10. Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution
This amazing album from one of music’s true visionaries has it all: legendary ballads, top-notch funk, and some of the catchiest tunes of the eighties. It is definitely a must-listen before you die tomorrow, most likely just before midnight.
9. Millennium, Backstreet Boys
Remember when you were in middle school, and you really wanted to ask for this album as a Christmas present, but you didn’t because you were too embarrassed and thought that liking the Backstreet Boys meant you were lame? Well, it’s not too late to listen to it now! Although it will be too late very, very soon.
8. Abbey Road, The Beatles
This classic Beatles album is filled with great tracks from start to finish, including—what’s that? You want to know how we know that tomorrow is your last day on Earth? I’m sorry, but we can’t divulge that. It would violate the Pop Culture Listmakers Code. What we can tell you is that Abbey Road remains a perfect album to listen to no matter the situation, whether you’re just relaxing on a Sunday afternoon or fruitlessly trying to escape from a mysterious hooded figure who showed up on your doorstep just before dusk and seems to be slowly inching closer to you no matter where you go.
7. The Low End Theory, A Tribe Called Quest
That reference to a mysterious hooded figure was totally hypothetical, just to be clear. Officially, we have no comment on whether or not said figure may or may not play a role in your impending demise.
6. Elephant, The White Stripes
Look, we feel like you’re getting way too hung up on the whole “twenty-four hours to live” thing. That’s not the point of this list. The point is to provide you with some great music recommendations to help make your time on this planet as enjoyable as possible. And given that you, in particular, do not have much time left, you might want to spend a little less of it asking us questions we aren’t allowed to answer and a little more of it listening to this amazing White Stripes album that kicked the garage rock revolution of the early 2000s into overdrive.
5. Parallel Lines, Blondie
No, your death will not be of natural causes. I guess we can tell you that much.
4. Rocket to Russia, The Ramones
Of course, there is nothing you can do to change your fate! It has been predetermined since long before you were born. We are all just pawns in a vast, uncaring game of cosmic chess that we can never hope to understand. Rocket to Russia is good.
3. Utopia, The Distorted Chambers
This album is by our son’s band, and he’s been trying so, so hard to really “make it,” you know? They all have. So if you could listen to it and post about how great it is before your time comes, it would really mean a lot to us.
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill
Okay, you know what? We had a transcendently great blurb written up about what a fantastic album this is, but given that all you seem to care about is the death stuff, we’re not even going to bother putting it here. You know, it’s actually pretty offensive to just ignore all the hard work someone does to expertly compile an “X Pop Culture Things to Watch/Listen to Before Y” list and instead focus entirely on how they managed to figure out the exact time and manner of your imminent death and what that says about the nature of the universe. I mean, I had other stuff I wanted to do today, but instead, here I am, putting together yet another music list for yet another person who doesn’t appreciate it. Ugh, maybe I should have just gone to law school like my dad said.
1. Forever Changes, Love
Such an underrated album. Look out behind you.