Valentijn's 50

Obviously the list is also subject to daily changes.

Some sidenotes:

One of my favourite things in music ever is Fyfe Dangerfield's series of audio and songs called Birdwatcher, but it doesn't quite qualify as an album and it's very obscure, so I went for the Guillemots' exceptional debut instead

I haven't actually been able to listen to Joseph Arthur since he went on a covidiot track and went off to the desert to become some kind of spiritual guru, but there was a long time where I put him on the highest pedestal and I expect to be able to enjoy his music again at some point.

It may seem like cheating to have two Kinks albums in one option, but I do always listen to them in sequence. And nobody will vote for them anyway.

Some notable omissions regarding artists that I'm really into these days, but haven't been listening to for long enough yet to pick any favourites and get them on this list: Talk Talk, Bruce Springsteen, Rush.

No one is going to vote for the Beatles in any of these lists, so I guess I’ll do this public service for this one

I like this list a lot. Joy Division v Primal Scream v SGA v Charlatans. Voted Cure.

scott 4 was on my list of best albums i'd yet to see elsewhere. glad to see it elsewhere (here)

King Crimson - Islands

Controversial!

Ditto PG's Up — didn't know that was anyone's fave and would be curious to know why it's yours. It tends to strike me as a richly crafted soundscape for a largely bleak and ultimately fatiguing big-budget sci-fi epic (minus actual sci-fi narrative elements). But I've been meaning to revisit.

King Crimson - Islands

Controversial!

One of my friends is always keen to point out my pick for the best Manics album (Gold Against The Soul) as the obvious example of my apparent tendency to have preferences which are the opposite of the norm. There are indeed more examples, although it really isn't always the case.

Still, I remember being quite baffled when I read that King Crimson's Islands is the one most people would rank lowest of all KC's albums (and I do actually like all of them a lot). I find the album completely stunning, it takes me on a fantastic voyage, especially the title track and you cannot imagine my delight when they played it live the last time I saw them. One of my all-time concert highlights.

Ditto PG's Up — didn't know that was anyone's fave and would be curious to know why it's yours. It tends to strike me as a richly crafted soundscape for a largely bleak and ultimately fatiguing big-budget sci-fi epic (minus actual sci-fi narrative elements).

I may be wrong but I have the impression that many on ILX stumble over The Barry Williams Show, which indeed sounds like he happened to watch a couple of Jerry Springer episodes and presents his oh-so-witty observations on the show, being oblivious to the fact that this was already the common perception, and also about ten years earlier. Still, I don't find the song all that bad. It's catchy and somehow at the end of the lyrics it does come to a rather intriguing part where you might wonder what Barry exactly has in mind for his last show.

And apart from that one song, the album really blows me away. There's darkness (no pun intended) and bleakness to be found, sure, but almost always contained in beauty and also with a good touch of peculiar humor here and there to put it in good perspective. The darkest song might be No Way Out, which I think is one of the strongest musically with the bass riff hammering in the undeniable reality.
No Way Out is then masterfully followed by what I actually think is one of the best songs ever written: I Grieve. I find that song so good because the lyrics and the music work together to give meaning to the whole: early on, he's singing "They say life carries on" in a way that sounds like: 'this is what they're all saying, but I don't believe it, I can't feel it.' Then, later on, there's the musical shift and the song becomes surprisingly upbeat: "Life carries on in the people I meet" (...) "Life carries on and on and on and on" - this is where the realization strikes him, that he's feeling it, that he comes to believes it is true. Within the song he's working through a process and there's lightness and hope in the end. It starts sad, it retains sadness, but it gains more positivity.

The other songs on the album all hold so much beauty too. Sky Blue in particular as well. Barry's the odd one out, but as I wrote above I don't hate it.

(My second favourite Peter Gabriel album is PGII by the way, with its excellent Fripp contributions and inclusion of the magnificent White Shadow.)

I like Barry Williams Show these days after hating it for a long time. it's certainly catchy and some of the lyrics are pretty arch and funny. On the whole I think Up is a good album, not great; thank god he didn't put Burn you up, burn you down on the final tracklist.

Joy Division v Primal Scream v SGA v Charlatans. Voted Cure.

Thanks for highlighting some! The Cure is actually a more objective than subjective choice for me. I'm always in awe of the album whenever I put it on and then I fully realize it must be one of the greatest albums ever made, but I don't listen to it or to the Cure all that often as compared to other albums/artists on my list.

Joy Division used to be one of my top three artists 20 years ago, but I also don't listen to them so often anymore now as I simply prefer less dark stuff (or, as I described with PG's Up, darkness with beauty and a touch of humor). I do still think highly of their work though, despite not listing to it so often anymore.

SGA - probably meant to write SFA: that album reminds me of several months in 2018 when my then 2-years old daughter kept getting Phantom Power from the shelf wanting me to play it. I heard it 1-3 times a day back then and despite the repetition I actually got more and more appreciation of the album. (She's seven now and doesn't remember it at all, now she'd be more likely to ask me to put on the Beatles' Help which is of course another excellent choice.)

xxp Thanks — it's clear you're really moved by Up. I will listen again when I get back home next week....

voted for Paul Simon's best album

Number of albums heard: 31

Favourite: Roxy Music over David Sylvian, Genesis and LDR

Least-favourite: Screamadelica

Nicest surprise: I like Preservation more than most, but not as much as you!

Unheard, but most want to hear: OMD or Nick Cave

Yes, Super Furry Animals as they were my favorite band at one time.

I don't know whether it's a foot fault to vote for an album that's on my list, but Ocean Rain is a sentimental favorite.

Nicest surprise: I like Preservation more than most, but not as much as you!

Lola vs Powerman would be my more conventional pick, but looking at the tracklists I have more instant recognition with the Preservation song titles, I also think there are many highlights in the Preservation stuff.
There was once a nice discussion on ILX where those albums got some appreciation from several people, which was nice to see.

Unheard, but most want to hear: OMD or Nick Cave

I surprised myself a little going for Architecture & Morality, as in the past I always thought my fave OMD was a toss-up between their self-titled debut, Junk Culture and their comeback album History Of Modern (and there were times when Universal meant a lot to me as well). Still, can't deny the strength of the 'classic' A&M which represents them well. I also have very good memories of seeing them perform the album in its entirety (followed by a lengthy greatest hits session).

With Nick Cave, for me, the more recent Skeleton Tree comes close to dethroning Your Funeral... My Trial, but the latter (earlier album) has more of his peculiar weirdness/madness (likely more drugs influenced...)

Least-favourite: Screamadelica

Can't say anything to that but I'm somehow reminded of a nice anecdote, back when I was a very naieve 20y old I got to speak to Bobby Gillespie after a concert and told him that I thought 'Slip Inside This House' was his best song, only to discover that it was a cover! I felt very awkward but he was really nice about it and wrote down the name of the 13th Floor Elevators' album the original was on. (I got that album eventually and do think the Primal Scream cover is superior)

I don't know whether it's a foot fault to vote for an album that's on my list, but Ocean Rain is a sentimental favorite.

It's the one I would probably vote for myself! Although I also often think that while the Bunnymen are my all-time favourite band, my all-time favourite album is either Gone To Earth or Rhythm Of The Saints. And I also occasionally wonder if Porcupine is secretly even better than Ocean Rain.

Favourite: Roxy Music

Reminded me that one very big omission in my list is Bryan Ferry's Bête Noire, which I left out because in the one-album-per-artist sense, but that didn't stop me from going for a Genesis and a Peter Gabriel album either...

Architecture & Morality this time, if only because "The New Stone Age" was one of the most unsettling things I'd ever heard upon borrowing my local library's cassette copy on a whim, aged 9 or so.

Another Green World - I think I've voted for it in every one of these polls it appears in

29 or so favorites! Is this the first appearance of "Disintegration"? (Or anything else by the Cure, for that matter?)

I love most of these.

Great choice for best Divine Comedy even if it isn't mine (certainly has their best song though).

Great list. Already voted for Another Green World so going with Revolver here

charm of the highway strip is amazing. can't believe i forgot it on mine

Number of albums heard: 28

Favourite: tough call but I'll go with Meddle

Least-favourite:Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against the Soul - I like some of their stuff but this was a mis-step imo

Nicest surprise: Blur - s/t... Its their best album

Unheard, but most want to hear: I havent heard that particular Tim Buckley album and it's appearing on a lot of lists this week

Great choice for best Divine Comedy even if it isn't mine (certainly has their best song though).

Thanks! Do you mean 'A Lady Of A Certain Age' or is there another contender? And what's your favourite album of theirs?
I think my pick for best DC song would probably be the common choice of 'Tonight We'll Fly', although I'm leaning strongly towards 'The Certainty Of Chance'. (Or 'My Lovely Horse', obviously.)

Least-favourite:Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against the Soul - I like some of their stuff but this was a mis-step imo

I think even the band themselves would agree with you there. But I've loved it ever since I first heard it. Apart from the singles, there's obviously Sleepflower, but I also especially love Nostalgic Pushead (a song nobody ever mentions) and the title track is just magnificent.

I think very, very highly of Futurology as well and sometimes (especially when I'm listening to it) that album is my favourite of theirs.

Unheard, but most want to hear: I havent heard that particular Tim Buckley album and it's appearing on a lot of lists this week

We once made an interesting discovery regarding that album on the following thread:

Which album poll has the most even distribution of votes?

...it seems to be the album with the most even distribution of votes out of all album polls on here! See also the actual poll.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

one very big omission in my list is Bryan Ferry's Bête Noire

I like a lot of this, but side 2 goes from OK to bad.

As for Primal Scream, I like them better as faux-revolutionaries than faux-hippies.

I havent heard that particular Tim Buckley album

The arrangements aren't typical of his work, a lot of psychedelic overdubs and orchestral overload. Check out Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 if you like the songs and singing but are having trouble with the sound.

MEDDLE

Bête Noire

I like a lot of this, but side 2 goes from OK to bad.

Not for me! I hear side 2 going from one excellent standout song (The Right Stuff) to one of my favourite songs of all time (title track). I certainly like the two other songs a lot as well.
Last time I saw him in concert, he performed the title track, backed with an orchestra. So great.

Check out Dream Letter: Live in London 1968 if you like the songs and singing but are having trouble with the sound.

Another one to go for is 'Lady, Give Me Your Key', acoustic demo sessions for the album.

Meddle for me!

I like your name Valentijn

voted for The Kinks

Thanks! Do you mean 'A Lady Of A Certain Age' or is there another contender? And what's your favourite album of theirs?
I think my pick for best DC song would probably be the common choice of 'Tonight We'll Fly', although I'm leaning strongly towards 'The Certainty Of Chance'. (Or 'My Lovely Horse', obviously.)

I do mean A Lady of a Certain Age :) My favourite LP is probably Casanova or, occasionally, Fin de siècle.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

97 votes, nice! Thanks to everyone who participated.

After Pink Floyd were mentioned three times & the Cure twice, I expected them to win massively, but the results still ended up fairly surprising. I especially would not have predicted to see my uncommon Manics pick end up second place! What would have happened if it had been The Holy Bible or Everything Must Go?

Most of the 0-vote albums are choices where I would not have expected anyone to vote for them (who even knows Washington anyway), but I would have thought Bowie's Diamond Dogs would have ended up with several votes.