Maybe it’s because I’m now closer to death than I am to birth, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I love and what I want to promote.  This is as true in my choice and love of books as it is in my love of rock.

Thus, as I contemplate my own mortality, I offer, for what they’re worth, my 99 favorite albums of the rock era.  Mostly in chronological order.

Feel more than free to agree or disagree!  Over the long haul, my five favorite bands have been Big Big Train, Glass Hammer, Rush, Talk Talk, and Tears for Fears.

1. Simon and Garfunkel, Bookends
2. Beach Boys, Pet Sounds
3. Beatles, Magical Mystery Tour
4. Van Morrison, Astral Weeks
5. Traffic, Traffic
6. Traffic, Mr. Fantasy
7. Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed
8. Jethro Tull, Benefit
9. Traffic, John Barleycorn Must Die
10. Jethro Tull, Aqualung
11. Yes, Fragile
12. Genesis, Foxtrot
13. Yes, Close to the Edge
14. Genesis, Selling England by the Pound
15. Jethro Tull, Thick as a Brick
16. Queen, II
17. Led Zeppelin, IV
18. Queen, Night at the Opera
19. Rush, 2112
20. Genesis, Trick of the Tail
21. Pink Floyd, Animals
22. Yes, Going for the One
23. Kansas, Leftoverture
24. Kansas, Point of No Return
25. Genesis, Wind and Wuthering
26. Rush, Farewell to Kings
27. Rush, Hemispheres
28. Yes, Drama
29. Genesis, Duke
30. Simples Minds, Sons and Fascination
31. Ultravox, Vienna
32. Rush, Moving Pictures
33. ABC, Lexicon of Love
34. Ultravox, Rage in Eden
35. Thomas Dolby, Golden Age of Wireless
36. Rush, Signals
37. Peter Gabriel, Security
38. Simple Minds, New Gold Dream
39. New Order, Low Life
40. Tears for Fears, The Hurting
41. U2, Unforgettable Fire
42. Yes, 90125
43. Thomas Dolby, Flat Earth
44. Rush, Power Windows
45. Kate Bush, The Hounds of Love
46. Bryan Ferry, Boys and Girls
47. Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair
48. Talk Talk, Colour of Spring
49. U2, The Joshua Tree
50. XTC, Skylarking
51. The Cure, Disintegration
52. Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden
53. World Party, Goodbye Jumbo
54. Talk Talk, Laughing Stock
55. Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes
56. Phish, Picture of Nektar
57. Cocteau Twins, Heaven or Las Vegas
58. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
59. Catherine Wheel, Chrome
60. XTC, Nonesuch
61. Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Toward Ecstasy
62. Smashing Pumpkins, Siamese Dream
63. Tears for Fears, Elemental
64. Spock’s Beard, The Light
65. Marillion, Brave
66. Marillion, Afraid of Sunlight
67. Marillion, Marbles
68. Ayreon, Universal Migrator
69. Kevin McCormick, Squall
70. Radiohead, Kid A
71. Flower Kings, Space Revolver
72. Radiohead, Amnesiac
73. Tears for Fears, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
74. Rush, Vapor Trails
75. Glass Hammer, Lex Rex
76. Kate Bush, Aeriel
77. Riverside, Out of Me
78. Glass Hammer, Inconsolable Secret
79. Pure Reason Revolution, The Dark Third
80. Gazpacho, Night
81. Porcupine Tree, Fear of a Blank Planet
82. Riverside, Second Life Syndrome
83. Rush, Snakes and Arrows
84. Nosound, Lightdark
85. Riverside, Rapid Eye Movement
86. Big Big Train, The Underfall Yard
87. Rush, Clockwork Angels
88. Flower Kings, Paradox Hotel
89. Natalie Merchant, Leave Your Sleep
90. North Atlantic Oscillation, Fog Electric
91. Newspaperflyhunting, Iceberg Soul
92. The Tangent, Le Sacre du Travail
93. Big Big Train, English Electric Full Power
94. The Fierce and the Dead, Spooky Action
95. Steven Wilson, Hand Cannot Erase
96. Glass Hammer, Valkyrie
97. Marillion, FEAR
98. Dave Kerzner, Static
99. Big Big Train, Grimspound/Second Star