I enjoy too many genres for 5 to be in any way representative. 
Going with 7 specific albums:
Evanescence - Fallen
I first started listening to music in earnest, and buying it, in my mid teens. For years afterwards, all I held an interest in was the trance scene predominant in the late 90s and early 00s. One of the first albums away from that was Fallen in 2003. In fact, I clearly recall buying it in Heathrow airport awaiting a flight to Dallas, as part of an end of year work experience trip to satisfy my degree requirements. I very likely haven't listened to this album in eighteen years, and Evanescence are in no way an important band for me, but it marked a hard-shift away from electronic.
Alice in Chains - Dirt
AiC were the first band I really became a fan of, and grunge was my main listening from 2004 onwards. Dirt plumbs the depths of darkness and despair, both band and album are still in my Top 5 nearly two decades after first hearing it.
Björk - Debut
My first memory of Björk is seeing her on Top of the Pops around the age of 11-12, I didn't understand her music at all and positively loathed It's Oh So Quiet! It took many years to understand her genius, and this album was my introduction. Although I prefer her three follows up albums, this is great nonetheless. Homogenic, Post, Vespertine, Debut in that order. I am drawn to dark, mysterious, slightly madcap female solo artists - Björk's fault!
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
Gateway to the great man, a phenomenon who is almost a genre unto himself. Rabbit warren of messy posthumous releases and the Dagger Records bootlegs. If anything, pushed me to explore other 60s releases and further back into time.
Gabor Szabo - Dreams
Hungarian guitar master. I'd never held much interest in jazz, but Gabor Szabo's tasteful and highly melodic fusion acted as an entry point into that genre. His work is stellar and he appears barely remembered now. If Belsta River is my favourite Szabo album, Dreams comes a close second. I do still struggle with hard-jazz, but find a lot to like in fusion artists in particular.
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
I'd dabbled with prog but on the fringes of it, such as Rush. The first time I listened to this album, I remember thinking what a towering achievement it is. Epitaph is one of my favourite ever songs, and I don't think King Crimson ever topped this debut album. Pushed me to explore some of the more progressive bands.
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the ********: Here's the Sex Pistols
If I had to choose a 'desert island' genre/time, it would be early punk. The Sex Pistols were not my introduction to punk, in fact it was probably the Dead Kennedys. I also had a curious relationship with this album. The first version I owned was the 'Kiss This' compilation, a knockoff with Spanish song titles. And that annoyed me enough that I didn't give it more than a cursory listen for years. That changed when I sequenced the album properly and realised it is about as close to perfection as music will get for me. Rooted in rock 'n' roll and pop melody with a brilliant layered production, but thoroughly bilious, sarcastic, anti-everything, with killer lyrics and a unique frontman. Not my first punk album but encapsulates everything I enjoy about this period of music.
Going with 7 specific albums:Evanescence - Fallen
I first started listening to music in earnest, and buying it, in my mid teens. For years afterwards, all I held an interest in was the trance scene predominant in the late 90s and early 00s. One of the first albums away from that was Fallen in 2003. In fact, I clearly recall buying it in Heathrow airport awaiting a flight to Dallas, as part of an end of year work experience trip to satisfy my degree requirements. I very likely haven't listened to this album in eighteen years, and Evanescence are in no way an important band for me, but it marked a hard-shift away from electronic.
Alice in Chains - Dirt
AiC were the first band I really became a fan of, and grunge was my main listening from 2004 onwards. Dirt plumbs the depths of darkness and despair, both band and album are still in my Top 5 nearly two decades after first hearing it.
Björk - Debut
My first memory of Björk is seeing her on Top of the Pops around the age of 11-12, I didn't understand her music at all and positively loathed It's Oh So Quiet! It took many years to understand her genius, and this album was my introduction. Although I prefer her three follows up albums, this is great nonetheless. Homogenic, Post, Vespertine, Debut in that order. I am drawn to dark, mysterious, slightly madcap female solo artists - Björk's fault!
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced?
Gateway to the great man, a phenomenon who is almost a genre unto himself. Rabbit warren of messy posthumous releases and the Dagger Records bootlegs. If anything, pushed me to explore other 60s releases and further back into time.
Gabor Szabo - Dreams
Hungarian guitar master. I'd never held much interest in jazz, but Gabor Szabo's tasteful and highly melodic fusion acted as an entry point into that genre. His work is stellar and he appears barely remembered now. If Belsta River is my favourite Szabo album, Dreams comes a close second. I do still struggle with hard-jazz, but find a lot to like in fusion artists in particular.
King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King
I'd dabbled with prog but on the fringes of it, such as Rush. The first time I listened to this album, I remember thinking what a towering achievement it is. Epitaph is one of my favourite ever songs, and I don't think King Crimson ever topped this debut album. Pushed me to explore some of the more progressive bands.
Sex Pistols - Never Mind the ********: Here's the Sex Pistols
If I had to choose a 'desert island' genre/time, it would be early punk. The Sex Pistols were not my introduction to punk, in fact it was probably the Dead Kennedys. I also had a curious relationship with this album. The first version I owned was the 'Kiss This' compilation, a knockoff with Spanish song titles. And that annoyed me enough that I didn't give it more than a cursory listen for years. That changed when I sequenced the album properly and realised it is about as close to perfection as music will get for me. Rooted in rock 'n' roll and pop melody with a brilliant layered production, but thoroughly bilious, sarcastic, anti-everything, with killer lyrics and a unique frontman. Not my first punk album but encapsulates everything I enjoy about this period of music.
