Here Are 22 Albums For All You 22-Year-Olds

Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks

You Need It Because: Dylan explains the 10 stages of heartbreak:

1. This sucks, but it had to end. (“Tangled Up In Blue”)
2. What the hell went wrong? (“Simple Twist Of Fate”)
3. I miss you, but I understand. (“You’re A Big Girl Now”)
4. No, screw her and screw everyone else. (“Idiot Wind”)
5. Why does this always happen to me? (“You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go”)
6. I want you back, please come back. (“Meet Me In The Morning”)
7. This is a hopeless. No good can come out of this. This needs to stop. (“Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts”)
8. I’m ok now, really. I hope you’re doing well. (“If You See Her, Say Hello”)
9. I’ll always treasure the good times that we had. (“Shelter From The Storm”)
10. And life goes on. (“Buckets Of Rain”)

 

Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town

You Need It Because: Even if you do get the dream job, and even if you get the girl, you’ll still soon ask yourself, “Now what?”

 

 D’Angelo – Voodoo

You Need It Because: We could all use a little help getting into the mood for that special someone.

 

Daft Punk – Discovery

You Need It Because: It’s the one party starter that you can also appreciate as a legitimate album. Don’t be that stingy guy who doesn’t have any fun music to play at parties.

 

The Dismemberment Plan – Emergency & I

You Need It Because: This is what your twenties sound like – unfamiliar, at times uncomfortable, and full of questions and fears, yet somehow hopeful all the way through. If you’re only going to listen to one album on this list, make it this one.

 

Fountains Of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers

You Need It Because: With songs about hating your boss (“Hey Julie”), feeling stuck (“Hackensack”), and getting through all those business meetings (“Bright Future In Sales”), the album that gave us “Stacy’s Mom” is actually full of great insight into life for most of us after college, which happens to sound a lot like Cheap Trick.