I've been wading through my music, and I've compiled my "16 in 16" list.   Brian's concept was broader than "albums" - "pieces of music" was his phrase, I believe.  But I started thinking about songs and backed off because the volume was too daunting.  So I've chosen 16 albums, and I've introduced a somewhat arbitrary restriction of one album per artist on my list.  I'm not suggesting that the rest of you apply that rule - it just helped me narrow things down faster.  I also started with the intention of ranking my 16 choices, but after a few minutes I abandoned that too!  Clearly I lack the decisiveness and discipline required of a music critic.  So in no particular order, my 16 are:

OK Computer – Radiohead

Funeral – Arcade Fire

Music Inspired by the Film “Dead Man Walking” – Various Artists

The Trumpet Child – Over the Rhine

Picaresque – The Decemerists

We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions – Bruce Springsteen

Birds Make Good Neighbors – The Rosebuds

Jerusalem – Steve Earle

Fisherman’s Blues Part II – The Waterboys

Mermaid Avenue – Billy Bragg and Wilco

East Nashville Skyline – Todd Snider

Mule Variation – Tom Waits

By Baby Don’t Tolerate – Lyle Lovett

Either/Or – Eliot Smith

Garbage 2.0 – Garbage

A New Day at Midnight – David Gray

I've been in this group long enough to know that there are some choices on this list that won't be on any other Metabeats lists, and I would guess that a few eyebrows were raised questioningly at a few of these choices.  Nonetheless, I recommend them all highly - they're great albums!