Your Five Favorite Albums of All Time

[Marvellous G]

If we're allowed live albums, on my list I'd just switch out Continuum for Where The Light Is and SFAM for LSFNY.

[MetalManiac666]

1. Dream Theater - Images and Words

What can I say that hasn't been said before?  This album is just chock full of amazing musicianship, catchy melodies, and some of JLB's best performances.  Musical perfection.



2. Meshuggah - Nothing

This is the album that single handedly got me into extreme metal.  Basically a compilation of some of my favorite riffs of all time, I headbang like a madman pretty much any time I put this on.



3. Between the Buried and Me - Colors

What other album has a country breakdown right in the middle of metal insanity?  This album is just extreme progressive metal goodness, and containes one of my favorite climaxes/breakdowns of all time with "White Walls."



4. Yes - Close to the Edge

This is THE old school prog record, anyone who disagrees needs to get their ears checked.  The musicianship is insane throughout, yet it doesn't get in the way of the beauty of "And You and I" and the intro/outro of "Siberian Khatru."  Great album.



5. The Dilliner Escape Plan - Miss Machine

This album is the absolute perfect mix of insanity with catchiness.  From the headbang inducing guitar/drum work of "Panasonic Youth" to the catchiness of "Unretrofied," this album delivers.  The only complaint I have is that the album really should have just ended with "Unretrofied" instead of "The Perfect Design," but that's pretty much me just nitpicking.

Honorable Mention: Alice in Chains - Dirt

[ytserush]

1. Marillion - Misplaced Childhood


Honorable mentions for now:

Roger Waters-- Amused To Death

Queensryche -- Promised Land

Kevin Gilbert -- The Shaming Of The True

Emerson, Lake and Palmer -- Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends, Ladies and Gentlemen...Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Enchant -- A Blueprint Of The World

[Nihil-Morari]

Roger Waters-- Amused To Death

Very nice choice.

[Phoenix87x]

1. Dream theater- Images and Words

     The immortal Images and Words. There's just no words which can do it justice. This is my favorite album ever created.

 
     
2. Radiohead- Kid A

     This album rips my heart out and owns it for 49 minutes. So much pain, sadness and raw emotion on here that I had to pick this over OK Computer. This is the album that I turn to when I hit my lowest of lows and feel like I can't go on. This is the album that brings me back from the brink. 



3. Pink Floyd- The Dark Side of the Moon

   The masterpiece. I go back and forth between this and Wish you were here sometimes, but here it just sounds like everyone in the band is working together as a cohesive unit leading to perfection and I always love Rick Wrights singing.



4. Dave Matthews Band- Before these crowded streets

      There's a lot a passion, and frustration coming out on this album. They say art comes from adversity and I definitely feel that here. This is an album that starts out great, but then goes into godlike territory starting with The Stone. Sitting down listening to that second half makes me feel like I'm going to pass out from how good it is.




5. Marillion- Misplace childhood

  This album is just awesome and it was JP himself that brought this to my attention when he mentioned it on the 5 years in a live-time commentary. Fish's beautiful lyrics are just dripping with passion and are quite beautiful. The album just flawlessly transitions through every part, making it feel like one long incredible song.

     

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

4. Dave Matthews Band- Before these crowded streets

Brilliant album! 

[Ħ]

5. Steven Wilson - Insurgentes


4. Pink Floyd - The Wall


3. Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet


2. Opeth - Ghost Reveries


1. Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream


These are all easily interchangeable.

[Pockets17red]

1. Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory



2-3. (Tie) Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction/Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning




4. Pain of Salvation - BE



5. Opeth - Still Life



Number five interchanges with Opeth's other two magna opera. (Blackwater Park and Ghost Reveries)

[Ravenheart]

1. (1989) The Cure - Disintegration



2. (1994) Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral



3. (2004) Sarah Fimm - Nexus



4. (1986) Depeche Mode - Black Celebration



5. (1997) Gary Numan - Exile

[Jaq]

My five favorite albums? Hmm...

1. Roger Waters, Amused To Death

If pressed to explain why, precisely, this is my favorite album, I'd find it hard to find words. But there's just something about this album, lyrically, musically, sonically, that has always drawn me to it. It sounds like the soundtrack to my 3:00am bouts of insomnia, back in the days when channel surfing instead of hanging about on the internet was how I dealt with sleeplessness.

2. Marillion, Misplaced Childhood.

Flat out my favorite progressive rock album of all time, of any era. A masterpiece of song construction and memorable moments, and one that proved to me at least that progressive rock could at once be about long form pieces AND memorable individual songs. In a just world, Kayleigh would have been huge in America.

3. Dream Theater, Scenes From A Memory.

Do I really have to explain this here? 

4. Boston, self titled.

In the history of hard rock, only one other album IMO matches this for sheer "statement of intent" power for a debut album, and that's Van Halen's debut. This one wins out for me by a slight measure. Boston's debut is a perfect blend of pop, rock, and a touch of the pomp of prog rock. The well known songs are masterpieces and the lesser known ones would be career highlights for any other band.

5. Kiss, Destroyer.

You heard me. I may be a bit biased, since 1976 is my favorite year in music ever, but Destroyer is a fantastic album by any standard. The production is amazing-like most Bob Ezrin productions, it sounds like it came from a few years in its future-the songs are the best collection of songs Kiss ever did, and its sheer, over the top ambition (c'mon, man, you can't help but at least chuckle at the absurdity of Great Expectations) is worth a nod at least.

[Kosmo]

5. Agalloch - The Mantle

4. Thrice - Vheissu

3. Tool - Ænima

2. Queen - A Night at the Opera

1. The Dear Hunter - Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading

[FlyingBIZKIT]

1. Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence

2. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon

3. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

4. OSI - Blood

5. Between The Buried And Me - Colors


Just did one per artist, so there is more variety. These could change at any moment (besides the #1).

Honorable mentions:

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Kiss - Alive!:  This album is THE quintessential Kiss album.  Forget about Destroyer, forget about Rock and Roll Over, THIS album is where it's at.  This album was guitar practice for me when I was learning.  I picked apart every Ace solo until I had them nailed.  Rewind-play-jam-rewind-play-jam, on and on. 



Metallica - Master of Puppets:  This is the album I started learning guitar on.  Incidentally, it was bass guitar.  I played drums, my brother had a bass and the sheet music for this album, so I said "Fuck it, let me give this a try."  That was 22 years ago.  Guitar has been my love ever since.  This album kicks major ass also, so that helps.



Van Halen - Van Halen:  This album pretty much set the bar for all the guitar badassery of the 80's.  Ridiculously great album, with some of the most influential guitar work in rock.



Guns n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction:  This album is the textbook on how to play rock drums.  If oyu know someone who wants to play drums in a rock band, tell them to learn this album.  It's all you need to know about kicking ass behind a drumset and playing killer songs.  Also, every song on this album could be played in a strip club and not be at all out of place.



Dokken - Under Lock and Key:  One of my favorite 80's bands and one of their best albums.  I played this disc into the GROUND when I first got it.  Don's vocals are outreageous, as are Lynch's licks.  Just awesome from frint to back.



Tough picks, for sure, but I think this is pretty accurate for me.  There are PLENTY of other ones I love, but these are some of the best.

[HarlequinForest]

In order:

[Lowdz]

For diversity's sake I'll pick one album by each of my favourite bands rather than fill it with DT & Queensryche's early stuff.

1. DT- Scenes From A Memory. Just about edges out I&W, and ADTOE is currently up there.

2. Queensryche- Mindcrime. Again, just edges out Rage For Order but it's very, very close. Empire and The Warning aren't far behind.

3. Pink Cream 9- Thunderdome. A great Melodic Rock album where every song is a 10. Even the cover of My Sharona, though in my defence I didn't know it was a cover when I first heard the album.



4. Bon Jovi- New Jersey. Almost perfect, only Homebound Train lets it down. The rest is so good it still makes top 5. Cover by Hugh Syme.



5. Paul Stanley- 1978 solo album. A great slice of melodic rock and proved he was the songwriting talent in KISS. Wouldn't You Like To Know Me is one of my favourite songs ever.



Honourable mentions?

Survivor- Vital Signs. The best AOR album ever.

Kane Roberts- Saints & Sinners

Alice Cooper- Hey Stoopid

Rush- AFTK, Maiden's Killers, Vinnie Moore's Mind's Eye, Bat Out Of Hell- an album everyone should own, Danger Danger's Screw It, Dokken's Back For The Attack, Europe- Prisoners In Paradise. The list goes on.
Probably forgot something very important though, but there's 15 or so already. Couldn't imagine living without these albums though I could probably recite them in my head note-for-note.

[Elite]

Mine

Oh, and in list format:

5. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
4. Opeth - Blackwater Park
3. dredg - El Cielo
2. Shadow Gallery - Legacy
1. Dream Theater - Images & Words

[ResultsMayVary]

1. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2. Between The Buried and Me - Colors
3. Periphery - Periphery
4. Scale The Summit - The Collective
5. The Contortionist - Exoplanet

[AcidLameLTE]

Since I don't really listen to a most of the albums I posted last time, I'll just make a new list. In no order:

Protest the Hero - Kezia
Susanne Sundfør - The Brothel
Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
Dog Fashion Disco - Adultery
Mr. Bungle - California

Honourable mentions: Gregory and the Hawk - Moenie and Kitchi, The Dear Hunter - The Color Spectrum, Sarah Fimm - Nexus

[kirksnosehair]

This is harder than I thought it would be.  I'm sure my list would be different in the future, but if I look back and consider all of the albums I've ever had in my lifetime and list my 5 favorites it would probably look something like this:

5. Queensryche - "Operation: Mindcrime"
4. Iron Maiden - "The Number of The Beast"
3. Def Leppard - "High -n- Dry"
2. The Edgar Winter Group - "They Only Come Out at Night"
1. Dream Theater - "Images & Words"




Honorable mentions to:
Kamelot - "The Black Halo"
Foreigner - "S/T Debut"
Rush - "2112"
Stevie Ray Vaughn - "Texas Flood"
Kansas - "Leftoverture"

[Elite]

Texas Flood by SRV, you must be a guitarist

[kirksnosehair]

Dude was an amazing player.

[Elite]

Absolutely.

[senecadawg2]

This is a super tough task for me... I will limit it to one album per band (otherwise DT would have 3 albums), for the sake of variety.

Honorable mentions:
David Gray: White Ladder
David Gray: Shine
DT: Awake
DT: I&W
Radiohead: In Rainbows
Agalloch: Ashes Against the Grain
Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime

5.

This is beauty at its finest. Words cannot do this album justice.

4.

Great lyrics, a great voice, and great songwriting ability. Probably never mentioned here on DTF, but definitely one of my favorite artists.

3.

Great musicianship, catchy songs, and an interesting concept all make this one of the best prog. albums of all time.

2.

Lateralus is not an album. Lateralus is an experience.

1.

No explanation required.

[SeRoX]

1- Dream Theater / Awake


Can't explain how awesome it is. Both musically and lyrically this album is their peak point. It has JLB's best vocal performances.

2- Queensrÿche / Promised Land


This is the peak point of progressive music of history, IMO. Amazing all the way.

3- King Crimson / In the Court of the Crimson King


This is what progessive means! Period.


4- Pink Floyd / Animals


It has all the PF elements in it with the nostalgia sound. Their best!


5- Opeth / Damnation


I'm not into that heavy groups but Opeth is magical. With progressive tones and heavy music, they are the best.

Honorable Mentions

Within Tempation - Mother Earth
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Anathema - Alternative 4

[ZeppelinDT]

This is not easy.  But I'll take a shot.



#1



Great music.  Great vocals.  Captivating story.  It's got everything you could ever ask for in an album.


#2



Side B medley might be the most perfect music ever recorded.


# 3



My most listened to album on last.fm, and with good reason.  The album is so diverse and just takes you on a brilliant musical journey from start to finish.  Everything on this album is exactly where it should be.


#4



One of those albums that I can just completely lose myself in.  I just hit play and my consciousness disappears for a few hours.  H's voice is so powerful on this one.


#5



There's a reason it's a classic.


Honorable Mention

[senecadawg2]

^

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Guess he forgot to put pictures 

[Pols Voice]

1. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
2. Kansas - Point of Know Return
3. Kansas - Leftoverture
4. Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans
5. Dream Theater - Awake

[DebraKadabra]

We can't see shit, Zep...

Okay, so in no particular order -

The Beatles - Abbey Road
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Dream Theater - Awake
Pink Floyd - Animals

Honorable mentions:
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
Styx - Pieces of Eight
Alice in Chains - Dirt
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
Opeth - Watershed

[Gadough]

1. BTBAM - Colors
2. Opeth - Ghost Reveries
3. Rush - 2112
4. Death - Symbolic
5. Dream Theater - toss up between several albums, but a DT one definitely takes this spot.

Too lazy to get artwork/explain my choices. 

Two years later, this is so inaccurate.

[Ravenheart]

Update it.

[senecadawg2]

Ravenheart, your writeup for NIN Downward Spiral in your top 50 list compelled me to buy the album today. Just finished it for the first time. It appeals to my darker/angrier side.

[Ravenheart]

Glad you like it!  Hopefully it grows on you with time. Cool to know my list actually persuaded some people to try a few of those albums out.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Yeah, you had some of the best write ups ever.


I can just see mine, " Uh...I like the album alot...there's some cool songs and I like the musicianship  "


OH SHIT, I forgot this brilliant album..

[Phoenix87x]

Ravenheart, your writeup for NIN Downward Spiral in your top 50 list compelled me to buy the album today. Just finished it for the first time. It appeals to my darker/angrier side.

    It also appeals to my darker/angrier side as well. Sometimes, I just need that album. Some shit goes down that just gets to me so much, to the point where I feel like I'm gonna explode and putting on that album really helps me chill out. And that's the reason why, sadly, I don't listen to it that much, since most of the time I'm in a pretty good mood. (and end up listening to Pretty Hate Machine or With Teeth).