Number

Album

Artist

About

Song

Release

49

X

INXS

As I move deeper into my top 100 there is almost a removal of remembrance, lost moments in time. Some good, some bad but given a lot of them are from my youth it would be hard to describe any of them bad when you think INXS have been around since 1977-2012 that is such a huge chunk of my life. It’s like extracting your youth and dragging it out over the mountains you have travelled, the highs and the lows, music exposes them all through memory. That is just the wonderful thing about music it travels through life with you – by your side, on and in all occasions. INXS are truly one of Australia’s most talented bands ever to come from our island we call home. When a band is so close knitted and entwined it show’s in their music. They could write lyrically but what’s more they could match it with an even better melody and I think that was their true success. Without taking anything away from the other members I think Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence was a paring made by the music gods – just so, so talented. There was always going to be one of their albums here somewhere after all there have been so many songs that have turned out to be true Australian classics that I gravitated to. Why this one? – because there is a story. Suicide Blonde was a hit commercially but at the time it was my least favourite song theirs I even remember skipping it but then it went on to become probably my favourite of theirs. Why? I truly don’t know, perhaps its just like a bottle of red wine, the one where you take a sip and can’t stand the taste but then put it on a shelf for a few years, perhaps the answer is there, maturity.  

By My Side

Bitter Tears

My Pick -

Suicide Blonde

1990

Number

Album

Artist

About

Song

Release

50

Too Low for Zero

Elton John

People reading this will probably think wow this album over albums containing songs like Yellow Brick Road, Tiny Dancer and Benny and The Jets. And whilst I would totally agree with them as I have grown very fond of the timeless classics he did I have stayed true to myself in choosing albums and songs that made an impact on me at certain stages in my life, both now and then. All I really knew of Elton prior to this album was Crocodile Rock but I so remember turning the radio up and playing Crystal repeatedly and Too Low for Zero for that matter. And as I am writing this I have also asked myself the rhetorical question as to why this album? I can only say that I never really got into Elton too much as a kid, but I am guessing some of the classic movies I have watched and loved over the years contained some of his classic songs entail ie Tiny Dancer – Almost Famous and the like – sure they are songs of mammoth proportion and classic eligibility too fold but still it was this album that introduced me to one of the best song writer, performer-singers of my generation. Okay so this album might not be Elton’s magnum opus, it however it did impact me in my early years and given there is no way at that age I would of understood the lyrics - I don’t understand or can’t explain why but this album did.

I’m Still Standing

Too Low for Zero

My Pick-Crystal

1983

Number

Album

Artist

About

Song

Release

51

Appetite for Destruction

Guns & Roses

I remember this debuting album quite well upon the time of it’s release it was in the back half of my teen years and it certainly made an impact in my life. By then I had already most of ACDC’s back catalogue and I was listening to all the glam rock bands of that time “the Big Hair do bands”. GNR were different in my eyes they separated themselves from the pack quite well right from the very start. It’s hard to finger point why they were different and what distinguished them but after watching David Geffen’s life documentary recently I am guessing he had a lot to do with it. With Axel’s voice and Slash’s inequivalent guitar skills this band was always destined for big things. This band-album went on to be a synonymous rite of passage through my teens and it was quite disappointing to watch the band eventually implode and disband especially given the impact that they had on the people around my age not to mention their overall talent.

Welcome to the Jungle

Sweet Child of Mine

My Pick -

Paradise City

1987