# CDs everyone should own **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419 "2008-02-13T07:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/21 "2008-02-13T16:30:53Z")
[QUOTE=gwendee] Well, we figured even in a small collection you must already have those…doesn’t everybody? [/QUOTE] 😃 I’ve never owned any Beatles, and the only Floyd I have is my original LP of _The Wall_. Thankfully I no longer have a turntable… \ every freakin’ time anyone so much as thought about firing up a little doobage, out came that gawd-awful _Dark Side_ of the damn _Moon_. Non-freakin’ stop freakin’ Floyd for years. They’d just sit there with that stupid look on their face for freakin’ hours at a time thinking they were all freakin’ deep. Maybe it wouldn’t have sucked so bad if I was as wasted as everyone else… \ Jethro Tull - _Aqualung_ Nazareth - _Hair of the Dog_ Bob Seger - _Live Bullet_ Dead Kennedys _Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables_ These may not be the bands best albums, but I’d feel incomplete if they weren’t available. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/22 "2008-02-13T16:37:07Z")
I’m mostly a folk and rock guy, but when it comes to something absolutely everyone should own, I’d have to go with J.S. Bach. If I have to narrow it down, I’d say the following are essential: Either of Glenn Gould’s recordings of the “Goldberg Variations.” I rather prefer his 1981 recording over the 1955 one, but fortunately one can get them boxed together. The Brandenburg Concertos. I don’t have a specific recommendation on a recording. Those are my tastes, though. Obviously, not mentioning any of his choral or organ works is going to get me into some hot water. No matter, you’ve got to have some Bach. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/23 "2008-02-13T16:50:31Z")
Think it weird if you must, but I nominate the soundtrack to **O Brother, Where Art Thou?**. Some incredible songs on that disc. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/24 "2008-02-13T16:52:17Z")
What’s weird about that? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/25 "2008-02-13T16:56:52Z")
I’ll second the Violent Femmes first album and include: 1. The Who- Who’s Next 2. The White Stripes - Live under Blackpool Lights 3. Social Distortion - Social Distortion 4. Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen 5. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine 6. Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers 7. Blind Melon - Nico (IMHO one of the most underrated albums of all time) 8. Sublime - 40oz to Freedom 9. Boomfield, Kooper, Stills- Supersession 10. Jimi Hendrix- Live at the Isle of Wight or Rainbow Bridge. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/26 "2008-02-13T17:23:16Z")
Sublime - Sublime (think of it as a piece of musical art history - the song about the Rodney King riots in particular. Plus it just rocks.) ---
**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/27 "2008-02-13T18:31:43Z")
Bob Marley - Legend I know it’s a compilation but it really hits all the right spots. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/28 "2008-02-13T19:15:48Z")
[QUOTE=Br’er Lapin] **Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight**. Mostly alternative rock if you’re not familiar with them, but the CD is very diverse within the genre from song to song. All I can say is that it’s beautiful. [/QUOTE] Sorry, couldn’t resist. I can’t really say much else about them, except that they are great at using unconventional sounds (in a couple songs on the album you can hear keys jingling, for example). This is easily their most diverse, mellowest, most fun, and IMHO best album so far. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/29 "2008-02-13T19:32:19Z")
My Top 5 in no particular order: DJ Shadow - _Private Press_ Even if you’re not much for turntablism or hip hop, this is honestly one of the most brilliant genre-defying albums I’ve heard. Not a bad track from beginning to end. Zero 7 - _Simple Things_ Music to romance by, music to pout by, music to ponder by. It’s my default OMG-You-Have-To-Listen-To-This album. The Decemberists - _Picaresque_ I prefer this one to Crane Wife which has been already recommended, but that’s probably because I have a giant soft spot for pirate stories and sea chanties. These guys also get my recommendation for Live Shows Everyone Should Go To. Bloc Party - _Silent Alarm_ I despise hipsters, but when it comes to music they’re rarely wrong, and they were wetting their pants over this album. In fact, while you’re at it, get the remixed version of the album too - it’s better. Arcade Fire - _Funeral_ See my comment above about hipsters. Also, this is yet another band that falls under Live Shows Everyone Should Go To. Bonus entries (because I didn’t want to leave them out): Stars - _Set Yourself on Fire_ A nice little collection of ditties about what happens when love is over. It’s charming, it’s honest, and it’s singable in the shower (or so I like to think). Bonus points because they’re Canadian. 🙂 I also second the nomination for Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and would throw in Fugees - The Score to round it out. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/30 "2008-02-13T20:03:38Z")
In no particular order Hothouse Flowers-Home Barenaked Ladies-Gordon Josh Rouse-1972 Mary Gauthier-Drag Queens in Limousines Mary Chapin Carpenter-Come On Come On Carole King-Tapestry The Sundays-Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic Tina Schlieske-Slow Burn Tina & the B-Side Movement-The Last Polka Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes World Party-Goodbye Jumbo Gus-Word of Mouth Parade Mary Margaret O’Hara-Miss America Imani Coppola-Post Traumatic Pop Syndrome Celia Cruz-100% Azucar Indigo Girls-Indigo Girls Tracy Chapman-Tracy Chapman Rilo Kiley-The Execution of all Things Ryan Adams-Gold Les Negresses Vertes-Mlah Jim White-No Such Place Hedwig and the Angry Inch-Soundtrack Pretty In Pink-Soundtrack The Smiths-Louder than Bombs Big Chill-Soundtrack Nanci Griffith-One Fair Summer Evening Simon and Garfunkel-All 4 studio albums Tom Waits- Nighthawks at the Diner Poe-Haunted Poi Dog Pondering-Liquid White Light Stone Roses-The Stone Roses R.E.M.-Life’s Rich Pageant Fleetwood Mac-The Dance Cheryl Wheeler-Circles and Arrows 10000 Maniacs-In My Tribe Gary Jules-Gary Jules Janis Ian-Between the Lines Greg Brown-The Poet Game Patty Griffin-Living with Ghosts Cat Stevens-Mona Bone Jackson Prince-Purple Rain ABBA-Gold Cocteau Twins-Heaven or Las Vegas David Wilcox-East Asheville Hardware Janis Joplin-I Got Dem Ol Kozmic Blues… Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited Bobby McFerrin & Yo Yo Ma-Hush Camille West-Diva’s Day Off ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/31 "2008-02-13T20:07:02Z")
[QUOTE=kelly5078] \ No matter, you’ve got to have some Bach.\ [/QUOTE] Ah, Bach… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/32 "2008-02-13T20:12:35Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] I’ve been fighting with myself over how to phrase this and losing on all fronts so I’ll just put it like this. I’m looking to expand my fairly small music collection. In order to obtain inspiration toward this end, I’m starting this thread. I’m not picky about genre, style and the like. Good music is good music. What CDs do you believe should be required listening for every music lover? [/QUOTE] This thread has been dogging me - again, way too many to mention come to mind. I do have a question though - it feels like this thread has de-volved into a “hey - share your fave’s” thread. That’s cool - but is that what you want? Or are you looking for more of a “I have a small CD collection - if I were to invest in a few choice CD’s to get a broad survey of good music across a lot of genres, what should I get?” If you are really asking the latter, it is a little easier; it is no longer all the faves I can think of but rather what would good examples be for the genres… ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/33 "2008-02-13T20:29:12Z")
Just off the top of my head, Lps I don’t think have yet been mentioned: **Billie Holliday** - Lady In Satin **Miles Davis** - Sketches of Spain, Bitches’ Brew **John Coltrane** - A Love Supreme, My Favorite Things, Lush Life **Bob Dylan** - Brining It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, John Wesley Harding **the Band** - Music from Big Pink, the Band **the Staples Singers** - Best of the Staples Singers **Jefferson Airplane** - Surrealistic Pillow, Crown of Creation, Volunteers **Grateful Dead** - Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty, Grateful Dead (a.k.a. ‘Skullfuck’ Lp) **Janis Joplin** - Pearl **John Lennon** - Imagine **Joni Mitchell** - For the Roses, Court & Spark **Patti Smith** - Horses, Easter **Talking Heads** - More Songs About Buildings & Food, Remain In Light, Speaking In Tongues **the Clash** - London Calling **U2** - War, the Joshua Tree, Rattle & Hum **the Replacements** - Let It Be, Tim **the Red Hot Chili Peppers** - Mother’s Milk **Annie Lennox** - Medusa **Jayne’s Addiction** - Nothing’s Shocking **Ani Difranco** - Not a Pretty Girl, Out of Range ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/34 "2008-02-13T20:45:26Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] This thread has been dogging me - again, way too many to mention come to mind. I do have a question though - it feels like this thread has de-volved into a “hey - share your fave’s” thread. That’s cool - but is that what you want? Or are you looking for more of a “I have a small CD collection - if I were to invest in a few choice CD’s to get a broad survey of good music across a lot of genres, what should I get?” If you are really asking the latter, it is a little easier; it is no longer all the faves I can think of but rather what would good examples be for the genres… [/QUOTE] I treated it like “what CD’s do most people you know and associate with tend to have in their collections and get played a lot at parties.” Try using those criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/35 "2008-02-13T20:46:09Z")
Most of my picks have already been listed, but I would add **Neutral Milk Hotel** ’s “In the Airplane Over the Sea”. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/36 "2008-02-13T20:51:51Z")
This thread is kind of upsetting me. Its just a string of “albums I like right now”, isn’t it? Many of the suggestions are less acclaimed artists, and some of the albums are the artists less sophisticated work. Saying Rubber Soul is Beatles’ best album, or that Undertow is Tools’ best album is like saying that Pablo Honey is the best of Radiohead. And Kiss? Really? Anyway now that I’ve hopefully upset some other people too, here is my suggestion: The top 50 albums from [http://acclaimedmusic.net/](http://acclaimedmusic.net/) Acclaimedmusic is an integration of all album top lists made by critics. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/37 "2008-02-13T20:56:15Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] This thread is kind of upsetting me. Its just a string of “albums I like right now”, isn’t it? Many of the suggestions are less acclaimed artists, and some of the albums are the artists less sophisticated work. Saying Rubber Soul is Beatles’ best album, or that Undertow is Tools’ best album is like saying that Pablo Honey is the best of Radiohead. And Kiss? Really? Anyway now that I’ve hopefully upset some other people too, here is my suggestion: The top 50 albums from [http://acclaimedmusic.net/](http://acclaimedmusic.net/) Acclaimedmusic is an integration of all album top lists made by critics. [/QUOTE] Hence my reluctance to post things, too. I wasn’t familiar with that website - it looks pretty interesting… ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/38 "2008-02-13T21:26:27Z")
Learn these and make yer mama proud\*. 😃 (I’ve left out the Beatles, Stones, Santana, Hendrix, Dylan, Allman Brothers, Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Yes, Zappa and probably others because I’d consider them canon.) Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue, Return To Forever’s Romantic Warrior, (Jazz) Crusaders’ Southern Comfort, Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Apocalypse, Al DiMeola’s Elegant Gypsy, Stanley Clarke’s School Days, Passport’s Lookin’ Thru (if you can find it) Little Feat’s Waiting For Columbus, Thin Lizzy’s Alive And Dangerous, Frampton Comes Alive, Lou Reed’s Rock and Roll Animal, Leon (Russell) Live, Blue Öyster Cult’s On Your Feet Or On Your Knees, Traffic’s On The Road Tommy Bolin’s Teaser, Robin Trower’s Bridge Of Sighs, Derek Trucks Band’s Songlines, Who’s Next (at least), Jeff Beck’s Blow By Blow, Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Trilogy, ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres, Dixie Dregs’ Dregs Of The Earth, Eric Johnson’s ah via musicon, King Crimson’s In The Court Of The Crimson King Widespread Panic’s Space Wrangler and Ain’t Life Grand, moe.'s no doy, String Cheese Incident’s ‘Round The Wheel, Screaming Cheetah Wheelies’ Magnolia That should get you started. Next semester we’ll get you versed in Black Sabbath, Steely Dan, The Doors, Deep Purple, Kansas, James Gang… If you have to have something from this century, you could try Transatlantic or Spock’s Beard. I’ve heard good things about the Flower Kings’ new CD, Sum Of No Evil and the Tangent have a new release scheduled for the near future. \*assuming yer mama is an old hippie like me. As for criteria, these are mostly albums I’m still listening to thirty-some years later (some more than others, of course.) I assume (rightly or not) that anyone near my age (50) that is serious about music will be at least passingly familiar with most of these and happy to learn about any they are not. That’s not to say they have to _like_ any of them… ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/39 "2008-02-13T21:27:17Z")
[QUOTE=WordMan] This thread has been dogging me - again, way too many to mention come to mind. I do have a question though - it feels like this thread has de-volved into a “hey - share your fave’s” thread. That’s cool - but is that what you want? Or are you looking for more of a “ **I have a small CD collection - if I were to invest in a few choice CD’s to get a broad survey of good music across a lot of genres, what should I get?** ” If you are really asking the latter, it is a little easier; it is no longer all the faves I can think of but rather what would good examples be for the genres… [/QUOTE] I intended this thread to ask the latter question (bolded in your above post.) As such, let me put it like this: I have a small CD collection - if I were to invest in a few choice CD’s to get a broad survey of good music across a lot of genres, what should I get? ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419/40 "2008-02-13T21:49:44Z")
[QUOTE=Lord Il Palazzo] I intended this thread to ask the latter question (bolded in your above post.) As such, let me put it like this: I have a small CD collection - if I were to invest in a few choice CD’s to get a broad survey of good music across a lot of genres, what should I get? [/QUOTE] Oh sure, _now_ you clarify things! 🙂 Thanks for the link **mr. jp** I like that this is an integration from lots of other sources and not just one editorial staffs’ opinion. I’ve been seeing similar lists all my life. Like most, it has lots of fodder for further discussion, but no real relevance to my taste. I’ll try to listen to anything unknown to me, but rarely find anything worth the effort. (From lists like this I mean, I find new music I like all the time.) But that’s okay! I don’t know of much that is more subjective than music appreciation. And that’s a good thing. If everybody liked what I like, I wouldn’t be special, anymore. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cds-everyone-should-own/437419.md?page=3)