Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993)

Siamese Dream - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PMDLHGY0

Siamese Dream is a a beautifully layered rock album accentuated by Billy Corgan's shrill voice.

Favorite Tracks: Disarm, Today, Cherub Rock

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1974)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A3VTC8JY

David Bowie is a conceptual genius. Ziggy Stardust is an album full of imaginative tracks that tell the story of Ziggy- a Martian who comes to earth to save us from banality. Ultimately, the rock star-like Ziggy falls a victim to his excesses of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Favorite Tracks: Starman, Ziggy Stardust

Dave Matthews Band - Before These Crowded Streets (1998)

Before These Crowded Streets - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=045FXEWL

Probably DMB's best album, BTCS is a great combination of folk, rock, and world rhythms. Probably the album to play if you are trying to score with a drunk sorority chick.

Favorite Tracks: Crush, The Stone, The Dreaming Tree, Pig

Moby - Play (1999)

Play - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8Y2SPQ9E

Moby's Play is a wonderful combination of old gospel and folk music rhythms with modern house sensibilities

Favorite Tracks: Porcelain, Southside

Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

... And Out Come the Wolves - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZMY5CN81

This is a Punk tour-de-force. An aggressive explosion of in your face tunes.

Favorite Tracks: Timebomb, Ruby Soho

Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Dookie - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LKD6PMVC

Dookie is an album full of jagged guitar riffs and catchy hooks. No album better expresses the teen aged slacker.

Favorite Tracks : Basket Case. When I Come Around, She

Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

Kid A - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=mp4klhxb

Kid A is probably the strangest album to debut at #1 on the US Charts. Influenced by glitch and ambient music, Kid A is pretty much a totally electronic album. Kid A, refers to the Earth's first cloned human. It deals with isolation and depression. The album is pretty dark and abstract- but, features moments of pure symphonic bliss. This album may be a little difficult to "get" on first listen... but if you stick with it and give it a try it is one of the most brilliantly deep and engaging albums you will ever hear. The first four songs are without a doubt, breathtaking.

Favorite Tracks: Everything In It's Right Place, How to Disappear Completely (my favorite song of all time), Idioteque, Optimistic

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6JS97002

Laced with heavy, eerie beats, largely based on martial-arts movie clips and soul music samples, Wu's debut album is hardcore hip hop at it's finest.

Favorite Tracks: Bring da Ruckus, Method Man

Tupac - All Eyez on Me (1996)

All Eyez on Me - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MR1XTAMX

Tupac is arguably the greatest rapper of all time. All Eyez on Me is a celebration of the thug lifestyle. Club bangers are mixed alongside more thought provoking ballads.

Favorite Tracks: Ambitionz As a Rydah, How Do You Want it?

Paul Simon - Graceland (1986)

Graceland - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=42DB0TOE

Paul Simon is a great American songwriter and Graceland features an eclectic mixture of musical styles including African rhythms and American roots music.

Favorite Tracks: Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, Under African Skies

The Streets -A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)

A Grand Don't Come For Free - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=N3JCDQSK

The second album from Mike Skinner aka The Streets is a concept album about a man losing a £1000 and his resulting quest to get it back. Skinner is a master storyteller and the album is as a result hypnotic in its dirty beats and vivid imagery.

Favorite Tracks: Not Addicted, Fit But You Know it

The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die (1994)

Ready to Die - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VAFJGB15

Awesome rhymes and great beats, Ready to Die is a must have Rap Album.

Favorite Tracks: Juicy, Who Shot Ya

Nirvana - In Utero (1993)

In Utero - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7EXQD5T8

The final album from Nirvana, In Utero, is not a happy album. It features sterotypical "grunge" rock and is a window into the soul of Cobain, who obviously was a tortured soul, unhappy with his newly found fame. Nonetheless, the album is beautiful and full of great rock 'n roll.

Favorite Tracks: Rape Me, Dumb

Radiohead - In Rainbows [Disc 2] (2007)

In Rainbows - [Disc 2] - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SBT1G3J8

This album was only officially released by Radiohead with the In Rainbows vinyl bundle. Featuring a bunch of tracks that have the same general mood as In Rainbows, these songs are no less great and compliment the first disc greatly. I'm not sure why Thom, Jonny, and the guys decided not to release these gems with the rest of In Rainbows.

Favorite Tracks: Down is the New Up, Go Slowly

M.I.A. - Arular (2005)

Arular - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NEGAIK4Q

M.I.A.'s Arular is a mix of hip-hop, grime, baile funk, dancehall, and reggaeton and is truly a great party album. This album was mailed to hipsters with samples of Tide a little while back.

Favorite Tracks: Bucky Done Gun, Sunshowers

The Postal Service - Give Up (2003)

Give Up - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=79ES4GAX

A mellow mix of electronica and pop, Give Up is about as chill as an album as there is. Good to put on late at night when you are taking it easy.

Favorite Tracks: Sleeping In, Nothing Better

Bush - Sixteen Stone (1994)

Sixteen Stone - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=PGPO0M1D

This album was the shit when I was in middle school.

Favorite Tracks: Comedown, Machinehead

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DE8EZBL8

Admittedly, I don't know all that much about Wilco aside from YHF and seeing them once or twice live. But, YHF is a really chill album that has a little bit of an alt-country vibe to it. Sounds to me like a good album for a road trip through the country.

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing (1996)

Endtroducing - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6LL7YX1C

This album is samples mixed and mashed together to create a sonic masterpiece. Billed as the first album completely composed of samples it truly is a musical breakthrough.

Favorite Tracks: Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, Organ Donor