Can't Write If You Can't Relate

Friday, February 20, 2026

My 233 Personal Favorite Albums (pt 3/6)

¡Hola!

We're gonna keep chippin' away at this. By the time this section is over, we'll be halfway done! Not sure what to write at the top, but I have a well-written break in the middle. So let's get crackin'!

No albums in this background made the list.

160

The Replacements

Pleased to Meet Me

Spring 2018.

159

David Bowie

Blackstar

USU spring semester 2016.

158

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin III

My dad driving me through the California Mother Lode foothills.

157

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin II

Rockin' out.

156

Led Zeppelin

Houses of the Holy

Playing guitar. I consider these arrangements "adventurous." Rather influential to how I try to envision rock songs of my own.

155

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

I See a Darkness

Spring 2017.

154

Harry Nilsson

Nilsson Schmilsson

USU spring semesters, 2013 + 2014.

153

The Beatles

Revolver

Wearing a pair of cool sunglasses.

152

The Beatles

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Nov 2012.

151

The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground

Fall 2019.

150

Spiritualized

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

Feb 2018.

149

The Streets

Original Pirate Material

Early morning runs.

148

Elliott Smith

Spring 2018.

147

Leonard Cohen

Songs of Love and Hate

Spring 2014.

146

Leonard Cohen

Songs of Leonard Cohen

Summer 2019.

145

Girls

Album

USU spring semesters, 2013 + 2014.

144

Jay-Z

The Blueprint

Spring nights.

143

William Basinski

The Disintegration Loops

My 25th birthday.

142

XTC

Skylarking

My first few months right after graduating college.

141

David Bowie

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Fall 2019.

Let's take a break.

I highly doubt anyone's noticing trends in how often I bring up certain years. But this list is a kinda fun, self-indulgent journey through my past. Either trying to show you the soundtracks of my favorite life memories, or just shouting out my favorite mind-blowing music moments. High school and college of course supply a lot of stuff at the top. Everything after 2016 is post-college. Take note.

Hopefully I have more emotionally impactful music experiences in the future. But hard to beat your first time listening to Led Zeppelin. Or taking a break from doing your MGT 3710 homework at the kitchen table because your first listen to The Disintegration Loops has instead inspired you to stand up for 20 minutes and passionately stare at the wall as though it's playing a slideshow of your entire life.

Attempting to critique modern music on an objective level is both the best and worst hobby I've ever picked up. This list might just be an ode to that.

140

Elliott Smith

Elliott Smith

My first few months on antipsychotics.

139

Portishead

Dummy

Spring 2019.

138

Bob Dylan

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Fall 2015. Every autumn in general, really.

137

Oneohtrix Point Never

Replica

Wearing a pair of good headphones.

136

DJ Shadow

Endtroducing...

Rainy spring days, 2019.

135

Wolf Parade

Apologies to the Queen Mary

...Didn't get around to this until later in life, but it takes me back to the 2000s.

134

Nick Drake

Bryter Layter

Fall 2015.

133

Burial

Untrue

Fall 2014. The archetypal electronic album, my college self would say.

132

Deerhunter

Halcyon Digest

My worst days at USU, but in the best ways.

131

Daniel Johnston

Hi, How Are You

Summer 2013.

130

Mount Eerie

A Crow Looked at Me

Spring 2017.

129

Uncle Tupelo

Anodyne

My final semester at USU.

128

Panda Bear

Person Pitch

Winter slowly turning into spring.

127

Pavement

Slanted & Enchanted

Spring 2013.

126

Galaxie 500

On Fire

USU spring semester 2013.

125

Randy Newman

Sail Away

Summer. Particularly summer days where I'm feeling old.

124

Pink Floyd

The Wall

Cleaning the USU journalism building at 4am.

123

Led Zeppelin

Physical Graffiti

Owning a car with good speakers.

122

Elvis Costello

My Aim Is True

Somehow, both ages 18 + 28.

121

Steely Dan

Aja

JHS cross country, senior year.

Monday, February 16, 2026

My 233 Personal Favorite Albums (pt 2/6)

Helloooooooooo!

We now enter part 2 of this 6-part series. #200 - #161.

I am again just telling you what each album reminds me of. But I think I'll add more words on later posts.

I can't help but be self-referential. On a list like this, sometimes good memories trump good music. If I had a clearer emotional recollection of my childhood, there would be like 5 Barenaked Ladies albums on here.

No albums in this background made the list.

200

Radiohead

The Bends

Being sad and/or depressed, but distinctly in a "bitter teenage boy" kind of way.

199

Coldplay

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

Senior year of high school.

198

Billy Bragg & Wilco

Mermaid Avenue

Lazy sunny Saturdays.

197

Arcade Fire

The Suburbs

Summer.

196

The Mountain Goats

The Sunset Tree

2021 (for better or worse).

195

Japandroids

Celebration Rock

My 22nd birthday.

194

Leonard Cohen

I'm Your Man

Fall 2019.

193

Disclosure

Settle

2013.

192

Danny Brown

Atrocity Exhibition

Halloween 2016.

191

Run the Jewels

Run the Jewels 2

Being 24.

190

The Beatles

Abbey Road

What expensive rock music should sound like.

189

Death Cab for Cutie

Transatlanticism

Summer drives.

188

Slint

Spiderland

Spring 2015.

187

Sun Kil Moon

Ghosts of the Great Highway

Summer 2019.

186

Red House Painters

Red House Painters

Fall slowly turning into winter.

185

Iron & Wine

The Shepherd's Dog

Spring and summer 2016.

184

Bill Callahan

Apocalypse

Springtime.

183

The Notorious B.I.G.

Ready to Die

Feeling very confused.

182

Guided by Voices

Alien Lanes

Spring 2017.

181

Daft Punk

Random Access Memories

Summer 2013.

180

Chance the Rapper

Coloring Book

Summer 2016.

179

Elliott Smith

New Moon

May 2018.

178

Wilco

Being There

Summer.

177

A Tribe Called Quest

The Low End Theory

Cleaning the USU education building at 4am.

176

Sly & The Family Stone

There's a Riot Goin' On

Spring 2015.

175

Bruce Springsteen

The River

Driving down a desolate highway on a summer evening.

174

Prince

Sign o' the Times

Late summer nights in my 30s.

173

Sufjan Stevens

Seven Swans

Redfish summer 2009.

172

The Strokes

Room on Fire

Thanksgiving 2008.

171

J Dilla

Donuts

Spring 2014.

170

Flying Lotus

Cosmogramma

Spring semesters at USU.

169

Neutral Milk Hotel

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

...I don't really know. I have little memories attached to this album from multiple eras of my life. Saw them live when I was in college. That's not happenin' again.