Fun Stuff > BAND
One Album For Every Year You Are Alive
SleeperCylon:
1983: Violent Femmes - s/t
Such wonderful, unique songcraft. Combating the age of overproduction with minimalist awesomeness.
1984: Replacements - Let It Be
From the brief window of time between when the Replacements learned to write songs and when they forgot how to have energy comes one of the greatest albums of all time.
1985: Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Beautiful songwriting, raspy voice.
1986: The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
The peak of post-Beatles Britpop as far as I'm concerned. Marginally depressed cleverness.
1987: Prince - Sign O The Times
Slightly overlong, but full of in my opinion his best work.
1988: Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Like the Violent Femmes, another minimalist reprieve from the overproduced glossy synth-poppy 80s. But from more of a 'fun little punk' standpoint.
1989: The Cure - Disintegration
The best work from an unfairly pigeonholed rock band.
1990: Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual
Possibly the funnest album of all time
1991: Nirvana - Nevermind
Iconic.
1992: REM - Automatic For The People
REM's last great album with some of the most memorable alternative rock songs ever written.
1993: Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville
A release of pure modern feminine anger. With all the vocals just enough off key to really get the feeling across.
1994: Jeff Buckley - Grace
I honestly don't think this guy would have ever released a bad album if he didn't die.
1995: Pulp - Different Class
GO HOME YOU RICH SPOILED BITCH.
1996: Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Indie songwriters unmatched in their particular style.
1997: Radiohead - OK Computer
Also iconic.
1998: Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs
One of the greatest indie pop albums in my opinion.
1999: Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrgun
Hey, this is a really....good.... *snore*
2000: Radiohead - Kid A
I'm only including two Radiohead albums because I honestly think they wrote the best album two decades running.
2001: Bob Dylan - Love And Theft
Yeah, I'm old. Yeah, I mumble my lyrics incoherently. Got a problem?
2002: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Another of the best indie pop albums ever, and also with the coolest indie story ever. "They wouldn't let us release it so we bought the master tapes and put it on our website for free".
2003: White Stripes - Elephant
Jack White in his pure balls out guitar riff period before he decided it was time to vary stuff up, write songs with Brendan Benson and swear he has a Lennon/McCartney relationship with him.
2004: Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
Jack White produced the album, insisting on taking every song in five or six takes, because that makes the song sound fresher. He was right, and this is perhaps the best country album since douchebags in cowboy hats ruined the genre.
2005: Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Beautiful folky songwriting. A bit overlong.
2006: The Knife - Silent Shout
Damn you Pitchfork! Now when I praise Silent Shout I sound like a mindless forkie! Die! Yes, it's the best album of the year, but that's why you were supposed to vote for random amplifier noise instead!
2007: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
A great songcrafter striking gold about four or five times on one album.
2008 so far: Portishead - Third
A Wet Helmet:
Are you kidding me? The Dark Side of the Moon, Houses of the Holy, and Quadrophenia all came out when I was born. I have to chose one and keep going? Too hard, quitting now.
Christophe:
Fuck, I pretty much only listen to Silkworm now. I don't think I've ever felt so intensely about one band since... well, ever.
TheFuriousWombat:
1989 - Doolittle by Pixies
Hey and Gouge Away alone pretty much make this album of the year. Arguable their finest album, Pixies album was pretty darn brilliant. At it's best moments, it's rough, raw and cacophonous, brining it like few bands have before or since.
1990 - Goo by Sonic Youth
1991 - Spiderland by Slint
1992 - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 by Aphex Twin
One of the finest ambient albums ever released. It's one of the first pieces of ambient music I heard and was definitely pretty formative in getting me to explore the music I now love the most.
1993 - Ikcy Metal by Archers of Loaf
1994 - Grace by Jeff Buckley
A superb album, heartfelt and tremendous despite its minimalism
1995 - The Bends by Radiohead
1996 - Millions Now Living Will Never Die by Tortoise
A gorgeous, complex album that seriously demands multiple listens. Innovative and original, even today.
1997 - F♯A♯∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
This is almost impossible. Several of my all time favorites came out this year. I was incredibly tempted to pick The Lonesome Crowded West. I know OK computer and Young Team came out as well. For me, however, this is the most important album of the year. If I had to pick just one, this would be the album that got me interested in all this "post-rock" nonesense that I love so dearly these days. A mesmerizing album from start to finish and while the others are too, they didn't influence me as much as my choice (even if I probably like them a little more at times).
1998 - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Just plain brilliant. Superb songwriting. One of my all time favorite albums.
1999 - Agaetis Byrjun by Sigur Ros
Lush, alien, haunting and one-of-a-kind. This was very tough since From Bone to Satellite was also released this year but...I made an executive decision. AB has definitely had more of an impact on my life so it got the nod.
2000 - Kid A by Radiohead
This is a HARD year. The Moon and Antarctica, Melody of a Certain Three, How Strange Innocence, Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven and a hell of a lot of others. Nothing tops the experimental bliss of Kid A, however.
2001 - Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever by Explosions in the Sky
A sweeping, cinematic war story of an album. Powerful, soaring, epic.
2002 - You Forgot it in People by Broken Social Scene
This was almost impossible since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came out this year too as did ( ). Somehow it felt more right to give the nod to BSS. All three albums are deserving of the top spot, however.
2003 - Happy Songs for Happy People by Mogwai
The first Mogwai album I ever heard, this is the reason why I like them and another of the formative albums that got me into the genre.
2004 - Funeral by Arcade Fire
One of the best "indie-rock" records ever written if you ask me. At turns intimate and deeply personal, the album still had truly bombastic moments and was brimming with wonderful lyrics and a mature angst that was masterfully done. A tough year as We Move Through Weather also came out this year.
2005 - Talk Amongst the Trees by Eluvium
Since The Campfire Headphase, Noumena (one of my all time favorite albums) and Takk... also came out this year. It was a tough choice but Eluvium, one of the best ambient artists out there, delivered something truly special with this ghostly triumph of an album
2006 - Live Edits: Natoma by Tarentel
2007 - And Their Refinement of the Decline by Stars of the Lid
Just plain brilliant. An important album by an important band that pushes sonic boundaries into new places with every (incredibly infrequent) release.
2008 - Not sure yet....
I think this is my list....although I'm not sure I believe all my choices are the best. But it'll have to do as I have homework galore!
Katherine:
1978 - Greatest Hits (1974-1978) - Steve Miller Band It is sad how much I adore this album.
1979 - In Through the Out Door - Led Zeppelin I had no idea that this was actually released in my lifetime. I have never felt so old as I do right now.
1980 - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
1981 - BAD RELIGION - Bad Religion
1982 - Bobbie Sue – The Oak Ridge Boys I remember listening to Oak Ridge Boys records on the record player and singing along with my Dad. MAHHHH HEARRRRRTS ON FIRE, FOR ELVIRA! Boom chicka wow chicka boom chicka bow wow!
1983 - Colour by Numbers - Culture Club
1984 - She's So Unusual - Cyndi Lauper
1985 - Telephone Free Landslide Victory - Camper Van Beethoven
1986 - True Blue - Madonna Oh Lord was I obsessed with Madonna at this age...
1987 - Jane's Addiction - Jane's Addiction Not their best album but my favorite JA song is on this one.
1988 - Lincoln - They Might Be Giants
1989 - Pretty Hate Machine - Nine Inch Nails
1990 - To The Extreme - Vanilla Ice Yes. I was one of those people.
1991 - Ten - Pearl Jam I remember seeing the video for Jeremy on MTV at my aunt's house (cause I didn't have cable at home) and I was immediately hooked. I wore this tape out, two times.
1992 - It's a Shame about Ray - The Lemonheads This is another album that I just love the hell out of. I can never get tired of it.
1993 - Bargainville - Moxy Früvous I didn't actually get into Moxy Früvous until a couple of years after this album came out, but this was the first CD of theirs that I purchased. I love these guys so much.
1994 - Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate
1995 - Wowee Zowee - Pavement They used to play Pavement on the independent radio station that I listened to in high school. I never knew the songs that I was hearing, and loving, were Pavement until years later.
1996 - Ænima - Tool A friend of mine was a huge Tool fan, and sent me all of their stuff on tape when this album came out. I remember seeing Tool videos a year or two prior to this and being scared.
1997 - I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One - Yo La Tengo Yet another album that I simply adore.
1998 - In/Casino/Out - At the Drive-In When this came out, people were telling me to buy it, that I would love it. I was dirt poor at the time so I ignored them, but once I actually got around to checking these guys out a few years later, I have to say I agreed with those people. I likes.
1999 - Something To Write Home About - The Get Up Kids
2000 - Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia - The Dandy Warhols At the time, I was working at The Disney Store, and the Dandy Warhols were my manager's favorite band. I won some contest, and he bought this album for me. It isn't OH FUCKING SPECTACULAR like some of the others I have chosen, but it represents the time I spent working there.
2001 - Owls - Owls Need I say more?
2002 - Worship and Tribute - Glassjaw There has to be better stuff that came out this year, but I didn't see anything that struck my fancy on the Wikipedia page for this year...
2003 - Loses Control - Hey Mercedes So much goodness. I got into these guys mere months after they broke up, and I was devastated to learn that I would never get to see them live. I spent a buttload of cash to see their reunion show in Chicago for the Threadless Grand Opening Party last Sept. Worth every cent.
2004 - Good News for People Who Love Bad News - Modest Mouse I don't even know what else came out this year. I just remember being so very excited for the new Modest Mouse album. It came out April 6, 2004, two days after I got married. I had preordered it, and jubilantly greeted the mailman that afternoon. Wheee!
2005 - Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness - Coheed and Cambria I know these guys aren't looked upon too kindly around these parts, but my ex introduced me to their music in early 2005. I didn't like them at first, as the lead singer sounded like a chick and I don't generally care for female vocalists, but they grew on me very quickly and now they're one of my favorite bands. If I ignore their latest album.
2006 - III: In the Eyes of Fire - Unearth This is another one of those years where something better must have come out but I didn't see it on Wikipedia and can't remember for the life of me what else came out this year.
2007 - Living With the Living - Ted Leo and the Pharmacists A lot of people don't like this album as much as their previous ones, and I tend to agree for the most part, but Bottle of Buckie is just such a fucking amazing song that I had to pick this for 2007.
2008 - Going to the Bone Church - Make Believe I am really bad at picking favorite albums. I can barely remember what came out last week, much less over the last few months. I just listen to stuff as it comes to mind, or pops up on my iTunes but I do remember liking this album a whole lot.
I tried to stick with albums that I own/owned, although not necessarily in the year that they came out. I didn't really double check to make sure that these albums came out in the years that I have them listed under - I used Wikipedia for the most part so I hope that they are all correct. If not, I'm sorry.
Edited for coding mistake.
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