#167 - The Royal Scam, Steely Dan

"Widely considered Steely Dan's weakest effort, The Royal Scam actually remains one of their most enjoyable. No lasting hits here, but "Kid Charlemagne" updates classic gangster movies for the cocaine and 'ludes era while "Sign In Stranger" presaged Fagen's combination of film noir and Sci Fi that would resurface in the Kamarkiriad album." (real music guide)

#166 - Being There, Wilco

"Seven years before guitarist Jay Bennett left and long before singer Jeff Tweedy decided to go indie rock, Wilco gave alt country a golden crown and scepter in the form of this sophomore double album. The band's chemistry was at such a peak on these sessions that no alt country rockers since have come close to touching the album's perfection -- not even Ryan Adams." (real music guide)

#165 - Something/Anything?, Todd Rundgren

"It's an amazing journey that's remarkably unpretentious. Rundgren peppers his writing with self-aware, self-deprecating asides, indulging his bizarre sense of humor with gross-outs ("Piss Aaron") and sheer quirkiness, such as an aural tour of the studio at the beginning of side two. There are a ton of loose ends throughout Something/Anything?, plenty of studio tricks, slight songs (but no filler), snippets of dialogue, and purposely botched beginnings, but all these throwaways simply add context." (allmusic guide)

#164 - A Night At The Opera, Queen

"The benchmark for all fey-prog pomp rock, this is Queen's best album and an essential buy for any collector with a taste for the absurd. Even though people mistake the joke for indulgence these days, anyone with a brain can tell that the ultra-excessive arrangements of Queen's magnum opus were as tongue-in-cheek as they were (inexplicably) influential." (real music guide)

#163 - Weezer (blue album), Weezer

"Weezer's debut LP from '94 was a surprising vital-sounding group of pop songs led by a buzzing guitar and Rivers Cuomo's occasionally silly (yet hard not to sing along to) lyrics. "Undone-The Sweater Song" and "Buddy Holly" were alt-radio hits and managed to bridge the gap between the Pixies and the aftermath of Nirvana. Ric Ocasek's production adds the perfect pop gloss." (real music guide)

#162 - Hunky Dory, David Bowie

"Bowie brought twisted futurism, the English music hall and the Velvet Underground to the touchy-feely Singer-Songwriter genre on his first truly great album. Ignored on it's initial 1972 release, "Changes" became a hit single years later, while "Life on Mars," "Queen Bitch," "Pretty Things" and others deserved the same fate." (real music guide)

#161 - Siamese Dream, Smashing Pumpkins

"If Gish unlocked the door for the Pumpkins, then Siamese Dream kicked it down. Epic songs such as "Disarm," "Cherub Rock" and "Today" helped make Siamese Dream one of the decade's supreme, shining moments. Appealing both to the alternative and mainstream crowds, Siamese Dream is essential for any collection." (real music guide)