ultimate album collection

Let me put this right out there, "Hybrid Theory" may be one of the last great front-to-back albums out there.  At a time when even the best albums strive for a couple of singles and a bunch of filler, Linkin Park knocked SIX singles of their 2000 debut.  More after the jump.

Whoa, don't run off so quickly!  I know you're probably a little too young to consider "The Wall" cool listening, but I've got some pretty cool arguments here.  Sure "The Wall" dropped in 1979 but it was so far ahead of it's time, it still has a place in modern music.  More after the jump.

Yes, I'll start with my usual disclaimer, I'm not ranking albums here, I'm just saying your listening experience isn't complete until you've checked out the titles in my list.   Marilyn Manson's "Antichrist Superstar" came along two years after the death of Kurt Cobain and tied up all the broken dreams, frustration and aggression into one tiny little knot. With a semi-pornographic cover

Pearl Jam meant a lot more to me than Nirvana. I like Nirvana's stuff, but I just wasn't angry enough at the time to bond with Kurt. Pearl Jam provided a better bridge between the traditional rock at the time and grunge. Pearl Jam "10" brought us some of the most memorable rock songs ever. More after the jump.

I remember when the single "Longview" dropped at radio. My comments to my friends was "I love this, but I don't know if our listeners will".  I was wrong, very wrong.  "Dookie" is the greatest selling punk rock album of all time.   More after the jump.

I was not old enough for Black Sabbath's "Paranoid".  I would have been about 8 when it came out. I can't remember how I got turned onto this harbinger of all things metal to come, but it still stands the test of time.  More after the jump.

Volume 3 was the album that broke it wide open for the masked men. The band successfully continued its transition from the scream club to regular vocals. Just that small step in the direction of melody led to Volume 3: The Subliminal Versus becoming a classic. More after the jump.

After a brief stint with Dave Navarro in the band, John Frusciante returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to make their masterpiece. "Californication" is the Peps top seller and the template for the band that we know today.  More after the jump.

Yes, it's a STUNNER for the second edition of "The Ultimate Album Collection".  Now keep in mind I'm not ranking the albums, I'm just suggesting that an album collection isn't complete with out these titles.  After picking Guns n' Roses "Appetite For Destruction" because it was 'straight up rock', I wanted to pick something that could be considered a bit "fringe" to s

I thought I'd put together a series of blogs on albums that you HAVE TO HAVE in your collection.  This particular one wouldn't even make my personal top ten, but it is none the less absolutely essential. I have a very good reason for making this the debut album for this feature,  check it out after the jump.