Ok
<b>The Beatles</b>, got to be The White Album (even though it isn’t actually called that, it is just The Beatles)... such a diverse album, should win just for While My Guitar Gently Weeps alone to be honest, but then you also have Happiness Is A Warm Gun and Yer Blues etc. It is another of those, for my top ten, I only want 1 from each band. If not, then Let It Be and Abbey Road would also be in the list
<b>The Rolling Stones</b>, even tougher, probably my all time favourite band, even the last two Mick Jagger solo albums I thought were immense. I could name all the albums and make a case, but I’ll go for Exile On Main Street re-release as that has 2cds and extras! Some Girls is another I adore, as is Sticky Fingers which would make a list if I was doing multi entries per band! I nearly went for the live Shine A Light but decided that would be cheating
<b>Pink Floyd</b>, nearly the Wall as that is such a challenging and interesting album, but can’t really go beyond Wish You Were Here.... I’m one of a limited amount who actually like Final Cut and Waters solo work as well I think!
<b>Jimi Hendrix</b>... so much to choose from, but Are You Experience narrowly beats Blues for me.
<b>U2</b>.... one of six could have made it. Was close to saying the Unforgettable Fire because that was the album that first got me fully into them. But Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree just beat that one. Their latest is a class album as well, but I’m going to go with the Achtung Baby album, loved the shift in direction and have the box set anniversary edition that has loads of b sides and remixes.
<b>David Bowie</b>... Got to be Ziggy Stardust. I do like his 80’s much maligned output though, and loving his new album. I also liked Tin Machine, especially their first!
<b>The Stone Roses</b>... The Stone Roses... no further explanation needed. I loved the Second Coming as well. Honourable mention to Ian Brown’s solo work as well, some true gems in those albums. Can’t wait for the new Stone Roses release!
<b>REM</b>.. It was between Automatic for the People, Monster and New Adventures In Hi-Fi. New Adventures wins.
<b>Led Zeppelin</b>... Can’t choose between the individual albums so will go with the live How The West Was Won 3cd. Doffs cap to Robert Plant solo hits sixy six to Timbuktu
<b>Bruce Springsteen</b>... Darkness on the edge of Town... just stunning album. Also like the more recently released The Promise (outtakes etc from his time recording Darkness)
So there is a top ten....
But I can’t stop there, so top twenty-five it is...
<b>Deep Purple</b>... Perfect Strangers... a great return for a great band. Doffs hat to all the spin offs, Whitesnake (Come an Get It cover painted on my old school ruck sack, happy days), Rainbow, Gillan etc. All have done many favourite albums of mine not to mention the more conventionally classic Deep Purple albums.
<b>Guns n Roses</b>... could have been either Use Your Illusion to be honest, but Appetite broke them and was a nice shot of heavy metal at the time. So Appetite wins out, just.
<b>Black Sabbath</b>... I love the Ozzy Sabbath but for me Mob Rules and Heaven & Hell win out, and if I had to choose, which for this I do, it is Mob Rules. Classic heavy metal. Doffs cap to Ozzy, Blizzard of Oz, Diary of a Madman
<b>The Who</b>... Live at Leeds or Who’s Better, Who’s Best... I’ll go for the hits album because I find them a better singles band than album band. I’ve actually worn that cd out and now have to use Here and Now instead as I can’t get another of the Who’s Better!
Can I fit in <b>The Jam</b>.. All Mod Cons? Then you stray into the Paul Weller albums as well. Top twenty for sure, top ten? No. The hits Snap are also priceess
<b>Green Day....</b>.. I like their newer commercial stuff more than the oldies (most unlike most Green Day fans I’m sure). I think American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown are spiffing albums. I’m struggling to find time to get fully into Uno Dos and Tres, that would have made a belter of a single album in my humble. So American Idiot wins
<b>Arctic Monkeys</b>... Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not... and props to The Last Shadow Puppets... The Age Of The Understatement... outstanding!
<b>Iggy Pop</b> doesn’t feature album wise, got a fair few and they are good, but they are also patchy, but his ‘A Million In Prizes’ anthology is one of my favourite greatest hits for sure!
<b>Suede</b> .. Suede... a class band from start to finish. Got their new album, just not had time to listen yet!
<b>Oasis</b> ... Definitely Maybe... ace stuff!
<b>Blur</b>... I should probably go with Park Life as their recognised classic but I’m opting for the Blur album.
<b>Queen</b>... Could have been any really, but Queen 1 wins out.
<b>Nirvana</b>, Nevermind... it was a kick up the pants of the music scene and remains a classic. In Utero wasn’t far behind.
<b>AC/DC</b>... I think High Voltage narrowly beats Back In Black
<b>Eric Clapton</b>... he has to be in there somewhere, his live at the albert hall is great, his live with Stevie Winwood sublime, but I’ll go with Derek & The Dominoes, Layla and other assorted love songs.
Shame, I can’t fit in Chase and Status no more idols, The Prodigy Fat Of The Land or Eminem Marshall Mathers and the best of The Boomtown Rats/Bob Geldoff, but hey ho, I have nearly 1500 albums and I could be here all day if I continue!
Now it will slowly start to dawn on me who I’ve missed out!