In no particular order:

Rush-Moving Pictures
Frank Zappa-Joe’s Garage
Beatles-Abbey Road
Dire Straits-Lover Over Gold
Eagles-Hotel California
Eazy E-Eazy Duz It
Steely Dan-The Royal Scam
Clash-London Calling
Wreckers-Stand Still Look Pretty
Journey-Escape

smashing pumpkins – mellon collie and the infinite sadness
david bowie – earthling
the who – who’s next
the kinks – arthur
bad religion – recipe for hate
opeth – still life
black sabbath – master of reality
ccr – cosmo’s factory
our lady peace – clumsy
allman brothers band – eat a peach

1. Beatles – Revolver
2. G. Mahler, Symphony No. 9, Chicago Sym. Orchestra, C. Giulini, cond.
3. R. Strauss, Der Rosenkavalier, E. Kleiber, cond.
4. Beatles – Abbey Road
5. Beatles – Sgt. Pepper (can’t do without A Day in the Life)
6. Beatles – One (only way to get all the singles not on albums)
7. Mozart, Marriage of Figaro, J.E. Gardiner, cond.
8. Robert Johnson – King of the Delta Blues Singers
9. Bruckner, Symphony No. 9, Chicago Symphony, C. Giulini, cond.
10. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, J.E. Gardiner, cond.

I could easily make a list of 1000.

Peter Murphy – Deep
Depeche Mode – Music for the Masses
The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
VNV Nation – Empires
Daft Punk – Discovery
Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Bauhaus – Crackle
Sisters of Mercy – A Slight Case of Overbombing
Foo Fighters – Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

i forgot curtis mayfield – superfly

I think that there are lots of older artists whose stuff only really skews towards compilation albums, as the albums were nothing more than compilations of singles. But regardless…

1. Social Distortion – S/T
2. Johnny Cash – Unchained (wouldn’t be my pick for him if compilations were allowed, but alas…)
3. Curtis Mayfield – Superfly
4. Prince – Purple Rain
5. Michael Jackson – Thriller
6. Warren Zevon – The Wind
7. Jay Z – The Blueprint
8. Murs & 9th Wonder – Murs 3:16 – The 9th Edition
9. Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
10. Ryan Adams – Gold

With compilations allowed, I’d for sure include Al Green, probably Marvin Gaye, something else from Cash, and probably Cheap Trick’s Authorized Greatest Hits (love CT, but they’re really a singles band) and one of the newer Eels compilations.

inm no particular order

Trompe le Monde – Pixies
Up, Evil – Front 242
Blood Sugar Sex Magic – Chili peppers
Velvet Underground + Nico – Velvet Underground
Orbital 2 – Orbital
Exit Planet Dust – Chemical Brothers
Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste – Ministry
I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead – El-P
Death Certificate – Ice Cube
Purple Rain – Prince

The Who – Who’s Next
Chevelle – Vena Sera
The Cars – The Cars
Live – Throwing Copper
AC/DC – Back In Black
Fleetwood Mac – Say You Will
Bush – Sixteen Stone
A Perfect Circle – Mer de Noms
Queensryche – Operation: Mindcrime
U2 – The Joshua Tree

also, in no particular order.

Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go
Depeche Mode – Music for the Masses
U2 – The Joshua Tree
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
Pulp – Different Class
Stone Temple Pilots – Core
Beatles – Abbey Road
Oasis – Definitely Maybe
The Clash – London Calling
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson – Play Selections from West Side Story and Other Delights
Eric Clapton – Unplugged
Genesis – Trespass
Pink Floyd – Meddle
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic
Warren Zevon – Stand in the Fire
The Beatles – Revolver
Radiohead – Amnesiac
Nintendo (for lack of a better choice) – Mother 2: Gyiyg Strikes Back
The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Beatles – Abbey Road (Revolver is close, though, like tball, I’d probably take more than this…)
Beach Boys – Pet Sounds
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
John Lennon – Double Fantasy
Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmillson
Pink Floyd – Animals
Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde
Carole King – Tapestry
Nirvana – Nevermind
Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger

all of ya’ll have some great tastes in music, I must say… these are the 1st that come to mind.
Led Zepplin – Led Zepplin II
Def Leppard – Hysteria
Grateful Dead – American Beauty
Cross Canadian Ragweed – the self-titled purple album
Pearl Jam – Ten
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
Tool – Undertow
Rage Against the Machine – self-titled
Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction
Dr. Dre – The Chronic

I’d go around the horn, as to get the most variety out of it.

1) The Beatles – Help
2) The Ataris – So Long Astoria
3) The Cure – Disintegration
4) Pearl Jam – Ten
5) Oasis – Definitely Maybe
6) 2pac – All Eyez On Me
7) Marvelous 3 – ReadySexGo
8) Blue October – History for Sale
9) Live – Throwing Copper
10) Michael Jackson – Thriller

Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
Sarah McLachlan – Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Matthew Sweet – Altered State
The Beatles – Abbey Road
The Sundays – Blind
The Innocence Mission – The Innocence Mission
Minus the Bear – Highly Refined Pirates
k.d. lang – Ingenue
Indigo Girls – Rites of Passage
U2 – Achtung, Baby

Instead of only critiquing others.

Abbey Road – Beatles
Achtung Baby – U2
Late for the Sky – Jackson Browne
Blood on the Tracks – Bob Dylan
The Joshua Tree – U2
Bachata Rosa – Juan Luis Guerra
John Wesley Harding – Bob Dylan
Graceland – Paul Simon
Astral Weeks – Van Morrison
The White Album – Beatles

Making this list reminds me that having only 10 albums would suck shit.

John Prine – Sweet Revenge
Pavement – Brighten The Corners
Weezer – Blue Album
Toadies – Rubberneck
Ben Kweller – Sha Sha
Modest Mouse – Everywhere And His Nasty Parlour Tricks
Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks
Beethoven – Symphony no. 5, Leopold Stokowski, cond.
Animal Collective – Song Tongs
Built To Spill – Keep It Like A Secret

NEW YORK (AP) — Jerry Wexler not only coined the phrase rhythm and blues, the legendary music producer was one of the key architects of the genre. He revolutionized popular music with seminal, superstar-making recordings of acts such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and others.

But the genius of Wexler, who died Friday at his Sarasota, Fla., home at 91, was not limited to just one style of music. Over his decades-long career, he would create varied soundscapes that touched just about every kind of listener, from his work with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson to his masterful recording of Dusty Springfield to his work with pop and rock acts like George Michael and Dire Straits.

He also helped build one of the most influential labels in pop, Atlantic Records, which was the home of Franklin, Charles, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. He was named to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

I would build some sort of amazing kick ass American music museum. Areas devoted to blues, jazz, rock, country/hillbilly, folk, vaudeville, etc.

Only one Album per artist? That kinda ties my hands, but I’ll try…

Miranda Lambert – Kerosene
Gary Allan – Smoke Rings in the Dark
Pat Greene – Cannonball
The Wreckers – Stand still, look pretty
Rockie Lynne – Rockie Lynne
Hanna-McEuen – Hanna-McEuen (this one is on here if for no other reason than it contains the song “Something Like a Broken Heart” which may be my favorite song of all time)
Ashley Monroe – Satisfied
Tim McGraw – Live like you were dying
Kenny Chesney – When the sun goes down
Josh Gracin – Josh Gracin

Yes, all of those are country. Take your best shot.

Metallica – Black Album
Korn – Follow the Leader
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
Slayer – South of Heaven
Tool – Aenima
White Zombie – La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1
Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction
Live – Throwing Copper
Eagles – Hotel California (Although I’d try and sneak in Hell Freezes Over)

Mosh Pit in the sand!

Traveling Wilburys- Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1

Garth Brooks- No Fences

The Killers- Hot Fuss

Coldplay- A Rush of Blood to the Head

The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

John Cougar Mellencamp- Uh-Huh

Motley Crue- Dr. Feelgood

U2- The Joshua Tree

George Strait- Strait From the Heart (its got Amarillo By Morning, Fool Hearted Memory, Marina del Rey, and a few other classics)

Oasis- (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

Wilco – Summerteeth
Yo La Tengo – I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One
Radiohead – OK Computer
Air – Moon Safari
Built to Spill – Keep It Like A Secret
Jeff Buckley – Grace
REM – Automatic For The People
A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
Weezer – Blue Album
Interpol – Turn On The Bright Lights

I could do another 10 with just Dylan and the Beatles but I will stick with this.

If you’re on a desert island, good music and steady doses of CHoP will suffice.

M83 – Saturdays = Youth
Jeremy Enigk – World Waits
Aerosmith – Rocks
The Knife – Silent Shout
Radiohead – Kid A
Rogue Wave – Asleep at Heaven’s Gate
Spoon – Gimme Fiction
Sun Kil Moon – Tiny Cities
Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals

Beatles – Abbey Road
The Who – Quadrophenia
Rush – Moving Pictures
Pink Floyd – Darkside fo the Moon
U2 – Joshua Tree
Michael Jackson – Thriller
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority
Led Zeppelin – Led Aeppelin IV
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
The Doors – The Doors

Common – Like Water For Chocolate
Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt
J Dilla – The Shining
Little Brother – The Listening
Mos Def & Talib Kweli – Black Star
Nas – Illmatic
OutKast – ATLiens
Reflection Eternal – Train of Thought
Slum Village – Fantastic, Vol. 2
The Roots – Illadelph Halflife

Probably cheating since Kweli’s one half of Reflection Eternal (along with Hi-Tek), but whatever.

John Mayer – Where the Light Is
Matt Nathanson – Some Mad Hope
Sara Bareilles – Little Voice
Billy Joel – Greatest Hits Vol. III
Miranda Lambert – Kerosene
Dave Barnes – You, Me and the World
Sara Evans – Greatest Hits
Maroon 5 – It Won’t Be Soon Before Too Long
Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers – Glassjaw Boxer
Tony Lucca – Canyon Songs