And now for something completely different

I saw this on another site, and since I love lists and music, this seemed like the perfect thing to do here.

The object is to list an album to represent every year of your life since you were born. You have to list an album that was released during the year specified.

That makes 21 albums plus justification for me since I was born in 1977. Some of them will be stuff that I am listening to now that was put out then, some will be stuff I love that had a great impact, others will be just albums I remember from a particular time and place.

1977: Fleetwood Mac: Rumours I have a love hate relationship with this band, but ultimately, they remind me of both my dad, Bill Clinton, and Chuck E. Cheese. I am sure my dad won't appreciate the association, but this album is great, although my favorite Fleetwood Mac song, Silver Springs wasn't included because it was too long. I remember my dad telling me that he went to see them once. I also remember being in Chuck E. Cheese in Chile thinking it was odd that in 1998, in South America, there was a mouse singing an American tune from the 1970's. Of course, they were right next door to a fast food joint that specialized in lamb sandwiches so I don't know why it was that odd.

1978: The Blues Brothers: Briefcase full of Blues. Oddly enough, another selection brought on because of my dad. We could only listen to two things on Sunday mornings: Church music and The Blues Brothers. It doesn't make sense but it does. This was the first album I put on when I got my first record player and it still rocks. I didn't know it growing up, but the entire backing band are old Staxx Records players.

1979: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Damn the Torpedos Believe it or not, I don't own this album, but it rocks from beginning to end. Tom Petty is probably fourth on the list of bands I've seen most behind Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and The Mother Hips. Every show is pretty much the same, which is why I took a voluntary two year Petty hiatus, but in August, I'm seeing him again. The song refugee is probably one of the greatest rock songs ever.

1980:AC/DC: Back In Black It's cliche but in many ways so is the band. Most of their songs sound exactly the same, they're mostly all about rocking and sex, and they all rule. I remember listening to the Ballbreaker album when I was living at home and my mom asking me what the song "Harder than a Rock" was about. I lied mom. It is about exactly what you thought it was about.

1981:The Grateful Dead: Dead Set This was the second album I bought by the Grateful Dead and it remains my favorite (other than the other live stuff) Some of it is terrible, but Samson and Delilah, Friend of the Devil, and Little Red Rooster are awesome.

That's the first five years. Obviously, with possibly the exception of the first two albums listed, I wasn't listening to any of this stuff then. Frankly, I was born during a bad time for music. I hate late seventies rock for the most part, because it is mostly power ballads, disco is terrible, and it was really hard to come up with any album during some years (1981 was a bad year for music.)

Coming up next time...1982-1987 Michael Jackson, Guns 'n' Roses, maybe some R.E.M, maybe even a little Dwight Yoakam.