30 Most Influencial Albums

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Music was never played in my house. When I was a pre-teen, I used to listen to an oldies radio station with this bread loaf-sized AM radio in my bed at night, keeping the volume really low, holding it to my ear so as not to disturb my parents. It had the most satisfying "click" when turning it on and off. The radio and my best friend in junior high are the two main things that shaped my musical tastes.

Here they are as I could think of them and not in any particular order:

1. The Beatles - Abbey Road
Those of you who read my 25 Things know I got this from my Grandfather's record collection after he died. Amazing! I consider side 2 to be a representation of a perfect album side. Remember albums? They had sides?

2. John Williams - Star Wars Soundtrack
Mom got it at the mall for my brother and me after our first viewing. I'm still watching it. Still listening to it.

3. Various Artists - Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
A gift from my grandmother for Christmas, not sure why, but she seemed to feel I would like it. The thing I remember the most about it was the little pink bull logo for RSO records.

4. Journey - Escape
First album I ever bought with my own money. I still remember all the words.

5. Van Halen - Diver Down
Second album I bought.

6. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Introduced to be by my best friend, it opened the door to the world of Prog Rock!

7. Todd Rundgren - Something/Anything
I look back on my college years, which took place in the late 80's, and wonder why I was obsessed with 70's music. This double album is probably his best.

8-9. XTC - English Settlement & Skylarking
I don't even know what to say about these two, just great power pop.

10. Monty Python's Flying Circus - Matching Tie And Handkerchief I had and listen to this album for about 2 years before I discovered a hidden track between the grooves. Every time I dropped the needle on side two it landed on the same track. One day it dropped into the groove next to the one I knew. It was like I found the Holy Grail (get it?).

11-12. Tom Waits - The Heart Of Saturday Night & Frank's Wild Years
He has a way of making a down on your luck, broken-hearted, rusted alcoholic seem appealing.

13. Steely Dan - Gold
Some love the Dan, others can't stand the Dan. I'm in the "Love" camp.

14. Squeeze - Argy Bargy
This just brings back all those summer days when I used Sun-In on my hair and it turned orange. Good times.

15. The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
Memorized every sound on this album. I'm the best air-drummer ever because of it.

16. Midnight Oil - 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
I can't explain it, but there's something about the way this album sounds. Although it was made in mid-80's it sound timeless.

17. Jellyfish - Bellybutton
This defined what Power Pop should be for me.

18. The Posies - Dear 23
A continuation of the definition of Power Pop, but hit me at the right time in my late 20's. I totally identified with the album in some sense.

19. Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel
Made an awkward, weird artsy college student feel right at home.

20. Godley & Creme – Freeze Frame
This was another continuation of making the weirdo artsy student in me feel at home and creative. I should put this on now, too bad I no longer have a record player.

21. 10cc - Original Soundtrack
I always wanted to make a movie about "Une Nuit A Paris", it's very rock opera.

22. Klark Kent - Klark Kent
This album was the perfect "snotty-nose, screw-you-I'm-doin'-it-my-way" album that really helped me become ostracized from my peers by being weird. But that behavior helped me meet friends I would keep for the rest of my life.

23. Stewart Copeland - The Rhythmatist
A strange, but interesting exploration of music that introduced me to African rhythms and instruments I'd never heard before.

24. Sloan - One Chord To Another
In my opinion, one of the best collection of Power Pop songs ever.

25. Crowded House - Crowded House
This is the group that gave way to my love of Neil Finn (lead singer). Without him, I don't think I would know how to feel emotions. (Now that's just corny.)

26. Elvis Costello - The Very Best Of Elvis Costello

What can I say about Elvis Costello except that he's one of the few artists that I will buy anything they put out.

27. ELO - Greatest Hits
ELO is far too often overlooked as being a musical influence. I had a poster of theirs of their giant jukebox space ship. Looked like they put on an amazing show.

28. The dBs - Like This
Just great, simple, heart-felt garage rock of the early 80's.

29. The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
I discovered The Pixies quite late in life, but am loving everything I hear. Frank Black is the best screamer I've ever heard.

30. Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
Yeah, what the hell is she doing here? Well, she definitely influenced me. I first got this album for the cover, then later, upon listening, I thought, "yeah, this is pretty cool." And thus was born a wuss (no offense to you Suzanne).