What better way to pick up posting again than with following a meme. Nick Carr in Albums Going Steady describes the challenge to list "a favorite album for every year of your life." I actually do not have the problem described by Nick and others to really start with my birth year. The challenge has two restrictions: only one album per year and there can be no repeats of artists. I have added for myself the restriction that I should actually own the album, which restricts the set to choose from significantly and also makes for some peculiar choices.

Here is my list:

1958: Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire
1959: Ray Charles, What I'd Say
1960: Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain
1961: Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers
1962: Booker T & MG, Green Onions
1963: James Brown, Live at the Apollo
1964: John Coltrane, Love Supreme
1965: Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited
1966: Cream, Fresh Cream
1967: The Doors, The Doors
1968: Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison
1969: Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed
1970: The Who, Live at Leads
1971: Marvin Gaye, What's going on
1972: Deep Purple, Made in Japan
1973: Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
1974: Genesis, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
1975: Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti
1976: Eagles, Hotel California
1977: The Stranglers, Rattus Norvegicus
1978: Herman Brood and his Wild Romance, Shpritsz
1979: The Clash, London Calling
1980: AC/DC, Back in Black
1981: The Police, Ghost in the Machine
1982: Steel Pulse, True Democracy
1983: U2, Under a Blood Red Sky
1984: Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense
1985: John Cougar Mellencamp, Scarecrow
1986: Run DMC, Raising Hell
1987: Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction
1988: Public Enemy, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
1989: Eric Clapton, Journeyman
1990: Angelo Badalamenti, Twin Peaks Soundtrack
1991: Nirvana, Nevermind
1992: Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine
1993: Live, Throwing Copper
1994: Neil Young, Sleeps with Angels
1995: Garbage, Garbage
1996: James Cotton, Deep in the Blues
1997: Erykah Badu, Baduizm
1998: DMX, Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood
1999: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Californication
2000: Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP
2001: The Strokes, Is This It
2002: Richard Locker, Jewish Cello Masterpieces
2003: Linkin Park, Meteora
2004: Green Day, American Idiot
2005: Fiona Apple, Extraordinary Machine
2006: Matisyahu, Youth
2007: Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

The hardest part was leaving Albums out; too many masterpieces in the 70s for example. But also, some other eras were difficult. I really wanted Linton Kwesi Johnson in there, but every time he had formidable competition. Madness got beaten by AC/DC, Beastie Boys by Run DMC, Nirvana kept Metallica out, The Stranglers win it from Jonny Rotten every time. Honorable mentions for Traffic, Apocalyptica, Counting Crows and Nine Inch Nails; they almost made it.