Durg's Top 50 Albums Spanning Decades and Genres

[Durg]

Going back to the classic rock station....




42.  Queen - The Game (1980)


No matter how many times I forget about Queen something will almost regularly come up that reminds me how much I've always really loved this band.  Night at the Opera, Innuendo, A Kind of Magic are all albums that I've owned and enjoyed.  However, this particular album is special because it was the first album I ever purchased when I was probably 11 or 12 years old.

At the time "Another One Bites the Dust" was a bit hit on the radio.  I was in the 6th grade and discovering my music identity in a world that only listened to country music and easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?).  8 track players were everywhere and I literally wore this one out.  Not only do I have fond memories for this being my first purchase but I also remember my 6th grade math teacher allowing us to listen to it in class.  The thing is, this was really my first exposure to hard rock.  Of course the rock on this isn't all that hard and some of the songs are kind of pop with a sort of 50's grove.  But it was hard rock to me none the less and it helped to form the musical tastes that I have today. 

As I re listen to this 30 or more years later I realize that almost all of these tracks have such great melodies and musicianship.  The songs are so memorable and hearing them again gives me a feeling like that of reuniting with an old dear friend that moved away many years ago.  Queen was never afraid to try something different and creative but at the same time they just knew how to write great rock songs.

Favorite Songs: Play the Game, Dragon Attack, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Sail Away Sweet Sister

[jingle.boy]

easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?). 

For those of us that took piano lessons as a kid, Frank Mills was mandatory (and fun).  This, Peter Piper and Piano Lesson #5 I can still play to this day from muscle memory.

Transatlantic is a great 4-song album; Freddie is a top 3 vocalist ... ever.  Nice picks.

[Nekov]

Again you demonstrate your musical taste is great. Transatlantic is such a great band and BAF is my favorite. The Game is a great Queen album. Mastodon I don't like as much as the other two but still a great choice. 

[Durg]

easy listening like "Music Box Dancer" (who remembers that one?). 

For those of us that took piano lessons as a kid, Frank Mills was mandatory (and fun).  This, Peter Piper and Piano Lesson #5 I can still play to this day from muscle memory.

Dude you absolutely nailed it.  I spent hours working on playing Music Box Dancer.  I quit taking piano lessons shortly after that I never kept it up.  It's one of my biggest regrets in life.

[King Postwhore]

Sail Away sweet Sister and Save Me give me goodbumps everytime I listen to that album.  I still have the original shiny Silver Aalbum cover.  Not the second generation dull silver cover.

[Zydar]

Transatlantic and The Game are both great albums. I just recently discovered Crack The Skye (well Mastodon as a whole) and I really dig it.

Great choices!

[Durg]

Sail Away sweet Sister and Save Me give me goodbumps everytime I listen to that album.  I still have the original shiny Silver Aalbum cover.  Not the second generation dull silver cover.

I've had the Sail Away Sweet Sister chorus running through my head for the last hour.  I may have to pull up Napster and listen to this song to satisfy my craving.   

[jingle.boy]

Why'd ya pull the some of the cover art?

[Ħ]

Yay for Bridge Across Forever!

[Durg]

Why'd ya pull the some of the cover art?

https://rateyourmusic.com

It's also where I built my list.

[Durg]

Staying tuned to the classic rock station for a couple more entries we have....


41.  Queensr˙che - Operation: Mindcrime (1988)


I had always enjoyed hearing "Eyes of a Stranger" on MTV's Headbanger's Ball or on the radio and I was a big fan of Queensr˙che's Empire songs that were frequently played on MTV and the radio.  But it wasn't until I got a copy of Operation: Mindcrime that I really was able to fully get into the awesomeness of this album.  Geoff Tate has (had) such a unique tone and a massive range.  It's a great album for someone like me that likes a vocal challenge.  However, the thing that drew me to this album more than anything was the concept approach.  At the time I had only really gotten into Yes and the Moody Blues as far as progressive music goes.  I really don't even consider this album "Progressive".  But this album has inspired many other future progressive concept albums and so the ranking should be up there for me.  It is hard for me to place because I don't listen to it all that often, with the exception of "Eyes of a Stranger" which is my most favorite Queensr˙che song.  The rest of the songs on the album are just is OK for me when listening to them individually.  However, you can't just listen to just one song from a concept album.  You really should listen to the whole thing from start to finish to really be able to appreciate the greatness.

So what memories does this album bring back for me?  College graduation and dating a girl I almost married but thankfully did not.  For my last quarter (we did quarters with semester hours) at Louisiana Tech it was summer school and I lived with three other guys and a rabbit in a house we all rented together.  One guy was never there, another guy was a full blown alcoholic and drank a case (24 pack) of Olympia beer every day.  The third guy with the rabbit had a really great music collection and I was allowed to sample it.  It's was there that I was able to hear this album, Empire, as well as a bunch of metal bands like Metallica.  It was the time in my life that I first started to dabble into Heavy Metal that wasn't Christian metal. 

So during that time it was all about girlfriend, graduating, lots of metal, and job hunting that would eventually land me a entry level programming job in South Carolina.  It was a crazy time in my life and this was my main music of choice back then.

Favorite Songs: Revolution Calling, Operation Mindcrime, I Don't Believe In Love, Eye of a Stranger

[Jirpo]

Amazing album! in my top 10

[Durg]

40.  The Alan Parsons Project - The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980)


As I mentioned before, when I was a kid I would go on many bus/van trips with the church, school band, or school tennis team and there was nothing to do on those trips except to listen to music on a portable cassette player.  This was where I discovered so many different types of music other than what my parents listened to at home. 
Just to be clear Hee Haw was my Dad's favorite TV show.  .

Get the idea now?

On one of these school trips, a friend of mine had this album and we were listening to it (you know with the headphone splitter).  I didn't know what progressive music was, but I knew that I really liked the music.  As a trumpet player in the concert band I understood song movements.  I understood changes in time signatures as well.  I was also drawn to orchestrations mixed with rock beats.  Later in life I remembered the name "Alan Parsons Project" and made the mental note when hits like "Eye in the Sky" came out.  Several years ago I bought an Alan Parsons collection with 3 CDs.  The 2nd CD contains most of this album on it and I now understand why I was so interested in my friends Alan Parsons album.  I just really like orchestrated progressive pop music and this album is a great one.  It's so funny how I have unknowingly dabbled in progressive rock over the years and never really realized that it was progressive rock; Yes, The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull, Rush, etc.  But, this one makes my list because I'm pretty sure this was my first real exposure to the genre.

As far as the music on this album?  How many rock albums do you own that start out with french horns blasting out harmonies?  Didn't think so.  How many rock albums do you own that uses a harpsichord as a primary instrument?  Didn't think so.  There are moments of 70's disco influence, moments of classic rock influence, and moments of symphonic influence.  "May Be A Price To Pay" includes all those things right from the start.  But then we get fully into the rock with "Games People Play".  Eric Woolfson in my personal opinion is the primary singer for Alan Parsons Project, even though many different singers were used.  However, I can't imagine anyone else singing the haunting "Time".  It is really a perfect song to describe his voice.  It sounds like a low bass but when you sing along with him you realize that he's singing quite high.  It's a most unique tone.  Eventually we get through a forgettable "I Don't Wanna Go Home" and an interesting instrumental called "The Gold Bug" to get to the real meat of this album.  The next 5 tracks are all a part of the title track and the highlight of the album.  The music is moving and beautiful with huge swings in symphonic emotion. 

"The game never ends when your whole world depends on the turn of a friendly card".   

Compulsive gamblers beware.


Favorite Songs: Games People Play, The Turn of a Friendly Card (Part One), Nothing Left to Lose

[Durg]

And now for something completely different!




39.  The Choir - Speckled Bird (1994)


It will be interesting to see if there's anyone on this board that has even heard of this band.  The Choir's sound is a difficult one to describe.  It is a very different sound from any music I've ever heard even to this day.  Dreamy, atmospheric, strange, and artistic are good starters for descriptions of this album.  It's just a sound that you have to hear to really understand.  They've been around since the late 80's and in 2010 made two well received albums.  However, this album is one that I've listened to for much of the early 90's.  They are considered to be a Christian alternative band but in this album there's only hints of Christian lyrics.  In fact the lyrics seem a bit dark and random making little since to anyone, probably, but the band.  And, in fact I read that this album was a reflection of the problems that the band was facing having to move from California to Nashville due to the fact that Nashville is the Christian music capitol. 

Favorite Songs: Speckled Bird, Weather Girl, Grace, Amazing, Kissers and Killers

[jingle.boy]

Amazing album! in my top 10

Seconded.

Games People Play is an awesome track.  Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.

[Durg]

Amazing album! in my top 10

Seconded.

Games People Play is an awesome track.  Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.

Please do.  I'd be interested to hear your opinion on it.  Pay particular attention to the last 5 tracks.

[emtee]

As a 49 year old whos life has been consumed by music, both as a musician and a listener, I find this an enjoyable read.
It would be VERY difficult for me to do this and just pick 50 as I have a huge collection and have been influenced by
so many albums. But it would be a fun excursion to TRY. Maybe I will give it some thought.

[jingle.boy]

Amazing album! in my top 10

Seconded.

Games People Play is an awesome track.  Don't know anything else from this album, but will need to investigate.

Please do.  I'd be interested to hear your opinion on it.  Pay particular attention to the last 5 tracks.

Got it on Grooveshark right now.  Will report back later.

Reporting ... Nice little 5-part composition.  It's probably one of those things that gets progressively better with each listen.  Having only a couple of APP songs in my catalog, I never realized how much they were like Jethro Tull.  Me likes.

[Durg]

As a 49 year old whos life has been consumed by music, both as a musician and a listener, I find this an enjoyable read.
It would be VERY difficult for me to do this and just pick 50 as I have a huge collection and have been influenced by
so many albums. But it would be a fun excursion to TRY. Maybe I will give it some thought.

Thanks!  I basically started a private list in rateyourmusic.com and just kept adding to it, reworking it, reordering for months and months for the purpose of doing this list.  Of course it was a blast going back and listening to albums that I hadn't listened to in a long time and figuring out which ones have had more impact on my musical journey more than another.  It was quite rewarding.  And you have PLENTY of time because if you add your name to Aiirch's list it'll be MONTHS before you get a change to show it to everyone. 

I also figured that my list would be considered boring to many on the board so I figured I'd need to make it more interesting by telling personal stories and stuff.

[WebRaider]

I also figured that my list would be considered boring to many on the board so I figured I'd need to make it more interesting by telling personal stories and stuff.

It's not boring at all. In fact it's great to see the different things you have in your list. I agree very much with your opinions on music on how it relates to our lives. I grew up hearing a lot of the music you've posted from my parents although I'm not a whole lot younger than you. So I picked up on these types of music very early in my life and I have a feel  of where you are coming from.


Now my list will likely be boring to this group...lol..

[King Postwhore]

Can't say enough about Mindcrime.  You can always tell when a band puts everything into an album and this is it.

I got into Alan Parsons Project in the mid 80's so to my surprise how proggy they were earlier on.  I had to go and buy their back catalog.

[Ħ]

MINDCRIME

[Durg]

Moving right along......


38.  10,000 Maniacs - Blind Man's Zoo (1989)


In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up.  This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode.   No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then).  So, anywho, I mistakenly lumped them in with the weird 80's, artsy synth type bands.  It wasn't until I saw them do MTV's unplugged that I realized that they were not anything like I thought they were and that I really liked Natalie Merchant's voice.  "Trouble Me" was just a really sweet song that had a good feel to it so I bought this album. 

Trying to describe the songs on this album to someone who has never listened to it is difficult.  The hugely, radio popular "Trouble Me" is tender and appeals to the comforter in one's soul, but the rest of the album is decidedly dark and filled with sarcasm, hopelessness and a feeling of injustice.  Most of those emotions with a happy music backdrop that masks the angst within.  Now don't get me wrong.  Not all the music has a happy back drop; Dust Bowl, Hateful Hate, and Jubilee being a few examples.  Oh yes Jubilee! Jubilee is just a creepy lyrical freak out complete with cellos and violins that give you (or at least me) a medieval sort of "Scarlet Letter" feeling.  You're are lulled into thinking that this is a beautiful song until you realize that some crazy deformed dude is burning people to death!  A crazy way to end an album.  But that's the greatness of 10,000 Maniacs.

Favorite Songs: Trouble Me, You Happy Puppet, Headstrong, Dust Bowl, Jubilee

[Durg]

37.  Queensr˙che - Empire (1990)


Although Queensr˙che is considered by many to be a progressive metal band.  This album in my opinion is just strait metal and ballads that were made for the radio.  "Jet City Woman" and "Another Rainy Night" were major hits but "Silent Lucidity" was a mega hit.  It was the token ballad that all metal bands felt like they had to make to get on the radio.  The song itself is a little boring for me but it does show Tate's incredible range and the band's amazing musicianship.  I rank this album higher than Mindcrime because I have listened to the songs from this album throughout the years way more frequently than Mindcrime.  It's not because it's more brilliant (because it's not) but because I've just "enjoyed" it more over the years. 

As far as memories associated with this album.  Well, let me just say that I might have been listening to this album when I bought an engagement ring for my college/post college girlfriend.  A ring that I did not get back when we broke off the engagement, I'm sorry to say.  I was listening to this album almost constantly during that time and didn't really start getting back into Empire until the early 2000's probably for that reason.

Favorite Songs: Best I Can, Jet City Woman, Another Rainy Night, Anybody Listening?

[Durg]

36.  Living Color - Time's Up (1990)


Seriously, this is a brilliant album.  It has so much ear candy to offer.  There's a lot of comedy followed up with in your face seriousness.  The best track in my opinion is "Love Rears it's Ugly Head" which is just funny, catchy, and down rite great.  They really are all over the place with the thrash like "Time's Up" to the eastern/Indian sounding "This is the Life".  There's the very strong "Information Overload" and the comedy filled "Elvis is Dead" track.  If you've never listened to this album all the way through I highly recommend it.  And, if you're giving this album a first listen please don't skip "This is the Life".

How about these lyrics:

I'm standing at the altar
As they play the wedding march.
I'm in a black tuxedo with my collar full of starch
She looks as lovely as she's ever gonna get
I wake up from this nightmare in a pool of sweat.

What guy can't relate to those lyrics!

Favorite Songs: Time's Up, Love Rears Its Ugly Head, New Jack Theme, Information Overload, This Is The Life

[Zydar]

Empire! I would actually rank it above Mindcrime too, but both are awesome.

[jingle.boy]

Nice to see some love for Empire. I guaran-damn-tee it will reappear again on an upcoming top 50.  Fantastic album. The last great one from QR.

[King Postwhore]

My favorite Queensryche album.  Not a bad song on that album

I've always liked Living Colours 1st & 3rd albums better than times up.  Not that it's a bad album at all.  I still have on VHS them playing Love rears it's Ugly Head and Elvis is Dead on Arsinio Hall's show.  Great live too.

Though I like the music, I've never loved Natalie Merchant's voice.  She always seemed to monotone for my tastes.

[Durg]

My favorite Queensryche album.  Not a bad song on that album

I've always liked Living Colours 1st & 3rd albums better than times up.  Not that it's a bad album at all.  I still have on VHS them playing Love rears it's Ugly Head and Elvis is Dead on Arsinio Hall's show.  Great live too.

Though I like the music, I've never loved Natalie Merchant's voice.  She always seemed to monotone for my tastes.

Ah.  The Arsinio Hall hall show.  That show started out great and slowly became unwatchable.  Remember the dog pound?  This is starting to feel like an "I Love the 90's" thread.   

Natalie Merchant's voice is quite unique.  It's very much alto and limited in range.  I guess that could make her sound monotone, however, her voice tells the stories of the songs really effectively and the lyrics are usually quite good in any of 10,000 Maniacs music.

[Ravenheart]

In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up.  This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode.   No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then).

I always dress in all black, listen to both those bands and other goth bands of the 80s, and am considered weird but some people's standards, so I guess I have no room to complain. 

[Durg]

In high school I always thought of 10,000 Maniacs as the type of music you listen to while wearing all black and spraying a hole in the ozone to keep your hair standing strait up.  This might be due to the fact that my high school girlfriend's older sister (yes the one that gave me the U2 cassette) would listen to them and other weird bands like The Cure and Depeche Mode.   No disrespect to those bands but the kids that often listened to them were pretty weird (sorry Ravenheart no offense indended that was just my point of view back then).

I always dress in all black, listen to both those bands and other goth bands of the 80s, and am considered weird but some people's standards, so I guess I have no room to complain. 

You would have liked my high school girlfriend's older sister.   

[WebRaider]

Queensryche yes! Living Colour OMG, such a great f'n band!!! Good stuff

[Jirpo]

I much prefer O:M but Empire is still great.

[Durg]

35.  Dream Theater - Octavarium (2005)


I'm still trying to figure out where I'm putting A Dramatic Turn of Events.  I think at this point I like it better than Octavarium so I have to figure out how to rework the list that I made a few months ago to include ADTOE.

Anyway

This Dream Theater album took longer to grew on me than the others.  More rock than metal this album has quite a bit of variety in it.  "The Root of All Evil" is follows a typical Dream Theater metal sound, however, "The Answer Lies Within" is tender and soft with a positive message.  This is one that I always skipped at first and only recently started to really appreciate what a nice song this is.  Of course "These Walls" and "Panic Attack" are two of my favorites on this album.  Even though "Panic Attack" is one of the most polarizing song among Dream Theater fans it remains one of my favorites.  In truth there's nothing better than popping that sucker in the CD player after a frustrating day at the office.  Plus the speed at which they play that song is just amazing.  It's got to be extremely difficult to keep it all together.  Or course the title track is a really great emotional piece of art.  The other songs on the album are not that great for me and in fact i really don't like "Never Enough" at all.

Favorite Songs: The Answer Lies Within, These Walls, Panic Attack, Octavarium

[Durg]

34.  Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)


This is another album that I loved for so many years and never owned.  I recently bought the extended edition but I already knew all the songs and listened to them often in the 80's.  I don't really need to go into how brilliant Paul Simon is but this album was so cutting edge and unique that it won many awards and they were all were deserved.  The pop zaniness of Paul Simon mixed with the African sounds and singers just gave so many listeners like me something different to listen to when they grew weary of the same ole same stuff.

Favorite Songs: Boy in the Bubble, Graceland, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al, Homeless