100 Pop Albums That Still Warm My Heart!

One day I saw another of those “Greatest Albums” lists—and it depressed me—so I decided to make my own, very personal, list—and (after pulling out the rest of my hair) it made me happy. I made a few rules: no jazz (or else it would be all jazz), one record per artist (though a couple snuck in), and no compilations (again, a few exceptions). These are albums that meant a lot to me (though, in some cases, admittedly, live shows have influenced me), and a lot of this is obviously based in nostalgia. It’s all music that I can, and do, still listen to—and I relistened to all of these—and rediscovered my love for some of them. That was the point.

100 The Who – Quadrophenia (1973)

99 The Archies – Everything’s Archie (1969)

98 Nick Drake – Pink Moon (1972)

97 Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

96 Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

95 Black Randy and the Metrosquad – Pass the Dust, I Think I’m Bowie (1979)

94 Tommy Roe – 12 in a Roe (1969)

93 Dory Previn – Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign (1972)

92 Electric Light Orchestra – Eldorado (1974)

91 Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)

90 Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)

89 Public Image Ltd – Public Image: First Issue (1978)

88 Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

87 Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)

86 Lee Ranaldo – From Here to Infinity (1987)

85 David Johansen – David Johansen (1978)

84 Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969)

83 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Tender Prey (1988)

82 Mono – Formica Blues (1997)

81 Dead Boys – Young, Loud and Snotty (1977)

80 Mark Eitzel – Caught in a Trap and I Can’t Back Out ’Cause I Love You Too Much, Baby (1998)

79 The Mountain Goats – All Hail West Texas (2002)

78 The Beatles – The Beatles (White Album) (1968)

77 Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)

76 Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model (1978)

75 Barry White – Stone Gon’ (1973)

74 Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica (1969)

73 Destroyer – Ken (2017)

72 Chicago – Chicago IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits (1975)

71 Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

70 The Gun Club – Fire of Love (1981)

69 The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs (1999)

68 Elliott Smith – Either/Or (1997)

67 Prince – 1999 (1982)

66 Rolling Stones – Exile on Main St. (1972)

65 Randy Newman – Sail Away (1972)

64 New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1973)

63 George Jones – I Am What I Am (1980)

62 Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

61 Pussy Galore – Exile on Main St. (1986)

60 John Prine – John Prine (1971)

59 Sly & The Family Stone – Greatest Hits (1970)

58 My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)

57 Fuzzhead – I Saw the Best Minds of My Generation Rock (1996)

56 John Phillips – John, the Wolf King of L.A. (1970)

55 Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell! (2019)

54 Half Japanese – Sing No Evil (1985)

53 The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced (1967)

52 The B-52’s – The B-52’s (1979)

51 15-60-75 – Jimmy Bell’s Still in Town (1976)

50 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Naturally (2005)

49 Contortions/Teenage Jesus and the Jerks/Mars/DNA – No New York (1978)

48 Talking Heads – Fear of Music (1979)

47 The Mamas & the Papas – If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears (1966)

46 Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Mirror Traffic (2011)

45 Alice Cooper – School’s Out (1972)

44 The Kinks – Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One (1970)

43 Tammy Wynette – Bedtime Story (1972)

42 American Music Club – Mercury (1993)

41 Cruel, Cruel Moon – Still Life (1996)

40 Donald Fagen – Morph the Cat (2006)

39 Richard Hell and the Voidoids – Blank Generation (1977)

38 The Sugarman 3 – Sweet Spot (2001)

37 Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties!! (1977)

36 Scott Walker – Scott 3 (1969)

35 Cat Power – Moon Pix (1998)

34 Joy Division – Closer (1980)

33 Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

32 The Stooges – Raw Power (1973)

31 Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (1993)

30 The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)

29 The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

28 Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)

27 Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971)

26 Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones (1983)

25 Michael Franks – Time Together (2011)

24 Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – Nancy & Lee (1968)

23 Television – Marquee Moon (1977)

22 Sammi Smith – Something Old, Something New, Something Blue (1972)

21 Magic Sam – Give Me Time (1991)

20 Frank Kogan – Stars Vomit Coffee Shop (1984)

19 Frank Sinatra – Watertown (1970)

18 Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)

17 Macy Gray – On How Life Is (1999)

16 Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice – Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera (1970)

15 Iggy Pop – New Values (1979)

14 Mott the Hoople – The Hoople (1974)

13 Skeeter Davis – What Does It Take (To Keep a Man Like You Satisfied) (1967)

12 J Dilla – Donuts (2006)

11 Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

10 Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night (1975)

9 Silver Jews – Bright Flight (2001)

8 The Cramps – Psychedelic Jungle (1981)

7 Tulip Sweet and Her Trail of Tears – Cry (2002)

6 Steely Dan – Countdown to Ecstasy (1973)

5 Richard Harris – The Yard Went on Forever (1968)

4 Bob Dylan & The Band – The Basement Tapes (1975)

3 Lou Reed – Berlin (1973)

2 David Bowie – Diamond Dogs (1974)

1 Pere Ubu – Dub Housing (1978)

Randy Russell 12.24.22