10 Albums that Rocked My World

1. Simon & Garfunkel- Live at Central Park

I listened to this tape so much that I believe it was worn out in places. Art Garfunkel’s vocals on this album are head and shoulders above Paul Simon’s; so much so that it took me a long time to listen to a Paul Simon solo album because I was sure Garfunkel was the superior artist. Thank goodness I eventually got over that hump.


2. Into the Woods Original Broadway Soundtrack

This was my gateway drug into the world of both Sondheim and musical recordings in general. I believe this was the first CD I ever purchased.


3. Bob Dylan- Highway 61 Revisited

Speaking of gateway drugs, this was my first Bob Dylan album and probably still remains my favorite. “Desolation Row” is in my top 5 favorite songs of all time. And oddly enough, my husband and I danced to “Like a Rolling Stone” at our wedding.


4. Bob Dylan- Time Out of Mind

The eerie production style and the gravelly voice of an older Bob Dylan, plus the realization that he had just been near death, makes this the closest to an “end of life” Dylan album. “Not Dark Yet” is an incredible song.


5. Paul Simon- Graceland

The first solo Simon album I allowed myself to get into, and I’m so glad that I did. As much as I love so many songs on the album (“Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes”, “Graceland”), I eventually embraced “You Can Call Me Al” as a favorite, despite first convincing myself that it couldn’t be my favorite since it was the only song I remembered getting heavy radio play and having a recognizable video.


6. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

This was my first hip-hop album, and one I purchased on a whim, not being sure if I would like anything on it. It was a great chance and is still one of my favorite albums. “Zion” is one of the most beautiful songs about motherhood I’ve ever heard.


7. Steven Curtis Chapman- Signs of Life

“Let Us Pray” was the first “Christian” song I heard on a “Christian” radio station that made me stop and say, “This can’t be Christian music. This is good,” which marked the beginning of my walls of prejudice toward Christian music breaking down. Of all the Chapman albums I own, I think this is the most solid from start to finish.


8. Rich Mullins- A Liturgy, A Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band

As a Christian who has always attended a heavily liturgical church, it was a revelation for me to see that someone in the world of less traditional music could appreciate the poetic beauty of a liturgy. Some songs in the “Legacy” portion of the album are fairly weak, but the starkly personal “Hold Me, Jesus” more than makes up for any weak links.


9. Jeff Buckley- Grace

Funny that Jeff Buckley would follow Rich Mullins, as they’re both musicians that were lost to the world at too young an age.
Jeff Buckley plays his voice like an instrument on this album. There is such variation between the tones of these songs, from the soft and pleading, “Lilac Wine” to the angry “Eternal Life” and the angry guitar work that echos Buckley’s howling screams. His unbelievably expressive voice makes this one of my “Don’t want to live without” albums.


10. Dusty Springfield- Dusty in Memphis

I’ve been prejudiced toward singer-songwriters from the young age when I realized that Paul Simon is actually artistically superior to Art Garfunkel. But Dusty Springfield is one of the few artists who I’ve found expresses words that she did not write as if they were coming from her own soul. Every heart-felt word of this album feels true. “Just One Smile”, about an abused woman sharing why she still loves her man, is belted with such raw, pleading honesty that it’s almost painful to hear.


Honorable Mention:


The White Stripes- Elephant

Counting Crows- August and Everything After (This album was the soundtrack of the 2 year long-distance portion of my relationship with my husband)

Loretta Lynn- Van Lear Rose

Jonny Lang- Wander This World

City of Angels- Original Broadway Soundtrack (Not to be mistaken with the movie soundtrack)

Joni Mitchell- Blue

Kanye West- College Dropout

Lyle Lovett- Live in Texas