Deciding the number of items to include in constructing a list such as this is problematic.  I have decided to settle on the not-so-special number of fifty-five — the origin of which is densely shrouded in not-so-special mystery.  I will also make a concerted effort to track any changes made to the list.

The albums that follow are listed in chronological order, by their original date of release. Hover on each album to view the following: (in order) album title, artist, label and year of original release.

 top 55/all-time

COMIC STRIP Serge Gainsbourg Island/Mercury 1966	PINK MOON Nick Drake Island 1972	SUICIDE Suicide Red Star 1977	UNKNOWN PLEASURES Joy Division Factory 1979	DARK CONTINENT Wall Of Voodoo I.R.S. 1980
NON-STOP EROTIC CABARET Soft Cell Sire 1981	PENIS ENVY Crass Crass 1981	SPEAK & SPELL Depeche Mode Sire 1981	UPSTAIRS AT ERIC'S Yazoo Sire 1982	THE DREAMING Kate Bush EMI 1982
YOU CAN'T HIDE YOUR LOVE FOREVER Orange Juice Polydor 1982	SCRIPT OF THE BRIDGE The Chameleons Statik 1983	THE AGE OF CONSENT Bronski Beat London Records 1984	TREASURE Cocteau Twins 4AD 1984	THE STRANGE IDOLS PATTERN AND OTHER SHORT STORIES Felt Cherry Red UK 1984
MEAT IS MURDER The Smiths Rough Trade 1985	FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION R.E.M. I.R.S. 1985	THE COVENANT, THE SWORD AND THE ARM OF THE LORD Cabaret Voltaire Some Bizarre 1985	THE QUEEN IS DEAD The Smiths Rough Trade 1986	IN MY TRIBE 10,000 Maniacs Elektra 1987
FLOODLAND The Sisters of Mercy Elektra 1987	WORKER'S PLAYTIME Billy Bragg Go!Discs / Elektra 1988	GREEN R.E.M. Warner 1988	DOOLITTLE The Pixies 4AD / Elektra 1989	DISINTEGRATION The Cure Elektra 1989
EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT, SO WHY CAN'T WE? The Cranberries Island 1993	TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE SATELLITE HEART The Flaming Lips Warner 1993	HIS 'N' HERS Pulp Island 1994	EXPERIMENTAL JET SET, TRASH & NO STAR Sonic Youth DGC 1994	THE BENDS Radiohead Capitol 1995
HOW I QUIT SMOKING Lambchop Merge 1996	THE NATURAL BRIDGE Silver Jews Drag City 1996	HOMOGENIC Björk Elektra 1997	IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA Neutral Milk Hotel Merge 1998	THE BOY WITH THE ARAB STRAP Belle and Sebastian Matador 1998
MERMAID AVENUE Billy Bragg & Wilco Elektra 1998	ÆGÆTIS BYRJUN Sigur Rós Bad Taste 1999	HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING John Cameron Mitchell/Cheater /Stephen Trask Atlantic 1999	HE HAS LEFT US ALONE BUT SHAFTS OF LIGHT SOMETIMES GRACE THE CORNER OF OUR ROOMS… A Silver Mt. Zion Constellation 2000	EASE DOWN THE ROAD Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Palace 2001
SOUND-DUST Stereolab Elektra 2001	SHISHIMUMU Phantom Buffalo Time-Lag 2002	NO P OR D Ms. John Soda Morr Music 2002	TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS Interpol Matador 2002	SLEEPING ON ROADS Neil Halstead 4AD 2002
THE BLOODY HAND Frog Eyes Global Symphonic 2002	THE SMELL OF OUR OWN The Hidden Cameras Rough Trade / EvilEvil 2003	DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS Belle and Sebastian Rough Trade / Sanctuary 2003	YOUR BLUES Destroyer Merge 2004	GRAB THAT GUN The Organ Mint 2004
THE DOLDRUMS Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Paw Tracks 2004	REHEARSING MY CHOIR The Fiery Furnaces Rough Trade 2005	TAKK… Sigur Rós Geffen 2005	I AM A BIRD NOW Antony and the Johnsons Secretly Canadian 2005	PERSONALITY (ONE WAS A SPIDER, ONE WAS A BIRD) The Sleepy Jackson Astralwerks 2006