<p>These are, in my opinion, the greatest musical accomplishments of the last 50 years (just listed alphabetically. there's no way I could rank such amazing albums):</p>
<p>Arcade Fire - *Funeral<a href="2004">/i</a>
Autechre - *Tri Repetae<a href="1995">/i</a>
The Beatles - *Abbey Road<a href="1969">/i</a>
Blur - *13<a href="1999">/i</a>
Boards of Canada - *Music Has the Right to Children<a href="1998">/i</a>
Boris - *Boris at Last: -Feedbacker-<a href="2003">/i</a>
The Clash - *London Calling<a href="1979">/i</a>
John Coltrane - *A Love Supreme<a href="1965">/i</a>
Comus - *First Utterance<a href="1971">/i</a>
Miles Davis - *Kind of Blue<a href="1959">/i</a>
Miles Davis - *On the Corner<a href="1972">/i</a>
Bob Dylan - *Blonde on Blonde<a href="1966">/i</a>
Electric Wizard - *Dopethrone<a href="2000">/i</a>
The Flaming Lips - *The Soft Bulletin<a href="1999">/i</a>
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - *Yanqui U.X.O.<a href="2002">/i</a>
Herbie Hancock - *Head Hunters<a href="1973">/i</a>
Andrew Hill - *Point of Departure<a href="1961">/i</a>
Joy Division - *Closer<a href="1980">/i</a>
Kayo Dot - *Dowsing Anemone With Copper Tongue<a href="2006">/i</a>
King Crimson - *In the Court of the Crimson King<a href="1969">/i</a>
Meshuggah - *Catch Thirty-Three<a href="2005">/i</a>
Modest Mouse - *The Lonesome Crowded West<a href="1997">/i</a>
Mogwai - *Young Team<a href="1997">/i</a>
My Bloody Valentine - *Loveless<a href="1991">/i</a>
Oliver Nelson - *The Blues and the Abstract Truth<a href="1961">/i</a>
Neutral Milk Hotel - *In the Aeroplane Over the Sea<a href="1998">/i</a>
Pink Floyd - *The Piper At the Gates of Dawn<a href="1967">/i</a>
Pixies - *Doolittle<a href="1989">/i</a>
Radiohead - *Kid A<a href="2000">/i</a>
Sigur Ros - <a href="">i</a><a href="2002">/i</a>
Smashing Pumpkins - *Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness<a href="1998">/i</a>
Sonic Youth - *Daydream Nation<a href="1988">/i</a>
Sunn O))) - *Black One<a href="2006">/i</a>
Talk Talk - *Laughing Stock<a href="1991">/i</a>
Underworld - *Dubnobasswithmyheadman<a href="1993">/i</a>
The Velvet Underground - *White Light/White Heat<a href="1968">/i</a>
Wilco - *Yankee Hotel Foxtrot<a href="2002">/i</a>
Tom Waits - *Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards<a href="2006">/i</a>
Yes - *Close to the Edge<a href="1971">/i</a>
John Zorn - *Naked City<a href="1990">/i</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
you have all the worthwhile alternative rock covered, but the metal selections are horrible.</p>
<p>edit: White Light/White Heat over TVU & Nico?
[/quote]
There are only two metal albums on that list [Dopethrone and Catch 33) and both are excellent. If I had to pick my top 5 metal albums aside from those, it would be something like this:
Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse
Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Agalloch - The Mantle
Drudkh - Autumn Auroura
Immolation - Close to a World Below</p>
<p>And, yes, I feel that WL/WH is a much more focused and adventurous album, with stronger songwriting overall. </p>
<p>And I like Porcupine Tree a lot as well ;D I just don't think they're musically an inventive enough band to warrant being on my list. And their albums aren't as solid as they could be.</p>
<p>I'm guessing you don't consider Sunn o))))))))))))))))))) metal? I'm just surprised that they would make a list filled with "essentials". I enjoy them sometimes, but they are certainly not for everyone. The other metal albums you mentioned are mostly all great (esp. Close to a World Below and Anthems), but many other, more innovative masterpieces go unnoticed.</p>
<p>Mad props to the OP for having Dopethrone on there and for ranking WLWH over Nico (which is correct), but not enough electronic and no rap, so...</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm guessing you don't consider Sunn o))))))))))))))))))) metal? I'm just surprised that they would make a list filled with "essentials". I enjoy them sometimes, but they are certainly not for everyone. The other metal albums you mentioned are mostly all great (esp. Close to a World Below and Anthems), but many other, more innovative masterpieces go unnoticed.
[/quote]
These aren't albums I consider essential, just the albums that are, imo, the greatest musical accomplishments.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Mad props to the OP for having Dopethrone on there and for ranking WLWH over Nico (which is correct), but not enough electronic and no rap, so...
[/quote]
I'm a big rap fan, but it doesn't hit me at an emotional level as powerfully as these albums do. If I had to do top 5 rap/hip-hop though...
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Nas - Illmatic
Beastie Boys - Paul's Botique
Madvillain - Madvillainy
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory</p>
<p>And while there are only 3 albums on there that could be considered purely electronic, there are many others which incorporate it frequently.</p>
<p>I probably should have also included Dummy by Portishead. Too bad you can't edit old posts.</p>
<p>yeah i agree paul's boutique is sick, 5 boroughs is pretty good as well. i also like jedi mind tricks-psychosocial....album, and mobb deep's blood money.
oh and ratatat, although they arent hip-hop.</p>
<p>I'm gonna throw out two oldies, but goodies...</p>
<p>Blink 182 "Enema of the State" (This CD brings me back to 6th grade)
Interpol "Turn on the Bright Lights" (Really good late-night driving music)</p>