In Defense Of My Fives
I decided to go through all the albums I gave a 5/classic rating to and ask why I thought they rrdeserved the rating. (Note: I did a quick re-evaluation of my 5s over the summer but this rwas rmuch deeper since I already weeded out the ones that clearly didnt rbelong) Its pretty rmuch rimpossible for a band to have 2 classic albums, only if they completely changed their rsound ror something rreally drastic. In fact, the only songwriter to appear here twice is rrTomas rKalnoky. I ended up swapping out a couple albums from rthe same group and radding a rcouple more. Just to clarify how I rrate 5s- though a couple here are based on rmusical rgreatness ralone, most of them are based on influence so unless a new rrelease is rrunbelievably amazing Ill hold off on giving it a 5 for a few years to see if it really deserved it. rrAlso a not as good album rwith a shitload of influence can get a 5 from me. Recs would be rrnice. |
| 1 |  | Arcade Fire
Funeral
Pretty much the defining album for the current indie generation. |
| 2 |  | Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am....
(Added) Added because of its influence on both the English and Internet
music scene. One of the first bands to make it due to the web and now
theyve matured into a well respected group. |
| 3 |  | Between the Buried and Me
Colors
Some of the finest guitar work and incredible songwriting in metal. Even
though Im no longer really into metal I still enjoy listening to this
sometimes. |
| 4 |  | Big D and the Kids Table
Strictly Rude
Big D combine ska with dub and make one of the most unique and
interesting ska records of all time. |
| 5 |  | Bob Marley and the Wailers
Catch a Fire
Bob Marley added a little rock influence to his classic reggae sound and put
out one of the best records of all time. Exodus may have the popular songs,
but the ones here are better. |
| 6 |  | Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run
Pretty much the classic working class America album. The songs on here,
the stories they tell, and the emotions felt through them are incredible |
| 7 |  | Built to Spill
Keep it Like a Secret
This one has influenced so many indie rock albums since it came out. Built to
Spill found the perfect mix of the straight forward pop rock of Theres
Nothing Wrong With Love and the jam rock of Perfect From Now On. |
| 8 |  | Catch 22
Keasbey Nights
Tomas Kalnoky took everything that ska groups had been doing for 15
years, combined it all in Keasbey Nights and made it perfect |
| 9 |  | Dr. Manhattan
Dr. Manhattan
This one didnt change the world. Well to be more accurate, it barely even
sold. But its still one of greatest post-punk albums of the century- an album
that runs perfectly from start to end with the perfect amount of
experimentation and completely catchy and addicting. |
| 10 |  | Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP
This one re-defined rap to the public, bringing with it a ton of controversy
and radio airplay. |
| 11 |  | LCD Soundsystem
Sound of Silver
(removed) Its good, but its not as ground breaking as the first LCD album
and wont be remembered as much as the third. |
| 12 |  | LCD Soundsystem
This is Happening
(Added) When people look back on the dance-punk movement, this will be
defining record. Its about equal musically to Sound of Silver but the story
behind it will help preserve its legacy better. |
| 13 |  | Modest Mouse
This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To..
(removed) If it was as great as the high points throughout the whole album it
wouldve easily earned the 5, but as it is it just isnt good enough. |
| 14 |  | Modest Mouse
The Moon & Antarctica
(added) Modest Mouse take their sound and make it just a little bit more poppy. The
mood is set perfect by end of the first couple songs and only grows by the
end. Very few albums actually pull that off. |
| 15 |  | Muse
Origin of Symmetry
Most of the classic Muse songs are on this one. It?s a better listen from
start to finish than Absolution so it gets the 5. |
| 16 |  | Radiohead
OK Computer
Pretty much the perfect collection of songs put in the perfect order with a
perfect interlude. One of my top 3 easily of all time. |
| 17 |  | Streetlight Manifesto
Somewhere in the Between
(Removed) This one was a five because taken out of context of history I
prefer the songs here to Everything Goes Numb, but thats not what the 5
rating is all about. |
| 18 |  | Streetlight Manifesto
Everything Goes Numb
(Added) Tomas took Keasbey Nights, made it heavier, faster, slower, more
melodic, more intense, and then included some of the best lyrics ever
written |
| 19 |  | Sum 41
All Killer No Filler
The album title doesnt lie. (Though they admittedly completely ran out of
killer pretty quickly after this one). Pretty much the best album of the Pop-
punk/mall-punk scene and one of the albums most closely associated with
my middle school music tastes. |
| 20 |  | The Crystal Method
Vegas
Musically it has plenty of flaws, but look at other electronic music when this
came out and look back at this then look at electronic now. It deserves the
5. |
| 21 |  | The Flaming Lips
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Lips finish the ideas they beautifully started on Soft Bulletin. One of
best layered and composed albums of the last 20 years. |
| 22 |  | The National
High Violet
The National found their voice and broke big into the indie mainstream.
Shoutout to whoever wrote the first review for this one on this site for
convincing me to finally listen to this group. |
| 23 |  | The Shins
Oh, Inverted World
(added) One of the albums most easily associated with Indies ironic rise to
mainstream. Not just cause of that silly movie quote (though ill admit it
helped). At least for me, this is associated with the start of the 00s
independent movement. |
| 24 |  | The Strokes
Is This It
Look at the scene this one album pretty much created. All amazing tracks
definitely helps it case. |
| 25 |  | The White Stripes
Elephant
I might be a little biased since this was the first album I bought with my
own money, but its the most perfect combo of garage rock, blues, and pop
ive ever heard- even if the middle is a little flat. |
| 26 |  | We Are Scientists
With Love and Squalor
My favorite album from the post-punk scene that sadly (for me at least)
seems to be coming to a dying end. This one catchy as fuck and fun filled all
the way through |
| 27 |  | Weezer
Pinkerton
The album that defined everyone?s mid teens-early 20s (starting 5 years
after it came out) So much honest frustration and awesome songwriting all
in one. |
| 28 |  | Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
(Added) Musically I stand by my original 4.5, but the fact that they got
dropped by their label, released this and got famous really shows the start
of a large shift in the music industry. |
| 29 |  | Yo La Tengo
I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
So many influeneces on indie rock, so it wouldn?t be fair for it to not be a 5 |
| 30 |  | Neutral Milk Hotel
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
The classic indie album of the 90s. Jeff Mangums masterpiece is often
imitated but those imitations rarely come close to how great this one is. |
| 31 |  | Of Montreal
Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Each Of Montreal album grows bigger and more in your face. This one had
the perfect amount of pop, funk, and craziness and is probably the best
indie pop album. The ones after this are just too much. |
| 32 |  | Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
Probably the only album here that doesnt need an explanation. So ill just
leave it at that |
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