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?