Vinyl records are gaining a resurgence that they lost for a few decades. Yes, they are still way behind their glory days from the 1970s; however, popularity is nothing less than a surprise in this digital age.
Compiling a list of the best iconic albums isn’t a small task. There’s a vast history of music that you’ll have to consider coming up with a list of the best albums. If you ask people, you’ll get ten different answers from ten different people. But owning a beautiful vinyl canvas is the best way to make music.
Our list of albums spans different eras. We used only a single criterion to reach this list, which is classic or push the boundaries meaningfully. If you are looking for inspiration, below are our selected iconic albums. Expand your collection. Every album should be in the record collection.
Top Must-Have Vinyl Records
We selected albums based on the unique sonic characteristics produced when recorded on vinyl. The impact of the album on music history was also a consideration. As you know, these lists are subjective; these albums we love to own, regardless of their commercial success. Anyway, if there’s any album worth mentioning, please comment below!
Adele, 21
This is the second studio album released by English singer-songwriter Adele in 2011. She was only 21. The album was composed when she was separating from her then-partner. This shows how heartbreak could be a source of evocative inspiration for an artist. It won a Grammy and a Brit Award.
It maintains the Motown and soul influences of her 2008 debut album, 19. It was further influenced by the North American leg of her 2008–09 tour. That is why it has a taste of American country and Southern blues music. She had cigarette breaks with a Nashville-born and bred tour bus driver who introduced her to the bluegrass and rockabilly genres. Album 21 clearly shows those influences. It has a narrative structure and immediate, heartbreakingly honest themes.
The album starts with ‘Rolling in the Deep’ and the foot-tapping ‘Rumour Has It.’ It has good reasons that led to Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It also made the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Michael Jackson: Thriller
Thriller remains the biggest-selling album of all time. Seventy million copies were sold worldwide. Estimated to be over 27 million copies are vinyl records.
The album is a pop classic. It owes a significant part of its success to a string of music videos, from Billie Jean to the title track Thriller. The album has everything for music lovers and deserves all the success. It rightly transformed Michael Jackson into a pop icon. The zombie dance and MJ’s red jacket remained iconic elements of 1980s pop music.
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
The iconic album cover shows no record collection is complete without Dark Side of the Moon. Over 45 million album copies are sold worldwide, making it to the list of the biggest-selling albums ever.
New collectors continue to snap out copies of the legendary album. It depicts how great albums can break down generational boundaries.
You explore timeless human conditions like mental illness, death, and conflict, listening in a dimly lit, atmospheric room.
Joy Division: Unknown Pleasures
Unknown Pleasures is an iconic album of the post-punk era that urges you to own a vinyl record. Even an album cover is enough to evoke feelings.
Many critics list it among the best albums ever made. It has tones of the Velvet Underground and the Doors that deliver a unique dystopian, futuristic sound. Through Stark, a mysterious and gloomy character is shown with honest performances. This album is a must-have.
Kate Bush: The Hounds of Love
Hounds of Love is an iconic album from the 1980s. Kate Bush used production techniques and the new synthesizer technology of that time to create a timeless body of music. It still makes you feel fresh to this day.
The Hounds of Love comprise two distinct halves. Side A is a pop-forward collection of the hits. Side B is more on the avant-garde and conceptual side of songwriting. The Ninth Wave on Side B tells the story of a woman drifting alone in the sea at night.
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (1975)
Some music lovers think of it as the beginning of Bruce Springsteen. Born to Run is romanticized, and hope of escape comes to define the boss. Its cover is among the best album covers ever made.
The sessions were long and arduous for the record. Springsteen didn’t want Phil Spector’s “Wall of Sound” and “Born to Run” to come together. It was until Steven Van Zandt wrote the horn line. Eventually, the album proved to be a rebirth for Springsteen. It sounds like Springsteen is leaving. Born to Run feels like it’s about an American myth. With this, Springsteen became an American myth himself. Born to Run has been certified platinum seven times.
OK Computer by Radiohead (1997)
Even the word ‘masterpiece’ comes short of describing an OK computer. It is beyond musicality. Thom Yorke’s prescient lyrics paint a dystopian picture of technology. It shows how technology is flattening culture and destroying what we love the most.
“Paranoid Android” is a pompous and punk three-part mini-symphony. Computers have a drastic impact on modern music. After listening to it, it makes me feel OK. Computerism is everywhere.
In 1997, Radiohead topped many lists as the band of the year. They received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. They also won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album for OK Computer. It is now part of the U.S. National Recording Registry.
Wrapping up
This list has been tough to compile. This is more than just selecting a shortlist and then narrowing it down, which is tricky; it is also because the taste of music is subjective.
We can quickly go through tens or even hundreds of albums worth having. Eventually, shortlist and narrow down albums that bring joy into your life daily.
Now, deciding which album shouldn’t miss your record collection is up to you.