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Every now and then I go to write about a list of albums that I believe that everyone simply must hear/own, but inevitably stop and freak out because a) there are so many albums in the world, and how could I POSSIBLY narrow it down to a select few?! (Really, how could I, without creating the world’s biggest blog post ever?!); b) I keep discovering new music that I fall in love with ALL THE TIME, and therefore feel it would be unfair to all of the other albums out there that my ears haven’t even met yet to create a list of essentials; and c) everyone has their own opinion about what constitutes as an excellent musical experience, and I kind of don’t want to have to receive any ‘’HOW DARE YOU FORGET TO MENTION BILLY RAY CYRUS’S SOME GAVE ALL?!’’-esque e-mails because of this. Eek!

But! This isn’t to say that we can’t discuss the albums that have changed, shaped or improved our lives now in some way now, is it? No! So! Here are the top six albums that have significantly made a difference to my life in one way or another over the years, and I would love to hear about yours!

1. The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Oh, Ringo, Paul, John and George. This album of yours is the first that I can ever remember hearing and as a result, I can still rattle off almost all of the words to Octopus’s Garden! (Which I’m REALLY hoping will prove useful in a trivia competition or something one day, but so far? No dice!)

2. The Ramones - Ramones

Trailing closely behind The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the 'Albums I Was Raised On' department, The Ramones’ self-titled debut was on high rotation throughout my childhood and I’m 99.9% convinced that this is why I love rock music today! Which makes no sense as I list the next album (and yes, I know that The Ramones are technically a PUNK-rock band, but hey, who wants to get  all genre-y and stuff?!), but anyway.. incongruity is FUN!

3. The Spice Girls - Spice

Sheesh, I can almost hear the deafening roar of laughter from here! Stop it! (But honestly?! Hush! I still listen to most of these songs!) Buying this album was ludicrously exciting not only because it featured Wannabe and 2 Become 1 and oh, did I love those songs, but because it was an actual CD, and NOT the cheaper option of a tape! HALLELUJAH! No more rewinding! No more feverishly sitting beside the radio and waiting to hear Wannabe and quickly pressing the ‘record’ button to capture it! Wonderful!

4. Silverchair - Neon Ballroom

Prior to owning this album, my stereo had been sitting in a dust-covered state of loneliness for years. The Spice Girls had long broken up, everything on the radio seemed boring and repetitive, and all of a sudden, the sheer thought of pop music left a surprisingly unpleasant taste in my mouth. And then I heard Anthem Of The Year 2000 and oh hello, all of a sudden, my stereo had a new friend to play with! (A lot.) I listened to this album endlessly and swooned over singer Daniel Johns just as regularly, and this was probably the moment where I first recognised that actually, there was a reason why I didn't love The Backstreet Boys or 'NSYNC, but identified with my parents' collection of rock and roll so much more. (And that's because I adored pot pants. Okay, not really!)

 5. Tool - Aenima

A boy at my high school introduced me to this album and I will always be forever grateful for this, because in addition to being one of my favourite albums of all time, it was also the inspiration behind my learning to play guitar, and the subject of one of the first conversations that my now-boyfriend-of-six-years and I ever shared! (The only person who possibly WASN'T so thrilled about this discovery was my mother, who after being initiated to these songs by hearing them thundering through the hallway at home 24/7, quickly became acquainted with the likes of Slipknot, Metallica, and Pantera, too, and made ''YOU'RE NOT PLAYING THOSE SCREAMING MEN AGAIN, ARE YOU?!'' her favourite line. Love!)

6. Queen - Greatest Hits 1,11 & 111

And finally, Queen's three-disc extravaganza, Greatest Hits 1,11 and 111. Where do I even begin to start by saying how much I love this album except for, well, I LOVE this album?! My boyfriend introduced me to Queen years ago and ever since then, as ridiculous as it sounds, they've sort of become like the musical equivalent of a blanket to me: extremely comforting. I listen to them when I'm sad, I listen to them when I'm happy, and I listen to them for no reason at all except for the fact that their unique, heavy-rock-infused-with-opera sound blows me away every single time. 

♥

Tell me! Madonna's Like A Virgin? Justin Timberlake's Justified? Nirvana's Bleach? What are the albums that have changed YOUR life, and why?

xoxo

(Images thanks to The Album Artwork Archive and Wikipedia.)

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