Here it is, our list of all time favorite albums - these are the ones that we can listen to on repeat again and again and never get tired of.
Shan
Anastacia - Anastacia
Although I hate that she self titled this album it is definitely on the top of my favorite albums of all time list. I’ve had this cd in my car cd player since the first day I heard it and haven’t taken it out since. Any time I forget to bring my iPod along it’s the first cd in the car I play. Full of “sprock” anthems. A mixture of pop, soul and rock. The single “Welcome to My Truth” is truely a power anthem. Other memorable tracks are “I Do!”, “Time” and “Seasons Change” along with all the popular singles that came from this gem.
Jordan
Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
Immy created a genre all her own. This album isn’t like anything I have ever heard before. The first song I ever heard of hers was “Hide and Seek” — I was floored. Half of the instruments she uses in any given song are her own voice (or ALL of the instuments, in the case of Hide and Seek), but not in a typical a capella style. No matter what, I never can grow tired of this album.
Ryan
Sugababes - Angels with Dirty Faces
It was 2002 when this album dropped and I can still share it with a Sugababes virgin and impress them. From start to finish the album is filled with brilliant and infectious tracks whether it’s non-sense #1 hit single ‘Round Round’ or the epic motivational ballad ‘Stronger’. But the true stand-out tracks for me were the non-single songs ‘Blue’ which carries a bassline heavier than any other track I’ve ever heard, and ‘Breathe Easy’ which is one of the best end-of-disc tracks (at least on the North American version) on any album. If you want to try something that took pop music from the boybands and girlgroups of the 90s to a whole new level, check this disc out, it won’t disappoint.
Simon
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Trip the Light Fantastic
Take a gander at the video for “Catch You”, from Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s third album, Trip the Light Fantastic, and try to tell me the entire production isn’t gorgeous. She, of course, is jaw-dropping, but the choreography, the direction, it’s all similarly entrancing. And the album is full of such gems, even if it sold dismally. The entire composition is a testament to the maverick Sophie, who’s involved in every aspect of her albums’ production, including writing her own songs, something that not many of our pop stars can claim. And when you consider the unique lyricism—it’s optimistic, introspective, and sexy without being slutty—it’s all the more impressive. Coupled with beats so danceable they hurt, it’s just a flawless compilation. A classic with class.
Ricky
Madonna - Erotica
My favorite album of all time comes from the land of the early nineties, and by way of the greatest musical performer since Elvis - Madonna, of course. Back in 1992, ‘Erotica’ came out, I was nine and grooving on “Thief of Hearts,” “Deeper and Deeper,” and “Rain” more than any of the other tracks. But as time went on, and I grew as a person, I went through each of the songs at different times in my life. When I was nineteen, ten years after the album’s initial release, I was going through some heinous times, and the lyrics to “Secret Garden” struck a chord with me. To me, it is a highly under appreciated gem of a Madonna song on a rather under valued Madonna album. Some have said that producer Shep Pettibone’s material hasn’t aged well, but to me, it will always be relevant and somewhere, hidden inside, there’s a message that relates to my life. And for that reason alone, Madonna’s “Erotica” is my all-time favorite album.
Duane
The Cardigans - Long Gone Before Daylight
When I first heard the Cardigans, I heard their hit “Lovefool”, and I was drawn in to the infectious pop sensation that was that song. However, after getting the album, I realized there was much more to this Swedish group; emotion, feeling, amazing song writing, and well crafted pop melodies. After falling in love with them, I was excited for every new release. After a couple of years of silence, they released their fourth album, Long Gone Before Daylight, which wasn’t initially released in the US. The dark sentiment Nina Presson sings in most of the songs illuminate a side of the band that isn’t abundantly clear in their previous peppy efforts; there has been love and loss, and they expertly craft song after song about it on this record. I can’t fully describe how I feel when I hear this record, other than to say that I feel like I am connecting to someone in a way that I haven’t connected before through music. Each song speaks to me in a way that no other band has ever done, and this record never loses any bit of splendor for me; regardless of many, many listens. If I were stranded on a desert island, I can definitely say that this is the record I would want to have with me, because every listen is as good as the last.
Tags: Anastacia, Imogen Heap, Madonna, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sugababes, The Cardigans