My 7 Albums

After some deliberation, and my conditions set forth in my previous post, below are my top 7 albums. Thanks to Mando Mama for tagging me. And, of course, I need to post this link back to the originator of the project. Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 7:

1. Meet the Beatles - The Beatles - Other people have mentioned the Beatles but typically mention their later albums. I think there's a belief that as their music became more sophisticated, and arguably more meaningful, the later albums were better. The Beatles are probably my favorite band of all time but I really love their early stuff. This album can generally only be found now under the title With the Beatles but I have an original copy from my Aunt when it came out in the 60's and it was called Meet the Beatles. I don't think there's a song on it longer than 3 minutes but is is simply well-crafted pop. A great album that makes you feel good.

2. Blizzard of Oz - Ozzy Osbourne - The seminal Ozzy solo album and a virtuoso guitar performance from Randy Rhoads. This album forshadowed what might have been had Randy not been killed. The songs are iconic and Randy managed to duplicate them incredibly well even when playing live. I think Ozzy has such a unique voice and has had such an impact on heavy metal that he has to be on the list. That being said, I was torn between this album and Sabotage by Black Sabbath.

3. Thriller - Michael Jackson - This is a great album. I think half the album was a No. 1 hit. Catchy songs, great production, and the album that really ushered in the Michael Jackson era many of us remember fondly.

4. All The Best - Paul McCartney - I know I already have a Beatles album on here but McCartney is such a great songwriter that his Wings and other solo work deserves mention. It's probably a bit of a cop-out to include a compilation album but almost every song on here is great and so many of them remind me of simpler times in my life. This is one album I'd want to have on a desert island.

5. Van Halen - Van Halen - The first Van Halen album is a guitar tour-de-force. It completely changed hard rock and metal guitar playing for a decade and Eddie is arguably the most influential guitar player since Hendrix. This album has fabulous tone, great, fun songs, and Diamond Dave at his best.

6. Black Cherry - Goldfrapp - There might be better electro-pop albums but I love this one. Alison Goldfrapp's vocals are so silky and sultry and the music is fantastic. I like all of their albums but I think this is my favorite by a thread. Strict Machine is one of my all time favorite songs.

7. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness - The Smashing Pumpkins - Some people may think Billy Corgan acts like a jerk and putting out a double album can be pretentious but this is simply a fanstastic album. The songs are well-crafted, the production is incredible, and I love albums that can take you through a range of emotions like this one does. It's an incredible accomplishment because there aren't many weak songs in the collection.