Fumbler's Café

What do you consider to be the most influential artists/albums throughout the years? Imagine you have a friend who's never heard a melody in their life. What artists/albums would you give them that would change their life forever?

*has a strange flashback to Sarahboards where I ruled strange threads/topics *

Here's mine (might need extra thought later on):

1) Fumbling Towards Ecstasy - Sarah McLachlan
2) Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
3) Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette
4) Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
5) Blue - Joni Mitchell
6) The Wild Heart - Stevie Nicks
7) Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos
8) Erotica/Ray of Light - Madonna (I can't decide)
9) Diva - Annie Lennox
10) Life for Rent - Dido

Artists I love, but do not own their music. They should be included:
The Beatles
Michael Jackson
Patsy Cline
Dolly Parton
Elvis Presley
David Bowie
Janis Joplin

OK, I'll try to be as objective as possible

1.) Pink Floyd - all of it.
2.) Joni Mitchell - earlier albums, especially Blue all the way to Hejira. She's peerless in the field of songwriting.
3.) Janis Joplin/BBHC - everything. Very fierce vocalist: the only one who came close to her is Robert Plant.
4.) Frank Zappa - I don't listen to him at all but he's a genius.
5.) Genesis/Peter Gabriel - everything.
6.) Kate Bush - another musical genius. Everything, except probably The Dreaming (which is a great album of course but might be too kooky for some; she's def not for everyone)
7.) Sandy Denny - her four albums with Fairport Convention especially Liege and Lief
8.) Jefferson Airplane - don't bother with Starship unless you're a big fan lol
9.) Jeff Buckley - I'm probably being subjective here since he's a personal favorite, but at least give Grace a try.
10.) Fleetwood Mac - Tusk and Rumours


Sorry, I know but I have to include these also...
11.) Grace Jones - certainly not for everyone but she's another genius. Libertango (song) is a guilty pleasure of mine
12.) Sarah McLachlan - FTE and Surfacing
13.) Paula Cole - one album: This Fire. One of the best albums ever.
14.) Radiohead - The Bends & OK Computer
15.) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me. Love her or hate her (because of her voice lol), there's no denying she's the most unique artist of this generation.

Jessel wrote:OK, I'll try to be as objective as possible

1.) Pink Floyd - all of it.
2.) Joni Mitchell - earlier albums, especially Blue all the way to Hejira. She's peerless in the field of songwriting.
3.) Janis Joplin/BBHC - everything. Very fierce vocalist: the only one who came close to her is Robert Plant.
4.) Frank Zappa - I don't listen to him at all but he's a genius.
5.) Genesis/Peter Gabriel - everything.
6.) Kate Bush - another musical genius. Everything, except probably The Dreaming (which is a great album of course but might be too kooky for some; she's def not for everyone)
7.) Sandy Denny - her four albums with Fairport Convention especially Liege and Lief
8.) Jefferson Airplane - don't bother with Starship unless you're a big fan lol
9.) Jeff Buckley - I'm probably being subjective here since he's a personal favorite, but at least give Grace a try.
10.) Fleetwood Mac - Tusk and Rumours


Sorry, I know but I have to include these also...
11.) Grace Jones - certainly not for everyone but she's another genius. Libertango (song) is a guilty pleasure of mine
12.) Sarah McLachlan - FTE and Surfacing
13.) Paula Cole - one album: This Fire. One of the best albums ever.
14.) Radiohead - The Bends & OK Computer
15.) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me. Love her or hate her (because of her voice lol), there's no denying she's the most unique artist of this generation.

Tusk is my favorite Fleetwood Mac album, although Lindsey's gazillion songs annoy the crap out of me. Lindsey's Save Me a Place (I wonder if Jeff still has that cover on his Myspace?), Stevie's Sara, Storms, and Beautiful Child, as well as Christine's Never Make Me Cry are all masterpieces in their own right. Stevie owned this album though.

Just 10? Wow, I don't think I can do that!

However, to settle the score:

1. John Lennon/Paul McCartney/George Harrison/Ringo Starr/The Beatles - Revolver, Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper's, The White Album, Imagine, Walls & Bridges, Band On The Run, Ram, McCartney, pretty much all of George's catalog, Vertical Man
2. Michael Jackson - Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, Dangerous, HIStory
3. Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling, Surfacing, Afterglow, Solace, LOI
4. Kate Bush - The Kick Inside, The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, Aerial
5. Tori Amos - Boys For Pele, From The Choirgirl Hotel, Under The Pink, Little Earthquakes, To Venus and Back
6. David Bowie - God, I don't even know where to start! All of it!
7. Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins/Genesis - I am with you on that one. I also included Phil, because he is also a genius. - All of it
8. Yes - All the 70's stuff, 90125, Talk, The Ladder, Magnification
9. Rush - Moving Pictures, need I say more?
10.Pink Floyd - All of it!

Honorable mentions: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, King Crimson, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Fiona Apple, Elvis Costello, Elvis Presley, Prince, Madonna