12 - The Kinks - The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society

THE KINKS ARE THE... what he said up there...
Village Green Preservation Society/Do You Remember Walter/Picture Book/Johnny Thunder/The Last Of The Steam Powered Trains/Big Sky/Sitting By The Riverside/Animal Farm/Village Green/Starstruck/Phenomenal Cat/All My Friends Were There/Wicked Annabella/Monica/People Take Pictures Of Each Other

After the release of Sgt. Pepper in '67 the Beatles caused a wave of great albums as many of the best groups realised they had to raise their games. Pet Sounds is probably the best of these, The Stones effort, Their Satanic Majestie Request, possibly the most disappointing. The Kinks came up with this, a homage to English village life. Mixing traditional settings and contempary rock, nothing about this should work but it does, is great, and get's in the list. The Kinks were always masters of the urban tale and they effortlessly transport that to a more middle class view of the world with astounding ease. Very cosy.

10 & 11 - The Specials - The Spcials & More Specials

THE SPECIALS
A Message To You Rudy/Do The Dog/It's Up To You/Nite Klub/Doesn't Make It Alright/Concrete Jungle/Too Hot/Monkey Man/(Dawning Of A) New Era/Blank Expression/Stupid Marriage/Too Much Too Young/Gangsters/Little Bitch/You're Wondering Now

MORE SPECIALS
Enjoy Yourself/Rat Race/Man At C&A/Hey, Little Rich Girl/Do Nothing/Pearl's Cafe/Sock It To 'em J.B./Steroetypes-Stereotypes pt.2/Holiday Fortnight/I Can't Stand It/Internatinal Jet Set/ Enjoy Yourself (reprise)

I'm bringing in these albums now as it re-iterates the point that this is an unordered list, and so not a top ten. It is impossible to include one without the other, they are both superb footstompers. Again filled with the type of social and political themes that should be explored in forms that grab peoples attention. Instead of leaving it to crusty old journalists who drone on. Dammers and co at least can put these things into the heads of the listener in ways in which they will be recognised. And you can dance to this!

9 - Television - Marquee Moon

MARQUEE MOON
See No Evil/Venus/Friction/Marquee Moon/Elevation/Guiding Light/Prove It/Torn Curtain

At a time when British punk was opting for the short sharp shock and politicised anger, New York Punks took a different approach. Television led the way with this. Applying a punk attitude to prog rock-like tracks this work is just simply a great rock album. Individual without being excluding, it maintains it's credibility without being too arty-farty for the larger audience it is probably past the time to receive. But in a collection of 100 albums for the serious music lover it should be included.

8 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going' On?

WHAT"S GOING ON?
What's going on?/What's Happening Brother?/Flying High (IN The Friendly Sky)/Save The Children/God Is Love/Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)/Right On/Wholy Holy/Inner City Blues Make Me Wanna Holler)

Partly inspired by the early death of singing partner Tammi Terrell, Gaye moved into an area of social and political comment. And came up with an album of great emotional weight, perfectly summing up the era in which he and his peers lived. Or rather, endured. Not only should this be in the list on grounds of taste but it should be part of the national curriculum...

7 - Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus

EXODUS
Natural Mystic/So Much Things To Say/Guiltiness/The Heathen/Exodus/Jamming/Waiting In Vain/Turn Your Lights Down Low/Three Little Birds/One Love-People Get Ready

Smacks of tokenism at this point but Marley has to come in and stop the list looking a bit 'white boy rock'! This is a genuine work of art. Showcasing the spirituality, politicism and sheer joy of reggae in such a concise framework is astounding. Perhaps responsible for waking the whole world up to a small islands voice and bringing an army of past and future artists to the attention of the masses this album must be in any critics list. So buy it. If you've already bought it, buy it again.

6 - The Proclaimers - Sunshine On Leith

SUNSHINE ON LEITH
I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)/Cap In Hand/Then I Met You/My Old Friend The Blues/Sean/Sunshine On Leith/Come On Nature/I'm On My Way/What Do You Do/It's Saturday Night/Teardrops/Oh Jean

A masterpiece! A humourous collection of pop songs with real charm and some genuinely moving moments. Maybe not earth shattering on the scale of the Beatles or the Pistols, but this is a list of high quality pop songs and that is what this is. I will never understand why these guys are not revered more across the world, maybe the are too 'of Scotland' for a wider audience. Still. Scotland can be proud.

5 - The Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols

NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, HERE'S THE SEX PISTOLS
Holiday's In The Sun/Liar/No Feelings/God Save The Queen/Problems/Seventeen/Anarchy In The UK/Bodies/Pretty Vacant/New York/EMI

Dated, yes, bettered in it's time even by the The Clash, but still one of the most important Briish albums ever. And seeing as the British will more than likely dominate this list, a worthy entry. I have in fact just heard EMI played on the radio and, though not one of the stand-out tracks, it still sounds fresh and vital. As does the whole album, which I still listen to at regular intervals. Any album that makes you feel full of youthful rebellion and political anger is alright by me!