Having completed my Best Albums of 2021 report earlier this week, I am reminded that it has been awhile since I’ve updated my running list of most-loved albums, so I’m going to 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 a whole lot 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 via “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. Albion Band: Rise Up Like the Sun
3. Arab Strap: As Days Get Dark
4. Asian Dub Foundation: Rafi’s Revenge
5. Bauhaus: The Sky’s Gone Out
6. Bee Gees: Main Course
7. Birthday Party: Mutiny/The Bad Seed
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. Buggy Jive: The Buggy Jive Mix Tape
16. Buggy Jive: The B-Side
17. Burning Spear: Marcus Garvey
18. Bush, Kate: Hounds of Love
19. Butthole Surfers: Hairway to Steven
20. Butthole Surfers: Locust Abortion Technician
21. Camberwell Now: All’s Well
22. Cave, Nick and the Bad Seeds: Henry’s Dream
23. Chap: Mega Breakfast
24. Christian Death: Catastrophe Ballet
25. Clash: Combat Rock
26. Clash: London Calling
27. Clean: Mister Pop
28. Cleveland, Reverend James: Sings Songs of Dedication
29. Clutch: Book of Bad Decisions
30. Clutch: Elephant Riders
31. Clutch: Robot Hive/Exodus
32. Coil: Horse Rotorvator
33. Coil: The Ape of Naples
34. Collins, Phil: Face Value
35. Coup: Sorry to Bother You
36. Coup: Sorry to Bother You: The Soundtrack
37. Cramps: Bad Music for Bad People
38. Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: Déjà Vu
39. Culture: Two Sevens Clash
40. Cup and Ring: Cup and Ring
41. Dälek: Absence
42. Dälek: Gutter Tactics
43. Death Grips: Ex-Military
44. Death Grips: Government Plates
45. Devo: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo
46. Dogbowl: Flan
47. Dogg, Snoop: BUSH
48. Dolenz, Micky: Dolenz Sings Nesmith
49. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment: Surf
50. Dunnery, Francis: Tall Blonde Helicopter
51. Eagles: Desperado
52. Einstürzende Neubauten: Haus der Lüge
53. Einstürzende Neubauten: Halber Mensch
54. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Tarkus
55. Emerson, Lake and Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
56. Eno, Brian: Here Come the Warm Jets
57. Eno, Brian: Another Green World
58. Eno, Brian: Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
59. Fairport Convention: Unhalfbricking
60. Fairport Convention: What We Did On Our Holidays
61. Fall: Hex Enduction Hour
62. Fall: Slates (EP)
63. Fall: The Real New Fall LP (Formerly Country on the Click)
64. Fall: Imperial Wax Solvent
65. Family: Bandstand
66. Family: Fearless
67. First Aid Kit: Stay Gold
68. First Aid Kit: Ruins
69. Fleetwood Mac: Future Games
70. Fleetwood Mac: Bare Trees
71. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
72. Focus: Live At The Rainbow
73. Funkadelic: Maggotbrain
74. Gabriel, Peter: Peter Gabriel (III/Melt)
75. Gang of Four: Entertainment!
76. Gang of Four: Songs of the Free
77. Genesis: Duke
78. Genesis: Abacab
79. Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
80. Genesis: Wind and Wuthering
81. Good Rats: Tasty
82. Grateful Dead: American Beauty
83. Grateful Dead: Workingman’s Dead
84. Hall, Daryl: Sacred Songs
85. Hanslick Rebellion: The Rebellion is Here
86. Hitchcock, Robyn and the Egyptians: Element of Light
87. Hogg: Solar Phallic Lion
88. Hogg: Self-Extinguishing Emission
89. Human Sexual Response: Fig. 14
90. Human Sexual Response: In a Roman Mood
91. Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade
92. Jarre, Jean-Michel: Equinoxe
93. Jesu/Sun Kil Moon: Jesu/Sun Kil Moon
94. Jethro Tull: Songs From the Wood
95. Jethro Tull: Heavy Horses
96. Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick
97. Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
98. Joy Division: Closer
99. Juluka: Scatterlings
100. Kamikaze Hearts: Oneida Road
101. Kaukonen, Jorma: Quah
102. Keineg, Katell: Jet
103. Killdozer: Twelve Point Buck
104. Killers: Imploding the Mirage
105. Killers: Pressure Machine
106. King Crimson: Starless and Bible Black
107. King Crimson: In The Court of the Crimson King
108. Kraftwerk: Minimum-Maximum
109. Kurki-Suonio, Sanna: Musta
110. Lateef, Yusef: Eastern Sounds
111. Lateef, Yusef: The Complete Yusef Lateef
112. Laurels, L
113. London, Theophilus: Bebey
114. Magma: Üdü Ẁüdü
115. McCartney, Paul: McCartney II
116. McCartney, Paul: McCartney III
117. Meat Loaf: Bat Out of Hell
118. Minutemen: Double Nickels on the Dime
119. Mitchel, Joni: For the Roses
120. Mitchell, John Cameron and Stephen Trask: Hedwig And The Angry Inch
121. Mos Def: The Ecstatic
122. Mould, Bob: District Line
123. Napalm Death: Time Waits For No Slave
124. Napalm Death: Utilitarian
125. Napalm Death: Apex Predator — Easy Meat
126. Napalm Death: Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism
127. New Order: Movement
128. New Order: Power, Corruption and Lies
129. Nyman, Michael: A Zed and Two Noughts (Original Soundtrack)
130. Palmer, Robert: Pride
     
131. Phair, Liz: Exile in Guyville
132. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon
133. Pink Floyd: Animals
134. Pink Floyd: The Wall
135. Presley, Elvis: Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings
136. Public Enemy: Fear of a Black Planet
137. Public Enemy: Apocalypse ’91 . . . The Enemy Strikes Black
138. Public Enemy: What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down?
139. R.E.M.: Life’s Rich Pageant
140. Renaldo and the Loaf: Songs for Swinging Larvae
141. Replacements: Let It Be
142. Residents: Animal Lover
143. Residents: Demons Dance Alone
144. Residents: Wormwood
145. Richman, Jonathan: It’s Time For . . .
146. Richman, Jonathan: Ishkode! Ishkode!
147. Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St.
148. Rolling Stones: Tattoo You
149. Rundgren, Todd: Healing
150. Run The Jewels: RTJ4
151. Sepultura: Roots
152. Simon & Garfunkel: Sounds of Silence
153. Simple Minds: Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
154. Snog: Last of the Great Romantics
155. Snog: Lullabies for the Lithium Age
156. Sparks: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
157. Special A.K.A.: In the Studio
158. Steely Dan: Aja
159. Steely Dan: The Royal Scam
160. Steppenwolf: Gold
161. Swans: Filth
162. Swans: Holy Money
163. Talking Heads: Fear of Music
164. Tastee, Gay: Songs for the Sodomites
165. Television Personalities: Closer to God
166. Ten Years After: Cricklewood Green
167. The The: Soul Mining
168. This Heat: Deceit
169. Tosh, Peter: Mama Africa
170. Tosh, Peter: Equal Rights
171. Tracey, Stan Quartet: Under Milk Wood: Jazz Suite
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. Various Artists: If You Can’t Please Yourself You Can’t, Please Your Soul
177. Various Artists: The Harder They Come (Original Soundtrack Recording)
178. Wailer, Bunny: Blackheart Man
179. Wall of Voodoo: Happy Planet
180. Wall of Voodoo: Seven Days in Sammystown
181. Wasted: We Are Already in Hell
182. Weasels: Uranus or Bust
183. Weasels: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow
184. Wet Leg: Wet Leg
185. Who: Who’s Next
186. Who: Tommy
187. Wings: Band on the Run
188. Wings: Venus and Mars
189. Wire: The Ideal Copy/Snakedrill
     
190. Wire: It’s Beginning To And Back Again
191. Wishbone Ash: Argus
192. Woods Band: The Woods Band
193. Xiu Xiu: Angel Guts: Red Classroom
194. Xiu Xiu: Girl With Basket of Fruit
195. XTC: Black Sea
196. XTC: English Settlement
197. Yes: The Yes Album
198. Young, Neil and Crazy Horse: re-ac-tor
199. Zappa, Frank and the Mothers of Invention: One Size Fits All
200. Zappa, Frank: Joe’s Garage, Parts I, II and III

A very early favorite album, still on the big list, half-a-century later.