I know "Welcome to the Black Parade" is a cultural monument at this point, but The Black Parade as a full album is something else entirely. This record is super introspective while also getting right in your face, and that dichotomy is a big part of what makes it so special. One of my favorite musical moments on any album is Liza Minnelli's cameo at the end of "Mama" — it's theatrical and bizarre and somehow completely perfect, and it tells you everything you need to know about what MCR was going for here.

Pinkerton is the album that split Weezer fans in half, and I side firmly with Pinkerton. I wasn't listening to it in 1996, but I've continued to love it for the last 20 years. It's rawer and more confessional than the Blue Album — Rivers Cuomo basically poured everything uncomfortable and embarrassing about himself into these songs, and the result is something that feels startlingly personal. "El Scorcho," "Across the Sea," and "Butterfly" are all brilliant in completely different ways. This one gets better every time I revisit it.

There's a reason this album never leaves the cultural conversation — it's just genuinely, undeniably great. "Hotel California" the song is a masterpiece of atmosphere, and the rest of the record holds up right alongside it. "Wasted Time" is one of my all-time favorite songs — it's got this gorgeous, aching quality that never gets old. And the riff in "Victim of Love" hits me to the core every single time. I grew up hearing this in the background and it took me years to actually sit down and listen front-to-back, but when I did, I understood why it's considered one of the all-timers.

Dude Ranch was the album I most wanted to replicate when I was playing in bands growing up. Tom DeLonge's guitar riffs are so iconic for the genre, and his vocals in this era are something I don't think gets talked about enough. If you want to hear what 90s pop punk perfection sounds like, put on "Enthused" and tell me I'm wrong.

This is the seminal album for me — and I didn't even find it until 2015, well past the years when most people cement their musical identity. Like a lot of people, I knew Jimmy Eat World from "The Middle" and assumed I had them figured out. Clarity completely dismantled that assumption. This record has shaped my musical taste more than anything else over the last decade and it remains a go-to regardless of mood. Do yourself a favor and put this one on with the lights a little lower than normal.

I actually first heard Silversun Pickups when they opened for Muse — years after this album had already come out — and thought they were good without fully appreciating what I was watching. It wasn't until I went back and listened to Carnavas specifically because of "Lazy Eye" that it clicked. That song absolutely detonates, but it was actually the opening track "Melatonin" that really hooked me — those fuzzy, beautiful melodies set the tone for the whole record and I was locked in from there.

I first got into Foxing through their debut, The Albatross (2013), which kept showing up in my Spotify recommendations until I finally gave in — and immediately understood why. Since then they never left my top 5 artists, and Nearer My God is the record that cemented that. Foxing has always built their albums as full listening experiences rather than collections of singles, and this one is no exception — every track earns its place. Whenever they came through Madison or the surrounding area, I always made sure to catch them live, and they absolutely delivered every time.

This is the first album I remember seeing in my house growing up, which is surprising given my dad's questionable taste in music in the '90s. "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper," and "How's It Going to Be" are the obvious entry points, but the whole thing front to back is pretty much perfect. What really shaped my idea of what a successful album looks like are those last two tracks — this record knows how to stick the landing. If you've never gone past the singles, this is the week to fix that.

I first discovered Dryjacket when they opened for Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties in Providence, RI — and I was hooked from the first song. Their blend of math-emo guitar work and polished pop sensibilities hit me immediately in a live setting, and For Posterity bottles that energy perfectly. The playful, clever lyrics paired with laid-back vocals give the whole record a cool effortlessness that keeps it in constant rotation. 33 minutes, 11 tracks — put it on, don't skip a thing.