Here is my list of top 10 albums from the last 40 years. I am not including any type of compilation album. Everything I list will have some form of new material, and there will be no albums listed that are mentioned anywhere else on my website.

 

	Album: Girlfriend Artist: Mathew Sweet	1. Divine Intervention 2. I've Been Waiting 3. Girlfriend 4. Looking At The Sun 5. Winona 6. Evangeline 7. Day For Night 8. Thought I Knew You 9. You Don't Love Me 10. I Wanted To Tell You 11. Don't Go 12. Your Sweet Voice 13. Does She Talk? 14. Holy War 15. Nothing Lasts	This is probably one of the most under appreciated  albums ever. Sweet was able to create a true rock album that ranges in feeling and in style. This album is truly worth a listen
	Album: Pretty Hate Machine Artist: Nine Inch Nails	1. Head Like A Hole 2. Terrible Lie 3. Down In It 4. Sanctified 5. Something I Can Never Have 6. Kinda I Want To 7. Sin 8. That's What I Get 9. The Only Time 10. Ring Finger	There is nothing like a freshman effort, and this can be said for Trent Reznor on this album.   Once again, the variety of feeling from Head Like A Hole to Something I Can Never Have may make you wonder what genre this style falls in. A warning, though, to enjoy this music you should probably like harder rock.
	Album: Ten Artist: Pearl Jam	1. Once 2. Even Flow 3. Alive 4. Why Go 5. Black 6. Jeremy 7. Oceans 8. Porch 9. Garden 10. Deep 11. Release	Once again, the freshman effort is truly in effect here.  This is a deep emotional album and truly belongs on the shelf of any music lover.
	Album: 1984 Artist Van Halen	1. 1984 2. Jump 3. Panama 4. Top Jimmy 5. Drop Dead Legs 6. Hot For Teacher 7. I'll Wait 8. Girl Gone Bad 9. House Of Pain	This is a really fun album and I think it shows.  The songs are load and blatant. Personally, I think this is when Van Halen was at their best.  They should have never gotten rid of David Lee Roth.  Don't get me wrong, I like Sammy, but he is not David.
	Album: Pump Artist: Aerosmith	1. Young Lust 2. F. I. N. E. (Fucked Up, Insecure, Neurotic And Emotional) 3. Going Down / Love In An Elevator 4. Monkey On My Back 5. Water Song / Janie's Got A Gun 6. Dulcimer Stomp / The Other Side 7. My Girl 8. Don't Get Mad, Get Even 9. Hoodoo / Voodoo Medicine Man 10. What It Takes	I really like this album.  I know that some people think this was kind of a sell-out album by Aerosmith, but I think they were coming back from their break up and needed to prove the point that they can still rock, and they did just that.
	Album: Nothing Like the Sun Artist: Sting (this counts because it is a solo effort)	1. The Lazarus Heart 2. Be Still My Beating Heart 3. Englishman In New York 4. History Will Teach Us Nothing 5. They Dance Alone (Gueca Sola) 6. Fragile 7. We'll Be Together 8. Straight To My Heart 9. Rock Steady 10. Sister Moon 11. Little Wing - (with Gil Evans) 12. Secret Marriage	After seeing my last 5 picks you may be going, what the Hell is this doing here.  I have to tell you, though, this is a really good album. It is smooth and has a very heavy jazz influence.  Sting was trying to do something different with this album and I think he did.  A good companion to this album is the video Bring on the Night, which is the documentary of making this album.
	Album: Kick Artist: INXS	1. Guns In The Sky 2. New Sensation 3. Devil Inside 4. Need You Tonight 5. Mediate 6. The Loved One 7. Wild Life 8. Never Tear Us Apart 9. Mystify 10. Kick 11. Calling All Nations 12. Tiny Daggers	This album is just like Pump, in that many people think it was a sell-out album.  You know what, they are probably right, but this is one of the few albums that I can listen to over and over and not get sick of.  Therefore it makes my list.
	Album: Boston Artist: Boston	1. More Than a Feeling 2. Peace Of Mind 3. Foreplay / Long Time 4. Rock & Roll Band 5. Smokin' 6. Hitch A Ride 7. Something About You 8. Let Me Take You Home Tonight	Here we go again, the freshman effort rule in effect. No music collection is complete without this.  It represents all that is good about 70's stadium rock.
	Album: The Doors Artist: The Doors	1. Break On Through (To The Other Side) 2. Soul Kitchen 3. The Crystal Ship 4. Twentieth Century Fox 5. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) 6. Light My Fire 7. Back Door Man 8. I Looked At You 9. End Of The Night 10. Take It As It Comes 11. The End	It's The Doors, enough said. If you cannot look at the songs on this album and understand why it is here, you need to be re-educated in music appreciation.
	Album: Kilroy Was Here Artist:  STYX	1. Mr. Roboto 2. Cold War 3. Don't Let It End 4. High Time 5. Heavy Metal Poisoning 6. Just Get Through This Night 7. Double Life 8. Haven't We Been Here Before 9. Don't Let It End - (reprise)	Ok, I know this is not a great album, but this is a personal album for me.  It is the first rock album I ever truly listened to, and Mr. Roboto was the first rock song I ever memorized all of the words to.

I know that many of you are going, where is Sgt. Pepper or The White Album or some such thing.  Let me put it to you this way, I am not a big Beatle fan.  My wife will kill me for saying this, but I just don't think they were all that and a side of chips.  Flame me if you must, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.