Albums are only on this list if I have fond memories of the entire album. You may notice that there is very little on this list after 2010. Did I stop listening to music? No. (Neither did you.) Did my musical tastes freeze in time? Not really. (Maybe yours have.) The problem is I don’t buy albums anymore. You don’t either, I bet. In fact, despite the reality that streaming services have introduced me to more new songs and bands than at any other time in my life, I almost never go listen to an entire new album. Maybe I should change that, but the little devices in my house are providing a non-stop perfect mixtape soundtrack to life, so maybe I won’t. (But I promise to update this list if I do.)
Against Me! – New Wave (2007)
Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months, and 2 Days in the Life (1992)
The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You (2009)
Barenaked Ladies – Maybe You Should Drive (1994)
Beautiful South – 0898 (1992)
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm (2005)
Blondie – The Best of Blondie (1981)
The Blow Monkeys – She Was Only a Grocer’s Daughter (1987)
Blue October – Foiled (2006)
Cake – Fashion Nugget (1996)
Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988)
CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
The Clash – The Clash (1977)
The Clash – London Calling (1979)
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions – 1984-1989
The Commitments – Soundtrack (1991)
Elvis Costello and the Attractions – The Best of (1985)
Counting Crows – August and Everything After (1993)
Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
Death Cab for Cutie – Transatlanticism (2003)
Dixie Chicks – Taking the Long Way (2006)
English Beat – What Is Beat? (1983)
Fine Young Cannibals – Fine Young Cannibals (1985)
Fishbone – Truth and Soul (1988)
Fountains of Wayne – Fountains of Wayne (1996)
Fun – Some Nights (2012)
Peter Gabriel – Us (1992)
Peter Gabriel – Shaking the Tree (1990)
Garbage – Garbage (1995)
Green Day – Dookie (1994)
Guster – Lost and Gone Forever (1999)
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart (2011)
The Hives – Veni Vidi Vicious (2000)
Indigo Girls – Indigo Girls (1989)
The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)
The Lemonheads – It’s a Shame About Ray (1992)
Aimee Mann – Magnolia Soundtrack (1999)
Natalie Merchant – Tigerlilly (1995)
Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (1993)
The Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree (2005)
My Chemical Romance – Welcome to the Black Parade (2006)
The National – Alligator (2005)
The New Pornographers – Electric Version (2003)
Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
Oingo Boingo – Best O’ Boingo (1991)
Pearl Jam – 10 (1991)
Pixies – Doolittle (1988)
Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville (1993)
The Police – Regatta de Blanc (1979)
Prince – Purple Rain (1984)
Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
Rancid – And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
R.E.M. – Reckoning (1984)
R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992)
Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (2004)
Roxy Music – Avalon (1982)
The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)
The Specials – The Specials (1979)
Squeeze – Singles 45s and Under (1982)
Sujfan Stevens – Illinoise (2005)
The Strokes – Is This It? (2001)
Submarines – Declare a New State (2006)
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense (1984)
10,000 Maniacs – In My Tribe (1987)
That Dog – Retreat from the Sun (1997)
They Might Be Giants – Flood (1990)
Too Much Joy – Son of Sam I Am (1990)
U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)
UB40 – Labour of Love (1983)
Vampire Weekend – Contra (2010)
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1983)
Dar Williams – Out There Live (2001)
Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)