# Top electronic albums of all time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 17, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208 "2005-05-17T07:17:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/1 "2005-05-17T07:17:10Z")
1. Massive Attack - Blue Lines 2. Kruder & Dorfmeister - The K&D Sessions 3. DJ Shadow - Entroducing 4. Air - Premiers Symptomes 5. RJD2 - Dead Ringer 6. Amon Tobin - Supermodified 7. Peace Orchestra - Peace Orchestra 8. Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story 9. Nightmares on Wax - Carboot Soul 10. Tosca - Suzuki 11. Thievery Corporation - Mirror Conspiracy 12. Prefuse 73 - Vocal Studies and Uprock Narratives 13. Brian Eno - Music for Airports 14. Portishead - Dummy 15. LTJ Bukem - Progession Sessions 1 16. Kraftwerk - Autobahn ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/2 "2005-05-17T12:18:30Z")
Switched on Bach – Walter/Wendy Carlos ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/3 "2005-05-17T12:35:47Z")
I think that while _Autobahn_ really put them on the map, _Radio-Activity_ is **Kraftwerk** ’s electronica-defining work, IMHO. They got off into that robot shark-jump after that, which, of course, was their commercial peak. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/4 "2005-05-17T13:13:51Z")
_Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center_ Morton Subotnick: _The Wild Bull_ Kenneth Gaburo: _Music for Voices, Instruments, and Electronic Sounds_ Terry Riley: _A Rainbow in Curved Air_ Tangerine Dream: _Phaedra_ Klaus Schulze: _Timewind_ Wendy Carlos: _Sonic Seasonings_ ---
**Author:** ![TastesLikeBurning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/5 "2005-05-17T13:23:04Z")
Great thread, except for the fact it’s way too hard to remember them all. In no particular order, and not including any already mentioned: 1. Lamb - Lamb 2. Lamb - What Sound 3. Massive Attack - Protection 4. Leftfield - Rhythm & Stealth 5. DJ Shadow - The Private Press 6. Faithless - Reverence 7. Faithless - Sunday 8pm 8. Faithless - No Roots 9. Royksopp - Melody A.M. 10. Portishead - Dummy 11. St Germain - Tourist Geez that’s a hard thread to pick. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/6 "2005-05-17T14:19:46Z")
I just picked up the best-of Lamb compilation “Best Kept Secrets”. I had seen them live and wasn’t very impressed, but that album just blew me away. It has been in my cd-player for the last 2 weeks, every night. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/7 "2005-05-17T15:04:14Z")
> [@TastesLikeBurning](#): > > 1. DJ Shadow - The Private Press 5a. Herbaliser - Very Mercenary 5b. Herbaliser - Herbal Blend Vangelis - Heaven & Hell Air - Moon Safari Stereolab - Mars Audiac Quintet ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/8 "2005-05-17T15:05:44Z")
Y’all forgot Jean-Michel Jarre. _Oxygene_. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/9 "2005-05-17T15:24:08Z")
Also… Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/10 "2005-05-17T15:27:06Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Also… > > Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Electronic??? ---
**Author:** ![Improbability](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Improbability](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improbability)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/11 "2005-05-17T15:29:00Z")
I would have to put some _Underworld_ in a list, somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/12 "2005-05-17T15:42:01Z")
> [@Biffy the Elephant Shrew](#): > > Electronic??? Well, it’s almost like you’d need a computer-like brain to be able to play [ul][li]Organ[_]Guitar (Acoustic)[_]Bagpipes[_]Bass[_]Guitar[_]Mandolin[_]Percussion[_]Piano[_]Flageolet[_]Glockenspiel[_]Guitar (Bass)[_]Guitar (Electric)[_]Keyboards[_]Organ (Hammond)[_]Choir[_]Chorus[_]Tympani[_]Farfisa Organ[_]Spanish Guitar[_]Tubular Bells[_]Fuzz Guitar[_]Grand Piano[_]Mando-Guitar[_]And other assorted instruments[/ul]As well as be the[ul][_]Producer[_]Engineer[_]Arranger[_]Composer[_]Conductor[/ul]On Tubular Bells.[/li] As a small aside, Tubular Bells II & Tubular Bells 2003 did have electronic elements, so technically, they could be considered part of the electronic genre. ---
**Author:** ![My\_Dog\_Klaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@My\_Dog\_Klaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Dog_Klaus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-electronic-albums-of-all-time/304208/13 "2005-05-17T15:50:53Z")
> [@An Arky](#): > > I think that while _Autobahn_ really put them on the map, _Radio-Activity_ is **Kraftwerk** ’s electronica-defining work, IMHO. They got off into that robot shark-jump after that, which, of course, was their commercial peak. I suppose it all depends on your definition of electronica, but IMHO the _robot shark-jump_ albums are the essence of Kraftwerk, and were the inspiration for countless 80’s synth bands. I _might_ have to list Discreet Music ahead of Music For Airports from Brian Eno. And I will add to the list: Kitaro - The Silk Road