Wow. The best debate since Lincoln-Douglas.

If you take it at face value, Favorite 10 Albums of All Time, all lists would be limited to vinyl releases only, containing both album formats of LP (long play) or EP (extended play). In this case, I would consider soundtracks to be a genre as opposed to a format type. However, the term album has been bastardized to the point of being a catch-all for any recorded release.

That being said, I would like to invoke the 'spirit of the law,' and consider a true ALBUM to be a full-length release of original recorded material. No Soundtracks, no Live releases, no EP's, no Greatest Hits. Prince apoligists, Kiss fans, and the excellence of Jar of Flies be damned, if you have any of these on your list, you're a cheater!

i'm so happy after reading that exchange i'm crying.
my $.02 follows
the rules are:
no greatest hits
no soundtracks (purple rain is the only exception i can think of)
eps are legit but should not make anyone's top 10 anything.
nothing high minded about rules, just a consensus of peoples opinions.
but i never said you had to live by mine.

Absolutely legit in my opinion.

I think an EP is legit.

What about an EP?

Soundtracks are great mix tapes but they fall into the same boat for me. My exception would obviously be if the soundtrack was written specifically for the movie (i.e. Purple Rain).

What about soundtracks?

mothballs - discussion is always good. And to be honest - I have no problem with someone saying any album is their favorite "of the moment". It's just an all-time album or an album "of the year" thing to me means a thought, idea, concept put together as a piece of art. To take a collection of an artist's work and take the best of each of his/her paintings/creations and then mix them together to then re-offer might be very pleasing but it isn't the original intent of the creator.

stevemc - There's no question that you've got a point here (and a good one at that). If you (as Websters does) define an album as a collection of songs written and produced to be "consumed" as a whole (Pink Floyd's The Wall is probably the most obvios example) then you're abso-f@#kin-lutely right.

By my comment, I just meant that this site poses the question about "favorites" and as we say in spanish "para gustos, colores y para jardines, flores". In other words, you can't be wrong about an opinion.

Anyway, we've probably beat this dead horse into a pulp by now so I'll shut up.

Because in reality - a Greatest Hits is not an album. It's a collection of music spanning many records & years. Every list should be a greatest hits then.

stevemc- this is a "favorite" list. How can you take issue with a matter of taste?

pharrell - nice list....VH 1984....I remember stealing money from my parents to buy that one the day it came out. Very noice.

No offense but I have to take issue with 3 greatest hits records in your list. To me - greatest hits collections are compilations and not true "albums". They don't convey a story or a theme and they span a catalog of music. My challenge to you would be to find your favorite Marley, James Brown or Johnny Cash album and see if it holds up to others on your list (or those that almost made your list).

Maaaaaaaan, your list is siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick! "THE ACE OF SPADES, THE ACE OF SPADES!"

Dude, where's your list of the moment? And how about accepting my friend invitation? Do it!!