I did include box sets and compilations but for purists whose sensibilities are offended, I almost always offered a non-compilation "alternate" choice. The honorable mention are just 5 I wish I could have included...they are NOT in my 50:
1. Beatles “Revolver”
2. Beach Boys “Pet Sounds”
3. James Brown “Live at the Apollo”
4. Johnny Cash “At Folsom Prison”
5. Led Zeppelin (box set) or ALTERNATE Led Zeppelin “IV”
6. Jimi Hendrix “Are You Experienced?”
7. Beatles “Rubber Soul”
8. The Eagles “Greatest Hits Vol. II” or ALTERNATE The Eagles “Hotel California”
9. Steely Dan “Citizen Steely Dan” (box set) or ALTERNATE Steely Dan “Pretzel Logic”
10. Fleetwood Mac “Rumours”
11. The Choir “Chase the Kangaroo”
12. Tom Petty “Full Moon Fever”
13. Crosby Stills Nash and Young “Four Way Street”
14. Billy Joel “Greatest Hits Vol. I and II” or ALTERNATE Billy Joel “The Stranger”
15. The Cure “Galore” (compilation) or ALTERNATE The Cure “Disintegration”
16. L.L. Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out”
17. Paul Simon “Negotiations and Love Songs” or ALTERNATE Paul Simon “Rhythm of the Saints”
18. Seventy Sevens “77s”
19. The Doors “Best of” 2 CD anthology or ALTERNATE The Doors “The Doors”
20. Little Richard “The Georgia Peach” (gr. Hits) or ALTERNATE Little Richard “Little Richard”
21. Elvis Costello “My Aim is True”
22. The Monkees “Anthology” (2CD collection) or ALTERNATE The Monkees “Headquarters”
23. The Imperials “This Year’s Model”
24. Weezer “Blue Album”
25. Fiona Apple “Tidal”
26. The Byrds “Greatest Hits” or ALTERNATE The Byrds “Sweethearts of the Rodeo”
27. Blood, Sweat, and Tears “Child is Father to the Man”
28. Aimee Mann “Whatever”
29. Frank Sinatra “Capitol Years” (box set) or ALTERNATE Frank Sinatra “His Greatest Performances 1953-1960” (anthology)
30. Nat King Cole “Nat King Cole” (box set) or ALTERNATE “The Greatest Hits (Capitol Records version from 1994)
31. Ray Charles “Genius and Soul” (box set) or ALTERNATE Ray Charles “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music”
32. Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
33. ELO “Afterglow” (box set) OR ALTERNATE ELO “Light Years: Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra” (2 CD best of)
34. Paul McCartney “All the Best” or ALTERNATE Paul McCartney and Wings “Band on the Run”
35. Willie Nelson “16 Biggest Hits” or ALTERNATE Willie Nelson “Stardust”
36. Amy Grant “Lead me On”
37. The Band “Music from Big Pink”
38. Bob Dylan “Highway 61 Revisited”
39. Rush “Chronicles” (2CD anthology) or ALTERNATE Rush “Permanent Waves”They Might Be Giants “Flood”
40. Beach Boys “Sunflower”
41. Beach Boys “Surf’s Up”
42. U2 “The Joshua Tree”
43. Crowded House “Temple of Low Men”
44. XTC “Oranges and Lemons”
45. Depeche Mode “Violator”
46. Lauryn Hill “Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”
47. Prodigal “Just Like Real Life”
48. Cyndi Lauper “She’s So Unusual”
49. Yes “90125”
50. Sam Phillips “The Turning”
Honorable mention
1. The Lemonheads “It’s a Shame About Ray”
2. Flaming Lips “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots”
3. Crowded House “Crowded House”
4. Stevie Wonder “Songs in the Key of Life”
5. Elton John “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy”