"Did you grow up lonesome and one of a kind?/ Were your records all you had to pass the time?" - "The Queen of Lower Chelsea" by The Gaslight Anthem
It's time for another Top Ten list! Building off of what I started last week, here are, in my opinion, the ten greatest albums of all time, and my favorite song on each album. Random fact - every album but one on the list was written before I was born.
I would love to hear what everyone thinks about my list and what your favorite albums are, so leave me a comment and share some cool music while your at it. Happy Tuesday!
1. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan - Listen to "Like a Rolling Stone",
my favorite song of all time. It has the mystery, poetry, emotion,
and the meaning that make this song a true classic.
2. Abbey Road by The Beatles - I love The Fab Four, especially their
later music, and "Oh! Darling" is amazing. It's raw, powerful,
emotional, and Paul McCartney sounds fantastic on this one.
3. Hotel California by The Eagles - Every song on this album is great,
but the title track is the best one. It's haunting and mellow,
beautiful and sad, and Don Henley's way of describing life in the CA
music scene in the 70s. Too bad I came along after it was over!
4. Damn the Torpedoes by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - This album is
so fantastic! I love everything Tom Petty has done, but my favorite
Torpedoes song has to be "Even the Losers". A simple story of a young
man's lost love, and how everybody gets lucky sometimes. Also check
out "Century City". It's hilarious, considering that the lyrics talk
about living in the modern world and it was written in 1979.
5. Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen - This album was awesome in
1985 and it still is today. I love every track, but the fist pumping
protest song masquerading as a patriotic anthem that is "Born in the
U.S.A." can't be beat. This is the type of song that comes on the car
radio and makes you want to roll the windows down, blast the stereo,
and sing along, loud and proud. That's why he's the Boss.
6. Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan - Another Dylan classic! It astounds me
that this album is 45 years old because like all of Dylan's songs,
they are timeless and remain relevant almost half a century later.
The can't miss song on this album is "Just Like a Woman". It's real,
simple, poetic, and beautiful with a touch of pain. Completely
breathtaking.
7. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys - Now what kind of California girl would
I be if I didn't love The Beach Boys? Famous for their fun surfing
music and cool racing songs, Brian Wilson ventured off the beaten path
with this one and created a masterpiece. "God Only Knows" is the
can't miss song from Pet Sounds. It's so stunning with it's simple
words and melody, but the meaning behind it is so strong and so
powerful that it takes my breath away.
8. Tapestry by Carole King - The ultimate 70s singer-songerwriter album.
Every song is a classic that tells a story, and my favorite is "So
Far Away", Carole's lamentations about life on the road away from
those she loves. Very soulful.
9. Led Zeppelin IV - Zeppelin's best album, this one is full of rock
anthems as well as a couple of slower songs that make you think
instead of just wanting to bang your head and sing along at the top
of your lungs. "Stairway to Heaven" is the giveaway pick here, but
I'm going in a different direction by choosing "Going to California".
I love this song and I used it in my first novel because it means
something to me. It's longing and pain with a dash of hope that maybe
things can turn around for the better.
10. American Beauty by The Grateful Dead - Jerry and the boys have a
following so big it became its own counterculture for a reason. They
may not have had a million top 10 hits, but this album is the epitome
of hippie music and I love it. "Box of Rain" is my favorite,
especially the line "believe it if you need it/ if you don't just pass
it on". This song has a great message, it's fun, and it gets stuck
in my head in the best possible way every time I hear it. Thanks,
Jerry.
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