My Top 10 Favorite Albums

Around the beginning of the year I started seeing lists of the “best of 2016”.  Music, movies, books, etc.

Since I have a full time job, a marriage, and a 2 year old, I don’t have the time to focus on the “new releases” of any particular year.  A lot of what is “new” to me is not really new at all.

But I digress.

I thought it’d be fun to put together a few top 10’s of my own.  Here’s my Top 10 Albums of all time (and I won’t cheat by listing Greatest Hits albums).  This was surprisingly difficult to do.  My criteria isn’t so much what has the most number of songs that I like, so much as it is what album could I put on “shuffle” and happily listen to any song.  So this isn’t a 10 “best” albums of all time from a “critics” or artistic perspective.  I actually have no idea if most of these are “critically acclaimed” or not.  These are just albums that I like and/or are associated with a particular time in my life.

Here goes:

The Brilliance – Brothers   -  The only “Christian” album on this list.  Moving, real, and hopeful.  It’s brought me to tears on several different occasions.

The Black Keys – Brothers   -  It was neck and neck between this and El Camino.

Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head   -   Coldplay at their best.  I’m not much of a fan of their newer stuff, but this is a great album.

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Live at Luther College   -  I really got into Dave Matthews Band in the first few years of college, and I’ve probably listened to this album more than any other.  It’s amazing what these guys can do with just two acoustic guitars.  An inspiring album for an aspiring acoustic guitarist.

David Bazan – Curse Your Branches   -  If you want to know what it’s like to lose your faith, listen to this album.  Honest and poignant.  The degree to which I can relate to this album is actually a little scary.

John Mayer – Continuum   -  It’s more “pop” than what I typically listen to, but Mayer has a bluesy guitar style and tone that I love.

Led Zeppelin – IV   -   My first ever CD (a fact of which I’m proud).  The whole thing rocks.

Norah Jones – Come Away With Me   -  A soothing and beautiful album.  Brings me back to when my wife and I were dating.

Pearl Jam – Ten   -  Just a classic.  It’s got it all.  Brings me back to high school….in a good way.  Those first few years of driving, being out with my friends, windows down.

Radiohead – In Rainbows   -  Other than a few radio hits, I knew very little about these guys until I saw them live.  Quite a few of the songs that caught my attention are on this album.

A few honorable mentions:

Coldplay – Parachutes

Dave Matthews Band – Before These Crowded Streets

Dave Matthews Band – Crash

David Gray – White Ladder

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd – The Division Bell

Sleeping At Last – Atlas: Year One

The Black Keys – El Camino

The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream

U2 – The Joshua Tree