If you were only allowed to keep 20 records from your collection, which ones would you choose? I'm not looking for "Greatest records of all time", just favorite...the ones you can always come back to and listen over and over again...mine are:

Marvin Gaye- I Want You
Brenda Russell - Brenda Russell
Earth Wind And Fire- All n' All
Donny Hathaway - Extensions of A Man
Narada Michael Walden - Awakening
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
Steely Dan- Aja
Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
Todd Rundgren - The Hermit Of Mink Hollow
Rufus and Chaka Khan - Ask Rufus
The Story - Angel In The House
Prince - Sign o' The Times
Aaron Copeland -Works
Joni Mitchell - Hissing Of The Summer Lawns
Isley Brothers- The Heat Is On
Free Design- Kites Are Fun
Rotary Connection - Songs / Hey love
Laura Nyro - Mother's Spiritual
Narada Michael Walden - I cry, I smile

The ones I find myself listening to most often:

Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Marvin Gaye - I Want You
Donna Summer - Bad Girls (Deluxe Edition)
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
Roxy Music - Avalon
Blondie - Parallel Lines
Diana Ross & The Supremes - Anthology (2 Discs) (2001)
Prince - Purple Rain
Prince - 1999
Kylie Minogue - Fever (Japanese Hyper Edition)
Eurythmics - Greatest Hits (Bonus Tracks)
Madonna - Like A Prayer
Madonna - Erotica
Madonna - Ray Of Light
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life (so damn hard to choose one here)
Hall & Oates - The Very Best Of Daryl Hall & John Oates
Aretha Franklin - I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You
Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love
Lisa Stansfield - Affection (2003 Remaster + Bonus Tracks)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - United/You're All I Need (UK Remaster)
[This message was edited Mon May 10 18:03:32 2004 by VoicesCarry]

YEah I can't put them in any particular order but here are 20 of my faves:

Prince-Diamonds & Pearls
Prince-Symbol
Prince-Come
Sting-Ten Summoner's Tales
Miles Davis-Kind Of Blue
Miles Davis-Live @ the Fillmore East
Nirvana-In Utero
Jaco Pastorius-Word Of Mouth
Weather Report-Heavy Weather
Sloan-Navy Blues
Jane's Addiction-Ritual de lo Habitual
Jeff Buckley-Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk
Jeff Buckley-Grace
Bill Evans-Since We Met
Andy Summers-Green Chimneys
OutKast-Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Raphael Saadiq-Instant Vintage
Pictures At An Exhibition/The Rite Of Spring-The Philadelphia Orchestra/Riccardo Muti
The Best Of Debussy
The Guitar Trio

These are a handful of my favourites - not my all time faves:

Prince - Parade
Prince - Musicology
Prince - Old Friends 4 Sale/The Vault
TTD - Wildcard!
Weezer - Pinkerton
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life
Juliana Hatfield - Gold Stars
George Michael - Amazing
Janet Jackson - Janet
Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
Jimi Hendrix - Axis: Bold As Love
The Beatles - The White Album
Kelis - Tasty
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
U2 - Achtung Baby
Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
Frank Zappa - Lather
Primal Scream - Vanishing Point
Beck - Mutations
Bjork - Debut

(those are just a few)

I've decided to pick no more than one album per artist or band.In no particular order...


'Songs In the Key Of Life' Stevie Wonder
'A Funk Odyssey' Jamiroquai
'I Am' Earth Wind and Fire
'Saturday Night Fever' soundtrack
'Rumours' Fleetwood Mac
'Off The Wall' Michael Jackson
'1999' Prince
'Bad Girls' Donna Summer
'Tapestry' Carole King
'The Dude' Quincy Jones
'Erotica' Madonna
'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' Roy Ayers
'Superfly' soundtrack,Curtis Mayfield
'The Very Best of The Eagles' 2-CD set
'Street Songs' Rick James
'Too Hot To Handle' Heatwave
'Aja' Steely Dan
'The Natalie Cole Anthology' 2-CD set
'Borboletta' Santana
'Love In All Flavors' Ronnie Dyson

very nice lists! It's hard to do only 20!. But I think people's favorites are interesting (as opposed to " Greatest of all Time") because a lot of times what's widely considered as an artist's best work isn't necessarily the one you like to listen to all the time. In my case, I know " What's Going On" is Marvin's masterpiece...I would never argue that it isn't...It just not the Marvin Gaye album I listen to most often...
...and for many people, a "hits compilation" will work better than full albums by an artist...
[This message was edited Mon May 10 8:30:42 2004 by paligap]

Like most people, my favourites change all the time. In no particular order:


Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Can - Tago Mago
Plastikman - Music
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Undertones - Undertones
Blue Nile - Hats
Wire - Pink Flags
Wire - Chairs Missing
Wire - 154
Pete Shelley - Homosapien
Flying Burrito Bros - the Gilded Palace of Sin
Gram Parsons - Grievous Angel
High Llamas - Hawaii
John Cale - Paris 1919
The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
Scott Walker - Tilt
Love - Forever Changes
Opal - Happy Nightmare Baby
Gang of Four - Entertainment
Mojave 3 - Excuses for Travellers

Parliament - Motor Booty Affair
Marvin Gaye - Here My Dear
Stevie Wonder - Talking Book
Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun
D'Angelo - Voodoo
Prince - 1999
Sly & the Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & the Family Stone - Fresh
Roger - The Many Facets of Roger
Bootsy's Rubber Band - Ahh the Name is Bootsy Baby
Graham Central Station - Release Yourself
The Isley Brothers - 3+3
Common - Electric Circus
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Tony Toni Tone - House of Music
Roberta Flack - Quiet Fire
Curtis Mayfield - Curtis
Maxwell - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Prince - Sign O' the Times

The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson
Janet - Janet Jackson
Rhythm Nation - Jackson Jackson
Triumph - The Jacksons
Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
Shelter - The Brand New Heavies
Thriller - Michael Jackson
Bad - Michael Jackson
Raising Hell - Run DMC
King of Rock - Run DMC
Peace Beyond Passion - Meshell N'degeocello
Dirty Mind - Prince
Parade - Prince
Sign o the times - Prince
Heartbreak - New Edition
Neither Fish Nor Flesh - Terence Trent Darby
Symphony or Damn - Terence Trent Darby
Colour by Numbers - Culture Club
Hall & Oates - Very Best of
Hearsay - Alexander O'Neal

pm dawn - jesus wept
pm dawn - dearest christian
ben folds - rockn the suburbs
radiohead- kid a
radiohead - amnesiac
radiohead - ok computer
D' Angelo - Voodoo
Jimi Hendrix - Axis Bold As Love
Beck - Sea Change
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco- A Ghost Is Born
Jeff Buckley- Grace
Prince- 1999
Prince - Emancipation
Prince- Parade
Beatles- White Album
Paul McCartney- McCartney
George Harrison- All Things Must Pass
Beatles- Abbey Road
Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

These aren't in any kind of order:

01. Sign Of The Times, Prince
02. Lovesexy, Prince
03. Parade, Prince
04. OK Computer, Radiohead
05. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
06. Bedtime Stories, Madonna
07. She's So Unusual, Cyndi Lauper
08. Post, Bjork
09. White Album, The Beatles
10. All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2
11. Magnolia soundtrack, mostly Aimee Mann
12. From The Choirgirl Hotel, Tori Amos
13. Exile In Guyville, Liz Phair
14. Purple Rain, Prince
15. Living In Clip, Ani DiFranco
16. Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz
17. Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby, TTD
18. Whitechocolatespacegg, Liz Phair
19. The Joshua Tree, U2
20. Paul's Boutique, The Beastie Boys

mrdespues said:

I FREAKIN' love "El Scorcho"!

Stevie Wonder-Talking Book
Stevie Wonder-Fulfillingness First Finale
Stevie Wonder-Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants
Stevie Wonder-The Woman In Red Soundtrack
Stevie Wonder-In Square Circle
Aretha Franklin-Young, Gifted and Black
Aretha Franklin-Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of The Sky)
Rufus feat. Chaka Khan-Ask Rufus
Roberta Flack-Feel Like Makin' Love
Roberta Flack-Featuring Donny Hathaway
Sly & The Family Stone-There's A Riot Goin' On
Sly & The Family Stone-Small Talk
Prince-Dirty Mind
Prince and The Revolution-Parade
Prince-Sign O' The Times
OutKast-ATLiens
Tweet-Southern Hummingbird
D'Angelo-Voodoo
Brandy-Full Moon
The Clark Sisters-Sincerely

Mostly accurate:

1. Prince -- Sign O' The Times
2. Stevie Wonder -- Talking Book (good to see this is popular among orgers)
3. Digable Planets -- Blowout Comb
4. Thelonious Monk -- Genius of Modern Music Vol. II
5. Horace Silver -- Horace Silver Trio (Blue Note)
6. Jamiroquai -- Return of the Space Cowboy
7. Steely Dan -- A Decade of Steely Dan
8. Al Green -- Al
9. Public Enemy -- It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
10. The Police -- Regatta D'Blanc
11. Prince & The Revolution -- Parade
12. Prince & The Revolution -- Purple Rain
13. Prince -- Lovesexy
14. Earth Wind & Fire -- Greatest Hits
15. Vince Guaraldi Trio -- A Charlie Brown Christmas (soundtrack)
16. Peter Gabriel -- Passion
17. Bill Evans -- Jazz 'Round Midnight (Verve)
18. Me'Shell Ndegeocello -- Cookie: The Anthropoligical Mixtape
19. A Tribe Called Quest -- The Low End Theory
20. Various Artists -- A Motown Christmas (original)
[This message was edited Thu May 13 9:55:11 2004 by namepeace]

In no particular order:

1.Parade - Prince & The Revolution
2.Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
3.Nevermind - Nirvana
4.Kind Of Blue - Miles davis
5.OK Computer - Radiohead
6.Journey Through The Secret Life of Plants - Stevie Wonder
7.Title of Record - Filter
8.Tiny Music/Songs From The Vatican Gift Shop - Stone Temple Pilots
9.Seal/1994 - Seal
10.Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips
11.Homogenic - Bjork
12.Sketches of Spain - Miles Davis
13.Lovers Rock - Sade
14.Songs In The Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
15.Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters
16.The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
17.Cooleyhighharmony - Boyz II Men
18.Give Me The Reason - Luther Vandross
19.Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
20.In A Silent Way - Miles Davis

In no particular order, ONE album per artist, based on my current
sentiment.

01. David Bowie- The Man Who Sold The World
02. Kate Bush- The Dreaming
03. dEUS- Ideal Crash
04. Talking Heads- Remain In Light
05. Grace Jones- Nightclubbing
06. Prince- Dirty Mind
07. Madonna- Erotica
08. Marvin Gaye- What's Going On?
09. White Stripes- Elephant
10. Millionaire- Outside The Simian Flock
11. Serge Gainsbourg- Balade de Melody Nelson
12. Björk- Debut
13. PJ Harvey- Stories From the City Stories From the Sea
14. Rammstein- Sehnsucht
15. Sinead o' Connor- Universal Mother
16. Deee Lite- World Clique
17. The Doors- Waiting for the Sun
18. Michael Jackson- Of The Wall
19. Erykah Badu- Baduizm
20. George Michael- Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

No order and if I had my CD collection in front of me, it might be different

Prince-Sign O The Times
Janet Jackson-The Velvet Rope
Frank Black-Teenager Of The Year
Donna Summer-Bad Girls
Pet Shop Boys-Discography
Madonna-Erotica
Nirvania-Unplugged
Madonna-Bedtime Stories
Prince-Prince
Elvis Costello-Extreme Honey
Prince-Come
Stevie Nicks-Rock A Little
Neil Young-Harvest
The Pixies-Dolittle
David Bowie-Heathen
Prince-The B-Sides
Donna Summer-Once Upon A Time
Elvis Presley- Jukebox Hits
Antia Baker-Rapture
Cher-Black Rose

My word, this is almost impossible! I'll try to stick to one per artist too, though i'm not sure it'll necessarily work out as my fav. 20 albums. Too difficult.

No order

1. Abbey Road - The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
3. Dirty Mind - P
4. There's a riot goin on - Sly & the Family Stone
5. Off the wall - MJ
6. The very best of the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens - Louis Armstrong
7. Blue - Joni Mitchell
8. Panchpuran - Bill Jones
9. Spirit & the Blues - Eric Bibb
10. Where did you sleep last night? - Leadbelly
11. Electric Ladyland - Hendrix
12. Greatest hits - Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass
13. The early years (Vol.2) - Tom Waits
14. No more shall we part - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
15. Entroducing - DJ Shadow
16. Djabote - Doudou Ndiaye Rose
17. Jeff Buckley - Live a L'Olympia / Sketches for my sweetheart the drunk (i really can't choose one)
18. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust...
19. Doggystyle - Snoop
20. The Essential - Little Richard


[This message was edited Tue May 11 13:27:13 2004 by TheFrog]

In no particualr order and subject to change

-Prince: Sign O' The Times
-Prince: Lovesexy
-Prince: Dirty Mind
-The Charlatans: Us and Us Only
-The Charlatans: Wonderland
-Blur: Blur
-Radiohead: Ok Computer
-Bjork: Homogenic
-Sinead O'Connor: Faith and Courage
-Madonna: Ray of Light
-Everything But The Girl: Walking Wounded
-Paul Van Dyk: Out There and Back
-Jane's Addiction: Jane's Addiction
-Suede: Suede
-The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead
-The Stone Roses: The Stone Roses
-Primal Scream: Screamadelica
-Primal Scream: Vanishing Point
-Pulp: This Is Hardcore
-REM: Murmur

endorphin74 said:

I forgot about that one - perfect from start to finish...

No particular order
1. The White Album--Beatles
2. Songs in the Key of Life--Stevie Wonder
3. Lovesexy--Prince
3. Funkentelechy vs the Placebo Syndrome--parliament
4. A Love Supreme--john Coltrane
5. Nevermind--Nirvana
6. Court & Spark--Joni Mitchell
7. Exile on Main Street--The Rolling Stones
8. Sergeant pepper--beatles
9. Abbey road--Beatles
10. Purple rain--Prince
11. Parade--Prince
12. Bloodsugarsexmagic--Red Hot Chili Peppers
13. Imperial Bedroom--Elvis Costello
14. Blood on the Tracks-Bob Dylan
15. Let's take it to the Stage--Funkadelic
16. Check your Head--Beastie Boys
17. Swordfish Trombones--Tom Waits
18. Axis Bold as Love--Jimi Hendrix
19 Greatest Hits--Sly & the Family Stone
20. OK Computer--Radaiohead
I'm sure one or two should be substituted, but that's a pretty great list of records IMO!

no particular order:

Sign o the times ~Prince
Terri Ellis ~ Southern Gal
Mazarati~ Players Ball
k-dee ~ ass, Gas, or Cash
xscape~Off the hook
Lovesexy~ Prince
Sublime~ Sublime
Suga Free ~ Street Gospel
Purple Rain Soundtrack ~ Prince and the Revolution
Star Child ~ Tenna Marie
Street songs~ Rick James
Skyy line ~Skyy
The greatest Hits ~ Zapp and Roger
Parade ~Prince
Sushi Chick ~ No Doubt
Penthouse Players Clique~ Penthouse Players Clique
Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby~Terence Trent D'Arby
Pat Benatar
Synchronistic Wanderings
Recorded Anthology 1979 to 1999 ~ Pat Benatar
Frantic Romantic~ Jermaine Stewart
Ice Cream Castles~ The Time

no particular order:

Ben Folds- Rockin the Suburbs
Billy Joel- River of Dreams
Prince- Sign of the Times
Prince- The Gold Experience
Stevie Wonder- Songs in the Key of Life
Jamiroquai- A Funk Odyssey
Donald Fagen- Kamakiriad
Steely Dan- Two Against Nature
Steely Dan- Aja
Joel- radio joel --this is my latest CD- I just happen to be proud of it
Elton John- Blue Moves
Spacehog- Resident Alien
Remy Shand- The Way I Feel
Chicago XI
No Doubt- Tragic Kingdom
Wings- Back to the Egg
Elvis Costello- North
Michael Jackson- Dangerous
Janet Jackson- Rhythm Nation 1814
Earth Wind and Fire- I Am

i'm doing 1 CD per artist - not in order


1. OK Computer - Radiohead
2. Boys for Pele - Tori Amos
3. Lovesexy - Prince
4. Aladdin Sane - David Bowie
5. Abbey Road - The Beatles
6. Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
7. The World Inside - Human Drama
8. Dancing to Restore an Eclipsed Moon - Red Temple Spirits
9. Savage - Eurythmics
10. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
11. So - Peter Gabriel
12. Vs. - Pearl Jam
13. Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
14. Synchronicity - The Police
15. Oh Mercy - Bob Dylan
16. Very - Pet Shop Boys
17. Alice - Tom Waits
18. Disintegration - The Cure
19. Issues & Options - Phil Roy
20. Achtung Baby - U2

sorry had to add 1 more:

21. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Flaming Lips
[This message was edited Tue May 11 20:32:45 2004 by JonSnow]

Great Lists!!

in no real order....

homogenic – bjork
vespertine – bjork
hounds of love – kate bush
the dreaming – kate bush
this is not a test! – missy Elliott
miss e…so addictive! – missy eliliott
the miseducation of lauryn hill – lauryn hill
like a prayer– Madonna
music – Madonna
afro finger and gel – mu
dirty mind – prince
1999 – prince
innervisions – stevie wonder
songs in the key of life – stevie wonder
two way monologue – sondre lerche
dear catastrophe waitress – belle and Sebastian
so stylistic – fannypack
anxiety always – adult.
neon golden – the notwist
fly – yoko ono

Talking Heads - Fear of Music
Genesis - Duke
311 - Soundsystem
Bryan Adams - Cuts Like A Knife
Prince - Musicology
Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving
Enrique Iglesias - 7
Madonna - Music
The Motels - Danger
Duran Duran - Medazzaland
Tracy Chapman - S/T
The Verve - A Storm in Heaven
Stone Roses
Whirlwind Heat - Do Rabbits Wonder?
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
R.E.M. - Murmur
Bryan Adams - Into the Fire
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Cabdlebox - Lucy

in no particular order, and i picked only one album per artist:

1. elvis costello - my aim is true
2. the cure - the head on the door
3. john coltrane - giant steps
4. miles davis - kind of blue
5. joe jackson - night and day
6. pat metheny - secret story
7. david bowie - aladdin sane
8. bill evans - sunday at the village vanguard
9. funkadelic - one nation under a groove
10. james brown - sex machine
11. charles mingus - mingus ah um
12. thelonious monk - misterioso
13. led zeppelin - physical graffiti
14. kate bush - hounds of love
15. the jam - sound effects
16. parliament - mothership connection
17. duke ellington - live at newport
18. ryan adams - llor dna kcor (rock and roll)
19. prince - controversy
20. frank zappa - uncle meat

-
[This message was edited Mon May 17 17:24:27 2004 by medoc2003]

1. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison
2. Abbey Road - The Beatles
3. Sign o The Times - Prince
4. Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin
5. The Wall - Pink Floyd
6. Music From Big Pink - The Band
7. The White Album - The Beatles
8. Achtung Baby - U2
9. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
10.Decade - Neil Young
11.Parade - Prince & The Revolution
12.Eurythmics - Savage
13.Genesis - Abacab
14.Oasis - Definitely Maybe
15.Led Zeppelin IV
16.Simon & Garfunkel - Greatest Hits
17.Tom Petty - Greatest Hits
18.Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
19.Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
20.Rubber Soul - The Beatles

Pagey said:

You know what? That is a great album. narrowly missed my top 20. My favourite post-Beatles solo work (and there were some wonderful solo efforts post-beatles).