As you might have guessed from the sarcastic title of this post, I know it's problematic to try to name the 10 best anything.
So these are 10 of my favorite alternative albums and the reasoning behind my choice (obviously there is a whole lot more than this...see "Grandaddy", "Echo & The Bunnymen", etc.)
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| 10. Trust |
| Elvis Costello |
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In his career, Elvis Costello has recorded dozens and dozens of brilliant songs. But with his daring and prodigious output comes some stinkers (see King of America.) However, when he released Trust, Costello hit a high note from beginning to end...it's a perfect album. "New Lace Sleeves", "Clubland", "Watch Your Step" - these might be the three best songs EC ever recorded and they're on the same album. Running a close second would be Imperial Bedroom.
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| 9. The Soft Bulletin |
| The Flaming Lips |
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It's not often that you hear something so unique that you've never it heard before, and yet it's still moving and listenable. The Soft Bulletin is a weird record, to be sure...but it's also beautiful, epic and touching. Race For The Prize is probably the best song the Lips ever recorded, and Waitin' On A Superman always makes me cry (and I don't know why.) It's fitting that the album cover looks like a movie poster. This record would make a wonderful soundtrack to some undiscovered Luis Buñuel film.
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| 8. Reckoning |
| R.E.M. |
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It's hard to believe today, but in 1983 R.E.M. was the greatest band in America. Their first full-length album, Murmur was an absolute masterpiece and energized an entire genre of music. It seemed impossible that they could follow up that debut with anything near that level, but they actually surpassed it. Reckoning built on the solid foundation of its predecessor and expanded it with a broader range of style ("(Don't Go Back to) Rockville", "Letter Never Sent".) And "Harborcoat" is the finest song in R.E.M.'s vast catalog.
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| 7. London Calling |
| The Clash |
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This choice will be a surprise to no-one. I remember the joy I had when I bought this LP...the great packaging of that fold-out double-album. The songs were a bit of a shock at first - up until this release The Clash were very much a punk band. But then I was so moved by "Clampdown", "Lost In The Supermarket", Mick's wail on "The Card Cheat"...I knew this was all-time greatness.
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| 6. Scary Monsters |
| David Bowie |
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A perfect, weird, glorious album. Bowie's strengths have always been strangeness and genuine emotion, and this record has both in abundance. Every song is extremely strong, and "Ashes To Ashes" is Bowie's finest hour. What an incredible run he had - Heroes, Lodger and then Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps). Amazing.
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| 5. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot |
| Wilco |
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Wilco has released more than one perfect album. This is just the one that made me a hardcore fan for life. When I first heard Jeff Tweedy sing, I hadn't heard that kind of honest pain on record since Neil Young. "Pot Kettle Black", "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", "War On War" ... it's like a greatest hits album. The other perfect Wilco albums: Summerteeth, Being There and The Whole Love. Not bad. Most bands would love to have one perfect album.
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| 4. English Settlement |
| XTC |
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A lot of XTC fans prefer Skylarking, and that is a wonderful album, but English Settlement is the one that opened my eyes to the full potential of rock music, and it still holds a dear place in my heart. No matter how long I play guitar, I am still in awe of "Yacht Dance", "English Roundabout" and "Snowman". This is another band with multiple perfect albums. If you are an XTC novice, also check out Oranges and Lemons, Nonsuch and Black Sea.
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| 3. Bossanova |
| Pixies |
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Choosing a favorite Pixies album is like choosing my favorite child. They are all complete masterpieces. And even though Doolittle is the one that set the bar, Bossanova still blows my mind because of how it expanded the Pixies sound. Doolittle is very trebly, whereas Bossanova is just heavy, heavy bass and fog-like in its thickness. "Is She Weird?", "The Happening", "Ana", "Velouria" and the zenith - "All Over The World". Just perfection.
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| 2. OK Computer |
| Radiohead |
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A lot of Radiohead fans I talk to prefer The Bends, which is a fantastic album, but to me, there is no contest. OK Computer is Wagner, Beethoven and Led Zeppelin in its massive scope and daring. The opening chords of "Airbag" let you know that something huge is coming, and "Paranoid Android" seals the deal. If it weren't for the final band on this list, I would easily call this the greatest album ever made by anybody.
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| 1. The Queen Is Dead |
| The Smiths |
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I am biased - I happen to think that The Smiths are the best band there ever was, so naturally I have to pick one of their records to top the list. Earlier I mentioned 'perfect albums'. Every single album The Smiths put out is a perfect album. But The Queen Is Dead is my pick because of the variety of style and due to the fact that the songs hit me on a visceral level. "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", "I Know It's Over", "The Queen Is Dead"...these songs still grab me like the first time I heard them. However, my all-time favorite song by The Smiths is on another album - "Well I Wonder" from Meat Is Murder.
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Well, that's my list.
Please feel free to share your thoughts!
Jeffrey Dale Starr is a beer enthusiast, oil painter, and owner of mobile software company Purple Falcon.
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