Absolute Classics (Feb. 2009)

[Julia Conny]

Some of these albums are classics of our music community, and there's no which way to argue. And then some of these albums - while still classic - may have never crossed your doorstep. That's why we're so pumped for this feature. Truthfully, classics are almost always relative to genre, listener or time period, but they all have one thing in common: they're damn good. So the fifteen albums listed below, compiled wholeheartedly by your AbsolutePunk.net staff, are our collective personal favorite classic albums and maybe a few of your new favorites. Tell us what you think of our picks - are we crazy, correct or missing a few? What classics would make your list of 15? (Julia Conny)


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The Anniversary - Designing A Nervous Breakdown
Record Label: Vagrant Records
Release Date: January 25, 2000

When it comes to male-female harmonizations, few did it better than The Anniversary. Adrianne Verhoeven's slightly sweet pitches came as wonderful contrasts to the less-than-refined, synth-heavy indie rock being pushed out by the rest of the band. "All Things Ordinary" or "The D in Detroit" are good examples of this, as Verhoeven floats above the midwest emo dirtiness to give the band more than enough sheen. Tis a shame that The Anniversary would only release one more album (that doesn't really play to their emo-pop strengths). However, Designing A Nervous Breakdown will be remembered for its emotional-but-smart lyrics, catchy harmonies and eccentric indie-rock. It's another one of those all-important roadmap records; we can see the path before it, but more importantly we can clearly see the road after.
The D In Detroit


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At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
Record Label: Grand Royal Records
Release Date: September 12, 2000

Known more these days for their break-up that spawned The Mars Volta and Sparta, At the Drive-In were a revolutionary post-hardcore band that took unbridled passion with their music to the next level. How could they not? Reading lyrics like "Jagged pulp sliced in my veins" and "a beard half eaten smiled crawling with legs" might make one scratch their head, but hearing the lyrics on record (or better yet, in person) is enough to make one forget the deep, nearly-illegible metaphors and become totally absorbed with the music. That's exactly what ATDI was all about - the music, and letting their music be a vehicle for their emotions. They were able to create music that penetrates and moves and easily generate a feeling from the listener. The band perfected their formula on Relationship of Command, with their most intense offering of their short career; technically proficient, absent of any gimmickry, and focusing solely on the music, ATDI set a standard for what a bombastic, passionate music should be. In a time when image is increasingly more important to get a band exposure and success, this band did it with the music on their classic Relationship of Command.One Armed Scissor


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Blink182 - Dude Ranch
Record Label: MCA Records/Cargo Music
Release Date: June 17, 1997

It's all about timing. That's partly why Blink182 made this classic mix - because they're coming off a fresh reunion, in case you haven't heard. But then again, it is Blink182. It's impossible to argue the relative weight of a band's influence - except this one. They are - undoubtedly - the most influential pop-punk band of all time. Whether we measure this fact in album sales or even just posts on this website, the Blink presence is undeniable. Dude Ranch, the band's second album, was the leeway into mainstream success with the single, "Dammit", and a growing franchise of spunky, enthusiastic youth. Dude Ranch was the spark the started the bonfire (that's still going!), and that's why it's a classic.Dammit


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Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Record Label: Saddle Creek
Release Date: August 12, 2002

Omaha, Nebraska’s most tortured wunderkind had already been releasing music professionally for over eight years when he penned Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground at the ripe old age of 22. Labels such as “the Dylan of the modern era” are, by now, old hat for Conor Oberst, the shaky-voiced conscience behind Bright Eyes, but when Lifted dropped, it was a revelation. The album is a grand, self-effacing narrative of love, lust, and loss wrapped in social and political commentary still wet with Oberst’s sardonic acidity. Though stripped down and folky at points, Lifted is laced with curveballs, creative nuggets of unexpected songwriting. Shimmering choirs soar over grainy recordings. Good-natured neighbors nip at the heels of wanton self-destruction. Everywhere the music is so burdened by hopeless uncertainty that it seems as though it can only collapse in a gasping trainwreck (and in “False Advertising,” it truly does, leaving one orchestra member calling “I’m sorry!” in the deafening silence before Oberst heaves the song back into motion). Lifted is the ragged edges, the behind-the-scenes look at one man’s emotional purgatory and it will forever have a place as the Bible for our generation’s Cult of Self-Doubt.Lover I Don't Have to Love


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The Clash - London Calling
Record Label: CBS Records/Epic Records
Release Date: December 14, 1979

You can't talk about the classics, particularly among punk bands, without mentioning the genre-defying London Calling. The Clash built a positively fantastic discography over the years, but London Calling is arguably their tightest, most memorable effort. Socially conscious, politically outspoken, and musically eclectic, Joe Strummer and company turn in classic songs such as "Spanish Bombs," "Rudie Can't Fail," "Wrong 'Em Boyo," "Jimmy Jazz," "Death or Glory," and of course the title track. London Calling's vibrant music, outspoken socio-political commentary, and need to tell stories within the music keeps the record relevant even 30 years later. As an essential for any punk fan's music collection, the diverse elements of punk rock, reggae, ska, pop, rock n' roll, and soul composing this record make The Clash's third album, London Calling, deserving of the title Absolute Classic.London Calling


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Cursive - Domestica
Record Label: Saddle Creek Records
Release Date: June 20, 2000

I guess it makes sense that a record like Domestica wound up on this list. Betrayal, cheating, sad relationships; this is the stuff AP.net is made of. After initial dissections of this record I was legitimately horrified at its contents. There's so much anger in rockers like "The Martyr" or "A Red So Deep." But I mean let's be real, there are a lot of breakup records. It's one of those things we can all relate to. And when you've heard so many, it's hard to find one that still sticks day after day after miserable, terrible, devastatingly lonely day. Domestica latches on so tightly because Tim Kasher channels the emotion in such creative ways. He makes every song about mixed messages and lost chances feel new each time. Yes, The Ugly Organ and Happy Hollow are great, but they aren't as universal. They don't feel like they were written in Anytown, USA. Domestica is that piece of Americana we'd rather sweep under the rug. But it's also a piece of music many songwriters should keep framed on their mantles forever.
The Martyr


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Deftones - White Pony
Record Label: Maverick Records
Release Date: June 20, 2000

Not many people recognize the impact White Pony has had within the scene. Without this masterpiece by Deftones, Thrice never creates Vheissu, and many, many bands wouldn't exist. White Pony incorporates metal with new wave and a little bit of shoegaze: one moment you are being ripped apart by "Elite" and the next you are being lifted up by the ambiance of "Knife Party." Chino Moreno also shows off his incredible vocal range; from high croons to shredding screams, he controls the pace. One more thing to appreciate: you can thank White Pony for killing nu-metal. You're welcome.Change (In The House of Flies


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The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Record Label: DeSoto Records
Release Date: October 25, 1999

The Dismemberment Plan are one of the most beloved indie bands of recent times, due in part to their phenomenal live show. The band released four great albums throughout their ten-year lifespan, but none match the quality of Emergency & I (though many would argue otherwise). Instead of relying on the standard indie-rock formula, the members of The Dismemberment Plan create their own formula on Emergency & I and the result is a collection of challenging yet infectious songs. While The Dismemberment Plan have always been unique and enjoyed a dedicated following, Emergency & I is their landmark achievement where their experience meshed with their innovation resulting in a truly great work of art. Travis Morrison has one of the most unique voices in the genre and his lyrics on Emergency & I are simply phenomenal. Sure, there are a few head scratching moments upon the first few listens of Emergency & I, but one listen to songs like “The City” and “Spider In The Snow” demonstrate why this album is worthy of being considered a classic.The City


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Less Than Jake - Hello Rockview
Record Label: Capitol Records
Release Date: October 6, 1998

During the height of the third-wave ska revival, Less Than Jake was focused on fine-tuning their Floridian garage-ska sound. On their second major-label effort, Hello Rockview, the band seemed to find their comfort zone and wrote songs that were part good-humored ribbing ("Richard Allen George...") and part heart on sleeve anthems ("Big Crash"). Everyone can find a way to relate to Vinnie Fiorello's identity-crisis lyrics, from escaping the confines of your hometown ("History of a Boring Town") to struggling with fitting in ("All My Best Friends Are Metalheads") to lack of confidence ("Nervous in the Alley"). When every other band was out living in the moment, Less Than Jake were defining their sound and making the record of their career.Big Crash


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Marvelous 3 - Hey! Album
Record Label: Elektra Records
Release Date: October 27, 1998

Many people only recognize the name Butch Walker as a solo artist or uber-producer, responsible for churning out hits for Avril Lavigne and Pink. Before he cut his teeth in the recording studio with radio-tailored pop divas, Walker had his own major-label outing with the powerpop-rock trio Marvelous 3. The band only released three full-length albums and disbanded after a few short years together, but their major-label introduction is a truly fantastic spectacle of large production over rich layers of classic powerpop (think Cheap Trick's Dream Police) with hints of indie-alternative. Walker's lyrical presence was felt with the band's lone hit single, "Freak of the Week," and continued to spit out verbal lashings about disgraced women who forever touched Mr. Walker's heart ("Mrs. Jackson"; "Indie Queen"). There is hardly room for filler on this sorely-overlooked gem of a late-90's rock album that was well-ahead of its time. No angst, no rap-metal, no soliloquies on pleading with God to spend a little more time on some girl who will likely dump you for someone teenagers don't lust for -- plain and simple, Marvelous 3 offered up pop-rock the way it should be fed to us: easy-to-swallow and always leaving us wanting more.Over Your Head


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Modest Mouse - The Lonesome Crowded West
Record Label: Up Records
Release Date: November 18, 1997

Although The Lonesome Crowded West isn't Modest Mouse's most universally lauded album (or even their first), it is a clear sign of wonderful things to come. The scope of songs like "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine", "Cowboy Dan" and "Trucker's Atlas" is simply mind-boggling for a band that was essentially three kids messing around in between bar trips. The song lengths might have shortened and the hooks may have become stronger (and somehow MM faced fame head-on), but Modest Mouse is still a cornerstone of modern, slightly oddball indie rock. I mean, who else but Isaac Brock can make an acoustic number like "Bankrupt On Selling" stand out on an album defined by psycho freakouts? His lyrics on that track in particular make the listener yearn for more: "And it took a long time / Til I came clean with myself / I come clean out of love with my lover / I still love her / Loved her more when she was sober and I was kinder." Can you imagine hearing that in 1997? Can you imagine seeing that performed live in 1997? It's overwhelming and that's why it's great.Bankrupt on Selling


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Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Record Label: Merge Records
Release Date: February 10, 1998

Take a menagerie of instruments, themes, and emotions, throw them in a blender, and set the speed to the dreams of a man caught somewhere between genius and insanity. You may then just scratch the surface of Neutral Milk Hotel’s brilliant record In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Following the release of critically-acclaimed On Avery Island, band founder Jeff Mangum returned to the studio to pen a collection of lo-fi gems that flows like a river through Wonderland. The tunes appear to cover territories such as anxiety, aging, sexuality, and family, but like funhouse mirrors, who really knows exactly what secrets they hold? Aptly described by an AP staffer as a “true excavation record,” the only way to really appreciate the album is just to keep on digging. Yet still In the Aeroplane Over the Sea remains incredibly accessible, as though we’ve all experienced at least some form of Mangum’s twisted fantasies. Although the real tragedy is that the success of this record drove Mangum into an early retirement, there is enough substance contained on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea to keep us busy for years to come.Holland, 1945


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The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good
Record Label: Jade Tree
Release Date: October, 1997

I was thinking about this album a week or so ago, well before being prompted to write on it. The name kept finding itself in my thoughts: Nothing Feels Good. Yeah, I should say so – this four dollar coffee went cold a half an hour ago and walking home in another drunken, lonely Atlanta day doesn’t exactly bode well for the spirit. About a day with “Why Did We Ever Meet”s churning progression and indelible chorus toiling in mind, the ulterior meaning behind the album’s otherwise pessimistic title became more or less clear. Nothingness - in all its collegiate numbness and teenage indifference – feels absolutely wonderful, it feels good. Surprising how a pop album can spit out the line, “I don’t know God/and I don’t know anyone” and spur something knowing and telling inside of you. “I don’t know where Atlanta lies tonight.” Nor do I, Davey.Red & Blue Jeans


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Propagandhi - Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes
Record Label: Fat Wreck Chords
Release Date: November 7, 2000

The fact that this album opens with the words “Dickheads shittalk” is an omen for what’s to come. I must have known from that point on what I was in for. Or else my first impression came from simply reading the tracklist, where I found that 3 song titles contain the F word and one contains the SH word. Whatever grabbed me first, it’s never let go. This is easily one of the most technically advanced and brilliant punk albums not only of my time, but ever. And what makes a classic punk album? To me, the answer is individuality, which this album has plenty of. There’s the radical enjambment of entire paragraphs of text into catchy vocal lines - choruses that begin with “that we cannot to anything more” because they’re definitely not the beginning of a sentence, and ranting politics that stretch themselves out in the same loudmouth tendencies of old school Propagandhi, but without so much NOFX-idolism. Musically, there was nothing out there quite like this hardcore/punk/metal hybrid at the time, which today sounds cliché I know – but there’s still never been anything as mesmerizing to me as this album.Back to the Motor League


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Thursday - Waiting
Record Label: Eyeball Records
Release Date: January 18, 2000

Although many scenesters cite Thursday’s second full-length, Full Collapse, as their introduction to these post-hardcore maestros, the band wouldn’t have been signed without much of the material that later became Waiting. What began as a north Jersey basement show alongside the likes of Midtown, Saves the Day, and Poison the Well became a dark, moody album founded on the signature shriek of frontman Geoff Rickly. Waiting runs the murderous thematic gauntlet of heartbreak, the fleeting nature of life, and even the suicide of Joy Division founder Ian Curtis. Raw and barren, nothing is overdone on this album. Every riff crunches, every drum beat rattles, and every scream chills. They told us that, “It’s only a matter of time/ Before we fade out,” but with Waiting in place, Thursday set out on a path that would span years, labels, and albums on a grand and incredibly successful scale.Porcelain

[Julia Conny]

I'm in love with this list, and I hope you guys fall too. Enjoy!

[thebestkylever]

seeing the anniversary right on top made me smile way big.

[oldwirehands]

This list is pretty tight. I was really thrown off by the Thursday album though. Thought I would see Full Collapse instead. Nonetheless, this is all legit as fuck.

[awakeohsleeper]

I don't own any of these. I guess I'm not cool enough. I would include a mewithoutYou album, but I think that's a more personal preference. I agree with the beginning of the article. Classics are relative to the listener and time period.

[topher465]

White Pony definitely.

[neal86]

replace domestica with ugly organ then youve got a increible list

[denissuxx]

I would take away a few of these and add some others.

I would seriously put 'Leaving Through The Window' up there. My all time favorite record.

[aoftbsten]

pretty solid list, have most of these, a few i never checked out, think i'm gonna have to give all of these a spin now

[bouttogetfancy]

I like this list a lot, especially the addition of Domestica

I may have to check some of the ones I have never listened to.

[Drew Beringer]

I bet no one can guess who picked White Pony ;-)

[Kbm600]

I disagree with the addition of that particular blink 182 album, but I definitely see some that I like and some that I need to check out.

[tony_u]

15 timeless albums, all but one released within the past 12 years. What an extraordinary decade of music history we've witnessed

[S9Dallasoz]

M3!

[popdisaster00]

What was the criteria for this? Because I consider Deja Entendu an instant classic but I guess all of these were released at least a couple of years earlier.

[blinkme]

awesome! there's a few on this list that i either never gave much of a chance or that i haven't even heard of so i'll definitely be checking these out.

[black hole sun]

<3 White Pony

[bradsonemanband]

i'd never really listened to The Dismemberment Plan before, but i am really diggin the song you put up. thanks for that. i will definitely check out the whole album, if it's this good.

and kudos for putting up The Promise Ring, The Anniversary, and of course Blink 182.

[thesmellofnj]

great list
something would add would be clarity

[quo.vadis]

Brand New's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me should definitely be on here! I'll be passing that one down to my kids.

[thesmellofnj]

I would take away a few of these and add some others.

I would seriously put 'Leaving Through The Window' up there. My all time favorite record.
leaving through the window certainly belongs on mine, too

[dcase06]

jawbreaker dear you should be on there!

[thesmellofnj]

maybe stay what you are, as well

[letitenfoldyou]

Agree with above that 'Deja Entendu' would maybe warrant a place in a top 15 list. Guess other albums like 'Between the heart and the synapse' and 'Artist in the ambulance' need a few more years to see if they stand the test of time (which I'm sure they will), but what about 'Antichrist Superstar' and 'Without you I'm nothing?'. 'White pony' and 'Dude ranch' are notable good shouts however.

[Simulcast]

Excellent choice with the deftones pick.

[Jumpoff]

Don't agree with Dude Ranch, White Pony, Marvelous 3, or Hello Rockview, but the Propagandhi inclusion makes up for any possible mistakes. :-d

[mutualaddiction]

15 timeless albums, all but one released within the past 12 years. What an extraordinary decade of music history we've witnessed
And 13 out of 15 released between 1997 and 2000. A good three years!

[Sic Transit Zeb]

Message from a Swedish friend:

Personally, I couldn't make a list like this and exclude The Shape of Punk to Come. Other candidates to inclusion United By Fate, Insomniac, The Opposite of December, The Illusion of Safety, Crimes, Calculating Infinity, No Control and obviously Jane Doe. But first and foremost The Shape of Punk to Come.

[jusscali]

Not what I expected

[nfgdragon]

Not bad, not bad at all. Nice to see London Calling included. Conspicuously absent would be other bands who shaped the ever widening field of punk genres and sub genres: Bad Religion, Saves The Day, The Get Up Kids, Green Day (c'mon, Dookie?!?!), NoFX, etc.

For me, it's hard to consider stuff from 2000-2002 as "classic." IMHO, its way to early to judge the impact of those records as opposed to something like London Calling, or even a record as Dude Ranch.

[GoWaitInTheCar]

I love White Pony, Domestica and The Lonesome Crowded West. Fantastic choices for sure.

Propagandhi and The Promise Ring making the list was almost as surprising as Brand New not. I'm so glad not to see them on there, honestly.

[Simulcast]

Shape of Punk to Come should definitely be on there.

[katieissweet]

I've been listening to that Marvelous 3 album a ton lately. So good. This is a great list.

[Ambelina]

I made my own list a few months ago. Deja Entendu is definitely on there. ATDI, Deftones, Thursday too. Forgot about Neutral Milk Hotel though!
http://theneesh.livejournal.com/1423.html

[lushintransit]

It physically hurts me to not see Dear You

[TopperHarley]

It's actually nice to see a list without Brand New and Say Anything on it. Nice work.

[Burning Star IV]

White Pony is definitely a must-have.

[killerswells]

the shape of punk to come???? other than that, awesome list...

[No Conversation]

Great List, would've have gone with Burst and Bloom instead of Domestica but i can deal seeing as you put In the Aeroplane Over the Sea on the list.

[BORNONTHECUSP]

I agree with 10/15. Or I should say, 10/15 are some of my personal favs as well. "Nothing Feels Good" is pretty much my favoritest record ever so good looks on that. And I really like the inclusion of Deftones!

[tentativetitle]

Relationship of Command is a no brainer for this list

[Jeffubus]

What? I would have guessed at least 1 Brand New album on here...

I'll still have to check the ones out that I haven't heard yet.

[3eb23]

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Weezer's Blue album is an absolute classic in my opinion

[chronomic]

awesome read! awesome albums.

[nateisbliss]

woooow....never thought i'd see the anniversary on here. solid list, guys.

[agent lilly]

here are some classics:
snapcase- progression thru unlearning
hwm- no division
ratm- og
pantera- vulgar display of power
fugazi- 13 songs
blak flag- first four years
all at the drive in recordings are amazing
lagwagon-trashed

[AP_Punk]

very nice list.

[lannenjay]

so stoked (and surprised!) to see the Marvelous 3 "Hey Album" on this list. One of my favorite records of all time.

[Seancore]

pretty solid list. mine would go something like.
deftones - white pony, refused - the shape of punk to come, thursday - full collapse, glassjaw - everything you ever wanted to know about silence, converge - jane doe, blink - 182 - dude ranch, botch - we are the romans, poison the well - the opposite of december, underoath - the changing of times, brand new - the devil and God are raging inside of me, zao - where blood and fire bring rest, new found glory - s/t, the juliana theory - emotion is dead, dr dre 2001, the dillinger escape plan - calculating infinity

[nateisbliss]

oh and p.s....i thought maybe i'd see a get up kids and/or sunny day real estate album on here?

[ntb60]

White Pony seriously needs a lot more love. It is phenomenal and seems to get better every listen. To me its much better to listen to the whole thing through than a song here or a song there.

Edit: In general it needs more love, not from this list.

[ohheroine]

I would take away a few of these and add some others.

I would seriously put 'Leaving Through The Window' up there. My all time favorite record.
I agree with you on LTTW. My all time favorite too.

[abusedcat]

Hoppus thinks you missed some...
http://www.pickrset.com/markhoppus/?p=345

[zachff]

I think these would be considered more "Building Block Albums" to where we/the music we're listening to is today as opposed to "Classic" (Classic to me equates more to the must-haves of the current lineup Take This To Your Grave, Deja Entendu, etc) but nonetheless, awesome list.

[InaGreendase]

-I own 8 of these.
-Dude Ranch and Relationship of Command is definitely in my top 15.
-In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is probably in my top 15, too. Oddly enough, I was listening to My Heart to Joy's cover of "King of Carrot Flowers" 1 & 2 when I clicked this list.
-I love London Calling, but I can't say it would be in my 15.
-I need to listen to Emergency & I more. I like it a lot but the lack of owning an actual copy kinda hurts.
-Thursday's worst album is in this list.
-Ugly Organ > Domestica
-If you asked me 5+ years ago, Hello Rockview would definitely be in my 15 but I think it lost its replay value over the years.
-I can't get into Moon & Antarctica as much as everyone else, but good listen.
-Nothing Feels Good is pretty great but I'll take Wood/Water over it most of the time.

I don't know why I typed all this.

[justinius23]

no jawbreaker, alkaline trio or samiam?

for shame.

[Kill_the_radio]

I totally agree with:
-The Anniversary
-Modest Mouse
-Blink
-Marvelous 3
-Less Than Jake
-Propagandhi

Gotta check out the other ones.

[Liter-O-Cola]

This is way better than I thought it was going to be. I was most pleasantly surprised by the Dismemberment Plan...that album is so great. Nice to see Hello Rockview on there as well, that being the soundtrack to my high school days haha.

I would have included Jimmy Eat World's Clarity and Weezer's Pinkerton.

[Mens]

I bet no one can guess who picked White Pony ;-)
i think it was you. i'm glad it made the list. This is actually a very decent list

[saysmydoctor]

Good stuff, but it seems to be missing a lot, you know? I guess to condense it down to 15 is tough, though.

[jmirand1]

I'm so impressed by this list, especially Propagandhi.

[blinkme]

What was the criteria for this? Because I consider Deja Entendu an instant classic but I guess all of these were released at least a couple of years earlier.
deja entendu goes without saying really.

[allisterkid]

Hmm I think it tries to go a little too deep and clever. This site is mainly composed of people ages 15-24ish so I'd say that "classics" for a lot of us are more in the vein of Deja, Tell All Your Friends, etc. That's at least the kind of albums I expected on here. Classics that AP.net supported and promoted from day one.

[crypticv24]

I would have included Jimmy Eat World's Clarity and Weezer's Pinkerton.

This.

I was going to be shocked if I made it through all three pages of replies without seeing someone mention Clarity. As it is, I'm kinda shocked I got as close as I did.

[bostonryan]

this list is pretty solid. one of the most influential punk albums is missing though, in static age by the misfits. i also feel that complete discography by minor threat should be on there, as so many hardcore bands directly ripped their style from ian. i love the choice of the anniversary, but i also have to question why clarity by jimmy eat world and through being cool by saves the day were not included. regardless, i like all the albums you chose and own them all haha

[AcidZero]

I'm glad Propagandhi is on there.

[batmannj]

I am really glad that White Pony made it onto this list. Easily one of the most influential albums ever made. and Thursday FTW

[superichie]

Kudos on Relationship of Command, White Pony, Dude Ranch, London Calling, Domestica, Hello Rockview and Nothing Feels Good

HOWEVER!

I would have added these to the list as well:
Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile AND Something to Write Home About

[bostonryan]

Kudos on Relationship of Command, White Pony, Dude Ranch, London Calling, Domestica, Hello Rockview and Nothing Feels Good

HOWEVER!

I would have added these to the list as well:
Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile AND Something to Write Home About


i completely forgot about four minute mile. the get up kids are one of the reasons my best friend and i started talking in high school when he moved and he came to school wearing one of their shirts. good memories from them for sure

[Liter-O-Cola]

It's actually nice to see a list without Brand New and Say Anything on it. Nice work.
Agreed.

[12thrice]

No thrice?!

[anamericangod]

My heart was filled with joy when I saw Hey! Album on there. That album is pretty much the foundation of my passion for music. Great pick.

[jds10912]

Hmm I think it tries to go a little too deep and clever. This site is mainly composed of people ages 15-24ish so I'd say that "classics" for a lot of us are more in the vein of Deja, Tell All Your Friends, etc. That's at least the kind of albums I expected on here. Classics that AP.net supported and promoted from day one.
this is what i thought. i expected to see Deja, TAYF, Clarity, etc.

[superichie]

i completely forgot about four minute mile. the get up kids are one of the reasons my best friend and i started talking in high school when he moved and he came to school wearing one of their shirts. good memories from them for sure
The Get Up Kids were the first "emo" band I was turned on to back in like '98. They're pretty much responsible for my taste in music.

[Liter-O-Cola]

Hmm I think it tries to go a little too deep and clever. This site is mainly composed of people ages 15-24ish so I'd say that "classics" for a lot of us are more in the vein of Deja, Tell All Your Friends, etc. That's at least the kind of albums I expected on here. Classics that AP.net supported and promoted from day one.
I'm 22 and I like the albums on this list far more than "Deja" and "Tell All Your Friends"

[lilRIPsta]

this is a great list. the only problem with it is HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU LIMIT IT TO JUST 15 RECORDS? That must have been so hard for the staff, congratulations guys. Now for my obligatory peanut gallery statement, i would have added (from this early 00's/late 90's "classic" list):
Glassjaw-EYEWTKAS, Thrice- IOS, Brand New- YFW, Refused- TSOPTC, STD- TBC, The Ataris- Blue skies..., GAD- Ribbons and Sugar, Rival Schools- United by Fate, Radiohead-OK Computer, Third Eye Blind- s/t, Lostprophets- fakesondofprogress, Poison the Well- Opposite of December among others. this doesnt mean these are the best cds these bands have put out (see Brand New, Glassjaw, Thrice) but these are in the early stages of the genre and helped pushed it to new limits. once again great list guys.

[CellarGhosts]

Some excellent stuff on there. TETA is Propagandhi's best album imo.

[provethatIexist]

deftones, modest mouse, atdi ftw.

love the list; i'll have to check out the 5 or so that i haven't heard.

[Kgod]

I need to pick up that Thursday album.

I like seeing Bright Eyes on there.

And my one complaint, is that The Used self titled didn't make the list. =)

[anamericangod]

People are missing the point. Albums like Deja, TAYF, Clarity, etc, aren't supposed to be on this list necessarily. This isn't a top 15 all time or top 15 scene defining albums.

These albums may not be what got you listening to what you do now, but for the most part they have had an important role in bringing us to where we are. These are the stepping stones to the current shape of music. A lot of you have probably never heard of some of these albums.

A classic isn't just an album that came out 10, 15, even 30 years ago. It's an album that still means something. An album that stands the test of time. I can put on Hey! Album and I feel like I'm a 13 year old kid staying up late listening to 99x in my bedroom all over again.

Not to mention a lot of you are simply forgetting the part where Staff said these were their some of their favorites...

What more reason for a compilation do you need really?

[Kgod]

People are missing the point. Albums like Deja, TAYF, Clarity, etc, aren't supposed to be on this list necessarily. This isn't a top 15 all time or top 15 scene defining albums.

These albums may not be what got you listening to what you do now, but for the most part they have had an important role in bringing us to where we are. These are the stepping stones to the current shape of music. A lot of you have probably never heard of some of these albums.

A classic isn't just an album that came out 10, 15, even 30 years ago. It's an album that still means something. An album that stands the test of time. I can put on Hey! Album and I feel like I'm a 13 year old kid staying up late listening to 99x in my bedroom all over again.

Not to mention a lot of you are simply forgetting the part where Staff said these were their some of their favorites...

What more reason for a compilation do you need really?
Yeah thats the thing we these lists, impossible to please everyone. Everyone has that one album that means something to them.

Still, cool list.

[golferpunk1]

A lot of them seem kinda obscure. I love that LTJ is on there. I would have put Mxpx's Life in General as well as Green Day's Dookie.

[EndSerenading]

wow, I am actually very surprised. While my list would be different in some areas for sure, that list is VERY solid and all would at least be in my large pool before I whittled it down. And Im not sure which albums you are thinking are obscure?

[staticglory186]

Pretty surprised that no one has mentioned lifetime on this list.

[Anton Djamoos]

this is a great list. the only problem with it is HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU LIMIT IT TO JUST 15 RECORDS? That must have been so hard for the staff, congratulations guys. Now for my obligatory peanut gallery statement, i would have added (from this early 00's/late 90's "classic" list):
Glassjaw-EYEWTKAS, Thrice- IOS, Brand New- YFW, Refused- TSOPTC, STD- TBC, The Ataris- Blue skies..., GAD- Ribbons and Sugar, Rival Schools- United by Fate, Radiohead-OK Computer, Third Eye Blind- s/t, Lostprophets- fakesondofprogress, Poison the Well- Opposite of December among others. this doesnt mean these are the best cds these bands have put out (see Brand New, Glassjaw, Thrice) but these are in the early stages of the genre and helped pushed it to new limits. once again great list guys.
These aren't the absolute essential top 15 albums...these are just albums that we consider classics. There's no way that we could limit to 15. We're definitely missing some (Clarity and Refused, for example), but I bet you can expect to see them in a future installment winkwinknudgenudgeHoppusHoppus.

[246toothpicks]

Not bad, not bad at all. Nice to see London Calling included. Conspicuously absent would be other bands who shaped the ever widening field of punk genres and sub genres: Bad Religion, Saves The Day, The Get Up Kids, Green Day (c'mon, Dookie?!?!), NoFX, etc.

For me, it's hard to consider stuff from 2000-2002 as "classic." IMHO, its way to early to judge the impact of those records as opposed to something like London Calling, or even a record as Dude Ranch.

I agree. Punk in Drublic is a big one for me. I tried to make my own list & my first thought was "what albums have I never gotten sick of?" It's too early to tell with a lot of them, but after about 10 years or so you start to know.

[samXcor3]

Hmm I think it tries to go a little too deep and clever. This site is mainly composed of people ages 15-24ish so I'd say that "classics" for a lot of us are more in the vein of Deja, Tell All Your Friends, etc. That's at least the kind of albums I expected on here. Classics that AP.net supported and promoted from day one.
I'm 20 and have heard of most of these, but not heard them. It's called knowing your roots, son! And excuse me while I brush up on the family tree ;)

How cool would it be if the list was just TBS, BN, Say anything, etc?
I'd rather have shit i should know about on here than shit i already know about.

[lushintransit]

People are missing the point. Albums like Deja, TAYF, Clarity, etc, aren't supposed to be on this list necessarily. This isn't a top 15 all time or top 15 scene defining albums.

These albums may not be what got you listening to what you do now, but for the most part they have had an important role in bringing us to where we are. These are the stepping stones to the current shape of music. A lot of you have probably never heard of some of these albums.

A classic isn't just an album that came out 10, 15, even 30 years ago. It's an album that still means something. An album that stands the test of time. I can put on Hey! Album and I feel like I'm a 13 year old kid staying up late listening to 99x in my bedroom all over again.

Not to mention a lot of you are simply forgetting the part where Staff said these were their some of their favorites...

What more reason for a compilation do you need really?
I agree with a lot of what you said and think you hit the nail on the head.

I still think that Dear You is a glaring omission.

[aprilrainx]

GREAT list :)
One of my all time favorite albums is the Hey! Album by Marvelous 3.

[TheFreshness]

Dismemberment Plan, Promise Ring, The Anniversary... shocked to these on here, but I back it hard.

[imirish06]

like the list but around the fur > white pony
and where is through being cool and four minute mile?

[TheWolf]

I would definitely have to include:

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Brand New - Deja Entendu
Third Eye Blind - Self-Titled

[kylecrowe]

Blue album needs to be on there

[TheWolf]

Blue album needs to be on there
Good call.

[zombie!pirate!]

oh and p.s....i thought maybe i'd see a get up kids and/or sunny day real estate album on here?
I think SDR should def be up there as well as hot water music and or hot cross

[TheGoodnightMoon]

I LOVE The Anniversary and all, but The Get Up Kids deserve to be up there before they do.
Also, where the hell is Clarity?

[Blake Solomon]

Relationship of Command is a no brainer for this list

agreed. ridiculous record.

[Blake Solomon]

Dismemberment Plan, Promise Ring, The Anniversary... shocked to these on here, but I back it hard.
i think a lot of people underestimate the musical libraries of some AP.net staffers. We weren't born yesterday. In fact some of us weren't even born the day before yesterday!

[Blake Solomon]

A lot of them seem kinda obscure. I love that LTJ is on there. I would have put Mxpx's Life in General as well as Green Day's Dookie.
obscure? which?


/triple post

[EndSerenading]

If I had to do my own list(off the top of my head at work granted) it would probably be something like this, in no particular order:

Thursday - Full Collapse (yes I got 'waiting' first but I think FC is more important)
At the Drive In - Relationship of Command
The Get Up Kids - Something to Write Home About (TOUGH call though with fmm)
The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
Radiohead - OK Computer
Deftones - White Pony
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
The Promise Ring - Nothing Feels Good
Braid - Frame and Canvas
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Built to Spill - Theres Nothing Wrong With Love
Weezer - Blue Album (even though Pinkteron is my favorite)
Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
Converge - Jane Doe
Between the Buried and Me - S/T

with HM to:

Refused, Jimmy Eat World, Cursive, Minor Threat, Further Seems Forever, Rival Schools and a whole SLEW of bands that all have albums I felt deserve to be here because I couldnt pick between them but I just didnt have the room for :(

[zombie!pirate!]

I'd like to see AFI on there, but great list

[TheWolf]

A lot of them seem kinda obscure. I love that LTJ is on there. I would have put Mxpx's Life in General as well as Green Day's Dookie.
only obscure if you haven't listened to the albums i suppose.

its not a 15 BEST CLASSICS LIST, but simply, a 15 classic records.
and they're definitely all worthy.

[LowFlyingJets]

ohhhh man you know American Football belongs on there

[LowFlyingJets]

I would definitely have to include:

Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
Brand New - Deja Entendu
Third Eye Blind - Self-Titled
why would bleed american be on there and not clarity

[EndSerenading]

yea i thought about american football in mine too, almost put cap'n jazz as well.

[Chromefox]

A list without Kid A is shameful indeed.

[EndSerenading]

Kid A is my 3rd favorite Radiohead album so meh. I mean I love all their albums except Pablo Honey but OK Computer and The Bends both trump Kid A for me. easily

[whyte39]

My list would certainly contain some Dispatch.

[hockeyguitar99]

How can there be a list that supposed to represent our community at least a little bit not include a Brand New album?

[themostdeplete]

marvelous 3? get the fuck out of here.

[allisterkid]

Hmm I think it tries to go a little too deep and clever. This site is mainly composed of people ages 15-24ish so I'd say that "classics" for a lot of us are more in the vein of Deja, Tell All Your Friends, etc. That's at least the kind of albums I expected on here. Classics that AP.net supported and promoted from day one.
Let me re-clarify this statement so that I can stop getting ragged on for a minute. I'm not saying that any of these albums are bad choices, or that the albums I listed need to be there. I'm when I saw the term "Absolute" Classics, I didn't think it was going to be a list about albums that were classics in building these genres. I expected classics that were heralded at absolutepunk.net. Hence I was expecting a list of albums mainly from an era of 2000-2005 that helped build absolutepunk. I see now where I was mistaking, but I'm not saying anythings wrong with the list. I just thought it was gonna be a different type of list. Misunderstanding one could say.

[TheWolf]

why would bleed american be on there and not clarity
Clarity was an amazing album, but the height of their success came with Bleed American. Everyone seems to know the words to every song on that album.

[WFUJerseyJon]

Clarity over Modest Mouse. Otherwise this is an awesome list.

[EndSerenading]

Clarity, IMO, is still by far their best album. The last two times I saw them they played more songs off Clarity than Bleed American (6:1 ration one show and 4:2 ratio another show). Actually the first show they played more songs of Clarity than any other record, the 2nd show it was Chase This Light and then Clarity as far as songs from one record...think that shows how big Clarity really was despite Bleed American's commercial success.

[TheWolf]

Clarity, IMO, is still by far their best album. The last two times I saw them they played more songs off Clarity than Bleed American (6:1 ration one show and 4:2 ratio another show). Actually the first show they played more songs of Clarity than any other record, the 2nd show it was Chase This Light and then Clarity as far as songs from one record...think that shows how big Clarity really was despite Bleed American's commercial success.
Oh yeah, you can tell they enjoy that album more than anything. But most of the people in the audience didn't know most of the songs. Still, hearing them perform songs like Goodbye Sky Harbor and Crush was fucking incredible.

[SellMyOldClthes]

The Get up Kids- STWHA
Weezer- Pinkerton

Great list though

[IcedOpethBlind]

OK Computer and The Bends both trump Kid A for me. easily

nah.

[Chalie22]

great list

however you are mising weezer - blue, the get up kids - something to write home about, and the smiths - the queen is dead

[sargentlgfuad]

i should definately be looking into a lot more of these.
i love the modest mouse one (even though i like The Moon & Antarctica better) and the bright eyes album (even though i could never choose my all-time favorite by him).
my top two of all time would've been The Postal Service's Give Up and Circa Survive's On Letting Go.

[Fury15]

replace domestica with ugly organ then youve got a increible list
Agree.

Interesting choices, missing a lot though: Jimmy Eat World!!! Get Up Kids, Brand New...

[Praetor]

Only 4-5 albums I don't like and a few of my absolute favorites ever. Great list but I guess I don't understand the criteria for an album to be included in the list.

Thanks to all the AP staff for making this happen, I really liked this feature.

[Mochem]

I think there should be a new feature where its a whole thread about a classic album, like what is being done with the nostalgia stuff. Except instead of being about an old/defunct band, it's about a classic album.

EDIT: Except nevermind. That seems to be what this is. I thought it was a one time list thing. Or maybe it isn't. Fuck I don't know.

[EndSerenading]

nah.
well i said for me ;) I just think OK Computer blows Kid A out of the water.

[kennedyAM]

i like the list, but i think Compromises by NOF deserves some love. There are tons of bands out there today who say NOF made them think of music differently and it was such a good record yet sad it was the only one the ever formally released. Even 3eb deserves some love.

[sdpunk52]

I would have only 2 on my list.

[TheWolf]

i should definately be looking into a lot more of these.
i love the modest mouse one (even though i like The Moon & Antarctica better) and the bright eyes album (even though i could never choose my all-time favorite by him).
my top two of all time would've been The Postal Service's Give Up and Circa Survive's On Letting Go.
On Letting Go was just Juturna pt. II
Wasn't anything special enough about it.
I felt like the whole album just bled together (with only 1 or 2 standout tracks) with a few songs that ended abruptly and awkwardly as if they didn't know how to finish it.

[3mpire]

I agree with about half of it. Dismemberment Plan.. however good that album is, I really don't think it deserves to be above a lot of the albums that have already been mentioned that weren't featured.

[altemose09]

only have relationship of command, dude ranch, london calling, and hello rockview from the list. love every one of those.

[alert=danger]

Where is 'Diary'?
Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary is the best album ever.
End of.

Nice Promise Ring call btw.

[IcedOpethBlind]

well i said for me ;) I just think OK Computer blows Kid A out of the water.

i think Kid A is more cohesive and a notch above OK... both are stellar records regardless.

[I Shot Chicago]

i can understand why this record was left off the list, simply because of the generation being examined, but i definitely think my generation will cite Brand New's Deja Entendu as one of our classic albums.

[EndSerenading]

i think Kid A is more cohesive and a notch above OK... both are stellar records regardless.
word

[martyshannon]

This list is gold. I wouldn't put Bright Eyes on it though.

[sdpunk52]

With that list, this site should lose the "AbsolutePunk" name for a month. Change it to "AbsoluteIndie" or "AbsoluteEmo" or even "AbsoluteMusic."

There is nothing PUNK about that list.

[VeloriumCamper]

Deftones, Blink, ATDI alllllllll day every day

[Blake Solomon]

Only 4-5 albums I don't like and a few of my absolute favorites ever. Great list but I guess I don't understand the criteria for an album to be included in the list.

Thanks to all the AP staff for making this happen, I really liked this feature.

Pretty simple: albums we really like that we feel have stood a test of time. Something we think most rock fans should have in their record collection. Its not so much us guessing what the community as a whole would like, but it goes without saying that our tastes will overlap since we are also part of this community.

[AFSjulian]

Great list, but the fact that Clarity is missing irks me a bit.

[socoxlove]

I would take away a few of these and add some others.

I would seriously put 'Leaving Through The Window' up there. My all time favorite record.
agreed lol

[sargentlgfuad]

On Letting Go was just Juturna pt. II
Wasn't anything special enough about it.
I felt like the whole album just bled together (with only 1 or 2 standout tracks) with a few songs that ended abruptly and awkwardly as if they didn't know how to finish it.

yeah, at first i felt that way. i was actually disappointed by it at first because i felt like it went nowhere from juturna. but, later, as i have listened to it constantly. i can say it's one of my top favorites, because of it's amazing lyrics and vocals. also, their timing in their songs is spot-on. i get chills every single time i listen to the album, but that's just for me, so i didn't really expect it to be in this list.

[sargentlgfuad]

another point i have to make about this list (and i hope i'm not the only one) is that a lot of these albums do not have good vocalists. (i.e. bright eyes, modest mouse, cursive, at the drive-in, blink 182, THURSDAY)

[jtwoodruff]

a lot of great records on this list.
here is my list...sorry if some of them are kinda old school. but i am old as fuck, and these cd's got me through some long cold drives in a shitty conversion van.

saves the day-through being cool
a new found glory-nothing gold can stay
mineral-the power of failing
green day-dookie
jimmy eat world-clarity
snapcase-progression through unlearning
punchline-action
taking back sunday-tell all your friends
dashboard confessional-swiss army romance
from autumn to ashes-so sorry you're beautiful

stay posi
jt

[YoMusicSoFat]

Would've put Americana in there, Dookie and Bleed American/Salt, Sweat, Sugar, or any JEW albums in fact.
(Not that I particularly like Offspring or Green Day, but classics.)
Definitely would've taken out Thursday.

And if it were up to me I probably would've added ...Is a Real Boy, just because it's good.

[Anton Djamoos]

With that list, this site should lose the "AbsolutePunk" name for a month. Change it to "AbsoluteIndie" or "AbsoluteEmo" or even "AbsoluteMusic."

There is nothing PUNK about that list.
What is this? 2003?

[Praetor]

Pretty simple: albums we really like that we feel have stood a test of time. Something we think most rock fans should have in their record collection. Its not so much us guessing what the community as a whole would like, but it goes without saying that our tastes will overlap since we are also part of this community.
Ah so it's a combination of individual submissions and not a cumulative list?
a lot of great records on this list.
here is my list...sorry if some of them are kinda old school. but i am old as fuck, and these cd's got me through some long cold drives in a shitty conversion van.

saves the day-through being cool
a new found glory-nothing gold can stay
mineral-the power of failing
green day-dookie
jimmy eat world-clarity
snapcase-progression through unlearning
punchline-action
taking back sunday-tell all your friends
dashboard confessional-swiss army romance
from autumn to ashes-so sorry you're beautiful

stay posi
jt
Progression Through Unlearning needs way more love than it gets.
With that list, this site should lose the "AbsolutePunk" name for a month. Change it to "AbsoluteIndie" or "AbsoluteEmo" or even "AbsoluteMusic."

There is nothing PUNK about that list.
lol get the fuck out of here.

[Drew Beringer]

my personal list : http://www.absolutepunk.net/journal.php?do=showjournal&j=21#e142542

[sargentlgfuad]

Would've put Americana in there, Dookie and Bleed American/Salt, Sweat, Sugar, or any JEW albums in fact.
(Not that I particularly like Offspring or Green Day, but classics.)
Definitely would've taken out Thursday.

since when was Bleed American referred to as Salt, Sweat, Sugar?

[Jumpoff]

With that list, this site should lose the "AbsolutePunk" name for a month. Change it to "AbsoluteIndie" or "AbsoluteEmo" or even "AbsoluteMusic."

There is nothing PUNK about that list.
Propagandhi > Your Life

[manican sex]

I only own 4 of these albums...

[forkandknife]

i'm sure everyone's said it already, but really?
no brand new?

[Charles777]

I saw that Neutral Milk Hotel album at Barnes & Noble the other day. I guess I should have bought it

[YoMusicSoFat]

since when was Bleed American referred to as Salt, Sweat, Sugar?
Since 9/11.

Or the song was renamed, and they renamed the album Jimmy Eat World. Something to that effect.

[Charles777]

a lot of great records on this list.
here is my list...sorry if some of them are kinda old school. but i am old as fuck, and these cd's got me through some long cold drives in a shitty conversion van.

saves the day-through being cool
a new found glory-nothing gold can stay
mineral-the power of failing
green day-dookie
jimmy eat world-clarity
snapcase-progression through unlearning
punchline-action
taking back sunday-tell all your friends
dashboard confessional-swiss army romance
from autumn to ashes-so sorry you're beautiful

stay posi
jt
Your taste is awesome

[smelltheglove]

dear julia/ap.net staff, some of your picks are dead-on, although I think you've overlooked too many obvious choices and went with deeper cuts that are a bit too obscure to be considered an "absolute classic" by my definition.

my list would likely have included something from Green Day for example. Like "dookie" or even "american idiot" if you want to go new school. i think Saves the Day "through being cool" is painfully absent from this list. NOFX "punk in drublic" should also probably be on there, along with Bad Religion "suffer" or even "stranger than fiction". No Operation Ivy?

really, you should have done absolute 100. in my opinion. the list is just too damn short, and i could never, in good faith, recoomend Propaghandi to someone over Social Distortion, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, etc., all of which have made stronger and more important albums than "today's empires tomorrows ashes". IMHFO.

[jtwoodruff]

Your taste is awesome
thanks man.

[hiya]

I guess I'm not that cool since I only have 3 of those cds,probably because most were before my time. Anyway, I'm too lazy to make a list, but No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom" would be on it.
you should do a list as well of more recent classics, from like 2002 on, you know to please us youngins.

[jtwoodruff]

dear julia/ap.net staff, some of your picks are dead-on, although I think you've overlooked too many obvious choices and went with deeper cuts that are a bit too obscure to be considered an "absolute classic" by my definition.

my list would likely have included something from Green Day for example. Like "dookie" or even "american idiot" if you want to go new school. i think Saves the Day "through being cool" is painfully absent from this list. NOFX "punk in drublic" should also probably be on there, along with Bad Religion "suffer" or even "stranger than fiction". No Operation Ivy?

really, you should have done absolute 100. in my opinion. the list is just too damn short, and i could never, in good faith, recoomend Propaghandi to someone over Social Distortion, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, etc., all of which have made stronger and more important albums than "today's empires tomorrows ashes". IMHFO.
fuck...good call on punk in drublic. i should have included good riddance-operation phoenix, or no use for a name-making friends

[Blake Solomon]

Ah so it's a combination of individual submissions and not a cumulative list?

Progression Through Unlearning needs way more love than it gets.

lol get the fuck out of here.

It was a mix. Some were obviosly picked by multiple people and some weren't but when posted got an "oh duh!" haha

[Knight Lies]

Hmm...I only have three of those albums. I must not be popular like the cool kids.

[11:11]

Looks like I'm loaded up on music for the next month or so.

[Anton Djamoos]

dear julia/ap.net staff, some of your picks are dead-on, although I think you've overlooked too many obvious choices and went with deeper cuts that are a bit too obscure to be considered an "absolute classic" by my definition.

my list would likely have included something from Green Day for example. Like "dookie" or even "american idiot" if you want to go new school. i think Saves the Day "through being cool" is painfully absent from this list. NOFX "punk in drublic" should also probably be on there, along with Bad Religion "suffer" or even "stranger than fiction". No Operation Ivy?

really, you should have done absolute 100. in my opinion. the list is just too damn short, and i could never, in good faith, recoomend Propaghandi to someone over Social Distortion, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, etc., all of which have made stronger and more important albums than "today's empires tomorrows ashes". IMHFO.
If you've read, you'd notice that we didn't say this was a definitive list by any means. I'm sure there will be other features like this.

[Jumpoff]

My personal top 15 :

Bob Marley - Burnin'
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Descendents - Milo Goes to College
Descendents - Everything Sux
Bob Dylan - Bringing it All Back Home
Propagandhi - Less Talk More Rock
Propagandhi - Today's Empires Tomorrow's Ashes
Fugazi - 13 Songs
Andrew Jackson Jihad - People That Can Eat People..
Andrew Jackson Jihad/Ghost Mice Split
Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust Inc
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose
Against Me! - Acoustic EP
Against Me! - Crime EP

[Jumpoff]

dear julia/ap.net staff, some of your picks are dead-on, although I think you've overlooked too many obvious choices and went with deeper cuts that are a bit too obscure to be considered an "absolute classic" by my definition.

my list would likely have included something from Green Day for example. Like "dookie" or even "american idiot" if you want to go new school. i think Saves the Day "through being cool" is painfully absent from this list. NOFX "punk in drublic" should also probably be on there, along with Bad Religion "suffer" or even "stranger than fiction". No Operation Ivy?

really, you should have done absolute 100. in my opinion. the list is just too damn short, and i could never, in good faith, recoomend Propaghandi to someone over Social Distortion, Lagwagon, Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, etc., all of which have made stronger and more important albums than "today's empires tomorrows ashes". IMHFO.
IMO Today's Empire Tomorrow's Ashes is leaps and bounds better than all of those :shrug:

[youngmountain]

White pony is such an incredible album.
Also i remember getting hello rockview right after it came out, man havn't listened to that in a while.

[sargentlgfuad]

Since 9/11.

Or the song was renamed, and they renamed the album Jimmy Eat World. Something to that effect.

yeah, that's what i thought. they way you put it made it seem like they changed the name of the cd, when they just changed the name of the song and self-titled the cd.

[nickyrayxnj]

great list! i'd love to have seen "The Get Up Kids - Four Minute Mile" on there.

[MyHereAfter]

I never heard of The Dismemberment Plan until now and I love it. Decent list

[HometownHero]

I like them all but only a few would be on my list

[Blakebear]

cool feature.
Was actually just checking out the Dismemberment Plan for the first time today. Ironic.

[hectorial85]

awesome.

[Cue the Sun]

Hell yes, Less Than Jake!

[dumhed01]

Just the fact that Hello Rockview is on the list makes me happy.

[PenThrive]

ADD:

Brand New (Deja or The Devil...)
Weezer (Blue album)
Cursive (The Ugly Organ)
Fugazi - 13 songs (This one more than anything else)JEW - Bleed American
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

[c_rob2700]

Needs Clarity

[oldskool]

Oh Yeah. Blink 182 dude ranch is my favorite album off all time. LTJ Hello Rockview is so so good, and was extremely influential to me growing up. I gotta give it up for White Pony as well, brilliant album. I also used to love marvelous 3! good list for sure!

[MarkyMark1984]

I would have put Further Seems Forever's "The Moon is Down" on the list... but it's one of my favorites of all time.

[sleepingatlast]

Blue Album and Clarity or GTFO. Seriously how many bands were influenced by these bands it's not even funny.

[MentalHealth1st]

I must admit that this list is a lot better than I figured it would be when I saw the link. With The Clash, The Anniversary, and NMH especially. AND I remember being so excited for White Pony before it's release. Mega.

[tomcode]

the shape of punk to come?

[tanbark_is_lava]

What was the criteria for this? Because I consider Deja Entendu an instant classic but I guess all of these were released at least a couple of years earlier.
did you not get a hold of "Your Favourite Weapon" ... i think your missing the point here.

[spaceships]

This Is why I love ap. I don't agree 100%(I think brighteyes was the biggest joke on earth) but a lot of this list has music that shaped my life ie. At the drive-in cursive ect ect. Such a legit list

[Julia Conny]

How can there be a list that supposed to represent our community at least a little bit not include a Brand New album?

It's not supposed to be the be all end all representative list. It's just 15 albums that we think are classic. There are certainly a ton more that would've made the list if we didn't cap it.

[Julia Conny]

I would put 6 of these records in my top 12-15 EVER. Just an absolutely perfect list, Julia.

:appl:

Thank you! The list is a collection of staff's picks, and I think it proves that we actually like music other than SA and BN.

[EchoPark]

upps to the Propagandhi inclusion

[c_rob2700]

This was a pleasant suprise when ap.net popped up today. Will definitely be checking out the ones i've never taken a look at before

[CellarGhosts]

Just curious, who picked Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes? Really glad to see that one on there. Kind of surprising, hah.

[Julia Conny]

I would have put Further Seems Forever's "The Moon is Down" on the list... but it's one of my favorites of all time.

God I love that album. If the list were just my 15, that wouldve definitely made it on there.

[Sic Transit Zeb]

yeah, I'm surprised Deja didn't get on here but it looks like you guys wanted 2000 to be the latest.

I am surprised about Waiting... though. Good album but I wouldnt' call it a classic.

[RyanFTW]

FINALLY someone puts in propagandhi on an all time list. Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes is a great album but I can't wait until people hear Supporting Caste, it will blow your brains out with sheer rockitude.

[beth danger]

Solid list. I have (and love) all of those albums except for Deftones.

Would have included Lifetime's Jersey's Best Dancers and Weezer's Pinkerton.

[robdobi]

pretty good varied list, i'd throw these into the mix...

jawbreaker - dear you
get up kids = 4 minute mile
alk3 - goddamnit
jets to brazil - orange rhyming dictionary
knapsack - this conversation is ending starting right now
small brown bike - dead reckoning

SEE YOU IN HELL!

[RyanFTW]

Solid list. I have (and love) all of those albums except for Deftones.

Would have included Lifetime's Jersey's Best Dancers and Weezer's Pinkerton.
Jersey's Best Dancers influence hasn't really flourished yet. In only the last 5 or so years the scene is citing them as an influence. Give it 5 more years, and it'll be on lots of lists.

[drunklando]

Waiting is sooo great!

[bootsydan]

Wide Awake > Lifted

Decent enough list though.

[writeitout,dear]

Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American tops my list of classics without a doubt

[Ollie McKraut]

Deeply saddened by the omission of Alkaline Trio's Goddamnit

[PomonaForEmpusa]

Rage Against the Machine - Battle For Los Angeles
Bad Religion - Suffer
Pennywise - s/t
Operation Ivy - s/t
Minor Threat - Discography
Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love
Descendents - I Don't Wanna Grow Up
Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary
Waxwing - For Mad Men Only
Sharks Keep Moving - s/t
Rites Of Spring - s/t
Nation of Ulysses - 13 Point Program To Destroy America
Pinback - Blue Screen Life

i can name countless more albums that deserve to be on that list. the list is good but definately think the Descendents should've been on it over Blink.. considering how big of an influence they are and how they were basically the first pop-punk band.

[Blake Solomon]

Fuck you guys, where's the FOB???

[Wobbie]

I thought Descendents' Milo Goes To College would have made it on there. And Jawbreaker's 24 Hour Revenge Therapy. And SDRE's Diary. And possibly Hot Water Music's Fuel for the Hate Game.

It's great that Propagandhi, The Promise Ring, The Anniversary, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Clash and The D Plan were on there though :thumbup:

[walshknilb281]

not the kind of list id expect for this website. Waiting is not a classic album and is clearly Thursdays worst, Full Collapse should have been on it because that record spawned 1000 copy cat bands, Deja entendu should have been on this because its probably the scenes most beloved record, Saves The Day, Get Up Kids, NFG also i believe should have been on the list

[LowFlyingJets]

Clarity was an amazing album, but the height of their success came with Bleed American. Everyone seems to know the words to every song on that album.
just because it's the cd that led them to fame does not make it a classic.

among this community clarity is exponentially more talked about and loved than bleed american

without clarity jimmy'd be nowhere

[dontdrivenaked]

Lol Mark Hoppus made his own list about this on his blog.

[Brett3]

Great list.

[wroteurname]

No Weezer? Absolute travesty!

My 15 "classics"

Weezer-Blue Album
Weezer-Pinkerton
Saves the Day- Can't Slow Down
Saves the Day-Through Being Cool
Okkervil River-Black Sheep Boy
Oasis- Whats the Story (Morning Glory)?
Bright Eyes- Lifted (Or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground)
Bright Eyes- Fevers and Mirrors
Deathcab for Cutie- Transatlanticism
Brand New-Deja Entendu
Fall out Boy-Take this to Your Grave
Motion City Soundtrack-I am the Movie
Taking Back Sunday-Tell all Your Friends
Say Anything-...is a Real Boy
Blink-182-Enema of the State (sooo much better than Dude Ranch)

I would just like to know how they could be put Waiting on there and not Pinkerton or the Blue Album

[brianenvy]

fuck yeah for Marvelous 3. Good list.

[zubinmoosa]

For me personally, I would include Deja Entendu, Tell All Your Friends , ...Is a Real Boy, Through Being Cool and Clarity. But solid list nonetheless.

[newfoundmichael]

Way psyched to see Cursive on here.

Honestly, I would have put a Dead Kennedys album on here.

Such a great list though.

[CellarGhosts]

Personal list... In no order at all other than the order that they pop into my head.

1. The Greatest Story Ever Told - The Lawrence Arms
2. Good Mourning - Alkaline Trio
3. Gold - Ryan Adams
4. Bleed American - Jimmy Eat World
5. London Calling - The Clash
6. Tim - The Replacements
7. Punk In Drublic - NOFX
8. Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
9. Rain Dogs - Tom Waits
10. If I Should Fall From Grace With God - The Pogues
11. Exile On Main Street - the Rolling Stones
12. Let It Be - The Beatles
13. Blaze - Lagwagon
14. No Control - Bad Religion
15. Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys

[popdisaster00]

did you not get a hold of "Your Favourite Weapon" ... i think your missing the point here.
shut the fuck up.

[midtown4657]

I can't wait to get off work and actually look through stuff to try to come up with 15 seems. It'll be tough. But out of those 15 listed, i like two a lot (less than jake, blink), have a couple others that never sank in much (ATDI, neutral milk hotel, clash), and haven't heard a fair chunk of those.

[trappedintime]

I'm suprised to see no DCFC.

[midtown4657]

I can't wait to get off work and actually look through stuff to try to come up with 15. It'll be tough. But out of those 15 listed, i like two a lot (less than jake, blink), have a couple others that never sank in much (ATDI, neutral milk hotel, clash), and haven't heard a fair chunk of those.

[Michifoxx]

Hmm..I've only heard a few of these..
White Pony is definitely a great albm.
Glad to see it on here.

[stfu_man]

Blink 182 would be the only album I agree with.

[timothee]

whoever chose atdi, thanks.

[sajamie81]

Hmmm absolute classics:

Beatles- Rubber Soul
Beach Boys- Pet Sounds
Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run
Green Day- Dookie
Foo Fighters- The Colour and the Shape
Strung Out- American Paradox
Alkaline Trio- Godamnit
Weezer- Pinkerton
Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Those will do for now.

[lightcollapse]

No Brand New...and Waiting? Dumb.

[mr chainsaw]

I feel like Weezer's Pinkerton should be on this list. It was the best rock album of the 90s.

[mr chainsaw]

top 10

black sabbath - black sabbath
black sabbath - paranoid
black sabbath - master of reality
black sabbath - vol. 4
black sabbath - sabbath bloody sabbath
black sabbath - sabotage
black sabbath - technical ecstacy
black sabbath - never say die
black sabbath - heaven and hell
black sabbath - mob rules

[tcg47]

definitely expected deja entendu

Awesome list, either way.

[blankets]

Love Marvelous 3. ReadySexGo is also a really great album.

[Keagan Ilvonen]

Fucking awesome list. I love all of these.

[chordsforacure]

How do you not have Something to write home about or Moon is Down on this list? otherwise I totally agree

[FUCKDIRTYWIPES]

Neutral Milk Hotel, sooooo good.

[CloseToShore]

I bet no one can guess who picked White Pony ;-)
Made this list 100% perfect.

[phoenixinflames]

I love how "Designing A Nervous Breakdown" and "White Pony" are on this list.

[Onthrio]

Hmmm... I agree with about half of your list. A little surprised that bands such as Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, and AFI were left off... Interesting though.

[Chris Fallon]

While I understand many of you want to see your favorites on here, remember this was a compilation effort and narrowing any list this broad down to 15 selections is difficult.

I wanted to choose something different, and wound up picking two of my favorite albums ever, simply because of how long they have stuck with me. Sure, I could have been cliche and gone with something a majority loves, but that isn't me.

"Classics" is different from "Gateway Albums" or "Defining" albums -- it's what we consider to be a classic record for our own personal collection.

[Chris Fallon]

Just curious, who picked Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes? Really glad to see that one on there. Kind of surprising, hah.
Eric picked that one. Anyone who knows me, already knows what my picks were haha

[get up kidd]

Big crash is soooo fucking good. That cd changed me.

[hockeyguitar99]

It's not supposed to be the be all end all representative list. It's just 15 albums that we think are classic. There are certainly a ton more that would've made the list if we didn't cap it.
Alright, thanks for clearing it up.

[Kid B]

We should add albums to this list. Nice article overall.

[Imperfektion]

I'm surprised there's no Brand New on the list

[Chris Fallon]

I'm surprised there's no Brand New on the list
Yes, we know -- we get it. People like Brand New, people are sad -- let's move on, shall we?

[Imperfektion]

Yes, we know -- we get it. People like Brand New, people are sad -- let's move on, shall we?
Haha, sorry I didn't read through the rest of the thread.

[zeropunk16]

Kudos for putting White Pony on that list. I have been listening to it a lot over the past week.

[spriltsc]

i think saves the day should be included. other than that, very solid list

[Kid Defender]

There's quite a bit of truly classic material that was left off of this list. That's probably because I didn't have anything to do with it.

[cory-182]

Not enough pop punk on there to pleasure me.

And no FOB or BN on there? Did Tate not have a say in this list?

[mtprez2024]

Clarity by Jimmy Eat World
The Moon Is Down by Further Seems Forever

are missing from this list. Pretty sweet, otherwise.

[pianocore]

Good list, now here are my additions:

Every Time I Die - Hot Damn!
Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
Sublime - 40 oz. to Freedom
Something Corporate - Leaving Through the Window
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
The Dillnger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
RX Bandits - Progress
The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It
Weezer - The Blue Album

Sigur Ros - all albums
The Weakerthans - all albums

[atticusfinch]

15 Records I consider classics and will still listen to regularly:

Jimmy Eat World - Clarity
The Get Up Kids - Something To Write Home About
Copeland - Beneath Medicine Tree
Thrice - The Illusion Of Safety
Thursday - Full Collapse
Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It
Brand New - Deja Entendu
MxPx - Slowly Going The Way Of The Buffalo
New Found Glory - Sticks and Stones
Dashboard Confessional - The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most
Saves The Day - Stay What You Are
Further Seems Forever - The Moon Is Down
Against Me! - As The Eternal Cowboy
Blink 182 - Take Off Your Pants And Jacket

[PerfectChaos337]

Blink 182 isn't the most influential pop-punk band of all time.

[DI Pistola]

Like, all these records are from 1998-2000, and then you've got The Clash?
And are the Deftones really that responsible for Thrice?

Hello inconsistency/heresy, etc etc.

[k1guitar]

have every main editor/ contributer make a personal list, THEN make a page list of 20 or 30 something! 15 dosent do this page justice.


AND WHERE IS VHEISSU?!?!?!?!?!?!? and i quote from the review...
"It is perfect. "
"As of this moment, and due to this album, it’s retired."
" I don’t know how to put words on greatness."

[stonecoldfox]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xEDcFtcI2W0/SEcjdCre33I/AAAAAAAAAwk/wLDVZbIshBU/s320/cover.jpg

Weezer's Blue album is an absolute classic in my opinion
ohh right, the blue album by weezer. The one that is both blue and features the picture of the band weezer. Sounded kinda familiar, but thanks for clarifying with the picture...

[FireInTheSky]

wow. the anniversary is a clutch pick. I absolutely love that album.

[harveyn590]

less than jake. nice

[gladnads]

I like Ugly Organ more than Domestica, but p. solid list.

[slimfenix182]

Weezer's Blue Album, Saves The Day's Through Being Cool, and yeah either of the last two Brand New albums....and yeah I'm gonna say blink's self-titled....people hate on that album, but it's fantastic....thought it was exactly the direction to go what with the way pop-punk had been destroyed by Simple Plan and GC.....

[BuyMyIntention]

I loved seeing White Pony on this list. I just listened to that record last week for the first time in a long time. Awesome.