Marillion - Pseudo Silk Kimono from Misplaced Childhood, a wonderful melodic album where songs flow into each other and tell one big story. This album and Clutching At Straws are the only 2 albums I like by Marillion, but I like them a LOT! :)

Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary. It was around this time that I got to knwow Jimi, I think to my then brother-like friend Guido. I would only learn to play the guitar 2 years later but already I loved his music.

NWA - Real Niggaz. I got into hip hop with my friend Menno. NWA, the DOC and Public Enemy - fight the power! Real Niggaz is from 100 Miles And Runnin' and disses Ice Cube that left the band, not sure for what, money probably. Or bitches. ;) Other famous members of this group: Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. Yep, I knew 'em before they were famous... ;)

MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This. The first ever concert I went to, also with Menno. We used to memorize all his dance moves and had some of our own that we would practice at his parents' place with the windows as mirrors. Hip house it was called and we were the masters of it. Believe it or not, it was considered cool back then! :D

Pearl Jam - Alive. Pearl Jam got big at the same time I learned to play the guitar. At the first year of university, my roommate & high school friend Arnoud was my patient teacher (bastard forcing me to master one tune before teaching me the next! Worked though... ;)). I joined a band and later took lessons from a real teacher (yes, this was AFTER the band, typical) and Alive was the first song I learned, including the solo. Awesome!!! :)

Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name Of. The first time I saw them, I was BLOWN AWAY. The energy from this band was amazing and the whole 1st album just rocks from start to end. But it's a one time thing only. Second time I saw 'em it looked fake already and any musically inclined person denies the second album's existence alltogether.

The Prodigy - Firestarter. I was in Japan when this came out and even though I heard about it, I missed the hype. But when I got home and heard the song and saw the video - WOW! And I mean W O W! I knew The Prodigy already from before but The Fat Of The Land was the first (and honestly still only) album that I really loved. This song, together with its prelude Naranya, tops the album.

Radiohead - Paranoid Android from OK Computer doubt the best of quite a few good albums by Radiohead. This album is loaded with amazing songs and I admire Radiohead for their guts in inventing new ways of making music - not always great but mostly so and always renewing. Saw them live in Belgium - they rock live too. :)

Matt Darey - Heaven's Earth. The greatest trance song EVER, I still think so 6 years later. I got to know this song from a couple of gigs in London, where Joshi took me to - especially the 'underground' Pendragon nights. I once flew from Amsterdam to London just for the night for one of those gigs... That's how good it was! This particular song was my favorite and it just brings you to another level.

Nine Inch Nails - The Great Below. I've known and loved NIN already way before their Fragile album, but this album really turned me into a fan. Don't get me wrong: Trent Reznor still produced a lot of shit (including his latest work, With Teeth), but there are some jewels. The Great Below is one of my all time favorite songs. But also Wish, a high speed hard metal song, never fails to give me an adrenaline rush.

Kruder & Dorfmeister - Useless. The greatest lounge album I have ever heard. Again there is so much shit in lounge! But this rules. I have to say that I haven't heard other very good albums of K&D yet though.

Lamb - Cotton Wool. Marieke and I saw them live in Ancienne Belgique in Brussels and it was one of the best small concerts I've ever seen. They were on fire. Unfortunately it doesn't come across on their CDs all that much, but this song I love - also not live. :)

Peter Gabriel - Signal To Noise. I have no words to describe the experience of the Still Growing Up concert I saw with Alex and Marieke in Brussels. We fell from one amazement into the next about what happened on the round stage in the center of the arena. Peter Gabriel is an excellent live performer, very confident and interacting with the crowd. If you ever get the change to see him, GO. This was the best concert we have ever seen my a long shot.

Underworld - Sola System. It took me 2 years to realize that the successor to Beaucoup Fish (still the best Underworld album) was a great album as well. But after downloading it with my bittorrent client, I listened to it some more and now I love 100 Days Off as well. I'm looking to buy it but haven't found it yet in the shops here.