Class of 1981 checking in. My (four and only four; I read the prompt) offerings of albums that got really heavy play in my room are Killers by Iron Maiden, Too Fast For Love by the Crue, The Mob Rules by Sabbath, and Diary of a Madman by Ozzy. I’ve relaxed considerably since then.
1 Like
I’m too old! There were no great albums after 1969.
2 Likes
The only thing that might make the first sentence true is if you honestly believe the second one 
True, true.
1 Like
1974 for me. Easy I thought - Aja, Court and Spark, Eat a Peach and Songs in the Key of Life. When I checked, only Court and Spark was released in '74. Think I’ll stick with my list and just pretend :D.
OK, in a desire to contribute to the thread I went back and looked at every single album released in 2008. The list…it isn’t good. I will start with what is the most important album to me, and that would be Attack & Release by The Black Keys. Incredible two piece band. Got to see them live many years ago, actually it was probably right around the time this album was released. It has one of my favorite songs by these guys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZa-EXC7ST4&list=OLAK5uy_njYMnb2uz5eqdYyIU5c6k7Mqw4fac5hsE
Second album would be Consolers of the Lonely from The Raconteurs. Always was a fan of the White Stripes, really enjoyed Jack White’s other work as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2L849taRCs
Third I’ll put up Narrow Stairs from Death Cab for Cutie. I really enjoyed this band when I was younger, and I remember buying this album when it came out and was disappointed big time. Yeah, it had some radio hits I guess, but overall it didn’t do it for me. Pretty groovy bass line in this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq-yP7mb8UE&list=OLAK5uy_kw6mi52E51N0__V39BxmWKJzlh0SdulXg
This album may not be important to most of us, but this CD was EVERYWHERE my senior year. Everyone was bumping this one in the parking lot. Guarantee you’ve heard at least a piece of this album. Lil’ Wayne Tha Carter III
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vf4mMCpNY0
1 Like
These guys are truly great musicians, songwriters, singers and, of course, comedians.
I became a huge fan as soon as their HBO comedy special aired. Their series followed.
Then I was fortunate enough to see them in concert when I happened to be in Manhattan. They were brilliant.
1 Like
In another vein of 1984 being great, another super important album for me at 18-19 (but actually released in 1984, when I was 16); Skinny Puppy, Remission.
Along with Ministry and Front 242, these guys pulled me in to electro-industrial, where I have been since. And a truly astoundingly good live experience. Ogre and Cevin are still touring (through they have mellowed out a lot; no more nightmare forest sage set, or blood 
):
1 Like
4 albums from the age of 18? Easy…
Duran Duran - their first album (I still think it’s an awesome piece of work)
Duran Duran - Rio (another masterpiece)
The Cult - Love (their follow up, Electric, was even better, but that was released when I was at university, so probably 19 or 20 
)
Blancmange - Happy Families (the single Living on the Ceiling is simply fantastic)
Yep, I am, and will likely always be, an 80s boy…
I feel I should add that these are not necessarily albums that were released in the year I was 18, but what I was listening to… I would also add that actually purchasing an album was such really a special thing as I didn’t have much money - Saturday job - so any purchase was very much a considered experience. I love that fact that today, we can access so much music - pretty much any genre from any time period, pretty cheaply and instantly!
4 Likes
All great. I was about four years behind you but really in to all of these. “Don’t Tell Me” was another good one from Blancmange
My latest freakout is New Order is working their way through definitive editions of their albums, in order; the first two were fantastic, but Low Life’s definitive edition is just mind blowing. It’s hard to overstate how important this album (and Substance, in 1987) were to me at the time.
Here’s a list (follow the youtube link to Youtube, not here embedded) with all 22(!!!) songs:
1 Like
Ah, New Order. I never bought any of their albums, but I did buy Blue Monday when it first came out on 12" vinyl. I distinctly remember going to HMV to buy it, getting home from town, recording it onto a cassette and then playing over and over again on a crappy Walkman knock-off, while doing my paper round. I think that by the end of the evening, I had memorized all the words 
Blancmange: Don’t Tell Me, an excellent song, as is Waves. I also really like their version of the The Day Before You Came.
2 Likes
That 12" was a must buy just for the packaging. Which ended up costing them more than they made on the thing
It’s also still the single most influential electronic dance 12" and still the best selling 12" single of all time, of course.
with the back of the sleeve having the decoder wheel for the colors
1 Like
“Ive just been shopping”
1 Like
Let’s see, 2003…
First thing that comes to mind is:
Meteora by Linkin Park,
Absolution by Muse
&
Deja Entendu by Brand New
I was into all the punk/grunge/emo stuff back then.
I had to look up other notable albums from that time and another one I was listening to back then was Kill Them With Kindness by The Jealous Sound.
Apparently, he had
Aww man, 18 years old, in 1994. So much amazing music was released in the 90’s. I know the 80’s was known as the golden age and of heavy metal, but the 90’s was not far behind imo.
It’s impossible to list 4 favorites only, so these may wary depending on the day/mood.
-
Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Crappy Latin excluded, this is a benchmark in black metal. You had an infernal sound, ice cold riffs, 1 dead person playing the guitar and his murderer delivering the bass. This is music history, not only for the controversies.
-
Mercyful Fate - Time.
Not as powerful as its predecessor but MF always sets such a high standard on every album, this one is impossible to ignore. King and his crew were instrumental in my musical upbringing. I even saw them on tour the year later. Magic. -
Emperor - In The Nightside Eclipse.
Where Mayhem (Hellhammer aside), Burzum, Gorgoroth etc were mostly made up with little talent, but ferocious ambitions, Emperor had it all; musically astute, ambitions and an ear for melodies. This is their magnum opus. Chilling harmonies, galloping temples and melodies so beautiful only Dissection has ever done it better in black metal. -
Darkthrone - Transylvanian Hunger.
I love Darkthrone, surly, grumpy old men, already back then and Fenriz’s just goofy persona, who is more likely to talk about bands he loves than his own, when doing interviews. I mean, a man that got into city council, his promo was a picture of him holding his cat and the caption “don’t vote for me”, he got in…
Now for the music, Fenriz already complained that Black Metal was too commercial so they released this high pitched monster that sounds like it’s recorded on a Russian toaster from the 60’s. It’s raw as an open wound. It’s bm perfection.
Little bonus info, the name Transylvania has a very certain meaning in black metal. Dead from Mayhem committed suicide and was wearing a Transylvania shirt when he was found. So this title was a nod to poor Dead. Jon from Dissection also killed himself. In one of the last interviews before his suicide, he told the journalist that he was gonna go on vacation; he was taking a trip to Transylvania.
94 created both albums that has stood the test of time and it created legends that are still revered in music today.
‘94 was a good year! Offspring’s Smash album was from that year and is still one I love playing along with 
1 Like
I was never a big Offspring fan, as back then it was deemed too popular in my circle. Yes utterly ridiculous. But I’ve recently discovered just how much fun they are, to play along with. Just makes you happy playing it.
1 Like
Always loved them
You kind of have to love a band that writes songs like Self Esteem.
1 Like
Tough choice for just four, but today they are:
Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd
Quadrophenia - The Who
Tres Hombres - ZZ Top
Houses of The Holy - Led Zeppelin
1 Like