25 Albums That Changed My Life

Submitted by DarkmanPoe on Thu, 07/14/2011 - 19:14
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  • Tori Amos: Under the Pink

  • "Emotionally devastating. I literally felt like a different person after listening to it all the way through the first time. Still her best."

  • Atari Teenage Riot: 60 Second Wipe-Out

  • "Forget all these metal bands and their screaming nonsense, you will never hear another album louder, angrier, heavier, more pissed off and rebellious than this puppy right here. The first time I listened all the way through, I had a splitting headache by the end...and I wanted more. It introduced me to the beauty of noise."

  • Beastie Boys: Paul's Boutique

  • "This was when they broke free of their party boy image and showed just how incredibly creative they could be...and it's a masterpiece. They've never topped it."

  • The Beatles: Revolver

  • "Another transitional album. This was what started the metamorphosis from singing about wanting to hold your hand to singing about yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog's eye."

  • David Bowie: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

  • "Revolutionary. People had to take concept albums (and Bowie himself) seriously after this."

  • The Chemical Brothers: Dig Your Own Hole

  • "This is what really introduced me to how rich and complex techno could be, rather than just repetitive beats and digital bleeps. 'Setting Sun' sounds as good today as when it was first recorded. Amazing..."

  • De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising

  • "Such a strange and unusual album, even today. There's never been anything else quite like it...before or since."

  • Depeche Mode: Violator

  • "Just count how many times 'Personal Jesus' has been covered. 'Nuff said."

  • The Folk Implosion: One Part Lullaby

  • "Another one of those albums you have to listen to from beginning to end to really 'get.' I love albums that solidify as a whole and almost tell one complete story, rather than just being a collection of songs, and this is one of the best examples of that."

  • Peter Gabriel: So

  • "Before this, I'd only known Gabriel as the guy who sang 'Shock the Monkey.' This was when it became apparent to me what a musical genius he is."

  • God Lives Underwater: Life in the So-Called Space Age

  • "This was when they fulfilled the promise of their first two albums and created a musical journey that will blow out your speakers. R.I.P. David Reilly."

  • Helmet: Aftertaste

  • "I'm tempted to list 'Meantime,' as that was the album that introduced me to Paige Hamilton's mad genius, but...'taste is what really locked me in as a huge fan. Still one of the most underrated and overlooked bands ever. Just look at how many artists list them as influences."

  • Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced?

  • "What really needs to be said?"

  • Juliana Hatfield: Only Everything

  • "Borrowed this one from my sister and totally fell in love with her voice, if not her entirely. Such a talented singer/songwriter and, not to repeat myself, but just an absolutely incredible voice."

  • Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy

  • "The greatest rock album of all-time. Hands down. No question. No argument. Move along."

  • Massive Attack: Protection

  • "I actually like their later material much better, but it was this album that introduced me to them...and I at first initially dismissed them as an R&B-esque act. I'm glad I stuck with them or I might have missed out on the greatness of Mezzanine and 100th Window, etc."

  • Moby: Play

  • "I heard 'Porcelain' when I was at the height of a long illness of mine and listened to the entirety of the album when I started getting better, so, naturally, it reminds me a lot of that time, henceforth, it feels like a part of me now. Not to mention that it's brilliant."

  • Nine Inch Nails: Broken

  • "A friend of mine once said the best music is made in defiance...and this was Trent's big 'Fuck You' to the studio heads at TVT...and it's an incredible audio industrial nightmare."

  • Prince: Purple Rain

  • "The man is a genius. A musical genius. You just have to learn to accept this."

  • Public Enemy: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

  • "The greatest rap album ever. Introduced me to politically-charged rap (which was a major influence on bands like Rage Against the Machine). If you feel like arguing, I'll just say that it's on Kurt Cobain's top 50 albums of all-time...so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

  • Radiohead: OK Computer

  • "I liked Radiohead's first two albums, but this...this is the first time I realized that they were more than just some band. OK is purely orgasmic from start to finish. If all you know of these guys is 'Creep,' you have no idea what you're missing out on and I feel sorry for you."

  • Run DMC: King of Rock

  • "This came out when I was in the fifth/sixth grade...and I absolutely destroyed it listening to it over and over. It may not be their best album (that honor goes to their follow-up, Raising Hell), but listening to this is like listening to a piece of my life."

  • Tool: Undertow

  • "These guys have lost some of their sarcastic, 'Fuck you' edge in recent years with their newly-found spiritual approach, but...it was Opiate and this album that really defined their sound for me. If all you know of it is 'Sober,' give it another listen...and pay attention this time."

  • VAST: Visual Audio Sensory Theater

  • "I love how beautiful, and yet angry, and then beautiful again this album is. Crosby has never quite been able to get that footing again since."

  • The Who: Who's Next

  • "There was a time 'Baba O'Reilly' would send chills down my spine. Unfortunately, it's been used on a thousand and one television ads, etc., and has lost some of its edge. But...even still, it continues to effect me. Most songs would be killed by such overusage, so...that speaks volumes."
WanderingStar07/21/2011

Great list! I'm unfamiliar with a couple of these, like "Who's Next" and "So", but I'll make it a point to check them out...