This is a work in progress. Finally at least, I am following my own questionable rules. What I’m striving for is a balance between the canon, which deserves critical attack but is not always in error, and my own lifelong habits–I know this music like the back of my hand, and if I return to something over and over, that’s no minor thing. Eventually, I will post a more stable list. Stable–that’s hilarious.

Rules:

*I must have returned to the album on a very regular basis–thus, it is a favorite.

*The album satisfies my gestaltist persnicketyness: as a whole, it is very effective.

*Compilations (*) are allowed ONLY if the artist represented made no consensus-approved CLASSIC album-as-album.

*10 single-artist compilations maximum are allowed.

*5 single-artist box sets (#) are allowed BUT they count toward the compilation maximum, and I must have returned to them repeatedly.

*Unlimited various artist compilations ($) are allowed.

*Unlimited various artist box sets (@) are allowed, but I must have returned to them repeatedly.

*5 “twofer” (%) CDs maximum are allowed ONLY if they were legitimately released in that form.

*1 album maximum may be included for each artist (if they appear otherwise in a group formation, that’s cool).

*Style: the album must have a pinkie-toe dipped in the pond of rock and roll.

*Span: 1954-2019.

The List:

1. The 5 Royales – Dedicated to You
2. King Sunny Ade – Juju Music
3. Beatles – “Yesterday” and Today
4. Big Star – Radio City
5. Black Uhuru – Red
6. James Brown – Live at the Apollo
7. Chuck Berry – The Chess Box *#
8. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band – Shiny Beast (Bat Chain Puller)
9. Joe “King” Carrasco and the Crowns – s/t
10. James Carter – The Real Quiet Storm
11. Ray Charles – The Birth of Soul *#
12. Chic – Real People
13. The Clash – London Calling
14. The Coasters – 50 Coastin’ Classics*
15. Ray Condo & The Ricochets – Swing Brother Swing
16. Elvis Costello – King of America
17. The Cramps – Bad Music for Bad People
18. Culture – Two Sevens Clash
19. Miles Davis – Jack Johnson
20. Dead Moon – Echoes of the Past*
21. Bo Diddley – s/t
22. The Dirtbombs – Ultraglide in Black
23. The Drifters – The Drifters’ Golden Hits*
24. The Drive-By Truckers – The Dirty South
25. Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited
26. Joe Ely – Honky Tonk Masquerade
27. Eric B. & Rakim – Follow the Leader
28. Roky Erickson – I Have Always Been Here Before*
29. Tav Falco & Panther Burns – Midnight in Memphis
30. The Fall – I Am Kurious Oranj
31. Flipper – Generic
32. Flying Burrito Brothers – The Gilded Palace of Sin
33. Aretha Franklin – Spirit in the Dark
34. The Go-Betweens – Tallulah
35. The Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead
36. Al Green – Call Me / Livin’ for You %
37. Merle Haggard – A Working Man Can’t Get Nowhere Today
38. Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced? (UK version)
39. Howlin’ Wolf – Howlin’ Wolf / Moanin’ at Midnight %
40. Linton Kwesi Johnson – Making History
41. George Jones – Burn the Honky Tonk Down *
42. King – We Are King
43. The Kinks – Something Else by The Kinks
44. Bettye LaVette – I Got My Own Hell to Raise
45. Jerry Lee Lewis – Live at the Star Club
46. Love – Forever Changes
47. Bob Marley and The Wailers – Live!
48. Mekons – Rock n Roll
49. M. I. A. – Kala
50. The Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime
51. Joni Mitchell – Blue
52. Van Morrison – Moondance
53. Motörhead – Orgasmatron
54. Muddy Waters – Hard Again
55. Willie Nelson – Spirit
56. New York Dolls – s/t
57. Nirvana – MTV Unplugged
58. The Nomads – Outburst
59. Lee Scratch Perry – Roast Fish, Collie Weed, and Cornbread
60. PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love
61. The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy & The Lash
62. Prince – Dirty Mind
63. Professor Longhair – Crawfish Fiesta
64. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
65. Purple Mountains – s/t
66. Ramones – It’s Alive!
67. Otis Redding – Dictionary of Soul
68. Lou Reed – New York
69. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: Greatest Hits, Volume 2*
70. The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
71. Sonny Rollins – Sunny Days, Starry Nights
72. Rosalía – Malamente
73. Jimmy Rushing – With the Big Brass / Rushing Lullabies %
74. Sonny Sharrock – Ask the Ages
75. Billy Joe Shaver – Live at Smith’s Olde Bar
76. The Sir Douglas Quintet – The Best of the Sir Douglas Quintet*
77. Sly & The Family Stone: …there’s a riot goin’ on
78. Huey Piano Smith – Having a Party with Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns
79. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation
80. The Staple Singers – The Best of the Vee-Jay Years *
81. Gary Stewart – Out of Hand
82. Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells a Story
83. Swamp Dogg – Total Destruction to Your Mind
84. James Talley – Woody Guthrie and Songs of My Oklahoma Home
85. Howard Tate – Get It While You Can
86. Tracey Thorn – Record
87. Various Artists – The Doo Wop Box @
88. Various Artists – Girl Group Sounds: One Kiss Leads to Another
89. Various Artists – It Came from Memphis, Volume 1 $
90. Various Artists – Nuggets: Original Artyfacts (box version) @
91. Various Artists – Sweet Soul Music $
92. Various Artists – Tropicalia: A Brazilian Revolution in Sound $
93. Velvet Underground – 1969 Velvet Underground Live
94. Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones
95. Keith Whitley – I Wonder Do You Think of Me
96. Lucinda Williams – S/T
97. Wussy – Attica
98. X – Wild Gift
99. X-Ray Spex – Germfree Adolescents
100. Neil Young – Rust Never Sleeps