Before I started to make and perform music. I was first a fan of music. I bounced from generation to generation of artists learning more about their past and learning more about music and what is that “it” factor that makes albums so great. music can add so much energy into your life and when you find an entire album you can vibe with, its not only a very rare occurrence, its something you should keep in your mind like that trophy you won in a sixth grade track meet.

10- Broken Social Scene By Broken Social Scene

Broken Social Scene is a self titled album that the band released in 2005. This record featured a lot of experimentation, the band also claims that in this album they had up to 19 people working on one song, which does explain the spontaneous feel to this album. It features tons of unique melodies, drum patterns, and guitar rifts that I had never heard before listening to this album and earned tons of praise by Indie music fans and critics for being so successfully experimental.

9- Nevermind- Nirvana

Nirvana shaped 15 years maybe even more of the music industry. And it all started with their first album, Nevermind, with the classic 90’s attitude and the get up and move energy embodies everything 90’s with overdrive and distortion being used to perfection on each of the tracks the alternative rock scene was born. Even to this day its hard to walk down the hallways of a Jr. High without spotting a Nirvana shirt or two. even though only making three studio albums before the death of the lead singer Curt Kobain, Nirvana still proves to influence musicians still today.

8- Kanye West- The Life of Pablo

This is the first album from the 2010’s- present to make my top ten list. and it is well earned. this is the first album where Kanye features Sunday Service, a religious choir that sing in the first track “Ultralight Beam” this song sets the whole tone of the album, providing a chart topping christian rap song (never though I would ever say that until this album released.) but still has a little spice of 2008 old Kanye that takes the mic away from Taylor Swift while showing glimpses of the Kanye we know today that prefers to sing gospel and perform Sunday Service. and Implementing gospel into popular music today.

7- good kid, mA.A.d city

This album is regarded as one of the best conceptual albums of the decade as well as in music history. It tell the story of a young Kendrick Lamar dreaming about becoming a superstar and getting into legal trouble along the way. The lyricism on this album is on another level as well as using songs to display incredibly detailed stories, such as hanging out and being obnoxious with his friends to being peer pressured into doing things that he would normally not do, as well as consequences of those actions. I highly recommend everyone listening to this album.

6- 2014 forest hill drive, J. Cole

In 2014, It seemed like J. Cole was a part of any drive to anywhere. J. Cole’s 2014 Forest Hill Drive was not only very popular, but much like good kid, mA.A.d city, Cole used exceptional lyricism as well as some of the best hooks that I have ever heard constantly throughout the entirety of the album.

5- Brothers, The Black Keys

This album is a alternative rock master piece. Unlike a lot of alternative rock, This album does such a great job of harnessing blues and turning the roots of America’s music into a alternative rock sound that was pioneering its time. the album shows off both a dark side where it really digs into the roots of blues, with songs such as ten cent pistol, and also implements modern era (for 2011) music styles into their Chicago- blues heavy music.

4- IV-Led Zeppelin

It’s hard for me to figure out what album from led zeppelin I should put, there are so many good options and so little spots on a top ten list. but the IV album stands out among the pack. with some one the most recognizabe songs of led zeppelin on this album like Stairway to Heaven and Black Dog, rock and roll, and going to California among others, this album sports a all star list of chart topping songs that continue to make headway almost fifty years after it’s initial release in 1971.

3- Live at Foldsom Prison, Johnny Cash

You probably didn’t expect a country album on this list, but I grew up on country and it will always have a place in my heart, honestly, county is still one of my favorite genres. But this album has to be one of the best live performances in the history of music performance, and the fact that they recorded it for a album is even more satisfying, let alone in a prison. hearing announcements in between songs, the cheering after the songs, and what is a very cool feeling when listening to this album, is the near silence of these men in Folsom Prison, when johnny is performing, I can only imagine what it was like to be there.

2- Blonde, Frank Ocean

Frank oceans blonde was highly anticipated, after his huge success from his 2012 album Chanel Orange, his fans waited four years for this album. and it was worth the wait. with his phenomenal use of minimal guitar chords and dreamy sounding effects that complement the pure creativity of his lyrics that are complemented by a beautify voice, what is there not to love?

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

Other than being a huge Beatles fan since I was 14, this album is often regarded as the most important album to music as we know it. This album was the first ever album to use synthesized sounds using a computer. This added a whole new dimension and has helped develop nearly every song on the charts today. If that isn’t deserving of every single number one spot on lists like these, I don’t know that is.

honorable mentions

Alabama shakes- Boys and Girls

Marty Robbins- Gunfighter Ballads

Chance the rapper- Acid Rap

Pink Floyd- Dark Side Of The Moon