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

Caught that, huh?

 

I just forgot to indicate that the Rubber Soul in my list is the original UK version.

 

Ok...I'l give this shot. By no way is this definitive and they are also not in order.

1. The Beatles - Abbey Road
2. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
3. The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot
4. Genesis - A Trick of the Tail
5. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
6. Neil Young - After The Gold Rush
7. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu
8. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
9. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
10. Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Snow
11. Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
12. Supertramp - Crime of the Century
13. Harmonium - l'heptade
14. Fiori/Seguin - Deux Cents Nuits a l'Heure
15. Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones
16. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside
17. Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing
18. Steve Winwood - Arc of a Diver
19. Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
20. Paul McCartney - RAM

 

1. Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs – Marty Robbins (1959)
2. Odessey and Oracle – The Zombies (1968)
3. The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society - The Kinks (1968)
4. New York Tendaberry – Laura Nyro (1969)
5. Kristofferson – Kris Kristofferson (1970)
6. Sunflower – The Beach Boys (1970)
7. Coat of Many Colors – Dolly Parton (1971)
8. Whatevershebringswesing - Kevin Ayers (1971)
9. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield (1972)
10. Close to the Edge – Yes (1972)
11. Shotgun Willie - Willie Nelson (1973)
12. Rock Bottom - Robert Wyatt (1974)
13. The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway – Genesis (1974)
14. Hejira – Joni Mitchell (1976)
15. Over - Peter Hammill (1977)
16. Peter Gabriel 3 – Peter Gabriel (1980)
17. Black Sea – XTC (1980)
18. Homogenic – Björk (1997)
19. Wagonmaster – Porter Wagoner (2007)
20. Southeastern – Jason Isbell (2013)

 

Miles Davis/Get Up With It
The Rolling Stones/Sticky Fingers
Bob Dylan/Highway 61 Revisited
Ornette Coleman/Science Fiction
Talking Heads/The Name of this Band Is Talking Heads
Cream/Wheels of Fire
Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention/Uncle Meat
Joni Mitchell/Blue
John Fahey/Fare Forward Voyagers
The Beatles/The White Album
Neil Young/Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Cecil Taylor/One Too Many Salty Swift and Not Goodbye
Sly and The Family Stone/Stand
John Coltrane/Crescent
The Grateful Dead/Live Dead
The Allman Brothers/Eat a Peach
The Who/Quadrophenia
Albert Ayler/Spiritual Unity
Los Lobos/Kiko
Louis Moholo/Spirits Rejoice

 

I have had more trouble with 2010 - current time period. Sigh...I have finally reached a point where I don't understand most of what is passed off as music today. After the 60's and 70's it did take me awhile to get into the 80's. Still I never stop looking for new music to astound me. The only artist that challenges me so far today is Radiohead. There most recent release, A Moon Shaped Pool, is my favorite of theirs. Great list you have there.

 

It is meant more to share the 20 artists you most like, having to limit them to one album doesn't mean you don't love more by each of those artists it just sidestepped what would be a more mundane list that we all would have shared. Great list.

 

The R.E.M. album is their longest one. I love that one too. I chose Murmur because it is so mysterious. When it was released, nothing had ever sounded like it.

 

I left out Electric Ladyland/Jimi Hendrix Experience, Rock of Ages/The Band and Turn It Over /Tony Williams Lifetime. Oh my.

 

I really enjoy every R.E.M. album, but for some reason HI-Fi has been my favorite since it's release. The songs are great musically and lyrically, it's experimental, but not a total departure like Monster. It's not because it's the longest one, I think all the songs work well together and the length is deserved. I think the way the album was made is a big part of it. It feels personal, not that almost every REM album doesn't have some sense of that.

I agree with you about Murmur, the mysteriousness too it, and that really drew me to it, however it was much later when I first heard it, after Green was released, and I don't remember but it could have even been after Out Of Time.

 

Ok, I'll play.

Off the top of my head:
Bob Dylan - Bringing it all back home
Van Morrison-Astral weeks
CCR - Bayou Country
The Velvet Underground - s/t
Stooges - Fun House
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Band - Rock of Ages
Iggy Pop - The Idiot
David Bowie - Low
Ultravox -Systems of Romance
The Clash - London Calling
Simple Minds - Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Neil Young - Unplugged
Nick Cave- Push the Sky Away

 

Wally Badarou - Echoes
Rush - Signals
Howard Jones - Human's Lib
Duran Duran - Rio
Robert Plant - Pictures at Eleven (or The Principle of Moments if I'm allowed to include Turnaround and Road to the Sun)
Santana - Beyond Appearances
Yes - 90125
Martha and the Muffins - The World is a Ball
Journey - Frontiers
The Police - Ghost in the Machine
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way
Prince - Purple Rain
The Fixx - Phantoms
Sting - Nothing Like the Sun
Triumph - Surveillance
Sammy Hagar - VOA
Kansas - Power
Genesis - Genesis
Scientist - Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires

 

I got the deluxe disc with the concert on disc 2 and they really were very good on stage, I was exponentially impressed with how good the live stuff was.

 

In no order and off the top of my head (as this can easily change by tomorrow....LOL)

The Replacements - Pleased to Meet Me
Beatles - White Album
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Ramones - Leave Home
The Who - Who’s Next
Dramarama - Hi Fi Sci Fi
NY Dolls - NY Dolls
Johnny Thunder’s Heartbreakers - LAMF
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
Iggy & the Stooges - Raw Power
Mott the Hoople - Mott
Roxy Music - Stranded
Smithereens - Especially for You
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
REM - Reckoning
Fleshtones - Roman Gods
Queen - Sheer heart Attack
Cheap Trick - In Color
Graham Parker & the Rumour - Squeezing Out Sparks

 

John Lennon - John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
The Beatles - The Beatles
Badfinger - Straight Up
Blondie - Parallel Lines
Boston - Don't Look Back
Crowded House - Crowded House
Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman
Dan Fogelberg - The Innocent Age
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Iain Matthews - Tigers Will Survive
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Ten Years After - A Space In Time
The Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Who - Live At Leeds
Traffic - The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
Wishbone Ash - Argus

 

Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground And Nico
Neil Young - On The Beach
The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
The Flaming Lips - In A Priest Driven Ambulance
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Slayer - Reign In Blood
Black Sabbath - Sabotage
Led Zeppelin - Presence
Pink Floyd - Meddle
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
Lou Reed - The Bells
David Bowie - Station To Station
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
The Rolling Stones - Exile On Mainstreet
Radiohead - OK Computer
Tool - Aenima
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Joanna Newsom - Ys

 

Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours
George Jones - I Am What I Am
Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Guy Clark - Old No.1
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
Merle Haggard - Serving 190 Proof
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
Nat Cole - Love Is The Thing
Eagles - Desperado
Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie
Rodney Crowell - Diamonds And Dirt
Bob Seger - Live Bullet
Steve Earle - Guitar Town
Elton John - Honky Chateau
Rosanne Cash - King's Record Shop
Flatt & Scruggs - Songs Of The Famous Carter Family
Tom T. Hall - In Search Of A Song
John Prine - Self Titled
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Tom Waits - Nighthawks At The Diner

 

In alphabetical order...

Dismal Euphony - Soria Moria Slott (1996)
Eloy - Ocean (1977)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)
Genesis - Nursery Cryme (1971)
Golden Earring - Moontan (1973)
Harmonium - Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison (1975)
Hawkwind - Warrior on the Edge of Time (1975)
Los Jaivas - Alturas de Machu Picchu (1981)
Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood (1977)
Journey - Escape (1981)
Kansas - Leftoverture (1976)
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Kansas - Leftoverture (1976)
Led Zeppelin - III (1970)
Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid (1978)
Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (1972)
Renaissance - Ashes Are Burning (1973)
Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
Styx - Grand Illusion (1977)
Yes - Yessongs (1973)

 

1. Beatles - Revolver
2. Rolling Stones- Exile on Main St
3. Parliament- Mothership Connection
4. Funkadelic - Standing On The Verge
5. Sly and the Family Stone - Stand
6. James Brown - The Payback
7. Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
8. The Who - Who's next
9. Love - Forever Changes
10. The Zombies - odessy & Oracle
11. Stone Roses - Stone Roses
12. The Doors - LA Woman
13. Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
14. Velvet Underground- VG & Nico
15. LED Zeppelin- IV
16. Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
17. Spiritualized - Ladies & Gentlemen
18. Kinks - Village Green Preservation
19. Link Wray - Link Wray
20. Belle & Sebastion - The boy with the Arab Strap.

 

The Beatles-Abbey Road
Eloy-Ocean
The Chuch- Starfish
The Damned-The Black Album
Ray Lamontagne-Till the Sun Turns Black
Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
Ryan Adams-Heartbreaker
Dead Kennedys-Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables
Cat Stevens-Tea for the Tillerman
Porcupine Tree-Lightbulb Sun
The Clash-London Calling
Tindersticks -2 album
Sonny Rollins-Saxophone Colossus
Genesis-Selling England by the Pound
Ayeron-Into the Electric Castle
The Cramps-Psychedelic Jungle
Dire Sraits-Communiqué
Harmonium- Harmonium
David Bowie- Ziggy
Ramones-Road to Ruin

 

Favorites, not best. In no particular order:

1) Beatles - Abbey Road
2) Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
3) Sly Stone - There’s a Riot Going On
4) Jason Isbell - Southeastern
5) Megadeth - Rust In Peace
6) Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
7) Percy Hill - Color In Bloom
8) Tom Petty - Wildflowers
9) Prince - Sign O’ The Times
10) Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
11) Def Leppard - Hysteria
12) Guns N‘ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
13) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
14) Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All
15) Alice In Chains - Dirt
16) Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
17) Van Halen - Van Halen
18) David Lee Roth - Eat ‘Em And Smile
19) Umphrey’s McGee - Safety In Numbers
20) Metallica - Master of Puppets

I’ll probably want to change that in 10 minutes.

 

1.Alias Pink Puzz-Paul Revere & The Raiders
2.Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Jones Ltd.-Monkees
3.I'm Not Me- Mick Fleetwood's Zoo
4.Spilt Milk-Jellyfish
5....but the little girls understand-The Knack
6.Revolver-Beatles
7.News Of The World-Queen
8.Photographs & Memories-Jim Croce
9.Skylarking-XTC
10.Tongue Twister-Shoes
11.East Side Story-Squeeze
12.Life On Planet Eartsnop-Myracle Brah
13.Deceptive Bends-10cc
14.Sunshine-Archies
15.Trust-Elvis Costello
16.Document-REM
17.Best Of-Bread
18.Odyssey And Oracle-The Zombies
19.Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy-The Who
20.History...America's Greatest Hits-America

Some ear candy from my childhood to now.(56 years old)

 

Twenty ?
I could list a hundred.
Maybe another thread.

In disorder.

White Album
Forever Changes
Beggars Banquet
Electric Ladyland
After The Goldrush

Village Green
OverNite Sensation
Pet Sounds
Ram
Radio City

Something /Anything
Never Mind The Bollocks
Hunky Dory
Morrison Hotel
The Yes Album

Benefit
Five Leaves Left
The Modern Lovers
A Secret Wish
Minor Earth Major Sky

 

In my Neil-centric view, it pleases me that there have been 9 different albums of his mentioned, so I'll list those that have been mentioned (in my preferred order), and then I'll try to stay on point and answer the original question:

NY:
After the Goldrush
On the Beach
Tonight's the Night
Rust Never Sleeps
Everybody Knows This is Nowhere
Time Fades Away
Zuma
Harvest Moon
Unplugged (not sure it really qualifies, but very good nonetheless)

My Overall:
Springsteen: Darkness On the Edge of Town
Dylan: Blonde on Blonde
Who: Who's Next
Zeppelin: IV
Stones: Sticky Fingers
Beatles: White Album
Lou Reed: Transformer
Bowie: Ziggy Stardust
Eagles: Hotel California
Creedence: Cosmo's Factory
Petty: Damn the Torpedos
Seger: Against the Wind
Joel: 52nd Street
Grateful Dead: American Beauty
CSNY: Deja Vu
Lennon: Imagine
The Band: Music FromBig Pink
Buffalo Springfield: Again
Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Neil Young: Comes a Time (Okay, close but not my favorite, I just pretty much wanted to see Neil break into double figures so that basically all of his 70s work was represented. And unless I missed it, I LOVE that far and away his most popular album Harvest hasn't even been mentioned). In retrospect, Neil's 70s catalogue was pretty, pretty, pretty good....
NYF

 

In my case, the artists I shared may or may not be my 20 favorites. As someone who has always preferred singles to albums, I find that some artists may have many great singles but no one album that sticks out -- and I avoided listing compilations, which is the best way to hear some of my favorite performers.