Caffé Latté presents the all-time
200
MOST ESSENTIAL
ALBUMS
50 OFF THE WALL Michael Jackson
49 PURPLE RAIN Prince
48 GRACELAND Paul Simon
47 TOMMY
The Who
46 STICKY FINGERS Rolling Stones
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45
THE MAN-MACHINE
KRAFTWERK
1978
The synth-pop, new wave and new romantic music of the 1980s were heavily influenced by Kraftwerk's 'The Man-Machine'. Released a year after 'Trans-Europe Express', the German electronic music group managed to make their sound more accessible.
All 6 of the album's tracks are worth a listen as there is no denying Kraftwerk's seminal impact on pop music. The standouts, however, are "The Model", "Spacelab" and "The Robots".
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44
LED ZEPPELIN IV
LED ZEPPELIN
1971
Led Zeppelin's 4th album remains officially untitled. It is cherished to this day because it is home to the perennial rock anthem "Stairway To Heaven". Arguably, the inclusion of that track alone would have assured it a place among rock's 200 most essential albums. Delving deeper, Led Zep promise much more on this LP.
The album opens with the strident "Black Dog", followed by the energetic rock track "Rock And Roll". Everything on this album is mighty. As usual, the band creates a melange of styles.
Robert Plant shines on lead vocals. He and Jimmy Page contributed to the writing of all 8 tracks. Other notable gems include "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Battle Of Evermore".
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43
BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME
BOB DYLAN
1965
Bob Dylan went electric for 'Bringing It All Back Home'. He had already transformed rock and roll as a fundamental singer/ songwriter. Now, he was moving away from the acoustic folk sound that had defined him.
This LP included the key tracks "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Maggie's Farm", the original recording of "Mr. Tambourine Man" (soon to be a US #1 single for The Byrds) and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
Also of note are the songs "Love Minus Zero", "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)", "She Belongs To Me" and "Gates Of Eden": all of which were penned by Dylan.
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42
MODERN SOUNDS IN
COUNTRY AND WESTERN MUSIC
RAY CHARLES
1962
After almost single-handedly inventing soul, Ray Charles was hungry to further expand his musical palette. He turned to Country & Western music. While adapting country tunes in his own inimitable manner, in the process Uncle Ray managed to stretch the boundaries of R&B.
'Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music' contains Charles' remake of Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You". The single topped the charts in Britain and Australia. In the USA, the disc reached #1 on the Pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary charts.
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41
GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD
ELTON JOHN
1973
Elton John was churning out albums relentlessly in the 1970s. Despite the frenetic schedule, many timeless classics were created. 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' captures John at the top of his game.
The double album contains some of his concert staples such as the title track, "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding", "Candle In The Wind", "Bennie And The Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)". Other gems include "This Song Has No Title", "Grey Seal", "Sweet Painted Lady" and "All The Girls Love Alice". With such strong material, it is no surprise that 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is still regarded as a defining album of the 1970s.
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