Added by ranna

on 27 Mar 2010 12:35

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20 life-changing albums

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1244

1. OK Computer - Radiohead

I remember hearing Paranoid Android from Music Television, when the album had just come out in 1997 and it snapped something permanately inside my head. OK Computer was the first record I ever bought (after saving my allowances for a while).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szdWPWnnNls

8.7

2. Aura - CMX

The second album I ever bought. This one gradually lead to years of pathetically fanatic fandom, seeing the band live more than fifty times and crashing their afterparties many, many times with my best friend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtBkWRs-_IQ

299

7.9

3. Mezzanine - Massive Attack

Music Television clearly had a profound effect on the development of my taste in music (it was pretty much my "babysitter" from 1995 to 1999"), since I found Massive Attack via their Teardrop-video while watching the channel. I can't deny finding the singing fetus somewhat disturbing, but I loved the song. After buying Mezzanine I started getting into the trip-hop genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG8eQBSp9Ao

238

7.9

4. Homogenic - Björk

Music Television, again. Heard Jóga, bought the album, you know the drill.
What Björk really changed was my perception of music videos, since her's are like little pieces of art. My favourite is All Is Full of Love by Chris Cunningham (, who by the way is the greatest music video director of all time).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89a1fN-2H5k&feature=related

166

7.9

5. Piece of Mind - Iron Maiden

All I'm going to say is fuck yeah.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8p9JpDuQ-o

133

6. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - Black Sabbath

At the beginning of lower secondary school I was really into metal. In addition to Iron Maiden I listened to Slayer, Judas Priest and some random Finnish crap I really don't want to discuss here. Then someone recommended me Black Sabbath and I fell instantly in love. I still adore all the albums they made before the hideous Technical Ecstasy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SH2DNAB0Qo
(This one should be A National Acrobat, but I didn't find it in decent quality.)

656

8.4

7. Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

After Sabbath Bloody Sabbath I wanted to hear other cool albums from the 70's.
And I read a CMX interview, where one of the band members said this is one of the greatest records ever made (do not underestimate the power of teenage fandom).
My first prog-rock album, after that I basically became a bearded middle-aged man. Mentally at lest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZSWAkJ3h8E

155

8.6

8. In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson

The bearded man continues his journey. I also started listening to Yes, Marillion, Rush, Van der Graaf Generator, Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull (which I kind of can't stand anymore) to name a few.
But I always liked King Crimson the most. They were seriously ahead of their time with this album and the way they combine different elements is just pure genious. One of the best records ever made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TrtwQXezaU

105

7.9

9. Angel Dust - Faith No More

I was fifteen when I bought this. I don't think there's a better time in one's life to start listening to Faith No More.
I still idolize Mike Patton and everything he does. Except for his solo albums. And the new Tomahawk was crap as well.
..But you get the picture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIRCutbaOmY (couldn't recist!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZXbESUQT24

245

8.3

10. Doolittle - Pixies

Pixies kind of introduced me to the so called indie rock genre, at least when it comes to the late 80's - early 90's artsyfartsy stuff.
Plus they made some of the greatest pop songs with some of the greatest lyrics ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mCoOlUjhlc

322

11. Lateralus - Tool

I remember the afternoon I was watching a Finnish music program, Lateralus had just come out and they showed the video for Schism. It was the first time since Paranoid Android something really grabbed me by the balls (if I had a pair, that is).
Tool is probably still my favourite band ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhjG47gtMCo

ranna's rating:

217

8.7

12. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division

Joy Division is the band that made me love new wave pop, it was also the perfect soundtrack for my years in Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts (sounds a lot fancier than is was!).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4liMrj1_m8

13. Swordfishtrombones - Tom Waits

Ah, Tom. This album made me realise that there's a whole new way of making music. It also taught me the meaning of lyrics. As much as a love Pixies' pop culture references, Faith No More's sense of irony and Tool's.. well everything, it was always more much about the music.
(It was hard to find material from this album, so I'll go for Rain Dogs):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVaEPx_VyXs

114

8.1

14. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush

Hounds of Love made me appreciate the 80's pop sounds, for which I'm a complete sucker these days. It's an all-around perfect album that really fills your heart.
(And words cannot describe how much I loathe that fucking Placebo cover)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRHA9W-zExQ

8.7

15. The Colour of Spring - Talk Talk

Mark Hollis' voice is one of those things that really go under my skin in a good way. I love Talk Talk's pure 80's pop albums (The Party's Over, It's My Life) and the latter experimental semi-ambient albums (The Spirit Of Eden, Laughing Stock), but The Colour of Spring remains my favourite. It's something in between their two phases, a focused and structured album with great tracks and strong artistic ambition.
"Music for socially disrupted theology students."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V6CdsAMGYk

9.3

16. Ágætis Byrjun - Sigur Rós

The last two albums Talk Talk made actually sound a bit like post-rock, but Sigur Rós is the band that introduced me to that genre and Ágætis Byrjun is their best piece of work.
Without Sigur Rós I probably wouldn't be listening to God Is an Astronaut, 65daysofstatic, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky.. etc.
(Or even Isis, Pelican and Red Sparowes, but I'm not getting into that "it's post-rock/post-hardcore/sludge/sludgecore/post-metal" -debate. It's really, really annoying.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ZtT4Th9Ys

9.1

17. Secrets of the Beehive - David Sylvian

One of the most beautiful and flawless albums ever made.
I don't even want to write about it, since it would feel somewhat degrading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2dgMNm64Mg

18. De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta

In addition to OK Computer and Lateralus this is the third "holy fucking shit"- musical experience in my life. I rememer hearing Eriatarka from the radio in 2003 and literally running to the nearest record store after the song ended.
I've had the chance to see the band live twice now, but I seriously think that seeing them at least once per year should be considered as my basic human right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egFCHJC7TWg

19. Destroy Erase Improve - Meshuggah

My first reaction to this album was pretty much "what they hell are they doing, and why does the drummer think that he's in a completely different band than rest of those guys."
After Meshuggah I started getting into other math metal/technical metal (I hate genres!) bands.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A_tSyJBsRQ
(Not from the same album, I know. But I'm utterly in love with this video!)

100

8.3

20. Silent Shout - The Knife

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=617ANIA5Rqs

The Challenge: "Think of 20 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag some others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!"

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Just to make it clear - this is not a list of best albums ever, that one would be completely different.
These are the albums I feel changed and molded my perception of music the most. In an autobiographical order.