The other evening, Jason asked me what my top ten albums of all time would be. I failed this test completely by managing to come up with a mere three, then saying "but there are just soooo many good albums" and running out of inspiration.

Anyway, since this incident, I have been considering the matter. Music is so important to me, and I've been enthused by so many albums at various points in time that it is really tricky to compile a top ten. However, I still feel I should have a go – it seems disrespectful to my music collection not to.

So, with the benefit of my CD collection close at hand, here is my second attempt. I have not ranked these albums in any order of preference or worthiness – that would be impossible. All of the following albums share roughly equal levels of accolade.

• Radiohead: The Bends. Such a go-to album. It's full of tracks that seem to be incapable of growing old. Possibly the most listened-to CD in my collection.
• Pink Floyd: The Dark Side Of The Moon. No explanation needed, surely?
• Ben Folds Five: Ben Folds Five. A toss-up between this and their subsequent album, Whatever And Ever Amen. All of my friends thought I had lost my mind when I bought, and then raved about, this album. But I'll still stand by it. Melodic, lyrical, unpretentious. It pains me that Ben Folds Five later became dull and then disbanded.
• Michael Jackson: Thriller. Let's get this straight – this was always going to be in my top ten, regardless of recent news. No bandwagon here. I have inflicted this album on many sceptical visitors, and none have complained. Coolest, funkiest pop album ever.
• U2: Achtung Baby. As with all U2 albums, this does have a couple of 'fillers' which can easily be skipped. But it represents something of a zeitgeist for me – the band's controversial (at the time) reinvention seemed to fit nicely into my first term at university. It was also the prelude to my first U2 concert on the groundbreakingly excessive first leg of the Zoo TV tour.
• Leftfield: Leftism. Too loud, dark and poundy for many. Not me. I love the African influences and the vaguely futuristic production. One of those albums that 'raises the bar'.
• Deacon Blue: Raintown. Yeah yeah, take the piss if you want. But this was the soundtrack to many happy teenage memories, so you can fuck off. Some anthemic tunes here.
• Thom Yorke: The Eraser. This is probably the most controversial album on the list. Most Radiohead fans seem to be pretty sniffy about this solo effort. But... I have to confess that I like this album marginally more than any Radiohead release. There, I said it. Sure, it's very electronic, but that's never been a problem for me, and the synths and beats support the songs rather than dominating them. Dark and wintery, but not depressing. Soulful.
• The Prodigy: Music For The Jilted Generation. A mere half-step away from its Ravey-Davey-Gravey predecessor (Experience), but a big shift in theme. I always get the feeling that Liam Howlett must have been thinking "fuck all that smiley-face shite, let's make something a little bit nasty" when he was putting this together. It has aged rather well.
• Sigur Ros: Takk... Achingly beautiful music, voiced in a made-up language. Everyone must own at least one Sigur Ros album.

I feel like the bloke from High Fidelity. I should probably make a mix-tape and give it to a girl now*.