1&keywords=artie+shaw


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Since most jazz cornerstones have already been mentioned, I'll throw in some works from the "Rock & Co." realm:

Velvet Underground: White Light/White Heat
Glenn Branca: The Ascension
Holger Czukay: Canaxis 5
Faust: Faust
Neu!: Neu!
Tortoise: Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Sigur Ros: Ágætis byrjun
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Battles: Mirrored
Chapelier Fou: Invisible


and some from the Electronica realm:

Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85–92
Autechre: Tri Repetae
Boards of Canada: Geogaddi
Squarepusher: Hello Everything
Four Tet: Beautiful Rewind


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## Nightman (Apr 29, 2014)

Hmm...this is difficult, I don't listen to many albums in whole and a lot of my favorite musicians never really did albums. If this is just for who did the best album as a whole, not just an album with a few good songs, let's see:

Pink Floyd - The Wall
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Black Sabbath - Paranoid (if you can deal with the overplayed radio songs)
The Who - Tommy

...it's kinda sad I can't come up with anything else, but I just don't really DO albums, there are very few I enjoy from start to finish. I wanted to include some Led Zeppelin album, maybe something by Primus and some various metal albums, but I just find myself skipping some parts of just about every album I own. Seriously considered Dethklok Doomstar Requiem, but that really needs the visual for the full effect (and yes, I really really loved the Klok Opera on that level)


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

Vesteralen said:


> I've never heard this album, but I just watched the "Classic Albums" documentary on it from Eagle Rock Entertainment, and now I think I have to.


Paul Simon's "Graceland." I think is in the Top 10 albums (non-classical/pop) of all time. The only thing wrong with this album is that he'll never do another album this good again. And Paul Simon is one talented man.



Lope de Aguirre said:


> Another underrated album.


Sorry, but anything that has a "$100 Casio 4-octave keyboard sound" in it can't be that good. But hey, as I always say, there's an *** for every seat. To each his own.

A few notes: I think compilation/box sets should be eliminated. These are albums on the whole we are judging, and anyone can make a "best-of" compilation from any artist, and say it's a "great" album. To "create" a great album from scratch is certainly an accomplishment.

This is almost impossible, but: In no particular order:

1. Prince: "Emancipation" (Can't believe no one has any Prince - the man is a genius!)
2. Paul Simon: "Graceleand"
3. Mark Knopfler: "Ragpicker's Dream"
4. U2: "Actchung! Baby"
5. Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia: "Friday Night In San Francisco"
6. Bob Dylan: Either "Modern Times" or "Oh Mercy" (Oh Mercy is his most underrated albums of all time)
7. Bruce Springsteen: "The Wild, Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle." ("We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" is up there as well)
8. Pink Floyd: "The Wall" (Never understood how anyone could put another album of theirs above this one - not that many of their other albums aren't great, but this one... pure genius!)
9. Roger Waters: "Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking."
10. Elton John: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" or "Live in Australia"
11. Emerson Lake & Palmer: "Brain Salad Surgery." ("Tarkus" is up there too)
12. Queen: "Night At the Opera"

Honorable mentions:

Kinks: "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservations Society"
Prince: "Sign O' The Times." & "Purple Rain."
Leonard Cohen: "Various Positions"
Mark Knopfler: "Sailing to Philadelphia"
Michael Jackson: "Off The Wall."
Peter Gabriel: "So"
Queen: "Queen II," "Live Killers," "Jazz"
Ray Lamontagne: "Till The Sun Turns Black" 
Electric Light Orchestra: "Out Of The Blue."
Rolling Stones: "Exile On Main Street"
Led Zepplin: "II," "IV," "Physical Graffiti"
Beatles: "Sgt. Peppers"
Squeeze: "Argy Bargy"
Stevie Wonder: "Songs In The Key of Life," "Uptight."
Sting: "Nothing Like The Sun"
Tom Waits: "Closing Time," "The Heart of Saturday Night," "Nighthawks at the Diner"
Van Morrison: "Moondance"
Warren Zevon: "Excitable Boy," "Mr. Bad Example"
Yes: Pick and album.
The Who: "Who's Next"


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## Stavrogin (Apr 20, 2014)

Elton John? Queen? U2? Michael Jackson?
Knopfler solo and no Dire Straits?

Uhm to each his own I guess.


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## Varick (Apr 30, 2014)

Stavrogin said:


> Elton John? Queen? U2? Michael Jackson?
> Knopfler solo and no Dire Straits?
> 
> Uhm to each his own I guess.


Like I said, it was a difficult list that I did quickly. I love Dire Straits. Great Band. "Making Movies," "On Every Street" are my two favorites, but they never made a bad album. OK, So you don't like Elton, Queen, U2, or MJ. Yes, "to each his own" indeed.

V


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