Influential Albums for Me

I thought i might do something interesting that I have always wanted to do for a long time now, but never really got around to it. I am about to tell you my top 10 Influential albums of all time. It'll be a description of why they're my favourite albums of all time, why they have such meaning to myself personally, and the influence that it has had on me to write and compose music. I would like to first off apologise but i could not add the album artwork into this article as they wouldn't let me.

So without further adieu i give my top 10 favourite albums, starting off with:


10: U2 - Joshua Tree
This album has been a part of my life. No matter where i've travelled in the world, this album has been by my side every step of the way. With it's vast cinematic sounds and landscapes that it portrays through it's tracks is something majestic and amazing. Songs like "Where the Streets Have No Name" with it's opening synthesizers and mind-blowing guitar riff by The Edge is grand and unique. Another personal favourite of mine is "In God's Country". With great crafting by U2 comes this special album.

9: Angels & Airwaves - We Don't Need to Whisper
After the break up of blink-182, frontman Tom Delonge went off to do his side project known as Angels & Airwaves. From there, they created the album "We Don't Need to Whisper". This is a magnificent album and always something special to listen to. Every single track on the record represents a space rock sound that's loud and in your face. Personal favourite tracks on this album are "The Adventure, Do It For Me Now, Valkyrie Missile". Beautiful guitar riffs with a Colosseum drums and harmonising synths has a wonderful blend altogether. This album has encouraged me to be myself, write what i like, don't let people dictate who you are as a person and challenged me to be a better musician and all this was done just by listening. Simply breath-taking.

8: Common - Be
This beautiful blend of Chicago style beats resonates within me to a great extent. I love the way Common's beats flow with vast styles of instrumentals. This is the way hip-hop and rap was born and raised. He manages to capture and hold on to what still is hip-hop where it's all about flow and crafting lyrics. Common has a swagger like no other rapper, and it shows in his beats. Cool, calm, collected and stylish in each track. Favourite tracks on this album would have to be "Go, Faithful, Love Is... and The Food". This album represents the beauty of hip hop on the southside of Chicago along with other great artists like Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West.

7: The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
I love The Cure, and always have. This is my favourite album by them. I remember i was traveling through Japan and my friend had introduced me to this record and instantly i fell in love with it. Because i was traveling, it felt like the record had complimented wherever i went. Every scene that i was in, a song had a perfect moment for it. This record has compliments life and influences me in my writing hoping to be one day a great singer as well as full of emotion when performing like Robert Smith. Favourite tracks: Just Like Heaven, A Thousand Hours and How Beautiful You Are.

6: Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
Fall Out Boy come in hard with pop punk sounds to wrap the listeners ears around. This was the album that skyrocketed them to success and fame and it all reflects on the music they wrote. I remember first listening to this during my teenage angst stage and it complimented the place i was in at the time. With cleverly written and sung lyrics by Patrick (Stump) and Pete (Wentz), this album caught my attention. Songs like Sugar We're Going Down, A Little Less Sixteen Candles A Little More Touch Me and Of All The Gin Joints In All The World have great use of guitars and creative drumming. This helped me grow and made me aspire to be a musician amongst the punk, pop punk scene.

5. Jack's Mannequin - Everything In Transit
A project created by Andrew McMahon from his former band Something Corporate. Jack's Mannequin has interesting and unique sounds to it, fitted with mostly piano rock. This has been highly influential for me to write piano scores as well as instrumental because it shows how beautiful it can sound when you take the time to look over each track and give it life. Andrew does stunning work with this album and has made this rememberable for me. I always try to give this a listen whenever i'm stuck in a creative place. My favourite songs would include: I'm Ready, Dark Blue and Into the Airwaves

4. Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
I love this album with a passion. This was one of the albums that definitely defined the punk/emo scene in the 90s and created a new style of mystic music. It has such diverse instrumentation and is complimented with heartfelt vocals by Jim Adkins singing with such passion. My favourite song from it would be A Sunday. It's such a beautiful song to listen to with great melodies flowing, truly a great crafted song. What's truly admirable about the album is that it moves in so many different directions without getting lost on its journey. It keeps the listeners captivated.

3. Goo Goo Dolls - Dizzy Up The Girl
This album has a special place in my life. John Rzeznik, the way that he sings every track is filled with passion and with all of his heart. It really is a beautiful blend of acoustic guitars, grudge style bass at times and furthermore controlled drumming. Furthermore the lyrics are at sometimes haunting and deep, but the sounds has a great jux du position to it. Dizzy Up The Girl have inspired me to write acoustic songs. Whenever i would like to do something different rather than heavy guitar riffs all the time, i take some space and listen to this album and get inspired to write a melodic and peaceful riff. No other band has had that influence on me. Songs that stand out for me are Slide, Iris, Acoustic 3 and Bulletproof.

2. Blink-182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
This was the very first pop-punk album i listened to and immediately i knew why it would stick with me for the rest of my life. Mark, Tom and Travis bring all they can to the table and have in your face riffs that leave the listeners shocked, stunned but wanting to listen some more. I never knew what it was about this album that always had me on the edge of my headphones but every time i listened to them, i always wanted to grow more as a musician. The hunger they gave me to strive for perfection was intense, but i loved every moment of it. Blink-182 have always been one of my favourite bands of all time, thus they influenced me to write and live the style of pop-punk music. Favourite songs: Anthem Pt. 2, Stay Together For the Kids, Please Take Me Home.

1. Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
This was the first album i ever bought, and it has always been with me from the very beginning. This album led me down the path to where i am today. It was because it opened me to the world of music, and gave me the passion to write, compose, sing and everything i could do with music. I had never heard something so aspiring and loud in my life. Instantly i was drawn to the heavy guitar riffs, the rapping and hardcore screaming. I was lost in this new world of music and i was eager to keep listening. This will always be my favourite and most influential album of all time as it pushed and helped me become the musician i am today.

So there you go, i hope this has helped you to an insight of who i am as an artist and what have been highly influential to me. Until next time, take care and all the best!