We all have those few albums that made us who we are, those albums that were there throughout our first years in music. Our first steps of our music identity. Those are mine.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magic
This classic was released in 1991. I was 6 years old at the time, so it was a bit difficult for me to know that I liked it, but it was there all along and all around me. About the time when I was 12, this album became one of my favorites. Luckily enough for me, these songs were such classics they remained a consensus in the musical mainstream. It’s still true for our days, even if it’s been over 20 years by now. My most favorite songs of that album are “Sir Psycho” “Give It Away” and “Breaking the Girl”.
Red Hot Chili Peppers were everything I needed back then, they were explicit in just the right amount, they were the coolest guys around and they played wicked rock music. I’m almost 30 by now and I still listen to this brilliant album almost every day.
Metallica – S&M
When a 6 year old tells you Metallica is her favorite band, you know something is up with her. So, something was definitely up with me.
Metallica was one of the first bands I ever knew and I loved it! Back in those days songs like “Nothing else Matters”, “One” and “Sad but True” were the top hits on Billboard and metal was just another legit music genre.
In 1999, I was a bit older and Metallica was well established in my playlist. That’s when S&M was released. A genius music collaboration between my favorite band and The San Francisco Philharmonic Orchestra. The result was mind blowing. Until this very day, this is one of my most favorite albums of all time, but back then, as a young teenager, those sounds made me shiver.
Radiohead – OK Computer
The year was 1997. I was 13 and heavily addicted to MTV. Yes, once upon a time there was no internet and we actually had to watch television and listen to radios to listen to music. Funny, right?
Anyway, I was watching MTV and a new video clip was on, something with a guy in a burning car.. Yes, that was Karma Police by Radiohead! I was 13 so I didn't get the magnitude of what I’m looking at back then, but I decided that I didn't like it.
It took a few months for the understanding to sink in, and once it did I totally understood I’m a witness to the formation of a musical classic.
Since then, Ok Computer is my safe album. When I’m sad it means it’s time for Ok Computer. It’s also true for when I’m mad, hungry, happy, lonely, need space, exited, tired, bored… well, always, basically.
No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom
Remember the song “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt? I do too. In 1996, I was 12 and this was my most favorite song in the whole world! I listen to it once or twice, and spent my entire dog walking job salary on the album “Tragic Kingdom”. Nobody knew who they were back then, except for me. I listened to that album 20 hours a day, and thought Gwen Stephany is the most beautiful woman in the world. Yep!
But seriously now, that is a very good album. It really is. I still like to go back to that music, that funky fun rock of No Doubt from the 90’s.
Unfortunately, I don’t really like the later material of No Doubt, could be due to the fact that they changed or that I grew up and away from that style of music. Either way, songs like “just a girl”, “Spiderweb” and “End It on This” are still my personal favorites and I still enjoy them from time to time.
Alanis Morissette – Jagged Little Pill
Still 13 years old, and its still 1996. And I’m an angry young teenager. I’m standing in a record store (yeah, we had those too back in the days) and I’m holding two CDs. I can’t decide whether to get the new Tony Braxton CD or maybe go for this new girl - Alanis Morissette. Sounds really stupid, but I seriously treat that decision as a life changing moment. You know how it ended. I went with Alanis.
I just want to emphasize this- this was by far, the best decision I've ever made!
Jagged Little Pill means so much to me, Alanis morissette means so much to me, until this very day, For about 17 years now. Those years were extremely hard for me, not only because I was 13, but for so many serious reasons. Jagged Little Pill was there for me. I could be angry with “Unforgiven”, go crazy with “You Oughta Know” and dream of a happy end with “Head over feet”.
All the albums in this list made me who I am, But Jagged Little Pill still makes me who I am today. I just adore Alanis Morissette, and this album in particular. Jagged little Pill is a piece of me. And to me, it tells my story.
After going through all those albums it seems like most of them are form when I was 13. I guess this is when music happened to me. It all started there.
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