My Top 12 Albums of all Time
Here's a list of my top 12 albums of all time listed in no particular order.
- Metallica - Metallica (The Black Album)
- Michael Jackson - Bad
- Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
- Dream Theater - Train of Thought
- Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
- Gloria Estefan - Mi Tierra
- Nightwish - Once
- Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
- Eric Clapton - Unplugged
- Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
- Soundgarden - Superunknown
- Live - Throwing Copper
(scroll down to read my thoughts on each album)
A Few Words About the Albums on this List
Metallica's Black Album
This album had a monumental impact on me. I spent years listening to this record from start to end, over and over and over and over again. This album has a very special place in my heart. I was 12 years old when this was released. My parents wouldn't get me this album, so I borrowed the vinyl record from the library and copied on to tape in order to get a copy I could listen to all the time. I did eventually buy a CD version of this album when I got the chance in my mid teens.
I still love this album and listen to it often. If I had to rank the albums on this list, there is no question that this would be #1.
Michael Jackson's "Bad"
I was old enough to understand the media frenzy and hype surrounding this album in the weeks before it was released. I was eight years old at the time this album came out. Just like Metallica's Black Album, I still listen to this album often. I still love the music. This was Jackson at his epitome. Sadly, it was all down hill for him after this.
The one thing about this album I can not understand is how there isn't a bad song on it. As a child, I couldn't stand the song "Speed Demon" but over the years the song grew on me. I get it now. I rate this album higher than "Thriller".
In the weeks after discovering "Bad" I would discover Guns n' Roses and Metallica and my life would never be the same. I was bitten by the "I want to be a musician" bug. My love for heavy music and pop music is still there. I could never be a fan of just one style of music.
When Jackson died in 2009, I was writing for The Weekly Riff webzine and reviewed this album as a tribute to him for TWR. You can read my review here.
Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark"
What a fantastic record! I discovered this album through my parents. Just one look at the list of musicians on this record and it is not hard to understand why this record is so good. Even before I knew who Larry Carlton was, I was influenced by his playing thanks to this album.
The songwriting on this album is so good. The arrangements are superb. I love this album and on some days this record is my #1 over Metallica's Black Album.
One of these days I'll have to find a badly worn vinyl copy of this record so I can turn it into a pickguard for my telecaster.
Dream Theater's "Train of Thought"
Of all the records that Dream Theater have put out, this is my favorite. I am a DT geek. I've seen them live multiple times. I own everything they've ever released and also some bootlegs. I am a fan boy. Yes, "Images and Words" is probably more important in the world of DT, but "Train of Thought" is my favorite from them.
This album came out the year I met my wife. We saw DT on the ToT tour and I was going to propose to my then girlfriend (now wife) at the Boston show during intermission. However, my jeweler forgot to put the ring in the box when I picked it up from him. So, that didn't work out exactly as planned.
I have a lot of memories linked to this album from that year. It holds a very special place in my heart.
Guns n' Roses' "Use Your Illusion II"
Most of my favorite songs from the "Use Your Illusion" saga are on the 2nd album. There are plenty of great songs on the 1st one, but the 2nd one was the one I listened to more of. Songs like "You Could Be Mine", "Estranged", "Pretty Tied Up", and "Get in the Ring".
Metallica's Black Album and "Use Your Illusion" came out around the same time. All of them where on heavy rotation for me. I received the 2nd album as a present from my aunt and had to get the 1st album the same way I got the Black Album. Years later, I ended up buying both "UYI 1" and "UYI 2" as CDs.
Once MP3's came along I would just make my version of "UYI 1+2" with the following track list (not in order):
"You Could Be Mine", "Estranged", "Pretty Tied Up", "Get in the Ring", "Locomotive", "Don't Cry", "Knocking on Heaven's Door", "Yesterday's", "Civil War", "Live and Let Die", "Bad Obsession", "Back Off Bitch", "November Rain", "Don't Damn Me", "Coma", "Dead Horse"
Gloria Estefan's "Mi Tierra"
This one is a contender for #1 on certain days. There isn't a bad moment on this album. From start to end. This is the perfect album to put on when I just want to chill out and I don't need an adrenalin boost. When I just want to be surrounded by something that makes me feel good, this is the one. I love Gloria Estefan's voice. Her singing is "conversational" to me. She's a very unique singer.
I'll often play this in the background while I'm cooking. I love to cook and this music adds to the joy while I'm in the kitchen. I wish I could play guitar like the musicians on this record.
This album came out around the time I turned 14. I wouldn't actually get a chance to pick this up until a year later. After getting it, it has always been with me. It's an old friend, just like all the other albums on this list.
Nightwish's "Once"
The only artist from Finland on this list. This album is in my opinion the best album from the band. "Ghost Love Score" is easily the best thing they've ever done. I love that song. The whole album is pretty good. I don't listen to all of it often, but I listen to a lot of the songs from it often. "Ghost Love Score" and "Dark Chest of Wonders" are the two songs I listen to all the time and "GLS" is probably my favorite song of all time.
Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill"
This is one of three albums that take me back to my last two years of high school. (The other two are also on this list.) I love this album, but not so much that it would ever by a #1 contender. This is probably not even a top 5 contender, but it is important enough in my life to be on this list. It is a "soundtrack to my life" album.
High school was such a confusing time in my life. Music was always there for me. There is something about the music on this album that helped me cope with those years.
Eric Clapton's "Unplugged"
This was a landmark album in my life. It had a huge impact on me. I was 13, when it was released. Years later when I formed Acoustic Bloom Theory in Hong Kong, in 2014, this album was the in the back of my mind.
I always loved the raw power of this acoustic album. So much so that the follow up record I have been working on for the past 10 years to my "Outside Looking In" album is going to be an acoustic album too.
I still listen to this quite a bit. I dig it up when I need to remind myself that no frills are needed to make good music. When ever I listen to this, I get inspired and excited to pick up my guitar and practice.
Transatlantic's "Bridge Across Forever"
I LOVE this album. LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If Metallica's Black Album didn't have such a huge impact on me, this would no doubt be #1 for me. I love that 3 of 4 songs on this album are true epics. Long pieces of music that take the listener on journeys. The writing, arranging, and musicianship is stellar. In my opinion, Transatlantic have not been able to better themselves after this album. This is the 2nd of 4 albums the band has put out. The first two are (in my opinion) way better than the two later albums.
Soundgarden's "Superunknown"
This is the 2nd of 3 albums that take me back to my last two years in high school. I listened to this album every morning on the school bus on my walkman cassette player. This is a #1 contender. Definitely a top 5 album for me. I liked everything about this album. Even the weird stuff. There is power in this music. There is a level of technicality in this music, yet it stays musical. It's balanced. This was Soundgarden at their best. Nothing they've done since can touch this album.
Live's "Throwing Copper"
I had this album in cassette format. With the exceptions of the last song on both sides, this album is absolutely stellar. It is the 3rd of 3 albums that takes me right back to my last two years in high school. I would listen to this on the way home from school every day. The writing and arrangements on this album are fantastic. I always liked the vocals on this album too, which is very rare for me. I don't usually pay attention to singers and tend to focus on the music - or the way the melody and harmony work together.