There’s a meme circulating on Facebook this week (at least among music writing/industry folks) that’s fun and a bit revealing for music nerds. Participation is simple: List 10 albums that made a lasting impression on you as a teenager, and don't think too much. One album per artist. You can put whatever specific age parameters you want on it, but what we focused on were those core teen years—14 to 18—or the end of junior high and all of high school. (Early college is a whole different world, musically.)
Watching our collective feeds share their formative touchstones and gateway bands over the last few days has not only been entertaining, it’s sort of fascinating to observe from a generational perspective. You can see the point at which bands like Weezer, Radiohead, Nirvana, Elliott Smith, and Pavement became coming-of-age staples, while teen love of Dylan and Zeppelin throughout the ages is re-asserted yet again. But what sits between the classic albums—the picks that seem more personal (maybe a little embarrassing, depending on how truthful you’re being)—that tell you the most about the underpinnings of someone’s taste in music. And so Pitchfork staffers thought we’d share our own lists. We encourage you to do the same, even if it includes DMB’s Crash.
Ryan Schreiber
Nirvana, Nevermind
Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine
Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet
Beastie Boys, *Paul's Boutique
*The Breeders, Last Splash
The Cure, Wish
PJ Harvey, Rid of Me
Yo La Tengo, Painful__
__
Mark Richardson
Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska
Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
Kate Bush, The Whole Story
Peter Gabriel, 3
Dire Straits, Making Movies
The Who, Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
Lovindeer, Kratches
Run DMC, King of Rock
Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
George Winston, Autumn
Jillian Mapes
Weezer, Pinkerton
Death Cab For Cutie, You Can Play These Songs With Chords
The Smiths, The Smiths
Radiohead, OK Computer
The Clash, London Calling
The Rushmore Soundtrack
Air, Moon Safari
The Get Up Kids, On a Wire
Wilco, Summerteeth
Brand New, Deja Entendu
Ryan Dombal
Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Beth Orton, Central Reservation
Counting Crows, Recovering the Satellites
R.E.M., Monster
U2, Pop
Daft Punk, Homework
Mariah Carey, Music Box
Stone Temple Pilots, Purple
Aerosmith, Get a Grip
Jay Z, The Dynasty: Roc La Familia
Amy Phillips
Hole, Live Through This
Sonic Youth, Dirty
Babes in Toyland, Fontanelle
Nirvana, In Utero
PJ Harvey, Dry
Liz Phair, Whip-Smart
L7, Bricks Are Heavy
Bikini Kill, The C.D. Version of the First Two Records
Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
Bratmobile, Pottymouth
Jayson Greene
Bad Brains, Bad Brains
Built To Spill, Perfect From Now On
Nas, Illmatic
The Misfits, Legacy of Brutality
Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West
Elliott Smith, Elliott Smith
Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness
Led Zeppelin, IV
Archers of Loaf, The Speed of Cattle
Sublime, Sublime
Matthew Schnipper
Fiona Apple*, When the Pawn...*
Black Flag, Damaged
Bikini Kill, Reject All American
His Hero Is Gone, Monuments to Thieves
Los Crudos/Spitboy, Viviendo Asperamente/Roughly Living
Man Is the Bastard, Thoughtless
Pavement, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Propaghandi, Less Talk More Rock
Sonic Youth, Washing Machine
Various Artists, A Slice of Lemon
Jenn Pelly
The Ataris, End Is Forever
Rilo Kiley, The Execution of All Things
Straylight Run, Demo
Cat Power, Moon Pix
Björk, Greatest Hits
Elliott Smith, XO
Velvet Underground and Nico, Velvet Underground and Nico
Bob Dylan, Another Side of Bob Dylan
Sleater-Kinney, The Woods
Fiona Apple, When the Pawn...
Philip Sherburne
The Cure, Pornography
Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Scream
The Smiths, Hatful of Hollow
Cocteau Twins, The Pink Opaque
Sonic Youth, Sister
Rites of Spring, Rites of Spring
Poison Idea, Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes
The Accüsed, More Fun Than an Open-Casket Funeral
Descendents, Milo Goes to College
Clan of Xymox, Clan of Xymox
Stacey Anderson
Foo Fighters,The Colour and the Shape
No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom
The Beatles, Revolver
Elliott Smith, XO
Save Ferris, It Means Everything
Incubus, Make Yourself (hey, I lived in Nor Cal)
Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
The Distillers, Sing Sing Death House
Weezer, Pinkerton
The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
Marc Hogan
Blur, 13
Pavement, Brighten the Corners
Weezer, Pinkerton
Radiohead, OK Computer
Prodigy, Fat of the Land
Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen
The Beatles, Anthology 2
Dave Matthews Band, Before These Crowded Streets
White Town, Women in Technology
Jimi Hendrix, The Ultimate Experience
Matthew Strauss
Chester French, Love the Future
The Cool Kids, The Bake Sale
Earl Sweatshirt, EARL
Flight of the Conchords, Flight of the Conchords
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kid Cudi, Man on the Moon: The End of Day
Little Joy, Little Joy
Mando Diao, Ode to Ochrasy
Noah and the Whale, Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
Tyler, the Creator, Bastard
Quinn Moreland
Joni Mitchell, Blue
Belle and Sebastian, Tigermilk
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Tiger Trap, Tiger Trap
Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam
Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde
Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Why?, Alopecia
Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
Kevin Lozano
The Strokes, Is This It
Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense
The Morning Benders, Big Echo
Madvillian, Madvillainy
Four Tet, Pause
The Cure, The Head on the Door
Air, The Virgin Suicides Soundtrack *
*The Drums, Portamento
Pavement, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain
Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Noah Yoo
Radiohead, In Rainbows
The Police, Synchronicity
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
The Killers, Hot Fuss
Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Weezer, Pinkerton
Michael Jackson, Thriller
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Muse, Absolution
The xx, xx
Sam Sodomsky
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
The Decemberists, Picaresque
Morrissey, Vauxhall & I
Joanna Newsom, The Milk-Eyed Mender
Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel of Love
Cam’ron, Purple Haze
Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury
Why?, Elephant Eyelash
Tegan & Sara, The Con
Red House Painters, Rollercoaster
