Number 3 - Stone Roses - Stone Roses
Someone once asked me what my favorite 80's album was. This was my response. Aside from being one of the most important, if not the most important indie albums of the last 25 years The Stone Roses is one of those records that is perfect from the get go. Every song is a hit, every song is addictively catchy, and every song is just plain good from start to finish. This is the sort of album that I know every word to and every guitar part too. Even the backwards parts. "I Wanna Be Adored," "She Bangs the Drums," "Elephant Stone," "Waterfall," "I Am The Resurrection," and "Fools Gold," It's a track listing that reads like an Essential Selection of indie hits. Who could have ever thought that this little gem of Mancunian pop would become as important as it has. The Roses were just a bunch of lads who incidentally started a movement and would help bring British pop out of its bedsit doldrums. The Stone Roses was earth shattering because of its swagger, it's massive guitar parts, Ian Brown's I can't really sing vocals, and most importantantly its dance crossover credibility. The Stone Roses crossed over from indie kids to acid house kids and everyone in between. They were a band that everyone loved and whether you were in a field somewhere off your head or in a student union with a pint of cider in your hand you knew who the Roses were. For that alone, The Stone Roses is a monumental accomplishment. Add on the fact that the press made them into gods, they made their shows events (Spike Island anyone?), and they got into a massive contract dispute that essentially brought the band to a standstill and you have the stuff of legend. It seemed only fitting that their second album was for the most part shite. How could they have ever lived up to the expectations put upon them after creating a masterpiece? It couldn't be done and of course as a result the band was torn apart. Yet the Roses will always be respected and revered and The Stone Roses will always be looked upon as a genius album. How much to people love to hear these songs? People still buy the re-issues when ever the come out(there are now like 86836434 versions of The Stone Roses), NME went gaga when Ian Brown played a few on a tour last year and the Stoned Roses, a tribute band that plays The Stone Roses, often sells out when it tours across the UK. If that's not the sign of a band that's important than what is?

Number 2 Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Oasis are a band that you either love or hate. They are a band that is all about attitude. This is a band that doesn't move for two hours when playing live and they still manage to overwhelm the crowd. To say they have swagger and an aura about them would be an understatement. They know they're good and they know they have the tunes to back themselves up. The amazing thing about Oasis is that they knew that from the get go in 1994 when their debut album was released. Definitely Maybe is all about massive ego, massive guitar riffs, and absolutely massive tunes. While they only released five singles (Shakermaker, Rock N' Roll Star, Live Forever, Supersonic, Cigarettes & Alcohol) every song on this album could have been a hit. It's an absolutely blindingly brilliant album from start to finish. There's such a sense of urgency and intent throughout Definitely Maybe that Oasis comes off as a band that wants to be mind numbingly huge, that want to be pop stars, that want to conquer the world. Whether it's because of the brotherly love thing, Noel's songwriting ability or Liam's laddish lifestyle it all just clicked into place perfectly on Definitely Maybe. Noel and Liam play off of each other so perfectly throughout this record it's hard to imagine them ever getting along or even wanting to. You can sense the tension between them as the album goes on and Liam's sneer and Noel's hooky guitars just pummel you over the head until the closing notes of "Married With Children." It's not a complicated album, it's really just five guys playing simple rock n' roll and that's half of its charm. Definitely Maybe proved that anyone can make a great rock and roll record and it did that on a grand scale.