Top twenty albums ever

This almost made it to the tumblr-but due to the lack of posting I decided that it was worthy of "the main" site.  I am tempted to amend it, but I am sticking to the list I made last night.

In no particular order;

1. Dark Side of the Moon-Pink Floyd.  I think this has been my favorite record since 11th grade.  I don't feel the need to even argue its introduction at this point.
2. Sticky Fingers-The Rolling Stones. I decided to limit myself to 2 records per band.  It was hard deciding why this makes the cut-but I think Wild Horses gives the best reason.  It has the Muscle Shoals sound with the Stones swagger.
3. Liberate Te Ex Infernis-Zao Possibly one of the best black metal records ever released.  Then you add the fact that it is somewhat based off of Dante's Inferno makes it even better.
4. Exile on Main St.-The Rolling Stones. The last Stones record on the list.  Some of my love of this record has to deal with the recording process, but the legends don't make a record.  As a transition piece, this is a great picture of the Stones getting away from the mid-60's to the definite Stones feel.
5.  Meddle-Pink Floyd. If you aren't a Pink Floyd fan, this could be a very annoying record. The inclusion of the 25+minute Echoes on side B makes it even more grating.  But if you are a Floyd fan, this shows the progression towards the Syd Barret psychedelia to later records such as Dark Side or Wish You Were Here.
6. American Beauty-The Grateful Dead.  Even for the folks that hate the Grateful Dead-this is a must listen.  It is at this point that you can tell the dead is transitioning into their early 70's country phase and Garcias time spent as a bluegrass musician is really paying off. The vocal are amazing and the instrumentation is near perfection.
7. Cold Roses-Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. For years I hated Ryan Adams-but it is at this point that I start to not just like, but LOVE his work.  Cindy Cashdollars steel playing is amazing and Adams tenure with Phil Lesh (bass player for the dead) is really showing as Ryan does his best Gracia impressions in Magnolia Mountain.
8. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco. Go by it now. You will forever be a Wilco fan afterwards
9. Kind of Blue-Miles Davis. I know mentioning this Miles Davis classic gets me no cred, but this is the perfect record for anyone who wants fidelity, mood and some of the best melodic movement ever.  Add to the fact that the majority of it was improvised and you have no contest.
10. When the Kite String Pops-Acid Bath. Growing up as a metal head in Louisiana in the 90s means that you listened to Acid Bath.  I can't imagine how much this records slow groove actually inspired my current level of musicianship.
11. Appetite for Destruction-Guns N Roses. I remember hearing the beginning of Welcome to the Jungle at a stop sign when I was 8 coming out of another car.  Somehow, Guns N Roses pulled off combining Aerosmith and The Rollings Stones and making it faster and louder.  This is the stuff fables are made of, and this is the beginning of the legendarium.
12. Songbird-Willie Nelson.  Putting 2006's Willie Nelson record on the list might seem odd, but with Ryan Adams at the Help, Nelson made himself completely relevant to contemporary alt.country and conquered some covers that would make most artists run in panic.
13. For Emma, Forever Ago-Bon Iver. Bon Iver swept 2007 with this record, rewriting how a single person can record a record with a renegade set-up in the middle of a winter in a cabin.  It has one of the best atmospheres ever.
14-16 Led Zeppelin I,III, and Houses of the Holy-Led Zeppelin.  Zeppelin were my first musical loves.  The encapsulated the feelings of adolescence better than anything else. 
17. A# F# infinity-Godspeed You! Black Emperor.  This record was my introduction into long form, post-modern music.  Godspeed captures the listener bringing them to a place of sublime dirt, while inspiring.  This record was the soundtrack for the first year I was in seminary.
18. Rocks-Aerosmith. Not Aerosmiths best record (I would say Toys in the Attic if I was talking about enjoyability), but this is the record that set in stone what is possibly the greatest American Rock band ever.
19.Highway to Hell-AC/DC.  If AC/DC has really written the same record 19 times, this was their best version.  Nothing can get me speeding better than any track of this record.
20. Neon Bible-The Arcade Fire.  I blew The Arcade Fire off after I didn't really enjoy their first record.  This however, made me a follower.  Increasingly I am becoming tired of most contemporary music, but this record is hopeful of the continued artistry of songwriting that is being developed among young people that don't want to be in NickelBack.

Well that is it.  I had some honorable mentions, but we will leave that for another day.

Comments

[Jeremiah Aja]

wasnt bon iver in 08 though, not 07?- recorded in winter of 07 i thought.
you got a huge head nod out of me with the bible of jazz albums- kind of blue.
great list man.

[Joel]

Good list, sir. I'm surprised and ashamed that I didn't even consider the Arcade Fire (which I love) or the AC/DC (the only album I love that I would classify as anything near "hard rock"). I'm also a tremendous Aerosmith fan, but I couldn't make an argument (even to myself) for any of their albums ending up on my list.

I disagree strongly about G&R but again, I'm not much of a hard rock fan. I will admit that the analogy of them as the descendants of Aerosmith and the Stones is a good one.

If anyone's interested in seeing my list check it out below.

http://joelsharpton.posterous.com/20-greatest-albums-of-all-time

[Drew Causey]

I'm going to make an honest confession:

I've never listened to dark side of the moon. There. I said it. I've always meant to, but never have.

Cold Roses got me on ryan adams as well. show's next week!

Acid Bath. I'll give you a Louisiana amen on that one. I wasn't a metal-er, but even I listened to that one with friends.

My only surprise: no beatles? well, they say you're either a stones fan or a beatles one...

[Charles Meeks]

Hmm...I think I'm gonna have to make my own post on this too.

[chaddbrooks]

yeah Jer-it may have been 07, bu 08 was the year it got tons of press.

Joel-your list is great. It reminds me of those great conversations that we had about country music. I didn't have any on mine, mainly because I never have listened to complete records. I may have to make another list for best country songs all together.

Drew-Never listened to DSOTM? Really....?....any you call yourself a keyboard player.

Chuck-go for it. Make me proud