Greatest Albums of All Time?

The album has a lot of power, despite it being something of a dying form in the age of digital downloads where many people will just download the singles they want, having heard them from the radio. Albums are just as much as work of art and effort as the individual songs they contain. Crafting an album that fits together correctly can shape the pop culture of a nation and change the state of play within a genre. It's madness.

First things first, everybody has different opinions - and when it comes to music, people can often be very vocal about those opinions. That's cool, I'd like to hear your views, but here is a list of what I see as the best albums in these genres. Of course, I'm limited by not actually having listened to every album ever made on earth, but I have taken on quite a lot. Listen and enjoy!





Quite frankly, I think this may be the most appropriate album title in existence. Everyone has heard about the punk stereotype of "fighting the power" and "saying no to the establishment", but by the mid-90s "punk" had become a byword for major label pop-punk bands that had no real message and simply played predictable power chord progressions to thousands of disenfranchised, but unfortunately unaware, teens. Punk was pretty much dead.




Combining elements of jazz, classical, drum & bass, world music (and many other genres), Refused wanted to show the world that punk couldn't continue to try and send out a meaningful message using the sounds they had created, but were now being sold out by large corporations (sounds kind've hipster-y said like that). This is actually my favourite album of all time, in any genre. I can't give it enough praise, and I highly recommend you give it a listen to whole way through.

If you don't go any further than this, I won't mind. Just seriously.
Listen to this album.









I really didn't want to go for this one, as it's just so predictable. But really, it was a no-brainer. In terms of the UK music scene, I can't think of any artists since The Beatles that have had more impact on the industry with an album the the Arctic Monkeys. It embodies the harshness of the North, while telling very human stories about the highs and lows of life, with a charm and wit rarely seen in most "popular music".




And that's not to imply this wasn't popular. It was the fastest selling debut album ever in the UK on release, and has since gone quadruple platinum. The follow up, Favourite Worst Nightmare, carried on their success, and despite a little stumble on the third, they've returned to form with the latest release Suck It and See.

Honestly, if you want to hear the sound of England, I can't think of anything better to suggest than this album.









I'll admit that I'm taking a little bit of a punt on this one, seeing as it only came out last week. "I thought this was a list of the greatest albums of all time?!" I hear (very few of) you cry! Well, I think it has already swept that mantle out from anyone else's previous releases in the genre. The thing here for me is the structure. It's like a symphony, everything sweeps and melds together into one cohesive journey.




Dan and Joe, the two producers behind Nero, have an extensive history in drum & bass before they moved to dubstep, and the production shows that throughout. The songs are not just generic builds and drops and "Ohhhh", "Ahhh" moments. They're proper songs that experiment with many different facets of form, dynamics and pacing. In terms of penetration into popular culture, the album went to #1 in the charts in it's first week, and I think it will continue to stand as a seminal and genre defining piece for many years to come.

Also, for anyone who doubts the "musicality" of such producers, check out Symphony 2808, which they wrote and performed with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra - a brilliant classical/dubstep piece.









If you're into rap, I'm sure you will have come across MF Doom in some form. If you're not into rap, let me introduce you. He was born in London, has a Zimbabwean father and a Trinidadian mother, and grew up in New York. Oh, and he also wears a mask on his head that is very similar to that of Doctor Doom's in the Marvel comics. That's quite a lot of influences.




And my god can he rap, the whole album is full of killer tracks (and a few decent skits - which is unusual, as most rap skits are terrible). Doomsday is the most recognisable, and just has the most laidback and summery feel. But I personally feel that Tick Tick demonstrates his ability to the highest level, with a constantly shifting tempo, yet he stays on beat through the whole thing. If you've ever tried something similar musically, you'll know it takes a lot of effort; add onto that his lyricism, which I put on par with his peer Mos Def, and you've got a true gem of an album.






There you have it. Feel free to discuss my choices (I'd be interested to see who likes similar artists and things) and submit your own thoughts. I'll be trying to keep this updated with more genres, as I've got a few ideas and lists still forming in my head. But, off you go, begin the arguments! And feel free to suggest more genres for me to cover.

Upcoming genres:

-Electro
-Hardcore
-Ambient
-Jazz
-Rock