First of all, let’s begin with some context. I started listening music a bit more seriously in 2018. Before that I my favorite band was “fun.” and I listened to their songs on Aim & Ignite and Some Nights on repeat. Eventually I became bored and found David Bowie, Pixies and Joy Division. I became more receptive to new music.
When asked about my favorite album, it’s almost impossible to choose one. The image below shows my most listened albums by listen time, and they are definitely my favorites. I’m presenting my favorites using listen time because I just can’t decide an all-time favorite.
From top left to bottom right:
- Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Deathconsciousness - Have a Nice Life
- Discovery - Daft Punk
- Selected Ambient Works Volume II - Aphex Twin
- Charmed - DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ
- Music Has the Right to Children - Boards of Canada
- OK COMPUTER - Radiohead
- Homework - Daft Punk
- Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
- Yanqui U.X.O. - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Ants from Up There - Black country, New Road
- Sunbather - Deafheaven
- Close to the Edge - Yes
- Kid A - Radiohead
- For the First Time - Black Country, New Road
- From the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
I won’t address all sixteen albums. But I will give some detail about my highlights.
OK COMPUTER
★★★★★
The third album by Radiohead and one of the first I added on Spotify. Before using Spotify I was buying David Bowie CD’s and ripping the files into my phone. I was doing that around 2016, I though I was clever because I could buy an album once and listen to it endlessly and I’d never get bored. Anyways, while this album didn’t blow my mind like Space Oddity did, it made me appreciate modern music a lot more. I know this isn’t a modern album, but it still sound modern to me. I respect it a lot and I always come back to listen and sing “Paranoid Android”.
Close to the Edge
★★★★★
I don’t take 5-star reviews lightly. This album deserves it. I’ve had incredible experiences listening to this album, looking at the moon when the pipe organ hits is a feeling I’ve only felt a few times. I had chills from the base of my head to my toes. I’ve listened to a fair share of prog rock and I honestly think this is the best album. Even the lyrics are very positive and push me to become a better person. I will always love this album to death.
Discovery
★★★★★
One of my favorite House albums, what I like the most about this album is the pure happiness it transmits. Every song sounds like having the best day of your life and it always makes me happier. The album is packed full of samples most of which you never even know are samples. They are truly genius with the use of samples. Paired with the motion picture Interstella 5555 this is one of the most fun musical experiences I’ve ever had.
Lift your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
★★★★★
My most listened album by far. I love GY!BE to the point of considering a tattoo. Some of the albums they have are very bleak, maybe even depressing. This one is almost the opposite for me. This albums goes through the whole range of emotions for me and they brew slowly but surely until they crescendo into a beautiful moment. To me it feels like meditation, focus on the music until it takes you into some of the best moments I’ve ever had listening to music. To say this album helped me through tough times would be an understatement. This album is hope, it’s a love letter to life and it is beautiful under every metric.