RULES: Think of 30 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of, musically shaped your world.
This is mine (posted on Facebook a little while ago, so there are some various people referenced):
Scott wrote:So I'm going to "try" to do this chronologically, with help from my iTunes purchase history!
1. Queen - Greatest Hits
The first album I liked independent of any outside influence. Discovered in 4th or 5th grade, one of the first real musical building blocks in my life.
2. Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales
My brother showed it to me way back when...maybe around 7th grade? It's easily still his best album, his new stuff just doesn't measure up.
3. The Beatles - [I'm grouping my favorites together, in order of "discovery": Beatles For Sale, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Abbey Road]
7th and 8th grade were the years where I slowly collected every Beatles album, I was obsessed. I still stand by my original theory (co-developed with Matt Slider) that all girl troubles can be solved by the Beatles.
4. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
This album is easily one of the best musical works I have ever heard, I've listened to it in its entirety at least 300 times to date, probably more. I cannot possibly convey the numerous thoughts and memories each song evokes. I continue to listen to it, associating more and more events as time goes on.
5. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
Their earlier albums were much better in my opinion, this is the one that really caught my attention.
6. Ok Go - Ok Go
Before they went mainstream, I went to Best Buy to buy this CD after I discovered iTunes didn't carry the whole album. Upon asking a Best Buy employee why they didn't have it, he said that he couldn't even order it for me because it "wasn't popular enough to keep on the shelves." Two years later, April of 2006, I saw them at Juanita's, it was friggin awesome.
7. Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand
My brother's friend from high school, Jeffrey Hasson, showed me this band that he said reminded him of "that cutting edge Beatles kind of sound."
8. Badfinger - Magic Christian Music
I got this one on vinyl, on a whim. It was well worth $2
9. The Hives - Tyrannosaurus Hives
Definitely a Matt Slider recommendation- crazy, upbeat, European, and unbelievably catchy.
10. Rooney - Rooney
Great album, even better live!
11. Ben Kweller - Sha sha
Second semester of 8th grade, from around January till March, "Falling" was on every mix CD I burned.
12. Electric Light Orchestra - All Over The World
This one reminds me of my brother's wedding, because it's about the only thing I listened to that entire weekend.
13. Ok Go- Oh No
August of 2005, I got this album the day it came out. I still listen to it, waiting for their next...
14. The Sights - The Sights
During Freshman year, I was determined to find new bands that had a classic rock sort of feel. The Sights are extremely underrated, hopefully they'll break out from their relative obscurity eventually...
15.The Redwalls - Universal Blues
Another band I discovered in search of "new-classic sound", the Redwalls are also rather underrated.
16. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Another album I looked forward to for months, I actually got it the night before because I was wondering how soon my iTunes pre-order would work
17. The Postal Service - Give Up
Freshman year, sometime second semester, I discovered Death Cab's awesome side project.
18. Tally Hall - Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
After seeing them open for Ok Go, I was hooked. They are easily one of the most uniquely talented bands I know.
19. The Format - [Both albums]
I'm grouping these two together because they are like part 1 and 2 as far as I'm concerned. I bought both of them at the same time, and played the hell out of them.
20. The Fratellis - Costello Music
I was "forced" to pirate this because I literally couldn't find it in the US until one of their songs was in an iPod ad
21. Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion
Mika is the amazingly reminiscent of Freddy Mercury, it's awesome.
22. The 88 - Over And Over
I downloaded this some time Freshman year because someone recommended it, but completely forgot about it till a year later... woops!
23.1990's - Cookies
They sound like a Franz Ferdinand kind of musical style, with the crazy Hives sort of ridiculousness.
24. Jupiter One - Jupiter One
An interesting 'Indie' sort of sound, from weird to weirder as the album progresses...
25. The Golden Republic - The Golden Republic
Right after I dropped out of high school, this was the first new album I stumbled upon in early 2008.
26. Black Tide - The Light From Above
Badass is the first word that comes to mind. An anthem for many late night shenanigans involving fireworks, street signs, and lots and lots of candy. Good times
27. Phantom Planet - Raise The Dead
Summer of 2008, a fantastic final album, even if it was disappointing to know there wouldn't be another.
28. Locksley - Don't Make Me Wait
Unexpectedly amazing opener for Rooney, Locksley is awesome. Classic 60's sound that I never get tired of.
29. The Blue Van - Man Up
I don't even remember how I found them, but they are an awesome homage to 70's rock.
30. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
There's a reason why all three of their albums are on here, they are one of the best bands in the past 10 years. They continue to push the envelope and continue to be one of the few bands that actually put out original, groundbreaking material.
So there it is, my musical history in a nutshell. I'll admit, the original instructions said 15 albums, but that just wasn't enough. Even 30 was limiting, but it really made me realize what was truly impressionable overall.
