Sac's Top 125 Albums of the Last 25 Years

[Saccopoo]

In mirroring Spin's recent list, here's mine:

The Cult – “Love” (1985)
Tom Waits – “Rain Dogs” (1985)
Dire Straights – “Brothers in Arms” (1985)
Tears for Fears – “Songs from the Big Chair” (1985)
Kate Bush – “Hounds of Love” (1985)
The Smiths – “Meat is Murder” (1985)
The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Psychocandy” (1985)
Pre-Fab Sprout – “Two Wheels Good” (1985)
John Mellencamp – “Scarecrow” (1985)
Slayer – “Reign in Blood” (1986)
Robert Cray - "Strong Persuader" (1986)
Run-DMC – “Raising Hell” (1986)
Paul Simon – “Graceland” (1986)
Metallica – “Master of Puppets” (1986)
XTC – “Skylarking” (1986)
The Smiths – “The Queen is Dead” (1986)
Bon Jovi – “Slippery When Wet” (1986)
Peter Gabriel – “So” (1986)
Megadeth – “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?” (1986)
Depeche Mode – “Music For the Masses” (1987)
Guns and Roses – “Appetite for Destruction” (1987)
John Hiatt – “Bring the Family” (1987)
The Cure – “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” (1987)
U2 – “The Joshua Tree” (1987)
Sonic Youth – “Sister” (1987)
New Order – “Substance” (1987)
Prince – “Sign of the Times” (1987)
REM – “Document” (1987)
The Smiths – “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987)
Jane’s Addiction – “Nothing Shocking” (1988)
Public Enemy – “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back” (1988)
NWA – “Straight Outta Compton” (1988)
The Pixies – “Surfer Rosa” (1988)
Enya – “Watermark” (1988)
Sonic Youth – “Daydream Nation” (1988)
Tracy Chapman – “Tracy Chapman” (1988)
Cowboy Junkies – “The Trinity Sessions” (1988)
Nine Inch Nails – “Pretty Hate Machine” (1989)
Faith No More – “The Real Thing” (1989)
De La Soul – “Three Feet High and Rising” (1989)
Beastie Boys – “Paul’s Boutique” (1989)
The Cure – “Disintegration” (1989)
The Stone Roses – “The Stone Roses” (1989)
The Pixies – “Doolittle” (1989)
Tom Petty – “Full Moon Fever” (1989)
Soundgarden – “Louder Than Love” (1989)
Social Distortion – “Social Distortion” (1990)
The Black Crowes – “Shake Your Money Maker” (1990)
Garth Brooks – “No Fences” (1990)
My Bloody Valentine – “Loveless” (1991)
Massive Attack – “Blue Lines” (1991)
Primal Scream – “Screamadelica” (1991)
Nirvana – “Nevermind” (1991)
Pearl Jam – “Ten” (1991)
Metallica – “The Black Album” (1991)
Matthew Sweet – “Girlfriend” (1991)
U2 – “Achtung Baby” (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Blood Sex Sugar Magic” (1991)
De La Soul – “De La Soul is Dead” (1991)
Smashing Pumpkins – “Gish” (1991)
Fishbone – “Reality of My Surroundings” (1991)
Pavement – “Slanted & Enchanted” (1992)
REM – “Automatic for the People” (1992)
Los Lobos – “Kiko” (1992)
Pantera - "Vulgar Display of Power" (1992)
Rage Against the Machine – “Rage Against the Machine” (1992)
k.d. Lang – “Ingenue” (1992)
The Orb – “U.F.Orb” (1992)
Lyle Lovett – “Joshua Judges Ruth” (1992)
The Melvins - "Houdini" (1993)
Bjork – “Debut” (1993)
Nirvana – “In Utero” (1993)
Tiamat – “Wildhoney” (1994)
Portishead – “Dummy” (1994)
Jeff Buckley – “Grace” (1994)
Green Day – “Dookie” (1994)
Live – “Throwing Copper” (1994)
Ben Harper – “Welcome to the Cruel World” (1994)
Oasis – “Definitely Maybe” (1994)
Tricky – “Maxinquaye” (1995)
Oasis – “What’s the Story Morning Glory” (1995)
Alanis Morissette – “Jagged Little Pill” (1995)
Radiohead – “The Bends” (1995)
Beck – “Odelay” (1996)
Tool – “Aenima” (1996)
DJ Shadow – “Endtroducing” (1996)
Steve Earle – “I Feel Alright” (1996)
16 Horsepower – “Sackcloth & Ashes” (1996)
Sublime – “Sublime” (1996)
Radiohead – “OK Computer” (1997)
Shania Twain – “Come on Over” (1997)
Air – “Moon Safari” (1998)
Lucinda Williams – “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” (1998)
Massive Attack – “Mezzanine” (1998)
Neutral Milk Hotel – “In The Aeroplane Over the Sea” (1998)
The Beta Band – “Three EP’s” (1998)
Refused – “The Shape of Punk to Come” (1998)
The Flaming Lips – “The Soft Bulletin” (1999)
Moby – “Play” (1999)
Radiohead – “Kid A” (2000)
PJ Harvey – “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea” (2000)
Coldplay – “Parachutes” (2000)
Goldfrapp – “Felt Mountain” (2000)
Opeth – “Blackwater Park” (2001)
Daftpunk – “Discovery” (2001)
The Strokes – “Is This It?” (2001)
The Shins – “Oh, Inverted World” (2001)
Wilco – “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (2002)
Jurassic 5 – “Power in Numbers” (2002)
Johnny Cash – “American Recordings IV: The Man Comes Around” (2002)
The Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002)
The White Stripes – “Elephant” (2003)
OutKast – “Speakerboxxx” (2003)
Michael Franti – “Songs From the Front Porch” (2003)
Radiohead – “Hail to the Thief” (2003)
Arcade Fire – “Funeral” (2004)
Green Day – “American Idiot” (2004)
The Killers – “Hot Fuss” (2004)
LCD Soundsystem – “The Sound of Silver” (2007)
The National – “Boxer” (2007)
Blonde Redhead – “23” (2007)
Okkervil River – “The Stage Names” (2007)
Iron & Wine – “The Shepards Dog” (2007)
Animal Collective – “Merriweather Post Pavilion” (2009)
Florence & the Machine – “Lungs” (2009)

[SPATCH]

Originally Posted by Useful Idiot

it's better than spin's list for sure but...

still no mention of Deftones' 'White Pony' or Handsome Boy Modeling School's 'White People'....???

those two albums would be in my top 5.

Originally Posted by MoreLemonPledge

Good list (and a tough task indeed).

I would add TV on the Radio's "Dear Science", MGMT's "Time to Pretend", and at least one Elliott Smith album (XO definitely, and Either/Or).

Yes Please...

Some other omissions from the last decade include:

MUSE - Absolution
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Ratatat - Classics
Radiohead - In Rainbows

Also, Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers has got to be on there. Overall, though, this is a great list. You pretty much nailed the 80's (minus the slayer/metallica stuff)

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by the_spatula

Yes Please...

Some other omissions from the last decade include:

Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak


You pretty much nailed the 80's (minus the slayer/metallica stuff)

Great calls here!

[Omaha]

Originally Posted by Pitt Gorilla

These, plus:

STP-Core

I just picked up their new one & I'm about to give it a first spin....

[KCChiefsMan]

didn't want to start a new thread. But I'm listening to Jango (internet radio) on my AIC station and this song by Chris Cornell comes up (never heard it before, knew nothing about it)




WHAT IN GODS NAME IS GOING ON HERE?

I don't know if I can ever listen to Soundgarden or Audioslave again, ever.

[Omaha]

His most recent CD, Scream, was produced by Timbaland. It all sounds like that.

[Red Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

In mirroring Spin's recent list, here's mine:

Tom Waits – “Rain Dogs” (1985)
The Smiths – “Meat is Murder” (1985)
John Mellencamp – “Scarecrow” (1985)
U2 – “The Joshua Tree” (1987)
The Pixies – “Surfer Rosa” (1988)
Sonic Youth – “Daydream Nation” (1988)
Nine Inch Nails – “Pretty Hate Machine” (1989)
Beastie Boys – “Paul’s Boutique” (1989)
Tom Petty – “Full Moon Fever” (1989)
Social Distortion – “Social Distortion” (1990)
Garth Brooks – “No Fences” (1990)
Nirvana – “Nevermind” (1991)
Pearl Jam – “Ten” (1991)
Metallica – “The Black Album” (1991)
U2 – “Achtung Baby” (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Blood Sex Sugar Magic” (1991)
Pavement – “Slanted & Enchanted” (1992)
REM – “Automatic for the People” (1992)
Nirvana – “In Utero” (1993)
Jeff Buckley – “Grace” (1994)
Green Day – “Dookie” (1994)
Live – “Throwing Copper” (1994)
Ben Harper – “Welcome to the Cruel World” (1994)
Alanis Morissette – “Jagged Little Pill” (1995)
Radiohead – “The Bends” (1995)
Radiohead – “OK Computer” (1997)
Neutral Milk Hotel – “In The Aeroplane Over the Sea” (1998)
The Beta Band – “Three EP’s” (1998)
The Flaming Lips – “The Soft Bulletin” (1999)
Radiohead – “Kid A” (2000)
PJ Harvey – “Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea” (2000)
The Shins – “Oh, Inverted World” (2001)
Wilco – “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (2002)
Johnny Cash – “American Recordings IV: The Man Comes Around” (2002)
The Flaming Lips – “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots” (2002)
The White Stripes – “Elephant” (2003)
Arcade Fire – “Funeral” (2004)
Green Day – “American Idiot” (2004)
The Killers – “Hot Fuss” (2004)

Very nice list. Some I haven't heard. Some I don't like as much. But these shown above... Yes. Absolutely. 100% Yes. On my list as well.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Useful Idiot

it's better than spin's list for sure but...

still no mention of Deftones' 'White Pony' or Handsome Boy Modeling School's 'White People'....???

those two albums would be in my top 5.

I like White Pony a lot. Got the limited edition red case version. But it's not top 125 over the last 25 years worthy, especially when you consider that the best song on the album was a "duet" with Kennan of Tool, it drops it out of consideration. (A very similar album to that that is on the list is PJ Harvey's "Stories" which has a duet with Tom Yorke as the pinnacle song, but is a more solid top to bottom album than White Pony.)

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by siberian khatru

Still no Porcupine Tree.

Make a list of all their studio albums between 1996 and 2009, throw a dart at it and put that one on the list.

They were on the fringe of the list. It's hard to define them and while their body of work is impressive and varies, I don't think that there was anything "monumental" enough about any of their albums that would justify inclusion on the list.

To me, they are a Radiohead-lite. Excellent body of work, but it lacks the true introspective genius and musicality of Radiohead. "Deadwing" was close to being on the list though.

[BigMeatballDave]

Where is Def Leppard's Hysteria? That album sold over 10 million copies. One of the most popular albums of the 80s. WTF?

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

They were on the fringe of the list. It's hard to define them and while their body of work is impressive and varies, I don't think that there was anything "monumental" enough about any of their albums that would justify inclusion on the list.

To me, they are a Radiohead-lite. Excellent body of work, but it lacks the true introspective genius and musicality of Radiohead. "Deadwing" was close to being on the list though.

Boo. Also, bolded part doesn't even make sense.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by BCD

Where is Def Leppard's Hysteria? That album sold over 10 million copies. One of the most popular albums of the 80s. WTF?

It's a re-work/copy of the philosophy that they used on Pyromania. While incredibly popular, there is nothing on the album that is innovative or unique and the song writing is god awful.

Big time selling album, but it's neither ground breaking nor good from a musical perspective.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

Boo. Also, bolded part doesn't even make sense.

They remind me of Radiohead in terms of creating excellent music that doesn't immediately fall into a specific genre, but they don't have the nth degree of substance and finesse of Yorke's group. (And Yorke's vocals are absolutey stunning, where Wilson's are lacking range and change. Maybe that is really the difference for me.)

Like I said, if this list was the top 130, Porcupine Tree would have had something on the list, whether that would have been "Stupid Dream," "Fear of a Blank Planet," or the more "popular" sounding "Deadwing."

Don't get me wrong, I think that they are really good and have a fantastic lexicon of albums.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

They remind me of Radiohead in terms of creating excellent music that doesn't immediately fall into a specific genre, but they don't have the nth degree of substance and finesse of Yorke's group. (And Yorke's vocals are absolutey stunning, where Wilson's are lacking range and change. Maybe that is really the difference for me.)

Like I said, if this list was the top 130, Porcupine Tree would have had something on the list, whether that would have been "Stupid Dream," "Fear of a Blank Planet," or the more "popular" sounding "Deadwing."

Don't get me wrong, I think that they are really good and have a fantastic lexicon of albums.

I kinda' see where you're coming from wrt PT/Radiohead now but I'd still never make a connection between them. They're too different, musically, to me.

Yeah, it all boils down to personal tastes. I think your list is a good one and that is taking into account that probably over half of the list is comprised of albums that I either dislike or don't give a darn about.

I don't think that "fantastic lexicon of albums" means what you think it means.

[Useful Idiot]

Originally Posted by Saccopoo

But it's not top 125 over the last 25 years worthy, especially when you consider that the best song on the album was a "duet" with Kennan of Tool, it drops it out of consideration.

(A very similar album to that that is on the list is PJ Harvey's "Stories" which has a duet with Tom Yorke as the pinnacle song, but is a more solid top to bottom album than White Pony.)

GTFO YOU PHILISTINE!

[SPATCH]

Oh... and if you're going to include an Outkast album it's got to be either "Aquemini" or "ATLiens".

Speakerboxxx was aaaaaaaaaaight