The 20 Albums That Changed My Life 

My farher shaped my love of Classic Rock when I was a kid. My top 5: Dark Side Of The Moon, Rumours, Back In Black, Zep 4, and 2112. RIP Dad

Pete your channel changed my musical life. I was quite distant from Music for several years and during the pandemic I found your channel and I realized that music is one of the best things I have in my life. Since then I try to attend as many concerts as possible and I discovered more than 100 bands! Thanks a lot Pete !

* My 20 list, in no order: Rush '2112', Boston (debut album), Steely Dan 'Aja', The Church 'Starfish', Marillion 'Misplaced Childhood', Yes 'Fragile', Iron Maiden 'Powerslave', KISS 'Destroyer', Black Sabbath 'Sabotage', Alcatrazz 'No Parole From Rock and Roll', Pink Floyd 'Dark Side of the Moon', The October Project 'Falling Farther In', U2 'War', Kraftwerk 'The Man Machine', Rory Gallagher 'Top Priority', Led Zeppelin 'Houses of the Holy', Midnight Oil 'Diesel and Dust', Judas Priest 'Stained Class', Eric B and Rakim 'Follow The Leader', Paul McCartney 'Ram', Loudness 'Thunder In The East'

As an old Jazz Bassist, these are the 20 LPs that changed my life -- great topic Pete! 1. Another One by Oscar Pettiford (1955) 2. Plays Duke Ellington by Thelonious Monk (1955) 3. Freedom Suite by Sonny Rollins (1958) 4. Dizzy’s Big 4 by Dizzy Gillespie (1974) 5. Are You Experienced? by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967) 6. The Hawk Flies High by Coleman Hawkins (1957) 7. Black Sabbath (1970) 8. Something for Lester by Ray Brown (1977) 9. Piccolo by Ron Carter (1977) 10. Jaco Pastorius (1976) 11. Led Zeppelin (1969) 12. Live at Leeds by The Who (1970) 13. Love It To Death by Alice Cooper (1971) 14. Alive! by Kiss (1975) 15. School Days by Stanley Clarke (1976) 16. Bass On Top by Paul Chambers (1957) 17. The New Miles Davis Quintet (1955) 18. Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus (1959) 19. Groovy by Red Garland (1957) 20. Portfolio by Ahmad Jamal (1958)

Deep Purple - In Rock Jethro Tull - Living in the past The Beatles - Sgt.Peppers Kate Bush - The Kick Inside Faith No More - Angel Dust Neil Young - Tonight's the night The Who - Who's next Pearl Jam - Ten Black Sabbath - Vol.4 Cardiacs - On land and in the sea The Damned - Phantasmagoria Husker Du - Zen Arcade Led Zeppelin - Remasters Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance Swans - The Seer Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic Lou Reed - Berlin Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

To me was Accept - Restless & Wild, Slayer - Show no Mercy, Metallica - Kill 'em All, Savatage - Hail of the Mountain King, Black Sabbath - Master of Reality, Iron Maiden - Killers, AC-DC - Highway to hell, Motorhead - Another Perfect Day, Raven - All for One, Mercyful Fate- Melissa, King Diamond - Abigail, Destruction - Sentence of Death, Suicidal Tendencies - Lights, Camera, Revolution, Faith no More - The Real Thing, Alice in Chains - Dirt, Satan - Court in The Act

My game-changers list (no order): 2112, Are You Experienced, Rubber Soul, The Cars debut album, Ghosts Of The Great Highway, Purple Rain, Synchronicity, Physical Graffiti, Never Mind, Pleased To Meet Me, Nothing’s Shocking, Back In Black, So by Peter Gabriel, Blood On The Tracks, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Dreaming by Kate Bush, Boston debut album, Blues For The Red Sun, Trace by Son Volt, Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division

Pink Floyd Animals- This album got me into Pink Floyd. Made me realize I underestimated this band and there was much more to discover. I ended buying all their albums. Genesis Nursery Cryme- The Musical Box blew my mind away. This wasn't the same band I grew up with in the 80's. This was top notch Progressive Rock. This album made me a Genesis fan and I quickly discovered they were the cream of the crop in 70's Prog Rock. King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King- This really is the album that feels like the days of proto-Prog were over and this set the standard for the future. It's got dated keyboards but it doesn't matter because they sound timeless on this album. Queensryce Operation Mindcrime- Like Iron Maiden meets Pink Floyd meets Andrew Lloyd Webber. My cousin introduced me to this album and I couldn't believe what I was listening to. My intro to Prog Metal. Dream Theater The Astonishing- Dream Theater was the first Metal band that felt like authentic Prog Rock. The real deal. This album was something entirely different. A lot of people complain about it. I think it's one of the most beautiful albums I have ever heard. Listened to it again and again. Tears for Fears The Hurting- The best Progressive Pop band ever. While Yes, Genesis, and Pink Floyd disappointed me with their 80's albums Tears for Fears ruled the world. Some of the best albums of the 80's and their debut is just spectacular. Big Big Train English Electric Full Power- The ultimate retro Prog band. Reminds me of the best parts of the 70's. And it's extremely consistent from start to finish. Beautiful and wonderful songs I absolutely love. Like putting the old picture in a new frame. This was better than a classic Genesis reunion! Rush Hemispheres- Cygnus Book II is one epic of an epic. Very power driven, atmospheric, and adventurous. So is the rest of the album. I love A Farewell to Kings but this is the pinacle of their career. Steely Dan Aja- I love Jazz. I love what Donald Fagan and Walter Becker can do with it turning it into Pop and Rock songs. This album is brilliant. It never gets tiring and had me hooked from the first listen.

Queen-A Night at the Opera Dream Theater-Images and Words Death-The Sound of Perserverence Opeth-Still Life Testament-The Gathering Arch Enemy-Burning Bridges

UFO - Obsession Pink Floyd - Meddle Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday Eloy - Planets Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime Sparks - Indiscreet Nektar - A Tab In The Ocean Frank Zappa - Sheikh Yerbouti Tangerine Dream - Tangram AC/DC - Highway To Hell Montrose - Montrose Jane - Age Of Madness Jethro Tull - Aqualung T.Rex - The Slider Scorpions - Lovedrive Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood Blues Brothers - Movie Soundtrack Birth Control - Hoodoo Man Slade - In Flame Riot - Narita

5: Bob Dylan Blood on the tracks 4: led Zeppelin 4 3: Jethro Tull Benefit 2: Beatles Revolver 1: Miles Davis kind of Blue.

AC-DC If you want blood Back in black Highway to hell they were the very first metal/rock albums I heard my older brother playing when I was only about 7 and I was instantly hooked. I then discovered iron maiden live after death, and the first album I owned myself was seventh son my favorite maiden. My late mother bought me it on tape and a Sony walkman for my tenth birthday it was just released and the guy in the record store recommended it to her. I played it out as I stared and read the mysterious inner lyrics and illustrations.

Hello Pete. I'm a Brit. Never sent a comment to you before, but... First thing that ever really obsessed me was We sold our Souls for R n R by the Sabs - with the lady in the coffin on the inside. Never heard music like that, I must have been 12 yrs old. At a mates house, and it belonged to his brother. Best wishes.

Led Zeppelin IV , Grand Funk Railroad Live , Queen News Of The World, KISS Alive, Metallica Ride The Lightning Jeff Beck Blow By Blow, Miles Davis Jack Johnson , Return To Forever Live 76 , Gary Moore Still Got the Blues, Bob Marley Legend , SRV Couldn't Stand the Weather , Van Halen 1 , Jimi Are You Experienced , David Bowie Diamond Dogs , In Flames Reroute to Remain , Beatles Meet The Beatles , Rolling Stones Let It Bleed , Queensryche Operation Mindcrime , Janes Addiction Nothings Shocking , Faith No More The Real Thing.

Pink Floyd The Wall (not their best imho but I had it on repeat all thru high school) Michael Jackson Thriller, first album I bought Styx Paradise Theater, first rock album I bought, listened to it endlessly Willie Dixon I Am the Blues. Blew my mind listening to it in college Bob Dylan Time Out of Mind. Bought this when it came out, not really knowing anything about him. Perfect album and opened a door into an entire genre Black Sabbath Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, first metal album I ever “got.” Warren Zevon My Ride’s Here. I honestly thought the guy was a comedic singer like Weird Al until I heard Genius Ruby the Hatchet Planetary Space Child. First time I got into a band that was in its prime. Opened my eyes to how much great music is still being made. Favorite band to this day. Beth Hart Leave the Light On. Great singing and music but also unbelievably raw personal lyrics illustrating the effects of childhood trauma. I was an attorney for mostly homeless clients at the time and the album was like therapy for me. Joe Bonamassa Dust Bowl his best album imho. Got me back into blues after decades Paul Simon Graceland felt totally out there at the time but I couldn’t stop listening to it Hayes Carll KMAG YOYO totally changed my mind about country music Joan Osborne Relish. I hate her only hit but the rest is great. First gf in high school, a woman older than me, was obsessed with it and the album became the soundtrack to the summer I…well, the summer she taught me a lot. :; That’s about it, without repeating bands or admitting my Spin Doctors phase.

Music can take you back to a place, a time, or a person like no other keepsake.

My first two rock albums-- that I bought from a friend for $2: (mid 70s folks) Paul McCartney/Wings: Venus And Mars The Beatles: Let It Be These two turned me towards rock first and foremost for my music preference. Still sentimental favorites, but, my tastes shifted, as told in the next two albums-- Kansas: Song For America Supertramp: Crime Of The Century Two albums I bought for the album covers, and was blown away by the music, unlike anything I'd heard before. And forever now, a prog rock fan first and foremost, and would no longer be satisfied by simple pop, verse/chorus, verse/chorus, solo, fade out songs(save the times when that is all you want/need) Still my two favorite albums and artists. I'm a Kansas fan first, but, I think I've listened to Crime Of The Century more than any album. Like Pete, I find Boston's debut endlessly fascinating. Like Pete, an ELO album is also important to me, but, it was " A New World Record " that was the one that sent me to their catalog. Jethro Tull: Aqualung---hard rock with a flute?! And weird, yet fascinating lyrics. Not my favorite from Tull, but, without Aqualung, I never would have discovered the catalog Steely Dan: Aja---sophisticated jazz rock, with lyrics that make you think...yes please. Aja is a sonic masterpiece, without it, I never would have found the rest of the catalog(enjoy The Royal Scam just an iota more than Aja) Steely Dan is my 3rd/4th favorite artist, tied with the next artist up: Dire Straits: Debut. Mark Knopfler's (he's almost narrating instead of singing)vocals telling great stories with that fantastic, unique guitar and superb compositions. Tied for 3rd/4th favorite artist with Steely Dan Styx: The Grand Illusion--A masterpiece with a touch of prog deep cuts, great vocal harmonies. A great catalog Genesis: Duke--poppy, yet proggy too. Led me to the rest of the catalog, even more prog riches to be found Billy Joel: The Stranger--Yes, I like straight pop/regular songwriting too. He's a genius. And, he has one prog song too: " Prelude/The Angry Young Man " Rush: Permanent Waves--another album I bought for the album cover---lifelong fan(RIP Professor) Eagles: Hotel California---The Eagles used to be a favorite band, but not anymore. But, for a good amount of years, The Eagles were a regular listen Al Stewart: Time Passages and Year Of The Cat--still enjoyable, still great listens(along with the rest of the catalog). Al's historical commentaries set to interesting and catchy music is superb

Nothing affected my life like Scenes from a Memory. I picked it up from Best Buy around 2000 on a whim, after hearing just a few DT songs. Since that day, not only has it remained my all time favorite, but it inspired me to try to take guitar playing to the next level

Abba - The Album Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King Hawkwind - In Search Of Space Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail ELP - Tarkus Renaissance - Prologue Yes - Close To The Edge Heart - Little Queen Led Zeppelin - IV Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Barclay James Harvest - Eyes Of The Universe Steve Hackett - Voyage Of The Acolyte The Moody Blues - To Our Children's Children's Children Camel - Rain Dances Vangelis - Heaven And Hell

Thank you Pete so much for sharing the 20 albums that changed your life! Great topic and great stories! We have some of the same albums that changed our lives common - Boston 1, Genesis Seconds Out, Rush Moving Pictures, Jimi at Woodstock, The Who Kids Are Alright, Wings Over America, ELO Out of the Blue, and Black Sabbath Paranoid, great picks buddy! You mentioned Jimi and the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock! For the last 10 years I've spent a lot of time on campus at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey CA as the contractor lead developer of the Kuali Financial System they use to meet the needs of the school, all written in Java. Anyway, it is a military base, and every morning at 8am they play the lovely Star Spangled Banner (orchestral version, no vocal) loud across campus and into the city of Monterey for about 5 minutes. For years, I've been dreaming of somehow getting into the high perch in the hotel where they play it and 'substituting' the Jimi version. I think it IS quite patriotic! Oh well, I'm retired now, I could have got in trouble! LOL!

Pete, great show! So different... My 10 picks: Triumvirat - Spartacus Tommy - Original soundtrack from the movie Nazareth - Greatest Hits Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy Kraftwerk - Autobahn Gary Glitter - Greatest Hits Grand Funk Railroad - We are an American Band Beatles - Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Fuckin' good old times!!!!

6 important ones. 1975 - Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman / Teaser And The Firecat 1977 - Kiss - Love Gun / Destroyer 1984 - Rush - Grace Under Pressure / Moving Pictures / Signals 1986 - Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love 1992 - Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes / Under The Pink 2001 - Opeth - Still Life / Blackwater Park Cat Stevens is my earliest music memory. Still remember my Oh Very Young 45. Tea For the Tillman and Teaser And The Firecat are still 2 of the finest albums ever. I discovered Kiss in 1977 when my mom of all people bought Love Gun. She didn't like it, but I loved it. Next was Destroyer and I was sold. Kiss freak for life. They and Rush are the two bands I still fanboy over the most. Although musically Rush has become my favourite, Kiss is the band I still seek the most information about and know the most about, podcast, collect, watch live, and still revisit old material. I discovered Rush in 84. My friend Jeff Saxinger was a Rush freak the whole time I was a Kiss freak and he was always trying to convert me, which is maybe why I resisted. But when Grace Under Pressure came out I could resist no more, and they have since become my all time favourite band musically. Then I discovered Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, and yes, a lot of 80s hard rock like Dokken, Cinderella, Def Leppard, Ratt, Whitesnake, White Lion, Tesla, and the almighty BADLANDS!!! RUSH also helped in my love of prog, making Queensryche, Fates Warning, Voivod, SavAtage, Dream Theater, The Tea Party, Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Marillion, and Kings X all favourites of mine. In 86 I saw the Running Up That Hill video and loved it. Up till that point I was basically just a hard rock fan. But Hounds of Love changed my life, and along with Sting's Dream of the Blue Turtles, Hounds also opened my eyes to all types of music, not just hard rock, and it remains my favourite album of all time. It is a masterpiece. And ever since I have been obsessed with all things Kate. Discovering Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes was another life changing moment. I discovered it by accident while working as a manager in my Top Forty music store. I was addicted to that album for two years, and she has become one of my favourite artists, and had reopened my eyes to singer songwriters and eclectic artists like Bjork, PJ Harvey, Joseph Arthur, Richard Hawley, David Gray, Fiona Apple, Susanne Sundfør, Nick Drake, and also renewed my love of Cat Stevens. The first time I heard Opeth I could not accept them because of the harsh vocals. Up to that point I was not into music that heavy. The album I did not like was Still Life, even though now it is my favourite of theirs. But in 2001 Blackwater Park was released and their genius could no longer be denied. Already a Porcupine Tree and Anathema fan, they along with Opeth opened me up to so much other fantastic metal and rock that I prefer and love to this day, including bands like The Gathering, Katatonia, Agalloch, Daylight Dies, Green Carnation, Antimatter, Alcest, Enslaved, Ghost Brigade, Novembre, Solstafir, Amorphis, Paradise Lost, Swallow The Sun, and so many more. Music has meant everything to me over the years and will continue to as other things fall away.

Deep Purple - Made in Japan. Actually it was a DP concert that I saw on the American leg of the Made in Japan tour - BEFORE the album was recorded in Japan. When I heard the album when it was released in 1973 I thought it could have been recorded at the concert I saw - same set list. That show - and album - ABSOLUTELY changed my life. . Never realized a band could be so good live. After that I became a total music junky.

thank you for taking us on your musical journey.

For me : 1) Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon. My mother (may she Lay in Peace) had on vinyl and 8 track and it would lull me to sleep as a small child in early childhood and started me on my journey into Pink Floyd and their music and was my first Pink Floyd album proper at age 8 in 1984 on cassette then The Wall, The Final Cut, Wish You Were Here, A Collection of Great Dance Songs, Animals etc and when A Momentary Lapse of Reason was released when I was 11 that was the first album of theirs I got the week of release then The Division Bell was the first I got the day of release. Pink Floyd remain my favorite band EVER! AND NO I NEVER DID DRUGS EITHER NOR SMOKE NOR DRINK! 2) Rush - Moving Pictures. My oldest sister Toni (may she too Lay In Peace) had on vinyl and loved it when I heard as a 5 year old and was the first Rush album I owned on cassette at age 8 when I was given a copy. Love for Rush started there and never waned. 3) Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. Album (along with DSotM) started my path to Rock and Roll glory and the first album I owned on vinyl as a small 5 year old boy. Still enjoy The Eagles to this day. 4) Queen - A Night at the Opera. One day hearing on In the Studio with Redbeard in Summer 1989 this album was a revelation and then would be the first Queen CD I would own in 1992. 5) Van Halen - Diver Down. My first Van Halen album which I got on my 7th birthday in January, 1983 after stealing my sister's LP and my parents bought me the cassette and was my first Hard Rock album which led me to my first three Metal albums later that same year. 6) Genesis - Abacab. Summer 1997 had some CDs to turn in and took a chance on the abstract cover and bought the 1994 remaster and knowing three songs (title cut, No Reply at All and Man on the Corner) I went into it and love at first listen and then bought every other album either by the cover art or via songs from live albums (Way We Walk 1 and 2, Three Sides Live (US version). 7) Styx - The Grand Illusion. First album I ever bought with $5 in March, 1985. I heard Come Sail Away, Fooling Yourself and Miss America via Caught In The Act Live which was my overview to pre-Cornerstone Styx in May, 1984. Paradise Theater was my first Styx album in October, 1983 and Kilroy I didn't own until September, 1995 as the cover was nightmare fuel in 1983 (Robotos scared me). 8) Ozzy Osbourne - Bark At the Moon. 9) The Who - It's Hard 10) Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 11) Yes - Close To the Edge 12) Supertramp - Crime Of the Century 13) Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell 14) Queensryche - The Warning 15) Deep Purple - Deepest Purple 16) Roxy Music - Siren 17) Rolling Stones - Some Girls 18) ELP - Brain Salad Surgery 19) Dio - Holy Diver 20) KISS - KISS Alive II

For me (not in a particular order): Van Halen II The Police: Synchronicity Scorpions: Lovedrive Rush: Signals Judas Priest: Screaming for Vengeance Queensryche: Rage for Order Stevie Ray Vaughan: Couldn't Stand the Weather Def Leppard: Pyromania Tesla: Mechanical Resonance

#1 The Who - Tommy #2 Jimi Hendrix - Smash Hits #3 The Beatles - Sgt Pepper #4 Deep Purple - Machine Head #5 Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll #6 Marvin Gaye - What's Going On #7 The Kinks - Greatest Hits #8 Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run #9 The Ramones - The Ramones #10 Rush - All The World's A Stage This is just a short list off the top of my head. There are so many more and I know that I left out some crucial ones.

I like your choices. My list : Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon Supertramp - Crime of the century Steely Dan - Can´t buy a thrill The Smiths - The Queen is dead The Waterboys - This is the Sea Pavlov´s Dog - Pampered Menial Keith Jarrett - Koln Concert Jethro Tull - Songs from the Wood Television - Marquee Moon Neutral Milk Hotel - In the aeroplane over the sea Pixies - Doolittle Sufjan Stevens - Illinois Pink Floyd - The Wall Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Gang of Four - Entertainment!

Amazing video Pete. And FYI; your story on buying Iron Maiden’s Killers based on the album cover is exactly my story. I was in a record store in downtown Toronto back in 1981 that specializes in imports. When I saw that album cover, I took a chance and was not disappointed. I went back to the store the next day and picked up their first album and never looked back. This is why I will always have a soft spot for the Paul Di’Anno era. Thanks for sharing your stories.

This could be a series with SoT members/guests/etc. The 20 Albums That Changed Mr. Alo 's Life The 20 Albums That Changed Mr. Gallagher 's Life The 20 Albums That Changed Mr. Lamie 's Life etc. Well maybe no episode for Mr. Laszlo tho, 'cause we already know it would be 20 Pat Benatar albums 🤣

Kiss was definitely my gateway into heavier music. Kiss is the reason I enjoy bands like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Deep Purple. Before Kiss I was really only listening to 80s new wave and The Eagles. But since I began listening to Kiss it has really opened the doors to a wider range of rock for me

Great storytelling Pete. I started a decade before you but relate to much of your selection. Most of these have aged very well, off the top of my head: Beatles - Sgt Pepper, Black Sabbath - Paranoid, Pink Floyd - Meddle, Uriah Heep - Demons and Wizards, The Who - Quadrophenia, Jethro Tull - Aqualung, Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill, Santana - Caravanserai, Yes - Yessongs, Genesis - Foxtrot, Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond, Miles Davis - Kind of Blue, Return to Forever - Where Have I Known You Before, Pat Metheny Group - American Garage, Joni Mitchell - Don Juan's Reckless Daughter, Paul Simon - Anthology, Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy, Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority, Weather Report - Heavy Weather, Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.

Most important album: Stomu Yamashta's Go live from Paris. I was 13, just imagine.... Then: Made in Japan, Taken by Force, Meddle, Tarkus, Rainbow Rising, YM's Rising Force, Overkill (Motorhead), Point of Know Return, Images and Words, In the court of the Crimson King

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Live Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti Wishbone Ash - Argus Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak Steely Dan - The Royal Scam Yes - Fragile Tommy Bolin - Teaser Aerosmith - Rocks Camel - Moonmadness Heart - Dog & Butterfly Glenn Hughes - Play Me Out Judie Tzuke - Welcome To The Cruise Tears For Fears - The Hurting Jeff Beck - There and Back Fairport Convention - The History of Fairport Convention Toto - IV U2 - War Alan Parsons Project - I Robot Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways

1 - Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the gallery (1975) - I was 3 y.o. back then, I grew up with their music, to start with THIS band, maaan. 2 - Deep Purple - Come taste the band (1975) - Same as 1., but for hard rock. Their previous albums are monumental, but I acquired a taste for their music (pun intended) with this one. 3 - Genesis - Foxtrot (1972) - I accidentally found them in early 90's by myself, fell in love immediatelly, until this moment I did not know anything from them except their pop 80's stuff. How musically naive I was! 4 - Mr. Bungle - Mr Bungle (1991) - Again, I did not know that people can do this with so random musical instruments, ever. Mind-boggling creativity, you can only stay in awe and be grateful for the expanding of your narrow musical sense. 5 - Rollins Band - Weight (1994) - Feelings into lyrics, existential and societal dispair into music, disarming sincerity, and I even didn't resist. 6 - Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994) - I felt 90's as a young person. Period. 7 - Anthrax - The persistence of time (1990) - Oh, this particular year. We were blessed. 8 - Pantera - Cowboys from hell (1990) - You see? 9 - Al di Meola - Kiss my Axe (1990) 10 - Corman & Tuscadu - Schwarz und gelb (1993) - Just to honor bizarre music... and to discover and listen to bands like this, always. 11 - Sting - Ten summoner's tales (1993) 12 - Jamiroquai - Emergency on planet Earth (1993) 13 - Portishead - Dummy (1994) 14 - Radiohead - The bends (1995) 15 - PJ Harvey - Is this desire? (1997) 16 - Testament - The gathering (1999) 17 - Sparklehorse - It's a wonderful life (2001) 18 - Candlemass - The door to doom (2019) - This one for a change I learned from a Sea of tranquility. You never know what you'll find. 19 - Metallica - Master of puppets (1986) 20 - Mastodon - The Hunter (2011) It looks like a random list, but there're so many bands and genres not mentioned at all. Every music can influence your view, even taste... and somehow you can select only the best for you. If you are into music, it never stops.

I don't know if there were 20 albums that changed my (musical) life, but there were a handful. Here they are in order of when I discovered them..... 1. "Dark Side of the Moon". The first album I became aware of as a complete work and not just a collection of songs. I first heard this album around the time it came out via my older brother (I would have been 9 yrs old, he was 18). This was a no-skip album, meaning I wouldn't skip over any song in order to hear a hit. 2. "Alive" from Kiss. Also discovered around the time of its release, one of the kids in my class brought this in for music day where we could split up into groups and listen to records on those all-in-one recored players that any kid from the '70s would recognize. The whole atmosphere of the album hooked me pretty quickly. 3. Boston's debut. A massive album from the Summer/Fall of 1976. A phenomenal album that has never left my album rotation no matter what musical direction I was leaning towards. 4. Led Zeppelin's debut. I listened to this for the first time in its entirety in the Fall of '78 (I was 14). No album before or since had such an immediate impact on me. I was shocked when the last strains of "How Many More Times" were drifting away as the album came to a close. From this point on I would have hard rock on the top of my list of favored musical genres. Jimmy Page became my first guitar hero because of this album......and really the first guitar player I became aware of as an individual. If I had ever pursued music as a career in one form or another (I've been a bad guitar player for a long time now), I would have to list this album as my #1 influence for that decision. Honorable Mentions to "Band on the Run", "The Kids are Alright", "Live at Leeds", "Goodbye" from Cream, "Paranoid", "Machine Head", "Endless Summer" from the Beach Boys, "The Wall", and Glen Campbell's greatest hits. Thanks, Pete.

The Beatles - The Beatles Second Album (American version) Elton John - Madman Across The Water Allman Brothers - Beginnings (First Two Albums) Eddie Harris &Les McCann - Swiss Movement Stevie Wonder - Talking Book Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On Dan Fogelberg - Souvenirs Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs and The Englishmen The Who - Who’s Next Kansas - Leftoveture Robin Trower - Twice Removed From Yesterday Paul Simon - Kodachrome Loggins and Messina - Sittin’ In Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Tower of Power - Bump City George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

The 20 albums that changed my life (in no particular order): Deep Purple: Machine Head Yes: Yessongs America: Homecoming The Moody Blues: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here Elton John: Madman Across the Water Black Sabbath: Paranoid Shawn Phillips: Rumplestiltskin's Resolve Frank Zappa: Apostrophe (') Santana: Abraxas Genesis: A Trick of the Tail CCR: Cosmo's Factory The Guess Who: Share the Land Kate Bush: The Kick Inside The Sex Pistols: Never Mind the Bollocks - Here's The Sex Pistols Joan Armatrading: Joan Armatrading David Bowie: Station to Station Lana del Rey: Born to Die Strawbs: Hero and Heroine Depeche Mode: Violator Here's 20 more ... just for kicks: Tangerine Dream: Stratosfear Steppenwolf: Live Roy Buchanan: Roy Buchanan Alice Cooper: Billion Dollar Babies Supertramp: Crime of the Century Gordon Lightfoot: Don Quixote Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick Linda Ronstadt: Canciones de mi Padre The Allman Brothers Band: Brothers and Sisters Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman Symphonic Slam: Symphonic Slam Roxy Music: For Your Pleasure Crowded House: Temple of Low Men Dead Can Dance: Aion Thomas Dolby: The Flat Earth Bob Dylan: Desire Rush: 2112 Soundgarden: Superunknown Split Enz: Time and Tide Screaming Trees: Dust Also: Elvis Costello: Imperial Bedroom System of a Down: Toxicity The Police: Regatta de Blanc Joe Jackson: Night and Day Duran Duran: Notorious Jeff Beck: Blow by Blow Billy Joel: The Nylon Curtain The Fixx: Phantoms The Beatles: Rubber Soul The Perth County Conspiracy: Does Not Exist The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers Carly Simon: Anticipation Mahogany Rush: IV Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy The The: Dusk Yes, a LOT of albums changed my life! 😁

Rainbow: Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow

Yeah... Great topic.😃 1. AC/DC-Black Ice That album was what got me into rock and metal music. It was my first full album on CD I got way back on Christmas 2008, aged 10. AC/DC are still my favorite band and even though I did not listen to it recently, I really still like it very much. 2.Genesis-We Can't Dance My dad used to listen to this album when I was little and what should I say... Some day it just stuck with me and I got deeper into Genesis. That and a free Ray Wilson concert in 2017 made me a full-blown Genesis fan. 3.Metallica-Metallica Back in 2013 the "Black Album" was the first metal album I got into my CD collection, quickly followed by Black Sabbaths "13" and Iron Maidens "Flight 666 Soundtrack". 4.Stern Meißen-Reise Zum Mittelpunkt Des Menschen This east german prog masterpiece made me a huge fan of the band. I never really listened to keyboard oriented prog without guitars but damn that hit me hard. I couldn't get enough of those jazzy bass lines, awesome keyboard sounds and goosebump inducing vocals/lyrics. 5.Hans Lazer Alien Slam-Action Metal This album came out shortly after I got into synthwave. I never thought of mixing death metal and synthwave but this works great. The 80s action movie/wrestling/body building/neon/scifi image combined with synth and death metal music are awesome. This was also the first cassette tape I bought on bandcamp.

There are three albums that had a serious impact on my life. The White Album Blood on the Tracks Meddle Never mind the music, these albums changed the way I look at life.

Plenty of albums had an impact on me. Life being changed...JP Hell Bent for Leather led me to never take anyone's shit ever again. Son House Father of the Delta Blues just shook me to the core... I just was Reborn. Tom Waits Jersey Girl and I was born yet again.

1.Loverboy-S/T (my introduction to music) 2.Joe Satriani-Strange Beautiful Music (my introduction to instrumental rock) 3.Steve Vai-Passion and Warfare 4.Yngwie Malmsteen-Rising Force 5.Michael Angelo Batio-No Boundaries 6.Whitesnake-S/T 7.Electric Sun-Fire Wind 8.Scorpions-Taken by Force 9.Dokken-Tooth and Nail 10.Kiss-S/T 11.UFO-Lights Out 12.Eloy-Power and the Passion (the moment prog really clicked with me and I realized how much I loved it) 13.Kansas-Point of Know Return 14.Asia-S/T 15.Robin Trower-Twice Removed From Yesterday 16.Return to Forever-Romantic Warrior (my introduction to jazz fusion) 17.Electric Light Orchestra-Face the Music (the first non-heavy pop album I really fell in love with, broadening my horizons to non-heavy music) 18.Jefferson Starship-Winds of Change (opened my eyes up to the magnificence of female vocalists in rock and metal) 19.Trouble-Psalm 9 (my introduction to doom) 20.Fleetwood Mac-Rumors

The early ACDC- and Extrabreit-records from my older brother, the german tv-show Rock-pop in concert 83 with Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Ozzy a.o. and ride the lightning in 84...💥💫

Dylan-highway61 Tull-benefit Genesis-foxtrot Hatfield&the North-rotters club Pink Floyd-saucerful Cardiacs- little man & a house Vaughn Williams- Tallis fantasia- Boult Laurie Anderson- home of the brave Henry Cow- leg end Metheny-offramp Glass- koyaanisquatsi Pere Ubu- cloudland John Cale- guts Yes- fragile Wes Montgomery- tequila(bumpin on sunset) Zappa- hot rats Mahavishnu- inner mounting flame Eno- life in the bush of ghosts Beatles- rubber soul Led Zepplin- lll ps-just looked at some other lists... OMG! can I add a second twenty? thirty?

So many but, second and third bought albums age 13-----1,Made In Japan, Purple and 2,The Song Remains The Same, Zeppelin, my introduction to heavy rock. 3, Yessongs---my introduction to prog rock. 4. Wardance, Colosseum 2, introduction to jazz rock. 5. White album--Diamond Head, my fav NWOBHM, loved that scene. 6. Punk/ new wave was a big thing but no one obvious stand out album so i'll throw some love to Magazine, Real Life. 7. I was late with thrash first i heard ended up being my thrash bible----Metallica, Master Of Puppets, game changer, similar story as Pete's. 8.Old school indie, i have to go Pop Will Eat Itself, Cure For Sanity. 9. Hip Hop, ---Public Enemy, fear Of A Black Planet. 10. Grunge came, my fav from that genre, Soundgarden , Superunknown. 11. Poppies led me on to Nine Inch Nails, I have to go The Downward Spiral, even though i like The Fragile more. 12. The music worlds best kept secret, post hardcore, vast wide genre, for classic post hardcore i'll go Bluetip, Join Us. 13. For more prog rock style post hardcore---The Alchemy Index, Thrice. For proggers if you've never heard them Thrice, Vheissu and the four disc Alchemy Index are awesome. 14. For Trip hop i'd go with Zero 7, and first three albums are hard to pick one but i'd go with The Garden. 15. Gallows, Grey Britain what an album, punk / thrash, concept album killer segues, sounds a row at first but opens like a flower, i'd listen this three times back to back and 15 years later still sounds fresh, love it. 16. Kate Bush---The Sensual World. 17. Tori Amos--Boys For Pele 18. Blue Oyster Cult-----Cultosaurus Erectus, i love BOC this has to be mentioned. 19 Hawkwind--Quark Strangeness And Charm, another that stays fresh for me and is super nostalgic. 20---Whats my buzz album right now---- Advent Horizon, A Cell To Call Home.

1. Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced? 2. ELP's First. 3. Led Zeppelin II. 4. Pink Floyd: Meddle. 5. Beatles White Album. 6. Yes: Close To The Edge. 7. Miles Davis Live At Fillmore. 8. Grateful Dead: Live Dead. 9. Traffic: John Barleycorn. 10. Woodstock. 11. Eugene Ormandy & Philadelphia Orch. Pictures At An Exhibition. 12. Stravinsky Conducts The Rite Of Spring. 13. Schoenberg's Violin Concerto. 14. Weather Report: Heavy Weather. 15. Soundtrack 2001 A Space Odyssey feat. Ligeti's Atmospheres. 16. Bartok's Music For Strings, Percussion and Celest. 17. Genesis: A Trick Of The Tale. 18. John Cage: Williams Mix. 19. Gary Graffman Plays Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #3. 20. Oh yeah, and Jethro Tull: Benefit. 🙂

Mine : Pink Floyd - Animals Pink Floyd - Division Bell Roger Waters - Amused to Death Radiohead - Kid A Radiohead - In Rainbows Thom Yorke - Anima Coldplay - Parachute Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head Coldplay - X&Y David Bowie - Heathen David Bowie - Reality Man at Work - Cargo INXS - Switch Tame Impala - Lonerism The Smiths - The Queen is Dead U2 - Joshua Tree Castlebeat - VHS Laid Back - Keep Smiling Keane - Hopes and Fears Dire Strairs - Brothers in Arms

1. Genesis- TOTT. Introduced me to the band in 1976 and changed my music taste for prog forever. 2. Genesis- Foxtrot my fav album of all time 3. Yes - CTTE 4. ELP BSS 5. Kansas Debut 6. Beatles White 7. Wings Band on the Run 8. Jethro Tull Thick as a Brick 9. Rush Farewell to Kings 10. Pink Floyd DSOTM 11. Peter Gabriel Car 12. Steve Hackett Voyage 13. Blind Faith 14. Steely Dan Pretzel Logic 15. ELO Out if the Blue 16. Zappa Roxy and Elsewhere 17. Led Zep 4 18. Neal Morse Band Similitude of a Dream 19. Deep Purple Machine Head 20 Jeff Beck Wired Not in a particular order

Daydream on Trower live is such a beautiful track ,vocally and musically,and that feedback control,the absolute business,man.

Love the Mahavishnu story. Great episode!

Love your take on Woodstock. I was 13 years old in New Zealand at the time and only heard about it afterwards by the time I was about 16/17… by then it had become a legendary festival of music. To your question, which albums changed my life: Stand Up, Jethro Tull Benefit, Jethro Tull Aqualung, Jethro Tull Thick As A Brick, Jethro Tull A Passion Play, Jethro Tull Warchild, Jethro Tull Minstrel In The Gallery, Jethro Tull Stormwatch, Jethro Tull Disraeli Gears, Cream Wheels Of Fire, Cream The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, Traffic Nursery Cryme, Genesis Foxtrot, Genesis The Yes Album, Yes Fragile, Yes Salisbury, Uriah Heep Who’s Next, The Who So, pretty obvious that my favourite band of all time is Jethro Tull and I was lucky enough to catch Ian Anderson with his current iteration of JT this last December for one of his Christmas concerts at the magnificent York Minster… wonderful experience having travelled there from Australia and meeting up with fans with whom I had previously conversed with in Facebook fan groups… was fabulous! ❤️❤️❤️

Thanks Pete. An outstanding episode. Its been a long time since i enjoyed one of your shows as much as this one. Now it's time to start thinking about my own list.

What a hell of a great episode this is and will be!😊 Thank You very kindly, Pete❤

In the order that the albums came into my life: Elvis-King Creole (the first record I ever bought as a 6-year old!) Duran Duran-Rio Iron Maiden-Piece of Mind Metallica-Master of Puppets Dead Kennedys-Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables Soundgarden-Badmotorfinger Steely Dan-Countdown to Ecstasy Miles Davis-Sketches of Spain Neil Young-After the Gold Rush Little Feat-Feats Don't Fail Me Now Todd Rundgren-Something/Anything? An honorable mention goes to some albums from the Who, Dr. John, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf, Jellyfish, Mastodon etc. The records I listed aren't always my favorites by those bands/artists, but they all served as kind of gateways...

Burn, Made in Japan, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night at the Opera, Teaser (Tommy Bolin), Aladdin Sane, Close to the Edge, Too Fast for Love, The Song remains the Same, Tomorrow Belongs to me (SAHB), Pure Cult, Once Around the World (It Bites), Presto, Sabotage, Dynasty, Reign in Blood, Into the Pandemonium, Black Metal, Master of Puppets, Life is But a Dream (A7X). Cheers.

Made in Japan Live #1 Live Album of all time! Changed my life.😊

Pete can wax lyrical for 45 mins and it doesn't feel like 45 mins. All killer no filler.

Really great idea, Pete. Like you make clear, this is not about the favorite/best albums, but the ones that got you enthused in a special way, or took you down new paths. All of us here on SoT are passionate about music, and for us, music is something that we connect to on an emotional level, so talking about these albums in this way is very appropriate. Thank-you for triggering these types of thoughts in me, and I am sure, many others.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Eagles - Hotel California The Beatles - Abbey Road Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Damn the Torpedoes Rush - Moving Pictures U2 - War David Bowie - ChangesOneBowie Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run Prince - Purple Rain Talking Heads - Remain In Light REM - Reckoning The Clash - London Calling The Replacements - Tim Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Husker Du - Flip Your Wig Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks Radiohead - The Bends Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Here are mine, in chronological order to me discovering them: • Sgt. Peppers - my dad had eclectic taste, this stood out • Dark Side Of The Moon • Rush - Permanent Waves • Van Halen I - Eddie! • Unleashed In The East • Iron Maiden - debut • Hawkwind - Levitation • Metallica - Kill 'Em All • Joe Satriani - Surfing With The Alien • Porcupine Tree - Up The Downstair • Artrosis - In The Flower's Shade (Polish Gothic metal) • Long Distance Calling - Avoid The Light (post-metal) • Alkaloid - Numen (recent progressive death metal that has re-awakened my love of heavy, imaginative music).

My most influential albums: Alice Cooper - "Killer" Doors - "Strange Days" Rolling Stones - "Sticky Fingers" Jethro Tull - "Aqualung" Black Sabbath - "Paranoid" Pink Floyd - "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" Motorhead - "Iron Fist" Melvins - "Stoner Witch" Blue Oyster Cult - "Blue Oyster Cult" Stranglers - "Rattus Norvegicus" "Nuggets" Overkill - "Taking Over" The Church - "Under The Milky Way" Anathema - "A Natural Disaster" Camel - "A Compact Compilation" Clutch - "Trans National Speedway League" Dick Dale - "Unknown Territory" Meat Puppets "No Joke" Porcupine Tree - "Signify" Radiohead - "OK Computer" King Buffalo - "Acheron"

I'm old, so for me it was almost all around 1969-70. So, off the top of my head, my top 20 are... first Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull This Was, Jethro Tull Stand Up, In the Court of the Crimson King, The YES Album first ELP, first Black Sabbath, Gentle Giant Octopus, Abby Road, first Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dave Brubeck Time Out, Grand Funk, the red album Buddy Rich, Swinging New Big Band John Coltrane Cresent, Moving Pictures Kansas Leftoverture Chick Corea Now he Songs, Now He Sobs Tower of Power Brown Album Master of Puppets Powerslave Not bad, eh?

Can't wait for the next, and last, BOC album Ghost Stories. The whole project sounds like a fun and appropriate way for them to go out. My twenty would be: Wings - Greatest Hits Boz Scaggs - Middle Man Billy Joel - 52nd Street Eagles - Hotel California ELO - Time Bee Gees - Greatest Hits (Later in life I wished this album had also included their earlier hits, but that would have made it a 4 album set.) Led Zeppelin - IV The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour Blue Oyster Cult - Fire of Unknown Origin The Cars - S/T Foghat - Fool For the City Earth, Wind and Fire - Greatest Hits Yes - Fragile Jethro Tull - Aqualung Pink Floyd - The Wall Black Sabbath - Paranoid Van Halen - S/T K-Tel Pure Gold Collection (It had The Things We Do For Love, Year of the Cat and other pop/rock/disco hits.) Styx - Paradise Theater King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

1- Iron Maiden : Piece of Mind 2- Dream Theater : Images and Words 3- The Mahavishnu Orchestra : Between Nothingness and Eternity 4- Return to Forever : Romantic Warrior 5- Debussy : Preludes/Images/Estampes (Arrau) 6- Wagner : Der Ring Des Nibelungen (Solti) 7- Frank Zappa : You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore vol 2 8- Schoenberg :Gurrelieder (Ozawa) 9- Steve Vai : Passion and Warfare 10- Miles Davis : Bitches Brew 11- Art Blakey : Moanin 12- Stravinsky : Rite of SPring/Petrouchka (Boulez) 13- Mahler : Symphony n°2 (Mehta) 14- Ravel : Piano Concerto in G/Piano Concerto for Lef Hand (François/Cluytens) 15- Steve Reich : Music For 18 Musicians 16- Keith Jarrett : Survivors Suite 17- Happy the Man : Happy the Man 18- National Health : Of Queues and Cures 19- Anthony Braxton : Dortmund Quartet 1976 20- Genesis : Nursery Cryme

Fascinating stuff Pete, enjoyed all your "ins" to the various band and genres. Im not sur if I'll get to 20, but Ive been trying to think of albums that did the same for me. The first couple, though, are albums I heard at home before I'd really heard any rock music, but which i remember gave me a love for a tune, a chorus... so here goes... 1 ABBA Greatest Hits 2 Neal DIAMOND Hot August Night (Now the rock stuff, and Pete and I share some bands, albeit different albums...) 3. RAINBOW Down To Earth (All Night Long was the first hard rock riff i remember hearing leading me very quickly to Deep Purple and the other offshoot bands) 4. AC/DC If You Want Blood 5 BLACK SABBATH Master of Reality 6 IRON MAIDEN Iron Maiden 7 MARILLION Script For A Jester's Tear ( not really into prog at all until I heard this) 8 JOURNEY Escape 9 VARIOUS ARTISTS Striktly For Konnoisseurs (a double album on Music For Nations that gave me an in to North American 70s/early 80s bands like ANGEL, LEGS DIAMOND, STARZ, MAX WEBSTER, MOXY, ZON, STARCASTLE etc 10 METALLICA Kill Em All 11 DREAM THEATER When Dream & Day Unite 12 RAMMSTEIN Mutter 13 NIGHTWISH Century Child 14 OPETH Ghost Reveries

Led Zeppelin I was the first album I ever listened to when I was 11. It was my dad’s CD and I just stumbled upon it. As soon as I heard the sound of a crunchy guitar, that was it. Then I heard paranoid by Black Sabbath, after watching the classic album series on TV and being blown away by war pigs. I got into Maiden and priest shortly after. As well as Kiss, Thin Lizzy, Queen, etc. After discovering various other metal and hard rock bands I stumbled upon Rush who to this day are my favourite band. Then my best friend at school found out I was part Danish and showed me an album by a certain Danish band. When I saw the cover of Satan pointing at me through hellfire, my eyes nearly popped out of my skull! That of course was Don’t break the oath, which started my journey into darker metal. Then I listened to blackwater park by Opeth, which also blew my mind! It weaned me through my love of prog, and turned me onto death metal and black metal.

Suicidal Tendencies 1st Album on Frontier Records 1983, and My 1st Grateful Dead Show April 1988, ohh and Paul's Boutique!

Live albums were pretty much my gateway to a lot of 70s and some early 80s bands. Some that changed my life: Frampton Comes Alive Rockin' The Fillmore Seconds Out Tokyo Tapes Playing the Fool Live at the Inferno Two for the Show Strangers in the Night Unleashed in the East Pangaea Friday Night in San Francisco One Night at Budokan Live Evil Windham Hill Live

My 20 Game Changers.... 20. Eat A Peach - ALLMAN BROTHERS 19. The Grand Illusion - STYX 18. One More From The Road - LYNYRD SKYNYRD 17. Changesonebowie - DAVID BOWIE 16. Close To The Edge - YES 15. Duke - GENESIS 14. We Sold Our Souls For Rock n Roll - BLACK SABBATH 13. Slowhand - ERIC CLAPTON 12. Machine Head - DEEP PURPLE 11. 2112 - RUSH 10. Toys In The Attic - AEROSMITH 09. I - VAN HALEN 08. Shakedown Street- GRATEFUL DEAD 07. 13 - The DOORS 06. Hotel California - EAGLES 05. The Wall - PINK FLOYD 04. 67-70 - BEATLES 03. Hot Rocks - ROLLING STONES 02. The Kids Are Alright - THE WHO 01. II - LED ZEPPELIN

Top 10, in chronological order of my "discoveries": Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield) Never Mind The Bollocks (Sex Pistols) Permanent Waves (Rush) Live At Budokan (Cheap Trick) Foxtrot (Genesis) Discipline (King Crimson) Images and Words (Dream Theater) As The World (Echolyn) Signify (Porcupine Tree) The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place (Explosions In The Sky)

Thank you Pete, you reminded me of so many albums that I have and don't give anywhere near enough time on the playlist. I need to go back a little myself and spend some quality time with these beauties. Great list, a few new to me too.

we have some albums in common as gamechanger: deep purple - made in japan mahavishnu orchestra - the inner mountain flame miles davis - bitches brew jimi hendrix - star spangled banner from the woodstock soundtrack (and hendrix in the west) concerning black sabbath it was the first one; iron maiden - killers

“Pleased to Meet Me” by the Replacements is really the only record that had a profound effect on my life & musical-taste. I’d been a headbanger and chart-watcher before hearing that album at a college-party in 1988.

Led Zeppelin ii. I used to borrow my dad's cassette copy as a kid, and play DJ with it. Foreigner-Head Games and AC/DC-Back in Black. My dad's upstairs neighbor Pat used to watch me when he went to work. She had these two albums, and I would listen to them. I remember Head Games because the cover. Pete Townsend-White City. My dad had it on tape when I was little. My dad also had Black Sabbath's Paranoid on tape when I was a kid. I was actually watching MTV as a kid. So, I was familiar with Ozzy, but I didn't know that he sang for Sabbath. To me, his voice sounded different. My dad also had Bridge Of Sighs on tape. I remember Day Of The Eagle and the title track. I had Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet on tape. Got it the year it came out(I was 4). On my 13th birthday(in 1995), my dad got me Van Halen 1 on cd. At that time, I was only listening to '80s "hair band" stuff. When I looked at the back of the cd, and saw it was from 1978, that got me to listen to Classic Rock(my mom and step-dad were trying to get me for a while to listen to that). My gateways into Prog were getting a used copy of Yessongs at Warehouse music. I actually fell asleep listening to that. Guess that I wasn't ready for the long songs. When I was in high school, I wanted to get some Peter Gabriel era Genesis. So, I went to Warehouse. The 1994 Definitive Edition Remasters of the Genesis cds listed to members of the band at that time on the back. Since the Lamb was the only Genesis cd that they had where I saw Gabriel's name on the back. So, I got that.

Love it, Pete. Here’s mine: The Beatles - Meet the Beatles Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - Greatest Hits soundtrack - The Sting Kiss - Alive II Wings - Wings Over America soundtrack - Star Wars The Charles Lloyd Quartet - Love In Jethro Tull - Live: Bursting Out Rush - Moving Pictures Yes - Close to the Edge King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King The Who - Who’s Next Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage Act 1 various - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 Love - Forever Changes Bob Dylan - Biograph Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear John Coltrane - Afro Blue Impressions Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Gear Blues David Gilmour - Live in Gdańsk

The first album that really hit me like a ton of bricks was Nevermind by Nirvana (I was 11 or 12 and lived in Seattle at the time). I listened to it the other day for probably the first time in 10 years and it was actually better than I remembered! Of course there have been lots more since then, but that was the first.

Fantastic list and great accompanying stories, Pete! I'm more of a New Wave/Synth-pop/College/Alternative/Punk/Indie/jazz music fan but my appreciation for metal, prog and other off-the-radar stuff has increased considerably over the years, and thanks to this channel, I own copies of King Crimson's Red, Gentle Giant's Octopus, The Tangent's Auto Reconnaissance, Fleetwood Mac's Then Play On, Genesis's Nursery Crime and City Boy's Young Men Gone West. Here's my personal list of 25 life-changing albums, in chronological order of purchase/discovery: 1. Business as Usual - Men at Work 2. Synchronicity - The Police 3. Reach the Beach - The Fixx 4. English Settlement - XTC 5. The Hurting - Tears For Fears 6. The Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting 7. Crush - OMD 8. Please - Pet Shop Boys 9. Crowded House - s/t 10. The Joshua Tree - U2 11. Spirit of Eden - Talk Talk 12. Rubber Soul - The Beatles 13. Reckoning - R.E.M. 14. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic - The Sundays 15. Greatest Hits - The Jam 16. Never Mind the Bollocks... - The Sex Pistols 17. London Calling - The Clash 18. Nevermind - Nirvana 19. Loveless - My Bloody Valentine 20. The Stone Roses - s/t 21. The Indescribable Wow - Sam Phillips 22. The Best of - The Velvet Underground 23. Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du 24. Exile in Guyville - Liz Phair 25. Bitches Brew - Miles Davis

I was a drummer (still) and when I was a boy in the '50s and early '60s, my mother made us listen to classical music. So uptight. When The Beatles played the Ed Sullivan show, a light came on and I talked my parents into buying me a drum set. My rock came from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, Cream, The Who, Jimi Hendrix plus a scattering of pop songs in the '60s. Then Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Blue Oyster Cult, Allman Bros., Robin Trower, Deep Purple, ZZ Top, Yes, and many others in the '70s. Lately, I found in hindsight, Mother's Finest as well as Porcupine Tree. I love Rock music.

I loved this, great video as always Pete 👏 much love from Cambridge England mate

Lynyrd Skynyrd- Nuthin fancy(first 8track I listened to repeatedly) Association- Greatest(first song I liked as a toddler was Windy) Bee Gee’s- Greatest(Night Fever I was obsessed with) AC/DC-BiB(need I say more?) Ozzy- Diary(Devil music a Catholic like me was forbidden to listen to 🤣) Def Leppard- Pyromania(MTV) Iron Maiden- Live After Death(couldn’t get enough. Got me all in to metal) Metallica- Master(got me full on into thrash) Slayer- South of Heaven(the anti-glam (media was pushing in 88)masterpiece) GnR- Appetite(game changer) Sex Pistols- Bullocks(first punk that opened my ears to another genre)

1. Van Halen Balance (I’m a 90’s kid and that was my introduction to the mighty VH) 2. Oasis Definitely Maybe 3. Whitesnake Live in the Heart of the City 4. Rory Gallagher Irish Tour 74 5. Deep Purple Machine Head 6. Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell 7. The Mavericks Trampoline 8. The Blues Brothers Sound Track 9. Dick Clark 54-64 greatest Hits box set 10. Beach Boys Greatest Hits 11. Nirvana Unplugged 12. Beatles Anthology 13 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits 14. Grant Green Idle Moments 15. Frank Sinatra Live at the Sands 16. Led Zeppelin 1 17. John Mayer Continuum 18. Uriah Heep Demons and Wizards 19. Terry Reid Faith to Arise 20. Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers 21. AC/DC high voltage 22. Buddy Guy Live at the Checkerboard Lounge 23. Wasp s/t 24. Leslie West - Mountain 25. Guns n Roses use your illusion 1&2 I graduated in 01 and spent most of time searching for music on Amazon “since you like them you may like these guys” hence the eclectic mix lol

Black Sabbath - Master of Reality Iron Maiden - Killers Santana - Abraxas Dire Straits - Dire Straits Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon Motorhead - Ace of Spades Mastodon - Leviathan (the one I discovered by myself and not my dad or my older cousins) Led Zeppelin - Physical Grafitti Queen - Sheer Heart Attack All these albums shaped my taste in music since my childhood forward, I was born in 1989.

Mine were…. Deep Purple Machine Head, Aerosmith Rocks, AC/DC You want Blood… , Jeff Beck Blow by Blow, Kiss Destroyer , Yes Yes Songs , Beatles Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy and so many more. 😊

In November 1967 I bought Winds of Change by Eric Burdon and the Animals. I was 14 years old and that album is why I’m still a music collector. That record changed everything for me.

One of my favorite episodes - the pacing, the stories, the albums. Well done!

Judas Priest- Screaming for vengeance. This album literally made me like sound.

Great topic and your point that albums that qualify may not necessarily be included in a GOAT list is spot on. My top several life changers based on the age first heard and the genre they got me into: Beatles - White Album (Age 7) Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Age 12) Rush - Signals (Age 12) David Bowie - Scary Monsters (Age 13) The Cure - The Top (Age 13) Dead Kennedys - Frankenchrist (Age 15) Death - Spiritual Healing (Age 19)

Robin Hood Cartoon Soundtrack Rolling Stones - Rolled Gold Vol. 1 Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited Who's Last John Coltrane - A Love Supreme David Bowie - Heroes Ennio Morricone - Greatest Hits Elvis - In Hollywood Van Morrison - Common One Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps Miles Davis - Scetches Of Spain Frank Zappa - Them Or Us Simon and Garfunkel - Best Of Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replika Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks Rolling Stones - Exile On Main Street Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon Buena Vista Social Club Robert Johnson - King Of Delta Blues Singers Led Zeppelin IV Queen - Greatest Hits

My introduction to Rush, bought hifi system 1976 shop sold some albums saw cover of All the World's A Stage what is this, vinyl instant purchase hooked for the rest of my life. Bought everything and saw 12 times live

Thanks for sharing this with us, I could see the emotion in your eyes when reminiscing about some of these albums 🇬🇧

I remember seeing Maiden on Top Of The Pops in 1982 but was a bit too young to appreciate it. Then in 1986 I purchased the cassette of Powerslave & that changed my life. It was the foundation for everything that followed. Hearing Dimension Hatröss was another mind blown moment...and when Streetcleaner was released in 1989. Rapeman, the first Unsane, Beefheart...et al.

For me: The River, Ali Farka Touré Dusty In Memphis, Dusty Springfield Blue, Joni Mitchell Veedon Fleece, Van Morrison Second Winter, Johnny Winter Blackheart Man, Bunny Wailer Belle, Al Green Way to Blue, Nick Drake Let It Bleed, Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers, Rolling Stones If we count the Stones as one, add… Fear of a Black Planet, Public Enemy Extra bonus: Chicken Skin Music, Ry Cooder I’m much different, schizo maybe? I like my tastes that I like though. You too?-Hit me up!

Many are not my favorite albums by these bands or artists, or even albums proper at all, but they made me love music and got me to explore those artists further and into different genres. - Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here - Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Rush: Chronicles (Compilation) - Led Zeppelin: Remasters (Compilation) - Bob Seger: Live Bullet (Live) - King Crimson: The Great Deceiver (Live Compilation) - Black Sabbath: Paranoid - The Who: Who’s Next - The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks (Compilation) - Eric Clapton: Crossroads (Compilation) - Boston: Boston - Peter Frampton: Frampton Comes Alive (Live) - Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain - Mahavishnu Orchestra: Birds of Fire - The Band: Rock of Ages (Live) - Traffic: Smiling Phases (Compilation) - Van Morrison: Astral Weeks - Steely Dan: Countdown to Ecstasy - Hawkwind: Space Ritual (Live) - Camel: The Snow Goose

Mr. Bungle - Disco volante Completely changed my mind about what music could be and was a great gateway to strange bands like Igorrr, Dillinger escape plan... IMO the most listenable "unlistenable" album ever. It's even quite catchy once you got it

My Top 10 in no particular order: Metallica - Ride the Lightning AC/DC - Highway to Hell Running Wild- Port Royal/Death or Glory Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys I Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time Metallica - And Justice for all Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World Slayer - South of Heaven Kreator - Extreme Aggression Manowar - Fighting the World

Off the top o' me 'ed... Kiss - Alive II Cheap Trick at Budokan (1978) Black Sabbath - Paranoid Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast AC/DC - Highway to Hell Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic Montrose (1973) Blackfoot - Strikes Deep Purple - Machine Head Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East Ramones - Rock 'n' Roll High School Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols (1977) Metallica - Ride the Lightning Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti The Beatles (1968) Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction Mother Love Bone - Apple Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses Earth vs. the Wildhearts ((1993)

Hi Pete. Excellent show. Here is 6 of my albums that changed my life. 1. Black Sabbath - Debut 2. Accept - Restless and Wild - This album introduced me to NWOBHM and heavier music in the 80's even though this may not be a NWOBHM album. 3. Savatage - Edge Of Thorns 4. Megadeth - Rust In Peace 5. Captain Beyond - This album introduced me to all the other obscure rock and prog rock of the 70's. Specifically from my Brother In Laws at the time. 6 Led Zeppelin - Debut

Garbage - Garbage Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd Rubber Soul - Beatles Nonagon Infinity - King Gizzard Music From Big Pink - The Band Songs For The Deaf - Queens of the Stone Age Moving Pictures- Rush Deep Purple In Rock - Deep Purple Who's Next - The Who Murmur - R.E.M. Free - Free Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago Surrealistic Pillow - Jefferson Airplane With Teeth - Nine Inch Nails Photo Finish - Rory Gallagher

20+ Albums that changed my life (in rough order of discovery): 1-2) The Beatles' Red Album and Blue Album (the first rock/pop albums I ever got when I was 9 and 10 years old) 3) Wings Over America (my first live album when I was about 10) 4) Rush's Moving Pictures (11 or 12) 5) Yes' Fragile (11 or 12) 6) Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (11 or 12) 7) King Crimson's Red (11 or 12) 8) Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (12 or 13) 9) Frank Zappa's Apostrophe (12 or 13) 10) Roxy Music's Viva! (the 1976 live album) (14) 11) Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets (14) 12) Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense (movie and soundtrack) (16) 13) Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians and Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi (the minimalists) (18) 14) The Velvet Underground and Nico (18) 15) Can's Tago Mago (19) 16) Miles Davis' Agharta and other electric albums of the '70s (20) 17) Jon Hassell & Brian Eno's Possible Music: Fourth World Vol. 1 (20) 18) Martin Denny's Exotica Vol. 1 and Les Baxter's Ritual of the Savage (21) 19) John Barry's 007 and Lalo Schifrin's Mission Impossible soundtracks of the '60s (24) 20) Vampyros Lesbos and Schoolgirl Report -- two '70s psych-rock soundtrack compilations for Euro-trash sexploitation movies (24)