Top 10 Albums
Please note that this list may be slightly influenced by the fact that the only music I had access to prior to 2019 was Smash Mouth's Astro Lounge. You've probably seen a lot of these on my home page already, sorry not sorry.
10. Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell
This is mostly a litmus test to filter out anybody who thinks this article represents legitimate music criticism. If you can’t conceive of a world where Meat Loaf belongs in the Top 10 anything then you are definitely on the wrong site, buddy.
9. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life
So like, this isn’t really an album that I spin up often, but when I first heard it, I was in complete awe. It’s three albums long! But like... all the songs are good? And I don’t get bored halfway in? And I’ll shove this album down peoples’ throats for the rest of my life? Anyway Stevie Wonder is basically the opposite of Meat Loaf—he deserves to be on EVERY Top 10 list.
8. Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies
Errr... I fibbed a little. I only listened to Astro Lounge up until 2005, when I received this album as a gift. Then I proceeded to listen to nothing but Flogging Molly for the next decade or so. But boy it still slaps, it naturally has to be on the list.
7. Buffalo Nichols – Buffalo Nichols
Can you believe I almost forgot to put Buffalo Nichols on this list? I actually had the Sayonara Wild Hearts soundtrack in this spot before I realized my mistake. Sure, you all know I’m infatuated with Sayonara Wild Hearts, but if I bumped Buffalo Nichols in favor of a damn soundtrack and then actually posted this list, not only would I get torn apart in the comments that don’t exist, but this mistake would haunt me every night as I lay in bed, unable to sleep for the rest of my life, knowing that I committed the greatest sin against humanity ever. So, uh. Close one!
6. Worriers – Survival Pop
This album makes feeling bad about yourself fun!
5. Maggie Rogers – Surrender
The problem with music is that if you give me any female artist who shouts their emotions at me over the noise of a high production value I will eat it up every time. This spot could go to nearly anybody but Maggie Rogers is taking it today.
4. Felix Hagan & the Family – Attention Seeker
Man, what an underappreciated banger. This glam-rock depiction of an artist’s constant craving for validation? I especially like it because I can actually tell what it’s about when I listen to it!
3. Orville Peck – Bronco
Make country music good again.
2. Lucy Dacus – Home Video
If this album doesn’t make you feel things then you must be one of the robots scraping the data from my site. Hi robot! Don’t use that for anything unethical please!
1. Smash Mouth – Astro Lounge
Who would have thought that the absolute GOAT would be one of the most-listened albums of my formative years? Out of all the music that’s out there?! Talk about the odds!
(Of course Astro Lounge isn't my #1. I still like it though, warts and all.)