Jeff BeckAlright, as we near the end of this first Y2K decade, it's time to take a look back at all the best Albums that have been released in the last 40 years.
I'll start off this extensive research with 2000, up until 2009. I'll then go back to 1980, all the way up to 1999, to then wrap things up with the 70s and before.
I'll be choosing my Top 25 Albums for each year; an ordered Top 10, and ~15 others worth mentioning. I'm also considering the live albums and EPs (~5), but they have their own section since songs on these have usually been released on official releases. The final result will be a Top 1000 for Official Albums, and Top ~250 for Live/EP albums.
These are general rankings of how I see them today, and based on my Last.FM songs playcounts (2005-now) put through the formula:
Total Sum of each Album's Song's (running time X playcount)
DIVIDED BY
Album's Total Running Time
Thanks to MediaMonkey and its amazing scripting abilities, that formula gives an Album's REAL playcount, taking into consideration every song's lenght & playcount in relation to the overall album's lenght and # of songs on it.
You'll see the result (# of times I've really listened to an album since 2005) besides each, along with my 10* Rating. (x/x)
Besides each Year, you get the Total of all Albums' Playcounts and the average of all Albums' Ratings. (x / %)
Note that I haven't necessarily discovered and enjoyed all these albums on their released years, some I discovered years later. So these are also based on how important (to me) some of these albums were at the time.
(**) are the complete albums I was into at that time;
(*) are albums that contained only a few song(s) I was into or listened to at that time;
and those without (*) are albums I discovered years later.
=======================
Favorite albums (1970-1979)
Favorite albums (1980-1989)
Favorite albums (1990-1999)
=======================
2000 (~140 / 81%)
1) Furnished Souls for Rent (48/10) (**)
2) The Screen Behind The Mirror (9/9) (**)
3) Universe (6/9) (**)
4) Dead Soul Men (6/9)
5) undefined (1/9)
6) A New Day Yesterday (1/9)
7) CAB (4/9)
8) Another Spin Around The Sun (5/8) (*)
9) Origin (9/8)
10) Stiff Upper Lip (1/8)
Live/EP:
-) S&M (-/10)
-) Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live (-/10)
-) Half the World Is Watching Me (-/9)
-) Earth, Sky and Everything in Between (-/9)
-) Spirit of Live (-/8)
-) Not Enough Shouting (-/8)
worth mentioning:
-) Awake (3/8)
-) The Perfect Element, Part I (1/8)
-) SMPTe (3/8) (*)
-) Don't Give Me Names (1/8)
-) if_then_else (2/8)
-) You Go Now (6/8)
-) Rated R (6/8)
-) Outbound (1/8)
-) Brave New World (1/8)
-) Flamenco.A.Go.Go (1/8)
-) The Sickness (4/7)
-) Lightbulb Sun (3/7)
-) Shuttlecock (2/7)
-) Mer De Noms (3/7) (*)
-) My Favorite Headache (2/7)
-) Crush (9/7) (*)
-) Crack a Smile... and More (1994 album w/ Blues Saraceno) (1/7)
2001 (~100 / 84%)
1) Leitmotif (23/10)
2) Alive in an Ultra World (8/10) (**)
3) The Pleasure and the Greed (10/10) (**)
4) Amélie (3/10)
5) Huron Street (6/9)
6) Toxicity (3/9)
7) Contact (2/9)
8) Emalgamation (1/9)
9) Days of the New III (4/9)
10) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2/9) (**)
Live:
-) Live Scenes From New York (-/10) (**)
-) One Wild Night (-/10) (*)
-) Half Life (-/9)
-) Live at the Baked Potato (-/9)
-) The Deep End (-/8)
-) Live Frogs (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Lateralus (7/8)
-) Everyday (2/8)
-) Inertia (6/8) (*)
-) Manic Moonlight (1/8)
-) Feeding the Wheel (3/8) (*)
-) Bridge Across Forever (1/8)
-) Origin Of Symmetry (3/8)
-) Tantric (1/8)
-) Almost Heathen (3/8)
-) Invincible (1/8)
-) Unleashed Memories (1/8)
-) 2 (2/8) (*)
-) 10 000 Hz Legend (1/8)
-) The Interzone Mantras (1/7)
-) The Idiot King (2/7)
-) Buck Fever (1/7)
-) Book M (1/7)
2002 (~270 / 85%)
1) Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (25/10) (**)
2) Population 1 (36/10) (**)
3) Moon Babies (15/10) (**)
4) Songs For The Deaf (21/9)
5) 67 (28/9) (**)
6) Move (12/9)
7) In Absentia (11/9) (*)
8) Freak Guitar (3/9)
9) Saturate (25/9)
10) El Cielo (13/9)
Live/EP:
-) Live From Oz (-/10) (*)
-) Stolen Babies EP (-/9)
-) And All That Could Have Been (-/9)
-) Not for Your Ears (-/8)
-) Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Bounce (4/9) (*)
-) X (13/8) (**)
-) By the Way (2/8) (*)
-) Exit Elvis (11/8) (**)
-) Weight of the World (3/8)
-) Steal This Album! (3/8)
-) So, It's Like That (1/8)
-) Remedy Lane (2/8)
-) Diorama (4/8)
-) Audioslave (6/8) (*)
-) Vapor Trails (7/8) (*)
-) From One (4/8)
-) Dead Soul Tribe (1/8)
-) Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (3/7) (**)
-) Independent (3/7)
-) Believe (4/7)
2003 (~240 / 90%)
1) Train of Thought (41/10) (**)
2) The Quicksilver Meat Dream (35/10) (**)
3) Office of Strategic Influence (38/10) (*)
4) Frengers (24/10)
5) The Moon is Falling (3/10)
6) Robot Monster (10/10) (**)
7) Re-Foc (12/9)
8) Summercamp Nightmare (2/9)
9) Good Bye Lenin! (1/9)
10) Absolution (14/9) (*)
Live:
-) Live at the Astoria (-/10) (**)
-) Rush in Rio (-/10) (**)
-) This Left Feels Right (-/8) (*)
-) 10 anos ao vivo (-/8)
-) Spatial/Design (-/8)
-) Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Faceless (4/8)
-) Souvenirs (2/8)
-) Black Utopia (4/8)
-) In Lake 'ch (2/8)
-) Black Like Sunday (1/8)
-) Blues Deluxe (8) (*)
-) Little Worlds (1/8)
-) Jeff (1/8)
-) A Murder of Crows (1/8)
-) Walking on a Thin Line (1/8)
-) A Natural Disaster (2/8)
-) Fallen (21/8) (*)
-) St Anger (7/7) (*)
-) Quadropus (1/7)
-) Emergent (1/7)
-) Voyageur (4/7)
-) Thirteenth Step (2/7)
2004 (~160 / 83%)
1) We Are Not Alone (33/10)
2) Come Again (24/9) (**)
3) Mythology (10/9)
4) Live Manchester And Dublin (16/9)
5) Wake Pig (4/9)
6) Dreamcatcher (3/9)
7) The Big Eyeball in the Sky (1/8)
8) Time (1/8)
9) Rhythm of Time (2/8)
10) Fraktal (1/8)
Live/EP:
-) Live At Budokan (-/10) (**)
-) Hallucino-Genetics (-/10) (**)
-) Cloon Demo (29/9)
-) Live In Hyde Park (-/9)
-) Live All Over the Place (-/9)
-) 12:5 (-/9)
-) Anywhere But Home (-/9) (*)
-) Sessions From Room 4 (23/8) (**)
-) The Other Side (-/8)
-) Sleepy Buildings (-/8)
-) Southside Double-Wide: Acoustic Live (-/8)
-) Feedback (1/7)
worth mentioning:
-) The January Tree (1/8)
-) Wheel of Life (1/8)
-) Kallocain (3/8)
-) After We Go (2/8)
-) Legs to Make Us Longer (2/8) (*)
-) Seven Circles (2/8)
-) One Day Remains (3/8)
-) Talkie Walkie (3/8)
-) Blackfield (1/8)
-) Had to Cry Today (1/8)
-) Is There Love in Space? (1/8)
-) Passion for Life (1/8)
-) Amplifier (1/8)
-) Out of Myself (3/7)
-) Graveyard Mountain Home (3/7)
-) This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) (4/7)
-) Perpetual (3/7)
2005 (~310 / 84%)
1) Love (76/10) (**)
2) Octavarium (62/10) (**)
3) Panzerballett (7/10)
4) Deadwing (30/9) (*)
5) Freak Guitar: The Road Less Traveled (7/9) (*)
6) Suspended Animation (17/9) (**)
7) Real Illusions: Reflections (11/8) (*)
8) Mesmerize (17/9) (*) & Hypnotize (1/8)
9) S.U.S.A.R. (8/8)
10) Catch Without Arms (9/8)
Live:
-) R30 (*) (-/10)
-) Montreal (-/9)
-) Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (-/9)
-) Gluttons for Punishment: Live in '05 (-/8)
-) Over the Years and Through the Woods (-/8)
worth mentioning:
-) Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (8/8) (**)
-) Art of Motion (3/8)
-) Organic (2/8)
-) 44 (2/8)
-) The Art of Navigating by the Stars (1/8)
-) And The Glass Handed Kites (6/8)
-) riddle (1/8)
-) Ten Thousand Fists (7/8)
-) Second Life Syndrome (1/8)
-) Leva-me P'ra casa (17/8) (*)
-) Ogre Tones (1/8)
-) Stand Up (1/8)
-) Elements of Persuasion (6/8) (*)
-) Lullabies To Paralyze (2/8) (*)
-) Duality (2/7)
-) Out of Exile (5/7) (*)
-) World Play (1/7)
Coming up next: 2006
Artists List
3, 7for4, A Perfect Circle, AC/DC, Air, Alanis Morissette, Alter Bridge, Amplifier, Anathema, Andy McKee, Attention Deficit, Audioslave, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Big Wreck, Black Label Society, Blackfield, Blues Saraceno, Bon Jovi, Breaking Benjamin, CAB, Canvas Solaris, Chevelle, Chroma Key, Cloon, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, Cosmosquad, Counter-World Experience, Dave Matthews Band, Days of the New, Deadsoul Tribe, Def Leppard, Derek Sherinian, Disturbed, Don Ross, Dr Sin, DramaGods, Dream Theater, dredg, Edwin, Enigma, Estradasphere, Evanescence, Freak Kitchen, Geddy Lee, Godsmack, Gordian Knot, Gov't Mule, Guano Apes, Harem Scarem, I Mother Earth, Indukti, Iron Maiden, James LaBrie, Jeff Beck, Jesse Cook, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Joel Hoekstra, John Petrucci, John Williams, Jordan Rudess, Kaki King, Karma to Burn, Karmakanic, King's X, Kingdom Come, Lacuna Coil, Lucia Moniz, Mattias IA Eklundh, Metallica, Mew, Michael Jackson, Mourning Widows, MullMuzzler, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Nuno Bettencourt, OSI, Paatos, Pain of Salvation, Panzerballett, Pink Floyd, Planet X, Poison, Population 1, Porcupine Tree, Primus, Queens of the Stone Age, Ra, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Riverside, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Rush, Sam Aliano, Secret Chiefs 3, Sevendust, Sieges Even, Silverchair, Soul SirkUS, Spock's Beard, Steve Stevens, Steve Vai, Stolen Babies, Super TransAtlantic, System of a Down, Tantric, The Gathering, The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, The Mayan Factor, The Tea Party, Thomas Leeb, Thornley, Tool, Transatlantic, Tribe of Judah, Wolfstone, Yann Tiersen.
I'll start off this extensive research with 2000, up until 2009. I'll then go back to 1980, all the way up to 1999, to then wrap things up with the 70s and before.
I'll be choosing my Top 25 Albums for each year; an ordered Top 10, and ~15 others worth mentioning. I'm also considering the live albums and EPs (~5), but they have their own section since songs on these have usually been released on official releases. The final result will be a Top 1000 for Official Albums, and Top ~250 for Live/EP albums.
These are general rankings of how I see them today, and based on my Last.FM songs playcounts (2005-now) put through the formula:
Total Sum of each Album's Song's (running time X playcount)
DIVIDED BY
Album's Total Running Time
Thanks to MediaMonkey and its amazing scripting abilities, that formula gives an Album's REAL playcount, taking into consideration every song's lenght & playcount in relation to the overall album's lenght and # of songs on it.
You'll see the result (# of times I've really listened to an album since 2005) besides each, along with my 10* Rating. (x/x)
Besides each Year, you get the Total of all Albums' Playcounts and the average of all Albums' Ratings. (x / %)
Note that I haven't necessarily discovered and enjoyed all these albums on their released years, some I discovered years later. So these are also based on how important (to me) some of these albums were at the time.
(**) are the complete albums I was into at that time;
(*) are albums that contained only a few song(s) I was into or listened to at that time;
and those without (*) are albums I discovered years later.
=======================
Favorite albums (1970-1979)
Favorite albums (1980-1989)
Favorite albums (1990-1999)
=======================
2000 (~140 / 81%)
1) Furnished Souls for Rent (48/10) (**)
2) The Screen Behind The Mirror (9/9) (**)
3) Universe (6/9) (**)
4) Dead Soul Men (6/9)
5) undefined (1/9)
6) A New Day Yesterday (1/9)
7) CAB (4/9)
8) Another Spin Around The Sun (5/8) (*)
9) Origin (9/8)
10) Stiff Upper Lip (1/8)
Live/EP:
-) S&M (-/10)
-) Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live (-/10)
-) Half the World Is Watching Me (-/9)
-) Earth, Sky and Everything in Between (-/9)
-) Spirit of Live (-/8)
-) Not Enough Shouting (-/8)
worth mentioning:
-) Awake (3/8)
-) The Perfect Element, Part I (1/8)
-) SMPTe (3/8) (*)
-) Don't Give Me Names (1/8)
-) if_then_else (2/8)
-) You Go Now (6/8)
-) Rated R (6/8)
-) Outbound (1/8)
-) Brave New World (1/8)
-) Flamenco.A.Go.Go (1/8)
-) The Sickness (4/7)
-) Lightbulb Sun (3/7)
-) Shuttlecock (2/7)
-) Mer De Noms (3/7) (*)
-) My Favorite Headache (2/7)
-) Crush (9/7) (*)
-) Crack a Smile... and More (1994 album w/ Blues Saraceno) (1/7)
2001 (~100 / 84%)
1) Leitmotif (23/10)
2) Alive in an Ultra World (8/10) (**)
3) The Pleasure and the Greed (10/10) (**)
4) Amélie (3/10)
5) Huron Street (6/9)
6) Toxicity (3/9)
7) Contact (2/9)
8) Emalgamation (1/9)
9) Days of the New III (4/9)
10) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2/9) (**)
Live:
-) Live Scenes From New York (-/10) (**)
-) One Wild Night (-/10) (*)
-) Half Life (-/9)
-) Live at the Baked Potato (-/9)
-) The Deep End (-/8)
-) Live Frogs (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Lateralus (7/8)
-) Everyday (2/8)
-) Inertia (6/8) (*)
-) Manic Moonlight (1/8)
-) Feeding the Wheel (3/8) (*)
-) Bridge Across Forever (1/8)
-) Origin Of Symmetry (3/8)
-) Tantric (1/8)
-) Almost Heathen (3/8)
-) Invincible (1/8)
-) Unleashed Memories (1/8)
-) 2 (2/8) (*)
-) 10 000 Hz Legend (1/8)
-) The Interzone Mantras (1/7)
-) The Idiot King (2/7)
-) Buck Fever (1/7)
-) Book M (1/7)
2002 (~270 / 85%)
1) Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (25/10) (**)
2) Population 1 (36/10) (**)
3) Moon Babies (15/10) (**)
4) Songs For The Deaf (21/9)
5) 67 (28/9) (**)
6) Move (12/9)
7) In Absentia (11/9) (*)
8) Freak Guitar (3/9)
9) Saturate (25/9)
10) El Cielo (13/9)
Live/EP:
-) Live From Oz (-/10) (*)
-) Stolen Babies EP (-/9)
-) And All That Could Have Been (-/9)
-) Not for Your Ears (-/8)
-) Boozed, Broozed & Broken-Boned (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Bounce (4/9) (*)
-) X (13/8) (**)
-) By the Way (2/8) (*)
-) Exit Elvis (11/8) (**)
-) Weight of the World (3/8)
-) Steal This Album! (3/8)
-) So, It's Like That (1/8)
-) Remedy Lane (2/8)
-) Diorama (4/8)
-) Audioslave (6/8) (*)
-) Vapor Trails (7/8) (*)
-) From One (4/8)
-) Dead Soul Tribe (1/8)
-) Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (3/7) (**)
-) Independent (3/7)
-) Believe (4/7)
2003 (~240 / 90%)
1) Train of Thought (41/10) (**)
2) The Quicksilver Meat Dream (35/10) (**)
3) Office of Strategic Influence (38/10) (*)
4) Frengers (24/10)
5) The Moon is Falling (3/10)
6) Robot Monster (10/10) (**)
7) Re-Foc (12/9)
8) Summercamp Nightmare (2/9)
9) Good Bye Lenin! (1/9)
10) Absolution (14/9) (*)
Live:
-) Live at the Astoria (-/10) (**)
-) Rush in Rio (-/10) (**)
-) This Left Feels Right (-/8) (*)
-) 10 anos ao vivo (-/8)
-) Spatial/Design (-/8)
-) Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People (-/7)
worth mentioning:
-) Faceless (4/8)
-) Souvenirs (2/8)
-) Black Utopia (4/8)
-) In Lake 'ch (2/8)
-) Black Like Sunday (1/8)
-) Blues Deluxe (8) (*)
-) Little Worlds (1/8)
-) Jeff (1/8)
-) A Murder of Crows (1/8)
-) Walking on a Thin Line (1/8)
-) A Natural Disaster (2/8)
-) Fallen (21/8) (*)
-) St Anger (7/7) (*)
-) Quadropus (1/7)
-) Emergent (1/7)
-) Voyageur (4/7)
-) Thirteenth Step (2/7)
2004 (~160 / 83%)
1) We Are Not Alone (33/10)
2) Come Again (24/9) (**)
3) Mythology (10/9)
4) Live Manchester And Dublin (16/9)
5) Wake Pig (4/9)
6) Dreamcatcher (3/9)
7) The Big Eyeball in the Sky (1/8)
8) Time (1/8)
9) Rhythm of Time (2/8)
10) Fraktal (1/8)
Live/EP:
-) Live At Budokan (-/10) (**)
-) Hallucino-Genetics (-/10) (**)
-) Cloon Demo (29/9)
-) Live In Hyde Park (-/9)
-) Live All Over the Place (-/9)
-) 12:5 (-/9)
-) Anywhere But Home (-/9) (*)
-) Sessions From Room 4 (23/8) (**)
-) The Other Side (-/8)
-) Sleepy Buildings (-/8)
-) Southside Double-Wide: Acoustic Live (-/8)
-) Feedback (1/7)
worth mentioning:
-) The January Tree (1/8)
-) Wheel of Life (1/8)
-) Kallocain (3/8)
-) After We Go (2/8)
-) Legs to Make Us Longer (2/8) (*)
-) Seven Circles (2/8)
-) One Day Remains (3/8)
-) Talkie Walkie (3/8)
-) Blackfield (1/8)
-) Had to Cry Today (1/8)
-) Is There Love in Space? (1/8)
-) Passion for Life (1/8)
-) Amplifier (1/8)
-) Out of Myself (3/7)
-) Graveyard Mountain Home (3/7)
-) This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) (4/7)
-) Perpetual (3/7)
2005 (~310 / 84%)
1) Love (76/10) (**)
2) Octavarium (62/10) (**)
3) Panzerballett (7/10)
4) Deadwing (30/9) (*)
5) Freak Guitar: The Road Less Traveled (7/9) (*)
6) Suspended Animation (17/9) (**)
7) Real Illusions: Reflections (11/8) (*)
8) Mesmerize (17/9) (*) & Hypnotize (1/8)
9) S.U.S.A.R. (8/8)
10) Catch Without Arms (9/8)
Live:
-) R30 (*) (-/10)
-) Montreal (-/9)
-) Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (-/9)
-) Gluttons for Punishment: Live in '05 (-/8)
-) Over the Years and Through the Woods (-/8)
worth mentioning:
-) Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (8/8) (**)
-) Art of Motion (3/8)
-) Organic (2/8)
-) 44 (2/8)
-) The Art of Navigating by the Stars (1/8)
-) And The Glass Handed Kites (6/8)
-) riddle (1/8)
-) Ten Thousand Fists (7/8)
-) Second Life Syndrome (1/8)
-) Leva-me P'ra casa (17/8) (*)
-) Ogre Tones (1/8)
-) Stand Up (1/8)
-) Elements of Persuasion (6/8) (*)
-) Lullabies To Paralyze (2/8) (*)
-) Duality (2/7)
-) Out of Exile (5/7) (*)
-) World Play (1/7)
Coming up next: 2006
Artists List
3, 7for4, A Perfect Circle, AC/DC, Air, Alanis Morissette, Alter Bridge, Amplifier, Anathema, Andy McKee, Attention Deficit, Audioslave, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Big Wreck, Black Label Society, Blackfield, Blues Saraceno, Bon Jovi, Breaking Benjamin, CAB, Canvas Solaris, Chevelle, Chroma Key, Cloon, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, Cosmosquad, Counter-World Experience, Dave Matthews Band, Days of the New, Deadsoul Tribe, Def Leppard, Derek Sherinian, Disturbed, Don Ross, Dr Sin, DramaGods, Dream Theater, dredg, Edwin, Enigma, Estradasphere, Evanescence, Freak Kitchen, Geddy Lee, Godsmack, Gordian Knot, Gov't Mule, Guano Apes, Harem Scarem, I Mother Earth, Indukti, Iron Maiden, James LaBrie, Jeff Beck, Jesse Cook, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Joel Hoekstra, John Petrucci, John Williams, Jordan Rudess, Kaki King, Karma to Burn, Karmakanic, King's X, Kingdom Come, Lacuna Coil, Lucia Moniz, Mattias IA Eklundh, Metallica, Mew, Michael Jackson, Mourning Widows, MullMuzzler, Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Nuno Bettencourt, OSI, Paatos, Pain of Salvation, Panzerballett, Pink Floyd, Planet X, Poison, Population 1, Porcupine Tree, Primus, Queens of the Stone Age, Ra, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Riverside, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Rush, Sam Aliano, Secret Chiefs 3, Sevendust, Sieges Even, Silverchair, Soul SirkUS, Spock's Beard, Steve Stevens, Steve Vai, Stolen Babies, Super TransAtlantic, System of a Down, Tantric, The Gathering, The Les Claypool Frog Brigade, The Mayan Factor, The Tea Party, Thomas Leeb, Thornley, Tool, Transatlantic, Tribe of Judah, Wolfstone, Yann Tiersen.
