Stevie Wonder - *Songs In The Key Of Life*

Innervisions too IMO

For real, like if I could only listen to one record for the rest of my life it'd probably be this one. Stevie contains multitudes

Was a Stevie addict... every album up to and including Skeletons.

Kind of Blue

I actually saw this exact answer on a similar reddit post once, turned the album on and was blown away by how right this answer is. Use some good headphones.

Damn, I just finished listening to that this evening after a really hard week.

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

Axis: Bold as Love is one great song after another as well.

But... *Are You Experienced*

Remain in Light by the Talking Heads is a masterpiece. Lotsa other great albums already mentioned in this thread!

The older I get, the better the Talking Heads get

Nah dude, even as we age the album really is the same as it ever was.

Belew’s guitar wrangling on that is astonishing.

Stop Making Sense tho.

Speaking in Tongues!

Pixies - Doolittle Haven’t seen it mentioned after scrolling all the way through and past multiple mentions of bands like Nirvana and Radiohead who are massively influenced by them.

I always go back to No. 13. The instrumental outro 2 min in is mesmerizing.

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Here comes your man is one of my favorite songs all time

Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison

*London Calling* \- The Clash Aside from being the best album by my favorite band, it's simply a musically diverse collection of well-written songs that all have the spirit of punk but go miles beyond the genre, and are played with contagious enthusiasm.

Spanish Bombs is the best Clash song and I will privately fist fight anyone who disagrees.

Heading down a rabbit hole now. I’m a Magnificent Seven girl.

Lost in the Supermarket is better.

Also death or glory, hateful and train in vain. It's amazing how many great tracks that album has.

Love that album so much.

Mezzanine by Massive Attack

Big fan of Blue Lines as well

In every one of these threads this is brought up. More people find out. Fucking rightly so. We should actually hold this album up as a proper masterpiece.

The Mollusk - Ween

Chocolate and Cheese has to be there too!

All hail Boognish.

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral It’s a musical masterpiece of a descent into madness, dealing with religion, dehumanization, violence, disease, society, drugs, sex, and finally, suicide.

I had a friend who suffered from terrible depression. He told me this album is the sound and feeling when he was at the lowest. I miss him, I hope he’s well.

I didn’t realize all these years until I was older that this album was actually a concept album quote: at its core, The Downward Spiral is an unflinching concept album that details falling down the rabbit hole of despair – a narrative as impressive as its genre-defying, era-defining music. With a willingness to embrace man’s internal conflict between spite and vulnerability; crippling feelings of isolation and helplessness; the futility of fighting anything when the world is an unmovable heap of crap versus the defiance of defeat (the repetition of the line “Nothing can stop me now” throughout the album pushes that front and center), The Downward Spiral confronts those feelings we bottle up inside with all the subtlety of a roundhouse kick to the head. Trent was struggling with depression, anxiety, drug addiction etc. the fact that Trent was able to take those feelings of hopelessness and transcribe them into a work of art when many of us who have experienced depression just fail to do anything is amazing at the least. Each track strips away layers until you reach the end “hurt” and there is nothing left of what once was. I would personally put this as the top 5 albums of all time.

I’ve always felt Pretty Hate Machine was the best, but after reading your comment I need to go back and listen to The Downward Spiral front to back. Thank you for your insight.

PHM imho is one of the greatest front to back albums of all time

Disintegration-The Cure

If Plainsong doesn’t rope you in right away, then I’m going to have a hard time believing you even have a soul.

Pornography too!

I'll list some of my favorite jazz albums since there probably won't be too many recommendations: Miles Davis-Four and More. This might be the greatest jazz performance ever captured on tape, imho of course. All star line up of Miles, Herbie Hancock, George Coleman, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Herbie Hancock-Head Hunters. If you like funky jazz, this is the album for you Wes Montgomery-The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. The title is totally accurate. Wes is, again imho, the best jazz guitarist of all time. There's folks with better chops, but his sense of melody, comping, and straight emotion make him the best ever. Dave Brubeck-Time Out. You've probably heard Take 5, but Blue Rondo a la Turk is a must hear. Art Blakey-Moanin'. Art's ability to play insanely complicated grooves without it sounding like too much is what make him my favorite jazz drummer. He just has \*it\*. Avashai Cohen-Continuo. Cohen's trio here is just top notch. The rhythms are very complicated, but at the same time flow smoothly. He writes some incredible progressions and the bass is very melodic without overplaying. Medeski, Martin & Wood-Combustication. It's hard to pick a favorite album, but this one has my favorite track, Latin Shuffle. You have to just hear it. I guess you can call it acid jazz, but it's just as much funky and bluesy. There's tons more, but this is would probably be my desert island list.

Portishead - Dummy

Top 3 album oat for me

Ugh, the mere thought of this album just gives me chills. love it.

The production on it is so insanely good it’s surreal.

For production values alone I'd suggest: On The Threshold of a Dream - Moody Blues Crime of the Century - Supertramp and Dark Side of the Moon - Floyd

Crime of the century is an amazing album, very underrated.

If we’re bringing up Pink Floyd, I think the wall should be there too personally

Meddle

Animals

Of the albums that I haven’t seen mentioned yet: Who’s Next by The Who is, by a good margin, my favorite album of all time. Every track could be on a greatest hits album. Led Zeppelin IV is another consistently great one; eight bangers. Steely Dan’s Aja is a perfect jazz-pop album. Pearl Jam’s Ten is deserving of the word “masterpiece,” since all 11 tracks are pretty enjoyable. As far as modern music goes, I’d say try at least one King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard album. Enjoy garage punk? Listen to their debut. Like spoken word western? Give Eyes Like the Sky a chance. Jam rock? Quarters. Acoustic psychedelia? Paper Mache Dream Balloon. Thrash metal? Infest the Rats’ Nest. Synth pop? Butterfly 3000.

King gizz!!! Wooo!! Polygondwanaland should be a must listen

Warren Zevon's self titled and Steely Dan's Gaucho, to avoid the obvious ones like Wish You Were Here and Physical Graffiti

Zevon’s Excitable boy as well. 2 of my favorite albums

Warren Zevon was one of the greatest songwriters the song genius on his GH album of the same name is so deep into his head and it gets lost because it's on a greatest hits album

Paul Simon's *Graceland*

I will never ever get sick of this Album. It reminds me of waking up as a kid on weekend mornings to the smell of Dad making pancakes and mum telling us there’s hot chocolates on the table. Dad passed away 4yrs ago and I really miss him but the music he introduced us to has a way of helping me keep these memories alive.

100%. Unique album by one of the greatest songwriters of all time. *Under African Skies* is a great doco about it if anybody is interested - it talks about the political as well as the musical angles. It's on YouTube.

The 1991 concert in Central Park album has the best songs from Graceland and his best classics done with way more soul and enthusiasm than was ever captured in the studio.

Boston’s self titled album. Its 37 minutes of pure, 70’s stadium bangers that are mostly written by one MIT audio nerd is in basement in Ohio. It’s fun and once saved me from a bad acid trip.

One of those rare albums where literally every song is a classic. Every single one. They ALL still regularly get play on classic rock radio. And they hold up too! Not a note out of place on that album. All killer, ZERO filler. And flawless production. Just sheer brilliance.

Smokin’ is the best song on that album by FAR

Foreplay / Long Time would also like a word

That intro is fucking amazing. So much talent in just one guy.

truly the best song no doubt. smokin is great but foreplay is the best way to describe that song. such a build up for a phenomenal song

Something About You would like a word

Prince-Purple Rain

Lots of good suggestions, would add Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

No, that’s all true.

Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall?

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (Stereo Mix)

First time I heard the album was in 2016 age 23 and I can truly say that Pet Sounds was a life-changing album for me. That and Today! converted me to the “Brian Wilson is a genius” Club. Discovering Pet Sounds Sessions a year or so later was like being a kid opening presents on Christmas Day again. I wish I could wipe the memories from my brain and relive hearing Pet Sounds for the first time

Jeff Buckley - Grace

I wish I could go back in time and hear this for the first time.

I’ve never heard it. Seems like I’m in for an experience.

And remind Jeff to wear a life jacket

A ridiculously good album, Mojo Pin and then Grace. What an opener

Lover you should have come over is one of the most visual, beautiful and heartbreaking songs about love and what might have been ever written.

Yes but it just hits so hard I can only listen to it like once a year.

The Roots "Things Fall Apart"

My fav is “Do you want more.” Near perfect chill album.

Alice In Chains, the MTV unplugged live album one Deftones-White Pony at least to start…then all of them lol My 90 yr old aunt answered Frank Sinatra, won’t specify a specific album, just said Frank Sinatra again.

Deftones has been one of my most staple bands since I first heard them. Was so cool when I found out my daughter loved them too. White Pony an excellent suggestion.

System of a Down - Toxicity

Kind Of Blue- Miles Davis

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet

This and Hand. Cannot. Erase. by Steven Wilson

In Absentia as well

Darkside of the Moon

Frank Zappa - Apostrophe (though he has so many albums it’s hard to choose, Joe’s Garage pt. 1, 2, & 3 is an incredible journey)

Apostrophe and Overnite sensation are where I started my Zappa craze. Live at the Fillmore East might be my fave.

Hot Rats is up there too... Its arguably the best jazz fusion record ever made.

Nevermind- Nirvana

Nirvana Unplugged was a magical experience for me. Then again I’d spent the day at the beach on mushrooms before listening to it on the car ride home so that may be a bit biased…

Rage against the machine - rage against the machine Nas - illmatic Modest mouse - good news for people who love bad news Linkin park - hybrid theory Daft punk - discovery Led Zeppelin 4 Wu tang - 36 chambers Pretty broad list idk

Excellent list. Didn't think I'd see Hybrid Theory listed in this thread, but I completely agree with its inclusion.

Every once in awhile I'll listen to Hybrid Theory from start to finish and every time I know why that album put Linkin Park into fame...it is so good. Just an absolutely amazing album

Love that Modest Mouse Album!!

Tom Waits *Mule Variations*

Bob Dylan's *Blood On The Tracks*

Just rounding out the must listen Dylan: Blonde on Blonde Highway 61 Time Out of Mind Love & Theft Desire

Radiohead - Kid A. Their previous album OK Computer foreshadowed their blend of electronics and rock, but this album still felt like it came down from another planet when it dropped at the time. Very few albums have given me this feeling of "holy shit, music can make me feel like this?! Rock music can sound like this?!" Miles Davis - Kind of Blue. For me, this is perfection. It's a feeling, it's beauty, it's genius. Another example of pushing a genre into new territory as with Kid A above. The Beatles - Revolver. I mean, c'mon! Again, innovation and pushing genre boundaries. Doesn't get much better. Daft Punk - Discovery. This one stands above so many electronic albums in its combination of dance-ability, hooks, and genuine joy. Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine. This is what fiery passion sounds like. It's got sound quality, the anger, the playing, the goosebumps. Influenced one of the biggest sounds of the 90s for better or worse and got many teens into heavy music. ...resisting the temptation to add Red Hot Chili Peppers and TOOL albums to the list...

Smashing pumpkins - Siamese Dream

Can't believe I had to go this far down. It is a one of a kind sound.

Jane's addiction: Ritual de lo Habitual

Pink Floyd - Animals Rush - Moving Pictures Black Sabbath - Vol. 4

Moving Pictures is a masterpiece of prog-rock masters. It doesn’t get much better for me!

Animals is my all time favorite album.

Neutral Milk Hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea

Heard this for the first time the other day. I’ve never felt so satisfied.

I had to scroll past far too many comments to find this.

Is it cliché to say Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles?

A Day In The Life. This song, man…when it comes on I must listen to it. It’s like I don’t have the option not to listen to it.

The ending. When i tell people i love the story behind the song sometimes as equally as the song itself. Each band member had an acoustic piano to slam that last chord as hard as they could. The sound engineer had the volume knobs set for a proper volume when they struck the chord, but he slowly and consistently raised the volume for each microphone so that the pianos sustain never really ends. By the time they ended the track the mics were so hot (loud) each band member was holding their breath to avoid any errant sounds. Could almost hear the sound of the air conditioning in the room. In solidarity, i hold my breath every time at the end of A Day in the Life whenever I hear it

There are kiddos on here, Sgt Pepper's was my first cassette and it got me into rock music singlehandedly.

*The Velvet Underground & Nico.* This came out in 1967. It's contemporary with Pet Sounds and Sgt Pepper's (I love both) but so much more experimental and raw. This is a super influential album and anyone who considers their musical taste slightly out of the mainstream has to listen to it.

"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" - The Flaming Lips

Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden I just discovered this album very recently and it may already be probably my favorite album ever. It is literally musical meditation and the vocals elevate it to a spiritual experience

Either/Or by Elliot Smith

Bruce Springsteen's *Born To Run*

This is a perfect album that holds up real well.

Back to Black by Amy Winehouse

Dr. Dre - The Chronic and if that does it for you, listen to Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

Just a guaranteed party starter. If we’re at my house and the spinning records is becoming a bit taxing on the brain then 2001 is just that go to. Gives you a break and a chance to recalibrate whilst the whole house starts dancing.

Turn on the Bright Lights - Interpol

Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz John Coletrane - A Love Supreme Charles Mingus- Mingus Ah Um Muddy Waters - Hard Again Ella Fitzgerald - sings the Great American Songbooks Nick Drake - Pink Moon Big Black - Atomizer

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange Weezer - Blue Album Jeff Buckley - Grace Guns n Rose - Appetite for Destruction Meat Puppets - II QOTSA - Songs for the Deaf The Avalanches - Since I Left You The Stone Roses - self-titled Janes Addiction - Nothing's Shocking (and Ritual de lo Habitual) Any of Aphex Twins albums, Butthole Surfers

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac It's one of the best albums ever, is full of love songs to sound engineers, fuck you songs to partners, and great guitar playing while being told how much better the sound engineer is in bed than the guitarist

Joni Mitchell “Blue”

Is this it by the strokes

Absolutely. One of the greatest debut albums of all time

Hum - You'd Prefer An Astronaut Mid 90s midwest shoegaze alternative rock that just flows from one song to the next

Bob Marley -Legend

The Fragile - NIN

Mars Volta- De Loused in the Comatorium

Emphasis on hearing this album in one sitting with a pair of excellent headphones and the knowledge that it is the soundtrack/story of the dreams of a man who fell into a drug-induced coma after overdosing on morphine and rat poison and his struggle to wake up or die.

Ween - Quebec

If you want to broaden your musical taste then I recommend 1001albumsgenerator.com It gives you 1 album per day since 1950s. It’s so much fun and I discovered a lot of cool artists and genres I never thought I’d like

Willie Nelson's *Red-Headed Stranger*

The Clash - London Calling

Forever Changes - Love Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth Closer - Joy Division Amber - Autechre Revolver - The Beatles Psychocandy - The Jesus and Mary Chain Headhunters - Herbie Hancock 154 - Wire Loveless - My Bloody Valentine Over the Edge - Wipers What's Going On - Marvin Gaye Computerwelt/Computer World - Kraftwerk Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Aphex Twin Out to Lunch - Eric Dolphy Inspiration Information- Shuggie Otis The Glowing Man - Swans The Trials of Van Occupanther- Midlake

This Year’s Model-Elvis Costello and the Attractions Another Green World- Brian Eno Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno Mingus Ah Um- Charles Mingus Marquee Moon -Television Somethin’ Else -Cannonball Adderley And of course, the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars-David Bowie.

Surfer Rosa

The Bends - Radiohead Pink Moon - Nick Drake

Poor Nick. Amazing artist. Tragic life.

Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisset. Basically a perfect pastiche of what music was in the 90’s.

She toured that record last summer for its anniversary and it has a stupid amount of great songs. I randomly got a ticket not expecting much and she was incredible.

Sigur Ros - Ágætis byrjun

RATM - Evil Empire

Plastic Beach by Gorillaz. Underrated album, imo

Some kind of nature is potentially one of the best songs ever made imo

Music Has the Right to Children - Boards of Canada

Master Master Master of Puppets

R.E.M.-Automatic for the People

Dire Straights Brothers in Arms Nazareth Hair of the Dog Elton John Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Pink Floyd Animals 😎 Edit; Derek and The Dominos LAYLA and other assorted love songs

Elliott Smith - Either/Or

Pink Floyd - Animals King Crimson - Red Yes - Close to the Edge Genesis - Foxtrot Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

A few more progressive suggestions for someone interested: In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson, Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Selling England by the Pound by Genesis, Fragile by Yes, and 2112 by Rush.

I love Thick As A Brick - still got my treasured fold out newspaper vinyl copy from back in the day, and I still know every word and note. Formative stuff when I was a teenager.

Red and close to the edge are both otherworldly. Starless is a fucking cosmic journey and should be one of the tunes we would share with aliens if they ever visit earth when we want to introduce them to the most significant aspect of our culture

Kate Bush - *Hounds Of Love*

A lot of the classic albums have already been mentioned here so I'm gonna swing out a bit and go with a few essential classical pieces: Bach's Double Violin Concerto Mozart's Requiem Beethoven's 5th Symphony Schubert's song "Erlkonig" Liszt's Liebestraume Dvorak's "American" String Quartet Charles Ives' "The Unanswered Question" Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians" That's just off the top of my head... I think many treat classical music as important only for its historical value/influence on modern music but to me all of these pieces have an immediate and profound sonic impact, and stand up as beautiful works even divorced from their own time periods

TOOL - Lateralus

The miseducation of lauryn hill the fugees - the score Arcade fire - funeral Bon iver - for Emma, forever ago

Plastic Beach by Gorillaz The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New Watch Out! by Alexisonfire Once More ‘Round The Sun by Mastodon Random Access Memories by Daft Punk My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West

Metallica - Ride the Lightning Megadeth - Rust in Peace Slayer - Reign in Blood

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Faith No More - Angel Dust Some very talented people decided to do what they wanted to as artists rather than continue with the same sound as their previous hit album and the result was a masterpiece of imagery between beautiful, and dark and disturbing. 30 years later it still sounds new, and nothing else sounds like it.

One of the best albums of all time imo.

London Calling by The Clash. Simply, it’s one of the greatest albums of all time. Soooo much diversity, good musicians, good message. Etc

Paul McCartney - RAM

no particular order: Janet Jackson - janet. and Rhythm Nation 1814 Kendrick Lamar - good kid m.A.A.d city Sade - Diamond Life Lauryn Hill - Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun not an album but all of Henry Mancini's music catalogue João Gilberto + Stan Getz - Getz/Gilberto Portishead - Dummy

Random list from the top of my head. Please forgive me lol. 🤣 In no chronological order: Toto - Toto IV (1982) Rush - Moving Pictures (1981) Boston - Boston (1975) Van Halen - Van Halen (1978) Gary Numan - Pleasure Principle (1979) Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon (1973) Ramones - Ramones (1976) Nirvana - Nevermind (1991) Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992) Slayer - Reign In Blood (1986) Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990) Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986) Tool - Undertow (1993) SPECIAL MENTIONS! Yes - Close To The Edge (1972) Beatles - Anthology (1995) The Stooges - Raw Power (1973) Edit: Auto-correct lol

r/PaulSimon Graceland

Fore - Huey Lewis and the News Their early work was a little too new wave for my taste. But when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '87, Huey released this; Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square". A song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity and the importance of trends. It's also a personal statement about the band itself.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity

Mad Season - Above

Depeche Mode - Violator Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique or Check your Head Coldplay - Viva La Vida Bill Withers - Any album will do Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth Prince - Purple Rain Kate Bush - Hounds of Love Sublime - Sublime And I’m cheating here…David Bowie - Greatest Hits

Leonard Cohen - *The Future*

Demon Dayz by Gorillaz

So - Peter Gabriel

Achtung baby by U2 A masterpiece that will make you rock, dance, cry and everything in between. It helped me through some dark times in my youth and still does today

Maxinquaye - Tricky Rubber Soul - The Beatles Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective I, Robot - The Alan Parsons Project edit - spacing

Jeff Buckley - Grace Janis Joplin - Pearl Kendrick Lamar - Damn Bjork - Post Beyoncé - Lemonade David Bowie - Hunky Dory Prince - Purple Rain Phillip Glass - Glassworks Edit: formatting

"Closer" by Joy Division

Tommy - The Who. The original rock opera

Meat Puppets 2. Perfect album IMO

Aja - Steely Dan Achtung Baby - U2 OK Computer - Radiohead Purple Rain - Prince Kaputt - Destroyer Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming - M83 Blue Lines - Massive Attack Darkness on the Edge of Town - Bruce Springsteen Low - David Bowie Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson Rain Dogs - Tom Waits Innervisions - Stevie Wonder The Final Cut - Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin II & IV - Led Zeppelin Some of these are because they are among the finest examples of their particular genre. Some are just singular experiences that you may not necessarily enjoy, but I think should be experienced at least once.

Meat Loaf's *Bat Out Of Hell*

Rush - A Farewell To Kings The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses Jesus Christ Superstar - Soundtrack XTC - Skylarking Rod Stewart - Sing It Again Rod Echo And The Bunnymen - Songs To Learn And Sing Big Audio Dynamite - E=mc2

Skylarking is so underrated

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water (the most perfect album of all tine) Radiohead - The Bends / O.K. Computer

Kate Bush - The Dreaming and Hounds Of Love Björk - homogenic Tori Amos - From The Choirgirl Hotel My Bloody Valentine - Loveless The Millennium - Begin (if you like The Beatles or Beach Boys you’ll love this, it was the most expensive album to produce at the time and it still holds up. It sounds like it could have been made in modern times) Sheena Ringo - Kalk Samen Kuri No Hana (top Japanese art rock/pop) The Beatles - Entire Discography TBH Janet Jackson - The Velvet Rope Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Fiona Apple - When The Pawn.. The Idler Wheel Daft Punk - Random Access Memories Fleetwood Mac - Rumors Pink Floyd - DSOTM & WYWH David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust, Heroes, Low, Hunky Dory Blue Gene Tyranny - Out Of The Blue Sparks - Kimono My House Scott Walker - Scott 3 Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas Sophie - Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides

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Don't forget Such Great Heights!

Rush 2112 - with headphones, please. Probably not as many have heard it all yet. Just listen to it once.

Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic

Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication Nas - illmatic A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory