Thirty Six Albums That Matter

 

You could argue what are the BEST 36 albums of all time until the cows come home. That is NOT what this book is about. This is about the culture of popular albums. Each one of these albums (or CDs) contributed something significant to past generation’s listening habits or had a big impact on culture because of that record in some way.

To say something matters doesn’t mean it will matter to everyone.

These are recordings I feel matter in the context of popular music since the year 1956. These are recordings that go from Elvis Presley’s debut until Nirvana’s 1991 ‘Nevermind.’

 

These are not necessarily my own favorite recordings of particular artists. For instance, my favorite Beatles album is ‘The White Album.’ The general consensus among critics and fans is that ‘Sgt. Peppers Lonely hearts Club Band’ was the most important record, so that’s the one I chose.

 

‘Dark Side of the Moon’ IS my favorite Pink Floyd record. I am partial to Elvis Presley’s ‘Sun Sessions,’ but went with the RCA debut album for this book. It can be argued that ‘Sun Sessions’ was historically more important, but that was mostly regional. It wasn’t until ‘Elvis Presley’ was released in 1956, that the world knew who this former truck driver was.

 

I wanted to get some major Motown artists like Marvin Gaye and The Supremes in the mix. Dusty Springfield made significant contributions and this debut album really made an impact. ‘A Girl Called Dusty’ mattered.

 

Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’ was a no brainer. This changed everything for him in his career and was a milestone achievement. It made Springsteen’s live act the hottest ticket in rock for decades.

There are two Bob Dylan recordings. ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ recording was a seminal folk recording and ‘Bringing it all Home’ was the starting point for his electric career, which changed folk overnight to folk rock.

 

There are so many great albums and artists like The Byrds, Tom Petty, Yardbirds, Simon & Garfunkel, Lovin’ Spoonful, Nick Drake and Smokey Robinson to name a few that were left off this list. I could have easily done 100 Records That Mattered, but this will have to do.

I love so many albums and artists, but these albums fit the need for this project.

 

Maybe it will turn you or someone you know on to some material you may not have given a decent look to in the past.

Pop and rock music has always been treated like disposable product by the people who actually sold the music to the masses. The true artists tried to make art out of something that was barely appreciated that way by the people who made those decisions.

 

There are always exceptions to that rule. Men like Ahmet Ertegun, Berry Gordy, Jac Holzman, Chris Blackwell and George Martin are just a few who really made a difference and cared about the art form of making great music.

 

Take your time and go through this appreciation for these records and make your own decision if I got it right.