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As a public service, I often run down a list of music that I'm listening to in an attempt to instill some taste into our bankrupt social milieu (if I have to hear one more fucking Killers song . . .) What follows is an annotated list of ten albums (in no specific order) that changed the very way I look at music. I'm not saying you need to own these; I'm just saying you're uncultured if you don't.

1. Guns and Roses-Use Your Illusion I and II (1991)

Sure, Appetite for Destruction was a great album; in fact, it was one of the first tapes I ever bought. But thus double-disk masterpiece produced (as I'm counting) a dozen singles. Everyone is familiar with "Don't Cry" and "November Rain," but the sheer variety of amazing songs is startling: from the ass-kicking "Garden of Eden," to the mellow "So Fine" and the angsty epic "Estranged," this is truly an album set which has few equals, either in scope or just plain attitude. It was created by the band in an attempt to surpass and consequently bury their work done on Appetite, and I think they did just that.

2. Miles Davis-Kind of Blue (1959)

I don't care if you're punk, metal, what have you--Miles appeals to all. If you haven't listened to this album at top volume, you can't like music.

3. Devo-Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo! (1978)

One of the greatest punk albums . . . well, ever. Devo immediately appealed to me with their quirky off-beat style paired with their bitterly sarcastic and implicitly political message. They were one of the first bands to successfully use keyboard synth and sampling, and perhaps one of the last to do so creatively and tastefully. Duty now for the future!

4. Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes (1992)

Emotion: pure and unadulterated. Just a girl and a piano, churning out some of the most deeply felt and moving music ever known (and this is her debut album!). Tori is a lot of things to a lot of people, but to me this album will forever hold a special place in my heart. I still can't hear "Precious Things" without getting sentimental, nor should you be able to.

5. B. B. King-Why I Sing the Blues (1992)

There is, I am convinced, a B. B. King song for every mood you might find yourself in. And this album, from its sheer variety, seems to have it all. From the overtly political ("Why I Sing the Blues" and "Ghetto Woman") to the joyful ("Hummingbird," "So Excited," and "To Know You is to Love You") and the down and dirty blues ("Aint Nobody Home," "The Thrill is Gone" and "How Blue Can You Get?")--there is, as I like to say, a B. B. King song for every occasion. And chances are good it's on this album.

6. Morbid Angel-Covenant (1993)

My first death metal album was this 1993 classic. The speed, the intensity, the pure unadulterated hate (not to mention the musicianship) makes it one of the best ever. I've always been into heavy music, but this album redefined for me how heavy music can actually be. From the blistering opening track "Rapture," through the churning off-time "Angel of Disease," to (of course) the metal classic "God of Emptiness." This album truly pushed the limits of my teenage musical world.

7. Faith No More-Angel Dust (1992)

Faith No More redefined themselves on every album. The unique and radio-friendly sound of The Real Thing brought them into the pop-culture spotlight, but this 1992 followup is easily their best album. Although this is their fourth studio album, it was the first which was wholly written with Mike Patton in the band. Dark and moody, almost unpalatable to the average listener, this album separated the real fans from the posers. I must have listened to this album more than any other (ever!), and it's still not stale or tiring yet. And "Everything's Ruined" is probably one of my favorite FNM tracks.

8. Motorhead-Ace of Spades (1980)

1980 saw Reaganomics, U.S. conflict with Iran, and an ugly British bastard named Lemmy. And then music changed. Their distinctive mix of punk speed and aggression with metal riffs and attitude was a kick in the nuts to music at its time. Scott Ian credits this album as the reason Anthrax and Metallica played faster and heavier than the second wave metal bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. And still today it retains all of its glory. Although the musicianship on later albums is often better (e.g., Another Perfect Day), and there are great songs on some of the earlier albums (Bomber, Iron Fist), this album is a landmark.

9. Tool-Undertow (1993)

Opiate is my favorite Tool album. Raw and underproduced, that album has always been cathartic for me. But Tool's 1993 Undertow is by far--from every standpoint--their best. I picked up my copy at my local Newbury comics a week after it came out. I recall sitting in my room listening to it on my headphones, and just being blown away. Now, a lot of people like the softer and more radio friendly later albums like Aenema and Lateralis, which are much more digestible to the average listener. But, try to avoid the power of "Swamp Song" at top volume: I dare you.

10. Ministry-Psalm 69 (1992)

The speed, the power, the aggression. Al Journeson has written some great tunes ("Thieves," "Stigmata,") but nothing comes close to the power of this album. Neither what they have done previously (even Land of Rape and Honey) or anything they've done since can touch just the first side of this masterpiece alone: "TV II," "Just One Fix," "N.W.O.," and (of course) "Jesus Built My Hotrod." Fuck, yeah!