Our Most Influential Albums

Last week I went to my two best friends and blog contributors AbsolutGator and Mt. Cat and gave a little assignment. Each of us was to come up with a list of our Top 10 most influential albums. Each of us is a huge music fan and although we have some similar tastes we also have very different tastes as well. The rules to the list are that this is not a "favorite" list but the music that has influenced us. Also it must be a studio album and not a compilation or Greatest Hits collection or a Live performance. It's interesting to see how there are some parallels because none of us knew what the other was listing. Here goes so give a read and Tell us what you think:

Here is the AbsolutGator's list of influential albums. I made this list based on the album influencing me personally to not only listen to the band, but open my musical tastes to listen to other bands like them. These are not in any particular order:
Metallica: Master of Puppets - This is the best of Metallica and, arguably, the best metal album of all time. RIP - Cliff Burton
Jimmy Buffett: Fruitcakes - I always liked Brother Jimmy, but this was the album that got me to really become a fan.
Guns N' Roses: Appetite for Destruction - In the late '80s, you didn't go out after the Friday night football game without listening to this! Playing Def Leopard's Hysteria before GN'R was considered bad form.
The Clash: London Calling - This album hit on all types of genres and made punk something worth listening to.
AC/DC: Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - C'mon, what 3rd grade boy isn't gonna love singing about his balls?
Motley Crue: Shout at the Devil - Glam rock that kicked major ass.
Eagles: One of These Nights - The first album I can ever remember listening to as a kid with my Dad using the Aiwa reel-to-reel.
The Cure: Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me - I knew a girl in high school that said she did interesting things when Shiver and Shake would play. Unfortunately, I could only dream as she dated a friend of mine.
Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - Rap w/ classic rock riffs...that I can get into.
Jane's Addiction: Nothing's Shocking - This was the album that got me interested in and started alt-rock to me, making Grunge possible.

The next ten:
Herb Albert - Rise
Van Halen - Diver Down
Depeche Mode: Music for the Masses
RHCP - Freaky Styley
Huey Lewis & The News - Sports
Green Day - Dookie
John Cougar (Mellencamp) - My 1st CD!
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
Social Distortion - Social Distortion

Here is the Mt. Cat's list. Below are my top ten. A few on the list can be higher or lower depending on my mood. Also, I listed about 45 other big albums in my life. Surprise by any of them? - TMC


1. Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd (I think I listened to the album more than any other. Their Wish You Were Here album isn't far behind either).
2. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John (Greatest pop-rock album of all-time).
3. Led Zeppelin I - Led Zeppelin (Greatest raw hard rock album ever made).
4. Thriller – Michael Jackson (The King of Pop got me into music as a ten year old [insert Jesus Juice joke here]. Who is not influenced by the album??)
5. Who’s Next – The Who (This album as well as Quadrophenia are mind-blowing. Keith Moon makes the hair on my arms stand up).
6. The Stranger - Billy Joel (This album sweats the five boroughs of NYC).
7. Violator - Depeche Mode (I never liked them before this album. I've been mesmerized ever since. Their 2009 Sounds of the Universe album is equally great).
8. Invisible Touch – Genesis (My theme album for my grammar school graduation).
9. Play - Moby (First big album of the new millennium for me and when first I became a proud, successful Manhattanite).
10. The Fat of the Land - Prodigy (A disturbing album to listen to but it reminds me how strong I've become from hard times in my life).


Almost made the list:
Quadrophenia – The Who Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin IV Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin Abby Road - The Beatles Sgt. Pepper - The Beatles Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette So - Peter Gabriel No Jacket Required - Phil Collins Jimmy Buffett - Songs You Know By Heart The Doors – The Doors L.A. Woman - The Doors Joshua Tree - U2 Achtung Baby- U2 Metallica – Metallica Master of Puppets – Metallica Ride the Lightning – Metallica Sounds of the Universe - Depeche Mode Synchronicity – The Police Van Halen I – Van Halen For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge – Van Halen 1984 – Van Halen The Living Years – Mike + The Mechanics Ray of Light – Madonna London Calling - The Clash R - Queens of the Stone Age Hysteria – Def Leppard Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park (What's the Story) Morning Glory? – Oasis Purple Rain – Prince Empire – Queensrÿche Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine OK Computer – Radiohead Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe Pretty Hate Machine – Nine Inch Nails You've Come a Long Way, Baby – Fat Boy Slim Meantime – Helmet Oranges & Lemons – XTC Throwing Copper – Live Dream of the Blue Turtles – Sting Please - The Pet Shop Boys Very – Pet Shop Boys Presto – Rush Moving Pictures - Rush Storm Front - Billy Joel Nevermind – Nirvana Back in Black – AC/DC

Here's Doc's Top 10 list. Mine was really hard to crop down so I also included some that almost made the list. I did mine in reverse order David Letterman style.

10. Everything to Everyone - Barenaked Ladies - One of the greatest albums of the last 10 years. A great listen beginning to end. Also gave me a new kind of hope during a difficult transition time in my life.
9. License to Ill - Beastie Boys - My soundtrack for 9th grade in my life. I moved to Charlotte from a smaller town and found this album about the same time. Listened to it every day on the hour long school bus ride to and from. Probably still know every word by heart. Funny thing is my least favorite song is the "hit" Fight for your Right.
8. Purple Rain - Prince - Wow talk about an eye opening album for a young almost teenager!
7. The Long Run - Eagles - Still a great listen and another one you can listen to from start to end. One of the first records I ever bought with my own money.
6. Synchronicity - The Police - When this album came along it marked my introduction to more complex lyrical music. Wow what is this? Imagery? You mean the words can mean something else? I wore out this cassette tape in a summer and had to buy another copy.
5. Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish - Another transition album in my life. I really liked this album and then was given the opportunity to move to Columbia SC during it's heyday. I even ran into Darius Rucker right after I moved there and ended up attending the release party for their second album.

4. Sports - Huey Lewis and the News - Super Pop Rock album and the first CD I ever owned.
3. Automatic for the People - REM - An anthem album for me in college and after. I also picked it up again a few years ago after not listening for a decade and it still speaks to me just like it did back then.
2. Appetite For Destruction - Guns-n-Roses - Hard driving and my introduction to gritty tough Rock-n-Roll. Grabbed me from the opening note and never let go.
1. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi - Im my opinion the best Rock album of all time. Probably the album I have listened to the most times in my life. Great music and 2 separate and distinct parts to the album. Even though it served as a high school anthem the 1st part still rings true today. Timeless and I still listen from time to time.

Almost made the list: (no particular order)
1984 - Van Halen
Please - The Pet Shop Boys
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morisette
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Fruitcakes - Jimmy Buffett
Storm Front - Billy Joel
The Stranger - Billy Joel
Boston - Boston
Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

So there they are. We would love to hear what you think... Feel free to make a list of your own most influential albums and share it with us.

-Doc, Mt. Cat and Absolutgator