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Screw Your 100 Influential Albums List – I Like Mine More

It seems that everyone is expressing a similar annoyance with the “100 Influential Albums List” that’s been circulating around Facebook. Being among the annoyed, but using their list as a starting point, I’m taking a stab at my own personal top 100. Put me up to the task tomorrow, and I bet I’d come up with a different set of records, if for no other reason, because100 is just not enough to touch all the bases.  In no particular order, here is a list of records that most influenced me and changed my lifefor the better:

  • David Bowie – Hunky Dory
  • Television –  Marquee Moon
  • The Notwist –  Neon Golden
  • The Kinks – Village Green
  • Pink Floyd – Meddle
  • Leonard Cohen –Songs of Leonard Cohen
  • Roxy Music – Roxy Music
  • The Band – Music From Big Pink
  • Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
  • Massive Attack – Mezzanine
  • The Stooges – Funhouse
  • The Jam –All Mods Con
  • King Crimson – Discipline
  • Radiohead  – OK Computer
  • Horace Silver –  Song For My Father
  • Portishead – Dummy
  • Charles Mingus – Mingus Ah Um
  • Failure –  Fantastic Planet
  • Velvet Underground and Nico
  • NoMeansNo – Sex Mad
  • The Beatles – The White Album
  • Cream – Disraeli Gears
  • Sonic Youth – Bad Moon Rising
  • Yes – Fragile
  • Sleepytime Gorilla Museum –  In Glorious Times
  • Talking Heads –  Remain in Light
  • This Heat – Deceit
  • Brian Eno – Another Green World
  • The Birthday Party – Prayers on Fire
  • The Wipers – Over the Edge
  • XTC –  Drums And Wires
  • Cheap Trick – S/T
  • Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
  • Killing Joke – S/T
  • Au Pairs –  Playing With A Different Sex
  • The Cars –  The Cars
  • Tool – Ænima
  • Wilco – Summerteeth
  • Elvis Costello – Armed Forces
  • Mahavishnu Orchestra – Birds of Fire
  • Gang of Four – Entertainment
  • Wire – Chairs Missing
  • Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson
  • Frank Zappa – Waka Jawaka
  • Au Pairs –  Playing With A Different Sex
  • Buzzcocks – A Different Kind of Tension
  • Los Lobos – Kiko
  • Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left
  • Led Zeppelin – III
  • My Bloody Valentine – Loveless
  • Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll
  • Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
  • Bob Dylan – Nashville Skyline
  • Alice Coltrane – Journey In Satchidananda
  • Bauhaus – In the Flat Field
  • Jeff Buckley – Grace
  • Nirvana – Bleach
  • Mogwai – Mr. Beast
  • T Rex – Electric Warrior
  • Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
  • Groundhogs – Thank Christ for the Bomb
  • Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger
  • Scratch Acid – S/T
  • José González – Veneer
  • Sweet – Desolation Boulevard
  • The Weakerthans –  Reconstruction Site
  • Alice Donut – Bucketfuls of Sickness and Horror in an Otherwise Meaningless Life
  • Weather Report – Mr. Gone
  • The Who – Quadrophenia
  • Psychic TV – Dreams Less Sweet
  • Pixies – Surfer Rosa
  • Genesis – Selling England By The Pound
  • Dead Can Dance – Aion
  • Echo & The Bunnymen –Heaven Up Here
  • Blur – S/T
  • The Specials – S/T
  • Metallica – Master of Puppets
  • David Grisman Quartet – S/T
  • Elliot Smith – Roman Candle
  • The Gun Club – Fire of Love
  • Drive Like Jehu – S/T
  • Byrne/Eno –My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
  • PJ Harvey – Dry
  • Atmosphere – Seven’s Travels
  • Steve Earle – Washington Square Serenade
  • Meat Puppets – Up On The Sun
  • Sir Douglas Quintet – Sir Douglas Quintet + 2 = [Honkey Blues]
  • Heatmiser – Mic City Sons
  • Santana – Abraxas
  • Oliver Nelson – The Blues and the Abstract Truth
  • Tuxedomoon – Desire
  • Aerosmith –Toys In The Attic
  • Richard & Linda Thompson – Shoot Out the Lights
  • Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters
  • John Coltrane – Giant Steps
  • Fugazi – Repeater + 3 Songs
  • Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
  • Henryk Górecki – Symphony #3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs)
  • The Pretenders –S/T
  • Minutemen –Double Nickels On The Dime

Please feel free to comment, even if it’s just to say that this list is shiite. What would your essential life-changing list include?

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6 Responses

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  1. dave says

    much better list…still missing some early stuff, bo diddley, buddy holly, and maybe some souixsie, raincoats……..but glad to see au pairs …. and no list w/o double nickels is even worth mentioning so screw that young white boy and his list,,,,,,

  2. Gareth Davies-Morris says

    That’s a fine set of albums — barring a handful of unfamiliar titles (to me), it’s a record collection in itself! Just saw the Gorecki piece performed last year in San Diego — beautiful melancholy.

  3. mollie staffa says

    what about chuck berry? i’m pretty sure there wouldn’t have been any stones without chuck berry. wilco summerteeth is a great addition. but i would add replacements let it be.

  4. Pauly says

    I got about half-way down the list and you’re 500% closer to the mark. Maybe something by the Melvins ought to be in there but, whatever. Good job.

  5. marty says

    What about Brain Salad Surgery or Works?

  6. Reuboing says

    It’s Double Nickles On The Dime NOT Double Nickles On A Dime

    Besides that – a fine splendid list.



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