Albums That Got Me Into Certain Genres
I like a whole bunch of different genres of music and usually my introduction to each one can be traced back to one album, so here goes. |
| 1 |  | Metallica
Master of Puppets
Introduced me to "proper" metal (as opposed to the fashionable nu/alternative metal that most teenagers at the time were into). Still mostly holds up today, Battery and Master of Puppets are awesome songs. |
| 2 |  | Black Dog Productions
Bytes
Introduced me to more experimental electronic styles. I know "IDM" is a bit of a bullshit term but it's what this album mostly falls under I suppose. |
| 3 |  | Sonic Mayhem
Quake II Complete Soundtrack
Introduced me to riff-orientated guitar music. I'm not kidding. |
| 4 |  | Dimmu Borgir
Enthrone Darkness Triumphant
Introduced me to black metal. I still consider this to be a solid black metal album, I used to think "Tormentor of Christian Souls" was the most brutal thing ever. |
| 5 |  | Entombed
Clandestine
Introduced me to death metal. I couldn't really get into Left Hand Bath because of the trebly guitar tone (but the title track was awesome), however the guitar tone on this album... UNNNF. It still kicks ass. |
| 6 |  | Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Introduced me to jazz which I used to have a really hard time getting into. I know it's not a jazz album but as a 15 year old stuff like Miles Davis and Mahavishnu Orchestra was really intimidating. I've since learned that jazz is amazing. These days I much prefer California over this album but it's still a fun ride. |
| 7 |  | The Devin Townsend Band
Synchestra
Okay I'm cheating a bit here as "Devin Townsend" is not a genre, but this is the album that got me into his body of work and I consider it to be a very important album for me. Sadly it's really overlooked especially by newer fans. |
| 8 |  | Cryptopsy
None So Vile
Got me into more extreme forms of death metal. This album is still amazing to this day and I still consider it one of my favourite pieces of music ever. |
| 9 |  | Ludwig van Beethoven
"Pastoral" Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68
My introduction to classical music was the film Fantasia, and this piece along with The Rite of Spring stood out to me the most. The version of Rite of Spring in the film was pretty butchered compared to the original and it was some time before I listened to that version (it's amazing of course). |
| 10 |  | Public Enemy
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us
My first hip hop album. Proved to be massively influential to me especially since I had a very negative opinion of hip hop as a young teen. |
| 11 |  | Steve Roach
Dreamtime Return
My first true introduction to ambient music was Tommy Tallarico's Wild 9 soundtrack (huh?), but it wasn't listed to I'm going with the first ambient album I went out and bought. It's great and even though I much prefer Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces, this album still has a special significance for me. |
| 12 |  | Yes
Close to the Edge
My introduction to prog rock. Well, technically it was Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" but I think that album transcends prog in many peoples' eyes, having a much broader appeal. "And You and I" will always be my favourite Yes song. |
| 13 |  | Sigur Ros
Agaetis Byrjun
My first post-rock album. Sigur Ros' relationship with post-rock is kinda like Pink Floyd's relationship with prog rock, in that they're considered a key band in the genre but at the same time aren't really associated with it that much due to having a broader appeal than other bands. I still love this album. |
| 14 |  | Mar De Grises
Streams Inwards
My first proper introduction to doom metal. Some people may not consider this a "proper" doom metal album and they might be right. Considering this album came out in 2010 that says a lot about how inexperienced I was with the genre. |
| 15 |  | Nasum
Helvete
My first grindcore album! Still awesome to this day, I could never get into Napalm Death's Scum or many of the other "essential" grindcore albums. |
| 16 |  | The Contortionist
Exoplanet
The first deathcore album I not only tolerated but really enjoyed. By the time deathcore got really popular I was already into death metal so I always found it to be a particularly ugly genre with terrible bands. But this album won me over. |
| 17 |  | Converge
Jane Doe
Similarly to The Contortionist and deathcore, this album convinced me that metalcore wasn't defined by bands like Bullet for my Valentine and Atreyu who I absolutely hated. |
| 18 |  | Lady Gaga
The Fame Monster
This album convinced me that not all modern pop music was garbage. These days I unironically enjoy the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. |
| 19 |  | Vali
Forlatt
I hadn't really given folk music much attention until I listened to this album. It was the result of me working back from folk metal bands like Ensiferum and Moonsorrow that I enjoyed. Album is still great. |
| 20 |  | Radiohead
OK Computer
This album got me into alternative rock and really informed my music tastes from the mid-2000s onwards. |
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