Updated to the latest 2021 edition of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, edited by Robert Dimery. Used here for educational purposes only.
Read our commentary about the books!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not: TheIntroduction
Over the years I’ve grown exceedingly skeptical and often dismissive of almost any article, book, or list that promotes something the reader “must do.” You don’t have to do anything. However, suppose you’re interested in the development of rock music as an artistic, historical and/or social movement. In that case, there are more than 1001…
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by Christian Adams
Frank Sinatra – In The Wee Small Hours (1955)
Duke Ellington – Ellington At Newport (1956)
Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (1956)
Frank Sinatra – Songs For Swingin’ Lovers! (1956)
Louvin Brothers – Tragic Songs Of Life (1956)
Miles Davis – Birth Of The Cool (1956)
Count Basie – The Atomic Mr Basie (1957)
Fats Domino – This Is Fats (1957)
Little Richard – Here’s Little Richard (1957)
Louis Prima – The Wildest (1957)
Machito – Kenya (1957)
Sabu Martinez – Palo Congo (1957)
The Crickets – The Chirping Crickets (1957)
Thelonious Monk – Brilliant Corners (1957)
Billie Holiday – Lady In Satin (1958)
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – Jack Takes The Floor (1958)
Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Vaughan At Mister Kelly’s (1958)
Tito Puente & His Orchestra – Dance Mania Vol 1 (1958)
Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out (1959)
Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Gershwin Song Book (1959)
Marty Robbins – Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs (1959)
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue (1959)
Ray Charles – The Genius Of Ray Charles (1959)
Elvis Presley – Elvis Is Back! (1960)
Everly Brothers – A Date With The Everly Brothers (1960)
Joan Baez – Joan Baez (1960)
Miriam Makeba – Miriam Makeba (1960)
Muddy Waters – Muddy Waters At Newport (1960)
Bill Evans – Sunday At The Village Vanguard (1961)
Jimmy Smith – Back At The Chicken Shack (1961)
Booker T & The MGs – Green Onions (1962)
Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music (1962)
Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd – Jazz Samba (1962)
Charles Mingus – The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady (1963)
James Brown – Live At The Apollo (1963)
Ray Price – Night Life (1963)
Sam Cooke – Live At The Harlem Square (1963)
The Beatles – With The Beatles (1963)
Bert Jansch – Bert Jansch (1964)
Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1964)
Dusty Springfield – A Girl Called Dusty (1964)
Jacques Brel – Olympia 64 (1964)
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1964)
Solomon Burke – Rock ‘N’ Soul (1964)
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (1964)
The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
The Rolling Stones – The Rolling Stones (1964)
BB King – Live At The Regal (1965)
Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
Buck Owens & His Buckeroos – I’ve Got A Tiger By The Tail (1965)
Jerry Lee Lewis – Live At The Star Club Hamburg (1965)
Otis Redding – Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965)
The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys Today! (1965)
The Beatles – Rubber Soul (1965)
The Byrds – Mr Tambourine Man (1965)
The Sonics – Here Are The Sonics (1965)
The Who – My Generation (1965)
13th Floor Elevators – The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators (1966)
Bob Dylan – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
Donovan – Sunshine Superman (1966)
Fred Neil – Fred Neil (1966)
John Mayall’s Blues Breakers – Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (1966)
Nina Simone – Wild Is The Wind (1966)
Paul Revere & The Raiders – Midnight Ride (1966)
Simon & Garfunkel – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme (1966)
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966)
The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
The Byrds – Fifth Dimension (1966)
The Kinks – Face To Face (1966)
The Mamas & The Papas – If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears (1966)
The Mamas & The Papas – The Mamas And The Papas (1966)
The Monks – Black Monk Time (1966)
The Mothers Of Invention – Freak Out! (1966)
The Rolling Stones – Aftermath (1966)
The Yardbirds – The Yardbirds (1966)
Read our commentary on the selections!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1956–1966)
The whole thing is preposterous, I know. Music appreciation, like 90% of all things material or otherwise related to humanity, is highly personal and exclusively subjective. Some person just paid $300 million for a Gauguin painting. The world gasps at his extravagance. Perhaps in the buyer’s mind, it’s the greatest thing that’s ever happened in…
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by Christian Adams
Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You (1967)
Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Safe As Milk (1967)
Country Joe & The Fish – Electric Music For The Mind And Body (1967)
Cream – Disraeli Gears (1967)
Frank Sinatra – Frank Albert Sinatra And Antonio Carlos Jobim (1967)
Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow (1967)
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced? (1967)
Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love (1967)
Loretta Lynn – Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind) (1967)
Love – Da Capo (1967)
Love – Forever Changes (1967)
Merle Haggard – I’m A Lonesome Fugitive (1967)
Moby Grape – Moby Grape (1967)
Nico – Chelsea Girl (1967)
Pink Floyd – The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967)
The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The Beau Brummels – Triangle (1967)
The Byrds – Younger Than Yesterday (1967)
The Doors – The Doors (1967)
The Electric Prunes – I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) (1967)
The Kinks – Something Else By The Kinks (1967)
The Monkees – Headquarters (1967)
The Mothers Of Invention – We’re Only In It For The Money (1967)
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground And Nico (1967)
The Velvet Underground – White Light/White Heat (1967)
The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967)
The Young Rascals – Groovin’ (1967)
Alexander Spence – Oar (1968)
Aretha Franklin – Aretha: Lady Soul (1968)
Astrud Gilberto – Beach Samba (1968)
Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968)
Blue Cheer – Vincebus Eruptum (1968)
Caetano Veloso – Caetano Veloso (1968)
Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)
Jeff Beck – Truth (1968)
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland (1968)
Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison (1968)
Laura Nyro – Eli And The Thirteenth Confession (1968)
Leonard Cohen – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1968)
Os Mutantes – Os Mutantes (1968)
Ravi Shankar – The Sounds Of India (1968)
Scott Walker – Scott 2 (1968)
Shivkumar Sharma – Call Of The Valley (1968)
Simon & Garfunkel – Bookends (1968)
The Band – Music From Big Pink (1968)
The Beatles – White Album (1968)
The Byrds – Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (1968)
The Byrds – The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968)
The Incredible String Band – The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter (1968)
The Kinks – The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society (1968)
The Pretty Things – S F Sorrow (1968)
The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet (1968)
The Small Faces – Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake (1968)
The United States Of America – The United States Of America (1968)
The Who – Tommy (1968)
The Zombies – Odessey And Oracle (1968)
Tim Buckley – Happy Sad (1968)
Tim Buckley – Goodbye And Hello (1968)
Traffic – Traffic (1968)
More in-depth analysis of the albums here!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1967–1968)
There’s no question about it. This is when popular music started getting really high. The super-cool kids have been using recreational substances since the beginning of time. The real junkies of the crew had been down in the basement for years, shooting up and playing jazz. Anyway, right here and now is when the marriage…
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by Christian Adams
Blood, Sweat & Tears – Blood, Sweat And Tears (1969)
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica (1969)
Chicago Transit Authority – Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bayou Country (1969)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Green River (1969)
Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills And Nash (1969)
Dr John, The Night Tripper – Gris Gris (1969)
Dusty Springfield – Dusty In Memphis (1969)
Elvis Presley – From Elvis in Memphis (1969)
Fairport Convention – Liege And Lief (1969)
Fairport Convention – Unhalfbricking (1969)
Flying Burrito Brothers – The Gilded Palace Of Sin (1969)
Frank Zappa – Hot Rats (1969)
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969)
Johnny Cash – Johnny Cash At San Quentin (1969)
King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969)
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Leonard Cohen – Songs From A Room (1969)
MC5 – Kick Out The Jams (1969)
Miles Davis – In A Silent Way (1969)
Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left (1969)
Pentangle – Basket Of Light (1969)
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Happy Trails (1969)
Scott Walker – Scott 4 (1969)
Sly & The Family Stone – Stand! (1969)
The Band – The Band (1969)
The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)
The Bee Gees – Odessa (1969)
The Kinks – Arthur: Or The Decline And Fall Of The British Empire (1969)
The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed (1969)
The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)
The Temptations – Cloud Nine (1969)
The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground (1969)
The Youngbloods – Elephant Mountain (1969)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (1969)
Ananda Shankar – Ananda Shankar (1970)
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)
Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)
Cat Stevens – Tea For The Tillerman (1970)
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu (1970)
Deep Purple – In Rock (1970)
Derek & The Dominos – Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (1970)
James Taylor – Sweet Baby James (1970)
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Paul McCartney – McCartney (1970)
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970)
Neil Young – After The Gold Rush (1970)
Nick Drake – Bryter Layter (1970)
Rod Stewart – Gasoline Alley (1970)
Santana – Abraxas (1970)
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Soft Machine – Third (1970)
Spirit – Twelve Dreams Of Dr Sardonicus (1970)
Stephen Stills – Stephen Stills (1970)
Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs (1970)
The Carpenters – Close To You (1970)
The Doors – Morrison Hotel (1970)
The Grateful Dead – American Beauty (1970)
The Grateful Dead – Live/Dead (1970)
The Stooges – Fun House (1970)
The Who – Live At Leeds (1970)
Traffic – John Barleycorn Must Die (1970)
Van Morrison – Moondance (1970)
Can – Tago Mago (1971)
Carole King – Tapestry (1971)
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory (1971)
David Crosby – If Only I Could Remember My Name (1971)
Dolly Parton – Coat Of Many Colours (1971)
Don McLean – American Pie (1971)
Elton John – Madman Across The Water (1971)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Pictures At An Exhibition (1971)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus (1971)
Faces – A Nod Is As Good As A Wink … To A Blind Horse (1971)
Fela Kuti & The Afrika 70 – With Ginger Baker Live! (1971)
Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head (1971)
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain (1971)
Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson (1971)
Isaac Hayes – Shaft (1971)
Janis Joplin – Pearl (1971)
Jethro Tull – Aqualung (1971)
John Lennon – Imagine (1971)
Joni Mitchell – Blue (1971)
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Love And Hate (1971)
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971)
Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells A Story (1971)
Serge Gainsbourg – Histoire De Melody Nelson (1971)
Sly & The Family Stone – There’s A Riot Goin’ On (1971)
T Rex – Electric Warrior (1971)
The Allman Brothers Band – At Fillmore East (1971)
The Beach Boys – Surf’s Up (1971)
The Bee Gees – Trafalgar (1971)
The Doors – L A Woman (1971)
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)
The Who – Who’s Next (1971)
Yes – Fragile (1971)
Yes – The Yes Album (1971)
Keep digging into the era!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1969–1971)
It’s a fact: What goes up doesn’t always come down. All hell broke loose in the late 60s – early 70s, and despite (or maybe because of) the chaos, some remarkable music was made. Equally important, we’re now seeing a phalanx of splinter genres reaching maturity: psychedelic, folk rock, country rock, heavy metal, hard rock,…
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by Christian Adams
Al Green – Let’s Stay Together (1972)
Alice Cooper – School’s Out (1972)
Big Star – No 1 Record (1972)
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath Vol. 4 (1972)
Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey (1972)
Curtis Mayfield – Superfly (1972)
David Ackles – American Gothic (1972)
David Bowie – Hunky Dory (1972)
David Bowie – The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars (1972)
Deep Purple – Machine Head (1972)
Gene Clark – White Light (1972)
Hugh Masekela – Home Is Where The Music Is (1972)
John Prine – John Prine (1972)
Lou Reed – Transformer (1972)
Milton Nascimento & Lo Borges – Clube Da Esquina (1972)
Neil Young – Harvest (1972)
Nick Drake – Pink Moon (1972)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Will The Circle Be Unbroken (1972)
Paul Simon – Paul Simon (1972)
Randy Newman – Sail Away (1972)
Roxy Music – Roxy Music (1972)
Slade – Slayed? (1972)
Steely Dan – Can’t Buy A Thrill (1972)
Stevie Wonder – Talking Book (1972)
T Rex – The Slider (1972)
The Eagles – Eagles (1972)
The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main Street (1972)
The Temptations – All Directions (1972)
Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything? (1972)
War – The World Is A Ghetto (1972)
Yes – Close To The Edge (1972)
Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Babies (1973)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Catch A Fire (1973)
Can – Future Days (1973)
David Bowie – Aladdin Sane (1973)
Deep Purple – Made In Japan (1973)
Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Faust – Faust IV (1973)
Genesis – Selling England By The Pound (1973)
Gram Parsons – Grievous Angel (1973)
Hawkwind – Space Ritual (1973)
Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power (1973)
John Cale – Paris 1919 (1973)
John Martyn – Solid Air (1973)
King Crimson – Lark’s Tongues In Aspic (1973)
Lou Reed – Berlin (1973)
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd (1973)
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On (1973)
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells (1973)
Mott The Hoople – Mott (1973)
New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1973)
Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run (1973)
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)
Roxy Music – For Your Pleasure (1973)
Steely Dan – Countdown To Ecstasy (1973)
Stephen Stills – Manassas (1973)
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions (1973)
The Incredible Bongo Band – Bongo Rock (1973)
The Isley Brothers – 3 3 (1973)
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band – Next … (1973)
Todd Rundgren – A Wizard, A True Star (1973)
Waylon Jennings – Honky Tonk Heroes (1973)
ZZ Top – Tres Hombres (1973)
10CC – Sheet Music (1974)
Bad Company – Bad Company (1974)
Bob Dylan – Blood On The Tracks (1974)
Brian Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets (1974)
Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue (1974)
Eric Clapton – 461 Ocean Blvd (1974)
Gene Clark – No Other (1974)
Genesis – Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (1974)
George Jones – The Grand Tour (1974)
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Winter In America (1974)
Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters (1974)
Joni Mitchell – Court And Spark (1974)
Kraftwerk – Autobahn (1974)
Neil Young – On The Beach (1974)
Queen – Queen II (1974)
Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
Randy Newman – Good Old Boys (1974)
Richard & Linda Thompson – I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight (1974)
Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom (1974)
Roxy Music – Country Life (1974)
Sparks – Kimono My House (1974)
Steely Dan – Pretzel Logic (1974)
Stevie Wonder – Fulfillingness’ First Finale (1974)
Supertramp – Crime Of The Century (1974)
Tangerine Dream – Phaedra (1974)
Van Morrison – It’s Too Late To Stop Now (1974)
So many albums, so little time!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1972–1974)
In hindsight, it seems that I’ve been a little too generous with certain artists, letting some slide with multiple albums when one would suffice. At the same time, I’ve made some egregious oversights. For instance, the first three records by the Meters are Potential Must Hear Albums, but both me and Robert Dimery missed them…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic (1975)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Natty Dread (1975)
Brian Eno – Another Green World (1975)
Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run (1975)
Curtis Mayfield – There’s No Place Like America Today (1975)
David Bowie – Young Americans (1975)
Dion – Born To Be With You (1975)
Earth, Wind & Fire – That’s The Way Of The World (1975)
Emmylou Harris – Pieces Of The Sky (1975)
Joni Mitchell – The Hissing Of Summer Lawns (1975)
Keith Jarrett – The Koln Concert (1975)
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti (1975)
Neil Young – Tonight’s The Night (1975)
Neu! – Neu! 75 (1975)
Patti Smith – Horses (1975)
Peter Frampton – Frampton Comes Alive (1975)
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)
Queen – A Night At The Opera (1975)
Rahul Dev Burman – Shalimar/College Girl (Soundtrack) (1975)
Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information (1975)
The Dictators – Go Girl Crazy! (1975)
Tim Buckley – Greetings From L A (1975)
Tom Waits – Nighthawks At The Diner (1975)
Willie Nelson – Red Headed Stranger (1975)
ABBA – Arrival (1976)
Aerosmith – Rocks (1976)
Boston – Boston (1976)
David Bowie – Station To Station (1976)
Joan Armatrading – Joan Armatrading (1976)
Joni Mitchell – Hejira (1976)
Jorge Ben – Africa Brasil (1976)
Kiss – Destroyer (1976)
Parliament – Mothership Connection (1976)
Peter Tosh – Legalize It (1976)
Ramones – Ramones (1976)
Rush – 2112 (1976)
Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life (1976)
The Eagles – Hotel California (1976)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1975–1976)
Comparatively speaking, 1975-76 is a dead zone for Albums You Must Hear Before You Die; in fact, there are almost as many Suggested Alternatives as legitimate selections. Overall, ’75 has more good stuff happening than ’76 – not by a wide margin – but it’s a shady part of town, and we’re going to roll…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
Billy Joel – The Stranger (1977)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (1977)
Brian Eno – Before And After Science (1977)
Chic – C’est Chic (1977)
David Bowie – Heroes (1977)
David Bowie – Low (1977)
Electric Light Orchestra – Out Of The Blue (1977)
Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)
Fela Kuti & The Afrika 70 – Zombie (1977)
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)
Ian Dury – New Boots And Panties! (1977)
Iggy Pop – Lust For Life (1977)
Iggy Pop – The Idiot (1977)
Jean Michel Jarre – Oxygene (1977)
John Martyn – One World (1977)
Kraftwerk – Trans-Europe Express (1977)
Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance (1977)
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel I (1977)
Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977)
Steely Dan – Aja (1977)
Suicide – Suicide (1977)
Talking Heads – Talking Heads 77 (1977)
The Clash – The Clash (1977)
The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1977)
The Penguin Cafe Orchestra – Music From The Penguin Cafe (1977)
The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus (1977)
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers (1977)
Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977)
Wire – Pink Flag (1977)
Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers (1978)
Blondie – Parallel Lines (1978)
Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music For Airports (1978)
Bruce Springsteen – Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
Buzzcocks – Another Music In A Different Kitchen (1978)
Cheap Trick – At Budokan (1978)
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)
Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978)
Elis Regina – Vento De Maio (1978)
Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model (1978)
Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove (1978)
Joe Ely – Honky Tonk Masquerade (1978)
Kraftwerk – The Man Machine (1978)
Magazine – Real Life (1978)
Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear (1978)
Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell (1978)
Muddy Waters – Hard Again (1978)
Pere Ubu – Dub Housing (1978)
Public Image Ltd – Public Image (1978)
Siouxsie & The Banshees – The Scream (1978)
Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings And Food (1978)
Television – Marquee Moon (1978)
The Adverts – Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts (1978)
The Cars – The Cars (1978)
The Jam – All Mod Cons (1978)
The Only Ones – The Only Ones (1978)
The Residents – Duck Stab/Buster And Glen (1978)
The Saints – Eternally Yours (1978)
Thin Lizzy – Live And Dangerous (1978)
Throbbing Gristle – DOA: Third And Final Report (1978)
Van Halen – Van Halen (1978)
Willie Colon & Ruben Blades – Siembra (1978)
Willie Nelson – Stardust (1978)
X-Ray Spex – Germ Freen Adolescents (1978)
The hits keep coming, but we don’t stop!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1977–1978)
Rock music is about to get interesting. I’m excited. Good stuff is about to happen. Key: Strikethrough indicates what you probably think it does Green indicates highly recommended listening Underlined indicates questionable but ultimately acceptable record Blue bold italic indicates ABSOLUTELY MUST HEAR BEFORE YOU DIE Note: Suggested alternatives are from the same year as…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
AC/DC – Highway To Hell (1979)
Chic – Risque (1979)
Crusaders – Street Life (1979)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Armed Forces (1979)
Fleetwood Mac – Tusk (1979)
Gang Of Four – Entertainment! (1979)
Gary Numan – The Pleasure Principle (1979)
Holger Czukay – Movies (1979)
Japan – Quiet Life (1979)
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasure (1979)
Marianne Faithfull – Broken English (1979)
Michael Jackson – Off The Wall (1979)
Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Rust Never Sleeps (1979)
Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979)
Pretenders – Pretenders (1979)
Public Image Ltd – Metal Box (1979)
Sister Sledge – We Are Family (1979)
Talking Heads – Fear Of Music (1979)
The B-52s – The B-52s (1979)
The Clash – London Calling (1979)
The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
The Fall – Live At The Witch Trails (1979)
The Germs – GI (1979)
The Police – Reggatta De Blanc (1979)
The Slits – Cut (1979)
The Specials – Specials (1979)
The Undertones – The Undertones (1979)
AC/DC – Back In Black (1980)
Adam & The Ants – Kings Of The Wild Frontier (1980)
Dexys Midnight Runners – Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (1980)
Echo & The Bunnymen – Crocodiles (1980)
Iron Maiden – Iron Maiden (1980)
Joy Division – Closer (1980)
Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)
Killing Joke – Killing Joke (1980)
Motorhead – Ace Of Spades (1980)
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (III) (1980)
Steve Winwood – Arc Of A Diver (1980)
Talking Heads – Remain In Light (1980)
The Circle Jerks – Group Sex (1980)
The Cramps – Songs The Lord Taught Us (1980)
The Cure – Seventeen Seconds (1980)
The Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (1980)
The Jam – Sound Affects (1980)
The Soft Boys – Underwater Moonlight (1980)
The Specials – More Specials (1980)
The Teardrop Explodes – Kilimanjaro (1980)
The Undertones – Hypnotised (1980)
Tom Waits – Heartattack And Vine (1980)
UB40 – Signing Off (1980)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1979–1980)
1979-1980 is the first period of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not in which I had heard every record before writing the associated essay. In some cases, I was listening to the record for only the second time, but there were no surprises, only disappointments and hasty generalizations. On the other hand,…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
ABBA – The Visitors (1981)
Bauhaus – Mask (1981)
Black Flag – Damaged (1981)
Bobby Womack – The Poet (1981)
Brian Eno & David Byrne – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (1981)
Einsturzende Neubauten – Kollaps (1981)
Heaven 17 – Penthouse And Pavement (1981)
Motorhead – No Sleep ‘Til Hammersmith (1981)
Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Juju (1981)
Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981)
The Go-Gos – Beauty And The Beat (1981)
The Gun Club – Fire Of Love (1981)
The Human League – Dare (1981)
The Psychedelic Furs – Talk, Talk, Talk (1981)
Tom Tom Club – Tom Tom Club (1981)
X – Wild Gift (1981)
ABC – The Lexicon Of Love (1982)
Associates – Sulk (1982)
Birthday Party – Junkyard (1982)
Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (1982)
Dexys Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay (1982)
Donald Fagen – The Nightfly (1982)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Imperial Bedroom (1982)
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message (1982)
Haircut One Hundred – Pelican West (1982)
Iron Maiden – The Number Of The Beast (1982)
Kate Bush – The Dreaming (1982)
Madness – The Rise And Fall (1982)
Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)
Orange Juice – Rip It Up (1982)
Prince – 1999 (1982)
Simple Minds – New Gold Dream (81, 82, 83, 84) (1982)
The Cure – Pornography (1982)
Venom – Black Metal (1982)
Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1982)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1981–1982)
Every so often, it’s important to stop, take a look around, stare out the window for a while, change the channel, get up and stretch your legs. The last four years in popular music have witnessed a series of sea changes, which ultimately sank a bunch of ships. The disco backlash has reached critical mass,…
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by Christian Adams
Culture Club – Colour By Numbers (1983)
Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983)
Duran Duran – Rio (1983)
Echo & The Bunnymen – Porcupine (1983)
Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (1983)
Hanoi Rocks – Back To Mystery City (1983)
Malcolm McLaren – Duck Rock (1983)
Meat Puppets – Meat Puppets II (1983)
Minor Threat – Out Of Step (1983)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Architecture And Morality (1983)
Paul Simon – Hearts And Bones (1983)
REM – Murmur (1983)
The Police – Synchronicity (1983)
The The – Soul Mining (1983)
Tom Waits – Swordfishtrombones (1983)
U2 – War (1983)
ZZ Top – Eliminator (1983)
Blue Nile – A Walk Across The Rooftops (1984)
Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA (1984)
Cyndi Lauper – She’s So Unusual (1984)
Cocteau Twins – Treasure (1984)
Echo & The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain (1984)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Welcome To The Pleasuredome (1984)
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions – Rattlesnakes (1984)
Minutemen – Double Nickels On The Dime (1984)
Prince & The Revolution – Purple Rain (1984)
Run-DMC – Run-DMC (1984)
Sade – Diamond Life (1984)
The Replacements – Let It Be (1984)
The Style Council – Café Bleu (1984)
Tina Turner – Private Dancer (1984)
Van Halen – 1984 (1984)
Youssou N’Dour – Immigres (1984)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1983–1984)
To be honest, I didn’t know what the hell was going on in 1983-84, and I was hoping that 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die was going to bring some clarity to my confusion. Generally speaking, the self-awareness of a 16-year-old boy is limited to his immediate sight and grasp. At least, that’s…
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by Christian Adams
Abdullah Ibrahim – Water From An Ancient Well (1985)
A-Ha – Hunting High And Low (1985)
Dexys Midnight Runners – Don’t Stand Me Down (1985)
Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms (1985)
Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love (1985)
Mekons – Fear And Whiskey (1985)
New Order – Low Life (1985)
Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen (1985)
Scritti Politti – Cupid And Psyche 85 (1985)
Simply Red – Picture Book (1985)
Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega (1985)
Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair (1985)
The Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace (1985)
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy (1985)
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy And The Lash (1985)
The Smiths – Meat Is Murder (1985)
Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock: The Album (1986)
Anita Baker – Rapture (1986)
Bad Brains – I Against I (1986)
Beastie Boys – Licensed To Ill (1986)
Big Black – Atomizer (1986)
Billy Bragg – Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986)
Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – Blood And Chocolate (1986)
Megadeth – Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying? (1986)
Metallica – Master Of Puppets (1986)
Nanci Griffith – The Last Of The True Believers (1986)
Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)
Peter Gabriel – So (1986)
Run-DMC – Raising Hell (1986)
Slayer – Reign In Blood (1986)
Sonic Youth – Evol (1986)
Steve Earle – Guitar Town (1986)
The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986)
The The – Infected (1986)
Throwing Muses – Throwing Muses (1986)
XTC – Skylarking (1986)
We listened so you don’t have to! Just kidding…
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1985–1986)
Dedicated to my brother, Bobby Camp (1969-2015), who introduced me to more bands than I can count. Frank Zappa (among others) once said something along the lines of writing about music is like dancing about architecture. That’s wrong. If listening to music is an experience, then writing about said experience is just as valid as…
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by Christian Adams
Anthrax – Among The Living (1987)
Astor Piazzolla & Gary Burton – The New Tango (1987)
Butthole Surfers – Locust Abortion Technician (1987)
Def Leppard – Hysteria (1987)
Depeche Mode – Music For The Masses (1987)
Dinosaur Jr – You’re Living All Over Me (1987)
Dolly Parton With Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris – Trio (1987)
George Michael – Faith (1987)
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction (1987)
Husker Du – Warehouse: Songs And Stories (1987)
John Zorn – Spy Vs Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman (1987)
Ladysmith Black Mambazo – Shaka Zulu (1987)
Laibach – Opus Dei (1987)
Michael Jackson – Bad (1987)
Napalm Death – Scum (1987)
Pet Shop Boys – Actually (1987)
Prince – Sign ‘O’ The Times (1987)
REM – Document (1987)
Sonic Youth – Sister (1987)
Talk Talk – The Colour Of Spring (1987)
Terence Trent D’Arby – Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D’Arby (1987)
The Cult – Electric (1987)
The Jesus & Mary Chain – Darklands (1987)
The Sisters Of Mercy – Floodland (1987)
The Smiths – Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
The Triffids – Calenture (1987)
U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)
American Music Club – California (1988)
Cowboy Junkies – Trinity Session (1988)
Dagmar Krause – Tank Battles (1988)
Dinosaur Jr – Bug (1988)
Dwight Yoakam – Beuenas Noches From A Lonely Room (1988)
Everything But The Girl – Idlewild (1988)
Fishbone – Truth And Soul (1988)
Happy Mondays – Bummed (1988)
Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
KD Lang – Shadowland (1988)
Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man (1988)
Living Colour – Vivid (1988)
Metallica – … And Justice For All (1988)
Morrissey – Viva Hate (1988)
Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff (1988)
My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything (1988)
NWA – Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Pixies – Surfer Rosa (1988)
Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)
The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane (1988)
The Pogues – If I Should Fall From Grace With God (1988)
The Sugarcubes – Life’s Too Good (1988)
The Waterboys – Fisherman’s Blues (1988)
Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988)
More insightful commentary!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1987–1988)
If 1985-86 is a dead zone for Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, then 1987-88 is a black hole. Mainstream popular music was more about hairspray and pastel colors than artistic achievement. How bad was music in 1987? It was Bruce Willis – The Return of Bruno bad. It was Whitesnake and Tawny Kitaen…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
808 State – 808:90 (1989)
Aerosmith – Pump (1989)
Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck – Djam Leelii (1989)
Barry Adamson – Moss Side Story (1989)
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)
Bonnie Raitt – Nick Of Time (1989)
Coldcut – What’s That Noise? (1989)
De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)
Faith No More – The Real Thing (1989)
Firehose – Fromohio (1989)
Janet Jackson – Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989)
John Lee Hooker – The Healer (1989)
Jungle Brothers – Done By The Forces Of Nature (1989)
Kate Bush – Sensual World (1989)
Lenny Kravitz – Let Love Rule (1989)
Madonna – Like A Prayer (1989)
Neneh Cherry – Raw Like Sushi (1989)
New Order – Technique (1989)
Pixies – Doolittle (1989)
Queen Latifah – All Hail The Queen (1989)
REM – Green (1989)
Soul II Soul – Club Classics: Vol One (1989)
Spacemen 3 – Playing With Fire (1989)
The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)
The Young Gods – L’Eau Rouge (1989)
A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990)
Cocteau Twins – Heaven Or Las Vegas (1990)
Deee-Lite – World Clique (1990)
Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)
Digital Underground – Sex Packets (1990)
Fugazi – Repeater (1990)
George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice: Vol 1 (1990)
Happy Mondays – Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches (1990)
Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
Jane’s Addiction – Ritual De Lo Habitual (1990)
LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
Megadeth – Rust In Peace (1990)
Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Ragged Glory (1990)
Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour (1990)
Pixies – Bossanova (1990)
Public Enemy – Fear Of A Black Planet (1990)
Ride – Nowhere (1990)
Sinead O’Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
Sonic Youth – Goo (1990)
The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker (1990)
The Cure – Disintegration (1990)
The KLF – White Room (1990)
The La’s – The La’s (1990)
The Shamen – En-Tact (1990)
Only halfway through the list!
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1989–1990)
Comparatively speaking, we’re going to breeze through this period. There’s a revolution of sorts on the horizon. At this point, recording artists are either making records that sell, or they aren’t making records. There will be fewer suggested alternatives simply because 1001 AYMHBYD already named most of the Must Hear records. You could almost skip…
Keep reading…
by Christian Adams
A Tribe Called Quest – Low End Theory (1991)
Crowded House – Woodface (1991)
Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill (1991)
Gang Starr – Step In The Arena (1991)
Ice T – OG: Original Gangster (1991)
Jah Wobble & The Invaders Of The Heart – Rising Above Bedlam (1991)
Julian Cope – Peggy Suicide (1991)
Koffi Olomide – Haut De Gamme: Koweit, Rive Gauche (1991)
Massive Attack – Blue Lines (1991)
Metallica – Metallica (1991)
Mudhoney – Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (1991)
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1991)
Public Enemy – Apocalypse 9 … The Enemy Strikes Back (1991)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magic (1991)
Saint Etienne – Foxbase Alpha (1991)
Sepultura – Arise (1991)
Slint – Spiderland (1991)
Teenage Fanclub – Bandwagonesque (1991)
U2 – Achtung Baby (1991)
Alice In Chains – Dirt (1992)
Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85-92 (1992)
Arrested Development – 3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of Arrested Development (1992)
Baaba Maal – Lam Toro (1992)
Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy – Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury (1992)
KD Lang – Ingenue (1992)
Lemonheads – It’s A Shame About Ray (1992)
Ministry – Psalm 69 (1992)
Morrissey – Your Arsenal (1992)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Henry’s Dream, By Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1992)
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – Devotional Songs (1992)
Pantera – Vulgar Display Of Power (1992)
Pearl Jam – Ten (1992)
PJ Harvey – Dry (1992)
REM – Automatic For The People (1992)
Sonic Youth – Dirty (1992)
Spiritualized – Lazer Guided Melodies (1992)
Stereo MCs – Connected (1992)
Sugar – Copper Blue (1992)
The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)
Tom Waits – Bone Machine (1992)
Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes (1992)
The commentary ends here, for now…
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die…Or Not(1991–1992)
There was one morning I woke up in 1992 and I felt like I’d been asleep for a couple of years. Right here, right now, at this very moment, I thought the 1001 Albums list should end and start over. The book and list should be split into two volumes:Analog Era (1956–1992)andDigital Age (1993–present). My…
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by Christian Adams
Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen (1993)
Aimee Mann – Whatever (1993)
Auteurs – New Wave (1993)
Bjork – Debut (1993)
Blur – Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
Dre – The Chronic (1993)
Girls Against Boys – Venus Luxure No 1 Baby (1993)
Grant Lee Buffalo – Fuzzy (1993)
Ice Cube – Predator (1993)
Jamiroquai – Emergency On Planet Earth (1993)
MC Solaar – Qui Seme Le Vent Recolte Le Tempo (1993)
Nirvana – In Utero (1993)
Orbital – Orbital II (1993)
Paul Weller – Wild Wood (1993)
Pavement – Slanted And Enchanted (1993)
Pet Shop Boys – Very (1993)
PJ Harvey – Rid Of Me (1993)
Rage Against The Machine – Rage Against The Machine (1993)
Sebadoh – Bubble And Scrape (1993)
Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club (1993)
Snoop Doggy Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)
Suede – Suede (1993)
The Boo Radleys – Giant Steps (1993)
The Fall – Infotainment Scan (1993)
The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)
William Orbit – Strange Cargo III (1993)
Wu-Tang Clan – Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Ali Farka Toure – Talking Timbuktu (1994)
Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)
Blur – Parklife (1994)
Drive Like Jehu – Yank Crime (1994)
Elvis Costello – Brutal Youth (1994)
Frank Black – Teenager Of The Year (1994)
G Love & Special Sauce – G Love And Special Sauce (1994)
Green Day – Dookie (1994)
Hole – Live Through This (1994)
Jeru The Damaja – The Sun Rises In The East (1994)
Liz Phair – Exile In Guyville (1994)
Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible (1994)
Massive Attack – Protection (1994)
Method Man – Tical (1994)
Morrissey – Vauxhall And I (1994)
Nas – Illmatic (1994)
Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)
Nirvana – MTV Unplugged In New York (1994)
Oasis – Definitely Maybe (1994)
Orbital – Snivilisation (1994)
Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Portishead – Dummy (1994)
Soundgarden – Superunknown (1994)
Suede – Dog Man Star (1994)
The Notorious BIG – Ready To Die (1994)
The Offspring – Smash (1994)
The Prodigy – Music For The Jilted Generation (1994)
The Sabres Of Paradise – Haunted Dancehall (1994)
Tupac – Me Against The World (1994)
Alanis Morrissette – Jagged Little Pill (1995)
D’Angelo – Brown Sugar (1995)
Elastica – Elastica (1995)
Femi Kuti – Femi Kuti (1995)
Foo Fighters – Foo Fighters (1995)
Garbage – Garbage (1995)
Genius GZA – Liquid Swords (1995)
Goldie – Timeless (1995)
Guided By Voices – Alien Lanes (1995)
Jeff Buckley – Grace (1995)
Leftfield – Leftism (1995)
Nightmares On Wax – Smokers Delight (1995)
Oasis – (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? (1995)
Pulp – Different Class (1995)
Radiohead – The Bends (1995)
Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)
Rocket From The Crypt – Scream, Dracula, Scream (1995)
Supergrass – I Should Coco (1995)
The Chemical Brothers – Exit Planet Dust (1995)
The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness (1995)
The Verve – A Northern Soul (1995)
TLC – CrazySexyCool (1995)
Tricky – Maxinquaye (1995)
Ash – 1977 (1996)
Barry Adamson – Oedipus Schmedipus (1996)
Beck – Odelay (1996)
Belle & Sebastian – If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
Belle & Sebastian – Tigermilk (1996)
DJ Shadow – Endtroducing … (1996)
Dr Octagon – Dr Octagonecologyst (1996)
Eels – Beautiful Freak (1996)
Everything But The Girl – Walking Wounded (1996)
Fatboy Slim – Better Living Through Chemistry (1996)
Fiona Apple – Tidal (1996)
Fugees – The Score (1996)
Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Come Find Yourself (1996)
LTJ Bukem – Logical Progression (1996)
Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go (1996)
Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar (1996)
Maxwell – Urban Hang Suite (1996)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads (1996)
Screaming Trees – Dust (1996)
Sepultura – Roots (1996)
Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup (1996)
Super Furry Animals – Fuzzy Logic (1996)
The Cardigans – First Band On The Moon (1996)
The Charlatans – Tellin’ Stories (1996)
The Divine Comedy – Casanova (1996)
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Now I Got Worry (1996)
Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996)
Underworld – Second Toughest In The Infants (1996)
Wilco – Being There (1996)
Blur – Blur (1997)
Bob Dylan – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
Buena Vista Social Club – Buena Vista Social Club (1997)
Cornershop – When I Was Born For The 7th Time (1997)
Daft Punk – Homework (1997)
David Holmes – Let’s Get Killed (1997)
Elliott Smith – Either/Or (1997)
Finlay Quaye – Maverick A Strike (1997)
Mariah Carey – Butterfly (1997)
Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – The Boatman’s Call (1997)
Primal Scream – Vanishing Point (1997)
Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
Robbie Williams – Life Thru A Lens (1997)
Robert Wyatt – Shleep (1997)
Roni Size & Reprazent – New Forms (1997)
Sleater-Kinney – Dig Me Out (1997)
Spiritualized – Ladies And Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space (1997)
Supergrass – In It For The Money (1997)
The Chemical Brothers – Dig Your Own Hole (1997)
The Divine Comedy – A Short Album About Love (1997)
The Prodigy – The Fat Of The Land (1997)
The Verve – Urban Hymns (1997)
Air – Moon Safari (1998)
Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue (1998)
Boards Of Canada – Music Has The Right To Children (1998)
Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol 4 (1998)
Bonnie Prince Billy – I See A Darkness (1998)
Britney Spears – Baby One More Time (1998)
David Gray – White Ladder (1998)
Fatboy Slim – You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby (1998)
Hole – Celebrity Skin (1998)
Khaled – Kenza (1998)
Kid Rock – Devil Without A Cause (1998)
Korn – Follow The Leader (1998)
Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill (1998)
Lucinda Williams – Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (1998)
Madonna – Ray Of Light (1998)
Manu Chao – Clandestino (1998)
Mercury Rev – Deserter’s Songs (1998)
Pulp – This Is Hardcore (1998)
Queens Of The Stone Age – Queens Of The Stone Age (1998)
System Of A Down – System Of A Down (1998)
Talvin Singh – OK (1998)
Turbonegro – Apocalypse Dudes (1998)
Basement Jaxx – Remedy (1999)
Beth Orton – Central Reservation (1999)
Death In Vegas – The Contino Sessions (1999)
Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1999)
Flaming Lips – The Soft Bulletin (1999)
Incubus – Make Yourself (1999)
Les Rhythmes Digitales – Darkdancer (1999)
Le Tigre – Le Tigre (1999)
Metallica – S&M (1999)
Moby – Play (1999)
Nitin Sawhney – Beyond Skin (1999)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication (1999)
Shack – HMS Fable (1999)
Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun (1999)
Skunk Anansie – Post Orgasmic Chill (1999)
Slipknot – Slipknot (1999)
Suba – Sao Paulo Confessions (1999)
The Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs (1999)
Travis – The Man Who (1999)
XTC – Apple Venus Volume 1 (1999)
Air – The Virgin Suicides (2000)
Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour Of Bewilderbeast (2000)
Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo (2000)
Coldplay – Parachutes (2000)
Common – Like Water For Chocolate (2000)
Doves – Lost Souls (2000)
Elliott Smith – Figure 8 (2000)
Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Emmylou Harris – Red Dirt Girl (2000)
Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun (2000)
Giant Sand – Chore Of Enchantment (2000)
Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain (2000)
Lambchop – Nixon (2000)
Limp Bizkit – Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavoured Water (2000)
Linkin Park – Hybrid Theory (2000)
Madonna – Music (2000)
Mike Ladd – Welcome To The Afterfuture (2000)
MJ Cole – Sincere (2000)
OutKast – Stankonia (2000)
PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (2000)
Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
Red Snapper – Our Aim Is To Satisfy (2000)
Ryan Adams – Heartbreaker (2000)
The Avalanches – Since I Left You (2000)
U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
Ute Lemper – Punishing Kiss (2000)
Bjork – Vespertine (2001)
Destiny’s Child – Survivor (2001)
Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera (2001)
Gillian Welch – Time (The Revelator) (2001)
Gorillaz – Gorillaz (2001)
Gotan Project – La Revancha Del Tango (2001)
Jay-Z – The Blueprint (2001)
Radiohead – Amnesiac (2001)
Royksopp – Melody AM (2001)
Ryan Adams – Gold (2001)
Silver Jews – Bright Flight (2001)
Super Furry Animals – Rings Around The World (2001)
The Beta Band – Hot Shots II (2001)
The Hives – Your New Favourite Band (2001)
The Strokes – Is This It? (2001)
The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)
Beck – Sea Change (2002)
Bruce Springsteen – The Rising (2002)
Christina Aguilera – Stripped (2002)
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)
Doves – The Last Broadcast (2002)
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002)
Johnny Cash – American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002)
Jurassic 5 – Power In Numbers (2002)
Justin Timberlake – Justified (2002)
Missy Elliott – Under Construction (2002)
Ms Dynamite – A Little Deeper (2002)
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me (2002)
The Bees – Sunshine Hit Me (2002)
The Coral – The Coral (2002)
The Roots – Phrenology (2002)
The Vines – Highly Evolved (2002)
Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
Amy Winehouse – Frank (2003)
Calexico – Feast Of Wire (2003)
Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner (2003)
Kings Of Leon – Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
Lightning Bolt – Wonderful Rainbow (2003)
Mars Volta – De-Loused In The Comatorium (2003)
OutKast – Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
Radiohead – Hail To The Thief (2003)
Rufus Wainwright – Want One (2003)
The Darkness – Permission To Land (2003)
The Thrills – So Much For The City (2003)
The White Stripes – Elephant (2003)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell (2003)
Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
Bjork – Medulla (2004)
Brian Wilson – Smile (2004)
Cee-Lo Green – Cee-Lo Green … Is The Soul Machine (2004)
Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing In The Hands (2004)
DeVotchKa – How It Ends (2004)
Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand (2004)
Green Day – American Idiot (2004)
Kanye West – The College Dropout (2004)
Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Liars – They Were Wrong, So We Drowned (2004)
Morrissey – You Are The Quarry (2004)
Mylo – Destroy Rock And Roll (2004)
NERD – Fly Or Die (2004)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus (2004)
Ozomatli – Street Signs (2004)
Rufus Wainwright – Want Two (2004)
Scissor Sisters – Scissor Sisters (2004)
The Beta Band – Heroes To Zeros (2004)
The Icarus Line – Penance Soiree (2004)
The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)
The Libertines – The Libertines (2004)
The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free (2004)
The Zutons – Who Killed The Zutons? (2004)
TV On The Radio – Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004)
Antony & The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now (2005)
Beck – Guero (2005)
Common – Be (2005)
MIA – Arular (2005)
Richard Hawley – Coles Corner (2005)
Sufjan Stevens – Illinois (2005)
The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan (2005)
Ali Farka Toure – Savane (2006)
Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (2006)
Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)
Christina Aguilera – Back To Basics (2006)
Ghostface Killah – Fishscale (2006)
Joanna Newsom – Ys (2006)
Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquour (2006)
Muse – Black Holes And Revelations (2006)
The Killers – Sam’s Town (2006)
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (2007)
Justice – Cross (2007)
LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver (2007)
MIA – Kala (2007)
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (2007)
Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)
The Good, The Bad & The Queen – The Good, The Bad And The Queen (2007)
The Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future (2007)
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid (2008)
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes (2008)
Goldfrapp – Seventh Tree (2008)
Portishead – Third (2008)
Q-Tip – The Renaissance (2008)
Slipknot – All Hope Is Gone (2008)
TV On The Radio – Dear Science (2008)
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (2009)
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca (2009)
Fever Ray – Fever Ray (2009)
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (2009)
The XX – XX (2009)
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers (2009)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz! (2009)
Arcade Fire – The Suburbs (2010)
Beach House – Teen Dream (2010)
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest (2010)
Janelle Monae – The ArchAndroid (2010)
John Grant – Queen Of Demark (2010)
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
The Black Keys – Brothers (2010)
The National – High Violet (2010)
Adele – 21 (2011)
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake (2011)
White Denim – D (2011)
Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012)
Hot Chip – In Our Heads (2012)
Frank Ocean – channel ORANGE (2012)
Jack White – Blunderbuss (2012)
Django Django – Django Django (2012)
My Bloody Valentine – m b v (2013)
Kanye West – Yeezus (2013)
David Bowie – The Next Day (2013)
CHVRCHES – The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
Beyoncé – BEYONCÉ (2013)
Taylor Swift – 1989 (2014)
FKA twigs – LP1 (2014)
The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream (2014)
Adele – 25 (2015)
Björk – Vulnicura (2015)
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)
Songhoy Blues – Music in Exile (2015)
Skepta – Konnichiwa (2016)
Solange – A Seat at the Table (2016)
David Bowie – ★ Blackstar
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker (2016)
The xx – I See You (2017)
Jane Weaver – Modern Kosmology (2017)
LCD Soundsystem – American Dream (2017)
Lorde – Melodrama (2017)
Thundercat – Drunk (2017)
Kelela – Take Me Apart (2017)
SZA – Ctrl (2017)
Hookworms – Microshift (2018)
Christine and the Queens – Chris (2018)
Kacey Musgraves – Golden Hour (2018)
Little Simz – GREY Area (2019)
Michael Kiwanuka – Kiwanuka (2019)
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (2019)
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters (2020)
Sault – Untitled (Black Is) (2020)
Taylor Swift – Evermore (2020)
Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club (2021)
Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales (2021) [EP]