Caffé Latté presents the all-time
200
MOST ESSENTIAL
ALBUMS
Frank Sinatra is generally credited as the
first artist to release a concept album. Until then, the pop market was focused
almost exclusively on the single. Albums merely consisted of a compilation of
recently issued product with filler to capitalize on a successful hit song.
During the 1960s, albums gradually built up credibility and by the 1970s, had
become as integral as the single. The era of ‘classic albums’ had emerged, led
by acts such as The Beatles, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie.
This Top 200 list includes albums that broke
new ground; expanded the sonic landscape and influenced the music that
followed. They have been ranked according to impact on the sound of rock and
pop music, popularity, sales and timeless quality.
200 LEMONADE Beyoncé
199 TUSK Fleetwood Mac
198 BLUE LINES Massive attack
197 A NEW WORLD RECORD Electric Light Orchestra
196 THAT’S THE WAY OF THE WORLD Earth, Wind
& Fire
195 SHE’S SO UNUSUAL Cyndi Lauper
194 A NIGHT ON THE TOWN Rod Stewart
193 BROTHERS IN ARMS Dire Straits
192 DIANA Diana Ross
191 ABRAXAS Santana
190 TATTOO YOU Rolling Stones
189 TRACY CHAPMAN Tracy Chapman
188 FULFILLINGNESS’ FIRST FINALE Stevie Wonder
187 CAN’T SLOW DOWN Lionel Richie
186 BOOKENDS Simon & Garfunkel
185 BORN IN THE U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen
184 HOT AUGUST NIGHT Neil Diamond
183 FAITH George Michael
182 CRAZYSEXYCOOL TLC
181 TOO LOW FOR ZERO Elton John
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180
PAUL SIMON
PAUL SIMON
1972
Although not his first Paul Simon solo album (he had released one in 1965), this was his first after the dissolution of his musical partnership with Art Garfunkel. The duo had reached its zenith with 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. Now solo, Simon explored new styles such as reggae. This LP also reflected the singer/ songwriter era that dominated musical tastes in the early 1970s. Simon expanded his songbook with new sounds on tracks such as "Mother And Child Reunion", "Duncan" and "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard".
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179
WAR OF THE WORLDS
JEFF WAYNE
1978
Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation of the H.G. Wells literary classic "The War Of The Worlds" remains a mighty accomplishment. Recruiting Richard Burton as the Narrator added gravitas to the recording. His voice is commanding and hints at the impending Martian invasion. The album also features Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Julie Covington, David Essex, Chris Thompson and Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy). Highlight tracks include "The Eve Of War" and "Forever Autumn". It remains a benchmark to this day.
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178
PARKLIFE
BLUR
1994
Blur celebrated Britpop on its 3rd studio album. 'Parklife' established the group as the main rival to Oasis in the UK pop arena. Damon Albarn is the main contributor to the songwriting. On the album, he channels The Kinks and Paul Weller. In the process, the euphonious tracks revivified British pop music.
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177
MUSIC OF MY MIND
STEVIE WONDER
1972
The public was in awe of Stevie Wonder from the start. His 1st #1 hit single was "Fingertips" at the age of 13. By the time of 'Music Of My Mind', Wonder was an adult and on this LP, there was a marked contrast from his previous work. Firstly, the themes were more mature and darker. Wonder had a hand in writing every track. He was a co-producer on this album. Musically, Wonder played almost every instrument. It's a strong and cohesive album, demonstrating his growth as a musician and posits him as a key act of the decade. Wonder is at his best on tracks "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)" and "Evil".
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176
BACK TO BLACK
AMY WINEHOUSE
2006
While it is difficult to listen to 'Back To Black' without thinking about the tragic end met by Amy Winehouse, it still stands as one of the new millennium's standout albums. The British singer adopted a more 60s soul vibe on this - her sophomore album. Credit must go to producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi.
The album will inspire many into the future. Before her death, Winehouse paved the way for the likes of Sam Smith, Grace, Adele, Duffy and Ellie Goulding. In an era where recording techniques can mask vocal deficiencies, it is refreshing to see a talented performer's voice can still be appreciated. The inclusion of songs such as the title track, "Love Is A Losing Game", "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good" are a fitting swansong.
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175
ALL THINGS MUST PASS
GEORGE HARRISON
1970
Many of the songs on 'All Things Must Pass' were written by George Harrison while he was still a member of The Beatles. Trying to compete with compositions by John Lennon and Paul McCartney was daunting, but the latter 2 also rejected some of his offerings.
Once the band split, Harrison had a backlog of song ideas to start with. 'All Things Must Pass' was his solo debut. So prolific was he at the time that the project became a triple album.
Among the best songs are: "What Is Life", "My Sweet Lord", "Wah-Wah", "I Live For You" and a cover of Dylan's "If Not For You". Produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, the
album allowed Harrison to bask in the spotlight alone, instead of in
the shadow of Lennon and McCartney. He developed his own guitar style and
incorporated his spiritual side.
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174
SYNCHRONICITY
THE POLICE
1983
The Police crashed through as a punk / new wave band in 1977. Subsequent years saw the group gravitate towards rock. The 1980s saw The Police adopt a more modern pop feel on 'Ghost In The Machine'. 'Synchronicity' followed 2 years later. This LP cemented The Police as the world's biggest group. Hugh Padgham co-produced the album with the trio.
Sting wrote the bulk of its tracks and arguably its strongest, including the ubiquitous "Every Breath You Take", "King Of Pain", "Wrapped Around Your Finger", "Synchronicity I", "Synchronicity II" and "Tea In The Sahara".
The Police split at its best. This would be the trio's final studio album. Having crafted so many of the disc's best moments, Sting was now ready to launch his solo career. On 'Synchronicity' the group bravely resisted the temptation to repeat itself by further evolving its sound.
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173
52nd STREET
BILLY JOEL
1978
Billy Joel became a fully fledged star in the wake of 'The Stranger'. That 1977 album was followed a year later by '52nd Street'. The new material explored more musical territory while more effectively courting public appeal.
Phil Ramone's production highlights the strength of the songs. There is plenty of variety. Joel rocks out on "Big Shot"; "Honesty" is a timeless ballad; "Until The Night" sounds like it was tailored for The Righteous Brothers; "Zanzibar" incorporates jazz; and "Rosalinda's Eyes" mixes in Latin sounds. The major pop hit on the disc is "My Life", another of the better tracks.
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172
THE HEIST
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS
2012
Rapper Macklemore teamed up with producer Ryan Lewis to make hip hop's most user-friendly album. Anyone that dismissed rap as a violent, offensive and bigoted genre had to re-assess their opinion after the release of this album. This was hip hop with a social conscience, positivity and intelligence.
No 2 songs sounded the same on this disc. Two of its smash hits, "Thrift Shop" and "Can't Hold Us" were starkly different. The album's finest moment is "Same Love", a powerful song addressing homophobia.
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171
BAD
MICHAEL JACKSON
1987
'Bad' was never going to surpass the unprecedented success of its predecessor 'Thriller'. To his credit, Jackson assembled strong new songs and unleashed this new album 5 years later.
While there was no "Billie Jean" on this LP, 'Bad' did offer new worthy additions to Jackson's canon. Among these are: "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Another Part Of Me", the title track and "Smooth Criminal".
Jackson was astute enough to retain producer Quincy Jones at the helm. Had this album been released by any lesser known R&B artist, it would have been showered with more praise. Coming after 'Thriller', it was doomed to never meet high expectations. While it has its weak moments ("Speed Demon" and "Just Good Friends"), this is a fitting third instalment of the Jackson & Jones album trilogy.
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