In the recent spirit of “better late than never”, I give you the list I made for Criminal for their 15th Anniversary a few months back.

Top 30 Albums That Changed My Life From The Past 15 Years*

Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen (1993)
Air – The Virgin Suicides (original soundtrack) (2000)
Beck – Mellow Gold (1994)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C. (2000)
Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
Coldplay – Parachutes (2000)
Cornershop – When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997)
Cure – Wish (1992)
Curve – Doppelganger (1992)
David Garza – This Euphoria (1998)
Doves – Lost Souls (2000)
Elliot Smith – Either/Or (1997)
Fiona Apple – When The Pawn… (1999)
Fugazi – Red Medicine (1995)
Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
Jeff Buckley – Grace (1994)
Jump Little Children – Magazine (1998)
Massive Attack – Blue Lines (1991)
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)
Ours – Precious (2002)
Pulp – Different Class (1995)
R.E.M. – Automatic For The People (1992)
Red House Painters – Red House Painters [I] (1993)
Remy Zero – Remy Zero (1996)
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker (2000)
The Shins – Oh, Inverted World (2001)
Slowdive – Sovlaki (1993)
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness (1995)
Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space (1997)
Will Hoge – Carousel (2001)

RUNNER-UPS:
Beta Band – The Three EP’s (1998)
Catherine Wheel – Chrome (1993)
Chris Whitley – Terra Incognita (1997)
Cinerama – Va Va Voom (1998)
Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin (1999)
Grace Cathedral Park – In The Evenings Of Regret (2001)
Isidore – Isidore (2004)
James Hall – My Love, Sex & Spirit (1993)
Josh Rouse – Under Cold Blue Stars (2002)
Lush – Lovelife (1996)
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
Old 97s – Fight Songs (1999)
Outkast – Aquemini (1998)
Paul Westerburg – Stereo/Mono (2002)
Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing (1998)
Pleasure Club – The Fugitive Kind (2004)
Portishead – Dummy (1994)
Sloan – Pretty Together (2001)
Smashing Pumpkins – Gish (1991)
Spoon – Kill The Moonlight (2002)
Stephen Malkmus – Stephen Malkmus (2001)
Suede – Dog Man Star (1994)
Wilco – Being There (1996)

* Note: I spent a solid month on this list. No I don’t have all your favorite albums on here. No I don’t have all my favorite albums on here. These were the albums that CHANGED my life. It would not be the same without them.

Agree? Disagree? Hate em? What are yours?