Off-Topic: John's Music

by John Sickels on Sep 2, 2025 7:00 AM EDT Comment 64 comments

Off Topic: My Favorite Music

Today is a travel day for me, so here is some off-topic amusement, a list of my favorite songs and albums of all time.

Note that I also love classical music, particularly Mozart and Mahler, but today we'll stick with the rock genre.

Most of this is stuff that influenced me when I was growing up.

FAVORITE SONGS
10) TIE, "Big Bottom" and "Sex Farm" by Spinal Tap. HAHAHAHA. The only 80s hair metal band that people will listen to twenty years from now. And they are fake.
9) "Dazzle" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The strings, and her voice...I could listen to this song for hours, and have done so.
8) "Hummingbird" by B.B. King. Love the imagery of love here, and the gospel singers at the end get to my heart every time.
7) "After the Gold Rush": by Neil Young.
6) "Synchronicity II": by the Police. Suburban alienation and a hard driving beat. The Loch Ness Monster imagery represents the "stuff under the surface" of the protagonist's mind that can no longer be suppressed.
5) "Crimson and Clover": the Joan Jett cover version. Lust music at its best.
4) "Violet" by Hole. Pure rage.
3) "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd. This song is not about drugs.
2) "The Final Cut" by Pink Floyd. "There's a kid who had a big hallucination."
1) "Across the Universe": by the Beatles. The first song that ever actually expressed what I felt about things spiritually, this helped keep me sane during a difficult period in high school. It did more good for me than the hymns in church ever did.

The last five are very important to me. Lust, anger, alienation, fear...but in the end, Love. I use music for emotional purgation.

FAVORITE ALBUMS
10) Abbey Road, The Beatles
9) Let it Be, The Beatles
8) The Doors, by The Doors
7) Amused to Death, Roger Waters
6) Live Through This, Hole
5) Decade, Neil Young
4) Synchronicity, the Police
3) Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd
2) The Wall, Pink Floyd
1) The Final Cut, Pink Floyd: I know a lot of people don't like this one, but I find it completely brilliant, even more now that I'm old enough to understand it better.

Favorite rock lyricist and general musician of all time is Roger Waters, without question. Favorite guitarists are David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Joe Walsh, and Jeff Beck. Other artists/groups I greatly respect though they don't place a specific item on the list above include Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Jefferson Airplane (Jefferson Airplane, not that Starship crap), Kurt Cobain, The Smiths, Green Day, and Weird Al Yankovic, who is a total genius.

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Weird Al Yankovic got me into music

Weird Al was basically the first artist I ever listened to, and he was my first concert. I’ll still hear songs for the first time that I’d only ever previously heard in a parody or a polka.

Some of my favorite songs, no particular order:

1. “I Can See For Miles,” The Who
2. “All Along the Watchtower,” Jimi Hendrix
3. “I Wanna Be Your Dog,” Iggy & the Stooges
4. “Marquee Moon,” Television
5. “What a Wonderful World,” Joey Ramone
6. “Absolutely Sweet Marie,” Jason & the Scorchers
7. “Just Another Day,” Oingo Boingo
8. “The King is Half-Undressed,” Jellyfish
9. “Evangeline,” Matthew Sweet
10. “Di Sapozhkelakh,” The Klezmatics

Some of my favorite bands: Television, Talking Heads, Ramones, Parliament, Jason & the Scorchers, OutKast, Public Enemy, Sloan, Jason Falkner, Cynic, Klezmatics.

http://www.chop-n-change.com

by alexwithclass on Sep 2, 2025 9:22 AM EDT reply actions

Jimi and The Who

and you go with those two songs? “Baba O’Reilley” is the money Who song, though there are some lesser known ones that are phenomenal. “Behind Blue Eyes”, “Summertime Blues”, “Squeezbox”. The whole Tommy Album is amazing. Watch their stuff from the original Woodstock, namely “Sparks” which is off of Tommy. Awesome!

Jimi has some more obscure stuff that I like better. “Hey Joe”, “Wind Cries Mary” and of course “Voodoo Child”.

by polodude017 on Sep 2, 2025 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Obscure?

Those were FM radio staples. And i do believe it is Voodoo Chile.

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Voodoo Chile is a long (and awesome) blues song. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is the one most think of…..“If I don’t see you no more in this world, I’ll meet you on the next one…so don’t be late…..don’t be late.” They’re both on Electric Ladyland.

Both are great tunes by one of the most truly underrated musicians. I’ll put Electric Ladyland and Band of Gypsies up against any studio and live album in rock history. I’m not saying they’re the two best, but they’re outstanding.

by Dorn on Sep 2, 2025 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey

thanks for the correction. I should shut my mouth.

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn’t go that far. I’ve listened to a loooot of Jimi.

by Dorn on Sep 2, 2025 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions

Sorry

I meant obscure for my generation. “All Along the Watchtower” is probably the only Hendrix song anyone my age knows.

by polodude017 on Sep 2, 2025 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

how old are you?

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 2, 2025 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

23

You would be surprised. My generation has very little music knowledge of that era. We used to ask people in college if they could name a song by Led Zepplin. The answers, or lack thereof, were startling. I mean at least give me Stairway.

by polodude017 on Sep 3, 2025 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions

wow...

I’m 32, and my generation (at least the people I knew) were really into Hendrix.

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 3, 2025 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Really?

I’m the same age and never had that problem, perhaps it just depends on your region.

I much prefer Dylan’s original as far as “All Along the Watchtower” is concerned.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Sep 3, 2025 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Cool

How about Fire? Don’t they play that on the radio still?

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions

You must be like 8...

Because I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone who’s at least in high school who hasn’t listened to Hendrix at some point.

by Franchise887 on Sep 2, 2025 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions

The Who

I’d disagree that Baba O’Riley is their “money song.” I think Won’t Get Fooled Again is superior in virtually every way. I could listen to that song four straight times, focusing on just one instrument each time and thoroughly enjoy it. The guitar part is just so powerful, but it doesn’t try to fill up the space and dominate the sound the way some rock guitars do. Entwistle and Moon really shine on the track. Enough rambling, though.

Interesting note about “I Can See For Miles:” The Who had recorded it and held onto it for a little while, waiting to release it when they felt they needed a boost. They all thought it was far superior to “My Generation” and it would become their biggest song. It didn’t go over nearly that well, but I think it’s a great song, too.

by mentalpowers on Sep 2, 2025 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Fair Enough

to each his own. Both great songs. Love The Who.

by polodude017 on Sep 3, 2025 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions

Machine Gun and Burning the Midnight Lamp are great “obscure” Jimi songs.

by Cormican on Sep 3, 2025 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Excuse me.

WHAT’D YOU SAY ABOUT JEFFERSON STARSHIP…?

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Sep 2, 2025 9:35 AM EDT reply actions

We Built This City

on crappy pop music.

by slurve on Sep 2, 2025 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'll go out on a limb

and say You Can Count on Me was a decent tune. I didn’t like it at the time, but in retrospect.

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 1:32 PM EDT up reply actions

David Gilmour is a boss

His solos in Comfortably Numb and High Hopes are the real deal

Brandon Jacobs of Lowell > Brandon Jacobs of NYG

by Lesterfan on Sep 2, 2025 10:51 AM EDT reply actions

Pink Floyd

Love the Floyd shout outs John. I am a big fan of “Animals” as well, that we a good album, though it was short. So was “Wish You Were Here”.

by polodude017 on Sep 2, 2025 1:11 PM EDT reply actions

Mozart and Mahler

Hear hear. Mahler’s ninth symphony was an obsession of mine for a few years, I even gave a lecture/recital on it in college (music major).

Probably won’t surprise anyone that I’m a Beatles nut. Currently re-reading Geoff Emerick’s book Here, There, and Everywhere. He was their recording engineer for Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road.

Freude schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, Freude!

by t ball on Sep 2, 2025 1:17 PM EDT reply actions

+1 on Mahler's 9th

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 3, 2025 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Exile on Main Street

Revolver
This Year’s Model
Fear of Music
Another Green World
Paid in Full
Paul’s Boutique
Birth of the Cool
Duke Reid and Sir Clement Coxone Dodd
Rust Never Sleeps (mainly for Powderfinger)
Double Nickels on the Dime
Prokofiev (Lt. Kije Suite and Classical Symphony)
I also like some standard type stuff, Johnny Mercer, in doses and depends on the song.

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 1:38 PM EDT reply actions

2

I’m glad you mentioned Double Nickels, and Paul’s Boutique, 2 records that never get enough respect.

Touch em all Joe...

by FisherCat on Sep 2, 2025 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Eric B. & Rakim

They seem to be the forgotten step-children of the rap world as far as music fans go. Good to see it on a list from a baseball-centric site.

by slacker george on Sep 5, 2025 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions

11 Rock albums (no order):

The Beatles - Help!
The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin’
Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band - Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ
Cat Stevens - Tea for the Tillerman
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Hard Promises
The Who - The Who Sell Out

11 Hip Hop albums (no order):

Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Common Sense - One Day It’ll All Make Sense
GZA - Liquid Swords
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Nas - Illmatic
Nas - It Was Written
The Notorious BIG - Ready to Die
OutKast - ATLiens
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal: Train of Thought
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory

As for classical music, I have a thing for String Quartets. I listen to a lot of Mozart and Haydn. I’ve been meaning to explore the genre more, but haven’t really gotten further than the giants (Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Bach and Rachmaninoff).

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Sep 2, 2025 2:35 PM EDT reply actions

Blood on the Tracks

good call. I forgot that one. I was also a big Kinks fan and early Bruce.

by wobatus on Sep 2, 2025 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Early Bruce was great

Greetings is very Dylan-esque and the next few albums are quite good as well. Born in the USA was awful and that’s when he stopped caring about writing good songs.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Sep 2, 2025 3:16 PM EDT up reply actions

If you are into string quartets...

you should definitely check out the late Schubert string quartetes, if you have not already. If you want something more modern, Shostakovich’s string quartets are also amazing.

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 2, 2025 3:50 PM EDT up reply actions

He's definitely someone I need to listen to

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Sep 2, 2025 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions

In addition to the Shostakovich and Schubert tips above

I’d add the Mendelssohn Octet for strings, great piece.

Freude schöner Götterfunken, Tochter aus Elysium, Freude!

by t ball on Sep 2, 2025 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely look into it

I listened to Beethoven’s String Quartet #13 today with Große Fuge as the finale. That’s easily my favorite composition from him.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by jar75 on Sep 3, 2025 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions

it might be my favorite too, although all the late quartets are just amazing… I go back and forth between liking #13 and #14 the best.

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 3, 2025 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Joe Walsh

I love Joe Walsh, whether with The James Gang, with The Eagles or solo. Some friends and I waited outside a Detroit radio station to meet him back in the 80s (Got Any Gum? era I’m guessing) and he chatted us up for a good hour. He was both hilarious (as any fan would expect) and a gentleman. One of the more underrated guitarists and songwriters of his day. I’d advise anyone who hasn’t watched The Confessor video before (or just hasn’t heard the song in awhile) to go check it out on Youtube. Few people can work a wah with his special touch, and his work with the talk box is rivaled only by Gilmour’s on Animals imo. Walsh claims to have introduced Frampton to the effect FWIW. lol

by blackoutyears on Sep 2, 2025 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

Weird Al

Like the earlier commenter, Weird Al also got me into music. He was the first artist I ever listened to and the first CDs I owned were his. I’ve actually discovered many bands that I now love because Weird Al did a parody of one of their songs.

by BenB on Sep 2, 2025 3:19 PM EDT reply actions

Rush

Metallica
Avenged Sevenfold
Shinedown
Motley Crue
Dave Mathews Band
Paramore
Mudvayne
HellYeah
Here Come the Mummies
Bowling For Soup
The Who
Iron Maiden
Kiss

Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene and Jerry Kramer
"Don't wory, I'm an untrained professional" WVPF
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan

by WVPiratesfan on Sep 2, 2025 3:47 PM EDT reply actions

I like a lot of these

Breaking Benjamin is kinda cool too , in their own weird way, I find them very good.

I called on the exact pitch - Joe Mauer's first career Home-Run at Target Field !!!

Why Oh Why did the D'Backs select A.J. Pollock over Mike Trout?

by SteveHoffmanSlowey on Sep 2, 2025 5:26 PM EDT up reply actions

10 rockish album... no more than one per group

Not necessarily my favorite right now, but kind of a mix of what I have really loved through my life with splash of attempted objectivity. Doesn’t include jazz, classical, hip hop, etc.

Arcade Fire - Funeral
Beatles – Abbey Road
Bowie - Low
Clash - London Calling
Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Led Zeppelin - IV
Nirvana - Nevermind
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Radiohead - OK Computer
U2 - Joshua Tree

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

by shikantaza on Sep 2, 2025 3:49 PM EDT reply actions

Bowie

Good call. Very underrated in this day and age.

by polodude017 on Sep 3, 2025 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think I'm as old as a lot of people here..

But my favorite bands would be:

The Beatles
Queen
Mew
Radiohead
Phoenix
Minus the Bear
Grizzly Bear
The Beach Boys
This is Me Smiling
Bombay Bicycle Club
Andrew Bird
Elliott Smith

There’s still a ton of truly awesome music being made; you just gotta know where to find it.

I like baseball.
I write for Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times Fantasy

by Satchel Price on Sep 2, 2025 5:46 PM EDT reply actions

We've got

a lot of favorite bands in common, Satchel. Of the classic artists the Beach Boys are favorites, and Smith, Bird and Phoenix are all great artists of the last fifteen years.

by blackoutyears on Sep 2, 2025 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Some of mine

Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Hole - Live through this
Radiohead - The bends
GNR - Appetite for Destruction
Rancid - Lets go
Weaver - The Blue Album
Blur - The great escape
Bruce Springsteen - The rising

by King Billy Royal on Sep 2, 2025 5:54 PM EDT reply actions

Weezer?

by blackoutyears on Sep 2, 2025 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

I must have Jared Weaver on the mind.

by King Billy Royal on Sep 2, 2025 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Easy to confuse the two ;-)

by blackoutyears on Sep 3, 2025 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions

my turn

These would be the top albums that i can basically remember where i was when i heard them the first time. These changed me.

Nirvana-Nevermind. A friend of mine had put Sliver on a mixed tape shortly before Nevermind came out. I liked that song, and bought Nevermind the day it came out-one week after GNR’s Illusions came out. My tastes were about to change dramatically.

Kyuss—Blues for the Red Sun. Read a review in an alternative press of a Danzig show, where the warmup act, Kyuss, blew them off stage in fall of ‘92. Went and bought it, not sure i’ve been more into an album in my life.

Jane’s Addiction-Nothing’s Shocking. Ocean Size? Mountain Song? Summertime Rolls? Ted,… please, this album was awesome, soundtrack to my college years.

PJ Harvey—Dry. Why wasn’t she HUGE? Love Polly, and this got me hooked. (and yes, hook isn’t on this album, i know….)

Metallica—Master of Puppets. Soundtrack to High School.

Beatles—Magical Mystery Tour. Okay, so it isn’t the best Beatles album. But i heard I am the Walrus on the radio, went out and bought this. First album i ever bought. STILL love I Am the Walrus.

Them Crooked Vultures—self-titled. Grohl on drums? Check. Josh Homme on guitar? Check. JPJ on everything else? Check. Doubt i have ever been more excited about a release, and then have it exceed my hopes.

Mark Lanegan—Whiskey for the Holy Ghost/Winding Sheet (got ’em both at the same time). Already liked Screaming Trees, but these made me LOVE Lanegan and really get into ST.

by drwmsu1 on Sep 2, 2025 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

+1 for Nothing's Shocking

I listen to that album about a thousand times to many in my youth to ever listen to it all the way through again. Probably the second best record ever from an L.A. band after Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

by StickRat on Sep 2, 2025 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Here, because you didn’t mention the best song on the album

by StickRat on Sep 2, 2025 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

My favorite albums

Favorite Albums, approximately in order starting with my absolute favorites:

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs- Derek and the Dominos
Who’s Next - The Who
London Calling - The Clash
My Generation - The Who
A Quick One - The Who
Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin
A Night at the Opera - Queen
Wheels of Fire - Cream
Deja Vu - Crosby Stills Nash and Young

I’d probably have Robert Johnson on there, but I don’t know if it counts

by mentalpowers on Sep 2, 2025 6:12 PM EDT reply actions

Favorite songs, not in order

Amy Whinehouse- Back to Black
Beastie Boys- Sure Shot
Billy Idol- White Wedding
Iggy Pop- Lust for Life
The Human League- Don’t You Want Me
Public Enemy- Don’t Believe the Hype
The Ronettes- Be My Baby
Urge Overkill- Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon

by jackyz on Sep 2, 2025 10:18 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Music Appreciation

Love all types of music, my late father played alot of American and foreign genre Mom was a singer, my first memories,
I can remember was Harry James and other Big Band with HJ, Duke Ellington, Satchmo, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Roy Eldridge. yeah I am older.
On to mid 50’s Early Rock with Elvis, and then early 60’s and on to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks,
By the time I was 21 my music enjoyment was a variety of classical Mozart, Vivaldi, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash,
and my greatest musical influence next to dad was when I first heard Frank Zappa in 68 and 69. and then Hendrix.
But Zappa led me to my appreciation of Jazz with Eric Dolphy, Earl Bostic, John Coltrane, Miles, Dizzy Gillepsie, and also to the Blues with Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Otis Spann, Pinetop Perkins, Howlin Wolf, Albert Collins, Robert Johnson.
Lots of records, tapes, and cd’s. and a variety of favorites.

by KalineCountry on Sep 2, 2025 10:44 PM EDT reply actions

10 Great Albums (from my youth)

Jethro Tull - Aqualung
The Who - Who’s Next
Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies
Edgar Winter Band - They Only Come Out At Night
Elton John - Madman Across the Water
America - America (debut album)
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Jethro Tull - Passion Play
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark

by wejh on Sep 3, 2025 1:04 AM EDT reply actions

There's an obscure little blue grass band that I love. They are called the Pine Box Boys and they play dark blue grass (most of their songs are about murder)

You can check them out here: www.pineboxboys.com

Right now they are my favorite group to listen to. Other favorites:

Grateful Dead
Toots and the Maytals
Medeski, Martin and Wood
Pink Floyd
Beatles
Phish

by houksyndrome on Sep 3, 2025 1:47 AM EDT reply actions

Pink Floyd

As one of the all time pinkies, I applaud yur list John. All songs on your list are classics. When it comes to the pinkies however, I would be hard pressed to go with anything but their greatest achievement, Ummagumma. The live rendition of Careful with that Axe Eugene is the greatest live performance of any song I have ever seen.

As for the blues, I would seriously consider John Mayall and a little “chicka-chicka” as the standard of comparison but it is hard to overlook any of your choices.

by sdtribefan on Sep 3, 2025 3:31 AM EDT reply actions

Since there hasn't been much heavy metal listed,

here’s my favorite albums specifically from that genre:

1) As I Lay Dying: Shadows are Security
2) Lamb of God: As the Palaces Burn
3) Killswitch Engage: Alive or Just Breathing
4) In Flames: Colony
5) As I Lay Dying: Frail Words Collapse
6) Lamb of God: Ashes of the Wake
7) Dark Tranquility: Damage Done
8) Killswitch Engage: The End of Heartache
9) God Forbid: Gone Forever
10) Byzantine: …And They Shall Take Up Serpents

In non-metal music, my favorites are Radiohead, Wilco, TV on the Radio, Arcade Fire, Mogwai, Old Crow Medicine Show, and White Stripes, and I also really like Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Aaron Copland.

Radiohead’s “There There (the Boney King of Nowhere)” is probably my favorite song ever.

by Dberg on Sep 3, 2025 9:01 AM EDT reply actions

Byzantine

the most famous band from WV, that no one has heard of

by WVPiratesfan on Sep 4, 2025 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

Rogers Waters

So great to see someone appreciate Waters for the true talent he his. His writing talent may only be equaled by Pete Townshend. Amused to Death is in my top ten of all time too.

by Karp62 on Sep 3, 2025 10:47 AM EDT reply actions

John

If Siouxsie does it for you, Cocteau Twins from the same era is a band you’d like.

by KDean75 on Sep 3, 2025 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

Metallica - Master of Puppets (I think Ride the Lightning is a better album, but I wore out 3 copies of MoP from ‘87-’93)
Voivod - Nothingface (the heavy metal version of Pink Floyd, kinda. Complete with Astronomy Domine cover)
Fishbone - The Reality of My Surroundings
Fu Manchu - King of the Road
Don Caballero - What Burns Never Returns (transcendent instrumental fury)
Bad Religion - Suffer
John Coltrane - The Complete Africa with Brass Recordings
Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch
The Who - Who’s Next
Enslaved - Ruun

by Cormican on Sep 3, 2025 1:24 PM EDT reply actions

Some I didn't see

1. Anything by the Chili Peppers. Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californiacation, and even the newer albums like Stadium Arcadia are great.
2. For anyone who likes reggae there is the obvious, Bob Marley. There is also a guy who I love called Matisyahu who is fantastic (check out “Live at Stubbs” and “Shake off the Dust… Arise”.
3. A Tribe Called Quest. Totally underrated hip-hop group.
4. Rage Against the Machine. Some fantastic guitar riffs.
5. Lynyrd Skynyrd. If you are feeling a little southern. Not the same without Ronny Van Zant, but some fantastic albums from back in the day.
6. Johnny Cash. Enogh said.
7. George Thorogood. Great blues/rock.
8. G. Love and Special Sauce. Another underrated recent band. Interesting blues/rap combo.
9. Beck and Moby. Both are great on the soundboard and do some awesome stuff.
10. Allman Bros. Better live than recorded but still amazing.
11. AC/DC. Everything there is good, pre and post-Bon Scott.

by polodude017 on Sep 3, 2025 1:53 PM EDT reply actions

Too many to list, but here's a go

Songs
Back in the Saddle - Aerosmith
Sleep to Dream - Fiona Apple
No Cars Go - Arcade Fire
The Weight - The Band
Big Hard Sun - Indio
Girl of My Dreams - Bram Tchaikovsky
Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
Suicide Alley - Shawn Colvin
Holly Holy - Neil Diamond
At the Chime of a City Clock - Nick Drake
Work For Food - Dramarama
In the Court of the Crimson King - King Crimson

Albums, CDs and Eight-Tracks:
Ziggie Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - David Bowie
The Dreaming - Kate Bush
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominoes
Best of Dramarama - Dramarama
A New World Record - Electric Light Orchestra

by slacker george on Sep 5, 2025 10:18 AM EDT reply actions

Kate Bush
New Order
M83
Tim Buckley
The Cure
Nick Drake
Can
Boris
Joanna Newsom
Tindersticks

by secret defense on Sep 5, 2025 11:46 AM EDT reply actions

Songs, Albums and Artists

Songs;
Forget Her-Jeff Buckley; this song would’ve made “Grace” into one the best albums of all time.
I’d Love to Change the World-Ten Years After; my favorite high school tune
Solsbury Hill-Peter Gabriel; just a great song
Bridge Over Troubled Water: Simon & Garfunkel; hauntingly beautiful
If Time Permits-Matthew Sweet; the best song he’s ever written
Dear God-XTC; simple and sorrowful
Rock Bottom-UFO; I love this tune
San Jacinto-Peter Gabriel; the first real coalescence of Peter’s eventual world vision
Don’t Fear The Reaper- BOC; although I can’t think of it the same after Will Ferrell
And You and I-Yes; magnificent song
Beeswing:Richard Thompson; if you don’t know this song, you should

Albums:
Grace: Jeff Buckley; hated this album for 3 years; just goes to show that some maturity is possible
The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway: Genesis; sprawling and epic
The Band: The Band; pure Americana by Canadians
Days of Future Passed; Moody Blues; a genre changer
Siren: Roxy Music; I shouldn’t like this album as much as I do
Scratch My Back: Peter Gabriel; redefines what a cover album can be
In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson; another genre changer

Artists

Peter Gabriel, Richard Thompson, Neil Young, Jeff Buckley, Matthew Sweet, XTC, Grant Lee Buffalo, Ronnie James Dio, Rush, The Band, Husker Du

by Christopher Sharp on Sep 5, 2025 1:22 PM EDT reply actions