Some of these may make people laugh, but that’s okay. You’ll probably notice that a large percentage of these are ‘90s albums….albums that appeared during my college years. I suppose that’s mainly just because of the memories that will always be intertwined with that music. To paraphrase a Better Than Ezra song (that is from an album that is, ironically, not on my list), these albums are a soundtrack for a place in time.
Here’s my list, roughly in chronological order:
1. Stryper – “To Hell With The Devil” - Why It's On The List: I absolutely loved this album back when I was in middle school. I actually saw them live in 1989 and had backstage passes and got to meet the band. The highlight of that concert was when they played "To Hell With the Devil" during the encore and the drum set started spinning around. This was my first real concert and, as a 14 year old kid, I was in awe.
2. U2 – “The Joshua Tree” - Why It's On The List: My guess is that this one would be on the list of a lot of people my age, including a lot of you. In the midst of the hair bands and the synthesizers that dominated '80s music, this album soundly singularly different. Edge's guitar, Bono's vocals. Three gigantic worldwide hits. "With or Without You" is probably still my favorite song of all time. Favorite Lyric: "Sleight of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait."
3. Nirvana – “Nevermind” - Why It's On The List: Another landmark record that ushered in a sea change in music. Out went hair bands and in came flannel-clad grunge. This was a record that was played over and over again during my senior year in high school. The video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was iconic.
4. Metallica – "Metallica" - Why It's On The List: I played this one constantly during my senior year in high school. I remember driving my parent's minivan full of friends to road football games with this album blaring out of the tape deck.
5. Garth Brooks – “Ropin’ The Wind” - Why It's On The List: This was the first album that really got me interested in country music. During the summer of 1992, I listened to this album (as well as Garth's first two albums) almost non-stop. Before that, I had no interest at all in country music, so it's almost as if this album opened up another whole genre of music to me. Favorite Lyric: "Just for laughs, I dialed her old number, but no one knew her name / Hung up the phone, sat there and wondered if she'd ever done the same."
6. Pearl Jam – “Ten” - Why It's On The List: This album was ubiquitous during my freshman year at Baylor. I don't think there was ever a time when this album wasn't playing somewhere in my dorm that year. Favorite Lyric: "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky but why, why, why can't it be, can't it be mine?"
7. Brooks & Dunn – “Brand New Man” - Why It's On The List: This was the first non-Garth Brooks country album that I bought and really enjoyed. As someone who has always gravitated toward sad or wistful songs (see some of my lyric selections on this list), this one had no shortage of those. "Neon Moon" is still one of my all time favorite sad songs. Favorite Lyric: "If you lose your one and only / There's always room here for the lonely / To watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon"
8. Gin Blossoms – “New Miserable Experience” - Why It's On The List: More than 20 years later, this is still my favorite album of all time. It's jangly, pop-rock perfection. There's not a bad song on the album and I listened to it constantly during my sophomore year at Baylor (as I'm sure my roommates would attest.) "Hey Jealousy," "Found Out About You," "Allison Road" and on and on. Favorite Lyrics: "When you're in the company of strangers or just the strangers you call friends" and "There's no intentions worthy of mention if we never try, so hang your hopes on rusted-out hinges, take 'em for a ride" and "Streetlights break on through the car window, I get the time too often on AM radio"
9. Stone Temple Pilots – “Purple” - Why It's On The List: Another of those frequently played records from my college years. "Interstate Love Song" is one of my favorite songs from my college years - two and half minutes of arena rock perfection. Favorite Lyric: "If you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend"
10. Sarah McLachlan - "Solace" - Why It's On The List: Songs from this record, especially the first half of it, instantly transport to night time drives on rural Central Texas roads. Every single time - and the funny part is that I didn't even own the album at the time. I didn't buy it until after college. Favorite Lyric: "So I ran like the wind to the water, please don't leave me again I cried / And I threw bitter tears at the ocean, but all that came back was the tide."
11. Green Day – “Dookie” - Why It's On The List: Yet another of those frequently played records from my college years. Every time I hear "When I Come Around," I remember driving Nellie (my college friends will recall that was what I named my car) back to my apartment after a service project at LaRue's Learning Center in Waco. Don't ask me why that memory sticks in my head - it just does. Favorite Lyric: "I am one of those melodramatic fools, neurotic to the bone no doubt about it."
12. Better Than Ezra – “Deluxe” - Why It's On the List: This is one of my all-time favorites and I can still sing every lyric of every song, even if I haven't listened to it for months. Another one without any bad songs. Favorite Lyric: "For everyone there's a person, place or time / That brings you back and makes you feel alive / Before your reason clouds your eyes / When you could rule the world if you wanted to." When you think about it, that lyric actually sums up this entire list!
13. Hootie and the Blowfish – “Cracked Rear View” - Why It's On The List: First of all, don’t laugh! I loved this record before most people had heard it. I saw them play a club in Dallas right before “Let Her Cry” exploded and that concert was one of the highlights of my 4 years of college. There were about a dozen of us that drove up from Waco to Dallas to see the concert and we didn't get back until about 3 in the morning. It was an amazing experience. I still remember the first time I heard "Hold My Hand" and thought to myself - wow, who are these guys? Favorite Lyric: "I'm gonna pout at you until I get my way."
14. Edwin McCain – “Honor Among Thieves” - Why It's On The List: Interestingly, the only reason I had even heard of Edwin was because he opened for Hootie at the aforementioned concert in Dallas. He was terrific, so I felt like I had to check out his music. This is another album that instantly transports me back to late night drives through Central Texas. One song in particular, "Sorry to a Friend," is a song that takes my breath away every time I listen to it - it's powerful, heartbreaking stuff. Favorite Lyric: "We had wonderful times but terrible timing."
15. Randy Rogers Band – “Rollercoaster” - Why It's On The List: This is the album that turned me on to “Texas Country/Red Dirt” music and bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, Turnpike Troubadours, etc. While I love songs and albums by all of those groups, without Rollercoaster, I'm not sure I'd have ever heard of any of those other groups. I just saw Randy Rogers Band in concert last week and, fortunately, they played several songs off this record even though it's more than a decade old. Favorite Lyrics: "I'm not saying it's sink or swim, but I've already jumped in" and "Tonight's not the night to play it safe or take it easy or waste anymore precious time / No, tonight's not the night to watch you get in your car and leave me, no tonight's not the night for goodbye."
16. Turnpike Troubadours - "Diamonds and Gasoline" - Why It's On The List: This is probably my favorite album over the past 10 years. Great muscianship - plenty of fiddle, if that's your sort of thing - and Evan Felker's lyrics are terrific. "7 & 7" is my favorite song on the record and one of my favorite songs of the last decade. While their latest record has gotten almost universally positive reviews, this one is still my favorite of theirs. The first time I heard a song off it - "Kansas City Southern," I can tell you exactly where I was - working out at the Y. Favorite Lyric: "Ain't it strange how well I knew you back when I was 17 / Lovin' you was easy, babe, but I was just a child / These days, you ain't nothing, just an interstate daydream / Folks were sleepin' while we were runnin' wild"
There you have it - the albums that will always stick with me. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my world and I'd love to hear what albums would be on your list and why.
Thanks for reading!
- Tim
Here’s my list, roughly in chronological order:
1. Stryper – “To Hell With The Devil” - Why It's On The List: I absolutely loved this album back when I was in middle school. I actually saw them live in 1989 and had backstage passes and got to meet the band. The highlight of that concert was when they played "To Hell With the Devil" during the encore and the drum set started spinning around. This was my first real concert and, as a 14 year old kid, I was in awe.
2. U2 – “The Joshua Tree” - Why It's On The List: My guess is that this one would be on the list of a lot of people my age, including a lot of you. In the midst of the hair bands and the synthesizers that dominated '80s music, this album soundly singularly different. Edge's guitar, Bono's vocals. Three gigantic worldwide hits. "With or Without You" is probably still my favorite song of all time. Favorite Lyric: "Sleight of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait."
3. Nirvana – “Nevermind” - Why It's On The List: Another landmark record that ushered in a sea change in music. Out went hair bands and in came flannel-clad grunge. This was a record that was played over and over again during my senior year in high school. The video for "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was iconic.
4. Metallica – "Metallica" - Why It's On The List: I played this one constantly during my senior year in high school. I remember driving my parent's minivan full of friends to road football games with this album blaring out of the tape deck.
5. Garth Brooks – “Ropin’ The Wind” - Why It's On The List: This was the first album that really got me interested in country music. During the summer of 1992, I listened to this album (as well as Garth's first two albums) almost non-stop. Before that, I had no interest at all in country music, so it's almost as if this album opened up another whole genre of music to me. Favorite Lyric: "Just for laughs, I dialed her old number, but no one knew her name / Hung up the phone, sat there and wondered if she'd ever done the same."
6. Pearl Jam – “Ten” - Why It's On The List: This album was ubiquitous during my freshman year at Baylor. I don't think there was ever a time when this album wasn't playing somewhere in my dorm that year. Favorite Lyric: "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky but why, why, why can't it be, can't it be mine?"
7. Brooks & Dunn – “Brand New Man” - Why It's On The List: This was the first non-Garth Brooks country album that I bought and really enjoyed. As someone who has always gravitated toward sad or wistful songs (see some of my lyric selections on this list), this one had no shortage of those. "Neon Moon" is still one of my all time favorite sad songs. Favorite Lyric: "If you lose your one and only / There's always room here for the lonely / To watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams of a neon moon"
8. Gin Blossoms – “New Miserable Experience” - Why It's On The List: More than 20 years later, this is still my favorite album of all time. It's jangly, pop-rock perfection. There's not a bad song on the album and I listened to it constantly during my sophomore year at Baylor (as I'm sure my roommates would attest.) "Hey Jealousy," "Found Out About You," "Allison Road" and on and on. Favorite Lyrics: "When you're in the company of strangers or just the strangers you call friends" and "There's no intentions worthy of mention if we never try, so hang your hopes on rusted-out hinges, take 'em for a ride" and "Streetlights break on through the car window, I get the time too often on AM radio"
9. Stone Temple Pilots – “Purple” - Why It's On The List: Another of those frequently played records from my college years. "Interstate Love Song" is one of my favorite songs from my college years - two and half minutes of arena rock perfection. Favorite Lyric: "If you should die before me ask if you can bring a friend"
10. Sarah McLachlan - "Solace" - Why It's On The List: Songs from this record, especially the first half of it, instantly transport to night time drives on rural Central Texas roads. Every single time - and the funny part is that I didn't even own the album at the time. I didn't buy it until after college. Favorite Lyric: "So I ran like the wind to the water, please don't leave me again I cried / And I threw bitter tears at the ocean, but all that came back was the tide."
11. Green Day – “Dookie” - Why It's On The List: Yet another of those frequently played records from my college years. Every time I hear "When I Come Around," I remember driving Nellie (my college friends will recall that was what I named my car) back to my apartment after a service project at LaRue's Learning Center in Waco. Don't ask me why that memory sticks in my head - it just does. Favorite Lyric: "I am one of those melodramatic fools, neurotic to the bone no doubt about it."
12. Better Than Ezra – “Deluxe” - Why It's On the List: This is one of my all-time favorites and I can still sing every lyric of every song, even if I haven't listened to it for months. Another one without any bad songs. Favorite Lyric: "For everyone there's a person, place or time / That brings you back and makes you feel alive / Before your reason clouds your eyes / When you could rule the world if you wanted to." When you think about it, that lyric actually sums up this entire list!
13. Hootie and the Blowfish – “Cracked Rear View” - Why It's On The List: First of all, don’t laugh! I loved this record before most people had heard it. I saw them play a club in Dallas right before “Let Her Cry” exploded and that concert was one of the highlights of my 4 years of college. There were about a dozen of us that drove up from Waco to Dallas to see the concert and we didn't get back until about 3 in the morning. It was an amazing experience. I still remember the first time I heard "Hold My Hand" and thought to myself - wow, who are these guys? Favorite Lyric: "I'm gonna pout at you until I get my way."
14. Edwin McCain – “Honor Among Thieves” - Why It's On The List: Interestingly, the only reason I had even heard of Edwin was because he opened for Hootie at the aforementioned concert in Dallas. He was terrific, so I felt like I had to check out his music. This is another album that instantly transports me back to late night drives through Central Texas. One song in particular, "Sorry to a Friend," is a song that takes my breath away every time I listen to it - it's powerful, heartbreaking stuff. Favorite Lyric: "We had wonderful times but terrible timing."
15. Randy Rogers Band – “Rollercoaster” - Why It's On The List: This is the album that turned me on to “Texas Country/Red Dirt” music and bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed, Reckless Kelly, Turnpike Troubadours, etc. While I love songs and albums by all of those groups, without Rollercoaster, I'm not sure I'd have ever heard of any of those other groups. I just saw Randy Rogers Band in concert last week and, fortunately, they played several songs off this record even though it's more than a decade old. Favorite Lyrics: "I'm not saying it's sink or swim, but I've already jumped in" and "Tonight's not the night to play it safe or take it easy or waste anymore precious time / No, tonight's not the night to watch you get in your car and leave me, no tonight's not the night for goodbye."
16. Turnpike Troubadours - "Diamonds and Gasoline" - Why It's On The List: This is probably my favorite album over the past 10 years. Great muscianship - plenty of fiddle, if that's your sort of thing - and Evan Felker's lyrics are terrific. "7 & 7" is my favorite song on the record and one of my favorite songs of the last decade. While their latest record has gotten almost universally positive reviews, this one is still my favorite of theirs. The first time I heard a song off it - "Kansas City Southern," I can tell you exactly where I was - working out at the Y. Favorite Lyric: "Ain't it strange how well I knew you back when I was 17 / Lovin' you was easy, babe, but I was just a child / These days, you ain't nothing, just an interstate daydream / Folks were sleepin' while we were runnin' wild"
There you have it - the albums that will always stick with me. I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my world and I'd love to hear what albums would be on your list and why.
Thanks for reading!
- Tim
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