All-time Favorite Albums ((OUTDATED))
Just to help me keep track in case someone asks. Somewhat in order. |
| 1 |  | Oppenheimer Analysis
New Mexico
To this day this album never got its much-deserved recognition. It flew under every radar when it was originally released in 1982, but it's hard to see why. Wonderfully dancable, yet melancholy tracks not unlike many synthpop acts of the time, but New Mexico is set apart largely due to its unique, atmospheric and sweeping quirkiness, managing to be both warm and cold, easygoing yet detached. To this day I've never heard anything like it. It's widely hailed as the very best of the extremely niche "minimal wave" genre, and for very good reason. |
| 2 |  | Rational Youth
Cold War Night Life
Another totally unknown coldwave album from the strange, faraway land of Canada. Like New Mexico, it doesn't skip a beat. Every song is delightful, catchy, and defines and captures the ethereal nightlife. |
| 3 |  | Depeche Mode
Music for the Masses
Doesn't need much introduction. My favorite Depeche Mode album overall, in which they fully defined their sound and style. They are in their element here. |
| 4 |  | Depeche Mode
A Broken Frame
I concede Broken Frame has horrid lyrics and constant, blistering immaturity, but there's just something about it I absolutely adore. The sound is wonderful, flowy, dreamlike. I find its shortcomings endearing, more than anything. For some reason, I get a very dadaist vibe from it, in which its overt innocence is so pure that it actually seems intentional. |
| 5 |  | Depeche Mode
Ultra
This is definitely one of DM's unrecognized masterpieces. It's one of the most intense, emotional, and intimate albums I've ever heard. Sister of Night in particular is a highlight. It does sometimes fall into some weird grunge-y pitfalls, but they're rare, and doesn't take away from the experience. Be sure to listen to "Surrender", which for some reason is a B-side, but is one of my favorite songs of all-time. |
| 6 |  | Savage
Tonight
Italo-disco is a weird genre. Most of it all sounds the same, isn't distinctive, and is rather bland. Tonight, the 1984 album by Savage, is anything but that. It's Italo Disco as it should be - soothing, sleek, and extremely polished. It chugs along at a steady pace, and every song is excellent. It's easy to drift off into daydreams. "Only You" is especially memorable. |
| 7 |  | Information Society
Information Society
A masterpiece of dancable synthpop. Melodic, delightful tracks that all hold up extremely well. Coming out in '89, the quirkiness of both the late 80s and early 90s mesh seamlessly. |
| 8 |  | Tuxedomoon
Desire
Hard choice between this and "Half-Mute". Both are absolutely brilliant. Both are timeless, surreal journeys through human isolation. But Desire is more listenable, digestible, and overall less scattered. The fact I can come back to this one time and time again while listening to the former is an uncomfortable ordeal says something. |
| 9 |  | Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Architecture & Morality
Often regarded as OMD's best, and for good reason. It has an indescribable lonesome air to it, both subtle and effective.Classic melancholic early 80s synthpop, with Souvenir (one of my all-time favorite songs) alone being worth the price of admission. |
| 10 |  | Grace Jones
Nightclubbing
I've never heard another album like this. It effortlessly weaves funk, R&B, new wave, and synthpop together in a surrealist casing, with Jones on top being some mystical, otherworldly and demanding force. Jones herself is like art, using her androgyny as some kind of intense framework. |
| 11 |  | Strapping Young Lad
City
Wow. This is a heavy, HEAVY industrial-metal album. Oppressive walls of clutter that still manage to be melodic, it feels brutally honest, and honestly brutal. The raw insides of Devin Townsend gorged out into noise. |
| 12 |  | Ministry
The Land of Rape and Honey
By far Ministry's best effort. Their art of industrial music is perfected here, Stigmata in particular being a staple of the genre. Their anger and fury is captivating and shockingly effective. |
| 13 |  | David Bowie
Low
My favorite Bowie. Again, means no introduction. It's a classic in every sense of the word, and if it weren't already so widely-recognized as the masterpiece it is I'd probably put it higher. |
| 14 |  | Brian Eno
Another Green World
Same as Bowie's Low. To me, it's Eno's best. It took a few listens to grow on me, but as soon as it did I was hooked. |
| 15 |  | John Foxx
Metamatic
I never understood why Gary Numan is often hailed as a pioneer of new wave music while John Foxx went completely ignored. Numan did it first, sure, but I find his wok doesn't hit as hard or as well as Metamatic. Foxx, being fresh off a then-punk new romantic Ultravox, redefines his sound as bleak, cold, robotic, emotionless. Short of it is, if you like Numan, you'll love this. |
| 16 |  | Lou Reed
Transformer
Wonderfully intimate, subversive and just plain quaint. Makes you want to kill yourself, but also smile because everything's so damn weird and dandy at the same. |
| 17 |  | Alphaville
Forever Young
After listening to this I found Forever Young to be the dud of the album. That's how good it is. It's light, extremely enjoyable synthpop. Victory of Love, something that could almost pass as a Bowie hit, is my favorite track on here. |
| 18 |  | Soft Cell
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
Calling Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" as a tip of an iceberg is a huge understatement. This album reeks of sleaze, seediness, urban decay. Nightlife resembling purgatory more than any actual fun. |
| 19 |  | Notchnoi Prospekt
Democracy and Discipline
This is not a casual listening album. This is the kind of album you put on at 4 AM and let seep into your soul. I wasn't sure which album to give the number 20 spot to (I deliberated between FLA's Tactical Neural Implant, Nitzer Ebb's That Total Age, and Ultravox's Vienna). I ultimately chose Democracy and Discipline because I just find it downright interesting. It's nightmarish, absurdist post-punk that instilled a kind of palpable existential dread in me that I could not only vividly picture, but also talk to. |
| 20 |  | Cabaret Voltaire
Micro-Phonies
Besides FLA's Tactical Neural Implant this is most cyberpunk album I've ever heard. But it's more
subtle than that, like the dark seedy underbelly to some alternate-reality dystopia, one that
could only have come out of an early 80's lens. |
| 21 |  | Ultravox
Vienna
Synthy post-punk rock at its finest. Sweeping and magnific, poetic and in a word, kind of beautiful. It's somewhat of a cold epic and as soon as it winds up, it never stops going. |
| 22 |  | The Smiths
Hatful of Hollow
Do I really need to talk about this |
| 23 |  | Charles Mingus
Let My Children Hear Music
My favorite Mingus. It sounds borderline apocalyptic and grand. A surreal end to the fabric of reality tearing itself apart. Something like that. |
| 24 |  | Front Line Assembly
Tactical Neural Implant
This IS cyberpunk. |
| 25 |  | Saada Bonaire
Saâda Bonaire
It's a compilation album, but its cold, distant Arabian-esque synthpop all sort of falls under a central theme of sapphic lust and freedom in female sexuality. Very good stuff. |
| 26 |  | Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra |
| 27 |  | Japan
Tin Drum |
| 28 |  | A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders |
| 29 |  | Kino (Rus)
Kino |
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