The Doors-Best of the Doors- I view The Doors less as a countercultural band and more as a proto-goth rock group. This is a great collection of some of their darkest songs that are undoubtedly pretentious—but honestly, who cares? Jim Morrison is still God. (Choice Track: Spanish Caravan)

Big Brother & The Holding Company-Cheap Thrills– Some of the rawest acid rock I’ve ever heard. Janis Joplin’s gravelly vocals show obvious blues influence, and Sam Andrews’ distorted guitar makes me feel like I’m right there in Haight-Ashbury, tripping on acid inside a smelly porta-potty. Not that I would know the feeling. (Choice Track: Summertime)

Pink Floyd-The Dark Side of the Moon– There is nothing I can say about this album that hasn’t already been said by a pretentious teenager who thinks he’s Robert Christgau. So I’ve got nothing for this one. (Choice Track: The Great Gig in the Sky)

Warren Zevon-Excitable Boy– While not nearly as good as his debut, this sophomore effort perfectly captures Zevon’s macabre storytelling and compositional ability. He truly was gone too soon. (Choice Track: Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner)

The Wu-Tang Clan-Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)– Nothing but raw, hard-hitting East Coast hip-hop with filthy textures, courtesy of RZA’s revolutionary production. The lyrics are even better, as the Clan gleefully raps about sex, violence, drugs, chess, and martial arts movies. (Choice Track: Da Mystery of Chessboxin’)

Ennio Morricone-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Soundtrack– Easily one of the best film scores of all time, complete with eerie Western sounds and atmospheric instrumentation. (Choice Track: Ecstasy of Gold)

Frank Zappa-Joe’s Garage (Acts I, II, and III)– Zappa’s magnum opus, showcasing his insane guitar skills and strong knack for satire. This album targets religion, promiscuity, censorship, and people with toaster fetishes, all with classic Zappa irreverence. (Choice Track: Catholic Girls)

The Rolling Stones-Let it Bleed– The Rolling Stones at their best. There isn’t a single bad track on this album of sleazy country rock. This album contains everything that made the Stones’ golden years: sexuality, drugs, earthiness, and all-around fun.  (Choice Track: Midnight Rambler)

David Johansen-Live it Up– I haven’t actually gotten around to listening to this one yet. I got it for $1.99 at V-Stock on a Friday night mall crawl with some friends of mine. That was a fun night. (Choice Track: I dunno. Listen to it yourself.)

Sex Pistols-Nevermind the Bollocks– The most authentic punk album ever recorded. They have an anti-establishment mentality beyond that of a committed anarchist. They want nothing but an unbiased genocide of the entire human race. Beautiful. (Choice Track: Sub-Mission)

Prince-Purple Rain– The most eclectic mix of diverse influences I’ve ever heard. Prince skillfully blends psychedelic, soul, pop, and new wave to make his signature Minneapolis sound. This album convinced me that pop music could be art. (Choice Track: Darling Nikki)

The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band– This is another album that has engendered an ongoing discussion that I likely couldn’t add anything new to, but I don’t even care. I love it too much. This is the finest album of sunshiney psychedelia to come out of the ‘60s, complete with stellar studio experiments influenced by everything from carnival music to Indian classical. (Choice Track: Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite)
Captain Beefheart-Trout Mask Replica– Over an hour of avant-garde blues nightmares by a man who was probably mentally unstable. You won’t find a single hummable track on this album. What’s even more frightening is the real-life abuse that Beefheart inflicted on his musicians during the album’s conceptual stage. It’s loud, brash, cacophonous, and the greatest album I’ve ever heard. (Choice Track: Frownland)