10 Best Albums of All Time: #1 Edition
Since I don’t have anything to do recently, I decided to share my 10 top albums of all time to my followers. The list is dominated by women 😃
- Melodrama — Lorde
- Back to Black — Amy Winehouse
- HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I — Michael Jackson
- Born This Way — Lady Gaga
- Like a Prayer — Madonna
- Stripped — Christina Aguilera
- 21 — Adele
- Some Nights — Fun.
- Greatest Hits 1970–2002 — Elton John
- Frozen (Soundtrack) — Various Artists
10. Frozen (Soundtrack) — Various Artists
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I’m never going back, the past is in the past
Let it go!!— Let It Go
Yes, this is embarrassing, but I must say that the whole album is solid. I have always been a fan of Disney musical animated movies. But for this one, I remember the lyrics of 80% of the album! The lyrics of each song are just extremely memorable. I can even recall the movie scenes.
Highlights: “For the First Time in Forever”, “Let It Go”, “Let it Go (Reprise)”, “Do You Want To Build a Snowman”, and “Love is an Open Door”.
I cannot wait for Frozen 2. Hopefully, it will bring an amazing soundtrack like its predecessor >.<.
Update: Frozen 2 is out, but sadly it is far from being as good as its predecessor :).
9. Greatest Hits — Elton John
You know you can’t hold me forever
I didn’t sign up with you
I’m not a present for your friends to open— Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
I know that it isn’t fair to include this album on the list since it’s a compilation album. I guess Elton John is not good at writing one whole album, but he did write many masterpieces. Somehow, however, I feel like each song in this compilation album is connected, just like a regular studio album. This album is definitely perfect for you who enjoy ballad and soft-rock songs. Bernie Taupin x Elton John combo made the best poetic lyrics that no one will ever match.
Highlights: “Your Song”, “Candle In The Wind”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Rocket Man”, and “Crocodile Rock”.
8. Some Nights — Fun.
This one is not for the folks back home
Sorry to leave, Mom, I had to go
Who the fuck wants to die alone
All dried up in the desert sun?— Some Nights
I always admire band vocalists who have an extremely round-operatic voice when they sing such as Freddie Mercury (Queen), Brendon Urie (Panic! at The Disco), and, my favorite, Nate Ruess. I feel like the album is a musical album.
Highlights: “Some Nights (Intro)”, “Some Nights”, “We Are Young”, and “Why Am I the One”.
7. 21 — Adele
Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turned my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow
A true classic. The perfect album for anyone who feels heartbroken and lonely. I understand this one might be overrated, but it deserves everything it gets. Adele’s songwriting skill is at its peak in this album (“Rolling in the Deep”, “Turning Tables”, “Set Fire to the Rain”). Her cover of “Lovesong” is the best version of the song I’ve ever heard. I am a fan of Adele’s “angry vocal crack”, which is the reason why “One and Only” is my favorite song.
To be in your arms
So come on, and give me the chance.
Highlights: Literally every song on the album!
6. Stripped — Christina Aguilera
It seems I’ll never wake from this nightmare
I let out a silent prayer let it be over, over, ooh
Inside I’m screaming, begging, pleading no more, ah-ah— Walk Away
Unlike the other albums on this list, you will see that this album was never favored by music critics. As you can guess, most of the comments were about her oversinging and the wrinkled cohesiveness of the album (which is true), but I actually enjoyed it! Compared to her debut album, this really shows how wide her vocal range can span. Most of the songs are about empowerment. Even until now, “Beautiful” is used as the anthem of many events/groups (LGBTQ, people with disability).
Expect brutal vocal delivery on the following songs: “Beautiful”, “The Voice Within”, “Fighter”, “Soar”, “Walk Away”, and “Impossible”.
5. Like a Prayer — Madonna
You deserve the best in life
So if the time isn’t right then move on
Second best is never enough
You’ll do much better baby on your own— Express Yourself
Madonna in her prime years before she starts using the auto-tune technique too much. I think it’s the only personal and authentic album of her. Strong vocals, well-written lyrics, raw story-telling, great production, basically everything! If you don’t know her, this album is a good start.
Fun fact: “Like a Prayer” is never about worshipping God, it’s about oral sex. The metaphor and how she delivers the song like a church song is just genius! I know she often performs the song in charity events. And for people who finally know what the song is about, well…
Highlights: “Like a Prayer”, “Express Yourself”, “Act of Contrition”, “Dear Jessie”, “Cherish”, “Oh Father”.
4. Born This Way — Lady Gaga
Put on your shades ’cause I’ll be dancing in the flames
Tonight yeah baby, tonight yeah baby
It isn’t hell if everybody knows my name tonight (alright, alright!)— The Edge Of Glory
If this list was my most-played album of all time, this would have topped the list 😂. I hope this is not an exaggeration, but I was very insecure back when I was in junior high school. Then, this album somehow boosts my confidence, knowing that if someone who didn’t know where to go, felt like a freak, and got rejected a lot, is currently on top of the world, then I can make it too 😃.
This album is perfect if you are looking for self-empowerment since it’s the topic of most of the songs (“Marry the Night”, “Born This Way”, “Hair”, “Scheiße”). Like her previous albums, she always put a single best piano ballad song, and this time it’s “You and I”. My favorite one is definitely “The Edge of Glory”. Her passionate, vocal delivery, the beat, the saxophone playing, the alright shouts, it’s indescribable!
3. HIStory: Past, Present, and Future, Book I — Michael Jackson
Jew me, Sue me
Everybody do me
Kick me, kike me
Don’t you black or white me
All I wanna say is that, they don’t really care about us!— They Don’t Care About Us
It’s funny remembering how crazy I stan Michael when I only found out about him when he was dead. He is indeed crazily talented. The hooks of all his singles, his personality, his kindness, his dance movements. He is truly a legend that deserves the King title.
Unlike his previous albums, this is very personal and wrathful. It’s apparent that this album was a response to all the media attention on him (sexual abuse accusations, etc.). Two of my favorite songs are “Scream” (feat. Janet Jackson!) and “They Don’t Care About Us”. I don’t know why, but I really like angry and political songs like those. They just move me. Michael’s biggest talent: he can switch from the rock-style voice to the smooth-angelic voice when singing sad songs like “Childhood”.
Highlights: “Scream”, “They Don’t Care About Us”, “Smile”, “Childhood”, “Strangers in Moscow”, “Earth Song”.
2. Back to Black — Amy Winehouse
One I wished, I never played
Oh, what a mess we made
And now the final frame
Love is a losing game— Love Is a Losing Game
The one and only Amy Winehouse, ladies and gentlemen. She wrote almost ALL of the songs on her own, and they can be only sung by her and ONLY her. Anyone might try to cover any of her songs, but it will never, ever, surpass Amy’s delivery.
It’s a really insecure, fragile, and honest album. “Rehab” was a very miserable song but packaged in a catchy, funny way. The most iconic line in the whole album is sung at “Me and Mr. Jones” (What kind of fuckery is this?~). Only she can sing it satisfyingly. “Back to Black”, “You Know That I’m No Good”, “Tears Dry on My Own” are the highlights of the album. My favorite song is definitely “Love Is a Losing Game”, the only ballad of the album.
This album is definitely a gift for mankind. The duration is not too long either, definitely worth a shot to listen to it!
1. Melodrama — Lorde
I’m waiting for it, that Green Light! I want it!
— Green Light
And finally, the most solid album of all time! Suitable for any kind of feeling and activity (even studying for me).
By right it should’ve won Grammy’s Album of the Year (robbed by Bruno). The shift between each song is as smooth as silk. It’s like each song is supposed to be a response to the previous song. Songwriting is… too perfect. What I really like is her flexible vocal delivery that can match how the song is supposed to be told. “Liability” is just sung with simple thin vocals, but she somehow switches to a more haunting round voice when singing “Writer in the Dark”.
The opening song, “Green Light”, is one of my favorite songs of all time. It’s somehow unique that a move-on song is sung by yelling happily “I can’t wait to move on!”. When I go back home super late, I always listen to either “Green Light”, “Supercut”, or “Perfect Places” while walking down the avenue and sing and dance abruptly like no one is watching 😄.
EVERYONE NEEDS TO LISTEN TO THIS MASTERPIECE!
Originally, I was going to write my 20 albums of all time, but since I don’t have time to describe them, I will just list the albums here. I’ll go over it next time. Madonna and Michael Jackson are back on this list 😃.
- Thank u, Next — Ariana Grande
- Lemonade — Beyonce
- Confessions on a Dance Floor — Madonna
- Dangerous— Michael Jackson
- Tapestry — Carole King
- FutureSex/LoveSounds — Justin Timberlake
- Music Box— Mariah Carey
- Blackout — Britney Spears
- A Seat on a Table — Solange
- The Element of Freedom — Alicia Keys
