I got pulled into one of those fun Facebook things recently, wherein you’re supposed to share something about yourself and encourage others to do the same.
So a chain letter, basically.
The upshot is this one was actually fun, as it was all about sharing “10 all time favorite albums that made an impact on you and are still in your rotation.”
Me being me, I chose to channel Rob Gorden from “High Fidelity” and do it autobiographical style, selecting and then listing musical albums that essentially told the story of my life.
Below, I’ve recreated that list for posterity … for anyone that wants to go on a musical journey with me through my life.
These are 10 albums that have a great deal of meaning to me. I hope you enjoy.
Return of the Jedi Soundtrack
So first off, I’m starting with childhood, and while it’s tempting to go with something like Weird Al, I can’t confess to listening to much Yankovic these days. What I do still listen to is the Return of the Jedi soundtrack (I am particularly stuck on the track linked at the bottom of this post). We listened to this soundtrack all the time on road trips when I was a kid, primarily because I think it was the one album everyone could agree on. It’s not as flawless a soundtrack as Empire, but it’s probably more varied in tone (from a musical number inside of a palace to a parade tune for marching teddy bears). It’s pretty great, honestly — some of John Willams’ best work.
Creedance Clearwater Revival
No. 2 on my list is CCR. I was pretty late on the buying albums bus, not really getting started until well into high school, and even then, that was mostly soundtracks and stuff. CCR was a rare group that appealed to me through no fault of any movie or friend or other outside influence. I simply discovered them and loved them. Everyone else in my high school was listening to grunge, country, rap or some combination thereof. CCR was mine.
Pretty Hate Machine – Nine Inch Nails
I was exposed to Trent Reznor at a pretty impressionable age — he was just edgy/angry enough to really resonate with an emotional teenager. “Broken” and “Fixed” I played to death, but I barely listen to either of them anymore. I semi-rejected “Downward Spiral” at the time because it was too mainstream, but “Pretty Hate Machine” hits the sweet spot of being relevant to me 25 years ago … and still feels relevant to me today.
The Joshua Tree – U2
My early college years were mostly pop radio and me dipping my toe into musical exploration with a slew of greatest hits albums. There were basically two bands that genuinely clicked with me during this time, and one album that started a true love affair. We can all debate which U2 album is the best, but only one was my gateway drug. Seeing this performed live last year (twice!) was one of the truly great experiences of my life.
Parklife – Blur
So as some of you know, I spent a year in Germany on an exchange scholarship in college. Literally getting off the train in Giessen, I ran into a pair of Brits who would become as ubiquitous to me as my own appendages. Many shenanigans ensued. Our shared soundtrack that year was primarily a hodgepodge of U2, Robbie Williams, Ben Folds … and Blur. This album was played and played, and it never got old. It still hasn’t gotten old, all these years later.
Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down – The Toasters
So many of our musical tastes are affected by the musical preferences of the people in our lives, particularly our friends. The Toasters are significant to me because I was exposed to them by my circle of friends in college, but also because they became a communal experience for me post-grad in the form of their live shows. I think I’ve seen them live four times now? Frankly, I’ve lost count. But they remind me I’ve been in good company for quite awhile now, and I’m thankful for that.
Jay Z Unplugged
In the early 2000s, Collective Soul released an album called “Blender,” and though it wasn’t their best effort by a long shot, its title encapsulated this period of musical exploration for me. Remixes, crossovers, experimentation and the like were a big part of this time of my life. From a Linkin Park remix album to Daman Albarn switching gears with Gorillaz to fabulous hip-hop collaborations like Handsome Boy Modeling School, I ate it all up. The most timeless of said experiments for me was Jay Z Unplugged (with The Roots playing backup!), which breathed new life into a pained format … and basically just kicked a whole lot of ass.
Standing on the Shoulder of Giants – Oasis
I got deep into Oasis thanks to my roommate Ross and his collection of just about every piece of music they ever released. I was quickly educated that their B-sides are often better than their albums. I also found for me personally that while their early stuff is without question masterful, the best Oasis is the most dramatic Oasis (both on stage and off). This entire album is comprised of tracks seemingly designed to be performed for 100,000 people live … and I love the arrogance of that. I’m probably never going to stop listening to this.*
* I’ll also add that while Oasis was hurtling toward the sun to melt their own wings off, I was really getting my shit together and things were falling into place for me (both professionally and personally). So that’s kind of neat too.
Fantasies – Metric
So there’s this girl, who’s fiery and talented and kicks all sorts of ass and has been the most important person in my life for the last 12 years of my life. Among the musical talents she’s introduced me to was this girl, who’s fiery and talented and kicks all sorts of ass. 
We saw Emily Haines perform live for Metric and bring the friggin’ house down. I mean, if I wasn’t sold before, I was sold then. Fantasies is electric from beginning to end, and it always makes me think of ass-kicking women (and one in particular).
Cleopatra – The Lumineers
Folk rock and alt country have appealed to me more and more over the years. Maybe I’m more sentimental and it feels more authentic nowadays. Or I’m just old. Either way, the Lumineers have resonated with me in a significant way. This album doesn’t include our 3-year-old’s favorite track (Ho Hey), but it is the kind of music that our whole family seems to enjoy, and well, the album is brilliant.