Top 10 Albums That Have Stayed With me

01 - Transatlantic: Bridge Across Forever

This album has been my favorite album of all time, pretty much since it was released. There are only four songs on this disc, but each one is a masterpiece. Book ended by two of the greatest epics ever written, there is not one bad track on the disc. And "Stranger In Your Soul" will likely remain my favorite song for the rest of my life.

02 - Rush: Counterparts

I think I go back and forth on my favorite Rush album quite often, but in the end I always come back to this one. There are so many great cuts on this disc. From "Cut To the Chase",. and "Between Sun & Moon", to "Double Agent", and "Cold Fire", every track is killer. And with the personal meaning that "Everyday Glory" hold for me, it's easy for me to see why this one will always be an important album in my life.

03 - Dream Theater: Octavarium

Okay, to be honest, this one was a tough decision. I knew that a Dream Theater album belonged in this slot (and I only allowed myself one per band), and "Scenes From A Memory" was a close second, but "Octavarium" won the game. This album is about the perfect prog disc. Some amazing metal on the disc, and some incredible prog. The title track is such an eclectic piece of epic goodness, that it runs through every genre the band has touched on in one song. Brilliant.

04 - Spock's Beard: V

To be completely honest, the first and final tracks are what gets this album into this list. "At the End of the Day", and "The Great Nothing" are nothing short of masterpieces. I like the songs in-between, but these two tracks elevate this album into legendary status. I would have to say that "The Great Nothing" is another one of those songs that easily finds itself in my top 10 favorite song list. Such a powerful piece of music.

05 - Pink Floyd: Animals

This album may not be the most obvious choice when it comes to Pink Floyd albums, but for me this album is just perfect. It's another one that doesn't have very many songs (only 5 if you count both parts of "Pigs On the Wing" as separate songs... which you should). "Dogs" is an epic song in every sense of the word, toss in "Pigs (Three Different Ones)", and "Sheep", and you have all of the makings of an amazing album. 

06 - The Beatles: Let It Be

The Beatles are another band on the list that it was hard to pick just one album, as "Help!" really wanted to make this list. Ultimately, I had to go with this one because, even though this was a band breaking apart at the seems, this is just a perfect release. Even better when you toss on the "naked" version, that leaves out all of the throw-away tracks and just gets down to some damned fine rock tunes. 

07 - Coheed And Cambria: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness

This album is one that I find myself going back to a lot. There are rockers, and moody songs, and all out epic masterpieces. A concept album told from the point of view as the writer of all of the bands albums, this disc is dark and at times lyrically disturbing, but such a great disc.

08 - Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

I remember my dad getting this on vinyl when I was in 1st grade (about a million years ago), and I was just amazed by the graphics that were in the included liner booklet. The music, coupled with vocals and narration, break down the Orson Welles classic into a very pleasing musical representation of one of my favorite stories of all time. Musically symphonic, and very proggy in my opinion, this two disc set has always been a favorite of mine.

09 - Kiss: Music From the Elder

For some reason, this album is completely ignored by the band, even though there are a lot of fans that swear this album to be one of their best. For me, this disc has been my number one favorite Kiss album from the first time that I heard it. Putting aside the fact that I'm just a sucker for a concept album, there is some really cool music on here. "The Oath", "Just A Boy", and even "I" are such a departure for the band, and so expertly crafted. My favorite tune would have to be Ace's "Dark Light", a creepy, and heavy number, this has to be one of the best of Ace.

10 - Emerson, Lake, & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery

Once again, this was a tough call. I almost went with "Tarkus", but when you stack these two albums against each other by looking at just the epics, "Karn Evil 9" edges out "Tarkus" just slightly. This album contains some of the best prog to have ever been recorded. Amazing piano work from Emerson, beautiful vocals from Lake, and bombastic drumming from Palmer, this is another album that I could listen to every day for the rest of my life, and never grow bored of it.