That's freakin' awesome. They are definitely up there for me, but I haven't heard all of their stuff. I think I can say that they are my favorite punk band, I own their debut, Suffer, No Control, Recipe for Hate, Stranger Than Fiction, and The Gray Race. My dad is a massive fan of them and those are his old albums. They are also the only ones I have heard.

My fave is without a doubt No Control. When I first heard that it blew my mind. It's just song after song of pure awesomeness. Is Against the Grain really as good? I should probably give it a listen. My second fave is Fiction (Leave mine to me!!! and What it is!!!!!!) with Suffer right behind it. I didn't like The Gray Race very much, but Recipe's title track and of course "American Jesus" are staples of my punk playlists.

The Gray Race is every bit as good as the Suffer - Generator run to me, the second half of the album, starting from Pity the Dead, is just classic after classic after classic (they opened with Spirit Shine when I saw them last year, and that part when it picks up after the first verse just made the place explode), and Cease is up there as one of my all time favorite BR songs. Against the Grain is a little more melodic than No Control, but it's not by a huge margin or anything. It has the original version of 21st Century Digital Boy (which I find superior to the Stranger than Fiction version), Modern Man, Operation Rescue, Get Off, Walk Away, Turn On the Light, Anesthesia, Entropy, Quality or Quantity, Flat Earth Society, the title track, just all of it is amazing. Even a song that the band hates and calls it just a pointless collection of big words like The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking somehow manages to be an accidental poetic masterpiece. There's a lot of different ideas that stay unified, just like No Control (Faith Alone = Sanity, I Want Something More = The Positive Aspect of Negative Thinking, I Want to Conquer the World = Modern Man, etc).

Oh, and it has Blenderhead, which is my favorite song the band ever did. The second verse is the most beautiful thing in the universe, and it sounds so stupid but it seriously did help me when my depression was at its worst however many years ago. It's the best "it's okay to be a fucked up weird kid" song ever written.

Hell yeah, I'll definitely be giving it a listen then. I think I need to catch up on some Bad Religion. I was just looking at their discography, they have a lot more than I thought! If Against the Grain is as good as you say it is, I'm in for a treat! It's hard for me to pick a favorite BR song, but my bunch of faves includes No Control, Big Bang, Anxiety, Progress, Leave Mine to Me, What it is, and probably Incomplete. Jeez they're a good band

One of the only albums I can think of that deserves a 100%, metal or not, is The Opiates Revised by Thomas Feiner & Anywhen. It is utterly amazing if you're into whatever genre it is, I'm not really sure what to call it. Other than that, the next best thing would be something by David Sylvian probably. Maybe Secrets of the Beehive.

My all-time favorite album is actually a non-metal album, If I Should Fall From Grace With God by Celtic punk pioneers the Pogues. Here the group's music is dense but irresistibly melodic and a bit more disciplined, though their bastard hybrid of rock and Irish folk is still rough enough to not sound too controlled. It's also surprisingly innovative, incorporating traditional Turkish music in one song and Spanish music (with a bitchin' horn section) in another. This is also where the Pogues hit their peak in terms of writing and executing soulful, emotive slower songs with prominent rock elements (as opposed to the soft, traditionally-styled folk songs they'd mostly stuck with whenever they wanted to slow things down on their first two LPs).

The other one I want to mention is John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. This is essentially a hybrid of his earlier maximalist, flashy, and fast-as-a-goddamn-rocket style and the deeper, more spiritual stuff from later in his career, recorded while transitioning from one to the other. Somehow, he nailed it perfectly here and his old approach and his emerging approach melted together to create what just might be the most emotionally resonant album I've ever heard.

SPK - Leichenschrei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXcs_hgIHH8

This album is simply as good Industrial music gets. Forget bands like NIN and Rammstein, this is how industrial music is meant to sound, brutal, nightmarish, and surrealistic.

Eloy - Ocean (1977)

Bizarre, mesmerizing, and beautiful music that melds the thematic majesty of progressive rock, the throbbing rhythmic drive of zeuhl, and the expansive soundscapes of Tangerine Dream or Klaus Schulze. Massive analog synth arrangements and pulsing fuzzed-out bass lines (Klaus-Peter Matziol absolutely kills it on bass) create some truly unearthly atmospheres. The lyrics and "concept" are hilarious nonsense and the singer sounds like a guard from Return to Castle Wolfenstein auditioning for the Moody Blues (DOWN...ZERE ON URSE....), but I don't care. Smoke enough weed and crank this record loud enough and you'll swear Atlantis is real, man.

Also this album has as its finale a song titled "Atlantis' Agony at June 5th, 8498, 13 P.M. Gregorian Earthtime" and it's every bit as weird as its title suggests.



Eloy - Planets (1981) and Time to Turn (1983)

A textbook example in how to change your sound and become more accessible without selling out. The signature spacey, vaguely funky, Moog-drenched sound remains, but the songs are shorter, catchier, and more structured, and the production is miles better. Frank Bornemann seems more cognizant of the limitations of his voice on this album, so while there are quite a few hooks, they're mostly instrumental, and there's no narration. These two are also concept albums and are linked together so I think of them as a matching set rather than individual albums.



Pat Metheny Group - Secret Story (1992)

Pat Metheny's late '80s/early '90s band was absolutely killer and this is probably the peak of their abilities. Kitchen-sink world music/jazz fusion/progressive rock with forays into classical music near the end of the record. Lyle Mays' keyboard work is stunning and I strongly suspect his style strongly influenced Kevin Moore of Dream Theater--the way he uses slight pauses or hits the keys a fraction of a beat late on purpose to express emotion on the piano is too similar to be a coincidence. Unfortunately this was also the last album he did in this style.



Return to Forever - Where Have I Known You Before (1974)

A landmark in merging progressive rock with jazz music. The musicianship is absolutely unbelievable here, especially with the addition of Al Di Meola to the band. Pretty much every prog metal instrumental section has its roots somewhere in here--but Return to Forever did it better. "Song to the Pharaoh Kings" is probably the proggiest thing that ever progged--massively, enormously overblown, yet it deserves every second of its 14-minute-plus running time.

This is actually a great thread.

I may get killed for this but I would say there are a few out there that I think anyone who LIKES music should own.

Michael Jackson - Thriller (This album is amazing. Every single song is a winner and it takes you to a different place and it's a nice change of pace from Metal every once and awhile) PERFECT ALBUM
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Anthrax agrees with me PE is the alter EGO of Metalheads along with DMX. This album is a Masterpiece and it has samples of SLAYER on a few tracks Perfect album 100!

Christian Death- Only Theater in Pain, Catastrophe Ballet
the Sisters of Mercy- First Last & Always, Floodland
Bauhaus- In The Flat Field, Burning From The Inside
Most any Bowie record
Black Widow- Sacrifice
Coven- Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls
Oh and motherfucking Pet Sounds

I came in here to post a Coil album but I don't know where to start. I've been really into Musick To Play in the Dark 1 lately but everything they've done is brilliant in its own way.

Absolutely. I'm reviewing the book "England's hidden reverse" at the moment - I recommend you get a copy if you're a big Coil fan. I have been recently picking up the rash of Vinyl bootlegs of their catalogue which have been surfacing. Only missing a few key releases now.

Definitely 'The Pearl' by Brian Eno and Harold Budd. Wish I could listen to it for the first time again. Pure magic. I like both artists enough but together they crafted an album that outweighs either of their catalogues.

Yeah buddy. Got it on my shelf but I haven't gotten around to it yet. The whole esoteric/psychedelic industrial scene Coil called home is easily one of my favourite musical movements. Hell, Sleep Has His House by C93 has got to be pretty close to a 10/10 as well.

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes: One of the sweetest, most personal and sincere albums in existence. Songs like Winter, Little Earthquakes and Tear in Your Hand are some of the best songs you'll ever hear. It's in the human DNA to instinctively like this shit. Give it a try if you haven't already, your soul will appreciate it.

I'm listening to this album at this moment. Awesome.
Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection

The Money Store is a 10/10 for me. It has everything. It's abrasive, weird, experimental, the production isn't polished and overproduced yet nothing sounds muddy or out of place and there's so many layers to the production. I've been listening regularly to it for about 3 months and I still find little things and details on the mix. In spite of how aggressive it can be for a hip-hop record, it's so goddamn catchy and well written, literally every song has a great hook and killer grooves which is a feat considering how left-field it can be.

So little love for New Model Army here.

Speaking Silence | The Twilight World (jazzy electro pop with heavenly, ethereal vocals... unsurpassable)


Dead Can Dance | Toward the Within (best live album ever... gorgeous every which way)
Blackmore's Night | Ghost of a Rose (I'm a fan of the project, but they really top themselves on this one)

Original Misfits and the Graves-era too, s/t by INXS, Ramones debut, whole lotta AC/DC (see what I did there?), Wildside: Under the Influence, Murderdolls 2nd album, Faster Pussycat Wake Me When It's Over and lastly UYI twins by GnR. Can't really explain choices since it's already a long ass list.

Ashbury - Endless Skies

Seriously one of the best albums I've ever heard; it's a flawless fusion of hard rock, folk, and heavy metal.

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. - I think this has the best 1-2-3 leadoff in rock history in Five Years, Soul Love, and Moonage Daydream. And it never really drops off after that. It also has my favorite rocking DB tune, Suffragette City.

Purple Rain

Appetite for Destruction

That seriously is an amazing album. Not sure if I'd really give it the sparkly 100%, but damn is it a brilliant album. Absolutely abnoxiously underrated though. It deserves so much more praise.

Why do you not like Appetite for Destruction? Welcome to the Jungle's a little overplayed, but there's a surprising consistency to the album with several really good deep cuts. It's about as good as 80's (any era really) hard rock gets.

^correct. It's So Easy; Nightrain; Out Ta Get Me... incredible hard rock songs.
Great attitude throughout the whole record.

Appetite for Destruction is without a doubt my hands down favorite hard rock album. Heard it all the time growing up as it was one of my mom's favorites. There are so many deep cuts on that one. Rocket Queen, It's So Easy, Mr. Brownstone, My Michelle, Night Train, etc. Even if you only know the three huge radio staples, you'll never convince me that Paradise City isn't basically the perfect hard rock song.

I don't know if I'd give it a 100%, but it'd be damn close and it's my easy favorite of the style.

At one of my old jobs, I was driving with one of my co-workers, and Paradise City comes on the radio. He goes, "please change it, I hate this song!" I'm like, "I thought you liked Guns N Roses." He's like "I do, they're awesome, and Appetite For Destruction is one of my favorite albums." So then I thought, maybe he's one of those "I hate the commercial songs" guys, so I asked him his opinion on Sweet Child O' Mine, expecting him to say he hated it. But he said it's their best song. I was dumbfounded. How could someone who loves Guns N Roses, loves Appetite For Destruction, loves Sweet Child O' Mine, hate Paradise City? It doesn't make sense!

The Stooges - Raw Power. Probably my favourite album of any genre, ever.

Insane album, just heard it recently. Super influential on a ton of 80s metal I think. And it's just a raw, fun kick in the teeth of punky, brassy rock n roll.

For me its the best debut ever and a 100 record easily. Alas they couldn't keep that level of attitude and quality going.

Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan
Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank the Cradle
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye

couple more off the top of my head:

Wish you were here

Made in Japan

Dirt

My favourite is their self titled debut, but yeah man, their original three albums are all absolutely incredible. Iggy Pop's two Berlin albums with David Bowie are god-tier as well. Those 5 albums have to be one of the best runs in rock'n'roll history.

Dum Spiro Spero and Uroboros from Dir en grey; Immortalis and Persuasio from Sukekiyo; Introspection by Mythos; Sunset Mission and Black Earth by Bohren & Der Club of Gore; and pretty much every mini album D.I.D. released before the vocalist was sent to the mental hospital.

STRFKR's Reptilians. Dreamy pop that is damn infectious and overtly sugarly. Sadly it camd from the hipster scene which can be overlooked.
Cancer for Cure is a Rap mammoth. The fucking entrance is boss. Fucking EL-P

The Master Musicians of Bukkake Totem Series are perfect from start to finish.

Weezer's first 2 albums are fucking brilliant. too bad they went to complete shit. I guess we can forget about everything after Pinkerton.

I don't know if I'd give them 100's, maybe high 80's, but yes. Weezer's blue, green, and red albums (ESPECIALLY blue) are all fantastic. My Name Is Jonas is still one of my favorite songs of all time.

Hm, let's think...

Discharge - Why
Extreme Noise Terror - A holocaust in your head
Fear of god - s/t
Doom - Total doom
Tragedy - Vengeance
Siege - Drop dead
Deep Wound - s/t
Dropdead - 落とす死
Totalitär - Vi är eliten
Amebix - Arise!
Deviated Instinct - Welcome to the orgy
Antisect - In darkness there is no choice
Zouo - Final agony
Lt Dan split with Misanthropic Noise
G.B.H. - City baby attacked by rats
The Exploited - Let's start a war... said maggie one day
Ramones - Ramones

The Velvet Underground & Nico-great and listenable from start to finish.

David Bowie-Low-I'd say Ziggy Stardust but the vocals kill it for me, I don't really like his singing before 1973 or so, and especially like the Berlin era stuff, (I much prefer the songs from Ziggy Stardust as he played them live around 1974.) despite the fact I always say Diamond Dogs is my favorite. I acknowledge that Diamond Dogs is far from perfect, but it just contains my favorite Bowie song (Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet thing (reprise). You could substitute Low or Heroes, about the same to me, really. I don't like Lodger as much.

Pink Floyd-Animals, and The Final Cut - I think The Final Cut is vastly underrated, but it might be that it was the first one of their albums I bought and has more nostalgic value for me. Or it could just be a fucking good album. While I can't find much wrong with The Wall, it's just so played out for me I don't want to mention it.

Brian Eno-Here Come the Warm Jets-Seems like everyone I know who likes Eno mainly likes his ambient stuff. I've tried to but I still like his albums with actual songs better. I have a bunch of his albums and this is the one I always come back to.

Elton John-Blue Moves-despite some of the instrumentals sounding a bit dated, still has some excellent stuff on it, nice mixture of styles, and the beginning part of "Tonight" is the second best thing he ever wrote (best thing he ever wrote was "Funeral for a Friend"). He also had a damned pretty voice in those days. Honorable mention to "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy," which is near perfect, but not all that musically interesting, and not mentioning Goodbye Yellow Brick Road for being overplayed (can't go to the fucking grocery store without hearing "Bennie and the Jets").

Nine inch nails-the downward spiral-The only NIN I still listen to sometimes, I think it just works pretty well overall. I like broken a lot, too, but it's pretty simplistic and only an EP.

Rammstein-their earlier stuff. Mutter isn't really my favorite, but maybe Herzeleid and Sehnsucht.


Patti Smith-Horses-I probably listen to that more than the other stuff of hers I have.

I tried hard to pick a Tori Amos album, but it seems like every album has 2 or 4 tracks that are fantastic, and then a bunch of stuff I skip every time for being crap, uninteresting, or too goofy.

I could never give a non-metal album 100% because no matter how good it is it could always be improved by being metal.