15 Albums That Changed My Life

As I can never come up with an accurate order of my favorite albums, I figured I'd compile this list in chronological order. While my years of being aware of music cover just over ten years, there is still plenty of relevance to the subject. What I consider a great album is one that is put on and isn't turned off until it's complete; from start to finish and no skipping in between. In creating this list, I also realized what I consider a favorite album of mine is completely different than an album that changed my life. While there's a few albums on here that would make my Top 50, there's quite a few on here that I didn't expect to make this list.

1. Beck - Odelay
This is the album that made me interested in music. It helped me to see that music could be relevant. Up until that point, I'd been listening to mostly classic rock and oldies simply because it seemed safe. "Where It's At" had an edge to it that I'd never heard before, and helped define the genre "alternative". The fact that he wrote and performed all the instruments with the production guidance of the Dust Brothers also inspired me to do the same. Odelay is and always will be my favorite album. Simple as that.

2. Weezer - Pinkerton
I actually hated this album when I first heard it. It wasn't the catchy and simple "Blue Album" that I'd hoped for. However, I gave it a chance and realized it was their best release. While it's emotional and heart-felt, it's just a fun album.

3. Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
I didn't know a whole lot of indie music back in the day, and a friend of mine gave me Death Cab for my 15th birthday. I'd never heard of them but I trusted her instinct. The album was short and sweet and more mellow than I had been listening to at that point in my life, but I really enjoyed it. It ended up on heavy rotation in my CD player, one of those hi-tech portable ones with rechargeable batteries. I was hip, I know.

4. Fatboy Slim - You've Come A Long Way, Baby
"Praise You" was brilliant. I couldn't figure out who the song was by for some reason, maybe because Google wasn't as easy to type in lyrics and find out who a song was by back in the day. Regardless, Fatboy Slim was my introduction into electronic music. I had to buy the edited version though, because that's just how my parents were. And I honestly appreciated that about this album (labeled "Kiddies Clean Version") because there's something about hearing "Fatboy Slim is fucking in heaven" over and over for four minutes that isn't all that appealing. Despite that, it took me away. It was just pure fun and remained on repeat through most of high school.

5. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
This may be one of the darker albums that I've listened to, but as a two-disc conceptual release, it's one that deserves some credit. I don't listen to it nearly as much as I used to, but I still can honor it as an album that influenced me to get involved in music technology. WIthout "The Fragile" I may not have considered moving to Boston to pursue a degree in music synthesis. Even despite it's 23 song span, I still find myself listening to it all the way through.

6. Damien Rice - O
This album simply reminds me of high school. I enjoyed performing his songs with a female friend of mine, and when available, a cellist. After listening to so much alternative and layered music, Damien Rice showed me simplicity and focus on good songwriting. The use of wine glasses for percussion on "Cheers Darlin" is sheer perfection.

7. Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R
"Nicotine, valium, vicodin, marijuana, ecstacy, and alcohol. Cocaine." Starting off an album with those lyrics? It's just amazing. Queens have some way of taking alternative music and mixing it with catchy melodies and making it all work. They can be heavy and gentle at the exact same time. They're eerie and comforting. Having multiple singers and leads depending on song just makes sense. I have a weak spot for Mark Lanegan's gritty voice. It's too bad he never made it on the new album.

8. Aqualung - Strange & Beautiful
I'm not quite sure how many hundreds of times I listened to this album when I got it, but it's just beautiful. It's so relaxing from start to finish. I don't find myself listening to it as much anymore, probably because I associate it with a past relationship, but it's still something that deserves some credit. There's not really much more to it than that.

9. Viva Voce - Lovers, Lead the Way!
This album also reminds me of a same past relationship, hence following Aqualung in chronology, but I still listen to it on a regular basis. Nostalgia takes me to the days of spending hours at Luna Music in Indiana and just picking up random CD's to listen to. This one was on display and the opening track is just epic. It explodes into a wall of strings, piano, and drums and doesn't come down until the album finishes 15 songs later. It was one of the first dreamy albums I ever got into.

10. The Roots - The Tipping Point
I had always been a baller and listened to hip-hop, but it wasn't until the Roots released "The Tipping Point" that I actually thought the genre could have some serious talent. I don't mean it was the first time I'd heard quality rap lyrical talent, because I would never diminish old school artists like Dre and Snoop (the list could go on and on), but Black Thought rapped about relevant topics instead of talking about drugs and hoes. For a live band to perform hip-hop, well, that was unheard of as far as I knew. And when I saw them live, they put on a rock show, not a rap show. I pumped "The Tipping Point" all through senior year of high school. I'm really psyched to see them as the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

11. Mellowdrone - Box
I discovered Mellowdrone after reading an article comparing him to Beck. I honestly didn't see any similarities at all, but I found the album to be brilliant. It's a good blend of live instruments and electronic programming, and I love it. I was also intrigued when I learned he went to Berklee in Boston and decided to leave because he disliked the city so much. (I think I can relate...) Regardless, I found a version of "Box" with a bonus track that covers Boyz II Men's "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday" that is surprisingly, for lack of a better word, amazing. Overall, the album just makes me feel good.

12. Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
Brand New was my medicine for helping me bid farewell to my hometown of Carmel, Indiana. While I discovered the album after I'd already been away for a year, it still took me some time to move on from my past. I still remember sitting in my car in the parking lot of Max and Erma's and turning up this album as loud as my speakers could handle. It was the most therapeutic method I knew, and helped me to overcome a lot of frustration with the distance.

13. M. Ward - Post-War
I don't typically fall in love with artists that my friends recommend. I'm not exactly sure why. It's not that I'm close-minded but I generally gravitate toward artists "find me." My friend gave me an M. Ward album and I instantly loved it. It soothed and relaxed me in a way that most other songwriters don't. I still listen to this album multiple times in one week.

14. Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead
While there are still some quality albums being released by modern artists, Phantom Planet really caught me by surprise. I'd always been a fan of their music, but when I'd heard they were putting out a new album in 2008, I couldn't help but be skeptical. However, I didn't even get past the first song before I was blown away. From start to finish, Raise the Dead is an uplifting experience. It's a wonder that Phantom Planet never saw much success other than their hit television theme contribution.

15. The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
While I just found this album, I felt it deserved some recognition. It hasn't defined any major experiences yet, but since they are from Portland, it has given me some hope in moving there. And I honestly couldn't decide between this album and their "Love & Distance," but I went with this one because it's the one that introduced me to their music. There's just something about this genre (I'm not sure what to call it: ambient, dream pop, indie?) that I've been finding a lot of comfort in, especially with the state of everything today and having to spend a month looking for a new job. The Helio Sequence just helps me escape and puts me in another place that I don't leave.