List Your Top 20 Albums, Of All Time, By 20 Different Artists

(do people actually read these?)

My 20 faves, no order, except maybe, very roughly chronological.

Stones - Exile
Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Kinks - Lola vs. Powerman
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Queen - Sheer Heart Attack
Who - Quadrophenia
Beatles - Revolver
Funkadelic - Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
Faces - First Step
Rod Stewart - Gasoline Alley
Damned - The Black Album
Clash - London Calling
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space
Doves - Last Broadcast
Head & The Heart - self titled
Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Radiohead - OK Computer

Weird how I completely skip the '80s...

 

very cool

 

Kinks- Village Green
T. Rex-Electric Warrior
Zebra-3.V
Kix-Kix
Darkness-One Way Ticket
Graham Parker-Burning Questions
Kiss-Unmasked
Elvis Costello-Imperial Bedroom
Bowie-Scary Monsters
Rolling Stones- Between the Buttons
Beatles-Rubber Soul
Who-Sell Out
Love/Hate- Wasted in America
Vain- No Respect
Dylan- Blood on the Tracks
Queen- Queen 2
Savatage-Streets
Skid Row- Slave to the Grind
Pearl Jam- Vs
Life of Agony-River Runs Red

 

I cannot limit my list to just 20

The Beatles: Rubber Soul
Chicago: Chicago Transit Authority
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
Dave Brubeck: Time Out
Supertramp: Breakfast in America
Steely Dan: The Nightfly
Earth, Wind & Fire: All 'N All
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
The Moody Blues: On the Threshold of a Dream
Esquivel: Latin-Esque
Boz Scaggs: Silk Degrees
Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman
Carpenters: A Song For You
Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You
Herb Alpert: Rise!
Don McLean: American Pie
James Taylor: Sweet Baby James
Claude Bolling: Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano
Michael Franks: The Art of Tea
Stylistics: Stylistics
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
Earl Klugh: Heart Strings
Deodato: Prelude
Blood, Sweat & Tears: Blood, Sweat & Tears
Harry Belafonte: Belafonte at Carnegie Hall
Ernest Ansermet: The Royal Ballet Gala Performances
Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life
MFSB: Love is the Message
Lincoln Mayorga: Distinguished Colleagues, Vol. III
Bee Gees: Children of the World
Billy Joel: The Nylon Curtain
Simon & Garfunkel: Bookends
The Cascades: Rhythm of the Rain
Bob James: One on One
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto: Getz/Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto: A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness
Victor Feldman: Secret of the Andes
Roberto Delgado: Vibraphon a la Carte
Harry James: The King James Version
Wilburn Brothers: City Limits
Chet Atkins: Picks on the Beatles

 

Arrival - ABBA
Endless Summer - Beach Boys
The Beatles (White Album) - Beatles
Gold - Bee Gees
Simpatico - Suzy Bogguss & Chet Atkins
By The Time I Get To Phoenix - Glen Campbell
Poems, Prayers & Promises - John Denver
Time - Electric Light Orchestra
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
Leftoverture - Kansas
Heavenly - Johnny Mathis
If You Love Me, Let Me Know - Olivia Newton-John
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Georgy Girl - Seekers
There Goes Rhymin' Simon - Paul Simon
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
When Tragedy Struck - Hank Snow
Year Of The Cat - Al Stewart
Bad Girls - Donna Summer
Perfectly Imperfect - Grace Vanderwaal

 

Even though this list shares only two from mine (Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks and Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon), I think it's a really, really good one (though, try as I might, I could never get into Astral Weeks).

.

 

Paul & Linda McCartney 'Ram'
The Beatles 'white album'
Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers'
Joni Mitchell 'Hejira'
The Supremes 'Where Did Our Love Go'
Bee Gees 'Main Course'
Melanie 'Photograph'
The Who 'Who's Next'
Katy Perry 'Teenage Dream: Complete Confection'
Talking Heads: '77
Jefferson Airplane 'After Bathing At Baxters'
Daryl Hall John Oates 'Abandoned Luncheonette'
Eric Clapton '461 Ocean Blvd'
Brandi Carlile (debut)
Donna Summer 'Bad Girls'
Allman Brothers Band (debut)
Carly Simon 'Another Passenger'
Aretha Franklin 'Lady Soul'
John Lennon 'Mind Games'
Poco 'Crazy Eyes'

 

The Beatles Abbey Road
David Bowie Station To Station
Kate Bush Hounds Of Love
John Cale Paris 1919
Chicago Chicago V
Miles Davis Jack Johnson
Bob Dylan Highway 61 Revisited
Genesis Selling England By The Pound
Elton John Madman Across The Water
King Crimson Larks' Tongues In Aspic
Marillion Misplaced Childhood
Van Morrison Veedon Fleece
Tom Petty Damn The Torpedoes!
Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon
Bruce Springsteen The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle
Jimmy Webb El Mirage
The Who Who's Next
Yes Close To The Edge
Neil Young On The Beach
Frank Zappa Over-Nite Sensation

 

1. The Beatles- Revolver
2. Metallica- Load
3. Van Halen II
4. Led Zeppelin III
5. AC/DC- Powerage
6. Pink Floyd- The Wall
7. The Who By Numbers
8. Guns n Roses- Appetite for Destruction
9. Queen II
10. Ozzy Osbourne- Diary of a Madman
11. KISS- Rock n Roll Over
12. Def Leppard- High n Dry
13. Motley Crue- Too Fast For Love
14. Rolling Stones- Let it Bleed
15. Aerosmith- Rocks
16. Eric Clapton- August
17. Phil Collins- No Jacket Required
18. Megadeth- Killing is My Business
19. Slayer- Reign in Blood
20. Death- Human

 

1. The Beatles The Beatles
2. The Pentangle Basket of Light
3. Van Morrison Astral Weeks
4. Bob Dylan Blonde on Blonde
5. John Martyn Solid Air
6. Charles Mingus Blues & Roots
7. Tricky Maxinquaye
8. King Crimson Beat
9. Bert Jansch Birthday Blues
10. Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen
11. Prince and the Revolution Purple Rain
12. Kate Bush The Dreaming
13. Joni Mitchell Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter
14. Bruce Springsteen Born to Run
15. Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely
16. Gang of Four Entertainment!
17. The Clash London Calling
18. The Insect Trust Hoboken Saturday Night
19. The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground and Nico
20. John Coltrane My Favorite Things

 

Roxy Music - Roxy Music
Kate Bush - The Sensual World
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
Bruce Springsteen - Greetings From Asbury Park
Laurie Anderson - Strange Angels
Tears For Fears - Seeds Of Love
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas
Marianne Faithfull - Give My Love To London
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace
Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids
Bill Evans Trio - Sunday At The Village Vanguard
Bob Dylan - Freewheelin'
Sting - Dream Of The Blue Turtles
The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
The Ronettes - Presenting The Fabulous Ronettes
The Sex Pistols - Nevermind The Bollocks
The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night

 

i also really love the "for sale" album.when i bought some stand alone mono beatles vinyl from the most recent releases.that one of the four i bought.along with "the white album"-mono masters-and magical mystery tour.

 

Have mixed my studio and alive albums lists into one. Please don’t ask to reduce further

Elvis-At Sun
Beatles-WA
Dylan-Blood
Who-WN deluxe cd
BB-PS Sessions box
RS-Brussels Affair
PF-DSOTM Immersion box
GH-ATMP
EC-461 deluxe w/live cd
EC-TYM
Heads-More Songs...
Lou-RnR Animal
ABB-Brothers and Sisters deluxe w/Live Winterland 73
Bruce-Winterland 78
CSNY-4Way St
Joni-Miles of Aisles
Little Feat-Waiting
The Band-Rock of Ages
FMac-Tusk super deluxe
Eagles-HC 2 cd w/live LA 76

No doubles means leaving behind
Dylan 66
ABB Filmore
ooLAL
But deluxe editions get me live ABB, EC, Eagles,Pink and the oo
Man I never get to the 80s,90s, or the last 20 years.

 

Reading all the other replies, and constantly thinking “ah, that’s a nice one too”, I’ve come to the conclusion that 20 just isn’t enough.

Because I also love:
Moon Safari
Misplaced Childhood
Purple Rain
OK Computer
What’s Going On
Hot Buttered Soul
New Gold Dream
Computerwelt
Blade Runner
Selah Sue S/T
Real People
Twentysomething
Saturday Night Fever OST
Hejira
Etc, etc, etc, …

 

No particular order, very difficult, subject to change!

1. The Band- Music from Big Pink
2. The Beatles - White Album
3. Ronnie Lane Anymore For Anymore
4. David Crosby- If I Could Only Remember My Name
5. Stills-Stills
6. Chicago- Live at Carnegie Hall
7. Springsteen - Darkness On the Edge of Town
8. Tim Buckley-Happy Sad
9. Rod Stewart- Gasoline Alley
10. Zeppelin -Presence
11. Doors - Morrison Hotel
12. Butterfield Blues Band- East West
13. Traffic -As the Eagle Flies
14. Allman Brothers Band-Live at the Fillmore East
15. Hendrix - Band of Gypsy's
16. Stones -Between the Buttons
17. Grateful Dead - Live Dead
18. Dylan- Planet Waves
19. Neil Young -On the Beach
20. Bowie - Lodger

 

The Rolling Stones - Exile On Main St.
The Beatles - Abbey Road
The Who - Who's Next
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
The Clash - London Calling
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
The White Stripes - Elephant
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
The Kinks - Muswell Hillbillies
Lou Reed - New York
Van Morrison - Moondance
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Bob Marley - Exodus
Derek And The Dominoes - Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
The Band - The Band

 

Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Million To Hold Us Back
Tori Amos - Boys For Pele
David Bowie - Scary Monsters & Super Creeps
Neil Young - Time Fades Away
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention - Absolutely Free
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Mr Bungle - Mr Bungle
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Melvins - Bullhead
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Eyehategod - Take As Needed For Pain
Beck - Sea Change
Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
Radiohead - Amnesiac
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Faith No More - Angel Dust

 

I could probably do a second list with just live albums (from many of these same artists), but for this one I'll do studio albums along with a compilation (because TDN really were a singles band).

Solo Artists
Elton John - Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
Jackson Browne - Late for the Sky
Leon Russell - Carney
Todd Rundgren - Runt
Edgar Winter - Edgar Winter's White Trash
Linda Ronstadt - Prisoner In Disguise
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Warren Zevon - S/T debut
Neil Young - On the Beach
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Bands
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
Yes - Close To The Edge
Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Three Dog Night - Golden Biscuits
U2 - Joshua Tree
Genesis - Foxtrot
Jetehro Tull - Aqualung
Allman Brothers - S/T debut
Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
Electric Light Orchestra - Out Of The Blue

 

Redd Kross - Show World
Stones - Tattoo You
Pistols - Bollocks
Beatles - Rubber Soul (UK)
Misfits - Static Age
Monkees - Pisces
Love - Forever Changes
Doors - Strange Days
Figgs - Lo-Fi At Society High
Booker T. & the MGs - Hip Hug-Her
Guns N' Roses - Appetite
R.E.M. - New Adventures
Replacements - Let It Be
Pixies - Bossanova
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
Supergrass - In It For The Money
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutiqute
Superchunk - No Pocky For Kitty
David Crosby - If I Could Only...

 

In no order (and admittedly more than 20):

Genesis: Selling England by the Pound
Neil Young: On The Beach
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
King Crimson: Larks' Tongues In Aspic (very tough choice between this and Red)
David Bowie: Low (really tough choice here. I could just as easily have gone with Aladdin Sane, Station To Station, or Ziggy)
Traffic: The Low Spark Of High-Heeled Boys
Led Zeppelin: Houses Of The Holy (another tough choice between this, IV, and II)
Midnight Oil: Red Sails in the Sunset (or Diesel and Dust, 10,9,8..., Earth and Sun, and Moon)
Richard and Linda Thompson: I Want to See The Bright Lights Tonight
Richard Thompson: Amnesia (or Rumour and Sigh, Mock Tudor, or Mirror Blue)
Porcupine Tree: Deadwing
The Who: Who's Next
Jethro Tull: Benefit (or Minstrel or Heavy Horses)
The Kinks: Muswell Hillbillies
The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
Spoon: Gimme Fiction
Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs
Peter Gabriel: III
Mils Davis: Kind Of Blue
Gentle Giant: The Power And The Glory
Yes: The Yes Album
Steely Dan: Aja
Wilco: Sky Blue Sky
Los Lobos: Kiko
Armageddon: s/t
Lee Morgan: Search for the New Land (or The Sidewinder or Tom Cat)
Grant Green: Idle Moments
The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers
Steven Wilson: Hand. Cannot. Erase.
John Coltrane: Blue Train

 

Alphabetically:

1) Alejandro Escovedo- A Man Under the Influence
2) The Band- self titled
3) The Beatles- Abbey Road
4) Bob Dylan- Blood on the Tracks
5) CCR- Cosmos Factory

6) Elton John- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
7) Grateful Dead- American Beauty
8) The Jayhawks- Hollywood Town Hall
9) Joni Mitchell- Court and Spark
10) Neil Young- On The Beach

11) Paul and Linda McCartney- Ram
12) Pink Floyd- Wish You Were Here
13) Rickie Lee Jones- self titled
14) Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers
15) Son Volt- Trace

16) Uncle Tupelo- Anodyne
17) The Waterboys- Fisherman's Blues
18) Whiskeytown- Faithless Street
19) The Who- Who's Next
20) Wilco- Being There

 

Hendrix - Axis
Miles Davis - KOB
Charlie Parker - With Strings
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Jeff Beck Group - Truth
Cream - Disraeli Gears
Magic Sam - West Side Soul
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues
Black Sabbath Master Of Reality
Nirvana - Nevermind
Alice In Chains - Dirt
Pearl Jam - Ten
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger
Ride - Going Blank Again
Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Dinosaur Jr - Where you Been?
Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
The Verve - Urban Hymns

 

The Beatles-White Album
Big Star-Radio City
David Bowie-Station To Station
The Clash-London Calling
John Coltrane-A Love Supreme
Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue
Bob Dylan-Blood On The Tracks
Grateful Dead-American Beauty
PJ Harvey-Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
Jason Isbell-Southeastern
Tom Petty-Wildflowers
Radiohead-OK Computer
The Replacements-Let It Be
Rolling Stones-Exile On Main St.
Talking Heads-Remain In Light
Television-Marquee Moon
Richard & Linda Thompson-Shoot Out The Lights
Tom Waits-Rain Dogs
Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Zuma

 

Today's order and selection based on in which order I thought about them.

1. U2 - The Joshua Tree
2. The Clash - London Calling
3. New Order - Technique
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
5. Depeche Mode - Violator
6. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
7. R.E.M. - New Adventures In Hi Fi
8. The Blue Nile - Hats
9. Sting - ...Nothing Like The Sun
10. Police - Synchronicity
11. The Cure - Disintegration
12. Peter Gabriel - So
13. Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
14. The Dream Syndicate - Ghost Stories
15. World Party - Goodbye Jumbo
16. Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
17. Garbage - Version 2.0
18 James - Millionaires
19. The Stone Roses
20. Radiohead - Kid A

 

Your "or"s put you way over the limit.