In honor of me turning 30, I’m compiling 30 different top-30 lists on a wide variety of topics ranging from trivial interests of mine to meaningful life moments. Read the introductory post for more background information on my 30 at 30 project. Reminder: there is no scientific rationale for these lists. They were composed by a panel of one—me.

I’ve written previously about my favorite songs and Matt’s Mixes, but before closing out my 30 at 30 project, I wanted to write about my favorite albums.

I owe my love of music and music collecting to my dad. Growing up he had an extensive collection of vinyl records and cassette tapes (and later CDs, which he maintains to this day). I remember some of my earliest albums came on cassette tape: The Sign by Ace of Base, Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em by MC Hammer, Shaq Diesel by Shaquille O’Neal, and Code Red by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Later, I became a member of the BMG CD club, taking advantage of the 12 CDs for a penny offer, and I never looked back. I think my initial order included the likes of Sweet Dreams by La Bouche and Villains by The Verve Pipe. I also remember having a sincere conversation with my parents when I was about 13 or so, explaining to them why I was mature enough to purchase and listen to CDs with explicit lyrics. To their credit, they trusted me, and to this day, I still don’t use a lot of profanity myself.

I am pretty sure at least a few of the albums on my list of favorites were purchased from that music club. The BMG CD club was also where I discovered one of my favorite bands, Dashboard Confessional, when they were a “featured selection” at one point. Over the years I also bought a lot of my CDs at Media Play and Borders. I used to treat myself to CD-spending sprees after each trimester of classes when I was in college at Mercyhurst.

Today my CD collection is well over 1,000. Plus, my wife Jessie and I also started collecting vinyl records a few years ago, which was greatly aided by receiving my dad’s collection and her mom’s. In today’s modern listening world, where any song can be queued up on YouTube or a streaming service in a matter of seconds, I remain fascinated by the artistic concept of a musical album, of listening straight through from start to finish, of the “story” or “theme” the band/artist was trying to convey through the album.

When I think of my favorite albums, they share two common characteristics. The most important factor is replayability, the idea that I never get tired of hearing it and even if it’s been around for years or decades, I’m excited to hear it again. The second quality is consistency. It’s not just about having one or two catchy hit songs—though those are fine—a favorite album for me needs to be one I genuinely want to listen straight through because I don’t want to miss anything on there rather than wanting to skip tracks to get to my favorite songs on the album.

Now without further ado, my top-30 favorite albums:

30. Graduation by Kanye West

Separating the art from the artist can be a controversial topic. For me, it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. I can acknowledge some of the problematic and hateful comments and stances on issues put forward by Kanye West and still appreciate his music. Since I wrote about Kanye in 2015, he’s only become a more polarizing figure in pop culture. None of the albums he’s released since then have been my favorite works of his; however, I love his older stuff. In fact, Kanye is one of only five artists/bands to have more than one album on my list of favorites.

Graduation was released in the fall of 2007, a few months after I graduated from college myself, and won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Fun fact, in researching this album, I realized there is a bonus track “Good Night” on Spotify that I had never heard before that makes me like the album even more, as it feels like a full-circle closing track linking back to the title of the opening track “Good Morning.”

29. Coloring Book by Chance the Rapper

Released in 2016, Coloring Book also won the Grammy for Best Rap Album (despite being a mixtape only available only on streaming platform). I was admittedly late to the party on Chance the Rapper. I did not become aware of his music until he was the musical guest on the Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live in 2016, performing “Finish Line/Drown” with Noname and “Same Drugs.” I was particularly blown away by “Finish Line/Drown,” and it led me to listening to the full album, which is a masterpiece with from start to finish.

28. The Head And The Heart by The Head And The Heart

Originally released in 2010, The Head And The Heart’s eponymous debut album is filled with emotional sweeping choruses that I love to sing along with. I enjoyed the album when I first heard it in the early 2010s and then rediscovered The Head and The Heart a couple years ago before seeing them live in concert at the WonderWorks music festival in Pittsburgh in 2023.

27. Under the Table and Dreaming by Dave Matthews Band

The debut studio album from Dave Matthews Band, Under the Table and Dreaming was released in September of 1994. Some of the songs were on the radio, and my 10-year-old self loved what he heard. I don’t know when I actually bought the album. It very well may have been one of those CD club purchases. In any case, I’ve been listening to DMB ever since.

26. The Beatles (White Album) by The Beatles 

Commonly referred to as The White Album, The Beatles’ eponymous 1968 album is the only album on this list of 30 that was released before I was born. I love the genre-defying nature of this album, which demonstrates the versatility of The Beatles.

I was fortunate enough to get to study this album in a Postmodernism class at Mercyhurst taught by Dr. Jeff Roessner, who is a big Beatles fan himself. It made me appreciate the album, which has gone on to be certified 24x platinum.

25. Chariot by Gavin DeGraw

Chariot was released in July of 2003, the summer after I graduated high school and became one of my favorite singalong albums that summer heading into college back when I was just starting to ask big questions about life and love and who I am called to be in this world. Songs like “Follow Through,” “I Don’t Want to Be,” and “Meaning” became anthems I would belt out on late night drives. I also loved the Stripped version of the album that was released a year later.

24. Lemonade by Beyoncé

The release of Lemonade in April of 2016 was accompanied by a 65-minute film that added to the artistic expression. I highly recommend listening to the Season 6 of the Dissect podcast, which breaks down and analyzes the entire album song by song (here’s a link to episode one from that season). You won’t regret it.

Beyoncé is an artist, full stop. And Lemonade chronicles an incredibly challenging time in her life and her relationship with her husband Jay-Z and channels it into beautiful art. As the album title suggests, she took the lemons this season of life gave her and made lemonade in the form of an unforgettable album.

23. Traveller by Chris Stapleton

Like Chance the Rapper, Chris Stapleton first caught my attention when he performed on SNL in January of 2016 when he performed two songs from this 2016 album that has gone on to be a regular one I cue up for road trip singalongs. I do not listen to country music regularly; however, not everyone in country music has pipes like Chris Stapleton. His voice is unbelievable. I love cranking the volume up loud enough so that when I sing along I can’t hear myself and can pretend I sound as good as him. Additionally, as a man who enjoys a Jack Daniels and Coke, Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” is hands down my favorite song of his.

22. This Desert Life by Counting Crows

My love of Counting Crows has been well documented. This Desert Life is the first of four Counting Crows albums that made the list. Released in 1999, I was only familiar with radio hit “Hanginaround” until I fell in love with the band during my junior/senior year of high school. I rediscovered all of their previous releases. “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby” is one of the finest examples of Adam’s songwriting prowess. Several of the songs have since gone on to make appearances on a Matt’s Mix. As much as I enjoy this album, it’s hard to believe there are three other Counting Crows albums that outrank it.

21. The Carnival by Wyclef Jean

I first became a fan of Wyclef Jean when he was a member of The Fugees through their hits on the radio and MTV (yeah, I’m of that era). So when I heard he was releasing a solo album, I was intrigued. Released in June of 1997, my almost teenage self had never heard anything quite like it. The album includes elements of hip hop, reggae, folk, disco, soul, Son Cubano, and Haitian music from the Haitian-born Wyclef and the Refugee All-Stars. This was also one of the first explicit lyrics albums I convinced my parents to let me buy.

20. The College Dropout by Kanye West

Speaking of MTV, my first introduction to Kanye West came via the music video for “Through the Wire,” which was so cutting edge and cool to me. Released in February of 2004, Kanye became my go-to rap artist as a college student, starting with this album. The flow, the samples, the vibe: The College Dropout had it all. So many of these songs have found their way onto pump up and work out playlists over the years, including “All Falls Down,” “Jesus Walks,” “Never Let Me Down,” and “The New Workout Plan” to name a few.

19. Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie

Released in October of 2003, Death Cab for Cutie’s Transatlanticism was another album that hit me during that pivotal period of life as I was beginning college. From the opening notes of “The New Year” to the slow build of the title track “Transatlanticism,” to the sweet and melancholy closing track “A Lack of Color,” this album is so well-crafted. I was fortunate enough to see Death Cab play the album straight through live at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre in Rochester Hills, Michigan

18. Rockin’ the Suburbs by Ben Folds

The personal connection to this album begins with Jessie playing some of the songs from this album on the piano at Mercyhurst during our first unofficial date when I gave her a tour of the campus back on April 15, 2005. The album was actually released on September 11, 2001 (yes, 9/11), but it wasn’t until 2005 that I really got into Ben Folds along with Jessie, and we eventually got to hear him play several of these songs live in concert at Allegheny in November 2005. “Still Fighting It” and “The Luckiest” are my two favorite treasures from an album full of great songs.

17. Girls and Boys by Ingrid Michelson

It seems like more than coincidence that Ingrid Michaelson’s Girls and Boys was released in May of 2007 right around the time her song “Keep Breathing” was featured in the season 3 finale of Grey’s Anatomy. I’m not a fan of the show. In fact, that may have been the only episode I have ever watched, but I was so moved by her song that I did a deep dive soon thereafter and discovered her music catalog, including Girls and Boys, which would go on to be most known for “The Way I Am” and the Old Navy commercial it was featured in. Six different songs from this album eventually were included in a Matt’s Mix.

16. Continuum by John Mayer

Continuum was released in September of 2006, right as I was beginning my senior year of college. Like many of the albums on this list, I was profoundly struck by the lyrics of the songs John Mayer included on Continuum. Eight different songs from the album have been featured on a Matt’s Mix, including “Gravity,” “Stop This Train,” “Bold As Love,” and “In Repair.”

15. Recovering the Satellites by Counting Crows

The second Counting Crows album on the list is also the band’s second studio album. Released in 1996, Recovering the Satellites is best known for “A Long December,” which is really the song that got me to rediscover Counting Crows in the early 2000s when they became my favorite band. It remains a December anthem that I listen to year after year heading into the new year. The rest of the album has a lot of underrated tracks that didn’t have the mass appeal of “A Long December” such as “Goodnight Elisabeth,” “Mercury,” and “Another Horsedreamer’s Blues.”

14. The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most by Dashboard Confessional

Released in March of 2001, Dashboard Confessional’s The Placed You Have Come to Fear the Most first caught my attention as a featured album in the aforementioned CD club I was a member of. My teenage angsty heart had never tapped into the emo sound quite like this before. Chris Carrabba’s heartfelt lyrics and pleading vocals connected with me on a deep emotional level right as my teenage heart was beginning to experience the myriad of emotions that go along with teenage love. More than 20 years later, hearing this album transports me back to those big feelings. While I can now laugh at myself for my melodramatic teenage moments, listening to this album still serves as a fun reminder of that coming of age time in my life.

13. Get Lifted by John Legend

It was hard not to include more John Legend albums on this list. His 2013 release Love in the Future was one of the final cuts not to make it. Ultimately though, it is his debut album Get Lifted, that stands out most for me. Released in December of 2005, I remember being instantly drawn to the soulful sounds of this album that blends elements of R&B, hip hop, and soul music. Eight songs from the album have been featured on a Matt’s Mix, including “Ordinary People,” “It Don’t Have to Change,” and “So High.”

12. The King is Dead by The Decemberists

The Decemberists’ 2011 The King Is Dead is a great listen from start to finish. It is often one of my go-to road trip albums as it packs a punch in 40 minutes. The opening lines of the opening track “Here we come to a turning of the season…” make it a great album for periods of transition and new beginnings. However, it really can be an album for any season, especially with its inclusion of “January Hymn” and “June Hymn,” two of my favorite tracks that pay homage to the beginning and middle of the calendar year.

11. Awake is the New Sleep by Ben Lee

Released in February of 2005, I honestly don’t remember how I first stumbled upon Ben Lee’s Awake Is the New Sleep. I do, however, recall how compelling I found it. To say that it passes the “no skips” test woud be an understatement. An incredible 13 of the album’s 14 tracks have been included on a Matt’s Mix. I’m not sure any other album on this list can top that. Ben Lee’s other work is a bit more hit and miss with me, but Awake Is the New Sleep is a masterpiece in my mind.

10. Renaissance by Beyoncé

Timing is everything, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance was released July 29, 2022, right after my wife and I got back from a life-changing anniversary trip to Greece. “Summer Renaissance” instantly became a personal summer anthem, and I haven’t looked back since. Beyoncé herself said, “Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world. It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.” The album exudes joy and a free-spiritedness that is refreshing and life-giving.

9. True Sadness by The Avett Brothers 

In the time since I began my 30 at 30 project, The Avett Brothers have become one of my favorite bands. They were not on the initial 30 at 30 list, but if I made it 40 at 40, I have no doubt they would be on the list and likely toward the top. I enjoy their entire catalog of music, but their 2016 release True Sadness is my personal favorite. Listen to the album, please. Then check out the documentary May It Last: A Portrait Of The Avett Brothers directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio to enjoy a behind the scenes look at the making of the album. If you don’t cry after “No Hard Feelings,” you may need to check your pulse. The heart and thoughtfulness that goes into the making of these songs is profound.

8. Twentysomething by Jamie Callum

One of my favorite singalong albums, Jamie Cullum’s Twentysomething came out shortly before I turned 20 myself in 2004. The title track came in at #3 on my list of 30 at 30: Favorite Songs, and the rest of the album is wonderful as well. Ostensibly a jazz album, Twentysomething was unlike anything I had ever heard before, as Cullum added a modern pop flair to the jazz sound that made it approachable and easy to listen to without sacrificing musical quality. In addition to the title track, “But For Now,” “All At Sea,” and “Lover, You Should Have Come Over” are among the eight different tracks that have appeared on a Matt’s Mix.

7. Echo Boom by The Farewell Drifters

Released in June of 2011, Echo Boom by The Farewell Drifters is arguably the least well known album on this list, but don’t sleep on it. Debuting at number 6 on the Billboard Bluegrass Charts, Echo Boom is a fantastic listen from start to finish. Although the band is no longer active, they were a personal favorite in the early 2010s and featured my friend and Cathedral Prep classmate Christian Sedelmeyer on fiddle. This particular album came out the summer Jessie and I got married, and “We Go Together” was the last song we played at the wedding reception, which is one of my favorite memories from that memorable day.

6. Coming Home by Leon Bridges

Coming Home was released in June of 2015, a few months before I became a dad. I went on to listen to this album roughly 5 million times after my son Benjamin was born. I would hold him and dance around in our house with this album on repeat, putting him to sleep in my arms. “Flower” was his favorite dance track and “River” was the rock-him-to-sleep champion. Bridges is a throwback. His record sounds like it could have been released decades earlier alongside the likes of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke, but I’ll always associate this album with baby Ben and those precious days as a first-time father.

5. Atlas: II by Sleeping At Last

Officially released in 2019, Atlas: II is the second collection in a three-part series by singer-songwriter Ryan O’Neal under the moniker Sleeping At Last. The level of thoughtfulness and intentionality that goes into Ryan’s projects and songwriting process reminds me of me and my own personal projects, such as this 30 at 30 project I’ve been working on the past decade. I first heard of Sleeping At Last in 2022, and I have been hooked on their music ever since. For a more comprehensive peek behind the curtain, read more about the themes explored on Atlas: II and the individual songs in the collection. The whole album is masterful. I particularly love the Ennegram songs, especially since Ryan and I both happen to be Type Nines.

4. Crash by Dave Matthews Band

Released in 1996, Dave Matthews Band’s Crash has been in my life since before I was a teenager. From the opening chords of the upbeat “So Much to Say” to the final sounds of the meditative “Proudest Monkey,” Crash is a musical journey I have enjoyed taking countless times over the years. “Crash into Me” is one of my favorite songs of all-time, and the album also includes DMB classics like “Two Step,” “#41,” and “Too Much.”

3. Heavier Things by John Mayer

As with so many albums on this list, Heavier Things, released in September of 2003, came out during that coming of age period in life around the end of high school and beginning of college. So many of the lyrics of these songs resonated with me then, and many of the songs have only grown more poignant over the years, especially songs like “Daughters,” “Wheel,” and “Clarity.” Clocking in at just over 46 minutes, Heavier Things is only 10 tracks long; there is no wasted time here.

2. August and Everything After by Counting Crows

Many people would argue August and Everything After, Counting Crows’ debut album, is also their best album. For me, it comes in at number two on my personal list of favorites. Featuring three of the bands most well-known songs, “Mr. Jones,” “Round Here,” and “Rain King,” August is a 90s rock masterpiece that helped launch Counting Crows into the mainstream. Although I heard the radio hits as a kid, it wasn’t until I rediscovered Counting Crows in the early 2000s that I listened to the whole album and fell in love with other lesser known tracks like “Time and Time Again,” “Sullivan Street,” and “A Murder of One.” Hearing most of these songs live over the years has only made me grow to love this album more in time.

1. Hard Candy by Counting Crows

Coming in at number one on my list is Counting Crows’ fourth studio album, Hard Candy, which (surprise!) was released in July of 2002, the summer before my senior year of high school. I then saw my first concert ever in April of 2003 when Counting Crows came to Erie and performed at the Warner Theater. That live show included half of the album’s 14 songs and solidified its place in my personal history as a music fan and Counting Crows fan. While many of the individual songs on the album have been meaningful in different ways over the years, it is an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Hard Candy was the album and era that made me fall in love with Counting Crows and deep dive into their entire discography, and it’s an album I will never get tired of listening to.