Blog

1. How did you get into 29? (Staind)
Really enjoying their songs I heard on the radio, when the radio still played rock music, my friend is a huge fan so he helped influence it, as well as seeing them live all contributed into how I really got into them

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22? (Rise Against)
"Swing Life Away" one day on G106.3

3. What's your favorite lyric by 33? (Weezer)
hmm.. that’s a tough question I will go with The Good Life:
“Screw this crap, I've had it! I ain't no Mr. Cool
I'm a pig, I'm a dog, so 'scuse me if I drool
I ain't gonna hurt nobody, ain't gonna 'cause a scene”
makes me laugh

4. How did you get into 49? (Manchester Orchestra)
they were opening for Brand New one summer and I gave them a listen and immediately bought their album and suggest that you do as well

5. How many albums by 13 do you own? (Foo Fighters)
all 6 studio releases:
* Foo Fighters
* The Colour and the Shape
* There Is Nothing Left to Lose
* One by One
* In Your Honor
* Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

6. What is your favorite song by 50? (Jay-Z)
“Moment of Clarity”

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad? (The Strokes)
not that I can think of

8. What is your favorite song by 15? (Lostprophets)
“Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja”

9. What is your favorite song by 5? (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
there are so many good ones…. I will say may favorite by RHCP would have to be: “Otherside” or “Scar Tissue” pretty much anything from Californication

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy? (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” it’s just so good I’m happy I am able to listen to it hahaha

11. What is the worst song by 40? (Pearl Jam)
I don’t know if this is considered Pearl Jam or Eddie Vedder solo, but I hate their cover of “Love Reign O'er Me”

12. What is your favorite song by 10? (Taking Back Sunday)
“A Decade Under the Influence”

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30? (John Fogerty)
my dad always playing tapes of him on long road trips

14. What is your favorite song by 38? (Seether)
“Out of My Way”

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy? ("Weird Al" Yankovic)
all of them hahaha

16. Is there a song by 25 that makes you sad? (Senses Fail)
“Priest And The Matador” it’s a song about committing suicide…

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23? (Steve Miller Band)
hmmm probably “Fly Like An Eagle” or maybe “The Joker” it was a while ago haha

18. What's your favorite lyric by 11? (Metallica)
hahaha “Hey, hey, hey
Here I go now, here I go into new days” hahahahaha

19. Who is a favorite member of 1? (Brand New)
Jesse Lacey he writes most of their material

20. Is there a song by 14 that makes you happy? (Green Day)
“Warning”

21. What is a good memory involving 27? (Coheed and Cambria)
seeing Claudio play the solo for “Welcome Home” on a double-necked guitar behind his back

22. What is your favorite song by 16? (Thrice)
“The Artist In The Ambulance”

23. What is the first song you ever heard by 47? (Rilo Kiley)
“Portions For Foxes” on Conan I was obsessed with that song forever after that

24. What is your favorite album by 18? (Linkin Park)
Hybrid Theory

25. What is your favorite song by 21? (John Mellencamp)
“Pink Houses”

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26? (Incubus)
“Pardon Me”

27. What is your favorite album by 3? (Avenged Sevenfold)
City of Evil

28. What is your favorite song by 2? (Led Zeppelin)
“The Ocean”

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32? (Dropkick Murphys)
“The Spicy McHaggis Jig”

30. What is your favorite song by 8? (Houston Calls)
“The Better Part Of Valor”

31. How many times have you seen 17 live? (Nirvana)
I wish

32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy? (Silvertide)
Their entire album “Show And Tell”

33. How did you get into 12? (Motion City Soundtrack)
friend in high school told me about them and when I saw the lead singer’s hair I had to listen hahahah

34. What is the worst song by 45? (Airbourne)
nothing all their songs are pure gold, no platinum hahahaha

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 34? (The Offspring)
“Pretty Fly For A White Guy” ugh terrible hahaha

36. What is the first song you ever heard by 48? (The Who)
I got no idea I’ve been listening to them forever

37. How many times have you seen 42 live? (Limp Bizkit)
never

38. What is your favorite song by 36? (The Rolling Stones)
“Paint It Black”

39. What was the first song you ever heard by 28? (The Smashing Pumpkins)
“1979”

40. What is your favorite album by 7? (Muse)
I love both Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations a lot

41. Is there a song by 31 that makes you happy? (The White Stripes)
“Seven Nation Army”

42. What is your favorite album by 41? (Andrew W.K.)
I Get Wet

43. What is your favorite song by 24? (Billy Joel)
“Piano Man”

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46? (Smile Empty Soul)
driving around in the summer blasting their self titled album

45. What is your favorite song by 35? (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band)
“Turn the Page” simply amazing

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy? (The Beatles)
pretty much any of them but off the top of my head…“While My Guitar Gently Weeps”

47. What is your favorite album by 4? (Stone Temple Pilots)
probably Core, but Purple is a very close second

48. Who is a favorite member of 37? (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
John Fogerty of course

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 43? (Queen)
“We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions”

50. What is your favorite song by 20? (Anberlin)
“Godspeed”

So, it’s been snowing, meaning I can’t drive anywhere, meaning im stuck bored here, so, being bored, lets make a list of stuff nobody cares about.
This is basically the same list i had before, just with 20 artists per week, instead of ten.
TOP 20 ARTISTS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN MY CHARTS EACH WEEEK.
Here we go, i will update this weekly.
61 weeks so far.

46
Metallica

45

44

43

42

41
Avenged Sevenfold

40
City and Colour

39

38

37
blink-182

36
Alexisonfire

35
Dinosaur Jr.

34
Moneen

33

32

31
Coheed and Cambria
The Fall of Troy

30
Paramore

29

28

27

26

25

24

23

22
Jay-Z
Muse

21
Rage Against the Machine

20
The Format

19

18
Fall Out Boy
Weezer
Foo Fighters

17

16
Sum 41
Death Cab for Cutie
Ben Folds
Houston Calls

15
Kanye West
Justice

14
Death From Above 1979

13
Jimi Hendrix
Kings of Leon

12
Johnny Cash

11
Thursday
Bloc Party
Journey
Alien Ant Farm
Led Zeppelin

10
Living Colour
+44
Cancer Bats
Pearl Jam
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Neil Diamond

9
Lil’ Wayne
Iron Maiden
Papa Roach
Taking Back Sunday
Guns n’ Roses
The Script

8
Nirvana
Linkin Park
Tenacious D
The Cure
Daft Punk

7
Audioslave
Steve Miller Band

6
Enter Shikari
The Maple State
Megadeth
Asher Roth
The Fray

5
Lupe Fiasco
Attack In Black
Ozzy Osbourne
You Me At Six
Arctic Monkeys
The Animals
Cream
Angels & Airwaves
Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
Pantera
Skinny vs. McLarge
Gary Jules
Eagles
Feeder
The Beatles
The Prodigy
Michael Bublé

4
Cage the Elephant
Judas Priest
Dropkick Murphys
Jay-Z and Linkin Park
Bo Burnham
Thin Lizzy
Soulwax
Toad the Wet Sprocket
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Ghost of a Thousand
Queens of the Stone Age
Bon Jovi
Boston
B.B. King
Tim Minchin
R.E.M.
Stereophonics
Spinal Tap

3
Jet
The Clash
The Greg Coulson Band
Black Sabbath
Green Day
Buckcherry
The Blanks
Rory Gallagher
Taste
Portugal. The Man
Fat Joe
Jack Johnson
Box Car Racer
Underoath
Gym Class Heroes
Babyshambles
Athlete
Motörhead
Mott the Hoople
Foreigner
Ray Charles

2
Sam Hart
The Jam
We Are Scientists
Ram Jam
Motion City Soundtrack
Bread
The Nightwatchman
Ted Nugent
Black Label Society
Paolo Nutini
Paul McCartney & Wings
Fountains of Wayne
June Carter Cash
Jamie T
Carly Simon
Velvet Revolver
Limp Bizkit
Rod Stewart
Snow Patrol
The Libertines
The Idiot Rate
The Prize Fighter Inferno
The Answer
The Academy Is...
J Mascis
Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Stooges
McFly
Lazlo Bane
System of a Down
T.I.
The Sword
Coldplay
Hawthorne Heights
Biffy Clyro
Hoobastank
Halifax
The Hives
Starland Vocal Band
Ne-Yo
Chris Cornell
Robbie Williams
Senses Fail

1
The Hampton Riddington Experience
Wolfmother
Santana
Free
Van Halen
Tool
Switchfoot
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Manic Street Preachers
Elton John
N.W.A
Cheap Trick
The Zombies
They Might Be Giants
Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
The Audience
Pat Benatar
The Pidgeon Detectives
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Funeral for a Friend
Kaiser Cheifs
Deep Purple
Justin Hayward & John Lodge
Justice vs. Simian
Derek and the Dominos
Gary Moore
The Clu
Ace Enders And A Million Different People
The Offspring
The Cool Kids
Lostprophets
Faces
Frank Sinatra
David Gray
David Gilmour
Dean Martin
Pendulum
Stealers Wheels
Steely Dan
The Killers
Oasis
Will Smith
Wishbone Ash
Willie Nelson
Half Apple
The White Stripes
Michael Jackson
Lynyrd Skynyrd
DragonForce
Radio Futura
Dave Stewart
At The Drive-In[artist]
Slipknot
Booker T. & The MG's
The Lonely Island
Beck
Professional Murder Music
Anyone
Anouk
The Kooks
KoЯn
Kittie
A
Mendeed
The Cult
J.J. Cale
MC Devvo & Shady Piez
Jimmy Eat World
MC5
Editors
Steve Vai
Electric Light Orchestra
Eddie Money
T. Rex
Airbourne
Action Action
The Alan Parsons Project
Air Supply
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Take That
Maroon 5
Eric Clapton
Richard Ashcroft
REO Speedwagon
Razorlight
The Raconteurs
Say Anything
Seasick Steve
Seasick Steve & The Level Devils

[u]Number 1’s[/u]
[b]7[/b]
City and Colour
Alexisonfire

[b]6[/b]

[b]5[/b]
Coheed and Cambria
Moneen
Dinosaur Jr.

[b]4[/b]
Blink-182
Metallica

[b]3[/b]

[b]2[/b]
Kanye West
Cancer Bats
Houston Calls

[b]1[/b]
Rage Against The Machine
The Format
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Pearl Jam
Johnny Cash
Avenged Sevenfold
B.B. King
Thursday
Lil' Wayne
Jay-Z
The Blanks
Thin Lizzy
The Cure
Paramore
Kings Of Leon
The Sword
Biffy Clyro
Taking Back Sunday
Maroon 5

So there went two hole hours of my life.
I'm quite aware the only person to see this will be me, and the only person to care will also, be me.

Here's my list - 1980

1. Call Me - Blondie
2. Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd
3. Magic - Olivia Newton-John
4. Rock With You - Michael Jackson
5. Do That To Me One More Time - Captain and Tennille
6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
7. Coming Up - Paul McCartney
8. Funkytown - Lipps Inc.
9. It's Still Rock And Roll To Me - Billy Joel
10. The Rose - Bette Midler
11. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes
12. Cars - Gary Numan
13. Cruisin' - Smokey Robinson
14. Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl - Spinners
15. Lost In Love - Air Supply
16. Little Jeannie - Elton John
17. Ride Like The Wind - Cristopher Cross
18. Upside Down - Diana Ross
19. Please Don't Go - K.C. and the Sunshine Band
20. Babe - Styx
21. With You I'm Born Again - Billy Preston and Syreeta
22. Shining Star - Manhattans
23. Still - Commodores
24. Yes, I'm Ready - Teri De Sario With K.C.
25. Sexy Eyes - Dr. Hook
26. Steal Away - Robbie Dupree
27. Biggest Part Of Me - Ambrosia
28. This Is It - Kenny Loggins
29. Cupid, I've Loved You For A Long Time - Spinners
30. Let's Get Serious - Jermaine Jackson
31. Don't Fall In Love With A Dreamer - Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes
32. Sailing - Christopher Cross
33. Longer - Dan Fogelberg
34. Coward Of The County - Kenny Rogers
35. Ladies Night - Kool and the Gang
36. Take Your Time - S.O.S. Band
37. No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) - Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
38. Too Hot - Kool and the Gang
39. More Love - Kim Carnes
40. Pop Muzik - M
41. Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
42. Special Lady - Ray - Goodman and Brown
43. Send One Your Love - Stevie Wonder
44. The Second Time Around - Shalamar
45. We Don't Talk Anymore - Cliff Richard
46. Stomp - Brothers Johnson
47. Heartache Tonight - Eagles
48. Stomp - Brothers Johnson
49. Tired Of Toein' The Line - Rocky Burnette
50. Better Love Next Time - Dr. Hook
51. Him - Rupert Holmes
52. Against The Wind - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
53. On The Radio - Donna Summer
54. Emotional Rescue - Rolling Stones
55. Rise - Herb Alpert
56. All Out Of Love - Air Supply
57. Cool Change - Little River Band
58. You're Only Lonely - J.D. Souther
59. Desire - Andy Gibb
60. Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend
61. Daydream Believer - Anne Murray
62. I Can't Tell You Why - Eagles
63. Don't Let Go - Isaac Hayes
64. Don't Do Me Like That - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
65. She's Out Of My Life - Michael Jackson
66. Fame - Irene Cara
67. Fire Lake - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band
68. How Do I Make You - Linda Ronstadt
69. Into The Night - Benny Mardones
70. Let Me Love You Tonight - Pure Prairie League
71. Misunderstanding - Genesis
72. An American Dream - Dirt Band
73. One Fine Day - Carole King
74. Dim All The Lights - Donna Summer
75. You May Be Right - Billy Joel
76. Hurt So Bad - Linda Ronstadt
77. Should've Never Let You Go - Neil Sedaka and Dara Sedaka
78. Pilot Of The Airwaves - Charlie Dore
79. Off The Wall - Michael Jackson
80. I Pledge My Love - Peaches And Herb
81. The Long Run - Eagles
82. Stand By Me - Mickey Gilley
83. Heartbreaker - Pat Benatar
84. Deja Vu - Dionne Warwick
85. Drivin' My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt
86. Take The Long Way Home - Supertramp
87. Sara - Fleetwood Mac
88. Wait For Me - Daryl Hall and John Oates
89. Jo Jo - Boz Scaggs
90. September Morn - Neil Diamond
91. Give Me The Night - George Benson
92. Broken Hearted Me - Anne Murray
93. You Decorated My Life - Kenny Rogers
94. Tusk - Fleetwood Mac
95. I Wanna Be Your Lover - Prince
96. In America - Charlie Daniels Band
97. Breakdown Dead Ahead - Boz Scaggs
98. Ships - Barry Manilow
99. All Night Long - Joe Walsh
100. Refugee - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Have you ever noticed how some bands transcend generations, and other's are forgotten?

Well, I thought I'd have a look at the top selling albums of the 70's, and see how many listens the artists have on last.fm. I'd imagine the majority of people on here would be under 40, and unlikely to have been fans of these artists first time around. I've ignored compilations and if a band has more than one album in the top 20, I've only taken the best selling.


1. Pink Floyd- The Wall (23 Million Sales) - 1,155,765 listeners
2.Led Zeppelin- Led Zeppelin IV (aka ZOSO) (22 Million Sales) - 1,095,992 listeners
3. Fleetwood Mac- Rumours (19 Million Sales) - 476,636 listeners
4. Boston- Boston (17 Million Sales) - 299,912 listeners
5. The Eagles- Hotel California (15 Million Sales) - 605,623 listeners
6.Meat Loaf- Bat out of Hell (14 Million Sales) - 225,325 listeners
7. Van Halen- Van Halen (10 Million Sales) - 454,352 listeners
8. Billy Joel- The Stranger (10 Million Sales) - 485,076 listeners
9. Carole King- Tapestry (10 Million Sales) - 150,571 listeners
10. Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life (9 Million Sales) - 513,278 listeners
11. Aerosmith- Toys in the Attic (8 Million Sales) - 862,193 listeners
12. Simon & Garfunkel- Bridge Over Troubled Water (8 Million Sales) - 716,708 listeners
13. Michael Jackson- Off the Wall (7 Million Sales) - 820,341 listeners
14. Foreigner- Double Vision (7 Million Sales) - 317,054 listeners
15. Jackson Browne- Running on Empty (7 Million Sales) - 126,146 listeners
16. Elton John- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (7 Million Sales) - 687,028 listeners
17. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young- Déjà Vu (7 Million Sales) - 230,920 listeners
18. AC/DC- Highway to Hell (6 Million Sales) - 824,241 listeners
19. The Cars- The Cars (6 Million Sales) - 252,042 listeners
20 . The Rolling Stones- Some Girls (6 Million Sales) - 1,076,044 listeners

Looks like singer/songwriters are quickly forgotten, as soon as the next one comes along. Both Carole King and Jackson Browne, only having listener numbers comparable to a second rate indie band today. Other then that, most bands seem to have fairly respectable listening numbers today.

On the converse, lets see which bands are in the top 100 on last.fm, whose heyday was in the 70's who aren't on the earlier list.

17 - Queen - 1,171,861 listeners
24 - David Bowie - 1,049,031 listeners

Neither of them had an album in the top 50.

In the top 50 best selling albums, we come across artists, such as Boz Scaggs and Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band who only have 46,020 and 32,270 listeners respectively. The latter are no one album wonders either. Having 3 albums in the top 50.

So, will the kids of 30 years from now, be eagerly discovering Coldplay and Radiohead? I for one, hope they remain in the 00's.

A great musician passed away. A man who created his own sound. Listen to his music:

1. Bo Diddley - Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
   
2. Hey Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley
   
3. You Don't Love Me - Savoy Brown
   
4. Not Fade Away - Sheryl Crow
   
5. Who Do You Love? (w/ Ronnie Hawkins) - The Band
   
6. Can't Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover - The Nighthawks
   
7. Diddy Wah Diddy - Blues Band
   
8. Mona - Quicksilver Messenger Service
   
9. Before You Accuse Me - Eric Clapton
   
10. I'm A Man - The Yardbirds
    
11. I Can't Tell - Dr. Feelgood
    
12. I Want Candy (So Lo Electric Vocal Remix) - Melanie C

Get the archive here:
http://www.[spam]

Simply my favourite albums of all time, regardless of genre. If I were on a sinking ship with these records, I’d likely drown trying to save them all. Comments are, of course, welcome.

100. King Crimson – Thrak – 1995

Artful, playful, dark and angular modern music from the kingpins of classic prog.

99. Fugazi – The Argument – 2001

The controlled fury of Fugazi’s classic hardcore attack meets the washed-out moody ambience of post-punk, with awesome results.



98. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely – 2008

An instant, eclectic classic from can-do-no-wrong composer Jack White and Co.

97. Judas Priest – Unleashed in the East – 1979

The best live record of the 70’s, from one of metal’s all-time greatest innovators.

96. Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere – 1969

Young’s finest hour, this album is a repository for both his wildest studio jamming and some of his best songwriting ever.

95. Bruce Cockburn – Life Short Call Now – 2006

Canada’s rock poet laureate brings forth a life-affirming late-career masterpiece.

94. DJ Shadow – Endtroducing..... – 1996

Breathtaking new music assembled from the scraps of the old; as post-modern as music gets.

93. Scorpions – Taken by Force – 1978

Germany’s finest metallic spawn reach their apogee, well before success warped them beyond all recognition.

92. Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Mecca & The Soul Brother – 1992

Thoughtful and inventive art is the order of the day on this soulful jazz-rap essential.



91. Wintersleep – Untitled – 2005

Unfairly overlooked post-grunge classic from Nova Scotia’s finest.

90. Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger – 1991

An arty, difficult album of teeth-kicking metal from the most talented band in grunge.

89. Emperor – IX Equilibrium – 1999

A whirlwind masterwork of earsplitting black metal.

88. Peter Gabriel – Up – 2002

Repeat listening yields incredible rewards from this, the enigmatic Gabriel’s latest.

87. The D.O.C. – No One Can Do It Better – 1989

Verbal dexterity, awesome production and pure unadulterated swagger make The D.O.C.’s debut the best west coast rap album ever made.

86. Talking Heads – The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads – 1982

Everyone’s favourite paranoid post-punks come alive on this drop-dead-fun live offering.

85. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists – The Tyranny Of Distance – 2001

Brash punk indulges in his love of all things indie and Thin Lizzy, produces his finest record yet.

84. Carcass – Heartwork – 1993

Simply the most badass death metal album ever cut.

83. Def Leppard – High 'n' Dry – 1982

Ace AC/DC-worship from the burgeoning pop metal superstars.

82. Chroma Key – You Go Now – 2000

Minimalist electro masterpiece for those who’d rather mope than move it.



81. Santana – Abraxas – 1970

The sound of the cosmically stoned, speaking to the cosmos with only his axe.

80. Megadeth – Rust in Peace – 1990

A delicious musical meal, with riff after sautéed riff piled high as the eye can see.

79. Thin Lizzy – Black Rose – 1979

The best harmony guitars in rock history were never better than this heartfelt tribute to their Irish homeland.

78. Tool – Lateralus – 2001

The term ‘magnum opus’ exists to describe this endlessly rewarding prog treasure.

77. The Beatles – Rubber Soul – 1965

Everyone should have a favourite Beatles record, and this one is mine.

76. Green Carnation – Light of Day, Day of Darkness – 2001

An unequivocally affirmative answer to the oft-asked question, “Can one song be over an hour long?”



75. Cynic – Focus – 1993

In twenty years the world might be ready for this futuristic vial of liquid-flowing jazz metal.

74. Radiohead – The Bends – 1995

The flesh-and-blood essence of Radiohead, before they allowed their experiments to obscure their remarkable emotional power.

73. Pain of Salvation – Remedy Lane – 2002

A haunting evocation of lost love that endures in the heart long after the last song has played.

72. Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – 1973

A panoramic pop masterpiece, from a time when there was no sound Elton couldn’t master with ease.

71. Thought Industry – Black Umbrella – 1997

Acidly bitter and hilarious alt-rock from the chameleon kings of Kalamazoo, MI.

70. Max Webster – High Class In Borrowed Shoes – 1977

Somewhere between goofy as hell and canny as can be sit Canada’s best party band, Max Webster.

69. Anathallo – Floating World – 2006

An impossibly ornate art rock symphony from the inimitable Anathallo; surely the next big thing in weirdly beautiful underground music.

68. Genesis – Wind & Wuthering – 1976

Main brain Peter Gabriel lopped himself off this beast, but the Hydra-like Genesis prove four heads are better than one with this sly progressive classic.

67. Ulver – Blood Inside – 2005

Ulver reverse the jets on their increasingly esoteric trajectory and deliver their most accessible effort in a decade.



66. The Roots – Things Fall Apart – 1999

The incendiary sprawling socially-conscious hip-hop/jam rock opus from a band who truly know no other way.

65. Savatage – The Wake of Magellan – 1998

Savatage finally nail down the perfect fusion of heartstring-tugging rock opera and skullcrushing heavy metal, to glorious effect.

64. Run-D.M.C. – Run-D.M.C. – 1983

Run-D.M.C. drag hip-hop out of the block party and onto the mean streets on this seminal rap classic.

63. Rush – Permanent Waves – 1980

An invigorating celebration of life itself from the wise old fathers of prog metal.

62. Fates Warning – Awaken the Guardian – 1986

Is it the musical embodiment of spiritual transcendence, or just a wild headbang from a bunch of masters at the top of their gang? I’ll get back to you when I figure it out.

61. Agalloch – The Mantle – 2002

An album too grim and beautiful to listen to outside, for fear of finding myself inexplicably buried alive in a snowdrift by the record’s end.

60. Coroner – Mental Vortex – 1991

A head-spinning thrash master class from Switzerland’s technical wizards.

59. Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place – 2003

A reassuring grip on your hand, promising that you will never be alone.

58. King’s X – Dogman – 1994

In a just world, this is what 90’s popular rock would have sounded like.

57. The New Pornographers – Challengers – 2007

The world’s best power pop band indulges their more melancholic side, with fabulous results.

56. Spoon – Girls Can Tell – 2001

The ultimate after-hours record to fill the emptiness of another wasted night at a shitty club.



55. Earth – The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull – 2008

Out of the strong came forth sweetness.

54. Queensryche – Operation: Mindcrime – 1988

Reagan-era paranoia set to a note-perfect post-Maiden soundtrack.

53. Eminem – The Eminem Show – 2002

Shady the angry young man gives way to Marshall the maverick pop impresario… and improves tenfold.

52. Diamond Head – Lightning to the Nations – 1980

The stars aligned and for one brief, shining moment Diamond Head was the best metal band in the world. And this record proves it.

51. Corrosion of Conformity – Deliverance – 1994

Like kerosene with a whisky chase, this southern-fried sludge classic is nothing but pure power.

50. David Bowie – Hunky Dory – 1971

Bowie’s had good records before this one, and some great ones after, but this is my heart’s fav.

49. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Trust – 1981

Elvis ‘Can-Do-It-All’ Costello does… uh… well, does it all quite frankly.

48. The Trews – Den Of Thieves – 2004

My favourite Canuckistani roots rockers put out an album that matches Sloan in scope and early Black Crowes in fun and vigour.



47. Mercyful Fate – Don't Break the Oath – 1984

In which the angel from the cover of Judas Priest’s Sad Wings of Desiny plunges further into the flames, and emerges… pissed.

46. OSI – Free – 2006

Icy submersion therapy for catatonic victims of fried nerve-endings.

45. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife – 2006

Colin Meloy and Co. embark on their most grandiose journey yet, and in every regard achieve their aims.

44. Vàli – Forlatt – 2004

The great unknown neo-folk classic of the last coupla hundred years.

43. The Who – Tommy – 1969

In which Pete Townshend demonstrates once and for all that no concept is so ridiculous that pop brilliance cannot render a masterwork.

42. Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies – 1994

Melancholy, thy name is Jar of Flies.

41. Amorphis – Eclipse – 2006

Timeless pounding melodic metal from Finland’s greatest musical treasure.

40. Queensryche – Rage for Order – 1986

Queensryche move from the castle to the nightclub, bring forth a fearless masterpiece of high-minded art metal and inject shivery sex appeal into the nerdiest of forms.



39. Peter Gabriel – III – 1980

An album that will always sound modern, composed using synths with as much computing power as a calculator.

38. De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising – 1989

Sunny, joyous sample-collages form the background for one of the most inventive rap albums ever cut.

37. Talk Talk – The Colour Of Spring – 1986

With one leg in pop and the other in post-rock, Talk Talk produce an album of gentle beauty and incredible grace.

36. AC/DC – Highway to Hell – 1979

The soundtrack to the greatest party you’ll never be invited to.

35. R.E.M. – Reckoning – 1984

R.E.M. already sounded grandfather-wise on this, their second effort, and zenith of the peerless I.R.S. years.

34. Sigur Ros – Agaetis byrjun – 1999

The sound of life itself, rendered audible in all its fragility and bombast.

33. Blue Oyster Cult – Secret Treaties – 1974

One of God's own prototypes. A high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live, and too rare to die.

32. Judas Priest – Sin After Sin – 1977

And in the lull between revolutions, Judas Priest try to capture something like the essence of art… and succeed almost in spite of themselves.

31. Mos Def & Talib Kweli – Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star – 1998

So penetrating and wise that, by record’s end, you realize the world would probably be a better place if it were run by Mos and Talib.

30. Warren Zevon – Sentimental Hygiene – 1987

Rising from the ruins he himself had wrought, Zevon recruits R.E.M. to be his backing band and rips out the toughest, punchiest album of his career.



29. The Shins – Oh, Inverted World – 2002

Quite possibly the most perfectly crafted pop album of this century.

28. Atheist – Elements – 1993

Immaculately crafted on every level, Atheist take their music to new heights while revealing new depths of poetic inspiration.

27. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Let Love In – 1994

The most vivid and accomplished work of Leonard Cohen’s profoundly dark reflection.

26. The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree – 2005

The summation of insanely prolific years in the indie wilderness, The Sunset Tree is almost certainly the best 35th release by any band ever.

25. Chroma Key – Dead Air For Radios – 1999

Kevin Moore strips away the layers of prog pretension that obscured him in Dream Theater, and the pure songwriting chops revealed are a gem of unsurpassed worth.

24. TV on the Radio – Young Liars – 2003

Unclassifiable, unquantifiable and incomparable. Some of the most concentrated greatness ever to grace these ears.

23. Boston – Boston – 1976

A sound so pure and perfect that listening to it might actually qualify as detox therapy.

22. Savatage – The Dungeons Are Calling – 1984

So metal your blood will turn to mercury upon listening.



21. Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea – 1998

Whether the lyrics are genuinely artistic or merely pretentious, the real appeal of the thing lies in the incredibly unique, ragged melodicism of the music.

20. Metallica – Ride the Lightning – 1984

Metallica always thought they were the best metal band in the world, and lo and behold that became emphatically true here on their sophomore LP.

19. Black Sabbath – Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – 1973

Black Sabbath were ever an idiosyncratic beast, and their unique charms became only more pronounced on this brave attempt at progressive rock.

18. Alice in Chains – Dirt – 1992

Dominated by dismal and jarring angst-scapes, AiC force you to live for the glorious shafts of light that pierce the gloom.

17. The Clash – London Calling – 1980

The Clash do so much and do it so well that it’s impossible to begrudge them their few missteps.

16. The Who – Quadrophenia – 1973

One of the most consistent double LPs ever released. Practically every track is The Who at their brainy, electric best.



15. George Harrison – Brainwashed – 2002

A dark horse classic from the soul of the Beatles. Criminally underrated given its posthumous release.

14. Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Blood & Chocolate – 1986

The perfect fusion of Costello’s acerbic songwriting, electric toughness and incomparable melodic sense.

13. Amorphis – Elegy – 1996

A tribute to Finland’s folk tradition that feels as mythic and mystic as its source material.

12. Thought Industry – Short Wave on a Cold Day – 2001

Only divine inspiration could’ve produced such an immense work of gorgeous art-pop.

11. The Decemberists – Her Majesty, the Decemberists – 2003

By stripping away many of their musical affectations, The Decemberists produce a roots-y folk-pop classic. Their most touching and emotive work to date.

10. AC/DC – Powerage – 1978

AC/DC’s most warm and full-bodied work, a blues-slurred record for drinking with the lads when the lights have gone down.

9. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run – 1975

The record where Springsteen finally succeeded in rendering his vision on the mythic scale he had always envisioned them. An unimaginable high in rock history.



8. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – Live Bullet – 1975

It took Seger almost ten years to finally become a break out star, and he did it with this monumental live classic. A great introduction to his superb early work.

7. King’s X – Ear Candy – 1996

King’s X are one of the ultimate hard luck stories in rock, but you’d never know it from this life-affirming album; pristine melodic rock at its finest.

6. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions – 1973

Not since Milton has a blind man so captivatingly communicated his impressions of the world around him.

5. Metallica – Master of Puppets – 1986

The anchor and anvil of 80’s metal, and the standard by which the genre is judged. Long live the kings.

4. Thought Industry – Outer Space Is Just a Martini Away – 1996

Somewhere between the caustic thrash/hardcore of the early years and the literate alternative that followed sits Outer Space…, the summary of all this wonderful band was and would be.



3. Warren Zevon – Warren Zevon – 1976

One of the all-time great songwriters reflects upon the nature of Los Angeles and America. The results are savagely funny, deeply moving and even haunting, often all at once.

2. Mos Def – Black On Both Sides – 1999

One of the most singular talents in pop music history faces the daunting task of crafting his first solo LP. The result is nothing short of perfection. Not only the best rap album ever made, but also one of the most impressive albums ever made by anyone, in any genre.


1. R.E.M. – Automatic for the People – 1992

I have no words for this, an album that means more to me than any other. Truly sublime.

1965
1969 - 2

60s - 3

1970
1971
1973 - 4
1974
1975 - 2
1976 - 3
1977 - 2
1978 - 2
1979 - 3

70s - 19

1980 - 4
1981
1982 - 2
1983
1984 - 4
1986 - 5
1987
1988
1989 - 2

80s - 21

1990
1991 - 2
1992 - 3
1993 - 3
1994 - 4
1995 - 2
1996 - 4
1997
1998 - 3
1999 - 5

90s - 28

2000
2001 - 6
2002 - 6
2003 - 3
2004 - 2
2005 - 3
2006 - 5
2007
2008 - 2

00s - 29

1972 & 1985: The only years from 1969 - 2008 with no albums making this list.
2001/2002: The years with the most albums on the list (6).
Metal: The most oft-listed genre, at just over 1/3 (36) of the list. It was followed by alternative rock (28), pop (12) and rap (9).
Thought Industry: Band with most albums on the list (3)
Brent Oberlin, Kevin Moore, Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills: Individual musicians with the most appearances on this list.

The Last Album Eliminated:


101. Polyrhythm Addicts – Rhyme Related – 1999

Three insanely talented MC's come together and create one of the best underground rap albums of the past ten years.

Take the 50 top artists in your musical profile, and create a cloud of the similar artists that are not in your top 50. The result is a collection of highly recommended artists for your personal profile. You can generate your own cloud (in BBCode) at http://anthony.liekens.net/pub/scripts/last.fm/recommend.php

My recommendations are

.38 Special Aerosmith Audioslave Billy Joel Blue Öyster Cult Bob Seger Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Bon Jovi Boston Chicago Creedence Clearwater Revival Dire Straits Electric Light Orchestra Eric Clapton Fleetwood Mac Foghat Foreigner Goo Goo Dolls Heart Hootie & the Blowfish Jackson Browne Joe Walsh John Mellencamp Journey Kansas Led Zeppelin Lynyrd Skynyrd Nirvana Pearl Jam Pink Floyd Queen Queens of the Stone Age Red Hot Chili Peppers Steppenwolf Steve Miller Band Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Stone Temple Pilots Styx Supertramp The Animals The Cars The Doobie Brothers The Hollies The Rolling Stones The Who Three Dog Night Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Van Halen Velvet Revolver ZZ Top

1956 - RCA Records issued the first album and extended play releases by Elvis Presley.

1958 - The Recording Industry Association of America introduced its awards for record sales, (RIAA). The Beatles hold the record for being awarded the most with 76 platinum certifications.

1959 - Born on this day, Greg Norton, Husker Du.

1960 - Born on this day, Adam Clayton, bass, U2.

1965 - Tom Jones made his first major TV appearance on BBC TVs 'Billy Cotton Band Show.'

1965 - Eric Clapton left The Yardbirds, dissatisfied with the group's direction.

1966 - Rod Stewart left Steampacket to work as a solo artist.

1967 - Working at abbey road studios in London, six members of Sounds, Inc. recorded the horn parts for The Beatles song ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ (three saxophones, two trombones, and one french horn).

1971 - Appearing live at Leeds University, England, The Rolling Stones.

1975 - Tammy Wynette and George Jones divorced after six years of marriage.

1977 - Iggy Pop and David Bowie kicked off a 22 date tour at Le Plateau Theatre, Montreal, Canada, support act was Blondie.

1985 - Bob Geldof and Midge Ure received the best selling a side award at the 30th Ivor Novello Awards for 'Do They Know It's Christmas.'

1987 - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1993 - This week's Radio One's UK Top 40 Chart Show was in chaos after Gallup who compiled the chart got 20 of the forty entries wrong.

1993 - Lenny Kravitz started a two-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Are You Gonna Go My Way.'

1993 - Eric Clapton started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Unplugged.'

2002 - Wall of Voodoo guitarist Marc Moreland died in Paris of Kidney failure aged 44.

2006 - The Sex Pistols refused to attend their own induction into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City. Blondie, Herb Alpert and Black Sabbath were all inducted but the Pistols posted a handwritten note on their website, calling the institution "urine in wine", adding "We're not your monkeys, we're not coming. You're not paying attention".