Boards

R.E.M. - Automatic For the People
Blur - Parklife
Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
The National - Alligator
Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Pixies - Doolittle
Death Cab For Cutie - We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Nirvana - Unplugged In New York
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Wrens - The Meadowlands
Green Day - Dookie (probably this more than any other)
The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray

Tool- Lateralus
cLOUDDEAD- Ten
Throbbing Gristle- Second Annual Report
Fantomas- Directors Cut
Isis- Oceanic
Dan Deacon- Spiderman Of The Rings
Bad Dudes- Eat Drugs
Cursive- The Ugly Organ
DJ Scotch Egg- KFC Core
Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavillion
Speedranch^Jansky Noise- Welcome To Execrate
Boredoms- Soul Discharge/Early Boredoms
The Knife- Silent Shout
Neurosis- A Sun That Never Sets
Antony & The Johnsons- I Am A Bird Now

1) Nirvana - In Utero
Made me pick up a guitar.

2) Radiohead - Kid A
Made me put it down again.

3) The Doors - The Doors
Made me wear leather trousers.

4) The Stills - Logic will break your heart
Made me fall in love (aaah...).

5) QOTSA - Songs for the Deaf
Made me want to hit things.

6) Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Made me want to go to Bristol.

7) Bright Eyes - Wide awake it's morning
Made me not hate America.

8) Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Made me want to marry Guy Garvey.

9) 80's Matchbox B-Line Disaster - The Royal Society
Made me want to wear black.

10) Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the infinite Sadness
Made me realise that concept albums can be good.

11) The Cardigans - Gran Turismo
Made me realise pop music doesn't have to be rubbish.

12) Bob Dylan - Blood on the tracks
Made me realise I didn't have to get singing lessons to be a singer.

13) Bat for Lashes - Fur and Gold
Made me want to learn the harp.

14) Sonic Youth - Goo
Made me want to make a lot of noise.

15) Bjork - Homogenic
Made me want to lay an egg.

so i thought id engage in some web 2.0 fun...

arcade fire - funeral
cut copy - in ghost colours
dizzee rascal - boy in da corner
idlewild - the remote part
interpol - antics
muse - origin of symmetry
radiohead - in rainbows
simian mobile disco - attack decay sustain release
soulwax - any minute now
the streets - a grand dont come for free
the strokes - room on fire
thom yorke - the eraser
we are scientists - with love and squalour
the white stripes - elephant
yeah yeah yeahs - fever to tell

In no particular order:

Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Muse - Absolution
Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
Biffy Clyro - Infinity Land
Radiohead - Ok Computer
65daysofstatic - The Fall of Math
At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command
The Dears - No Cities Left
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Eighties Matchbox - Horse of the Dog
By The End of Tonight/Tera Melos - Complex Full of Phantoms
The Cooper Temple Clause - Kick Up The Fire
TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
GY!BE - Yanqui U.X.O

Automatic for the People - R.E.M.
13 - Blur
Stories From the City, Stories From the Sea - PJ Harvey
The Bends - Radiohead
Forever Changes - Love
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
Free All Angels - Ash
Since I Left You - The Avalanches
Discovery - Daft Punk
Is This It - The Strokes
Rings Around the World - Super Furry Animals
The Great Eastern - The Delgados
( ) - Sigur Ros
Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Things We Lost in the Fire - Low

The Clash - London Calling
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Nirvana - Nevermind
Rage Against The Machine - s/t
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions...
Beck - Odelay
Pennywise - Full Circle
Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
The Strokes - Is This It
The Libertines - Up The Bracket
The Knife - Silent Shout
The Hold Steady - Seperation Sunday
Trim - Soul Food vol. 2

Not necessarily what i listen to know at all but they all definitely dictated what else i was listening to at those times

a good 50 - 60% of people in their early twenties will include 'relationship of command.'

But my first three were probably Blink 182- Enema of the State, Lostprophets- Thefakesoundofprogress and Finch- What It Is To Burn. It becomes a bit of a post rock/fret-tapping/shoegazing/slowcore mess from there on

Faith no More 'Angeldust'
Terrorvision 'How to Make Friends and Influence People'
Pulp 'Different Class'
Supergrass 'I Should Coco'
The Smiths 'Meat is Murder'
PJ Harvey 'To Bring you My Love'
Radiohead 'Ok Computer'
Trail of Dead 'Madonna'
At the Drive In 'Relationship of Command'
Idlewild 'Captain'
DJ Shadow 'Endtroducing'
Mos Def 'Back on Both Sides'
Bjork 'Debut'
Nick Drake 'Pink Moon'
David Bowie 'Hunky Dory'

This is the edited list and I'm already thinking I've missed several...in rough auto-biographical order.

Some Friendly - Charlatans
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Definitely Maybe - Oasis
Vs - Pearl jam
The Lemonheads - Come on Feel

Come find yourself - Fun lovin criminals
Surrender - The Chemical Brothers
Daisies in the galaxy - eels
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Plastic Fang
The Man Machine - Kraftwerk

Happiness in Magazines - Graham Coxon
Ágætis byrjun - Sigur Rós
Who's Next - The Who
News & tributes - The Futureheads
Our Ill Wills - The Shout out louds

Special mention to graceland by Paul Simon. i think it was the first tape I wore out.

1. Oasis - Definitley Maybe
2. The Libertines - Up The Bracket
3. The Strokes - Is This It?
4. Eminem - The Marshal Mathers LP
5. The White Stripes - Elephant
6. Yo La Tengo - I can Hear A Heart Beating As One
7. Mogwai - Mr Beast
8. The Prodigy - Fat Of The Land
9. The Courteeners - St Jude
10. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
11. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
12. Million Dead - A Song To Ruin
13. Hundread Reasons - Ideas Above Our Station
14. The Beatles - Revolver
15. Ryan Adams - Love Is Hell Parts 1 and 2 (I know it's cheating but hey what you gonna do about it)

1. Muse - Origin of Symmetry
2. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
3. Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
4. Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
5. Meet Me In St. Louis - Variations On Swing
6. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
7. Blur - 13
8. Patrick Wolf - Wind In The Wires
9. Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium
10. mewithoutYou - Brother, Sister
11. 65daysofstatic - The Destruction of Small Ideas
12. Tool - Aenima
13. Yndi Halda - Enjoy Eternal Bliss
14. Olafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution
15. Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

I'd really like to put Bloc Party - Silent Alarm and Death Cab For Cutie - Plans on there too, but y'know how it goes.

2. reign in blood - slayer
3. vulgar display of power - pantera
4. deftones - deftones
5. hearts and unicorns - giant drag
6. transilvanian hunger - darkthrone
7. surfer rosa - pixies
8. soviet kitsch - regina spektor
9. last splash - breeders
10. 36 chambers - wu tang clan
11. is this it - the strokes
12. funeral - arcade fire
13. psychocandy - jesus and mary chain
14. loveless - my bloody valentine
15. doolittle - pixies

Wonderstuff - Eight legged Groove machine
Levellers - Levelling the Land
Nirvana - Nevermind
Faith No More - Angel Dust
Neds Atomis Dustbin - God Fodder
Jane's Addiction - Ritual de Lo habitual
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
Verve - Storm in Heaven
Aphex Twin - I care because you do
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen
Shack - Waterpistol
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream
Trail of Dead - Madonna
Fugazi - 13 Songs
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

1. Idlewild - The Remote Part
2. Muse - Origin Of Symmetry
3. The Streets - Original Pirate Material
4. Arcade Fire - Funeral
5. Doves - The Last Broadcast
6. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
7. The Cribs - The New Fellas
8. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
9. The Smiths - The Very Best Of
10. The Ramones - Ramones
11. Jeff Buckley - Grace
12. The Who - The Ultimate Collection
13. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
14. New York Dolls - New York Dolls
15. Feeder - Polythene

Those are all, variously, albums that have shaped my taste or mean something to me in one way or another, for various reasons.
I know it might be cheating to include a best of in there, but that was my first exposure to The Smiths, so I'll always love it. Ditto on The Who.

The Smiths - Hatfull of Hollow

2 The Fall - Extricate

3 Neil Young And Crazy Horse - Zuma

4 White Stripes - De Stijl

5 The Pharcyde - Bizzare Ride II

6 De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising

7 Mos Def - Black On Both Sides

8 Prince - Sign Of The Times

9 The Jesus & Mary Chain - Physcocandy

10 Issac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul

11 Curtis Mayfield - Curtis Live

12 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music

13 A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

14 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The First Born Is Dead

15 Belle & Sebastian - Tigermilk

16 Pixies - Doolittle

17 Massive Attack - Mezzanine

18 Belly - Star

19 Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

20 Radiohead - Kid A

oh look it's 20 on mine

This might as well be "Just Write the Names of 15 Albums".

Ten Past Seven- Shut Up Your Face. I made myself love it and this processed forced me to open my eyes to all the other awesome shit like this out there.

At the Drive-In- Relationship of Command. I'd probably have been frightened by this album had it graced my ears 6 months earlier than it did. As a youngster I never went through a grunge or metal phase, this is probably the first album related to anything hardcore that I ever liked and now I love it.

Arcade Fire- Funeral. I was listening to this at a time when all the other guitar music I was listening was really shite e.g Keane and Coldplay. This was the first quality indie/alternative album I ever purchased and I got it around the time of my exams (think it's GCSEs in the UK). It got me through them.

Bloc Party- Silent Alarm. Similar to AF-Funeral, it was a beacon of light and really got me interested in the whole post-punk thing, I got Gang of Four- Entertainment a few months later on the back of this. And Bloc Party soon enough became one of my favourite bands.

iForward, Russia!- Give Me a Wall. When I got this it was totally different to anything I'd been listening to at the time and I won it in a competition. It blew me away with the vocal weirdness and spikey guitars and disjointed yet tuneful songs. Made me wake up and it's the first album I ever owned by a West Yorkshire band of recent times.

Bell X1- Flock. Don't think I'll ever listen to this again really. But for 3 months or so, I dedicated 50% of my music listening to this. A bit nuts now that I look back on it but it helped mould my music taste somewhat with the Talking Heads jerkiness and the keys and the melody, I suppose.

The Smiths- Best of. First Smiths album I ever got. Tune after tune of lyrical and janglieness brilliance. Got me into an awesome band and my first proper 80s band.

Fugazi- The Argument. Punk, dischord etc. Opened my eyes to that sort of shit.

Mogwai- Happy Songs for Happy People. Not my first post-rock album but my first Mogwai album and I quickly fell in love with them.

God is an Astronaut- Far From Refuge. My first post-rock album and a great entry point to the genre. Really moved me when I heard it first.

Youthmovies- Good Nature. Such an awesome fusion of everything awesome and introduced me to an excellent band and Oxford.

This Et Al- Baby Machine. My second proper West Yorkshire album. A really powerful one this, with aspects of post-punk, shoegaze, post-rock and indie. I wept when they split.

Sonic Youth- Confusion Is Sex/ Kill Yr. Idols. Brilliant noisy cunts.

Elliott Smith- Xo. My favourite singer-songwriter and such a tragic hero.

Biffy Clyro- Vertigo of Bliss. Told me emo wasn't just about Panic! At the Disco and Fall Out Boy and was a genre worth exploring more.

I'm 18. I listened to Funeral as 14 year-old and I always seem to under-estimate the effect it had on me at that time. I started playing guitar about 2 months later to listening to it.

I apologise for the 2001-2004 heavy nature of this list and the 2 greatest hits. But these are my 15.

The Strokes- Is This It?
Yeah Yeah Yeah's- Fever To Tell
The Libertines- Up The Bracket
Muse- Origin Of Symetry
The White Stripes- De Stijl
QOTSA- Songs For The Deaf
Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say...
Bloc Party- Silent Alarm
Pulp- Different Class
The Smiths- Best of.
Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand
Nirvana- In Utero
Radiohead- OK Computer
Weezer- Blue
Blur- Greatest hits.

Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
Far and away the most important record in my life. Responsible for my first times away from home, so many new friends, so much of the music i love today. That, and the record's fucking great too. Fucking great.

Some others:
The Velvet Underground - Loaded
My introduction to them, and thus a dozen other genres.
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
Don't think i've ever had another experience like the first time i heard this. It was on a shit boombox and i just closed my eyes and felt a rush of autumnal browns and yellows, never felt such an immediate connection to an album since.

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Maybe my first "proper" album. By that i mean alternative and not chart pop.

Girls Aloud - Chemistry
Made me realise how good manufactured pop can be. And artistically good too, not just catchy.

Air - Moon Safari
Mew - Frengers
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

The first albums i could just listen to on repeat for hours and hours.

Sigur Rós - ( )
My favourite album should probably be on this list. Makes me feel like the earth is shifting on it's axis.

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Didn't know music could be made to sound like that before hearing Loveless

Joanna Newsom - Ys
Sounded like nothing i'd ever heard before. Maybe the first album that dragged me into a living breathing world of its own.

The Streets - Grand Don't Come For Free
Didn't think concept albums could work before hearing this.

System of a Down - Toxicity
Deftones - White Pony

Music i listened to when i used to skateboard. So many memories from that time, and actually great albums anyway.

In no particular order...

Tegan & Sara - If It Was You
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
The Libertines - Up the Bracket
The National - Boxer
Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala
Camille - Le Fil
Micah P Hinson - & The Gospel of Progress
Mogwai - Young Team
Low - Things We Lost in the Fire
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
PJ Harvey - Stories from...
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Radiohead - Pablo Honey
and a song, not the album - Hot Chip - Over & Over

The Verve - Urban Hymns: No album up to this had affected me in such a way, I really connected with it.
The Pet Shop Boys - Actually: First album I owned and that I knew all the words for, this got me into music proper.
Radiohead - OK Computer: Just blew me away and I listened to it constantly for about 3 weeks after I got it.
Bob Dylan - Blood on The Tracks: The Bob Dylan penny dropped with this, lyrically incredible and the songs continue to blow me away.
Rory Gallagher - Deuce: Just a fucking great blues rock album.
The Rapture - Echoes: For someone who doesn't dance i'll always dance when I hear this.
Willy Mason - Where the humans eat: I just love it.
Neil Young - After the Gold Rush: Listened to it non stop when I was travelling and got me into Neil Young but whilst travelling made me sad as I missed the troops back home.
David Bowie - Hunky Dory: Great songs by a musician at the top of his game.
Velvet Underground & Nico: Dark, moody, sparse and fucking phenomenol.
Led Zeppelin - IV: Rock and roll has rarely sounded so fucking good.
Nick Drake - Five leaves left: Beautiful and haunting.
The Beatles - Revolver: Their best and for me its when they really started to raise the bar.
Bob Dylan - Bringing it all back home: If for nothing else Bob Dylan 115th Dream, manic, surrealist, ahead of its time and marked a big change for Dylan.
Gomez - Bring it on: Loved it then, love it now.

I have missed loads and this list would be different tomorrow but there you go.

1) Tina Turner - Private Dancer
2) Michael Jackson - Bad.
3) Pink Floyd - The Wall
4) Queen - The Works
5) Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
6) Roxette - Joyride
7) Carter USM - 30 Something
8) Pearl Jam - 10
9) David Bowie - Heroes
10) Belly - Star
11) Suede - Suede
12) Pearl Jam - Vs
13) Suede - Dog Man Star
14) The Orb - UFOrb
15) Muse - Blackholes and Revelations.

Erasure: Pop! - The First 20 Hits
Nirvana: Nevermind
Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream
Ash: 1977
Belle and Sebastian: If You're Feeling Sinister
Sonic Youth: A Thousand Leaves
White Stripes: White Blood Cells
t.A.T.u.: 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
Kino: Nachalnik Kamchatki
Rammstein: Mutter
Kult: Posluchaj to do Ciebie
Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: Worlds Apart
Zemfira: Vendetta
Mumiy Troll: Ikra

I don't think any forty minutes of my life can come close, in terms of their effect on my personality, to those I spent listening to Nevermind for the first time.

I like the fact that the list is pretty uninspired until 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane. That's about right.

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15. Snowden - Anti-Anti - [2006]

Great band I got into last year, they sound a bit like a more musically talented Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Beck on vocals :) This, their debut album, is just great song after great song, and it simply amazes me they weren't more picked up in the media after its release. I think these guys are gonna be big if they can keep up momentum with their 2nd album. Keep a look out.
[KEY SONG] Anti-Anti
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mXBco65t4g
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14. Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home - [1965]

Dylan classic I got into recently, mainly through watching the film 'Dont Look Back' quite obsessively, and its arguably one of his best albums. At the moment I'm currently re-inspiring myself into songwriting, and in terms of lyrics and structure, Dylan seems to be a massive help.
[KEY SONG] It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gsx6tEXHi44
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13. Pulp - His N' Hers - [1994]

I have to admit, I have a bit of a guilty pleasure when it comes to britpop and music of the mid 90's, it just brings back childhood nostalgia and nice memories... but on the subject of this album, 'britpop' or not, its miles better than Different Class , in terms of the content, hooks in the songs, structure as as album etc, yet everyone wanks over the latter, cause it has 'Common People' on it, which, dont get me wrong, is a great song, but that doesn't make the entire album great...
[KEY SONG] Do You Remember the First Time?
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSzR5EZk_dc
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12. At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command - [2000]

I missed out on At the Drive-In at the time as they came & went, but discovered them a few years later. They are probably one of the heaviest bands I'm into, and im normally not that into that type of music, but these guys were truly something special. In all honestly, I'd probably sell my grandma for the opportunity to travel back in time and see them live, the energy and spirit they put into their performances is simply amazing. Ah, one can only dream...
[KEY SONG] One Armed Scissor
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caEYU9_hAlo
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11. Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children - [1998]

One of the first electronic/ambient bands I got into, BoC have a special place in my heart, due to their unique ability to evoke certain feelings and emotions through their music. On this album especially, there is a recurring theme of childhood, the loss of it, nostalgia and innocence. As well as all that, the atmosphere they create certainly compliments getting high to, very well, heh heh.
[KEY SONG] Turquoise Hexagon Sun
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZPSxm9fykk
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10. Rolling Stones - Aftermath - [1966]

This album is special one for me as I discovered it on a trip to Blackpool of all things... I went there for the day with my dad when I was about 10 or 11, and have no recollection of the days events other than listening to this album on constant repeat on my battered little portable cassette tape player on the bus there and back... Oh, I do seem to remember tacky shops, a constant smell of fish and chips and shit weather though... good times. :)
[KEY SONG] Under My Thumb
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI6WA-2CgyE
(Check out how effortlessly cool as fuck they all look in that performance!)
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9. Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf - [2002]

Dave Grohl on drums, Mark Lanegan on vox for a few numbers, one thing I know is that Q.O.T.S.A. will simply never top this album, not a duff song on it. Another thing I particularly love this album for is all the little radio station interludes in-between songs, a bit like Public Enemy used to do.
[KEY SONG] Go With the Flow
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiU7o7hRJmE
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8. Radiohead - The Bends - [1995]

I love later, recent era Radiohead, and Kid A is another of my favs, but there's just something brilliant about Radiohead from this era. The songs are alot more simpler and traditional than stuff they would go onto do later, but fuck are they good. There's just this great skill and poppiness in the songs from that time that I can only put in the same league as say, someone like The Beatles.
[KEY SONG] Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPX3u0XJzKM

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7. Nirvana - In Utero - [1993]

An album that inspired me to pick up a guitar and bring the noise :) Everyone always goes on about Nevermind, but this was the first Nirvana LP i got, so I was none the wiser, I knew of Teen Spirit, but thought that sucked anyway :) I also loved Steve Albini's production on it, and the 'live' sound he created. I remember being dissapointed when other albums I bought didn't have the same sound... until I bought
Surfer Rosa that is...
[KEY SONG] Scentless Apprentice
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtphYnoKnyU
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6. Sonic Youth - Dirty - [1991]

The first Sonic Youth album I bought, and in my opinion one of, if not the best. To me its one of the most complete of Sonic Youth’s albums, it feels like an actual album, where as sometimes their others don't. With all that in mind, this is probably one of the bands poppiest efforts, with Butch Vig producing, but none the less, I actually think it compliments the Sonic Youth sound pretty well.
[KEY SONG] Sugar Kane
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hwbhd7c_as
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5. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - [1960]

An album I was brought up on, so the songs are sort of a part of me.
At the time, I couldn't believe the group vocal melodies and harmonies, and still can't today to be honest... they really were crazily talented. I got the opportunity to see Brian Wilson perform most of the songs off this live a few years back when he was touring Smile, and that was a real treat and a half I can tell you :)
[KEY SONG] - God Only Knows -
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDfH_J4MAUQ
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4. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Remastered) - [1979]

Whether its down to Martin Hannett's unique production, or simply the content of the songs, theres a chillingly intense atmosphere to this album that you just can't pin on any other band than Joy Division. A massively influential sound.
[KEY SONG] She's Lost Control (remastered)
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3. Pixies - Doolittle - [1989]

Pretty much most of the die-hard fans will mention Surfer Rosa as their favourite Pixies' long player, but for me, it has to be Doolittle as theres something about the Pixies' energy on it that just makes me want to scream, shout & party! Its a good album to play when waiting to go on a night out, at the party itself, or simply when not in a great mood I can put this album on, and it always puts a smile on my face... And of course, you can't beat Frank Black screaming like a motherbitch,
"GOT ME A MOVIE!, OH-HO-HO-HO!!!" :)
[KEY SONG] Debaser
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUd48jRKzBo
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2. The Beatles - Revolver - [1966]

Again, more music of my yoof, I grew up with this playing in the kitchen and shocked my teacher in my first year of primary school when I told her they were my favourite band, heh heh :) The one thing I particularly adored about it, was the use of experimental sounds (reverse tape looping etc) on the track Tomorrow Never Knows. When I first heard it, I must've been about 6 or 7 maybe, and that track really blew my mind. Because I hadn't heard anything as unique as it before, I remember playing the track over and over again constantly for quite a while. That single track was probably responsible in laying the path for the more alternative, left field music taste I have today when I think about it. (shame Yellow Submarine was shite though, ha)
[KEY SONG] - Tomorrow Never Knows -
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CMdqWh_J8I
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1. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless - [1991]

This album had to top my list, simply as the whole sound was so very influential to me as a musician at the time, and I learnt so much through it that I applied to my own music, so much so that even Steve Lamacq commented on their visable influence on my own band Death In Public! In short, a simply amazing transcendental album that soundtracks my dreams :)
[KEY SONG] - To Here Knows When -
Watch - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DEnwUAzPG4
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Albums that almost made the list...
Trail Of Dead - 'Source Tag & Codes'
TV on the Radio - 'Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes'
Velvet Underground - 'Velvet Underground & Nico'
Talking Heads - 'Remain in Light'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 'Fever to Tell'
Radiohead - 'OK Computer'
Scott Walker - 'Scott 4'
David Bowie - 'Heroes'
Interpol - 'Turn on The Bright Lights'
M83 - 'Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts'
Mogwai - 'Ten Rapid'

forced me to listen to a band called The Beatles when I was around 6 or 7, I think my first listen was the "1967- 70 blue album." I just remember being absolutely obsessed "I am the walrus". That One CD alone shaped me into who I am today. cheers john :)

Big Country - Steeltown
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Rattlesnakes
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth
Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
New Order - Low Life
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions
Pixies - Come On Pilgrim (+ their first Peel session)
Dinosaur Jr - Bug
My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde
Tom Waits - Bone Machine
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary

Kate Bush - The Red Shoes
Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti
The Stranglers - The Best Of
Placebo - Placebo
Melt Banana - Teeny Shiny
Lou Reed - Transformer
Bjork - Debut
Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Talking Heads - Little Creatures
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Slint - Spiderland
Why? - Elephant Eyelash
The Mountain Goats - Tallahassee
Joanna Newsom - Ys

15 isn't really enough i don't think!

The Band - Music From The Big Pink
David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Thank God For Mental Illness
Don Caballero - What Burns Never Returns
Nick Drake - Bryter Layter
Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan AND Highway 61 Revisited
Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
Lou Reed - Transformer
Elliott Smith - Either/Or
The Smiths - The Smiths
The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings And Food
The 13th Floor Elevators - The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators

ELO - Out of the Blue
Yes - Close to the Edge
Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts
Neil Young - After the Goldrush
D Bowie - Hunky Dory
Joy Division - Closer
Boards Of Canada - Music has the Right to Children
MBV - Loveless
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Boo Radleys _ Everything is Alright Forever
Tindersticks - 2nd
Wilco - YHF
Sigur Ros - ()
GY!BE - Skinny Wrists
The National - Boxer

I'm quite proud of that list.....OK I might not listen to (or have!) the first 3 very much anymore.

I so loved the debut Boo Radleys........much more than Giant Steps...

FUCKING HELL, IT'S ONLY MUSIC. FUCKING SHUT UP.

Coldplay - Parachutes
Doves - The Last Broadcast
Radiohead - The Bends
Turin Brakes - The Optimist LP
Sigur Ros - ( )
The Cure - Disintegration
The Delgados - Hate
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Out Of Season
Cocteau Twins - Heaven Or Las Vegas
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Salif Keita - Moffou
The National - Alligator
Clem Snide - End Of Love
Neil Young - Harvest
James Yorkston and the Athletes - Moving Up Country

Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Metallica - The Black Album
The Wildhearts - Earth Vs The Wildhearts
Therapy? - Troublegum
Green Day - Dookie
Faith No More - Angel Dust
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
The Pixies - Doolittle
Rocket From The Crypt - Scream Dracula Scream
Weezer - Blue
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Pavement - Crooked Rain
Brian Wilson - Smile
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

There are loads more contenders but I guess these capture various moments from my life the best. Not a very indie or cool list looking back at it, but I guess thats not the point!

bruce springsteen - born in the USA
nirvana - bleach
rebel mc - black meaning good
oasis - definitely maybe
radiohead - ok computer
super furry animals - fuzzy logic
beastie boys - ill communication
snoop doggy dogg - doggystyle
green day - dookie
roni size - new forms
roots manuva - run come save me
pixies - doolittle
arcade fire - funeral
the national - alligator
mclusky - do dallas

bruce springsteen - born in the USA
nirvana - bleach
rebel mc - black meaning good
oasis - definitely maybe
radiohead - ok computer
super furry animals - fuzzy logic
beastie boys - ill communication
snoop doggy dogg - doggystyle
green day - dookie
roni size - new forms
roots manuva - run come save me
pixies - doolittle
arcade fire - funeral
the national - alligator
mclusky - do dallas

(In no particular order)

1) Foo Fighters - The Color And The Shape
2) Deftones - Around The Fur
3) Therapy? - Infernal Love
4) Terrorvision - How To Make Friends And Influence People
5) Wildhearts - PHUQ
6) Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
7) Converge - Jane Doe
8) Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
9) Faith No More - King For A Day...Fool For A Lifetime
10) Extreme - III Sides To Every Story
11) Barenaked Ladies - Maroon
12) Eels - Daisies Of The Galaxy
13) Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
14) Sterophonics - Word Gets Around
15) R.E.M. - Up

The Strokes - Is This It
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Queens of the stone age - Songs For The Deaf
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness
At the drive-in - Relationship of Command
LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
Radiohead - The Bends
Sonic Youth - Sister
Cap'n Jazz - Analphabetapolothology
Why? - Alopecia
American Football - American Football
The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good
Moving Mountains - Pneuma
The Appleseed Cast - Mare Vitalis
Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below

1) Weezer - The Blue Album
2) Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
3) Radiohead - Kid A
4) Midlake - Trials of the van Occupanther
5) Built to Spill - Perfect from Now On
6) The Beatles - Abbey Road
7) Arcade Fire - Funeral
8) Interpol - Antics
9) Modest Mouse - Lonesome Crowded West
10) The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
11) Gogol Bordello - Super Taranta
12) Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
13) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
14) Sigur Ros - Takk
15) Blink 182 - The Mark, Tom & Travis Show

2. The Stooges - Raw Power
3. Idlewild - The Remote Part
4. Nirvana - Nevermind
5. Radiohead - The Bends
6. RHCP - By The Way
7. Larrikin Love - The Freedom Spark
8. Nine Black Alps - Everything Is
9. Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
10.Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake Its Morning
11.Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
12.Ash - Free All Angels
13.Gogol Bordello - Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike
14.Love - Forever Changes
15.Attic Lights - Friday Night Lights

Cocteau Twins - Tresure
American Music Club - California
Boards of Canada - Music has the right to children
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Beastie Boys - Check your head
Orbital - II
The Smiths - Meat is murder
The Wonderstuff - the 8 legged groove machine
Teenage Fanclub - Bandwagonesque
Cabaret Voltaire - the covenant, the sword and the arm of the lord
Adam and the Ants - Kings of the wild frontier
Tears for Fears - The Hurting
The Stone Roses - s/t
The Wedding Present - George Best
Japan - Gentlemen take polaroids
Just 15 key albums from my life really...

2) Nirvana - 'Nevermind'
3) Rage Against The Machine - 'RATM'
4) The Levellers - 'Levelling the Land'
5) Ned's Atomic Dustbin - 'Are You Normal?'
6) Weezer - 'Blue'
7) Smashing Pumpkins - 'Siamese Dream'
8) Pavement - 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'
9) The Afghan Whigs - 'Gentlemen'
10)Texas is the Reason - 'Do You Know Who You Are?'
11) Refused - 'The Shape of Punk to Come'
12) Minor Threat - 'Discography'
13) Hot Water Music - 'No Division'
14) The Get-Up Kids - 'Something to Write Home About'
15) At the Drive-In - 'Relationship of Command'

This list misses out so much though and stops dead about 8 years ago.

Rage Against the Machine - s/t
System of a Down - Toxicity
Glassjaw - Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence
Thursday - War All The Time
Coheed and Cambria - The Second Stage Turbine Blade
Converge - Jane Doe
Circle Takes the Square - As The Roots Undo
Million Dead - A Song To Ruin
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Minus the Bear - They Make Beer Commercials Like This
Blood Brothers - Crimes
Melt-Banana - Cellscape
Daughters - Hell Songs
Why? - Alopecia

....is my life story in records.

anyway
Million Dead - Song To Ruin
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Oceansize - Efflorescence
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Nirvana - In Utero
Bjork - Vespertine
Isis - Panopticon
Red Sparowes - At The Soundless Dawn
Geisha - Mondo Dell'Orore
The Distillers - Coral Fang
Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
Mogwai - Come On Die Young
Hella - Hold Your Horse Is
The Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible

the end of Shine 6 CD 2
I've ran out now

Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
Ash - 1977
Manic Street Preachers - Lifeblood*
Radiohead - Kid A
Trash Can Sinatras - A Happy Pocket
Aztec Camera - Hard Land, High Rain
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Morrissey - Vauxhall and I
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
Her Name is Calla - The Heritage

(*footnote - yes I know Bible is Best, but this record came at a really important time for me and really encapsulated a frame of mind at the time - life saving almost)

Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
Ash - 1977
Manic Street Preachers - Lifeblood*
Radiohead - Kid A
Trash Can Sinatras - A Happy Pocket
Aztec Camera - Hard Land, High Rain
Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Morrissey - Vauxhall and I
Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around the World
The Mars Volta - Deloused in the Comatorium
Her Name is Calla - The Heritage

(*footnote - yes I know Bible is Best, but this record came at a really important time for me and really encapsulated a frame of mind at the time - life saving almost)

Bonzo Dog Dada Band (because parental car music can teach you about surrealism from the age of 5)

Pink Floyd, The Wall (favourite album at age 13; narcissism is fun!)

Sisters of Mercy, Some Girls Wander by Mistake: Singles 80-83 (because you can be the greatest poet since TS Eliot, inhabit the drug underworld, critique neo-imperialism with remarkable prescience, and look timelessly cool at the same time!)

The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead (favourite album at 15)

Leonard Cohen, Greatest Hits (favourite comp, same age)

REM, Out of Time (because 'Country Feedback' is the perfect imagist poem by which all is measured in my world)

Manics, Holy Bible (look in the mirror)

Radiohead, OK Computer (duh)

Mogwai, Young Team ("if the stars had a sound...")

Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet

Sigur Ros, ( )

#13= Demelza's Dungeon, The Piano Album
#13= Culture Industry (the best incentive to write...)

Songs:Ohia, Mi Sei Apparso come un Fantasmo ("nobody tries that hard anymore...")

Sunset Rubdown, Random Spirit Lover

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
The Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray
San Lorenzo - Nothing New Ever Works
Querelle - Demo (not an album but fuck it it was life changing for me)
Q And Not U - No Kill No Beep Beep
Reflections of Elephants - Demo (same as Querelle)
Four Tet - Pause
Idlewild - Captain
Seafood - Messenger in the Camp
Sonic Youth - Dirty
Super Furry Animals - Fuzzy Logic
Ash - Trailer
Mogwai - Young Team
Pavement - Terror Twilight
Blur - Parklife

1) Green Day - Dookie
2) Manic Street Preachers - Holy Bible
3) Reef - Glow
4) Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
5) The Streets - Original Pirate Material
6) Bad Religion - Receipe for Hate
7) System of a Down - System of a Down
8) Slayer - Reign in Blood
9) 'Clerks' original soundtrack
10) Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
11) Garbage - Garbage
12) The Prodigy - Fat of the Land
13) Chas and Dave - Double Bubble
14) The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
15) Superggrass - I Should Coco

I can see a definate progression

and they seemed to come in clumps...

(1997 - early teenage years)
1) Radiohead - OK Computer
I was bought this as a thirteenth birthday present by my aunt when my dad was in hospital. It's the album that shaped the vast majority of things that came onto my radar afterwards, and one of the few I was listening to at this period in my life that I still have time for. I think it was probably the first time my mum had to knock on my bedroom door and shout "TURN THAT CD DOWN. NOW!"

(2001/02 - sixth form years)
2) Muse - Origin of Symmetry
So melodramatic and overstated. This isn't my most favourite album of theirs (see below), and they have come on leaps and bounds since Showbiz, but I still love it. If I hadn't taken to this I probably wouldn't have thought twice about taking interest in what followed.

3) Elbow - Asleep In The Back
I first listened to this as 2001 self-combusted and 2002 crawled into its place. It introduced me to the beauty of this band - even then they were perhaps one of the most important musical acts in my life.

4) Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows
I was a bit of a latecomer to Idlewild. This encouraged me to look beyond my own back yard and up beyond the border for intelligent, heartfelt music. It's opened me up to artists like Camera Obscura, Belle and Sebastian (whom I was very much a latecomer to) and Broken Records in later years.

(2002 - 2004 - late teenage years)
5) Doves - Lost Souls
Listening to this gave me a better sense of musical identity. Finally, somebody had encapuslated Manchester on a CD using more than a couple of catchy guitar lines and hackneyed notions of sunshyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyne!

6) Queens Of The Stone Age - Songs For The Deaf
This totally opened up my mind and ears to the heavier end of the spectrum. It was the soundtrack to my coming-of-age. Literally.

7) The Libertines - Up The Bracket
I discovered this one a little late, just as I was entering university in late 2003. This and Cast of Thousands by Elbow probably soundtracked my first few months of homesickness.

(2004 - 2006 - the undergraduate years)
8) The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
This arrived at the end of my first year at university. I instantly fell in love with the sense of despair in his voice. I still have the box but have lost the CD a few years a go, which frustrates me no end.

9) 65daysofstatic - The Fall Of Math
I saw them on a whim in 2005 for the first time, and they blew me away. I absolutely had to buy the album after that. Pure escapism-on-a-CD. They're a band who always have - and, I imagine, always will - do things their own way.

10) Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
I stand (almost) alone amongst my friends in my devotion to this band. I just really connected with the way Paul Smith tells stories on this album.

(2007-2009 - early twenties upheaval and change)
11) Regina Spektor - 11:11
To me, 11:11 demonstrated how much more versatile Regina is than (the still very good) Begin To Hope makes out. I think I *just* prefer it to Soviet Kitsch. I also think this would be one of my desert island discs.

12) Joanna Newsom - The Milk-Eyed Mender
Again, I came very late to Joanna. Saw her at Green Man in 2007 and Somerset House in 2008. I was hemmed in by about 40 people a few rows from the front on both occasions, but I felt like I was the only person standing watching and listening to her. Listening to this album now really vividly reminds me of those two gigs.

13) Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
This album arrived at a very important time in my life and in their careers. It offered me a sense of comfort, and renewed my focus. I think it's their most complete and most musically interesting album yet, and thoroughly deserving of the praise it's received.

14) Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
This album soothed away a lot of stresses and despair during what were some of the darkest times of my life to date. It could have been made any time in the past 40 years. I can't wait to hear what she comes up with next.

15) Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Stuck on repeat, quite literally. Listening to this fills me with renewed optimism and also gave me a great way into a band I'd tried to like for a couple of years but never quite been able to really get into. It may be the prompt for me to go back to some of their earlier efforts now.

And a few runners-up:

Justice - +
Stopped me from being so snobby about dance music.

Doves - The Last Broadcast
Another important album when I moved to Manchester which encapsulated what being there meant for me.

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Felt like a band finally fulfilling their potential.

Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
Began to open up my mind to more progressive music. The Black Amnesias still sends shivers down my spine nearly 5 years later.

Coldplay - Parachutes
I know it's pretty naff to admit this now, but what the hell. It wasn't off my stereo for weeks when I bought it.

1)Guns n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
2)Slayer - Reign In Blood
3)Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables
4)Big Black - Songs about Fucking
5)Slint - Tweez
6)The Smiths - Best volumes 1 and 2 (I'm counting those as one very long album)
7)New Bomb Turks - Information Highway Revisited
8)The Goats - Tricks of the Shade
9)The Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come (and they were right, but not in a good way)
10)Abba - Gold
11)The Vindictives - The Many Moods of the Vindictives
12)Black Sun EMpire - Cruel and Unusual
13)2Many DJ's - as heard on radio soulwax part 2 (Made me realise that you didnt need musical taste to be a successful dj and made me get involved, i still think they're novelty post-ironic shit some 7 years later. I think of them being along the same lines as Jive Bunny)
14)The Thermals - More Parts Per Million
15)Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman...

Carol King - Tapestry
Kirsty Maccoll- Kite
Blondie - Parallel Lines
Pretenders - Singles
Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady
The Strokes - Is This It
Sleepy Jackson - Lovers
Evan Dando - Baby I’m Bored
Radio dept - Lesser Matters
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
The Pixies - DooLittle
Elvis Costello - My Aim is True
Bikini kill -Singles
Leonard Cohen - Songs from a Room
John Cale - Paris 1919

deerhoof - the runners four
beatles - abbey road
strokes - is this it?
elliott smith - either/or
grizzly bear - yellow house
bob dylan - blonde on blonde
death cab - we have the facts...
shins - oh inverted world
wolf parade - apologies to queen mary
bjork - homogenic
joanna newsom - milk-eyed mender
low - things we lost in the fire / curtain hits the cast
leonard cohen - greatest hits
explosions in the sky - the earth is not a cold dead place
jens lekman - oh you're so silent jens

Radiohead - OK Computer
Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Radiohead - Kid A
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Talking Heads - Remain in Light

Nirvana - Nevermind
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Girls Against Boys - Cruise Yourself
Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley
Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love
The Halo Benders - Don't Tell Me Now
Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Slint - Spiderland
Palace Brothers - There Is No One What Will Take Care Of You
The Make Up - Destination Love: Live At Cold Rice
Godspeed You Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists
Boris - Pink
Deerhoof - Apple O'
Magik Markers - I Trust My Guitar,etc

The Strokes - Is This It?: The daddy. This is the album that stopped me listening to Radio 1 and actually buying albums. I still can't really handle listening to 'playlists'; if I've got my PC on I'll listen to a whole album as opposed to random tracks and it is this album's fault. Probably the perfect album for any fourteen year old boy that doesn't know anything about music, which leads me to...

The Clash - The Clash: Angry bastards who still sound much better to me than The Sex Pistols. Janie Jones is a monster and Hate & War manages to be ska cool without going down the shambolic roads they trod with Rock The Casbah (shit).

Pearl Jam - Ten: One of my favourite albums ever, its just so muddy and, well, black. They've been put down a lot over the years but they're grunge's survivors, for good or ill. Oceans, Garden, Black and Release give you the emotion, Even Flow, Once and Why Go provide the rock. Alive encapsulates this band.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea: "Now how I remember you, how I would push my fingers through your mouth to make those muscles move that made your voice so smooth and sweet" sums it up.

Panda Bear - Person Pitch: Better than any Animal Collective album, I think this is as close to perfect as you can get. No arrangement sounds excessive, every single word married to the music.

Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blue: No man has every sounded more sorry or full of regret on record. Tragic and wonderful in equal measure.

Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine: There are heavier albums, but none of them are as disco as this one. If I went out and they played this back to back I think I'd haemorrhage.

Eels - Electro-Shock Blues: Follow E through depression out to the other side; transcendent.

Arcade Fire - Funeral: If Is This It? was the first album to bring me into music, this was the first one to take me away from MOR stuff like Kasabian. Crown of Love is my favourite, if only for the frenetic ending as Win Butler sounds like he's going to crack. My dad called them a shit Talking Heads but he realised his mistake in the end.

The National - Alligator: Everything's been said about this one now, right? Matt Berninger has one of the best voices ever ever ever. Throaty gnarled old bastard who should probably know better and I love him for it.

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois: I nearly picked Michigan. I think Michigan is more consistent in the songwriting and structure but when this album comes together, it blows Michigan's top. The Illinoisemakers are the best backing vocal performance I can think of on an album and Casimir Pulaski Day is maybe the saddest song by an artist on my list. Another man with an amazing vocal range.

My Morning Jacket - Z: This album is a de facto rock masterpiece, highlighted by the turgid follow-up, Evil Urges... Their peak, Gideon and Dondante are superb, whilst Into The Woods is just mental.

Neil Young - After The Gold Rush: You won't find a better folk/country/whatever album than this.

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Paul McCartney's best Beatles vocal performance on the 'interlude' section of A Day In The Life swung my vote for this ahead of The White Album, Rubber Soul or Revolver.

Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview: Its still completely fucking awesome.

1. 1977 - Ash. First album I bought with my own money. Every time I hear that Tiefighter it makes me feel 15 again.
A bit like
2. Luxury Plane Crash - Scarfo. does.

3. Captain - Idlewild. Made me want everything they had done.

4. Around the fur - Deftones. First heavy album I bought, which along with...

5. El Diablo - Willhaven and

6. Soul Searching Sun - Life of Agony remind me of a couple of good summers at Greenhead College and started to form my like for Punk and Hardcore.

7. No Division - Hot Water Music. First of their albums I got, reminds me of my first year at uni along with...

8. Relationship of Command - At The Drive In
9. Water and Solutions - Far
and
10. Mare Vitalis - Appleseed Cast

All soundtracked that year, are all still amongst my most played and favourite CDs.

11. London Calling / The Clash - The Clash. one thems the best album ever. depends on my mood which one I pick.

12. Agaetis Byrjun - Sigur Ros. Another Uni album and the one that turned me onto post rock. Followed closely by...
13. F#A# - GY!BE - still awesome.
then
14. The Earth is not a cold dead Place - Explosions in the Sky.

15. Funeral - The Arcade Fire.

Bjork - Homogenic
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju
Patti Smith - Horses
Sonic Youth - Dirty
Joanna Newsom - Ys
Regina Spektor - Soviet Kitsch
No Doubt - Return of Saturn
M83 - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
Beach House - Devotion
The Knife - Silent Shout

Diana's funeral
Del Boy falling over
Ross Kemp in that Fruit n' Fibre advert

In that order.

I'm not going for indie points with this list, but I loved all these albums at one point in my life.
Elvis Presley-one of his Greatest Hits tapes which I bought from a market in Turkey
Bob Marley-Greatest Hits tape
Eminem-Marshall Mathers LP
Linkin Park-Hybrid Theory
Rage Against the Machine-s/t
AFI-The Art Of Drowning
The Cure-Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
Iggy and the Stooges-Raw Power
Black Sabbath-s/t
Johnny Cash-The Man Comes Around
Kyuss-Blues for the Red Sun
Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream
Sonic Youth-Goo
The Murder City Devils-Empty Bottles, Broken Hearts
Cancer Bats-Birthing the Giant

1) The Police - "Zenyatta Mondatta"
2) Mansun - "Six"
3) The Smiths - "Very Best Of"
4) Deftones - "White Pony"
5) Miss Black America - "God Bless Miss Black America"
6) Coheed and Cambria - "The Second Stage Turbine Blade"
7) Talk Talk - "Laughing Stock"
8) Dillinger Escape Plan - "Miss Machine"
9) Million Dead - "A Song To Ruin"
10) Genesis - "Foxtrot"
11) Thursday - "Full Collapse"
12) Captain Beefheart - "Trout Mask Replica"
13) Matthew Good Band - "The Audio of Being"
14) Placebo - "Without You I'm Nothing"
15) Radiohead - "OK Computer"

The Best Of Bowie
well, it made me buy a lot of Bowie albums and showed me many things I had not heard before

Sandinista THE CLASH
showed me all sorts of types of sounds and shizzle could be incorporated into "my" music and it remins my fave Clash album

First And Last And Always SISTERS OF MERCY
showed me that even if you dont get something at first, you can grow to love it

The Lexicon Of Love ABC
Showed me you could have ideas and an agenda, artistic and intrinsic and, hey, meta, and still make a cracking pop album that would never gwt old

Disintegration THE CURE
showed me that the Cure could make a great album again and that there was such a thing as a double album that you could love from strart to finish. 72 mins? thats a double album

Loveless MBV
showed me well, all kinds of things I had never imagined and that there really was no such things as basics or starting points. or ending points.

Dubnobasswithmyheadman UNDERWORLD
showed me that E music could make for a great album that you didnt even need E for

Nevermind NIRVANA
Well, that is pretty obvious. You can make a swaggering, pell mell, helter skelter, hair on fire punk rock pop album and still retain an air of mystery and sex

Electric Ladyland JIMI HENDRIX
showed me that guitars had been taken to space and back before I was born and in relatively basic studios and it really is all down to the band and the tunes

Music Has The Right To Children BOARDS OF CANADA
showed me that God is in the details

Ghetto Pop Life DANGERMOUSE AND JEMINI
showed me hip hop still had new places to go

Absence DALEK
same thing

Rated R QOTSA
showed me rock music can be clever and fun

The Great Destroyer LOW
showed me you can still make a mind blowing album using some very guitar, bass, drums and plenty of space

Dear Science TVOTR
showed me that TVOTR can indeed fulfil their destiny and make a classic album

Huggy Bear - Taking the Rough With The Smooch
Le Tigre - Feminist Sweepstakes
Elastica - Elastica
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Hole - Live Through This
Placebo - Placebo
Sublime - Sublime
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home
The Postal Service - The Postal Service
Death In Vegas - Dead Elvis
Bugged Out Vol 1
theSTART - Shakedown
Ladytron - Light & Magic
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left
Lush - Split
Futurism Vol 1
Ste McCabe - On The Cheap
Ladyfest Manchester 2008 - Fundraising Compilation
Luke Slater - Fear & Loathing
Electrelane - Rock It to the Moon
of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster
Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things

Early Years:
The Verve- Urban Hymns (First album I properly bought)
Feeder- Comfort in Sound (First album I loved)
Muse- Absolution

Sixth Form:
MSP- Holy Bible
Radiohead- OK Computer
Girls Aloud- Chemistry
Siobhan Donaghy- Revolution in Me
Weezer- Pinkerton
QOTSA- Songs for the Deaf

Uni:
Pixies- Doolittle
Smashing Pumpkins- Melon Collie
Justice- Cross (gateway to dance and electro)
Smiths- Strangeways
Blur- 13
Jay Z- Black Album (gateway to rap)

Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (w/Appendix)
Shearwater - Palo Santo
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
Jeff Buckley - Grace
Boards Of Canada - Music Has The Right to Children
Susuma Yokota - The Grinning Cat
Radiohead - Amnesiac
Radiohead - Kid A
Radiohead - OK Computer
David Gray - White Ladder

* I spent a good ten years listening to nothing other than dance music (house/hardcore/trance and then techno) during this period.

Micheal Jackson - Bad

As much as i'd like to remove David Gray, it would probably have to be at the demise of Susuma Yokota - The Grinning Cat.

Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited
Radiohead-Kid A
Pavement-Slanted And Enchanted
The Smiths-Meat Is Murder
The Dismemberment Plan-Emergency & I
Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
My Bloody Valentine-Loveless
Charles Mingus-The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Ornette Coleman-Free Jazz
John Coltrane-Ascension
Sunn O)))-Black One
J Dilla-Donuts
Animal Collective-Sung Tongs
Panda Bear-Person Pitch.
Fennesz-Endless Summer.

Damn. I've got a lot more that, without question, sucked me in and took me over for months days and years. Fifteen just isn't enough.