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We all have them... "You HAVE to listen to this!" We recommend them, burn them (for you older folks, that is taping), buy them for presents. If you HAD to pick the albums to save from a fire, or the fist ones you would replace after one, these would be them.

In this thread, we will discuss and share our ESSENTIAL albums. Perhaps we can expand our musical horizons.

My personal essentials:

The Misfits: Yellow Skull
This used to also be referred to as Green Skull, but it is now called Collection 1, as they released a Collection 2 some years ago. This isn't a best of album per se, but just a collection of songs. Collection 2 gathers up what was left off of Yellow Skull, but Yellow Skull is the heart and soul of what the Misfits represented. It is a mix of their more punk songs and their foray into thrash/speed metal. A must for any fan of Punk, no matter the sub-genre.

Operation Ivy: Operation Ivy
This is all you need to have from this band as it covers just about every one of their songs except for like 4 or 5. The album itself is a expanded re-release of Energy. This is the forerunner to Rancid and, for myself, marks the end of the great punk bands, with crappy, but still entertaining bands like Green Day and Blink 182 attempting to take up the mantle, but failing. They hold a special place for me, as they are a hometown band and I was around for their brief, but influential heyday.

Metallica: Kill 'Em All
An obvious choice for sure, but that doesn't change the fact that no music collection is complete without this album.

Hank Williams III: Rising Outlaw
This album is amazing. Nothing like the bubble cuntry that gets radio play. It is a throwback to a style that much more resembles his grandfather, than the crap that his dad puts out. It is all heartache and sorrow and twang, and that is a very good thing.

Slayer: Decade of Aggression
A live album, but for myself, it translates the real power that Slayer has and that is in their live act. One of the few bands I prefer live over studio. Every song is a faster, more powerful, more aggressive version and they are all better for it.

N.W.A.: Straight Out Of Compton
This is the album that started it all. Almost every single rap song you hear today owes itself to this album. Ice-T and some others were there first, but N.W.A. made it happen and perfected it with this album.

Led Zeppelin: IV (Signs, Zoso)
IMO, with the exception of Whole Lotta Love, this album contains all the best songs of the mighty Zeppelin. It is a close to a perfect album I have ever heard. There isn't much to say about it that hasn't already been said.

Third Eye Blind: Third Eye Blind
I know, I know. This album just forces me to listen to it all the way through. I know nothing about the band, it's members name, how many there are... I don't even think I know the names of all the songs, but sure as hell I can sing along with every single one of them. I think I like this album because a pretty large group of girls I was banging when it came out liked it, but whatever the reason, I have to have it in my collection.

The Ramones: The Ramones
Fuck The Clash. Fuck The Sex Pistols. Fuck everyone else. You want Punk? This IS Punk plain and simple. Everyone else bows down at the feet of The Ramones.

The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds
Damn, I don't think there is a better sing along album ever made than this. Believe the hype with this album, it is that good.

The Buzzcocks: Singles Going Steady
The only other punk band I would even consider mentioning in the same breath with The Ramones. This album is the basis for every pop/bubble punk song or band you have ever heard, and while they make me cringe, the Buzzcocks make me sing along with glee.

Rush: Chronicles
Another compilation. I absolutely love Rush, and this is an essential for myself simply because I can't pick every album they put out up to and including Roll the Bones.

Danzig: IV
I love the bluesy, mellow, yet hard and foreboding music on this album. It pumps me up and soothes me all at the same time. It is a great listen.

Johnny Cash: With His Hot and Blue Guitar
This is another one of those amazing albums that is so full of amazing songs that it is almost ridiculous. JC did most of them again and even better in some cases on later albums, but this is the original and still the one that you must have,

havokeff wrote: Operation Ivy: Operation Ivy
This is all you need to have from this band as it covers just about every one of their songs except for like 4 or 5. The album itself is a expanded re-release of Energy. This is the forerunner to Rancid and, for myself, marks the end of the great punk bands, with crappy, but still entertaining bands like Green Day and Blink 182 attempting to take up the mantle, but failing. They hold a special place for me, as they are a hometown band and I was around for their brief, but influential heyday.

Eh, Hellcat Records publishes a whole bunch of pretty good punkbands which can take it up with the olden bands like Operation Ivy.

Charlie Daniels: Greatest Hits.

Alice Cooper: Monsters and Mascara

Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
This album is so good it has inspired people to use its title as a name on message boards.

Steely Dan - Katy Lied
A lot of people roll their eyes at jazz fusion but I think this record is simply brilliant.

Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Classic California pop via amateurish noise rockers. Whats not to like.

J Dilla - Welcome 2 Detroit
Rap from the midwest doesn't have to be lame like Kanye.

The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come
A lot of people will tell you this isn't the Smiths best album. Then again, a lot of people will tell you that God created the universe several thousand years ago.

Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Evokes all the best childhood memories.

Bjork - Debut
Garbage - Version 2.0
Space - Spiders (the irony of me loving that kills me)
Oasis - Whats the Story morning Glory
Metallica - S&M
The Offspring - Conspiracy of One
Tool - Aenima
Slayer - South Of Heaven

Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind. No question.

I don't have a very large musical collection though, so I suppose that makes it a little easier. Other top picks would include my Deep Purple compilations, a Jimi Hendrix compilation, and as much Maiden and Judas Priest as possible.

The Doors - Waiting for the Sun
The Beatles - Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III
Yes - Fragile
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A'-Changin'

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Kicking Aainst the Pricks
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Gang of Four - Return the Gift
Radiohead - OK Computer
Sonic Youth - Sister
Swans - Children of God

I'll just recommend one classical album everyone should have in his collection, despite whether one likes classical music or not, because it quite probably is the epitome of classical music:

Wilhelm Furtwängler/Ludvig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Lucerne 1954. Available on Tahra records. Quite probably the best performance ever made by an orchestra. There is none like it. I am one of the few thousand people who actually have a CD recording of it, but if you google Furtwängler Lucerne 1954 I am sure you will find something where you can listen to it. I'd recommend the Tahra restoration of it (second result, FURT 2001), though you can buy the excellent Music&Arts restoration of on Amazon.com.

Thanas wrote:I'll just recommend one classical album everyone should have in his collection, despite whether one likes classical music or not, because it quite probably is the epitome of classical music:

That's the whole point of the thread Thanas.

havokeff wrote:

Thanas wrote:I'll just recommend one classical album everyone should have in his collection, despite whether one likes classical music or not, because it quite probably is the epitome of classical music:

That's the whole point of the thread Thanas.

Well, glad that I understood its purpose. I'll make another few recommendations tomorrow then.

Omeros wrote:Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Kicking Aainst the Pricks
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Gang of Four - Return the Gift
Radiohead - OK Computer
Sonic Youth - Sister
Swans - Children of God

This list is dope. A lot of people would disagree but I think that Safe As Milk is just as important as Trout Mask Replica.

I should also clarify, these don't have to be groundbreaking or phenomenally influential albums. They just have to be music that is essential to YOU.

Wham! - Make it big

Ratt - Out of the Cellar

Debbie Gibson - Electric Youth

John Williams Greatest Hits - 1969-1999

Dream Theater - Images and Words

Van Halen - 1984

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet

Expose' - Expose'

Gap Band - Gap Band IV

Yeah. No Music collection is complete without any of those - and I'll have words with anyone who says otherwise.

havokeff wrote:I should also clarify, these don't have to be groundbreaking or phenomenally influential albums. They just have to be music that is essential to YOU.

Oh thank God.

In that case...

A lot of the music I listen to tends to be just a few songs off an album. So when it comes to an entire album I want to keep, it really cuts down the list, unless I want to save just one song off an album so bad it's worth not taking another.

ABBA: Number Ones - Yes, ABBA is worth it. And it's not just one or two songs, either, there's enough music on there that it is almost necessary.

Bohemia: Pesa Nasha Pyar - One of the best Punjabi rap albums I've ever heard, although that might have something to do with the fact that there aren't that many to begin with. A classic-to-be.

Bon Jovi: Crush - This album would be saved just for one song. It's My Life is probably my favourite song of all time. I actually enjoyed Have A Nice Day more, there were more songs I liked, but that one song is worth losing HAND.

Dr. Dre: The Chronic - This is one of the rap albums I will always cherish. This is the third rap album I ever bought, and I swear to you I will never let it go. I keep it in my fireproof safe (it's freaking huge so I find things to fill it with), and only use copied CDs to listen to it in the car.

Elvis Presley: Number One Hits - This compilation is pretty good Elvis, but it also holds a special place in my heart (and fireproof safe). Came out in 1987, so I obviously didn't buy it myself. It was a gift that means a lot to me. Plus it's Elvis!

Kanye West: Graduation - I know, a lot of people don't like Kanye West, I don't care. This album is fucking awesome to me, and that's all that matters. Although 808s & Heartbreak might take this spot, it does seem to be a pretty sweet album. I'm making up a rule that you can only take on album per artist, though.

Kaskade: Love Mysterious - I don't know why. It might not even be worth it, just for one song. But that song is so stuck in my head I don't think it'd come out even with a lobotomy.

Kylie Minogue: Fever (Japanese Hyper Edition) - This is my favourite album ever. I own three versions of it, the US release, the Australian release with the better cover, and the Japanese Hyper Edition that has a cover I don't care too much for, but it's got a bunch of remixes (that I really don't care about) plus it's better sound quality. And it was a pain in the ass to get.

Madonna: Confessions On A Dancefloor - This is one of the other albums I keep in the safe. I love it. I listened to it so much I had to buy another CD. This is the album that started my practice of making a copy so I don't ruin the original.

Michael Jackson: Thriller - Okay, so I have Thriller 25, the re-release with all those terrible remixes with Kanye West, Fergie, will.I.am, but damn it, I don't have to listen to those parts! And really, one of the best selling albums of all time? I could let it go and just "borrow" a copy from somone who already has it. Like, everyone I know with a music collection.

The Notorious B.I.G.: Ready To Die - This is the fourth rap album I ever got, and one of the best I have ever listened to.

Prince & The Revolution: Purple Rain - Do I need to justify this one? When Doves Cry was the song that was playing when I had my first kiss, it was playing for a lot of firsts, actually, and it's playing right now. So those are the personal reasons.

Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad (Reloaded Edition) - A bunch of songs I very much enjoy listening to, including Disturbia, which is right now one of my favourite songs.

The Sounds: Dying To Say This To You - I might leave this one behind, to be honest, but if it happens to be close enough to another one of the albums on this list, I'd make the extra effort to grab it. Thanks to Dooey Jo for introducing me to these guys. Took forever to get the physical CD, though. Fucking HMV...

T.I.: Paper Trail - This one gets saved by virtue of being in the get away vehicle already. And that's where it's staying.

2Pac: All Eyez On Me OR Makeveli: The Don Killuminati - I don't know which of Tupac's albums is more valuable to me. It'd be a toss up. The only time I'd consider breaking my 'one album per artist' rule.

EDIT: On further reflection, fuck the ABBA. And to be honest, 808s and Heartbreak isn't as good as Kanye's Graduation, it's way too depressing. On that note, if I ever get my hands on a recording of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, I will add that to the list. It makes me tear up every time, especially when I hear it in Platoon.

I should also clarify that I will remember your essential albums and totally give you shit for it at a later date.
Spoiler

I'm going straight for my records, cause almost all of them are out of print and it would take me years of hunting on ebay and 2nd hand record stores to buy them all back again. Other than those I'd probably pick the following:

Cowboy Junkies - Whites off Earth Now!! Other than Jimi Hendrix, this is quite possibly the best set of Blues covers I've ever heard. This is one of those rare albums where everything comes together and you feel it, there's an amazing energy, dynamics and life to the sound which just grabs you from the first listen. Also has the best version of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads" ever recorded, puts the original and Clapton's version to shame.

Led Zeppelin - I No other Zeppelin album flows as smoothly as this one, and none of them have the raw energy and soul of their debut album. Then again, I'm partial to the Blues and this one does it better than the rest.

Eva Cassidy - Songbird If her version of "Wade in the Water" doesn't make you feel, you must be a cold heartless bastard. Throw in her cover of "Fields of Gold" and that's worth the entire album, except there's even more goodness to be had. Few singers have the expressiveness and soul that Eva had, and this is a nice collection of her works.

Jimi Hendrix - Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight Not the best Hendrix performance, but certainly among his most soulful, this is another of the rare albums that has a life to it that can't be explained. Every time I listen to "Machine Gun" or "Red House" off this album it's an intense experience that leaves me feeling drained afterwards. Blues does not get any better than this. Probably my fave stoner album as well.

Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy Sarah at her creative best, she's got a real special voice and here she's put it to perfect use. Later albums seem overproduced and the songs aren't as good, here, it flows perfectly from beginning to end.

Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session Two Blues legends, together, for a live jam session. It is full of awesome.

The Exies - Head for the Door: One of my favorite bands, and a massively unappreciated one. Almost as soon as they finished the tour supporting this album, their label dropped them and half the band quit.

Avenged Sevenfold - Avenged Sevenfold: While I like the first 3 tracks off of this album, all the later songs are just amazing, especially the solo in Afterlife.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik: Under the Bridge is the first song I remember hearing and this is the first album I ever owned.

Lamb of God's Sacrament and Venaculas' Therapy are pretty important to me, too. They were the first growling/screaming bands I actually liked and I still listen to them at least once every couple days.

Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance: This one's a bit weird because the first time I heard it was after I downloaded and played it in Rock Band, and that's still the only way I can really listen to the thing.

Anything by Queen.

aerius wrote:Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Session Two Blues legends, together, for a live jam session. It is full of awesome.

Check out SRV's Live at Carnegie Hall, one of my essentials. Maybe not quite as awesome as In Session (Blues At Sunrise kills) but well worth it to hear him and his brother doing a rendition of "The Things That I Used to Do."

Deep Purple: Purpendicular, Machine Head, Fireball
Couldn't live without those albums, and yes, I think Purpendicular perfectly stands up to MKII's best efforts. I'm so madly in love with Purple's light-footedness and swinging rhythmn, and I could go on for hours and hours about how perfect a song "Pictures of home" or "Maybe I'm a leo" or "Lazy" is. I didn't include Deep Purple In Rock, because while it has "Bloodsucker" and it's rawness and unrefinedness has it's own appeal, it's not the Purple I love best.

AC/DC: Back in Black, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
You totally need those two. I even think Back in Black is superior to Highway to Hell by a long margin, especially because Highway to Hell sounds like ass compared to the punch of Back in Black production-wise.

Led Zeppelin: II, III, IV ("Untitled"), Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffitti
These are just plain essentials, too. If pressed I could settle for the selection on Remasters, though.

The Rolling Stones: Exile on Main St., Sticky Fingers, Voodoo Lounge
Most people agree that Exile is Stones at their best, and I'm in love with Voodoo Lounge because this album was what turned me back to Rock'n'Roll at age 14 when I was a lot into obscure German hip-hop.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Pronounced, Second Helping, Gimme Back My Bullets
Skynyrd's way underrated by most people, and I'd rate "I ain't the one", "Gimme three steps" or "Gimme Back My Bullets" over "Free Bird" and "Sweet Home Alabama" anytime. I love southern-style rock, and Skynyrd got such a big variety. It's plain rock, bluesy, with country-flair, "Saloon-piano-tunes", even swampy at times.

Bob Dylan: Desire, Blood on the Tracks
Can't say why, but those two from 1975 are just my fave Dylan records.

Grand Magus: Grand Magus, Monument, Wolf's Return, Iron Will
Fucking magnificent. They're heavy, they're so METAL, they're pretty perfect. They're 'northern darkness' without the silly black metal thing going on.

Rainbow: Long live Rock'n'Roll
Plain and simple: one of the best hard rock albums from the 70ies. It rocks your socks off and has RJ Dio at his most awesome.

Elf: Elf
Before Blackmore turned them into Rainbow, Elf was an awesome bluesrock band. Their self-titled debut is all killer, no filler, and every note played is exactly on the point. It has some of the best and most song-fitting guitar solos I know of, and it has killer piano. This album is a gem, and it's much too unknown for how good it is.

Extreme: III Sides to Every Story
They grew by a fair margin from Pornograffitti to this one. One of the longest albums in my collection (very nearly 80 minutes), very ambitious and never failing. Flamboyant as Queen, opulent arrangements and fine guitar-wizardry without being over-the-top or getting boring.

Kaizers Orchestra: Ompa Til du Dør
Refreshing mix of rock and Scandinavian folklore, most playful and fun here on their first album.

Iron Maiden: Piece of Mind, Powerslave, Number of the Beast
Goes without explanation I think.


There's propably more stuff I couldn't live without, but I can't remember right now

The Mars Volta, both De-Loused in the Comatorium and Frances the Mute. Nothing I know of tops those two.

Alien 3 soundtrack by Elliott Goldenthall. So lovingly dark.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture Soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith. My favorite ever Star Trek music.

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot to remind me of the happy times of my childhood.

Rabbit Songs by Hem. Sally Ellison's voice just sounds like feminine love to me; it reminds me of my wife even though my wife's voice is much more operatic in texture.

German Requiem by Brahms. Nothing else seems to hold the same mix of sincere regret and warm comfort in the face of death.

Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis by Vaughan Williams. To me the most beautiful single piece ever written. It reminds me of the visions of utopian eternity and divine union I lost after accepting there is no God.

Mysterious Mountain by Alan Hovhaness. You just have to listen to it.

And for specialty classical recordings: don't miss Sir Charles Mackerras and the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra's recording of the complete original Glagolitic Mass by Janacek. I've never heard a remotely comparable performance; everyone else seems lost amidst the bizzare time signatures and erratic melodies, or they perform a trimmed down version.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
And yes, it is spelled like that and yes, they were called THE Smashing Pumpkins at that point in time. Goes from heavy to light to uplifting to skullcracking... and it's all good.

Radiohead - The Bends
Maybe not quite as influential or groundbreaking as OK Computer, but a better collection of songs. Easier to listen to, still that same Radiohead angst and Fake Plastic Trees, what's not to like?

The Beatles - The White Album
Everyone who did a list without The Beatles is actually a computer pretending to be human on this forum, because real people adore the fucking Beatles. And yes, I know it's not actually called The White Album. Some great hits and experimental stuff. And Rocky Raccoon. Fuck! Gonna have that in my head all night now.

Muse - Absolution
The only thing that surprises me about this album is that more people don't own it. Perfectly orchestrated from end to end, the album that will define Muse's career... doesn't really matter what else they come out with.

Placebo - Without You I'm Nothing
Ignore the poppy lyrics of the first track and first single Pure Morning, listen from track 2 and you'll hear one of the punchier Brit rock albums of the last decade.

Live - Throwing Copper
Trivia: I Alone is the only song to make the list in two Triple J Hottest 100 countdowns by the same artist.

The Doors - Greatest Hits
No Troy! Not a motherfucking Greatest Hits album! You sellout! I know, but in all honesty I think the Doors spread their best stuff over too many albums to choose one. So I'll go with this.

Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Rather new compared to the others, so hopefully I won't get sick of it and wish I'd never listed it, but right now, I'm thinking Bloc Party might be just about the best band of my lifetime, and this album is seven different kinds of awesome.

Most of my actual favourite tracks are considered mediocre-to-bad by the population at large. I would however recommend without reservation;

Dire Straits : Alchemy
Their only live album, it has a unique pace and most of their best tracks, including extended versions of 'Sultans of Swing' and 'Telegraph Road' with really excellent guitar solos.

Starglider wrote:Most of my actual favourite tracks are considered mediocre-to-bad by the population at large.

So what. The point of this thread is to get what YOU like out there, and as I said, perhaps expand some horizons. Don't be ashamed man!