Essential Albums from every genre?

[Deleted]

Inspired by recent album threads, I thought this might be a fun one.
List a few "essential" albums from any genre, new or old.
You can list classics, but also include ones that you personally love and have an affinity for. :)

[trebor]

I'll do the honours to start and skip everything recent that has not yet stood the test of time (exceptions permitted). 
Only Rock/Indie/Alternative/Folk/Latin/Adult Contemporary/Adult Mainstream.
Excluded are Rap/RNB/Urban (have too little/not my thing) and Country (would be too extensive). Below is what my iPod says (a lot of oldies): 

3 Doors Down: "A Better Life" / Abba: "The Album" & "Gold" / Adele: "21" / AC/DC: "TNT" & "Let There Be Rock" & "Back In Black" & "The Razor's Edge" / Aerosmith: "Oh Yeah! The Ulimate" / Alice Cooper: "Constrictor" & "Trash" / America: "History: Greatest Hits" & "Alibi" / Amy MacDonald: "This Is The Life" / Beastie Boys: "Licensed To Ill" & "Anthology" / Andrea Bocelli: "Romanza" / Björk: "Debut" / Black Sabbath: "Paranoid" / Bob Marley: "Legend" / Boston: "Boston" / Bruce Springsteen: "The River" & "Born To Run" & "Born In The USA" / Bryan Adams: "Cuts Like A Knife" & "Reckless" / (Carlos) Santana: "Greatest Hits" / Carole King: "Tapestry" / Cat Stevens: "Tea For The Tillerman" / Céline Dion: "D'Eux" / Cher: "Greatest Hits" / Chicago: "Greatest Hits" / Cold Chisel: "The Best Of" / Creed: "Greatest Hits" / Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Greatest Hits" / Daddy Yankee: "Talento De Barrio" / Daniel Merriweather: "Love And War" / David Bowie: "Singles Collection" / Def Leppard: "Hysteria" / Die Ärzte: "Die Bestie In Menschengestalt" / Die Toten Hosen: "Auf Dem Kreuzzug Zum Glück" & "Ein Kleines Bisschen Horrorschau" & "Reich & Sexy" / Dilated Peoples: "20|20" / Dire Straits: "Dire Straits" & Communiqué" & "Love Over Gold" / Donna Summer: "Gold" / Electric Light Orchestra: "Discovery" & "Best Of" / Eagles: "Complete Greatest Hits" / Elton John: "Love Songs" & "Rocket Man/Number Ones" / Emeli Sandé: "Our Version Of Events" / Enigma: "Greatest Hits" / Enya: "Paint The Sky" / Eric Clapton: "Best Of" / Eurythmics: "Ultimate" / Everlast: "Whitey Ford Sings The Blues" / Faith No More: "The Very Best Definite Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection" / Finger Eleven: "Greatest Hits" / Fleetwood Mac: "Rumours" & "Tango In The Night" / Foreigner: "The Definitive" / Fort Minor: "The Rising Tied" / Genesis: "Platinum" / Glass Tiger: "Air Time" / Glenn Frey: "Strange Weather" / Green Day: "Dookie" & "American Idiot" / Imagine Dragons: "Night Visions" / Jamiroquai: "High Times: The Singles" / Janis Joplin: "Greatest Hits" / Jeff Buckley: "Grace" / Journey: "Greatest Hits" / Kansas: "Point Of No Return" / Kate Bush: "Hounds Of Love" / Kiss: "Destroyer" & "Dynasty" / La Oreja De Van Gogh: "Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías La Dormida" / Laura Pausini: "Grandes Éxitos: Lo Mejor De" / Linkin Park: ALL / Little River Band: "Greatest Hits" / Live: ALL / Loverboy: "Big Ones" / Lynyrd Skynyrd: "All-Time Greatest" / Madonna: "Madonna" & The Immaculate Collection" / Maná: "?Donde Jugaran Las Niñas?" & "Cuando Los Angeles Lloran" / Manu Chao: "Radio Bemba Sound System" & "Baionarena - Live" / Metallica: "Metallica" & "Reload" / MGMT: "Oracular Spectacular" / Moby: "Hotel" & "Last Night" / Mumford & Sons: "Sigh No More" & "Babel" / Muse: "Absolution" & "The Resistance" / Oasis: "(What's The Story) Morning Glory? / Pearl Jam: "Ten" / Phil Collins: "Face Value" / Pink Floyd: "Wish You Were Here" / R.E.M.: "Document" & "Green" / Savage Garden: "Savage Garden" & "Affirmation" / Simon & Garfunkel: "Greatest Hits" / Stevie Nicks: "Timespace" / Stevie Wonder: "Innervisions" & "Song Review" / The Alan Parsons Project: "Turn Of A Friendly Card" / The Beach Boys: "Pet Sounds" / The Beatles: "Red & Blue Albums" / The Rolling Stones: "Jump Back" / The Steve Miller Band: "Greatest Hits" / The Who: "The Ultimate Collection" / Tina Turner: "Private Dancer" / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: "Greatest Hits" / Toto: "IV" & "Past To Present" / Van Halen: "UO50" & "The Best Of Both Worlds" / U2: "War" / "The Unforgettable Fire" / White Lies: "To Lose My Life"

[think pink.]

Pop

[Ginger Spice]

I don't believe in a single album that every single person should own, but these are a few albums that have really stood the test of time with me, and I've found myself recommending often.

Aaliyah - Aaliyah
The ABBA Generation - A*Teens (Only being half serious here. Obviously this doesn't appeal to everyone, but I feel that most people that can admit to liking cheesy dance pop should enjoy this. - But honestly I'd recommend this over ABBA's greatest hits.)
Gold: Greatest Hits - ABBA
1 - The Beatles
Blackout - Britney Spears
The Singles Collection - Britney Spears
Design of a Decade or Number Ones- Janet Jackson
The Velvet Rope - Janet Jackson
Madonna - Madonna
The Immaculate Collection or Celebration - Madonna
Butterfly - Mariah Carey
CrazySexyCool - TLC

Most of them ended up being hits collections, which I guess is aimed at the masses/casual fans anyway, or at least they used to be. But these are ones I'd recommended to anyone as long as they like pop music.

[Juan Carlos]

SPOILER: Click to show

{List of the albums}

• Shakira - ¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?
• Nelly Furtado - Loose
• Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
• Britney Spears - Blackout
• Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend
• Foster the People - Torches
• Graffiti6 - Colours
• Flume - Flume

I decided not to include greatest hits/compilation albums though~

[Green Baron]

5.0 classic
Alice in Chains Dirt
Anberlin Cities
Brand New The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me
Dream Theater Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Godspeed You! Black Emperor F#A# (Infinity)
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada
Iron Maiden Powerslave
Metallica Ride the Lightning
Nine Inch Nails The Downward Spiral
Pink Floyd Animals
Radiohead OK Computer
Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine
The Cure Disintegration
The National High Violet
The Offspring Smash
Tool Lateralus
Tool Aenima

4.5 superb
Alice in Chains Jar of Flies
American Football American Football
At the Drive-In Relationship of Command
Bad Religion Suffer
Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
Deftones White Pony
Dream Theater Images and Words
Elliott Smith Either/Or
Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP
Faith No More Angel Dust
Frank Turner Love, Ire & Song
Godspeed You! Black Emperor Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas...
Isis Panopticon
Jimmy Eat World Clarity
Minutemen Double Nickels on the Dime
Modest Mouse The Lonesome Crowded West
Muse Origin of Symmetry
Neurosis Through Silver in Blood
Opeth Still Life
Pearl Jam Ten
Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
Porcupine Tree In Absentia
Queens of the Stone Age ...Like Clockwork
Queensryche Operation: Mindcrime
Radiohead Kid A
Rise Against Revolutions Per Minute
Rise Against The Sufferer and the Witness
Social Distortion Social Distortion
Soundgarden Superunknown
System of a Down System of a Down
System of a Down Toxicity
The National Alligator
The National Boxer
The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream
Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind
Titus Andronicus The Monitor

[Envoirment]

I'll stop there as I could probably add another 50+

[tsr]

Taylor Swift - Red
Ellie Goulding - Halcyon
Beyonce - BEYONCE
Drake - Nothing Was the Same
John Mayer - Battle Studies
John Newman - Tribute
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
Michelle Branch - Hotel Paper
Miley Cyrus - Bangerz
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Paramore - Paramore
SafetySuit - Life Left to Go

[leonagwen]

Nov 28, 2014 14:20:02 GMT -5 Envoirment said:

I'll stop there as I could probably add another 50+

Leona Lewis "Spirit" ? Did you forget?