Desert Island Albums - The Past 25 Years

[MJG-90]

I really, really miss WHFS 99.1! Man, do I miss that station.

I was in the Army at Fort Mead in the mid 90's. When I first got there, HFS was awesome. Then they started to do stupid things like broadcasting Love Line (Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla) and it went downhill.

Their unplugged segment was fantastic (Just Passin' Thru). Bands would stop by the studio and play acoustic versions of their songs between interview segments. I have a couple of CDs they sold with compilations of those sessions. Great stuff.

And their HFS-tivals were better than Lollapalooza. What a shame they fell apart.

 

[BBrown]

I was in the Army at Fort Mead in the mid 90's. When I first got there, HFS was awesome. Then they started to do stupid things like broadcasting Love Line (Dr. Drew and Adam Carolla) and it went downhill.

Their unplugged segment was fantastic (Just Passin' Thru). Bands would stop by the studio and play acoustic versions of their songs between interview segments. I have a couple of CDs they sold with compilations of those sessions. Great stuff.

And their HFS-tivals were better than Lollapalooza. What a shame they fell apart.

Their HFS-tivals were excellent, although I liked them better when they had them at the smaller venue in VA before they moved them to DC. Except the one year I went It must have been 100º. LOL.

 

[uhlerlion]

It's interesting to see Rancid's Out Come the Wolves repeated several times.

- Rancid - Out Come the Wolves
- Who - Who's Next
- Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- Talking Heads - the Soundtrack to Stop Making Sense
- Springsteen -
- REM - Automatic for the People
- English Beat - The Beat Goes On
- The Cranberries - Everyone else is doing it
- U2 - Achtung Baby
- Oasis - Morning Glory
- Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
- John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
- Johnny Mathis - Merry Christmas (this one is burned into my memories of the holidays)
- George Winston - December (reminds me of snowy days in Colorado)
etc, etc, etc .... Aw, f'it, just give me Spotify

PS - This thread is really a generational thing because the kids today don't listen to albums. I tried to have this conversation with my daughter about putting an album on and listen to the entire thing start to finish....NOT Interested. They just don't get it.

Not sure its not they dont get it, they may not know any better and are only used to whats fed to them or what they are used to.

One of my fav channels does a nice breakdown of his take on whats going on with Rock or Blues based music since the 2000's
again not all music is done this way but a very high percentage is

 

[Still in State College]

Bottle Rockets - 24-Hours a Day, Songs of Sahm
Wilco - AM, Being There
Los Lobos - Colossal Head
Son Volt - Trace, Wide Swing Tremolo
Steve Earle - El Corazon
Blue Mountain - Home Grown, Dog Days

 

[roswelllion]

Pick your top 10 Desert Island Albums - If you could only listen to 10 Albums the rest of your life, what would they be? The catch here is nothing before 1995, just the past 25 years. A tough task, I know, but here goes...in no particular order:

Radiohead - OK Computer
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Beck - Odelay
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
D'Angelo - Voodoo
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn...
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory
Los Lobos - Good Morning Aztlan
Radiohead - In Rainbows

you guys are all way to young. Clearly the top 10 albums of all time were all before 1995

 

[BBrown]

I was just considering who is missing...

Clash
The Cure
Morrisey
The Smiths
Motown
R&B/soul
very little country
Classical
Comedy

Yea but the 25 year is what did it.
If not then yes London Calling-The Clash
Strange Ways Here We Come-The Smiths
Bona Drag (a freaking great album)-Morrisey
Disintigration-The Cure

 

[NittanyChris]

Bottle Rockets - 24-Hours a Day, Songs of Sahm
Wilco - AM, Being There
Los Lobos - Colossal Head
Son Volt - Trace, Wide Swing Tremolo
Steve Earle - El Corazon
Blue Mountain - Home Grown, Dog Days

All great picks. Not familiar with Blue Mountain, I'll have to check them out. Los Lobos is one of the most criminally underrated American Rock and Roll bands ever.

 

[Still in State College]

All great pics. Not familiar with Blue Mountain, I'll have to check them out. Los Lobos is one of the most criminally underrated American Rock and Roll bands ever.

Definitely check them out. They had a semi hit with Blue Canoe. The band came out of the Hilltops after John Stirratt left to join Uncle Tupelo. It was a three piece Cary Hudson (guitar/vocals), Laurie Stirratt (twin sister, bass and vocals) and a series of drummers.

One of the greatest rock shows I was ever at was Los Lobos at the Chameleon in Lancaster in 1996.

 

[Colorado Lion]

Deserted Island, not Desert Island. The latter term is a common mistake and makes no sense in the context. The context is that you are alone (I.e. deserted), not that you found yourself on a anomalous island that is a desert.

Just a pet peeve of mine. Carry on

My picks - could only immediately come up with 7

Sublime - Sublime
Rancid - And out Came the Wolves
Wilco - AM
Son Volt - Trace and Wide Swing Tremulo
Sonny Landreth - South of I-10
RHCP - Californication

CT, you make a great point. An "anomalous island in the desert" made me laugh.

 

[NittanyChris]

There is a lot of terrific music being done right now and its across the board genre wise, well ok I'll leave country music out since I don't like it.
If people cant find it then they are beyond lazy because its easier than it has ever been.
You gave a terrific list, let me add a few more...
JS Ondara, Gary Clark, Leon Bridges, Sturgil Simpson, Alice Merton, Maggie Rogers,
Barns Coutney, Foals, Tame Impala, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, Black Pumas, Chicano Batman, The Districts (from Lititz, PA), Death Cab for Cutie...

What's a good entry album for Death Cab for Cutie? I need to give them a listen.

 

[BBrown]

What's a good entry album for Death Cab for Cutie? I need to give them a listen.

I'm a big fan but my favorite of theirs is Narrow Stairs.
Also check out The Postal Service (an off shoot of Death Cab). Such Great Heights is a fantastic song.

 

[MtNittany]

So this is like a prison sentence?

 

[fairfaxlion2]

Agree --some will argue that late 90's was the death of music with the improvements in computer based software for mixing and production. IE AutoTune Melodyne Pro Tools.

Napster ITunes also helped the decline where a single song matters and not a whole album

At the same time corporations were allowed to buy up radio stations Telecom act 1996 and standardized them all to be the same IE play the the same types of songs and same playlists that influence the "successful model" of what sells. Artists started moving towards the money aspect first, inadvertently, as the successful model needed to be followed

This doesnt mean good music isn't being produced today but it just doesn't get the airplay that it needs to gain traction. As mentioned some groups still produce some good stuff. The Getaway by RHCP comes to mind. Hopefully streaming services like Spotify will be a grassroots growth like it was in the 60's and 70s for many bands. Edit as per BBrown "Good music can be found today you just have to look for it"

By the late 1990s, the indie and punk rock that had its day in the sun was pushed aside, mostly, and albums were almost completely dead by the early 2000s, in favor of single mp3s. That was not a change for the better in music and It just won't ever be the same again.

 

[Scooter7427]

Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Radiohead-The Bends
The Notorious B.I.G.-Ready To Die
Modest Mouse- The Lonesome Crowded West
Elliott Smith-Either/Or
Dr. Dre-The Chronic.
Built To Spill-Keep It Like A Secret
Pinback- Summer In Abaddon
Quicksand- Slip
Nas- Illmatic

 

[Connorpozlee]

A Boy Named Goo was a great album that I neglected. I thought it came out later but it was released in ‘95.

 

[NittanyChris]

Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Radiohead-The Bends
The Notorious B.I.G.-Ready To Die
Modest Mouse- The Lonesome Crowded West
Elliott Smith-Either/Or
Dr. Dre-The Chronic.
Built To Spill-Keep It Like A Secret
Pinback- Summer In Abaddon
Quicksand- Slip
Nas- Illmatic

The Bends could have easily made 3 Radiohead albums in the top 10 for me, but I wanted to try and include some other folks. Such an incredible album.

 

[Connorpozlee]

The Bends could have easily made 3 Radiohead albums in the top 10 for me, but I wanted to try and include some other folks. Such an incredible album.

I’ve never quite gotten Radiohead and I can’t figure out what I’m missing. They seem like a band I should really like but I never quite get there with them.

 

[Scooter7427]

Modest Mouse so underrated.

 

[delcoLion]

Everyday by Dave Matthews Band

Kind of surprised that no one listed DMB at
all. I’m pushing 70 and DMB is the last band that I really liked. Most of my playlists are 60s, 70s & 80s with a heavy dose of classical Motown.

 

[NittanyChris]

I’ve never quite gotten Radiohead and I can’t figure out what I’m missing. They seem like a band I should really like but I never quite get there with them.

Try listening to The Bends again. It's a great entry point to Radiohead, guitar heavy, phenomenal record.

 

[Connorpozlee]

Try listening to The Bends again. It's a great entry point to Radiohead, guitar heavy, phenomenal record.

I’ll give it a shot.

 

[JeannieNeedsAShooter]

No mention of Fleet Foxes? All 3 albums are brilliant, especially the first 2.
David Gilmour - On an Island
Two Door Cinema Club - 1st album Tourist History is a lot of fun
Bob Dylan - Love and Theft, one of his all time best.

 

[Nitt1300]

give me Mark Knopfler's catalog and I'm good

 

[Scooter7427]

I’ve never quite gotten Radiohead and I can’t figure out what I’m missing. They seem like a band I should really like but I never quite get there with them.

This song is so good from Radiohead.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Everyday by Dave Matthews Band

Kind of surprised that no one listed DMB at
all. I’m pushing 70 and DMB is the last band that I really liked. Most of my playlists are 60s, 70s & 80s with a heavy dose of classical Motown.

I’d put the Lillywhite Sessions in my 10, assuming that we consider it an actual album.

 

[Erial_Lion]

A Boy Named Goo was a great album that I neglected. I thought it came out later but it was released in ‘95.

Agree completely, and definitely near the top of my list.

 

[Erial_Lion]

Staying local, John Cunningham’s Basement Bar Tapes would be in my list.

 

[SLion]

Lots of great stuff already listed but I would add:

- Soundtrack from O Brother where art thou (has never left my rotation in 20 years)

- Rage Against Machine - Evil Empire

- White Stripes - White Blood Cells

- Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

- Pavement - Wowee Zowee (arguable with Brighten the Corners)

- Beck - Guero (so fun and well balanced)

- Eva Cassidy - Eva By Heart (perhaps greatest unknown singer ever)

- Black Keys - Chulahoma (more EP but I don't care; awesome garage blues)

- Stanton Moore - All Kooked Out (coolest jazz funk album of 90s)

Damn, almost missed it - My Morning Jacket - Z (masterpiece)

 

[NittanyChris]

Lots of great stuff already listed but I would add:

- Soundtrack from O Brother where art thou (has never left my rotation in 20 years)

- Rage Against Machine - Evil Empire

- White Stripes - White Blood Cells

- Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.

- Pavement - Wowee Zowee (arguable with Brighten the Corners)

- Beck - Guero (so fun and well balanced)

- Eva Cassidy - Eva By Heart (perhaps greatest unknown singer ever)

- Black Keys - Chulahoma (more EP but I don't care; awesome garage blues)

- Stanton Moore - All Kooked Out (coolest jazz funk album of 90s)

Damn, almost missed it - My Morning Jacket - Z (masterpiece)

Great list!

 

[siff]

Pick your top 10 Desert Island Albums - If you could only listen to 10 Albums the rest of your life, what would they be? The catch here is nothing before 1995, just the past 25 years. A tough task, I know, but here goes...in no particular order:

Radiohead - OK Computer
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Beck - Odelay
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
D'Angelo - Voodoo
Fiona Apple - When The Pawn...
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory
Los Lobos - Good Morning Aztlan
Radiohead - In Rainbows

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Radiohead - OK Computer
Radiohead - The Bends
Black Keys - Attack & Release
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
Weezer - Pinkerton
DMB - Busted Stuff
Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Colie & The Infinite Sadness
Coldplay - X&Y
Pearl Jam - No Code (Love the 1st 6 tracks)

 

[NittanyChris]

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Radiohead - OK Computer
Radiohead - The Bends
Black Keys - Attack & Release
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City
Weezer - Pinkerton
DMB - Busted Stuff
Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Colie & The Infinite Sadness
Coldplay - X&Y
Pearl Jam - No Code (Love the 1st 6 tracks)

I like your list a LOT. My only quibble is that I don't see Attack & Release as the best Black Keys album.

 

[McCloudersportLion]

Curtains, I could have it all
The window, the view, the second story fall

 

[Grant Green]

Great topic.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Tame Impala - Lonerism
John Scofield - A Go Go
Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
Khraungbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Apples in Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution
Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldier
Wood Brothers - The Muse

Just missed
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (just missed by one year)

Honorable Mention
Son Volt - Trace. Loved it when it came out, but don't listen much anymore

 

[Still in State College]

Seeing O' Brother where art Thou reminded me of another great compilation Album, Rig Rock Deluxe (1996). A musical tribute to the American Truck Driver Great group of performers doing a great selection of songs.

 

[NittanyChris]

Great topic.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass
Tame Impala - Innerspeaker
Tame Impala - Lonerism
John Scofield - A Go Go
Foxygen - We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic
Khraungbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Apples in Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution
Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldier
Wood Brothers - The Muse

Just missed
Ween - Chocolate and Cheese (just missed by one year)

Honorable Mention
Son Volt - Trace. Loved it when it came out, but don't listen much anymore

Nice list! Love The Jayhawks and I had thought TTGG was older than 25 years but it just made it.

 

[not so fast my friend]

Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head
Dashboard Confessional - Alter the Ending
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up the Girl
Coldplay - X&Y
Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Green Day - Dookie
Evanescence - Fallen

 

[Connorpozlee]

Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head
Dashboard Confessional - Alter the Ending
Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up the Girl
Coldplay - X&Y
Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Green Day - Dookie
Evanescence - Fallen

Dookie came out in ‘94. I looked it up because I would have had to amend my list to include it.

 

[Grant Green]

Nice list! Love The Jayhawks and I had thought TTGG was older than 25 years but it just made it.

Yep. I double checked it. I would have gone Rainy Day Music otherwise.

Liked your list as well.

 

[Erial_Lion]

After taking a day to think about it...

DMB - Crash
DMB - Lillywhite Sessions
Fun - Some Nights
Fun Lovin Criminals - Come Find Yourself
Goo Goo Dolls - A Boy Named Goo
John Cunningham - Basement Bar Tapes
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Notorious BIG - Life After Death
Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Sublime - Sublime

Was really close on Jay Z/Linkin Park's Collision Course, but if I'm limited to 10, don't want to use one on something that's just 6 songs.

 

[siff]

I like your list a LOT. My only quibble is that I don't see Attack & Release as the best Black Keys album.

May not be the Black Keys best according to others or critics, but it is the one I like the best-a lot of great songs. Attack & Release still had that rough edge to it, but you could also see their music expanding into other areas. With that being said, it is very hard for me to choose a "best" Black Keys album as I really like all their material with the exception of "Let's Rock". Seen them twice in concert and they are a great live band!