by Rob LeFebvre / cultofmac
When Prince presented the Grammy for best album this week, he made an impassioned case for a musical format that many seem ready to write off as dead.
“Albums, remember those?” he said. “Albums still matter. Albums, like books and black lives, still matter.”
That’s how you present an award, folks.
Albums are collections of musical pieces that work together to create an auditory gestalt larger than the individual songs themselves. With the massive growth in streaming audio these days, many people might be missing out on this incredible old-school experience.
Here’s the cure: a list of amazing albums you should listen to in their entirety, even if you don’t do vinyl. iTunes might have helped kill CDs, but it’s still a great place to buy albums rather than shortchanging yourself with a bunch of singles. There are dozens of other albums you should explore, depending on your musical tastes, but this list should remind us all how awesome albums are as a concept. You can thank us later.
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Sandanista! by The Clash: Released in 1980, this triple album is The Clash’s masterpiece. Lots of reviewers and fans hate it because it’s such a radical departure from the band’s early punk rock. Instead, it’s 36 wildly eclectic tracks ranging from folk to Calypso. It’s a mad stew of musical styles that reflects the group’s growing fascination with — and mastery of — world music. Despite the mix of styles, the album is distinctly The Clash. They put their mark on every song, and the result is glorious. It’s everything that made the Clash great: great tunes, great hooks, great lyrics and a burning passion for the world — even if much of what they observed was outrageous and appalling. It’s the one album I’ve treasured for decades, and have never grown tired of. I have favorite tracks, which have shifted over the years, but it’s best enjoyed as an album, rather than individual tracks. God I miss Joe Strummer. — Leander Kahney
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Thriller by Michael Jackson: We almost made this list with two Kanye West albums and no Michael Jackson, despite the fact that every pop artist since 1982 has basically just been doing their best MJ impression. Thriller is the album that started it all. Forget that it’s sold more copies than any other album ever — which obligates you to buy the vinyl too — Thriller is The King of Pop in his prime. There’s no one that’s funner to jam with. — Buster Hein
Read About Other Albums Here: http://www.cultofmac.com/311700/albums-still-matter-20-records-you-should-savor-end-to-end/
Source: cultofmac / Rob LeFebvre / MJ-Upbeat.com
Videos: Thriller & The Making Of Thriller Below
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