It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it...
25. SURFACING - SARAH MCLACHLAN
It could be argued that Sarah McLachlan has the best voice of any artist performing today. Certainly, no other performer can convey as much emotion through their music. From the poppy "Building a Mystery" and "Sweet Surrender" to the super-hit ballad "Angel," McLachlan's efforts on Surfacing are nothing short of amazing. Of all the Lilith Fair-style divas of the late-nineties, she is clearly the queen.
24. LIKE A VIRGIN - MADONNA
For an artist that has reinvented herself numerous times, it is the lace-gloved Madonna of the mid-eighties that made the biggest impression. Forget about Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and the rest of the pop divas that would follow - none had the same impact. Sure, there are no all-time classic songs on this LP (although "Material Girl" and the title track come close), but Madonna's second album still makes the list because of it's historical significance as the ultimate embodiment of mindless 80's pop excess.
23. THEATRE OF PAIN - MOTLEY CRUE
Hey, everyone gets at least one guilty pleasure on their list, right? Well, this is mine. The glam rock band's cover of "Smokin' In the Boys Room" is probably the most well-known song on the album, but I was always a sucker for those hard-rock ballads, so "Home Sweet Home" is the highlight for me.
22. BEAUTY AND THE BEAT - THE GO-GO'S
On second thought, better make that two guilty pleasures. Say what you want, but these valley girls put together a fantastic album that in 1981 was ahead of its time and offered a glimpse of things to come. "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat" are great combinations of punk and pop, and both always seem to get stuck in your head.
21. ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? - JIMI HENDRIX
Everyone knows that Jimi Hendrix is one of the most amazing guitar players in history, and this is the album that proves it. It's amazing to think that this record came out in 1967, because you can clearly tell that it is still influencing the rock artists of today. The hard-rockin' "Purple Haze," "Fire," and "Foxey Lady" may be slightly better known, but the slower songs, like "Hey Joe" and "The Wind Cries Mary," put the album on my list.
20. LET IT BLEED - THE ROLLING STONES
When you consider the long and impressive career of the Stones, to say that this is their best album is to say a lot. It has two truly classic songs: the hard-rock anthem "Gimme Shelter" and the epic "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
19. TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB - SHERYL CROW
I think the thing I like best about this album is the fact that it sounds so natural - almost like something you'd hear on a "live music night" at the local bar. The result is a very listen-friendly record that is highlighted by the pop hits "Leaving Las Vegas" and "All I want to Do," as well as the heartfelt "Can't Cry Anymore," "Strong Enough," "No One Said It Would Be Easy," and "I Shall Believe."
18. BAT OUT OF HELL - MEATLOAF
No one ever accused Meatloaf of being too subtle, but he displays a sense of humor that makes him more endearing than most other pretentious 70's rockers. "Paradise By the Dashboard Lights" may be an overly long rock epic, but its light lyrics make it impossible not to enjoy. Plus, you have to appreciate the fact that Meatloaf puts his all into every single song. The intensity is very contagious. The mournful "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad" is the second best song on this over-the-top album that can perhaps best be compared to a Wagner opera.
17. LED ZEPPELIN IV
While I only played guitar for a few years, even I took the time to learn how to play "Stairway to Heaven." The all-time great hard rock song is one reason this LP makes my list. The other is the fact that there are STILL Led Zeppelin rip-off bands popping up. Arguably the most imitated band of all-time, we all know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Bands like Guns N' Roses and Metallica could never have been if it wasn't for Led Zeppelin. Every song on the album is a classic among the headbanger crowd.
16. EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY - ROD STEWART
This album predates the ultra-commercialized Rod Stewart that we've come to know. The title track is awesome, but it is, of course, "Maggie May" which makes the album.
15. NATTY DREAD - BOB MARLEY
I'm tempted to break my self-imposed "no-greatest hits" rule to include Bob Marley's "Legend" (Jimmy Buffet's "Song(s) You Know By Heart" is another temptation, but that's a different story). Nevertheless, if I have to include one Bob Marley album, this would be my choice, mainly because of the beautiful "No Woman No Cry." Extremely political, Marley does an excellent job of making sure that the message does not work to the detriment of the music.
14. NOTHING'S SHOCKING - JANE'S ADDICTION
"Ritual De Lo Habitual" may be better known, but this album is better. In many ways a band that paved the way for the alternative era, I always felt that Jane's Addiction was better than the bands they influenced. "Jane Says" is probably their best song.
13. LEARNING TO CRAWL - THE PRETENDERS
The Lilith Fair crowd of today owes a lot to ahead-of-her-time singer Chrissie Hynde. This album gets going in a hurry with "Middle of the Road" and "Back on the Chain Gang," and continues to the end with great songs like "My City Was Gone."
12. PURPLE RAIN SOUNDTRACK
The Purple One hit a high point with this album, which marks a departure from the rest of the 80's pop scene. A unique record that is best known for it's title track and the fantastic "When Doves Cry," the faster-paced, energy-filled songs like "Let's Go Crazy" should not be overlooked. While some of the compilation-style movie albums may be better, this would get my vote for the best original soundtrack of all-time.
11. BORN TO RUN - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Bruce deserves at least one album on the list, and Born to Run is my choice. The mega-hit Born in the U.S.A. deserves some consideration, but Born to Run, the most critically acclaimed of the Boss' works, is a little bit better. The first track, "Thunder Road," is a classic.
10. SYNCHRONICITY - THE POLICE
If I had to pick an album to define the 1980's music scene, this may be my choice. "Every Breath You Take" was a monster hit, but "King of Pain" and "Wrapped Around My Finger" made a pretty big dent on the Billboard charts as well. While the album is clearly an "80's" album, it also is something more. Transcending the decade it helped build, Synchronicity is timeless.
9. MOVING PICTURES - RUSH
Rush has always been an original band with a sound uniquely their own, and this is perhaps their most creative album. It is a hard-rock album that has catchy songs that other hard-rock albums usually lack. In addition to their excellent music, the lyrics do a great job of telling stories, particularly on "Red Barchetta." But it's "Limelight" and the band's signature song, "Tom Sawyer," that are the real classics.
8. DESPERADO - THE EAGLES
Many readers will most likely be surprised that I chose this album over Hotel California, but Desperado ranks among the best LP's ever recorded. The band hits a high-point with songs like "Tequila Sunrise" and the title track - a high point that they could never equal again, either collectively or in their solo careers. This is not a knock on their later work, but a statement about the greatness of this album.
7. BOSTON - BOSTON
One of the best-selling records of all-time, and arguably the best debut record by any band in history. It is also one of the most consistent, kicking off with the classic "More Than a Feeling" and not letting go until the final track, "Let Me Take You Home Tonight."
6. FULL MOON FEVER - TOM PETTY
An album that was widely popular with high-brow music aficionados and the masses alike, this is the record that turned Tom Petty into a legend. Loaded with hits ("Free Fallin'," Runnin' Down a Dream," "I Won't Back Down," and "A Face in the Crowd"), the "B-Side" songs are just as memorable. The end result is a CD that always seems to travel with me.
5. BACK IN BLACK - AC/DC
If Elvis captured the rebellious spirit and fun-loving energy of 1950's teens, then this album served the same role for high school students three decades later. I'd be hard pressed to pick my favorite track, although I could narrow it down to the in-your-face "Back in Black" or the crowd-pleasing "Shook Me All Night Long." These Aussie rockers put together a record which had something the pretentious bands of the preceding decade lacked: fun.
4. SLIPPERY WHEN WET - BON JOVI
Well, I'm assuming that whatever credibility I may have gained by including highly-regarded performers like Springsteen, the Stones, and Marley on the list is officially thrown out the window by having this Jersey group way up in the top five. But go ahead and admit it: you like Bon Jovi, too. The truth is that I never could get into Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and the other grunge bands that spelled certain doom for glam rockers like Jovi. "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' On a Prayer" were two of the most memorable hits of my junior high days, and they actually played "Never Say Goodbye" at my junior high graduation (just hearing it still brings a tear to my eye). This album may be more about having fun than making great music, but so what?
3. RUMOURS - FLEETWOOD MAC
It is hard to describe what makes this album such a classic, but I bet that most of us own it. Heck, even Bill Clinton's use of "Don't Stop" as his 1992 campaign theme couldn't ruin it for me. In retrospect, this group had some pretty talented people in it, and they knew a thing or two about making hits. Rumours is a classic that still stands the test of time.
2. APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION - GUNS N' ROSES
It's more than a little frightening to me that this controversial band nearly took the top spot on my list, but love 'em or hate 'em, they were something different, and - more often than not -spectacular. Of all the bands that came out of the L.A. metal scene, they are the most enduring. There were a lot of bands that tried, but no one else could match the magic that this band had. Like Led Zeppelin with an attitude, Guns blows the listener away on songs like "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," and "Sweet Child 'O Mine."
1. THE JOSHUA TREE - U2
A safe pick, but I think a good one. This is when U2 was at their best, and that is saying a lot. The Joshua Tree is a serious, dark album that somehow is not depressing. Every song is worth listening to, and the big hits on the record are some of the best of all-time. This is one of those albums that everyone in my age-group should own (and probably does).
* Note: greatest hits, compilations, and live albums were not eligible.
Submitted 12/12/00 by Cleveland lawyer Brad Sobolewski.