Pink Floyd - Relics
Basically kicked off my obsessive collection of music. Pink Floyd was the first band I felt compelled to acquire their whole catalogue (up to The Final Cut anyway). I think Pink Floyd got me through half of my teens from about 12-15.
Brian Eno - Discreet Music
Heard this on a radio program by the same name (Discreet Music on 3PBS radio here in Melbourne). Remember lying in bed about 11 at night listening to this on my headphones. Still love Eno.
Cosmic Psychos - Custom Credit
I think this was about my first introduction to local pub rock/punk bands. This was more of a live music phase when I turned 18 and got a license and a **** box car to get around in and go to dingy Melbourne pubs to check out some great Aussie bands of the era like Cosmic Psychos, Vicious Circle, Meanies, Hard Ons.
Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies
First of the US punk stuff I got into. Probably a bit of a neglected category in my collection. As much as I loved it there wasn't much info at the time to find other bands. It was pretty hit and miss getting compilations and liking maybe one or two artists from an album.
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead
This kind of marked the beginning of a goth phase which was more night club based than live venue. Cure, Joy Division, Smiths. Liked it at the time but hasn't really kept a place in my core rotation apart from Joy Division.
Bob Marley - Survival
Never really went beyond Bob Marley in the reggae front but I got most of his albums starting with this one.
Funkadelic - Music For Your Mother
This double Funkadelic compilation kicked off my love of funk. Who could blame me. Great stuff.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
This album moved me on to explore more of the soul side of funk. Got most of Marvin Gaye's albums and checked out many other soul artists when I exhausted his catalogue.
Bonnie Prince Billy - I See a Darkness
Heard the title track on Johnny Cash's American III - Solitary Man and the lyrics resonated with me so I found out who wrote them and got on to Bonnie Prince Billy. Got many of his albums but this is still my favourite. Started me off on a acoustic/folky tangent that I am still following.
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Following on from the Bonnie Prince Billy I went back to chase down some earlier folk artists that may have passed me by starting with this album from Nick Drake. Nice stuff but I may have played it to death. I tend to gorge on my music until I never want to hear it again.
There are plenty more in between but seeing it is 10 most important I will stop there. These are probably the milestones that marked a change in direction for me musically.
Oh and honorable mentions to
John Coltrane - Giant Steps,
Radiohead - OK Computer,
Dead Can Dance - Spleen and Ideal,
Iggy and the Stooges - Raw Power,
Lamb - Lamb,
Neil Young - Harvest,
Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror (compilation),
Sonic Youth - Goo,
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones,
Wes Montgomery Trio - Guitar On the Go.