The 50 best selling albums of all time: A review

[top50albums]

Going to be taking a break from this blog for a few weeks. I already missed last weeks and with how hectic life can be currently, this is an added 'stress' that I don't need. Posts will commence again soon when things settle <3

[top50albums]

24. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction (1987)

I already knew a head of time this was meant to be a great album, though I've only heard a few tracks off of it. Welcome To The Jungle is a great starting track - the introduction to the song itself is a really nice lead in, and it's a great dance along/sing along track. It's So Easy sounds really dark and interesting - Guns N' Roses have a really grungey sound in certain tracks, that really appeals to me. This song especially sounds very much like Alice In Chains, which I think is cool. It's interesting to me though how it goes between what I consider to be a 'grungey' sound, to a more classic/glam rock sound. Nightrain is very bouncey and fun sounding, much more like Van Halen or bands of that kind. 

One thing I will say, is that the songs on the album are all somewhat similar. On only a few listens, there's not too much distinction between songs that makes any particularly memorable. The only ones I remember are the ones I knew before - though if I listened to this a lot, perhaps that'd be different. Weirdly though, the ones I knew previously ARE the ones that stand out - they seem to be constructed differently. Paradise City is slap bang in the middle of the album, and really does give off a different sound and feel to most other songs - until Sweet Child O' Mine. My Michelle starts off quietly and calmly, but then sounds somewhat similar to some of the other 'rockier' tracks. 

My stand out track of the album is: Sweet Child O' Mine

There's a lot to love about this song. The memorable riff, the bass line, the lyrics - it's just a really lovely song, and you can't help but enjoy it. And as the only song on the album that sounds like this, it really does stand out. The band on the whole are all very talented musicians, Slash specifically is just fantastic, and I think that really adds to the solid grounding they already have. As well as the main riff, Sweet Child O' Mine also has a really great solo that just keeps going and building, before breaking down and building up again to match Axl's vocals. Really powerful. 

Rocket Queen is a somewhat good end to the album - but I'd actually have liked more from it. It's 6 minutes long, and does all come together at a finish - it just doesn't quite pack the punch I'd have liked it to. 

On the whole though, a very good album, and I'll be listening to a few of the tracks I didn't know again in the future.

Next week I'll be listening to Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (1985)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

25. Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Having never heard of Iron Butterfly or this album, I had no idea what to expect. You can really tell that the album is from the late 60s - the instruments give it away. I’m not sure what instrument it is that makes the iconic sound, but it’s used with bands such as The Doors, and it’s a really familiar, fun sound. The main vocal is lovely though, and again does have a certain 60s sound to it.

The album is a relatively short one, with only 6 songs on side one and 1 extra song ‘In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida’ on side two - though this song is 17 minutes in length. The length of it makes it feel fairly contained, and the songs all have a very similar feel and vibe. The harmonies throughout give a kind of Beatles-esque feel to the vocal, and gives a much fuller sound. 

My stand out track of the album is: Termination

It was kind of difficult to pick a stand out actually - I feel like all of the songs are fairly strong, but this one particularly interested me as it had a bit more depth and playfulness to it. 

The guitar work throughout is very impressive, and the solo that finishes side one on ‘Are You Happy’ is reminiscent of Hendrix for me, which I love. 

Moving on to the second side, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is really cool. It takes such a journey, and a psychedelic sounding one at that. This is definitely a track I’d leave on in the background of doing household chores, as you can dance around to it and let it take your mind off stresses. At 17 minutes, that does feel a little long for a song - and I personally think this could be cut down by a few minutes atleast, as some sections go on for quite a while. I’m not adverse to long songs - I know some great 7 or 9 minute songs, but 17 seems to be taking it a tad far when the content doesn’t change all that much. The first section ends around the 6 minute mark where there’s then 6 or so minutes of quiet instrumental. As I said, this just feels a little much, it seems to go on for that bit too long. Even after this, it builds up to a fuller ending, which is still instrumental. 

I like it, it’s well done, but I’d have liked a little more. The first side is definitely my preference.

Next week I’ll be listening to Guns N’ Roses - Appetite For Destruction We’re half way!

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

26. Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture (1997)

I don’t know what I thought I was expecting with this one - it’s been a long long time since I’ve watched Titanic, and obviously the song that sticks in your head is My Heart Will Go On. I’d basically forgotten about the rest of the score, which meant it was a pleasant surprise when I turned it on this week. I’ll be honest though, I’m finding it difficult to ‘review’. I love film scores, and I think they can work so perfectly with a scene and the feeling it’s trying to capture. My favourite score for a movie is from Nebraska - beautifully done. This score is very orchestral, and operatic in places. It’s beautifully done. But not knowing the film as well and knowing where the tracks fit, it means they dart around a little in feeling. 

On the whole though, the score is impressive - really on point and full in sound. I like that there’s variations in sound and feeling, whilst still keeping a consistency that binds them all together. Obviously, when the iceberg hits and the ship begins to sink, the music gets much more intense and loud - it’s really well conceived. My stand out track of the album is: Rose

This is almost an orchestral/instrumental version of My Heart Will Go On, with some differences. It’s really wonderfully executed and I think it’s enjoyable to listen to. As someone who really likes classical style music, this track just does it for me. There’s a subtle use of voice that just adds to the music, but compliments instead of overpowering. Taking all the above into consideration, it does actually make My Heart Will Go On stand out, and not necessarily in the best way. As it’s the only full vocal track, and the music actually sounds somewhat different to the rest of the score, it sticks out like a sore thumb for me. It’s definitely one of those massively overplayed songs anyway, which makes me hate it a little bit I must admit - though if it’s on it has to be sung along to, right? (‘YOUUU’RE HEEEEEERE, THERE’S NOOOOTHING I FEARRRR)

So, yeh, I think that pretty much sums it up really. I’m not blown away, but I’m not disappointed. If I was more into Titanic I’d also probably have enjoyed the album more, but I do enjoy a good score - and this definitely is a good score. I am curious as to why it’s this high up in the top 50 though - it doesn’t strike me as a soundtrack people would be running out to buy, like I feel the Dirty Dancing soundtrack would’ve been.

Next week I’ll be listening to Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (1968)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

27. Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990)

I’ll admit right from the get go that I was not as into this album – even just taking the time to sit down and really listen to it felt like a chore. I’ve been very busy, and listening to old school Madonna didn’t appeal much. Having listened now, it still doesn’t appeal too much. That’s not to say there aren’t some good tracks on there – there’s all the classics from that era on there, but considering it’s a collection of some of her ‘best’, it feels a little lacking.

Everything sounds very samey, which bothers me, but what I consider the ‘in between tracks’ just feel slow, lacklustre, and don’t show much of her vocal range or talent. The thing I do enjoy about the album, however, is the overall 80s pop sound. In that respect it shares some of the elements I enjoyed about Whitney Houston’s albums – I just lack a connection to the songs for the most part. One song I didn’t know but ended up enjoying a lot was ‘Open Your Heart’ – the little repeated twinkle is fairly charming, and Madonna’s voice does sound stronger in this in comparison to others.

At 17 tracks long, I feel like the album drags a lot. I really like albums to be much more concise, as this feels excessive, especially when the songs are samey and not that... ‘full’.

My stand out track of the album is: Like A Prayer

This is the only song I feel packs some punch to it, and even then it’s not masses. I’m sorry to sound so unfulfilled by this album, but I really was. I’m not a huge Madonna fan to begin with, but you have to sing along to certain songs, don’t you? I feel like a lot of what I have enjoyed about her came later in her career, so this album just doesn’t do it for me.

Saying all that though, you can tell why it was popular at the time and sold so many copies. Madonna did a lot of cool and risky things early on in her career, and she is an enjoyable artist to listen to – she’s just not for me.

Next week I’ll be listening to Titanic - Music from the Motion Picture (1997)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

28: Metallica - Metallica/The Black Album (1991)

I’ve never listened to this album in full, but I’m very familar with a lot of the songs. Enter Sandman is such a powerful track to begin with - the song just builds and becomes this wonderfully eerie but heavy song. It’s hard not to sing along with the ‘exit light/enter night’. Following this is Sad But True - one of my favourites of Metallica’s actually. I saw them live about 6 years ago for the World Magnetic tour, and this was the song that had me running back in from a loo break so I wouldn’t miss it. It has such a powerful main riff that is matched by heavy drumming and strong vocals. A real powerhouse song. Holier Than Thou has some really nice harmonies, but for me is a bit too similar sounding to some other songs to stand out and hold its own. 

After that strong start, we have The Unforgiven, which is a much calmer, melodic song. At 6 and a half minutes long, it has to progress - it’s a very pretty song, with some beautifully done guitar and some gorgeous vocals (considering the gravelly nature of James Hetfield’s voice). I personally really like that they revisited this song and did two more ‘parts’ to it. Part 1 is actually my least favourite of the 3, though the lyrics in all are really well written and seem to have a lot of thought behind them. With the lack of shouting and anger behind the words, there has to be something that draws you in. 

Wherever I May Roam has another one of those memorable opening riffs - it also builds and builds like other songs on the album. Beginning off slower to become faster and then slower again keeps it very interesting; there isn’t a dull moment for me in this track. The next 2 tracks I hadn’t heard before, and after listening I think I understood why - they’re good, but nothing special. I do like some of the timing in Don’t Treat On Me though. They both kind of merge into everything else, and don’t really stand out at all. They feel a bit ‘filler’ to me basically. 

My stand out track of the album is: Nothing Else Matters

Despite having the least strength behind it, it’s almost the calm that makes this song for me. I’ve always thought it was beautiful, so cleverly constructed and thought out. The soft guitar and soft vocal really make it, and even when it fills out more it stills has something emotional and different about it. The harmonies are gorgeous and give the vocal a fuller sound, and really draw you in. 

The last 4 songs on the album I hadn’t heard before. The God That Failed and My Friend Of Misery are the only ones I really quite liked, the other two were fine, but didn’t speak to me in the same way as the others. They all still have punchy riffs - though maybe part of my lack of interest comes from not knowing them previously.

I enjoy this album on the whole, it has some great songs and some great power behind it. For me it’s acted as a kind of rekindling - I’ll probably go and listen to these songs again soon now I’ve been reminded of them.

Next week I’ll be listening to Madonna - The Immaculate Collection (1990)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

29. Nirvana - Nevermind (1991)

If you know me even the smallest amount you’ll know that I’m a huge Nirvana fan. From the age of about 12 I was introduced to their music by my cousin, which sparked a love that hasn’t faded in almost 10 years. So, let’s get on with this love letter to my favourite band.

The album begins with Smells Like Teen Spirit - this is the song that everyone knows and everyone considers Nirvana’s ‘most famous’ song. I used to be slightly adverse to it for some reason, but I’ve grown to love it over time. Maybe there was part of me that wanted to like the lesser known songs, who knows. The introduction to the song of just the lone power chords, before the hard hitting drums is not only great when getting into the song itself, but also to the entire album. It feels like a beginning - like a build up. The song itself is fairly powerful, but only in the choruses; as is the same with the following song In Bloom. Cobain loved a calm verse with a powerful chorus, and it works fantastically with these first tracks. By track 3, you’re feeling pretty pumped, then Come As You Are gets you a bit more mellow, featuring a memorable echoey riff that stands out against the other two. The power of the vocal and choruses remains however, with some really beautifully haunting harmonies from Dave Grohl (who harmonises on most songs of this album). Lyrics from the song were also referenced in the Blink 182’s ‘Adam’s Song’ - Take your time, hurry up, choice is yours don’t be late / I took my time, I hurried up, the choice was mine I didn’t think enough.

Breed packs a lot of punch and just doesn’t quit - the whole song is high energy, which you can see when they perform it live. For me it also has a similar vibe to track 10 ‘Stay Away’, with a lot of fast drumming and interesting chord progressions. Lithium brings it back down to a more mellow point, giving you more focus on the memorable lyrics - “I’m so happy, ‘cause today I found my friends, they’re in my head”. I’ve always felt that as a songwriter Kurt Cobain excelled, both musically and lyrically. There’s a lot of deeper meaning and thought that’s gone into the songs he created, which is shown wonderfully in Polly. The song is based on a story of an abducted girl who earned the trust of her captor by convincing him that she enjoyed it, before escaping at a petrol station when his guard was down. The song is written from the perspective of the rapist/captor, giving a slightly uncomfortable but interesting point of view written in a poetic way. The line that always stuck with me is ‘It amazes me, the will of instinct’ - describing how he feels about how the girl acted in that awful time.

Following Polly is Territorial Pissings, which begins with a weird screechy take on ‘Get Together’ (‘Come on people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now’) before blasting into the song, which is another example of how great Dave Grohl is at drumming. Nirvana famously played this song on TV instead of playing In Bloom, before also trashing the set - it’s the most ‘punk’ of their songs, really. Again lyrically I think it’s really interesting, though the words are slurred and screamed most of the way through. The best line for me is “just because you’re paranoid, don’t mean they’re not after you”. The song builds and builds and builds before Kurt literally screams the ending. Even if you don’t like Nirvana, you can’t deny the power that he put into his songs and performances. Kurt seems somewhat renowned for his screaming - if you’ve ever seen or heard the MTV Unplugged sessions, you’ll know how hard at Where Did You Sleep Last Night he went. I’ve heard countless times that the reason they didn’t return to do an encore was because he pretty much destroyed his voice from that performance, and couldn’t top it.

Now we get to number 8. So I’m going to say,

My stand out track of the album is: Drain You

This song is genuinely one of my favourite songs, ever. It might even be my favourite song. To me it's entirely perfect - from the clean opening with no introduction to the build up and scream in the middle, before dropping back into that powerful chord progression. I just fucking adore this song - excuse the language, but it should give you an idea of how strongly I feel about it. It’s actually somewhat difficult to describe in words exactly what it is about it, it’s a feeling, and it just speaks to me in some way.

Lounge Act and Stay Away are the songs I'm less bothered by on this album, though I still think they're great songs, so they're not a let down or anything close to it. On A Plain has the strongest harmonies of the entire album for me, especially right at the end with harmonised ‘oohs/mms’ and no music. I also kind of feel the end of the song being so quiet helps before going into the REALLY quiet Something In The Way. Apparently when recording this song, Kurt was struggling with how it sounded as it wasn’t how he pictured it. He began to play it quietly alone on his guitar, and Butch Vig just brought over the recording equipment and let him do it like that, giving it such a distinctive sound, just how it was meant to sound. It’s a beautiful end to an album (not counting hidden tracks which I won’t add in here) which I’ve loved for many years. The 20th anniversary edition of Nevermind featured lots of different mixes and recordings of the songs, which after such a while was refreshing and interesting to listen to.

This is probably one of the most in depth reviews you’ll get on here, though I honestly could’ve said more.

Next week I’ll be listening to Metallica - Metallica/The Black Album (1991)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

30. Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

I’ve been told before now that ‘The Wall’ isn’t just an album; it’s an experience – a sort of journey that you have to listen your way through. So when I started listening to it, I was welcomed by what I expected – songs that lead into each other and go through a variety of styles to give you ups and downs. If you’ve been reading my blog since I started it in February you’ll know that I LOVE albums that have linking/flowing songs.

The record is split into sections, though they do all still flow – but on one side it equates to a long track listing. One of the things I really like about The Wall is the track lengths – Pink Floyd weren’t afraid to have one song at 5 and a half minutes and another at just 1. It shows what I guess is a kind of ‘musical integrity’ – keeping the songs as they should be and not worrying about whether that’s considered too short or too long, and not allowing any ‘filler’.

In terms of style and genre, it’s very much what I like and would consider ‘classic rock’. It’s well written, well produced, and sounds of its era. It’s quite difficult to pick a stand out track having only really known Another Brick In The Wall – as the rest seem quite ambient and less ‘full’. Having listened through the whole album though, Another Brick is the one that for me really does ‘stand out’, so:

My stand out track of the album is: Another Brick In The Wall Part 2.

Splitting this song into sections gives a lot more depth to it, which I really enjoyed. The second part is the famous part that everyone knows, but it has something a bit more likeable about it than the other parts – perhaps the choir like vocals of the kids and the interesting riff. 

On the whole I think this album is really good, and you can see why it sold as many copies as it did. It’s different, but familiar enough that you feel involved and excited by each track. If you are going to give it a listen, go through all of it – take the journey and don’t just dip in and out. It’s definitely worth it.

Next week I’ll be listening to Nirvana – Nevermind (1991) If you know me even slightly, you'll know to expect something gushy.

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

31. Santana - Supernatural (1999)

Having only heard a few tracks previously, this album pretty much delivered on what I was expecting - a smooth latin jazz funk feel with technical and impressively played guitar. For me, majority of the songs kind of merge into one as they have a very similar sound in both music and vocals - though that makes for perfect background listening. 

'Put Your Lights On' was a song I really enjoyed, which I think is down to the vocal sounding so different to the rest. To some extent the songs don't seem to 'go anywhere', in that they repeat sections or never really take it up on a notch, but that means they become familiar and relaxing to have on. On the whole, I've really enjoyed listening to Supernatural - and it's definitely a summer sort of album.

My stand out track of the album is: Smooth

I LOVE this song. It's one of the only tracks I knew off the album and it really does stand out amongst the rest. The vocal is strong and has you singing along by the first chorus, the guitar is such a memorable riff and really shows off the prowess of Carlos Santana. It's a funky sounding song with a lot to love, and I think it really encapsulates what this album is all about.

Next week I'll be listening to Pink Floyd - The Wall (1979)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

32. ABBA - ABBA Gold: Greatest hits (1992)

As I always say with greatest hits albums, they’re quite hard to judge. What’s specifically tough about this one though is that every song is good, and because of just how many hits they had, you know every single one. The album kicks off with Dancing Queen - a classic that gets you singing and swaying along, and just continues with other songs you know all the words to. There’s no lull (other than putting a few of the ballads together), and it means the compilation is great from start to finish.

ABBA themselves are one of those groups that just churned out hits one after the other. Ask yourself how many of their songs you know and you’ll probably estimate up to 10; give the albums a listen and you’ll have the ‘oh wait I know this one’ moment for almost every track - and I like that. No matter how many times you’ve heard this songs before, you’ll always sing or dance along (most of the time with your parents).

My stand out track of the album is: Lay All Your Love On Me

With a lot of the other albums I’ve looked at, I’ve picked the song that really stuck out as being ‘the best’ for whatever reason. With ABBA Gold I found myself just having to pick one of the many that I liked. Lay All Your Love On Me is just well constructed and a personal favourite of mine, though I could honestly have picked any as the collection is so strong.

This has been a fun one to listen to - apologies for the week off last week.

Next week I’ll be listening to Santana - Supernatural (1999)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

33. Backstreet Boys - Backstreet's Back (1997)

Initially I was quite looking forward to this album, especially after last weeks, and knowing the first couple of songs and LOVING THEM. I have to say though, I’m slightly disappointed with the rest of the album. Beginning with ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)’ is fun, but also slightly misleading. It packs a lot of punch as an opening, with a very 90s sound and sing-along feel. The second track is ‘As Long As You Love Me’, another favourite of mine, which always has me singing along and working out the harmonies. In the last post I linked to a clip from Sabrina The Teenage Witch, which shows the boys doing the song acapella briefly - and it is so beautiful.

It’s when we get to the end of those first 2 tracks that it went a bit downhill for me. Majority of the remaining songs are ballads, and those that aren’t are weird dancey tracks that just don’t sit right with me. It’s not great feeling disappointed with a band you like, but having not heard the rest of the songs before I assumed majority would be fairly good - especially since Millennium had a good amount of interesting songs.

The one real positive is that the boys sing so well - though I may be somewhat disappointed with the songs themselves I’m not disappointed with their talents.

My stand out track of the album is: As Long As You Love Me

I’ve always loved this song, and I’ve even thought about covering it a few times. The harmonies just sit so well together and create a really interesting piece of music, and presents a lovely message too. As I mentioned before, take a look at the clip from Sabrina to see how the boys voices really fit together - it’s definitely a song that I’ve taken inspiration from when it comes to learning to harmonise.

On the whole - meh. I’d have liked to be impressed, but I’m not, which is a shame. It doesn’t change my view of the band really, but it’d have been nice to find some hidden gems that I wasn’t aware of before.

Next week I’ll be listening to ABBA - ABBA Gold: Greatest hits

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

34. Backstreet Boys - Millennium (1999)

I'm going to have some serious bias towards this album since I grew up listening to them. Saying that, I still genuinely choose to listen to a few of their songs now. The album starts off with a great track - Larger Than Life - really bringing out the fun/dancier side of the boy band, before leading into a couple of mellow ballads including the brilliant 'I Want It That Way'. There's a good mix of typical 90s boy band dance songs and typical 90s boy band ballads - it's very indulgent. If you love a good 'guilty pleasure' album, this has to be it. 

The boys themselves are great singers, with really beautiful harmonies that work effortlessly together. If you don't believe me and think the boys are just autotuned, I'd direct you to this clip from Sabrina The Teenage Witch, where the boys sing acapella https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSqn8ZwsfHY - it's really good. As well as the harmonies working so well, the distinctive voice of each member gives them each their time to impress, instead of it all being about one member. 

My stand out track of the album is: Larger Than Life

I'm a sucker for this song, and for its video. I miss the days when being in a boy band meant you had to be awesome at dancing - it meant that they were very talented (and very fit) young men. I digress; the song itself is easy to sing along to, has really nice harmonies, and has a lot of punch to it. I can see why they decided this should be the opener for the album - it shows a lot of what they do and really gets you going before hearing the rest of the songs. 

I really enjoy the Backstreet Boys. If you're around my age you'll likely love them too for the nostalgia. 

Next week I'll be listening to Backstreet Boys - Backstreet's Back (1997)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

35. Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)

This is a pretty classic album with some of Bon Jovi's greatest hits. The first track has a fun instrumental introduction, which I like in any album as it builds up and solidly starts it all off. By song 2, we're already at 'You Give Love A Bad Name' - and if you don't sing along to it or air guitar to the main riff, we can't be friends. I'm not a massive Bon Jovi fan, but they do have some great songs. 

Following such a solid start, the album continues with 'Livin' On A Prayer', which is such a fantastic track. The song is so full sounding, and very satisfying in structure, especially with the last chorus being a step higher. 

The whole album feels very full and well structured, and the order seems very thought out. Other than 'Wanted Dead Or Alive' I actually didn't know any more of the songs. Having listened through, they're all fairly rocky and full of interesting riffs. Considering the time of release for this album too, there's definitely what I consider to be a definitive 80s rock sound to it, which is a lot of fun, and has you picturing the outfits and big hair. 

My stand out track of the album is: Livin' On A Prayer

It's hard to ignore this song. I found other songs on the album that I liked a lot - a close second would've been the end track 'Wild In The Streets', but I just don't feel that the other songs have quite as much punch as this one. If you say you can sit quietly and not sing along to 'WOAAHH WE'RE HALF WAY THERE' then I think you're lying a little bit.

Having personally had a bit of a low week, this album really helps raise the spirits and get you up and moving. I'd listened to some of these songs before this review, and I'll continue to afterwards.

Next week I'll be listening to Backstreet Boys - Millenium (1999)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

36. Spice Girls - Spice (1996)

This album came out when I was 4 years old, so I have a lot of memories of hearing these songs on a regular basis. Hearing them so often (especially at discos, remember those?), it engrains them into your mind for ever more. It's not until listening to the songs at a later date and with more musical knowledge that you realise how good they actually are.

Right off the bat, the album begins with Wannabe, which actually has some really lovely harmonies. It's also a solid start to the album and really 'kicks it off'. Following Wannabe, the songs get a bit more ballad-y - and actually have more explicit content than I realised as a child! There's definitely a 90s sound the album, the pop backing is easily recognisable as that era, and knowing the visual of music videos and outfits, it all fits together to be satisfyingly 90s. 

What surprised me most, listening to it now, is that lyrically the album isn't bad. That mixed with multi level harmonies makes this an enjoyable album, whatever age you are. 

My stand out track of the album is: Wannabe

Maybe it's the nostalgic aspect that sold this one to me, maybe it's the fun elements of the song - either way I do have a soft spot for it. Structurally it's very satisfying, as the verses are quite punchy and the choruses much more smooth as all the girls are singing. I also have quite vivid memories of the video, which was a lot of fun.

For anyone of my age I think this album stays somewhat close to their hearts. Even if your music taste has changed drastically over the years - which mine definitely has - there's something comforting about having grown up with the songs. And there's definitely a lot of fun in dancing around to them like you did when you were 5. 

Next week I'll be listening to Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

37. Grease Soundtrack (1978)

I've expressed before that it's quite difficult to review 'best of' albums. And then I find myself having to look at a soundtrack. This is 10x harder. 

There's obviously a certain amount of consistency/cohesiveness between the songs as they all go together to tell the same story, but they jump around quite a bit since they're not in an 'album order', they're in the order they appear in the film. When just listening to the album and not watching the film it feels really disjointed and strange, so I found myself trying to work out which scene they each happened in to try and make sense of the order. 

I'll admit, I'm not the biggest Grease fan. I like the movie, but I don't know it as well as most people, so listening through the tracks I was a bit like 'where does this one happen again?' On the whole though, the songs are enjoyable, I like the feel of it since it's meant to be a specific era, and I was singing along to the songs I knew.

I do like the mix of cast sung songs and separately recorded songs. With musicals especially, it's more common to find the soundtrack is all cast sung as they tell the story - but I like that there's also the songs that fit into the background on the album too. 

My stand out track of the album is: You're The One That I Want

I always liked this song both on its own and in the movie. It really makes you want to get up and dance and maybe even go through a fun house. It's also one of those tracks that's great to do karaoke style with a friend whilst you do the dance moves.

Overall, I can't complain. It's a fun soundtrack album, and it's obvious why it sold so many copies, since the film was so popular. You wouldn't buy this album having not seen the film.

Next week I'll be listening to Spice Girls - Spice (1996)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

38. Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (2002) 

I’ve heard a few of the songs from this album before, and I always thought they were quite nice sounding. When I found out that this album was on the top 50, I was a little surprised - I had no idea that this album was so popular that it sold tens of millions of copies.

Don’t Know Why is a lovely start to the album, as one of the songs I knew previously, it’s been nice hearing it again. It’s a very calming song, her voice is smooth and interesting, and the song is fairly simple in lyrics - but not in a bad way. The whole album is fairly ‘chilled’ in sound - even the upbeat songs have the same soft sound.

The album’s title song Come Away With Me is a very sombre song, her voice being the thing that really stands out. The instruments in each song are really there as an addition to her voice, as in, it feels as though everything is picked out very specifically, and used in a certain way to enhance how she sounds and not detract from it.

The only ‘problem’ I have with the album is that every song sounds very very similar. There aren’t any massively distinguishing features between each song, so they kind of merge into one. There isn’t any one song that stands out completely among the rest either, as they’re all fairly consistently good. If you like albums that have a consistent sound and feeling, then this is a good one - personally I prefer a little more difference in tracks than is on this album.

My stand out track of the album is: Don’t Know Why

I always say that I hate doing this - picking one of the songs I knew previously. Having listened to the rest of the album a few times, this is still the track that stays with me. The other track I’m quite drawn to is The Long Day Is Over, but it doesn’t have the same ‘singalong’ factor that I get from this one. The way the music fits around the vocal is really satisfying, specifically the little ‘riff’ just before she sings ‘don’t know why I didn’t come’.

I’m not blown away by this album but I’m also not disappointed with it either. It’s consistently good throughout, each song is well done, but nothing much stands out. As a relaxing album to have on in the background, it’s lovely, but as an engaging one, perhaps not so much.

Next week I'll be listening to the Grease soundtrack (1978)

Thanks for reading x

[top50albums]

39. Adele - 21 (2011)

I knew before I listened to this album that I’d like it. I’ve always quite liked Adele - when people were moaning about her doing the song for Skyfall, I was there singing along (badly) at home. I’ve always thought she had a brilliant voice and was a really nice, funny person, I’ve just never taken the time to listen to this album before.

What’s most interesting to me is that a lot of this top 50 list is ‘classic’ albums, the sort of albums you’d expect (The Beatles, Michael Jackson). So when I found out Adele had made it into the top 40 after the album being SO recent, I was sort of… proud. She’s very diva-ish to me; the sort of person you want to say ‘you go girl!’ to. You know what I mean?

I digress. I love this album. Each song is strong, her voice sounds fantastic and silky smooth. I knew more songs than I thought I did too - but that doesn’t mean Someone Like You isn’t still one of my favourites, of course. The songs each contain a really nice piano track, along with Adele’s vocal. They’re very simple, but in such a lovely way. The production of the songs means they reflect the time they were made in, whereas the song itself could sit in any decade. That makes it kind of timeless, like if you were to sit and listen to Etta James, for example. There’s a very similar power and heart to Adele’s songs to these classic singers.

To have sold so many copies in this time seems a little crazy, but on listening you can see why. I obviously can’t speak for everyone, but there seems to be something very appealing for anyone - and let’s be honest, who doesn’t like a good belting out of a song you know you can’t sing as well as the original?

My stand out track of the album is: Turning Tables

I wanted to say Someone Like You. I love that song, it’s so heartfelt - but I felt the need to recognise a different song from this album which got to me just as much. That other song would be Turning Tables. I have to say, I’m a sucker for piano - I’ve always had playlists of classical piano tracks, as well as Yann Tiersen tracks too. Turning Tables has a lovely mix of softness and strength. The piano keeps a consistent strength most of the way through, and the addition of strings in the background adds to this. Adele’s voice begins soft and builds up as the song progresses - she’s a very emotive singer and I think this song really shows that. It’s a beautiful song.

I’d highly recommend this album. If you haven’t listened to the non-released tracks, please go and do so. They’re lovely.

Next week I’ll be listening to Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (2002)

Thanks for reading x