Top Five Most Influential Albums in My Life

By: Steve Henning

Growing up with three older siblings that all have different musical taste gave me an appreciation of a wide variety of different genres in music. I have complied a list of albums make up the most important moments in my musical life and the basis for who I am.

Honorable mention- Blink 182’s Enema of the State (1999)- I have to mention this album because of the style and messages of the songs like “What’s My Age Again” and “Adam’s Song” fit me so well at that time in my life. Like most of Blink 182’s music I felt this album could have been written for or by me.

TIE 5/4. Bobbie Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel (1988), Boyz II Men’s CooleyHighHarmony (1991)- Both of these two albums are given the credit for bringing R&B to my direct attention and both played a huge part in my romantic side as a young man. With Boyz II Men Songs like “Please Don’t Go”, “Motownphilly” and Bobby Brown songs like “Every Little Step”, “Roni” and “Rock Wit’Cha” I felt as though I had a good hand on lady pleasing. Although Boyz II men were my first R&B purchase, Bobbie Brown was played quite a bit more. Both are the Stand out albums of mid to late teens.

3. LL Cool J’s Bigger and Deffer (1987)- My very first taste of Rap music and I never would have guessed the impact it would have had on me. From the first line of “No rapper can rap quite like I can, I’ll take a muscle bound man and put his face in the sand”, the song “I’m Bad”. I was hooked in that instant. I can remember wishing I could do that, give a vocally strong and confident delivery or the rhymed word. This album showed me a lot about creativity and along with “I Need Love” that a true artist can have many sides.

2. Twisted Sister’s Stay Hungry (1984)- This was the very first "cassette" I ever purchased. I remember hearing “We're Not Gonna Take It” for the first time and the effect it had on me as a little ten year old heathen. That song along with “I Wanna Rock” and “Burn In Hell” were the “on” switch to high energy and a take over the world mentality. That album with those songs can play at any time and still get me pumped up today.

1. Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill (1995)- No other album comes close to Jagged Little Pill as far as having an impact on me. At the age of 20 I saw someone sing their pain, a strong woman that made me really listen to the meaning behind the words written down. You should really listen to every song on this album, but the stand outs for me are “Perfect” and “You Learn”. Alanis herself has not since been able to duplicate the experience that is an album made me look inside myself and appreciate others around me.

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