I'm a believer that you can tell a lot about a person from the music that they listen to. I'm not very good at describing myself and my communication skills in general could do with some work, and so I've put together a list of my personal top albums of all time, although I couldn't even begin to decide on how to actually rank them, so they're presented in chronological order. This is just my personal favourites, there are plenty of albums that are considered greats that aren't here.
After finishing it, it feels like I can see my own personal life journey reflected back in album format, which is odd. Let me know if any of these are already on your Listening List, or if any of them will be from now on in the comments down below.
I've restricted myself to one album per artist, but for practically all of the artists mentioned, I'd recommend you look into their discography. There's also a recommended bonus artists for each one for extra listening. Rather than waffle on, here they are!
20th Century
1959
Miles Davis -
Kind of Blue
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Modal Jazz | Regarded by many critics as jazz's greatest record, Davis's masterpiece, and one of the best albums of all time. | Wynton Marsalis |
1967
The Jimi Hendrix Experience -
Are You Experienced?
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Psychedelic Rock | Their debut album, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest debuts in the history of rock music. | Led Zeppelin |
1968
The Beatles -
White Album (or The Beatles)
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Rock/Pop | Their ninth studio album, and regarded by many critics as their best and also one of the best albums ever. | The Beach Boys |
1969
King Crimson -
In The Court of the Crimson King
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Prog Rock | The bands debut studio album and largely regarded as one of the best albums of all time. | Genesis |
1970
Syd Barrett -
The Madcap Laughs
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Psychedelic/Folk Rock | His debut solo album after splitting with Pink Floyd,
with a chequered recording history. | The Doors |
1971
Nick Drake -
Bryter Layter
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Folk | The second of three studio albums by Nick Drake, beautifully polished and melancholy. | Jeff Buckley |
1975
Queen -
A Night at the Opera
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Prog Rock | Their fourth studio album, containing the single "Bohemian Rhapsody". | David Bowie |
1979
Pink Floyd -
The Wall
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Prog Rock | Their eleventh studio album, and part of a mutli-media project conceived by Roger Waters | Porcupine Tree |
1992
Rage Against The Machine -
Rage Against The Machine
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Metal | The bands debut album, and widely considered one of the best albums ever made. | Tool |
1998
Massive Attack -
Mezzanine
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Trip-Hop | Their third studio album, and an incredibly diverse one at that. A regular feature on best-of lists. | DJ Shadow |
Fatboy Slim -
You've Come a Long Way, Baby
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Big Beat | His second studio album is both critically and commercially successful, you'll have heard a few songs from this album for sure. | The Chemical Brothers |
1999
Moby -
Play
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Electronica | The fifth studio album by Moby, and was the UK's biggest-selling independent album of 2000. | Groove Armada |
Incubus -
Make Yourself
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | Incubus's third studio album, producing three hit singles and their only album to hit the top ten. | Foo Fighters |
21st Century
2000
Linkin Park -
Hybrid Theory
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Nu Metal | The debut album by Linkin Park, and for anyone who grew up in the 00's, it's an icon for and cherished part of growing up. | Limp Bizkit |
The Avalanches -
Since I Left You
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Electronica | The debut album by electronic music collective The Avalanches. Massively underrated in my opinion, and their second album is equally as amazing. | LCD Soundsystem |
2001
Daft Punk -
Discovery
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Electronica | The second studio album by electronic music duo Daft Punk, and it's only gotten better with time. Features heavy sampling and considered a classic example of raw electronic music | Digitalism |
Jimmy Eat World -
Bleed American (or Jimmy Eat World)
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | Their fourth studio album, and a massive success both commerically and critically. A highly inspirational and pivotal record that should be part of every collection. | New Found Glory |
Röyksopp -
Melody A.M.
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Trip-Hop | The debut album by Norwegian trip hop duo Röyksopp. An instant classic. | Marconi Union |
System of a Down -
Toxicity
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Metal | The band's second studio album, which truely spans multiple genres. Highly influential and often cited as one of the best albums ever. | Korn |
2002
Finch -
What It It to Burn
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Post-hardcore | The debut album by post-hardcore band Finch, if you like Pop-Punk/Emo you'll love this album. | Funeral for a Friend |
Red Hot Chili Peppers -
By The Way
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | The eighth studio by RHCP, and my personal favourite. Their entire back catalogue is worth listening to. | Nirvana |
Bright Eyes -
Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie | The fourth album by American indie rock band Bright Eyes, founded by Conor Oberst. It's hard to describe Bright Eyes, but each album is something unique, with the sound evolving over time. | Cursive |
Lemon Jelly -
Lost Horizons
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Trip Hop | The second and most iconic album by British electronic duo Lemon Jelly. With two hit singles and achieving Gold certification, this is a record well worth checking out. | Mr. Scruff |
Audioslave -
Audioslave
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | The eponymous debut album by rock supergroup Audioslave. The album features the hit singles "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", "What You Are", "Like a Stone", and "I Am the Highway" and was later certified 3x platinum. | Soundgarden |
The Roots -
Phrenology
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Hip Hop | The fifth studio album by hip hop group The Roots, taking over two years to complete. This isn't their most commercially or critically successful album, but it is my personal favourite. | The Pharcyde |
2003
Easy Star All-Stars -
Dub Side of the Moon
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Dub Reggae | The only cover album on this list, this is a dub reggae tribute to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. It's never left the Billboard Reggae Charts since its release in 2003, which is an amazing feat. | Groundation |
The Postal Service -
Give Up
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie | This is the only album by indie band The Postal Service, a side project between electronic music artist Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab for Cutie's vocalist Ben Gibbard. | Dntel |
Brand New -
Deja Entendu
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Emo | This is the band's second studio album, and was widely praised upon release for showing the band's maturation since their debut. | Manchester Orchestra |
Muse -
Absolution
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | The third album by Muse, and is considered by many to be one of the best albums of the 21st century. | Placebo |
Jay-Z -
The Black Album
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Hip Hop | The eighth studio album by rapper Jay-Z, where he enlisted a different producer for each song. Again, my personal favourite out of his albums. | Wu-Tang Clan |
2004
Say Anything -
…Is A Real Boy/…Was A Real Boy
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Pop-Punk | The second studio album by Pop-Punk band Say Anything, fronted by Max Bemis. This band is one of my favourites, and I highly recommend you check out all their work. | Gatsby's American Dream |
Bedouin Soundclash -
Sounding a Mosaic
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Reggae Ska | The second studio album by this Canadian rock band. The album spawned the hit single "When the Night Feels My Song", which I'm sure most of you will recognise. | Sublime |
Kasabian -
Kasabian
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Electronic Rock | The debut studio album by British rock band Kasabian,
this is definitely their strongest entry and was a massive hit when first released. Their later albums never quite lived up to expectations. | Editors |
2005
Motion City Soundtrack -
Commit This to Memory
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Pop Punk | The second studio album by Motion City Soundtrack, and produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182. This was the band's breakthrough album, and is considered a classic of Pop-Punk. | Blink-182 |
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah -
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie | Another eponymous entry, this was the band's debut album, and my favourite out of their five amazing albums. | Tapes 'n Tapes |
Broken Social Scene -
Broken Social Scene
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie | The award winning yet divisive third album by Canadian indie collective Broken Social Scene. I find it hard to describe them, so you're just gonna have to find out for yourselves. | Wolf Parade |
Beck -
Guerolito
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | This is a remix album of Guero, and features all of the songs from regular edition of Guero in remixed forms by a variety of artists, with the addition of "Clap Hands", originally found on the special limited edition of Guero. Highly recommended (of course). | Pixies |
2006
The Strokes -
First Impressions of Earth
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie Rock | After getting over their difficult second album, The Strokes released their third hit studio album. Hugely critically and commercially successful record. | Cage the Elephant |
Hot Chip -
The Warning
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Electronic/Indie | The second full-length album by British indie band Hot Chip,
it explores the theme of contradiction as well as "slower and darker aspects of electronic music" with the use of "strange violence" in songs. | Simian Mobile Disco |
Regina Spektor -
Begin To Hope
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Anti-folk | The fourth studio album by singer-songwriter Regina Spektor, award nominated and Gold certified. She's a great artist, and deserves a lot more of the spotlight than she gets. | PJ Harvey |
Killswitch Engage -
As Daylight Dies
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Metalcore | The band's fourth studio album, this is just an epic listen. Howard Jones' clean vocals really stand out. This was the album that converted me to Metal. | Parkway Drive |
2007
Boys Night Out -
Boys Night Out
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Post-hardcore | This is the eponymous album by Boys Night Out, the Canadian emo/post-hardcore band. Get Your Head Straight is such a good song. | Glassjaw |
2008
Does It Offend You, Yeah? -
You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | New Rave | This is the debut album by the British new rave band, Does It Offend You, Yeah? This was definitely one of my favourite albums of the New Rave era, which peaked in 2008. | Klaxons |
Death Cab For Cutie -
Narrow Stairs
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie Rock | The band's sixth studio album that had four hit singles. I must have listened to this album so many times since it's release. Get it added to your shelves. | The Decemberists |
Late of the Pier -
Fantasy Black Channel
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | New Rave | The first and only album by British New Rave band Late of the Pier.
I rediscovered this album recently, and it was definitely underrated at the time, and even now. Get hold of a copy as soon as you can. | New Young Pony Club |
Anberlin -
New Surrender
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Alternative Rock | This is the band's fourth studio album, but their first with a major record label. It feels very polished and clean compared to their earlier works. Just an awesome album all over. | MAE |
2010
Four Year Strong -
Enemy of the World
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Pop-Punk | The third album by American rock band Four Year Strong. This is one of their strongest albums, but it's refreshing to hear them mature through each album. | Hit the Lights |
Gayngs -
Relayted
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Indie Rock | Relayted is the first studio album by Minneapolis indie rock collective Gayngs, and was inspired by 10cc's "I'm Not in Love", every song on the album was recorded at 69 BPM (which may or may not be a great tempo to listen to if you've consumed a certain plant). | Volcano Choir |
2014
Tycho -
Awake
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Ambient | This is the third album by ambient music project Tycho. Very, very chill and great to listen to while reading or something like that. | Bonobo |
2015
Tame Impala -
Currents
| Art | Genre | Info | See Also |
|---|
 | Psychedelic Pop | The third studio album by Aussie rock band Tame Impala.
I only discovered this band in the past couple of years, but they are amazing. Listening to each of their albums is almost like listening to the very evolution of music itself (slightly over dramatic there, only slightly). The Less I Know The Better is a great song. | Arcade Fire |
Apologies for the screwy table, I'll tidy it up for the next one (I may expand this list up to 100, as the 20th century is looking fairly empty (what happened to Punk and the 80s?)).
What's your favourite album? Or if you enjoy any of these, do let me know in the comments down below, and be sure to give me a follow to stay up to date with the latest Crypto news as well as general Internet and Pop Culture related stuff. Peace!
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