15 albums in 15 minutes

August 31, 2010 | Posted in Blog | By

The rules:

Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you’ve heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste these rules in a new note, cast your fifteen picks, and tag people in the note.)

1. Amy Grant – Lead Me On

This is the first album I really played over and over as a kid that really stuck with me as an adult. It was one of Amy Grant’s most mature albums before going mainstream and I think what infuenced me the most was the amazing production value. To date my number one favorite album still. No apologies.

2. Poor Old Lu – Sin

My first venture into grunge rock as a new teenager, back when I only used to listen to bands sold at the Christian book store. Therefore, very influential. I was a couple years behind all my friends who were listening to Nirvana’s Nevermind.

3. Sarah McLaughlan – Surfacing

Completely changed my musical life. My inspiration behind co-founding Don’t Call Us Tori.

4. Fiona Apple – Tidal

Sonically one of my favorite albums. What a mood!

5. Tori Amos – Scarlett’s Walk

Every song is beautiful.

6. Radiohead – Kid A/Amnesiac (I condsider these one record)

First heard Everything in its Right Place in a movie and thought “I need to get into Radiohead.” Friend told me Kid A was my album – he was right. I consider Amnesiac to be apart of the same reality though since they share versions of the same songs and were released within 6 months of each other.

7. Radiohead – Okay Computer

How could I not put this?

8. Lyle Lovett – Joshua Judges Ruth

North Dakota and She’s Already Made Up Her Mind got me hooked, then the rest of the album grew on me. Really widened my musical horizons.

9. Blyss – Diff’s Lucky Day

Saw these guys live first before they were big (they became Lifehouse). I think this CD sold for $100 on Ebay at one point as it is out of print. Brilliant album.

10. Depeche Mode – Violator

Rediscovered this in college after hearing it a lot as a kid. My first band Transfiguration was very influenced by Depeche Mode. Enjoy the Silence and Policy of Truthare my all-time favorite Depeche Mode songs.

11. Coldplay – Rush of Blood to the Head

A soundtrack to life for me when it came out. Still musically very influential. I think I was already at this music point though when it came out. 

12. Bob Marley – Legend

Listened over and over again on a trip to Miami in ’95. Stuck with me so much I bought it as an adult. I know that compilations probably shouldn’t count, but this is seriously one of the best compilations ever. 

13. AD – Art of the State

I realized just how much this album had influenced me as a kid after I found myself wondering if it was on iTunes. I downloaded it and instantly realized that nearly everything I had done musically up to that point had been subconsiencely influenced in some way by this album. One of its founding members was a member of Kansas.

14. Peter Gabriel – So

One of my mom’s favorites at a formative time in my musical life. I would have listed some Genesis albums as well, but I think that So was even more influential to me.

15 Roger Waters – Amused to Death

I first heard my three favorite songs from this album played in order late at night on KLOS. I pulled over, stopped the car and listened for 30 minutes, transfixed. Sounded exactly like something I would have wanted to write and record. Later I found out that Roger Waters was in Pink Floyd (oh my God, I didn’t know that?!) and my love for this recording all made sense.

Because I can’t pick just 15… haha

16. Muse – Absolution
17. Tom Petty – The Last DJ
18. Hans Zimmer – Soundtrack to Gladiator
19. Tan Dunn – Soundtrack to Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
20. Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory
21. Dave Matthew’s Band – Crash
22. Rage Against The Machine
23. Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinate Sadness

And of course this only counts favorite albums…

There are many other bands I love who’s albums I don’t have and therefore I have many singles of there’s that totally influence me. Especially since I have always loved the radio. But here I’ve only listed complete albums. :)

Bjork, U2, The Police, The Buggles, Oingo Boingo, Aha, Talk Talk, Tears for Fears, The Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Damien Rice, Led Zepplin, Yes, Genesis, Rush, Incubus, Jon Brion, Lauren Hill……………………