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. 54-40, 54-40
2. AC/DC: Back in Black
3. AC/DC: Highway to Hell
4. Allison, Mose: Swingin’ Machine
5. Bauhaus: The Sky’s Gone Out
6. Bee Gees: Main Course
7. Beefheart, Captain and the Magic Band: The Dust Blows Forward
8. Bogmen: Life Begins at 40 Million
9. Bongwater: The Power of Pussy
10. Bonzo Dog Band: Keynsham
11. Bonzo Dog Band: The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse
12. Bowie, David: Low
13. Bowie, David: “Heroes”
14. Bowie, David: Lodger
15. Bowie, David: Blackstar
16. Buggy Jive: The Buggy Jive Mix Tape
17. Buggy Jive: The B-Side
18. Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
19. Bush, Kate: Hounds of Love
20. Butthole Surfers: Hairway to Steven
21. Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician
22. Camberwell Now: All’s Well
23. Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Henry’s Dream
24. Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Tender Prey
25. Chance The Rapper: Coloring Book
26. Chap: Mega Breakfast
27. Christian Death: Catastrophe Ballet
28. Chrome Hoof: Pre-Emptive False Rapture
29. Clash: Combat Rock
30. Clash: London Calling
31. Cleveland, Reverend James: Sings Songs of Dedication
32. Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions
33. Clutch: Elephant Riders
34. Clutch: Robot Hive/Exodus
35. Coil: Horse Rotorvator
36. Coil: The Ape of Naples
37. Collins, Phil: Face Value
38. Coup: Sorry to Bother You
39. Coup: Sorry to Bother You: The Soundtrack
40. Cramps: Bad Music for Bad People
41. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Déjà Vu
42. Culture: Two Sevens Clash
43. Dälek: Absence
44. Dälek: Gutter Tactics
45. Death Grips: Ex-Military
46. Death Grips: Government Plates
47. Devo: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
    
48. Diamond, Neil: Hot August Night
49. Dogbowl: Flan
50. Dogg, Snoop: BUSH
51. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment: Surf
52. Dunnery, Francis: Tall Blonde Helicopter
53. Eagles: Desperado
54. Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch
55. Einstürzende Neubauten: Haus der Luge
56. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Tarkus
57. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Trilogy
58. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
59. Eno, Brian: Here Come the Warm Jets
60. Eno, Brian: Another Green World
61. Eno, Brian: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
62. Eno, Brian: Before And After Science
63. Fairport Convention: Unhalfbricking
64. Fairport Convention: What We Did On Our Holidays
65. Fall: Hex Enduction Hour
66. Fall: The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
67. Fall: Imperial Wax Solvent
68. Family: Bandstand
69. Family: Fearless
70. First Aid Kit: Stay Gold
71. First Aid Kit: Ruins
72. Fleetwood Mac: Future Games
73. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
74. Focus: Live At The Rainbow
75. Funkadelic: Maggotbrain
76. Gabriel, Peter: Peter Gabriel (III/Melt)
77. Gang of Four: Entertainment!
78. Gang of Four: Songs of the Free
79. Gay Tastee: Songs for the Sodomites
80. Genesis: Duke
81. Genesis: Abacab
82. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
83. Genesis: Wind and Wuthering
84. Good Rats: Tasty
85. Grateful Dead: American Beauty
86. Grateful Dead: Workingman’s Dead
87. Hall, Daryl: Sacred Songs
88. Hanslick Rebellion: The Rebellion is Here
89. Hawkwind: Doremi Fasol Latido
90. Hawkwind: Hall of the Mountain Grill
91. Hitchcock, Robyn and the Egyptians: Element of Light
92. Human Sexual Response: Fig. 14
93. Human Sexual Response: In a Roman Mood
94. Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade
95. Jarre, Jean-Michel: Equinoxe
96. Jesu/Sun Kil Moon: Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
97. Jethro Tull: Songs From the Wood
98. Jethro Tull: Heavy Horses
99. Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
100. Jethro Tull: Benefit
101. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
102. Joy Division: Closer
103. Juluka: Scatterlings
104. Kamikaze Hearts: Oneida Road
105. Kaukonen, Jorma: Quah
106. Keineg, Katell: Jet
107. Killdozer: Twelve Point Buck
108. King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
109. King Crimson: In The Court of the Crimson King
110. King Crimson: Lizard
111. KOKOKO!: Fongola
112. Kraftwerk: Minimum-Maximum
113. Kurki-Suonio, Sanna: Musta
114. Lateef, Yusef: Eastern Sounds
115. Lateef, Yusef: The Complete Yusef Lateef
116. Lingua Ignota: Caligula
117. London, Theophilus: Bebey
118. Magma: Üdü Ẁüdü
119. McCartney, Paul: McCartney II
120. McCartney, Paul: McCartney III
121. Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell
122. Michael Nyman: A Zed and Two Noughts (Original Soundtrack)
123. Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime
124. Mitchel, Joni: For the Roses
125. Mitchell, John Cameron and Stephen Trask: Hedwig And The Angry Inch
126. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
127. Napalm Death: Time Waits For No Slave
128. Napalm Death: Utilitarian
129. Napalm Death: Apex Predator — Easy Meat
130. New Order: Movement
131. New Order: Power, Corruption and Lies
132. Pere Ubu: The Modern Dance
133. Pere Ubu: Terminal Tower
134. Phair, Liz: Exile in Guyville
135. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
136. Pink Floyd: Animals
137. Pink Floyd: The Wall
138. Presley, Elvis: Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings
139. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet
140. Public Enemy: Apocalypse ’91 . . . The Enemy Strikes Black
141. Public Enemy: What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
142. R.E.M.: Life’s Rich Pageant
143. Renaldo and the Loaf: Songs for Swinging Larvae
144. Replacements: Let It Be
145. Residents: Animal Lover
146. Residents: Demons Dance Alone
147. Residents: Wormwood
148. Richman, Jonathan: It’s Time For . . .
149. Richman, Jonathan: Ishkode! Ishkode!
150. Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.
151. Rundgren, Todd: Healing
152. Run The Jewels: RTJ4
153. Sepultura: Roots
154. Shriekback: Some Kinds of Light
155. Simon & Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence
156. Snog: Last of the Great Romantics
157. Snog: Lullabies for the Lithium Age
158. Sparks: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
159. Special A.K.A.: In the Studio
160. Steely Dan: Aja
161. Steely Dan: The Royal Scam
162. Steely Dan: Can’t Buy A Thrill
163. Steppenwolf: Gold
164. Stevens, Cat: Buddha And The Chocolate Box
165. Swans: Filth
166. Swans: Holy Money
167. Talking Heads: Fear of Music
168. Tazartès, Ghédalia: Diasporas
169. Television Personalities: Closer to God
170. This Heat: Deceit
171. Tosh, Peter: Mama Africa
172. Tosh, Peter: Equal Rights
173. Tragic Mulatto: Italians Fall Down and Look Up Your Dress
174. Tsukerman, Slava et. al.: Liquid Sky (Original Soundtrack)
175. Ubong, Etuk: Africa Today
176. Utopia: Utopia
177. Utopia: Swing to the Right
178. Various Artists: If You Can’t Please Yourself You Can’t, Please Your Soul
179. Various Artists: The Harder They Come (Original Soundtrack Recording)
180. Wailer, Bunny: Blackheart Man
181. Wall of Voodoo: Happy Planet
182. Wall of Voodoo: Seven Days in Sammystown
183. Wasted: We Are Already in Hell
184. Weasels: Uranus or Bust
185. Weasels: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
186. Ween: Quebec
187. Ween: The Mollusk
188. Who: Who’s Next
189. Wings: Band on the Run
190. Wings: Venus and Mars
191. Wire: The Ideal Copy
192. Xiu Xiu: Angel Guts: Red Classroom
193. Xiu Xiu: Girl With Basket of Fruit
194. XTC: Black Sea
195. XTC: English Settlement
196. Yes: The Yes Album
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’?”