Over the years, my music taste and the way I listen to music has evolved drastically. When I first discovered music, I listened to my mom’s CDs on repeat, until one Christmas, I was gifted an MP3 player. From there, my music library expanded. I began downloading a bunch of songs from a website called LimeWire (if you know, you know) from artists like Lady Gaga and The Jonas Brothers. To this day, I still listen to both Lady Gaga and The Jonas Brothers, so I guess not that much has changed. Still, I’ve had my fair share of time spent listening to all kinds of different music and can confidently say that these albums have no bad songs, and you need to listen to them.
So, let’s take a musical journey and explore my top five albums of all time.
- “Breakfast In America” – Supertramp
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With just 10 songs, Breakfast In America is an album for all the dreamers out there. The album, released in 1979 by the English rock band Supertramp, is one that I hold near and dear to my heart. Not only does my dad adore this album, but as I’ve gotten older, it has also turned into one of my favourites.
This album is for those striving to reach their goals, who try to fit in a world full of competition and obstacles getting in their way – simply put, the American dream. With innovative sounds and a mixture of sharp high-pitched vocals signifying a bright future, Breakfast In America was way ahead of its time. The opening track “Gone Hollywood” can especially be loosely compared to the sound of a more modern group known as Tame Impala.
Favourite Song On The Album: “Lord Is It Mine” - “Cheek To Cheek” – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
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Released in 2014, this vocal jazz collaboration performed by Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga is one that takes you back in time. With many different jazz standards, Cheek To Cheek features slow and fast tempos, as well as instruments and vocals that make you want to say “Let’s Face the Music and “Dance.” In both solos and duets, Bennett & Gaga’s vocal chemistry encapsulates a nostalgia you never knew that you had. Whether you are a fan of jazz music or not, Cheek To Cheek’s charisma and vocals serenade every listener’s ear in a way that almost feels surreal.
Fun Fact: Lady Gaga has a tattoo on her arm of Miles Davis’ trumpet, sketched by Tony Bennett, and signed with his signature “Benedetto” underneath it.
Favourite Song On The Album: “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye”
- “Norman F*****g Rockwell!” – Lana Del Rey
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The sixth studio album by the enchanting Lana Del Rey is arguably her best album to date. Norman F*****g Rockwell! is an experience through the psyche of Rey’s most deeply personal poetic thoughts, that come to life through her angelic vocals and accompanied by instruments playing softly in the background. Norman F*****g Rockwell! is like taking a breath of fresh air on a warm summer day with each song more soothing than the next. Carrying on with her exploration of all things west coast, vintage and golden age Hollywood, Norman F*****g Rockwell! represents breaking boundaries and exploring life in all it’s bittersweet moments, but also the rough ones too.
Favourite Song On The Album: Mariners Apartment Complex
- “Back To Black” – Amy Winehouse
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It takes an immense amount of talent to win Record Of The Year over Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” Foo Fighters’ “The Pretender,” and Rihanna & Jay-Z’s “Umbrella,” but Amy Winehouse was able to do it. In 2008, at the 50th annual Grammy Awards, Amy Winehouse won Record Of The Year for her smash hit “Rehab,” from her second and final studio album, Back To Black. With a voice that was so distinctive, yet so familiar, Back To Black brought an old sound into a modern world with its devasting jazz ballads. Back To Black was ultimately an album that told Amy’s life story and foreshadowed her tragic passing with topics surrounding difficulty managing relationships, heartbreak, troubles with stardom, and finally, substance abuse.
Favourite Song On The Album: “Wake Up Alone”
- “Currents” – Tame Impala
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Like most coming of age films, the main character experiences a shift in reality when they realize that things are changing and they are growing up. Currents by Tame Impala tells that story of adolescence through human experiences such as heartbreak, finding yourself, and enjoying moments before they’re gone. Tame Impala uses a familiar sound of psychedelic rock and an assortment of strange sounds mixed together with vibrant lyrics. Not to mention, Kevin Parker’s high pitched vocals that deliver a message that says, “Yes, I’m Changing.”
Favourite Song On The Album: “‘Cause I’m a Man”
Honourable Mentions
Harry Styles – Harry Styles
Swimming – Mac Miller
Beauty Behind the Madness – The Weeknd
Anti – Rihanna
Rumours – Fleetwood Mac
And for more albums with no bad songs, check out a thread I made on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/saramarsetti/status/1230203290383769601?s=20