YOUR top 10 FAVORITE Albums of ALL TIME!

[Stadler]

Alright, enough messing around, it's time for me to finally do this–let's go!

My criteria: I (obviously) need to adore the album, love every second of it, and still find myself routinely listening to it (otherwise my list would be dominated with 'formative years' music that I've essentially moved beyond).

That leaves me with a list of albums that have impacted me personally and professionally and that I am still forming a relationship with.

Top 10 Albums

1. Radiohead — In Rainbows (2007)
2. Journey — Escape (1981)
3. R.E.M. — Automatic For the People (1991)
4. Matthew Good — Lights of Endangered Species (2011)
5. Pearl Jam — Binaural (2000)
6. Portishead — Live NYC (1998)
7. Tom Petty — Wildflowers (1994)
8. NIN — The Fragile (1999)
9. Poe — Haunted (2000)
10. Miles Davis — Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1957)

Radiohead?  You're just fucking with me, right?   

(I'm joking, of course).

[Stadler]

Surprised at all the references to Pearl Jam, but they were nowhere to be found in the "Top Band" list.   

[WilliamMunny]

(otherwise my list would be dominated with 'formative years' music that I've essentially moved beyond).

But isn't that kinda what "All Time" means? My list had a couple of those as well as many that I still listen to and adore.

Were any rules actually established? I ask because I think the list could look very different for many of us depending on what the rules are (for example an "all time" list vs more of a "current favorites" one).

No rules, save for the rules I made for myself 

As far as 'all time,' look...at this stage in my life, my 'formative years' represents a very thin slice of my 'lifetime pie.'

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Radiohead?  You're just fucking with me, right?   

Sounds like this was far from the first time this thought was uttered the past week. 

[WilliamMunny]

Surprised at all the references to Pearl Jam, but they were nowhere to be found in the "Top Band" list.

They were 16 on my list, but then again, I only had like 4 of my picks show up in the countdown.

[Stadler]

I know for me, the criteria is sort of loose.  Albums that simply have not aged (Going For The One, Clutching At Straws).  Albums that I go to when I want to remember good times (Don't Say No, The Stranger), or forget the current bad times (Abbey Road, Asia).   Albums that formed my musical tastes (High Voltage, The Stranger).

Albums I like.

[Jamesman42]

Radiohead have some great/excellent songs, but I could not say that's true about their whole albums.

[Sacul]

1. Radiohead — In Rainbows (2007)
2. Journey — Escape (1981)
3. R.E.M. — Automatic For the People (1991)
4. Matthew Good — Lights of Endangered Species (2011)
5. Pearl Jam — Binaural (2000)
6. Portishead — Live NYC (1998)
7. Tom Petty — Wildflowers (1994)
8. NIN — The Fragile (1999)
9. Poe — Haunted (2000)
10. Miles Davis — Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1957)

Great list! Quite interesting to see the Portishead live album there, and that Poe record as well.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Alright, enough messing around, it's time for me to finally do this–let's go!

My criteria: I (obviously) need to adore the album, love every second of it, and still find myself routinely listening to it (otherwise my list would be dominated with 'formative years' music that I've essentially moved beyond).

That leaves me with a list of albums that have impacted me personally and professionally and that I am still forming a relationship with.

Top 10 Albums

1. Radiohead — In Rainbows (2007)
2. Journey — Escape (1981)
3. R.E.M. — Automatic For the People (1991)
4. Matthew Good — Lights of Endangered Species (2011)
5. Pearl Jam — Binaural (2000)
6. Portishead — Live NYC (1998)
7. Tom Petty — Wildflowers (1994)
8. NIN — The Fragile (1999)
9. Poe — Haunted (2000)
10. Miles Davis — Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1957)

Interesting pick for Matthew Good. I prefer Avalanche, but that is a good album too.

[weirdo]

After posting my list for the DT top100 thread, I ran trough my record collection with a ranking engine and got this as my top 10

1   Neal Morse - ?    
2   Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.   
3   Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever   
4   The Neal Morse Band -The Similitude of a Dream   
5   Steven Wilson - The Raven that Refused to Sing   
6   Transatlantic - Whilrlwind   
7   Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
8   Swans - The Glowing Man   
9   King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King   
10   The Neal Morse Band - The Grand Experiment   

[HOF]

Surprised at all the references to Pearl Jam, but they were nowhere to be found in the "Top Band" list.

I like Pearl Jam enough to own most of their albums (all but one studio I think). But I really don’t listen to them all that often. I tried to fit them on the back of my top 25 list but they got squeezed out. U2 are similar for me. Both have had a pretty big impact on me over the years, but are less of a current favorite.

[Revenge319]

Unique artist per entry:

1. (Various artists) - Hatsune Miku Project DIVA Original Song Collection
2. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
4. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
5. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
6. Haken - The Mountain
7. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
8. The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
9. Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
10. Lemm - Arkhē


No restrictions:

1. (Various artists) - Hatsune Miku Project DIVA Original Song Collection
2. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
4. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
5. Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings
6. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
7. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
8. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
9. Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
10. Dream Theater - Octavarium

[weirdo]

Unique artist per entry:

1. (Various artists) - Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Original Song Collection
2. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
4. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
5. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
6. Haken - The Mountain
7. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
8. The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
9. Devin Townsend - Ocean Machine: Biomech
10. Lemm - Arkhē


No restrictions:

1. (Various artists) - Hatsune Miku -Project DIVA- Original Song Collection
2. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
4. Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
5. Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings
6. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing
7. Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
8. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
9. Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax II: Future Sequence
10. Dream Theater - Octavarium

Nice list 
Mountain and Ocean Machine are in my top 30 and The Great Misdirect and Deadwing in my top 80.

Applying the one-album-per-artist-rule, my top 10 would be

1   Neal Morse - ?
2   Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
3   Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever
4   The Neal Morse Band -The Similitude of a Dream
5   Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
6   Swans - Glowing Man
7   King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
8   Stam1na - Elokuutio
9   Opeth - Deliverance
10   Haken - Aquarius

[Stadler]

After posting my list for the DT top100 thread, I ran trough my record collection with a ranking engine and got this as my top 10

1   Neal Morse - ?    
2   Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.   
3   Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever   
4   The Neal Morse Band -The Similitude of a Dream   
5   Steven Wilson - The Raven that Refused to Sing   
6   Transatlantic - Whilrlwind   
7   Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
8   Swans - The Glowing Man   
9   King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King   
10   The Neal Morse Band - The Grand Experiment

So ...  apparently the longer the album title, the better you like it, more or less.  . 

[weirdo]

After posting my list for the DT top100 thread, I ran trough my record collection with a ranking engine and got this as my top 10

1   Neal Morse - ?    
2   Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.   
3   Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever   
4   The Neal Morse Band -The Similitude of a Dream   
5   Steven Wilson - The Raven that Refused to Sing   
6   Transatlantic - Whilrlwind   
7   Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
8   Swans - The Glowing Man   
9   King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King   
10   The Neal Morse Band - The Grand Experiment

So ...  apparently the longer the album title, the better you like it, more or less.  .

Apparently so  I like my album titles like I like my songs. Long.

[gazinwales]

I put this top 10 together several years ago, so it may actually be different now, but I haven't had the time to revamp it yet. This is also assuming 1 entry per artist.

1. Marillion - Marbles
2. Moonsorrow - Verisakeet
3. Tool - Lateralus
4. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
5. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
6. Rush - Hemispheres
7. Oceansize - Frames
8. Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars
9. Anathema - Weather Systems
10. Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Great to see Moonsorrow on somebody else's list.
As they are my favourite band for the past 15 years or so, it's tough to pick their best, as they are all so good.

[crystalstars17]

No restrictions

With no restrictions, my list would likely be dominated by Firewind 🤭 It's about time I started an appreciation thread in their honor. 🔥

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I put this top 10 together several years ago, so it may actually be different now, but I haven't had the time to revamp it yet. This is also assuming 1 entry per artist.

1. Marillion - Marbles
2. Moonsorrow - Verisakeet
3. Tool - Lateralus
4. Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
5. Between the Buried and Me - The Great Misdirect
6. Rush - Hemispheres
7. Oceansize - Frames
8. Sieges Even - The Art of Navigating by the Stars
9. Anathema - Weather Systems
10. Coheed and Cambria - In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3

Great to see Moonsorrow on somebody else's list.
As they are my favourite band for the past 15 years or so, it's tough to pick their best, as they are all so good.

I was looking forward to your posts about them in your top 50 thread.

They've been one of my favorite bands for quite a while now.

[Trav86]

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Boston - Boston
5. Dream Theater - Images and Words
6. Rush - Moving Pictures
7. Van Halen - 1984
8. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
9. Rush - Permanent Waves
10. Van Halen - 5150

[TAC]

Some classics right there!!!

[Trav86]

Some classics right there!!!

For being a DT fan, my tastes are pretty much mainstream rock. With a few left field choices sprinkled in.

[WardySI]

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Boston - Boston
5. Dream Theater - Images and Words
6. Rush - Moving Pictures
7. Van Halen - 1984
8. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
9. Rush - Permanent Waves
10. Van Halen - 5150

Now that's a list!

[jingle.boy]

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Boston - Boston
5. Dream Theater - Images and Words
6. Rush - Moving Pictures
7. Van Halen - 1984
8. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
9. Rush - Permanent Waves
10. Van Halen - 5150

Now that's a list!

It’s a beaut!  3 of them make my Top 10.

[Trav86]

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Boston - Boston
5. Dream Theater - Images and Words
6. Rush - Moving Pictures
7. Van Halen - 1984
8. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
9. Rush - Permanent Waves
10. Van Halen - 5150

Now that's a list!

It’s a beaut!  3 of them make my Top 10.

Y’all might lose faith in me is you see the rest of my top 50 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

1. AC/DC - Back In Black
2. Def Leppard - Hysteria
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
4. Boston - Boston
5. Dream Theater - Images and Words
6. Rush - Moving Pictures
7. Van Halen - 1984
8. Dream Theater - Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
9. Rush - Permanent Waves
10. Van Halen - 5150

Now that's a list!

It’s a beaut!  3 of them make my Top 10.

Y’all might lose faith in me is you see the rest of my top 50 

I lost faith with your #1

The rest are great though.

[Cool Chris]

Hysteria, nice! For a few years Hysteria was my #1 favorite album, the first or second CD I bought with my own money. Things changed (as I feel it did for others here) when I heard Images and Words.

[WardySI]

Hysteria, nice! For a few years Hysteria was my #1 favorite album, the first or second CD I bought with my own money. Things changed (as I feel it did for others here) when I heard Images and Words.

Also my favourite but only for about a year until went backwards and heard Pyromania the soon discovered other things, Empire and Mindcrime but yes Images And Words was soon to come

Good list Trav86 at least half a dozen or more would easily make my 25 actually wouldn't mind seeing the 50 \m/

[Trav86]

Good list Trav86 at least half a dozen or more would easily make my 25 actually wouldn't mind seeing the 50 \m/

Careful what you wish for lol…

11. Metallica - Metallica
12. Journey - Escape
13. Mr. Big - Lean Into It
14. Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy
15. Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
16. Extreme - III Sides to Every Story
17. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
18. Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare
19. Yes - 90125
20. Heart - Heart
21. Journey - Raised on Radio
22. Alter Bridge - Blackbird
23. KISS - Revenge
24. King’s X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
25. Sammy Hagar - Marching to Mars
26. Skid Row - Slave to the Grind
27. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
28. Dream Theater - Awake
29. Living Colour - Vivid
30. King’s X - Dogman
31. Bryan Adams - Reckless
32. Kim Mitchell - Akimbo Alogo
33. Alice In Chains - Facelift
34. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
35. Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation
36. Anthrax - Among the Living
37. KISS - Crazy Nights
38. Firehouse -Firehouse
39. Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH
40. Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys
41. Warrant - Cherry Pie
42. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
43. W.E.T. - W.E.T.
44. Streets - 1st
45. Daughtry - Daughtry
46. Pearl Jam - Yield
47. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
48. Bon Jovi - Cross Road
49. Evanescence - Fallen
50. Van-Zant - Van-Zant

[jingle.boy]

I can get behind a number of those.  Love the nod to Kim Mitchell!

[HOF]

Good list Trav86 at least half a dozen or more would easily make my 25 actually wouldn't mind seeing the 50 \m/

Careful what you wish for lol…

11. Metallica - Metallica
12. Journey - Escape
13. Mr. Big - Lean Into It
14. Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy
15. Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
16. Extreme - III Sides to Every Story
17. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
18. Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare
19. Yes - 90125
20. Heart - Heart
21. Journey - Raised on Radio
22. Alter Bridge - Blackbird
23. KISS - Revenge
24. King’s X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
25. Sammy Hagar - Marching to Mars
26. Skid Row - Slave to the Grind
27. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
28. Dream Theater - Awake
29. Living Colour - Vivid
30. King’s X - Dogman
31. Bryan Adams - Reckless
32. Kim Mitchell - Akimbo Alogo
33. Alice In Chains - Facelift
34. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
35. Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation
36. Anthrax - Among the Living
37. KISS - Crazy Nights
38. Firehouse -Firehouse
39. Mammoth WVH - Mammoth WVH
40. Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys
41. Warrant - Cherry Pie
42. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
43. W.E.T. - W.E.T.
44. Streets - 1st
45. Daughtry - Daughtry
46. Pearl Jam - Yield
47. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
48. Bon Jovi - Cross Road
49. Evanescence - Fallen
50. Van-Zant - Van-Zant

Some good stuff on this list.

[TAC]

Good list Trav86 at least half a dozen or more would easily make my 25 actually wouldn't mind seeing the 50 \m/

Careful what you wish for lol…


14. Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy
15. Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
17. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
23. KISS - Revenge
36. Anthrax - Among the Living
37. KISS - Crazy Nights

Some great albums here for sure.

Crazy Nights huh? Interesting.

[Trav86]

Good list Trav86 at least half a dozen or more would easily make my 25 actually wouldn't mind seeing the 50 \m/

Careful what you wish for lol…


14. Tesla - The Great Radio Controversy
15. Guns ‘N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction
17. Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
23. KISS - Revenge
36. Anthrax - Among the Living
37. KISS - Crazy Nights

Some great albums here for sure.

Crazy Nights huh? Interesting.

 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

18. Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare
20. Heart - Heart
22. Alter Bridge - Blackbird
24. King’s X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
27. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
30. King’s X - Dogman
33. Alice In Chains - Facelift
40. Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys
49. Evanescence - Fallen

Some nice and a few somewhat less conventional picks there. 

42. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
47. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face

So good it placed twice!      Really underrated band at this point.

[Trav86]

18. Steve Vai - Passion and Warfare
20. Heart - Heart
22. Alter Bridge - Blackbird
24. King’s X - Gretchen Goes to Nebraska
27. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
30. King’s X - Dogman
33. Alice In Chains - Facelift
40. Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys
49. Evanescence - Fallen

Some nice and a few somewhat less conventional picks there. 

42. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face
47. Galactic Cowboys - Space in Your Face

So good it placed twice!      Really underrated band at this point.

I guess 47 would be “Flashback—The Best of 38 Special”

[nick_z]

Very interesting list, for sure...

Great to see Slave to the Grind. What a good album that is.

I'm seeing Mammoth WVH...what did you think of the second album? I enjoyed the debut, but I think I like II even more.