A friend of mine on FB recently took an “Influential Albums” quiz – see how many of these most influential 100 albums you own type of thing. Since I trust his musical tastes – I jumped on it too. Then I suspect that others who maybe trust(ed) my musical taste took it too. And for that I should apologize. It was horrible. Awful. Really?
Of course this then begs the question of what is my list? For me then, I have to define “influential”. An influential album (according to the NM-ipedia) changed the course of music, defined a genre, was copied by others (and those others also made money/benefited from that trail blaze), and has (can be somewhat debatable) staying power – i.e., the music still sells. And you know what? I don’t have to like the music. Like Garth Brooks, really don’t care for him. But cannot deny the man is not influential!
So in no particular order here's my 50:
Led Zeppelin, Zeppelin IV
Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
Grateful Dead, American Beauty
Nirvana, Nevermind
Metallica, Master of Puppets
Metallica, And Justice For All
Ray Charles, The Genius of Ray Charles
Sex Pistols, Never Mind the Bullocks
The Cure, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Johnny Cash, Folsom Prison Blues
Madonna, Like a Virgin
Michael Jackson, Thriller
Pink Floyd, The Wall
Rolling Stones, Beggar’s Banquet
Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones, Let It Bleed
Beatles, Abby Road
Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band
Beatles, Let It Be
Heart, Dreamboat Annie
Simon and Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Patsy Cline, Showcase
Janis Joplin, Pearl
Grease, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
James Taylor, Sweet Baby James
Beastie Boys, Licensed to Ill
Run-DMC, Raising Hell
Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman
Willie Nelson, Always On My Mind
The Clash, London Calling
Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
U2, The Joshua Tree
Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On
David Bowie, Ziggy Stardust
Elvis Costello, My Aim is True
Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley
Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers
B.B. King, The Blues
Miles Davis, King of the Blues
Joni Mitchell, Blue
Aretha Franklin, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
Blondie, Parallel Lines
James Brown, Live at the Apollo
Jimi Hendrix, Are you Experienced
Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain
The Ramones, The Ramones
The Who, My Generation
Paul Simon, Graceland
48 Garth Brooks, (I have no idea which album is considered his most influential honestly…)
Black Flag, Damaged
REM, Automatic for the People
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