Currently it's a tie between The Wall and Violent Femmes (s/t).

I myself would give the nod to The Wall as all the angsty teens I knew were listening to it, and when they found out you were/wanted to be angsty too, that was the album they recommended to you. The Violent Femmes were angsty too, but they were a sort of jaded angst. I found the Femmes a few years later in life when we were all angsty and had been for a while, and all had a sort of been there, angsted that attitude about everything, and the Femmes seemed to reflect that in their music. I would pick Floyd over the Femmes for Ultimate Teen Angst album because Floyd was what we listened to when we were angsty for angst's sake, and the Femmes were for later, when we were angsty because it was cool.

See I think of VF as teenaged angst, and PF as later college stoner angst. Of course, The Wall is what I was forced to listen to by roommate in frosh year everytime she was hungover, which was often.

What about the Smiths, and the Cure? They were the angst music of my teenagedom.

What about the Smiths, and the Cure?

I think VF and PF are more universal, but I am Sue - these were the ultimate angst bands of my teen years.

Specifically, Louder than Bombs (which, yes, yes, I know is not an actual album) and The Head on the Door.

Oh, lord - the angst!! I listened to them every.single.night. on my headphones and thought about death and sadness. Rock on!!

Also - Sasha Frere Jones is as addicted to The Thermals as I am: [link]

I am seeing them on the 28th of Feb. Woot!

What about the Smiths, and the Cure? They were the angst music of my teenagedom.

Fair point. I think you could include Depeche Mode in there too.

Fair point. I think you could include Depeche Mode in there too

Especially if you go straight to listening to "Blasphemous Rumors" and "Lie to Me" over and over and over. For my angst-filled 20s, it was "Pictures of You" by The Cure, and It'll End In Tears by This Mortal Coil. In fact, when I was dumped by the Boy Before Pete, one of my best friends came to my apartment and confiscated that all of my CDs by The Cure and This Mortal Coil, informing me that I'd get them back later.

I ... I wish I liked The Wall more. Lyrically and musically, I think it's brilliant. I just can't stand Roger Water's voice. (Um, er, he IS the vocalist, right? Because I can never remember who it is singing, just that I don't like their voice very much.)

I hadn't listened to The Wall for almost 20 years when I finally bought the CD. I'm surprised that I still like it as much as I do. I listened the crap out of that album in Jr. high and high school. Then my freshman year of college I bought all their other albums and jumped on the "The early stuff with Syd was better" bandwagon. Then I got into the Velvet Underground and post-punk stuff so I became rather snobby about Pink Floyd's '70s and '80s output.

I also discovered that I still like Animals, and Hec's book made me buy The Final Cut. yep - still love that one too....

Um... but '70s Floyd is another one of those things I just can't objectively judge anymore.

eta: I should point out that in high school I knew no one who listened to any punk, college rock, post-punk or whatever. I didn't hear the VF until I was a sophomore in college. Probably the first punk song I heard (and fell in love with) was "London Calling" - my favorite local AOR station played that a lot.

From The Onion:

Stooges Snubbed Again

For the 6th time, punk legends The Stooges have been rejected for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. What do you think?

Ryan Vodak,
Salmon Farmer
"What's the rush? I think there is plenty of evidence by now proving that Iggy Pop is incapable of dying."

Heh.

Sad news. Question Mark's house burned down: [link]

Now playing - "My Generation" by The Who.

I was sorta' subconsciously awaiting the lyrics, "I don't need that fucking shit," when I suddenly realized, "Wait, that's not on this version...."

Laura, do you still need some world music? I have Welsh rock, a lot of Spanish-language music, both from Central/South America and Spain, some from Portugal, a lot of Swedish indiepop, some Irish Gaelic, I could go on.