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| 1. |
The Velvet Underground |
| The Velvet Underground & Nico |
| 1967 |
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The arrival of this record in the mid sixties in a musical landscape of striving but ultimately rather
conservative bands must have been a minor revelation. Initially the band was linked to the Andy
Warhol scene. Without his patronage they might have not been able to get a record deal at all,
yet his influence on their sound and lyrics remained small. But it was his idea to add the German
born chanteuse Nico to their line-up, thereby giving this record its special note.
Largely unnoticed at the time it took decades until the multitude of ideas displayed here were
taken up by other artists. It's no exaggeration to say that nearly all guitar based independent
music (bittersweet melodic pop, noisy garage rock, wall of sound orgies, ...)
have their roots in some of the songs on this album, although no one was able to substantially
improve on the performances here.
And, crucially, without this album many of the records in this list would not exist.
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| 2. | The Smiths |
| Hatful Of Hollow |
| 1984 |
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this. Of course the magic behind this band can never be fully explained but the key point is it
featured two extraordinary musicians which obviously complemented each other in a special
way, thereby creating something which was even more than the sum of its parts.
This album is the best summary of their early material, better than their eponymous debut. That some of the
songs here, which were only B or even C sides, are superior to the best efforts of most other
bands, shows how far ahead they really were.
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| 3. | Pixies |
| Doolittle |
| 1989 Review |
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The Pixies are one of the few rock bands it's absolutely impossible not to like. This second
album proper has all the weirdness and perversity of their first efforts but this time embedded
into songs of real greatness.
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| 4. | The Smiths |
| The Queen Is Dead |
| 1986 |
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Only marginally less brilliant. The lyrics are hilarious and J. Marr contributes some of his best ever
melodies. And 'There is a light that never goes out' is definitely the best piece of music ever recorded.
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| 5. | Tindersticks |
| Tindersticks' 2nd Album |
| 1995 Review |
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The formula has been tried before: a singer with a dark voice, a band playing quietly in the
back focusing the attention on some very fine string arrangements. But never has this been
performed with such impressive skill, such enormous understanding for huge and sweeping
melodies.
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| 6. | Leonard Cohen |
| Songs Of Love And Hate |
| 1971 |
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A master class in how to incorporate complex and sophisticated lyrics into regular song structures.
It also offers deep insights into human existence at its most desperate and disillusioned.
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| 7. | Nick Drake |
| Bryter Layter |
| 1970 |
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Maybe it was his voice that made him stand out from similar singer/songwriters. Comforting and
moving, fragile but always optimistic. This is music at its most authentic.
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| 8. | My Bloody Valentine |
| Loveless |
| 1991 |
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This is the kind of music we should send into space to prove the cultural abilities of the human race.
Even after having listened to it a 100 times you will hear things you swear weren't there before.
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| 9. | Joy Division |
| Closer |
| 1980 |
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An album remarkable for its second half. The four songs there may be different in pace and instrumentation but
share the same sheer unbelievable level of intensity and feeling of near tragedy.
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| 10. | Pixies |
| Bossanova |
| 1990 |
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Their fun album. 14 songs in 40 minutes and a wealth of ideas that lesser talented bands would use for a 10
album career. Besides they were the best live band ever.
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| 11. | The Jesus & Mary Chain |
| Psychocandy |
| 1985 |
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As legend has it, their sound was pure accident. Nevertheless it was a massive leap forward. So massive
in fact that after 20 years it still hits you like a hammer, the colossal force of guitars totally out of control.
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| 12. | The Stone Roses |
| The Stone Roses |
| 1989 |
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This really is an obvious choice. One of the few albums that immediately sounds like a classic. More bands
should exhaust their creative powers in one year instead of spreading them over a lifetime.
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| 13. | Nick Drake |
| Five Leaves Left |
| 1969 |
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For a debut album this is incredibly accomplished. His special guitar technique already fully realised, string
arrangements in the right places and songs with no connection to any music previously made add up to an
enchanting whole.
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| 14. | Galaxie 500 |
| On Fire |
| 1989 |
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Impossible to say why this record is that good. Perhaps it's the lack of any distinctive features and
characteristics. It seems that they themselves were quite puzzled about the ongoing fascination their work
created.
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One of the most underrated bands ever deliver a template for guitar music in the 90s
that sadly nobody had the talent and virtue to take up and carry on.
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| 16. | New Order |
| Substance |
| 1987 |
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OK, this is a compilation and shouldn't be in this list. But it doesn't feel as one and as it contains an unrivalled
sequence of singles most of them not on regular albums you really can't ignore it. There weren't called 'god's
backing band' for no reason.
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| 17. | Primal Scream |
| Screamadelica |
| 1991 |
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This list may contain a certain share of melancholic albums, but this one more than compensates by being
as euphoric and ecstatic as possible. Any musician who claims his music is influenced by drugs should listen
to this and shut up.
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| 18. | Belle & Sebastian |
| The Boy With The Arab Strap |
| 1998 |
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A band at the height of their powers. This is perfect spring, summer and autumn music
all in one quarter of an hour. They should have split after this, but nobody's perfect.
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| 19. | The Velvet Underground |
| The Velvet Underground |
| 1969 |
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In a stark contrast to their first two albums this fascinates with a simplicity that puts the focus on the
essence of some of Lou Reed's best compositions. Should best be listened to with the lights down.
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| 20. | Joy Division |
| Unknown Pleasures |
| 1979 |
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This has all the rage and energy of the punk era, the cleverness and inventiveness of the post-punk bands
and that extra portion of genius that characterises all Joy Division and New Order albums.
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