My Top 666 Albums Ever Part 8

540) Faith No More - Angel Dust (1992)

Possibly Faith No More's most critically acclaimed album, though not my favourite.
Best Song: Land Of Sunshine

539) Nas - Untitled (2008)

Nas may not be the most popular rapper in the business, but this album proves again that he's one of the best.
Best Song: N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave And The Master)

538) Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)

Stevie Wonder's legendary double album, featuring some of his biggest hits. One of the best albums in his catalogue, too.
Best Song: Sir Duke

537) Public Image Limited - 9 (1989)

After the highly publicised disbanding of the Sex Pistols, frontman Johnny Rotten started going by his birth name of John Lydon and formed this post-punk band, that were mostly terrible. Out of all of their albums, this is the only one that is close to the quality to justify the hype surrounding them. Somehow, it also manages to be the band's least critically acclaimed album.
Best Songs: Happy?; Disappointed

536) The Runaways - Waitin' For The Night (1977)

Only a year after the release of their debut album, and their jailbait image winning them fans all over the world, singer Cherie Currie had left The Runaways, and guitarist Joan Jett had taken over as the band's lead vocalist. Bass player Jackie Fox had also left, to be replaced by Vicki Blue. The first fruits of this new line-up of the band is a surprisingly strong collection, and with Jett now as the principle songwriter, served as a preview of what was to come when the band eventually split a few years later.
Best Songs: Little Sister; Waitin' For The Night

535) Late September Dogs - Talking To The Moon (2001)
I actually can't find the album cover for this anywhere... strange.
A Seattle band that takes elements of world music and mixes it into a soulful and atmospheric whole.
Best Songs: Kimberly Fields; Bullet In My Head


534) The Vandals - Fear Of A Punk Planet (1990)

After years of fluctuation, The Vandals solidified at the end of the 80's the line-up of The Vandals finally solidified with Dave Quackenbush, Warren Fitzgerald, Joe Escalante and a young drummer named Josh Freese. Therefore whilst technically their third full-length album, this is generally considered to be the debut by the band as they have become known. This became one of the key albums in popularising the sub-genre of pop-punk, though the music found in there is generally much harder than other music of this type. To call it largely tuneless would be a valid criticism, but it's all about the energy and the immature lyrics. Features guest appearances from the Zappa siblings (Dweezil and Moon Unit), and Kelsey Grammar... yes, that Kelsey Grammar.
Best Songs: Pizza Tran; Girls Turn 18 Every Day

533) Deftones - Adrenaline (1995)

Debut album from the California metallers. This sounds far more like the "nu-metal" that was dominating rock music at the time than subsequent releases, in which the band made a conscious effort to steer away from getting pigeonholed into that genre. It was, however, a very strong debut album that did a lot to put them on the map before they took the world by storm with subsequent releases.
Best Songs: One Weak; Root

532) Rainbow - Down To Earth (1979)

Rainbow's fourth album is the first since the departure of lead singer Ronnie James Dio. In his place came a singer without nearly as much range who nobody really remembers the name of - Graham Bonnett. Also out were bassist Bob Daisley, and keyboardist David Stone to be replaced by Ritchie Blackmore's Deep Purple bandmate, Roger Glover, and Don Airey respectively. This album marked a far more commercial sound than their previous work, and produced the hit single 'Since You Been Gone'.
Best Songs: All Night Long; Since You Been Gone

531) Kyuss - Blues For The Red Sun (1992)

The second album from the influential stoner rock band featuring future Queens Of The Stone Age members Josh Homme on guitar and Nick Oliveri on bass. Homme's guitar was down-tuned and plugged into bass amplifiers in order to get the deep sound that became the band and the genre's trademark.
Best Songs: Green Machine; Freedom Run

530) Apocalyptica - Apocalyptica Plays Metallica By Four Cellos (1996)

Before the Finnish cellists became known as a metal band in their own right, they were an honest to goodness string quartet that became famous for this tribute to Metallica. And genuinely enjoyable their arrangements of the classic songs are, too.
Best Songs: Master Of Puppets; The Unforgiven

529) Iggy Pop - Blah Blah Blah (1986)

After a four year hiatus, Iggy Pop returned to work with David Bowie (who produced his earliest solo albums), and Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. The cover of Johnny O'Keefe's 'Real Wild Child' became a Top 10 hit in the UK.
Best Songs: Real Wild Child (Wild One); Fire Girl

528) Green Day - 39/Smooth (1990)

The debut full-length album from the band that undoubtedly became the most famous pop-punk band ever. Nowadays it is often packaged alongside two EP's from before ('1,000 Hours') and after ('Slappy') the release of the album under the title '1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours', to the point that nowadays it's rare to find anyone who realises that they were originally three separate releases. Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt show strong potential, and this was before Tre Cool had joined as the drummer, with the drums instead being handled by John Kiffmeyer.
Best Songs: Green Day; 16

527) Imicus - Animal Factory (2010)

A local band to me from Luton that I actually first caught at the Download Festival a couple of years ago whilst waiting for Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders. Turns out that my wife used to live with the guitarist's girlfriend when she was in university. They actually impressed me a lot more than I thought they would, and this debut album of theirs has a sound similar to a cross between Korn and Tool.
Best Songs: Visceral; The Butterfly Effect

526) The Cult - Love (1985)

Second album from Ian Astbury, Billy Duffy and whoever else happens to be in the band at the moment. This album features what is perhaps the band's best known song, 'She Sells Sanctuary'.
Best Songs: Brother Wolf, Sister Moon; She Sells Sanctuary

525) The Vandals - Oi To The World (1996)

A Christmas album which features songs about dying grandparents, and committing suicide by hanging yourself by the Christmas tree. So all very festive stuff from the pop-punks.
Best Songs: Grandpa's Last Xmas; Oi To The World

524) Paul Westerberg - Suicaine Gratifiction (1999)

Paul Westerberg's third solo album since the disbandment of The Replacements. The Bob Dylan style that he was taking The Replacements more and more towards in their later years is fully evident here, but it's not a bad thing by any means. It may be a bit hard to get into for people who remember when Westerberg thought he was a punk, though.
Best Songs: It's A Wonderful Lie; Whatever Makes You Happy

523) Robert Plant - Pictures At Eleven (1982)

Poor old Robert Plant didn't have a very good time of it in the 80's. His solo career throughout that decade was a succession of poor choices and even worse albums. But that doesn't diminish the early promise that this record showed. It wouldn't be until the 2000's that he reminded everyone why he is considered one of the best singers in the world.
Best Songs: Burning Down One Side; Fat Lip