The ‘favorite albums’ list… This is a list i’ve wanted to put together for several years now, but have never gotten around to it. There is so much music in the world- much of it that i’ve never heard. With that, how does one determine what a ‘favorite’ or ‘best of’ list should entail?

The one thing we DO know is that personal ‘best of’ lists are never static, as tastes change, and there’s exposure to even more music. As you read this list, know that it is not all-inclusive, as i am missing MANY records here that have gone on other ‘favorites’ lists; some of the music listed here is not necessarily an top 3, if i was to do a list for the individual artists- however, they are records i’m absolutely connecting with right now.

The first 20 albums are the ones that are in order currently- the first two have not moved in years, so i do not suspect they will move ever… or at least for a long time. Any records after number 20 are not in any particular order. If you are reading this and asking yourself, ‘Why is number 64 not higher?’; i would not worry too much about it.

i tend to purchase music i actually enjoy listening to, but alas, i cannot compile thousands of records on a list like this. So you only get 100 (for now)… plus five. There’s a variety of music, from jazz to punk to hip hop to ‘avant garde/noise’ to prog to folk, and more. There’s so much music in the world, it would be a shame to confine one’s listening to one genre.

Are there any records here that you’d put on a ‘favorites’ list?

1. Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On (Tamla, 1971)
   
2. John Coltrane- A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1965)
   
3. Herbie Hancock- Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965)
   
4. Earth Wind & Fire- Spirit (Columbia, 1976)
   
5. Metallica- St. Anger (Elektra/Vertigo/Blackened, 2003)
   
6. American Lesion (Greg Graffin)- American Lesion (Atlantic/Epitaph, 1997)
   
7. Propagandhi- Victory Lap (Epitaph, 2017)
   
8. Astrud Gilberto- The Astrud Gilberto Album (Verve, 1965)
   
9. Minutemen- Double Nickels On The Dime (SST, 1984)
   
10. NoMeansNo- 0+2=1 (Alternative Tentacles, 1991)
    
11. Fugazi- Steady Diet Of Nothing (Dischord, 1991)
    
12. The Jesus Lizard- Goat (Touch & Go, 1991)
    
13. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band- Trout Mask Replica (Straight/Reprise, 1969)
    
14. Yona-Kit- Yona-Kit LP (Skin Graft/Nux Organization, 1995)
    
15. Soul Glo- Untitled LP (SRA, 2016)/Diaspora Problems (Epitaph, 2022)
    
16. The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis- The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis (Impulse!, 2024)
    
17. Cardiacs- Songs For Ships And Irons (The Alphabet Business Concern, 1991)
    
18. Andy Bey- Experience And Judgement (Atlantic, 1974)
    
19. Angela Bofill- Angel Of The Night (GRP, 1979)
    
20. Suzanne Vega- Days Of Open Hand (A&M, 1990)
    
21. Meshell Ndegeocello- The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infadel (Shanachie, 2005)
    
22. Mahmoud Ahmed With The Ibex Band – Erè Mèla Mèla (Kaifa Records/Crammed Disc, 1975)
    
23. Gang Of Four- Entertainment (EMI, 1979)
    
24. Otoboke Beaver- Super Champon (Damnably, 2022)
    
25. Funkadelic- Uncle Jam Wants You (Warner Brothers, 1979)
    
26. Nat Adderley- Sayin’ Somethin'(Atlantic, 1966)
    
27. Dicks- Kill From The Heart (SST/Alternative Tentacles, 1983)
    
28. Ministry- A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (Sire, 1989)
    
29. Mudhoney- My Brother The Cow (Reprise, 1994)
    
30. Helmet- Meantime (Interscope/Amphetamine Reptile, 1992)
    
31. Operation Ivy- Operation Ivy (Lookout!, 1991)
    
32. Bad Religion- Into The Unknown (Epitaph, 1983)/The New America (Atlantic, 2000)
    
33. Zulu- My People… Hold On / Our Day Will Come (Flatspot, 2021)/A New Tomorrow (Flatspot, 2023)
    
34. Sade- Love Deluxe (Epic, 1992)
    
35. Prince- N.E.W.S. (NPG Records, 2003)
    
36. Melvins- Stoner Witch (Atlantic, 1994)/Bullhead (Boner, 1991)
    
37. Shellac- To All Trains (Touch & Go, 2024)
    
38. Kashif- Kashif (Arista, 1983)
    
39. Elliot Smith- Either/Or (Kill Rock Stars, 1997)
    
40. Peter Tosh- Equal Rights (Columbia, 1977)
    
41. Dianne Reeves- The Best Of Dianne Reeves (Blue Note, 2002)
    
42. DAM- Ben Haana Wa Maana (Cooking Vinyl, 2019)
    
43. Pulp- Different Class (Island, 1995)
    
44. Public Enemy- Fear Of A Black Planet (Def Jam Recordings, 1990)
    
45. Kirk Hammett- Portals (Blackened, 2022)
    
46. Scud Mountain Boys- Pine Box (Chunk, 1995)
    
47. Agnostic Front- United Blood (Self Released/Last Warning, 1983)
    
48. Billy Bragg- Must I Paint You A Picture?: The Essential Billy Bragg (Cooking Vinyl, 2003)
    
49. J Dilla- Donuts (Stones Throw, 2006)
    
50. Devo- Duty Now For The Future (Warner Brothers, 1979)
    
51. Sebadoh- Bakesale (Sub Pop, 1994)
    
52. Lee Morgan- Delightfulee (Blue Note, 1967)
    
53. D.R.I.- Dirty Rotten EP (Dirty Rotten Records/Beer City Records, 1983)
    
54. Slant 6- Soda Pop * Rip Off (Dischord, 1994)
    
55. Circle Jerks- Group Sex (Frontier, 1980)
    
56. Meat Puppets- Up On The Sun (SST, 1985)
    
57. Kamasi Washington- The Epic (Brainfeeder, 2015)
    
58. Genesis- Selling England By The Pound (Charisma, 1973)
    
59. Metallica- Beyond Magnetic (Warner Brothers/Vertigo/Blackened, 2012)
    
60. Lou Reed & Metallica- Lulu (Warner Brothers/Vertigo, 2011)
    
61. Meat Beat Manifesto- 99% (Mute, 1990)
    
62. Sinéad O’Connor– I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (Ensign/Chrysalis, 1989)
    
63. Rachelle Ferrell- Individuality (Can I Be Me?) (Capitol, 2000)
    
64. Chris Connelly- Phenobarb Bambalam (Wax Trax!, 1992)
    
65. George Duke- Faces In Reflection (MPS, 1974)/I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry (MPS/BASF, 1975)
    
66. Chat Pile- God’s Country (The Flenser, 2022)
    
67. Naked City- BlackBox (Torture Garden / Leng Tch’e) (Tzadik, 1997)
    
68. Bjork- Salmasongs (Elektra, 2000)
    
69. Dead Kennedys- In God We Trust, Inc. (Alternative Tentacles, 1981)/Frankenchrist (Alternative tentacles, 1985)
    
70. Donny Hathaway- Live (ATCO, 1972)
    
71. Jazz Crusaders- The Young Rabbits (Blue Note, 1975)
    
72. Ruins- Tzomborgha (Ipecac, 2002)
    
73. Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def)- Black On Both Sides (Rawkus, 1999)
    
74. Raul Midon- State Of Mind (EMI/Manhattan, 2005)
    
75. Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath (Vertigo/Warner Brothers, 1970)
    
76. The Kinks- Something Else By The Kinks (Pye/Reprise, 1967)
    
77. Yoko Ono- Approximately Infinite Universe (Apple, 1973)
    
78. MDC- Millions Of Dead Cops (R Radical/Alternative Tentacles/Beer City, 1982)
    
79. Boscoe- Boscoe (Kingdom Of Chad Records, 1973)
    
80. 千と千尋の神隠し サウンドトラック(Spirited Away Soundtrack) (Studio Ghibli Records, 2001)
    
81. Stevie Wonder- Stevie Wonder’s Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants (Tamla, 1979)
    
82. Mary J. Blige- Mary (MCA, 1999)
    
83. Gilberto Gil- Expresso 2222 (Philips, 1972)
    
84. Flipper- Gone Fishin’ (Subterranean, 1984)
    
85. Dreamgirls (Original Broadway Cast Album) (Geffen, 1982)
    
86. The Fugs- Virgin Fugs (ESP-Disk’, 1967)
    
87. Kenny Loggins- Celebrate Me Home (Columbia, 1977)
    
88. Jarvis Cocker- Further Complications (Rough Trade, 2009)
    
89. INXS- Underneath The Colours (Deluxe/ATCO, 1981)
    
90. Elvis Costello- Armed Forces (Columbia, 1979)
    
91. Bad Brains- Bad Brains (ROIR, 1982)
    
92. Follow That Bird (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (RCA, 1985)
    
93. Negative Approach- Negative Approach (Touch & Go, 1982)
    
94. Seal- 6: Commitment (Reprise, 2010)
    
95. Billy Joel- 52nd Street (Columbia, 1978)
    
96. Killing Joke- What’s This For…! (Malicious Damage, Editions EG, 1981)
    
97. Kate Bush- Lionheart (EMI, 1978)/Hounds Of love (EMI, 1985)
    
98. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane- Duke Ellington & John Coltrane (Impulse!, 1963)
    
99. Frank Zappa- Chunga’s Revenge (Bizarre/Reprise, 1970)
    
100. Throbbing Gristle- 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Industrial Records/Mute, 1979)
     
     Five Extra (Because i always have to):
     
101. The Cure- Head On The Door (Fiction/Elektra, 1985)/Standing On The Beach/Staring At The Sea: The Singles (Fiction/Elektra, 1986)
     
102. Bob Dylan- Blood On The Tracks (Columbia, 1975)
     
103. Herbie Hancock- Future 2 Future (Transparent Music, 2001)
     
104. The Brand New Heavies- The Brand New Heavies (Acid Jazz, 1990/Delicious Vinyl, 1991)
     
105. Pixies- Surfer Rosa (4AD, 1988)