After encouraging Loren to post his list and seeing it the next day, I knew I had to deliver my own version as soon as possible. Here it is; I hope you enjoy it.
The Beatles – Meet The Beatles!
While channel surfing on a boring night in 1996, a quartet of smiling young men appeared on the screen performing a song called “I Want to Hold Your Hand”. I immediately knew that my life had changed. The next day, I asked my mother if she knew who these musicians were. Overcome with emotion, she gave me her collection of Beatles LPs. Naturally, the first one I listened to was their US debut, “Meet The Beatles”, whose opening song was the same one I had heard the night before. From that point on, I wanted to immerse myself completely in music, especially Rock & Roll.
Led Zeppelin IV
When I told my 5th grade guitar teacher that I wasn’t familiar with the name “Led Zeppelin”, he lent me his copy of the fourth album of this legendary group and told me to listen to the song “Rock & Roll”. As soon as I pressed the play button, the loud and aggressive crashing of John Bonham’s cymbals scared the hell out of me, and I immediately turned off the record player. Fortunately, my curiosity would not allow me to disregard what I heard. I played the song again, realized I had discovered a new style of music, and began my life-long infatuation with Hard Rock.
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On
In 1998, every teen and pre-teen in Puerto Rico had Bob Marley’s greatest hits compilation “Legend” in his/her personal collection. I thought it was nothing to fuss about, but decided to give his music another chance and bought this collection. Most of the songs on “Legend” focused on Marley’s romantic side, but the ones on “Natural Mystic” were much more politically charged. The attacks on racism and social inequality found on “So Much Trouble in the World” and “War” (as well as the call to unity on “Africa Unite”) showed me that music could serve as a powerful tool for social change and personal growth.
Rage Against The Machine – Evil Empire
Although I prefer their debut, this is the RATM album that changed my life. The picture of dozens of books that was found inside the booklet set off my interest in politics. When I saw that one of my favorite bands encouraged learning about people like Che Guevara, Malcolm X, Karl Marx, and the Black Panthers, I was never the same. The music was also life-changing; even if he was working within an Alternative/Hard Rock context, Zack de la Rocha was the first rapper I liked, and this would eventually lead me to the Hip Hop genre.
Redman – Doc’s Da Name 2000
By 1999, I was anxious to listen to something completely different from the Classic and Alternative Rock that I was used to. I proceeded to explore Rap music more deeply, and the first album I bought was Redman’s platinum-selling release from the year before. Although the catchy beats rooted in 70s Funk caught my attention at first, the clever wordplay and the musicality of Redman’s delivery made me love the album and turned me into the Hip Hop head that I am today.
The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??!
A few months after my 12th birthday, I was given The Roots’ second album as a present. After listening to Black Thought’s and Malik B’s literate raps and the jazz-influenced grooves played by ?uestlove and the rest of the band, I knew that Hip Hop had much more to offer than the stereotypical images and sounds seen and heard on TV. This was my first encounter with the subgenre known as Alternative Rap, and I was dying to find other highly creative rappers that existed outside the mainstream.
Nas – Illmatic
I will never forget the first time I heard “N.Y. State of Mind”. The first verse was so mind-blowing that I must have played it ten times before moving on to the second half of the song. The intricate lyrics that demand and reward close attention, and the hard-hitting, jazzy, and elaborate beats, make “Illmatic” far and away my favorite album of all time. With this seminal record, Nas set the bar incredibly high, and I became much stricter with the way I judged rappers after this experience.
Willie Colón – Lo Mato
Growing up, I always thought Salsa was lighthearted dance music for people my parents’ age. That perception was erased forever as soon as I heard “Calle Luna, Calle Sol”. The heavy-sounding trombone showed that this was no pop tune, and the cautionary lyrics about one of Puerto Rico’s most dangerous streets resonated in a way that I could have never imagined. This song, as well as the rest of the album, not only made me love Salsa music, it also instilled a sense of cultural identity and pride that will forever define me.
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Even though my parents always took me to Jazz concerts as a child, I did not explore the genre on my own until I turned 17. After reading an article that named this the best Jazz album of all time, I decided to give it a listen. Much like “N.Y. State of Mind”, “So What” was such a perfect song that it took me a few weeks to move on to the rest of the album. Complex in execution but simple in approach, the majestic sounds of “Kind of Blue” made me eager to listen to other genres of music that I had previously avoided.
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
I bought this landmark recording in 1998 at the age of 10, but it did not have a profound impact on me until 2008. Disillusioned with the state of music at the time, I sought refuge in an undisputed classic, and it felt like I was listening to it for the first time. Every song impresses by sounding so raw and menacing while having unforgettable hooks. My infatuation with this album kick started my obsession with dirty and bluesy Hard Rock, which to this day remains my favorite style of Rock music.
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