Top 100 Greatest Albums (According to this guy)

“Anti-gravitation keeps you high above ;  Like some comet speeding toward the sun ;  Communication's lost between the ones who love you ;  It's impossible to think that something loves you more than us…” From the likes of Shrek, to almost every teen comedy movie, Smash Mouth are one of the most soundtracked bands. Hearing the constant renditions of ‘All Star’,  it was a cover of War’s ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends’ that caught my attention…this pop band played ska punk? Having gone out and purchased their debut album, it was apparent that their roots were indeed in ska and punk music. Whilst this was prevalent, it was their psychedelic rock sound that seemed to lay the foundation for their next few albums with ska and reggae making a cameo here and there. And whilst never having the success of their first few records, it’s their fourth studio album that finds it’s way into my top 100. Probably the catchiest on the list; this mix of synth, pop and light rock makes an unlik...

“And I feel it's going down, ten feet below the ground;  I'm waiting for your healing hand, one touch could bring me round ; I feel we're going down, ten feet below the ground;  It's just the way I'm feeling…” I’ve always had a soft spot for early 2000s indie rock, the root being 2001s ‘The Album’ compilation, which I received at Christmas. A few songs stood out as new discoveries for me; My Vitriol’s ‘Always The Way’, (no spoilers) by (no spoilers) who are still to feature, and ‘Buck Rogers’ by the excellent Feeder. Having heard a few of their songs on the radio, it wasn’t until i purchased their Singles compilation some years later that I realised they weren’t just another Foo Fighters copy but had an ability to write incredible music. In fact they are one of the biggest UK rock bands, and if  you are a fan of the Foos and other grungey bands, Feeder will be right up your street. Heavier than most indie rock rock bands, Feeder write a mix of very catchy, high ener...

Couldn't find a way to you;  Seems that's all I ever do;  Turning up in black and blue;  Rewarded;  All the static we are left;  Wait until the time has come; Figure that's where time comes from; Leaving all my senses numb; Is heaven It is not often that the drummer of the biggest rock band in the world turns down opportunities to join other bands, for recording a 15 track demo from songs written in between gigs on tours, playing every instrument and vocal, creating arguably his best album to date, then forming a new band, who go on to become the greatest rock band for the next three decades… this is the phenomenon that is Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters. ‘Learn To Fly’, ‘Monkey Wrench’, ‘Everlong’, and ‘Breakout’ are among some of their biggest songs, but our focus is on the debut self-titled album. It often goes overlooked to the masses, with their huge songs appearing on the multiple albums that followed. Although the above are fantastic songs and bigger hits, no...

“  The search parties with their razor lights  could never capture our wicked love;  They look for reason in their cold cathedrals;  It’s so far from where we have run … ” The origins of my  introduction to the Mad Caddies escapes me, their 1998 album ‘Duck And Cover’ pushed me to buy my first banjo and would arguably be the biggest influence on some of my songwriting over the following years. But it’s their 2014 release, ‘Dirty Rice’ that breaks into my top 100 albums, and what a fun album this is! A fantastic ‘pick me up’ that is far from your average ska album . A few decent uptempo punk rock songs are thrown in amongst a load of really catchy ska tunes. Highlights for me include ‘Shoot Out The Lights’, a lovely little modern reggae track with very tasteful brass arrangements. Compare that with some classic Mad Caddies in ‘Bring It Down’, combining thrashy melodic punk with their banjo-tinged ragtime, complete with bouncing trombone and muted trumpet.  T...

“ 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...

“ I need a saviour now, someone  to break me out who’s  been the place I've been;  Don't wanna be forgotten,  when I'm dead and gone;  I just wanna be the one who  got up and came back strong …” Predictability within music can often be a bore; Bands are always looking for ways to reinvent themselves through experimentation and genre switching. But when you have a tried and tested sound that never grows old, why change it? Skillet haven’t adjusted too much in their most recent 6 or so albums and this is to their, and our, huge benefit. Skillet are possibly the biggest band in the Christian metal scene and becoming universally massive, simply down to their incredibly epic song writing and huge catchy sound. Mixing the odd synth and strings with massive guitar riffs and pumping drum beats is the core of many more listenable metal bands and Skillet do this especially well. But their standout feature is the incredible vocals of Jon Cooper interweaving every now ...

“Well how’s your view of things today;  Got up young to fade away;  The sinners sin but aren’t aware;  Our fables take us everywhere; I can’t keep up with you…I can’t keep up…” I first heard ‘Saturday Superhouse’ by Biffy Clyro back in 2007 and, I must admit, wrote them off as just another Foo Fighters copy. But the releases following were, in my opinion, the most creative and energetic rock songs being played on UK radio at the time. As a whole, the album is unpredictable as we are hit with a range of different sounding songs. There are no boundaries to their songwriting and riffs are surprising, yet pleasing to the ear. The Captain, Golden Rule, Bubbles, Born on A Horse and Mountains make up the first five songs and all are huge in sounds, beautiful in melody and unique to anything out there. With a good use of metaphor and hint of folklore to their lyrics, each song paints a different picture. Only Revolutions contains some of their most widely played and best loved so...

“It's two in the morning, I'm tired as hell;  What am I doing behind the wheel?   The lights have all blurred into a row;  How long I'll be up, I just don't know;  I'm falling asleep, asleep at the wheel; This  feels like a dream but this is real…” A shout out to one of the old forgotten CD compilations that helped me discover many ska and punk bands before online streaming. Whichever one it was, the Hippos were the stand out band and ‘Forget the World’ has remained one of my favourite ska punk albums.  Their sound is not unlike Reel Big Fish, but this album smashes them out the ball park.  It may not have the production values of the bigger bands, but the Hippos have a great sound.  The most notable unique feature comes from the percussionist. It creates a wonderful party atmosphere and helps form interesting rhythms throughout. The songs are very upbeat, super catchy and incredibly infectious. The horn section plays neat and simple pieces that c...

“ I met God in a velvet Elvis painting that I painted myself, in  a bar where I was pulling off the bottom shelf;  When I had to quit before I killed myself,  I met him there and  I was scared;  And so I asked God if he could fix my flaws;  he said I gave them to you, I  know they are killing you;  But I'm not done with you yet …” It is a breath of fresh air when bands with a particular world view or religious ideals are real about the hardships of life and struggles of faith . Although The Classic Crime  don’t identify under the Christian rock genre due to differing views on faith amongst the members, themes certainly shine through. They  are an honest band and How To Be Human is a wonderful album, both musically and lyrically. The band were  one of my Spotify discoveries throughout a period of finding new (to me) Alternative rock and metal bands.  Their sound is not unlike that of Fallout Boy, but devoid of the polished pop f...

“ The old world was dying w hile we took our flying;  Like peregrine falcons beneath  the transparent blue waves,  far below the surf;  And we spent the hours  with submarine flowers;  I knew I'd remember  that day in November,  as we  felt alive again …” When I first heard Owl City on the radio, I could swear it was Matthew Thiessen, the singer of one of my favourite bands. After buying Ocean Eyes on CD, I was amazed to see that he featured on the album and helped co-write many of the songs. Turns out that Relient K are a huge influence on Adam Young. Although the Owl City works are his most popular, the lesser known Sky Sailing is my favourite. The primary draw for me was an intriguing sound that I’d never heard before in music. It was totally unique.  Adam Young’s vocals, the melodies and almost fairytale/dreamlike themes and innocence to his songs were an instant hit with me. This is the exact same feel on this release. Owl City albu...

“ In a few weeks, I will get time to  realise it's right before my eyes;  And I can take it if it's what I want to do;  And I am leaving and this is starting to feel like it’s  right before my eyes;  And I can taste it; it’s  my sweet beginning…” There are bands that always  make me smile when I hear their songs. Every Two Door single I heard on the radio was a joy. In 2016, I heard the excellent disco, Bee Gee-esque ‘Bad Decisions’ for the first time and Gameshow was the first Two Door album that I owned. Although it was a far removal from the likes of the other singles, it didn’t sway me from listening further. Glad I did, because Tourist History has found it’s well deserved place at no.52.  Very upbeat with a recognisable sound that sets them apart from other indie bands; The sweet high registered vocals of Trimble, the wonderful squealing guitars of Halliday, and brilliantly held up by the wandering bass of Baird. Backed by a hectic drum beat ...

“Departments of police, the judges, the feds;  Networks at work, keepin' people calm;  You know they went after King  when he spoke out on Vietnam;  He turned the power to the have-nots… and then came the shot…” Let me take you back to no.78 and the box of scratched up CDs. Amongst them was Evil Empire by Rage. Although not too fond of it at the time (and it’s still my least favourite Rage album), this one gets a good few spins…when the kids aren't around anyway! Not for the faint-hearted, and the most political album on this list. This is funk rock rap metal with a message. The songs are strong, the lyrics are both brilliant and overly explicit. Look past the passionate shouting and we see incredible musicians, fantastic rhythms and very well crafted songs.  The bass lines compliment the guitar riffs very well, and get to shine with the funk/slap here and there. Tom Morello is one of the greatest guitarists in the world, and has plenty of space to share his tal...

“ High tide,  summer in the city;  The kids are looking pretty, but  isn't it a pity that the sunshine  is followed by thunder;  With thoughts of going under, a nd is it any wonder why the sea is  calling out to me …” The date was 20th August 1995, and I was in my living room eagerly listening to the radio. Never can I remember a radio countdown as well as this one. Who would take the No.2 slot? ‘Roll with it’ came on and I gave a woop; Blur’s ‘Country House’ took the title. Growing up, Blur were the band for me, but I was a big fan of ‘Whats The Story Morning Glory’. Over time, Liam’s vocals ended up grating me more than a chunk of cheddar on a sanding machine; the lyrics didn’t really make sense and I was always drawn to songs like ‘Little by Little’ and ‘Half the World Away’. With the news of the end of Oasis, it was just another day, but on hearing Noel’s recent material, it was everything I wanted them to be, and more! Every song I was hearing on ...

“ Hey, how're you feelin'?   Are you still the same?   Don't you realise the things we did, we did, were all for real?   Not a dream;   I just can't believe they've all faded out of view …” Yes, it’s one of those rare, pre-90s albums to feature on this list. From absolutely loving Mr Blue Sky as a child (a song I would possibly say is the best popular song ever written), I took the time a few years back to pour over their albums. Out of the Blue is THE album for most people but A New World Record just pips it to the post for me. This album is incredible. A huge range to the styles, really catchy songs, interesting melodies and well written, crafted, produced and played. I love Jeff Lynne’s voice and the harmonies are so sweet in both tone and theatrics. The mix of classical music and rock works so well. Others have tried to great success, most notably the Beatles who are a huge influence for ELO, but to make it the interwoven core of every song; no-one has ever done...

“ Fighting for peace with no identity, I know  I speak for those around me;  Calling you out, all  of your plans will be washed away, washed  away;  Life is a sin, living  to win, and  we're all sinners after all…” I first came across the Living End from colleagues in my short lived career as a theatre technician. The thought of a punk rock band with upright bass player certainly did tickle the fancy parts of my ears. Roll On was the first album i owned by the band and has remained my pick of a good bunch. The Living End are punk rockabilly band . Think Green Day, The Stray Cats and The Clash placed in a beautiful blender of goodness; Welcome to Strut Paradise Calling. In fact the vocals are incredibly Billy Joe-esque in tone and melody, but the energy and bounce to these songs mark a notable difference between the bands, especially the wide use of rockabilly rhythms.  Each talented musician shines and the songwriting is most excellent.  The ...

“Sometimes I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear; And I can’t help myself but ask myself how much I’ll let the fear take the wheel and steer; It’s driven me before and seems to have a vague haunting mass appeal; But lately I’m beginning to find that I should be the one behind the wheel …” I first heard of Incubus from friend’s hoodies at secondary school, and even though I bought a couple of albums from the bargain bin at Virgin Megastores, I didn't really give them a thought and proper listen. It was approximately a decade later when revisiting and ‘Make Yourself’ became a firm favourite.  Through discovering certain bands, I’ve enjoyed interesting rhythms, notably between the score and vocals. This album thrives on it,  mostly due to the funk and hip hop influence, mixed with alternative metal. Heavy guitars, superb drum riffs, prominent bass and DJ scratches fill this album.  There is a real beauty in the changes between reflective slower verses and  rip r...

“ 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...

“A broken record plays the same old song ;  It's getting old, dirty needle getting worn ;  Now you're ready, take the demons head on ;  Look em in the eye and say they gotta go ;  Get on behind me …” As a punk CD collector in my late teens, I would buy CDs by bands I never even heard of. In my later years as a vinyl enthusiast, with a family (and overdraft), my purchases are far more strategic, and have to be albums that I absolutely adore. But ‘Fight The Good Fight’ was the only album to date that I took the chance on and was so glad that I did! Some may say they are a copy of punk band Rancid and I partly agree. But in this case, it’s not a bad thing. I’ve owned nearly all Rancid albums, but it was their unique ska sound that really drew me to them. The likes of ‘Timebomb’, ‘I Wanna Riot’ etc… Unfortunately, it was the odd song here and there, and sometimes not even present on particular albums, hence none of them even make it into this list. The Interrupters have ...

“We go to practice almost every day;  And our conductor tells us how to play;  You blow the trumpet and I slap the bass;  We are a big ensemble called the human race…” Millencolin were one of those punk rock bands I had heard of, but never took the leap to buy an album. That was until I found a signed copy of ‘Kingwood’ in a charity shop in Petts Wood. It took me a while to really get into them, but safe to say, they are now one of my favourite Punk Rock bands. A far more hectic and angry style than the likes of the more commercial Punk bands, Millencolin tend to give us the gritty side of society and politics. Their sound is more toward the less cheesy side of the Offspring (eg.The Kids Aren’t Alright) yet a little more thrashy, and Nikola Sarcevic’s vocal tone fits so well. But they're not a shouty hardcore punk band. Songs tend to focus around the minor key and the melodies are excellent. There’s a lot of energy and heart in every song. They also use harmonies in a sub...