I think you should weight later years with more albums per year because the quantity of music released is so much greater these days. You could take 10-15 per year from the 60s, 15-20 per year from the 70s and 80s, and 30 per year from the 90s on. That would be about 1000.

hunky dory

KPH

Thanks, but no AIM here. I'm sure I'll pick it up eventually.

100.Bruce Springsteen-Born To Run(1975)
99.Sonic Youth-Dirty(1992)
98.Jane's Addiction-Nothing's Shocking(1988)
97.Spoon-Series of Sneaks(1998)
96.Spoon-Girls Can Tell(2001)
95-Nick Drake-Five Leaves Left(1969)
94.Slint-Spiderland(1991)
93.Buzzcocks-Singles Going Steady(1979)
92.Belle & Sebastian-If You're Feeling Sinister(1996)
91.Replacements-Tim(1985)
90.Fugazi-13 Songs(1990)
89.Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures(1979)
88.Bob Dylan-Blood On The Tracks(1975)
87.Flaming Lips-Transmissions From The Satellite Heart(1993)
86.Shins-Oh Inverted World(2001)
85.Built To Spill-Perfect From Now On(1997)
84-Dismemberment Plan-Emergency & I(1999)
83.Rolling Stones-Let It Bleed(1969)
82.Liz Phair-Exile In Guyville(1993)
81.Sigur Rós- Ágætis Byrjun(1999)
80.De La Soul-Three Feet High And Rising(1989)
79.Yo La Tengo-I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One(1997)
78.U2-Achtung Baby(1991)
77.Neil Young-Harvest(1972)
76.Modest Mouse-The Moon & Antarctica(2000)
75.The Verve-Urban Hymns(1997)
74.Wu-Tang Clan-Enter The Wu-Tang(36 Chambers)(1993)
73.Joy Division-Closer(1980)
72.Nick Drake-Pink Moon(1972)
71.Tricky-Maxinquaye(1995)
70.Beck-Odelay(1996)
69.Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs(1999)
68.Violent Femmes-Violent Femmes(1983)
67.Gang of Four-Entertainment(1979)
66.Wire-Pink Flag(1977)
65.Replacements-Pleased To Meet Me(1987)
64.The Beatles-Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band(1967)
63.A Tribe Called Quest-The Low End Theory(1991)
62.Elvis Costello-My Aim Is True(1977)
61.Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisted(1965)
60.Guided By Voices-Bee Thousand(1995)
59.Marvin Gaye-What's Going On(1971)
58.Elvis Costello-This Year's Model(1978)
57.Massive Attack-Mezzanine(1998)
56.XTC-Skylarking(1986)
55.U2-The Unforgettable Fire(1984)
54.Van Morrison-Astral Weeks(1968)
53.Radiohead-Kid A(2000)
52.Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot(2002)
51.Nirvana-In Utero(1993)
50.Ramones-Ramones(1976)
49.Built To Spill-Keep It Like A Secret(1999)
48.Bob Dylan-Blonde On Blonde(1966)
47.Morphine-Cure For Pain(1993)
46.Wilco-Being There(1996)
45.Beatles-Rubber Soul(1965)
44.Guided By Voices-Alien Lanes(1995)
43.Rolling Stones-Sticky Fingers(1971)
42.Rolling Stones-Exile On Main Street(1972)
41.Talking Heads-Remain In Light(1980)
40.Miles Davis-Kind of Blue(1959)
39.The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses(1989)
38.Weezer-Weezer(1994)
37.The Sex Pistols-Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols(1977)
36.R.E.M.-Murmur(1983)
35.The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead(1986)
34.Wilco-Summer Teeth(1999)
33.Velvet Underground-Loaded(1970)
32.Afghan Whigs-Gentlemen(1993)
31.Public Enemy-Fear Of A Black Planet(1990)
30.Portishead-Dummy(1994)
29.Minutemen-Double Nickels On The Dime(1984)
28.Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation(1988)
27.Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream(1993)
26.Velvet Underground-Velvet Underground And Nico(1967)
25.DJ Shadow-Entroducing(1996)
24.Television-Marquee Moon(1977)
23.Pavement-Slanted And Enchanted(1992)
22.Pixies-Surfer Rosa(1988)
21.The Clash-The Clash(1977 U.S. 1979 U.K.)
20.Beastie Boys-Paul's Boutique(1989)
19.Pavement-Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain(1994)
18.Public Enemy-It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back(1988)
17.The Beatles-Abbey Road(1969)
16.Jeff Buckley-Grace(1994)
15.The Beatles-The Beatles - a.k.a. The White Album(1968)
14.The Who-Who's Next(1971)
13.My Bloody Valentine-Loveless(1991)
12.Neutral Milk Hotel-In The Aereoplane Over The Sea(1998)
11.U2-The Joshua Tree(1987)
10.The Cure-Disintegration(1989)
9.David Bowie-The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars(1972)
8.Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin(1999)
7.Nirvana-Nevermind(1991)
6.The Pixies-Doolittle(1989)
5.The Beatles-Revolver(1966)
4.The Beach Boys-Pet Sounds(1966)
3.Radiohead-The Bends(1995)
2.Radiohead-OK Computer(1997)
1.The Clash-London Calling(1979)

I really like this idea, but it would be a massive undertaking and right now I'm in my busy season. I'm thinking this might be a project I'd like to start at the beginning of summer. I've got some ideas how we could do it with out having everyone make a standard list and submitting them.

Dude, have you not gone to lunch yet?

What are you gonna get?

Disco Inferno - DI Go Pop

Quantity is way higher, but I don't think the number of essential albums per year is higher. I'd say it's much lower from my perspective, but it probably depends somewhat on when you grew up. But do you really think there are more essential albums released every year now than in 1967? Or 1969? Or 1972? Or 1977? Or 1980? Or even 1989?

Not a criticism - just curious

Television - Marquee Moon

I'll have to wait till tonight to listen though.

thanks puma.

wow, only 1 bowie album on that list?

KPH

You'll love it.

actually I do....in comparing 1989 (when several hundred records were released) directly to say, 2000, (when several thousand records were released) I would expect to find a lot more essential records in the latter year.

artists with multiple great albums got marginalized quite a bit.

Just out of curiosity, did you get the remaster with bonus tracks? I've often wondered if those were worthwhile...

Anyway, good choice. The first half of that album is absolute perfection.

Can't go wrong with that choice, should be in every record collection.

If I'd have gotten here in time I may have made these suggestions...

'50s: Buddy Holly - Legend

'60s: Love - Forever Changes

'70s: Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady

'80s: Camper van Beethoven - Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweethearts

Reggae: Toots & the Maytals - Funky Kingston

Yeah, it has the bonus tracks. I'm really busy today so I'm not going to really get a chance to hear the album from beginning to end till tonight.

I picked up a used copy of this for $5 not too long ago.

It's great (especially at that price), but there are tons of albums from the '80s that I'd recommend above it.

I bought this months ago and haven't been able to get into just yet. I need to devote time to this album or maybe the hype has led to a let down.

Just go back and listen to the title track.
Listen to how all four instruments intertwine: one guitar on one beat, the bass on another, and the other guitar on yet a third. It's so spare, yet so fucking complex all at the same time. Listen to the interplay and I think you'll start to gain an appreciation for it.

I may have to dig out my "Big Bang" ROIR cassette tonight. Their cover of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is stellar.

I totally and wholeheartedly endorse this suggestion. Can't go wrong with this disc (followed very closely by Ziggy Stardust).