Caffé Latté presents the all-time
200
MOST ESSENTIAL
ALBUMS
100 THE WALL Pink Floyd
99 MOONDANCE Van Morrison
98 LADY SOUL Aretha Franklin
97 STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON N.W.A.
96 TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS Kraftwerk
95 THE STRANGER Billy Joel
94 DISCOVERY Daft Punk
93 DUSTY IN MEMPHIS Dusty Springfield
92 A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Queen
91 AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE Jimi Hendrix Experience
90 DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED Moody Blues
89 ABBA abba
88 ELEPHANT White Stripes
87 FIRST TAKE Roberta Flack
86 HARVEST Neil Young
85 GRACE Jeff Buckley
84 TEN Pearl Jam
83 THE BAND The Band
82 AMERICAN IDIOT Green Day
81 HORSES Patti Smith
80 SILK DEGREES Boz Scaggs
79 JAGGED LITTLE PILL Alanis Morissette
78 IMAGINE John Lennon
77 MR. TAMBOURINE MAN The Byrds
76 ACHTUNG BABY U2
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75
APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION
GUNS N' ROSES
1987
Hard rock was dominated by the MTV-friendly hair metal bands when Guns N' Roses crashed into the mainstream. This was an authentic band hungry to capture an audience. 'Appetite For Destruction' was the group's aptly-titled debut album.
The disc introduced rock fans to lead singer Axl Rose and new guitar supremo Slash. Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler also contributed to the band's mighty sound. All of the members contributed to the writing of the album.
Many groups would envy a debut album with a track like "Sweet Child O' Mine". It has grown into an adored radio staple. Unlike contemporaries such as Bon Jovi and Ratt, Guns N' Roses weren't pretty musicians with lovely hair. They were rough and authentic. This album also includes the hits "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Paradise City".
The other tracks have elements of heavy metal and hard rock, with hints of glam and new wave. Guns N' Roses continue the tradition of hard rock established by predecessors such as Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Along with the hit singles, this album's highlights include "Nightrain", "My Michelle", "Out Ta Get Me", "Think About You" and "Mr. Brownstone". Towards the end, the album begins to sound repetitive but this remains a stunning debut.
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74
BITCHES BREW
MILES DAVIS
1970
Miles Davis transformed jazz with 'Bitches Brew'. His fusion of that genre with rock created a new approach and sonic experience. Only one track is under 5 minutes in duration, the lengthiest running for 27 minutes.
This was the time of a new awakening for African-Americans after the tumultuous civil rights struggle of the 1960s. Isaac Hayes was scoring "The Theme From Shaft" as blaxploitation films were pitched at the box office. Soon, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield would re-define R&B. The cover of Davis' album projected a confident African-American image. His jazz-rock concoction reflected the shifting mood.
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73
METALLICA
METALLICA
1991
For its 5th album, Metallica managed to define its sound. This disc rocketed the band to major-act status and a new level of sales. In this historical context, its eponymous title seems appropriate, as this album made the mainstream aware of Metallica.
The opening track is the classic "Enter Sandman". This is also home to the hits "Nothing Else Matters" and "The Unforgiven". The album is strengthened by the existence of tracks such as "Holier Than Thou", "The God That Failed" and "Wherever I May Roam".
On 'Metallica', the focus is on taking stock of the band's evolving sound and balancing it with a more accessible attack. The album encompasses heavy metal, hard rock and thrash metal. There are echoes of Alice Cooper, Led Zepellin and AC/DC. 'Metallica' has in turn inspired many groups that have sprung up in its wake.
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72
WHITNEY HOUSTON
WHITNEY HOUSTON
1985
It took some time for the buzz to begin percolating around Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album. At the time of her arrival, the model/ singer had the public in awe of her looks and vocal prowess. Her popularity grew with each successive new single: "You Give Good Love", "Saving All My Love For You", "How Will I Know" and "Greatest Love Of All".
At first, Houston was pitched to an R&B audience, but her record company had its sights on a larger pop market. Within a year, her meteoric rise had placed Houston among the best sellers of the 1980s.
While tracks such as "Thinking About You" and "Take Good Care Of My Heart" have not aged well, all is redeemed by the aforementioned smash hits as well as "All At Once".
Houston was a one of a kind artist, spanning genres such as R&B, pop and adult contemporary. She paved the way for followers such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson.
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71
AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE
R.E.M.
1992
On its previous 7 albums releases, R.E.M. had grown from college radio faves to a popular major label recording act. Each new disc revealed growth. The band hit its peak on 'Automatic For The People'.
Despite not being as commercial as 'Green' or 'Out Of Time', this appears to have made the record even more satisfying. 'Automatic For the People' features traces of jangle pop, folk, indie/ alternative rock and college rock. Among its best moments are the songs "Drive", "Man On The Moon", "Everybody Hurts", "Find The River" and "Nightswimming".
R.E.M. dropped an excellent album with an unassuming lack of pomp and bombast. All of the tracks are credited to the group members. Few acts match the brilliance of this record.
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