Here is a breakdown of my favorite and/or most influential music from the past decade. I think there are close to 80 albums listed but only ranked the first 25. After that, I ordered them within their individual sections.
When I look at this list I am amazed at how each album really did have an effect on me over the years. I can look at one title and start playing it in my head and remember specific places and people and feelings and events.
For example, I remember how comforted I felt listening to Ryan Adam's "New York" from "Gold" just weeks after 9/11.
I remember listening to Radiohead's "Kid A" in headphones for the first time and having my mind blown that a band could change so drastically and still have me in the palm of their hands.
How I just kept smiling and smiling as I put The Shins' "Chutes Too Narrow" on repeat and tried to sing at the top of my lungs with James Mercer.
My jaw dropping the first time I listened to "Funeral" by Arcade fire all the way through then sharing it with everyone I knew for the next three years.
How I was getting tired of Death Cab until I heard the title track from "Transatlanticism" and then how I wanted to cry with sadness and joy at the same time. Epic.
Then there is Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." Say what you want (overrated, don't get it, etc.) But it shaped me as a music fan, consumer, student, poet, writer and artist like no other album I can recollect. It was a huge deal for me. I am still amazed by it.
I could go on and on. If you want me too I will. But let's just say that music has been a huge part of my decade, my life. It's there through depression, heartbreak, trials and love, success and adventure. I hope I have another great music decade ahead of me.
The Game Changers:
1. "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" Wilco
2. "Kid A" Radiohead
3. "Chutes Too Narrow" The Shins
4. "Funeral" Arcade Fire
5. "Illinois" Sufjan Stevens
6. "Transatlanticism" Death Cab for Cutie
7. "Oh, Inverted World" The Shins
8. "Trials of Van Occupanther" Midlake
9. "Feels" Animal Collective
10. "Give Up" Postal Service
11. "Apologies to the Queen Mary" Wolf Parade
12. "Sunlandic Twins" Of Montreal
13. "In Rainbows" Radiohead
14. "Everything All the Time" Band of Horses
15. "Emblems" Matt Pond PA
16. "Lifted ... " Bright Eyes
17. "Several Arrows Later" Matt Pond PA
18. "Rainy Day Music" The Jayhawks
19. "Spelled in Bones" Fruit Bats
20. "It Still Moves" My Morning Jacket
21. "Writer's Block" Peter, Bjorn and John
22. "Misery is a Butterfly" Blonde Redhead
23. "Gold" Ryan Adams
24. "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" Flaming Lips
25. "No More Stories ..." Mew
Repetition Addiction
"Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" Phoenix
"Vampire Weekend" Vampire Weekend
"Violence in the Snowy Fields" Dolorean
"Is This It" The Strokes
"The Mysterious Production of Eggs" Andrew Bird
"Destroyer's Rubies" Destroyer
"Want One" Rufus Wainwright
"Logic Will Break your Heart" The Stills
"Ghosts of the Great Highway" Sun Kil Moon
"Loneliness Knows My Name" Patrick Park
"Begin to Hope" Regina Spektor
"You Could Have It So Much Better" Franz Ferdinand
"Let It Die" Feist
"All Day" Mates of State
"Not Going Anywhere" Keren Ann
"The Con" Tegan and Sara
Entertain Me
"Gimme Fiction" Spoon
"The Green Album" Weezer
"Twin Cinema" The New Pornographers
"Silent Alarm" Bloc Party
"Clap Your Hands Say Yeah" Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"LCD Soundsystem" LCD Soundsystem
"Late Registration" Kanye West
"The Weight is a Gift" Nada Surf
"Life on Other Planets" Supergrass
"Anniemal" Annie
"Daisies of the Galaxy" Eels
"American Idiot" Green Day
"Summer in Abaddon" Pinback
Odd but Oh So Good
"You Forgot It in People" Broken Social Scene
"Hail to the Thief" Radiohead
"The Flying Club Cup" Beirut
"The Secret Migration" Mercury Rev
"Strawberry Jam" Animal Collective
"Amnesiac" Radiohead
"Dear Science" TV On The Radio
"The Stage Names" Okkervil River
"The Runners Four" Deerhoof
"Advisory Committee" Mirah
Nostalgia
"Rockin' the Suburbs" Ben Folds
"The Last Broadcast" Doves
"Ancient Melodies of the Future" Built to Spill
"Sebastopol" Jay Farrar
"Figure 8" Elliot Smith
"Sea Change" Beck
"Set Yourself on Fire" Stars
"Life in Slow Motion" David Gray
"A Rush of Blood to the Head" Coldplay
"The Rising" Bruce Springsteen
"More Adventurous" Rilo Kiley
"Riot on an Empty Street" Kings of Convenience
"Turn On the Bright Lights" Interpol
"Us" Mull Historical Society
The list groups should be self-explanatory but if you need further clarification, please comment. Also please leave a comment if you think the list is awesome or if you think I forgot something or if you think my taste is crazy or stupid.
As always, thanks for reading.
4 comments:
Okay, now it's just getting creepy. I agree with just about every single thing you have on here, especially the personal anecdotes for each album. ("I need you so much closer...")
I think the only other thing I'd have in there somewhere is Sun Kil Moon. Otherwise, you have superb taste and I again feel cooler for liking cool things that cool people like.
Shums! You are so right. I totally forgot two of my favorites. Sun Kil Moon and Patrick Park have both been added.
Where are your lists?
Awesome lists. Brett is the one who introduced me to YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT, which is still one of my favorite albums of all time. It's sad to see what has happened to Wilco since A GHOST IS BORN. They have dramatically lost their creative energy.
My list (which is simply a list of albums I think are revolutionary, repetitively addictive, and/or will stand the test of time) would also include FUNERAL which is pretty much one of the greatest albums of all time. Although Arcade Fire's NEON BIBLE doesn't reach the heights of their first album, I would still include it on my list.
IN RAINBOWS and KID A would both be on there. These albums are fantastic from start to finish and both expanded Radiohead's musical capabilities. I would also include HAIL TO THE THEIF even though I think a few of the songs are weak. The Flaming Lips' YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS and THE SUNLANDIC TWINS are both on my list, but I would also include Of Montreal's SATANIC PANIC IN THE ATTIC. DEAR SCIENCE is on my list - its oddness is quite unique. ROCKIN THE SUBURBS is nostalgic to me as well, but I think I overplayed it because I haven't picked it up in years.
MY LIST:
(in no particular order)
Previously mentioned:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
A Ghost is Born - Wilco
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Kid A - Radiohead
Hail to the Thief - Radiohead
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Flaming Lips
Satanic Panic in the Attic - Of Montreal
The Sunlandic Twins - Of Montreal
Dear Science - TV on the Radio
Others:
Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear
Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective (I haven't listened to any other AC albums yet)
Free the Bees - The Bees
Good News For People Who Love Bad News -Modest Mouse
Sea Change - Beck
Emotionalism - The Avett Brothers
Think Tank - Blur
Octopus - The Bees
We All Belong - Dr Dog
You & Me - The Walkmen
Dear Catastrophe Waitress - Belle & Sebastian
My musical tastes are always changing. I feel that this list represents albums I find myself coming back to over and over again. Brett, you have several albums on your lists which I haven't heard yet. I'm excited to go through them. I know I will find some new favs.
Brett has great taste in music. We will all benefit from checking out his recommendations. Thanks to Brett for writing such a good post!
Thanks, Tim! I will have to check out the ones on your list I missed as well. Thanks for your feedback and thoughts.
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