Your top 5 albums of all time?

1. Nazz - Nazz
2. Projections - The Blues Project
3. Over Under Sideways Down - The Yardbirds
4. Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton - John Mayall
5. Wheels Of Fire - Cream

These are five album that I originally bought in the 60s that I still enjoy as much now as I did then.
There are lots more, but these are the five that came to mind immediately.

 

Stooges---Raw Power
Doors---Morrison Hotel
Velvets---69 Live
Joni---Court & Spark
Lana Del Rey---Ultraviolence

This is today's all time....

 

I chose my top 5 based on my ability to listen to them without skipping over ANY songs, regardless of my mood. If you have to be in the mood to hear an album, in my opinion, it doesn't belong on your top 5 list.

1. THE SMITHS "The Queen Is Dead". My favorite storytelling and album since the 1980s. There's nothing cliche about it being on my list.
2. DEPECHE MODE "Violator". This record took DM to another level. One of my favorite side B's of any album.
3. SUEDE "DOG MAN STAR". So many songs are epic, even though the artsy singer was fighting with the creative genius songwriter throughout.
4. PRINCE "1999". Long songs, gutsy and brilliant. The funny thing is, this has only gotten better with age.
5. BEASTIE BOYS "Paul's Boutique". Chuck D once said "The best beats, best sampling of all time. We were all jealous of these beats in 1989." I try to squeeze in the Beatles or Bowie in my top 5... but while Hunky Dory comes in at #6, this album is a party from start to finish.

 

I'm caught in that paradox too. I rarely listen to the albums I posted as my all time favorites. I doubt if I've listened to any of them more than twice in the last year.

 

Exile On Main Street- Stones
Willy and the Poor Boys - Creedence
Where Are You? - Frank Sinatra
Blood On The Tracks - Dylan
After The Gold Rush - Neil Young

 

The Beatles : Rubber Soul
The Beatles : Abbey Road
Chicago Transit Authority
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall
Stevie Wonder : Songs in the Key of Life

 

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
David Bowie - Low
Genesis - Foxtrot
Neil Young - Sleeps With Angels
The Who - By Numbers

 

1. FABS - Revolver (1966) The most flawless perfect pop lp I've ever heard. My only regret that it wasn't first released in the digital age where Paperback Writer and Rain could have been added to the running order. I'm speechless everytime I hear 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. Arguably the pinnacle of group creativity: song by John with amazing lyrics, Paul suggests and adds tape loops, George suggests tamboura etc. My #1 Fabs song, nothing else comes close.
2. VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO - (1966) No other band in the universe sounded like this in 1966 including the Fabs. It represents so many things: avant-garde anarchy, Andy Warhol's parallel universe, NYC street life, drugs, weird sex, the dark side of the Aquarian Age but above all fantastic songwriting and great arrangements. Another piece of perfection. The only flaw is that the Dolph acetate mix of European Son was not used.
3. HUMBLE PIE - As Safe As Yesterday Is (1969) This is what the Small Faces would have sounded like had the band taken up Marriott's suggestion to add Frampton as lead guitarist in late '68. My favorite British Rock lp off all time. Every song is killer especially the title track which remains my single most played song in the last 47 years. My mint UK Immediate original is one of my prized possessions and always seems to be on my turntable.
4. PINK FLOYD - Piper At the Gates Of Dawn (1967) Just beats out SF Sorrow by a nose as my favorite pop-psych of all time. Like the Velvets, Syd Barrett's Floyd were in their own creative universe and had a totally unique sound. Incredibly freaky yet beautiful songs that sound just as fresh almost 50 years later. Floyd were true sound pioneers (along with guidance from Norman Smith). Pow R Toc H is an example. A song written for advanced electronic instruments that weren't around yet (only a few Moogs were around at the time) so the band use the human voices as instruments. Incredible!
5. MICHAEL PENN - Resigned (1997) Stunning masterpiece. Contains everything I could ever want in one album: Sgt Pepper production complexity and experimentation (I hear new things each time I play it), Big Star Radio City styled metal-pop, Revolver era She Said She Said styled psych-pop, mellotons, Chamberlins, clever and intriguing word play ala Elvis Costello. Every song is jaw dropping, one after the other. By the time I get to the distorted cellos on the chorus of 'Comfort' I am totally blown away. The only flaw is the rather unspectacular closing cut but I still give it a 1,000,000 out of 10 rating

 

Journey Escape
Survivor Vital Signs
Aerosmith Get Your Wings
Reo Speedwagon Hi Infiedelity
Poison Open Up and Say Ahhh!
I chose favorites. I don't care how significant these are in the music world overall.

 

I do not have all the essensial albums of all time in my collection, and if i had it would still be hard for me to choose.

But i'll just mention 5 that i like very very much and are the first ones that come to mind.

Comus - First Utterance
Black Sabbath - s/t
The Cure - 17 Seconds
Dead Can Dance - Into the Labyrinth
Sisters Of Mercy - Floodland

 

Well, i changed my mind

Chameleons - Script of the Bridge
Sad Lovers and Giants - Feeding the Flame
Zeppelin - IV
Death in June - But What Ends...
Legendary Pink Dots - Crushed Velvet

 

Sign´O the Times
New York
LA Woman
Bitches Brew
London Calling

 

I have no clue who the artists are for the first two.

 

Get Happy!!-Elvis Costello & the Attractions
Some Girls-the Rolling Stones
One Night in America-the Plimsouls
Physical Graffiti-Led Zeppelin
Wander This World-Jonny Lang

 

Update:

Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes featuring Veronica
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run
The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin

 

In no particular order, today's rearview of my life in music:

Heaven Up Here - Echo & The Bunnymen
Desperate Straits - Slapp Happy/Henry Cow
Selling England By The Pound - Genesis
In Camera - Peter Hammill
Hunky Dory - David Bowie

Subject to change daily/weekly/monthly/yearly.

 

Samantha Fox - Touch Me
One Direction - Midnight Memories
David Hasselhoff - Crazy for You
Vanilla Ice - To the Extreme
Baccara - Baccara

 

Prince and Lou Reed

 

I'm still composing my list--weighing those albums that best represent my tastes, but also trying to keeping a perspective on the landmark, or canonical albums, that while I don't really like them, might improve the appearance of my list. It should be ready in a couple weeks.

 

1. Trout Mask Replica
2. Loveless
3. VU & Nico
4. Faust
5. Highway 61

 

miles davis in a silent way
the beatles white album
elvis Costello imperial bedroom
the who quadrophenia
talking heads remain in light

but 5 is very restrictive!!

 

1. Pet Sounds
2. Astral Weeks
3. All Things Must Pass
4. Forever Changes
5. Workingman's Dead

 

1. The Soft Parade - The Doors
2. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
3. Back In Black -AC/DC
4. Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses
5. Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin

 

Poco-Cantamos
Pure Prairie League-Two Lane Highway
CSNY-Deja Vu
Allman Brothers-The Fillmore Concerts
James Gang-Thirds

 

I honestly don't know. I really love so many of them. I've picked well for myself.