First off, I could not be more excited that @bennythejetjacobs 2nd Official MTP Bracket is now underway! Since I did not write the blogs, have much input into what was chosen, but followed along and have now formed opinions about 90% of the albums, I am here to tell you some of my favorites!
I have 2 different Top 5 lists that I am going to bring your way.
One of those lists will cover my 5 favorite albums that I was unfamiliar with before reading/listening to the album or blog covering it. Then I will have my biased but favorite 5 albums outright to be told today before the round of 64 starting tomorrow (Wednesday 7/28/21).
NOAH’S TOP 5 NEWLY DISCOVERED ALBUMS
5. Is This It by The Strokes.
This album became familiarized to me slightly from former roommate Andrew Lindstrom. When I listened to this album from the MTP, I realized that I recognized the sound, and later found out that my Andrew greatly enjoyed The Strokes. This from of alternative/rock music has a fun and upbeat sound the whole way, really tossing great songs of Is This It, Someday, and Last Nite in the middle. The overall “vibe” of the album is really what captured me.
4. Berry Is On Top by Chuck Berry
This album essentially has every single song sound very similar to the one before. Maybe that is a bad thing, but to me it is called consistency. This album is extremely happy, very classic sounding, and of course has that one song that Marty McFly rips in Back to the Future! If you need a short intro to this album, check out Maybellene and Johnny B. Goode.
3. Illmatic by Nas
This is not an album that I was familiar with, I am not really a hip-hop rooted person you will be able to tell by my top 5 albums period. I now understand why this album is considered one of if not the best rap album of all-time. Nas is an incredible rapper with smooth flow in each of his songs. Really there were not stand out songs to me, maybe that will come in more listens, but that is why I enjoyed it so much. I was into the album the whole time, but did not feel like it had massive highs or lows. I enjoyed the songs The World is Yours and One Love.
2. Otis Blue by Otis Redding
Otis Redding singing soul is truly beautiful. This album was an easy listen as you will recognize many of the songs and Otis puts his own twist on them. Songs such as Respect, Change Gonna Come, My Girl, Satisfaction (I Can’t Get No), and Wonderful World are songs that you would recognize and are easy listens. This is much more of a laid back and chill album compared to what I usually listen to, but this album has some bangers and a killer swagger to the way it moves!
1. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie
This album is incredible. This album did not miss my overall top 5 by much. Bowie has a killer vibe to himself, his swagger is endless, and his sound is purely special. I am a big David Bowie fan, but many of these songs are not his most mainstream, so the average music listener as myself recognized some of the songs, but the whole album blew me away. I listened to it twice the first day that I ever listened to it. Moonage Daydream and Starman are both certified classics and bangers, songs that you likely recognize from a movie at some point in your life. Then you also have songs such as Star, Ziggy Stardust and Soul Love that will get your feet tapping and your mind swimming.
NOAH’S TOP 5 MTP ALBUMS
5. Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the greatest bands in the history of music. This album is only 8 songs deep, but those 8 songs come at you strong. Tuesday’s Gone is a great song that makes me think of Happy Gilmore, Gimme Three Steps has great rock roots, Simple Man is just a plain old great song, and Free Bird is one of the greatest songs ever made and is pivotally used in Forrest Gump as well. The sound of this album can be a bit odd, but the combination of relaxing and rock and roll that Skynyrd can have is surely exemplified in Free Bird and really puts together why they are so amazing. This album could get serious legs in this bracket.
4. Hysteria by Def Leppard
Rock and roll. Def Leppard BANGS! Ben is very into Def Leppard and this album certainly got me closer to being a hardcore fan of theirs. Really centered around Pour Some Sugar On Me, one of the ultimate dad anthems, a classic karaoke song, and an all time slap, it is hard to go wrong from there. That is the 5th song, the 4 before it are all very good with Women, Rocket, Animal and Love Bites. Then follow it up with Armageddon It, Don’t Shoot Shotgun and Hysteria, this album is a longer one being slightly over an hour, but this really is a rock and roll album, and I am there for all of it!
3. The College Dropout by Kanye West
I am a large fan of Kanye West, mainly thanks to my O.G. boy Seth Ferzo! There is a lot going on in this album, but there is a reason why it won the first bracket pool. We Don’t Care brings an attitude early on in the album. All Falls Down and Jesus Walks are the songs that really highlight the album from a mainstream perspective. Never Let Me Down has some great features and a more serious tone that really brings you in. The New Workout Plan is rather a hilarious side quest within this banger album that I would say I enjoy more than the average person. School Spirit is a were catchy song, and they finish the album strong with Through the Wire (my favorite on the album) and then Family Business. Kanye can really speak to you if you open your mind to it, and that makes this album special. If you haven’t listened, you have to, putting this as my 3 might even be to low.
2. Thriller by Michael Jackson
The top selling album of all time is a true masterpiece. Every child becomes aware of Michael Jackson and his musical impact on the world. This album is only 9 songs, and in my opinion it has 5 songs that have the potential to be in the top 10 at any time on a billboard chart. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean and P.Y.T. are all insanely fun songs to sing, to listen to, and they really bring a fun energy to any situation. You can listen to this album with any group of people and it will be accepted and that has to mean something. Not to discount the other songs in the album, but those 5 really bring people together and make this album a timeless wonder!
1. Back in Black by AC/DC
This is my favorite album of all time. The blog that Ben wrote told a story and really helped tie this album together even more. This album HAS THE LEGS TO WIN IT ALL! This album top to bottom is ROCK N ROLL BABY! I am actually not kidding that each of the 10 songs on this album are extremely enjoyable to me, and in a listen of this album there is not a song I will consider skipping. Hells Bells is a popular rock song to kick it off, then Shoot to Thrill which is “HIGH VOLTAGE”, What Do You Do For Money Honey is a chant song or so it feels that way. Giving the Dog a Bone really feels to embody a classic rock song to me, maybe not the best morals, but you know what you are getting into. Let me Put My Love Into You has a great rhythm. Back In Black is probably one of my 5 favorite songs of all time, and in any mood I can listen to that song, sing it, and enjoy every second of it. You Shook Me All Night Long is another banger and true rock and roll classic. Have a Drink on Me seems to come back to the consistent theme of rock and roll and is a fun song to listen to and let your mind wander to a night out with the gang, Shake a Leg might be my least favorite song on the album, but this song is still incredible, as I type this I don’t think I can accurately have a least favorite, Shake a Leg is awesome! Finally Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution really shows the attitude toward people that are against rock, states their case that this is music that can help the world, and this is not nonsense filling the air. This album is incredible, I’m getting excited just thinking about it, if I was the only voter, there would never be a contest against this album, so if you go 50/50, remember this blog.
This blog really got the blood pumping headed into the bracket pool. If you haven’t already followed the accounts, make sure you do and that you get your votes in every day for the albums that you love the most. This is going to be fun!
Fatstacks 
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