AllMusic 20: Tom's Faves

As anybody who has worked with me knows, I am no good with compiling concise lists -- and coming up with 20 albums from the past 20 years presents a very difficult challenge indeed. Considering how the AllMusic 20 series celebrates a specific anniversary, I've decided to select 20 albums that provided a soundtrack to the AMG offices over the last two decades -- or, more precisely, the records that evoke what working at AMG has sounded like. This is by no means comprehensive -- there are no reissues, no blasts from the past, many great important albums (including many I love, like In Utero and OK Computer) are missing, some personal favorites are absent (alas, Orlando's Passive Soul, we hardly knew ye), as are favorites from other editors (I'll always associate the Cardigans' Life with John Bush). But each one of these evokes a time and a place at AMG and continues to give me considerable pleasure all these years later. Or, to paraphrase, these satisfactions are permanent.

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Suede - Suede
Urge Overkill - Saturation
Portishead - Dummy
Blur - Parklife
Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Tricky - Maxinquaye
Pulp - Different Class
Weezer - Pinkerton
Sheryl Crow - Sheryl Crow
Ween - The Mollusk
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Fiona Apple - When the Pawn...
The Strokes - Is This It
The White Stripes - Elephant
Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf
Lily Allen - Alright, Still
Brad Paisley - American Saturday Night