At the very beginning of January 2019 I decided I wanted to listen to full albums...from start-to-finish, as the artist intended them to be heard. In the end I listened to 92 full albums!
Why? Well many reasons:
In fact, for many of these albums, I imagined myself unwrapping the vinyl record, placing it on the record player, dropping the needle...and after a few clicks and pops, hearing this music for the first time.
Amazing.
A few of the Beatles are in the list, along with Heart, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, and modern albums from current local artists like Dessa.
Now, some have never been on vinyl, but I still wanted to hear them as intended.
How did I pick them? I first went to The Current (local independent radio station), who a few years ago had the "893 most essential albums" and copied the top 100. I then cross referenced with Rolling Stone's top 100, and even some compilations.
Then I started listening.
First up? Nirvana's "Nevermind" (it was #1 on the "Most Essential" list). Turns out, as with other albums, while I was deeply familiar with much of the music, I never heard the album beginning to end. It was stunning to me how many hits are on a single album, but also great songs I didn't know. Similarly was Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors". ALL HITS except one beautiful piano ballad I had never heard before.
Others I only knew one or two songs before the listen (Heart, Queen, ...), and still others I really was not familiar with at all (The Clash, The Replacements, The Shins, Dessa, ...was delighted with The Replacements!) Some albums I chose because I had a favorite song, and had NO idea what else the artist created (Weather Report's song "Birdland", Level 42's song, "Mr. Pink" are two examples).
What a fantastic set of music! Nearly everyone was a treat to listen to...except one artist: Radiohead. Just not a fan. But that's ok. Lots of people love them and that's what's awesome about music.
Of course, throughout the year there were tributaries that made me wander to other music outside of my Current list. I was discovering, letting the music lead the way. My daughters introduced me to Hayley Kioko, Lacey Sturm, Dessa, Billie Eilish, and each was outstanding. Other times I heard a song and thought "I should listen to the whole album it came from", and ended up discovering how rich the albums were (Heart's "Little Queen" is a standout).
Some months I decided to listen to whole blocks of discography from a single artist: Rush, Queen, Prince (the albums he released after I lost track of him...just after Batman soundtrack), Alter Bridge, and others. There were weeks that I found albums from friends like Sebastian who listens to artists I've never heard of (Everything everything - "Get to heaven"), and I was quite impressed!
Did I get through all the albums on my list? Nope. But it was a good list. I'll probably pick off many more but not keep track (but who knows).
PS: Thanks to The Current for the inspiration, Amazon Music for having every album, my 2016 Nissan Rogue I purchased at the end of 2018 providing seamless bluetooth to stream while driving to and from work, and my kids for my bluetooth earbuds for Christmas 2018, enabling an album per workout.
Here are the 92 albums I listened to, mostly in the order I listened to them (although I did group some from the same artist out of sequence). If they have a # by them, it's the order that The Current listed in the Most Essential countdown.
Phew! What a list. Is your favorite on the list? If not, what is your favorite? I'll take a listen!
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Why? Well many reasons:
- I love music
- I write and record my own music and know how much time goes into each song, and nearly as important, order of the songs on an album (at least it was important before streaming)
- I was getting tired of all the playlists and radio covering only the popular songs.
The biggest reason? I wanted to hear the album "for the first time", all the tracks...in order...the hits and the deep cuts only super-fans still listen to.
In fact, for many of these albums, I imagined myself unwrapping the vinyl record, placing it on the record player, dropping the needle...and after a few clicks and pops, hearing this music for the first time.
Amazing.
A few of the Beatles are in the list, along with Heart, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, and modern albums from current local artists like Dessa.
Now, some have never been on vinyl, but I still wanted to hear them as intended.
How did I pick them? I first went to The Current (local independent radio station), who a few years ago had the "893 most essential albums" and copied the top 100. I then cross referenced with Rolling Stone's top 100, and even some compilations.
Then I started listening.
First up? Nirvana's "Nevermind" (it was #1 on the "Most Essential" list). Turns out, as with other albums, while I was deeply familiar with much of the music, I never heard the album beginning to end. It was stunning to me how many hits are on a single album, but also great songs I didn't know. Similarly was Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors". ALL HITS except one beautiful piano ballad I had never heard before.
Others I only knew one or two songs before the listen (Heart, Queen, ...), and still others I really was not familiar with at all (The Clash, The Replacements, The Shins, Dessa, ...was delighted with The Replacements!) Some albums I chose because I had a favorite song, and had NO idea what else the artist created (Weather Report's song "Birdland", Level 42's song, "Mr. Pink" are two examples).
What a fantastic set of music! Nearly everyone was a treat to listen to...except one artist: Radiohead. Just not a fan. But that's ok. Lots of people love them and that's what's awesome about music.
Of course, throughout the year there were tributaries that made me wander to other music outside of my Current list. I was discovering, letting the music lead the way. My daughters introduced me to Hayley Kioko, Lacey Sturm, Dessa, Billie Eilish, and each was outstanding. Other times I heard a song and thought "I should listen to the whole album it came from", and ended up discovering how rich the albums were (Heart's "Little Queen" is a standout).
Some months I decided to listen to whole blocks of discography from a single artist: Rush, Queen, Prince (the albums he released after I lost track of him...just after Batman soundtrack), Alter Bridge, and others. There were weeks that I found albums from friends like Sebastian who listens to artists I've never heard of (Everything everything - "Get to heaven"), and I was quite impressed!
Did I get through all the albums on my list? Nope. But it was a good list. I'll probably pick off many more but not keep track (but who knows).
PS: Thanks to The Current for the inspiration, Amazon Music for having every album, my 2016 Nissan Rogue I purchased at the end of 2018 providing seamless bluetooth to stream while driving to and from work, and my kids for my bluetooth earbuds for Christmas 2018, enabling an album per workout.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are the 92 albums I listened to, mostly in the order I listened to them (although I did group some from the same artist out of sequence). If they have a # by them, it's the order that The Current listed in the Most Essential countdown.
Full Albums Listened
to Beginning-to-End In 2019:
#1 Nirvana - Nevermind
#2 The Clash - London
Calling
#3 The Beatles - Abbey
Road
#4 Prince - Purple
Rain
#5 Pink Floyd - Dark
Side of the Moon
#15 The Beach Boys - Pet
Sounds
#55 U2 - Achtung
Baby
#12 The Beatles - Revolver
#13 Fleetwood Mac - Rumours
#14
The Rolling Stones - Exile
on Main Street
#61 AC/DC - Back
in Black
Taylor
Swift - Reputation
#6 Radiohead - OK
Computer
#7 Bob Dylan - Blood
on the Tracks
#16 Led Zeppelin - IV
#9 The Beatles - White
Album
#24 The Beatles - Rubber
Soul
The
Beatles - Please
please Me
Weather
report - Heavy
Weather
Everything
everything - Get
to heaven
Queen:
- Queen
- Queen 2
- Sheer heart attack
- #70 - Night at the opera
#10 U2 - The
Joshua Tree
Bruce
Springsteen:
- #21 - Born to Run
- Darkness on the edge of town
The
shins - Port of Morrow
The Band Perry - Coordinates
#8 David Bowie - The
Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
Dessa:
- Chime
- Parts of Speech
Foals
- Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost Pt. 1
#17 Michael Jackson - Thriller
#18 The Beatles - Sgt.
Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Level
42 - The
Early Tapes
Alter
Bridge
- One Day Remains
- Blackbird
- AB III
- Fortress
- The Last Hero
- Walk the Sky
#20 The Replacements - Let
It Be
#44 Jimi Hendrix - Are
You Experienced
#11 Miles Davis - Kind
of Blue
Phil
Collins - Remix
Bryan
Adams
- Reckless
- Bare Bones
Hayley Kiyoko - Expectations
#22
Wilco - Yankee
Hotel Foxtrot
Rush:
- Rush
- Fly by Night
- Caress of Steel
- 2112
- A Farewell to Kings
- Hemispheres
- Permanent Waves
- Moving Pictures
- Signals
- Grace Under Pressure
- Power Windows
- Hold Your Fire
Prince:
- Graffiti Bridge
- Diamonds and Pearls
- Love Symbol Album
- Come
- N.E.W.S.
- The Vault
- Originals
- One Night Alone…Live
- Live in Madrid 1990
#19
Pearl Jam - Ten
Heart - Little Queen
Taylor
Swift - Lover
Billie
Eilish - When
we all fall asleep
#23 Bob Dylan - Highway
61 Revisited
Aerosmith,
'Toys in the Attic'
Issues
- Beautiful Oblivion (find forever)
Let
it be - Beatles
#31 Johnny Cash - At
Folsom Prison
Meat
Loaf, 'Bat Out of Hell'
Def
Leppard, 'Hysteria
#28 Pixies - #Doolittle
Allman
Brothers Band, 'At Fillmore East'
25
Paul Simon - Graceland
#26 Weezer - Blue
Album
#27
Pink Floyd - The
Wall
Lacey
Sturm - Reflect Love Back
#30 Guns N Roses - Appetite
for Destruction
#60 Amy Winehouse - Back
to Black
Nicole
Nordeman - Fragile
#33 The Replacements - Tim
Phew! What a list. Is your favorite on the list? If not, what is your favorite? I'll take a listen!
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