Joe Strummer and his band helped shape punk when the genre was as much social rebellion and cause as fast playing and angry vocals. London Calling was released in 1979 and manages to do something most albums can't do just two years after their debut. It is poignant, political, rebellious, a call to action. "Spanish Bombs," "Hateful," "The Card Cheat" and the rest of the songs are still great 30 years later. The title track, "London Calling," gets the old-timers and young listeners out of their seats at clubs. "The Guns of Brixton" is a social commentary that mirrors problems today. The entire album stands up against any new punk-inspired creations and usually beats it. In the age of mass-produced nonconformity, punk is dead but the Clash is not.

To be honest, I could not decide on a particular album for Ani DiFranco. I narrowed it down to this, because of certain tracks ―"Untouchable Face," "Napoleon" and "Shameless." My first album was the 1991 release, Not So Soft. This was given to me by my friend Eric who recommended Ani. During this time I was immensely wearing out my Tori Amos album Little Earthquakes. That introduction to Ani's music began my obsession with her for the next four years. I lost interest when she started playing large venues. But, I still followed her success and now I'm rediscovering her talent all over again. To understand Ani's musical evolvement, you must start from her beginnings in Buffalo, N.Y.

For Prince, Emancipation was a huge risk. Consisting of three CDs and over 30 songs, it could have been foolish to try and pull off such a grand album. However, Prince being the genius he is and with his creativity he was able to produce a true masterpiece. It is amazing to me that he could write so many great songs and make them work together so well. With songs like "One of Us," "Soul Sanctuary," and "One Kiss at a Time," he proved that when you think of Soul and R&B the first name that should come to your mind should be Prince.

I discovered this album while I was hanging out in the alternative dance clubs in the '90s. Any time the song "So What'cha Want" came on I would lose my mind and head for the mosh pit. For some reason it made me feel invincible. It still has the same affect on me today. Explore deeper into this album and you'll see the talent that these white boys possess.

A band from Toronto that started a cult following based on the song "If I had a $1,000,000." This song was a crowd favorite years before it was heard on the New York State Lottery commercials. The Barenaked Ladies' witty lyrics always erupted overwhelming crowd participation during their live shows, causing people to throw boxes of macaroni and cheese. It was like being at the Rocky Horror Picture Show. This album is packed with one hit after another, the jazzy "Hello City" being one of my favorite. I'm so glad that I've been a fan since the beginning.

Few people will actually know this album. That's a shame. The stunted guitars, off-beat tempos and frenzied melodies are not for everyone; the imagination is. Big Black are icons of the underground and the music they made with 8 track recording in their bathrooms was a precursor to industrial. They also had quite a reputation as live performers. They had a penchant for lighting themselves on fire. Nowadays Steve Albini is a respected producer. After all, he made masterpieces with minimal equipment. This album was my soundtrack to 1989; I walked every day after school in Germany listening to "Steelworker," "Cables," and "I Can Be Killed." It sounds strange to think a story about a steel worker who kills what he eats and feels that great big thing crawling all over him speaks to them, but it does. It's a gutteral connection more people should discover.

So I decided to include a representation of my hair metal days. I would have to say that Motley started it for me. I remember picking up the Shout at the Devil cassette and listening to it walking to a friend's house. The opening track "In the Beginning" sounded so evil and segued into "Shout at the Devil." It was such a raw, in-your face sound. This was definitely something that you would never hear on the radio. It was perfect for any angst-ridden 15-year-old. I followed this band until they released their fifth album, Dr. Feelgood. Then they broke up and it would never be the same again. Besides that, I grew up.

Mishka makes laid-back surf music. On his debut he delivers some of the best late-night, campfire on the beach type songs ever. Maybe its his upbringing. He grew up in the Bahamas on a house boat. Or, maybe it's my desire to live on a house boat in the Bahamas, but I feel at home in his songs. They feel so real and lived in. The 10 songs consist mostly of a slightly out-of-tune acoustic guitar and forced, whisper-style vocals. Listen to "Give You All the Love" and "Still Got Love" and you will be amazed at how much depth exists within his performance.

Ween makes me smile. How many bands could sing a song about spinal meningitis and make you feel good? Ween makes music that doesn't have to make sense to be good. They have fun and don't take things too serious and that's what makes them so appealing. Music is about escaping reality and Ween has never lived by society's rules. As such their music is awesome. But before you think they aren't great musicians and songwriters, take one listen to the ballad "Baby Bitch" and you know better. On Chocolate and Cheese you get the full Ween experience. In "Buenos Tardes Amigo," they give you an epic tale of a Mexican standoff, then give you the sin-along "Don't Shit Where You Eat my Friend." As you can easily see, Ween and the album Chocolate and Cheese equals awesomeness.

Turn on a black light, smoke a few swisher sweets and drink red wine out of the bottle. This album is all about atmosphere and mood. It is a decadent electronic masterpiece ― 11 songs that hiss and scratch there way into your psyche. They transport you to a state of unadulterated detachment from reality. Freedom exists with every moaned lyric and every exhausted beat.

Boneclouds came out of nowhere for me. I bought it on a whim when I walked by and it caught my eye. Listing to it, I immediately recognized what a treasure I had found. Jennings' lyrics are extraordinarily poignant and that's where the strength of most of his songs lie. They make you feel connected to the world. "If You Need A Reason" is a truly captivating moment. It is full of hope and meaning. It amazes me that this album that I found by chance has, at its core, a theme of choice and chance. This album reminds me of why I love music.

In 2000, my wife and I went to see Rob and Jen Slocomb (Martha's Trouble) based on a recommendation from a friend who was turned on to their sound while living in Houston. The husband-and-wife duo relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, which led them to perform in the western New York area frequently. Over time we were fortunate to have befriended the Slocombs. They are two of the nicest people you will meet. Sleeping Dogs is their third release and this album was supposed to be their make it or break it deal. Thank god they didn't stick to that. Many more great recordings would follow this record. Although Forget October is a stellar album, I am bias towards Sleeping Dogs for personal reasons. The third track, "Let Me Stay," they performed at our wedding. The album is packed with acoustic/folk songs full of love, loss and hope. Jen's voice is riveting as they take you through their journeys. Even though this is my favorite, I highly recommend adding their entire library to any music collection.

Even though this album is only a little over a year old, it quickly became a favorite of the week, then the month, the year and now it falls into my top albums of all-time. The bands first recording, Original Soul, was in 2004, minus the name the Nocturnals. In 2006 they released Nothing but the Water and in 2007 came This is Somewhere. So to truly appreciate the evolvement of their sound, I highly recommend that you listen to them in that order. This is Somewhere contains an edge that the previous lacked, but Grace can quickly mellow it out on songs like, "Lose Some Time" and "Falling or Flying." The comment that you always hear with this band is that you must see them live to fully appreciate their talent. This holds true, as for my first show in Rochester, N.Y. has led me to follow them from Burlington to New Orleans in the past year and a half. With every show you come away with something different. You can say the same about each of their recordings. Many people think Grace is the star, but delve a little deeper and you will discover that the Nocturnals are equally amazing. We can only anticipate what's next. It's bound to push them over the top.

I first heard "Sufragette City" nearly 25 years ago and it's still one of my favorite songs. It's gritty and more edgy than many songs that came after. "Changes," "Space Oddity," "Rebel Rebel" and "Fame" follow suit and are considered icons of great music making. It's amazing so many great songs are on one album and have stayed the test of time on one album. Bowie is pushing 62 but he's still creating interesting pieces and experimenting with music. He's had a lot of great albums over the decades. This could be his best.

Joey Ramone was always like an enigma to me. Joey’s appearance never changed. He was always sporting his mop top, black leather jacket and his dark John Lennon type glasses. In 1976 they released their self-titled debut. An album that contained some punk/rock n’ roll classics “Beat on the Brat,” “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Judy is a Punk.” My introduction to the Ramones was in 1979, when they released the musical comedy Rock and Roll High School. Instantly I was hooked on their two minute songs that oozed of everything your mother and father were against. They were the real deal. Hey! Ho! Lets Go!

A lot of people say they are fans of Eric Clapton and I count myself as one, too. However, I've never loved the songs that made him famous. "Layla" is great and so is "Cocaine," but face it, most of his music is just derivative and boring blues. On Pilgrim though, he really tapped into something special. It's one of the most relaxing and gentle albums ever. For me, the best moments come from the songs "River of Tears" and "Broken Hearted." Both are over seven minutes long but they are never lose your attention. They sound very natural and serene. I think the simplicity of the songs help make this a great album. Every note is perfect and lyrically it is his best.

I spent so many lonely nights listing to this album. The mood is one of gloomy joy. Listening to Chris Isaak croon about love unrequited or lost was cathartic. To this day when he sings "look at all those happy people, I wish I could be like you" in "Go Walking Down There," I feel like I'm 20 again, which means I feel insecure and kind of lost. Chris is a very underrated artist; he's written so many great songs and deserves to be recognized. On this album he is at his best. He has the tremendous ability to make you ache with him. I've always felt that his voice reminds me of what tears sound like.

I remember the first time I heard Jeff Buckley. It was about two in the morning and I was laying on the couch listening to MTV. The same old grunge-type bands were on all night, but then came Buckley and I was awakened. The video was "Grace," the title cut off of his debut album. The next day I purchased the album and I think I listened to it exclusively for about a month. It was the first album that I felt moved by and felt connected. With his amazing voice and his uninhibited musical arrangements, he ignited a fire in my soul. Every song dug deeper into my being. He changed the way I listened to music and challenged me to explore music past and present. Every song on this album is great. It is, without a doubt, the best album ever.

Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Sound Garden it’s as though they were waiting in the shadows to take the reins from their predecessors of the 80’s. Grunge and hair metal, both rooted with the same influences. But, the new sound from Seattle was exactly what we needed. No more cheesy lyrics and the music was raw, compared to the over produced rock albums from the 80’s. Eddie Vedder, Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell were ready to control the charts for the next ten years. Even though Pearl Jam’s debut Ten was monumental in defining the grunge period, I favor their sophomore release VS. This was a superb follow-up to their chart topping Ten. This album contains my favorite Pearl Jam song “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.” This album reinforced that they were without question leaders in the grunge movement. A must have for any collection.

I was raised on '50s rock n' roll, even though I grew up in the '70s. In my house all you heard was Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and the list goes on. But, my mother was one of the millions of teenage girls who adored Elvis and whose mother hated him. In the '70s I became fascinated with the jumpsuit Elvis, I think because he reminded me of a superhero with the flashy outfits and capes of his Vegas years. My father always listened to the early Sun recordings. I didn't find an appreciation for that rockabilly sound until I got older. It's knowing the historical significance of this album. It's a piece of pop-culture iconography. Most people attribute Elvis for inventing rock n' roll, others argue the point and say that he stole it from black musicians. Either way, he was one of a kind and those who followed could only try to duplicate the impact he had on the world. This 1956 recording lets you hear a raw talent with unknown potential.