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.
- AC/DC: Back in Black
- AC/DC: Highway to Hell
- Allison, Mose: Swingin’ Machine
- Bad Livers, Delusions of Banjer
- Bauhaus: The Sky’s Gone Out
- Bee Gees: Main Course
- Beef: Stink, Stank, Stunk
- Beefheart, Captain and the Magic Band: The Dust Blows Forward
- Bogmen: Life Begins at 40 Million
- Bongwater: The Power of Pussy
- Bonzo Dog Band: Keynsham
- Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse
- Bowie, David: Station to Station
- Bowie, David: Low
- Bowie, David: “Heroes”
- Bowie, David: Lodger
- Bowie, David: Blackstar
- Buggy Jive: The Buggy Jive Mix Tape
- Buggy Jive: The B-Side
- Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
- Bush, Kate: Hounds of Love
- Bush, Kate: The Dreaming
- Butthole Surfers: Hairway to Steven
- Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician
- Camberwell Now: All’s Well
- Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Henry’s Dream
- Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Tender Prey
- Chance The Rapper: Coloring Book
- Chap: Mega Breakfast
- Christian Death: Catastrophe Ballet
- Chrome Hoof: Pre-Emptive False Rapture
- Clash: Combat Rock
- Clash: London Calling
- Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions
- Clutch: Elephant Riders
- Clutch: Robot Hive/Exodus
- Coil: Horse Rotorvator
- Coil: The Ape of Naples
- Coup: Sorry to Bother You
- Coup: Sorry to Bother You: The Soundtrack
- Cramps: Bad Music for Bad People
- Crisis Actor: Slave New World
- Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Déjà Vu
- Culture: Two Sevens Clash
- Dälek: Absence
- Dälek: Gutter Tactics
- Death Grips: Ex-Military
- Death Grips: Government Plates
- Devo: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
- Diamond, Neil: Hot August Night
- Dogbowl: Flan
- Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment: Surf
- Dunnery, Francis: Tall Blonde Helicopter
- Eagles: Desperado
- Ebanks, Jonathan: Tales From the G-String
- Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch
- Einstürzende Neubauten: Haus der Luge
- Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Tarkus
- Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Trilogy
- Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
- Eno, Brian: Here Come the Warm Jets
- Eno, Brian: Another Green World
- Eno, Brian: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
- Eno, Brian: Before And After Science
- Fairport Convention: Unhalfbricking
- Fairport Convention: What We Did On Our Holidays
- Fall: Hex Enduction Hour
- Fall: The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
- Fall: Imperial Wax Solvent
- Family: Bandstand
- Family: Fearless
- First Aid Kit: Stay Gold
- First Aid Kit: Ruins
- Fleetwood Mac: Future Games
- Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
- Focus: Live At The Rainbow
- Funkadelic: Maggotbrain
- Gabriel, Peter: Peter Gabriel (III/Melt)
- Gang of Four: Entertainment!
- Gang of Four: Songs of the Free
- Gay Tastee: Songs for the Sodomites
- Genesis: Duke
- Genesis: Abacab
- Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
- Genesis: Wind and Wuthering
- Good Rats: Tasty
- Grateful Dead: American Beauty
- Grateful Dead: Workingman’s Dead
- Hall, Daryl: Sacred Songs
- Hanslick Rebellion: The Rebellion is Here
- Hawkwind: Doremi Fasol Latido
- Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill
- Heilung: Futha
- Hitchcock, Robyn and the Egyptians: Element of Light
- Human Sexual Response: Fig. 14
- Human Sexual Response: In a Roman Mood
- Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade
- Jarre, Jean-Michel: Equinoxe
- Jesu/Sun Kil Moon: Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
- Jethro Tull: Songs From the Wood
- Jethro Tull: Heavy Horses
- Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
- Jethro Tull: Benefit
- Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
- Joy Division: Closer
- Juluka: Scatterlings
- Kamikaze Hearts: Oneida Road
- Kaukonen, Jorma: Quah
- Keineg, Katell: Jet
- Killdozer: Twelve Point Buck
- King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
- King Crimson: In The Court of the Crimson King
- King Crimson: Lizard
- King Crimson: Meltdown: Live in Mexico
- KOKOKO!: Fongola
- Kraftwerk: Minimum-Maximum
- Kurki-Suonio, Sanna: Musta
- Lateef, Yusef: Eastern Sounds
- Lateef, Yusef: The Complete Yusef Lateef
- Lingua Ignota: Caligula
- London, Theophilus: Bebey
- Magma: Üdü Ẁüdü
- Michael Nyman: A Zed and Two Noughts (Original Soundtrack)
- Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime
- Mitchel, Joni: For the Roses
- Mitchell, John Cameron and Stephen Trask: Hedwig And The Angry Inch
- Mos Def: The Ecstatic
- Napalm Death: Time Waits For No Slave
- Napalm Death: Utilitarian
- Napalm Death: Apex Predator — Easy Meat
- New Order: Movement
- New Order: Power, Corruption and Lies
- Parliament: Chocolate City
- Pere Ubu: The Modern Dance
- Pere Ubu: Terminal Tower
- Phair, Liz: Exile in Guyville
- Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
- Pink Floyd: Animals
- Pink Floyd: The Wall
- Presley, Elvis: Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings
- Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet
- Public Enemy: Apocalypse ’91 . . . The Enemy Strikes Black
- R.E.M.: Life’s Rich Pageant
- Renaldo and the Loaf: Songs for Swinging Larvae
- Replacements: Let It Be
- Residents: Animal Lover
- Residents: Demons Dance Alone
- Residents: Wormwood
- Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.
- Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure
- Rundgren, Todd: Healing
- Sepultura: Roots
- Simon & Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence
- Smiths: Louder Than Bombs
- Snog: Last of the Great Romantics
- Snog: Lullabies for the Lithium Age
- Soulfly: Ritual
- Special A.K.A.: In the Studio
- Steely Dan: Aja
- Steely Dan: The Royal Scam
- Steely Dan: Can’t Buy A Thrill
- Steppenwolf: Gold
- Stevens, Cat: Buddha And The Chocolate Box
- Swans: Filth
- Swans: Holy Money
- Talking Heads: Fear of Music
- Tazartès, Ghédalia: Diasporas
- Television Personalities: Closer to God
- This Heat: Deceit
- Tosh, Peter: Mama Africa
- Tosh, Peter: Equal Rights
- Tragic Mulatto: Italians Fall Down and Look Up Your Dress
- Tsukerman, Slava et. al.: Liquid Sky (Original Soundtrack)
- Utopia: Utopia
- Utopia: Swing to the Right
- Vega, Alan: IT
- Wailer, Bunny: Blackheart Man
- Wall of Voodoo: Happy Planet
- Wall of Voodoo: Seven Days in Sammystown
- Wasted: We Are Already in Hell
- Weasels: Uranus or Bust
- Weasels: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
- Ween: Quebec
- Ween: The Mollusk
- Who: Who’s Next
- Who: WHO
- Wings: Band on the Run
- Wings: Venus and Mars
- Wire: The Ideal Copy
- Xiu Xiu: Angel Guts: Red Classroom
- Xiu Xiu: Girl With Basket of Fruit
- XTC: Black Sea
- XTC: English Settlement
- Yes: The Yes Album
- Yes: Fragile
- Yes: Close to the Edge
- Young, Neil and Crazy Horse: re-ac-tor
- ZZ Top: Tres Hombres
- Zappa, Frank and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All
- 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’?”
AFAIC, the ones I don’t know I need to check out.
Lemme know if you discover a new fave!
The ones I know, I agree with.