Life During Quarantine Time has produced something like 12+ hours of music listening time around our apartment, each day, every day. Which is a lot, even by my own extreme standards. To fill the daily jukebox, I’ve been buying plenty of new music, as I do, but also taking a lot of spins through old favorites, some that pop up reasonably often, some that lie in wait for years before I remember to slap them on the (virtual) turntable.

Digging through the back catalog reminded me that it’s been awhile since I’ve updated my running list of most-loved albums, so let’s remedy that situation today. As I’ve noted for background before, I’ve been keeping lists of my favorite albums since the very early ’70s, when I was a grade school Steppenwolf fan. My tastes have evolved dramatically over the years (though I still like Steppenwolf), so I review and update this list periodically, dropping things that haven’t aged well, and adding new things that excite me and seem to have staying power.

For many years, this was a “Top 100 List,” but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve felt entitled to expand the roster beyond the century mark, since I’ve listened to a whole lot more music now than I had when I was younger. I also used to exclude “Greatest Hits” and other compilation or live albums, but I’ve gotten less uptight about that, too, since for some artists, their best work may have appeared on singles that only saw long-form release in the form of “Best Of” collections.

So here’s the update, in alphabetical order by artist name. Maybe you’ll be reminded of some old favorites and give ’em some nostalgia spins. Or maybe you’ll find something new to rock your home world. Or maybe you’ll just sigh and wonder what the hell goes on in my head to produce an all-over-the-place listing like this. It’s all good. As is the music.

1. AC/DC: Back in Black
2. AC/DC: Highway to Hell
3. Allison, Mose: Swingin’ Machine
4. Bad Livers, Delusions of Banjer
5. Bauhaus: The Sky’s Gone Out
6. Bee Gees: Main Course
7. Beef: Stink, Stank, Stunk
8. Beefheart, Captain and the Magic Band: The Dust Blows Forward
9. Bogmen: Life Begins at 40 Million
10. Bongwater: The Power of Pussy
11. Bonzo Dog Band: Keynsham
12. Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse
13. Bowie, David: Station to Station
14. Bowie, David: Low
15. Bowie, David: “Heroes”
16. Bowie, David: Lodger
17. Bowie, David: Blackstar
18. Buggy Jive: The Buggy Jive Mix Tape
19. Buggy Jive: The B-Side
20. Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
21. Bush, Kate: Hounds of Love
22. Butthole Surfers: Hairway to Steven
23. Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician
24. Camberwell Now: All’s Well
25. Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Henry’s Dream
26. Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Tender Prey
27. Chance The Rapper: Coloring Book
28. Chap: Mega Breakfast
29. Christian Death: Catastrophe Ballet
30. Chrome Hoof: Pre-Emptive False Rapture
31. Clash: Combat Rock
32. Clash: London Calling
33. Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions
34. Clutch: Elephant Riders
35. Clutch: Robot Hive/Exodus
36. Coil: Horse Rotorvator
37. Coil: The Ape of Naples
38. Collins, Phil: Face Value
39. Coup: Sorry to Bother You
40. Coup: Sorry to Bother You: The Soundtrack
41. Cramps: Bad Music for Bad People
42. Crisis Actor: Slave New World
43. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Déjà Vu
44. Culture: Two Sevens Clash
45. Dälek: Absence
46. Dälek: Gutter Tactics
47. Death Grips: Ex-Military
48. Death Grips: Government Plates
49. Devo: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
    
50. Diamond, Neil: Hot August Night
51. Dogbowl: Flan
52. Dogg, Snoop: BUSH
53. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment: Surf
54. Dunnery, Francis: Tall Blonde Helicopter
55. Eagles: Desperado
56. Ebanks, Jonathan: Tales From the G-String
57. Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch
58. Einstürzende Neubauten: Haus der Luge
59. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Tarkus
60. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Trilogy
61. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
62. Eno, Brian: Here Come the Warm Jets
63. Eno, Brian: Another Green World
64. Eno, Brian: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
65. Eno, Brian: Before And After Science
66. Fairport Convention: Unhalfbricking
67. Fairport Convention: What We Did On Our Holidays
68. Fall: Hex Enduction Hour
69. Fall: The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
70. Fall: Imperial Wax Solvent
71. Family: Bandstand
72. Family: Fearless
73. First Aid Kit: Stay Gold
74. First Aid Kit: Ruins
75. Fleetwood Mac: Future Games
76. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
77. Focus: Live At The Rainbow
78. Funkadelic: Maggotbrain
79. Gabriel, Peter: Peter Gabriel (III/Melt)
80. Gang of Four: Entertainment!
81. Gang of Four: Songs of the Free
82. Gay Tastee: Songs for the Sodomites
83. Genesis: Duke
84. Genesis: Abacab
85. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
86. Genesis: Wind and Wuthering
87. Good Rats: Tasty
88. Grateful Dead: American Beauty
89. Grateful Dead: Workingman’s Dead
90. Hall, Daryl: Sacred Songs
91. Hanslick Rebellion: The Rebellion is Here
92. Hawkwind: Doremi Fasol Latido
93. Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill
    
94. Heilung: Futha
95. Hitchcock, Robyn and the Egyptians: Element of Light
96. Human Sexual Response: Fig. 14
97. Human Sexual Response: In a Roman Mood
98. Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade
99. Jarre, Jean-Michel: Equinoxe
100. Jesu/Sun Kil Moon: Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
101. Jethro Tull: Songs From the Wood
102. Jethro Tull: Heavy Horses
103. Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
104. Jethro Tull: Benefit
105. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
106. Joy Division: Closer
107. Juluka: Scatterlings
108. Kamikaze Hearts: Oneida Road
109. Kaukonen, Jorma: Quah
110. Keineg, Katell: Jet
111. Killdozer: Twelve Point Buck
112. King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
113. King Crimson: In The Court of the Crimson King
114. King Crimson: Lizard
115. King Crimson: Meltdown: Live in Mexico
116. KOKOKO!: Fongola
117. Kraftwerk: Minimum-Maximum
118. Kurki-Suonio, Sanna: Musta
119. Lateef, Yusef: Eastern Sounds
120. Lateef, Yusef: The Complete Yusef Lateef
121. Lingua Ignota: Caligula
122. London, Theophilus: Bebey
123. Magma: Üdü Ẁüdü
124. Michael Nyman: A Zed and Two Noughts (Original Soundtrack)
125. Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime
126. Mitchel, Joni: For the Roses
127. Mitchell, John Cameron and Stephen Trask: Hedwig And The Angry Inch
128. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
129. Napalm Death: Time Waits For No Slave
130. Napalm Death: Utilitarian
131. Napalm Death: Apex Predator — Easy Meat
132. New Order: Movement
133. New Order: Power, Corruption and Lies
134. Parliament: Chocolate City
135. Pere Ubu: The Modern Dance
136. Pere Ubu: Terminal Tower
137. Phair, Liz: Exile in Guyville
138. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
139. Pink Floyd: Animals
140. Pink Floyd: The Wall
141. Presley, Elvis: Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings
142. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet
143. Public Enemy: Apocalypse ’91 . . . The Enemy Strikes Black
144. R.E.M.: Life’s Rich Pageant
145. Renaldo and the Loaf: Songs for Swinging Larvae
146. Replacements: Let It Be
147. Residents: Animal Lover
148. Residents: Demons Dance Alone
149. Residents: Wormwood
150. Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.
151. Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure
152. Rundgren, Todd: Healing
153. Sepultura: Roots
154. Simon & Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence
155. Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
156. Snog: Last of the Great Romantics
157. Snog: Lullabies for the Lithium Age
158. Special A.K.A.: In the Studio
159. Steely Dan: Aja
160. Steely Dan: The Royal Scam
161. Steely Dan: Can’t Buy A Thrill
162. Steppenwolf: Gold
163. Stevens, Cat: Buddha And The Chocolate Box
164. Swans: Filth
165. Swans: Holy Money
166. Talking Heads: Fear of Music
167. Tazartès, Ghédalia: Diasporas
168. Television Personalities: Closer to God
169. This Heat: Deceit
170. Tosh, Peter: Mama Africa
171. Tosh, Peter: Equal Rights
172. Tragic Mulatto: Italians Fall Down and Look Up Your Dress
173. Tsukerman, Slava et. al.: Liquid Sky (Original Soundtrack)
174. Utopia: Utopia
175. Utopia: Swing to the Right
176. Vega, Alan: IT
177. Wailer, Bunny: Blackheart Man
178. Wall of Voodoo: Happy Planet
179. Wall of Voodoo: Seven Days in Sammystown
180. Wasted: We Are Already in Hell
181. Weasels: Uranus or Bust
182. Weasels: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
183. Ween: Quebec
184. Ween: The Mollusk
185. Who: Who’s Next
186. Who: WHO
187. Wings: Band on the Run
188. Wings: Venus and Mars
189. Wire: The Ideal Copy
190. Xiu Xiu: Angel Guts: Red Classroom
191. Xiu Xiu: Girl With Basket of Fruit
192. XTC: Black Sea
193. XTC: English Settlement
194. Yes: The Yes Album
195. Yes: Fragile
196. Yes: Close to the Edge
197. Young, Neil and Crazy Horse: re-ac-tor
198. ZZ Top: Tres Hombres
199. Zappa, Frank and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All
200. Zappa, Frank: Joe’s Garage, Parts I, II and III

One of my first musical obsessions. I played this 8-track to its breaking point. I also recall a big family argument after my grandfather asked my mother “Why the hell is that boy singin’ about ‘Goddamn the pusher man’?”