| The 100 Albums That I've Liked Most |
| 1 |  | Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
This album is so good I can't put it into words. It's so brilliantly constructed, so poignant, so interesting, so thrilling even during its long winding soundscapes. This is probably the best album ever made. How I love this. |
| 2 |  | Nightwish
Once
This was the album that got me into Symphonic metal. This album provided me with proof that metal could be both beautiful and aggressive. The opera vocals and the orchestra blend so well with the metal. Ghost Love Score is such an epic song. It may not be my favourite Nightwish album anymore, but it still rules hard. |
| 3 |  | Metallica
Master of Puppets
I don't like Metallica much anymore, but I have to give them credit for this being the album that got me into more aggressive music. Even though it is kind of stale for me I can appreciate the anger and speed and the benchmark this set at the time. |
| 4 |  | Dream Theater
Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory
The band that got me into progressive music and showed me metal isn't all aggression, it can also be very sophisticated when it wants to. The concept is great, the musicianship is through the roof and all the times I listened to this when I felt bad... yeah. Definitely up there. |
| 5 |  | System of a Down
Toxicity
I listened to this instead of KoRn or Limp Bizkit. And I have to give them credit, this album, despite its bizarre nature, is still fucking good. A modern metal classic. |
| 6 |  | Porcupine Tree
Fear of a Blank Planet
I know this album is pretty recent, but this album is probably one of the best demonstrations of how to make styles mix without clashing. The lyrical content is fascinating, and it really feels like a soundtrack to my life. |
| 7 |  | Iced Earth
Burnt Offerings
Introduced me to the gallop. One of the first bands to show me what heavy power metal riffing was all about. |
| 8 |  | Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast
Classic metal. I always liked Dickinson's vocals, and the guitar work is just sick. Hallowed Be Thy Name is still one of my favourite metal songs ever. |
| 9 | | Katatonia
Tonight's Decision
The world isn't roses and moonshine. |
| 10 |  | Damnation A.D.
Kingdom of Lost Souls
Pure twisted Hardcore genius. The guitars fucking chug, the album feels desolate and murky and everything is just... so oppressive here. For sure an amazingly underrated band people need to check out more. |
| 11 |  | Bad Religion
All Ages
the band that explained to me punk could rule without looking silly. Probably the most intelligent punk band around. |
| 12 |  | The Cranberries
No Need To Argue
One of the first rock songs I ever heard was Zombie. You gotta love this Irish band. Dolores sings like nobody else. Amazing stuff. Daffodil Lament is so haunting. |
| 13 |  | Enya
The Memory of Trees
The neo-celtic atmospheres in this are so amazing. I love the whole New Age thing about this. Brilliant record, needs a moodset for me to listen to but still. |
| 14 |  | Alice in Chains
Dirt
Grunge is more than just Nirvana. The best tale of battling drugs ever. |
| 15 |  | Slayer
Reign In Blood
I used to hate Slayer so much. Then I actually bought this album and loved them. The riffs are twisted and amazing and the speed is just insane. Definitely one of my favourite more extreme metal albums. |
| 16 |  | In Flames
Clayman
Death metal can be very melodic as well. My first real taste of melody with brutality. |
| 17 |  | Sonata Arctica
Reckoning Night
Power metal does not equal dungeons and dragons spamming. Great catchy vocals and good melodies abound, but without cheese. |
| 18 |  | Blind Guardian
Imaginations From The Other Side
Tolkien metal, but this is the best album in that style. I love Hansi's wails, the riffs are brilliant and there is more harmony vocal tracks than you get drunken Germans at a wedding. |
| 19 |  | Faith No More
Angel Dust
This world is twisted and sick. This album is proof. Madness, but genius at the same time. |
| 20 |  | Opeth
Still Life
This is Opeth's best marriage of the brutal and the clever. I love this album, it represents their sound the best and shows how two completely asymmetrical styles can blend into a coherent whole. |
| 21 |  | Queensryche
Operation: Mindcrime
The best concept album of the 80s. |
| 22 |  | Megadeth
Rust In Peace
Friedman's guitar solos are incredible. I love the guitar work. No other Megadeth albums really communicate to me but this one hits home on every song. |
| 23 |  | Pink Floyd
The Wall
The concept rules, the underlying metaphor for the world rules harder, and the musicianship rules the most. Waters is a lyrical genius and I doubt the world will see a better solo than the one on Comfortably Numb. |
| 24 |  | Radiohead
OK Computer
A best of list without Radiohead is a bad best of list. Amazing album. |
| 25 | | Dead Can Dance
The Serpent's Egg
Lisa Gerrard is one hell of a vocalist, and the album's dulcet tones are so soothing to the mind. Amazing ethnic influences as well, The Host of Seraphim is a song everyone needs to have heard. |
| 26 |  | Black Sabbath
Paranoid
Because they used the tritone first. |
| 27 |  | Judas Priest
Painkiller
You can have speed without growling! Halford's vocals rule, the drums are amazing, the album is driving, the riffs are brilliant, and the solo work just makes you spastic. |
| 28 |  | Fall Out Boy
Take This To Your Grave
What no-frills pop punk should sound like. |
| 29 |  | Arcturus
The Sham Mirrors
The album that showed me Avant-garde isn't just weird music. It can actually rule harder than most other music. |
| 30 |  | Pain of Salvation
Scarsick
Daniel Gildenlow is one of the best vocalists around, and I love the concept lyrics. Plus Disco Queen is just so bizarre you've gotta love it. Versatile, intelligent, amazing. |
| 31 |  | Dark Tranquillity
Fiction
This is the album to play a song if you want someone to understand melodic death metal. Every song is a summary of melodeath. The best example of amazing songwriting. |
| 32 |  | dredg
El Cielo
Sleep paralysis is weird, but this album, despite its weirdness, still hooks me in. The Canyon Beyond Her is such a haunting song and it's amazingly consistent. |
| 33 |  | Dream Theater
Images and Words
The other amazing classic album from DT. This album single-handedly propelled prog as a more mainstream force. It heralded the return of musicianship. It mixes everything you love about prog. |
| 34 |  | Rush
Moving Pictures
80s prog at its best. Elaborate, but less banshee wailing and more good playing. YYZ is mind-numbing. |
| 35 |  | Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV
One of the best classic rock albums of all time. |
| 36 |  | Muse
Absolution
The best modern rock album from the 2000s. Radiohead, Queen and Nirvana combined with classical music, waltz, electronica, and off-kilter jagged metal power chords? This has it all. Muse are one of my favourite new bands this decade. |
| 37 |  | Kamelot
The Black Halo
The best vocals in power metal, period. Actually, some of the best vocals around, period. |
| 38 |  | Symphony X
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Michael Romeo is a godly guitar player, Russell Allen is a godly vocalist, and this is a divine album because of them. Oh, the rest of the band is pretty good, too. |
| 39 | | Deep Purple
Made In Japan
Everyone loves Deep Purple. Especially Jon Lord's hammond organ. Especially the mother of all guitar riffs called smoke on the water. Deep Purple are just the best. |
| 40 |  | Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
I always criminally forget this album, that is why it's at 40 for some reason. Introduced me to the fact you don't need a guitar to be fucking heavy and kick the shit out of things. One of the most innovative albums ever and one of the most unique bands around. |
| 41 |  | Rammstein
Mutter
Heh. Everyone loves them some twisted Teutonic thrashing and industrial stomp. Lindemann's vocals are bizarre, but they rule supreme. The lyrics are really twisted, though. Not for the faint-hearted! |
| 42 |  | Nine Inch Nails
The Downward Spiral
The best depiction of suicide in music there is. This album is crazy depressing, but it's just so shocking that it's brilliant. And Hurt is just the most emotional lament ever written. |
| 43 |  | Nevermore
This Godless Endeavor
Slayer meets Queensryche. Pantera meets Fates Warning. Brutal guitar work, brilliant vocals and the drummer just kicks (b)ass. |
| 44 |  | Pantera
Vulgar Display of Power
Because everyone needs an anger outlet course, and this is better than doing it the Columbine way. |
| 45 |  | Machine Head
Burn My Eyes
Those riffs Flynn makes are godly. |
| 46 |  | Sigur Ros
Takk
From loud to soft... Sigur Ros are so good at atmospheres and crescendos it's just uncanny. Brilliant stuff. |
| 47 | | Helloween
Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 2
Because without Helloween, we would have no power metal. |
| 48 |  | Candlemass
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
Brilliantus Doomicus Metallicus Fromicus Swedenicus |
| 49 | | Omnia
Pagan Folk
because everyone loves authentic folk music. This is really cool Dutch folk music, based on Irish and Celtic shit. Bizarre, but great. Sounds like it's from the Middle Ages. |
| 50 |  | Ensiferum
Ensiferum
Also sounds like it's from the Middle Ages, but on a boat in the atlantic sea ready to shed some blood. |
| 51 |  | Paradise Lost
Draconian Times
Gothic goes Metallica, and less pussy. Some songs on here are pretty fucking depressing but for all the bleakness this album rules so hard. |
| 52 |  | My Dying Bride
Turn Loose The Swans
Doom and death metal go together. Really. |
| 53 |  | U2
The Joshua Tree
Bono is a cunt, but his music kicks cunts back into the places where they belong. |
| 54 |  | Strapping Young Lad
Alien
Devin Townsend is one fucked up motherfucker. |
| 55 |  | Ulver
Bergtatt
Black metal doesn't suck too much when it's got amazing clean vocal chants and cool folk parts. |
| 56 |  | Emperor
In The Nightside Eclipse
Actually, black metal can also rule with a symphony backing it up. |
| 57 |  | Bathory
Nordland I
Black metal also rules when it goes Viking, and doesn't have super-shitty production! |
| 58 |  | Blackfield
Blackfield II
It's so catchy it's bizarre. And that for a band meant to be melancholy. Very very good short downtempo pop songs that just make you cry. |
| 59 |  | Lamb of God
Sacrament
These guys sound like Pantera, but more modern, with a better drummer, and they're just so damn metal! \m/ |
| 60 | | Pelican
The Fire In Our Throats...
Instrumental music doesn't have to be boring. |
| 61 |  | The Mars Volta
Frances The Mute
So overblown and pretentious, it's good! Prog never was meant to be simple-minded |
| 62 |  | Tori Amos
Little Earthquakes
She can sing, play the piano, have a personality, she just plain kicks ass. The best female singer-songwriter around. |
| 63 |  | Depeche Mode
Violator
Alternative music and electronica never got a better mix. Enjoy The Silence, World In My Eyes and Personal Jesus are just too good. |
| 64 | | David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust
Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, no? |
| 65 |  | Simon and Garfunkel
Bridge over Troubled Water
Paul Simon is the best songwriter and lyricist on the planet. This guy is insanely musical, and the vocal harmonies are just so lovely. The Boxer just rules. |
| 66 |  | Tool
Lateralus
Overrated band, not so overrated album. The riffs are amazing and the drumming is out of this world. I love the bass as well, you just can't tell if it's the bass or the guitar chugging. |
| 67 |  | A Perfect Circle
Thirteenth Step
If you're an addict like me, you will love this album. |
| 68 |  | Ozzy Osbourne
Blizzard of Ozz
Ozzy can rot for all I care, but RIP Randy Rhaods. He was one badass guitarist. |
| 69 |  | Nirvana
Nevermind
Album is overrated, but it's just so cool to chill out to. You can always play Nirvana. |
| 70 |  | King Crimson
In The Court of The Crimson King
Most prog bands try to play as many notes as possible. Fripp is the opposite: he tries to play as little notes as possible. Gotta love a progger who turns the rules upside down. |
| 71 |  | Yes
Close to the Edge |
| 72 |  | Pink Floyd
Dark Side of the Moon
a best of without dark side of the moon is like life without water |
| 73 |  | Danzig
Danzig
Glenn Danzig is a horror-fanatic. This album sounds terrifying. But that's in a good sense. |
| 74 |  | After Forever
Decipher
Symphonic metal that doesn't sound schmaltzy. The band pulls everything off here. |
| 75 |  | Morbid Angel
Altars of Madness
DETH METUL \MMMMMM/ |
| 76 |  | R.E.M.
Automatic for the People
Alt-pop-rock at its best. Michael Stipe is a good songwriter. |
| 77 |  | Red Hot Chili Peppers
Californication
The Peppers don't sound shitty anymore, they got the funk going on and they sound mature and cool. I like this more than BSSM. |
| 78 |  | Bob Dylan
Highway 61 Revisited
Bob Dylan was one of the best hippy songwriters of the 60s. Fuck The Beatles. Fuck The Doors. Bob Dylan is best. |
| 79 |  | Camel
The Snow Goose
Because it sounds like Opeth, or better, Opeth sounds like them. One of the bands to make extremely good use of the Mellotron. |
| 80 |  | AC/DC
Highway to Hell
The only AC/DC album you need to hear. The rest just wants to be this good. I'm gonna party my ass off after this. |
| 81 |  | Pink Floyd
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn
i cant typ anymre im on aciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid lyk siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid i'm smokin weeeeeed. |
| 82 |  | Isis
Oceanic
Ever had the feeling you got trapped under water. Well, that's what metal would sound like if you were. |
| 83 |  | Dio
Holy Diver
\m/ is all that needs to be said. |
| 84 |  | Anathema
Judgement
One Last Goodbye would make anyone bawl their eyes out. This album is riddled with emotion, and not in the crappy screamo way. |
| 85 |  | Anthrax
Among The Living
I AM THE LAW. Thrash metal with not totally awful vocals. |
| 86 |  | The Cure
Disintegration
I'm not gothic, but this album is pretty damn sad. Pictures of You is madly depressing, but the monotony of the album just works strangely enough. |
| 87 |  | Within Temptation
Mother Earth
I don't know, I really dig this album. I know WT suck nowadays but this has got some brilliant gems like the Never-Ending Story and Ice Queen. Love the celtic shit as well. And it doesn't sound so glossy. |
| 88 |  | Blind Guardian
Nightfall In Middle-Earth
Tolkien metal, now with epic translation of the Tolkien book nobody can possibly get around to reading, that's how tedious it is! But fuck, Hansi's choirs rule and the melodies are fucking supreme. |
| 89 |  | Queen
A Night At The Opera
I'm in love with my car... I mean this album. |
| 90 |  | Dire Straits
Dire Straits
Something about Mark Knopfler makes you want to have sex with a lovely lady everytime. Smooth going. |
| 91 |  | Meshuggah
Catch Thirty-Three
The soundtrack for when the robots take over. |
| 92 |  | Opeth
Damnation
Next to Still Life, the most consistent Opeth album. Probably also their second best. Mikael shows his clean side, and he sounds kind of like Camel, but even on here the bleakness in Opeth music envelops you like no other. |
| 93 |  | Pink Floyd
Animals
Any album that refers to Orwellian literature is cool in my book. Any album that makes the reference as scathing as this just stomps. Probably not the Floyd's best musically but the lyrics are just too brilliant. |
| 94 |  | Wintersun
Wintersun
This album is very manic, but also very good. There's so many things going on and battling for air. |
| 95 |  | Opeth
Blackwater Park
The Drapery Falls and Bleak are plain sick and the riffs on this are crunchy like cereal. I love the sound of the acoustic guitar on this. |
| 96 | | Sarah McLachlan
Fumbling for Ecstasy
I haven't heard anything but this all my childhood days. You always grow to love those albums in a way. |
| 97 |  | Porcupine Tree
In Absentia
It's less consistent than FOABP. But it has Trains. And if you have Trains, you rule my world. |
| 98 |  | Dream Theater
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
The second disc is just haunting. I think the message of the mentally ill is portrayed very well and I think that some of the deions are really cool. I love how poignant the reflection of this album on humanity's mental side is. |
| 99 |  | Therion
Theli
The origin of symphonic metal. |
| 100 |  | Iron Maiden
Brave New World
I thought it would be fitting to end with a reference to one of my favourite books. |
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