20 + 1

By Collin Hockenbury

Y’all thought bloggin’ season was over. Well 2020 is dead, but the blog lives on. And since last year was the worst, I thought starting the new year off with an upbeat post that has nothing to do with viruses or unrest was the way to go—even if that isn’t the M.O. of this site. Let’s break the rules this time around and take a small step toward putting the badness and weirdness behind us.

In honor of 2021, here are my 21 favorite albums of all time.

#20

Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101

Young Jeezy

This album makes the cut for one reason and one reason only: Tuesday Ballers Club. Every summer when we were home from college, a group of us met up on Tuesdays to play pickup basketball. You know the drill. 4 on 4. Lowered goal so we could cram. Call your own fouls. Sprained ankles. Banked in threes. Winner stays, loser sits. 

We never played in silence. Jackson Simon opened his car doors and blared Jeezy from the speakers, draining his battery while he sprinted around, giant pecs bouncing. We probably bumped this album all the way through 100 times. Getting backed down in the post by a sweaty John Hundley to “Get Ya Mind Right” and getting floaters swatted off the backboard by Hunter Yadon… that was how I spent my best summers. 

Favorite track: “Go Crazy (Remix)”

#19

Nashville

Josh Rouse

Well, this is a complete 180. Josh Rouse is about the furthest possible thing from Young Jeezy… though I appreciate both men equally. The Nebraska native kind of flies under the radar, and I get the feeling he prefers it that way. His folksy tracks are probably best listened to on a vinyl record player or in a small live venue. The songwriting is detailed and thoughtful while the music itself is extremely simple, making for a listening experience that’s relaxing in every way. 

If you want to get some work done, woo someone on a first date or just put your feet up, stroke your chest hair and sip a bourbon, rest assured this album always delivers.

Favorite track: “It’s the Night Time”

#18

AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP

A$AP ROCKY

No matter how cool you are, you know you’d be the second coolest person in the room if A$AP Rocky walked in. I think that’s why I like his music so much. When I listen to it I feel infinitely cooler than I could ever hope to be. 

You can play this album when you’re groggy on the way to work Monday morning, when you’re working out or when you’re controlling the music at a party. It’s got darker tracks and lighter ones. The “L$D” music video is likely one of the best you’ll ever see. In Rotten Tomatoes terms, we’re in 96% territory. 

Favorite track: “Canal St.”

#17

Malibu

Anderson .Paak

I knew Anderson .Paak’s style was for me the first few times I listened to him. Then I saw him live a few summers ago and he cemented his place as one of my favorite artists not just in recent memory, but of all time.

If you aren’t familiar with him, his voice reminds you a lot of Kendrick’s—kind of high with a little edge and a little rasp. He sings, raps and plays multiple instruments along with his accompanying band, The Free Nationals. They play the quick tempo stuff you party to, and the slow R&B you chill to. It’s soulful, jazzy and above all else, smooth. If you want a quick taste test, check out this NPR Tiny Desk Concert.

Favorite track: “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance”

#16

When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Atmosphere

 

If you A) know Atmosphere and B) like Atmosphere, let me ask you this: do you like them enough to drive to a dilapidated auditorium in South Cincinnati filled with people who have pierced Adam’s apples?

Rhetorical question. But we did do that.

I fully grasp that listening to Atmosphere could be construed as weird. Slug is a grimy dude who makes pretty depressing music about how ugly he is, how many cigarettes he smokes and how cold it is in Minneapolis. But if you like hip-hop and are on the lookout for an original sound, you’d be hard pressed to find a better artist. As albums go, if we’re talking about variety and the sheer number of good songs, I think this is Atmosphere’s most complete work.

Favorite track: “Yesterday”

#15

The Clarence Greenwood Recordings 

Citizen Cope

I’m surprised by how few people know Citizen Cope outside of “Let The Drummer Kick.” And I’m surprised I saw him for like four bucks at an impromptu concert on the Churchill Downs paddock one time. Seriously… how the hell does that happen?

“Pablo Picasso,” “Bullet and a Target” … there are classics on here that I feel like people just kinda forgot about. Like Shakeweights and Jeremy Lin. Faded memories. 

This album also has what I considered my favorite song for like two years in high school: “Son’s Gonna Rise.” The Santana version is just plain satisfying, especially when you’re driving on the Watterson Expressway. More than a decade later, I’ve gotten enough listens out of these jams to justify this as a top 15 pick.

Favorite track: “Hurricane Waters”

 

#14

2001

Dr. Dre

 

Remember computer class in grade school? Learning the ins and outs of Microsoft Office on one of those white and aqua colored Mac desktops? Imagine an 11-year-old Collin, riddled with ADHD, completely ignoring that day’s PowerPoint lesson and discovering “Forgot About Dre” in the iTunes library of one of those Macs. 

I sat at the same computer every day for the rest of the year, just so I could cop a daily listen. The only thing I didn’t forget during those class periods was my pair of headphones.

“Still D.R.E,” “Xxplosive,” “The Next Episode” … what more do you need?

Favorite track: “Forgot About Dre”

#13

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

I vividly remember the first time I heard this album in college. There was a ton of hype around it. I put my headphones in, ready to be blown away. And I thought it was absolutely terrible. 

In the same way our taste buds mature, I guess our musical taste does too. Because one of my friends threw this on a year or two later and I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever heard. 

Wasn’t a fan of coffee the first time I tried it. Wasn’t a fan of Don’t Kill My Vibe either. Now I’m not sure I could go on without either of them. 

As a guy who writes for a living, the term “storytelling” always makes me roll my eyes. It’s so overused that it has stopped meaning much of anything. But that’s not true in the case of Kendrick. He paints a picture as well as any rapper I’ve ever heard (see: “The Art of Peer Pressure”). And while he carried that trait over to the albums that followed, this is far and away his best work. 

Ya bish.

Favorite track: “Money Trees”

 

#12

The Black Album

Jay Z

A classic. A masterpiece. Whatever you want to call it. I’d argue that “Public Service Announcement,” “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” and “99 Problems” are three of the most iconic rap songs ever conceived by man. 

The only reason this doesn’t crack the top ten is because only five or six of the 14 songs stay in my steady rotation. But my God, the ones that do are obscenely good. The Black Album is synonymous with swag. Even middle-aged dads who live in Wisconsin, grill in their Air Monarchs and listen exclusively to Simon and Garfunkel couldn’t refute that. 

Favorite track: “Lucifer”

#11

Demon Days

Gorillaz

 

I’ll be frank about this choice—I had a hard time deciding where to rank it. Gorillaz is a polarizing band. One second you’re nodding along to them and the next you hear that super weird, loud, evil ass laugh. 

But I like them because there’s no other artist like them, monkey personas aside. There’s some incredibly unique stuff on this album. Unreal mix of vocals and raps, club mixes and relaxing beats. “Feel Good Inc.” is obviously the marquee hit, and rightfully so. But “DARE,” “Kids With Guns,” “All Alone,” “El Mañana” and “November Has Come” all merit consistent airtime. Sure, there are some swings and misses. “Fire Coming out of the Monkey’s Head” is the weirdest song I’ve ever heard in my life. But each of the songs that actually land bring something completely different to the table, which is why this album is so ridiculously good.

Favorite track: “DARE”

#10

Tha Carter III

Lil Wayne

We’ve all been handed the aux in a high pressure situation. Pre-game. Tailgate. Wine mixer. Bat mitzvah. It’s hard to avoid judgment from all parties in social situations like these, no matter what you pick. Unless you pick something from this album. Everyone likes it. 

This was Weezy in his prime, just churning out raspy bangers. Remembering the first time you heard “A Milli” is like remembering your first beer or where you were when we got Bin Laden. It’s a legitimate milestone. And you could honestly say the same for “3 Peat,” “Lollipop,” “Mr. Carter” or “Mrs. Officer.” Definitive songs for my generation.

Favorite track: “Let The Beat Build”

#9

Closer to the Sun

Slightly Stoopid

For the most part, everyone has a genre that feels like them. For a lot of my friends, it’s country music you throw on at the lake. For others, it’s mumble rap or classic rock. For Ryan Loehnert, it’s anything from the soundtrack of The O.C. When I was in those teenage years, really trying to figure out who I was and what I was about, this was the music that felt like me. Oceanside stoner music. 

Before you tell on me to my mom, note that I couldn’t have been less of a stoner. Maybe if I had been, I would’ve been able to understand what the hell the lead singers were saying. But the truth was it didn’t matter what they were saying. It’s like Dave Matthews’ lyrics—it doesn’t have to make sense if it sounds good. And that blend of reggae, rap and blues just sounded good to me. 

This is one of the most nostalgic albums on my list. Every time I hear the guitar riff from the beginning of “See It No Other Way,” I might as well be 16 again, wearing American Eagle khakis with pen marks all over them, stressed out about a World Civ test on the ride to Saint X.

Favorite track: “Open Road”

#8

Graduation 

Kanye West

The fact that this isn’t further up the list is preposterous, but such is the strength of the remaining seven albums. 

Before there were Yeezys, before Kanye wore monochromatic robes and strictly made music with choirs, there was Graduation. I wish ‘Ye would bring vibes like these back. This album has everything from hard-hitters like “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” to soothing slow jams like “Everything I Am” that will lull you into a dreamless nap. And don’t even get me started on “Good Life.” Trying not to sing along to it is like trying not to close your eyes when you sneeze.

Favorite track: “Flashing Lights”

#7

Third Eye Blind

Third Eye Blind

I hear that have a lot of my dad’s mannerisms. Apparently we both talk with our eyes closed a lot, especially when we’re explaining something or telling a story. We also love South Park and beer. But our taste in music is the uncanniest of these similarities. 

My dad introduced me to a lot of my favorite music that I may not have heard otherwise. R.E.M., Steely Dan, Tears For Fears, Pink Floyd, Eagles, The Beatles – the list goes on. But Third Eye Blind, and their self-titled album in particular, is at the top of that list. I kept the CD in my car for over a decade. There’s so much more to it than “Semi-Charmed Life.” It’s a delight from the first song to the last. 

Favorite Track: “Losing a Whole Year”

#6

Ready to Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this write-up, let me start by saying Biggie owns Tupac in every category and there’s no point even debating. Is Coke better than Pepsi? Are iPhones better than Androids? Where do you stand on Pokémon versus Digimon? Nike versus Reebok? 

Moving on. 

This album is Big’s signature work. He delivers every line like he’s rap battling with his life’s savings on the line. His wordplay and imagination are borderline Shakespearean. Like Chris Farley, John Belushi, Mac Miller, Heath Ledger, Kurt Cobain and so many others who died young (including ‘Pac), Christopher Wallace gave us a glimpse into a promising future that could have been with a true work of art. His was Ready to Die. Tragically, he gave it the perfect name.

Favorite track: “Machine Gun Funk”

#5

Take Off Your Pants And Jacket

Blink 182

As Blink fans go, I was an incredibly late bloomer. Late high school years to be exact. I was as familiar with “I Miss You” and “All The Small Things” as the next guy, but I wasn’t totally smitten by the band. Just another Sum 41 or Good Charlotte if you asked me. 

Credit where credit’s due—if you ride around with Pat Kosse enough once he gets his permit, you will become a Blink guy. I grew especially fond of this album, from the popular songs like “First Date” to the sleepers like “Every Time I Look For You.” It makes you feel like you’re about to run into Jim Levenstein in an American Pie sequel. And it’s proof that you don’t have to be a teenager to feel that inner teenage angst, for which there’s only one cure: Travis Barker drum solos and Mark Hoppus’ hilarious word pronunciations. 

Favorite track: “Anthem Part Two”

#4

Parachutes

Coldplay

 

Of the 20 albums on this list, this is the only one that doesn’t have a single song on it that’s just okay. Every one of them is good. That catapults it into the top 4. 

It’s packed with hidden gems. Everyone knows “Yellow.” Everyone knows “Don’t Panic.” But you don’t hear “High Speed” in any retail establishments or see “Shiver” on anyone’s Spotify playlists. Kudos to Rolfe Kent, the absolute beast who scored Wedding Crashers, for having the wherewithal to stick “Sparks” in the background of this scene. Classic. John and Baba Ghanoush would be proud, if they were real. “Draw attention to yourself, but on your own terms.”

You absolutely have to be in the correct mood to throw this on. But if you feel like you need a good cry, you’re fighting a relatively stiff hangover or you’re just looking for something relaxing to get you through a few minutes of your day, I cannot give it a more glowing review. Coldplay’s debut album is as solid as Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

Favorite track: “Everything’s Not Lost”

#3

Moment Of Truth

Gang Starr

1998 was a good year. When I wasn’t having my mind blown by the turtles in my Kindergarten classroom terrarium, I was either binging Nickelodeon or teaching my kid sister to curse. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to me and nearly a thousand miles away in Boston, DJ Premier and MC Guru were creating a big piece of my future: their 20-track behemoth, Moment Of Truth. 

Anyone who loves hip-hop—particularly 90s hip-hop like The Pharcyde, Nas, Tribe or The Roots—will love this album. I can’t name a hip-hop album with better instrumentals. Combine that with Guru’s voice, which is unlike any other rapper’s, and everything sounds effortless, but feels timeless. 

I’ll never get tired of it. Someday at age 84 I’ll sit in my hover recliner, shamelessly listening to it way too loud with my hearing aids in, surrounded by my stunned grandkids. They’ll look away from the hologram TV they’re watching, dumbfounded, then the oldest will inevitably start bobbing his head. 

Like I said. Timeless.

Favorite track: “What I’m Here 4”

#2

Room For Squares

John Mayer

There’s a scene in Just Friends where Dusty Dinkleman crashes Chris and Jamie’s movie date, claiming he loves The Notebook and then delivering one of my favorite lines: “I know it might sound a little corny, maybe even a little femme, but I find something so resplendent in the simplicity of Nicholas Sparks' writing, you know what I mean?” 

Dusty captures exactly how I feel about John Mayer’s music. Is my knowledge of the “Your Body Is a Wonderland” lyrics going to do anything to help my rep among my male peers? Absolutely not. But I just love the guy’s stuff. I think he’s an unreal lyricist, guitarist and vocalist. I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s 2021.

Maybe it’s unhealthy to have such an affinity toward the music of the only man on earth who can make my girlfriend Jenny cry on command. Maybe. What I do know is I’ve been crushing this album since I was 10 or 11, after my cousin Michael handed me his Sony Walkman and told me to listen to “No Such Thing” for the first time. 

Favorite track: “No Such Thing”

#1

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

I know, I know. Californication, seriously? Real original. But hear me out. 

This is the first album I ever fell in love with. I used to listen to it on repeat on my dad’s iPod, back when you scrolled on the little circle pad. I remember sitting on my aunt and uncle’s couch in Denver, watching the “Californication” music video, and realizing that this was the first album I could ever say was my absolute favorite. It’s not a stretch to say that the blend of easy rock, funk and hip-hop influences in it went on to shape the rest of the music I ever listened to consistently. Californication is like a planet that all of my favorite music rotates around, and has since I was in grade school. That’s the highest compliment I can give.

Favorite track: “Scar Tissue”

BONUS

Tarzan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Phil Collins

Yeah, you laugh, but I bet if you pull this up and listen to “Strangers Like Me,” you’ll listen to it again tomorrow. Shout out to my middle school math teacher who used to bump this while we took tests. And shout out to Phil Collins. The guy’s got more in his locker than “In The Air Tonight.” 

Favorite track: “Son of Man”

You can listen to the best songs from every album here.