CHUD's 100 must-have albums

Can we preemptively ban Greatest Hits albums?

I'm definitely interested.

Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996.)*
Grim yet hopeful, anguished yet composed, Black Love is an eclectic ride through morality. It's an epic drama very much informed by cinema, as evidenced in its pithy, quotable lyrics ("Double Day" features the couplet "Pretend that I can hardly wait/To wipe that smile off of your face") and juxtaposition of transgressive and redemptive imagery (the corrupted, swaggering narrator of "Going to Town" vs. "Faded" which features a plea to God). On a base level, it's a ruthlessly efficient, muscular rock album laced with funk, R 'n' B, and soul flourishes. Vocalist/writer Greg Dulli injects more variety into his frequent howls than most artists do their subjects, and, while many contemporary takes on love - and lust - scream of myopia and intellectual redundancy, Dulli's straight-shooting address remains vital almost 14 years on. It's, truly, a must-have album.

* Shocking, I know. If I'd thought we were really gonna' cut the list down and start afresh, I wouldn't have submitted this for the 1000 originally.

Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996.)
Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)

If you like Jazz, David Lynch and Looney Toons - then you can't go wrong with Permutations. Amon really hit his stride with this album and has yet to let off. For all the different genres being represented here, one would not expect such an overall tone, but somehow Amon manages and at the same time makes it sound easy.

Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996.)
Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)

Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978).

The Stones at their grittiest. Even though the band recorded the album in Paris, this is 1970s New York City - it's sex, drugs and rock and roll (with a touch of disco and punk tossed in, and "Far Away Eyes" for a heavy dose of country) at it's grimiest. You can practically see Bianca dancing in her stilettos out at Studio 54 to "Miss You" - the album just encapsulates that era, while at the same time, representing how strong of a band the Stones still were at roughly 18 years together (at that point in time).

Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996.)
Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)

Probably the greatest debut album of a band in decades, It kickstarted the 90's and completed the grunge movement along with a bunch of other bands. Out of those, Pearl Jam is the only one left standing and getting stronger every day. Ten is raw, pure strength aimed right at your brain. If you like rock and roll, there's no excuse NOT to have this album.

Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996.)
Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)

Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
Following on the heels of a great album, one would have expected Glenn Phillips and crew to capitalize on the folky hits Walk on the Ocean and All I Want. While Dulcinea includes a couple of great folkier gems (like Stupid and Nancy), the album serves up a more complex blend of album rock. Starting with the powerful Fly From Heaven, a tone is set for the melancholy, without diving into cliche disdain.

Standout tracks on the record are Somethings Always Wrong, Crowing, and my favorite, Windmills. Windmills alone would put any album on a must have list. The song captures the Don Quixote like urge to chase that which we know we can never defeat. It's such a strong thematic element the album takes it's name from Quixote's imagined romantic pursuit.

Willie & the Family Live(Expanded Edition)-Willie Nelson

From the opening raucous chords of "Whiskey River" to the haunting wailing finale of "Til I Gain Control Again" the listener is taken on a wild ride with the Red-Headed Stranger; front row, reveling in an artist at his peak playing with a band that knows how to boogie (actually backing up the Blues Brothers on their first gig), country seldom sounds so funky.

Stellar tracks: check out how he turns the old shitkicker anthem, "If You've Got The Money" into a blast of Stax-like soul; On "I Can Get Off On You", "I'm A Memory", "Bloody Mary Morning", and of course, "Whiskey River/"Stay All Night" Willie rocks out confidently. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", "Uncloudy Day" are shots of pure sunshine- enough even to warm the soul of the most dour agnostic. Bonus track is a blazing cover of Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind".

Roll a fat one, and play it loud.

8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi.

Not only did this album launch Bon Jovi to superstardom it has some of their best songs on it, Living on a Prayer, You Give Love a bad Name, Wanted Dead or Alive, to name a few. A classic Rock Album to be sure and having sold 28 million copies world wide I'm not alone in that opinion.

Sure it's poodle rock, but it's poodle rock at its finest.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)

9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)

Another debut album, another knock out of the park. This album is what songwriters do. Being insanely talented on the piano the mixture between her voice, the frontloaded piano and hard-to-swallow introperspective lyrics, this album is moving me to this day. It speaks volumes that "Me and a Gun", a song about rape, was a successful single. The whole album is full of gems and pretty much without missstep. "Crucify", "Silent all these Years" and "Happy Panthom" are songs that I will never cease to be amazed by. And it all comes down to the perfect mixture of soft but energetic piano usage and a voice that was made for her writing.

Seing her live in the middle of the nineties only solidified that impression. Seing that little beautiful lady all alone with her piano and making 50.000 people weep is a testament to the power of music.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)

Arguably rock's finest debut album by one of the greatest (albeit short lived) American bands of all time. There isn't a wasted note on this entire album. There are amazing rock anthems (Welcome to the Jungle, Paradise City) a classic ballad (Sweet Child O' Mine) and of course non-MTV songs that sounded like nothing else from the decade (Mr. Brownstone, Its So Easy). Before this album came out Motley Crue's decadence was in full swing, Poison and Bon Jovi were considered "hard rock" and Metallica was still sort of underground. All of this changed once "Appetite" broke into the mainstream. It wasn't about partying and girls... it was about the seedy underbelly. It primed the MTV generation for something darker and soon Bon Jovi and Iron Maiden looked like a joke, Metallica broke big and Motley Crue hung on for the ride. Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction was to mainstream rock what NWA was to rap around this same period. It removed the silly facade and brought music back to an uglier reality. Ironically, this effect was completely overshadowed years later by a little Seattle band that will probably make the list fairly soon.

Thanks! It's still my favorite Stones album to this day - they haven't surpassed it, and certainly not with anything after Tattoo You, which in my opinion, was their last really great album. And even though I was 17 when I bought it, that was my first album that I bought for myself with my own money - every album I'd owned before that was either a present or was bought with money my mom gave me. This was from my very first babysitting gig, and there was no question in my mind - that was the album I was gonna spend it all on.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)

The Private Press-DJ Shadow(1997)
After his groundbreaking album Endtroducing, it would've been easy for Shadow to just give us Endtroducing V2.0 instead he expanded his sound even more, making it more cinematic, he built on the parameters established on his debut, the thumping moody opener 'fixed income' is terrific with a drum'n'bass beat, 'Giving up the ghost' continues the mood providing some elegant beats. Six Days is such a hypnotic song, the album climaxes with 'Blood on the motorway', it's such a superb compositional piece, building from a solitary piano chord and spoken word to a euphoric climax. Shadow completely redefined the parameters he set for himself, if someone tells you DJ's aren't musicians, make them listen to this.

Great choice, Tati. Some friends and I listened to the Deluxe Edition of Ten en route to a gig and it's never sounded better.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. DJ Shadow-The Private Press (1997)

Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Sprinsteen may have been better or more accomplished since this album, but he's never been hungrier. He needed this to be a masterpiece to justify the hype he'd garnered from his previous two albums, and this is Kirk Gibson stepping up in the 9th against the A's. Every track is infused with a yearning for something better that hangs tantalizingly out of reach. Very few of the songs have actual resolutions -- we don't know if Wendy goes with the narrator in "Born to Run"; we don't know what happens in "Thunder Road" after he pulls "out of here to win"; "Night" is all about looking for the dream girl, not actually finding her; "Meeting Across the River" hints at a bad end but lets it hang in the air as an unanswered question. The album is about how taking that all-or-nothing shot is better than living with the what ifs for the rest of your life, and with this all-or-nothing shot of an album, Springsteen cemented his reputation as one of rock's premiere storytellers.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. DJ Shadow-The Private Press (1997)
12. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)

American IV - Johnny Cash: Other albums of his could be on here (San Quentin for one) but this is mine. Johnny Cash, while beloved by many for a long time did fall out of the spotlight for a good amount of time. Rick Rubin came along and produced these albums, throttling Cash back into the consciousness of the world. I don't know how they decided which songs to cover but they really hit them out of the park on this one. Trent Reznor's Hurt is the real standout, such pain, sadness and finality just oozes from the song and the video almost made me cry, watching June watch over her husband with absolute love in her eyes (and she sadly passed away months after filming this). I could go on about the other songs but just with this one alone makes it a must own. Hell, Tom Petty said it best when he said (this isn't word for word, I can't find the quote) "I've been around a long time and performed the song countless times (I Won't Back Down from American III) but after hearing Cash's rendition the song without a doubt belongs to him."

Oops, got the name/album backwards. Next person to post please fix.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. DJ Shadow-The Private Press (1997)
12. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975)
13. Johnny Cash -American IV (2002)

The Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols (1977)
A messy, vicious (no pun intended) album by a group deliberately calculated to self-destruct. The Pistols were assembled by Malcolm McLarren in a manner not so different than those utilized to assemble today's boy bands and yet they managed to transcend all of that. "Holidays in the Sun", "Bodies", "Problems" and the notorious "God Save the Queen"--let's be honest, I could list just about every track--solidified the nascent punk movement and brought it to the public's attention. Feel wronged by the world? Feel like you want to lash out at the system keeping you down? The Sex Pistols feel your pain... and don't give a flying fuck.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE? Read, for example, "England's Dreaming: Anarchy, Sex Pistols, Punk Rock and Beyond", "Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk" and "12 Days on the Road with the Sex Pistols and America".

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. DJ Shadow-The Private Press (1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)

15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)

It's a Progressive Black Metal masterpiece with tight, sweeping guitar arrangements and incredible musicianship throughout. The crunching, metal songs are intercut with beautiful acoustic numbers that all flow together seemlessly. Front to back, it's an amazing album that has actually crossed over (slightly) into the mainstream. It's accessible without selling out, which is a major achievement for ANY band, regardless of genre.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)

16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)

Here's a Canadian band that no one outside Canada and Australia ever heard of. Coming off the initial rock/blues sounds of their first album, The Tea Party really found their calling by incorporating world music with their previous work, gaiing them a loyal and quite fanatical following. It's really easy to casually dismiss The Tea Party as Led Zeppelin (the Middle Eastern sound) or The Doors ( the singer sounds like him, even when he speaks) wannabes, but they prove to not only master the style but create new avenies with it. The following album was an electronic experiment, quite successful, and in fact I could have put all three albums on the list, but nothing quite rocks and owns me like this album.

Great selection, Martin. Once again, thank you for getting me into the Tea Party.

I'll be the asshole and say it out loud:" "Bon Jovi"????? Lowest common denominator selections like that killed the list last time.

We've only got 100 slots. Do we really want to include a limp cock rock album mocked as tripe by nearly everyone for twenty plus years? An album ridiculed as the epiome of hair metal cheese and over-produced corporate (sell out) pop?

I would hope not.

(No offense, Ken Savage!)

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)

Live fusion/pop/jazz/new age/whatever music from the road, Travels does exactly what you hope a live recording will do: Take the studio versions of the tunes played and make them better. The group had been together for about five years at this point and Pat had begun experimenting with guitar synthesizer to get horn sounds/phrasing into his playing. Between that and the collaborations with Lyle Mays, this album represents the first commercial peak for Metheny. The title cut is worth the price alone. Mays' extended piano soliloquy on "As Falls Wichita, so falls Wichita Falls" is strong enough to base a career on. And the sublime opening track "Are You Going With Me?" has some of the most haunting and joyful compositional moments on the whole recording. That song has been described as "how a soul sounds". I fully agree.

thanks for getting a good fusion album in there, Tele. I almost put in an Al Di Meola one (I still may).

I love DiMeola, but if I were stuck on a desert island, I'd hope to have Travels on my player before about anything else.

None taken,

I totally disagree that this album is is as mocked as you claim it is however, plus in my humble opinion this is a very good album.

Music should be as much about how it makes you feel as anything else and Living on a Prayer is the first song that really meant anything to me. Besides if this is a top 100 list of Albums then it should reflect all types of music.

18. Hackers Soundtrack

You can't have a CHUD music list without soundtracks. The Hackers Soundtrack was an astounding compilation of Techno acts on the mid 90's that took the best of the best techno groups and put them actually into 2 soundtracks. The Hackers Soundtrack #1 being the best of the two. Hackers the movie gave us Angelina Jolie and many memorable quoted movie lines. If you ever feel the need to listen to 90's techno.. this is the album to listen to.

I'll defend Ken on that one. That's a really satisfying album for a mid-80s hair band. It was a breakout hit for them, spawning three monster singles that are still in heavy rotation to this day. The non-single songs on the album are decent, so you could throw that CD on at a party and be happy for an hour. Sure, it's PRODUCT...but it's well done PRODUCT.

If you're going to select a prime example from THIS genre of music, this is a good one.

I'm not the biggest fan of hair rock, but if they're one album fromt the era and style that has to be there, Slippery When Wet is the one to choose.

There's one hair metal album that deserves to be on the list however.

There's at least fifty soundtracks/scores I'd think to put on this list before I'd get to Hackers.

No shit. I love my techno, but there's a shitload of album worth mentionning before THAT one. It's like listing a greatest hits of the 80's. Not good.

EDIT: And Neaux, please list the previous albums for the sake of continuity.

U2's Achtung Baby.

Not many U2 fans here on Chud. lol

U2 refer to it as as the sound of "four men chopping down the Joshua Tree".

I've been a fan since since Boy but this is U2 at their creative peak. I'll never forget the debut of the The Fly and the holy shit looks on peoples face when the song ended.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)
18. Hackers - Soundtrack
19. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991)

There.

Not to be an asshole, but bonoharvey barely made a case for Achtung Baby.

I'd personally select 'the Joshua Tree' over 'Achtung Baby', in all honesty.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)
18. Hackers - Soundtrack
19. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991)
20. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa

A rock opera from the King of bizarre but ultimately brilliant music. Containing stellar performances from Peter Wolf, the Bozio family and Warren Cuccurullo as well as Frank himself. Certainly a must own if you think the late-seventies were a musical void.

Any fan of The Joshua Tree should probably lean towards Rattle & Hum, since that album has some of the live performances from The Joshua Tree tour (but that's just me).

Holy cow! Is that where they met prior to forming Missing Persons?

Yep. Hard to believe that this came from this.

I should add that I really like Missing Persons but what a weird transition.

It's always good to meet another fan of Missing Persons; they were an underrated band.

Wow. Mind = Blown.

Any more discussion belongs in another thread, though. /derailment

Not sure what else to say. It's my favorite album by U2. It's the album that freed U2 from being U2 and allowed them to do what ever they wanted creatively. They went from earnest to glam rock and survived when grunge was popular. It was a huge risk for a band know for being earnest and considered too serious. It's the album that saved U2. IMHO.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)
18. Hackers - Soundtrack
19. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991)
20. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
21. Against the Grain - Bad Religion (1990)

There's few punk albums that are as tight and listenable without sacrificing message and fire as Against the Grain. It took the melodic evolution Bad Religion had started with "Back to the Known" and refined it to a logical conclusion that would come to define the band's sound for the next two decades. The title track, Faith Alone, 21st Century Digital Boy, Modern Man and others are some of the most infectious and best-written punk songs out there, in my opinion. May not be an absolutely essential album, but I definitely think it's one worth consideration.

Big rep for Millette! Great choice.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)
18. Hackers - Soundtrack
19. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991)
20. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
21. Against the Grain - Bad Religion (1990)
22. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988)

Simply, this album is all things great, righteous, moving, and justifiably HOSTILE about rap--nope, scratch that, about MUSIC as a medium, and the number of albums to come out in its wake to pack this kind of a punch, to even take up its flag against the troubles of black men in the late 80s, early 90s is pathetic to the point of depressing. It took the soul and funk of the 70s, and the young egotistical energy of the 80s, and some of that good old fashioned late 60s black nationalism, and turned it outward, against all things ignorant and submissive. God help your soul if youre able to listen to Black Steel for the first time, and not have your fucking fist in the air for those 53 escapees. It is music with a fucking purpose, possibly the last time this kind of music would actually serve a purpose beyond itself in the mainstream.

And really....it's just fucking BAD ASS.

1. Black Love - The Afghan Whigs (1996)
2. Permutations - Amon Tobin (1998)
3. Some Girls - The Rolling Stones (1978)
4. Ten - Pearl Jam (1991)
5. Dulcinea - Toad The Wet Sprocket (1994)
6. Willie & the Family Live (Expanded Edition) - Willie Nelson (1978)
7. Whip-Smart - Liz Phair (1994)
8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi (1986)
9. Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos (1992)
10. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses (1987)
11. The Private Press - DJ Shadow(1997)
12. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen (1975)
13. American IV - Johnny Cash (2002)
14. Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols - The Sex Pistols (1977)
15. Blackwater Park - Opeth (2001)
16. The Edges of Twilight - The Tea Party (1995)
17. Travels - The Pat Metheny Group (1983)
18. Hackers - Soundtrack
19. Achtung Baby - U2 (1991)
20. Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
21. Against the Grain - Bad Religion (1990)
22. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988)
23. Cake - Fashion Nugget (1996)

In a decade where grunge rock's raw, grim, yet immature sensibility defined the gestalt of millions of teenagers, Cake came along and threw everything at the wall. All of it stuck. The lyrical cynicism of Cake's second album, launched by the melancholy tones of "Frank Sinatra", takes a meta-level view of life in the last decade of 20th-Century America. But it is not just the sarcasm and poetic artistry of John McCrea's lyrics and delivery. The music varies with the moods and themes of the subject matter. One song is, for lack of a better term, rap. One is a classic country, complete with slide guitar. The transient musical styles weave a complex pattern of forlorn longing and muted passion. But above it all, McCrea's steady, sarcastic voice hints that he and the band are in on a joke at our expense.

The trouble with a project like this is that it's just a list of albums we like. Honestly there are some on here that deserve to be on a top 100 list andnthere are others that are just there because someone took a turn (not to point fingers, but the fucking Hackers soundtrack?). Even some nobel intentions are a bit off. Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" is astounding, and he improves on Sting's "I Hung My Head" to the point of making the original look like a wrong headed cover. But I would hardly claim the album, as a whole, to be better than American V (as an album) let alone anything else in Johnny's career.

I'd like to suggest that any future list we attempt be the format of nomination/debate/confirmation/rank. Surely that would take a great deal of time, but a top 100 of all time shouldn't be slapped together in a week. This isn't SPIN for Christ sake.

I'd say that these are nominees at this point anyways. We'll probably cull the list as we go along (we usually do) to eliminate any truly questionable entries.