5 Albums that changed Your Life.....

[CrimsonSunrise]

I was thinking about this coming into work this morning.  Thinking of 5 albums that changed the musical landscape of my life and are still landmarks.  While some might not consider these even the best albums from that particular band, they're the ones that had the most profound impact for me.  How about you?  What were YOUR landmark albums?  This topic is not necessarily your Favorite 5, at least not for me 

I'll list them chronologically

1.  Led Zeppelin IV - First bought this album in about '75.  I had Heard songs from Zep before, and even a couple songs off this album, but when I first listened too the whole album repeatedly..... my musical life was changed.  Prior to it, I just dabbled in the hard rock world, or even the rock world for that matter.  I lived in an area where Funk and Disco were King.  I was big into Parliment, Bootsy and Earth Wind and Fire.  While all of those artists were spectacular.....  Listening to LZ 4 was like the biggest light bulb imaginable going off over my head.  From here it was all about Hendrix, The Doors, Cream, and the whole late 60's - early 70's scene.

2.  Rainbow (Live on Stage) - In '81 I heard Man on the Silver Mountain and thought... "Hey, I like this one that I've heard for the past couple years".  So... I bought the Live version thinking.. "It will be cool!"  What I didn't expect was to be knocked on my ass by the sheer POWER of RJD's vocals and Blackmore's incredibly melodic riffs.  I would say this was what I consider... my first Heavy Metal experience.  While some will say it's not...and they might be right... it's the way I see it.  After that, my musical forays went towards the heavy side.... Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Rush, Iron Maiden etc...

3. Metallica (Master of Puppets) - At the time '86 I was listening to pretty much mainstream Metal, with the exception of the Glam bands....never could get into them...LOL.  THIS album came out and I was again knocked on my ass.  Here was some serious chunk, attitude and balls, without the big hair and spandex...LOL.  Just normal guys making hard...fast.. well written, music.  From here came Anthrax... Slayer, Megadeth, and a whole genre of ass kicking, moshing, no nonsense Rock.

4.  Pearl Jam (Ten) - Metal was kind of dying out a bit for me around '90.  All I was listening to really was Rush, Queensryche, and Guns and Roses.  Then came these cats....  WOW...  what a Debut album!! The Sound, the rawness, and then you had Vedder's voice which took me straight away back to my Doors days and Jim Morrison.  From there I rode the grunge wave for a bit.... loved Soundgarden, STP, Alice in Chains and a LOTS of other bands coming into their own from 90-93.

5.  Dream Theater (Awake) - It was '94, Living in Vegas, when a buddy of mine popped Awake into my truck CD player.  First Impression was... "Hey?  they sound like Rush... no wait... the singer sounds like the guy from Triumph, no wait  they sound like....."  I was like... who the fuck are these guys?  After listening to the disc for a couple weeks straight..LOL... I went and bought I&W's.  I was hooked.... there's no other way to explain it.  Here was a band that incorporated sounds and dynamics from most all genres and bands that I had enjoyed up until that point.  While it wasn't my first Prog experience, I found it more refreshing and less tedious than others I had been exposed to and even liked.


So!!  Sorry if I got too far off on a tangent... what about you guys??  What defined your musical lives?

[Jamesman42]

Backstreet Boys - Backstreet's Back

I know, I know. I seriously didn't care for music until I found out about MTV and saw a music video. But they were the first ever band I saw, and for my pre-teen mind, it was more than enough. But it is where it all started.

System of a Down - Toxicity

This album was what got me into a small but steady stream of music in my last 3 years of public school. Still love it, though I am no longer the fanboy I was 5 years ago. Masterpiece album.

Dream Theater - Train of Thought

It was almost IaW that was my first DT album. Basically got me into DT and I am still a fan (they are my #1 band now). What else can I say? Probably the pivotal album of my listening habits today.

Neal Morse - ?

Helped me learn to discover more progressive/prog music beyond DT and showed me there is a solid world of music that isn't known to the masses but is still great. Also showed that DT aren't the only crazy musicians out there (I know JR and MP are on this album, but still...it opened up my eyes).

Casting Crowns - Lifesong and Casting Crowns

Grouping these together as my friend gave me 2 mix CD's of both albums combined (out of order as well). It's Christian music, bordering on worship and rock, but it led me to discover many other artists in the genre, including bands and artists I would later cover at church meetings by playing my guitar and signing and leading others in worship.


(Edit - Wrong album for BSB)

[ClairvoyantCat]

I wouldn't say that any album has really "changed my life", but here are a few


The Beatles's Abbey Road was the first, back when I was, like, 4.

Pain of Salvation's Be did it for me a few years ago.  I still love the CD.

And the most recent one that's had a real impact on me is Unwound's "Leaves Turn Inside You."  Brilliant, harshly depressing album. 

[zxlkho]

edit as to not spoil my top 51 albums

[The Silent Cody]

Deep Purple - Pergect Strangers
-------------------------------
First hard rock album that I've heard in my life, my father almost forced me to listen to that one I was sth about 11 years old, it tooked a while for me to get used to this sounds, but when it happens it became one of my favourite albums of all times.

AC/DC - Blow Up Your Video
-------------------------------
First album that I liked by own Started to discovering AC/DC music hardly and deeply and I became a big fan. Now it has changed and as far my respect goes to AC/DC I found their music a little boring, but enjoyable as well

Black Sabbath - Headless Cross
-------------------------------
My first album that showed me the darker side of hard&heavy Love this to this day

Metallica - Master Of Puppets
-------------------------------
First real introduction into thrash and real heavy sounds in my life. Classic.

Dream Theater - Awake
-------------------------------
Well this album has started my adventure with DT, it will be more than 11 years when I first heard it and I still love every sound on that cd. More, I love every sound from DT... I'm a big fan from this time, it also introduce me to progressive rock, which I ecen wasn't aware of before hearing Awake...

[skydivingninja]

Meat Loaf-Bat out of Hell.  My mom gave me this album when I was going through a "classic rock snob" phase in middle school.  Not sure what it was/is, but from age 13-17 I loved big, epic, bombastic stuff.  Styx was one of my favorite bands (meaning I loved their greatest hits), Free Bird and Dream On were some of my favorite songs, and I loved Phantom of the Opera and Rent, but this album was probably the first real album I really got into.  

Train-Drops of Jupiter.  Yeah yeah I know, lol pop music.  But before I got into classic rock, the only bands I really listened to were Smash Mouth, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Train.  I loved playing Train on the piano when I was a kid, which helped me appreciate music more and more even before I went into my snob phase.

Pink Floyd-The Wall.  DSOTM and WYWH are better albums for sure (sometimes Meddle is as well), but this album opened up the world of the album as a narrative work, rather than a collection of songs.  From there, it opened the doors to Sgt. Pepper, Tommy, Floyd's other albums, and eventually...

Dream Theater-Scenes From a Memory-Definitely the most important album in my musical growth.  Now to give a little background on my 15-year-old self.  One, I was a snob.  I didn't think there was such thing as good music after 1985.  Two, I hated metal as well.  This included Sabbath and Priest.  Most of what I had heard before was Slipknot, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Metallica kind of stuff, and I didn't like it, because I loved operatic or high-pitched vocals.  So this album really turned those two preconceptions on their heads while still representing all the musical elements I loved as a kid (and still love).  First, there was an epic, full sound to the band, and I knew I was going to be in for something amazing as soon as "Overture 1928" started.  Then, when Strange Deja Vu came on, I was blown away by James' voice, which would have been the biggest dealbreaker for me back then.  It took me a few listens to really absorb it, but then, "Home" grew on me more and more.  I mean, it was heavy, and just so...badass!  Then James comes in and sings like a singer!  It was just the perfect introduction.  Soon, I had most of their discography, and had begun to explore Rush, Yes, Marillion, Genesis, Spock's Beard, and Pink Floyd.  Then I joined this forum and discovered, well, I'll be honest, lots of bad modern prog bands.  Most of them recommended by Nick (seriously).  It took me a while to still get over my prejudice against lots of other kinds of music, but eventually the barriers came falling down with the help of...

Opeth-Watershed.  Or, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Growls."  I had heard Porcelain Heart before it was released and liked it quite a bit (having only heard Damnation beforehand).  Then "the Lotus eater" came out as a promo single.  I listened to it, and loved every bit except for the growls.  Even so, when it leaked, I said "what the heck?" and gave it a try.  It was a wednesday or something, around 9 at night, and it was just me listening to Watershed on my headphones in my room.  At first, I really didn't see the appeal of "Heir Apparent," but soon, the entire album began to click.  I began to appreciate growls more and more as something really unique and valuable to the music.  There was a real reason why Mikael didn't use his clean singing voice on "Heir Apparent," because it wouldn't sound right!  It took me a while, but this album is when I really started to take risks with trying new things.  By freshman year of college, not only was I devouring Opeth's other albums, but also Coheed & Cambria, Radiohead, and plenty of others I would have never thought to try back in high school.  So yeah, DT really opened the door to having an open mind, but Opeth shoved me through face first.

TL;DNR, the albums were Bat Out of Hell, Drops of Jupiter, The Wall, Scenes, and Watershed.

[The King in Crimson]

1. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
A very common answer I bet, but it really was the first album that I appreciated as an album, where the songs flowed together yet still stood out individually. It wasn't the first Pink Floyd album that I listened to/owned (that honor belongs to The Wall), but it was the first that I really, really loved.

2. Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
This is the album that got me into metal. Sure, I listened to metal beforehand, but it was whatever was on the radio (Metallica, Trapt, Linkin Park, Black Sabbath, etc.) and I had this belief that metal that wasn't on the radio was all wordless screaming (it wasn't) and evil music (thankfully, most of it is). I first heard "Symphony of Destruction" off of a friend's mp3 CD and I just had to get the album. I bought it and then quickly afterwards I went out and bought Rust In Peace and Peace Sells.... Whatever anybody might say about Mustaine's vocal abilities or lack thereof, he had something to say other than 'Let's party and have lots of sex' or 'I'm depressed, the world sucks, cry cry cry.' There was emotion in this music and it was pissed off. My love of this album (and of Megadeth in general) has cooled quite a bit since then, but this album remains important for opening the world of metal to me. Without this album, I doubt if I would've ever gotten into Avenged Sevenfold (yeah, yeah), Mastodon, Opeth, or any of the harder metal bands I enjoy nowadays.

3. Opeth - Still Life
The first Opeth album I heard was Blackwater Park and, unlike a lot of people, I wasn't all that blown away by it. The growls were good, I guess, but most of the time I merely tolerated them as opposed to liking them. Yeah, "The Leper Affinity" was pretty cool, but I usually just found myself zoning out during the rest of the album. So, I see Still Life at my local Best Buy and I think, what the hell, I'll give them another shot and I am so happy I did. Listening to "The Moor" for the first time was amazing. The music, the growls, the atmosphere, and the lyrics all came together for me. I was blown away. I even found myself looking forward to the growls. I had never cared for them before, but they worked here and they worked really well. I think I listened to this album for a straight month before I went out and got Ghost Reveries. I actually didn't want to get GR at first, as nothing else Opeth made could be as good as this, there was no way. Thankfully, I was wrong. Still Life remains my favorite Opeth album and was my gateway drug into the harsh vocals.

4. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Although it wasn't the first concept album that I'd listened to (that was The Wall, I think), but it was the first that seamlessly fused the music, lyrics, and storyline into one, coherent whole. Most of the songs are strong enough to stand on their own, but each one reveals a significant part of the concept. Also, each song is awesome. Back when I first listened to OM, I found the idea of a concept album so cool and unique. Nowadays, I know that concept albums are a dime-a-dozen, but back then, it was special to me and I still can't listen to OM without being overwhelmed with that feeling.

5. Dream Theater - Octavarium
The first DT album that I listened to, the title-track was also one of the very first 'really long songs' that I'd ever listened to. I was pretty surprised that bands made songs that long and, to be honest, I was pretty curious to see how they'd keep it interesting. This was maybe the first full-on 'progressive' album that I'd really listened to. I don't count Dark Side because, despite being progressive, technical, and unique, they incorporated a very straightforward approach to the songs on that album, whereas Octavarium had a lot of long songs and technical instrumental sections that Dark Side lacked. Also, Octavarium got me into the rest of DT, which introduced me to Porcupine Tree and all the other progressive bands that I binged on for a few years. This isn't DT's best nor my favorite release (it's too important for me to objectively judge it's strengths and weaknesses)

[chaotic_ripper]

Led Zeppelin - IV
Rush - Moving Pictures
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Van Halen - 5150
Dream Theater - Awake

[YtseBitsySpider]

1.Dream Theater - when dream and day unite
2.Sepultura - arise
3.Dream Theater - images and words
4.Joe Satriani - surfing with the alien
5.Pink Floyd - dark side of the moon

[Ravenheart]

This is just in order of when I obtained them, from earliest to most recent:

Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

This was the first CD I ever physically bought on my own. It was my true introduction to music at the tender age of 12. It was nothing like I expected. I loved the beats. I loved the synthesizers. I loved the lyrics. I loved Trent's voice. So much about this album spoke to me, and it still does. It remains a big favorite of mine.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Pretty Hate Machine opened me to music, but TDS was the very first "life-changing" album I ever listened to. The massive walls of grating sound and self-loathing lyrics were terrifying and completely foreign to my ears. I loved every second of it. For about a year straight, The Downward Spiral was all I would listen to. I'd rush home from school just to go home and put it on repeat all day. Trent took sounds from so many sources that I never expected or hear in any music on the radio, and I felt more connected to him via his lyrics than I could with anyone I knew. It sealed my fate as a NIN fan for life, and I collected every album, remix, and live recording I could find. It's probably the most important album of my life, and still remains an all-time top 3 album for me.

Radiohead - OK Computer

With a firm rooting in alternative "art rock" or whatever you want to call it thanks to NIN, I eventually discovered Radiohead. I didn't like this album at all on initial listen. But this album was a grower. I began to dig deeper into the layers, and I came out at the end realizing what  brilliant album it was--depressing, layered, imaginative, and poetic. Thom Yorke enthralled me, and I didn't hesitate to pick up every album of theirs that I could find. They still remain a favorite.

Opeth - Blackwater Park

My very first metal album. I had heard a lot of buzz about Opeth, and when my curiosity finally peaked, this was the album I went for. I already sort of knew what to expect, but I was still stunned by Blackwater Park's crushing metal sprinkled with class, melody, structure, and acoustic guitars. The folk and jazz influences add all kinds of dimensions to the sound. I was never able to enjoy the likes of Metallica or Slayer, but BWP, and Opeth in general, were out there and different enough for me to really appreciate and immerse myself in. It opened me up to the world of heavy metal, and Opeth still reigns as probably my favorite metal band.

Emilie Autumn - Opheliac

inb4lolohuzander.  You'd be hard-pressed to find another album like this out there--it has harpsichord and violin, electronica, and industrial, or "Victoriandustrial," as Emilie calls it. Her unique, operatic voice only adds to the unique quality of this album, and her twisted but personal lyrics are among my favorites ever. Even if you don't like it, you'll most likely never hear anything like it again. It's one of the most original, creative, and artful albums ever produced. Her wizardry on the violin and the harpsichord/piano is awe-inspiring, and rather unlikely if you judge her from her image alone. They add a fascinating flavor to the whole of the album I've worn the bottom off of it, but it still continues to enthrall and engross me, along with the rest of her discography. Emilie Autumn is my favorite artist, and Opheliac is probably my favorite album of all time.

[JustJen]

Five albums that changed my life (and are not necessarily favorites)...

Well, let me start by saying that I was born in 1973, so I grew up in the 80s, musically speaking.

I listened to radio music and watched Mtv to get my music education for the most part in my young teens, and loved bands like Prince and Madonna at first, when I was 12 or 13.  

Then I got into David Lee Roth when I saw him as my first ever concert at age 13,  then quickly moved to bands like Ratt, Poison, Stryper, and Motley Crue when I was 14.

When I was around 15 - 16 years old (1988-89) I started hanging out with a small group of guys who all lived in my neighborhood and all partied like I was just starting to (don't smoke... stuff ...kids, it's bad for your motivation level, waistline, the blood vessels in your eyes, and your memory,).

One day we were out in the garage of one of the guys, hanging out and... bullshitting... while a couple of them worked on an old Camaro one guy there owned, and another of the fellows handed me his walkman and said to listen to the music. I was ripe with teenage angst and totally motivated to sit back and absorb something new, and so I put on the headphones and heard the beginning notes of "Sanitarium".... changed my entire world.

1. Metallica - Master of Puppets: (see directly above)


let me think about the next one.... this will take multiple posts...

[JustJen]

The second one is not an album, but songs FROM an album...

My mother died in late 2003 and despite how hard it was, I spent a few months doing well and holding everything together. My father had died when I was four and Mom never remarried, so when she died it was the loss of not only my mother, but my only remaining parent. So, with a daughter just a few months old at the time and two pre-teen boys, plus a relatively new house all to take care of, I became overwhelmed with everything pretty quickly.

I buried myself in my genealogy research and tried not to think, as much as possible. My computer became my little island that I used to get away from thinking about things that hurt too much, so when the motherboard fried and I was suddenly staring at a blank screen, I was completely taken aback.

I got on my son's old desktop and found a computer hardware forum and posted to ask for help. A nice kid on there ended up using that forum's PM system to talk me through removing the old laptop motherboard and installing a new one, and we became friends and started using MSN to talk.

One day he asked if I'd ever heard of Dream Theater. I said "no" and so he sent me several songs to listen to, which I burned to CD and put in my Jeep and played everytime I was in there. I was hooked immediately... the songs were "Solitary Shell", "Misunderstood", and "About to Crash".

2. Dream Theater -- "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (see directly above):

At one point he became too busy with his life to talk to me anymore, after a few months of online friendship, but I noticed in his MSN title he had a link that said "https://www.dreamtheater.net/forums" or some such, and so I clicked it and found DT.net .... that was May 24, 2004, and the rest is history....

[JustJen]

Three.

Three still hurts.

The kind of hurt where your stomach, just under your bottom ribs and in the dead center, almost feels like you have a heart beating right there except it feels like fate is punching you over and over just a little bit more than it feels like a heartbeat.

The kind where your feet sort of become a little heavier and your center of gravity drops and suddenly you don't really feel like doing anything but going back to bed.



The oldest of the old crew here know what I'm talking about, and the second oldest batch (from around my time) as well....



ViolentGreen became someone special in my life, and introduced me to Marillion via Marbles.
We listened together at 3am, both discs, him in Canada and me in the US, over MSN, and it was ... well, it just was.

3. Marillion -- Marbles

RIP Mark (ViolentGreen)

[Nick]

Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
One of my parents bought this for me right around the time it came out and I can't tell you how many times I'd lay in bed at night listening to this album. It was the reason I was so excited that my dad was taking me to see Floyd in 1994, my first ever show.

Rush - The Spirit of Radio
A compilation, I know, but many years after that Pink Floyd show it was the purchase of this album that would set me on the path of my Rush obsession.

Rush - Rush in Rio
About two weeks after buying The Spirit of Radio I went to Best Buy and they had displays set up for a brand new release from the band. I bought the CD versions of the show and after hearing it is when I think I officially became a Rush fanatic. I've since collected every major release they've had, vinyls through A Show of Hands, about half the albums on cassette, and a ton of other rarities, shirts, and posters. I've seen the band 10 times including two trips that were over 400 miles each way.

Dream Theater - Train of Thought
Though Rush would lead me to start exploring progressive music it was the purchase of my first Dream Theater album that would push my progressive boundaries even further, and of course create and obsession just as strong as my bond with Rush.

Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
What an album... this is the album that got me into traditional metal. I cannot tell you how many times I listened to this album the first year I had it. Queensryche, Maiden and beyond were all opened up by this album.

Edit: List ninja.

[AcidLameLTE]

I don't really know about "life changing" but there's definitely been some albums which definitely helped shape my musical tastes or something along those lines.

The Offspring - Americana

First album I ever got. Introduced to music and The Offspring became my first musical obsession for a while. Still listen to them to this day.

Metallica - Master of Puppets

I don't really listen to Metallica much these days but these guys got me into metal and I guess I have to be kind of grateful for that.

Dream Theater - Octavarium

Not their best album but it got me into them and helped me introduce me to prog and God knows how many other bands.

Opeth - Ghost Reveries

This album was what finally got me into growls. Totally opened a whole load of music for me.

Mr. Bungle - California/self titled

Got both of these albums at the same time and they really helped get me into avant-garde stuff. If I hadn't listened to these guys, I would have never found bands like Dog Fashion Disco or Polkadot Cadaver.

[Zantera]

I'll try this, chronologically:

1. Linkin Park - Meteora
2003, one of the most important years for me when it comes to music.
I had already been a fan of LP since Hybrid Theory, an album that I could've placed here instead of Meteora, but I went with the latter. (kinda a tough call)
When Meteora came out, I was just blown away by how great it was, it had everything I loved about Linkin Park, and also added a lot of new aspects to their sound.
'Breaking the Habit' was a very artsy song back then, a song that stood out as a favorite on the album, even though it didn't fully click until later.
This was an album I spinned pretty much every day, I knew the lyrics in and out, I could sing along to all of the songs, and this was one of the first albums that I actually purchased a physical copy of.
Most importantly, this album made me interested in music, and it's kinda where my journey started.

2. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
A while after my interest in music began to expand, much thanks to LP, I discovered Maiden.
They quickly became a favorite, I kinda discovered them through friends, but also played a lot of GTA: Vice City at the time, and it had "2 Minutes to Midnight" in the soundtrack.
Powerslave became my favorite Maiden-album quickly, and still holds that spot today.
The title-track is probably my favorite Maiden-song, I played it on repeat for hours back then, even though I don't listen much to them anymore.

3. Opeth - Watershed
After listening to metal for a few years, this was pretty much the album that got me into Progressive music.
I was blown away by the transition from Coil to Heir Apparent, and this album quickly became a favorite of mine, being more diverse then anything I had ever heard before.
This was almost at the same time as I discovered Dream Theater, another band that got me 'from' metal to other styles of music, but I went with Watershed for this spot.
Anyhow, this album was my first insight of Opeth, and even though I don't rank Watershed in my top3 Opeth-albums, it still holds a very special place in my heart.

4. Anathema - Judgement
After getting more into Progressive music, I read about Anathema here and there, so it felt obvious to check them out.
Started with "Fragile Dreams" which was a fantastic song, and decided to start with Judgement, seeing as it was the most 'appreciated' album on lastfm.
This album didn't do much for me initially, I must have spinned the album 5-6 times before I realized it's epic potential, I have done the mistake of giving up on albums and such too early in the past (Frames being a good example), but Judgement took some spins to click, but when it did...  
It was one of the most emotional albums I had ever heard, "One Last Goodbye" is a great example of a song that really created tears in my eyes, such beautiful and sad atmosphere.
This album is one of my favorites from Anathema, and it's just fantastic throughout.

5. Sigur Rós - ( )
This album stood out from the first listen as being like nothing I had ever heard before.
It's hard to explain how I feel about it, and it may sound pretentious as hell, but this album felt like it was really special, the atmosphere and the songs, it was just something 'out of this world' to it.
The haunting vocals of Jonsi, the beautiful landscapes and the 'theme' throughout the album, with all songs flowing perfectly into each other.
This album is just godlike, I feel like in terms of atmosphere and 'creating a feeling', this album is almost impossible to beat.
I might not hold it as my number one album ever, but I hold it very high, and it's just VERY special.
Untitled 7, the outro with Jonsi's haunting vocals = GOOSEBUMPS.


Those five would be good bets, even though I kinda had to leave out some other important albums.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Awesome stuff guys!  A lot of very unique artists, but some recurring themes arise, Like Master Of puppets.   

[SPNKr]

recurring themes arise, Like Master Of puppets.   

[KevShmev]

The Police - Synchronicity
This was the first full album I ever owned (on vinyl), back when I was 10.  I listened to it like crazy, fell it love with it, and it is still a favorite of mine to this day.

Boston - Boston
The album that single handedly got me into classic rock, back in the summer of '89 when I was 15/16.  'Nuff said.

Pink Floyd - The Wall
Probably THE most important album ever, for me.  I got into it in the fall of '90, and to this day, it is easily the album I have listened to the most in my life.

Transatlantic - SMPTe
Believe it or not, TA, not DT, was my gateway band for getting into most of the newer prog I listen to.

Radiohead - OK Computer
While PT was sort of the introduction for getting me out of my full blown prog snob phase of my mid to late 20s, OK Computer steered me in a whole different direction.  There are a lot of bands I probably wouldn't like as much as I do now, had I not been utterly blown away by this record in the summer of 2006.

It looks kinds of strange that neither Rush nor Porcupine Tree, my two favorite bands, have one of the five, but it is difficult to pinpoint a single album for either down as being undoubtedly the most important.

[Gorille85]

Unexpect - In a Flesh Aquarium
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Metallica - St-Anger

[Iarwain]

2 Minutos - Valentín Alsina.

The very first album that I became obsessed with and the one that changed the way I listened to music. Before my approach to music was just the same as most people, just something in the background you're not really paying much attention.

Another thing is that this was one of the first time I was listening to something "non-commercial". It felt awesome to find this great album that no one else knew about and made me realize that there was more music than what was playing on the radio.

Death - Live in L.A. (Death & Raw)

My introduction to the extreme side of music. This was not only the first time I was listening to something that was outside of my comfort zone but also made me start appreciating the musicianship and technical skills of the players, which would lead me to investigate progressive rock/metal, jazz and classical music.

As mentioned, this was also my first taste of something a bit more extreme. That got me curious about how far could music go. First I was interested in how heavy or how fast could a band get, but later I wanted to know how noisy, weird or unmusical music could get.

Emilie Simon - Emilie Simon

Before listening to this my opinions about music were more or less the same as many metal/rock guys ("METAL IS AWESOME", "THATS NOT MUSIC THEY DONT EVEN PLAY INSTRUMENTS", "FUCK POP/MTV/whatever"). Pretty much your average rebellious metalhead.

It only took one listen of this lovely french album by a lovely french lady to completely change my mind. This was electronic, pop and easy to listen. All I disliked about music, yet I couldn't help but love it and it's still one of my favourite albums ever.

Merzbow - 1930

Comparing it to other noise and electronic albums I've discovered since, 1930 sounds very calm and tame but at the time it was just some random noise that didn't make much sense, but something kept me listening over and over. After sometime I became almost obsessed with the whole genre.

It was unpleasant, ugly, loud but there was something fulfilling about listening to this album. Also, the idea that someone composed all these random sounds was amazing and it changed, again, my approach to music. Now it was no longer about notes, scales or being in tune. It was simply about sounds.

---
After about five minutes I still can't think of a fifth album to put here so I'll leave it with just four.

Some I considered for the last spot but I'm not sure about:

- Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
- Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
- John Fahey - The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death
- Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
- Doc Watson - Southbound
- The Cardigans - Life
- Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk

[Arch Benemy]

Eiffel 65 - Europop.
The first album I bought, and the first band I was really into. For a 'Europop' band this album is really great, catchy songs and an original style. They were talented too, wrote and recorded all their own music. They're still about I think, releasing albums in Italy.

Sum 41 - Does This Look Infected
After Eiffel 65 I never really 'got' another band until Sum 41. I heard Fat Lip on the radio and loved it instantly. For a punk band they wore their metal influences clearly on their sleeve, and I have no doubt that it was their heavy side which eventually influenced me to check out real metal music. I know this album absolutely back to front, learned all the lyrics and every note of every song. DTLI is to me what Enema of the State is to most other kids from my generation.

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
A friend tried to play me Bullet in the Head during chemistry class once, but at the time I wasn't interested because of the vocals  Then a few weeks later whilst I was a passenger in a different friends car he played the track again at full volume with a massive obnoxious subwoofer, and maybe it was the various chemicals I had inside me but I remember saying 'That was the greatest song I've ever heard.' I wouldn't stand by that statement now, but it certainly made me realise that rap-metal could be more than Limp Bizkit, and that hip-hop could be a good thing if done right.

Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen
The album that got me into metal, and one of my all time favourites. The moment that I realised this band were great was the guitar solo under the vocals during the bridge on Chapter Four. This album is just great, every song is an epic, and for a band so young to be creating music this complex and accomplished was a real inspiration for me.

SikTh - The Trees Are Dead And Dried Out, Wait For Something Wild
I knew about SikTh before Sevenfold through mutual friends, but never really understood their music. Once I was into metal I revisited this album and was simply blown away. To be able to create music this coherent whilst still being completely chaotic is something that still amazes me. How do you write music like this, where do you begin? This album, along with Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia by Dimmu Borgir and Anthems of Rebellion by Arch Enemy, got me into the more extreme side of metal.

[Ravenheart]

Emilie Simon - Emilie Simon

Before listening to this my opinions about music were more or less the same as many metal/rock guys ("METAL IS AWESOME", "THATS NOT MUSIC THEY DONT EVEN PLAY INSTRUMENTS", "FUCK POP/MTV/whatever"). Pretty much your average rebellious metalhead.

It only took one listen of this lovely french album by a lovely french lady to completely change my mind. This was electronic, pop and easy to listen. All I disliked about music, yet I couldn't help but love it and it's still one of my favourite albums ever.

[ZBomber]

1. Queen - Greatest Hits
2. Rush - Hemispheres
---I think Rush was the band that first got me to closely analyze music. Before, I used to love to listen to music, but never really looked too deep into it. This record blew me away, the concepts and lyrics and complex musical passages blew my 16 year old mind.
3. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
4. Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
5. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

[CrimsonSunrise]

Emilie Simon - Emilie Simon

Another recurring theme    I'm gonna have to check her out!

[LeeHarveyKennedy]

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
Poe - Haunted
Dream Theater - Scenes From a Memory
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having

[King Postwhore]

Kiss -- Destroyer  
My cousin got it and Love Gun in 1977 when he got his first record player.  I was 9 and had to get Destroyer right away.  I was a 9 year old music whore because of Kiss.

Rush --  Moving Pictures  
This is what sent me on my obsessive path to buy everything they ever done and sent me on a harder path of music.

Yes -- Fragile  
10 years old when my cousin got the album and I was hooked.  Nobody sounded like this and I played this album over and over.

Dream Theater -- Images & Words  
I was searching for a band that had both elements of hard rock/metal that was progressive with melody.  Talk about hitting the bullseye.

Porcpine Tree --  In Absentia  
Talk about finding a band that melded Pink Floyd and Tool.  The dynamics were so mindblowing I listened to this album ten times before I played another CD in my car.

[pain of occupation]

really?! sure, i get the floyd influence, but i never woulda equated  p.floyd + tool = porcupine tree.

either way, cool list (though i'm usually one to laugh at kiss, but i'm probly ignorant to most of their output)

and to everyone...cool thread thus far.

[King Postwhore]

In Absentia definitely has that PF meets Tool vibe.  A lot of my old fogey friends agree when they heard it.

[ScioPath]

Rush - Hemispheres: The first album I ever bought myself.

DT - Live at Budokan DVD: My 7th Grade band teacher showed it to us one day in class. That was the day I became serious about the music I listened to and about playing keyboard. The following week I purchased SFAM; the first album I ever truly loved. It didn't take very long before I was learning to play DT.

After that, pretty much everything Matt said re: SFAM, though I'd always been a Rush, Yes, Genesis, and Pink Floyd fan (I have my parents to thank for that.)

DT led me to Transatlantic, which led me to Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings and Marillion. I've since gotten into Porcupine Tree, Coheed and Cambria, King Crimson, Tool, TDH, Devin Townsend, Oceansize, dredg, Agalloch, Frost*, Queensryche, Opeth, Anathema, Gentle Giant, Mastodon, Nightwish, SGM, Ulver, Van Der Graaf Generator, and loads of other music largely because of this place.

It's actually pretty scary how musically one-sided I was just a few years ago.

[pain of occupation]

In Absentia definitely has that PF meets Tool vibe.  A lot of my old fogey friends agree when they heard it.

if anything, i could kinda see the tool-meets-floyd in old-school porcupine tree, though that's really before tool's time anywayz.

but whatever, it's all good. all three bands are pretty cool as far as i'm concerned.

[Portrucci]

I originally didn't want to write much but I couldn't really help it 

Metallica - Master of Puppets

It might seem clichéd, but this album frequently appears on these sort of lists for a reason. It's perhaps the quintessential expression of metal music. It all started with a simple act; downloading the song Master of Puppets on Limewire. That minor act of 'piracy' has resulted in my purchasing of all their albums as well as many DVD's and concert tickets. Despite their popularity and reputation amongst many as talentless hacks, I'm not ashamed to say Metallica are a superb band and deserve most of the praise they get. Along with Slayer's Reign In Blood and Pantera's Cowboys From Hell, Master of Puppets was one of my first metal albums I bought on CD at around age 14-15. Upon first listen it completely blew my mind. The power and complexity was something I had never really been exposed to before in music ,and it set my loins on fire with primal head-banging and fist pumping. I never wanted to look back on those times with my palm to my face, as they were undoubtedly some of my favourite days. Though I listen to them much less frequently now, they haven't diminished in my eyes as a great metal band. I owe to them my sparked musical curiosity of those years that would continue far-beyond the boundaries of metal.

Agalloch - The Mantle

This albums needs no introduction to those who have heard it, and to those who have not, what are you waiting for!? Over the last few years it has either been my favourite or 2nd favourite album of all time and will probably remain near the top until I'm 6 feet under. If I recall correctly, quite a few years ago, when I posted frequently on the Gamespot forums, the odd thread would turn up about what was best metal band going today. I saw the name Agalloch mentioned quite a few times and the name really struck me I must say. It seemed different...not your run of the mill doom metal band name....after a quick poke at their discography I decided to download the recently released Ashes Against The Grain. I won't go into too much detail about that, but all I'll say was that it made my smile in my pants and it had me craving for more of these guys. The Mantle was the next logical step as it was even more highly rated. Once the skull had been struck after those 68 minutes, I had tears in my eyes. It was one of the first times I had a real emotional connection to an albums lyrics and aesthetics, instead of just 'enjoying the music'. I guess you could say it elevated my perception of how music could effect me. All four of their LP's are close to, if not 5 star works, and two of their EPs are of similar quality. I've never found a more consistent band, and despite a few challenges from Ulver & Neu, they remain my favourite band. Definite life changers.

Chroma Key - Graveyard Mountain Home

Discovered not long after The Mantle, I think this was the album that first hit home the notion of 'less is more'. Up until this point most of the music I listened to could be described as ambitious, complex and/or dark. Though I liked lots of popular pop/electronic songs, It seemed I subconsciously thought that the best music out there for me were these sprawling epics of albums. Grander ideas, more risks, bigger exploration was what I was looking for. Until I heard this and realized that complexity really has no correlation to how much I like something. For those that don't know, it's a Kevin Moore solo album. Minimalist ambient electronic is perhaps the best description of it. It's perhaps an odd album, utilizing quite a lot of samples and glitchy electronic touches, but upon closer inspection it seems every little sound does it's job and is there for a reason. There is nothing superfluous or bombastic, relying more on a curiosity of sound and prompting the listener to relax and absorb the music they're hearing (and I apologize if that sentence sounded pretentious). This album I believe was the starting point of my long and immensely rewarding relationship with ambient music. The genre which still occupies a good chunk of my listening time today.

Neu! - Neu! 75'

About 3 or 4 years ago, for one reason or another, I realized that I didn't really have many of those great 60s/70s rock albums which are so vehemently critically acclaimed. I had always loved songs like Led Zeppelin's Rock & Roll and Pink Floyd's Money, but I was too preoccupied with modern music to bother trying their respective full albums. That in itself resulted in a life changing discovery. The quantity and quality of rock albums produced in those years is just absurd. I had all the big names in my library, Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson and so on. But I found any further forays into hard/prog-rock never proved fruitful. I had heard a bit about krautrock as an early form of experimental rock music and I was intrigued. I downloaded a few of the supposed best albums of the genre to try it out and wow, I can't even describe what I found. A plethora of original, ground-breaking experimental rock, with very little pretention and very cool ideas floating around. What really hit me was how different the big 4 krautrock bands were (Can, Neu!, Faust & Amon Duul II) none of them really sounding alike. The most unique of which were Neu! Comprising only two people, both multi-instrumentalists, they created a sound that has influenced future genres from punk to electronic/dance music. This album in particular is the absolute best representation of this. The first half is beautiful flowing synth-rock. The second half is driving powerful proto-punk. The amount of hours of enjoyment I have got out of it (perhaps maybe 50 or 100 full listens) are life-changing enough.

Arvo Pärt - Tebula Rasa

This beautiful, but unassuming work of minimalist orchestral music has had a massive impart on my life. The gift it bestowed? getting me into classical music. I had long been a fan of the popular works of Bach, Beethoven & so on, but I don't think I had ever grasped the complexities and subtleties of the genre. Only once I discovered this album, and subsequent modern classical artists like Philip Glass & Ennio Morricone, did the door open to go back even further and explore the previous 400 years of sublime music. But lets get back to the point. I got this album as it came highly recommended in its genre, and it most certainly did not disappoint. Having already been a fan of ambient & soundtracks, this album wasn't a huge leap of genres, but it was just enough to be quite different. It uses many contemporary idioms....a strong focus on repetition, minimalism and contrast between sweetness and dissonance. About 6 months ago I ordered the LP version from Germany, and it's been regularly spun ever since. It's the album for late night contemplation, a soundtrack to tackling the biggest questions in life. In that way it has changed my life perhaps more profoundly than the others on this list, but in a less measurable way.

To anyone who read all of that, you should get some kind of award  Anyway, cool storry bro

[Arch Benemy]

DT - Live at Budokan DVD

Ooh, good call. I owned that before I owned any DT albums, and I watched it all the way through time after time. Definitely changed the way I appreciated music

[Zydar]

The Beatles - Rubber Soul
My introduction to rock music was through my dad's old vinyls, but he only had the Beatles' singles and no "regular" studio album from them. As soon as I heard "She Loves You" I was hooked, no other band has ever been close to topping them for me (and that was over 20 years ago). So I grew up listening mainly to their singles (along with other 60s bands like The Who and Rolling Stones). When I was 14 he bought me my first Beatles CD, Rubber Soul, for Christmas. This started my very own record collection, and a couple of years later I had gotten them all. Unfortunately he passed away when I was 18 so I hadn't completed my collection then. Any way, I have fond memories of Rubber Soul, I spent that whole Christmas holiday listening to that album. That period is actually my favourite period through rock music history (1965-1966), so much brilliant music was released in those years.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
My obsession and fascination over 60s music continued, and when I saw the Beach Boys documentary 'Endless Harmony' on TV in late 1998, I instantly got hooked on them. The brilliant songwriting and production, the harmonies (I'm a sucker for harmonies), and the tragedies of the band, mainly Brian Wilson and his brothers. I wanted Pet Sounds for Christmas that year, and my mother bought it for me. From the opening riff of 'Wouldn't It Be Nice' to the closing train sounds of 'Caroline No', I was blown away. The introspective nature of the album (forget 'Fun Fun Fun' and 'Surfer Girl'!) struck a chord with me, and I instantly began searching for their other albums. Luckily this was in the middle of a 2-For-1 reissue campaign that Capitol had begun, so they were pretty easy to get a hold of. They still hold a #2 spot in my ranking of favourite bands of all time.

Kiss - Greatest Kiss
My first foray into hard rock coincided with the reunion of their classic lineup in late 1996. I was curious about them, so I bought their compilation album 'Greatest Kiss' during the Christmas holiday sales (hmm… I notice a Christmas pattern here…). I instantly loved almost all of the tracks there, especially 'Shock Me' from Ace. It was a catchy tune and I thought he had a cool voice. Then I started to get their other stuff, beginning with Hotter Than Hell. I was pretty obsessed with Kiss over the coming two years, buying anything I could get my hands on (and afford) that had something to do with Kiss. Mainly I loved their songs, the riffs, the cool harmonies, and of course the stage show was something I definitely hadn't seen before. It's a shame that Kiss often gets a bad rap because of their makeup and overblown stage show, but if you disregard that and actually listen to the songs, you'll find that they are not too shabby. Mind you, I mainly love their 70s period, I'm not too fond of their 80s stuff (up until 1982, that is).

Iron Maiden - Powerslave
They were my introduction to metal music. I first heard them through this compilation album 'Best Of The Beast' that I had taped over to cassette from a schoolmate's CD version. I listened a lot to that tape, and decided to buy my own Maiden album. I picked up Powerslave, mainly because I loved 'Aces High' from that tape. I was blown away - the melodies, the speed, the awesome guitar work, the voice of Mr Dickinson, the incredible bass lines… This was my obsession for the next few years. Of course I bought all their stuff, CDs, VHS/DVD's, posters, flags - even the hideous PC game 'Ed Hunter' From then on I also listened to other metal acts, like Judas Priest (a strong contender for this list!), Metallica, Megadeth, Hammerfall, Blind Guardian, and Black Sabbath.
 
Dream Theater - Images And Words
I actually bought this on a whim during early 2001 when I had heard 'Pull Me Under' during this computer course I had been taking. I liked that song so I bought I&W and Awake at the same time. I gave them both a listen and I liked I&W a little more, but I didn't get "hooked" on them. So I put them on the shelf and didn't think about them for a few years. Then in 2007 I heard a song from Octavarium, can't remember which, but it got me interested to go back to I&W again. And then it clicked. God damn, what an album. I still get chills listening to it. It's hard to say what is so great about it, but since we're on DTF I don't really have to explain why - you all know the album. I became obsessed with DT and started collecting their stuff - CDs, DVDs, bootlegs, you name it. Thanks to DT and learning their history, I also began checking out progressive rock. I started listening to bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, (and beginning in late 2010, also Rush). So DT was a gateway to progressive rock and progressive metal to me. I've listened to a lot of music during my 30 years on this planet, and few bands have made me so obsessed quite like Dream Theater. They are in my Top 5 of favourite bands of all time.

Wow, that was tough. I had to leave out a couple of life changing albums (Dark Side Of The Moon, (What's The Story) Morning Glory, Selling England By The Pound, Born To Run….) but that was a pretty fair compilation of my music history.

[Mladen]

Slipknot - Vol. 3. Subliminal verses
Helloween - Keeper of the seven keys 1
Metallica - Ride the lightning
Pink Floyd - Animals
Dream Theater - Images and words