25 Favorite Albums Of All Time

PRELUDE

I decided to rank my 25 favorite albums of all time after seeing a few months ago people on Facebook doing the 10 day album thingy. When I say favorite, let’s not get that twisted with best. If you come at me saying, “how do you rank that there?” Because this is MY personal preference you dunce. Most of these albums are nowhere near the “best” of all time. Just like Pau Gasol, Chad Johnson and Kyle Korver are some of my favorite athletes ever, they too are nowhere near the top. So just sit back, enjoy and if you have something to say…do better.

25. Eminem Show

Artist: Eminem
Release: 2002
Favorite Song: Square Dance

I think every white kid of the 90s/early 2000s went through a phase where they wanted to be a rapper. You can thank Eminem for that. Although the Marshall Mathers LP is close to making this list. I ousted it for Eminem Show because I listened to this album on repeat when I was 11. Square Dance is amazing and is one of the first real political songs I remember listening to. Although I didn’t understand a lot of the message then, I sure as hell do now. That song still goes hard. It had me from the beginning

Never been the type to bend or budge
The wrong button to push
No friend of Bush
I’m the centerpiece
you’re a Maltese
I’m a Pitull off his leash 
All this peace talk can cease

24. This is War

Artist: 30 Seconds to Mars
Release: 2009
Favorite Song: Closer to the Edge

Love me some 30 seconds to Mars. I was so happy when I finally had the chance to see them live at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans. I used to watch videos of their concerts. Jared Leto is an absolute god on the stage. He defines charisma. They really outdid themselves with this album.

23. Red

Artist: Taylor Swift
Release: 2012
Favorite Song: We Are Never Getting Back Together

Fuck the T Swift haters. Y’all can hop off. She is awesome and Red was a dope ass album. I listened to this on repeat walking to class in college. If you want to know why I was damn cheerful, this album is why. I literally back pedaled into the endzone in a flag football game after some slipped and fell trying to get my flag and just sang…

We. Are never ever everrrrr. Getting back together.

I have never been made fun of so bad by someone I just embarrassed in my life. I don’t care. I just whooped your ass. Also you know what song I listened to on repeat and sang all night for my 22nd birthday, you guessed it, 22! Get at me.

22. Food and Liquor II

Artist: Lupe Fiasco 
Release: 2012
Favorite Song: Unforgivable Youth 

In case you haven’t noticed, I love political songs. Well from start to finish, this was a shot at the political system of the US as a whole. Lupe may be one of the most outspoken hip hop artists when it comes to politics. He has been on Bill O’Reilly’s show and shit on him which was awesome. In the song I listed as my favorite, he talks about how America as a whole from beginning has done nothing but chase ghosts meaning no matter how much we get, we will always starve for more and destroy everything in our path in the process.

21. A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out

Artist: Panic! At the Disco
Release: 2005
Favorite Song: The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage 

Brendon Urie, much like Leto, is a god of music. The dude has so much range in his voice which makes him easy to enjoy. When Panic broke onto the scene, it was obviously from the hit I Write Sins Not Tragedies. But there were about 4 other songs on that album which were just as good if not better.

20. I-Empire

Artist: Angels & Airwaves
Release: 2007
Favorite Song: Secret Crowds

Although Angels and Airwaves was around years ago, I didn’t know about them until recently and damn it, I missed out. This band is led by Tom DeLonge from Blink 182. The album I-Empire features a couple of great songs including Secret Crowds, Sirens, Lifeline, and Call to Arms to name a few. It is very uplifting music in my opinion. I could listen to Secret Crowds for days because you can hear the pain in Tom DeLonge’s voice when he signs about wanting a better world with no war that lives in peace and harmony. I can totally relate.

19. Under My Skin

Artist: Avril Lavigne
Release: 2004
Favorite Song: Freak Out

The princess of pop punk. Good god, Avril is the shit. On a scale of 1-10, my obsession with her growing up was a 12. In my mind, I was going to marry her. Not really, but kind of. She’s still gorgeous and this album still goes hard. Avril and Mike Forever.

18. Britney

Artist: Britney Spears
Release: 2001
Favorite Song: Overprotected

It’s Britney bitch! So I was totally about to put Oops I did it again here until I realized the Britney’s slut album was soooo much better. I am a slave for her. She was the girl that gave me a sexual awakening.

17. Dear Agony

Artist: Breaking Benjamin 
Release: 2009
Favorite Song: Give Me A Sign

Breaking Benjamin has always been one of my all-time favorite bands and Dear Agony was amazeballs. There was not one song on the album I ever skipped over when it first came out. Although you didn’t hear many songs on this album make it big like Diary of Jane or Breathe from Phobia did, top to bottom this was just a quality album.

16. Infinity on High

Artist: Fall Out Boy
Release: 2007
Favorite Song: The Take Over, The Breaks Over 

This honestly could make a case for being higher than it is. When I first started dating my high school sweetheart who I married, this album was on repeat. She and I both love Fall Out Boy. The album had just released when we started dating. I remember we went to Wiggins, Mississippi with my now father in law one weekend and we sat in the truck while he raced his 4-wheeler listening to this on repeat. Again, another album where you just couldn’t skip a song.

15. Strange Clouds

Artist: B.O.B.
Release: 2012
Favorite Song: Bombs Away 

I have been a big B.O.B fan for a while and when this album dropped it had me at the first song, Bombs Away. First off, Morgan Freeman is the first voice you hear…win! That song goes freaking hard. Then you had songs featuring T Swift, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown.

14. Thriller

Artist: Michael Jackson
Release: 1982
Favorite Song: Billie Jean

Needs no explanation. It is truly an all time great album.

13. Songs About Jane

Artist: Maroon 5
Release: 2002
Favorite Song: Sunday Morning 

Oh the sweet sounds of Adam Levine. If I was on the voice, this would be my coach. Maroon 5 kicks ass and Songs About Jane is another album that glued me when it came out. Pretty sure I still have the CD around here somewhere.

12. The Sign

Artist: Ace of Base
Release: 1993
Favorite Song: Don’t Turn Around 

I remember listening to Ace of Base when I was 3-4 years old. I just like their vibe and sound. The Sign had three of my favorite songs of all time with The Sign, Don’t Turn Around and All That She Wants.

11. Some Nights

Artist: Fun.
Release: 2012
Favorite Song: It Gets Better 

Fun. is just that…fun. Plus Nate Ruess is so damn unique and I love it. We all know the hit We Are Young which got plenty of radio time, but do yourself a favor and listen to the rest of this incredible album. The first 6-7 songs on the album are amazing.

10. Enema of the State

Artist: Blink-182
Release: 1999
Favorite Song: Adam’s Song 

Hello childhood, Blink 182 is just so damn cool. I watched American Pie a lot as a kid and this is the band I think of because they are punk rock. It is the first band that comes to mind and this album is just gold. It features All the Small Things which was by far their biggest hit. Additionally you have Adam’s Song and then the ultimate definition of punk rock with What’s My Age Again. If Kevin Gates loves it, you know that shit is good.

9. The College Dropout

Artist: Kanye West
Release: 2004
Favorite Song: Get Em High

YEEZY! The College Dropout is sick. To me it is one of the best hip hop albums ever. Definitely my favorite Kanye album. Trust me, I wanted to put more on this list. But this one was going to be top 10 no questions asked. The more popular songs on it are Jesus Walks and All Falls Down, but that is only scratching the surface.

8. Man on the Moon

Artist: Kid Cudi
Release: 2009
Favorite Song: Simple As

His first big album and his best. Cudi is the man and this album is amazing start to finish.  This is the definition of a timeless classic. In the prelude I talked about how I saw people posting their favorite albums on FB. I saw this one by four or five of the people.

7. From Under the Cork Tree

Artist: Fall Out Boy 
Release: 2005
Favorite Song: A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More Touch Me

Most Fall Out Boy fans will have this album pretty high on their lists and deservingly so. This was Fall Out Boy’s coming out party. Sugar, We’re Going Down was a MASSIVE hit and I saw the video every freaking morning on MTV’s Music Video Wake Up. You also had another big hit with Dance, Dance.

6. Millennium

Artist: Backstreet Boys
Release: 1999
Favorite Song: I Want It That Way 

Boy Bands over everything. They’re the best. Millennium is legitimately one of the best pop albums of all time. There is a reason my wife and I’s wedding party danced to Larger than Life. When you combine alcohol and a bunch of millennials, obviously Millennium is going to be a solid choice.

5. The 20/20 Experience

Artist: Justin Timberlake 
Release: 2013
Favorite Song: Murder & Mirrors

I talked about boy bands a second ago. This dude from denim to fucking class in a New York Minute. When he broke off a solo artist, he didn’t look back. In 2013 when 20/20 dropped, oh em gee. The dude is a modern day sex symbol. Guys want to be him and girls want to be on him.

4. Death of a Bachelor

Artist: Panic! At the Disco
Release: 2016
Favorite Song: Emperor’s New Clothes 

As good as Panic’s album that was previously mentioned was, Death of a Bachelor was doooooope. Brendon Urie is doing it all now. It is a one man band and he hit a home run with it. If you play this for me before going out, it is a surefire way to have a damn good time.

3. Camp

Artist: Childish Gambino
Release: 2011
Favorite Song: Firefly

The first real album dropped by Gambino will always be one of my favorites. This album came after multiple mix tapes that were straight fire. He didn’t disappoint. He never does honestly. Donald Glover is truly one of the most talented entertainers today. I covered this in a previous column when this is america dropped. But I digress. If you haven’t heard this album, don’t talk to me.

2. Lasers

Artist: Lupe Fiasco 
Release: 2011
Favorite Song: All Black Everything

Ok. I am willing to take the heat from Lupe fans for this. A ton of people didn’t like Lasers that much. But I freaking loved it. I can play this album right now and love every song as much as I did if not more when it was released. It was really hard to pick a favorite song here because there are five that I can go either way with. The one mentioned, Words I Never Said, State Run Radio, Never Forget You and The Show Goes On. Lupe has always been fairly political in his music, but this was the beginning of hardcore in your face political. I freaking love it. My favorite part was the amount of people who listened to All Black Everything saying how he was a racist when the song is meant to mean the complete opposite.

1. No Strings Attached

Artist: N*Sync 
Release: 2000
Favorite Song: It’s Gonna Be Me

Don’t even argue with me here…

Bye Bye Bye
It’s Gonna Be Me
Space Cowboy
Just Got Paid
It Makes Me Ill
This I Promise You
No Strings Attached
Digital Get Down
Bringin Da Noise
That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You

All of these songs were featured on this amazing album. I can literally sing every one of them word for word. This is my favorite album of all time and nothing will ever beat. NSync over everything. No Strings Attached over everything. If you say otherwise, your opinion is wrong. Do Better.

Closing

Well, I now want to listen to a ton of albums after writing this and listening to some of the songs listed as I wrote it. A couple of fun facts…

• 2012 had the most albums with 4
• Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Lupe Fiasco were featured twice
• 2011 had 2 albums in Top 3
• 8 Pop Albums
• 7 Hip Hop Albums
• 7 Pop Rock/Pop Punk Albums
• 3 Alternative Rock Albums
• N*Sync > Backstreet Boys (Sorry About Ya)