Southpaw Nation Hall of Fame (work-in-progress)

So as a little time waster project the other day, I was thinking about what records would make the Southpaw Nation Hall of Fame. These are albums I've listened to fairly nonstop (heavy rotation) since the day they were released (or I bought them) and I know the album so backward and forward I can sing along with every note. Not just a couple songs, but EVERY SINGLE NOTE I can come in on right on time, brother. Not only that, but I enjoy them as much today as the day I discovered them (that's called "holding up well"). I've had many favorite phases and albums over the years, but there are an elite few that have endured since I started collecting music in earnest around 1986. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll even admit that my first purchase as a virgin 12-year-old record shopper was a cassette release of Madonna's True Blue. As you will see, that particular release did NOT make the list.

Many of these albums also had a profund impact on my appreciation of music and/or helped me get through adolescence or other rough times by just turning that volume UP baby and rocking out to them. Right now, I'm not counting jazz records because I haven't come up with a similar criteria for those yet (other than the obvious one, which should make any kind of Hall of Fame album list, Miles Davis-Kind of Blue). I wanted to keep this list limited to the albums that were very obvious to me without having to think about them a lot. As a result, the list turned out relatively small, without a wide range of genres represented (considering my general love of music not a specific genre or two). A just missed list of honorable mentions will be quite large when I get around to making it.

So, the basic rules I came up with for consideration are as follows:

• Released (or discovered) no less than 10 years ago


• Solid rotation in my player since release


• Profound personal impact


• Can literally hit every note--at least 96.7% of the time


• If there was any doubt, I've left it off for the time being


• Greatest Hits or similar collections are ineligible--with the exception of artists who never released proper albums

Southpaw Nation Hall of Fame (listed in rough chronological order of discovery):

hank williams (24 gr. hits vol. II)
guns 'n' roses (appetite for destruction)
metallica (...and justice for all)
slayer (reign in blood)
face to face (don't turn away)
nirvana (nevermind)
green day (kerplunk!)
operation ivy (energy)
screeching weasel (anthem for a new tomorrow)
misfits (walk among us)
bad religion (no control)
offspring (smash)
soundgarden (badmotorfinger)
temple of the dog (s/t)
pixies (surfer rosa/bone machine)
rocket from the crypt (circa: now!)
pavement (slanted & enchanted)
helmet (meantime)
black crowes (shake your money maker)
chris isaak (forever blue)
nirvana (in utero)

Likely first ballot entries:
AVAIL-Over the James (eligible 2008)
Clutch-Blast Tyrant (eligible 2014)
Against Me-As the Eternal Cowboy (eligible 2013)


Which albums that match the above criteria would be on your list? Hm?