You know an album has to make your Top 5 list if:
A) You love every single song on the album
B) You randomly hear a song from said album and when it ends, you immediately start singing the next song on the album
C) You don’t know how you got through life before hearing any or all of these songs
D) You think everyone under the sun should enjoy the album as much as you do, or at the very, least give it a try
E) All of the above.
I think the answer is obvious, but if you need clarification, the only possible answer is E) All of the above.
TNT’s #5
5. From Here To Infirmary by Alkaline Trio – This album gave me my first taste of Alkaline Trio. Maybe it was my age, but for some reason every song made sense. Musically and lyrically speaking, I feel that From Here To Infirmary is their greatest album. I can’t even pick a favorite track off of this one, they’re all amazing. Yet again, guitar slides and clever lyrics had me hooked. If you’ve never listened to this album drop everything and buy it.
Angela’s #5
5. Just The Best Party by World/Inferno Friendship Society – This is a band I’ve followed around, gone to more shows than I can count, and gave me a sense of community within the underground punk scene. But this is my favorite album by them. from start to finish it’s an incredible piece of work full of that upbeat, rebel class that only this band can convey.
Klone’s #5
5. Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins (1993) – This is easily one of the few select albums I can say I’m glad I was alive and aware of music when it was released. Anyone who likes, nay loves Smashing Pumpkins cherishes this album because of its significance. Even upon the first listening, you can feel the longevity of those tracks that would become classics among the foundation of this grunge-era monolith contemporary of the likes of Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. “Cherub Rock” changed me the first time I heard it, and is the single track that made “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” a MUST HAVE for my Xbox 360 library, while tracks like “Today” and “Disarm” were instant pieces of musical history. “Soma” was a track that served as my personal escape from the complexities of early adolescence, and was probably the single track that made me realize what an important and amazing album Siamese Dream was.
Mark’s #5
5. Dead Can Dance by Dead Can Dance – What do you get when two Australian punk-rockers move to England and start a band that melds tinges of punk with gothic, dark wave and world music? This incredible debut album that is in a world all its own. Their self-titled debut is a difficult record to classify; it can best be described as a melodic symphony of chaos sound, featuring drum programming, down tuned and at times, distorted guitars mixed with deeply resonating bass lines, heavy percussion, punk drumming and dulcimers thrown in for good measure. Exhausting? Yes, but it’s the fantastic mixture of genres and exotic melodies that draws me in and keeps me constantly fascinated.
Dan’s #5
5. Fantasies by Metric – It’s just a phenomenal album that has everything from upbeat, synthy rock to slower, darker songs.
Stigz’s #5
5. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers – One of the albums that put this band on the map – more so than Mother’s Milk – this album has some great feel good jams and some deep introspective tracks. Solid all around.