What are your favorite music albums?

[Fact Ten]

I must confess I'm making this post because I don't think I could work this into a conversation in real life. Also, I'm exhausted but still have to be up for the next few hours before I can sleep. So with those two things in mind, please allow me this indulgence!

I really enjoy listening to music but I find it to be a common occurrence that I like an album but believe some songs are there just to be filler material. It is extremely rare that I enjoy an entire album without wanting to skip at least a few songs.

With that in mind, here are a few albums (in chronological order) that I thoroughly enjoy.

1971's Emily by Emily Bindiger
1979's Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
1981's Heaven Up Here by Echo and the Bunnymen
1981's Movement by New Order
1983's Murmur by R.E.M.
1989's Up to Here by The Tragically Hip
1992's Seven by James
1993's Zooropa by U2
2007's The Good, the Bad, and the Queen by The Good, the Bad, and the Queen
2008's Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay
2012's Django Django by Django Django
2012's Linea Aspera by Linea Aspera
2015's Chasing Yesterday by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds

I could go on but that's all I can think of off the top of my head at the moment. What are some of your favorite albums that you enjoy from start to finish?

 

[Wolfnox]

Ember by Breaking Benjamin.
Halo 3 soundtrack
Halo 2 soundtrack
The greatest video game music.

 

[Judge]

More often than not, the "Greatest Hits" of my favorite artists.

A list so long I don't care to list it here.

 

[Bolletje]

2007's The Good, the Bad, and the Queen by The Good, the Bad, and the Queen

Ah, great album! I had the pleasure of seeing them live at Sziget festival in Hungary in 2007. I had goosebumps. I’m refraining from commenting more on this post for now because music has been my special interest ever since childhood and my list of favorite albums is vast. I used to be the DJ in a pub and it was a treat because I got paid for playing my favorite music night after night. I didn’t take requests though, unless they happened to be songs I liked I was a bit of a tyrant, heheh.

 

[Tom]

I tend to only listen to individual songs and not albums. Like Bolletje the material is a bit too large to think about easily. Maybe if I was paid to do it.

Just as vaguely related trivia, this is the current earworm tormenting me.

 

[Judge]

I tend to only listen to individual songs and not albums. Like Bolletje the material is a bit too large to think about easily. Maybe if I was paid to do it.

Just as vaguely related trivia, this is the current earworm tormenting me.

View attachment 59875

Reminds me of the mid-sixties when even the top rock stations played Barry Sadler and Frank Sinatra. Though a bit before the anti-war movement took root.

 

[GadAbout]

Do they still make albums? Just kidding. OP you are right about them intentionally putting a couple hit tunes on an album and the rest is second-rate. That's called maximizing profit. Not every group does that and not every album follows that pattern, but a whole lot of them do.

The solution for this is to make playlists of just those cuts that you like. I have a big music library on my computer, and can just decide who or what I want to listen to. I almost never load a CD any more. I do have a turntable but that's just to play my old records on.

I will say that some songs grow on you, so you may find after hearing them 20 times that you really like them.

I'm not going to name my favorite albums because I'll be embarrassed by seeming too old. Okay it's not exactly Lawrence Welk old (google it!) but still pretty bad.

 

[LeCiel]

Although I don't have a favorite album, I have had favorite songs or artists. I don't have any distinct favorite music types right now, I suppose. However, I do like Wham Rap quite a bit. The melody has so much energy and flows freely. As someone who doesn't listen to rap, this is a rap-disco song I can actually tolerate.

 

[Metalhead]

Yes - Close to the Edge
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2 Scenes from a Memory
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Nirvana - In Utero
Melvins - Houdini
Opeth - Still Life
Jackie Brown Soundtrack
Descendants - Milo Goes to College
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Elton John - Madman Across the Water
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
EPMD - Strictly Business
Ghost - Meloria
Pink Floyd - Animals
Patti Smith - Horses
Soft Cell - Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City
Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
Pearl Jam - Ten
Pet Shop Boys - Behavior
Radiohead - OK Computer
Strapping Young Lad - City
Tame Impala - Lonerism
Tech N9ne - Anghelic
Tool - Fear Inoculum
Type O Negative - October Rust
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
X Japan - Jealousy

Yeah, there is a lot of music that I love.

 

[Streetwise]

Soundtrack the lady and the tramp
Vivaldi the four seasons
The 80s hit's of
Best of the Bee gees
The best of ABBA
The Beatles 1967 to 68

 

[Juliettaa]

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Excellent choice

 

[LeCiel]

Yes - Close to the Edge
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2 Scenes from a Memory
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Nirvana - In Utero
Melvins - Houdini
Opeth - Still Life
Jackie Brown Soundtrack
Descendants - Milo Goes to College
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Elton John - Madman Across the Water
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Notorious B.I.G. - Life After Death
EPMD - Strictly Business
Ghost - Meloria
Pink Floyd - Animals
Patti Smith - Horses
Soft Cell - Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City
Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
Pearl Jam - Ten
Pet Shop Boys - Behavior
Radiohead - OK Computer
Strapping Young Lad - City
Tame Impala - Lonerism
Tech N9ne - Anghelic
Tool - Fear Inoculum
Type O Negative - October Rust
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
X Japan - Jealousy

Yeah, there is a lot of music that I love.

X JAPAN?? I used to listen to X Japan and Japanese rock bands!

 

[Fact Ten]

Ember by Breaking Benjamin.
Halo 3 soundtrack
Halo 2 soundtrack
The greatest video game music.

I'm not a huge console gamer and I was never crazy into Halo but I agree with you that it was the best video game music ever.

Ah, great album! I had the pleasure of seeing them live at Sziget festival in Hungary in 2007. I had goosebumps. I’m refraining from commenting more on this post for now because music has been my special interest ever since childhood and my list of favorite albums is vast. I used to be the DJ in a pub and it was a treat because I got paid for playing my favorite music night after night. I didn’t take requests though, unless they happened to be songs I liked I was a bit of a tyrant, heheh.

I hate the idea of live shows, but was the music just as relaxing and beautiful in person? If it was, I bet it was a treat. Also, I had my request privileges taken away at a local bar because I kept asking for stuff I liked that wasn't "popular" enough even though I tried to request music that would meet the bar vibe. I still get about one or two in through a backdoor kind of method with the bartender who compiles the playlists though.

...
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
...
Radiohead - OK Computer
...

I love me some Depeche Mode. They're one of the more fascinating stories in music history. Even though I didn't hear them until the mid 2000s and really didn't start exploring their music until my early 20s, I'm one of those people that thinks Alan Wilder was so important to the Depeche Mode sound and they never were the same without him. Also, those background vocals of his on the 101 live album... I have such a man crush on him that I once named my character in a MMO after him.

I have a mixed disposition towards Radiohead. I like them, but I hate them as if it's some never ending tug of war between two sides of me. But the Radiohead I love is on their Hail to the Thief album.

 

[Thinx]

Sounds of Silence Simon and Garfunkel 1966
Clouds Joni Mitchell 1969
Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon and Garfunkel 1970
American Pie Don McLean 1971
Blue Joni Mitchell 1971
Tapestry Carole King 1971
Eagles The Eagles 1972
Paul Simon Paul Simon 1972
Desperado The Eagles 1973
Farewell Andromeda John Denver 1973
Angel Clare Art Garfunkel 1973
There goes Rhymin' Simon Paul Simon 1973
On the Border The Eagles 1974
Breakaway Art Garfunkel 1975
Still Crazy after all these years Paul Simon 1975
One of these Nights The Eagles 1975
Windsong John Denver 1975
Greatest hits James Taylor 1976
Hotel California The Eagles 1976
Watermark Art Garfunkel 1977
Rumours Fleetwood Mac 1977
Tusk Fleetwood Mac 1979
Hearts and bones Paul Simon 1983
Graceland Paul Simon 1986
Strange Fire The Indigo Girls 1987
Shadowland k. d. Lang 1988
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 1988
Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge 1988
Crossroads Tracy Chapman 1989
Brave and Crazy Melissa Etheridge 1989
Rites of Passage The Indigo Girls 1992
Ingenue k. d. Lang 1992
Never Enough Melissa Etheridge 1992
Yes I am Melissa Etheridge 1993
Swamp Ophelia The Indigo Girls 1994
Your Little Secret Melissa Etheridge 1995
Trailer Park Beth Orton 1996
White on Blonde Texas 1997
Drag k. d. Lang 1997
Central Reservation Beth Orton 1999

There's more, but these are all albums where I liked all or nearly all the songs, and still play them.

 

[dragonfire42]

If I have to pick one, it would be Lateralus by Tool.

 

[Progster]

Oh, where do I start? Here are just a few:

Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Yes - Close to the Edge
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
Camel - Mirage
Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
Genesis - Foxtrot
Phoenix - Cantafabule
Jethro Tull - Heavy Horses
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Rush - 2112
Celelalte Cuvinte - Celelalte Cuvinte
Caravan - In the Land of Gray and Pink
Jan Dukes de Gray - Mice and Rats in the Loft
Gentle Giant - Octopus
Kogaion - Kogaion
Modry Efekt & Radim Hladek - Modry Efekt & Radim Hladek
Pink Floyd - Animals
Rush - A Farewell to Kings
Phoenix - Cei ce ne-au dat nume
Sfinx - Zalmoxe
Wishbone Ash - Argus
Skyclad - No Daylights nor Heeltaps
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
New Model Army - Impurity
Talking Heads - Little Creatures

 

[tducey]

Matchbox 20 - Yourself or Someone Like You
Eve 6 - Eve 6