Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.
Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.
#10: Jimmy Eat World – Bleed American
Release Date: July 18, 2001
When I first heard the album: June 2009
Why I loved it then: I know you’re probably tired of reading this by now, but the period between October 2008 and July 2009 was by far the most influential period of my life musically. I had heard of Jimmy Eat World for years but never gave them a listen because I (wrongly) believed that they were stylistically similar to the Dave Matthews Band. Yeah, I’m not entirely sure why I thought that either. I heard “Firefight” from their Chase This Light album while I was at a Hot Topic in Florida, and that piqued my curiosity about the band. After hearing “The Middle” while playing Rock Band 2, I finally decided to download their entire discography. I instantly fell in love with Bleed American. Jimmy Eat World’s unique brand of “emotional pop punk” set them apart from other bands in the genre. Stylistically, it was everything I had loved about music ever since I heard NFG’s Nothing Gold Can Stay. Lyrically, it was exactly what I needed at the time. I was JUST starting to realize that the fairy tale I believed my life would be post-college graduation was a farce. Sprinkling the pop punk sound with some emotional lyrics puts Jimmy Eat World and this album on a level of its own.
Why I still love it now: Wow, we’ve made it to my top ten, which means that these albums are albums that I love a whole awful lot. There is pretty much nothing bad I can say about this album. The two or three songs I don’t particularly care for aren’t so much “bad” inasmuch as they simply don’t mesh well with me stylistically. This album was the soundtrack for the summer that I realized that life was not going to be easy. When I listen to this album, I think of driving to CiCi’s with Rob, taking Stacie to breakfast and to my grandparents’ pool, and of failed job interviews. It has become synonymous with a period of my life that was far from perfect yet was still inherently enjoyable.
Lingering Lyric: “Are you gonna live your life wonderin' standing in the back lookin' around?/ Are you gonna waste your time thinkin' how you've grown up or how you missed out?/ Things are never gonna be the way you want./ Where's it gonna get you acting serious?/ Things are never gonna be quite what you want./ Or even at 25, you gotta start sometime./ I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go./ Now all I need is just to hear a song I know./ I wanna always feel like part of this was mine./ I wanna fall in love tonight.”
Top Tracks: Bleed American, A Praise Chorus, The Middle, Sweetness, Hear You Me, Cautioners
Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letters to the President
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