Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“ Please, leave all overcoats, canes and top hats with the doorman;  And from that moment, you'll be out of place and underdressed;  I'm wrecking this evening already and loving every minute of it;  Ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring… ” The mid 00s saw a boom in the emo and punk pop genre, with new bands smashing into the UK charts. The likes of Paramore and Fallout Boy, among the more popular emo-pop bands, were joined by the ever intriguing Panic! At The Disco. With an ever-increasing popularity and widening audience, it is their debut album that enters my list at 44. Alongside the popular song from the album, ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’, we have a plethora of incredible songs, pulling in a vast array of musical styles. Mixing their upbeat rock with the likes of trance/techno, classical, bouncy beach boys pianoesque rock, disco, baroque, waltz and even big band; it certainly is one of the most unique rock albums you will ever come across. Singer Brendon Urie...

“ Everybody talkin' bout the power of the gospel;  Getting the cool with the happy, they went fire;  Seems to feel that beat you can't stop bouncing;  Why don't we keep the rhythm just how it sounds…” Growing up, there are defining songs and bands your ears here that form positive paths to musical enjoyment.  For me, Madness, ELO, Oasis, Linkin Park and Thousand Foot Krutch, were my bridges into ska, 70s rock, brit pop, heavy metal and alternative Christian rock.  There are also some that   open up whole new genres one never knew existed. My good friend Phil introduced me to Caravan Palace and electro swing was firmly placed in my listening library. Where to start?! Django style gypsy jazz infused with Daft Punk style electronica, samples of old swing and jazz tracks, excellent vocals, uptempo beats, huge bass, some downtempo songs, waltzes… Caravan Palace have an incredible sound that, in my opinion, sets them above any other electro swing band. They’ve te...

“When I'm weak I draw strength from you;  And when you're lost I know how to change your mood ;  And when I'm down you breathe life over me ;   Even though we're miles apart we are each other's destiny…” I’d never heard of Zero 7 before 2011 but was introduced by a television advert, promoting the 10 year anniversary re-release of Simple Things. The song Destiny was playing and thought “Mrs Temple would love this album”. Since then, it has been treated to the scratched up, battered car CD player treatment. To those who know me or Zero 7, you may be very surprised to see them featured on my list of all time favourite albums. But relaxing music is sometimes needed and Simple Things is my go to chill out album. Easy listening, not in a repetitive ambient way, but with structure and food to keep the mind at work. A mix of laid back electronica, piano, synth , strings, wonderfully played acoustic guitars and incredible guest vocalists . Each song is soulful  and brillian...

“I don't know what's worth fighting for, or  why I have to scream;  I don't know why I instigate  and say what I don't mean;  I don't know how I got this way,  I know it's not alright;  So I'm breaking the habit  tonight…” In my early teens, I would sneak into my oldest bro’s room and pull out Hybrid Theory to listen every now and then, specifically the song “Crawling”. Soon, he gave me the album saying “this is crap; it’s now yours…” or something along those lines. It was my first proper foray into heavy metal music and a very influential album for me, in more ways than just the music. Hybrid Theory almost took this spot, and not just because of the sentiment; it’s a fantastic album! But we look to their sophomore release, Meteora, which just pips it to my list. Whilst their debut gave us excellent songs and a new style in nu-metal, Meteora takes it to another level. There is more variety to the songs, the production is superb, and the vocals are far ...

“ It's me defending in suspense, it's me suspended in a defenceless test;  being tested by a ruthless examiner, that’s  represented best by my depressing thoughts; I  do not have writers block, my  writer just hates the clock…” Twenty One Pilots are one of the biggest breakthrough acts of the 2010s. My wonderful wife must take credit for getting this guy into them, with their album Blurryface; another CD wrecked in the car due to continuous usage. But the album that features here, at No.65, is their previous outing Vessel. Their main features would be a playful and lighthearted spoken word/rap poetry that features in nearly all their songs. But the vast array of genre in Vessel and their ability to cross multiple genres in songs is fantastic.  Take the opening track for example…starting with a heavy gangster rap style, switching instantaneously to a light hearted bouncy indie pop and then slowing down to an almost balladesque rock piano driven chorus…before hitt...

“ Throw a coin in a fountain of dust, white  noise, her ears are ringing;  Got a ticket for a midnight hanging,  throw a bullet from a freight train leaving…” Beck; most famous for his mid-nighties hits such as ‘Where it’s at (I’ve got two turntables and a microphone), Devil’s haircut (in my mind), Loser (baby, so why don’t you kill me), and many more. ‘Odelay’ is arguably his most popular album to date, but ‘Guero’ knocks it right out of the park, in my opinion. This is one of those albums i go to when I dont want to be hit by a wall of noise (no matter how coherent and excellent that noise may be). It’s actually one of my chill-out albums. The two upbeat tracks, and probably the most well known on the album are ‘E-Pro’ and my favourite, ‘Girl’. Hearing both of these on XFM when released (but once again, lost to the ages) was always a joy. ‘Girl’ just flows so well as a song.  In fact this whole album flows, and thats why its so easy to chill to. There is an age to ...