Influences and Recommended Artists
Top 15 Albums that have influenced me, and are a must for any music lover. I’m listing my top 3 favorite songs on the album, but every song is worth listening to on these timeless albums.
U2 - Joshua Tree By many accounts, one of the best albums ever made, Joshua Tree combines great hooks, with passionate vocals, and innovative instrumentation, all in cinematic album about America. Top songs: With Or Without You, Where The Streets Have No Name, Running to a Standstill
Radiohead - OK Computer Never has an album had so much going on in it, and yet all of it works towards creating a beautiful, generational masterpiece. It’s layered without being busy, electronic without being cold, catchy but innovative at the same time. Top songs: Subterranean Homesick Alien, Let Down, Lucky
Pearl Jam - Ten The best and most timeless album to come out of the grunge era, Ten features emotional lyrics, great rock hooks, and a good message. The line from Black that says “I know some day you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star in someone else’s sky, but why can’t it be mine” is one of my all time favorite lyrics. Favorite songs: Black, Jeremy, Garden
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head The album that no one thought Coldplay would make, incorporates elements of U2 and Radiohead, but yet ends up with an album that is uniquely Coldplay. More energetic, cohesive, edgier, and more beautiful than Parachutes, Rush of Blood, contains no skipable tracks. Top Songs: Warning Sign, Green Eyes, Amsterdam
Lucybell - Lucybell Chilean rock band Lucybell, takes elements of electronica, and rock, and create a mind-expanding masterpiece. The album is mostly dark, with glimmers of light here and there, but every song is worth listening too. Imagine a Chilean Radiohead, these guys are brilliant, and deserve much more recognition in the U.S. Check them out! Top songs: Caballos de Histeria, Rojo Eterno, Dame Calma
Our Lady Peace - Spiritual Machines Another under listened band and album, OLP’s Spiritual Machines is a great concept album. The album title and narration is from Ray Kurzweil who wrote the book on which the album was based. Brilliant songs, brilliant concept, this album is their best so far, and one my all-time favorites. Top songs: In Repair, Made to Heal, If You Believe
La Ley - Invisible Chilean band La Ley set the stage for many Latin rock bands such as Lucybell, and this album is one of the biggest and most influential albums in Latin rock history. With the exception of some 80’s sounding effects here and there, this album contains nothing but top-notch rock songs, awesome atmospherics that take you on a trip through South America with each song, and sports incredible vocals courtesy of Beto Cuevas. Top Songs: Animal, El Duelo, Cielo Market
Shakira - Donde Estan Los Ladrones This is my favorite album from Colombian artist Shakira, and it remains huge 10 years after its release in Latin America. Shakira’s intellectual lyrics, clever rhyming, and amazing voice are packaged perfectly in catchy rock songs and ballads on this album. Top songs: Inevitable, Donde Estan Los Ladrones, Si Te Vas
U2 - Achtung Baby This album made me question what U2 was about, and many people had a similar experience. Once you give it a chance, you realize the brilliance, innovation, and heart that went into every song on this album. The lyrics are probably U2’s best, and showed that U2 could completely change their image and sound yet remain just as popular because they had the album to back it up. Achtung Baby became a template for all other acts to follow. Top songs: One, Ultraviolet (Light My Way), Until The End of the World
Sigur Ros - Takk Icelandic band Sigur Ros are known for making beautiful, layered, 10 minute songs. Even Radiohead’s Kid A was in part inspired by the music of Sigur Ros. Takk… is Sigur Ros’ most accessible and beautiful album to date. It’s different from anything I’ve ever heard, or experienced from a band. Top songs: Hoppipolla, Sæglópur, Milano
The Cure - Wish In my opinion, this is The Cure’s strongest, most cohesive and emotional album. The lyrics and vocals are really incredible on this one, and the music is beautiful and accessible. It’s nearly impossible to listen to A Letter to Elise without getting emotional. Top songs: Apart, Trust, A Letter To Elise
Gustavo Cerati - Bocanada The Argentinian lead singer from the ground breaking rock group, Soda Stereo goes solo and creates an electric/rock album for the ages. This album has everything-catchy songs, ballads, experimental electronic tracks, sounds from a rain forest, and I could go on. It all works brilliantly though. It’s also definitely worth checking out Gustavo’s other albums, and Soda Stereo. Top songs: Puente, Paseo Inmoral, Tabu
Tori Amos - Scarlet’s Walk Shortly after 9/11, Tori travelled America on tour, and wrote a song in every city along the way. What she ended up with was an incredible concept album about America, her history, and her post 9/11 mentality. Tori is always amazing, but she really out does herself on this surprisingly accessible album. Top songs: Crazy, Your Cloud, Taxi Ride
Mew - Frengers: Not Quite Friends, But Not Quite Strangers Danish rock group Mew create huge rock songs that are neither predictable nor weird. Mew create innovative, emotional rock songs, and Frengers is their best album to date. Check them out! Top songs: Am I Wry? No, Her Voice Is Beyond Her Years, She Came Home For Christmas
Depeche Mode- The Singles 1986-1998 DM have created some of the best songs ever written, and this compilation contains them all in one place. What’s even better is that the tracks have all been remastered with amazing sound, and the mix used is the single mix (which with DM was always better than their album mix). Top songs: In Your Room, Policy of Truth, Stripped
Other Artists Worth Checking Out
Augustana
Belanova
Café Tacuba
Dashboard Confessional
Dead Can Dance
Doves
Elefante
Embrace
Goldfrapp
Howie Day
Javiera & Los Imposibles
JD Natasha
Jeff Buckley
Julieta Venegas
Jumbo
Keane
The Killers
Kyo
Los Bunkers
Mana
Michelle Branch
Mikel Erentxun
Moenia
Nek
Pacha Massive
Panda
Paul Van Dyk
Placebo
Rufus Wainwright
Saiko
Soda Stereo
Stereophonics
Thievery Corporation
Third Eye Blind
Tonic
Ulrich Schnauss
Volumen Cero
Zero 7
Zoe
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