Originally published by Albumism on February 15, 2018
In February, Albumism\’s editor-in-chief Justin Chadwick asked the writing staff to lists of their 10 favorite albums. Many of us lobbied to extend the list to 20, but we failed to sway our editor-in-chief. Anyway, here are my 10 favorites.
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David Bowie | Station to Station | 1976 | Buy | Station to Station is Bowie’s last studio LP before his famous Berlin trilogy. Stripped away of Young Americans’ more pop leanings, this six-song album, which features a cover of Johnny Mathis’ “Wild is the Wind,” is the perfect prelude to Bowie’s next LP, Low.
The Cars | The Cars | 1978 | Buy | This is one of the first LPs that made me stand up and take notice of a band. The Cars eponymous debut ushered in the New Wave era and to this day, it’s a very listenable classic. One of the best debuts by any band in the modern rock era.
The Clash | London Calling | 1979 | Buy | This is the one album that brings me back to a time in my life when I actively sought comfort in music. It was fierce, angry and just what I needed at the time. London Calling is another example of a double album that works from beginning to end.
Everything But the Girl | Everything But the Girl | 1984 | Buy | This long out-of-print and recently reissued album introduced the world to Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt. Everything But the Girl’s lounge-like, Brazilian/Bossa Nova sound was often imitated in the late ‘80s, yet their sound remained uniquely theirs.
Marvin Gaye | What’s Going On | 1971 | Buy | This is a timeless masterpiece that is just as relevant today as it was when it was released. Marvin Gaye’s performance is a reflection of the world in 1971 and a peek inside his own inner turmoil.
PJ Harvey | Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea | 2000 | Buy | This album got me through a nasty breakup and provided the soundtrack for the year 2000. My personal highlight is her duet with Thom Yorke on “This Mess We’re In.” Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea is fierce, yet beautiful.
Grace Jones | Nightclubbing | 1981 | Buy | This one has been in my steady rotation ever since I bought it in 1981. I still don’t know how she combined New Wave, Disco and Reggae and made it all work.
Prince | Sign O’ the Times | 1987 | Buy | This is my favorite Prince LP because he merged the styles of all of his previous albums and created a sound that set this work apart from all the others. Prince also managed to pull off the near-impossible feat of making a double album that is listenable from beginning to end.
Public Enemy | It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back | 1988 | Buy | Public Enemy’s sophomore effort remains one of the fiercest political statements of the ‘80s. Lyrically strong and flawlessly produced, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back was the standard bearer for hip-hop’s politically conscious era.
X | More Fun in the New World | 1983 | Buy | Imagine a punk album with the lyrical sensibilities of Woody Guthrie. More Fun in the New World is a brilliant look at the Reagan Era through the eyes of L.A. punk legends X. Their cover of Otis Blackwell’s “Breathless” has no rival.
