Released in 1973, 'Goats Head Soup' marked the end of the band's creative peak that began five years previously with 'Beggars Banquet'. The album opens with the brooding, funk-influenced 'Dancing With Mr. D', but the album's greatest moment comes with 'Angie', one of the most heartbreaking ballads that Jagger and Richards ever wrote together. It was after this point that the pair began to grow apart, and their music suffered as a result.
Best Songs: Dancing With Mr. D; Angie
161) Weezer - Hurley (2010)
After three consecutive albums featuring Weezer's quality decreasing at a fairly epic rate, culminating in the commercial failure of 'Raditude', the band were dropped from their long-time record label, Geffen. Eventually signing to the independent label, Epitath, Rivers Cuomo and co. returned in 2010 with 'Hurley', an album that recalls the band's mid-90's heyday. The music on 'Hurley' ranges from the pop-rock catchiness found on their debut album, and the harder, far less optimistic sound found on their follow-up, 'Pinkerton'. The best Weezer album of the 21st century.
Best Songs: Ruling Me; Where's My Sex?
160) Nightwish - Century Child (2002)
'Century Child' is the first Nightwish album to feature bass player (and sometimes male vocalist) Marco Hietala. As such, it is the album that finally solidified the band's sound, with the music becoming slower and darker than on previous records. Actually, the perfect display of the band that Nightwish had become four albums into their career comes in the form of their cover of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom Of The Opera', with Marco and Tarja Turunen's vocals perfectly complimenting each other despite (or maybe because of) their sounding so completely different.
Best Songs: End Of All Hope; Phantom Of The Opera
159) Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony (2010)
The latest album from Apocalyptica carries on the tradition found on 'Worlds Collide' of bringing in vocalists from other bands on some tracks. 'End Of Me' is the best that Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale has ever sounded. Another tradition that is upheld with this album is the presence of Slayer's Dave Lombardo drumming on a track. Despite no Corey Taylor or Cristina Scabbia this time around, this is my favourite Apocalyptica album.
Best Songs: End Of Me; Broken Pieces
158) The Dead Boys - We Have Come For Your Children (1978)
The second and final album from the American punk rock band, with the band breaking up shortly after work on the record was completed. The song 'Ain't It Fun' was covered by Guns N' Roses on "The Spaghetti Incident?", bringing attention to The Dead Boys that they missed out on in their career.
Best Songs: (I Don't Wanna Be No) Catholic Boy; Ain't It Fun
157) Iron Maiden - Killers (1981)
Iron Maiden's second album, and the last to feature vocals by Paul Di'Anno, whose drug use would eventually cause him to be fired. Guitarist Adrian Smith features on this album after replacing Dennis Stratton who appeared on the debut album.
Best Songs: Wrathchild; Killers
156) Aerosmith - Pump (1989)
Aerosmith's first album since 'Permanent Vacation' put them back on the map as a force to be reckoned with. 'Love In An Elevator' and 'Janie's Got A Gun' - which deals with child abuse, and the victim's brutal revenge - have become some of the band's best-loved songs.
Best Songs: Young Lust; Voodoo Medicine Man
155) Perfect - Once, Twice, Three Times A Maybe (2004)
Featuring former Replacement, Tommy Stinson on bass and lead vocals, Perfect recorded this, their first and only full-length album in 1997. However, when Regency Pictures purchased Restless Records - the band's record label - the album release was abruptly canceled, and the struggling band were forced to break up. Stinson then started work as a session musician, whilst becoming a telesalesman in order to pay his bills until the following year he heard that Guns N' Roses were looking for a new bass player after the departure of Duff McKagan. It wasn't until 2004 that Rykodisk would acquire the rights to the album, and give it an official release where it was met with positive reviews. It's quite depressing to think of where this punky rock band could have gone if they had been given a chance.
Best Songs: Better Days; 7 Days A Week
154) Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (1976)
If there is one essential Thin Lizzy album, this is it. 'The Boys Are Back In Town' is the band's biggest hit, but the title track is far superior, and 'Cowboy Song' is the greatest thing the band ever recorded.
Best Songs: Jailbreak; Cowboy Song
153) Metallica - ...And Justice For All (1988)
Metallica's first album since the death of original bass player Cliff Burton in a tour bus crash. There are some production issues with this album including the bass of Jason Newsted being almost completely inaudible (attributed to a still grieving band not feeling comfortable working with anyone but Cliff), but the songs featured here include some of Metallica's greatest, including the classic 'One' which is the only song on the album to have regularly been played live since the album's release.
Best Songs: One; Harvester Of Sorrow
152) Nine Inch Nails - The Slip (2008)
Recorded in just three weeks, and released as a completely free download the day after its completion, NIN's 'The Slip' was the band's second such release in a matter of months. This was due to Trent Reznor enjoying the fact that his contract with Interscope Records had expired, and he was free to do things he was never able to do before. Unlike the previous release, 'Ghosts I-IV', which was merely a collection of instrumental soundscapes and was considered an experiment to see what he and Atticus Ross could come up with in a certain time and release whatever it was they came up with, 'The Slip' is a proper album, and carries similar themes and art direction to 2007's 'Year Zero' and this combined with the nature of the album's recording means that it doesn't mark a change in sound that usually accompanies a new NIN release. So far it's the final NIN album, though Trent Reznor has said there will be more at some point, though he has no plans to tour with the group any more. As well as Reznor and Ross, this album features contributions from live members Robin Finck (returning to the band after his second stint with Guns N' Roses), Allessandro Cortini and Josh Freese.
Best Songs: 1,000,000; Demon Seed
151) The Replacements - Stink (1982)
This EP was the second release from The Replacements and as such showcases the band's hardcore punk roots. In fact, at just 15 minutes in length, it's the perfect hardcore punk record, as the full-length 'Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash' released the previous year got a bit too much after a little while. There's really not much variety in that kind of music, which I believe is one of the reasons The Replacements decided to go in a completely different direction in the future.
Best Songs: Kids Don't Follow; Dope Smokin' Moron
150) Green River - Rehab Doll (1988)
Green River's only full-length album marked the end for the band. During the sessions, a conflict emerged with Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament on one side, and Mark Arm on the other. By October 1987, the band had broken up (though recording sessions on the album continued through to January 1988). By the time the album was completed, Mother Love Bone and Mudhoney had already been formed. However, in their four years as a band, Green River had influenced a new wave of bands in Seattle.
Best Songs: Rehab Doll; One More Stitch
149) The Jacksons - Triumph (1980)
Released a year after Michael's breakthrough solo album, 'Off The Wall', 'Triumph' is the last thing any of the brothers have done worth listening to. Michael only released one more album with them (1984's 'Victory'), and by that point it was obvious that he was desperate to make his solo career a full-time endeavour and that tensions between him and his brothers were at an all-time high. 'Triumph', however was recorded before Michael released the biggest selling album of all time, so he wasn't as eager to escape the confines of the group as he would become.
Best Songs: Can You Feel It; Walk Right Now
148) Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard Of Ozz (1980)
Ozzy Osbourne's first solo album after being fired from Black Sabbath, and still the best thing he has ever recorded outside of that band in large part due to work of classically-influenced guitarist Randy Rhoads. This album forged a path for heavy metal that other band's (known as NWOBHM - or New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) would imitate for at least a decade.
Best Songs: Crazy Train; Mr. Crowley
147) Aerosmith - Get Your Wings (1974)
The second album from Boston's Aerosmith, and the first to be produced by Jack Douglas, who would become a frequent collaborator of the band's.
Best Songs: Same Old Song And Dance; Seasons Of Wither
146) Guns N' Roses - Use Your Illusion I (1991)
The first of two albums released by Guns N' Roses on the same day in 1991, 'Use Your Illusion I' features Axl and co. branching out in directions that most people didn't think it was possible for a hard rock band from Hollywood to take. People who like to throw the "sell out" term around often cite the band's writing of ballads, without realising that 'Don't Cry' was actually the first song that Guns N' Roses ever wrote together. The epic piano-led 'November Rain' - which Axl began working on in 1981, but wouldn't allow to be released until he was completely happy with it - with it's soulful vocals, extremely personal lyrics, and increasingly fantastic guitar - is my favourite song of all time. It's a great song in itself, but after 7 minutes the outro kicks in and serves to really get your blood pumping. 'Coma' is a 10 minute long almost prog-rock song that features some of the best playing that any of the members have ever laid down. The only thing that makes 'Use Your Illusion I' the lesser of the two albums is that, ironically, the tracks that sound most like what they were playing on 'Appetite For Destruction' ('Right Next Door To Hell' for example) really aren't as strong as the tracks in which they are expanding their sound.
Best Songs: Don't Cry; November Rain; Coma
145) The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia... (2006)
Pianist/vocalist Amanda Palmer, and drummer Brian Vigilone returned with their second album in 2006, in which their trademark "punk-cabaret" sound takes on a noticably lighter tone than on their debut. There are still some dark themes in these songs, but Palmer's sense of humour that was mostly only hinted at previously is on full display here, especially on the tracks 'Sex Changes' and 'My Alcoholic Friends'. The best thing, though, is that even with this shift in tones, The Dresden Dolls still sound absolutely unique.
Best Songs: Backstabber; Dirty Business; Sing
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