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| 20 of the 50 LPs listed below |
Celebrating my upcoming 50th birthday continues! Five 50-song playlists and 5 five blog posts:
- My all-time favorite songs, #100 down to 51 (Published September 22, 2026)
- My favorite/most impactful 50 shows I have attended (Published September 25, 2026)
- My top 50 albums of all time (This!)
- My all-time favorite songs, #50 down to #1 (will share on my birthday in November)
- My top 50 Christmas songs (will share in December)
For this list below and playlist, I am violating one of my prime rules of playlists--repeating artists. However, in this case it is necessary as many of my favorite albums ever are my second- or third- favorite albums from an artist. I have used and stuck by this rule for so long, feels honestly weird to be breaking it.
Corresponding playlists here:
- Apple Music (created using this platform and includes all 50 songs representing each of the albums below)
- Tidal (49 of 50 songs, Transferred from Apple Music using Soundiiz)
- Amazon Music (49 of 50 songs, Transferred from Apple Music using Soundiiz)
- Sp*tify (50 songs, Transferred from Apple Music using Soundiiz)
My Top 50 Albums of All Time:
1. Sixpence None the Richer- This Beautiful Mess (1995)
First listen memory: CD Walkman on a school bus after a track meet in Nashville, TN; my senior year in high school.
2. Poor Old Lu- Sin (1994)
First listen memory: Heard "Bliss Is" and "Ring True" on the A-Zone radio show, then bought the CD and listened in full in my bedroom.
3. Jimmy Eat World- Clarity (1999)
First listen memory: CD Walkman on a bus to a track meet in college.
4. Thrice- Vheissu (2005)
First listen memory: At my apartment on campus at Darlington School in Rome, GA.
5. Mineral- The Power Of Failing (1996)
First listen memory: In my dorm room; borrowed the promo CD from the WVSU radio station where I deejayed.
6. Sunny Day Real Estate- Diary (1994)
First listen memory: Borrowed it from Matt in September 1995, who lived on the same hall as me in Smith dorm freshman year. I immediately dubbed a cassette copy of it before later buying the CD and then eventually the vinyl.
7. Death Cab For Cutie- Transatlanticism (2003)
First listen memory: Was shipped to me in Zambia. Not the very first listen, but an early listening memory was driving around Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2003.
8. Elliott- False Cathedrals (2000)
First listen memory: In my apartment in Birmingham, Alabama. Pretty sure I ordered the CD online from Revelation Records.
9. Sixpence None the Richer- Sixpence None The Richer (1997)
First listen memory: In my dorm room at Samford. One of the only releases ever I had heard all of the songs (except one) performed live in concert (some multiple times) before its release.
10. The Gloria Record- Start Here (2002)
First listen memory: Also driving around in Orlando.
11. Sunny Day Real Estate- The Rising Tide (2000)
First listen memory: In my childhood room at my parents' home the night I returned from a roadtrip to Montana. The CD was waiting for me as it had been delivered in the mail. Tried to buy it in Montana on the release day of June 20 but couldn't find a music store during the road trip and Wal-Mart didn't carry it (but I looked!).
12. The Smashing Pumpkins- Siamese Dream (1993)
First listen memory: Sadly no idea. Heard the singles in high school, but it probably wasn't until midway through college that I actually began buying Pumpkins albums.
13. Luxury- Amazing And Thank You (1995)
First listen memory: In my bedroom in Franklin, TN my senior year in high school.
14. The Anniversary- Designing A Nervous Breakdown (2000)
First listen memory: Audiogalaxy? At least I heard a couple songs that way and then ordered the CD. Say what you will about the legality of filesharing like Napster and Audiogalaxy, but I discovered so many new bands that way that led to merch purchases and shows attended.
15. Manchester Orchestra- A Black Mile To The Surface (2017)
First listen memory: In the car on release day, July 28, 2017, driving from a lake house in Kentucky to wherever we were headed next. We were living in Germany at the time but back in the states for about 3 weeks that summer.
16. Poor Old Lu- A Picture of the Eighth Wonder (1996)
First listen memory: Also in my bedroom in Franklin, TN, but it must have been after I got home from college in May of 1996. Related, the first time I saw Poor Old Lu was at GMA week in March of 1996 (alongside Black Eyed Sceva, Dime Store Prophet, Mortal, and others) and Aaron Sprinkle walked by my table and handed me a promo CD ("Songs from the Alarma Hotel"?) and it had 2 or 3 songs from this album I had never heard before.
17. Sunny Day Real Estate- How It Feels To Be Something On (1998)
First listen memory: In my college dorm room. I had pre-ordered it from Sub-Pop.
18. Thrice- Beggars (2009)
First listen memory: I definitely pre-ordered the vinyl, but I believe my first listen was digital--in my office of my house on campus at Darlington School. My most vivid memory of this era of Thrice was my 2-year old son watching a live performance of Thrice on my laptop playing "Doublespeak".
19. The Appleseed Cast- Low Level Owl, Vol. 1 + 2 (2001)
First listen memory: I'll be honest, I don't have one. And while I prefer Low Level Owl, I do remember my first listen to Mare Vitalis. On a long track trip while on the bus I borrowed the Mare Vitalis CD from my friend John and was blown away.
20. Wolf Alice- My Love Is Cool (2015)
First listen memory: On NPR's website. I had a ritual of listening to the albums that NPR debuted in full on their website during this time, and this was the one that grabbed me the most that year, and maybe ever. A couple months later I visited the UK for Hevy Fest and remember seeing My Love is Cool posters in the Underground and listening to the album while I rode trains and buses around the country--it was perfect.
21. Waxahatchee- Out in the Storm (2017)
First listen memory: At my home in Riedlingen, Germany the day it was released. Wildly, it was my introduction to Waxahatchee.
22. Mortal- Fathom (1993)
First listen memory: Driving around Nashville, TN in high school. "Rift" was an early favorite but it didn't take me long to love it all, especially "Bright Wings."
23. Brandtson- Send Us A Signal (2004)
First listen memory: On a road trip driving from Pittsburgh to Nashville to Birmingham. I had pre-ordered it and I think I picked up the CD from the mail at my parents' home in Franklin. This was the same week I got engaged.
24. Arcade Fire- The Suburbs (2010)
First listen memory: Sitting on the floor of my office in Rome, Georgia with Jessie after we got our young kids in bed. We had the artwork spread out on the floor and spun both records and were utterly blown away.
25. Fountains Of Wayne- Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
First listen memory: In the equivalent of a hotel room at a lodge in Zimbabwe. I was at a conference with the mission I served with and there was a volunteer group that brought over a bunch of items for me including a few CDs--this was one of them, and I remember sitting in that room and listening on my CD Walkman.
26. Fiona Apple- Extraordinary Machine (2005)
First listen memory: Early in 2005 on headphones in the office I was doing temp work. My wife and I worked in a situation similar to "The Office" TV show for months, and I got paid for doing mostly nothing. But I downloaded a lot of music off the internet, including the early Jon Brion-produced version of this album. It wasn't until 6 months later that I bought the official Mike Elizondo-produced version on vinyl.
27. Frightened Rabbit- Pedestrian Verse (2013)
First listen memory: Driving across Berry College Campus, probably to and from a long run with my high school team I was coaching.
28. The Beths- Jump Rope Gazers (2020)
First listen memory: At home on vinyl in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan.
29. The Innocence Mission- Glow (1995)
First listen memory: Freshman year at Samford in my Smith Hall dorm room.
30. Mates of State- Re-arrange Us (2008)
First listen memory: Unsure about the first time, but this album played on every road trip my wife and I took that year and my newborn son had the album etched in his brain and is one of his favorite albums of all time as well.
31. Nada Surf- Let Go (2003)
First listen memory: Like Fountains of Wayne, this CD was brought over to me in Zambia by a volunteer team. I remember first listening in my office where I rarely worked (I did a lot of work, just not in that office--was mostly out and about).
32. mewithoutYou- Brother, Sister (2006)
First listen memory: Also in my apartment on the campus of Darlington in Rome, Georgia. Despite seeing mewithoutYou 5 years earlier, it took me a long time to truly appreciate them--and Jeremy Enigk was the catalyst into what has now been a 20-year love of the band.
33. Fair- The Best Worst-Case Scenario (2006)
First listen memory: In the car on a road trip somewhere. It was something I was excited to play for Jessie, especially with the guest vocals from Sherri and Stacy of Eisley.
34. Jimmy Eat World- Futures (2004)
First listen memory: Also in the car driving with Jessie. First listen was a bootleg rip that I downloaded then burned to CD before the album was released. And the copy of the album that was circulating online had the song "Jen" as track 6 (more on the best song Jimmy Eat World never released here).
35. Over The Rhine- Good Dog, Bad Dog (1996)
First listen memory: My first listen of these songs were two Over the Rhine performances at Cornerstone 1997 and I was spellbound. I became an instant fan of the band. First listen of the CD was probably at home in Franklin after return from Cornerstone; I bought it from the merch tent there.
36. Pedro the Lion- Control (2002)
First listen memory: Driving around in Orlando, Florida. I'm sure I ordered or pre-ordered from Jade Tree in the mail, and I had the album for a couple months before seeing Pedro the Lion play at The Social that summer.
37. The Prayer Chain- Mercury (1995)
First listen memory: On cassette tape on a youth choir trip; borrowed from my friend Jay. I was confused and intrigued, and after the first listen (in which I was probably only partially listening), I asked Jay, "Is it just one long song?"
38. Stavesacre- Absolutes (1997)
First listen memory: In my dorm room at Samford University just after purchasing it. And my memory of buying it is vivid: I biked from Samford over to the LifeWay Christian Stores on the other side of I-65 looking specifically for this CD, and I bought it and Soulfood 76's "Velour (Retrospective)" which was released around that same time.
39. R.E.M.- Up (1998)
First listen memory: No clue. I think also in my dorm room? Pretty sure I bought it at midnight of release day at the local CD shop in Birmingham.
40. Sufjan Stevens- Illinoise (2005)
First listen memory: In the car on a roadtrip, it was a burned bootleg CD from online MP3s, and prior to it's official release. Wild how many albums were floating around online before their actual release dates in this time period. I remember giving a copy of the burned CD to my friend John, told him "you've gotta listen to this!" but I wouldn't tell him who or what it was.
41. Taylor Swift- folklore (2020)
First listen memory: Laying in my bed at midnight as it was released. I pre-ordered two vinyl variants, and regret not ordering all 8 variants.
42. Eisley- Room Noises (2005)
First listen memory: Another not sure; this album was such a long time coming as I loved the band for three years but all they did was put out EPs for what seemed like forever. But I do remember the first time I heard Eisley, back when they were called Moss Eisley. I was doing research for my Cornerstone 2002 trip, saw they were set to perform the new band stage, and ordered both EP1 and EP2 from their website.
43. Stay Inside- Ferried Away (2024)
First listen memory: Well, it was kinda anticlimactic due to modern album promotion and pre-release streaming singles. At least four of the nine songs were released in advance, and two or three of those singles were released 6-9 months in advance. So even when I heard the whole thing, it was only partially new to me, and I hate that. When artists release singles that far in advance there is nothing that can really be done, but now I am definitely not letting myself listen to singles when album releases have already been announced and are less than two months away.
44. U2- The Joshua Tree (1987)
First listen memory: This album is the only one in this list in which it was YEARS before I heard the whole album; honestly probably 8 years. I heard the singles when everyone else did, on the radio in 1987, but it wasn't until college that I borrowed the CD from someone and played it all the way through. And then as I discussed two posts ago, it was my first vinyl LP purchase, in 1996.
45. The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die- Illusory Walls (2021)
First listen memory: On the turntable in my living room in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan. Saw them play right around release day at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor.
46. Luxury- Trophies (2014)
First listen memory: On a walk through Riedlingen, Germany with headphones on. I believe this was when the digital album was distributed after the successful Kickstarter. I had finished the walk and sat on a bench and overlooked the valley while listening to the final track "The Gates of Paradise" and every time I listen to that song I imagine sitting on that bench.
47. Lovedrug- Pretend You're Alive (2004)
First listen memory: For the album itself, not sure. But here's a story about the Rocknroll EP that was a promo prior to the LP. I had placed an order from the Militia group for a few albums, and this CD was thrown in. I had heard of Lovedrug, but never actually heard them as I was living in Zambia at the time. Anyway, I popped this into the CD player and was enjoying it and thought to myself, "Hm, they sound familiar". Then I got to track 5, "The Narcoleptic", and exclaimed out loud in my empty apartment to no one but myself: "Holy crap, it's Kerith Ravine!!!" (Also, according to Discogs, the EP was released in 2004 but I am 99% I got it in 2003. Then I bought the LP in 2004.)
48. This Beautiful Mess- Temper The Wind To The Shorn Lamb (2003)
First listen memory: Sitting on the couch in the merch tent at Flevo Festival 2003. As I didn't know anyone at the fest (well, at least when it began), I spent a bunch of time in the merch tent as there were couches (!) and I just chilled. For a couple days I kept hearing this same album playing over the speakers in the tent and finally went up and asked who it was. The guy selling the merch told me it was This Beautiful Mess, and I bought the CD. He said I was definitively the first American to own it. Sadly This Beautiful Mess didn't play Flevo that year, but Brown Feather Sparrow did, and that is how I discovered Lydia's music, and that is one of my top 50 show experiences of all time as I wrote about recently.
49. Morella's Forest- Super Deluxe (1995)
First listen memory: Well, not the first listen, but an early listen story: Summer after graduation I went on a World Changers mission trip with a small number of kids from my youth group. On our day off, we went to see "Clueless" in the theater, which had just been released. Somehow we ended up listening to this CD in the van on the way to and from the film, which is WILD. I have no idea who was driving, but obviously they either had great taste or impressive tolerance for noise!
50. Thrice- The Alchemy Index (2007)
First listen memory: Before I get to that, I know, I know, this is not an "album" (it is 4 EPs recorded at the same time and then released within a year). It if it were an album, or even a double album (as I think of it), it would have been top 20, or even top 10 (I have preferred it to Vheissu for decades, but in the last two years they changed places for me). So putting it at 50 is sort of like an honorable mention. All that said, I heard it right away, pre-ordered it right away, and listened to it first on the combined Fire and Water CD. The packaged 4 x 10" vinyl set is in my top 5 of most important vinyl releases in my collection.
