Classic Rock: Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram
Messy, stylistically all over the place, veers from twee to hard-rock, but love it all the same. Got some great memories of pissing off my neighbours playing this at insane volumes virtually constantly.
Blues: John Lee Hooker - The Best Of...
I don't have a lot of bona-fide albums of this stuff, so this'll have to do.
House Rent Boogie is disturbingly hilarious.
Jazz: Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
St Thomas is one of the best anythings ever.
Pop: The Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
When my mind's drawing blanks, I just go for the Beatles as a reflex action.
It's the best, most consistent, pure and unabashed pop album I can think of right now.
Folk: Boubacar Traore - Mariana
It changes a lot, but as far as my stomach for Malian folk music goes, this has been getting far and away the most plays lately. The way the acoustic guitars play off each other is just gorgeous.
Country: Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace Of Sin
Features one of the strongest B-sides to any album that I've ever heard.
Punk: Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon - Prairie Home Invasion
Not only one of the funniest albums I own, but the songs are just so well-performed and faithful to what they're pastiching you can't help but love it.
Modern Rock: Nobunny - First Blood
Sometimes just typing 'f
uck yeah' is the only description an album needs.
Psychedelic/Trippy (aka any favorite trippy album): Augustus Pablo - East Of the River Nile
Really can't see how I'd get by without this one. Absolute class.
Reggae: The Melodians - Sweet Sensation
The bass on this album blows my mind every time.
Hip-Hop: Techno Animal - Brotherhood Of the Bomb
Industrial hip-hop =
Eardrum-burstingly awesome stuff.
Electronic (yes I know this is painfully vague but who has the time to mention all sub-genres): High Contrast - True Colours
Haven't been listening to a lot of this stuff lately but, frankly, there's never a bad time for vintage d'n'b, so here it is.
Guilty Pleasure: Huey Lewis & the News - Fore!
Screw you, this rules
Gothic/new age: Dead Can Dance - Spiritchaser
Just breathtakingly fantastabulous.