My Favorite 15 Albums

Note: this is one of a few archived blog posts I carried over from my old site just for fun and to preserve some “history.” It may or may not reflect current thoughts or feelings. This post is from November 2010.

A friend recently asked me to list my 15 all-time favorite albums. These certainly aren’t my opinion on the greatest 15 albums of all time, they’re just my personal favorites that I have the most connection to and that are most meaningful to me. So, in no particular order (it would be impossible to rank them since it would depend on my mood and the season in life), here are my top 15 with some brief comments.

1. Starflyer 59 – Fell in Love at 22 (EP)

The first Starflyer album I ever bought (I have since bought 18 more!) and one of the first indie Christian albums I ever heard. This EP showed me that there are Christians out there making awesome music and introduced me to a whole new world of artists. Coincidentally, I really did fall in love at 22.

2. Luxury – Health & Sport

Certainly the only album I own that contains 42 footnotes in the lyrics! Some haunting songs on this album.

3. Sigur Ros – ( )

Yes, the name of the album is ( ). Hard to choose one Sigur Ros album, but this was the one that began my love of them. It’s mostly in Hopelandic, their made-up song language.

4. Ester Drang – Goldenwest

Lay on your back in the dark with surround sound and you’ll be transported to another universe. “Felicity, Darling” is one of my all-time favorite songs.

5. Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It

After indie stuff, my next love is soul music. This is somewhat of a “throwback” album.

6. The Great Fiction – Screaming Through the New Speak

Picked this up for $5 after seeing them on the “fringe stage” at a music festival. Great sounds and lyrics.

7. LN – Dirt Floor Hotel Part 1 & 2

I couldn’t decide between part 1 & 2 so I picked both! The whole LN collection really belongs on this list. One of my favorite voices of all time.

8. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

One of the first biographies I ever read as a kid was a 400+ page biography on Marvin Gaye. Also one of the first vinyl albums I bought, which helped turn me on to vinyl in high school.

9. Monarch – The Grandeur That Was Rome

I’m pretty sure I made this band famous in college by playing this album for all my friends.

10. The Gloria Record – Start Here

This was always in the 5-disc changer when I pulled all nighters in college.

11. U2 – Achtung Baby

The second CD I ever bought (all cassettes before that). The first CD was The Cranberries, No Need to Argue, in grade 5.

12. Sufjan Stevens – Michigan

Almost impossible to get sick of this album.

13. The Violet Burning – Drop Dead

Hard to pick one album from the VB library. Probably the best band you’ve never heard of and one of the most underrated Christian bands of all time.

14. Sade – Lovers Rock

How can you not love Sade?

15. Over the Rhine – Drunkard’s Prayer

The title track was sung at our wedding.